#But also platonic!Everthorne

[mellarked-katnisseverdeen]

I really DO love to think about Katniss, Peeta and Gale being friends Post-MJ.

Mostly because I just LOVE the idea that as the three of them come into adulthood they really do fully come to just laugh at the whole 'love triangle' thing. When things shake out and Gale see's how happy Katniss is, how much happier he is not begging and pleading for any scrap of the kind of love/affection he wants from her and both of them seeing how happy Katniss is getting to have both of them in her life in the way she is comfortable, they ALL just like. Get along great. Perhaps Katniss and Gale still have some of that distance that grew during the war, but they DO all become close and that means so much to me.

[mariigoldzz]

hot take: Gale would be a good partner just not to KATNISS. they were way too similar and wouldn't be able to work out their trauma together. He needed someone like Peeta to compliment his personality, not a similar version of himself. Katniss wouldn't be a good partner to Gale either because at the end of the day, her heart lies with Peeta. (Also,don't forget that the movies lowkey butchered Gale. Book!gale was sympathetic towards Peeta.)

[thesweetnessofspring]

I struggle to see the appeal of Katniss and Gale as a couple and it's not just because I ship Everlark deep to my core. I am capable of loving a ship and seeing why someone ships one of those characters with someone else, even if I hate that other ship.

It's because, frankly, Katniss and Gale are boring together. There doesn't seem to be any of the classic romance tropes going on between them. And this, probably more than anything else, is why Everthorne shippers are so few and far between these days because people will ship just about anything as long as it's not boring. Toxic, illegal, annoying, problematic--this will not sway shippers. But boredom will.

Katniss and Gale fight with each other but it's not even "sexy" fighting/bickering. It's boring fighting where you just feel mad at Gale after, but not that great push-and-pull those good antagonistic romantic couples have. It's just push-push-push-push.

They're supposed to be friends, but I can only think of one instance where they share a joke with each other. Their friendship is dull and based solely on "we both need food for our families." That's built a lot of knowledge about one another, but reading the series it's hard to find even genuine moments of friendship between them. Not where one is looking out for or helping the other (I'll never deny they do that), but where it's like, yeah, I can see that they like hanging out with each other because they like the other's company. At least from Katniss's perspective, Gale's company is familiar and known, which is its appeal. But if they were meeting for the first time at 16 and 18 without all the history between them, I cannot for the life of me see them wanting to hang out.

They have no physical chemistry. Katniss's descriptions of her physical contact with Gale are flat at best and uncomfortable at worst. So it's not even like, wow, but their make-out scenes are so hot!

They have no cute or romantic or sexy exchanges with each other. Maybe the one they have after his whipping could be construed as romantic? But Katniss drops that so fast and over three books they have one line each that's just sorta cute. I have seen rarepairs built on more.

Idk, ship and let ship, I just find this one so entirely lacking anything to make it shippable.

[lemonluvgirl]

Yes! I've said it, and agreed with other posts before but I'm putting this out there again.

It's always a tragedy to lose your best bud!!!

You know what hurts? Katniss and Gale are probably complete strangers by the time of the epilogue. I was rooting for Peeta but it really does hurt to see two great friends who wouldn't have survived without the other fall apart. Their relationship couldn't be preserved, that's the simple truth, even if it never had romantic implications, even if they did love each other in whatever way the audience sees fit, Gale and Katniss couldn't stay in touch after all that. And it's realistic but dam does it hurt to see two best friends drift away to nothing but strangers...

[ninjapiratelady]

Madge should have lived so that she and Gale could have had the best background haters to reluctant acquaintances to besties in denial to lovers relationship.

Then Katniss gets to have two people to talk to about her Peeta problems and when she's like "IDK if I love him 😕" and Madge just smiles cause yes, you do, but imma let you figure it out on your own time. And Gale just rolls his eyes and walks away cause ffs Katniss, you idiot, go get your husband.

And then Katniss, instead of having to deal with Gale's bullshit in MJ, she gets the pleasure of watching her besties fall in love with each other in real time and she's trying - horribly - to give them relationship advice. Also that one part where Gale's like "I think Finnick likes you" it's out of genuine concern and not jealousy and then Madge laughs her ass off cause "no he doesn't Gale, he misses his wife and she misses her husband and they're best friend bonding over shared trauma". After that, Gale's jealous of Finnick - not because he thinks he loves Katniss but because bro, that is MY bestie get your own.

Also, with platonic bestie everthorne, Prim's death is that much more heartbreaking. Now, instead of being someone that Katniss is mildly annoyed with consistently because she doesn't know if she loves him or Peeta, they're best friends. She tells him (and Madge) everything and she loves him (platonic). And then, she goes from having him as a constant to not being able to look him in the eye and being devastated knowing it wasn't really his fault but she can't seperate him from that event. They grow apart, and, by extension, so do her and Madge.

But because I like happy endings, Gale and Madge move to D2 and Gale tills part of their backyard so Madge can grow a garden and there's a whole section for strawberries. They get married and have a few kids and they're happy. And they make regular trips to 12 to visit Gale's family and also Haymitch (who has lowkey had a soft spot for Madge from afar her whole life because of her icon of an aunt).

It takes a few years, but Peeta and Madge meet each other at the bakery one day and spend a couple hours catching up. Peeta tells Katniss, who then (she denies it) comes with Peeta to the bakery "to help" (to maybe catch Madge). Madge comes by and they reunite and Madge speaks on Gale's behalf about how awful he feels, but she tells Katniss that she understands why she can't forgive him. They decide to remain friends.

The Hawthornes visit 12 a few more times before Katniss decides she's ready to see Gale again. They meet up (with their spouses in tow so they don't have to be alone) and he apologizes and she maybe slowly starts to heal a little more. As a little more time passes, she forgives him for something that wasn't technically his fault and they all become best friends again just in time for Gale and Madge to be the first toast baby's honorary aunt and uncle.

They all stay besties till the very end and their kids are besties and Haymitch is Grandpa Haymitch to the Hawthorne and Toast babies and they all live happily ever after the end.

[mollywog]

do you hate the idea of platonic everthorne or just romantic?

I like Gale. I don’t enjoy Gale slander. I have a preferred interpretation of him and love finding fics with similar characterizations to the one in my head.

Romantic Everthorne is not my thing, but ship and let ship.

I am a fan of platonic Everthorne, which makes their drifting apart in canon all the more heartbreaking.

Some of my favorite HCs -

In an AU where Prim isn’t reaped - Gale’s romantic interest in Katniss wanes. He’s an attractive guy with options and a desire for a wife and children- without encouragement from Katniss (and him not noticing her interest in anyone else), he points his romantic interest elsewhere. (Curtesy of @daydreamingandprocrastination - ugh I wish I could find this post!)

There’s a running bit in my head (and my drafts) where Katniss will think something in a moment of frustration, but two paragraphs later when Gale says it out loud, she is offended.

In my head I like to pair Gale with Madge, Johanna or Delly (each have a different and fun dynamic.) I also have my own OC for him, Vera (if Gale is fire, then his partner needs to be a soothing balm (subtly be damned).)

Part of Gale’s ‘fancy job’ in 2 is his way of keeping Katniss out of the spotlight (allowing her peace and privacy back in D12.) He’s a recognizable (and attractive) face from the Rebellion with a link to the Mockingjay (but not linked with the assassination) and most of his job is being a trusted figurehead of the new government in the media. Sort of stepping into Katniss’s previous role is a way of paying penance. (inspired by The Ashes of District 12)

[caesarflickermans]

🔥

Send me a “ 🔥 “ for an unpopular opinion

I will never understand nor care for the upset some people in the fandom put forth when they discover a minor ship with double to triple digits of fanfiction to their name and need to state their vocal disagreement with.

Ship wars are non-existent in this fandom, no matter what threat might be seen in pictures of Liam Hemsworth posted to the thg tag. And outside of people's bubbles who pat each other on the back, it's really not a good look to be shittalking most minor ships (kicking down is ugly).

While this might be an Everthorne rant, that was not the ship that came to mind when I decided to write this post, although I am in particular thinking about ships which are making any of the big four impossible, such as Finnick/Johanna or Katniss/Madge or Peeta/Cato, and, yes, also Gale/Katniss.

I think the fandom has, in some ways, gotten a little used to their canon pairings that any divergences are seen as red flags, when, in truth, behind these fanfictions are real people who want to be creative and enjoy niche themes. Peeta/Cato with 96 fanfictions to their name are never going to challenge Everlark, and I need people to stop acting like that will happen, so maybe just. Draft and delete that post upon discovering this ship.

I've also seen statements being made about how, for example, Katniss and Madge does not work because Katniss has never shown interest in women. And I cannot stress how this does not matter. This is fiction. If I want Katniss to be a raging lesbian, I can write her as such. That's what creative works like these are there for, no one has to follow canon. I snip my fingers. Katniss now is a worm. Watcha gonna do about that?

Sometimes I feel like it's some kind of fandom sport to find obscure niche ships, some of which I am fairly certain have a large amount of mistags from platonic to romantic in them, and complain online about how impossible, disgusting, or weird that ship is.

[little-lynx]

BOYS

A little reminder that this blog is (heavily) Everlark-centered but also Gale friendly. I love Mr. Hawthorne with all my heart. All Gale vs. Peeta wars just don’t exist in my blog space. Thank you! 🥰

Just in case, lol:

- I don’t ship Peeta/Gale, that is just a “no-fandom-war” art. But if you ship them, I hope this illustration will warm your heart!

- I don’t ship Gale/Katniss also. In a romantic way. But I stan platonic!Everthorne!

- Katniss/Peeta/Gale? NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MY GOSH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

- I adore aus where Peeta and Gale are friends but I can’t imagine them being friends in canon (unfortunately).

- I’m OBSESSED with GADGE. Blame @awhiskeyriver for this!

- Gale is hot! That’s canon! 🌶

[lemonluvgirl]

What are your thoughts on Galeniss/ Everthorne?

Sorry if that was harsh, I've just always wanted to use that meme lol. Ok, but in all seriousness I really support platonic Everthorne. I think they have a really strong connection from losing their fathers, having to care for/provide their families and also in their similar personalities. I’m not totally against romantic Everthorne in an AU where Peeta isn’t an option. But I don’t see Katniss choosing Gale over Peeta in most scenarios. That’s just the way Collins wrote the characters. I also think Everlark is just a better fit. They are my OTP. But I will stan platonic everthorne any day of the week. They are so cute as besties. I love fics where they are really good friends. 

[mellarked-katnisseverdeen]

do you hate the idea of platonic everthorne or just romantic?

Nope! I love platonic Everthrone. Love it so much it makes me dislike a romantic relationship between them even more that I would already. To me it cheapens what the basis of the postivie aspects of their relationship is to make the romance between them mutual.

It's family. Providing and loving one another and the others they love by working together, doing the hard stuff (hunting and tradeing, in this case) and just connecting over pain and history and shared life expereinces. That is unmistakeably family to me.

It's why it is so clear to see the guilt coloring ANY real romantic aspect Katniss brings up. Because it feels like all they have together that she SHOULD feel that way, and it feels wrong for her to hurt him by not feeling the say way. By growing in a different way that puts distance between them. And Gale even gets wise to this, and accepts that even if it hurts.

And ignoreing that to act like these ARE in fact real romantic feelings is just NOT it for me. It also cheapens the real love they have for one another as friends/kinda sorta siblings AND one anothers family.

[thesweetnessofspring]

do you hate the idea of platonic everthorne or just romantic?

First, romantic Everthorne is really not my thing, but ship and let ship.

So I don't hate the idea of platonic Everthorne, like in fanfic settings and whatnot. In fact, despite what I'm going to say, I'm trying to write one of those right now! I get the appeal of them being platonic besties, but I don't think it's platonic in canon. It's a one-sided workplace romance. I'm putting my reasoning below a cut if you don't feel like reading borderline Gale-slander.

Before people throw quotes in my face, I'm aware Katniss calls Gale her best friend and we see her anger about his whipping and that they work well together as hunters. I'm not denying any of that.

What I think is that Katniss and Gale bonded through their similar trauma which is why they hang around each other and know each other, but they're more like coworkers than friends. Katniss even talks about this when she describes her relationship with him. They "grudgingly" shared knowledge and tools and resources. Their relationship is entirely transactional: they do better for their families when they work together, which is why they even start hanging out. Even promising to take care of each other's families should one of them be reaped is transactional, as they are also ensuring safety for their family by making their promise. In fact, with all of the slips Gale has, he was more likely to need to cash that out! Everything about their relationship reads entirely contractual to me. Very business. When Katniss comes back from the Games having played the romantic angle with Peeta, in CF Gale acts as if she's broken an agreement they made, what with him getting so pissy she wants to save Peeta and Haymitch from torture/death from her running away.

That's not to say they have no positive interactions--they do. But even at their most positive, such as the story of how Katniss got Lady, Gale's just kinda there. Katniss's focus and attention is entirely on making Prim happy, helping their family survive. Or before the reaping, they're already arguing about having kids and it's weird how much they rile each other up over something that's such a personal choice (of course, to Gale at this point it's not so individual as he has feelings for her). Basically, it reminds me of coworkers who get along and help pass the time, even help each other when there's a bad boss or angry customer or whatever. And they clearly know how to hunt together and know one another's thoughts. Then one of them caught feelings due to their consistent proximity to each other and wants it to move in a romantic direction. But at the end of the day they're going to drift apart once those things holding them together is gone--aka, feeding their families, the Capitol, and the war.

It's also hard for me to see platonic connections when Gale has said that dying for Katniss is the only way to "convince" Katniss that you love her. I see everything he does with this lens of convincing Katniss to be with him, to choose him. Anything that might seem platonic has a weird overlay of this motivation of trying to win her over. And since that's not how romantic relationships work, it doesn't work on a romantic or a platonic level. Everything a friendship should be to be a real, genuine friendship isn't there between them.

I don't see Gale as a safe person for Katniss emotionally because he's usually forcing his opinion on her, guilting her, or again, I can't trust he's not trying a new tactic to win her over by appealing to seeing him as a hero (like going to rescue Peeta). I don't see them having fun together--without needing to hunt, really, what would they do together? What would a fun date look like for them? I don't see their principles aligning in Mockingjay and that's a really obvious point Suzanne was trying to make. Basically, I don't see what they're supposed to build a friendship on other than they both lost their dads and have to feed their families.

They're coworkers. They're just coworkers.

[mellarked-katnisseverdeen]

Excuse me...over here crying about Katniss and Gale rekindling their friendship and Katniss getting her friend back, the kid she grew up with and supported their shared family with. Welcoming him into this new part of her life that she's found with Peeta, Haymitch, Sae and other returning D12 citizens. Sharing the joy and peace she's found through all the pain, scars and healing.

The way she can get him supporting her, encouraging her with what she has with Peeta, and that them being friends makes him as happy as it makes her. The ease she has not feeling pulled between the two of them.

Them working through Prims death, and how he very much had nothing to do with it and what lead to Katniss latching on to him to blame when there wasn't anything else she could rage at. Healing from that.

These two are 17 and 19 at the end of MJ...and no one can tell me this DIDN'T happen.

[mellarked-katnisseverdeen]

Do you know who sent you this messages?

https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/mellarked-katnisseverdeen/713463244108529664

I saw it also on another blog, but when you publish this, that blog deleted that. Or I don't know the exact timeline, but now the post is gone.

I just want to say to anon who sent the messages, don't incite fandom war about PEETA vs GALE! Especially sending it to everlark blogs. You can send it to your friend or to your own blog. But don't send it to multiple everlark blogs. Please.

And I've asked curious nonny, they said it's not them who sent it.

Yea. Tbh I am kinda sus about this ask, and a different anti Gale anon I have gotten over the last few days. I'll second you in saying this: Please for the love of all that is good, anyone wanting to send messages in hopes of some kind of drama or the like, don't. Not cool.

I love Gale. Greatly dislike Everthorne, but I will talk till kingdom come about how great Gales character is. How important his platonic relationship with Katniss is and the postive future I think the story left open for him. Also you won't be able to stop me going off about Johale once I start. Not interested in particularly anti Gale stuff. There ARE pleanty of people I am sure who'd agree with you, dear whomever sent those anons. Find them, chat them up and you'll find a lot more fun and agreement there than you will find here.

There is NOTHING wrong with saying 'wow those are trash opnions to me. I will avoid them'. This is fandom, meant to be fun and you don't have to practice being balacned in your argument skills constantly here. I have a small list of very clearly anti Peeta, anti everlark and even generally anti Hunger Games blogs blocked for that reason.

[mellarked-katnisseverdeen]

Hi I love your work -the drawings,tge fics ,the detailed essays about characters .I'm sorry if I'm bothering you but a everthorne freindship headcanon -as katniss is so small compared to gale do you think post mj he would tease her about her height e.g. call her short.

First off, thank you SO much! Very happy you enjoy my little blog here :).

Though I do feel oibligated to be sure to say none of the art here is mine! I couldn't draw a stick figure if it would save my life, so all of that is reblogged to from some of the AMAZING fannartist in this fandom and all credit goes to them! And nor is 100% of the meta, character anaysis/essays, or fics mine either. I DO post some of my own of those kinds of post, but I do reblog some of that stuff too.

I HIGHLY reccomend if you like a post, and see that I reblogged it to check out those other blogs. I put it here that way to SHARE those things, so check them out as well!

As for the platonic Everthrone headcanon. YES! I love that.

Like to think he would playfully lean on her with his elbow on her head (as a short person myself with super tall brothers this happens a LOT). Also like to think Katniss def teams up with Johanna to mess with him about being tall too.

[mellarked-katnisseverdeen]

um can we get more platonic everthorne up in here? I am thriving

You ask, and you shall RECEIVE! Someday soon I will write more of this AU. For now, enjoy. 

- Gale walks Katniss down the aisle when she and Peeta get married. 

- Katniss and Peeta play matchmaker to Gale and Delly, or Gale and Johanna (pick your own Gale ship XD)

- Gale notices something off about Peeta on the way back to 13. He protects Katniss, but he also tells her that Peeta is not himself. Proven right when they find out about the hijacking. 

- Gale goes through a very dark time when Katniss and Peeta get reaped a second time. He is losing his best friend and pseudo-adopted sister, and someone he respected and knew they were going to die for one another and he fear what would happen when they came back. How he would help them when the other is gone. 

- That said, he also helps them train. He take on the kind of drill- sergeant roll Peeta did in canon, and they but heads a bit until they realize Gale feels helpless to protect the both of them.

- Gale fully believes Katniss is pregnant in the second games, and is absolutely overly protective of her when they rescue her until Katniss breaks and tells him it was a lie. 

- Gale and Katniss try with every fiber of their being to teach Peeta some level of hunting skill. It doesn’t work. 

- Gale and Peeta eventually get to the point they playfully wrestle together. It is a fairly even match, but that's part of the fun. 

[lemonluvgirl]

I don’t hate Gale, and really support platonic everthorne! I even have a fic where he is a legit side of the triangle. But i also have fics where he acts like a douche bag because his character lends himself to certain plot elements, as in the traditional guy who wants the girl and gets all male assertive and/or possessive about it. But I still support platonic everthorne and also I think Gale is hot IMO, when paired with the right character like Madge or even Johanna. 

Dislaimer : I'm not trying to stir drama. I'm honestly asking because I don't know and I read many of your posts, and I conclude that you're an Ev*rlark shipper and appreciate G*le as character. Or like as you said 'platonic G*leniss' in regard his relationship with Katniss.

My question is : why do I see some (I can't say many) Ev*rlark shipper have posts in their blog tagged as 'g*le suck* or some kind other or even in their bio using some passive aggressive language hating G*le.

Does they really hate G as character or they hate the idea of G as another side of 'love triangle'.

I'm not here to debate about thg storyline or are they important to the themes.

I'm just asking about fandom behavior here.

Thank you if you answer this long winded question.

Last disclaimer : I like your blog content.

Have a nice day ❤

MJ

Thank you, very glad you like my blog!

As for your question, I will start by saying I am sure a handful of them fall into both categories. Surely one of two of the out there really do just hate Gale. Others dislike the idea of him being the third leg of a love triangle. I am sure a fraction of them IS that. Never met anyone like this, but I won't deny they probably in existence.

Me? I've never talked to anyone who TRULY hates Gale. Or even has an issue with him and Katniss's relationship as it is portrayed in canon. Beyond the occasional joking and silly exaggerated post, the general opinion I find on Gale from everlark fans is pretty neutral to warm. There IS some teasing we do, I will admit, and maybe possibly you're seeing some of that non-serious joking. When the whole of a movie series pits characters against one another and it becomes as ridiculous as the old shipping wars did, those kinds of jokes will happen I think after everyone gets a bit more mature.

I can't say about individual bios and tags, but for what it's worth I think that's the key I can say. Extreme cases will exists but for the most part, I don't think the vast, vast majority here explicitly hates Gale or his role in the story.