#Katniss does almost everything she does for Prim

[frozenbluecookies]

This might be the one that breaks me actually

Eldest Sibling Tournament — Semifinals

[nunyabznsbabes]

Katniss is like Lucy Gray this, Katniss is like Sejanus that, and yes fine that's all good and true and lovely but Katniss Everdeen is also a direct parallel to Coriolanus Snow and people NEED to start talking about this because it's driving me crazy.

Think about it: they both grew up poor and deeply vulnerable, losing parents at a very young age, with a matriarchal adult (Katniss' mother and Coriolanus' Grandma'am) who fails to provide for them emotionally and physically. They intimately understand the threat of starvation, even developing with stunted growth because of it, and their narrations in the books share a fixation on food. Throughout their childhoods, both experienced constant fear and suffered a fundamental lack of control over their circumstances. Because of this, they're inherently suspicious of the people around them. They resent feeling indebted to others, especially those who have saved their lives. They're motivated almost entirely by family and deeply connected to their communities. Both are used and manipulated by the Capitol, both are forced to perform to survive and despise every inch of it, both are thrown into the Arena and made to kill. Both have a self-sacrificial, genuinely sweet sister figure acting as their conscience. Peeta and Lucy Gray - performers and love interests with a fundamental kindness and sense of hope about them - fulfill markedly similar roles in their narrative. Both contribute to the development of the future Hunger Games, Snow throughout tbosas and Katniss towards the end of Mockingjay.

It's easy to ignore these similarities because, as mirrors of each other, they are exact opposites. Katniss is from District 12, viewed and treated as less than human; Snow is the cream of the Capitol crop, given the privilege of a name with social weight, an ancestral home, and the opportunity of the Academy despite having no more money than a miner from 12. Katniss has no agency over her life, and responds by being kind whenever she's able, while Snow justifies horrendous evils in order to continue his quest for complete control. Katniss does everything she can to protect her family; Snow does everything he can to protect his family's image as an extension of his own ego. Katniss loves her District and connects with its inhabitants on a meaningful level, but Snow is indifferent at best to his peers - the apparent "superior people" - and only engages with his community for personal gain. Katniss emerges from the Arena horrified at herself and the system, but Snow takes his trauma and turns it into an excuse to perpetuate the violence with himself at the top. Katniss cares for Prim until her death and then snaps at the loss of her little sister, while Snow survives on Tigris' blood, sweat, and tears and then torments and abandons her, presumably because she calls him out on his insanity. Snow actively adds to and popularizes the Hunger Games because of his vendetta against the Districts following his childhood wartime trauma - Katniss briefly agrees to a new Hunger Games in the pursuit of vengeance, but later stops them from happening by killing Coin and choosing a life of peace and privacy. Snow is obsessed with revenge, but Katniss empathizes with the Capitolites and does what she can to keep them from suffering. He exists in a cruel system and selfishly upholds it; she exists in a cruel system and works to dismantle it for the good of her family and community, at great personal cost. And Peeta and Lucy Gray are incredibly similar, but Katniss and Peeta forge a relationship of genuine love and understanding that shines in comparison to Coriolanus' obsessive projection onto Lucy Gray.

So, yeah, Katniss is Lucy Gray haunting Coriolanus. But I bet you anything that eighty-something year old President Snow looks at her, the girl on fire, bright and young and brilliant, emerging from a childhood of starvation with a relentless hunger for success, a talented and charming performer helping her win the Games, and he sees the ghost of his own past. And that's why he's so afraid of her! Because if he sees himself in her, then he's up against his own cunning, his own talent for manipulation, his own charisma, his own genius. He's up against the version of himself that he once wished to be, with the nightmare army of his childhood at her back and her star-crossed lover at her side, spewing Sejanus' truths in his own voice. This isn't to say that Katniss ever achieved the level of power and agency that Coriolanus did during her time with the rebellion, but it is to say that Snow was taken down by what truly terrified him - his own morality, come to finish the job.

[danyllura]

Despite Snows focus being on Katniss, I would argue Peeta played a far more of a rebellious role in his part of the “star crossed lover” during their first games than her. From the moment Cinna gets them to hold hands during the opening ceremony their pairing is shrouded in a “touch of rebellion” - we know alliances among district partners is normal/expected but it is also clear that the terms of agreement are temporary and built upon the goal of their individual survival. Peeta is the one that breaches that agreement, by pushing their relationship beyond district partners to that of “star crossed lovers” with the admittance of his crush on Katniss. It is the intent behind why he chooses what to share that is shrouded in rebellion. Early on Peeta is aware of Katniss’ potential as a tribute and beyond that he recognizes that “spark” that can make her “desirable” to others. Yes, he genuinely loves her. But he shares so not to be honest, or to make himself a sympathetic character for the capitol, but to hopefully benefit her in the arena. He pushes this further by his continuous reiterating of his feelings to the audience, during his time with the careers, alone, and then eventually with Katniss. Time and time again he displays that her survival is his ultimate goal in the games, willing to prioritize her victory over his own life. And while yes, Peeta does this because he does truly love and care about Katniss, he is intentional with his actions. He broadcasts his feelings because it benefits her. And every aspect of that goes against what the games are meant to do to people; divide them.

Comparatively, in regards to the “star crossed lovers” Katniss is much more obedient to the rules of the games. She doesn’t initially portray herself to return Peetas feelings. She plays as a solo player, and Katniss quite literally states she appears “heartless” because of this when they watch back over their time in the arena. When it’s only one promised victor and she believes Peeta to be allied with the careers, she drops a nest of tracker jackets over where Peeta is sleeping and showing she views him as any other competitor. Katniss only reciprocates the role of “star crossed lovers” when the capitol has allowed that type of alliance to work within the games. And if anything her later trick with the berries, is a scene of the capitols own making. It is a final act of desperation. Katniss’ knows Peeta is on the brink of death and it’s even a possibility for the Mutts that had just killed Cato to reappear. When she’s handing the berries to Peeta and as she spills them into her mouth, Katniss is not thinking of the significance of her choice or the potential consequences it may illicit. It’s an emotional decision, not a calculated one. In comparison, laying Rue to rest in a bed of flowers was a far more calculated act of rebellion from Katniss.

But despite all this, President Snow almost solely blames Katniss for the oncoming rebellion. And while Katniss does do many things that help initiate that spark, such as volunteering for Prim, singing to Rue, risking her life for Peeta at the feast- it isn’t that he blames, but rather her lying about loving Peeta back. Because Snow is stuck in the past with his belief that Lucy Gray tricked him into loving her. And Katniss, with her singing and her Mockinjays, is such an obvious parallel of Lucy Grays ghost- he misses the fact that Peeta has been a far more calculated player that has actively rebelled from everything the games are meant to turn you into from the moment he was reaped.

[destourtereaux]

just a little bit of hope - peeta mellark x fem!reader

⤷ summary: with katniss and gale both gone, peeta steps in as an unlikely hunting partner for y/n. ⤷ wc: 2.6k ⤷ requested? yes. see request here. ⤷ follow @lovebirdupdates and turn on notifs to be on my 'taglist'!

⤷ a/n: two things - one, peeta has dimples here, it's just how i imagine him, so please bear with me; two, pretend gale's father is alive please, i didn't think our girl would be able to support two families, no matter how strong she is.

___

The day is horridly warm, exacerbated by a heavy humidity. As you wake, hot air suffocates your surroundings, and the sun glares through the window, hung on a span of blue sky. Pushing yourself up on your elbows, your bare feet find the ground, then immediately retract. The floor is burning hot, baked by the sun. You grit your teeth and force your feet back onto the wood, ignoring the searing heat. You have things to do.

You make a bowl of porridge, watery, but edible. You drink half, and leave the rest for your mother. Your father is off to the mines already, his boots absent. You get dressed, pulling on the prettiest dress you own. You're ready. Or, as ready as one can be. 

Today, there will be no hunting with Katniss and Gale, no trading at the Hob. Today, there is only the reaping.

___

You spot Katniss at the edge of the square, gripping her sister's hand. Your friend looks nothing like she normally does. Gone are the boots and hunting jacket, replaced by a simple blouse tucked into a modest skirt. You nod grimly at her; neither of you feels like smiling.

Gale is over on the other side of the square, across from the stage they've set up. Your eyes meet, and he mouths "good luck".

After a few minutes of the routine announcements, Haymitch is introduced, then Effie. By now, the crowd has settled into an air of grimness, despite the clear blue sky overhead.

You don't hear Effie's jokes, and nobody laughs. She finally stops smiling, looking extremely awkward – you almost feel bad for her. Almost.

Then, she sticks her hand in the ball of names, each carrying a life, and pulls one out. Her smile is back on her face when she announces, "Without further ado, our female tribute is: Katniss Everdeen!"

You freeze, repeating her words in your head as if hoping they'd sound different. Your oldest friend – determined, brave Katniss, given a death sentence.

But Effie doesn't wait. Her next words are just as devastating. "And for our male tribute: Gale Hawthorne! Come on up now, dear, don't be shy."

Peacekeepers erupt through the crowd, grabbing your two best friends in the entire world by the shoulders, and forcing them up to the stage. Katniss whips her head around, looking at you with pleading eyes. You know what she's asking for.

"I'll take care of her, Katniss. I won't let her die. And you can't let yourself die, okay? Promise me. Katniss! Promise me!"

Your last words are hysterical, but ironically, Katniss is not. Having heard your commitment to Prim, she is satisfied. She yanks her arms free of the Peacekeepers and walks by herself, her head held high and her face serene.

You grab Prim's hand. Her whole body is shaking, wracked with sobs. You don't hear Effie's last words, but you know what they are.

"May the odds be ever in your favor."

___

It's been two weeks since the reaping which stole your best friends. It's shocking how quickly you fell back into routine, as if nothing has even changed. The only indicator of their absence is an added part of your day: splitting your earnings between your family and Prim's.

There are now double the mouths to feed, so you spend double the hours in the forest hunting. Villagers are sympathetic – that may be the only reason you're all still alive. They love Prim, and they trust you. Everything you hunt manages to be traded.

But still, you're cracking. It's just too much, and you don't know if it'll ever get better. You have no idea what Katniss and Gale are going through right now, and you don't let yourself think of them. It would break your heart.

___

Peeta Mellark has always been observant. His teachers told his parents this, back when he was a child. It's this trait that makes him notice you. The girl with the weight of the world on her shoulders, killing herself day after day to provide for not one, but two whole families.

He doesn't understand how no one else sees it. But maybe they do – it's just that no one in District 12 is really in a position to do anything about it. Still, the fact remains that you're close to breaking. You can't keep doing this alone.

Peeta Mellark has never been brave. His mother yells at him, beats him, and he takes it. He has never talked back to teachers, or dared disobey the Peacekeepers. So when he offers to hunt with you, he surprises even himself.

"What?"

"I'm Peeta Mellark. We were in the same class, and my parents run the bakery. I was wondering if I'd be able to hunt with you?"

So you weren't hallucinating. The baker's son – a boy you didn't think could kill a fly – had just asked to hunt with you. Your shock translates into a small laugh, not that anything about the situation is funny, really. Hurt flashes in Peeta's eyes, and you quickly backtrack.

"I'm sorry, that was rude. I'm Y/N L/N, I know who you are. I just didn't think you'd be the hunting type," you explain. Because you're gentle, and kind, and I've never seen you hurt anyone, with your words or physically. But you don't add that last part. 

"I've only ever hunted with Katniss and Gale, you must know them, they were reaped this year." Your voice cracks a bit with those last words, and Peeta acknowledges the fact with a nod. His hand twitches; he wants to pat you on the back, or grip your shoulder, anything to stop the melancholy leaking into your eyes, but he doesn't.

"But you're welcome to join me," you end with a smile that doesn't quite reach your eyes.

___

The new partnership starts early the following day. You meet a groggy Peeta near his home, and the two of you begin the walk to the Meadow.

You hear no electrical hum from the fencing, which means it's safe to touch, and you guide Peeta across the boundary which separates the Seam from the forest. This is all illegal, you know, but you're too used to it to even notice. Peeta, on the other hand, feels an exhilarating sense of rebellion as he crosses the barbed wire, following your figure into the woods.

"You've never hunted before, have you?" you probe, although it's more of a confirmation than an actual question.

Peeta nods. "But I'm a quick learner. And I won't get in your way, I promise."

You smile, a genuine one this time. "We'll see about that, Mellark."

Over the next hour, you go over all the traps you had set from the day before, collecting from Katniss and Gale's traps as well. True to his word, Peeta picks it up quickly, and even has a great eye for camouflaging the traps. This becomes his task, using grass and twigs and flowers as his medium, painting a deceptive scene which looks safe and welcoming to the many squirrels and rabbits in these parts.

You also start him on foraging. Only one type of berry is poisonous in the Meadow, and it's easy to identify. You make sure he's clear on which to avoid, and leave him to it, while you head to the hollowed out tree where you've hidden your knives. The familiar sight of Katniss' bow and arrows within the trunk brings a pang in your heart. You leave them nestled within and retrieve only your daggers. You were never a good archer.

Another hour passes, and you return to Peeta with a deer. You're happier than you have been in weeks – this will be enough for almost a week's worth of food. Peeta is not empty-handed either, he has two buckets of progress, one filled with strawberries, the other with raspberries. He gives you a soft smile – he has dimples, you think. He then immediately turns a faint shade of green, having noticed the dead deer. 

You're seized with the desire to laugh, "Why'd you offer to hunt with me if you get queasy from the sight of game?"

He looks at you with an indignant pout, and you can't stop the giggle that tumbles out, then the full on laughter. 

"I'm not like this with all game, just, you know, the larger animals. I can look at dead squirrels just fine – stop laughing!"

Making your way back, within the District, you stop just outside of the fence to split your gatherings.

"Take the squirrels and rabbits, and the bucket of raspberries. I'll keep the deer and trade the strawberries with the mayor," you offer.

"No, you take it all," he crosses the barrier carrying the buckets, and you follow after him, shaking your head.

"I can't, Peeta. That wouldn't be right. This is a fair split."

"I never said I wanted to keep what we hunt. Only that I wanted to hunt with you, Y/N. Take it. I know you need it more than I do. I'll see you next weekend?"

And with that, he pops a strawberry in his mouth, smiling at the sweetness, and walks away.

You're left with your mouth open, unable to process what had just happened.

___

The next morning, you show up at the bakery. His bakery. You earned a few dollars from selling your strawberries to the mayor, and you figure that if Peeta won't take anything, you should buy from him instead.

A few dollars is enough for two loaves of good bread, and so you head to the bread aisle. But your gaze catches on the beautiful cakes on display, decorated with multi-colored icing and swirling script written in melted chocolate.

"I did those," comes a voice from behind you.

Whipping your head around, you see Peeta himself, looking at the cakes with fondness and a bit of pride.

"You did what?"

"The cakes. I decorated them. My mom bakes, but I decorate. I like doing it – it's like painting, just on a different canvas."

"They're really lovely. You have a talent for it," you confirm, "I bet that's why you were so good at hiding traps yesterday. You can see nature's patterns."

He gives you a soft smile in return, and you can see the dimples again. They're adorable, you think. I want to see them every day.

He gives a small cough, looking at you questioningly.

You startle, and blush a deep crimson. "Sorry, I lost my train of thought. I'm here to buy bread. Two loaves," you say as you lower your head to stare down at the ground, refusing to meet his eyes.

It's only when you hear a chuckle that you lift your head back up. Peeta's eyes are sparkling, and his dimples are clear as ever.

"I'll give you three."

___

Two months after the reaping, your partnership with Peeta is still going strong. Every Saturday, the two of you head to the woods, and spend half the day fishing, gathering, and hunting. Originally silent company has evolved into true friendship, with witty banter, fleeting touches, and shared smiles.

You have come to know Peeta Mellark. He isn't just the baker's son, the one who decorates cakes and hates seeing dead animals. He's the boy who saved you, when no one even knew that you needed saving. 

Day after day, he has shown up, offering kindness, companionship, and warmth, without expecting anything in return. You care about him more than you thought you could ever care about someone who wasn't family. You care about his messy blond hair, and you care about his broad shoulders. You care about his blue eyes which sparkle when he tells a joke, and his beautiful heart which leads him to give the occasional customer an extra free loaf. Most of all, you care about his dimples, which come out when he smiles at you. You care so much about him, that it scares you.

And Peeta cares about you. He cares about your hands, calloused but nimble, lethal when holding onto your twin daggers. He cares about your face, how it glows when you laugh at his jokes in the woods, but dims a bit when you're back in the district. He cares about your hair, always tied in a ponytail when in the Meadow, but left to flow freely down your shoulders when hunting's over. Most of all, he cares about your smile, which comes out when Prim thanks you week after week for your help, and forces you to take bottles of goat milk and pet Buttercup. He cares so much about you, that it scares him.

___

This hunting day, Peeta comes with news from the Capitol. A few weeks back, he started giving you updates on the Games, after you told him that you couldn't stomach the thought of watching your friends fight to the death.

"Y/N! Good news!" he greets, exiting the bakery. As the two of you begin your walk, he adds, "I'll tell you when we get to the Meadow."

"You're insufferable, Mellark. You can't just hook me like that, and not tell me what it is."

Peeta doesn't answer, so you start walking twice as fast, ushering him toward the edge of the Seam so you could figure out what exactly he wanted to tell you.

Once in the grassy plains of the Meadow, between the forest and the fence, you turn back to the boy, the impatience evident in your face.

"Tell me, Peeta, or I swear I'll –"

"Alright, alright," he laughs, "but it's not really good news, per se. It's just a little bit of hope."

You nod, urging him to continue.

"It's about the Games. About Katniss and Gale."

The last traces of your smile fade. Concern is etched onto your face, and your eyebrows scrunch up, your jaw tightens.

Noticing this, Peeta pulls you in by the waist, so that your head lands on his shoulder. "It's good news, Y/N. Don't look so defeated. They're both still alive, and they're fighting."

"But at least one of them won't be coming back," you whisper into his neck, so quietly you wonder if he even heard. But Peeta always hears you.

"Y/N. That's the news. They could both come back. Caesar Flickerman has just announced that they will be changing the rules this year – allowing two victors of the Games, provided they're tributes from the same district!"

You look up at him in awe. A change to the Games. Katniss and Gale, not one or the other. Both could win. Both could come back.

You choke down a sob, staring at Peeta's brilliant smile and those mesmerizing dimples. And before you can process what you're doing, you wrap your arms around his neck and press your lips to his in a bout of bravery.

Peeta's frozen for a second, before he begins to reciprocate the kiss in earnest. He pulls you in, one hand holding your neck and the other wrapped around your torso, pressing himself impossibly closer. He tastes like icing and strawberries, and you can smell the comforting scent of warm bread.

The kiss ends far too quickly for your liking, and you're suddenly impossibly shy, all bravado gone. You lower your eyes so you won't have to meet his eyes, but realize that you're practically sitting on his lap, having moved there at some point during the kiss. This observation brings a flaming blush onto your cheeks, and you scramble to move away, but you're held in place by Peeta's arms, forming an iron-tight cage around your figure.

He brings a hand to your chin, lifting it up, and kisses you again, more gently this time.

"Don't go all shy on me now, Y/L/N," he teases, and holds the back of his hand against your forehead, as if feeling for a fever. "You're burning up, darling."

"You know damn well that's not a fever–", you start, but you're cut off by his laughter, and once again distracted by those dimples of his. 

Maybe Peeta was right. Maybe there is just a little bit of hope left for you.

___

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[sanjarka]

no because when you take away katniss and peeta's love story katniss's choices make no sense or are transformed into something they're not. everything starts for prim but she didn't almost kill herself with the berries for prim. it was for peeta. how do you make sense of the quell, and everyone protecting peeta if you don't get that yes, katniss does love him and will not cooperate if his protection is not guaranteed. there is no consistency in their story. and then there's the fact that the main motivator in katniss accepting the role of the "mockingjay" is, again, peeta's rescue and safety. a movie is a movie and it's different tool for storytelling but a good adaptations works with the book not against it.

[sameschmidtdiffname]

I’m so fond of Soft for her Loved Ones Katniss and a Peeta who knows his grumpy wife is the soft one. I think that he always knew she was soft since he saw her with Prim, and that was part of him realizing she loved him. “She lets me get away with murder and my smile and baby blues get me anything”.

On a serious note, I do feel like during their growing back together period, Katniss is just so incredibly gentle and careful with Peeta when she can be. Like when they get close enough they're back to spending every day (every hour, every minute) together again Peeta has to barely suggest something before Katniss is up and running to get it for him. He nics himself once with an exacto knife during a project and Katniss is suddenly all "Doctor Everdeen" again and Peeta 'never had genuine care and affection growing up' Mellark, who somewhat remembers how she used to care for him pre-hijacking, is just slowly melting at every fret and touch, just watching her care with the biggest, lovesick puppy eyes he's ever had because it was tortured out of him to remember how nice it feels to be genuinely cared for.

I feel like this is even more exaggerated by the fact that after Mockingjay Katniss and Peeta I think switch some aspects of their personality. Like I would imagine Peeta is more akin to Katniss at the beginning of the series with falling in love now because he's very skeptical even though he can now remember how he used to feel, but that's like a completely different person in his head almost, so it's more a theory than a memory. So everytime Katniss is kind or loving to him at first he's nice about everything while internally semi distrustful of the whole thing, and definitely not fond of the idea of allowing himself to be vulnerable. Meanwhile Katniss has switched to needing validation and affection so bad it hurts, but knowing she can't demand it because that's not fair to Peeta so she just pours as much love as she feels she's allowed into all of her actions without trying to reveal her state of longing for him because she's just glad he's returned to her period. It doesn't have to be romantic.

I also feel like this would apply to when Katniss has nightmares and Peeta eventually begins comforting her via physical touch. I think it would be extremely obvious how touch starved Katniss is post-Mockingjay even though she tries to hide it for Peetas sake, and eventually Peeta just can't handle not doing whatever he can to help ease her mind, even if it's just holding her hand (which helps a lot) until all the subdued feelings just come pouring out that night they finally confess while tangled in their bedsheets.

Once they're well settled into their relationship? Peeta is 1000% abusing his husband privileges. One time he's three days into a painting project, there's acrylics all over the floor and Katniss tries to clean up but Peeta is insistent that it's fine because once they dry he can just scrape them off the floor with a washcloth. No, really honey, I used to do this all the time, as he pushes her quickly out the door of his study because he's way too invested to chit-chat and wants her to be surprised by the work anyways (he likes the praise from her seeing it go from a rough sketch to a full blown painting, especially since it's turned into a where's Waldo situation of her looking for themselves in his paintings.) And then he goes to clean up the paint himself only to realize this is really nice paint that has stained really nice Capitol-grade imported wood and it is not coming out. Katniss is fully aware of what happened the minute Peeta comes home rambling quickly about these "wonderful rugs Effie had" and "I just had to get one for the house" because "It's good luck" and he'll tell her about it some other time, he's gotta get this rug upstairs. Ignore any bumps you hear! (She does not. The bump is Peeta falling down the stairs cuz his prosthetic glitched and between the giant woven rug and his natural clumsiness that fucker went down.) But she doesn't say anything because he has this stupid smile as he presents her with three paintings and a basket of cheese rolls because he just loves her so much, that's all.

Then there's one time a load of laundry goes missing and Peeta is just insistent that the clothes must be in some odd corner unwashed, even though she could've sworn she put that load in the wash. So for two weeks straight she's just constantly thinking about this load, sometimes getting out of bed in the midst of the night when she can't sleep anyways to look for the damn clothes because they're obviously somewhere. Clothes don't move. But then her husband starts asking her to give up, they'll pop up sooner or later, and she's starting to wonder why he's baking so much bread. Like, lots of bread. Bread with cheese, or honey, or nuts. Just constantly kneading dough in their kitchen while chewing on his bottom lip, lost in thought. And at first she's convinced she's actually losing it. Maybe she's starting to have black out episodes. Is that even possible? To do something and just have absolutely no memory of the event at all? What if she starts hurting people during these episodes? What if she's already hurting people while she's in these episodes?? And that's why Peeta is so nervous now???

She's got an appointment with Dr. Aurelius next week, she'll bring it up to him. Peeta is definitely hiding something from her. But then one day after she comes home from her hunting trip, longing for her favorite sweater instead of the one she's wearing today, Peeta is beaming in the kitchen saying he found the load and it's all washed and hung up in the closet. "Oh, it was just behind the washer! Who knows how it got there."

Except Katniss knows she checked behind the washer. Three times, actually. And Peeta doesn't smile like that naturally. So she's not crazy, and Peeta has got something going on. So, when they go to bed that night, Katniss waits for three hours before she finally slips out of bed, knowing he's too konked out at this point to notice her missing and sneaks into his study to see what all could be in there. And after an hour of looking, she doesn't find anything, and now she feels bad for suspecting something and going through her husband's things. She's about to click off the light when she notices a bottle of oil paint missing in a set she'd bought for Peeta a little while ago for his birthday. And things start clicking together. Because first off, he doesn't go through paints that fast. Second off, even if he does, he never throws away the bottles. Like, ever. There is an entire drawer filled with empty bottles and such of paint and other supplies partially because Peeta needs to remember the names or brands, and partially because Peeta hates the idea of potentially wasting something unless he is fully convinced it's done. Which he never is.

It takes one day before he confesses, and when he does it's because Katniss casually mentions how her favorite sweater doesn't seem to have an old snag from when her ring caught on the yarn and nearly ripped a hole in the arm. And that's how she finds out Peeta accidently left a poorly closed bottle of azure blue paint in his pants pocket and not even Effie had been able to save the load, so she helped him reorder everything. Thus why he's been stress baking. And Katniss is way too entertained to be mad because at this point, there's no better reprimand than the one Peeta has given himself.

But idk tho. I don't think about them much :)

[artist-issues]

THE END of the Hunger Games is flawless.

The ending paragraph of "The Hunger Games" is so perfect. It so totally wraps up the whole point and takeaway of the books, and every character's journey, and nails it.

First off, the paragraph's context is about what you teach your children. Children, who are seen as the most precious treasure any person can handle in the book--treasures that can be turned into weapons and used against the treasurers. Children, who can bring down corrupt authority or keep it in place. So first off, a paragraph that addresses how important teaching children is is the best context for this perfect paragraph.

Second, Katniss is specifically teaching them what? "how I survive," which is her entire being. She makes every decision based on survival. She volunteers for Prim and doesn't kill Peeta in the first Games and chooses not to be with Gale and chooses to play her part against Snow all because she can't survive in a world where the alternative outcomes happen. Plus, survival is what other characters base their decisions on, too. 13 doesn't nuke the Capitol because it might ruin humanity's chances at survival. Hunger is the central plot device used to give Katniss all her skills, because without food, you don't what? Survive. Even "love" in these books is only another tool for survival; it makes suffering worthwhile, and purpose visible, and loss surmountable, and nightmares endurable, for every character. Finnick, Peeta, Katniss, Katniss' mother, even Buttercup the cat. The point of the book's lesson is "how to survive."

Third, the thing that could ruin love and pleasure's usefulness as a tool for survival is fear. But specific fear--"I'm afraid it could be taken away." It's fear that something you love, which makes survival worthwhile, could be taken away, and with it goes survival itself. The whole Hunger Games demonstrate that--"you rebelled against us? Then we're showing you that we can take away your children, the things that make survival worthwhile." And you know what? That's the dividing line between Katniss and Snow. Both Katniss and Coryo have survival as their ultimate goal, and have fear of the things they love being taken from them. For Katniss, it's the good opinion of the people of 12, it's her life with her sister and mom, it's the freedom from owing anyone anything, it's food and the ability to feed herself. For Coryo? It's his family name and reputation, his cousin and grandmother, his legacy, and his ability to never return to the cannibalism of the war. The fear of losing those things that they love is what could drive them to take no pleasure in them. To be afraid forever--and with fear comes the never-enough desire for control. To hang on to those things long after you've forgotten to take pleasure in them. Katniss almost does this with marrying Peeta or running from 12 or even becoming the Mockingjay. She's so afraid of losing what she loves that she jumps through hoops to control hanging onto them: does what Snow says, then does what Gale says, then does what Coin says. Plays a part in each of their games, to try and control the outcome. Coryo actually does do this, and for a while, has enough power to make that control almost universal. All because of fear of the things that he used to take pleasure in being taken from him.

Fourth, the alternative to focusing on the fear and the very-real danger of losing everything--is "focusing on every act of goodness I've seen someone do." This is just faith. Because it's true that the world of Panem (and the world in general) is full of people who are so afraid of losing control over what they love that they kill children and mutate nature to keep up the game, the illusion that they're in control. What you love could be taken from you. The world's full of that. But. The world also has unconditional love in it. People like Peeta, who saw that Katniss would kill him for her own survival in the first Hunger Games, but still chose to sacrifice for her anyway. People like Finnick, who loses everything including his mind, his body, and the things he loves most, but still gives Katniss the only rope he's got that's holding him together, just because he sees she needs it. Focus on that truth, instead of the simultaneous-truth that the it could all be taken away, and you'll have faith, not fear. You'll give up control and just enjoy what goodness you can. And when you do that, nobody can take it from you--not in spirit. Just like nobody could take Peeta's love for Katniss from him.

Finally, "it's like a game." To make a set of rules for yourself, a set of responses to the darkness of the world like making a list of things to focus on exclusively, is a game. It is a type of control--but it's just control of your own thoughts. Carefully using the game so that, in the arena of your brain, the love-shaped tribute is victor over the fear-shaped tribute. So that that battle stays in your head, instead of breaking out into a war that destroys what made your life worth surviving in the first place. Controlling what is your responsibility to control, instead of playing God and trying to control what's not yours. Drawing a line between what's good and what's bad, and staying firmly on one side of it without justification for crossing it.

That's why The Hunger Games is so good. Not because it has interesting dystopian settings, or because Gale and Peeta are hot and the romantic tension of the love triangle lets us self-insert ourselves. (Like other, worse YA fiction.)

No, The Hunger Games is so good because every part of it, from the characters to the setting to the symbolism to the names to the pacing to the development to the mood to the twists in the narrative, is used to uphold that main point. The main point that's so succinctly, cleanly, beautifully made in the last paragraph of the book.

[wistfulweaverwoman]

WIP Wednesday

Thank you for the tag from @mollywog and @waywardangel-wilds !!

The purple-grey mountain beckons invitingly. To slip into her frigid mists, be enfolded into her permanent embrace, would be a sweet escape.

The death of prim still doesn’t feel real. What started as just a cough eventually became a pertinacious infection of the lungs. Her mother applied every type of remedy available for weeks. Katniss roamed the woods beyond the boundaries of the district in search of rare herbs and roots that her mother could concoct a magical potion or plaster to save Prim. The effort simply prolonged her life. The only true cure was beyond their reach; without the expensive medicines from the capital the fever took her sister.

Mrs. Everdeen slipped back into the melancholia that had nearly killed them all when her father had died so many years before. This time Katniss was there to provide food and herbs. Rarely her mother would rouse enough to be tempted to try to eat or take the medicine that she desperately needed. But her mother could not revive herself fully, not for Katniss alone. She was found beside an empty vial of devil's cherry, a tincture her mother used to sedate her patients if there was no sleep syrup to be had.

Katniss doesn’t think she can ever forgive her for this final abandonment. What is left but the years stretching ahead, full of emptiness and pain? Who is she without her family to support? What is her purpose? It had been to keep them alive. She’s failed, and there’s nothing left for her in this world, not now that the person that she loves most is gone.

Loves, for her love for Prim is in the present, even though she’s been gone nearly a year. That love hasn’t died, and lives on in Katniss. But that love has nowhere to go, so it festers like a black wound, the pain consuming her like a cancer.

There’s nothing more to be done but to slide under the fence into the woods one final time.

The soft sound of frozen weeds crushed beneath booted feet pulls her. A solid presence halts beside her, close enough that she feels almost warm on that side of her body. Her eyes flick sideways surreptitiously. Peeta Mellark, the baker’s youngest son, is there at her elbow, staring at her mountain. His normally relaxed face edged with unease.

Nearly eight years before Peeta saved Katniss and her family, a great kindness, but she had never been able to thank him, and worse she had never been able to repay him. He had saved their lives. They had been starving, and he fed her, and in turn her family, and he’d taken a beating from his mother for his trouble.

It’s plagued Katniss for years, this feeling of owing. What could she do now that she is nothing, and no one? She should at least thank him for his kindness.

But just like every other time she attempted to say something, anything, words escape her.

Peter clears his throat

“You don’t want to marry Gale Hawthorne?” he says, still not looking at Katniss. His tone is inquisitive, yet disbelieving.

She startles. She didn’t know what he was going to say. Anything anyone seems to have said to her in a long time has been some kind of condolence or apology, meaningless words that couldn’t possibly soften the wreckage of her existence. It seems they two are beyond the normal niceties, though they’ve never had a single conversation with the other.

“No,” Katniss says, dully. “Gail wants things I can’t give him.”

“What does Gale want?” Peeta says. “He must be asking for a lot.” There’s something in his voice that almost causes her to mentally crack a smile. Without knowing her he’s somehow indignant on her behalf.

With not a little weariness she notes that she doesn’t bristle at the intrusive questions as she normally would, and vaguely wonders if it’s her apathy or his charm that has disarmed her.

“Everything,” she says, nearly whispering, too nothing to feel the resentment or anger or frustration that she knows she ought from all of Gale's attempts at convincing her in a hundred different ways to yield. Peeta doesn’t ask her to elaborate, and they both stand side by side staring out into the wilds. Katniss tries to think of some way to bring up the bread, or really anything.

“Can I do anything for you?” she says. He turns towards her finally.

“Anything… for me?” he says, confused. She doesn’t look at him.

“I never thanked you for the bread,” she says, explaining.

“The bread?” he says. “From when we were kids?”

“Yes… is there anything I can do?” she says.

“Marry me,” he says hesitantly.

“What!?” she says, whirling to face him. “How dare you make fun?”

“I’m not, I swear,” he says, holding up his hands placatingly. “Look, you asked me if you could do anything for me? Marry me.” He shrugs.

“Why?” she says.

“You need a home,” he says.

“What do you get out of this?” she says, suspicious.

“I thought that’d be obvious,” he says with a half cocked grin. Face heating Katniss starts to turn on her heel with a scoff.

“You can hunt,” he says, hurriedly. She pauses. He wants to marry her for her ability to hunt? It’s not quite the same, two loaves of bread does not equal a marriage, but two loaves of bread and three lives… still, it doesn’t make sense; he’s a merchant, she’s sure he’s never had any hollow days.

“I grew up eating mostly stale bread, the stuff no one will buy,” he says, reading her expression. “You get a roof and I get to eat more squirrel.”

[anakin-vaders]

The role of Fashion in The Hunger Games saga a brief analysis.

Ok now with the hunger games renaissance we need to discuss the role Cinna plays in the whole series, and the role of fashion in the hunger games. I read this series when I was 11-12 years old, I grew to become a very, very queer fashion designer (I work for drag queens), I didn't think I truly understood how much THG series impacted me until very recently when I saw/read the whole series again. Like yes, Suzanne Collins makes the Capitol this shallow society, putting a real effort in making their citizens be superficial only caring about their looks, looking super extravangant and absolutely disconnected from the suffering of the districts. While their looks are vibrant, large, shimmery, and totally over the top (showcasing their opulence) the way they dress on the districts (specially 12 and 13) is minimalist, modest, the colors are washed, old. Their each other's antithesis. And of course Katniss expects only that from the people of the Capitol (classic Us vs. Them), and when Cinna, whom I think is very queer coded, comes in, and treats her like a human being, she starts to let her walls down, to let herself be guided trough this horrible thing she's got to endure. In the books when Cinna and his team are pampering her, she doesn't see herself as a symbol, she never really wanted to be one, she feels really dehumanized. Her only motivation upon this point is surviving and get back to Prim on her home, she still thinks everything on the Capitol in stupid and unnecessary. It's only when Cinna puts them in this very intricate and thought out looks inspired by their district industry (coal mining) that I think Katniss starts to understand the power of fashion, the power of symbols.

And later in her interview with Caesar we have the infamous red dress that catches fire and that lefts the audience gagged (if any of y'all have been to a drag show you know how amazing a good reveal is). This moment is so important because now fashion doesn't become something merely functional, or oppressive. Fashion is empowering, this moment is Katniss getting confidence in herself, asserting herself over her circumstances thanks to Cinna, thanks to fashion. It's also very brilliant because this is also catered to the Capitol, to the viewers and consumers of the games. One of the first things Haymitch tells Katniss is to make herself desirable, and this totally makes sense, the Capitol now roots for her, relate to her, so that later she can get sponsors and SURVIVE.

On Catching Fire we have another iconic fashion moment, fire is a very present theme for Katniss. She is of course the spark for the rebellion, and when she understood it, the message not only becomes clearer, it becomes a protest against the games, against the Capitol. The way she and Peeta are almost regal their second time on the games, shows how much she's understood the power of fashion, the power of the message it can send. They look like a piece of coal refusing to cool, refusing to stop burning. And this was all Cinna's mind.

And my absolute favorite. The wedding dress, such and iconic moment and dare I say, a pivotal moment for the rebellion. In the books Katniss and Peeta are doomed to keep their fake relationship for PR reasons, so they get engaged, and make their whole wedding (bear in mind they're both 17 ish here) a reality show-esque moment for the Capitol. Even after they've won, they still have to entertain them, a winner can never rest. The districts are never winners. So when Snow decides to make his personal quest that of making Katniss miserable, thus making his All Star version of the games, knowing district 12 only has 1 female winner...oh if that isn't some evil shit. On top of that, he is the one who request she wears her wedding dress to the interview, the dress that symbolizes all she never wanted (get married, have kids, loose her agency, being controlled by the Capitol). Snow does this hopping Katniss feels ALL THAT, and Cinna being the genius designer he fucking is, turns a 180 on it and gets the wedding dress as a façade, he uses the dress as a symbol of the tragic lovers that never got to wed, the wedding the Capitol never got to see because of the games. And it works. It fucking works.

And then, the dress burns up revealing a beautiful black dress with wings, a mockingjay, she literally becomes the rebellion, she embodies the rebellion and all that comes with it. The power of fashion in the middle of an uprising, and how much it strikes the Capitol because it's said in their language. All of these moments were essential in the history because the people on the districts already knew about the injustices, about the hardships of their conditions. But the consumers didn't. And Cinna, trough Katniss made them see that, he took everything that made the Capitol shallow and gave actual meaning to it. And without of all of it, who knows if the rebellion would've gestated as fast.

TL;DR: the hunger games saga made me a fashion designer, and fashion is really important in the story, dare I say it's a really clever use of fashion and Cinna is a FUCKING genius.

[littlemarianah]

Modern AU - Peeta invites Katniss to go to an amusement park with him

Peeta hears that Katniss has never been to an amusement park in her life, he is shocked because his family usually goes to one every year during the holidays. For him it's even boring.

When a modest amusement park opens in the small town where they live, Peeta takes courage and decides to invite his friend, Katniss Everdeen, that he has a secret crush on.

Peeta's mother only lets him go on the condition that his middle brother goes with him, which sucks. So Katniss suggests whether her little sister can come along.

"Yeah, for sure!" Peeta says. Maybe a little disappointed not to be alone with her for a whole afternoon.

At the park, they create small competitions to see who does best in the games on the park.

Katniss is excellent at aiming and wins several teddy bears for Prim. She wins every game they play, she can be good at everything and Peeta finds this completely attractive.

He only gets an advantage in the strength test, which he does just to impress her. Rye says he'll try too and hits too weakly, Peeta knows he knows he can do better. From the sideways glance Rye gives Peeta, he can see that his brother is trying to make Peeta look stronger to impress the girl. It's humiliatingly embarrassing.

And Katniss doesn't seem at all impressed.

They decide to go for rides and Peeta chooses one first. He pick the pirate ship. Well it looks chill and fun, since she's never been to anything like it. But Katniss feels butterflies in her belly and squeals when the ship moves quickly downwards. She leans into Peeta and grabs his hand tightly, and he also feels butterflies in his stomach, but for a different reason.

He really feels like the happiest guy in the world, he can't hide a small smile of satisfaction. A girl sheltering in his arms? Oh, how lucky he is. He should have called her to the haunted house if that was the case.

Rye chuckles and Peeta rolls his eyes. He knows he will tell everyone about it later. His brothers never leave him alone about girls.

Katniss thinks Peeta is making fun of her.

Prim really wants to go on the carousel, the line is long. Rye suggests waiting with her and Katniss thinks it's weird.

"I'm really a fan of carousels, you know?" Rye says and Peeta almost dies of embarrassment at how obvious he is.

In the end, they get some alone time and they are both relieved to spend time away from their siblings' eyes.

Peeta suggests to go on the Ferris wheel this time, which isn't anything scary. They grab some cotton candy to eat on the way.

They enter and the wheel slowly rises until they reach the sky. Katniss seems to enjoy it more this time, as she looks into the distance at the city lights as night falls.

She is beautiful. Olive skin and black hair down her neck in a braid. Peeta can look at her up close, see her moles on her cheek and her almond-shaped lips.

The couple in the front cabin of theirs is aggressively making out. Katniss and Peeta chuckle awkwardly.

"Well, they must find the place romantic." Katniss says and Peeta agrees with bright eyes. Then she realizes that he also finds it romantic and that his looks at her all night may have a reason.

So she kisses him, without thinking much, she just does it. Feel the taste of cotton candy on his lips. Incredibly sweet. She feels Peeta's body tremble against her lips and she trembles just like him when he puts his hand on her waist.

He feels like the luckiest boy to ever walk the earth.

They return to the carousel and on the time to see Peeta's brother, a grown man, sitting on a little horse. Katniss and Peeta laugh at the scene.

Night falls and Peeta's mother is completely annoying about curfews. They say goodbye and go home.

On the way home Rye asks "Hey? Did you kiss her or not?"

"no" Peeta says with a shrug, he wants to keep the victory just for himself.

"You will never lose your virginity like that"

[thgfanfictionlibrary]

E Rated Fics Masterlist (51)

Part 1 -Part 47 / Part 48 / Part 49 / Part 50 /

Created: May 27th, 2024

Last Checked:-----

The Highest Bidder-ktface3 (songbird3724) (ao3) Summary: Katniss Everdeen, the sole victor of the 74th annual Hunger Games, is sold into prostitution to keep her family safe. Her first buyer? A young Captiol celebrichef named Peeta Mellark. The Lies That Bind Us-katnissdoesnotfollowback (ao3) Summary: Katniss has a lot to deal with. School, competitive archery, her roommate with an interesting bucket list, and her boyfriend that no one knows about. The Midnight Train-katnissdoesnotfollowback (ao3) Summary: Desperation breeds desperate acts. Katniss makes a deal to protect her sister from the reaping, with no idea of how far-reaching the consequences will be. The Piercing-LemonLuvGirl (ao3) Summary: 23 year old Katniss Everdeen is one of the Capitol’s premier marksman trainers for the Peacekeeper Core. She trains the best Peacekeeper recruits in various districts, but she lives permanently in the Capitol. It’s on one of her return home visits one year that she meets the newest Victor of the Hunger Games, Peeta Mellark. He’s a shy, sweet 16 year old who’s innocence reminds her of everything she’s lost over the years working for and living in the Capitol. When he asks her out she says no. Two years later they meet again and Peeta is almost nothing like what she remembered. The Reconstruction of a Heart-IzzySamson (ao3) Summary: The Civil War is over and has left the country in ruins, just as Katniss's life was. The young widow had the weight of the world on her shoulders. She had a farm to run and a family to raise all on her own. Help arrives in the form of her late husband's comrade, Peeta Mellark. Can they help heal each other or will Katniss make good on her promise to never love and marry again? The Unopened Door-IzzySamson (ao3) Summary: Canon Fic. Katniss has been back in District 12 for almost a year, she and Peeta are slowly growing back together, but they are in a somewhat grey area as to what their relationship truly is. One morning Katniss finds a door that will open a whole new world up to them. Lemons and fluffiness. Yeah, I know, it's been done a lot, but this one has got a twist Unsinkable-JHsgf82 (ao3) Summary: At Prim's behest, and in hopes of getting a promotion, Katniss Everdeen attends a weekend work retreat on her billionaire boss's yacht. Little does she know, she'll meet a charming, mysterious man who knows his way around the ship's galley, and he may just sweep her off her feet. Wannabe-JLaLa (ao3) Summary: Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen are hiding their relationship from her twin brother, Gale. However, it won’t be easy when their group of friends is finagled into doing an unforgettable assembly performance. A Hunger Games High School AU. Mature themes. When I Go-Lbug84, MockingJayFlyingFree (ao3) Summary: Peeta and Katniss struggle to find home in each other, as he continues to deal with his parents' abuse and she still mourns her late husband, Gale. Where the Stars Crumble to Life-katnissdoesnotfollowback (ao3) Summary: Earth has collapsed. Separated from her family in the chaos, Katniss Everdeen escapes on one of the last lifeboats to leave the planet. After a harrowing journey, she has arrived alone on a strange new planet, a penal colony now turned refugee camp. As she attempts to build a new life, she comes to realize that while she might have escaped the destruction of her planet, she cannot escape her past. Or the person she loved beyond her own life and the stars themselves.

[vasilissadragomir]

GIRL! What you mean you also writing about katniss's period in your fanfic too. Please tell me more about it, I'd love to know!

LMAO okay sooooo without spoiling too much i just think that it’s very important for katniss to experience her body operating as normal for literally the first time in her life. even before the games/the incomprehensibly stressful circumstances of catching fire/the war she was malnourished. perhaps not as badly as most others in the seam, or even in the town bc it seems meat was hard to come by even for peacekeepers and merchants, but she absolutely was underfed and lacking essential nutrients. so even if she was getting a period, like you said, it most certainly wasn’t quite normal or regular.

but periods aren’t just about actual bleeding or physical symptoms, ofc. her body likely never experienced the full breadth of hormonal fluctuation people go through during a healthy menstrual cycle. we know katniss is often moody and irritable because a) she’s a teenager b) she’s starving and c) she’s stressed out of her mind in constant survival mode, but she’s almost always in control. what happens when her hormones, allowed to function for the first time as they’re meant to, take control of her body like they do for most teenagers w periods? especially with all the emotional upheaval of the war and losing prim, i bet experiencing pms for the first time sends her into a tailspin. she’s probably crying a lot, eating a lot, and feels like everything is coming apart around her at the littlest things. which, compounded with the ptsd and grief, and the first time lack of need to be in survival mode, is overwhelming and causes her to act impulsively.

not to mention, of course, why we get periods in the first place. how does peeta’a presence interact with her body’s discovery of its normal function, especially this function? we know they grow back together. we know she feels that thing again. we know so after. but what happens between those things? it’s implied that katniss and peeta are at least kissing before so after. what is it that motivates katniss to kiss him back, beyond, of course, love? katniss likes kissing. she says when she’s kissing gale that it reminds her that her body’s alive. what is it like for her to kiss the person she actually loves when her body is healthy enough to urge her on?

now, of course katniss knows about periods, their symptoms, and sex/pregnancy. a pet peeve i have in fics is when people act like katniss doesn’t know about this stuff because she’s “pure” or, frankly, because readers see district 12 as backwards and uneducated or something. but katniss’ mom is an apothecary. katniss absolutely knows the clinical ins and outs of puberty. but at the same time, i bet she never really expected all that stuff to happen to *her* the way it does to other people. she’s always been in control while in district 12 up until the end of the war. why would something like a hormonal shake-up change that? i don’t think she’ll recognize what’s happening to her (im shocked by it every month, and ive had a semi-regular period for more of my life than not and i knew what to expect from like age 5). when she does realize it, she’ll likely be in denial about it.

i also think this is a great opportunity for katniss and her mom to bond and begin to repair their relationship. because for the first time, katniss actually will, palpably, *need* her mom and her expertise in a way she hasn’t in over five years.

[di-daynamic]

Okay so I saw you on a post talking about giving fanfic recs, and I was like “I am always looking for more of my favorite trope, maybe I should poke them”

I am always on the lookout for some good platonic Yandere stuff. That dynamic where some person shows up and does morally dubious things in the name of the person they love.

I have read so much of this, and am always looking for more. I’ve scoured the “vault time” tag in the MHA fandom, read from the larger writing blogs with this genre on tumblr, and so on.

So uhhhhh do you have any recommendations? From either fanfic or other media. I’m not picky, I just want more of this trope.

Hmm. I've not come across too much of this, especially platonically.

But I think basically Merlin and Supernatural in their entirety comprise of this very thing. Merlin's morality and ethical standards seem to lower with every progressive season, and by the end of S5, he is literally unrecognizable from the cheerful kid in S1. Part of it is the trauma, but how much he does for Arthur, how desperate he is to protect him, how he has given everything for him is similar to what you want, and is unsettling at some point in the show. I guess it's the reason Merthur is such a popular ship - people don't believe they'd do this stuff for 'just a friend' (there's also the fact that they're described as 'two sides of the same coin' aka soulmates and it's stated that Arthur is the reason Merlin is born and the purpose of his life which people can't digest as platonic either.)

Supernatural is all about Sam and Dean Winchester's epic bond and how they almost end the world multiple times for each other. 'Psychotically, irrationally, erotically codependent' is how their relationship is described, and it's pretty accurate. I love it, but I also know this show is extremely infamous for other things, so.

As for fanfics, well. Going into these fandoms and searching tags like 'Dark Merlin' gets fics like Dragonfire Wrapped in a Skin of Shadows where Merlin has gone off the deep end and is murdering people in Arthur's name. Torn in which Merlin tortures someone to find a missing Arthur.

by any means necessary is a Hunger Games fic in which Katniss is genuinely as ruthless as she thinks herself as and kills most everyone in the arena to go back home to Prim.

The Smoke series, two Harry Potter fics where Sirius Black isn't entirely human, but he loves James and Harry and will do anything for them - including murder.

I also have some Dark Irondad in my bookmarks! no place like home in which a Tony Stark who lost Peter Parker in another dimension kidnaps the one from the canon dimension and keeps his captive. sweet but psycho where Tony comes back wrong from the dead and adopts Peter against his will after killing his aunt May.

Will You Fight At My Side? is a Blood of Olympus oneshot where Percy jumps in on Jason and Zeus' fight and kills Zeus and threatens all the other gods out of loyalty to Jason.

In the Choices series, Harry Potter is resorted into Slytherin in his second year. Particularly in later installments, he gathers followers who are all immensely loyal to him and he to them. It isn't complete, but the author updates fairly frequently.

unforgiven (I'm a villain) is an MCU oneshot where James Rhodes dies during Civil War and Tony is desperate to get him back - but not before getting revenge brutally.

Can't think of anything else. I hope you like these recs!

[hungergamesheadcanons]

Capitol Living Quarters For Victors We Know And Love:

In my head the Victors get allocated blank space apartments on the floor of their district in the Tribute Centre for when they 'need' to be in the Capitol, whether for The Games or for clients. Maybe these rooms get memorialised after their deaths, maybe they get scrapped and left for the next victor, you decide. Here are some headcanons on their rooms.

Mags Flanagan:

Simple and clean, reminiscent of home if slightly on the more luxurious side. Gravitates towards blues and whites, as it reminds her of the ocean. Usually has a scared tribute sleeping in here at least once a year, so it's very cosy and calming.

Finnick Odair:

So I couldn't actually find a reference I was 100% happy with but this is the closest I could get. To me Finnick's room is full of reminders of home - seashell strings on the wall his sisters made, driftwood tables and stuff like that. I also think it's full of things that catch his eye - whether because it's almost impossible soft or kind of quirky, and even though it's kind of eclectic, the room is full of pale blues and soft yellows. I also like to think that he has a lot of art on his walls to remind him of the sea - most people get homesick but Finnick gets seasick.

Johanna Mason:

So I reckon Johanna fully started this room expecting to lean fully into the District 7 aesthetic, but when her family was killed she tapped out and the Capitol designers were left to fill in the blanks. Consequently her room is like a mix of too much yet not enough home, and she despises the place. If she had to pick between being in this room or at home though, she'd always pick this room. Home has too many ghosts for Johanna.

Haymitch Abernathy:

Haymitch's room is a mess, for sure. Littered with beer bottles and other booze whenever he's in it, but when he leaves it's always magically cleaned and smelling like citrus when he returns. It's filled with all sorts of cheap tat - most of it makeshift gifts received from the tributes he knowingly sent to their deaths as they knew they wouldn't be getting out alive. Those are the only things in that room he consistently dusts. He has a cactus too. That thing should be dead by now but it isn't. Maybe the cleaners water it.

Bonus round!

Katniss Everdeen:

Katniss designing a bedroom? She would have scoffed and said no, leaving the Capitol (and probably Cinna) to sort it out in her stead. It wouldn't have been bad - it wouldn't have been her safe space sure, but to Katniss a room is a room. As long as she's got a bed, she doesn't care.

Peeta Mellark:

Peeta's on the other hand would be simple but cozy. Let's be real, any tributes after them would probably gravitate towards Peeta if they were scared or struggling, as he's easily the most sensitive and comforting of the gang. So Peeta's room would be full of soft, squishy surfaces and blankets for when sniffling children knock on his door in the middle of the night, along with warm fairy lights and big windows.

Lucy Gray Baird:

Didn't expect to see her here, did ya? Colourful, chaotic, and more than a little jarring to the eye, Lucy Gray's room would have been almost painful to look at. Everything in it has meaning, though, and don't you dare tell her to change anything if you don't wanna get sassed.

Effie Trinket:

Hyper-feminine and rather stylish, Effie's Escort room would be the height of luxury befitting her station. Very comfortable, and slightly impractical in some instances but what does that matter when you have an aesthetic to maintain.

Coriolanus Snow:

Stuck in the past. Nasty, horrible man. Ugh. enjoy your room of designer sadness sir.

Primrose Everdeen:

Were Prim to ever have a Capitol bedroom, it would be full of pastel shades and jewel tones, comfy and cosy. Lots of cute decor and plants - she'd love watering them all. Probably lots of big pillows for buttercup to snooze on.

[mellarked-katnisseverdeen]

Rereading Thoughts, Rue Focused.

So. Today I'm under the weather, in bed and got (and probabbly am not done getting) a ton of reading done. Decided before we get to Peeta that I'm gonna spend a whole post talking about Rue, her relationship to Katniss and such things.

A thing I forgot was that Rue behaves A LOT like a little girl. Not just a girl, as Katniss does occasonally, but her age. Collins has such a good understanding her character emotonally development, taking into account both their age, AND their expereinces. Rue is a very young girl, but also one whose had to get smart with a lot put on her shoulders not unlike ALL the characters here. But she still is 12.

I also forgot how much she and Katniss share information. Entirely forgot that they talked about their districts with one another almost the entire time they were allied with one another. It hits home just how much division the Capitols put into everything.

Rue making friends with the Mockingjay literally brought me close to tears. Katniss saying something to comfort the baby Mockingjay is...just Collins why do you do this I don't need to cry.

Secondly, Katniss's entire attitude changeing with her. I don't lie when I say Kat on some level emotonally adopted Rue in the arena. She says it herself- that she is all that Rue has, and being their for her is all that matters. She can't even think for more than a single thought what would happen if it came down to the two of them. She is happy and encouraging with her, it is notable she is ALWAYS building Rue up in every conversation. Giving her confindence in the skills she sees she has, and tries as much as she can to make this little girl feel safe.

And this part also shows in honestly...some of the most angry moments I think Katniss has in the entire series as well. Just her anger, her want to bring those to justice who've hurt someone so harmless and good, so young is palpable even after she thinks about the boy from 1, and begins to kind of walk back some of that . And that is notable cause Katniss ISN'T vengeful naturally. It is never her wish to get revenge, naturally. But Rue was killed, and you can feel how deep her sorrow is by how much that anger, for a time, morphs her view on things.

She also sings her a song she notes spesifically is for babies, for parents to sing to their children (a song she sings to Prim, to her own children far into the future).

My thing is how much Katniss wanted people to remember Rue, and honestly that pushes her to want to win. She even admits it does this MORE tha her vow to Prim! That took thinking about to sink in. But that is just how powerful Rue was.

[kahlanmars]

PAPER RINGS part.4

So here we are, with another chapter, and now I wanted you to cry. Did you cry? I HOPE SO. Plus, our favorite Four boy is here!

MASTERLIST

4. I was screaming “Go, go go!”

FIVE MONTHS BEFORE CAPITOL 

«Do you think Katniss will come to dinner?» You ask, chopping the last vegetables on the plate. You are not a great cook, Haymitch is definitely better when he is in the right mood, but today he spent the morning chopping wood - a great sight you might add, sweats on his shirtless chest - and you don’t want him to do everything.

«No, I don’t think so, from what I’ve gathered she wants to spend dinner on the phone with her sister.» Katniss can’t legally go to her sister in District One. Or Two, you don’t remember, you only remember that Mrs. Everdeen has been kind of a bitch about it. You understand it’s not easy for her to see her house being destroyed, the very same house she used to live with her husband, and Prim on a wheelchair has been the last straw, but at the same time she has two daughters, not one. Katniss is almost an adult, but by the way she always bargains in your home with an excuse she feels lonely without a parent. Hell, sometimes you miss Holly at home. Lora often tells you how Chaff has been fundamental for her in the months after the Games, he became a parental figure for her, helping her crisis. And she is young, but an adult.

Katniss is a teenager who killed a dictator, she needs a mom.

«Oh. So sad.» You beam at the kiss on the head Haymitch gives you. «So does that mean we don’t have to do anything today?»

«Not more than usual, no.» And you’ve done the usual. You cleaned, you removed the dust, you fed the disgusting birds. You are still recovering and he doesn’t even want you to do this, but you don’t want to feel useless.

«Can we snuggle up and watch a movie?» You propose, as you feel two strong arms around your hips. He doesn’t like Capitol movies, but you love them. And there is no such thing as a Twelve movie, so he better get used to them. You adore romantic films and he snorts all the time, but they put you in a romantic mood so he bears them if it means hot sex after the movie session.

«I have a better idea, tell me how you do what you do.» He proposes. You watch him, a little confused.

«What do I do?»

He looks at you like you don’t understand basic math. «Your dresses.»

«Really? You want to know that? You’ll be bored.» You don’t think he even knows what you do for a living. He knew better when you were a teacher, because he likes to read - he loves to read - but now you suppose he is in the dark. Sometimes he says you “Want to wear dresses”, and that would make you a model, not a stylist. And he must have some sense of the difference, in all these years of Games, but at that time Effie used to do all the work for him. He just had to show up and suffer.

«Let me choose if I get bored.» He kisses your knuckles. 

You smile brightly, giving up your objections almost immediately. You feel proud that he wants to know you better. «Ok, I’ll show you.»

Five minutes after you are showing him your stuff. Some sketches, most of them are the ones you plan to show Portia, one or two for him. He is a great subject, and you like sketching clothes for him, something with a strong Twelve taste but also fashionable. You sewed him some outfits, and now he doesn’t always wear only a pair of jeans and a shirt, he wears three pairs of jeans and three shirts. Baby steps.

«And how do you begin?» He wants to know, and maybe for the first time he sees you working.

He is usually in the same room as you, but he is always doing something else. Feeding the geese or cooking or cleaning something. Or it’s the middle of the night and he is trying to sleep like the rest of the world, while your mind tells you “That idea is incredible and you have to draw it now or you will lose it!”.

«Well you sketch it, like this, then you make a model and then…» You continue to explain it, and he shows interest. You teach him about the dresses and the blouses, the shoes and the sandals, how to design a zip and what are the difficulties about it.

As you keep on, you find out he is watching you, not the sketches. «What?»

«You are fucking beautiful when you are passionate.» He whispers. He cups your cheek with his big hands. He is so gentle when he wants to, and he rarely wants to (you have bruises in mysterious places to prove that) but his touch can be the touch of a gentleman.

You try not to blush. «Why, thank you.»

«Thank you.» He leans out for another peck. 

«For what?»

This time the kiss is deeper, slower. He wants to prove to you that he is here, he is not going away. The scent of pines and woods is intoxicating, it’s the kind of scent you steal sweaters for.

«For being mine.»

PRESENT DAY

It happens in a moment. Haymitch takes a step back and then sees you and freezes. Marjorie looks at you with a guilty expression on her face. Everyone is paralyzed, until Ivy waves her little hand at you. She is adorable in a new pink dress, different from the one before. This baby has more dresses than you.

«Hi, Auntie Daisy!»

You can’t cry in front of a child, so you pat her head and you take your bag. 

Don't cry in front of Ivy, she'll think she did something wrong. Don't cry, don't cry.

«Goodbye.» You murmur, and you start running but Haymitch is right behind you. You don't even want to know what he has to say, you don't even care. He cheated on you. Kissing another person is cheating. Dear heavens, he is so jealous he would have killed someone if he was you.

«Daisy please-» He begins but this time you turn around quickly and you have such a murderous expression on your face that he takes a step back. He is a Victor and he adores it to remind you and to everyone else, and maybe you didn’t win anything, but you still survived the Hunger Games. You are a killer just like him, you have blood on your hands and nightmares too. He knows he can’t push it. He knows you are dangerous too and you are in therapy because of that, but therapy is not a miraculous system that cures you in two days.

«You don’t get to say please.» You are raging, and you are actually quite proud of yourself because your first instinct is to chop his head off. The second is to cry out loud, but now it would be showing weakness, and you won’t. The third instinct is, and you are very ashamed of yourself for that, to jump in his arms and forgive him immediately because the mere thought of not having him around is suffocating.

«Let me explain.»

«Did you fall and land on her lips?» You growl, a sound you rarely make.

«She kissed me.» He argues. 

«I know. I know she fucking kissed you!» You turn around again, but this time he is faster than you and circles around to face you. ��But you let her!»

«No I didn’t, I was surprised, she barged into the house…» That’s another thing to explore. What was Marjorie doing in your house? Oh, wait, it’s his house, just his, not yours. What was Marjorie doing in his house? She magically sensed you two were having a fight or what?

«You were surprised? Surprised? Haymitch, she’s been after you for a whole year, how could you be surprised?» You yell, but now you don’t care. You are giving a pretty show for the village to see. «Do you even want me?»

«What? Of course I want you, Daisy, we have to get married.» We have to. Like it’s something he doesn’t want to do anymore, like it’s an imposition. You defloured the girl, you ruined her and now you have to marry her. Or maybe, maybe you were thrilling at first, the pretty young girl who has a thing for him, and now you are just a boring woman he has to deal with on a daily basis.

«Then why do you spend time with her?»

«She, she needed help. I owed her.» The same fucking excuse all the time. She did it because of me. She lost everything because of me. Well, the entire district lost everything because of you victors and you don’t see him befriend everyone around.

«You are full of shit. So righteous. The great Haymitch Abernathy, the victor!» You shout, like you are introducing him in a show.

«Daisy-» He tries to grab your arm, but you shake it off of you. He can’t take another step in your direction, you can’t be trusted around him. You like him too much, you love him too much, and if you thought you were smart and intelligent, around him you feel like you are too young. 

«Where was she when you were drinking? Did she clean you, did she stay with you? No, I did it. I was there. Don’t I deserve it too?» 

He should have known better. He should have known that he could have hurt you so much you now feel like you are dying. 

«Baby…»

«No Daisy, no baby and don’t you dare call me Sweetheart. I love you. But this is not working.»

His face goes pale in a second. «What?»

«We are not working. I can’t be the only one who cares about the wedding, and when I return home you say it’s your house and you kiss your ex fiancé!»

«We were sixteen.»

«You should tell her that, not me.» She is the one who kissed you. She is the one who is willingly ruining everything. You are the one who is letting her do it. 

«Daisy please, let’s talk about it. Please. Please, don’t give up on us.»

«You are giving up on us! Not me, you! I never even once looked at someone in the Capitol. You kissed her. For a moment, tell me the truth.»

«Yes... For a moment. I didn’t even know what I was doing!»

«I can’t.» You try hard not to cry. «I can’t, let me go.»

«No.»

«Let me go!» You slap him to free yourself. He watches you in disbelief, but you are walking to the train station.

You slapped him.

You hit him.

You don’t do this. You, as a couple, don’t hit each other. Even when things are not pretty, even when the urges are there because there are urges to hit when you are in the Hunger Games, you don’t cross the line.

You cry all your way to the Capitol. You have your sketches and not much more, just what was in your bag at the moment. Your luggage is still in Twelve, but the thought of going back is heavy. You always have your id and your documents in your purse, so you don’t need anything else. 

You keep thinking it was a mistake. He didn’t want to kiss Marjorie. You should come back. But your guts hurt and you don’t want to see him, not now.

Your Haymitch. This wasn’t a crush anymore, you loved him, you love him. And he loves you. He loves you, right? But if you love someone you don’t kiss someone else, this is not how it works, at least not for you. You see Perla, Effie or Lora are stunning but you don’t desire them, you only want him.

A voice tells you you couldn’t survive this. Your love flourished in war, you are at your best when your life is in danger, when everything is messy and chaotic and you don't know if there is going to be a tomorrow.

Some days are not good, some days you can't get out of bed. These days, Haymitch stays with you. He kisses your hair and keeps you in his arms, he doesn't care about tears on his shirt or smudge makeup from the day before.

«Don't worry, I'll protect you. I'm here now. Don't worry.» He sings like a chant in your ear, keeping you close.

«Forever?» You murmur.

«Forever and a day more, Sweetheart.»

Some days are bad for him too, days in which the urge for a drink is almost too strong for him to resist, the shaking is heavier and the headache is insufferable. He stays in the chair, worried he could hurt you, but you end up in his lap, stroking his hair and whispering sweet words. You are so strong, you are my man, you are courageous, be strong for me.

In this you excel. You are a great couple. But when things are quiet and calm and it’s all right to stop and breathe, you are not capable of doing it. 

You have no clue why he asked you to marry him if he doesn’t want to. You didn’t expect it, it’s not something you joked about, and you have been on cloud nine because of it but you are so young it wasn’t your first thought. But now it is, now you want to get married with him, you want to be Daisy Abernathy, to sign with his name and you are proud to be his.

He is not proud to be yours. He doesn’t care one bit.

You still have three days, so you stop in the only place you can disappear to. 

District Four.

When you knock at his door and he opens, Finnick Odair can’t believe you are there. His blonde hair is longer and he seems a bit tired, but he is handsome as always. You thought he was at work, but you now remember he doesn’t need to, he has the Victor’s money. Not everyone is like Peeta, who likes the bakery.

«Daisy?»

You try to resist, but you start crying hard and you push yourself in his arms. He is confused, you appeared in his district unannounced with no warning and you didn’t go to Perla but to him, but he is one of your best friends and you didn’t feel like giving any explanation to Perla. 

Perla doesn’t like Haymitch. She will probably be very happy.

«Daisy, hei, what happened? You are worrying me.» He hugs you back. You must be a sight, with crazy hair, puffy eyes and a red face, without makeup on. 

«I don’t think I’m with Haymitch anymore.»

THREE MONTHS BEFORE

«Do you like District Twelve?» Haymitch asks you. He is feeding the geese, and you are trying to mend a pair of his jeans, on the patio. The scene is so awfully domestic and you smile so widely it hurts.

You like living with Haymitch, lingering until ten in the morning in the bed, kissing every chance you can. It’s not forever, you will have a job but it’s the perfect recovery.

«Yeah, my love, I like the District where I was born and raised.» You laugh, «Why?»

«I mean, you didn’t choose it after the war. You didn’t even choose the house.» He shrugs. You can feel his brain working, he is one of those days. His hands are shaking more than usual and his mind goes in dark places. Places where he loses you, you go away because you are too young or too bright for him, at least it’s what he says.

«It’s a bit difficult when you are in a coma.» You deadpan as you see him walking towards you. 

«Very funny.» He strokes your cheek. «You are happy, right?» 

«I would have chosen it. I promise.» You get up to kiss him and you hum in joy when he puts his hands on the pockets of your trousers. «I would have chosen this house and this bedroom and this man over everything.»

«Isn’t it a bit boring for you?» Boring. You are not bored, you are never bored. You are enjoying your life, your peace. You thought you’d never have peace in your life ever again, so this is like paradise. 

«Boring? Are you bored?» Maybe this doubt is his. Maybe he is the one who wants his life back. The old grumpy man who lives alone with his animals. It must not be easy for him to share his space with you all the time, even if he is the one who decided it. He switched from doing everything alone, with no timetables or schedules whatsoever, with a freedom you could only have when you live alone, to stay with you twenty four hours per day, a routine he has to be a part of, not always leading it. And with you of all people, a person who he loves, but you are not the easiest girl alive. You scream at night because of the nightmares, you are clingy, you have difficulties at being alone.

«No, but I’m forty. It’s not exactly fun around here.»

«You are fun!» You protest. «I’m always very entertained, thank you very much. I get what you mean, it’s not Capitol’s “All parties and stuff”, but I’ll have my fair share of them when I get to Portia. And we could arrange a holiday in Four to see Finnick and the kid. That way of life is a holiday, tho, a trip. This is real life. And I love it.» The smile you only give to him it’s so blinding he has to believe you. 

«Yeah? You mending and me feeding the geese?» He goes for a peck that you decide to deepen, because he looks too good with his blonde hair in the sun and his eyes are so blue and his arms are majestic.

«Yes! And you cooking, and you baking, and you cleaning and you prepa- ah!» You squeal in surprise when he lifts you up in a laugh. «Ruffian! Put me down!»

«So it’s me cleaning and me cooking and me doing everything, and you?» He laughs, and he packs your ass.

«I look pretty.» You declare. 

«I’ll tell you pretty.»

«Put me down!»

«Nope.» He goes straight to the house, with you on his shoulder. «You look too fucking beautiful for me to release you.»

PRESENT DAY

«Here, a cup of tea.» Annie hands you a beautiful light blue mug and you take it with a brief smile. Annie is sweet, and you can’t see a glimpse of an annoyed reaction for your ambush, but you feel a little guilty. She is only twenty two and a kid under one year, she must be exhausted. 

«Are you sure I can stay here for a few days?» You ask her. You don’t feel like facing the truth, and you know you will need to give explanations. Effie has her problems, Lora too… Perla will comment on it and you can’t deal with it right now. You just want to lick your wounds in peace. And you are exhausted yourself.

«You are always welcomed here, darling.» She answers you with a sweet smile on her face. «Finnick is alive thanks to you.»

You actually don’t remember it this way. The way you know it, Finnick saved your life and now you are barely even.

«Go rest, my love.» Finnick kisses her cheek, with Finn asleep in his arms. «I’ll stay with Daisy.» 

The sight of the Odair family, two people so young and in love, with their perfect life, it’s almost unbearable. You are envious, and you still want them to be the pretty family they are but you want it too, and since you are a spoiled little brat the first instinct is to stamp your food and demand for it.

As she goes, he looks at you. «You are not bothering anyone here. Stay as long as you want to.»

You want to cry. You love him so much, and you love his wife too. You just want to go to bed and cry for a week. You feel like your heart is not beating anymore. You just want to stop everything.

«Are you sure it’s not too much for Annie? I can help with the baby.»

«I don’t work, Daz. I can handle it. Now, do I have to kill him? Because I’m quite good at it. And I look good doing it.»

You really want to laugh but when you try your eyes fill with tears, so you just shake your head. «No.» 

You quickly explain everything, and you must be really ridiculous in your yellow top and blue skirt, a happy outfit for what you’ve thought was a happy evening.

«Do you want to know what I think?»

«If it agrees with what I think, gladly.» You deadpan.

«I think you need to go back to Capitol City.» That’s new. You thought he was either going to say that you needed to talk to him or to forget him. 

«Ok, I thought I needed to-»

He stops you. «I don’t care now, and I think you need a few days. You have to sleep, Daisy. I’m sorry but you look like…»

«Shit?» You guess. 

He shrugs. «I wouldn’t put it in these words… but your eyes are red and you look terribly tired. Tell me what you usually do.»

«In a day?» 

«Yeah.»

«I fail to understand what it has to do with-»

«Just tell me.» He sits on the couch with you and he takes your hand. You didn’t realize how much you missed him until now. You don’t have a brother, but you feel a little like he is. He is the one that saves you, and sometimes you hope you save him a bit too.

«I work. Basically I work.»

«And nothing else?» The mere thought of doing anything else is not fun. You don’t want to think about anything else, just Haymitch, but if you think about Haymitch you want to cry and scream and punch him.

You shake your head. «I don’t have much time. I want to go back to… I wanted to go back to get married.»

«But you are losing all the Capitol experience! Hell, I hate that city, but it’s a giant amusement park. And you are not taking advantage of it. So, my friend…»

«Yeah?»

«I’ll rescue you. Again.»