Um, Mental, are you okay? Another update after five days?! Yes, yes, it's a miracle, but I told you I'm writing like a speed demon!

So this was the first full-length chapter I've done that's brand new, and it's 6k words! I'm pretty proud of myself since I haven't written this much at once in years.

I'd like to thank the Spr*nto bot on Discord, the many litres of sparkling water I've downed and my unhealthy attachments for getting me to this point!

It's time for the tributes to get started with training! Here's where some of the drama and the alliances will begin to happen, so I hope that I can create some nice foundations for the development of characters here. You know I do love to create plot arcs here designed for later on in the Games, and even though it's been a while I'm hoping that some of my old plans come to fruition :D

I didn't intend to make a Skyrim reference with the title of this chapter, but hey, we're here now XD

With that said, let's get right into it!

Thanks to contemporarydancer2 who reviewed!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games in any way, shape, or form. I only own the arena I have created.

"Friendship is the only cement that holds the world together."~Woodrow T. Wilson

Nova Lupin, Sixteen, District Seven Female

I've had a long, sleepless night.

Usually, I'd be able to fall asleep just fine, but something about the atmosphere of the Capitol kept me awake last night. I was drowning in my worries and my fears, sinking beneath the waves of despair and desperation. I was kept up by my mind replaying the reapings over and over again.

I was a mess.

It wasn't exactly the most flattering of appearances, especially considering I was supposed to be saving face to garner the interest of those "sweet, sweet, sponsors!" as my mentor, Rowan, had sarcastically mentioned. He had prayed that the sassy bear suit wearing escort hadn't overheard him, but she had, swatting him over the head with a furry hand. I haven't bothered to remember the woman's name; I don't care about her. Then again, I'm not exactly keen on Rowan either. He's older than me and he's male. Him around me takes me on a one-way trip to that alleyway. Case closed.

Despite my emotional journey so far, I've done my best to remain cold and confident. Ashton, my district partner, has viewed me with distrustful eyes ever since, mostly because my change in demeanour was something he'd probably not expected. Sure, I'm probably pulling a Johanna Mason, pretending to be the ultimate crying wimp of a tribute, probably doomed to die in the bloodbath. The irony of that is that my emotions were real. The shock of being chosen was too much for me. Even so, the return of my emotionless shell has caught everyone off guard, and while my emotions are real, I know that I can use that as an advantage to make the Capitolites love me when they see how vicious I can get.

Now, standing in the training room, I'm resolute.

I have to face the facts; I'm in the Games because I was reaped, and now I have to figure a way to get out of here. The training instructor drones on and on, but I just ignore the spiel as my eyes settle on the axe station, fully kitted out with throwable axes.

I've always been good with an axe, no surprises there. I remember helping my family cut down the trees in my Father's lumber yard. I was known as a 'climber', the one who scurried up the trunks of the trees to remove some of the larger limbs before they came crashing down. I was so carefree back then, so innocent. I was just happy to have the opportunity to help someone. Earning money for the family was just another way to do that. Sometimes I look in the mirror and wonder how that carefree girl ever existed.

Sometimes I try not to think about it.

Finally, the head trainer finishes her talk on surviving the Games, and I get moving. I don't even have to think about where I'm heading, because my body takes me straight to the axe-wielding station. I check my peripherals instinctively. Nobody seems to have followed me; the careers have claimed the other weapons stations as usual, while the other tributes are milling around, trying various survival stations or other skills.

The trainer steps forward to help me, but I simply hold up a hand rudely, ignoring whatever they were about to say. My hand reaches forwards, curling around the handle of a shiny hatchet, just waiting to be thrown. It feels just like one of the axes back home, designed to chop off some of the smaller branches on trees. It's an easy weapon to use, often given to younger workers for a beginners trial. Instead of using this as a weapon, however, I'm more than well versed enough in these to throw them. With a smile, I prepare myself, aiming at the target before throwing the hatchet.

My technique is perfect, but my aim is not true, the hatchet slamming into the target's side. It's not in the centre, but close enough to cause some damage. The next hour or two becomes a blur of axe-throwing for me, some landing in the centre, others near the side. At some point, the trainer presses a few buttons and the targets begin moving. I miss a few, but some I hit, a couple of them landing square in the chest. I don't look to see if anyone is watching me, and I don't care. I'm here to train, and I'm here to survive. Whether or not the careers notice me is none of my concern, especially since I will aim to stay away from them as long as possible.

Someone is watching me though - the tall girl from Three. I don't notice her at first, but her figure soon appears at the edge of my vision. Slowly and surely, she draws closer and closer, observing me with interest. I don't mind girls my own age, but a lot of the time I push them away. Lucille was the only persistent one in District Seven, so I wonder if this new girl too, will be as persistent as she is? The thing is, the girl doesn't move, for goodness sake. She spends the best part of an hour watching me, even though she can tell I've noticed her and given her several cold sideyes. She's ignoring my disinterest and the aggression behind each of my throws, instead simply watching, maybe even admiring my training. No, she couldn't possibly be watching me out of admiration, could she?

Ugh, this is getting too much. Borderline creepy.

I throw the last of the hatchets into one of the targets and I turn to face the girl from Three, narrowing my blue eyes. Stalking up to her, I cross my arms and catch her gaze. She has long auburn-coloured hair and bright eyes, complete with long hands and fingers. She seems sure of herself, optimistic in a way, but unaffected by my attitude. Even though she's taller than me (close to six foot I would say), I hold my composure as she smiles disarmingly.

"What do you want, Three?" I ask flippantly.

Training time isn't given to us to be wasted, so I'm especially irritable since I should be practising and making sure that I know my stuff. I need to practice my survival skills and brush up on my weapon skills. Plants are a given in Seven since a majority of them are already ingrained in my head. Fire-making or trap-setting...there are other survival skills I'm not so confident with.

"Wow!" the girl from Three lets out a breath, clearly amazed, or something? "Sorry I was watching you, it's just that your technique is beautiful to watch."

I scan her face for any sign of a lie. I find none.

"Why are you watching me?" I ask. I swear my gaze is so intense that it could burn a hole through the poor girl, she remains unfazed.

She seems interesting enough, but why is she here?

"Well to be honest," she explains, answering my thoughts. "I saw you hitting those targets and I thought you'd make for a really good ally. I'm Naydene, from Three."

"I know you're from Three," I answer, my tone clipped, not giving her my name right away. Scanning her face, there's no trace of a lie again. "You think that I'd make a good ally, huh? What about you? What can you do?"

"I'm smart," Naydene responds, her sweet smile reappearing again. "I'd like to think I'm a fast learner. That and I don't like to give up."

I keep my arms crossed, before stalking back towards the station.

"I'll consider it."

Apparently, Naydene takes this as a yes, because she follows me over to the axe station in excitement.

"So," she asks conversationally. "What's your name? You're from Seven right?"

Sighing, I give up. She's just not going to go away, is she? Well, if she gets herself killed, I won't be there waiting around for her.

"Knife-station," I order, ignoring her questions. I lead her onward, walking past the axes and towards the throwing knives instead. It'll be a good idea to switch things up, to see if I'm better than anything other than an axe.

"Nice to meet you, Knife-station. Can I call you Knife for short?"

I throw a look over my shoulder at the girl, and she smiles, humour in her eyes. Against my better judgement, my lips curl upward slightly, but I don't answer her. Huh, who would've thought this girl had a joke or two in her? While the sense of distrust is still there, there a genuinity to Naydene that I can't deny. Oh, screw it. She's following me anyway, so I might as well let her tag along.

"Try these," I suggest, picking up a couple of knives and handing them to her. If this girl is going to be following me around, I'd like to know if she'll be competent or just a meat shield.

Naydene takes the small knives and inspects them, allowing the trainer to show her how to hold them properly, what angle to throw them, and how she should stand. Naydene is jovial and somewhat sweet, taking a determined and optimistic approach to learning. After a few minutes, she throws her first few knives. The first couple misses the target, but once Naydene gets a feel for the knives, she stops missing. Sure, she's not an expert, but for a beginner, she's got potential. Naydene turns to me after her third round of throwing the knives, her eyes alight with pride.

"You see that?" she laughs. "I did well!"

Shaking my head, I cross my arms again but despite it all, I can't help but smile.

"Yeah, you did," I answer, relaxing now. She's sweet. She might not last, but she's sweet. "The name's Nova. Don't forget it."

At this news, Naydene simply beams at me, as if that simple fact has completely made her day.

Maybe making a friend isn't such a bad thing after all.

Austin Ogara, Eighteen, District One Male

"So, no head?" I ask, smirking at Vanity, the girl from Two.

"Not in your wildest dreams," she responds, rolling her eyes.

So far, so good. The Careers and I have been training at the weapons stations so far; Districts One, Two and Four reunited once again. Given last year's events, I'm hoping that the Career pack won't disintegrate almost immediately, but judging by the personalities in our group, I can already tell that I have to be on the defensive just in case. I'm unbothered, to be honest. I feel at ease having allies. I know that's weird to admit, but nobody can really win the Games all on their own. When you have another twenty-three people to outlive, it makes sense to team up. The Careers have always banded together, and it was almost a natural union. The girl from Four, Aisha, brought her district partner Orion over to us this morning. It was a simple conversation...

"Are we allies or are we not?"

Aisha had made it clear she wanted in on the Career pack, and Orion seemed content to come along for the ride. After a demonstration of each other's skills, I found no doubt in anyone's ability to cut down another tribute. I already knew Adira, my district partner, but Vanity and Landon from Two are nice enough. Landon's quiet more than anything and Vanity can be direct. With Orion's silent strength and Aisha's passion, I'd say we make a good team, at least for now. I've never been one to openly express myself, and I've given my allies a respectful but reserved welcome, and no more than that. I don't want anyone learning anything about me if I can help it. Anything they know, they can use to their advantage. All information has value, and the slightest few words could be enough to manipulate someone in the way you want them to.

Aisha, for one, I don't trust.

She's passionate, she's confident, she's knowledgeable, and that's a threat. Considering she slid her way into our pack and has now become our leader has left somewhat of a bad taste in my mouth. I'm not jealous, I'm more cautious. Sure, she's reliable, but she just seems a little too play-it-safe for me, focused on organising us rather than getting us to actually do anything. It's almost as if she's trying to play games with me instead of focusing on killing other tributes. I can't deny it though, there's nobody else really here who'd be a good enough leader besides Aisha. Vanity is determined and focused, but Aisha's larger personality is more suited to a leadership role. Everyone else in our group is a more introspective breed. I smirk to myself at this. Just because some Career tributes become the leaders, it doesn't mean they survive until the end, even if their allies are quiet ones. I'll see to that.

Until then, I must prepare.

My blade cleaves through the dummy, fake blood splattering from it as I carve it to pieces. Vanity's beside me, also training away, her swords cutting through the dummies with ease. Soon, the two of us are left with a wasteland of sliced up rubber, stained with red dyes. I look over to Vanity and offer her a wink. She rolls her eyes but smiles. I leave it there - I know she's not interested and I'm not the type of asshole to force myself on someone. I can't lie though, I wouldn't mind someone to spend the night with, but I digress. I can go without a one-night stand for a few weeks if I can get away from him at the end of it.

"Aisha's waving us over," Vanity informs me. "We'd better go."

I turn my head and lo and behold, Aisha is waving us over as subtly as she can, as if she's trying to hide the fact that we're allies, despite the fact that it's glaringly obvious. I follow Vanity over to Aisha, where Orion, Landon and Adira join us.

"Right, now that everyone's here," Aisha smiles. "I want to know what our game plan is. Sure, we've been practising weapons, but we should also take a look into some survival at some point. More importantly, has anyone seen any threats yet?"

"The girl from Seven can throw an axe pretty well," Vanity offers. "She's not perfect, but she can hit a moving target. The girl from Eleven too - there's something about her. I think she's had some kind of training."

"Do you think we might be able to recruit them?" Adira questions. "They'd be useful to have at the beginning."

"Maybe the girl from Eleven," I suggest. "If she's trained, she'll be a threat, but we could use her for a while."

Aisha considers this, nodding.

"Yeah, if the girl from Eleven is trained, it would be good to have her where we can see her," she agrees. "I wouldn't worry about the girl from Seven, we can track her down or get her at the bloodbath."

A part of me feels sick, strategising like this. I'm not someone who came into the Games to kill. I came here to claim a victory. Anyone I kill will be getting a nice, quick, efficient death, not some drawn-out display of savagery. It's tactical to know who you can focus on, but not at the cost of your own humanity. Kill the threats first, clear out the weaklings last. It's a simple strategy; mostly because a lot of the weaker tributes die within the first half of the Games. The stronger players are the ones to watch out for because even a Career can be overpowered if they're underprepared.

"What about alliances?"

Aisha's question prompts me out of my thoughts as I tune back into the conversation.

"Only one so far," Orion says, speaking up in his soft voice. "The girls from Seven and Three."

"Okay, make Seven a definite bloodbath target then," Aisha decides. "I noticed that the boy from Ten seems to be friendly with the boy from Twelve. Maybe they might group up."

"I'd say it's too early to tell," I point out. "We're barely halfway into the first day of training. The other tributes haven't really warmed up yet."

It's true. The combination of fear of death, a new environment and learning new skills can be overwhelming for anyone. The trainers at the academy in One always said that a lot of tributes take a few hours to get properly settled in, often leaving only the Careers to become immediately acquainted. Honestly, who could blame us? We're used to this environment. Everyone else isn't.

Aisha pauses, watching me for a second. I give her a cool glare back, but I don't offer up any more information. Other tributes are going to ally with each other. Tributes do that every single year. In fact, I don't think there's ever been a Hunger Games where the tributes didn't work together to survive. It's a foreseeable event - you can't face six Careers in battle on your own if it came down to it. At least if you had allies you might stand a chance.

A slim chance.

"Well, let's meet up again on the last day of training," Aisha decides. "Right before the sessions begin, we'll go over what we've found out and how we might be able to tackle it going in. Great work everyone, let's get back to it."

The group disbands, only with Adira making eye contact with me and rolling her eyes playfully. I give her a smirk in reply; it looks like I'm not the only one over this. Walking up to her, I bump Adira's shoulder gently.

"How are you holding up?" I ask gently.

It's a momentary slip of my frozen mask before the walls are back up again, but a part of me knows how hard it must be for Adira. During the ride here, she told me all about her girlfriend Liana and how important she was to her. Sure, part of me wants to know more about Adira to use against her later, but a part of me is genuinely interested. Careers are human too, and Adira is the perfect example of that. She sighs lowly, tangling her fingers together. I can tell she's aware of my prying, but she's not exactly trying to stop talking about things either. It's almost as if she needs this.

"I'm doing okay," she breathes. "I just have to remember that she believes in me to get back to her."

That's sweet, but you won't. I think. You're up against five other careers, and all of them are more confident than you.

I don't intend to be so harsh in my view of Adira, but her whole persona oozes insecurity. If you're not confident in yourself and your worth, then how can you be confident in getting back to those you love?

"You'll get there," I remind her. "Just remember that you need to put yourself first."

Walking away, I head off to lunch, ignoring my thoughts as they whisper the truth to me.

So do you.

Dathan Corvair, Seventeen, District Ten Male

Look out for yourself.

My thoughts are whispering to me as I return from a lunch break, reminding me of the Careers meeting held this morning on one side of the training room. It's weird, seeing them so strong and adept with weaponry, yet also strategising amongst themselves, preparing for what's to come. I guess I can't blame them because they want to live too.

Lenore and I spoke about trying to find some allies with our mentor. We're unsure if we want to work together just yet, but I do think she's pretty cool and she'd be a sweet ally. The whole killing other people thing probably wouldn't really affect her, so I feel like she'd be the type to ground any allies she has if they start to lose it.

Before lunch, I was working on the fire-starting station with the boy from Twelve, Lewis. We'd engaged in polite conversation before we were called for lunch, but now that I've been acquainted with him, I'm confident that I already want him as an ally. There's an honesty to Lewis that I appreciate, and I feel like he holds a sense of determination and drive like myself, so I feel like we'd work together. Speaking of…I should find him again.

Scanning my eyes around the room, I'm surprised to find that the careers have decided to move away from a majority of the weapon's stations, opening them up for access by other tributes. One of those tributes just so happens to be Lewis, his familiar face sticking out to me, chestnut brown hair and dark eyes looking over the weapon's rack before him. I'm not going to lie, he's an attractive guy, but I doubt he's the type to be adventurous like me.

A smile crossing my face, I bound over to him, skidding to a stop beside him.

"Hey, Lewis!" I greet him, and the boy regards me with a smile.

"Dathan," Lewis smiles warmly, obviously comfortable with my presence.

I've always been quite a magnetic person, someone who can fill up a room and be the life of a party. There's a second side to me though, hidden away in the stories of drama or romance books, incredible philosophies and impressive ideals. I think that's why I've always had my family and my friends around me. I've always been someone who people seem to enjoy, so I just keep it coming I guess.

"So, what are we working on here?" I ask, looking over the various weapons nearby. "Weapons training, huh?"

"Well I figured that we'd need to know how to use one," Lewis shrugs, holding a short sword. "If anything, I'd rather we're able to defend ourselves so that we have a better chance of surviving."

"Yeah, yeah," I respond, half-listening, looking over the weapons.

My attention is often divided, distracted by the next big thing, the next goal, the next plan. Right now, it's settled on a square-based hammer, gleaming in its holder. I hum to myself, before picking the weapon up, testing its weight. Thanks to my well-toned figure, I've always been pretty strong, and while the hammer certainly has weight to it, it feels like it'll be something that I can handle. I toss it gently from hand to hand, feeling out the weapon, its range, and what I techniques I could use to wield it.

"You want to use that?" Lewis asks, surprised. "It's no easy weapon to use, that thing."

"Actually yeah, I think I could use it," I smile, confident in myself. "Sure I'd have to learn a few things about it, but it feels balanced."

"Well, if you're happy to give it a go, then I guess we can get started." Lewis nods, turning to the trainer and asking them to help us.

We stay like this for the next hour or two, learning new techniques and testing them out on dummies to improve our skills. Eventually, panting, we take a break, sitting down on a bench nearby one of the weapons stations.

"Hah, that was something," Lewis chuckles breathlessly. "Thanks for training with me."

"Don't sweat it," I smile, punching Lewis playfully in the shoulder.

Sitting here, catching our breath, I finally tune back into my earlier thoughts. An ally! Of course!

"Do you want to be allies?"

My delivery is blunt but clear and true. I don't see the point in just beating around the bush when there's something you want. I know for sure that I don't see any point in waiting – we did just train together for an hour and Lewis seems like the perfect person to join me. It kind of just makes sense. Lewis seems somewhat surprised to be asked out of the blue, but his face creases into a grin.

"I thought we already were?" he asks. "Dathan and Lewis, the dream team."

"The dream team that'll take those Careers down," I laugh. "I reckon if you and I get a couple of other people on our side then we'll be a force to be reckoned with."

"Well, I wouldn't underestimate Careers, but I actually agree with you," Lewis responds pleasantly. "We both learnt a few things today, so maybe if we find anyone else who knows some things, we can pool our knowledge?"

"Right!" I nod. "If there's a couple more of us, we can strategise on what we want to do going forward."

I feel relieved, although usually, I don't bother with fleeting emotions or worries when I'm after something. I know allies are one of the best assets in the Hunger Games, so I'm determined to get more of them before the Games begin. Sure, I'd like to get home alive, but having people who'll help you to get there makes the journey easier. What's the point of being alone with your thoughts when others around you can uplift you and believe in you?

Standing up, I stretch, feeling a bone in my back click.

"So, what do you say we go for another hour of weapons?" I question Lewis.

"You know what?" Lewis answers. "I'm down for that."

High fiving, the two of us head back to the weapons station, equipping my hammer and his sword, the two of us already the best of friends.

Well, at least for now.

Isabella "Izzy" Moire, Sixteen, District Five Female

I've always wanted friends.

For the longest time, I've always been the freak, the weirdo, the outcast. I've always been the one that people laugh at or the one people threw stones at. Out of everyone who's ever known me, only Zapp has really cared enough to be friends, but now that this is my last chance at staying alive, I know that making an ally could be the best hope for me. I just wish that there was someone out there who actually gave a damn and appreciated me for the person that I am. Twitching, partly in aggression, partly out of nervousness, I tie up the knot of rope in my hands, trying to replicate what I need to secure someone from a great height. I doubt that anything like this would come in remotely useful, but I figured that here I'd be able to come up with some kind of plan.

My younger sister, Mallory comes to mind; she's always been fiercely protective of me, despite being only eight years old. I can hear her now, shaking her fist at my bullies and giving me hugs every time she sees me. Every time she squeezes me as tightly as she can around my middle, ah what a little scamp she's becoming! For an eight-year-old, she's pretty brave, and not to mention smart. She has a certain way with people that I could never have, but even with her sweet efforts, people still tend to avoid me like the plague.

Mom and Dad, well they're a story on their own. With sixteen siblings as well as myself, it's not easy to get any attention whatsoever. What's worse than that is getting the wrong kind of attention. My twitching, my obsession with purple, thunder and numbers; why should that make me so different? Sure, I'm not exactly the most normal person on the planet, but I take pride in being completely and authentically myself.

Tying the rope and completing the knot, I brush my fingers across the ridges of the material, smiling to myself as the trainer congratulates me on my efforts, despite the smile not quite reaching his eyes. People always seem to underestimate me because they assume I'm unhinged. Just because I have a few loose wires, it doesn't mean I'm unaware of what's going on. Regardless, I'll pretend to ignore the fact that I've noticed the Careers and their whispering.

Just stay out of their way if you can.

Zapp had told me that when he'd said goodbye. He wasn't happy to see me go, despite his typical grumbly nature.

I can still feel the good ol' hug he gave me…

He'd forced me to promise him that I'd come back to Five again, and of course, I will, right? I made a promise. Now I've got to keep it. I don't care if anyone gives a damn about me coming back, but that fact that Zapp does means a lot to me. It's kinda sweet for him to care so much, but what can I say? We've been friends for so long. I'm grateful he even came to see me before I got shipped away to the train station and off to the Capitol.

I rotate stations, moving over to edible plants. I've done the whole memory test thing once or twice already today, but I've been almost obsessed with it. I enjoy the test, and just like a code, the memory games are easy to me. Information like that just seems to store itself away in my brain without any problems. It's so simple to know that fireroot can inflame the stomach and cause miscarriage, or that nettles make a great soup. Unfortunately for some, this isn't common knowledge, but when your parents have to feed sixteen children, it makes sense for you to get creative when you can.

I wait behind the girl from Six as she desperately tries to distinguish blueberries and nightlock, which has always been a difficult one to differentiate. As she struggles to decide, a part of me can't help but speak up. Poking my head over her shoulder, I point to the nightlock berries.

"Those are the deadly ones," I explain helpfully. "I hope it's okay that I point them out!"

I twitch slightly as the girl jumps, initially recoiling from me. She's quick to relax, although I can see the judgement in her eyes, so similar to everyone else. Of course, she's probably just another person who's written me off as crazy, right?

"Uh, sorry?" I shrug helplessly, offering her a grin. "I didn't mean to scare ya, I just thought you'd need a hand."

"No, no, it's okay…" the girl sighs. "I'm not very good at this anyway."

She appears somewhat sad as if there's some kind of hopelessness about her situation. I mean, she's not wrong; this is the Hunger Games, but moping and whining isn't going to get her anywhere.

"Hey!" I say, trying to be supportive of the poor girl. "Not everyone's good at everything. I've played through that thing a couple of times already. I'm sure you'll be good at it if you give it a couple of tries?"

I twitch again, mentally cursing myself for how I must look right now. My welcoming, bubbly persona has always been rejected by other people, but I know that I can't let that get in front of what friends I plan on making today.

"Yeah, I should give it another go," the girl responds, nodding slowly. "I have to remember to try and stay positive."

"Right!" I chirp happily. "Sure, it's a shitty situation, but at the end of the day, we just have to do our best, right? It's the Hunger Games, but you can't just give up on the spot. There are people to live for, experiences to dream of."

"You're right," the girl smiles shyly. "I'm Leigha."

"Izzy!" I cheer, happy to have made acquaintances with someone. "Nice to meet ya. Sorry about the twitching thing. It's well, something."

"No, it's okay," Leigha says. "It's weird, but you're more than that, I can tell. You obviously know your stuff if you can tell plants apart better than me."

"Nah, I bet you're good at all sorts of things," I tell her encouragingly. "Come on, I'm sure there's more to you than you think. You want to stick together a while?"

Leigha considers this for a moment, but her eyes glitter as she smiles at me. She seemed hesitant before, but now that I've broken the ice, she clearly seems more comfortable.

"Sure," she replies. "Let's stick together for a while."

I let out a small whoop, taking her back over to the plant identification station. Setting up the game, I begin to tell her the difference between venomous and non-venomous plants, happily chatting away to her.

For a moment there, it felt like I was going to be all alone again.

It seems that even the weirdest people can make friends.

So uh, don't even ask me why, but some POV's came out crazy long, but my old notes just packed in more events for this chapter I guess? Even so, it looks like this chapter has been pretty alliance heavy, huh? Maybe Austin was wrong when he said that it takes time for tributes to become well acquainted...

I hope that you enjoyed this chapter – please tell me how my writing is doing! I always have an ear for improvements and suggestions, because constructive criticism is so important :)

Oh here's a thing! I now have themes for my SYOT's; I'd highly recommend that you go and check them out to get a feel of the undertone and cinematic atmosphere of my stories. I hope you enjoy the music!

Let's give a rundown of the alliances so far~

The Career Pack:

Adira Linett, Austin Ogara, Vanity Genot, Landon Caruso, Aisha Cain, Orion Trent

Duos:

Naydene Carmello, Nova Lupin

Dathan Corvair, Lewis Coltsfoot

Isabella "Izzy" Moire, Leigha Tullson

So, how did you like this chapter?
Nova's actually got herself an ally, found in the optimistic Naydene. Do you think they'll last?
Austin and the careers are banding together, and he doesn't seem to trust Aisha and her seemingly manipulative ways. Do you think his reasoning is justified?
Dathan and Lewis are getting on like a house on fire, who do you think they'll try to add to their alliance?
Bless Izzy, all she wants is a friend, and it honestly looks like she might have one! Leigha and Izzy, did you see that one coming?

As always, keep yourselves happy and chilled out~

Over and out!
~Mental