Tomo - Mr. Myrellis-Verilla xmxkdkskdkdks that never gets old.. interesting advice mr myrellis-verilla.. u sure do have experience allying with careers.. HEEELP IVE NEVER SEEN TWO BOYS KISSING BEFORE . ON GOD . HE DIDNT KNOW IT WAS ALLOWED. HE DIDNT KNOW TWO MEN CAN GET MARRIED HEELP?! LANEY WHY DID YOU MAKE HIM LIKE THIS .? WHAT IS GOING ON . “I'm sorry, Tomo. I didn't mean to give you a crisis about your sexuality.” Crying. Screaming. Now is Really not the time skdkskdkdksk….. definitely a different teurian.. sure.. tomo thinking his father wouldnt kill anyone bc its against the law..! Good lord . Hm yeah hes choosing merc.. this is gonna end sooo well… a ck..

Tiernan - “Tiernan was afraid that if he blinked he'd find himself standing on a pedestal with a clock counting down.” Woof.. tiernan mendi beef.. “(Stay with Bryony, Mendi, and Patrek, and risk Mendi's wrath, or leave them behind, and risk the unknown?)” yeah good question.. ok like i want him to be wrong about mendi but. I can also see him getting killed by mendi jdkxkddk.. ngl i think i just sympathize with her a little more..? Like. Shes clearly under so much distress and i want her to figure things out but also i support mendi wrongs. Tiernan is in a rough position though.. like maybe him leaving is best, but also whats he gonna do when he meets someone else whos in control and also willing to kill ? Mendi is far from the only dangerous tribute out there..

Aescelin - LOL the two of them planning more mischief… meanwhile mischief is knocking at their door already…. Ooh chase is being straight up i see.. (so far..) “Aescelin nodded sympathetically. "One of those time-sensitive endeavors, you know," he added. "Eating ice cream."” Help.. such a strange thing to say i do not trust you aescelin. They think she bought it.. sure she did…. Ahahahaah its Happening… “Aescelin would never admit it, but his first instinct was not to be curious or suspicious. It was fear.” Ehehehehe grinning and giggling, hes AFRAID hehehee.. OHH THIS IS SO GOOD DJDDJSKDK.. GO OFF FLEUR BAHAHAHA.. HEEELP IT WORKED SO WELL… lowkey though. Why do i get the feeling its gonna backfire so hard and drive aescelin to further violence… ig hopefully away from the girls’ alliance but. :v

Sienna - ooh mentors meeting :0 heeelp esper.. “Esper groaned. "Have they made you go get them a banner, confetti, three fog machines, a set of stilts, power tools, a giant two-way mirror, an animal skull, and the weirdest fucking costume you've ever seen? And covered the entire apartment in pink glitter? And thought you were married to a woman?"” Screams.. this is the best line of dialogue ever dkdkdkdkdl.. DELETED GAMES FOOTAGE?! :eyes: all of siennas finale… ;_; “Sienna spoke slowly. "When you hear a different story for a dozen years," she said, "how can you be sure what's true anymore?"” Crying and weeping .. “What if she really was the perfect liar the Capitol had made her out to be, with her most convincing lie being the one she told herself?” THIS IS SO FGCKING MISERABLE WHATS WRONG W U… real footage. nEEEOW. “"I'm glad you can't imagine, because that means they didn't do it to you."” God . Ooo h 75th arena footage :eyes: so these guys are onto katniss and co trying to blow up the force field but it doesnt look like she succeeded hm… o h they have. Another plan ? :eyes: . Also . “She could be Diana's villain if she had to be.” Sienna…. Gently holds her.

Hi arbee.. here have some mf Reviews !

Bry - ohh bry is going Through it.. ;-; i can see how shes faltering under the weight of the future though, it. Certainly is coming whether she likes it or not.. oh . Bry: i like mendi, she just needs some more help. The rest of the group: gossiping about her as soon as she leaves :v mendis gonna kill tiernan in the bb isnt she ..

Merc - merc and tomo :eyes: ive been missing him, its been a little too quiet on the merc front these past few chaps.. have a feeling based on intuition (and the few spoiler bars i accidentally clicked lol) that tomo’s gonna agree.. help “not gonna fuck it all up like i am!” Merc.. head in hands. OH THEYRE KINDA CUDDLING NOW HELP.. ARBEE.. “Mercury couldn't deny that it was a bit fun to see Tomo so flustered.” Heeelp… oh just the two of them splitting off what a fun idea.. tomo: “you like me? You like-like me?” Djkxjdkddk.. W. WAIT . SO THIS IS WHY THEY WERE FREAKING OUT ABOUT TEURIAN . I….. :tails emoji:

Wiz - LOL wiz is the only one alone help.. oh god chevre and wiz… that is Interesting for sure….. im intrigued.. similar energy to tina and ascelin in how theyre bonding but like. Different font.. "I'm Chevre, by the way. Since you never asked." WAAHAH.. GET ‘IM.. they are Concocting shit ahahah.. :v wiz: i melted someones arm off with an acid i made. Chevre: can i get one of those? “He'd expected her to consult with her alliance, but she didn't. "Deal," she said, and they shook on it.” :eyes:

Chase - lolll chase wants revenge.. LMAO FLEUR.. SHE LOVED THE GLITTERBOMB, OFC SHE DID PFFT.. oop chase is making points though :eyes: aw chase trauma reveal ;—; hitting back is a good fun idea yes.. ohhh my god the info from zinnia help.. theyre onto the cult stuff.. VISIT FROM THEIR CRAZY CULT GOD YEAHHH DJDJDJDKSK.. i support chase enjoying the shit out of this while she can, real shit !

Bas - oh god bas pov.. cringes affectionately.. HOT AND BOTHERED.. WHY WOULD YOU SAY IT LIKE THAT . Ahh The Note TM…. Head in hands.. help tiss like “please let me leave rn” on god.. o p e ave is so on to everything a h :stress: o h gdi ave too much of a coward to say what u feel about bas.. not helping! “"Nothing," Bastet repeated, their voice hollow even to her own ears. "Of course. That's what you are, too, by the way. Nothing."” Withered . “she was so furious at the thought that they might start crying that she was able to force them back with sheer willpower.” Good god bas no wonder youre Like That TM. Heeelp and now theyre confessing to murdering nyx.. head in hands.. o h my god they pushed each other into the pool heeelp :skull: they wanna kill each other sooo bad oh my god.. tiss just standing there like :V :T “Let the rest of them see what Bastet already knew: that Aveline Averone was a washed-up nobody that no one cared about.” Okay but bas j think people will also be seeing that youre. Just a Little bit unhinged about this. You did confess to murder right there. Head in hands…

Great chapter… the pregames ever cjxjdjdkd

omg a sexy chapter

Im so proud of jude theyre just little and they got a 5! Good for little guy!

this fleur subplotcapitol shenanigans is fun to me i love when things come and bite them in the ass

Rlly fun scores overall i love how you wrote this and i thought their reasonings for certain scores was interesting.

its ve day but i wanted to get this review out

Okay ily ill be in ur dms later !

Great chapter as always!

A bit late to the party but I’m loving this story so far! This cast is amazing and I’m already attached to all of them…which may not be the best of ideas given the Games are started soon but too bad, I am anyway! Keep up the great work!

It’s so fun to get the gamemaker perspective on all these kids… and also the way you do private sessions is very fun! Easier to write than the actual sessions, and also more interesting tbh. It’s always fun to see how tributes are perceived by non-tributes.

Aescelin’s religious fervor being reignited for private sessions has me dead. I agree more with Clodovea than Jacin here, but I think a ten feels warranted. I’m very interested to hear from Mr. Ibbara-Ixtal again. Also, Blaise getting her bones elongated is fucking terrifying?

Brizo getting a ten was also a little surprising, but in a good way. I think Brizo’s backstory lends a lot to him being constantly overshadowed/underestimated, so I think it’s neat for him to have numerical proof of his skills. I don’t think he's hiding any crazy skills or creepy talents, but if he is we will surely find out soon. The Gamemakers seem conflicted?

Vince getting a ten! Hell yes. If they got anything lower, it would be weird. Mercury and Tisiphone being less trained and getting slightly smaller scores makes perfect sense. Still high enough to be good though!

Manipulating Aveline and Bastet’s scores is super interesting. I think that particular scoring is actually really smart. Bastet would have more passion. Aveline would have more skill. This would also give the most opportunity to shake up the status quo.

Jest, True, Shazia and Tomo leading the scores for non-Aescelin outliers is about expected. Nicely so. I think they need to stop tormenting Jest in particular, but agree it would be interesting to see him fight. The rest do deserve their high scores.

Miss Tina’s strategy is actually very interesting. I vaguely recall that it might harken back to her introduction where she was either used to being underestimated or wanted to be so that she could win easier. I think flying her under the radar is fantastic. I am intrigued.

The immediate shift to dunking on Fleur is unfortunate :( she deserves better… also, having her score privately discussed? Fleur lore reveal? So exciting. Anyway, I do agree with the next tier down. Seeing Jude ranked highly is nice—they definitely have some unique skills. Wisdom being scored lower due to the impracticality of his demonstration was also a good thing to note. Chevre being ranked lower is good. She can downplay a threat status better that way.

Rumi being “patriotic” is fucking hilarious, I’m sorry. Just doing a dance instead of demonstrating actual arena-related skills is something I haven’t seen before, and it does very much fit with her character. Patrek using a khopesh is pretty neat too, it’s a very good weapon.

Tiernan getting the lowest score (unintentionally) is great. What a dork. Zinnia, Mendi and Bryony all scoring fairly low feels warranted, but also as discussed the other day, that particular 11/12 alliance is going to get fucking wrecked! I can see it now… Tiernan drops a sword and impales himself with it. Smooth move.

Fleur lore! Yeah fuck that desk drawer. I hope it’s the last we see of it. Fleur stabbing a bitch was not on my agenda for today but I’m not mad about it. Using that hairpin, too? Beautiful. Colin Malone just sounds like a scumbag name… shit, and Mayor Zamoras being involved in this whole issue? “ALCOHOL POISONING”?! That’s crazy. RIP Townes, I guess. And Esper—things might get messy with their relationship, I feel.

The discussion on what to do with such an unprecedented situation was really good. Ultimately I think handling it by deciding to do nothing but also have a proper backup plan to give her better chances of survival is very good. I like it too because it shows how cunning this group is. Not the Hutchinson situation… :(( yikes. Years later and still clearly fresh on everyone’s minds.

I agree with Laney on the grounds that I just want to ignore the entire part about assigning muttations to tributes. Let’s just not! I am content this time to be ignorant. Good luck to Bellona in the endeavor to not piss off her mom. I hope it gets messy.

Excited for the next one! Good luck with VE too. :)

Alright! Private sessions.

I see the gamemakers are starting with Aescelin, as they should. He’s an icon. I love how half the gamemakers are kinda horrified at Aescelin’s existence and Jacin is like ‘He’s a showstopper!’. Jacin is a mood. That’s kinda scary. Yes, Aescelin! Score a ten!

Ooooh, do we have a rare Brizo slay? I’m curious to find out what happened in his private session now. For some reason, Brizo’s private session seems even more ominous to me than Aescelin’s. Vince also slayed but that’s not surprising. Vince ALWAYS slays.

OMG, VIDOVIC! THEY WATCHED YOU, VIDOVIC!

Oooh, the gamemakers are escalating the Ave-Bas conflict. I love it when the gamemakers give their reasoning behind scores.

Poor Jest. The gamemakers really are throwing him under the bus with that nine. He’s gonna be such a big Career target. Can the Capitol PLEASE stop bullying Jest.

True and Shazia both girlbossed.

Tomo scoring a seven with the sheer force of his nerdiness.

Miss Tina really did declare ‘Race ya to the bottom, losers!’ with that private session. I love how the gamemakers realise she ‘tripped’ and knocked over the paints on purpose to deliberately get a low score… then they give her a low score anyway to help her out. I love how the Sevens have completely opposite approaches to their private session. I wonder if it’ll lead to the other tributes questioning their alliance, wondering what a guy who scored a ten would want with a girl who scored a two.

It’s so funny how it cuts from Miss Tina acting all clumsy and useless and then we cut to Fleur, who exhibits ‘genuine incompetence’. Oooh, there’s gonna be a private discussion over her score. The plot thickens…

Don’t you dare call Jem mediocre!

Rumi performed a song and dance and scored a four… Why do I get the feeling that the Careers are not gonna be happy?

Oooh, Patrek is decent with a weapon. That’s ominous…

RIP Tiernan scoring a two. Miss Tina’s gonna be out for his blood because he scored the same as her and stole her thunder. She was supposed to win the ‘Who can get the lowest score?’ game!

Mendi and Bryony both scoring threes is crushing my dreams of them both slaying in the arena.

Oooooh, the conspiracy around Fleur is so interesting. So that’s why Mayor Zamoras died! A punishment for letting a Capitolite be rigged into the games. Now Townes is mayor. I hope this doesn’t lead to the Capitol exerting too much control over him and Mr Myrellis-Verilla. It’s fascinating to see how the Capitol respond to this - making Capitol children in the districts eligible to be reaped and potentially rigging the games in Fleur’s favour and removing them from the arena. Now, how does Tomo tie into this?

What an interesting selection of tributes for interviews! I feel like Zinnia and Brizo might struggle with interviews due to a lack of confidence. It’ll be interesting to see how they handle it. Wisdom is very eloquent. Chase and Fleur are both very confident so I think their interviews will go well. But I’m PARTICULARLY excited for Aescelin because I feel like an Aescelin interview POV is gonna slay so hard, especially because he’s kinda having an existential crisis rn.

Surprise chapter? Private session chaos? I'm so here for this!

Every time I see Jacin's name I think of Lunar Chronicles lol! It's just the book nerd in me! Oh Aescelin... what a guy! That's a good point; why are there so many loose criminals/murderers in Panem that don't get noticed by the Capitol until they're literally in a death match? I guess that's just the Capitol for ya! Bones extended? How does that even... okay I'm not even gonna ask lol! Ooh what did Brizo do? Probably just showed off his sweet Career skills, but the way the Gamemakers talked it sounded like he did something extra-impressive! I'm excited to hear from him again! I think it's really cool that you're showing the Gamemakers' conversation and discussion over the scores as that's something that's usually skipped, but I think it's a really unique and nice way to reveal scores! My brain is so dead, the last names were throwing me off a little so I was like "w-who's Fotis?" before I realized it was Tiss lol! Averone and Avarne next to each other also looks really cool! Deep thoughts from me today, truly lol! I also think it's interesting that they have someone assigned to dig into the Tributes' lives beforehand... also a little creepy! They know so much! It's incredibly fitting (and sad) that Ave and Bas are still being compared, even now... they would hate that I think. Why would you want to ESCALATE it? I kinda hate these Gamemakers, they're so shallow... Oooh I forgot somehow that Jest knew how to fight! That'll definitely help him, as long as he's not in too much pain by the time the Games come. Oh boy... it seems like they're prioritizing chaos/entertainment over skill here sometimes lol! YES True and Shazia! Absolute legends! Also Tomo LOL, I love that for him! He is the bestest! Typical Tina, just vibing and making a mess! She's so valid (when she's not... you know, threatening my besties and whatnot haha, but she's valid even then!) Nooo Fleur isn't incompetent, they're perfect the way she is! Oh boy, what does she wanna discuss about Fleur? Very sus. "Piper was mediocre." Now that was just uncalled for lol! But he's not wrong. Oh boy, I bet Wisdom's fizzy liquid was pretty dangerous! They really are just underestimating Wisdom and Jude! Rumi performing a song and DANCE! That's my fellow theater kid! That makes me really happy actually. Tiernan dropping a weapon... oh poor baby, he's so doomed. 2s and 3s are super low... I'm worried for everyone! Oh wow, this is fascinating. There's a lot more under the surface for Fleur, she's definitely not just glitter and sunshine! Ohhh the mayor, right? This is wild! Oh my, this gets crazier by the second! Did Minerva kill Townes' dad for getting Fleur reaped? Ahh! Controlling him will be much easier?! Oh no. Oh this is absolutely bonkers! They want to make Fleur win? A Capitolite in the Games is also just... such a brilliant concept! I'm just sitting here gaping! Maybe it's a bit of an overreaction but like... they want to get her out?! I love that, I hope she does end up living! I wouldn't be mad about it but I also know it couldn't possibly be that simple! Or maybe it could; who knows with the Capitol involved. Of course... they could never possibly show weakness or mercy! But this also gives someone the opportunity, if they found out, to have dirt/blackmail or at least something against the Capitol, mayhaps? This is so interesting! Oh boy... Bellona is scared of her own mom? I would be too, after reading that one scene where she killed someone! It was absolutely terrifying. Not a Hutchinson situation... we'd never have one of those because the Capitol is never to blame, right? So like, potentially, the Newsies situation would just be... someone else's fault lol. Now that I think about that, I'm afraid for Jem if he does end up bringing up the Newsies and his strike because that could make him an immediate target! But that's totally off-topic and also something I don't wanna think about so we'll just ignore it lol! Oh, making mutts that fit best for each Tribute? That's genuinely scary! I love how the Gamemakers are so delightfully personalized! They really do know the Tributes the best, in order to exploit every secret and flaw! So considerate of them. Umm Bellona are you gonna be okay? Is something bad gonna happen to you? I can't say I'm too attached to her unfortunately lol, she scares me just a little! But I guess she's just doing what she has to, and under her mother's thumb as well. That was such a fabulous chapter! It was absolutely entertaining and you've really just been outdoing yourself with these chapters! I'm so lucky to be along for the journey and am having all the fun, it brings me so much joy every time you update! You're truly amazing, best of luck with VE and the rest of Pre-games!

hahahaha I was giggling all the way through this chapter. I don't have many coherent thoughts rn now but the prank was pure gold and so goofy. I'm wondering how Tina and Aessy (can I call him that because I can never spell his name?) will react. Will they seek revenge again in the arena or like back off? I'm hoping they'll leave my daughter's alliance alone now.

The other povs were really good too like the truth about Sienna's games being revealed was really powerful. Anyway, great great chapter as always rbestie, sorry this review is a little shorter.

Onto the next!

Bryony's POV was honestly pretty good. Subtle things are happening to this alliance. I do still think of everyone they're unfortunately the most dead. But... Bryony is struggling to maintain her facade, Patrek is having early doubts and evil thoughts, Mendi is feral and barely trusts anyone, and Tiernan started lying. It's not as flashy as other groups but I think there's a lot of tension here that's hopefully going to be fun to pick apart. The part about treating Mendi like a monster turning her into one is so true. It will happen. I think Patrek and maybe Tiernan are going to have a hand in that. Tiernan needs to touch grass so bad. I think it would be really funny if that happened before he died. Also the snippet you sent me has me looking very intently at the upcoming chapter...

I hate to also climb aboard the train of people who think Mercury and Tomo would be a good match, so I won't. But I will say that opposites have a way of attracting. Clearly threads are in place. Also... Tomo's upcoming POV is going to be so good. There's a lot of pieces falling into place with these two.

It feels like forever since we heard from Wisdom! Probably because yes he's the only one without allies. I sort of expected him to follow in Berenice's footsteps so it's interesting that he joined. Chevre pulling him in was a good tactical move and I enjoyed their smart people dialogue. Also I could go the rest of my life without hearing the word hypothetical again!

The coming Prank War is also pretty fun. Many reasons to be excited for the final chapter of round two – including a POV from Sienna! Feels like it's been too long since we've heard from your side plot characters. Getting some more intel on Chase's backstory was a good moment. I want more on Shazia and Fleur though. And honestly I think these three are a great match. Zinnia is a bit odd out, but despite being kind of off the rails Fleur has a lot of shared qualities that I can sum up with one word: hairpin. I like the possibilities this group has. Pretending to be the Spirit of the Forest to terrorize Aescelin has to be one of the zaniest plotlines I can imagine and I can't wait to see it go down.

Yeah! I don't wanna read this again it was painful. First off, RIP to Tiss for being caught in all this drama. She needs to stand up for herself and do better because it's not a fun place for her to be. Both of them obviously care way too much about each other to be this hateful but of course... Bastet is so valid to hate Aveline. It is easier, at this point. However I will simply be rooting for them to fall back into love before at least one dies because they deserve it. What a fucked up fight though.

Yeah so all that happened! And here's to watching even more shit go down next chapter :00 this story is such a slay!

Hi RB! I'm back because I'm 90% sure you update every Wednesday and I don't want to fall too far behind!

Zinnia actually going to their party was insane. Did not expect her to go through with it, mostly because of how socially awkward she is. While I want this alliance to break her shell, I get the sense that somehow she reads more as Fleur's pet project than anything else. On the other hand, I do enjoy Fleur and her antics. They're quite fun. Also once again Jest's new tattoos might be the worst thing I've seen a tribute put through in pre-games, ever. Seeing the glitter bomb just give Fleur an excuse to shenan again was fantastic.

Brizo feeling left out and like a waste of space in his alliance sucks. He is kind of right in the middle of it all, without truly being connected to any of it. Not a fun place to be but also... not a bad place to be. I don't see him being anybody's first target in a Pack fracture. Aveline and Brizo having the chance at a future friends arc is very good. I support it. I also would support Brizo snapping and being the reason for the fracture... nobody else would see it coming. RIP getting turned away because of the Sevens' malicious acts. Maybe next time champ!

Such a strange bunch of kids in this anti-career alliance tbh. I think it works but also given the chance will fall apart faster than I can blink. My gut feeling rn says they will indeed get the Cornucopia just because seeing fhe Careers on the run would add a lot more dysfunction and strain to the Pack. But my gut also says maybe only one pair these kids make it far. Either Chevre and Jest, or True and Jude. Just some early predictions! On a Chevre focus, I find myself liking her more and more every time I get the treat of reading from her perspective. She's fantastic.

Hey RB! Here’s some quick thoughts while I’m on break.

Tomo is making it really hard to think of Esper as anything but “Mr. Myrellis-Verilla.” It’s a crippling effect unfortunately. Tomo being unsure because two huge groups want him is such a great problem to have. Because it’s Tomo of course it won’t seem that way but I can’t recall the last time I saw a tribute this highly sought-after as an alliance member. I think Mercury’s willingness to split from the Pack adds another interesting layer to the dilemma and despite the entire Teurian investigation I do actually believe that it is his best option moving forward. The full alliances will just use him to an end. At least with Mercury, it’s up front, and has the potential to *ahem* develop into something else. Speaking of which… I cannot be in denial anymore. I thought it was pretty obvious. This chapter made it obviouser. Tomerc nation rise up! Also, Esper having to explain that gay people exist—and giving Tomo a very deeply-buried awakening in the process—is absolutely insane. “It’s called being gay” right :skull: how did Tomo not know this…? Like. Sir. At this point Teurian isn’t even worth defending. I know Tomo will continue to but come on!?

Every time I get to read another POV from Tiernan I get more and more excited to find out how you’re going to kill him in a few short chapters. I have some theories, and some wildcard guesses. I think you’ll manage to surprise me, however. He’s so annoying and while it is on some level kind of funny that everybody (being Patrek and Tiernan) keeps adding to Mendi’s traumatic and mysterious past, I am also a Mendi Navar believer and your honor, this girl is innocent. I think his bloodbath death is going to splinter this entire alliance and we will get at least one loner out of it, if not three. Also interesting that both Esper and Sienna had somewhere better to be than helping their tributes—not that I blame them—and I’m intrigued to see whats up. It’s not like Tomo or Tiernan can be helped much anyway LOL.

Aescelin and Valentina honestly feel kind of like cartoon villains. I don’t know why. They’re both “evil” but not particularly threatening. Yes, Aescelin led a cult, but it’s so over-the-top delusional that it’s more funny than scary. Miss Tina barbecues for a living. How could they possibly be the villains of the story? I think this story lends itself to multiple Big Bads instead of one clear one, but it’s not going to be either of them. Maybe I will be proven wrong, but the prank war (while extremely fun to read) lends itself to my hypothesis. Honestly the part about dirty boy Aescelin saying eating ice cream is a time-sensitive endeavor is ten times funnier to me than Fleur dressing up to fuck with him. I don’t know why. I will say that this “revelation” causing everything to change for him is a bit unnerving. I will be keeping my eye on him until he is safely out of delulu land (dead).

Hi Sienna! AND MALLORY! Sienna and Esper friendship is incredibly important to this fic. As is Esper indulging Fleur and her alliance. Sienna’s issue of Tiernan being afraid of a fourteen year old girl is much less of an issue than whatever the fuck Fleur and Tomo are doing at any given moment. OOH, deleted games footage? I vaguely recall that something in Sienna’s finale between her and Caligula/Cal was heavily edited. This is intriguing. The difference between it being a story and a lie is quite a big one… and questioning her own experiences because everyone has been gaslit about them is fucking insane. Down with the Hargroves tbh. I have all the evidence I need to not care about the government in this fic. The Astrid and Cal parallel is awful of you! Getting some insight about the 75th in your verse and how it was managed was actually super interesting btw. Also… what is this plan they’re talking about? Also… an early train? To what? I’m so fucking curious to learn more about what all this means :0

Esper explaining gay people to Tomo. I'm dead.
Aescelin falling for the prank and fully believing is nonsense. Aescelin spiralling! Aescelin spiraling! Aescelin spiralling! I am resurrected and dead once more.

ALRIGHT, TOMO TIME! MR MYRELLIS-VERILLA IS HERE!

Awwww, Tomo thinks Invincible likes Mercury. He’s also just figuring out gender.

WHAT?

TOMO DOESN’T KNOW THAT GAY PEOPLE EXIST? OOF, I’M DYING.

This is especially hilarious to me because Mr Myrellis-Verilla has been gay and married to FRICKING TOWNES this whole time and Tomo didn’t realise and now we’ve got Mr Myrellis-Verilla trying to explain gay to Tomo. Seriously, Tomo, how did you not notice a VICTOR dating the MAYOR’S SON?

(He could do that?) OMG, that sentence has so many emotions. OMG! TOMO IS GAYYYYYY! Happy gay awakening, Tomo!

The mixed signals! I love how Mr Myrellis-Verillia is annoyed that Tomo thought he was straight. TBH, I thought he was asexual until he started having gay interactions with Townes. I also thought Tomo was asexual before he started having gay interactions with Mercury.

FINALLY, SOMEONE’S ASKING TOMO THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS!

I love how Mr Myrellis-Verilla is like “Tomo, are you gay?” and Tomo is like “Uno reverse card! I had a girlfriend.”.

Poor Tomo’s reaction to Mercury’s dad getting killed by Teurian is ‘Oh, it must be a different guy named Teurian.’. He’s such a sweet summer child, protect him at all costs.

Also, Tomo mentions his dad taught him all the rules. Tomo was totally unaware that being gay was legal… That makes Teurian look kinda sus if you ask me.
HE CAN’T LIE! AGAIN, PROTECT HIM AT ALL COSTS!

I like that Tomo completely IGNORES Mr Myrellis-Verilla’s warnings and tries to ally with Mercury anyway. Mr Myrellis-Verilla just doesn’t understand that Tomo has PRIORITIES! LET’S GO! TOMCURY! I want to see the best in Mercury. I want to believe he’ll never hurt Tomo. Maybe I’m a clueless little bean like Tomo but I want to believe something good will come from this ship and they won’t just turn on each other immediately.

I’M WATCHING YOU, VIDOVIC!

Ohhhh, Tiernan’s parents told him Mendi was a murderer. That makes sense! He’s thinking about leaving his alliance. Sienna’s got some good advice. I think the theme of this chapter is mentors giving advice and tributes ignoring it. I’m also kinda hyped to see Mendi in the arena. She’s getting pretty intimidating.

I’m sorry I don’t have much to say about Tiernan but he’s stuck with the first POV after the Tomo Metellus Gay Awakening. Dude got Nene Palmered.

The SEVENS are eating Victory Dessert. I LOVE them. They act so scary and intimidating when really they’re just kinda silly. They’re just eating ice cream and pranking people.

“Be lazy.” The PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVENESS!

“We’re just eating ice cream and minding our own business.” LMAO. They’re so EVIL and SMUG! I LOVE how they team up to try to gaslight Chase.

I love the whole “connotion” exchange. I get the feeling that Chase is just pretending to get words wrong to lull the Sevens into a false sense of security.

“One of those time-sensitive endeavours.” Aescelin is so sassy.

I love how the Sevens go from so smug to getting pranked. They really are just like a couple of mean girls in a high school movie.

ALRIGHT! SPIRIT TIME!

The girls are really good at making costumes, wow!

Well done to the Spirit of the Forest for calling out Aescelin for being silly and pranking people with glitter.

Also well done to Miss Tina for using her atheist powers to determine that the Spirit of the Forest isn’t real. I guess Chase and Co. have figured out which one of the Sevens is the “Crazy” one.

I love that the event that solidifies Aescelin believing in the Spirit of the Forest is Chase escalating the prank war he started. That’s so silly but also totally on-brand for the Sevens.

Yeah, the theme of this chapter seems to be tributes ignoring people. Tomo ignores Mr Myrellis-Verilla, Tiernan ignores Sienna and now Aescelin’s ignoring Miss Tina. I wonder if she’ll get through to him, end up playing along with him or whether it’ll destabilise the alliance.

So THAT’S how Chase and Co. got their ICONIC costume. They made Mr Myrellis-Verilla get it! Thank the (totally real) Spirit of the Forest that HE was the mentor who got landed with Fleur and Tomo. I also love that the majority of sins that Mr Myrellis-Verilla listed were committed by Fleur and then there’s Tomo, who thinks he was married to a woman.

“I just had to tell Tomo that gay people exist!” Tomo has given us SO MUCH this story and he just keeps giving.

Oooh, the victors have found footage of the games that was deleted by the Capitol. They’re investigating the Quell! And they’re plotting something! I like how Sienna is going through her own personal thing while the plot is happening. I’m not as familiar with her games as I am with Mr Myrellis-Verilla’s but she seems like a really good fit for this POV.

I am excited for what happens next but I am also scared. I’M WATCHING YOU, VIDOVIC!

HI friend! I'm a tiny bit scared! But also excited! It'll be fun!

Tomo: Oh Tomo first... okay! Exciting! (I love him I'm just nervous for some reason lol!) There's a part of me that REALLY wants him to join Jem's crew because found family fun times! But then there's the Tomercury shipper inside me... so I think I'd be happy either way! "I didn't think that was allowed?" Oh... oh Tomo... "You can do that?" Oh my goodness... Tomo bestie! Sweetie! I'm getting so much second-hand embarrassment right now. "His relief immediately turned to despair." Oh dear, poor boy! I feel bad for both of them at this point. Not "court" instead of date LOL. Sidenote: you're so good at using word choice to make everyone's inner monologues distinct! It's such a cool technique! "Romance never works out in the Games." What? No! Romance is the best part of the Games and is always wholesome and totally worth it... for sure! "It's definitely a different Teurian, anyway." Yeah okay! Keep telling yourself that... aggh poor Tomo. Why does everything have to be so complicated for him? Not his ideas about authority and literally everything else getting totally uprooted... I hate this for hm′ He needs a hug or- I don't even know at this point... "Don't tell him." But see, wouldn't it be way worse when he inevitably finds out later, after they've potentially formed a relationship built on that lie? Esper's doing his best though in this awful situation lol! "So, Mercury it was." Okay... I support his decision? I think? But yeah this will end terribly. I can see why Jem's group would be intimidating for him, my son is a LOT sometimes lol! But also I'm just scared because no matter how this turns out, I don't think it'll be good. Ahh I'm so sad for him! He's under a lot of pressure (and also in deep deep denial LOL) and I just want him to be okay! Sending good vibes your way Tomo!

Tiernan: I never really imagined Mendi as violent? Maybe that sounds silly but like- I feel like Tiernan's being just a litttle judgy here? But watch him be right and she kills a bunch of people in the Bloodbath... either way I adore her and she deserves friendship and love no matter what! So I still like Tiernan less for being judgy, even if I see where he's coming from! Huh! Okay Tiernan! He's definitely valid to be overwhelmed by everything, I can totally feel for his stress. I worry that he'll die in the Bloodbath... especially if he leaves his allies. Don't do it Tiernan!

Aescelin: CONNOTION! Never change Chase! You're perfect! I'm not gonna lie, I really love Aescelin and Tina's dynamic, even if I don't agree with all of their shenanigans lol! I do have fun reading about them! I'm just over here giggling a tiny bit, waiting for their prank to happen! Oh wow... they really went all-out didn't they? I kinda feel bad for Aescelin for some reason lol, I think at this point I'm just sympathetic toward everyone in this cast lol! I want all of them to succeed, mostly, in certain things! Oh gosh... is it possible to laugh and wince at the same time? Because that's what I feel like doing. Oh... oh no! I don't like that! Does him believing the Spirit is real mean bad things and violence? Most probably! Big yikes... I loved the prank but I think it affected him more than they'd bargained for lol!

Sienna: Hi bestie! "It's not helping that my Tributes are... they've never been like this!" Yeah it's definitely a special bunch, huh? But we love them anyway! LOL Esper! I'm dying... that's so much to go through for him. Fleur's elaborate prankTomo's crises Tired Esper. Sienna patting his shoulder... what a queen. Stop, that's so miserable... poor Sienna! And I can't believe they manipulated the footage, that's messed up. I don't know if I totally understand alll of what's happening but it sounds like she's been almost gaslighted and convincing herself that she's a bad person/Cal didn't think she was worth saving which is really sad! But it's still awful because she has to live with that survivor's guilt... sad times all around. The way she's literally DOUBTING things that happened to her as real because the Capitol manipulated everything! I hate that! Aww Mallory and Sienna are so sweet! Yay for wholesome times and comforting each other! Lol poor Dmitri, never seems to know what's going on... Oooh the 75th Games rebellion was covered up and they're just now discovering it! That's fascinating! Oh wow! Pop off queen! I'm not sure what exactly she's doing/planning but I'm here for it! I actually adore her so yeah! Hoping that whatever they end up doing goes well! Somebody definitely did train at some point I'm sure! Tomo had to do SOMETHING to be the highest scorer lol, and I'm sure Wiz was busy since he wasn't distracted by the chaos lol! But overall that was a fabulous chapter and training as a whole was just so well-done! The way you showcased so much content and so many characters in such a short time was so fun! I can't believe everyone only has one Pregames POV left... that's crazy! I'm nervy for the Games because people will actually die in the Bloodbath... oh no! Very stressful, but we still have more Pregames to go so that's good! Anyway this was absolutely lovely! You're amazing as always, I really enjoyed reading!