The 43 Hunger Games

[Ace_of_hearts]

Gil, strategy excerpt #1

Tributes trust parachuted goodies without hesitation. Now say that I get my hands on some less than appetizing elements like cyanide or some snake venom. Put it into a water bottle or an energy suppliment drink with a parachute and drop it into their camp from above. Easy kill if pulled off correctly.

Observations for further use:

Tributes have insecurities. None of them are without weakness. To acknowledge them verbally makes you an immidiate target of theirs. To manipulate someone else into doing it can draw attention away from you.

Additional notes:

While I still wish to win Kaprena over to my side, I should seek to befriend a few mentors to assure myself some parachutes. Else the above strategy excerpt is rendered null and void.

End strategy compilation. Composition page 2.

-Gil Marques Kills: 0

[Leon G]

Stella sighs and looks out the window. "Those were quite expensive. You could have simply just said you did not want a puff." She looks at the moody boy. He wants to be here as much as she does. She sighs and orders a glass of Bourbon and takes a sip, to loosen up.

"I want to be here as much as you. If you do not wish to be my friend, I do not mind. You seem to not want a mentor." She paused, and took another sip. "Fine by me. The best of luck to you." Stella wasn't going to beg this guy to let her train him. She wouldn't be able to train him that much anyways. She turns toward the girl tribute, Marry.

"So dear, it seems I shall devoting my time to you. Now I may not be the greatest fighter, but I know a lot of special people. We will rely on gifts, yes?" The girl looked at Stella with hollow eyes and nodded, though the motion seemed to be done not because she agreed, but because she just didn't know what to do. Stella smiled at the girl. "Excellent, darling. Wonderful. I can't wait to see what the designers do for you." Stella picked up a few strands of Marry's dull and limp brown hair. This girl is going to need a lot of work, Stella thought to herself.

"We are approaching the designers!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands, "Please, I insist on a drink before you meet them. It will...help you adjust. Three mint juleps, yes? Don't make that face, they are simply my favorite."

[amber eyes]

As her mom tried to plaster on another smile Leanne pulled herself closer to her brother, burying her head in his chest for just a moment. She then wiped the tears from her eyes and did her best to fake a grin of her own. “I’ll be okay Mama.”

Over the course of the next few moments the family paraded in and out. Older siblings gave tips and tried to be calm, but none of their smiles reached their eyes. Unlike every other family who gave a child to the capitol today, there was no hope of the Waters family remaining in tact. The best they could hope for was one death. Leanne held tight to Lin’s hand even as she hugged her parents goodbye, he was the only thing holding her together right now. It seemed like only moments before a peacekeeper showed up to move them to the train. The girl kept her composure as they boarded and were given a quick walkthrough of the facilities; she kept a brave face as introductions were made though she knew she would never remember the names. It wasn’t until they were alone in Lin’s compartment that she allowed herself to fall apart. Tears came first, and then a fist of anger filled her stomach. “Why did no one volunteer for me? What did I do?” She screamed the words at the top of her lungs. She had been a good student, she had followed every rule, she had walked to the stage gracefully, wearing a pretty dress and a smile, she had done everything she was supposed to do and yet still here she stood.

Lin was calm, steady as ever. He sat down on the bed and grabbed both of her hands, offering a smile. “I volunteered for you Leanne. You will come home.”

Leanne stared deep into his blue eyes, before she gave a small laugh. “Don’t you get it Lin? I don’t want to come home if you don’t.” Her voice cracked as she continued, anger and a deep loss that she hadn’t even experienced yet sucking her into a void of hatred so strong she didn’t know how to contain it. “You ruined everything Lin, you shouldn’t be here. You said you weren’t going to volunteer and now I know that I can’t live.” She pulled her hands from his and punched at his chest with all her might over and over again, tears streaming down her face. “I won’t let you die for me, I swear to you I won’t. You don’t get to be the hero here!” Her fists weren’t doing any good, they never did. When she realized just how hopeless everything was she collapsed into his waiting arms, rocking back and forth like a baby.

[Green Lantern]

"Okay, so the cornucopia. It's known as a death trap to most of the districts. Well, surprise, it isn't quite the same for us.... Is he paying attention?" He eyed over at Zeus. His head was stiff, eyes forward. Cheyenne waved it off. "Zeus does that. He gets uber focused, plus we have heard most of this before... but continue."

The man took a sip of his drink and continued on. "Ok, so I know the mentors for the other careers, and they are gonna peddle the same strategy outline all three of us have been doing for years. Form you set alliances early, take the cornucopia, once the others are eliminated everyone gear up and have a battle royale. Alliances made after you guys are out there are generally weak, at best. In fact, while you have to be careful anyways, those are always dangers. No tricks with the battle royale, by the way. It is just something we've come to do. It is just fighting it out with whatever your best with... Also, you should pro-"

He was cut off by Zeus's thundering yell. "THAT'S YOU!" Their mentor turned to see a large finger pointed directly at him....
----
When their mentor began speaking, Zeus went into his focus mode. He needed gratuitous amounts of focus, for focusing on things, focusing the shit out of them. "...Ok, so the cornucopia..." The voice of their mentor was blocked out. He was focused. I went downtown, to see charlie brown... He gave me a nickel, to go buy a pickle...

"...Zeus does that..." The pickle was sour, he bought me a flour, the flower was dead, this is what he said. Hot shot baby, chicken and gravy, here comes a lady, with a bald headed baby. He then turned, pointing his finger at their mentor. "AND THAT'S YOU!"
---

Zeus had thoroughly confused his mentor. "Listen humongusaur, I don't know what they hell you're talking about but I'll be damned if I don't get some more to drink before I try and find out!" He hurried out of the main room, headed towards the liquor cabinet. Zeus smiled. "Aww yea, step one, get in their head... This is gonna be a cake walk." His celebration was cut short by Cheyenne. "You're not fighting our mentor..."

"Damnit, I forgot."

[valkoordb]

I am Sierra's metor at work. I have nearly gotten expelled for fights many times at school, only to be saved by my sister the peacekeeper. I have been whipped publicly on one ocasion, didn't hurt to bad once it was all said and done. Just stung for a few days. I am 6 foot 5 inches. I work with cattle yes. I have no family besides my sister who is on this train with us and should be here shortly. I am here simply to protect her." Arc said pointing to Sierra. "And if you try and tell me other wise I'll ignore you. As for how to market me I know what you mean. I would say show off my strenght and size, but that Zeus figure has me beat, so I don't know thats up to you. I've seen every hunger games of my generation, and I have mentally noted the best way to deal with certain things. I have some weapons training from my older sister. So all I care about is you focusing on that girl. Teach her how to take down someone she can't win in a fight with. Make her the most gorgeus twelve yearold ever to enter the games. Make her win. If you do that I'll take care of the rest." With that Arc went to go find his sister. "Sierra," he called over his shoulder, "Listen to her, were all here to make sure you make it back alive." With that he shut the door.

[flora19]

Analise

"So, what are you writing there," Analise asked the male tribute as he scribbled away in a notebook. Slightly startled by her sudden appearance, he turned up to face her. "Excellent, excellent. I needed to get a good look at your features, sweetie." She studied his face intently, ran her hand through his hair, and then stepped back to take a better look. "Stand up please," she ordered. He complied, and she took yet another long look. "Interesting. Well, you know what my job is, oh, I should have mentioned I'm the designer first," Analise spouted in her higher than average voice. "I need to see your assets for designing purposes. Sorry about my brusqueness," she apologized. "But on the plus side, you are a rather handsome boy. A little on the scawny side, but it works with your facial features." She seemed to space out as she looked at him, her eyes suddenly hollow and lifeless. "Oh, well it's wonderful to meet you. I'm Analise, and I look forward to getting to know you better. Now, where is that girl...." She trailed off mid sentence and walked over to the door of Kaprena's sleeping compartment.

"Hello, hello, hello!" she trilled after knocking three times in quick succession on the heavy steel door. "Please, do come out and meet with me and your fellow tribute. I would prefer to talk to you together to avoid repetition. Time is valuable, as you should well know! I hope you will come into the parlor soon." In case she was asleep, she ringed the bell that would surely wake her up;heck, it would probably wake up a hibernating bear. "Once again, please join us!"

Analise then trotted over in her 6 inch peep toes, smoothed down the skirts of her frilly, loud dress and sat in the seat opposite the male. "Again, please excuse my interrogation. I probably should have begun differently." She looked troubled as if she had made a dire mistake. "Please, forgive me. It's been a while and I get so caught up in the excitement surrounding the games," she rambled.

She took a deep breath with her eyes squeezed shut, and once they opened again, she was bright and bubbly. "Let's start over. I'm Analise, designer for District 4. I've worked my way up to this point and I hope to not let you down. And you are?" she asked in a calmer voice than before.

[Ace_of_hearts]

Gil, composition entry #3: how to effectively kill an opponent:

(side note: after discovering that the person's name written in this note will not in fact die, even if I have their face in mind, I looked into the most mortal wounds to deliver -Kira)

One of the cleanest mortal wounds is undoubtably a decapitation, though some haven't the stomach for the gut-wretching feeling of their victim's her thumping on the ground beside them. Overall, to decapitate a victim in the games is unnececary and cruel unless there's no other way out (strategic note: the sponsors love a brutal killer and the capitol people give mixed results. A decapitation leads to publicity.)

The most mortal places to deliver wounds to a human are: the heart, each kidney, the lungs, the colon, the spleen.

Second to those but still a viable death shot is to hit an artery or a puncture of the throat.

Severing of the cerebral cord will kill anyone (survival note: this includes animals during hunting and the inevitable mutts that will be thrown at us if we're lucky enough to make it that far. It is an impossible statement to say that they can engineer anything without said cord because this is the basis of animalistic brain activity as well as how you control bodily movement. Cerebral cord severing deaths are quick and painless for the victim. Often mercy kills.)

Terminate mortal blow installment. May the twenty-fifth.

-Gil Marques

Gil reluctantly closes his composition book and looks to her with a warm smile. "Hey, I'm Gil. I'm glad you're enthusiastic. So as the water district I suppose we'll be doing something with fishermen? I hope not. It's been done. I've always wanted to do a Poseidon theme. Has more of the capitol's pazazz." He suggested, trying to stand up straighter for his designer.

"Oh, one sec." Gil bounded over and closed the lock on his composition book. "Sorry, I'm sorta weird with privacy." He lied. No one was to know the contents of his book until the games were over. No doubt the games would be forever changed by some of the strategies within it.

[flora19]

Talae

"I like your moxy, kid. To the point with just a hint of irritation, excellent for someone your size. I'm sure our friend Renee won't have too much trouble finding sponsors for you," she told him. As he spoke, a smile had spread across her face. Something about him was endearing to her, something she couldn't put her finger on.

"Wait, did you say sister?" she asked, visibly shaken. "You're going in with your sister! I thought that was a different District. Where the h-ll am I?!" she shouted.

"Yes, this is District 10, Talae," Renee informed. "It seems like there are to be two Districts entering with brother sister duos. Odd, yes. A setback, maybe. We'll just have to be the better duo, now won't we?"

"Again, stating the obvious. D'you always have to do that?" Talae said, annoyed. "So, I haven't been drinking too much after all. You two are siblings, although the relationship isn't at all visible. He's a mountain and your a twig," she told Sierra since Arc seemed to have stormed off.

"Now, if we're all going to get along, let's get one thing straight. I'm the leader. When I say jump, you ask how high. There will be no leaving until I dismiss you. Otherwise, we're gonna have a problem. Clear?" Sierra nodded, so Talae proceeded. "Pass on the news to that brother of yours as well as word of how we're pleased with his personality. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to chat with Renee on the chariot opening. So, dismissed. Scurry off now."

Renee began, "Excellent, I was thinking we could dress the girl as a--"

Talae rolled her eyes. "That was just an excuse to get her to leave. You deal with that crap. I'll be poolside if you need me. And please, try not to need me." With that, Talae left the room off to soak in the train's hot tub.

[Leon G]

Ahhh, nothing prepped a man to train weak little tributes, like a good workout. Hunter jogged to were he was supposed to meet his new trainees. Some people left the room, crying. Probably family. Hunter hoped he wouldn't get any sissies. Instead of knocking, gave the room door a kick, sending it flying off the hinges, and stepped into the room. Was the room small, or was he just large? The muscle man seemed to fill up half the room.

"Hello tributes! I'm yer mentor. The name is Hunter, but you'll call me Sir. Sorry to miss the reapin'. Workout went over today," he boomed, flexing his muscles. He looked over the tributes. Not bad, not bad. They'd need to put on muscle, that's for sure, but they showed promise. He noticed the two were hand in hand and tear-eyed. "Ay, we got some lovebirds, do we?" His meaty hand grabbed Lin and pulled him upright. "I'm 'friad we don't have time for none of that. Listen son, that arena is a dangerous field. You ain't got time for a serenadin' and romanticizin. Only one of you can come out alive." He gave Lin a sturdy pat on the back, sending him flying forward. "And that's going to be you, son! Now kiss yer mummies and daddies goodbye. We gots some long and hard training to do."

[Ace_of_hearts]

Composition, twenty-fifth of May, subject matter: Mentors, do's and don'ts

Mentors tend to be full of themselves. They have a right to be of course, they've come out of the tunnel we're entering virtually unscathed. Still, if you're a strong willed tribute, you may get the urge to resist a direct order from a stricter mentor. I reccomend that you suck up your pride before you find yourself patching your wounds with duct tape in the games. Remember, a parachute can be the difference between life and death. There are a few types of mentors and it is important to know the differences. I'll list the most common types:

1. the no-nonsense mentor: s/he will be an asset if you stay on his/her good side. You'll be bossed around a bit but s/he will be entirely dedicated to getting you sponsors and gifts when you're in the arena. Don't push back but show that you mean business. This mentor will be your best bet at coming out the other side alive

2. the helpless drunk /addict: possibly the most useless mentor of the lot. Try to talk basic strategy with this one and if you're game, share a few drinks with him/her this will show your tribute what a good companion you are and they'll be more likely to help you in the arena, though don't count on it.

3. the 'lucky' mentor: this mentor probably won the games either because they had a mentor type #1 or just by a stroke of luck. There aren't that many and they won't be too helpful with strategy talk, but they can probably pull off a few sponsors if you survive long enough

4. the strategic mentor: the mentor that will have a plan to keep you alive. Don't disobey this mentor's orders unless necessary for your survival. If you disobey them, they'll lose interest in you and your life will become trivial. You're on your own from there. If you have enough sense to talk strategy and maybe engage them in a game of chess or maybe go, then they'll grow a fondness for you. *important note: there are two variations of this type of mentor: the social one, who is a strategist with human emotion as well. S/he'll get you a ton of sponsors and maybe a nice weapon if you're lucky. The second is the withdrawn one: this one, while still helpful, won't get you too many sponsors.

While talking to mentors, be sure to slip in hints about what a nice gift would be from above. If they like you, they'll make it happen.

Terminate strategy entry. Page #4.

-Gil Marques