Relieved from watch duty less than an hour after watching Kane's smiling face grace the skies as the only fallen, Maesus assumed the other tributes were celebrating from seeing another career already down. As deserved as it felt, the thought seeded guilt in the girl's stomach.

Even as she slept, tossing and turning in the rising heat of the morning, she felt unbelievably ashamed. Had Lakyn really seen what happened? Did Mirra tell her? Did they assume she actually wanted it? And of what of their alliance now? Kane was stronger and she was failing to find what she offered the group to have gotten to survive longer than him. Four days into the game, four members left in their alliance; counting anything and everything had become her only grounding tool.

It never did quite enough to quell Mae's spiralized thinking. As much as they were enemies in the long run, right now the other girls were her allies and she couldn't explain why she wanted them to actually think her useful. To like her. She just knew she wanted them to and had to prove herself. Thus far she hadn't even actually killed, her act of mercy wasn't exactly invigorating entertainment. She needed them here in the arena, but she needed her sponsors and fans even more if she was going to live beyond the games.

Maesus curled up tighter on the sleeping mat. In her hand the rosary shifted upwards with each count of a bead. Continuing to wonder how the hell she even made it this far and how she was supposed to maintain living, Kane drifted into her mind and she unconsciously scrunched her nose in disgust. But he had been her safety net and even if she dropped the weakling act in favor of her allies, Mirra alone was a blood-hungry powerhouse. She wasn't so weak she'd go down without a fight but she stood no chance against those trained for this. There was no shield anymore.

'Treinta y tres, treinta y cuatro..' Practicing her Spanish, even if only mentally, allowed her to slow down after having counted every rose-scented bead several times over since first waking up.

'Treinta y ocho, treinta y nueve…' The voice in her head got louder, drowning out her racing thoughts. Except she couldn't finish the entire length of her rosary, the delicate scent of fresh cooked fish enticing her to sit up. Her hair had started to become impossibly knotted, matted down on her left side from sleeping on it and becoming frizzier the hotter it got. There was dirt on her nose and sweat drenching her forehead. She felt an utter mess, a visual trainwreck; a rebellious grin passed her lips.

Tucking the token beneath the material of her tank top, Maesus slipped back out into the open air of the cornucopia and looked towards their fire pit. The slightest breeze cooled her skin and she was enticed forward.

Lakyn and Calder sat with their backs towards her, a pan with fileted fish still resting on the flames. Whatever they had been just previously discussing was hushed when rocks and sand softly crumbled from beneath her shoe, alerting them to her presence. Brilliantly white and inviting, Lakyn's smile was paired with a friendly wave. "Hey, good morning… ish." She laughed, reaching forward to pull the pan off from the open flames. "Hungry for something that doesn't come in a package?"

"Ay, thank god, yes please!" Around the fire pit were a few dried out husks of driftwood, too short and brittle to be benches but made decent backrests nonetheless. Settling beside the boy who still seemed completely entranced by the dancing flames in front of him, Maesus waved her hand in front of his eyes before shrugging. She was the last person who could judge disassociation, though she assumed they all knew he was fucked; a hit that hard, it was now just a matter of when.

A small metal plate and fork placed in her hands, she couldn't shake the feeling of pity that seemed to emanate from Lakyn's gaze. The blonde was practically watching her take the first few bites and for a long moment, Maesus refused to swallow. Staring back at her fellow tribute while chewing mush again and again, then back down to her food, she was practically ready to spit the fish out.

"Wait, wait. Okay, the staring may have been too much. The food's fine, I promise there's nothing to worry about. It's just…" She paused, appearing uncomfortable and wringing her hands together. "...are you okay?" Another pause. Mae finally swallowed the food, poisoned or not it was delicious. The blonde refused to make eye contact with her and instead kept glancing towards the river, the scene of Kane's death still evident in the blood stain rocks and moss. "How'd ya mean?"

Confused, surprised, whatever it was that crossed the other girl's face it was quickly shaken off after she cast a glance at Calder. Her mouth opened then closed again, unable to broach the subject with care before finally blurting out. "I saw you and Kane! Your…...'rendezvous' by the water."

Silence. She didn't understand the word Lakyn used but she certainly knew what was being alluded to. Blinking a few times and setting her food on the ground behind her, Maesus tried to avoid making any eye contact with either of them. It would be easy to throw the boy under the bus, to claim she tried to fight him off but he kept persisting. It seemed she was already viewed as a victim anyways. But everyone watching knew the truth, they watched her freeze and accept the circumstances. Hell, most of them were more than capable of convincing themselves she'd been leading Kane on all day. Telling the truth now would dampen the entire appeal of her character. She wasn't prepared for that kind of shift in the dynamic. "It was, yeah he- he - he did make the moves an everythin' but I'm not- you know, I didn't tell him to st- things were so fast and we'd already agreed I'd.…"

Frustrated at the way her words could only fail, the brunette sighed and shrugged. "I sure thought it was gonna end differently, that's fer' sure…"

"Oh. I thought he was.." Lakyn rubbed her neck sheepishly. "Aw shit, maybe I shouldn't have called Mirra over." If privacy ever allowed, she'd thank the girl relentlessly for essentially saving her from submitting to Kane. Instead Maesus guffawed and playfully hit her arm. "Well, way to be a cockblock, Lakyn!" Awkward, almost embarrassed, laughter erupted from between them. "I didn't think she'd be out there so soon, you two should have at least gotten some foreplay!" She had to be playing along right? Mae assumed there to be an understanding between them as a crimson tinged her face. "Had me shiverin' out all alone in that water last night!"

"...water.." Calder muttered, still not paying the girls any mind as he spoke for the first time in hours and rose to his feet. He wavered back and forth before walking down towards the river. Casting a concerned glance towards Lakyn before refocusing on the boy, she watched as he got on his hands and knees to drink from the river no different than a horse would. They had damn near all the canteens in the arena, he had one sitting beside him before he stood. If he stuck his head any further deeper into the water he'd be washed away by it's current and drowned.

"We can agree he needs to be put down, right?" Damn near jumping out of her skin, Maesus whipped her head around to see Mirra standing before the fire pit, hands on her hips. Looking between the two tributes from 4, she sucked in a breath at the sight of Lakyn jumping to her feet to stand in the way of Calder. "No. No, we do not agree on that. He's fine!"

Dramatically leaning to one side to peer around the blonde, Mirra arched a brow before rolling her eyes and throwing her hands up in defeat. "Ahh, So fine he's drinking like a fucking camel, alright, Lakyn. Alright." As soon as she sat down next to Maesus, Lakyn scurried to Calder's side and held onto his shoulders to keep him from falling forward. She couldn't seem to convince him to drink from her canteen though, the boy going down for another long sip.

"You agree he needs to be put out of his misery, though, don't you?" Mirra asked, opening up a can of vegetables from the food stash and poking at it with her fork. Quickly swallowing down her last bite of fish, Maesus considered the question for a long while while she looked at their District 4 allies.

"I mean, if he's hurtin', sure, but he seems …. stable. B'sides, we're already down to just the four of us and it ain't even five days in." Mirra elbowed her in the side, it was painful and yet the younger girl was smiling. "And whose fault is that?"

"I didn't ask for your help!" The other girl scoffed at her quick defense, chewing the food in her mouth before giving her an expectant look. "Oh, Come on! You're gonna tell me you were happy out there alone with him? It didn't exactly look like you were enjoying his attention and it's not as though you were too keen on stopping me from stepping in." Maesus didn't have any sort of response, her mouth moving quickly without a single word coming out. Mirra was exactly right but this was a game show and sexual prowless was her schtick. It wasn't like she could make Calder swoon so hard he's willing to protect her in his current state.

"Whatever. I don't need a 'thank you', he was just going to be a nuisance anyways keeping you as a distraction. I swear, Kane only seemed to think with the head in his pants; it's fucking pathetic." Spitting out a solitary kidney bean from the can of miscellaneous vegetables, Mirra threw the can to the side and stretched her legs out in front of herself. Maesus couldn't stop thinking about the tributes that were struggling beyond their reach, who would be thankful to receive so much as a slice of bread let alone the rest of a rations can. Bringing her own legs up to hug and rest her chin on, she watched the slowly diminishing flames.

Of course she wanted to thank her. But all that played in her mind was the image Harlow, Myles, and Catalena had crafted for her; they set her up and she couldn't let them down. Instead she avoided responding to Mirra and instead tried to eavesdrop on the conversation between Lakyn and Calder, the blonde leading him back towards the cornucopia. But the girl only continued to insist. "Maybe once we start running low on food she'll come to her senses. He's just gonna be a drain on supplies."

Unwilling to be the one to agree and encourage her to take action, Maesus thought back to the light she'd noticed before. Impossible to point out in the day, she raised her hand to gesture in the general direction of where she'd seen the flickering. "I think someone's hidin' out at the base of the mountain there to the North. During my watch I'd seen a fire light. It could have just been temporary but it's worth checkin' out, right?"

"Hmm." Looking over the waves of heat that seemed to rise up from the white sands, Mirra accepted the change of subject. "We'll have to see if they stick around that spot, but no that could be useful. If they think they've got a solid spot to camp out at they'll just be a sitting duck." Standing back up and stretching her arms above her head, she grinned back down at the brunette. "Good job, 10." Mirra stretched her hand down to her.

Despite being a year older and taller, Maesus beamed at the praise and quickly took her hand to stand up on her own feet. With Kane it was about keeping him happy with only one method possible, but this small bit of information gathering made her feel useful. And the de facto leader of the alliance recognized it, even gave her verbal commendation for it. It was such a silly feeling but after so much doubt by her family, her entourage, and most of all herself, she was finally staring down the games with confidence. "Thank you! I can keep an eye out tonight an-"

Mirra threw a quick hand up to silence her, looking just over Mae's shoulder with a bewildered expression. Bringing her hand close to hold a finger up to her own lips first , she reached out and softly turned Mae's chin with her hand; her attention landed on the two ground squirrels who were otherwise camouflaged against the sand. It wasn't the scurrying creatures' arrival that made her blood rush in her ears, though.

Mirra's soft touch didn't send shivers across her skin like others had, it didn't force her stomach into knots. It was warm and she didn't bother shooing Mirra's hand away as she would have anyone else's. It was invited, unconsciously, Maesus leaned into her hand.

One of the squirrels peaked its head out from the opening of a burrow, pausing for a moment to kick dirt out from the sides before scurrying towards the nearest shrub. Seconds moved like days, the two girls watching the creatures in pure silence. They behaved similarly to those she'd seen out on the desert plains back home, but something about them just seemed off. In their behaviors or their markings; she just couldn't pinpoint it. "Looks like Calder ain't losing his marbles as bad as you thought."

"I still think putting him down is the right choice." Mirra muttered with a shrug of her shoulders, pulling away in favor of returning to the shade of the cornucopia. "It's gonna happen one way or another, why wait it out?"

Uneventful. For some tributes the first five days are the most harrowing; the struggle to attain food and water, on top of shelter and then, ultimately surviving each other. Many would have come running back to the heart of the arena, hoping to scavenge from the structure or attempt to strike the career pack. Being a part of that pack, though, meant the first five days were spent in waiting. It was too hot to go out hunting in the day and splitting up in the night only made them more vulnerable. So they sat in pairs, Lakyn refusing to leave her district partner's side while Maesus stayed dutiful to showing Mirra that she was worth keeping around.

The sun was beginning its descent towards the west, the stray rays shining off the silver cornucopia's side and inviting its occupants to retreat to the shady side. Heat still radiated off the metal but did nothing to deter the determined dark haired tributes, Maesus hoisting Mirra up as best she could so she could climb atop. After being told using a crate would leave them susceptible to being snuck up on in the dark, they were left with the most difficult option possible.

Reaching her hand up and grimacing as Mirra's hold made her arm feel like it were being pulled from the socket, she groaned when she finally made it to the top. Laying on her back to stare up at the cotton candy skies, Mae took a long breath and enjoyed the warmed metal against her aching her spine. A slight breeze tousled her hair as it carried the soft scent of lavender and honey mesquite, crickets leading the orchestra of nocturnal noises.

"Where'd you say you saw it again?" Sitting up and stretching her arms out, Maesus pointed out towards the northern base of the mountain that stretched around to trap them in the desert basin.

"Around there, just wait for the sun to set. It'll be easier to make out then."

"Oh is that why we're up here?" Mirra asked, a grin on her lips as she looked down at Maesus with a raised eyebrow. Momentarily confused and then weirdly, abashed, the brunette looked back out towards the darkening mountain. "Obviously not what I meant! Ju-just look!" Waving her arm out in the direction she gave before, she pushed herself back against the structure's tail and refused to look at her ally.

Pleased with her discomfort, Mirra pulled the small looking glass from her jacket pocket with impatience and tried to make out any possible camps in the direction she was given. "For all we know they have the vantage point to see us, they could be waiting until we leave to hunt them down to come raid the camp." It was easy to see her playful attitude had switched to antsy and Mae began to worry that the girl would turn on them to satiate herself. "You really think someone got their hands on binoculars? Y'all barely gave them an opportunity to grab a bag of bread let alone anythang useful."

Slumping down next to her against the rising tail of the cornucopia, Mirra threw the spyglass down less than delicately. Fortunately they had several more. "It doesn't matter, we're not accomplishing anything just sitting in wait! I'm getting bored and I'm sure the feeling is mutual." Looking towards the sky before striking her hand forward to accusedly point towards the clouds, she called out. "Give me something fun to do, you lazy bastards! 'Oh noo, not hot. How will we ever contend with ~heeeaaat!?"

Maesus hit her knee softly. "Keep yellin' at the gamemakers and they're gonna make it snow now just to spite ya!"

"That would be something at least! I'd take an earthquake right now if it means speeding this shit up." As the sun nestled behind the peak of the mountain, a small flicker caught Maesus' attention. A simple, short lived spark had her full attention. Determined, she quickly hit Mirra's arm to get her attention and direct it towards the far off sands, the two waited with baited breath. A minute passed, and then another. The spark could have been nothing more than her imagination.

Except darkness had befallen, allowing the licking orange flames to become a beacon. It dimmed after a few moments, as though something was being used to obstruct it but all that mattered is they both knew where to go. " I wouldn't be surprised if someone gets to them first. Always such a rookie move lighting a fire like that."

"Could be a group. A large enough pack won't fear the attention and might even be relying on it…" Pursing her lips together, Maesus tried not to think about how dry they'd become. Her skin was rough from the sand, constant switch between sweat and shivering made her clothing uncomfortable. Even with her recent attempt at bathing, her appearance became more ragged in the coming days, her hair completely untamed and braids already broken from. She wondered how her team was spinning that back at the Capitol, how they still managed to sell her as sexy when she looked so shoddy.

"You certainly don't seem to fear attention." Mirra teased, poking at her side and raising her eyebrows suggestively.

Mae scoffed, poking her back a bit more roughly than she'd intended. "Yeah, sure, cause I really do so much to get their attention, huh?." Shadows danced along their faces and the other girl laughed, looking down towards her own chest and pretending to cup the air around her flat breasts. "Well, I can't exactly say I got my sponsors for the same reason as you!"

With a snort to her laugh, the curly haired brunette leaned back against the tail of the cornucopia and tried to talk through her continued giggles. "N-now, now!" She took a dramatic pause, gesturing beneath her breasts. "Clearly they like me for my per-son-ali-ty!" Slowing down to enunciate every part of the last word, she almost worried other tributes would be drawn near by their noise. Mirra hit her shoulder and for a moment it was as though Maesus was back home, sitting behind the family barn and chatting with her sister. Without a care for the danger that lay ahead.

"Right! And Kane chose you as an ally because you were 'so good' in training!" Through the smile Maesus wore, the comment did still sting and she faltered coming up with a response. "Certainly ain't my training score that got his attention, I'll tell you that." It came out far more gruff and annoyed than she'd intended.

Mirra rolled her eyes. "Don't sound so offended, Ovejas. Think about which one of you is alive and which one of you's in a box."

Easily rising to her feet and stretching from side to side, she surveyed the area before cracking her neck a few times and saying. "Besides, maybe with you around we'll get some fucking soap from your fanboys. Everyone's starting to reek."

Self-consciously shoving a strand of frazzled hair behind her ear and letting out a yawn, Maesus looked towards the sky. "You still don't think Kane would have been the safer choice?" The playful air that surrounded them beforehand diminished and Mirra thought about the question far longer than Mae hoped she would, bringing a hand up to her chin and looking up towards the sky.

"Nah, not at all." Leaning back with her arms outstretched, the younger girl let out a relaxed sigh. "He was bound to kill me in my sleep, the coward. Did you know he can't even swim?!" Both erupted into laughter that was probably louder than it should have been, Maesus surprised by the small reveal. "Seriously! He admitted it on the first day after seeing the river. How does someone make it that long without knowing how to swim? It's a child's skill!" Her laughter turned nervous and she listened as Mirra went on. "All those years being pampered back home his family practically treated him like a prodigal son for the Hunger Games..." Cupping her hands around her mouth, she shouted towards the sky. "AND HOW DID THAT WORK OUT!?"

Silence. The crickets and creatures of the night silenced themselves at her outburst, Mae directing her own gaze up towards the sky and, ultimately, their audience.

Being among the careershad given her safety and the vast desert arena allowed them the gift of uneventfulness. If the other tributes were fighting, it wasn't to the death. And if they weren't then very soon the gamemakers would be taking Mirra's jests as a challenge. Hazel gaze dancing over the mountains far out in the darkness, she focused on the small, distant flickering fire light. 'Blais wouldn't be so stupid…' She thought to herself, fingers going down to touch the rosary as she tried to recenter herself.

"You want to take first watch?"

Nodding her head, the frizzy haired teen rose to her feet and dusted the back of her pants off. "Yeah, yeah, you go ahead. I'll get Lakyn up for second watch in a few hours."

Getting down in a push up before laying on her stomach to help Mirra climb down the tractionless sloped side of the cornucopia, she accepted the spear handed up to her and settled back against the tail of the structure. Alone again and strangely missing the company of her ally.

A warm breeze sent goosebumps down her arms and the returning sounds of creatures was like an assurance no other tributes had come back to the arena's center at the sound of the girls. Rivers' tide was high, but the rushing of the water had become a soothing white noise. If not for the looming dread for what was to come, she'd consider the moment peaceful.

Only she froze at the interruption of a soft musical melody, madly looking in every direction for its source.

Quiet and reminiscent of a children's rhyme played on bells, the song got louder and Maesus finally caught the glimmer of silver from above. Her heart skipped a beat. "Thank you." She said instinctively, arms raised above herself to catch the gift and an excited smile tugging at her lips.

They had food and water aplenty, likely all the medicine supplies available, and more than enough weapons to each have three at all times. There was little they needed and yet she'd still garnered enough interest to receive a sponsor package before any of her allies. It was strangely gratifying.

Opening up the metal container, she was first greeted with a white notecode bearing small lettering.

'Make it a show.' - C.R

Beneath it, a white soap bar bearing the Capitol logo and a hand towel. Maesus' face fell.'You've gotta be fucking kidding me.'