NOTE: I'm publishing a few chapters very close together. If you didn't catch the Livi/Eliza/Emily/Quinten/Griffin chapter, you might want to read that first and come back here afterwards!


Oscar Poudret, 17, D1M:

Despite the whole Eliza debacle, I caught myself thinking for a few minutes that Livi might be the most aggravating of my allies. Considering everyone around the campfire after a long day of dealing with Livi, I realize that Eliza's barbed comments were probably designed to hurt and throw me off my game, but spilling my feelings to Livi, knowing she wanted to help, was its own special kind of awful. Also cathartic, but still awful. Livi dragged me so deep in the woods that nobody would be near enough to hear me scream, then sat on a fallen log, waited for me to clamber up too. Then she told me all I had to do was answer a few questions, and then when I was done, I would feel much better.

In typical Livi fashion, it wasn't nearly as straightforward of a task as she led me to believe. She made me tell her why I was so focused on Alise and why I went from fine to angry to sad within seconds. She ignored my crying and didn't accept any half-truths or partial responses, and once I was finished, she did the Thing. The Thing where she makes something frightening sound relieving instead. She said that clearly I was making myself distraught by trying to figure out the people around me, and that to relieve me of this burden, she was going to do all my thinking for me from that point on.

I asked her why that was necessary. "I know best," she informed me, "so I give the orders."

"What are we going to do about Eliza?"

"We'll see. Nothing for now. When the opportunity presents itself, I'm sure we'll figure something out. Besides, there are more important things to talk about than her."

"Like what?"

"Like the new rules you're going to follow. Rule number one, when I tell you to stop imagining something, you stop. Rule number two, you let me know if you're having trouble with that. Rule number three, if I instruct you to try something, you try. Understood?"

"You seriously want to censor my own brain? And here I was assuming thought crimes were a thing of myth."

"It's not about censorship, it's about your mental health. I don't want you to stress yourself to the point of sobbing if it can be avoided, so I'm going to derail your train of thought when you start getting fixated on things that aren't doing you any favors. Let's start with this: from now on, you can't worry about Alise any longer. It throws you off your game."

"Brilliant observation. What else are you gonna tell me, that the sky is blue? Breaking news, grass is green! Scientists make shocking discovery that water is in fact wet! Ooh, nobody saw this one coming: it hurts to get stabbed! And were you aware that snow is cold? What's next, fire is hot? Ha, good one, who'd ever think of that!"

"Livi, one, Oscar, zero. I succeeded at distracting you from your outrage at my censorship!" she said primly. And she was right. I assumed that she couldn't police my mind, but she was right, she absolutely can. She was right when she told me that I would feel much better after spilling my guts. A question comes to mind. What else has she been right about? As if reading my mind, she smiled at me. "See how good it feels to not be having a panic attack? We can make sure that things don't ever feel too intense and scary. And that means no more tears for you, right? I'll bet you're sick of crying because of how overwhelming your feelings are."

Her use of "feelings" made me seem childish and simpleminded, but she had a point, so I smiled back at her. "No more tears."

Damon Archer, 14, D7M:

Life has taken on a steady but dull rhythm. Nothing much of note has happened since I got sick from the dirty water. I count the number of purification capsules out loud as I put them in my bottle so it doesn't happen again. I eat charred meat and berries I recognize from District Seven's ample forests and know are safe. I bed on pine needles and the soft fluff from split-open cattail plant since I have no sleeping bag or blanket.

I had the good fortune to stumble upon a flock of fat turkey-like birds and practically bludgeoned three of them to death with my axe before the others noticed and fled, so I'm a lot better fed now than when I was subsisting off of squirrels. At first my plan was to go on the offensive, and in Career-like fashion, start hunting down other tributes, but after almost a week of staying here, I know my way around pretty well. Today, though, I caught a glimpse of a far-off tribute, nothing more than a speck of teal amid deep, lush green.

My grace period will likely be coming to a close soon. The time to show off my survival skills is gone, and people will be craving bloodshed. The sick Capitol freaks who get off on kids murdering one another will want me to stop hiding out and start actually doing something, particularly because I scored high in training. In my little village protection squad back home, the bigger boys taught me to track bears. I suppose it would be equally easy to track humans, particularly because the ground here is soft and wet, where the impressions of your feet sinking into it stick out like a sore thumb to passers-by.

Tomorrow, I decide, I'll start tracking the tribute I saw. When I pick up their trail, I'll follow it, and when I finally catch up to them, I'll demonstrate to all the folks watching exactly how I earned my Nine. Until then, I rest. I polish my axe. I plan how I'll react to whatever weaponry they have.

My father, the original Damon Archer, didn't make it this far. I've lived six days longer than he has, and I can live six more. Another six after that. Six more following those, if it comes down to it. I've lived for three hundred sixty five days a year for fourteen years. Surely I can make it another six days. I've gotten lucky so far, having been mostly undisturbed. The Gamemakers have been targeting me with their infernal storms, but the umbrella I was sponsored keeps me dry at night. I'll probably be okay for some time longer, actually, since I'm sure there are duller tributes out there for them to focus on.

But I can't stake my life on a probably, so I'll fulfill their wishes and do what they want. I'll keep my head down and my mouth shut and I won't speak up about their lack of ethics no matter how badly I want to. My mom might've lost my dad to the Capitol, but she's sure as hell not gonna lose me too.


Kill Tracker:

Livi Carnelian: II

Oscar Poudret: I

Eliza Maddox: I

Rafe McClellan: I

Lyra-Rose Ripley (DECEASED): I

Quinten Aramdale: I

Soya Orlando: I

Alliance Tracker:

Career Pack: Oscar, Livi, Rafe, Eliza

Protective Older Brothers: Ardledge, Emily, Griffin, Chip

Manipulators and Their Meat Shield: Soren, Pola, Zea

Queer and Romantic: Quinten, Radley

Loners: Damon, Soya

Supplies Tracker:

Career Pack: Blanket (x2), Climbing Gear (x2), Deer Meat, First-Aid Kit (x2), Foam Roll (x3), Night Vision Goggles, Rope, Sleeping Bag (x3), Sunscreen, Tarp (x3), Poison, Warm Earmuffs, Warm Gloves (x2), Warm Hat, Warm Scarf, Water (x3), Water Purification Capsules (x3)

Protective Older Brothers: Antiseptic Wipes, First Aid Kit, Note of Advice, Rodent Meat, Rope, Severe Infection Medicine, Severe Injury Medicine, Small Meal, Water, Water Purification Capsules, Waterproof and Temperature Insulated Tent

Manipulators and Their Meat Shield: Binoculars, Blanket, Collapsible Lightweight Ladder, Compass, Field Guide, Firestarter (x3), Foam Roll, Map of the Arena, Multitool, Net (x3), Night Vision Goggles (x3), Note of Advice, Powder and Puff, Rope, Safety Box (x3), Scuba Mask (x3), Sleeping Bag (x2), Small Water (x3), Special Bonus 3, Special Bonus 4, Spool of Wire, Sunblock (x3), Tarp (x3), Trap Materials, Turbo Umbrella, Unknown Machine-Looking Thing, Utility Knife, Walkie-Talkies, Warm Gloves

Queer and Romantic: Animal Traps, Basic Injury Medicine, Blanket, Bread, Camouflage Set, Collapsible Shovel, First Aid Kit (x2), Insect Repellant, Map of the Arena, Mesh Sheet, Multitool, Night Vision Goggles, Note of Advice, Rodent Meat, Special Bonus 1, Special Bonus 5, Spool of Wire, Sunblock, Tarp, Warm Hat, Warm Scarf, Water, Water Purification Capsules

Damon: Antiseptic Wipes, Compass, Grappling Hook, Groosling Meat, Multitool, Scuba Mask, Sunblock, Turbo Umbrella, Warm Gloves, Water, Water Purification Capsules

Soya: Bread, Crackers, Cured Meat, Dried Fruit, Field Guide, Flashlight, Iodine, Jar of Lozenges, Resin, Warm Hat, Water (x2), Water Bottle (x2), Water Purification Capsules

Weapons Tracker:

Career Pack: Bandolier of Shurikens, Bandolier of Throwing Knives (x2), Bow and Quiver of Arrows (x2), Dagger (x3), Spear (x4), Switchblade, Unknown Bat-Looking Thing

Protective Older Brothers: Chainsaw, Tanto

Manipulators and Their Meat Shield: Bandolier of Throwing Darts, Hidden Knife Gauntlet (x2)

Queer and Romantic: Shortsword, Spear, Unknown Scissors-Looking Thing

Damon: Axe

Soya: Axe, Bullwhip, Machete


Hey y'all!

I'm publishing a Capitol Focus chapter in a few minutes since I procrastinated on this by writing it first and I have no patience. Enjoy!

–LC :)