Ugh, I'm so mad honestly. I thought this chapter would develop Darcy into a less hyper-competent character, but it didn't. Your Writing is so fucking terrible

I'm just so annoyed at how hyper-competent Darcy is. I get really frustrated when characters are hyper-competent, whether it's when they never face the consequences of their flaws or they always make the right choices or they're otherwise not believable. In Darcy's case, she failed her Fatal Flaw Trial and should've died, which would've shown that she isn't invincible, but she somehow managed to live anyways through her sheer competence and force of will. I'm not saying that Darcy is a Mary Sue because she does have flaws and does go through struggles. She's not a Mary Sue; she's just frustrating to read. It's frustrating to see her never facing any real consequences of her flaws and struggles.

(Side note: One can make a case for the other two finalists being hyper-competent as well, but I feel that with Arwyn and James their more likable personalities and lack of kills make up for potential hyper-competence.)

Annoyingly enough, Darcy is definitely the shoo-in for Victor, because there's no way Arwyn and/or James can beat her in a fair fight. I'm sadly expecting Arwyn to fail her Fatal Flaw trial and die, because it's clear that she's affected heavily by many things. Besides, then we'd have the full set - Hollie's combo was Pass/Die, James's combo was Pass/Live, Darcy's combo was Fail/Live, and Arwyn's combo would likely be Fail/Die (the first variable is Pass/Fail, and the second variable is Live/Die). So Darcy and James would be the final two, and Darcy would easily win against James.

But maybe you can surprise us. Maybe Arwyn can survive her Fatal Flaw trial, breaking the full set. XD It kind of goes against my liking of full sets and patterns, but I'd be overjoyed if Arwyn lived. If that's the case, maybe Arwyn and James don't have to fight fairly against Darcy. Maybe James and Arwyn can team up and take out Darcy. Even if Arwyn dies, maybe there can be a way for James to beat Darcy.

As a side note, I was surprised at how selfish Darcy was towards the dog, because she did feel regret at killing Lirrius. Maybe she just doesn't like animals. If that's the case, ugh, I dislike her even more because what did that dog do to not deserve the food?

Still a great chapter though. Formal review will come later, when I've calmed down a little. Keep up the awesome work.

That was... wow. Wow. Great job.

This was so sad, this girl from district 8 is my favorite minor character and I really liked this story about her.

I've always wondered about the lives of the dead tributes, and especially about this one. I'm always going to think of her as Thessa now... Thank you for writing!

Thank you TV Tropes for showing me this excellent One-shot.

JUST ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL!
Sorry, I had to. Your title just reminded me so luch of it. Good story, thouh. Quality writing.

A very interesting take on a character that most people probably didn't even give a second thought to. It's true: all the tributes have their own stories, most of them untold, and I love what you did for Thessa. Nice work. :)

Lily

I really like stories that give a different perspective on minor characters, and this one did a great job on that. Here via TV Tropes recommendation.

Very good story. It's good to see the point of view of a character who refused to fight, and to see a different explanation for her actions.

This is amazing! This story is really well written and very original. I love it!

Gorgeous. Exactly what a fic should be. A deeper look into a moment from the book that puts a whole new slant on things. I really enjoyed it.

Oh man. This. I am a huge, huge fan of expanding on the lives of other tributes, but I think this is one of the most impressive examples I've come across. You did so much with so little, and employed a most fascinating juxtaposition. It's nice to see the main characters cede their monopoly on being the brave rebels, and let some of the background players show just as much, if not more, courage. Wonderfully done.

This is quite a stunning piece! Really, how you've managed to breath life into a girl we knew next to nothing about is fascinating!

One word:

AMAZING.

I saw this recommended on TV Tropes' page for Hunger Games FanFiction, and boy, am I ever glad I decided to check it out! Being a fan of the minor characters myself, I always love reading fics that breathe life into them, give them their own personalities and dimensions. So this was a real treat, especially as I've always pitied/sympathized with the District 8 girl and thought it was a little harsh how Katniss viewed her. Almost as if she deserved to die for her 'stupidity.'

But after reading this ... I'm in love with this idea, that she lit the fire knowing full well she would die because of it, but wanting to defy the Capitol by purposely losing but giving herself comfort in her final moments. Her remembering of her family was so sad. We truly saw all she had to lose, showing that it wasn't only Katniss and Rue who had loved ones at home. And to think that all the tributes went through something like this is heartbreaking.

The girl reminded me a lot of myself personality-wise, as well as with what she chose to do. Although I'd probably build the fire just wanting to get warm; I don't know if I'd be brave enough to wait for death. I love the quiet courage you gave this girl - that is something I really, really admire in characters - as she chose not to fight, not wanting to lose herself in the process of killing others. The fear you gave her in her final moments was wonderfully realistic and human - inside, I was pleading with the Careers not to kill her - and the ending note wrapped everything together so nicely. Katniss' thoughts were so cold and contrasted beautifully and chillingly with what we knew of the girl. The final sentence was particularly effective.

Great, great job... there aren't a lot of fics about the girl from Eight, and I think it's really neat how you gave her such an interesting personality, instead of just being "the biggest idiot in the Games." I also love how you added the small paragraph about Katniss at the end. It was a really cool idea. You should write more Hunger Games stuff, I'd definitely read it! :D