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Take two of getting caught up!

Remy: ACK! He needs to stop showing up. So we’re picking up right after the bloodbath, nice! Remy is already chalking up the competition. Fifteen left (excluding himself), makes a hefty bloodbath for sure. I’m not surprised at the threat choices, apart from Harvest, but maybe I’m a cynic. Nine out of fifteen, no way he makes that goal. I’ve never seen that in a SYOT, and doubt I ever will. Locust with a battle axe should be interesting. Mischa’s going hunting right after the bloodbath… she doesn’t miss a beat, that’s for sure. The SNARK Remy has… asking Emerald how many Games she’s watched. Cough cough NERD cough cough. The tension in the pre-games is NOTHING compared to this POV… Remy and Mischa are butting heads like no tomorrow, and I’m obviously Team Mischa, which makes this chapter all the more sweet. She’s rectifying that she is not an idiot, but I guess that makes me an idiot, since I fully expected Tesla to be dead last chapter and had kind of forgotten she wasn’t. What an end for Tesla though. Ouch. I love Mischa for trying to break stereotypes and expectations of herself. AND WHAT?! Remy watching the other three’s reactions… to MISCHA STABBING HIM! I’m dancing with joy oh my GOD! What a twist… I didn’t see him going for a long time and I’m glad she was the one to do it. They’ll be better off for it.

Mischa: I can see how the respect would be unnerving. I think she did her best trying to maneuver a delicate situation like this one, though I’m surprised Kyra is so quick to disown Mischa from the group. Betraying Remy was definitely the right move, as Kyra can attest, but Mischa totally stirred up some waves. And hey, more diplomacy! An hour head start is fair honestly… and definitely a more civil outcome than I had expected, which is a relief. Emerald seems to be a contender too, which is… fun. Mischa is heading after Midnight, it would seem? They had a fun dynamic and I think now that Remy is dead the two might become a formidable pair if they can stomach their egos.

Harvest: Nine deaths is indeed a lot. Big bloodbath! I’m halfway relieved that Harvest slowed Remy’s charge, but his inaccuracy is gonna spell problems for them, as well as missing so much ammunition. And hey, I knew the vial would become a plot point! I like the relationship Nine has, it does seem like they care about each other which is really nice. Though I initially agreed with Harvest - finding Velvet in the middle of a jungle sounds hard - Sela raises a great point, especially when you consider the poison. The lack of sounds… in a jungle?! That’s a scary implication… what are you cooking up for us, I wonder?

Velvet: Ooh, so she’s lying in wait too? And she saw the Career split, which could be valuable information for the Nine pair. I wonder why the pseudo-Careers left… to hunt down Mischa? They had seemed rather civil about it earlier. Shit, now I’m concerned. Locust and Emerald took more supplies with them? Are they ditching Kyra? This would be the fastest and most fractured I’ve seen a Career Pack die, but with their dynamic going in, it’s sensible. Though I did assume Kyra, Locust and Emerald would stick together a little longer. Such a strong poison is invariably going to be used somehow, and the thought excites me. I wonder if Velvet will set dangerous traps with it, or if eventually it means poisoning her allies? Hm… you’re layering on the suspense too. Why do they need the jackets then? Mine is obvious… the rain. But is it cold, or something else? I’m curious… scavenging through bodies has to be a really gross thing to do, let alone traumatizing. Remy really fucked up Nylon, and it is still making me sad! Harvest?! Out of nowhere, for sure. I wonder why he had nocked the bow. Did he expect her to turn and attack him, or have feelings of betrayal and competition for the poison already saturated in this group? Velvet straight up LYING is making me interested to see how it’s going to damage the trust in their alliance. Damn.

Corolla: I wonder if her mantra is going to cause her to burn out too quickly, or if it will make her the most elusive person in the arena. A thin strip of stone? A road? A border… hm. For what, I wonder? The environment change is unsettling to me too, since jungle to desert seems superficial and abrupt. Something is afoot, no doubt. Her rock plan is hella smart, but SHIT you’re scaring me. Are they… sand sharks? I’m getting a shark vibe what with the fins and that’s SCARY. I wonder how successful she might be in leading a tribute to get torn up by these crazy muttations.

Newt: Ditching his allies definitely would lead to some survivor’s guilt, especially when they all died. A corpse pretending to be alive… good one! Newt is definitely one of the weakest tributes left alive at this point, probably second to Mila, so I can see why he feels silly. Weaponless too, yeesh. Maybe I should be rooting for Harvest lmao. I’d be afraid to sleep in the arena too, honestly. The Death recap! I’d be shocked seeing Remy dead too, honestly, especially with how high he scored and how well he performed. But that definitely does increase some serious outlier odds. I forgot Tesla had dyed hair, honestly. Kind of cool. Calder, Vortex, Hazel. Three punches to the gut, not to mention Cooper is dead too. But this entire alliance was pretty fucked from the start, in all honesty. Newt being alone is either going to break him and send him to an early grave, or it’s going to motivate him, but without a weapon he doesn’t stand a lot of chances. I think I need to re-read Harvest as well and pick who to sponsor lol. I wonder who the hell was laughing that fucking loud… OH WAIT! I JUST GOT FUCKING CHILLS! I can connect the dots! It’s MIDNIGHT. He’s laughing because Remy is dead! Open, why do you gotta play me like this!? Ahh!

Eulogies: Tesla, sad ending for her. Remy was definitely a catalyst, but I’m the happiest man alive seeing him bite the dust so early and so short from his goals.

Great chapter! A lot of things are in the works here and I’m super excited to see how things continue to play out! I hope you’re doing alright, Open! :)))

Keep up the goddamn amazing work bud! :D

Hi Open! Been a while since I’ve heard from you, apart from the updates. Suppose it’s been a while since you’ve heard from me in terms of reviewing, but I suppose I kind of let everything get out of hand again despite how excited I was to read this. My apologies :) Berlin by the Piano Guys! I remember this being used in Sheep Led To Slaughter, so I might as well check out the other one just for kicks! I’m very happy to have made it this far with your story (and by the way, a very happy - and late! - anniversary to Cascading Shifts!), and I’m glad you haven’t given up on this. You already know how much I care about this story, being the first one I submitted to; so even if I’m later to review, know I still jump for joy when I see you update. And hey thanks lol, I beat you in terms of uploading the bloodbath - a truly noble competition - but in terms of the finale, or hell, even the next chapter… I think you stand a better chance of uploading sooner haha! *Rubs hands together* aha lets get started!

ALL: I liked this style of opening the countdown a lot; I think it actually works a lot better than the sort of individual ones I had done. Kind of keeps the tension moving, which is great. I also like, in Thorne fashion, to point out the cool little details in your work; and the bit about the pedestals looking like sore blemishes is a great way to introduce them. Thick forested jungle, it seems like. Should make for one hell of an interesting arena… and everyone’s rising from the ground! The tension feels very well built here, what with the pause on the Gamemaker’s end before the golden circle - CASCADING golden ichor, great fuckin imagery! - arrived to count them down. Nylon’s poison is going to be a plot point, I can feel it. Someone is going to die to it, somehow, and it won’t be pretty at all. He’s finally taking things seriously too, which adds to the gravity of the situation. Mischa! You go girl! And Harrison too, finally realizing that he has to change his values and principles to get out of here… opening with three of the best, and none of them disappoint! Cooper… I smell foreshadowing. These Arbol mutts Miss Levenezque mentioned are one hundred percent making an appearance. Cooper is smart to remember them. I kind of hoped Harvest would die getting that bow, like Katniss should have. What a Mary Sue XD. Emerald! Adapt and overcome, baby! You can do this lol. I love Sela’s determination to bring home the bacon for her district; her resoluteness is quite admirable. Corolla sounds as ready as she can get, but Mila choosing not to participate in the bloodbath is an interesting choice. I didn’t see that coming from her, and I wonder if she’s the only one. Not a lot of tributes choose to do that, ever. Tesla’s getting distracted again, and being distracted means she’ll probably get fucked up while daydreaming. Poor lass. Hazel! Naming the trees? A solid tension reliever, but neither of these girls are getting very far. I will admit to looking up the first two trees just for the visual. Tropical climates: a jungle for sure! Very exciting choice, Open! I wonder if anyone will use the kapok or rubber tree materials to build something. Doubt it, but that’s where my mind went. Apparently kapok pods can be used as a pillow filling, sort of like cotton? Someone might decide to get comfyyy. Adalyn’s anger is gonna get her killed. No way she exerts it in a healthy way, not after what I’ve been seeing. Judah! Poor lad. I feel bad that he has such a crippling weakness, and I’m hoping he somehow manages to get out of the bloodbath, though I don’t expect him to go too far. Vortex… with you there buddy. Probably a dumb idea to follow Newt into the fray. I feel like this alliance could have worked out a better plan, RIP. Ooh, the Career Queens ARE in a favorable position. Things are gonna be interesting for them, that’s for sure. Locust… oh fuck. Calder is DEAD MEAT for sure, if Locust wants to kill him before getting supplies. Oh Lumberjack, give it a rest buddy. Agahaahhaah Newt has good chances then, if he’s on the end. Just run away you lil dumbass! Nah, it’s a decent plan to get supplies, and I’m liking the way Newt’s mentality has been changing. Daedalus needs a pay raise, damn. Magnus… not getting supplies? I’m surprised, but when re-reading to review this, I noticed a detail I didn’t before… he wants a bow. And I know Harvest gets it… this might be interesting! :P I’m not as worried for Velvet as I should be. She’s a crafty one, so she’s good. Destry… either she or Adalyn was going to die in the bloodbath, since both are petulant hotheads from outer districts. She, Magnus and Mila make three that are just gonna run. Nice! Ew, Remy. Rack up those kills, you bitch. Just means Midnight gets to live longer than you lol! Midnight is definitely a favorite too; you’ve got some interesting Careers from One, that’s for sure. Calder has me convinced that he’s toast too lol. Cyrus baby! You can do this!

Locust: First POV, first death. Can’t say his little snippet didn’t have me preparing myself. He’s playing this game pretty smart, in all honesty. His allies are definitely concerned about the Cornucopia right now, as Careers are typically dependent on those supplies to live. This fight scene was TENSE, damn! I feel like both boys being weaponless certainly added underlying tones of desperation here, for Calder. Absolutely brutal. Locust has marked himself as a savage, and certainly a contender, by choking the life out of Calder with his bare hands. Staining his teeth red too… what an opening to the bloodbath. You write combat really well!

Remy: The Asshole Is Back! Being hyper-focused on getting kills is certain to be his downfall, but Nylon being his first target doesn’t sit well with me. If I were doing a tribute chart, I’d make a special little place for Remy at the very very bottom. Nylon telling him to fuck himself is the highlight of this POV. People need to tell Mr. Cartwright that more often. Neck, eye, skull. Remy is just BRUTAL. Why? Is he designed to make me hate him? NYLON!

Adalyn: AHAHAHA SHE “BEE”LINES! She hates bees! Very subtle, and I love you for the joke. So these were the two girls Remy had noticed. The blonde is reasonable, and uses spears. Cyrus? I think I remember her doing spearfishing. Ooh, I knew Adalyn would make a rash decision. Ouch. Banging her head too, what a way to go out. This is so intense?! It literally is reading like a movie, so serious applause to you!

Midnight: It sucks that it’s Judah in his target zone, but Midnight is playing the field exceptionally well. Exit supplies are certainly a must, since he isn’t going to share the Cornucopia wealth with the other Careers. A totally valid strategy. Judah is definitely a tricky/wily guy, but not even a close match against Midnight. And hey, a reference to the tournament (which i still must say I love your worldbuilding so much)! That was one hell of a fight too, a lot less brutal than Locust or Remy but… Midnight knows what’s up. Trying to take down Locust was really smart too, while he’s unarmed and vulnerable. But Emerald has his back… pseudo-Careers get an A for their teamwork skills. D1 and D2 should be taking some notes! I think Midnight is definitely prepared for the arena.

Sela: Ever the determined one, I am loving how she’s striving to land Nine the victor they desperately need. Get it, Sela! I doubt Nine will be bringing home a victory, but they could surprise me. Sela is a smart cookie, getting supplies and a knife. Poor Cooper, getting shoved out of the way like that. And Vortex fighting her? This bloodbath is literally so chaotic and I’m here for it! Sela is in the thick of things, getting pummeled. Good on her for throwing off Vortex. She can fight, but she also got knocked over again! By Corolla, not what I was expecting. District loyalty maybe? Sela not having a weapon is kind of bad, but Harvest at least has a bow and a sickle, damn dude?! I see you! Gotta give this Mary Sue a little respect. Oh no and they saw Nylon’s corpse! :/ Remy is an ASSHOLE! Vortex is down too… yikes. As much as I despise Harvest, I do need to give him props for helping Sela out of the bloodbath.

Harrison: Beautiful opening line! I can see Harrison getting pretty far on that philosophy, which is good. He might become pretty deadly too, if that’s the path he goes down, but I wonder how much diplomacy may factor into his relations with other tributes during the arena. Getting a weapon is a smart move anyway, and I like his train of thought on supplies, though being distracted is not a good choice. Tesla… versus Harrison. Another showdown, another outcome I like. The diplomacy comes into play! Not something you see a lot in tributes, so it sucks it didn’t work, but desperation is desperation, and Tesla’s got the fever for it. Forcing his hand? Harrison gets mad too, just like Adalyn, and it makes him a force to be reckoned with. Especially with the ideology of destiny propelling him through the Games. Your writing in this POV, with all Harrison’s philosophies and thoughts, is really good! RIP ADALYN lol. This was honestly a fitting end for their alliance, though it does create another loner tribute going further. I believe even currently, the only alliances are the Careers and 8/9. Interesting. Harrison mercy-killing Adalyn is one hundred percent a loaded moment, and I wonder how it’s going to affect his psyche. I gotta repeat… this is just such an intense chapter, bud! I dunno how you do it but WOW.

Kyra: All that in four minutes. Damn. Kyra is a rational girl, and I like the bit about her wanting to fight actual competition. But Remy is just an asshat, trying to get a rise out of Kyra over defending supplies, which is something that should be done. Cutting off the non-Careers from the fountain of supplies is always a smart and staple move. Remy is so cocky, acting like he’s running the show. They’re just as trained as he is, and yet he pretty much goaded Kyra into getting a kill. I almost hate to admit that Remy does have a point, from a sponsorship and district pride standpoint. But he is still insufferable. Killed Cooper is my guess, based on Hazel being shellshocked. I like how not naming some of them keeps me guessing! But D2 taking on the young ones is just… sick. Oh well, I’m here for entertainment. Call me a Capitolite, I guess. And what a fucking way to end that chapter.

The bloodbath most DEFINITELY lived up to the hype, and I must apologize profusely for waiting this long to review such a great chapter!

Eulogies: A couple of these tributes weren’t terribly memorable, but I’ll miss Nylon of course. Hazel too, she was really sweet and it was sad to see her go. Interesting note about Cooper being prepared for the mutts as well, and I believe that this bloodbath officially leaves Newt without allies. Huh. I hate to be the person who focuses on his own tributes, but I do wonder which of them is going to go further at this point. A guessing game that’s for sure. All Career kills except for Harrison too, so a good turnout.

Awesome chapter, Open! I love your writing, please keep up the amazing work! :))

Okay, Mischa Morrigan is the one. So classy and poised and then negotiating her way out of a situation with a weapon and other utensils. Power bitch moves, I'm rooting for her to win... Remys downfall was nice to see too

Yay! New chapter! Manny mentioned he had some editing to do and that can only mean one thing... we've got a new chapter from you, and that's always a great thing! I've been finding a way to not have my reviews end up being tens of thousands of words, so I'll be trying to keep things just a bit more succinct this time around.

Remy:
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I have been up for thirty minutes, and the first thing to make my blood boil today is seeing that gutter rat's name. Oh, Remy, I hope someone just stabs you in the back and has it done... and oh God, okay, painfully we have to start over Hazel's dead body? Ouch, he just finished hooking his claws in with that, damn.

Aww, knowing that Harrison is deemed a threat just makes me smile, because I absolutely can see my lad just going through and slicing and dicing up tributes left and right - well, okay that won't happen, but it certainly will! - but Anywho, alrighty, Remy, go play leader. See how that turns out for you.

"A lot can happen in ten minutes..." Okay, so not so subtle threat happening right there. Remy, you have the masterful subtlety of a fucking donkey horse thing, okay? If Mischa wants to pack a bag and split from the pack, you let her, cause a Morrigan sister DOES IT!

And wow, Emerald prepared! Something strangely tells me that sweet, sweet Emerald who I like will end up being a Career with all of this potential and end up as a complete dud tribute where she has potential but will never reach it. Cause wow, that's a lot of Games to watch. And hey, be careful Remy. That girl you're trash talking just might end up putting a knife in your skull if you are not watching your back.

And that's right... Tesla didn't... oh, never mind. She's dead now. Well, well then. Okay, no warning, and great, better to line Remy's pockets with kills. Four now, correct? Mischa just wants to survive, Remy, so you best get that in your head. I'm really sad that Tesla's gone, like, hot damn, I'm really sad she's dead. I loved her, but I haven't lost too many people in my 'Love' section besides Judah - cries in the corner for later - and oh... what's this?

Please tell me it is... YESSSSS! GET BETRAYED, REMY! GET BETRAYED! MISCHA, I AM MOVING IT ALL AROUND FOR YOU BABE! And haha, Locust and Emerald didn't even raise a hand to help you. You just got Julius Caesar'd and I'm doing a little jig on my bed. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. He got shanked in the heart with a rapier - what a cool weapon for Mischa! - and I am living for this, I am living for it!

Mischa:
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Opening POV his death, and the second POV is her getting the clean up from it. I have to say, in Bullets I self-destructed the Career pack before it even begins in the pre-Games, but here it self destructs while we're already at it haha. Midnight is on his own, Remy dead, two outliers thrown into it, and the second scariest alliance member just toppled the first. I feel very proud.

This is strange. I am watching a break-up that shouldn't be happening and I don't understand what is happening or why it is happening. Mischa literally saved ya'lls lives, you idiots! Guys, come on, do not be stupid. But, no they're being stupid, cause Mischa is going to leave, and that means she's going to find Midnight or Magnus - hmm... a Midnight, Magnus, Mischa trio: Three M's for Murder - against Kyra, Locust, and Emerald is something I'd absolutely pay to see. Please, please Open, do this. Do something like this.

Emerald is such an interesting character, being one to do all of these things politely.

I think they just made a huge mistake though, letting her go, as there's three threats roaming the arena by themselves now, an alliance with members willing to kill, plus Harrison, Newt, and Corolla who I am dead positive are not going to go without fighting.

Big mistake guys, but damn if it is not amazing to witness.

Harvest:
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Personally not too much to comment on Harvest's POV, as they really are just settling back into the swing of things realizing that Nylon is dead, Velvet is missing, and we get a look at the arena in its sandy pleasure, a jungle... hmm, just means super interesting arena designs and mutts coming forth.

But oh... so Nylon's taipan beetle poison does come into play here, does it? Velvet, Harvest, and Sela all want it, but something tells me Sela and Velvet are crafty or shifty enough to go and steal it from Nylon's body and use it for themselves... Velvet would totally betray others for it too, I can already tell. D9, watch your backs.

Velvet:
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Hmm, leaving Kyra behind. None of the others in the arena besides Velvet would seem to know what is happening, cause she's hiding, and damn, that means she didn't run off because the moment she saw Nylon die she knew what needed to happen. I- I think someone's replacing Tesla on the Love section cause I love me an ambitious tribute who isn't in this for the villainy.

She could grab the vial, throw it all over Kyra, but there needs to be something done about that cause this can be another huge Chekov's gun moment... if she wastes it all on just Kyra, who is a good target for it, but wastes it... then uh-oh, it leaves her screwed for the other thirteen tributes in the arena without it.

And I wonder why Harvest notched the arrow at her... he has to either know she's lying or he really didn't know that to be Velvet as if he wouldn't recognize what she looked like from the back. Huh, something is not adding up. In any case, I am so excited for whatever will come next!

Corolla Newt:
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I need to hurry these up, so I am afraid I'll compile Corolla and Newt into one little chunk together. And oh... oh no, she found the mutts. Or, well, she found some mutts at the least and my heart just lumped together in my throat. I hate when a tribute I cares about dies to a mutt. I include them too, but often if more than a tribute or two dies to them, I find it to be rather cheap as a way for them to go: I had a tribute of mine inherently die to a wound sustained from one, so sometimes they leave bad tastes in my mouth.

The only strategy I can see Corolla do is if she's being chased would be to have a huge pile of rocks with her as she runs onto the sand, tossing them like lemmings or mines onto the sand so the mutts can be distracted and race to the rocks as she gets across safely, and then with a single rock left, throw it at the tribute chasing her, tribute is hit by rock and stuns them for a bit. Rock lands at their feet, and then the mutts swarm the tribute. That, or Corolla climbs a tree, drops a rock, and BAM. OR she can die too, who knows.

For Newt, it is the harsh realization that he is the only tribute from his alliance left, and ouch, that just has to hurt. I still like the idea of he and Harrison working together, they seem like a good match, able to temper each other's worst fears and strengths and whatnot.

I still firmly believe I am supporting Newt as a potential victor choice here.

So I noticed no Mila, Cyrus, Harrison, Magnus, or Midnight in this chapter, which means we will probably be seeing them shortly, and then we still haven't got a check in from Destry, so I am curious to see how that will go, if we do see her.

My Tributes: Harrison Jones (D11M)
Rooting For to Win: Mischa (D1F)*, Kyra (D2F)
Love: Cyrus (D4F), Emerald (D5F), Velvet (D8F), Harvest (D9M)
Like: Newt (D5M), Corolla (D6F)*, Locust (D7M), Mila (D12F)
Neutral: Magnus (D3M), Sela (D9F), Destry (D10F)
Dislike: Midnight (D1M)
Hate:

Wow, no one in my Hate slot! The fucker is gone and dead and hah, you got 16th LMAO! Suck it, Remy! I must say that I am rooting for Mischa purely because she killed Remy and did the story a service. That's it. I lowered Corolla down to Like on the realization that I think Cyrus, Emerald, Velvet, and Harvest are stronger than her, but I don't want her dead. I am curious to see where everyone else will go, and I hope I get to see Harrison and his new... gift soon.

Keep up the wonderful work, Open!

~ Paradigm

I did end up reading the entire story when I needed to catch myself up to the current position, and there are some sponsor gifts I really, and I mean really want, so I might as well earn and pave my way towards it. Besides, having the hindsight I do now is definitely 20/20 on a lot of tributes - looks at some a bit shiftily - but it also so cool looking over the form again... man, to think how small Harrison's form was when I gave him to you, and to see what you've done with his character so far has been tremendous and it'll only go up, I can tell.

The chapter itself isn't very long, of course, but it is still something, and a lot of dialogue. An introduction to the wonderful Miss Helen Lévesque. And she definitely makes us raise our eyebrows up for sure, too. She's intriguing, and to know that Thorne considered her to be the inspiration for Vivianne who I love makes me so interested on any potential that Helen! I wonder, honestly, because of canon with Seneca Crane and President Snow and how that relationship ended, that the presidents constantly end up killing Head Gamemakers, a total revolving door.

Something tells me Helen is not surviving the end of this story.

And the take you've got on the end of the 74th Games is totally different than my own canon, my own canon is always changing something with the 75th Arena, warping the Catching Fire plotline. And knowing where we are now, all the way at the bloodbath? I cannot wait to see what they do with the arena.

Wonderful prologue, and it was wonderful enough to make me submit!

~ Paradigm

Kyra:
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Hello, Kyra, how are you doing? Can you cheer me up potentially?

I like this trio of girls, and I think they could be a strong force if they were to disengage right now away from it all and become a trio. Locust, being somewhat rational I expect, would join them, Remy would then be goin or either tackle Midnight, as I feel like the others simply won’t be bothered enough by Midnight to start hunting him down in an arena they – and we readers – know nothing about.

I love Kyra. I think you asked me why certain tributes take the stand more than others, but I am for sure going to have to rearrange my thought process when it comes time for my tribute chart. And right there, Kyra doing that, so she doesn’t go and kill the young made me smile. As evil and cold as this will sound, if a Career victor wins, I want the Career to earn their victory. You can call yourself the best killer in the world if you only end up killing defenseless twelve-year-olds, but truthfully, are you?

Remy is the devil on her shoulder, but I wonder who Kyra’s angel is…

And dammit, none of these kids know to zigzag. They went to the Rickon Stark school of dodging, I swear.

Shit, that means the spear went straight through Cooper’s skull, a shot better than what Kyra expected to make, if her reaction is anything to judge. Why didn’t Cooper flee after Sela decided to nearly give him a concussion?

And fuck. That’s Hazel. I was wondering, seriously wondering when her death would come, given I submitted to you as a bloodbath – though I thought of some other tributes who could’ve replaced her had you decided to keep Hazel alive – and of course, of course is fucking Remy who gets the kill. Most of my tributes, I think with one or two exceptions, always dies to a Career haha… and here we are, with another Career killing a kid of mine.

Son of a bitch.

Hazel, don’t cry, cause I’m crying for you.

God.

GOD.

That was- that was painful. Hazel’s family is a goner too, as her dad will die from cancer and then what will her mom and siblings do?

I’m upset and crying and god that was such an amazing bloodbath.

-
Calder: Most certainly the surprise bloodbath death this time around I’ll say, as I certainly didn’t expect his demise, let alone his demise to happen first out of the gathered tributes. I thought, as his storyline, he’d save one of the kids in his alliance from death and sacrifice himself against maybe a mutt… but here, he’s gone, and I’ll certainly miss him.

Nylon: Manny had been violently protesting that Nylon would survive, but after seeing him get the poison – what an incredible red herring, by the way – I knew it’d be his trump card but then he never ended up getting to use it, which is insanity. Harvest and Velvet were just more compelling to me than Nylon was, but it is sad to see him go, and in a manner that is upping Remy’s death total.

Judah: His death hurts the worse. I really, really, and I mean really wanted him to live. I don’t play Persona, but that had been my mind pattern initially too. If only Judah got those powers, too. I will forever be against Midnight for this, honestly. Judah and Harrison as an alliance would’ve been the material of dreams there. I’ll miss you, Judah!

Vortex: His death was one of three for certain I absolutely expected to see go, but again, to Remy? I hate to see it. He seemed to have some potential, perhaps, but Corolla, Calder, Newt, and Hazel just shone more in my eyes compared to him. I feel bad that he’s gone, another tick to Remy’s kill total, and I am just hoping he doesn’t get any more.

Adalyn: This made me cry. Her anger definitely translated into poor decision making, but that was some really bad decision making, for her to jump at Cyrus like that, being offered a moment’s peace. I really thought she and Harrison would take the world by storm, but now Harrison has nothing tethering him to anyone… who knows what path lies his way. Also, I notice that Tesla is not on the list of killed tributes which means she’s alive. This is the first time I’ve had a tribute of mine kill their district partner: I’ve had tributes of mine betray their allies, but this is a different story.

Cooper: As sweet as he was, he never really hit me enough to pull at the heartstrings, which makes me feel sad that I didn’t feel sad about his demise. Poor kid, alive one second, probably doesn’t even know what killed him.

Hazel: I anticipated it, knew it was happening, but still found myself crying and tearing up. I told myself when I started submitting tributes that I wouldn’t be attached to bloodbaths, but then Thorne went and made Reynolds this insanely beautiful and powerful character and you gave Hazel so much life in her tiny little frame… to just become Remy’s next tally. Shit. I wonder what her plan might’ve been had she lived… I truly do. Also realized that Newt is all alone, the entire alliance was wiped out and made every death besides Adalyn and Judah.

Five guys and two girls. Seven deaths, where I predicted your bloodbath would be anywhere between seven to ten deaths. So I got seven of them right. I believed one of either Midnight/Remy, and then Tesla, Vortex, Hazel, Nylon, Sela, Cooper, Adalyn, and Mila. Well… I was right about Vortex, Hazel, Nylon, Cooper, and Adalyn, but Adalyn I still didn’t expect. Something tells me Tesla won’t be holding on for much longer, I am surprised Mila survived, devastated to lose Judah, and I wrote off Calder as alive entirely. Damn.

I think, although it may be too early to really think it, that the victor will either come down to one of three characters: Kyra, Corolla, and Newt. While I still don’t feel Newt or Corolla in the Top 8 or further, they’re the victor choices that I feel might develop over time, while Kyra is who I want to win from this gathered cast.

We’ve got some developments to the character list too!

My Tributes: Harrison Jones (D11M)
Rooting For to Win: Kyra (D2F)*
Love: Mischa (D1F), Tesla (D3F), Cyrus (D4F), Emerald (D5F), Corolla (D6F), Velvet (D8F), Harvest (D9M)
Like: Newt (D5M), Locust (D7M), Mila (D12F)
Neutral: Magnus (D3M), Sela (D9F), Destry (D10F)
Dislike: Midnight (D1M)*
Hate: Remy (D2M)

Well, I pushed Kyra up to Rooting For, as I think she’ll be the best option for victor, but of course stick to whatever plans you eventually conjure up. (Psst, like Harrison!) Emerald is a wonderful tribute but knowing that she can’t seemingly fight without throwing knives drops her lower, and Kyra not attacking the young kids till Remy forces her to just made me smile and be happy about her. And I’m serious, Midnight killing Judah made me honest, he’d lose most of the likability. BUT if he ends up being Remy’s demise, I’ll cheer off of the roof of my house.

I think the next death will be Tesla or Destry, to be honest.

This was an amazing chapter, I cried, I laughed, and most of all, you’re in an arena! I’m so proud of you! Keep up the amazing work, and I’m here whenever you need me! I’m so excited for where we’ll go from here!

~ Paradigm

So Manny told me last night, as we had just finished watching the Season 1 finale of Game of Thrones, that he received the DocX of this chapter from you, and that meant we were going to be receiving this blessing soon and shortly, and I am going to read all the way through, reviewing as I go. And ahhhh, you used my music suggestion from Slaughter? That’s so incredibly sweet! I’m going to use it for sure!

And don’t apologize about the wait; that just means you’re dedicated to wanting this to be the best quality it can be, and I know for a fact that this is going to be insanity. And yes, Thorne’s bloodbath was amazing too, wasn’t it? I can’t wait… I can’t wait!

POV being All doesn’t make my nerves feel any better, I’ll be honest. I am gonna go character by character, give my thoughts, give my feelings, all that good jazz, and I figure I’ll be sitting like this for the next couple of hours typing up this review cause we’re gonna be here a long time while I’m sobbing up a storm; I’ve had readers of my own have to stop reading cause they’re distraught, and after Thorne’s bloodbath I remember having to stop halfway through, at a certain kid’s demise.
But wow, that last paragraph about the golden ichor settling down on the plain? What a beautiful and gorgeous, and I mean gorgeous way of putting that heavy moment of imagery on us like that.

Nylon having that vial? I assume that’s the poison that Hazel talked about from the Interviews POV, which’ll just make me cry all over again cause I know my darling is for sure dead.

Mischa might be the only person in the world who is calmed by the beating of drums to signify your death; never change, Mischa. Never change, sweetheart, never change.

Anytime I see a tribute of mine getting a pre-countdown section, my heartrate accelerates by like thirty beats. Harrison, Harrison, listen to me kiddo, you’re smart, you’re a damn tactical genius… don’t play stupid and go to try and be the hero, okay? Okay, good talk.

Cooper is still sweet Cooper, but never has fully pushed any sort of strong sentiment on me like some of the other tributes.

Against the grain of someone’s opinions, I like Harvest. I don’t see him living supremely far now, maybe underneath the Top 12 – I actually have to do some reimagining of where I think certain tributes will fall in my Top 8 plan, or potential victor candidates – but more on that later. Harvest being this mellow guy strikes me as curious, cause that means there’s a murdering darkness hidden in there somewhat.

I like this little Emerald moment here. All the trained Careers from One and Two have a preferred weapon they’re the best at for sure, but they’re still gonna be lethal with other weapons. The fact that Emerald is panicked to not see a knife in some regard placed out there just means when the time comes to actually fight worth a damn, she might not be able to do it.

I still haven’t mustered up a strong opinion of Sela quite yet, and perhaps there’s a grittiness I haven’t seen yet to compel her to survive further than where I think she might go… who knows.
Corolla’s didn’t bring anything new to light, and I think she’s safe from death for a good while, actually, so I’m not worried about her.

And I genuinely think I’ve underestimated Mila. I wanted to write her off as being a bloodbath for erring on the younger half of the cast, being a thief, and being a D12F, but I think there’s more to Mila than that what meets the eye. I’ve always wanted to advocate going for just bolting straight away from the Cornucopia, but then part of me wonders how they’re going to defend themselves, which is why it is a golden horn… you gotta get a knife or something. I’m not a good fighter by any means, but I am grabbing a knife and then getting out of dodge.

Tesla’s little moment to think about the sky and not her impending doom is what I love about her. Personally, my headcanon has been that the arena is in a manufactured dome, and that the time of day corresponds directly with the time of day outside, but beyond that, such as temperature, other weather patterns and stuff, the Gamemakers force upon for however they wish.

And sweet Hazel is thinking of trees! Trees! Oh, Hazel, lemme give you a hug before you’re inevitably killed, probably by a waylaid spear or arrow, yeah? I am glad she found an alliance, though, as Newt and Calder could totally help her.

Like Corolla, Adalyn’s didn’t add much, but I definitely didn’t feel as safe about Adalyn as I do Corolla.

If Judah dies, Open? So help me, so help me to God. He’s been one of my favorites in a long time, ever since that strange introduction of him. DefoNotAFanGirl created Persephone from Slaughter, whom I loved writing, so anytime I see their name in a SYOT, I know I’m going to be taken by how good the tribute is… so c’mon Judah!

Vortex, you’re going to die. Sorry, kiddo, you’re going to die.

Kyra is one of the Careers who has simply flown under the radar, but in a good way. Mischa, Remy, Emerald, and Locust all have things that supremely make them stand out, but I love Kyra as much as I do because of that combating personality trait of being shy, for we always associated being shy with timid qualities in everything else normally. She’s another choice for victor, in my opinion.

I think Locust will be one of those tragic Nordic tales from Norse mythology. A powerhouse, terrifying in every way, perhaps even the insurmountable enemy, but something strikes me as Locust not surviving the Games and winning; I could be wrong, of course, though.

I think I’ve found myself coming round the bend on Newt, actually, so I’m rooting for him too! C’mon kiddo!

Magnus is still a robot. I don’t care what anyone else says. Magnus is a robot, and especially cause we never seem to get any ‘memories’ from him. He’s just thinking, and thinking, and thinking and being weird, and the way the people from the OnRush Academy had been talking in his opening POV just strikes me as someone talking to their newly born creation, like a robot!

Velvet is also someone else I am hoping survives as long as she can. Also, I wonder, did you mean to have more on her little section? There’s a third paragraph that is just her name, and nothing else. Forgot to clean it up in editing?

Destry, as usual, made me bust out laughing. I’ve been reading another SYOT where there’s a D10F who is aggressive as all hell, but that girl has made the Top 9 (or was it 8?). I don’t know if Destry will make it that far.

Remy, just fuck off. Okay?

And again, like I said in the Interviews review, Midnight just rises more and more for being a tribute getting the rise out of Remy. The two of them get on each other’s nerves, but Midnight knows how to push Remy’s buttons and it’s like he’s incapable of stopping it… it just shows how easily manipulated he is, and an example of why he won’t win; the Capitol needs a victor whose emotions aren’t just flying off the wall either.

I find it funny, kind of, with Calder thinking about the kiddos as his sister. Three of the four of them are boys, Calder. C’mon now.

Cyrus, Cyrus, Cyrus, Cyrus, you better save Judah, okay? I have the upmost faith in you. You mess this up? We’re no longer friends.

Okay, I can’t delay it any longer, delaying the inevitable will only make things worse… so here we go. Bloodbath time, the review is 1.4k and I haven’t even gotten to the action let alone eulogies and shit, so haha, buckle in!

Locust:
-
Locust is supremely interesting to me in the fact that he finds it a disadvantage on other tributes going to the Cornucopia. He’s the tallest tribute by a country mile, stronger than a damn ox, and scary looking… Locust, no one is going to target you.

Well, unless you target them first, but I never said you were smart, did I?

As said as reading Calder’s demise is – I even took him out of the bloodbath list too, sonovabitch – it really is a callback to Calder punching the lights out of the guy in his first point of view as that guy wasn’t Locust, hellbent on killing him either. It’s a clean(?) death, I suppose, but I definitely didn’t expect Calder to die first out of the other potentially dead kids that are out there.

And god, we don’t talk about broken noses. I don’t think I’ve yet to have a tribute break another one’s nose… cause just thinking about it makes me shudder.

Remy:
-
Remy is still the tribute I hate the most out of any story I’ve read – though Axel from Thorne’s SYOT is the closest damn second I can think of – and damn, I can kiss Nylon goodbye. I knew I marked him for death, but you put in that Chekov’s gun of the vial of poison that I for sure thought would end up doing something, but now it’s just a red herring instead, huh. I have to say, you surprised me, and that’s a good thing, for I didn’t expect that to happen.

And he applauds Nylon trying to crawl away. Mischa, Locust, Emerald, Kyra… stab this fucker the first chance you get. The FIRST chance. Which would be right now, during the bloodbath, right now, right now, right now. No? Fuck.

Nylon swearing at Remy is the funniest not funny thing I’ve seen in a good while, cause I’d be doing it too, and who knew Nylon had that much vitriol in him?

And okay, I don’t… I honestly don’t get the need to be so brutal with the kills. Stab him in the heart and be done with it. He’d die the first slice through the neck, but NO, you have to go and do it through the eye, and then again, just stick the blade in his head? Literally what the fuck Remy. What the fuck is wrong with you?

And I’m laughing like a monkey right now if Remy really believes he’s gonna get twelve kills. That isn’t happening, I just know it, and if it does, I might honestly die.

Adalyn:
-
I am very glad you have the timestamps here. I generally don’t show my bloodbaths to all be happening in simultaneous moments, but rather sequential order, so it’s good you did timestamps in keeping things accorded.

Adalyn, sweetheart… what was that? Why did you just fling yourself into the girl instead of grabbing the pack, finding Harrison and a different weapon rack? I never said Adalyn was smart either, I suppose.

It took me a huge moment initially reading to wonder who she was fighting, cause the hair threw me off oddly enough, but it’s Cyrus! And at that point I immediately said screw it, I want Cyrus to win, and knowing her resolve of only attacking if she’s attacked, and Cyrus being ever the loving person she is flat out says, “Hey, Addie, don’t attack me…”

Adalyn, you could’ve run backwards till you were at a safe range, as I don’t think Cyrus is a master javelin thrower. Your death and demise is absolutely on you. Didn’t think Cyrus would be able to do it, but she’s surprised me even still.

Midnight:
-
Midnight, if you don’t, in this POV, attack Remy, you’re dropping down to the Dislike list. Yes, I am that petty on tribute feelings.

And for him to consider Harrison as a threat? Well, goodness, you’re almost going to make me smile. Thank you, Midnight, I’ll make sure Harrison gets the message and caves your head in.

No, no, no, no, no. Midnight, do not go after Judah. Cyrus! Cyrus, come spear this twat!

Damn. He just slit Judah’s throat. I’m so upset right now. This is the first bloodbath death to really upset me. And I mean, really upset me. I wanted Judah to go all the way, too, perhaps I was hiding from the information instead, cause he’s just unlucky, being stuck in combat with Midnight, but at the very least he fought and tried his best, for the little that he could do.

Dammit, dammit!

I am happy that Midnight wasn’t exactly savoring in hearing Judah choke on his own blood, so he isn’t an awful killer like Remy is, but I am still very upset.
I don’t know how I feel, with Locust and Emerald targeting him. I think it would’ve been a good opportunity for Emerald to try picking up something different than throwing knives to keep the combat at bay, but I’ll get what I can, of course.
If only the three of them turned their focus to attack Remy, cause with him still in the field, no one can rest easy, cause I don’t see what is stopping Remy from taking first watch tonight, killing all the Careers, besting Midnight in a fight later, and then killing all the other weaker tributes who will definitely not be a match for him.

Then again, high stress situation and no one is seeing it in hindsight like we are.

Midnight, I really don’t like you for attacking Judah, I’ll be honest, as there could’ve been so much more for you to do there, especially given that Judah was no threat to anybody. I hope Cyrus or Mila get some justice for him; cause I am no longer wanting to see you win.

Sela:
-
It is time to see if my assessment of Sela was right or not. Her little thought process we have right here is very interesting to see, very happy for me to actually read about too, that she is thinking of the bigger picture, for it does bring a bit of uplifting spirits to the district when a tribute brings home a victory, but if we’re picking victors from Nine, I want Harvest to take that glory.

She’s smart though, but ruthless, going after Cooper like that, kicking him in the head. Like, Jesus, Sela! Cooper plays with sweet dogs, he’s no threat to you; you’d think she’d actually ask him to be in the alliance instead.

I am a little confused at the fight happening here. Vortex ran past her, but then shoves her in the stomach? I am trying to guess Vortex must’ve then just turned around in his haste, but once again, these kids don’t think… Vortex should’ve just run, especially with Calder dead.

Corolla just totally upped and dipped and… Harvest shot Vortex with an arrow. Unarmed, fleeing Vortex. I don’t know how to feel about that. Perhaps I am too much of a pacifist when reading these bloodbaths, but if the tribute no longer poses a threat, it is almost cruel to continue attacking them, no? If Harvest wanted to join the battle, he should’ve joined it a lot earlier than that. And damn, nice aim, though!

And shit, Vortex ran into the lion’s jaws. Remy’s second kill. Shit.

Harvest is a ride-or-die though, goodness, shooting at a Career is a bold move. I don’t know how to feel about the fight that just happened, but the bloodbath is winding down.

Harrison:
-
My palms are sweating, don’t mind me. Any time I see a tribute of mine end up getting a POV, I know it can only mean one thing, usually, given the trend I’ve been having lately. They either die… or they’re about to get a kill, or nothing happens, as it is usually one of those. When they’re given a pre-countdown moment, it makes me think they’re for sure dead. A POV during the bloodbath, not as often.

So, Harrison, what do you have in store for me?

You’re armed? Much better than the last few tributes I’ve had, haha. Moses and Halley from Thorne’s SYOT are currently in the best shape, and I have two of my tributes in an alliance elsewhere in a different story, so this is good, this is good. But Harrison is all alone, with Adalyn’s injury so… not good.

Velvet and Vortex are both hovering away from him? Interesting… Harrison really must look terrifying to others on the outside, but I imagine it must do with the weapon in his hand. I am oddly enough very proud of Harrison, right now, truthfully. I am so proud of him and who he’s become, and I definitely underrated him as a tribute when I first sent him to you in what feels like a lifetime ago.

Tesla… sweetheart, what are you doing? He has a weapon, grabs the bag, and you, you intelligent child, grab it after him? Sometimes I just want to give up reading these moments from kids I like, kiddos doing stupid and selfish things, going after tributes they have no means in pursuing… but Tesla, if you die from this, I swear… a kid of mine killing a favorite of mine will be a first, as that has yet to happen with a story I’ve been a part of.

Harrison, just like Cyrus, can handle-

Welp. Tesla just dug her own grave didn’t she?

Harrison’s sudden shift there just sent chills down my spine. Is- is this a villain arc that has been created for him? I know I’ve given him a violent past he so strongly is trying to run away from, but this is on another level, seriously.

This was as if someone dumped a bucket of cold ice water on my head. I’ll be the cruel one here and say Harrison should’ve gone for the neck and beheaded her, instead of leaving Tesla to bleed out and die from a sliced shoulder… and then he chuckled. Oh god, what did I create from this kid? I am now nervous for Harrison’s personal arc, because the more one turns to villainy, it usually means they don’t win, and I don’t want that happening for him.

I initially thought Harrison killed Tesla, as I did end up shouting out loud, “Harrison, what are you doing!” but now… well, shit, this is almost worse. Mercy killing Adalyn instead.

I don’t think Harrison will go alone. I can see him joining the D9 Velvet pair, maybe allying with Newt if he lives, and even teaming up with Cyrus, as that’ll be a tag team pair of destruction.

That hurt to read.

It hurt badly.

Aquarion Nova: Honestly yeah the Games do carry a certain amount of political weight, being the most important function of the Capitol besides looking glamorous all the time. Or manufacturing clothes with Baxton Fullhouser’s face on them. Scorpius? Maybe I’m detecting a little astrology theme here, which is cool! Also, more subplot strings! Ahhh, naming motif because they’re family! I love how smart I feel noticing things and then reading them only to realize a chimpanzee could probably score higher on a critical thinking test than I could. Aquarion making some deadly promises, damn. Scorpius doesn’t seem too happy about that, I will say. WAIT DISTRICT 14?! HOLD UP? And you said you have an incognito subplot, you liar! The Project D14 plan makes so much sense considering how much of a shithole District Six is. Making another Capitol-loyalist District is actually such a good idea, since all the other ones have pre-existing animosity. Okay, the Council being older noble families from the Capitol is a nice touch! Idk if I’ve ever talked about my Capitol politics canons but that runs in a similar vein, which is cool! And the foreshadowing for a possible Levenezque ascension to the presidency continues. I’d be rooting for her over Aquarion, to be honest. Helen is too powerful a force

Speaking of Helen…

Helen Levenezque: Tribute trackers! I love getting a look at the sciency Gamemaker side of things, which I sucked at introducing but here it was done tactfully. Praise to you, Open! The Osmon-Atlantis subplot wasn’t a footnote, which is nice to see! :) Arbol is tree related, and piscis is fish related? I’m hyped up to see what kinda mutts these actually are, not gonna lie. During events or if attacked versus on proximity makes Piscis sound a lot more volatile and dangerous. I’m scared, but on the bright side, Cyrus and her spearfishing abilities could make it very easy for her to defend herself and potentially make a meal out of some fish mutts. And Helen, the true Slim Shady, stands up and asks for attention. God I love Helen. It’s also 3 am when I’m writing these - probably will post them later - so I apologize for any crackhead energy. An evolving arena? That’s cool! I like dynamic stuff!

And now I feel calm after reading this too. Like, glimpses of the arena, and now what happens happens. I’m hyped, but also calm. That’s cool! Pacing and 100% Real Beef Subplot, that’s for sure. You absolutely beefed this stuff up and I’m here for it! I’m ready for the bloodbath, and here’s to hoping finals go well for you up in Canada, bud! Cheers!

I have run out of excuses for the late reviews, but at this point I think we both get it in a mutual way lol. I’m trying! I always get hyped up when I get a notification from you, and let me say that when your bloodbath is posted - which’ll inevitably be done before mine - I’m dropping everything to read that son of a bitch!

Midnight Tyrian: I don’t blame him lol, I’d want to go first too except you do have to kind of set the bar for everyone else, which means there is some kind of attention placed on you from the audience and the tributes, who aren’t quite bored yet. Terrifying stuff! I enjoy the set-up for your interviews as well, and I think a little bit of Midnight’s sardonic nature helps. I agree with him that Mischa is quite the captivating character, both physically I guess but mainly arc-wise. I think she has a lot to prove and a lot in store for her, and I’m interested to see the Best Morrigan Sister in the arena, since I have a nagging suspicion we are working toward a Mischa vs. Remy fight. Midnight is self-aware enough to realize Mischa is in a comfort zone where he may be struggling. I’m wondering if this is Midnight thinking he should have tougher it out with the Careers, or will he be the factor that breaks Mischa off from Remy? A nine is a good score, though! Either that or I scored some Careers in my SYOT a little too low. Yikes lol. Having an usher to the stage is a nice touch, and yet again your fascinating little details make me super jealous lol. I like Midnight’s little challenge to Remy, as it really sets the tone for their relationship and hopefully throws Remy off-kilter for his interview. I actually find myself agreeing with his point despite how annoying the trope of ultra-trained outliers (cough cough Emerald) is to me. If all of them are allowed to train, surely the blood and gore aspect gets a lot spicier for the Capitol watching, and then the districts would actually be able to root for their tributes. But eh, it’s also more fun writing non trained kiddos (and makes it easier for Careers to work as plot devices as well). Midnight - as Paradigm likes to say, you surely know - has cranked it up to eleven, so good on him.

Tesla Eddison: I actually love the little District Three sub-plot action between Tesla and Magnus. She understands something is going on, which is very perceptive of her. It would seem to anyone who really pays attention that a bald teenager with a bulky physique and an odd disposition would be the subject of some level of scrutiny, but hey. I think the brainwashing paranoia might be more of a quirky thing than a Career thing, which plays into Tesla’s mini monologue about… aliens, was it… on the train? Anyway, Magnus seems so rehearsed that it’s weird. What teenager uses words like “disclose?” I’d say “Me no tell you” before I’d actually ever speak the word “disclose”. But I don’t think the Capitol would take very well to Cave Speech. Tesla’s nervousness was well described as well; it felt realistic and palpable. Props to the author, you’re doing a fantastic job sweetie XD. I forgot Tesla had a streak in her hair! Dyed hair among tributes is cool, since it isn’t the normal, if not a little ostentatious. Also can we talk about how nice of an interviewer Augustus is? Like what a great dude lmao. Also Tesla’s score of three shows a certainly misplaced confidence in her knowing things. Being shady is a good tactic for lying about shitty scores, but on Tesla’s rambling end I think it comes across directly opposite how she intended it.

Newton Faraday!: Ah! Newt! Probably another of the worst character forms I’ve ever given someone, but I like what you’ve done with him, so fingers crossed he escapes the bloodbath alive. Once you’ve seen the contrast between him and Paris, you should see where I’m coming from. Although lighter forms do allow more improvisation which can be fun too. Oops. I’ve probably said it like a dozen times by now, but the little soldier motif you’ve created for Newt is definitely one of my favorite aspects about the large gaping holes in him that you’ve patched up. It certainly makes him a lot more complex and interesting, so thanks for covering for me lmao. Emerald being care-free is understandable since she would be considered as one of the tributes with a heavy advantage, but her advice to Newt was a bit strangely placed, I feel. I don’t recall them ever really having any interactions besides this, so why is she being nice all the sudden? Sympathy points? I share his skepticism. I like Cyrus a great deal, so seeing her interview go smoothly is fun! She is down to earth, so good that everyone can see that too. I hope she goes far, honestly. Also you need a sticker or something for having to write all Newt’s stammering. I’d get annoyed having to find words to write that, so like, damn. Aaaa Newt’s cursing lol. His speech was admittedly the only interesting thing about him so that was cool.

Emerald Locke: Double District Five POVs! Nice! Also 5:30 for interviews makes sense, I dunno why in my head I assumed they were like super late at night. That’s an issue with my writing for sure is how vague I get. I think my stage was in a stadium of sorts, but obviously no one can tell what’s going on half the time haha. Emerald toes the line between love and love to hate for me. On one hand, she’s a walking trope who is both bloodthirsty, a survivalist, and nice to little kids. A truly ugh-worthy combination, but ALSO, she pulls things like “Sponsor me, please?” out of her ass, and I can’t help but love her for it. Bringing a pen on stage to perform with is cool, but seems unfair to have her demonstrate. Smart on her part for concealing it; I think she’s shaping up to be a favorite for the Capitol. Her fanaticism with the Games reminds me of Edward a bit, but is somehow even more well done, of course. I think Emerald is certainly well prepared for the Games, and I do expect to see her go relatively far. A lot of these tributes have “victor material” embroidered on their training jerseys.

Hazel Redford: Intermission! Again, all the smart little details you have just make your writing so much more immersive. I love it! THE SIPPY CUPS! I’m laughing lmao… the mental image of Locust is admittedly too much. Was this Glaphyra’s idea? Hazel is likeable and super cute, and her alliance with the boys is certainly fun. So far she has been the ONLY one to open Calder up even a little bit. Also, postprandial somnolence? I stared at this sentence for like two minutes. You’ve lost me and my elbow-noodle-sized brain so this calls for a water break. Taipan Beetles? A mutt, perhaps? Okay yes they were and I feel stupid. Will I delete my ramblings? No. Gotta at least attempt to chase Paradigm’s review length. Well shit, Taipan Beetles are most definitely making an appearance, and they sound scary as shit. A Taipan is a deadly snake… I don’t wanna think about the implications, damn. Prediction: someone from the 8-9 alliance will die to ones *fingers crossed its Harvest that would be kinda cool ngl* but who knows? Wait, what chance does Nylon want to take? Am I missing something? Hazel mirrors my own thoughts, and CALLING NYLON A MORBID CLOWN HAS BECOME THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE CHAPTER WHAT THE FUCK. Wow, there is a lot going on in Hazel’s POV. Locust confessed to murder? On live TV? Uh oh, and Mr. Locust here aptly named the title as well. I’m guilty of using character lines to make chapter titles but this seems like a morbid kind of omen. Light show? Hazels love for statistics coupled with Tesla’s conspiracy theories could have been a fun combination. Plot twists churned out every second by the pair of them. They could confuse their enemies to death!

Nylon Hemmings: WHAT PLAN?! A VIAL! Bug station? Taipan Beetles? Confusion? I love it. His final prank? Oh god. A true edgelord, in Manny fashion for sure. I’m worried about what this final prank entails actually, since it involves poison. Also, the trainers having actual sedated bug mutts in the training facility is awesome. Nylon is so hilarious, his clairvoyance? I’m shaking with laughter on his drying paint comment too, oh god. He’s a loose cannon, but such a funny one. I have a very hard time writing humorous tributes, which has been made painfully clear on multiple occasions, so maybe I can pirate some pointers from you too. Laxatives and Peacekeepers mix so well, good on Nylon. A riot involving brown-stained Peacekeepers would honestly be hilarious to see happen. Deleted scenes, anyone? I’m Big Mad because I’m either dumb or you haven’t revealed Nylon’s final prank yet. Maybe if I think on it I’ll understand soon enough. Anyway.

Sorry for the delay in reviewing as well. The world most certainly needs to chill, I can get behind that too. And I love your subplot chapters too! I already admitted to Manny, and will shamelessly admit it on a review no less, that Vivianne is a beta knock-off Helen, so I very clearly enjoy your plot strings. I did notice that guys went first, and thought that was a mistake of mine since my memory of the Hunger Games is still rusty. Ooh, alliance list! We must be two incredibly anal readers, but hey lmao. Alright, gotta review the next chapter and then we’re off to the races!

Alrighty, here we are! This was almost like Christmas, I swear; two updates in two - nearly three days - AND it is the calm before the storm, woohoo! Normally that is never something I am happy about, cause I'm always sweating and nervous and terrified for everyone's deaths, as I've gotten too super attached to these kids too quickly, and it just isn't fair, that kind of pressure in my life, y'know? I think you do.

For some reason, the time specificity is almost kinda neat, almost as if the president themselves is physically sitting there with each passing tick waiting for the Games to begin, as if they don't have anything better to do than, y'know GOVERN. (God, this makes me wish we could have italics for reviews, I'd be utilizing them like crazy)

Wow, my attention was glued to the screen from that President fight... a potential District Fourteen? I saw that and went - "What not" aloud haha, that caught me off guard intensely! But why exactly is District 6 a security risk... to build on your worldbuilding would be nice to have, if I'm frank. Is your District 6 the same idea as mine, stuck in the Rust Belt, centered around Detroit, Michigan? I'm curious as to what you think... cause Corolla and Vortex don't strike me as security risks, if you know what I mean. I'm curious, now, too, what have for plans with Three and Five... OnRush potentially pushing District Four out of the spotlight, and we've had traces of combat hinted at with Newt and Emerald from Five, so it's got me stroking my non-existent beard.

I like Aquarion, he seems a lot more mellow and down to Earth, which is a wonderful change in pace.

And yes, Helen, how are you doing, my darling? Still have a spine I see, and I really love the female Head Gamemaker to male president dynamic, but I want to see a story where it's switched to a female president, Male Head Gamemaker dynamic. I did have a story like that but never got too far in the SYOT for me to really capitalize on it, which was a shame.

And Helen - I keep on wanting to type out Hazel, haha, Freudian slip I think - also has the time wired down specifically... interesting to note that the POV of hers took seven minutes, just noticing the quirk there. If I'm not mistaken, that'll be the last shot of Mila we'll get to see before she's slaughtered and killed and who knows what... my money is on Mischa or Calder taking her out, if she dies, of course.

I'm excited, I'm super excited. Just a little note, written numbers from 0-10 are written out, well with full letters, and then anything from eleven onwards is numerically written. Also, the tense you're thinking of is Present Tense! My favorite! I know you've definitely gotten my reviews and PM's haha.

And with that centered alliance list we saw, I gotta change some of my bloodbath predictions around... and I hate second-guessing myself here. Out of the Career pack I still think Remy/Midnight is toast, and I'll include Midnight in the Career pack cause he's a Career. Seeing that tentatively Calder, Newt (why did I forget he was part of that alliance...?), Vortex, Hazel, and Cooper are in an alliance, that I am going to cross Calder off of the surprise death list, because I think the other four kiddos are dead meat, which will be really sad, but good arc potential for Calder. The D8 and D9 gang will lose Nylon and Sela, leaving an intriguing dynamic of Velvet and Harvest, where I can see Velvet absolutely dipping out of dodge. Tentative Cyrus and Judah has me thinking I can safely keep Judah safe, and there's no way Cyrus is going out. Harrison and Adalyn... I haven't considered the potential of Adalyn dying, but I really don't know where her story can go. From the solo kids left, excluding Midnight, we'll lose Tesla and Mila.

So, my full bloodbath prediction list - where I could be wrong, of course lol - commences as one of Midnight/Remy, Tesla, Newt, Vortex, Hazel, Nylon, Sela, Cooper, Adalyn, and Mila... nine names, potentially ten, and that's a whole freaking lot... so I'll actually drop Newt and Adalyn off of the list, like I took Calder off and replaced him with Nylon. So, I anticipate anywhere between eight - maybe seven without Midnight or Remy - to ten deaths, seven to ten is a wide range. I am for sure set on Tesla, Vortex, Hazel, Nylon, Sela, Cooper, and Mila, which is upsetting as losing Tesla, Hazel, Nylon, and Mila will make me ball my eyes out, but I'm expecting that.

My hype for this is uncontainable, and I will be asking every day how's it going, and that I'm here to provide support whenever you need it, or if you just want to talk. Good luck with writing the bloodbath, I hope as I'm right as I can be! Keep up the great work!

~ Paradigm

I LOVE THIS SO MUCH. You've written Emi so well, and that little bit at the end talking about how she'd changed since Sal's death. I can't describe how much I love this chapter. x.

So, my review was so damn long it got cut off after finishing Judah's love and appreciation: here's the rest of it.
-Mila: I like her, but she does suffer a bit from the trope of being a thief in an outer district. We've got to have thieves, and while I've created thieving characters, Mila does need just a bit more to get to the top of the list. She's got survival instincts and guts though, so she could end up surprising me.
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Okay, reached the end of that! Wow, that took forever, and I've still got all my predictions too, ahhhh! Okay, so this is my tribute chart!

My Tributes: Hazel Redford (D7F), Harrison Jones (D11M)
Rooting For to Win: Emerald (D5F)
Love: Mischa (D1F), Kyra (D2F), Tesla (D3F), Cyrus (D4F), Corolla (D6F), Velvet (D8F), Harvest (D9M), Judah (D12M)
Like: Midnight (D1M), Calder (D4M), Newt (D5M), Locust (D7M), Nylon (D8M), Mila (D12F)
Neutral: Magnus (D3M), Sela (D9F), Cooper (D10M), Destry (D10F)
Dislike: Vortex (D6M), Adalyn (D11F)
Hate: Remy (D2M)

That is how the cast stacks up. Seven of the twelve girls in this story I love, and the favorite order right now is Emerald, Mischa/Cyrus, Kyra/Tesla, Judah, Corolla/Harvest, Velvet as it stands, and then everyone else pretty much falls into place after that.

For my bloodbath predictions, which I am usually 50-50, is I think either one of Midnight/Remy will die if they go after one another like Remy promises, Calder, Newt, Vortex, Hazel, Sela, Cooper, and Mila. Calder is a surprise throwaway, Newt getting into a fight he can't win, Hazel because I created a bloodbath tribute for you, Vortex for he doesn't appeal to me at all, Sela being as neutral as neutral can get, Cooper for being a sweet little young outsider tribute that is cursed to never live past like 18th place, and Mila... cause I don't really know where her story fits compared to the others.

My final eight is most definitely Career heavy, yet I don't have Locust on the list despite my previous assessment. Depending on if one of them survives the bloodbath, or it just being one of them: Midnight/Remy, Mischa, Kyra, Cyrus, Emerald, Harvest, Destry, and Harrison... yes, for once I am putting a kid of mine in the Top 8. Besides Destry, who would be the random spot, the others scream contenders to me. Destry, Harvest, and Kyra can be swapped out with Velvet, Judah, and Locust/Magnus respectively, IMO.

I have a few dark horse candidates as well I am thinking about, tributes that keep me guessing and wondering what they'll do next, and this is what I've got: Emerald, Cyrus, Corolla, and Judah. All three girls are unique as hell, and then there's my lad Judah.

This review must be Iliad length. I apologize, and my hands are yelling at me. I have been dying to make a review like this for you one day, so thank you, thank you, thank you for getting to this point in an SYOT, it's an incredible feeling. I'm excited for the Capitol chapter, and then the bloodbath, where I'll cry my eyes out. Keep up the amazing work!

~ Paradigm

Yay! We're here! Interviews, and just one step closer to the end of times, and by the end of times I mean all of these tributes just getting massacred, and I've really gotten attached to this group of kids a lot more than I expected to, after being so distanced from the story for so long, which is such a criminal act in of itself, I know, and I totally apologize for that. I finally get to make my long review about the tributes, but I've got an interview to discuss too, so I'll do all of that! Let's get to it, shall we?

Midnight: I think I like your writing a lot because it strikes me similar to Thorne's writing, and his writing feels like the literal experience of chewing Five-Gum, lol, so that's something refreshing. Career packs always stand out to me, too, so opening with a POV from a Career is a good way to go. Something that has happened in the Midnight POVs however is that it only compels me even more to learn about Mischa and what it means to be a Morrigan sister, because goodness damn she is just so freaking interesting and intriguing to learn about. Interesting, by the way, his little diatribe about his training score... that's interesting indeed, he's willingly underscoring himself. Funny little side note is that it is kinda funny that each Career is generally the best of the best for each year and yet they don't perform all to elevens and twelves, as if they aren't actually the best! I am not the most gigantic fan of Midnight, but him getting under Remy's skin so easily - Remy needs to take his hands off the trigger, kid - is just damn enjoyable to witness. Midnight made his bold very claim, surely, but painted a target on his back for the audience too... they like unconventionality, but in certain doses and regarding only specific things. I'm worried for him.

Tesla: Quirky and adorable little Tesla. Her side notes on everything is just so hysterical, but I am very curious on this whole brainwashed mantra she's got going on here... like an obsession with aliens and their mind-control techniques or what? Magnus is such an odd character for me, but more on that later, as my thinking totally aligns with what Tesla thinks about him. Also, interesting to note how Remy's interview went... you'd THINK he'd be Midnight but even worse, like slow scraping margarine or something nasty. Ironically, I'd say Tesla, next to the Careers, has the most amount of oodles of personality out there for this cast, so her being nervous is just kinda cute, but also upsetting as she doesn't know the amazing abilities that live and rest within her if she were to just let them free, y'know what I mean? Wow, through that total bumble of an interview, cause Tesla definitely was starting to Titanic sink if you catch my drift, she totally ended up saving herself and making herself seem like a strong contender in a weird way... I also really appreciate how she can view herself and her actions holistically and objectively; you don't find that very often.

Newt: Hi Newt, sweet and adorable quirky Newt! Oh my god why are the babbling kids so damn adorable? Seriously, why? This isn't fair! I am still slightly confused, but I imagine I can ask Thorne this due to being friends with him, on the soldier motif running through his POV and thoughts. Did that escort get to him that deeply like that? Emerald is just a doll, an absolute dove, and if she turns out to be some murdering psychopath I'll be so upset by that bait and switch. God no, I hope I didn't speak it into existence. I'm very intrigued by Calder, and I hope we get a lot more of him before a potential demise, but Cyrus manages to steal the show with every single scene she is in, and she might be tied as my 2nd favorite tribute with Mischa underneath Emerald. That was a wonderful little interview... but maybe I shouldn't count him out just yet; I still don't quite know how fair that will be for him just yet, but he's certainly got me smiling every time I come across reading about him, y'know?

Emerald: (I find it a bit unfair both tributes from Five got POVs here, cutting away from some other kind of spotlight) She commands the stage, and she requires a presence to do so... every single bit of her does seem so put together, I wonder where the cracks are and where they fade like chipped porcelain. I find her to be a total big sister like character, and that just makes her so much more endearing than I think what earns it lol. Okay, we got some clarity in her backstory, as it was something I was really needing to see, the reason why she's gotten as good as she claims to be and a bit of the darkness I know that lies inside her. (Please, please stab Remy in the throat kamikaze style and we'll be best friends) That entire last section after her interview was really great, but I gotta admit I am a bit bothered that she took central stage as much as she did... the entire POV was literally about her and no one else, and this is coming from someone who really, really, really loves her as a character and a tribute.

Hazel: HAZEL! My sweet little darling oh god I'm gonna cry. Also, hm... feel cheated out that we don't get to see Vortex or Corolla's interviews, I'm curious about what went on in them, but maybe they don't matter at the end of the day... honestly, I'm not sure. She is a sweetheart, the biggest sweetheart to ever even freaking exist, I mean seriously, she's wondering about people's families and if they're okay... somehow even when I am reading about my own tributes who I now know like the back of my hand, I get taken in such surprise by her, it's almost a weird jarring reaction, to be honest. And wow I just scrolled down to see how long her POV was... is it the longest of the chapter? Aww, Calder has a genuine smile? That is one of the cutest little things I've read all day. And wow, she ran into Nylon, Velvet, Sela, and Harvest? Things got super interesting, I must say. In a way, Hazel's sweetness and intelligence characterizes a bit of darkness in her, and I find that so unique, I must say... almost like she doesn't even realize it. Okay, I was waiting for the drop the mic moment, and it looks like Locust ended up being the one to do it. Damn, what a bold statement. She also has a quaint maturity to her, too, that I just realized, and I love that about her. That was her best POV by far, I must say, and commend you with.

Nylon: Nylon, Nylon, Nylon, another quirky kiddo I have become absolutely endeared with, it's almost painful how many of them there are. Hmm... Nylon, poisonous weapons don't exactly strike me as prank material. That's life and death material right there, but if that means he goes out in a fitting blaze of glory and stabs someone with a poisonous sting due to Hazel's intelligence - so Hazel would get a kill via proxy - I hope it is a big player and not one of the little ones more likely to be scrounged up as dead meat. Okay, I got engrossed in the interview... because that was compelling as heck.

Now that the interviews are out of the way - super nice job by the way, with them - I am going to go over every tribute and my thoughts on them, just to get it out of my head, but I am super curious on knowing how Velvet, Harvest, Sela, Cooper, Destry, Harrison, Adalyn, Judah, and Mila's interviews went if we'll somehow be able to learn about them, just a peek? Okay, a bigger crunch time: I know you've been dying for my opinions from our conversations, so here we go!
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Midnight: Initially I was not a gigantic fan of him due to disrespecting authority and not listening to their advice on the Games, because newsflash, he doesn't know everything nor is perfect. However, something that then perked immediately is his relationship with Mischa, who is so compelling that it almost elevates him beyond that. I like his reasoning for competing, just to win, and this insight on his training score being where he wants it to be has me piqued too... and getting under Remy's skin the way he has without even doing all that much? Like him automatically in my book, but I've got my reservations about his potential storyline.

Mischa: Oh my god I love everything about Mischa. She is just quirky, entertaining, lovely, everything that makes a tribute so wonderful she is. The mystery about being a Morrigan sister has me entertained, the perfect foil where she steals the show for whatever scene she is in definitely adds to the plus of that too, if you follow my drift. A great foil to Midnight, Remy, and Locust with their dynamics... but her potential sisterhood with Kyra that I see makes me love her even more. I literally did write, 'she is not here for Midnight's shit and I am in love', which sums it up rather perfectly.

Remy: So... there's always one or two tributes in a SYOT who find their way down to my dislike/hate list, and Remy, my lucky lad, that's you. Where do I even start with him? You can smell the pretentiousness and arrogance wafting off of him like garlic, and it does not do him any favors, nor the dyed hair too, like c'mon man. I like contenders, I do, but Remy almost overdoes it, y'know? What cemented the nail in the coffin is him admitting, like a freaking dumbass to the entire group about the plans he had for the arena, getting a twelve person kill count. Why? Why would you admit that to your alliance? They literally have no reason to trust you now, and will backstab you the moment they get, cause Mischa, Kyra, Locust, and Emerald combined can handle Remy, I think. Just reading about him makes me want to roll my eyes, and how easily Midnight gets under his skin makes his entire leadership skills seem so laughable. I hate to say it, but I'll cheer when he dies.

Kyra: She is one of my favorite tributes out of the recent SYOTs I've seen. She's original as original can be, for a Career tribute, especially with her being shy and meek and quiet, rather than being some boisterous personality we need to deal with as Mischa, Midnight, and Remy can be a handful all at one time. She's the underdog of the four, I'd say, and I always root for underdogs. Her humanity isn't lost on her either, and that's a gigantic plus, her journey in the arena is damn interesting, as she's certainly tied for being my 3rd favorite tribute alongside Tesla... (my top like six favorite tributes are girls lol) and I know that Kyra is gonna surprise me in the arena, but hopefully in a good way.

Magnus: I haven't been able to really evoke a feel out of Magnus, yet. He is one of the most intriguing characters in an SYOT I've seen so far, being a part of OnRush, which from that Capitol POV we got recently, being a Career district hopeful later... it makes him interesting, sure, but his entire identity seems wrapped up in this OnRush thing and I want to get some actual character out of him. I've held onto this theory a long time, but Mr. Magnus Flux is a robot, and when he gets sliced open to die, black oil will spill out of him, not blood, and I am calling it. He is just too odd for me to think he's anything, but normal, and I'm dead serious about that assessment too.

Tesla: She starts a line of cute and quirky tributes I'm attached to immediately, and from her very first POV, that had been the case. Her age has me surprised every time I see that she's fifteen, because she strikes me as being a bit younger, but goodness if her brain isn't entertaining to listen to? I think she's obsessed with aliens, and her and I are corroborating on the concept of Magnus being a robot, I swear it's the truth and it'll come to fruition. If she isn't one to die suddenly during the bloodbath, I want her and Harrison to become an alliance, and invite Judah in there too... I can see that trio being a dark horse combo.

Calder: He's a big mystery to me. Gruff, but Hazel then mentions he has a sweet smile that has me smile back, and he can totally slug a good punch, and then does underscore less than what I had expected him to perform as, so that's certainly interesting. The most unique part of him is that you'd think he'd come across as a Neanderthal, but then has these really introspective and nice philosophical thoughts that caught me off guard the first time.

Cyrus: I mentioned it in the interview section of her, but she's amazing. I love her. I downright love her. I don't know what it is with me and D4 tributes, especially District Four females, but we always get along and I'm generally endeared by them to the point where it might be unhealthy. I am trying to find a negative flaw to her, because I don't want her to tumble into Mary Sue territory like Emerald might be careening into if she's not careful, so here's really hoping. I like her a lot, find her funny, charming, sweet with liking kids, but there's a dosage of lethality I am interested in seeing right about now... this is going to be interesting.

Newt: Thorne's first tribute I ever got to see, for he had been buzzing about him like crazy, and cute expectations have been made. He reminds me of a few tributes I've created in the same vein of fighting back, and I think we all have a bit of Newt in ourselves. The conversation on militarism with the escort was very entertaining and I really loved that with him... but he strikes me as a soul going too soon, but I hope I'm wrong, I really do.

Emerald: I found my favorite. Emerald Locke, so far, is my favorite tribute of the SYOT. I have felt this amazing magnetism to her that has been incapable of letting me go since I saw her, but now I'm starting to question a lot about her with what has finally been given to us in terms of her character with the interview... how much of it is an act and how much of it is the genuine Emerald? She gives me huge big sister vibes, maybe is actually appreciate and supportive of other people, and my opinion of her keeps rising up... she strikes me as being the protagonist of this story, and I think it's something we need to try to steer away from, even though I love her a whole lot.

Vortex: He confuses me to the core, for some reason. I can't make my mind up on him or his character, and it isn't very often that happens to me. He is the leader of a gang(?) in a poor part of Six, but the voice of reason, but he's a nice kid besieged by tragedy... it's just a lot of conflicting moments not exactly building together to something cohesive. I feel like he's trying to be this big thing, this momentous character, but he's slightly sputtering to me. I do not see him living. Unfortunately, for Santiago's tributes, one of them always misses the mark for me.

Corolla: In the same vein, however, there are tributes by Santiago I am smitten with, and Corolla is one of them. I want to know so much more about her than what has been given, and especially some resolve with that creepy ass escort of theirs stalking her in that totals sexual manner... she's go spunk and fight in her, maybe a bit of a similarity to Emerald that I hope is able to be squandered out some, to help her stand out a bit more.

Locust: How- how tall is he again? He is the most intimidating tribute in an SYOT I've ever read, and he strikes me as a serial killer or psychopathic person and the mystery and intrigue behind him being a volunteer in Seven was so interesting; I want to know every detail of his backstory like Corolla, and I think he's gonna become the big bad for everyone to overcome in the arena - Remy, eat your damn heart out! - but Hazel's little moment she has in her own POV about him makes things even more complicated; goodness, he's compelling.

Hazel: Oh goodness, Hazel, my sweetheart! Everyone's counting you out, including myself, but maybe I'm gonna be surprised, because her interview POV here was so amazing that I can't help myself, I reread it over and over and over again, you've done such a wonderful job with her, but she's totally a goner, right?

Nylon: Hello, Nylon! Finally, a tribute by Manny I don't dislike. Nylon has had me cackling left and right ever since he's been introduced, and this interview POV of his has only made me more piqued in what he is going to do before he goes, with that poison blade and all... especially if he gives it to someone else *eyes Velvet and Harvest suspiciously* so Nylon, I'm rooting for you in a backwards sort of way. He did great with his interview, but even his constant, constant, constant happy go-lucky jokester attitude can be overwhelming and somewhat annoying after awhile when I'm trying to find levels in his consistency, so he doesn't become stale or one-note.

Velvet: She and Nylon had just recently switched places on my tribute likability chart, and I think the reason for that is because I find her to be so damn smart and keen on the world around her, that she won't go make reckless and stupid decisions that gets everyone killed. I didn't get a huge comedic vibe from her, yet the comedy she exudes feels less compensating like which is also refreshing, that she isn't a carbon copy of her district partner... but again, with her name being Velvet, I have seen like six Velvet's from Eight that it has almost become ridiculous... but she's for sure the most compelling Velvet of them all out of the whole group we've gotten so far.

Harvest: He and I are friends, as he was Thorne's first tribute ever! Something about Harvest speaks to me very well, I must say. Enough of a tragic backstory, coupled with his absolutely unique way of speaking has made me an instant fan, and I really hope he gets to live far, as he's struck me as a dark horse sort of candidate, and dark horses are always incredible to read and witness evolving in front of you.

Sela: Meh. Neutral is where she lands, and nothing has convinced me otherwise to move her. I am the most certain on her demise during the bloodbath, where even the drinking quirk from her character didn't do enough to rouse a full amount of feeling from me... hope in her death she can charge some surefire emotions from me before she passes on to another life elsewhere.

Cooper: He's a cute little kid, but he reeks like steak left out to rot. The dog notion with him is also adorable, sure, but where is any of that gonna go? I don't get a feeling of character from him besides filling in a youthful little male kid spot, so when he goes, I won't be gutted or torn, and I kinda wish I would be instead when he passes to another life elsewhere, like Sela.

Destry: She's another great mix of tragedy and compelling character, but I haven't garnered a gigantic opinion on her. The ingenuity that came from Hazel telling Cooper and Destry they could ride their horses was exemplary, I must say - Hazel just comes into play in the best ways - but what has me maybe ever moving Destry up the likability chart is her mouth. That mouth and sass and sarcasm is just perfect, perfect I tell you.

Harrison: The husk I gave you for Harrison evolved into something I didn't expect coming, so it has been the upmost lovely surprise of the year, so far, I'd say. Just, thank you; I love what you have done for Harrison, and what you will continue to do with him at some point in the near future. I also love and appreciate how tightly bound you've kept his past close to him and have only given away glimpses; I want the audience craving more about him.

Adalyn: Fiery tempers and I sometimes have a love / hate relationship. Sometimes I find them very annoying, other times I want to see more of them, and Harrison is the perfect foil to her, but we need more, I need more from Adalyn besides a fiery temper and the whole running gag with bees, which while funny, has somewhat run its course.

Judah: He is my favorite male tribute, without a doubt, of the cast of twelve. I love him, and his whimsical introduction from Mila's point of view is still my favorite intro out of the cast. I want him to do so well, but that medical condition of his... there's just no way. He mixes the best parts of Harrison, Harvest, and Tesla into one, and that makes his journey so much more interesting.

Lateness is my specialty!

Destry Coleman: I like her attitude, if I haven’t said it before lol. As I write this review, I too am cocooned in blankets, but I am in a good mood unlike Destry. :P Ah the return of the ICONIC Glaphyra - who is both annoying and entertaining - to bother her tributes once more. If I had ideas for a District 10 character, I’d submit one to your next SYOT for the sole purpose of interacting with her, but alas I have ideas for different things at the moment. But things change. Okay Glaphyra’s shrill squealing may have convinced me lol. DESTRY IS SO FUNNY! “If they don't like it, then too fucking bad. Cry her a river and drown in it” is SUCH a good line ahahahaha :D. You write arguments really well too. Glaphyra - to me - is pure meme fuel. She could have opened the door? And Destry is the resident Sass Queen so I loved this POV lol :)

Corolla Beron: Yeah I would too. Karan scares me. Ohh maybe Icarus is so deranged because he’s trying to make up for his lost youth!? Interesting observation there, Cory! So D6’s team is creepy, but the stylist is an unexpected bright spot. Complimenting her and giving her advice on how to sell her story to sponsors is actually being helpful. Uncle Axle sounds like a nice man just trying his best, but I do agree that her treatment under his roof sounds a bit suffocatingly sugarcoated. Being an outsider just sucks… I feel bad for Corolla, it’s definitely a really relatable thing. :/

Mila Carway: D12 still doesn’t resonate with me as much as they could. I feel like they may have time to grow on me but since they haven’t so far… I dunno. Judah is getting desperate though, poor guy. They’re both having bad intentions with alliances, and rightfully didn’t get any. Props to Cyrus for knowing what’s up. I do wonder why she is guarded around other girls. I may have to go back and re-read some of the earlier chapters lol. Her asking Judah to be allies was pretty funny actually, but the tension makes it come out weird. Judah is definitely a sharp-minded guy, and their witty conversation was good to read. I’ve never been good at writing wit, charisma, arguments or combat so wow I’m obviously impressed.

Locust Sequoia: His thoughts have merit. It does take a little planning to make sure you don’t be the first cannon fired off. Chips are a good idea when watching TV. Emerald and Locust probably should stick together too, even if he doesn’t think so. Mischa and Kyra might see Remy coming, but when push comes to shove who will be the first he attacks, the career girls or the outliers? My money is on Locust for his score. D1 has some good scores, and since I like both of them that’s good to hear. Midnight is still a threat, that’s for sure. Remy and Locust both getting 11s is really cool, albeit dangerous. Good going Magnus! Yeah Emerald is like creepy-obsessed with the Games. Locust… I wouldn’t put it past him to take out whichever one is the closest, especially if it's early on and they’re defenseless. Definitely some threats to the Career alliance this year: Midnight, Magnus, Calder, and Harrison. Fun stuff.

Velvet Snijder: I LOVE NYLON! Everyone else is semi-serious and he’s just mocking it all. “Are you sleeping on us?” made me laugh. So no one in this alliance did stellar, but eh, I didn’t expect them to. D8 doesn’t need fantastic scores to be interesting to follow, and I’m always gonna like Sela anyway. I hope Nylon doesn't kick the bucket first, since he is one of my favorites lol. But the Games are really unpredictable so *shrugs* we’ll see, I guess. Their scores aren’t as shitty as they could be, but with so many higher, like Harrison for example, who with his “posh” nature is sure to get hella sponsors. So yeah you don't NEED sponsors but going directly into the bloodbath is a horrible decision with all the threats. I’m beginning to get the vibe that you may be plotting a big bloodbath… yikes lol. So honestly I think working in pairs actually makes you a bigger target but also increases your odds of not being stabbed simultaneously. So idk how that will play out for Velvet’s alliance. She and Nylon are SO hilarious though :D. The speak to the teacher thing was great. OHHH THE YOLO WAS SO CRINGEY WHY HARVEST WHY ugh aNYWAY D8 is a favorite lol. Hope they live!

Cyrus Waterlily: A six is good! And having a little Games training will help. I like her too so that's good to hear. Oh so maybe that’s why she is defensive around girls, because they were rude. But yeah dudes are a bit simpler which is cool so yay one point for us morons! *does a dance* ooh. If there’s water, I’ll be set. Well. Something tells me there will be quite a lot…? The name chance from Crumbling Tectonics (earth?) to Cascading Shifts (water?) could be a clue, or maybe I’m looking into it too much. But yay Cyrus! Also Judah has allies in Cyrus, so that’s good. But she should still be wary. Calder is a pretty hard to read character, but eh. Lobster for the girls!

Woohoo! Briefly caught up. Now watch, you’ll post again and I’ll take another month to catch up. Remy and Locust were surprising in actually getting elevens. Good for them though! The rest mostly performed as I had expected. Glad Emerald got an eight so she could stay as a part of the “Careers”.

Keep up the great work, Open!