Shit, this chapter was so intense. So much happened. Another gun! The flood!

All of the things!

Deaths — Malachi was probably the most predictable death from this batch. I’m sad to see him go, but it was realistic for him to go. Either he or Airla had to bite the dust, and Airla surviving was more likely. Valya was another one I had expected. I could see her slipping into the top 3, but the actual finalists made more sense to me. It’s sad to see her go, especially at the mercy of Laurent, but it’s the way of the Games. Which brings us to Laurent. Finally! Sorry not sorry. Can’t recall another tribute I’ve hated so thoroughly!

Top 3 — i would have loved to give you an argument for whose better, but I love all three of them. Airla is the definition of what a career should be. She’s skilled and dedicated, but she’s not in it for the killing. Medina has made one of the biggest journeys I’ve seen in a SYOT. Her arc is amazing. All of the ups and downs she’s been through, from killing Harland to her relationship with Milan, has been super fun to read. Emrys is another one who’s gone on an epic journey. He’s a genuinely good guy at heart, despite all the shit he's been put through. He's a new person. Love him!

Such a solid top tree. Would love for any of them to win.

I really like how this story has panned out. Every death has seemed realistic and well earned, so I wouldn’t want anyone to return? Maybe Eleni or Orienne, but I liked how and when they fell.

Can’t wait for the finale :)

I... did not realize... that we were already at finale by the end of this chapter. I was like 'surely someone else is alive? Did Ollie skip a POV?'

No. You certainly did not... there's only three left.

I was so TENSE during the fight between Laurent and Airla (and Valya ig)! Malachi's death was a little more expected and oof, it hurt, but this was the central fight of the chapter. I WISH Valya had been able to hit Laurent, but missing made more sense for her. Then, her own secret weapon turned against her ugh. RIP.

The FLOOD! I had been wondering if you'd come back to this! THe PERFECT timing omg. Everything swept away, Laurent and Airla still sruggling to finish their showdown even as they try to stay afloat! The stakes were so high it was incredible! One of the most tense moments I've read in ages I think! Tribute vs. tribute vs. arena is one of my favorite FAVORITE setups and it never fails to up the ante!
On the flip side, I liked that the flood kind of made Emrys and Madina forget their bad blood and focus on survival instead. Madina almost escaped holy shit what a MOMENT... so sad she was so close!

Oh my god I don't even know who to choose for Victor. This final 3 is perfect and I don't think I put any thought into who would live or die past that until right now.
Airla is the most skilled and my personal favorite. There are no guns left, and she's the one who's trained for this. Realistically, I think it would be her.
Emrys has changed the most over the course of the Games. Airla and Madina have both fought and suffered and mourned and all that, but Emrys is a completely different person from who we first met. That's powerful development and would be well rewarded with victory.
Madina has overcome the most during the Games. From Aubin's mistreatment and Harland's abandonment, to a new thing happened to her nearly every chapter, she's been through the wringer and still fights to survive. That's one of the biggest factors when I choose my victors, but I feel bad rooting for my own. Still, I think she would be a worthy Victor as well.

If I could bring one back... Chana! jk um I think I'd pick Orienne to represent an alliance/plotline that isn't represented in the current finale.

Happy writing!

Okay, 2 out of 3 ain't bad. Airla and Madina are still alive. Emrys making it this far is a surprise, but I'm not complaining about Laurent dying early.

Who's the most deserving? All of them made it far, and all went through challenges. Maybe Airla and Emrys more than Madina. Madina was alone throughout it all(mostly) when Airla and Emrys had the hardship of losing those they could consider friends.

I'd bring back Vervain, he seems worthy of being alive for his kindness. Still stood out to me from everyone.

Some great development from Emrys. He wants to avenge Koda's killer, even if he realizes he isn't sure what he would have done if he found her. I guess the ironic thing is that as he searches helplessly for Koda's killer, the reason he can't find them is because he is as much Koda's killer as Madina was. They all played some role in his death — even Koda. And in the end Emrys admits he will never be happy. Damn, one of the reasons I love Emrys is because he's such a flawed person. In the Capitol he was practically a bully. In the Games he was obsessed with the bombs and it resulted in the literal implosion of his alliance. He's imperfect, useless, filled with shame and misery. After seeing what Madina or Airla have been through, I look at Emrys and all I can wonder is "what has this guy done to deserve victory?" And that kinda makes me interested to see him win? In spite of all his flaws.

Milan will never catch a break. The funny thing is, Milan thinks the Capitol is out to get him but what he doesn't know is that they completely lost control of the arena and its wildlife. The biome they're in right now has taken a life of its own. So was this just some pissed off goose? God damn these geese. They're probably starving. Damn, now I'm curious to see if Milan will win. He's been through so much!jfc

jfc Laurent, the arena has really brought out something ugly and terrible to the forefront with him. He has no patience anymore, no impulse control. This entire time he's gotten what he wanted unopposed. But now he's met resistance for the first time — he failed to find Airla and Malachi, and the sting of failure has made him start to question his own worth. The fight with Zaid was the closest he's ever come to being a victim, if it weren't for Valya, his face would be up in the sky too. But of course he will never admit this to her, or thank her. He never did thank her, did he? This sudden urge to go to the feast doesn't make a lot of sense either. They have all the supplies they could ever need at the Cornucopia. But he's not seeing logic anymore, he just wants to get this over with.

Valya feels to me so helpless and somber, without agency for the most part. But there are moments where the tears stop and a more steely part of her shines through. She's so vulnerable, but there's something profoundly "real" about that. It's very human, I will say. She's had plenty of chances to change her mind, but she's made her choice to remain with Laurent, and hopefully it's not her grave she's digging. Will Valya turn her gun on Laurent? Hmm, I think in the next chapter, we will see the culmination of this alliance. I could honestly see both Valya and Laurent dying — I think Laurent especially because he's due for comeuppance. His arrogance has helped him thus far, but now he's not even thinking rationally anymore.

Airla and Malachi are on a one-way ticket to their doom at the feast. Honestly, I expect only one survivor to come out of the Feast. Any four of the Proto-Careers have an argument to be made. They've all been through hell, even Laurent, nevermind that he's caused much of it. I just really like Malachi, like to me he's similar to Valya with his emotional vulnerabilities and fear, but he's become so much more confident since the Capitol. I think there's something more compelling about Malachi surviving, not that I hate Airla, I just find her so emotionally detached and kind of robotic that it's hard for me to get inside her head. I could see with her training, taking out Laurent or Valya. Though I have a different theory about what will happen, and it involves Valya *saving* either Airla or Malachi from Laurent's wrath via a carefully placed bullet through his skull. One can dream...

And with that, Milan has reached the end of his journey. He was a fighter for sure, even though technically he spent most of his time running. But the strategy worked! The truce no doubt saved his ass numerous times. it was funny reading what Milan was going to survive next. He'd been through pretty much everything and stayed standing. He even got a kill. Two if you count the mutt. But he lacked the resolve that enabled Madina to work alone. Milan wasn't made to be alone. He had an ally once, and in the end even her love for the Capitol couldn't save her. I believe that's what he was trying to channel, thinking maybe if he put on a good show for the audience they'd send him gifts. But no one cared, none as much as Milan. he conquered that damn goose even if it killed him. RIP!

It's been quite a ride, and now we're getting into the last couple tributes. I feel strongly that Laurent will meet his end next chapter, Airla too, and perhaps Valya. I think Malachi will be the last "Career" standing, the one who never fit in. I'd be very surprised if more than 1 survived this battle.

I've been waiting for a Feast in syots but yeah it seems everyone just kinda forgot it was a thing. Can't remember the last time I've seen one. I think it works well to kick up the action if things start slowing down, like this for instance. It just makes sense as a battlefield for the Proto-Careers to make their long-awaited clash.

Very excited for the conclusion of this story, it's been a thrill ride. I honestly don't know who to expect in the final three, and usually I know for certain who deserves it and who doesn't, but not this time. It's anyone's win.

Let's see if I can quickly catch up so I can review TTW! I'll try to be as brief as possible but I'm not very good at this though. I yap too much.

And BAM just like that Koda is OUT. WTF, Madina is a sharpshooter with that pistol. Well, it'd be more apt to say she's cunning as fuck and has grabbed the arena by the balls ever since the BB. I mean honestly what has given Madina any trouble so far? Some geese? Those have been her only challenge. It's so rare to see a tribute just dominate the field like this, which is why I think we may see her downfall soon. But if not! I'm sensing real victor vibes from her. The blueprint has been there, and my would it be satisfying to watch Madina smile bitterly at a mouth agape Aubin that rat fuck. fuck u Aubin!

SO yeah Koda — aw man, this little dork had so much life in him before the bombs and shit. And then of course, his death comes ironically (you seem to share my love for this trope!) due to his own bombs. It seemed like Koda intentionally didn't move? It seemed like he stood there with the intention of dying, which is sad. I do really like Emrys but he put him through so much misery and he doesn't even realize it.

Uhhhhhh Milan? r u ok? Yeah I'm not sure what's going on here with Milan but it doesn't look good. It doesn't feel good. Somehow Milan has wormed his way into the final stretch, mostly benefited by that truce he made with Madina. Like if that truce hadn't been made, he would have been dead by now. The only kill he's gotten was Eleni and that was with Madina's help. He's just not equipped with the right tools or the right mindset to deal with all of this on his own. I love reading loners, but Milan is surviving out of sheer luck. I'd be surprised if he makes it into the final four.

Damn it, I knew this was coming. Poor Zaid, one of my favorite characters in the story. Yeah he was just too nice for the Games, that's really what it came down to. He thought he could play the role of a nice guy and recruit everyone who looked big and scary enough and look what it did. One bad egg had to ruin it for everybody. this honestly could go down as a huge example for what not to do when scouting for allies. maybe they'll put it in the Career handbook. It's so sad what became of him, crawling back to Airla as a failure. He just wanted friends, but his alliance spun out of control before his eyes. I wish Valya had sided with him, I feel like if they had just teamed on Laurent after the Vervain situation, none of this would have happened.

But yeah, Malachi finally got a kill, giving him that proper development, doing what Airla could not. I think of these two, I see it like this, Airla has been acting as Malachi's mentor and friend, instilling in him that steely mindset. I saw this as a "leaving the nest" sort of moment for Malachi. I think Malachi has better potential for survival — tbh he just interests me a bit more than Airla, who has been kind of slipping into stagnation.

These two look like they are in some abusive relationship, like Valya why do you do this to yourself? She insists on it though — she thinks Laurent is her best chance of getting that W, and Laurent has no one else to push around. Well it seems to be working out alright for them so far. She'll submit to his angry demands and follow his orders like some mindless underling. Her exit plan is right in her pocket. The question is, can she pull that trigger? Valya has never killed anybody — she's merely been a witness, watching vacantly as Laurent single-handedly destroyed her alliance. For so long she's done nothing, said nothing, but there's only so much abuse someone can take, even the iciest of hearts can crack. That gun is a huge weight looming on her shoulders, and at some point, it will come into play.

Final 3: Madina, Emrys, Malachi

ok last chap and then i'm caught up!
oh no wait I gotta do noemma's chapter. maybe tomo? work was long today I am sleppy

this bit on emrys was really interesting. honestly ive forgotten a lot of the tributes' backstories and such so it's good to get a refresher this late in the games now that I have energy to invest in more of these kids. if emrys really can remind himself that he's meant to survive, I think he stands a solid chance. but then it becomes a question of, does he even want to?

ok YEAH I remember this POV! some of these stuck out more than others when I read like 4 chapters without reviewing and yes. this one stuck. it hurt but it was also a really satisfying way to go out for his arc? does that make sense? like i'm less happy with characters as people dying but more happy with just the way you're doing it, story-wise. it's good stuff.

right, so much for me thinking laurent had any sort of loyalty to valya. maybe he'll still surprise me but that last line kind of sealed his selfishness for me. I wonder if there's anything redeeming about him at this point. he's caused more hell than anyone and has had almost zero retribution for it. hope the feast either puts him in his place or makes him a slightly more redeemable person.

and airla's got plans to ditch malachi after the feast which, while sad, is probably the right choice. in the end only one can survive and it's gonna hurt like a bitch no matter what. that's the price you pay for going into the arena. but malachi's got his own thoughts so I wonder what he'll do if he survives that feast along with her. excited to see!

and finally, madina and milan. it's only fitting that she was there to see him out. this scene alone sort of points to her as a victor if only so he can haunt her somewhat moving forward. other than that, i'm still thinking airla for victor. we shall see!

who will die next? i'm predicting malachi, valya, and/or emrys depending upon how much you whittle the field down.

im also really pleased here with how koda fell? 2/3 of these explosives deaths have been unintended/his allies (or himself) and that's really cool. also it really is gonna fuck with emrys so i'm stoked to see this new development. we've also got madina, who's out of ammo but can still trick someone into thinking she's got bullets. all in all, a really nice pov.

milan really needs to get past his fear but at some point sometimes you just can't. and he may have hit that point. madina's not around to fight his battles for him and you have to think he's either gonna be driven out or someone will be driven towards him.

zaid... no :( I forgot how this POV ended and I thought she just hurt him and then they all stayed together but fuck. nope. airla screaming reeeeally hurt and her just sobbing and sobbing. of course she's gonna think it's her fault, regardless. malachi knows that. RIP!

look I love what you've done with valya. her turning on zaid (well, he turned on her too) but mostly her just staying with laurent was a really interesting twist I didn't expect. and now it makes the rest of the games so much more exciting. laurent almost is more tolerable as one member of a pair and I wonder if he will feel any loyalty to her moving forward.

I knew when ainsley’s POV was this short she was gone lol I was like “damn it here we go girl brace yourself”. but it was good to see her fighting to the end and see more sickness/injury from tributes which makes more sense than some stories where we never really see it!

I loved milan’s bit here— all these thoughts on how he’s supposed to do this and what he’s capable of. I agree with him that he has a chance to win, but he needs to be on his guard! he’s gotten lucky with madina multiple times and that should wake him up more. we can also sense some paranoia, maybe, creeping in? I forget what happens with him in the next few chapters tbh but i’m excited.

koda and emrys are the new eleni and orienne- technically allies but still out of touch with each other. perhaps there isn’t as much animosity between them, but they still have a pretty bad dynamic. they aren't going to be drawn to kill each other but they don't really have much loyalty towards each other imo.

I love love loved how ainsley's death scene wasnt just another kill, it was a catalyst for the laurent/zaid fight. and how valya picked laurent! literally that pece alone was my favoritepart of this chapter... she trusts zaid more but you'd rather have laurent on your side in this case. you dont win the games from being a good person and I think she realizes that. rip ainsley, but go off sis, you accidentally raised some hell.

and madina LMAO. I forgot the dynamic with her and her mentor but clearly there's some bullshit going on on her mentor's part. good on madina for still snapping at her in that small way.

and then this scene with malachi and airla really exhibited how differently theyve gone about this... malachi remembers the names, airla tries to forget them. I dont know what to call it... sweet? bittersweet? regardless good on airla for letting herself learn their names and make it a bit harder than her because it shows she's still human.

and some more fourth wall breaking, in a way! hopefully that's the only wall that breaks, right ignacio?

sorry I meant to review this right after and idk got lost coming back from getting water or something anyways im here again like 4 days later! yeehaw!

I love that we get more and more tech for koda to use! we don’t just have the one moment where the tech kid uses his smarts, we now have at least 3 times he gets to use his explosives which is super fucking cool. also cool? koda’s attempts to cling to himself even as he loses himself in the arena. the depth here is really nicely shown.

I love hating Laurent. Truly this story would not be the same without him, as horrible of a dude as he is. Yeah, knowing what happens next make this part stand out more: how Valya needs one of them to take her to the finale with them kind of explains her upcoming actions.

And another instance of trouble in the arena that usually kills tributes but you let Ainsley get away from (thank you for that). I do love how you’re putting these obstacles in their way but not just randomly using them to take characters out— they push characters into other situations (such as ainsley going towards the cornucopia soon).

And again, this time with aril and malachi who I really do love seeing together. they’re so much better off without the alliance they were in and you get to enjoy more of their personalities now that they’re apart from laurent who really was dragging them down. the fact that they can joke while taking down killer geese is amusing to me, but I love how you also have aril’s smile being shaky… like she wants to be amused but is also holding herself back.

I read this pov so long ago for the first time and I was so shook? both of these girls died and I was… happy with it. pleased with how it came about. like milan and madina kind of paired up to take down an alliance that was already falling apart so i’m not too saddened by elena and orienne falling, i’m more excited by what’s to come with these other two!

ok so 5 more arena chapters after this…. and 3 have been posted…. yeep! I gotta stay ahead!

we getting down to the final few!

emrys - omg this was amazing! he’s really going through it and becoming hardened once again, reflecting on why he built up a bubble in the first place. really great stuff! he still has the fight to survive, but will he make it out alive? super excited to see what happens!

milan - oof! he’s really been through so much, experiencing some great development. he’s been a loner throughout most of the story, but that never really held him back. sad that he started to spiral, but you wrote him so beautifully. the geese mutt might’ve fucked him up, but at least he killedt it!

valya/laurent - we about to get to that CLIMAX ladiez! can’t wait for this feast! laurent is not taking no as an answer and valya is obeying...for now. can’t wait for what’s about to go down!

airla/malachi - they’ve become such a great pair and have formed a genuine bond. it’s been great to read, but i think at least one of them is gonna die at the feast. another great section before bloodbath 2.0!

madina - aw poor milan, but at least he got to see madina one last time! now that she doesn’t have any bullets left, i wonder how she’ll fare in a fight? she certainly has the fight and been through some crazy stuff, but idk what’s gonna happen now! it’s exciting!

the next to go?! idk i feel like anyone could become victor at this point. definitely think we’re gonna get an epic career showdown at the feast tho! maybe emrys, malachi, and laurent die next?!

definitely like the idea of a “second bloodbath” LMAO. you’re right tho, i haven’t seen too many feasts happen in syots! they can definitely shake things up!

can’t wait to see what happens!

There’s a lot of fun character work in this chapter! You’ve done a really good job with fleshing out all of them. In a lot of SYOTs, there are sometimes tributes you can tell are meant to make it far, but you seem to subverge expectations every chapter. Out of the six left, each seems like a main player (and i’d dare say that has been the case since the top ten, if not before). I have no idea where this is going. It’s super exciting!

Emrys: his dark side is interesting. The bubble he’s built around himself makes for some intriguing reflections, which comes to a head now that he’s letting it burst. The emotional baggage he’s carrying will be fun to explore further, if he makes it past next chapter. He’s a contender, for sure.

Milan: as his arc comes to its complexion, I feel proud most of all. He’s been through the ringer, Milan, he’s been through highs and lows, and even though he tried to play the game, in the end it wasn’t enough. But that’s okay. Being a loner from the bloodbath forwards and making it to 7th place is a feat in itself. 7th place isn’t shabby at all. It’s been a pleasure to experience the journey you’ve taken him on, and I’ve enjoyed every second of it. Really appreciate it, Olive!

Valya, Laurent: and the tension builds. Laurent always has to argue with someone, huh? He talks such a big game, but can he really deliver? I have a hard time believing he could beat a trained tribute in combat. His rage might make him dangerous, but he’s bound to make mistakes. Valya is a wildcard. The direction you’re taking her was a bit unexpected initially, but I’m liking it. She comes across a little desperate, but then, desperate times calls for desperate measures. And selfishness is an interesting trait in itself.

Airla, Malachi: they have become too close to both make it out of the feast, I feel. Friendly alliances never stay friendly long. Airla is the obvious choice to survive, and at least get one more kill under her belt before it’s done. She’s trained for this, she’s the most prepared. Malachi, on the other hand, feels like one of the least prepared. Of the outer district tribute left, he exceeds the least drive to me. Emrys and Medina will do anything to get out of the arena. Malachi, as Airla says, is hesitant. I don’t think that’ll benefit him.

Medina: I’m glad she got to have one last interaction with Milan. They might not have been allies, but I think these two created one of the most meaningful connections in these Games. It’s sad she had to see him go, but perhaps that’ll add fuel to her fire? She needs it now that her gun is gone.

I personally really like feasts. It’s a shame they’re not featured in SYOTs more. They’re like a second bloodbath, in that they add up to the death toll quickly, and bring the tributes together when they’ve scattered too far away from one another.

The person I’m most worried about is probably Malachi. I could see Airla and Laurent getting into a fight that kills one of them. Maybe Medina or Emrys will bite the dust? I think at least two tributes has to die.

This was so sad to see that he was still at the site of the accident and realizing that he needed to try and avenge Koda. This was so hard to read and to imagine that his only friend that he mad in so long is gone now, left to his own devices and now he is all alone again. This was a great showcasing of Emrys. That was awful to see Milan get attacked by that mutt like that it was such a surprise as well to see him in this manner of being. That he seemed to not have any indication of what is going to happen to him. Laurent is getting on my last nerve and Valya needs to get out of there if she has any chance of winning and I’m rooting for her to win, so hopefully we can see who doesn’t kill whom. I love Airla she is a queen and to see that she made it this far I love it and that she’s fighting for Zaid is everything and more. I hope that we are able to see these other tributes come to the feast. Whoah that was intense to see Madina like that and I never expected her to make it this far from first impression to now but I’m lowkey rooting for her.

hhellloooooo

the DEATH
milan: in my mind the biggest implication of milan's death is madina's future - her story is now independent and wholly unique to everyone else's, so that gives her a boost in my mind as far as potential placements could go! milan was a rollercoaster who went thru a lot - starting all the way back w his compelling interactions w weylyn - ESP in the arena and that always makes an interesting storyteller. shoutout king u were so much fun!

THE FEAST NEXT CHAPTER!
my first thought was is emrys going o_o his pov was before the announcement so we don't know his hot take on the feast but a part of me feels like he'll go just bc everyone's going and following madina's logic he probbbably needs the food MOst promisign part of the feast is going to be confrontation between laurent/valya and airla/malachi! obviously there's the big laurent-airla showdown but im honestly most interested in the valya-malachi showdown bc they were close before he dipped and i'd love to see that conflict manifest!

ok i basically touched on all six of the remaining tributes LOL here are my answers to the question

in-danger next chapter
Laurent, Emrys, Malachi

luv guessing the boys will die LOL. anyway i feel like laurent is a guaranteed death (6th is THE villain spot in my heaD), emrys feels oddly vulnerable following the setup of this chapter w his lack of focus, i'd say it's a coin flip between malachi and valya but since i think laurent is going to die i kinda doubt valya would die too. ok there is fellas!

i love feasts but you're right they're not done often i just think we forget LOL

see you soon!

Omg! Feast chapter next?
I'm so excited. Short review so it fits in email hopefully.
Milan finally got his answer about what they wanted from him with that goose? I imagine the Gamemakers being like 'ugh fine just die already kid!'. Really horrible that he was in pain for so long... geese are nasty dude. Poor Milan, he's been through so much and was on such a mental decline now... rest in peace truly
I think Madina could and should go next, her plotline intertwining with Milan is finished. I could see her going in first at the feast and Emrys killing her on sight. I'd be down with that.
And then the Career showdown- I think Laurent and Malachi are most likely to go, but Malachi's attachment to Airla is finally cracking so that could be her downfall instead. Valya is weakest emotionally and maybe physically too, but she's done a great job flying under the radar and has her gun still, which is such a Chekov's gun sort of moment. Shoot Laurent in the back yes? Yes?

Happy writing!