#PRE-CATCHING FIRE.

[moon-mirage]

This is for the anon who asked for Katniss and Peeta working on their plant book in Catching Fire … not sure what happened but it got lost when I tried to save the post? 🙁 But this was prompted by an anon so I hope they get to see it because (art crisis aside), I really liked this prompt.

I wanted the scene to look domestic and warm and cosy since they have so precious few moments like that in canon.

[vict7r-a]

padme enjoys pulling this side out of cherise ; that PLAYFUL AIR , however fleeting it might be . she relishes in it enough that she doesn't think to remind the woman that [ maybe they shouldn't refer to those who could always be watching as viewers , maybe they shouldn't remind them this is all an act ] . any other time she'd redirect it , but right now it's too enjoyable .

“ they'd be reminded that i'm their favorite , i'd think . have you seen the polls recently ? i've got you beat . ” it'd be easy to believe her words are in bad faith had they not been accompanied by that honey smile padme's long since perfected . one with just the right amount of truth put behind it for cherise to know she's being teased playfully .

a frown , then , more akin to a pout than anything else , “ you could never be boring ! that would mean no one would want to watch you anymore , and i doubt we should ever be so lucky . ”

" what would your viewers say ? " cherise jerks up in a playful impression of shock. eyes widened. it's perhaps bolder than she'd normally dare in so open a space where their every action could be televised for mass consumption. no one liked to be reminded of the illusion. but interest stirs at her allusion to cruelty. even in jest, it'd be more fulfilling than the empty, honeyed, small talk she'd dwelled in for days. trading words beneath words. plastic smiles and rosy retellings.

bathed in the sun's rays, surrounded by impossible greenery, she felt hollowed. had long since ABANDONED her own small bounty of letters to the lawn. against manicured grace, they reminded her of petals. wind-rumpled and haphazardly scattered. " i don't know. "

then, a grin, perfected for cameras. " i guess i'm getting boring. "

[tswwwit]

Crying, sobbing, throwing up after reading Bill vs Bill and knowing that in the Book of Bill, Bill had parents, a family who loved him. And Familiar!Bill has that again in the form of his Dipper loving him back

Thank you! Familiar!Bill is really doing much better than the baseline version, what with forming one (1) honest emotional connection and all.

I'm pretty pleased with the emotional arc of Bill vs Bill, but if I went back to it? I'd alter some of Bill's weaponized embarrassment to include Book of Bill details. It'd just hit so much harder.

[sweet7simple]

More Than Meets the Eye: Volume 8, Issues #39 & 40 (Spoilers)

Food for the Dratchet fans because if I feed you, I am hopeful you will feed me.

So there was that whole debacle where the Lost Light split in two and the DJD massacred everyone on one of the ships, right?

Y'all, Drift and Ratchet fought together and died together on that ship. Drift tried to protect Ratchet from the goddamn DJD. He failed, but he tried.

(Issue #39)

(More under cut, prepare for some robo gore)

(Issue #32)

I don't know who that third robot is, to be honest.

Next up in Volume 8, we have:

How Ratchet reacts after Brainstorm's trial following the whole, "poisoning the crew and going back in time to kill Megatron and, also, an alternate version of me called the DJD to the ship where they promptly murdered everyone including Brainstorm" incidences (Brainstorm was allowed to stay on the ship and continue his experiments with supervision, essentially).

(Issue #40)

Below, Ratchet bonding with Ten:

He's talking about Drift.

HE MADE DRIFT. C'MON, LITTLE BUDDY, WE'RE GONNA GO GET OUR BOY BACK.

So we can assume, then, that the events of Empire of Stone take place during the issues following #40.

[ivegotalongmemory]

a messy exploration of victor outfits, the sexualisation of victors, the lack of sexualisation of katniss and peeta, and a brief analysis of the symbolism of the wedding attire worn in the quell interviews

fyi: includes mentions of forced prostitution and things like that

also fyi: this is a big thought dump, not very well edited

In my headcanon, most of the victors (especially those who are likely in the Capitol more often, like Finnick, Cashmere, Gloss, etc) have more personalised styles that have been developed by their personal stylists. Still relating to their districts, but more nuanced to fit them as an individual, or rather, to fit the image that the Capitol created for them. Take the ‘prostitutes’ for example. People like Finnick and Cashmere who we know are incredibly popular, and I imagine a lot of their image in the Capitol is based around their sex appeal. We can also throw Gloss into this category (and also likely many other victors, but we’ll keep it to these 3 for now). From what we can see, their quell outfits are definitely reminiscent of their respective districts, but it’s also clear that they’re made to look extra sexy and attractive and glamorous, because that’s their Capitol image. We know the movies obviously had to change things to make it PG-13 (I still wish we got an 18 rated series, but it’s understandable as to why we didn’t), and so a lot of things are glossed over, like the whole prostitution thing, and a lot of other more cruel and brutal aspects from the books. The clothes are also different. I mean, we obviously didn’t get Finnick’s net outfit from the tribute parade, which from what I remember is probably the most explicit outfit that’s mentioned. It’s obvious just from that; Finnick is a sex symbol, and it’s likely most of his outfits, are equally as risqué, and this probably goes for the others that Snow sells out, or that are deemed attractive enough to be popular in the Capitol.

Then when it comes to Katniss and Peeta, we get the opposite of this, and there’s many reasons which I’d like to dive into. Firstly they’re teenagers, but then again, when has that ever stopped the Capitol? I mean we have previous tributes like Glimmer, who’s whole persona is based around being “sexy”, and probably hundreds of other “attractive” tributes. Finnick, again, who was 14, was likely pushed down this route too. The key factor in Katniss and Peeta’s case, though, is Cinna. Cinna, who we know is likely involved in the revolution to some extent. From his very first appearance, he doesn’t want to make District 12’s outfits stupid. He’s different, and that’s shown to us from his very first line. Yes, Cinna is there to glam them up, just like every stylist, and he does. Katniss especially is sporting heavy makeup for her Capitol appearances, with elaborate hair etc. They still make her look more attractive for the Capitol’s eyes. But their outfits are nothing like the typical sexed up, revealing, or even humiliating clothes that most of the tributes and victors are probably forced into. They’re entirely modest, and as far as Capitol outfits go, relatively normal, even boring on occasions. So as far as fashion goes, they were lucky to have Cinna.

Another factor is that Katniss and Peeta (at least as it appears to the Capitol) are together. They’re a couple. And very in love. I imagine a lot of the ‘sex symbol’ personas of some of the victors relies on the fact that they are single. I’m paraphrasing here but somewhere in the books Katniss says something about Finnick having ‘a string of lovers in the Capitol’. Essentially, she’s saying he gets around. We, as readers/watchers, later find out that this is not true, and that he’s in love with Annie. We can assume Snow forces his sold victors into keeping up an illusion of being womanizers, or maneaters, and to most of the public, both in the Capitol and in the districts, it looks like they’re willingly sleeping with half the Capitol. It’s all a form of control; it keeps the victors and their images tightly in check, which is what Snow wants. The demand for buying victors that are seemingly off the market is likely much less than it is for the others, although probably not completely zero, but that’s another sick conversation to dive into another time. Katniss and Peeta are the Capitol’s favourite couple, and I strongly believe that had there been no love story and no rebellion, they both likely would have ended up with the same fate as people like Cashmere and Finnick. Ultimately, their fabricated love is what saves them.

Speaking of the wedding outfits themselves: the Capitol literally get to choose Katniss’ wedding dress, so they’re clearly invested in the 2 as a couple and adore them. They see them as a young, innocent, pure couple, truly in love, and so the sexualization just isn’t there (at least from what we see). It’s still all a form of control though. We know Snow essentially forces Katniss into wearing the wedding dress. It’s a ‘fuck you’ to the other victors and a reminder of what many of them will never have. If I remember correctly from the books, Cashmere scoffs at it. It’s unclear whether this is from her knowing it’s a typical over the top Capitol choice, or whether she is genuinely bothered by the insinuation of Katniss wearing this in regards to herself and her fellow victors. Either way, Snow knows it will cause tension.

The fashion choices for both Katniss and Peeta’s outfits here also seem deliberate in regards to putting a message across to the districts, especially Katniss’ family. For one thing, like every Capitol outfit, they’re expensive. I mean, just look at the wedding dress. Yes, it’s stunning, but it’s also the peak of luxury. Not a single person in the districts would ever be able to have that kind of clothing, not even the richest of the rich in districts 1 and 2. I’d go as far as saying that even those of the lower Capitol classes could only dream of something like what Katniss wears. She’s the vision of envy, and all it does is further separate her from the ‘ordinary’ people of Panem. And finally, while it’s obvious, the wedding clothes are white. It might seem typical, but think about it. The people of District 12, where they spend their lives coal mining and the like, or District 11, where they’re farming all the time, probably never wear white clothing. In fact, most of the district people probably don’t, simply for practicality. White gets dirty very easily. It’s not practical, especially when you’re doing hard labour most of the time. Most of the district 12 kids are wearing white or other pale colours at the reaping, so we can assume that they save these for their best occasions and get them out only once a year. We still do this these days, I mean, we all have ‘nice clothes’ that we only wear for special occasions and that we don’t want to ruin. I wouldn’t wear half the things in my wardrobe to go farming or tree cutting or fishing. Katniss and Peeta’s outfits are pristine, something that is likely foreign to the districts. It pushes the tension between the districts and the Capitol, and it’s telling the districts to look at the victors, this is the life of luxury they’re living now, etc etc. It’s a way of saying, “these kids are not yours anymore, they’re ours.”

[itsajollyjester]

I love your Finnick x Annie fanart,and everything about it. However,I'm going to make a very specific compliment about your Annie fanart:she always looks fit and somewhat muscular, even (at least as an adult). I've never vibed with her as a small, delicate-looking woman. Besides,she survived a flooded arena,one needs skill, stamina and strength. To top it all,I love the idea of Annie looking like an Olympic swimmer and still being the "Poor Mad Girl" - even in the books,it seemed like she got that nickname due to her PTSD showing in awkward ways(plus,I've seen an autistic HC for her,and it made sense to me that she'd have both) and being showcased to all of Panem.

Ironically,the one I imagined being small and thin was Johanna Mason,lol. Her strategy in the Games was basically "Pretend to be the weepy little girl".

Thank you! And I agree! I actually headcanon that Annie was a career tribute (but not a volunteer, I have a whole thing about it and my ideas about how all the career districts handle their tributes differently) so I definitely think she would have been very strong going into the games.

I also can see her losing a lot of muscle/weight after her games though. Whatever muscle she does gain back I think would be from running, walking, but especially swimming over the last 5 years

But even with that in mind I like drawing her with naturally wider shoulders and on the taller side because I also like the idea of her looking like a pro swimmer so she always looks stronger even at her "weakest"

And about Johanna, I imagine her with like a sleeper build lol. Like she definitely has muscle from working in lumber, but I also imagine her really tiny too

[moe-broey]

HELP maybe this is influenced by how I'm writing this, or maybe it was supposed to be gleaned from canon and I just. Haven't fully thought about it til now. Haven't Deeply analyzed it beyond the blaring alarm bells that go off when reading this. But. Alfonse's,

Straight into.

This isn't him doubling down. This is him BACKTRACKING. This is him going, "oh fuck I think maybe I came on a little too strong maybe I was a bit too vulnerable and that's really scary. How do I fix this" and he's running through all the dialogue options in his head like Okay. Play it Cool. Keep it Casual. Proclaim your undying loyalty and devotion to your Trusted Partner (person he just told in the beginning of this conversation that he didn't intend to become friends with) by making yourself a blade and shield for them. NAILED IT 👍

[kyeterna]

"Oh General, what did you witness the night of the tragedy?

Oh General, could you have even known that your inability to act doomed the world?"

The Army of the Primordial Flame, the only strictly military guild- working directly under the Fourth Overseer, has been known for its expansionist expeditions throughout the world. Expedition "AURORA" was one like many. To lead such an expedition means your strategic skill has been acknowledged by the Fourth Overseer himself, the greatest honour. Gale was never really religious, he didn't care much about the Fourth's vision of the world. He just liked the prestige and importance that came with his role. And he was good at it.

The expedition was successful, only taking 4 months with no casualties. Back at Farport, he had managed to return with all 560 soldiers and mercenaries contracted from the Pharus Guild alive. Their trip back to Arkhan would have taken 3 days by boat. As Volkan had warned him; "It would be the best course of action, after all I have good reason to believe you might get attacked by enemy guilds on your way back. Keep an eye out for ambushes". The god couldn't accompany them as he had other matters to attend to. But Gale had other plans. His wife had given birth to their first kid just 2 months prior and his home, Spithol, was less than a day away. Sure it was the opposite direction than their destination, but surely it should be safe. There was no way any other guilds could have possibly known about the detour. And he missed his family so much.

They were at the town gates by evening. A joyous occasion, worthy of festivities. By night an entire festival was ready for both the civilians and the soldiers to enjoy. A celebration of the success and safe return. In honour of the hero of the town Gale. What later turned into the event known as the Unyielding Flame Massarce.

After a few hours of time with his family, plenty of food and a couple of drinks, movement away from the venue caught Gale's eye. A little drunk but still aware enough of his surroundings he ventured deeper into the dark alleyways of the town. At that point people were either fast asleep in their houses or still celebrating at the centre of the town, so the only light by now was coming from the clear starlit sky. A moment of peaceful quiet. The general slowly breathed in. The scent of the night humidity and- gunpowder?

What a terrible time to be drunk. After investigation, as much as one can investigate when under the influence, he realised that most of the town seemed to have been trapped. But no sign of culprits- everyone he had seen up to that point were people he knew. None of them could have done this, right? He ran to the town walls, towards the gates. Frozen shut via an impenetrable substance. Upon further investigation he came to the grim realisation that they were all trapped inside for good. As he looked for potential suspects or ways out if the worst was to happen he came across one of the people contracted from the Pharus guild. "We are in trouble- have you seen anyone suspicious around town?". A pause. It was too dark for Gale to read that man's expression. "No- not that I am aware-" "You need to warn the rest of the crew, we have to find a way to evacuate everyone" another pause. "Sure".

After minutes pass with no news from the crew or any results from his investigation, he headed towards the centre himself. And in the distance, in the sky, he could clearly see smoke. Mind racing he ran towards the festival. Tripping on his way back- what a terrible time to be drunk- he came across that same mercenary holding a torch. Making eye contact they both froze. Adam- he thinks that was his name, stared at him like a deer caught in headlights. Gale tightened the grip on his sword. He thought he understood what was happening in front of him. He thought for a moment that of course this was happening. He thought of killing the man in front of him. But he hesitated. At a standstill he couldn't help but think how much he just wanted to see his wife and daughter. The sound of explosions and loud screaming brought him back to reality. And he ran towards his home. Letting the man go.

It didn't take long for the fire to spread throughout the city. It didn't take long for the laughter of joy from the festivities to be turned into screams for help. It didn't take long for the smoke to overtake all the senses. Chaos and confusion spread. Gale tried directing his crew to help the people calm down- but where would they go? There was no escape, none that he could find. It didn't take long till the men in his crew who weren't consumed by the flames starting fighting each other. And all Gale could think about at that moment was how badly he wished to see his wife and daughter. He ran and ran, burnt corpses surrounding him. The smell of smoke and burnt flesh slowly choking him. His armour suffocating him, oh how badly he wanted to get rid of it. But it was his only protection from the fire. And he ran as towering flames grazed him. And he ran tripping on collapsed people, some still conscious enough to scream in pain. Maybe they were all cursing him at that moment. But all he could think about was how badly he wished to see his wife and daughter.

When he finally arrived at his home, it was completely ablaze. "Lyn?!" He shouted, choking on some of the smoke. No response. He jumped inside and looked around. He couldn't see anything but fire and smoke. Parts of the roof had already collapsed. And as he walked forward the floor beneath him crumbled and he fell in the basement, which had been untouched from the fire. As he was attempting to stand up again more debris fell on him, knocking him unconscious.

Hours passed before he finally got up to the first light of dawn. He slowly stood up, and made his way upstairs. By now his house had been completely burnt. Looking outside there were still fires burning some of the houses but he couldn't hear anything or anyone else. He walked further inside the house. A burnt corpse hunched over the what used to be a cradle. Ah. He sat there for what felt like ages, staring at the gruesome sight in front of him. He got to live out of sheer dumb luck. Just dumb luck.

When evening started approaching he just walked out. Very few fires were still burning in the distance, only some smoke now visible. He started looking around the streets and houses for anyone alive. He made sure to count them all. 2, 5, 10, 27, 42, 75, 100, 341, 784, and the number kept growing, and growing. People he could no longer recognise, people he had grown up with, people he had fought with, people he had so horribly failed. 1207 civilians dead. 558 soldiers dead. 1 missing person. Only survivor- Gale himself. By night he reached the gates of the town. Still completely frozen shut. And so he dug.

What followed after was a haze. He just walked for days, dwelling on that night. Ways he could have prevented it, ways it could have been better. Plagued by images of that night, all the victims. Why did they have to die. Why did he have to live.

A chuckle echoed in his ears. He looked up and saw a figure of legend. At least he thought he saw Her. It had to be. White robe, blindfold, the three halos decorating Her head, the pale hair and complexion. The doting Mother, Creation, Amatheia. She was smiling at the man. A smile that invoked fear. She reached Her hand out. The Witness of the end, of fates worse than death. And the verdict was decided.

================================================

Have some stills I like

(for the previous one i like both cleaned up and sketch versions a lot)

[gomacave]

me when i get bested by a 16 year old (im a twenty something human experiment supersoldier with the strength of a thousand armies and alien genes)

[rainagainstthewindowatnight]

“I try to forgive her for my father’s sake, but to be honest, I’m not the forgiving type.” - The Hunger Games, Page 4.

[spacetrashpile]

anyways in other news relating to my dc/booster gold reading: i've hit new 52 and uh. i get why you all hate it now. i never thought i'd be sad that maxwell lord is just fucking gone but holy shit they really did just throw away an extremely sick story line. i've decided that my reward for finishing any new 52 and rebirth series that are bad (justice league international vol 3, tom king's "the gift" storyline, etc.) is i read an elseworld or otherwise not main continuity story that is not bad. as a treat!

[sincerelya-stories]

Whispered Words

Rating: G

Katniss hears whispered words in the dead of night before the 75th Annual Hunger Games between her escort and mentor that she knows she wasn't meant to hear...

Ao3

[legobiwan]

Is that even allowed in Star Wars?

[pyrrhk]

"why did you give it to me?" i don't wear it around or anything, but most days the golden pin is on my person in some way. today it's tucked into the pocket of my jacket, my fingers curved around the edge of it but keeping it hidden. it feels like asking for trouble to flaunt it around while i'm here, like president snow can see it somehow all the way in the capitol. "the pin."

it has bothered me for a long while. why would madge give it to me? why me? why it in the first place? she knows the history of mockingjays, must have meant something by pressing it into my hand before i marched off to near-certain death. it's little more than luck that i'm here, and i just - want to know why. the pin isn't necessarily what made me...whatever i am, but it means something. it has to. @melnchly

[truly-quirkless]

[Tree Man n' I are goin' t'see a meteor shower tonight! Anyone who wants t'join, send me a text about what snacks y'want, and meet just outside U. A.'s main archway at midnight!]

[jontheredrc]

Well, it's about that time again...and I think I'm having a problem with that whole "sleep procrastination revenge" thing. My work schedule has no set structure, so it's hard to pick a consistent time to fall asleep. You'd think it'd be at night, but that's a time my friends tend to be active (partly due to time zones). And even when there's no plans to meet up, I still get into old job mindset where I feel like I have to stay up as much as I can to fit all the things I want to do. I haven't even started making my game, not past learning the engine and outlining my ideas! And I've been on a roll with Tenesoir Memoirs when I thought I'd feel more like giving it a break. But while I do have a full 8-hour shift today, there's no need overall for me to act like that...the 4- and 5-hour shifts still give me plenty of time to accomplish something outside of work.

Well, have a great day, everyone! Love you! I hope you're getting enough sleep yourselves! 💕👋