I am the female tribute for District 2 in the 74th Hunger Games.

[And she sounds so, so pleased at that-- almost giddy, but she's reigning herself in to sound more poised. She has her constructed, public face that she'll put on for the TV interview before the Games, and she's practicing it here.]

We arrived in the Capitol this morning. It's amazing-- seeing it on TV doesn't even come close to preparing you for the real thing. I can't describe it. We rode in chariots through cheering crowds... and District 2's outfits were excellent; we were dressed in gold armor. Everyone cheered the hardest for District 12 because their stylists did some fancy trick with fire, but we looked the most powerful.

I didn't think I'd be able to come here again, because my computer is at home-- but the community followed me. I found this small phone in my pocket, and no one else seemed to notice that I have it. I'll leave it behind when I go into the arena, but it might appear again.

We'll go in in five days. I hope you'll all wish me well.

[Is that Artemis looking older and...sicker?]

Okay, as it turns out? The worst part of having a boyfriend with a super-sonic metabolism isn't the grocery bills. It's the fact that a few too many drinks on date night murder me the next day while he's bright, cheerful, and devouring an entire batch of pancakes.

Remind me again why I love him?

[She might not have noticed the timeline's off.]

[Did anyone really expect the community to be nice to Beelzemon with all these viruses? Because ah ha ha ha, yeah, like that would ever happen.

So when the video opens, Beelzemon is doing less than great. Mostly due to the fact that he's currently getting the crap kicked out of him.

By... himself? Yeah, there's two of him now.

Because that's not gonna get confusing or anything. Although, to be fair, there are some differences here. One Beelzemon looks the same as always. The other has a slightly lighter color scheme in places, green eyes instead of red eyes, and - most strikingly - large, dark wings.

They're busy fighting it out, but the winged version is definitely winning right now.]

The hell's your problem even?! Aren't ya supposed to be me or somethin'?!

Yeah, and? Trust me, in a few weeks you're gonna be very jealous of me for gettin' to do this!

What the hell is that supposed to mean?!

You just shut your mouth already, I don't wanna hear one more word from you!

[...Well, that sure is. Uh. Something. It says a lot about a person when even their future self hates their guts, though.]

[Will is on that ski trip, but for the moment, she seems content playing in the snow, making a snowman. During a virus. Oops. Sure enough, it starts attacking her and throwing snowballs.]

Whoa, hey! Since when do snowmen fight back?!

Why do things like diaries exist? There's no point in recording each act of your play when it is useless and benefits no one. There's no audience member who will read it all at the end and be moved or laugh at the pitiful actions the actors took to stay onstage or to force the curtain from falling.

Except, of course, for him. A diary is a pitiful thing, but his ideals are pitiful as well. Perhaps forcing everyone to write one so I can give it to him as a farewell present would make the tragedy even worse for him. Knowing what went on behind the stage might possibly make each ending stab even deeper into his heart. A twist of the knife to cause him to cry..that shall be a wonderful reaction. It is what he deserves until he can come to the truth.

[Will is trying on some winter jackets, looking clearly pissed off.]

So, question: There's a boy you like, but there's also a snobby exchange girl who likes him too, so you decide that the best way to settle things is a ski competition. Winner gets to sit with him.

And you don't know how to ski.

So, can I learn how to ski in just a couple of days, or do I have to figure out some way to cheat? 'Cause failure is NOT an option.

Do you think you'd ever be able to kill someone if it came to it?

If it would save someone else's life, and there was no other way to save them?

Even if the person you'd have to kill is a friend?

[It would be impossible not to notice the blood on Ellie as soon as the video starts, red staining her clothing and hands, even some of her hair. Her eyes are big and her breathing fast, as she's obviously quiet scared.]

I need help. He's dyin', he's not moving anymore. [She looks somewhere off screen before jerking her head back around.] I know nobody can come here but I don't know what to do. I-I gotta stitch him up, right?

So if something happens to you, but you don't remember it, can it be considered a traumatic experience?

Like, say you were working on something with your friends. It was stressful, but everything was mostly under control. Then all of a sudden you got hurt, and your friends just freaked out from it and everything fell apart? But you were out cold during all of it?

Or is it just stupid to be upset about this?

[The video feed clicks on to see Zavok again. He's back at his home, the Lost Hex. Right now, he's in Windy Hill. It's really topsy-turvy with curved paths and small floating planets.]

And here I thought this place had gotten rid of me. To those I haven't met, my name's Zavok and this is my world, the Lost Hex. So, was there anything I missed while I was gone?

Have any of you ever served detention before?

I've been here for almost six years now. Isn't anybody going to throw me a party?

[The video opens on a desert. While at first it looks fairly normal, just your average barren wasteland with cliffs, it's quickly clear that this isn't the case. Firstly, rather than being blue, the sky looks like someone opened up a computer.

Secondly? Well, there's the strange, demonic looking biker who's shooting at a bunch of smaller monsters floating in the air. It's not a very exciting fight, though. It takes just one shot from the biker's gun to tear through about a third of the monsters. It's over in a flash and the monsters pretty much disintegrate, leaving only glowing particles... which the demon biker proceeds to absorb.]

Heh! That was barely even worth the effort! Talk about pathetic.

[Huh. Isn't that odd? This guy's voice almost sounds like a deeper, more threatening version of a certain fireball-throwing pest.

He's almost about to walk off, when he stops and turns, noticing the device that's filming everything. He casually walks over to it and picks it up, looking straight into the camera.]

Well now, would you look at that? And here I thought this thing just got sick of me and kicked me out permanently. It sure as hell wouldn't have been the first to... But I guess I can't get rid of it that easily.

S'been a while, though, so I'd better introduce myself, huh? The name's Beelzemon. Don't forget it.

Hey. [A small picture of Ellie appears on screen and she holds up one hand in greeting.] So, uh, plan A didn't really work out. [A nod and not really a happy one.] We kind of used up plans B through Z gettin' there so it looks like I'll be walking a little longer.

[She looks down, studying her feet for a moment before looking back up.] I thought it would be kind of fun to tell some jokes or something. You know, kind of take our minds off stuff and...stuff. [Eloquent.]

So, guess I'll start. Why shouldn't you write with a dull pencil?

So! I got myself a streaming account so I could watch horrible movies and the occasional sappy Korean drama, and I found a really awful one--movie, not drama. I like my shows, okay?

Anyway, it's based off some American cartoon, and everything about it is bad. The villain overacts, the sister can't act, the grandfather clearly doesn't want to be there, all of the adults in the movie are stupid as hell, and you wonder why the hero kid hasn't just turned evil on them--or, now that I think about it, I think the villain might actually have been an evil future version of him. The writing was so bad I couldn't tell.

And because of that movie being so bad it was awesome, I thought, hey, why not do a shitty movie night? We'll set up somewhere--doesn't have to be the Mysterious Library or anything; so long as we've got room to sit and watch this crap, it's fine--put on a show, and enjoy something stupid. You know, something to help when our lives start getting shitty. And I'll make sure it doesn't conflict with Homework Club or whatever, 'cause seriously, kids, do your homework.

Thoughts? Movie suggestions?

Retasu, you know that party Kendrix was planning? I know it's still a couple of weeks away, but I was wondering if you might want to go with me. I mean, I understand if you don't, but if you're not too busy, maybe we could go.

[The journal clicks on to reveal a red... demon of sorts. Zavok has been fiddling with the thing for awhile and he's finally got it working. Though he looks angered, when he speaks, his tone is a mix of sarcasm and annoyance.]

I suppose I can assume I'm not back home. So, anyone with an IQ over 80 mind telling me where the heck is this place and, more importantly, where's the exit?


Don't waste my time with idiocy.

It's a good joke, but you're trying too hard.

This is probably a dumb idea, but Yayoi and I were talking, and this idea came up. Since there's a lot of us still in school--high school or whatever--maybe we could form some kind of homework club? That way, anyone who's good at one subject can help someone who's bad at it. And we can meet when we're not saving the world or whatever.

It's a really rough idea right now, and we'd have to figure out worldhops or even where to hold it if anyone's interested, and there's the difference between countries and worlds to consider, but math and science are usually pretty easy to work with, but it was a thought.