Alright! Family interviews!

Ingram sucks. He doesn’t deserve Vince. Cicely seems like she cares more about her child. I got really excited when I saw she owned a violin. Maybe Cicely was the one who encouraged Vince to play and they stopped when the divorce happened? Poor Vince.

I was wondering who Bastet’s interviewee was gonna be. Poor Sparta. It must be rough being trained by Nyx and not selected as the volunteer. I find it interesting how Nyx would’ve hated to see Bas succeed because it proved her wrong.

Oooh, it’s kinda worrying that Meg wants to volunteer. I hope she doesn’t. I love Ally’s reaction to Tiss having an arena romance. It’s really funny to see tributes’ families watching them have an arena romance and finding them cringe. I feel like a lot of people write arena romances and then forget about how the tributes’ families might react.

LOL, Tiss and Vince would be such a silly ship.

“I always feel like they can see me through the screen.” That is such a chilling way to describe Vince. They’re such a genre-savvy monarch, it’s SCARY!

Poor Ally. Tiss’ section of this chapter is actually super angsty and I love it.

Oh it’s Spark! Spark Le Rat LOL, what a name!

Haha, he wants to get paid for this.

Honestly, this POV is actually making me like Spark. He’s clearly very opportunistic and he thinks Chase is naive rather than hating her. I guess he reminds me of Treech a little. I feel like Treech has the same ‘Everyone for themselves’ attitude. He’s a fun villain to have around.

LOL, he’s just casually branding Chase as a violent criminal. I’m not sure how much this’ll damage her chances at winning because the interviewer did suggest the idea that Chase could be reformed through the games. I guess we’ll see. Actually, I feel like Spark may have done Chase a favour. She’s the only one in the top eight besides Tomo who hasn’t killed yet. She probably wasn’t on a lot of people’s radars as a potential victor. But now Spark has talked Chase up as this dangerous criminal, people might start seeing her as a threat to win.

Ewwww, no! It’s Teurian!

Awww, the Capitol wanna see Tomo’s dogs. And the dogs are safe! Yay!

Oohh, the murder accusations against Teurian are coming up. HE ACTUALLY REMEMBERS IT! Poor Tomo. He’s so trusting, he’s just defending a murderer.

You know what? It would be WILD if Tomo wins this. I think it’s unlikely, since a Six won your last SYOT and Tomo is… Tomo, but it would be crazy of he lived to go back to Six and confront Teurian.

It’s District 7 time!

Oh hiiii Florence! Hi Mr Henry as well.

I love that Florence feels like she has to hate Mr Henry because Miss Tina hated him.

I also love the whole “Shame about your sister.” “She’s not dead.” exchange. Florence is just as sassy as her big sister.

Plot Twist: Mr Henry actually isn’t evil.

I love how Florence tells Mr Henry that he and Miss Tina are sworn enemies and Mr Henry is just surprised and amused. Honestly, I hope that’s the way my arch nemesis Bruno Mars reacts if he ever finds out that he’s my arch nemesis.

Awww, Mr Henry just wants to make sure that Florence is okay.

“My parents don’t cook as good as her.” *sobs* Even if Miss Tina wins this, I don’t think her cooking will ever be the same.

AESCELIN WAS MENTIONED! Awww, poor Florence. It must’ve been hard for her to watch Aescelin’s reign of terror.

I loved that POV so much. I love District 7 and their weird barbecue shenanigans.

It’s nice to see that District 9 has a sense of community over rooting for Jem. Sparrow isn’t alone.

ANOTHER AESCELIN MENTION! He is in the trees and in the breeze this chapter!

It’s so funny seeing Kestia’s reactions to everyone. I love how she’s so confused by the Slovenia Squad. “Fuck, he got stabbed again-” is such a Jem moment LOL. Boii just keeps getting stabbed.

LOL, Kestia just wants to give an interview. Let her have an interview, she’s funny.

Poor Sparrow. This interviewer doesn’t seem to be on Jem’s side at all.

Oooh, Mendi’s father’s being released. And now he’s all alone. That’s so sad! Does he know she was reaped?

Well, now he knows. It’s really sad that he doesn’t feel comfortable giving an interview. I’m sure his refusal to talk to the interviewer - who seemed really sympathetic - is gonna make him and Mendi look even more suspicious. It’s really interesting how Chase and Mendi both got nice interviewers and Jem got a mean one.

I am hyped but scared for day eleven. I’m very attached to most of the characters now so it’ll be hard seeing them die.

I have a feeling Jem is going to be the Victor, because District 9 is the only district with no victors.

I started reading this story when there were already a lot of chapters out. Then I got to Chapter 38 and had to wait until July. Just a quick request: Could you say every time when the next chapter is likely to go up? It might not always be right, but it’s better than nothing.

Great chapter as always!

He died as he lived.
In horrific violence

This chapter title is giving Tomo’s death scene.

Opening with Tomo is definitely a scary move LOL.

Yay! Tomo still has wisdom’s mystery solution. I feel like he’s gonna be the one to use it.

Jem: “Tomo, all our friends are dead.”
Tomo: “I saw.”
LOL, that’s something I’D say. Tomo is so brutal. I love him.

I love the Jem backstory of him making up what happened to his parents. It’s such a Jem thing to do.

Tomo has a five-year-plan? Every time I see the words five-year-plan, I think of the USSR LOL. Let’s go, Tomo! Explain the principles of Tommunism! I’m just gonna ignore the fact that all the five-year-plans messed up the USSR’s economy.

Oh, Tomo prepared a few five-year-plans so he was prepared for multiple scenarios? LOL, Stalin and his gang should’ve done that. Maybe then they wouldn’t have messed up the USSR’s economy. TOMMUNISM!

Tomo has no poker face LOL.

Ooh, Jem is plotting to kill the Careers.

I love how Jem is calling Tomo out for being Mr ‘Go girl, give us nothing!’ all games. Tomo, Tomo, Tomo, you are too honest and innocent for your own good.

I bet Jem is regretting letting Tomo into the Slovenia Squad.

Tomo: “I’m trying my hardest.”
Jem: “Doesn’t seem like it.”
Tomo: “I am.”

Dang, that line hit HARD. I can really relate to Tomo here. Like, as an autistic person, yeah… Sometimes I feel like I’m not trying hard enough because certain things that other people don’t really think about just use up so much of my energy. I’ve been clowning on Tomo all games for doing nothing, especially because Vince and the Sevens have been popping off, but now it all makes total sense. It’s kinda like how Ser Loras Tyrell is one of my favourite characters in Game of Thrones even tho he does basically nothing for 67% of the time he’s alive, because I have a headcanon that he’s autistic and he got the mother of all autistic burnouts at the end of Season 2 and from that point onwards he is just operating on zero spoons. Tomo is the Loras Tyrell of this story and I am incredibly grateful for him. Keep doing nothing, king.

If you’re wondering about the Game of Thrones counterparts of my other faves, Aescelin is OBVIOUSLY Melisandre (I guess that makes Mercury the Renly LOL). Miss Tina is like Margaery Tyrell. Vince is like Oberyn. Tributes who are like Oberyn Martell have a very good track record (hiiii Caio). #CrownTheVince!

I’m surprised Tomo survived that. I feel like things are not gonna go well for the Slovenia Squad.

Mendi is sweating? Oh no, does that mean she has an infection?

The rest of Mendi’s POV is so vivid and descriptive! I love how spooky it is. And she found the FOOL’S GOLD!

Also, Mendi seeing the ghost and relating to her is so chilling, even though I don’t know much about Chaney. I can tell she and Mendi have something in common, tho. It makes me wonder if any of the other characters have ghosts they could potentially interact with. For example, I think a Miss Tina-Ghost!Robin interaction would go so hard. Their closest allies, Mila and Aescelin, are both cult-leader figures who kinda corrupt their district partners, and Mila almost taints Robin’s love for photography the same way that Aescelin taints Miss Tina’s love for barbecue. I find it kinda ironic that Miss Tina is intrinsically more evil than Robin, but she’s the one whose hobby is ruined. And also… well, we see what happens with the Sevens later this chapter.

Wow, Bas is back and the Careers are immediately arguing. What a surprise.

“The whole show has been us versus them.” Vince is so genre savvy. At this point, I think they say these things on purpose just as a nod to the gamemakers like ‘Hey, I’m here. Check out my victor arc.’

Also, Mendi’s catching strays.

Bas wanting to track down Jem just so she can see Ave again is so sad!

One of the things I love about this POV is Bastet realising they’ve lost control of Tiss.

I love the little hints of a Vince versus Jem final two. That’s the DREAM!

I also love how Vince immediately defends Tisiphone. They’ve seen an opportunity to get rid of Bas and they’re taking it. I only hope Bastet’s comments about Vince don’t plant seeds of doubt in Tiss’ head.

This is giving me Mercury flashbacks.

Yayyyy! We’re back with my beloved Sevens!

Oooh, there’s a parachute for Miss Tina! I didn’t think the gamemakers would be allowing these two sponsors after what went down last chapter. Interesting…

I love Aescelin’s little admission that he made the spirit up. And also how annoyed he is that Miss Tina is seemingly the spirit’s favourite. Boy, you are getting PLAYED by both yourself and Miss Tina.

Oooh, Aecelin’s the next sacrifice! Let’s GOOOOO!

“You have to kill him.” I love that the gamemakers realise that Miss Tina is actually sane enough that they can give her an ultimatum and she’ll follow through. They don’t even specify who she has to kill, she just knows that the only way she’s gonna survive this is if she kills Aescelin.

Ohhh, she’s got Mercury’s baseball bat. This is gonna be good…

“Is that blasphemy I hear?” Oh, Miss Tina, you did not need to go this hard but you did it anyway. I salute you.

RIP Aescelin. Oh, I sure had a fun time reading about this guy. He was utterly majestic. I was always gonna love him because… He’s a District 7 villain, don’t you know me by now? He had me at the very first POV. But then I thought about the wider context and it dawned on me… ‘Hang on… Could we get an actual District 7 Villain Alliance here?’ Having my daughter be one half of a District 7 Villain Duo is one of the coolest things that have ever happened to me on this site. Maybe the real Spirit of the Forest was whatever caused the stars to align and for Miss Tina to be moved from District 10 to District 7 so she could be Aescelin’s district partner. It was so fun to read all the interactions between the Sevens and I loved being in a position where I could cackle evilly at Aescelin’s reign of terror, because my tribute was his ally. I will miss Aescelin’s presence in this story, but I’m also at peace with him going out here. The last couple chapters have made it clear that Miss Tina was gearing up to betray him and this feels like a satisfying conclusion to the whole D7 Villain Alliance arc. I’d accepted the moment that Aescelin was introduced that he wasn’t going to win. I’m just glad he was around long enough to make his mark… lots and lots of marks. I’m also very proud of my daughter for killing him because it was pretty much her only chance at victory. She did EXACTLY what she needed to do and she did it with style. I do appreciate Miss Tina presenting Aescelin’s death as a sacrifice because, in a way, it was. Not to the Spirit of the Forest but to the Miss Tina victor arc.

The King is dead, long live the Queen.
Alexa, play Home;Run by Seventeen.

I did not intend for that to rhyme. It just happened.

Okay here’s a Top 8 Victor Arc Power Ranking. And in honour of Seventeen performing at Glastonbury and Miss Tina entering her Home Run Era, I’ll give everyone a theme song from Seventeen’s discography.

No Chance Tier:

8. Mendi
I’ll admit, her scene finding the Fool’s Gold made me consider moving her up a spot just because it was a neat title drop, but the fact remains that she seems to have a pretty bad infection and she’s spent most of the story off to one side, doing her own thing, not really getting involved in the main storylines of ‘Careers versus Slovenia Squad’ and ‘District 7’s Reign of Terror’.
Seventeen Theme Song: Don’t Wanna Cry

7. Tomo
As much as I ADORE Tomo, I doubt you’re gonna let a 6M win immediately after Gilded Cage. I think he’s pretty much doomed by the meta. The reason why he’s ranked above Mendi is I think he’s more likely to make a mark on the story. Mendi could possibly die quietly of an infection without ever interacting with another tribute but I think Tomo is probably going to be the one to use Wisdom’s mystery solution.
Seventeen Theme Song: Oh My!

6. Bastet
I considered moving them up a tier but when I remembered they’re hunting down the Slovenia Squad… and Tomo has Wisdom’s mystery solution… Bastet has been one of the biggest and most present and influential characters in this story but I don’t think her arc translates to a victory. I think it translates to a villainous downfall. I think Bastet’s short temper, obsession with avenging Aveline and toxicity towards their allies is going to get her killed. And if Vince’s comment on loose cannons is any indication, I think Tomo’s gonna be the one to do it.
Seventeen Theme Song: Getting Closer

Needs a lot of Luck Tier:

5. Valentina
Miss Tina is the first tribute on this list I can see a clear victor arc for. Sure, she’s been a villain all games, but the difference between her and the likes of Brizo, Aescelin and Bastet, is that Miss Tina is not self-destructive in her own villainy. She does get angry, but she knows how to channel her anger effectively and not let it control her. I think this chapter was the turning point. Miss Tina killing Aescelin was absolutely vital to her potential victor arc. If she hadn’t killed him, the gamemakers would never let her win. It also made her more likeable, because it’s clear that, as villainous as Miss Tina is, Aescelin was much worse. I think Miss Tina has the potential for a satisfying villain victor arc. The issue is Chase. Chase wants revenge on Aescelin for killing Fleur and, now he’s dead, she might take her anger out on Miss Tina.
Seventeen Theme Song: Home;Run, obviously.

4. Tisiphone
Tisiphone has proven that she can be a solid and reliable presence in this story. Her arc has been about her slowly growing into a stronger Career, who is smart enough to navigate a difficult alliance. I think Tisiphone has the potential to be the last Career standing and, if she is, she’d be a potential victor. But, like Miss Tina, Tisiphone has one tribute who is an obvious threat and that is Vince. I think, if you’re going to go for a Careers versus Slovenia Squad final two, Vince versus Jem is the best possible combination, one which I’ll explain in more detail later. Vince’s cornered rat arc has always been more compelling to me than Tiss’ slow growth. I think, if Tiss wants to win, she needs to betray Vince but she also needs to time it right. Vince is a formidable opponent and they’re in much better physical condition than Tiss. If Tiss mishandles her betrayal of Vince, she may share the same fate as Brizo, which would be an ironic way for her to die.
Seventeen Theme Song: Home

3. Chase
I think, if you’re going to go with someone from outside the Careers vs Slovenia Squad conflict, Chase is the most obvious victor pick. Her last POV was very satisfying. She’s just so full of righteous anger. I get the sense she’s kinda been holding back because she’s been so focused on having fun with her allies and keeping them safe so I can’t wait to see what she’s capable of when she lets loose. However, Chase also needs the Careers and the Slovenia Squad to destroy each other. I’m not sure how much of a chance she stands against the likes of Vince and Bastet. I guess we’ll have to see. Chase feels like she’s yet to reach her full potential.
Seventeen Theme Song: Boom Boom

Potential Victor Tier:

2. Jem
Jem has an insane amount of main character energy. He’s been the leader of the Slovenia Squad since the very beginning and it’s been so heartbreaking watching his allies fall to the Careers, one by one. I think he’s in the perfect position to be the last member of his alliance standing. I would be so surprised if Tomo outlived Jem. Jem using all his grief and guilt from his allies’ deaths to overcome his final opponent and win the games would be very powerful.
Seventeen Theme Song: Super

1. Vince
Vince’s arc has just been so perfect and satisfying from the start. They came into this games incredibly overconfident, got caught off balance by Rumi dying pre-games, started the games on the back foot and then tried to claw their way back to being in control of their alliance, as their dysfunctional allies fought and the Slovenia Squad took the Cornucopia. And now Vince finally seems to have got what they wanted. They’ve regained control of their alliance and cut Bastet out. The question is, can they keep control? I hope they can. I hope that Vince’s intelligence can help them overcome their utterly cursed and dysfunctional alliance. I also think Vince is the best possible Career for a Career versus Jem final two. Vince is in a full-on feud with Jem, so their duel would have extra emotional stakes, unlike Tiss, who doesn’t really have any bad blood with Jem (I’m sure he’d hate her if he saw True’s ghost, but she probably wouldn’t hate him). But also, Vince isn’t as flat-out evil as Bastet. Sure, Vince is willing to kill and manipulate their opponents to win, but they draw the line at torture, and, like Miss Tina, they gain a lot of likeability points for challenging a more sadistic villain. Bastet and Aescelin have both been fighting to hurt people, while Vince and Miss Tina have been fighting to survive. Jem versus Bastet would be much more satisfying if Jem won, but Jem versus Vince would be equally satisfying either way.
Seventeen Theme Song: Maestro

Hi Tomo!
His and Jem’s interactions here are so sad. (Also I have a horrible feeling one of them (Tomo) is going to die)
No! Bad Jem! Yeah the Careers (Bas) are bonkers and they (Bas) deserve some karma but baby boy doesn’t wanna kill…

Jem, you’re breaking Tomo’s heart! You’re going down a path he can’t follow!

Hi Mendi!
Oof, her shoulder.
She needs a bath I bet she stinks.

Hi Bas! Karma gonna get you bestie.
Ooh! The Career pack is having a little disagreement munches popcorn.
Oh Bas she wants to see Ave again. Wouldn’t it be deliciously ironic if Jem kills Bas and then they and Ave can be ghostie girlfriends in ghostie land?

Well, Aescelin, I can’t say I didn’t see this coming.
ONG TINA KILLED AESCELIN! HUZZAH!

RIP Aescelin, and congrats to Tina for that home run!

Hi there Miss Balloons! I have Spotify DJ queued up and I am COMING for you jk I'm just gonna read the chapter I promise! And like also the rest of them that I haven't read HAHA! Anyway it took me forever to figure which one I was on and is this even the right one? Did I miss one? Did I already read this one? You tell me! But anyway we are starting with my son so that's... promising!
Jem: "That's tr—" I'm SORRY... she can't say her name... I'm not okay but it's fine this is fine I'm not choking up already! That'd be crazy! Dang Chevre is pragmatic, which we already knew. But dang girl is just getting right to it. I'm SREAMING! AHHHH! Okay hold on let me see if I can make words make sense... it's just that all Jem wants to do is make things better and like you said give people a chance but he keeps failing and I can just feel his helplessness... I want to squish him like he's just a guy... he's just doing his best but it's not enough! And also it's kinda crazy that Jude has been seeing imaginary things for their whole life and now the phantoms he sees are actually real and seen by others. Idk it's validating and also trippy LOL. HE's JUST A BOY... He's just a little Jem-guy! I like that he's like "if I just don't look at the ghost and don't think about the fact that if I win all my friends have to die, I'll be fine!" He's in a moral connundrum... also DJ X the ai is playing BTS and Beoynce and if that's not a representation of Jem's unrelenting optimism against all logic then I don't know what is! Love this man.

Bas: Oh poor thing... oh my... this is a classic character trope and it makes so much sense, it hurts but it makes sense. "Who's to say you'll survive yourself?" Oh good glory... oh no... that's the thing isn't it? Staying away didn't even help anything and idk this is very miserable, amazing job! "So glad you asked." Don't hurt my babies...

Jest: Awwwww! Rbestie! That was frickin adorable! I really do think they could've all been friends in another life and I love that we got a snippet of that and also a little bit about Jest! And the matching tatoos... it's just really sweet okay?! I love them all and honestly this chapter is so good I feel like I don't even have words to express it! I missed your writing, I'm glad to finally be back!
Vince: "two brooding lesbians" HA! Girl the sound I made when I read that line... you know Vince and I don't always agree but they are darn hilarious. And by that I mean YOU are hilarious! Nooo Merc's not an idiot he's a smart sweet boy... nooo I hate the plan! Bad stupid sucky plan! Tiss is so sweet... love that baby! Anyway... I'm scared for tomorrow... also killable was not a word I expected to see here today but I'll allow it! In fact I'm here for it!

Wisdom: Oh Wiz... oh my... I am so shook like HELLO? I really expected him to stick around for a lot longer! I'm sadder than I expected to be at his death... like he's just a guy trying to do experiments you know? And Chevre not saving him... I'm not surprised but it's still really sad because I'm sure he expected to be the one to betray but he was turned on... and then the metaphors with the acidholy moly. I can't wait to see what happens with his work... I'm a bit worried what will happen or like if someone gets it wrong. Also I just really enjoyed his inner voice, so I think I'll miss him more than expected. I'm sorry for doubting you Wisdom, you're a pretty cool dude!

Patrek: IT WAS HIM? Girl I thought it was the sevens holy moly... it makes sense I guess! Wow, I sense the seeds of a snapping lol! The fact that he's using the Gamemakers as justification for his actions, torn between his family and Mendi... it's a whole thing. I'm very afraid for this combo, like if they spend too long together they'll explode! Kinda like Wisdom's compounds... anyway, love you lots! Amazing chapter, on to the next!

chevre:
- girl you are never walking again
- the cuts... oh my god its so absurdly personal
- "So she'd told Bastet the truth, and then she'd screamed it." head in hands
- "Chevre opened her bleary eyes to see- to her great relief- someone who was not Bastet." god bless.
- "Then why didn't you stop them?" she asked." sheeple
- "(Honestly, if she really was fucked, there was no reason not to play every card she had.)" real as fuck. i want her to be nasty about the guilting
- "Choose wisely," Chevre drawled, in a way that reminded her of Jem." HFHHFHF...
- "Though I wouldn't want to be left with someone who's invincible, either… ha, ha…" GIRL HOW CAN YOU BE MAKING JOKES RN HAHAHAH
- "I guess that's noble," Chevre muttered. "I liked her, though… even though she was really bad at Go Fish. Hard to be bad at Go Fish, y'know, but she managed." chevre last minute trying to speed run humanizing herself WE LOVVE TO SEE IT
- i love when people are desperate to live
- "Like you said," Chevre replied. "Put an end to it. You did it for True." err desperate to not be brutalized to death
- "Eleven's dead," Tisiphone replied.

Chevre was past caring." she is so over it HAHHAH.
- "Chevre started panicking. "There's no reason to take me anywhere," she said. "Just end it!" HEAD IN MY FUCKING HANDS. ARE THEY USING HER AS LIKE A BRIBE?
- "Chevre looked at Tisiphone, begging her to do something. Tisiphone didn't meet her gaze." this is so fucked up nell i hope ur disappointed in ur daughter

- "The nearest door to the Cornucopia swung open a few seconds later" bruh they knock knocked and he answered the door byeeee
- "(It was perhaps the first time Chevre had seen him look seventeen.)" Everyone disliked that.
- "Her chance was gone, but Jem's? Jest's? Tomo's? She couldn't ruin that. She couldn't let her last act be a desperate betrayal.)" waaahhhh...
- "(All she had was her friends." im gonna throw up
- "Jem, Vince is sneaking around back right now to ambush you, don't make the trade or they'll kill us both, she's insane you have to run now. Run-!" bruh how did she say ALL OF THAT
- shes like eminem if eminem was a 16 year old girl
- "(Then she fled, too.)" dude fuck my fucking life bruh

jest:
- bruh
- bruh
- d5 is so joever
- "Tomo distracted him with conversation sometimes" tomo voice jest do you have a five year plan
- "He wasn't smart enough to save Jori, and now he wasn't smart enough to save Chevre. It was repeating all over again.)" BITCH I JHATE YOU!
- "but then he remembered how desperately she'd come running to his aid." im going to projectile vomit on you from texsas
- "He missed the glint in her eye when she got an idea, and how carefully she thought through everything. The absence of her warm smile and odd, overcautious flutters of movement was noticeable. It made the whole camp feel duller.)" I WISH YOU WOULD STOP WRITING! END YOUR WHOLE FUCKING CAREER IM BEGGINGG!
- "The bloodstains in the crooks of Jem's arms said well enough.)" HORRIFIC VISUL
- I AM IN HELL
- "(He hoped Jiddana and Divvy and Ma were okay." ME TOO BRUH STARTS BAWLING
- "And his Mentor told him that even if he died, his family would get some money. It wouldn't be as much as he brought home with all his bouncer and security guard work, but it would be something." head in hands.
- "It felt weird to have such an intense fight with someone who couldn't sit up by himself, but they managed." LMFAOOOO.
- "And here he was now. Staring at the ceiling while his whole body hurt, and unable to do much else. Helpless.

…Huh.)" oh okay shut the fuck up thats so absurdly rude i hate you i hate you i hate you i hate you
- i dont want to read anymore
- "Without Jest, we'd all be dead already." starts bawling
- "(He- he was a liability, a burden to them.)" im actuallty gonna be so violently ill
- "(God, Jori, I'm so sorry if I ever made you feel this way.)" I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU
- i feel like jest is gonna nuke himself for jem and tomo or something
- god im about to be so fiercely ill
- "Boom.

Jest's heart dropped." im going to enact serious acts of violence agianst myself
- "Chevre always knew what to do. And she told you to run," Jest demanded. "Go now!" hes so verbal right now im so proud of him
- "(He'd once hated Jori for accepting it. Now he had to do the same.)"im gonna be so seriously upset
- "Aw, oh no… sacrificing yourself, are you? How noble." CLUTCHES MY FUCKING HEAD
- SAY SIKE RIGHT OW NOOOOOO
- not the jest vince 1v1 part 2.
- "Go girl, give me nothing!" Vince muttered" CAN YOU FUCKING STOP? CAN YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LET ME MOURN?
- "Cliché, but sure," they replied." bruh fuck you.
- "he redirected the blow enough so that the spear tip raked across One's back." yay... one last shiddedonem...

tiss:
- "Tisiphone made it to the Cornucopia just as the boy from Five fell.

Boom." everything is so awful
- "It ended up taking several minutes to move Five out of the Cornucopia- the tattooed boy was heavy and difficult to get through the doorway." ::::(((((
- "They laid him on his back next to Chevre, and having him next to her made her look even smaller." this is so mean
- "You think they would've?" she asked.

"Well… yeah. You're not Aveline," Vince said." bye
- "But that also meant Tisiphone knew very little about Vince, and that… that felt like a warning flag. And Tisiphone had to stop ignoring those warning flags.)" yes girl we been knew you consistently keep choosing the worst people to trust
- "I want to trust someone just as much as you do." uh right
- "Vince sighed. "It… it was my birthday yesterday." omg...
- "Yeah. Nineteen." Then they said, in a more mocking tone: "Best birthday ever…!" LMFAOOOO
- vince keeps making me laugh this chapter bruh i hate it
- "I- I don't have anything for you, I didn't know- you could have first dibs on the rations tonight?" PLEASE HAHAHHA. thats ridiculous but cute of her to offer
- :She wanted this to be real so badly." why even bother everyones gonna have to die for u to leave 3

fleur:
- "don't think they eat people-" idkkk horses r pretty dang vicious...
- MUTTS?
- AH SEPARATION..
- "That wasn't Chase." HELL NO ITS D7 ISNT IT.

tina:
- "Valentina eyed the body he was dragging behind him by the foot." dude what the fuck
- ...is it fleur,
- "But the faded pink hair was unmistakable." GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF OF HER!
- "If they killed this girl, the Capitol was unlikely to let her out of the arena alive." valentina has the most meta analysis of the games HAHAAHA
- "began to carve his fucked-up symbols into Six's body." dude everything is fucking awful bruh
- not fleurs last minute reveal. this si SUCH A FUCKING MESS
- "Aescelin plunged the knife into Fleur's cheek" WHERE AM I
- I CANT DEAL WITH ALL OF THIS THIS CHAPTER
- "(What the fuck was she supposed to do?)" I DONT EVEN FUCKING KNOWWWWW
- "Then she started shouting something else, which took a few moments for Valentina to recognize as a name: "Chase! Chase!" I CANT FUCKING DO THIS
- head in my hands
- i feel so numb right now bruh
- "And then Valentina smelled something she hadn't smelled in weeks." stop.
- "(It smelled just like barbecue.)" THE FUCK YOU MEAN LMFAOOOO.
- "That… that sick fuck, he'd ruined it. Valentina Gammon had only found one joy since her idiot father squandered the Gammon fortune, and that joy was barbecue. Without barbecue, she had nothing." there is something so fucked in tina's head equating a human pyre ritual to fucking BARBECUE i cant do this anymore
- "The Spirit is so pleased," he said, smiling like an idiot." deaarrr godddd
- ”(Well. If Valentina Gammon couldn't find joy in her barbecue any longer, she'd be sure to find some in her retribution.)“ everything is so joever fr BAHHAHA.

chase:
- oh god.
- i cant believe she gets to see both jest and fleur in the sky. mad fucked up
- "No," Chase whispered. Jest's ever-solemn face stared back at her. "Wait- no-" i hate it here
- "Her relief that Fleur wasn't up there had been overtaken by the horror of seeing Jest." well,,, she'll probably see fleur very soon!
- then again i actually didnt hear a cannon so
- "What about the tattoos they were supposed to get?" sobbing.
- "Within the flames, Chase could make out Fleur's form, her hair and clothes burned and their head listing to the side." jesus christ
- "It didn't matter, none of it mattered, she just had to get Fleur." im so upset
- poor fleur ;;;;;
- "I- I need you too, okay? Please- you're all I've got-" im going to kill myself
- "Boom." its my 13th reason and my 3rd reason this chapter
- "(She saw Tye's body riddled with bullets. She saw Spark betraying the gang to the Peacekeepers. She saw Zinnia stumbling. She saw Shazia hit the ground. She saw Jest's face in the stars. She saw Fleur burning brighter than the fucking sun.)" genuinely sick bruh
- "A symbol.

Chase looked back at the dying fire.

She knew who had done this." christ almighty
- "I'm gonna fucking kill you," she vowed. "Even if it kills me. I am gonna make sure you fucking die." head in hands
- a purpose. at what cost?
- "Chase closed her eyes and kissed Fleur's forehead." literally starts bawling
- "(Time to play the fucking Hunger Games.)" ugly crying
- well
- chase is my #1 right now the moment she dies is the moment life ceases to be worth living

i hate yiu

chevre: thabk u for being jest's first friend in a really long fucking time. loved her character, it felt very strong in an understated way bc i can totally respect the impartial party grind. her choice at the end hurts my feelings

jest: ::::(((((( i dont even wanna talk about it

fleur: i dont wanna talk about this eirher but damn. rip the biggest icon of fg in my humble opinion... shits really gonna hit the fan with this huh. she was perfect and did not deserve that shit at all. whys another freak gotta do freaky shit at her?! awful cock. i will forever mourn the chase fleur friendship. i hate it here so bad. sweet dreams my beautiful princess with post traumatic stress disorder

m’baby: jesticles
OBSESSED: chase
love!: tomo, jem
CUNT: vince
catsmirk: tiss, miss tina
uh: bas, mendi
?: aescelin"

i hate this fic
bonkies

valentina:
- "She'd even caught him praying to the ghost of the Two boy for strength" that is so uniquely fucked up
- "This kid was more off the rails than that mine cart." HAHHA
- "She ignored him. "Spirit? Is that you?" STOPPPPP
- "They spoke to you?" he demanded." i cannot believe her ass...
- "They said I was the truest believer They have," she told him." ohhh myyy goddd
- "It wouldn't surprise her to find out his preachings had an audience participation element." HAHHAA
- "Valentina had to resist rolling her eyes- a skill she'd become very good at over the last few days." dry humor god
- "She'd draw the "Spirit's" protection around her the way she tied her apron around her neck before a barbecue competition." this is suuuch an unhinged comparison
- "She'd draw the "Spirit's" protection around her the way she tied her apron around her neck before a barbecue competition." STAHPPP
- i cant with d7 bruh. theyre iconic

chevre:
- "What if her brain is bleeding or something-" looks at cart copypasta
- "You call her Tiss now?" Bastet asked. "Since when?"

"Don't be possessive," the first voice dismissed." PLEASE DONT WE HAVE BETTER THINGS TO THINK ABOUT.
- "(Good to know there was tension here. Maybe she could exploit that somehow.)" im 100% sure she can
- "Bastet, Invincible, Tisiphone" WHO THE FUCK R THESE PEOPLE!
- "What, do you feel left out?" Invincible asked. "Want me to start calling you Bas?" PLS HAHAHAH
- "Fine. Government name it is." government name (derogatory)
- "Rise and shine," Bastet said. "How's your brain? Bleeding? I hope so." that is so incredibly foul
- "God, Bastet, you can't just ask someone if their brain is bleeding," Invincible remarked." to the tune of god karen you cant just ask her why shes not black
- or however the quote goes
- "Call me Vince. They/them," they said." get ur pronouns out of here
- "...Chevre. She/her." NOT HER GOING WITH IT LMFAOOO.
- "(It was probably both, if Chevre remembered correctly.)" mutual puppydogism
- "I was friends with Jest. Jem wanted Jest in the alliance, and Jest made sure I got in too," Chevre told them." is physically sick
- "(When Bastet fought her and Jest yesterday, she had the same look on her face.)" extremely strained grimace
- "So why was she shielding her alliance from the Careers?" ;;;;
- "(So she ignored her old instincts. She could only pray it was the right choice.)" death flag death flag im gonna be sick

bastet:
- not her immediately after...
- this is so bad
- bas hates blonde people so true
- "Vince raised an eyebrow. "The good whiskey?"

"Of course not." ...
- "Now," Bastet repeated, their palm warm from the strike. They found that she didn't mind the sensation." this is really gross 3
- "Ten's finger was like a twig in her grasp." THEY ARE LITERALLY TWIGS.
- "C'mon, Ten. Tell us about your stupid little boyfriend. You saved his life, didn't you? You care about him?" ? WHO THE FUCK IS THE BOYFRIEND LMFAOO?
- THE JEM/CHEVRE IMPLICATION IM YOOOODELING?
- "Why would anyone wanna ally with you? You're so… fragile. You're sentimental, too, I can tell. Why would anyone ally with a girl who breaks so fast?" bas is definitely projecting bye
- "Remember when you killed- one of us?" ...
- well all of chevre's fingers are fucked
- but yeah this direction makes sense
- bas going sicko mode about the death of a girl who she wasnt sposed to care about at all!
- "They needed Ten to know exactly what she'd done to them." well she won't because jem isn't chevre's boyfriend idiot

vince:
- "She… she does have a reason, I think," Vince told her. "It's not a good one. I'm not endorsing this. But you're not gonna like it." this drama is so stupid and deranged :sob:
- "It's never been about you, you know? It's been about Aveline." literally true
- but also can tiss really be mad
- look where u are. like clearly its a lie
- "The way she talks to you is out of pocket, even for me." OUT OF POCKET LOLLL
- "They resolved to break into that unopened whiskey tonight." PLZZZ.
- "I keep making the wrong decision." yeah its a serious case of lesbo delusion
- "My… father. He's not the most… understanding." yay daddy issues!
- "I wouldn't know. Only child."

Tisiphone snorted. "Yeah, I know." LMFAOOO
- bruh not them bondng while chevre is literally getting tortured and brutalized in the other room
- "They had to work to keep the smile off their face. They'd done it- Tisiphone had flipped. Vince was no longer the third wheel." crying. all according to keikaku.

patrek:
- "Was that how Mendi treated all her allies- she hid things from them and then went for the throat?" i mean clearly uve been coexisting peacefully for that whole time so its not like she does it unprovoked
- but YES she is a loose cannon and a horrifying little girl
- "he couldn't even say goodbye before Patrek was shipped to the Capitol." wait why did he go to the capitol
- OH RIGHT NOW LOL.
- "Disease would take Mendi. Disease took everyone in the end." cheery!
- um. what the fuck is patrek cooking.
- most fucked up ""mercy kill"" ever is happening rn
- haha mendi's nails the awful weapon in question
- "Then her nails started to rip into his throat." this kid is demon spawn bruh
- LIKE HOW IS IT POSSIBE LMFAOOOO
- "(He didn't want to die. He didn't want to wither and decay, to rot until there was nothing left of him but bones and dust.)

(But Patrek Torres had no other choice.)" NOOO PATREK /3

patrek: aww man! i liked him a lot this is so fucked up. there were more strategical ways to pull this off son... not mendi tieing with tiss for most kills HAHHAHA.

m’baby: jesticles
OBSESSED: fleur, chase
love!: tomo, jem
CUNT: vince
catsmirk: tiss, miss tina, chevre
uh: bas, mendi
?: aescelin

till next time,
bonkies

Put another tribute on the barbie

RB when I catch you RB. Chevre gets a whole ass pov before she dies :withered: I'm sure goldie loved that :sob: poor cheese girl ;-; Man.. like she talks and it doesn't even matter :withered: Tiss fuckin. bringing her water like BITCH UNTIE HER WTF.. OR JUST PUT HER OUT OF HER MISERRY.. im not even mad about Chevre guilt tripping her, she has the right. Tiss deserved that. Thanks for the insight about Vince and Bas fighting over Tiss vbhjfhd (fr though Tiss def needs the help there. Bonk.) "Why'd you kill True like that" :withered: Chevre asking Tiss to kill her like. augh. head in hands. Man I hope Tiss's non-decision here sticks with her :unamused: TAKING CHEVRE BACK TO THE CORNUCOPIA IS SUCH A CHOICE.. Vince piggyback ride like plsss.. Rly rly love that Chevre rats on the plan despite knowing that she'd get killed for it (knowing she'll die anyways).. there's nothing like a good last stand ;-; So tired of living in the in-between.. IT WASNT ENOUGH TO SAVE HER BUT IT WAS ENOUGH ;-;

Help going from that to Jest Introspection Moment.. fair though, otherwise that would've been a pretty quick pov :withered: The fact that he can't think about Jude for long is so.. augck ;-; I get it but also woof ;-; Helplessness is such a brutal theme for him, damn.. hjfh Jem: "jest is a great fighter, without him, wed be dead" Jest, internally: they hate me and im a burden. BBY.. Them deciding not to use the acid grenade is rly interesting.. Betting that Tomo or Jem grabbed it for later though.. Ahh and we catch up to Chevre's pov.. Jest holding Jem's face and trying to pull him together is SO. Rly good. And he stays behind as a sacrifice... Damn he actually gave Vince last words.. I thought he would've fought back more but he just accepted it.. Ig it was either that or accepting the harm he could've done. Didnt want the games to make him into a monster so he let them make him into a martyr..

Hi there Tiss.. begging u to grow some balls soon peace and love. Tiss and Vince one on one time is rly fun though :eyes: They're such an interesting pair to ally together.. "Why are you staring at the dead girl" :withered: Man first Tiss gets a wake up call from Chevre, and then from Vince.. good though. she needs all that she can get, seriously.. otherwise she'll never wake up...! Yeah, you Have been ignoring warning signs, Tiss.. Brizo, Bas, (Vince)... "Tisiphone knew very little about Vince, and that... that felt like a warning flag. And Tisiphone /had/ to stop ignoring those warning flags." BBYGIRL I DONT THINK THAT GETTING TO KNOW THEM BETTER IS GONNA MAKE THE WARNING FLAG GO AWAY... ur just Not gonna be able to trust anyone in here.. but she wants to so bad wauugh ;-; Love that her questions are lowkey kinda catching vince off guard bjhbvhd.. Rip Tiss accidentally coming out as an orphan to Vince :skull: There's no way they didn't pick up on that. WAAH IT WAS VINCES BIRTHDAY YESTERDAY SHUT UPP :SOB: offering them the first pick of the rations.. "She was so sick of keeping the light going by herself." hhhh.. this. bodes.

fleur.. hhh.. noo not more rumbling i dont want this.. HORSE MUTTS.. DERANGED.. Ahh Fleur can't climb like Chase does, so she. Doesn't. hhh ;-; help ofc she wanted a pony.. now im imagining a capitol fancam of pink pony club playing over the scene of fleur being chased by horses :skull: Ahh.. Fleur can't outrun anything.. They can't outrun the Games either.. :withered: Yknow. I almost wish she'd gotten caught by the horses instead because what actually happened was so fucking horrifying... head in hands.

Hhh Valentina knows this is a mistake... and yet like Tiss she doesn't put a stop to it :withered: she did try harder though, I'll give her that. Because this is STUPID, KILLING THE CAPITOLITE WILL NOT GET YOU OUT ALIVE AND TINA FUCKING KNOWS THAT.. This ain't the eyes of the spirit, Aescelin, it's the eyes of the Gamemakers that matter. The runes and oil... head in hands. Poor poor Fleur...;-; NOT FLEUR TELLING AESCELIN IT WAS HER IN THE CAPITOL.. they are not the brightest tool in the shed. But they are the sparkliest ;-; Well. Amendment. NOW Fleur is the brightest tool in the shed :skull: she screams for chase aughh ;-; LOSING MY MIND THAT IT SMELLS LIKE BARBEQUE AND TINA IS PISSED ABOUT HER ONE JOY IN LIFE BEING FOREVER STOLEN GIRL THERE IS A HUMAN BURNING TO DEATH IN FRONT OF YOU.. BUT THE BARBEQUE IS UNFORGIVEABLE... im like laughing but its deranged.. go girl though ! Get his ass! Can't wait to see how she manufactures Aescelin's death fr..

God not Chase pov :withered: hhhhhh... First she sees Jest's face. Which is so :withered: and tHEN.. follow the screams ahahah! Poor poor chase hhhh.. The fact that you had Fleur still be Alive after this long enough for chase to drag them out of the fire so Fleur can die in her arms. Evil. The descriptions of Fleur's appearance are so. God. :CCCCC HHH SHES SCREAMING AND CRYING I HATE THIS HERE.. this is such a good pov but god damn holy shit her grief is so raw and brutal.. hh Chase is always too late and Fleur can't outrun anything.. head in hands. I love the decision Chase comes to though.. like yES DESTRUCTIVE VENGEANCE ARC LETSSGOOOO CHASE FOR VICTOR YEAH! TIME TO PLAY THE FUCKING HUNGER GAMES HYEAHHHH!

I've finally caught up! :) Great chapters as always!

Oh, poor Chevre! She’s so broken! And she spilled in the end? That’s so sad!

She’s telling Tiss her allies are fighting over her? That’s gonna be interesting for the future of the Careers.

Awww, when Chevre find out that Tiss mercy-killed True, she just wants to be mercy-killed as well. Quick! Someone add ‘A ghost serves as a plot point’ to the Fool’s Gold Bingo Card.

I love how the Sevens are the first tributes to be brought up in the ‘Tributes you haven’t seen in a week’ category. That’s so Treech-core of them!

Noooo, they’re using Chevre as bait!

Not Vince offering her a piggyback. Ugh, the Careers do no deserve them.

“It was perhaps the first time Chevre had seen him look seventeen.” *sobs* Poor Jem! That line went so hard!

I love that Chevre uses her final moments to warn her allies about Vince sneaking around the back.

RIP Chevre. She was a valuable member of the Slovenia Squad who just wanted to protect her allies in the end. She went through a LOT and I’m glad she’s found some peace knowing that she died saving her friends. I’m kinda sad she never got to use Wisdom’s chemicals, tho. Guess it was a red herring.

Awww, poor Jest, blaming himself for Chevre being taken. And he’s mourning Jude as well. *sobs* He’s right, the kid WAS stealthy.

Awww, Just feels like a burden? And he understands how Jori felt in the last months of his life? That’s so SAD!

Oooh, is Tomo considering using Wisdom’s chemicals? That might be something for him to do. I adore him but he’s kinda been Mr ‘Go girl, give us nothing’ all games.

It’s so noble of Jest to stay behind and sacrifice himself to save Jem and Tomo. That’s kind of a common thread the Slovenia Squad have, of giving up on saving themselves and focusing on saving their allies. Compare that to Patrek from last chapter, who just didn’t want to die and also wanted to kill Mendi.

Hiii Vince! Way to make an entrance! You’re so sassy!

Jest, Bas, you both have no sense of fun. Let Vince be a sassy monarch.

OMG, THEY SAID IT! THEY SAID THE THING!

It’s over. Everyone go home. Vince has won. They said the thing. #CrownTheVince

NOOOOO! NOT VINCE’S NO DAMAGE RUN!

I love the fact that, the moment Jest draws blood, Vince insta-kills him. They act so silly but don’t let that fool you. They’re here to win.

RIP Jest. You were a great guy who deserved so much better. I’m just impressed that you managed to draw Vince’s blood when you were THAT injured.

So now things REALLY aren’t looking good for the Slovenia Squad. They’ve only got Jem and Tomo left and… what has Tomo actually done? Asking as a Tomo Stan. The only question is… did they take Wisdom’s chemical thingy with them? Because if they left that behind for the Careers… perhaps Vince’s loose cannon metaphor last chapter was more foreshadowing than I realised.

YAY! Vince is gonna get medical attention. With all the tributes who have been badly wounded (e.g. Jest) or have potential infections (e.g. Mendi, Aescelin) it’s great to see that my victor pick has a minor injury that won’t escalate. They don’t wanna get blood on their shirt hahaha.

Aww, Tiss is feeling guilty.

“You’re not Aveline… neither am I.” is such a clever line from Vince. They’re showing Tiss where she stands in the alliance without acting too superior.

It’s really smart of Tiss to start testing the waters with Vince to avoid repeating the mistakes she’d made with Brizo and Bas. If I were her, I’d choose Vince over Bastet. Sure Vince sees her as a pawn but they’re much nicer to their pawns than Bas is. They’re also more logical, that makes them easier to predict and easier to reason with.

Vince’s response is also really smart, using the fact that they’ve lost their closest allies as some common ground with Tiss. They actually have more in common than I thought. Could it be… that two Careers are actually making the right decisions for the alliance for once? *gasp*

It’s funny that Bastet leaves for one POV and the alliance suddenly becomes functional.

“I live to be his son.” OH, the VINCE ANGST!

I have a feeling that Vince probably caught Tiss’ little slip up with the past tense.

In a way, Vince picking up a minor injury from Jest is helping their chances because Tisiphone treating their wound is helping to build trust between them.

Is Vince telling the truth about their birthday? I noticed their age was still 18 last chapter.

That whole line about Vince falling silent striking Tiss as “more real” than anything they’ve said or done for the last two weeks. That’s kinda sweet and sad at the same time. I think Vince is genuinely being more open and vulnerable with Tiss, since they’re talking about their father. I’m excited to see where these two go. Rooting for them.

Yayyyy! Horses!

Awww, it’s so sad that Fleur doesn’t have the confidence to climb the tree with Chase.

Gamemakers: *use horses to separate Chase and Fleur*
Aescelin: *finds Fleur before the gamemakers can get her out*
Gamemakers: “That is exactly what we didn’t want to happen.”

I feel so bad for Fleur for getting caught by the Sevens but I can’t deny that this whole situation is rather comedic, because the Sevens are the worst possible people who could’ve caught Fleur. Looking at the other tributes, Mendi probably wouldn’t attack someone so non-threatening and Jem and Tomo definitely would probably ally with them. There’s a bit of a question mark next to the Careers but I think Vince is smart enough to realise that killing a Capitolite is a big no no, Tiss is kind enough to get on board with Vince and, since Fleur had zero involvement in Aveline’s death, Bastet could probably be delayed from killing her long enough for the gamemakers to intervene. But Aescelin? There’s no reasoning with Aescelin. There’s no stopping Aescelin. Aescelin is inevitable. The gamemakers are probably kicking themselves for letting this happen. I have a feeling that President Hargrove is gonna have her desk draw open a LOT in the near future.

I love how Miss Tina is the voice of reason in this situation and Aescelin is just ignoring her. Y’know what, my gorl’s kinda giving Olathe in this POV. I thought Aescelin would be the most Olathe tribute this story but Miss Tina in this POV is reminding me very much of Olathe in his ‘Oh fuck, my allies are setting a Capitolite on fire’ era. It is UNCANNY! Which makes me wonder, is she gonna do away with Aescelin like Olathe did away with Aleister?

You can really sense Miss Tina’s panic during this POV as she realises Aescelin is doing something really, really dumb but she’s powerless to stop him. I really like the repeated use of “What the fuck was she supposed to do?” because swearing is so out of character for her but also… very Olathe of her.

Poor Fleur. Their allies just wanted to get back at Aescelin for the glitter bomb. She has no idea he would snap.

Aescelin is so SCARY!

Oh no…

That whole section where Miss Tina realises that Aescelin is barbecuing Fleur is so sad! The fact that she’s VOMITING! And she’s finding it so traumatic that she already knows it’s going to ruin the thing she loved most in life. Awwww. I never thought I’d feel this sad for Miss Tina but she just seems so hollow and empty here. I love her PURE RAGE at Aescelin. I feel like one of the general themes in Miss Tina’s life has been foolish men just ruining things for her while she’s just like ‘Don’t do that.’ ‘That’s a dumb idea.’

I’m beginning to think about victor arcs here and I think the only way Miss Tina could win this is if she kills Aescelin. It still might not be enough given the arcs that Vince and Jem have got going on but I think she needs to prove that she’s not on Aescelin’s side to the gamemakers. She’s already vocally opposed him killing Fleur, so the gamemakers know she’s aware that killing a Capitolite is the wrong thing, and if she kills Aescelin and ‘avenges’ Fleur, the gamemakers could make a salvageable victor out of her.

Aescelin has no chance now. TBH, as much as I loved him from the first POV, I never thought he had a chance.

I’m very hyped to see Miss Tina get her revenge. Destroy him, my daughter. Rip his heart out. As a D7 Villain Stan, watching Miss Tina have the Olathe Whitethorn ‘Done with the whole Satanism thing’ arc is INCREDIBLE. The potential for D7 Villain on D7 Villain violence is just… *chef’s kiss*

Awww, Chase is already so sad over Jest dying and she hasn’t even SEEN what’s happened to Fleur yet.

It’s so sad seeing Chase’s panic over finding Fleur burning. And she gets herself burned trying to save them…

RIP Fleur. Holy crap, she did not deserve to go out this way. Like, one one hand I’m relived she’s the one the Sevens barbecued and not Tomo or Vince but on the other hand, they were such a ray of sunshine in this story and she will be deeply missed. And it’s so sad for Chase that they died in her arms.

Imagine how TRAUMATIC it’d be for Tomo if he sees Aescelin. Mercury AND Fleur’s ghosts?

Oh…

That moment where Chase realises that Aescelin killed Fleur just gives me chills. She’s so ANGRY! “Time to play the fucking Hunger Games” is such a line. I’d say this POV makes me see Chase as a contender for victory. Not on the same level as Jem and Vince, but currently in my victor pick top three. I’ll probably do a power ranking in the next chapter or two when we reach the top eight.

TL;DR:
Today was a bad day for the Slovenia Squad because half of them FRICKING DIED.
Today was a bad day for Chase and Fleur because Fleur FRICKING DIED (and also Jest died)
Today was a bad day for Miss Tina because Aescelin is a dick
Today was a bad day for Aescelin because the two biggest girlbosses in the arena no wanna murder him (but he’s totally oblivious, of course)
Today was a bad day for Bastet because she didn’t get to kill Jem and also their two remaining allies are realising how fun things are without her.
Today was a bad day for Tiss because she feels very guilty over Chevre’s torture and also she probably let slip a bit too much to Vince.
Today was a bad day for Mendi because… I know she wasn’t in this chapter but I doubt she’s having a very fun time.
Today was a bad day for basically everyone… apart from Vince. Yes, I am taking that as a sign. #CrownTheVince

Looking at the stats, I’ve noticed two things that make me smile.

1) The Sevens are the last district pair remaining.

2) Miss Tina has OFFICIALLY outlasted Olathe. That is WILD, especially when you consider that this is a full cast and WTP2 wasn’t. Thank you for making my daughter such an incredible D7 villain. When I was writing her form, I had no idea that THIS was what she’d turn into.

Alright! Chapter 37! And here’s my daughter!

“Aescelin had lost his goddamn mind.” She’s so REAL for that.

He’s praying to Mercury’s ghost LMAO!

I love Miss Tina’s plan to convince Aescelin she’s had a vision from the Spirit. It’s such a Miss Tina thing to do. She’s a really good actress. I love the fact that shrugging as though helpless is her favourite act.

OMG, THEY’RE GONNA BARBECUE SOME PEOPLE! YESSSS!

Miss Tina convincing Aescelin that they don’t need to use dead wood as firewood because the trees in the arena are ‘false icons’ is giving Zhou Enlai during the Cultural Revolution, convincing the Red Guards not to change the traffic light colours so green means stop and red means go because ‘red could symbolise stopping threats to the revolution’. I’m so proud of my girl. She’s come so far!

The fact that she’s become very good at not rolling her eyes…

Aescelin is such a creep. I love how, even after all these days in the arena, Miss Tina is still like ‘Ewwww, dirt!’

OMG, IS SHE GONNA BARBECUE AESCELIN?

NGL, I would support that, even as an Aescelin Stan. The thing about Aescelin is that most of his appeal is the fact that he’s a villain, so if an even bigger villain were to come along and dethrone him, I (and presumably all the other Aescelin enjoyers) would have no choice but to Stan.

Also, one narrative I really like in Hunger Games stories is having different main villains at different stages. For example, in TBOSAS, the tributes set up to be the biggest threats to Lucy Gray pre-games were Reaper and Marcus but neither of them end up harming others in the arena, with Marcus dying early on and Reaper being a more peaceful figure. The biggest threat to Lucy Gray in the early games turns out to be Coral, the leader of the most aggressive alliance. Then Coral dies and Treech emerges as the biggest threat in the arena.

So this games would have Brizo as the main villain early on, with Wisdom and the Sevens as sort of secondary villains (betraying True and pranking Fleur and Co/wounding Jem are pretty bad actions but they’re not on the same level as Brizo murdering Rumi pre-games), then Aescelin starts sacrificing other tributes pretty much immediately after Brizo dies. It’d be so satisfying to see another villain power shift and Miss Tina dethroning Aescelin to be the endgame villain. That’d be such a great arc for her.

I really love how the conversation between all the Careers at the start of Chevre’s POV showcases their personalities. Tiss is worried about Chevre’s wellbeing. Bastet is so bloodthirsty, she doesn’t care if Chevre dies. And Vince is the practical one who doesn’t want all their effort kidnapping Chevre to go to waste.

Bastet: “Let’s burn that bridge when we get to it.”
Vince: “That’s a new one.”
Vince is so sassy, I love them.

The Careers fighting over their relationships in front of the captive is such a Careers thing to do.

“Want me to start calling you Bas?” Vince is such a menace! To be fair, Bastet is being INCREDIBLY controlling here.

Can we just appreciate that Invincible has made it this far with “barely a scratch on them”. That is seriously impressive knowing how many fight scenes they’ve been in and how much of a mess their alliance has been. They’re really living up to their name. #CrownTheVince

Awww, Chevre’s reaction to Jude’s ghost is so sad.

Hahaha, Vince going straight in with their pronouns. I love them.

I did not expect the Tomcury slander at this trying time. Stop! Not them BOTH following each other around like lost puppies.

VINCE MENTIONED RUMI! Cross that off your bingo cards, folks! They’re probably contractually obliged to bring her up each chapter.

Here are a few things that could go on your Fool’s Gold Bingo Card

Vince mentions Rumi
Bas does something toxic
Miss Tina makes a barbecue metaphor
Aescelin does something creepy
Jem does an inspiring speech
Fleur puts glitter on something
Chase swears
Tomo is an idiot (affectionate)
Mercury is an idiot (derogatory)
Brizo is sus
Aescelin mentions the Spirit
Miss Tina’s internal monologue mentions Aescelin’s poor hygiene
Jude is adorable
Miss Tina tries not to roll her eyes at Aescelin
Aescelin goes on a monologue about cult stuff
Miss Tina tells a lie
Vince is operating on only one braincell
All the non-Vince Careers are operating on zero braincells

CAREER INCOMPETENCE!

That line from Chevre made me think of the name Incompetent Gaultier, and that made me chuckle for some reason.

The Chevre-Mercury parallels are giving me chills. Chevre has bonded so much with the Slovenia Squad that she can’t go back to how she was before. That’s so sweet and sad.

Ohhhh, so Bastet has found a way to blame Chevre for Aveline’s death… This is gonna end BADLY!

Vince just doesn’t wanna waste their alcohol supply.

Uh oh, they’re going for the fingers!

Oh, poor Chevre! You can really feel the pain Bastet has been going through after Aveline’s death and how she now wants to inflict it on others. What really got me is the fact that Bastet can’t even think Aveline’s name anymore. That is just… ouch.

YAY! A VINCE POV!

Vince is so smart for getting Tisiphone alone while all THIS is going on. That’s an opportunity and they KNOW it!

YES! TELL TISIPHONE THE TRUTH!

“That’s what Bastet’s problem is. It’s always been about Aveline.” PREACH!

“When was the last time they said something nice to you.” It is soooo CATHARTIC seeing Vince expose all of Bastet’s toxicity to Tiss. They are soooo accurate. I love the part about them trying to win Tiss over with as much honesty as possible and making educated guesses about their allies’ behaviour. This is just proof that Vince is the smartest Career. I am LOVING how Miss Tina and Vince are both manipulating their allies. It’s somehow more enjoyable than Bastet and their manipulation. I think it’s because Miss Tina and Vince are both just trying to survive, while Bastet has just been trying to settle a score.

Awww, it’s so nice seeing Vince and Tiss actually bonding over stuff. Vince has so much only child energy hahaha.

I love Vince’s metaphor about loose cannons because it’s really held true with the Careers so far. Look at Brizo and Merc! It’s one that sets Vince, the only sane Career (though I suppose Tiss is pretty much there now) up for victory.

TISS HAS FLIPPED! I REPEAT, TISS HAS FLIPPED!

Vince, you’re a genius.

Oooh, Patrek is spiralling now.

Interesting how there’s some confusion over how Mendi was ‘helping’ Bryony, because one thing Patrek ought to know is that Mendi didn’t kill Bryony. Where’s her ghost, hm?

I’m beginning to worry about Mendi’s wound getting infected. I can relate to Patrek about the wound. He’s very Biti Zdrava.

LOL, he thinks he’s gonna die from Mendi’s wound getting infected? He’s soooo ME!

Ohhh, he’s turning on her!

Patrek… honey. If you know she’s capable of killing ppl, maybe wait until she’s asleep before you kill her.

RIP Patrek. That was a rough way to go out. He was one of the quieter tributes so I didn’t initially appreciate him but now I can tell how much of an unhinged germophobe he was and that has caused me to warm to him.

I can’t believe MENDI has more kills than Bastet. But I don’t think she’s long for this world if her wound really is infected.

Wow, both Sevens survived Chapter 37! Yay!