#a similar thing happened with thg

[gatheryepens]

Godzilla-read's Easy & Simple 2023 Reading Challenge

💐 March- A book a parental figure enjoys. If you don't have a parental figure, choose a friend.

3.5 ⭐️ - A Court of Thorns and Roses

Okay so I know this is two months later but I was in big book slump, so I’m slowly but surely catching up on the reading prompts 😭. None of my parents are big readers so I read a book that two of my friends really enjoy. I was really surprised that I actually enjoyed this book I don’t read fantasy often but I would say this book had a good magical element (I’m still waiting to read a fantasy book that blows me away and makes me adore the genre). I kept going back and forth on a rating for the book because there were some really good elements and some elements I didn’t enjoy as much. I think what bumped it to a 3 star book for me was the plot it was very good and kept me interested, what kept it from not being 4 stars were the characters. Don’t get me wrong not all of them were bad but the main character Feyre irked and frustrated me a lot and the two love interests did some questionable stuff that made me so angry. Will I continue the series? Probably not, for two reasons:

1. I’m fine with the ending thus far. After reading the book, I didn’t automatically think oh I need to read the next book and I don’t think that is a bad thing I just didn’t feel that connected.

2. I’m inherently lazy and committing to four more books is something I couldn’t do.

If anyone has any good fantasy recommendations I would love to hear them :)

[violet-moonstone]

Black Women and Girls in Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Media in General

Thinking about how much Mel Medarda (and characters like her) means to me and considering making a sideblog with posts about black women in science fiction, fantasy, and historical fiction -- because we are often not included, sidelined, or portrayed primarily as struggling.

And I want to focus on Black women who are portrayed as intelligent, kind, wise, graceful, cherished, etc because we are not expected to be these things (I've straight up been told to my face that someone was shocked that I was kind and intelligent because I'm Black...and they meant this as a compliment). I've also had friends make comments about not expecting a guy I liked to be interested in me because they just naturally assumed he's "not into Black girls" because that's the norm in our neighbourhood.

I've also been told that I'm not "really Black" or that I'm "whitewashed" or "an Oreo" because I don't fit the narrow idea of a Black woman many people have about Black women and Black people in general. I'm not loud, sexual, or aggressive enough. The way I speak isn't Black enough, and neither are my hobbies and interests). Seeing Black women and girls portrayed in a variety of ways is so freeing, because it allows all Black women to see themselves in media and art.

I think conversations about how women are portrayed in fiction can be difficult, because no, I don't think all women should be portrayed as traditionally feminine and/or as love interests. Yes, I think there should be women who are portrayed a strong and brave warriors...but as a Black woman, that's pretty much the expectation -- to be a warrior who needs no help. But this expectation does not come out of admiration.

We're expected to be strong and able to shoulder burdens on our own because very often, people don't want to help us so we have to help ourselves. We're not expected to be watched out for and certainly not serious, long-term love interests (unless we're biracial or have light skin) in fiction or even in real life. And then when you get intelligent, dark skinned Black girls/women as love interests who have any personal goals or opinions that don't 100% align with the male protagonist, prepare for her to be hated (See the Castlevania: Nocturne and Invincible fandoms for examples).

I'm not going to get into detail about the history of the "strong Black woman" trope and the effects of slavery on perceptions of Black women, but if you need an example of how this still affects society: Black women in countries like the US, Canada, and England are more likely to die in childbirth. This is partially because of how wealth disparities among racial groups affect access to healthcare, but it's also related to Black women's pain not being taken seriously and Black women not being seen as worth protecting in the same way (This also happens with Indigenous and Hispanic women btw).

There are still people in healthcare programs/people who work in healthcare who were taught that Black people have a higher pain tolerance than people of other races. Being a "strong Black woman" isn't exactly an empowering experience when your suffering is seen as trivial or non-existent.

Let's not forget that when Rue (who was explicitly described has having dark skin in THG) was cast as Black (and played by a very light actress btw) there were people in the fandom talking about how they automatically pictured her as being pale and blonde because that's their mental image of a sweet, innocent girl. (Also because these people were not very bright and couldn't imagine that Katniss thought Rue was similar to Prim in terms of personality, not literal appearance).

When Annabeth Chase was cast as Black, I saw someone talking about how it didn't make sense because as a white blonde in the books, she would have a reason to prove her intelligence and defy stereotypes...as if this isn't something Black girls go through in a much more intense way on a regular basis!

Anyway I wanted to mention all of that because it's important to keep in mind when I'm talking about appreciating characters like Mel. Appreciating femininity or being a primary love interest can be seen as frivolous and limiting because in general it's a box that a lot of female characters (especially White female characters) are put into, but it's important for Black women because we get it so rarely (although I think it's getting less and less rare these days, thankfully).

[blues-valentine]

the Alina debate going on reminds me of the Katniss debate even years later. there’s people that in this date and age think Gale was a better choice …..some people hate to see girls that went through imaginable levels of trauma find themselves a calm and quiet life with a man that brings them safety and peace.

These two cases are pretty similar and with THG renaissance on social media lately the discussions about this subject are getting wildly inaccurate and lacking media literacy.

Alina and Katniss are similar in how they were just kids that had to grow up in a mess up world and take care of themselves alone. They both were thrown into a role way bigger than them. Deemed as holy and untouchable. Prayed as the sole savior of a nation, painted as a symbol. A role they’ve never felt prepared for and during all of that trauma and grief they just hoped for some normalcy beyond that chaos. Mal and Peeta represent comfort and security for each of them but still the choice to seek that peace creates controversy. I saw this amazing post (X) about how thinking Gale and Katniss should’ve ended up together is simply incorrect and a terrible interpretation of what the books and movies are telling you and similarly goes with Alina’s ending being sadly misunderstood.

People don’t get that Gale became everything he was fighting against. The thing Katniss was trying to run from. In his search to destroy the Capitol and eradicate the games he became too blinded by hatred and started justifying all that violence with the idea of revenge. He would easily switch off his humanity to justify the means in which he achieved those goals. He would’ve never been able to provide Katniss with the peace, safety and the healing she was searching. Peeta and Katniss both understood the trauma lived in the games and ultimately wanted the same thing: peace, get a hold to their humanity, move on from the pain. I still cannot comprended how people think Peeta is “boring” because he is by far one of the most complex characters but also, doesn’t Katniss deserve a mundane or “boring” life? One that isn’t pledge by chaos and trials? One that feels like a routine in the most full-filling way? Katniss getting that plus allowing herself to have kids — because she never said she didn’t want kids, she just didn’t want them to exist in a world in which the games existed, and she fought so it won’t ever happen again. Katniss deserves to have a peaceful life instead of feeling the burden of a role she has to play.

THG is still one of the most complex trilogies I’ve ever read. Katniss and Peeta’s love story isn’t typical but it’s true in its essence. Both were thrown into circumstances that only them would be able to understand and managed to find peace within each other. Their love was born from being able to give each other mutual understanding and comfort. Katniss is able to share her real feelings with Peeta, who sees her as Katniss and not as the symbol of rebellion. That guy, a kid himself too, who’s been used as a weapon to torment Katniss would give his life for her in a heart beat. His love for her is pure.

For Alina, her powers while they made her feel powerful at times, they were also a burden. They made her feel lost, confused, scared of herself and suicidal. Alina’s powers didn’t develop normally because she wasn’t raised as a normal Grisha. There’s a reason why the amplifiers are called a fetter and a collar. They were never meant to be seem as a positive thing. Alina’s whole journey has been filled with trauma and with the imposition of a role she had to play that went against her own freedom. Her powers made her a pawn. The title of the savior, the sun summoner, the queen, the Saint; those all were titles she did not ask for and she found a tremendous burden to perform. She said it herself multiple times. She felt like a fraud and people worshipping her made her feel like she was bigger than herself. Alina would’ve never been able to achieve her peace if she still had those powers and therefore would’ve never been truly free. I’m sorry, no one will ever convince me that Alina making the choice to remove herself from a world that has brought her so much trauma in exchange for a peaceful, mundane life in which she’s able to provide orphan kids just like her the love and security she didn’t get for herself (or for Mal) is not empowering. Her choice IS empowerment.

Mal, who was also a kid himself, had to deal with trauma, with the idea of being disposable and insignificant in a world that only valued those with powers or status. He was used as a weapon against Alina so he swears himself to be a weapon for Alina, because ultimately she is the only person he’ll fight and give his life for.

A thing that it’s similar to Katniss and Alina is that people are so convinced they should’ve healed from their trauma alone to be deemed more empowering. Why should they not be in the company of someone that brings them peace? Someone that makes them feel loved and comforted? Women are allowed to have character developed while also being with a love interest. Not all women have to stick to Hollywood’s propaganda of empowerment.

If you don’t understand why Alina and Katniss endings and the fundamental nature of their choices being about healing, and for Alina about the promise that her power lies in herself, on her own value, then you simply didn’t get it.

And no one can convince me this wasn’t a good, bittersweet but fulfilling ending for Alina:

[everythingwasalreadypicked]

I got a very disturbing Pjo idea after watching TBOSAS trailer and since nudging the people in the Ta server wasn't enough for me, I'm putting it out here.

(Very excited for that movie btw)

TW: Dehumanisation, murder, child death, general things you would see in THG

Okay so you know how THG was inspired by the Thesus and the Labyrinth myth?

And you know how the Games were started to punish the Districts for rebelling?

And, and what army was technically a rebellion? That’s right. The Titan army demigods.

So, what if instead of massacring the Ta kids; the gods put them thorough similar games. I mean Hephaestus TV is a thing, they canonically watch demigods as entertainment. Wouldn't be the first time they made them fight for entertainment either. Remember Bachus?

"After all, if they're so willing to raise up arms against their fellow demigodkind killing their friends and fellow comrades shouldn't be that hard, right?" — Zeus (and Kai thanks for the dialogue)

So those who didn’t immediately joined back the camps gets rounded up and imprisoned somewhere before they got thrown into the arena to fight monsters and eachother to death.

All the while the gods are watching their new family entertainment. Hey, it's free :D

Apollo takes it upon himself to do the interviews (like Ceasar) which half of it has to get censored before it reaches Zeus.

"Hecate, your son fucking bit me!"

"Good." — she's not happy about the situation at all.

Of course, they would group the kids and do more than one run: Prolongs their fun and the traitors's suffering.

Not that all of the kids are sent to fight. The Olympians who have children there are more likely to spare their favourite ones and hold it over their heads for the rest of their life. (And leave the ones they don't like to die)

Sponsorships still happen, it's an effective way to break the comradeship. You're more likely to receive one if 1) Your godly parent is an Olympian and/or 2) You’re more willing to put up with whatever the gods throw at you without a fuss.

The current run is broadcasted to the imprisoned demis as a further way to break their spirits, and so they can see their friends kill eachother, sometimes without hesitation.

The winners gets paraded around Mt. Olympus. They're free now that won the gods's bloody bullshit, right? Wrong. Sure they're being "celebrated" for killing their friends but they're nothing more than shiny trophies. Just props for entertainment :)

Of course, with the way things are broadcasted to the other members of army make it seem like one of their own being treated like a celebrity for turning on them, which further drives wedges between the victors and them.

The winners gets to watch their own run, too. They can't turn on Olympus if they're too busy self-loathing :)

The kids are prepped up before their interviews, a courtesy of Aphrodite (so what if some of her own children are there, they should've knew better than treason), but they’re sent to the arena with basic white chitons. The Olympians get nostalgic all right, they’re old. (And it does make the Ta demis feel even more degraded and patronised.)

The Arena itself is really pretty, too pretty for what's happening inside. I'm talking about polished marble Greek columns, giant statues of the gods, intricate carvings of silver and gold.

[It is of course designed by their newest architect. Not that Annabeth knows what it's going to be used for. They petition for "a shiny arena for godly games" and she does it. Not knowing it's going to be used for demigod bloodshed. She can't be imprisoned like her half-brother Daedalus however, they can't have either of the camps know about what's going on. (Those in Ta who knew her recognises her work, however causing them to think the Camp is on it) So, Hera kindly takes it upon herself to wipe the memory. She needed practice for her future exchange program anyway.]

"Why are you protesting that "we're forcing you to kill eachother" Torrington, we aren't the ones who are holding weapons."

[I will reblog with art later]

[gurinpotte]

let's talk process!

Bellow is a video of my latest thg art! I think I never shared video on here, so I thought I'd give it a go!

I wish this was a reblog of the original post but tumblr didn't let me. So here we are! I felt like talking a bit more about this piece because it was so good to make it. I am actually proud of how it turned out! The impression of depth works well enough and the lighting too, which made me very happy - happy to be able to give Katniss and Rue this sweet moment in such a dark story. I can't recall if this exact scene happens in the book, but it must be similar enough.

Still figuring out My Katniss. That's not exactly how I want to draw her. But a victory here is that she looks like an actual teen - something I struggle with tbh hehe. Little Rue is not exactly how I see her as well, but I love to see her sleeping peacefully like this with someone taking care of her.

This just......sprung up in my brain as listened to thg yet again because i have brainrot and need to be constantly entertained to be able to work lately. And it broke my heart and mended it continuously. Rue is so little and innocent, and even if she wasn't reaped, she already had a miserable and exploited life in district 11. That's so unfair. And the way Katniss stood by her, gave her the most she could, told her she was strong, lifted her up in the short period the two had together - makes me love them so much. Makes me love Katniss very much! This girl dared to > LOVE <. I guess that's the heart of this illustration, the daring to love in the direst circumstances.

As for the makings ofs its. T'was made on procreate with a funny little brush named quoll. Very ill tempered. But very beautiful watercolor look. I did have to do it in layers of color to get it right, which is also very watercolor-like. The thing to make it look like people are LAYING DOWN is to draw their faces as seen slightly from below. Does the trick every time. Now for the ground, I think it's the blue that gives the depth, and the lack of detail. The unfocused leaves gave me a bit of a hard time, hard to figure out their color and lighting. Even drew focused leaves. I very much lack the processing power do draw leaves and flowers and complex things. But we manage! Just keep arting and you'll manage.

[the-path-to-redemption]

Hi I was scrolling through you blog and I saw the post about Rwby and the Racism issue and I was wondering how did Rwby failed in all 3 categories?

I have seen other POCs express their distain regarding fantasy racism and fantasy oppression because you are taking a real life minority experience and using it for your white race (Hunger Games and Bright are examples). Then we have some that says as long as that race is an allegory or being race coded is fine such as Zootopia. Did Rwby followed or try to followed these examples?

That moment when your blog is just chocked full of posts about this topic that you can't find the specific one-

So, I want to preface that this post is my perspective, and it will not always align with other POCs' opinions on similar matters. We're not a monolith, and I speak from my own experiences.

Long Post Ahead

I don't think I can answer the 3 categories you mentioned because I literally cannot remember which post has that. So I'm very sorry.

So I'll start with the next part. In matters regarding the Hunger Games and its usage of societal discrimination, I personally would not say that it's a bad example, and race plays a more subtle part in the totalitarian world of Panem. THG as a series is a commentary on what will happen when we let the government exploit and divide the people, keeping us under their thumb with a cruel system disguised as a form of social order rather than what it truly is. Hell, even the main villain of the series President Snow (spoiler ahead) in the prequel claimed that the Games are a method of showing order in a world thrust into chaos, that the tributes are part of a larger game of reminding everyone in Panem that they are only parts of a bigger machine in order to keep peace. Which the series clearly stated that what he's saying is propaganda, and the world isn't just full of woes. It is capable of love, kindness, and unity even in an environment where the people kill each other.

Sorry for the long rant, but I would highly recommend you read the series. Panem as a world setting isn't a fantasy perse, more like a hypothetical America or any similar nation where the discrimination based on race, class, and everything not considered "norm" is something inspired by real-life without making it a direct example, it's a series encompassing the struggles of being free and allowed to love without being oppressed, which can be seen by any race. I encourage you to get into a deeper analysis of this wonderful series, it's worth it.

And for Zootopia? I would not consider it allegorical. At all. It obviously takes inspiration from real-life racism, particularly that in the States, but just...

If you equate the predators in Zootopia, who are discriminated against because of their instincts to hunt prey and are faced with constant fear that they will kill their prey peers based on instinct or via drug, on any non-white groups in America, while the prey animals are white people? You... you see the issue, right?

You see the issue of making a fictional race that instinctually behaves very differently from humans via eating others an allegory to real-life races, especially black people, right???

That's why I wanted RWBY and the Faunus to be their own thing because the premise itself is fantastical. Don't Write Real Life Racism with Fantastical Allegories. PLEASE. RWBY shot itself in the fucking foot when they equate the Faunus to Black Civil Rights Issues when they aren't educated enough on the topic to even discuss it. If that was what they wanted, just write black people. There are other ways where you can write a fantasy racism plot without allegorizing it to real-life racism. Just write the fucking latter.

RWBY failed, and it failed badly. Even if you don't have the whole Faunus be about Black Civil Rights, the writers still INTENTIONALLY write a disabled child slave fighting for his rights after being abused by a corporation to be the VILLAIN. Not just any kind of villain, but the kind to abuse his loved ones, kill his own kind, aim for mass murder, and never actually gave a shit about his rights. That alone should tell you enough about whether or not RWBY failed or not.

[realmermaid333]

During TBOSAS era of THG universe, it is interesting how the Capitol is actually under lots of government control while the districts seem to be a bit more free and left alone, besides the Hunger Games of course. Or at least they are more left alone than they are when Katniss is alive. We see in the movie especially how District 12 is very colorful and full of culture, and it seemed like people had more food then than they did in the future. But, by the time the 74th Hunger Games is around, the Capitol is extremely rich, and lavish goods and mass consumerism are the norm. While the districts are under massive surveillance and control, and are without food, and good medical care, all while working slave labor. I think this is an interesting parallel to real life as it is similar to how billionaires are made. They will underpay and mistreat workers, or harm people and steal from their lands (think elon musk's emerald mines) in order to wrack up billions. I think this is definitely what happened in the Capitol. They were able to live lives of superabundance to the point that they'd normalized a vomit drink so they could throw up food just to eat more. Or at least the more wealthy did. All of this was possible due to scarcity in the districts. As Rue tells Katniss in the first book, she was not allowed a bite of the crops she picked. All of it was sent to the Capitol while her and her siblings starved. It's just interesting and tragic how this is real and a real thing that happens. This is how billionaires are made. This is how corporations get their cobalt and their mica. And the slave labor of children in other countries is how first world countries are able to live in abundance, though it isn't even those of us in first world countries faults. Corporations cheaply mass produce things for profit so we are never encouraged to think about purchases, or think about how goods need to come from somewhere, and be made with resources and by people. I'd say the same could be said for people in the Capitol. Their mass consumption was normalized, and I'm sure many of them weren't even aware of how harsh the living conditions were for people in the districts.

[justrainandcoffee]

For the dark OTP asks, could you please answer the following for your pairing of choice:

What is the worst they have hurt they other? What could cause them to intentionally hurt each other?

What is something they could never forgive the other for?

Thank you 🖤

Thanks, V!!.

Dark asks

Luca and Linnie:

What is the worst they have hurt they other? What could cause them to intentionally hurt each other?

I chose them because I can't imagine an scenario similar with the other couples.

I blame his depression and poor mental health before Aveline make him sign the papers for the divorce. But Luca saying that she didn't care about him when literally Aveline was taking care of him, paying the entirety of the bills, food, his medice etc. Somehow it was an emotional manipulation so she can continue taking care of him. Luca can be an ass sometimes. She didn't deserve that. One of the many reasons she divorce him was exactly that, she wasn't going to tolerate that anymore. And she didn't "sign the papers, Changretta, and get out of my house."

Rose and Alfie:

What is something they could never forgive the other for?

The only thing they could never forgive each other is infidelity. Nope. The highest treason ever when we're talking about them. Never is going to happen, but in a super dark, impossible AU, that could be the end of Rolfie 🥺💔. And as long as I live it's a nope. 🙅‍♀️. (Although hypocritical speaking, Rose was unfaithful for over a decade to be with him in thg AU 🤭 and I'm very open to do that again if that means to make her happy with him.)

[vasilissadragomir]

for the fake fic ask game:

a THG fic with: accidental marriage, political intrigue and mutual pining!

OOF this is so hard i’ve been thinking about this one for a WHILE but i think i got it!! in honor of Passover…a Jewish!Everlark (shtetl!District 12, really) AU set during Catching Fire.

The twin burns on their hands aren’t the only things binding Katniss and Peeta together that fateful night before the Passover Seder. When they tear the loaf to drop in the Mellark fireplace together, cleansing the house of chametz before the holiday, they’re transported to another time with another burnt loaf…until they look down to find a toasted piece of bread in each of their hands. And, worse yet, Mrs. Mellark saw the whole thing. Couldn’t they at least have waited to do the toasting under a chuppah? Oy, what a shanda!

As Katniss and Peeta are marched down to the Justice Building by Mrs. Mellark and the town rabbi, Katniss fears the repercussions from President Snow, whose perfect, goyische Capitol wedding was just ruined by the accidental fulfillment of the District 12 tradition.

A month after Peeta stepped on the glass in the Justice Building, making their marriage legal in the eyes of both the state and HaShem, they learn the consequences of their actions when President Snow announces the Quell. With nothing left to lose, Katniss and Peeta start to think that maybe the meshugas they caused could be what saves them in the arena. After all, being star-crossed lovers worked pretty well last time.

In the battle for their culture, their rights, their traditions, and their lives, they can’t help but wonder…is it beshert?

glossary for the goyim:

shtetl - small Jewish towns in Eastern Europe (generally pre WWII for obvious reasons)

Passover - holiday where we don’t eat leavened bread and we often burn it to ensure our houses are entirely bread-free before the holiday

Seder - super long ritual dinner we do on the first night or two of passover

chametz - leavened bread

chuppah - a big ritual tarp we get married under

shanda - scandal

rabbi - Jewish spiritual leader (comparable to a minister or imam)

goyische - goy-like (“goy” means non-Jew; serves a similar role to gringo/a in Spanish-speaking regions)

breaking the glass - wedding tradition where the groom steps on a piece of glass which usually ends the ceremony

HaShem - literally translates to “the name” but is just God (we’re not allowed to say God’s name)

meshugas - ridiculousness, chaos

beshert - basically destiny (“it would’ve happened anyway…”)

[julietasgf]

Do you think Strabo ever had the suspicion that Coriolanus played a role in Sejanus's death? I read your character studies on the Plinth family (love those works so much) and wondered if Strabo would ever have the feeling that Coriolanus betrayed Sejanus because Strabo knows that Coriolanus is just like him. If Strabo sees similarities between himself and Coriolanus, I'm assuming he can sense that Coriolanus is power hungry and willing to betray anyone to get to the top. On another note, how do you think Strabo mourned/reacted after Sejanus's death? We see that Ma curses the mountains for the rest of her life, but Strabo was never really religious.

so, first: tysm for reading my works!!!! I'm so happy you enjoyed it <33

I DEFINITELY think strabo suspected something, but not right away. he was an asshole, but as I always say, I do think he loved his son and his family in his own twisted way. at first, I think he went through the logic he himself says in the book: the plinths were parents without a son, coriolanus was a boy without his parents. and coriolanus was intelligent, and ambitious, and young and full of potential.

but that's the thing: full of potential. coriolanus was 19 at that time, and I think strabo underestimated him for a while. he would never think such a young boy would do the kind of things he did, let alone to sejanus, someone so loyal to coriolanus.

however, as time passed by, and strabo started to notice more and more how coriolanus seemed even more ruthless than himself, even more power hungry... it all started to come into place.

strabo betrayed his own district, his own home.

why wouldn't coriolanus betray a friend?

now, let's talk about strabo and the plinths in general: one thing that makes me think a lot is that after the events of tbosas, we don't hear about the plinths never again in thg. never. coriolanus became their heir, and I'm assuming they became some sort of parent like figures to him. maybe I'm reaching, but in these conditions, I would expect for coriolanus to mention them at least once. but nothing. nothing at all.

so. what happened?

there's a saying where I'm from (I at least never heard it in english) that goes like "it's snake eating snake". it basically means that when two horrible people get close to each other, it's not really a surprise when they start betraying each other. and that's basically coriolanus and strabo to me after years after sejanus' death, after the first moment of pain went away and the logic started to come back into place.

my personal theory is: strabo at some point knew. he was a smart man and too much alike coriolanus. and we all know how things end for people who cross coriolanus' path.

about how strabo reacted: I think he was devasted, really. and in the same way coriolanus has this feeling all over the book that he's annoyed and tired of having to get sejanus out of trouble, strabo have done this all his life, and it wasn't enough. strabo hated to fail, and regarding sejanus, I think he felt like he failed. and plus, he not only lost his son, he lost his heir. I think he drowned himself in work and I do think he had something to do with why the hell D2 went from their mentality in the 10th games to their mentality in the 74th games. maybe he helped coriolanus with propaganda, or gave him ideas, idk, but it was important to him to make sure that no other boy from that district would end up in the dangerou rebel path sejanus ended.

(of course coriolanus supported his ideas. strabo just didn't know at the time that the reasons were completely different from his.)

[maadilin]

the extent of the sex trafficking in thg

here's my theories/monologue on the sex trafficked/possibly sex trafficked victors, and victors who may have been trafficked if things went different.

Cashmere, District 1

mentioned indirectly as sex trafficked by haymitch in mockingjay. there's a possibility she refused, but it's most likely she did, especially based on the entirety of the capitol's sympathy for her during her interview in cf.

Enobaria, District 2

mentioned as a capitol favorite, there's a good chance she was sold as a sex slave. based on her vote for a symbolic hunger games, where she says, "let them have a taste of their own medicine." it's clear she was more rebellious than the other careers (with the exception of finnick, annie, and mags) giving more probability towards her being trafficked.

Finnick, District 4

the only confirmed victor to be trafficked, he announced this in a d13 propo in mockingjay. arguably the most "desirable" of all the victors.

Johanna, District 7

as it's mentioned she has no family and no close friends, (besides katniss, finnick and possibly peeta) there's a good her family/friend's deaths were as a result of her refusing to be sex trafficked by president snow.

Haymitch, District 12

not confirmed to be trafficked, although he possibly could have been, but his family and girlfriend's death being caused by his defiance, snow had nobody to hold against him if he refused. also, even if snow didn't kill his family, he probably wouldn't have trafficked him because he became an alcoholic. if his means of winning were different, and if his family wasn't killed, it's almost certain he would have been approached by snow about the victor prostitution.

Katniss, District 12

obviously we know she was never approached/trafficked, but if the whole star crossed lovers thing never happened, she would probably have been approached by snow, and she would probably accept as it's clear she's selfless when it comes to protecting prim. thank god for peeta.

Peeta, District 12

similar to katniss although he would have been more likely to refuse, as besides the possible exception of his father, he didn't seem to love his family much, especially in comparison to katniss. thank god for the star crossed lovers, as if one of them won without it, they would have probably been prostituted.

that's all for now byebye lovelies~

xx madi

[lauren-210]

What's your favorite character from all across THG trilogy & TBOSAS?

Why do you like this character?

Favorite quote or moment from them?

Please state one (or more) thing which you don't like from them.

Thank you 😊

@curiousthg

Ahhhh yes! Happy to answer this question! 😊

Favorite character across the series: My District 2 golden boy, my best friend, my husband: Sejanus Plinth ❤️

There's certainly so much I can say about him and why I love him so much. He is literally everything for me: Compassionate, empathetic, kind, loving, selfless, brave, morally strong, pure, honest, a pacifist, and the biggest sweetheart. He is a man of heart who wears his heart on his sleeves. I adore this man. ❤️ I love his backstory, his storyline, and I find his character interesting to me. I truly see so much of myself in him when it comes having very similar personalities, our beliefs/moral compass, our life experiences (being bullied in school when we were young, being shy, not having many friends growing up), and also similar flaws we both share such as acting or thinking from our hearts first, being naïve on certain things about the world, or acting out from our emotions, especially in regards to things that pertain to our beliefs about the world or situations that happen. His humanity and his capacity to be good as well as the convictions he has in the good in humanity and people’s capacity to do good are what makes him so special to me. I love that he maintains his humanity all the way thick and through and not playing the Capitol’s game of letting them turn him into something he’s not. He always wants to do the right thing and puts others before him. ❤️

One of my favorite scenes and one of the most defining moments that showcase his humanity and emphasizes the degree to how much he cares is (and represents who he is as a person) is when he sneaks into the arena to give Marcus (his former District 2 friend/classmate and his tribute) a vigil while also going in there to die as a martyr. He was ready to make a statement for people that didn't even LIKE him and the amount of compassion and love he has in his heart to do that for Marcus despite him giving him the cold shoulder the entire time and hating him (when it could have been so easy for Sejanus to shrug Marcus off for how he was treating him) is incredible. He sees and watched him die a painful, senseless and cruel death in being hung up for display and goes in to cross his arms, perform their District 2 tradition of spreading the bread crumbs over his body to die peacefully because he wanted to say "Fuck you. You can hang up this boy but I am not letting him die without showing how human he is." He even does that for Brandy after she's killed by Peacekeepers after she kills Arachne and he wants people (no matter how cruel or unkind or violent they are; no matter where they come from) to be treated with respect and dignity.

Favorite quote: So hard to choose cause I love so many of his, but picking just one, I'd have to go with this one because it's so powerful ❤️:

"You’ve no right to starve people, to punish them for no reason. No right to take away their life and freedom. Those are things everyone is born with, and they’re not yours for the taking. Winning a war doesn’t give you that right. Having more weapons doesn’t give you that right. Being from the Capitol doesn’t give you that right. Nothing does."

No Sejanus slander in this house 🙅🏻‍♀️🙅🏻‍♀️🙅🏻‍♀️ If I have to mention anything that I don't like about him........him being su*cidal cause that makes me so god damn depressed and he deserves the world. 😭😭😭

[the-gayest-tree-you-ever-did-see]

Lucy Gray Baird - an innocent victim or a manipulator?

What's your first impression of Lucy Gray?

Do you think she loved Coriolanus in tbosas?

What do you think might have happened to Lucy Gray in the end?

What's your opinion about theories :

1. Greasy Sae as Lucy Gray.

2. Coin as a daughter or relative of Lucy Gray.

Thank you :)

@curiousnonny

oof im so late on this but HERE WE GO

i think trying to categorize her into one thing almost eliminates her humanity. she is both a manipulator and a victim. she is both a songbird and a snake. she is more than just one choice she makes, or even all of the choices she made, because she's human. we see her through coryo and i think that does a disservice to who she is because coryo struggles to quantify her, not realizing that she isnt quantifiable, because shes human. i also think the fandom discussion around her is very telling, because i can see peeta making a lot of the choices she made in her shoes (and vice versa) and i know they are not the same characters, but the ways in which they are similar and the way we talk about both of them are pretty interesting.

i loved her when i first met her -- i annotated ballad and my note on her introduction was 1. a bunch of hearts because i loved her and 2. a paragraph on how she was just a kid and the differences in how she acts versus how the tributes in thg act. i loved her and she didnt deserve anything that happened.

i think she did love him. i think at first it was an act, that she was just putting on a show for the capitol, trying to latch onto something so they didnt let her die, but i think she slowly grew to love him. until, of course, she realized who he was. again, she was just a girl. she just went through a break up and the other girl sent her to her death in the games and she has people she loves and needs to take care of and no one who takes care of her. however misguided and youthful, i really think she loved snow.

it's a mystery, sweetheart. and mysteries have a tendency of driving people mad. im content with not knowing, but i will say this: i believe she survived. i have to believe she at least survived snow's rage, just that little moment in the woods. at least let her survive that.

absolutely not. why the hell would lucy gray risk her life and everyone she loves by staying in twelve.

even more no. coin is vastly different than lucy gray and everyone she loves, there is no way she is related to her. i honestly hate these theories because they remove lucy gray's autonomy as a person and her own character. i will be petty and say these theories are stupid as hell and so are the people who believe in them amen 🙏🏽 like we did not read the same book

[logictoinsanity]

Recently read The Silence by Tim Lebbon and it was great, found out there was a movie and watched it and now I'm subjecting the Internet void to

My Thoughts on The Silence (2019) (6.5/10):

-(TLDR: I enjoyed it, but if I hadn't read the book it'd be much less interesting

TLDR of the move: if youve seen a quiet place, very similar creature, blind and hunts via hearing, reminiscent of like, piranhas combined with bats. parents, young son, deaf daughter and moms mom are trying to survive)

- Casting is all good except for Huw they fucked up (actor did a good job, just don't think he has the right vibe and its not /just/ because he's bald)

- Jude and Ally are great, Otis is a Rottweiler and I can't remember if that's book accurate (definitely not how I pictured him, I pictured a mutt that vaguely resembles a dark grey Irish wolfhound, but not as ridiculously large). but he's so so cute (I hid during The Scene™ so I have no clue how they handled it, but maybe next time I can just think about the dog actor having a really fun time)

- Not a fan of the change of setting, I understand that the problem had to move faster than the book, but they could've still kept the UK and Moldova, I feel like this would be more important to me if I was British tho tbh, im sure theres aspects of the characters in the book that got messed up when they turned american that i didnt notice. Probably cheaper to film in the USA tho.

- Obviously lacks all of the incredible build up and suspense of the entire first quarter of the book, with Ally seeing the cave on TV and slowly watching it become a bigger and bigger thing, which is one of my favorite things about the book

- Note from ~25 minutes in- better than a quiet place because it starts from the beginning, although I've heard the quiet place 2 provides a lot more context, maybe it's a ouija situation

- FUCKING HATE THAT THEY CHANGED 'HE WANTS ALLY FOR HER SIGN LANGUAGE AND SEES HER AS A FUCKED UP SAVIOR' INTO 'THE GIRL IS FERTILE' THATS SO FUCKING STUPID WHY WOULD THEY VALUE FERTILITY AT ALL WHEN BABIES ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO HUSH AS A PRE ESTABLISHED FACT THATS JUST GROSS PERVERSION FOR THE SAKE OF SHOCK VALUE INSTEAD OF WHAT ACTUALLY MAKES SENSE FOR THE PLOT

- They also fucked up the order of events with the hushed attacking the house, which fucks up the relevance of the grandmas sacrifice, since they just grabbed Ally again right after

- They also didn't include the smile from grandma to Ally which would've been so so easy to include and imo was a good moment.

- I liked Jude stabbing the guy, can't remember if that was in the book. also didn't like that it was three kidnappers instead of one really big guy who ignored like, a knife wound and being punched repeatedly

- Overall very similar to how I feel about THG movie, although this movie is worse than THG generally, so the concept is amplified. fun to watch because I know the deeper parts, decent basic genre movie, but doesn't have nearly the substance, meaning, or craftsmanship as the book.

- Really wish the beginning had slightly more time to show the doubt the world had when the vesp infestation first started. I think like two or three weeks passed between the Moldova cave incident and the vesps crossing the British channel in the book. There also wasn't time to show all the ways people tried to fight back, the military burning cities while blasting off fireworks, releasing toxic gases, etc. But I think specifically the doubt that was surrounding the vesp infestation in its early stages is a very important part of what makes the book so effective, it shows how people will ignore the things they cant handle, the cognitive dissonance we all have about whats happening in far away countries, it could never happen to us etc

- Really wish Glenn got more screen time and character development, especially in relation to the doubt, but I understand why he didn't. He's the madge of this film (not as bad tho, they did their best with him and the time they had I think)

- Feel pretty much the same about the ending, I get they needed a satisfying conclusion since they knew the odds of a sequel were slim, and the original ending would've been to frustrating for a more general audience.

- Personally though, I would've written it closer to the original, but they make it to the house in Scotland, and there's vague hints about the refuge (and maybe a more solid conclusion on rob somehow) so its like, there's a little open endedness and if they really wanted to do a sequel they could, but its still satisfying and more follows the original storyline. Especially since they totally cut out the plot line of huw and his parents weird relationship and his weird feelings about Scotland.

- Still enjoyed it more than quiet place, though tbf I don't remember that movie very well, I was high as fuck during both movies, and I haven't seen the sequel

- Huws brother and sister, Allys best friend and the lake house woman's machete are all absent, along with the prime Minister announcements (although I guess itd be the president) which I really enjoyed since the governments response is a key component to how a society reacts to catastrophy, which I think is a solid bit of the point of the book

- Basically I want a five hour long extended version that's just a little more book accurate and has slightly better pacing and casting. Just like The Hunger Games, Percy Jackson, and every other book to movie adaptation I've ever seen

[marcianoliterati]

The sunbearer trials, by Aiden Thomas

3.5 stars

This is more of a discussion than solely a review, and does feature some spoilers :

I was really excited for this, but found myself a bit disappointed by the end.

It takes place in a fantasy world heavily inspired by Mexico. It all sounds pretty Aztec to me,the gods mentioned and all that but it's not particularly mentioned anywhere, and all the copy solely reads 'mexican-inspired'

It’s a mix of modern society and ancient stuff, there’s gods and demigods running around, there’s an academy for heroes and every ten years something called the sunbearer trials happens where a demigod child is killed by another so they can ‘charge the sun’ and keep the bad guy in his cage.

Tw: violence, bullying, manipulation, world-ending mistakes

It’s clearly another take on the hunger games and other similar stuff.  Only no one here is supposed to be killed till the end. 

The main character is teo, a trans boy who has wings he’s ashamed of, and who feels underappreciated due to his mother being a second-rate god which means he’s not seen as particularly important or good enough to be a hero. 

Still, he and his best friend are called to participate in the sunbearer trials, and he spends the whole time being unsure of it all and just trying to keep everyone he loves from dying.

It’s a good premise, and it’s entertaining, but it constantly feels like the worldbuilding is lacking. 

A thing i don’t like is when the characters, for whom this is all supposed to be their normal, don’t know what they are doing. It’s a lazy form of exposition  I find.

And teo is constantly confused about everything.

They say that the trials go back a long time, that it’s a great honour to participate, to kill, to die, 

But no one shows it. 

Everyone acts like theyre afraid of it ashamed of it.

Even the career heroes that are supposed to be trained for it since birth.

Now, i don’t read  a lot of YA, cause i tend to find the teens annoying as fuck.

Which is probably part of why I had issues with this book. 

Yes a lot is teens being teens

And i also have issues cause i tend to find them toothless.

Too often they feature kids who are afraid to do anything bad. 

Like they sneak out once and its a huge deal and of course they never do drugs or drink alcohol or engage in another common risk-seeking behaviour, so it lets them be bratty teens as long as they don’t do anything teens do?

It feels very puritanical, and it’s boring. 

this is about a deadly race, with many obstacles and chances to hurt or get hurt.

but dont worry, everyone will have a miraculous escape! Plot armour for everyone!

it cant be like youre wrapping both the protagonists and readers in a little bubble where nothing bad ever happens and they never need to see anything that could be potentially dangerous

 the danger has to be real.

you truly don’t know if they’ll survive, and how

this doesnt mean it has to be some grimdark everyone can die the future is hopeless thing

thg works because it is willing to go that far, it says your faves are in dangers and means it. nobody gets out unscathed.

In thg the danger is real, and the worldbuilding is incredibly detailed. Even though katniss who is confused like 90% of the time is the pov character.

It doesnt feel like someone is pausing and explaining everything every 5 minutes.

derry girls is a good example of where they do show dangerous things, it is political, but it is all filtered though the lens of girls who dont know better, and you feel that.

rick riordan’s catalogue also shows this well.  it has kids in trouble, it has danger, it deals with Issues, and so on. 

The main problem with this is that it doesn’t feel real. 

From the beginning, you know things aren’t gonna go according to plan.

You’re surrounded by danger but nothing bad is actually going to happen. 

and theres the ‘the sacrifice is an honour but we all know its wrong’ and the way the approach it , like being sad about it.

their sacrifice is supposed to “charge the stones” and “keep monsters at bay”

But it’s never explained. Why? Why must it happen this way? What does it mean?  No one can challenge it, it is just the way it is but it is not explained either.

Why the trials? Why can’t people volunteer? 

if this is their religion, the way its been done for thousands of year why are they sad and umcomfortable to talk about it? 

like, i feel like at least some people should be going like crazy over them, offer them gifts asks for blessings hell they should be like tell me your stories your wishes your goals so we may complete them for you

like, honour them properly? not this “killing people is a shame but it must be done and instead of facing it we are just kind of awkward about it”

In a way, it feels like it is using modern morals to tell a story where those morals simply don’t work. They don’t apply. 

I expect complicated feelings sure, but it is more like ‘it sucks let’s sweep it under the rug’

There’s a whole subplot of Teo having a sister he never knew cause years earlier, she was sacrificed. And his mum never talked about it.

That sounds a lot like shame and fear.

Tributes in the actual hunger games where treated better. People knew they were pawns being sacrificed, and that it was awful, but they also knew there was nothing they could do. 

Why isn’t there a memorial somewhere honouring the sacrifices?  

If they don’t like it, have they tried doing something else? 

There’s this episode of SNW where they also have child sacrifices, and they approach it way better. They also talk about they have to or the whole planet dies, and how they’ve tried to search for other ways and haven’t found any. 

So now they face it head on. They do a whole festival they do their best for the chosen ones, and so on. They know it’s an awful thing to do but they don’t hide it. They don’t look away in shame.

And the way shame is constantly everywhere in this story feels weird. 

The have the MC and his friends look back into the archives and besides discovering he had a sister nothing much is said of it. There was a moment right there for them to learn of the history and heritage of why and how it is done and…nothing.  Completely missed opportunity. 

like, the character often feels like theyre being faced with all of it for the first time, rather than actually growing up with it, what happens if someone is chosen and doesnt want to compete? do they become the sacrifice ? has anyone ever tried?  have people died doing this shit? what does the process actually entails??

For example,HDM goes into a lot of detail as to the origin the why the motivations and so on.

That’s why i think the worldbuilding feels lacking. The whole foundation of the story is less than great. 

What does it mean for this civilization to have this? To grow like this? 

what kind of place is it? how does this masquerade change the world? 

but i feel like a lot of ‘our world but slightly to the left’ don’t take the time to ponder the winder ramifications.

or you could do growing up thinking it was wonderful for everyone involved ,theres luxury and rewards, everyone wants to be chosen and then oh shit its actually dystopic af and ppl have been lied to.

someone slowly becoming aware of the horrors

and this goes slightly over there ‘oh no someone has to die, i dont want anyone to day, last time i was a kid mum didnt even let me watch’ or ‘oh actually the heroes i admire have really tough life’ but it just sort of waves as it goes past, not even bothering to detour 

i feel like the premise is great, a whole country, how does it all work?, and they even go on a tour, but we dont get to see much, a lot of good things are mentioned, only in passing.

I don’t know if it’s really the sort of thing that can be improved in a sequel, although maybe with new characters who can bring in a different pov it might be possible.

So that’s why i feel the story loses steam.

I admittedly don’t know a lot about mesoamerican human sacrifices, but i don’t think shame was the prevailing emotion.

It just doesn’t make sense.

It’s a shame cause i was excited about it, i wanna support latino books and you don’t get a lot of fantasy based on latinamerican folklore, but even wanting to hype it up it still felt a bit flat.

I guess it’s a bit like ‘i had this cool idea so i’m gonna sketch some stuff around it to support it’ and never quite getting around it to filling it in.

Like, teo,the MC is trans. This is quickly mentioned as ‘everyone was fine with it’, and i think there might be a mention of a genderfluid god?

But beside that everything is the same. Another trans kid wears a binder. They take testosterone, it’s just like in our world. 

Or how Teo is the son of a bird god, he can talk to birds, which we barely see him do, and he has freaking wings.

Which he doesn’t know how to use.

Cause apparently he was ashamed of them so his guardians just let him hide them?  What? get that kid a therapist of something what the hell. 

And the whole reason he is ashamed is simply cause he found them too girly.

That’s like saying oh my legs are too ugly i don’t wanna use them. And your parents just being like ok here’s a wheelchair?

Maybe there’s more to it but it’s never explained so that’s the impression i get, like it’s such a big handicap!

And he spends the whole time complaining he isn’t allowed to go to hero school! Is someone stopping him from training? No, i’m sure his mother’s palace has a gym, and he could’ve gotten tutors, he could’ve been using his wings the entire time.

Maybe it’s too judgmental of me, but it seems  incredibly foolish, and i wish we had more talk about it. Rather than him going “oh i dont want to” or “i don’t like it”

I think it’s a good rec for anyone who likes hp, pjo, thg, or hdm, but i don’t think it is as strong as any of those.

[cuteasdeathcreations]

Favourite Katniss moment or quote in each THG, CF, and MJ novel/movie?

Thank you 😊

@curiouskatnisseverdeen

That's a tough one, but I'll try!

THG: My favourite moment is when Rue dies, it's so beautifully heartbreaking. Its when the reality of the games really hits Katniss and is the beginning of the end for the capital.

CF: My favourite moment has to be when all the tributes join hands on stage after their interviews. Its all these traumatised people holding onto each other, recognising the pain they share. They don't do it for the rebellion (although that is a definite positive they are all aware of), they do it for each other and for themselves. Just a wonderful moment of pure humanity.

MJ: It's probably a bit cliché but my favourite part is the ending with Katniss and Peeta playing Real or Not Real. Its a moment between them similar to their moments in the first book yet everything has changed. It's a reminder that everything that happened, happened because two kids cared for each other. It was always about love, family, and friendship. The one thing that cannot be killed.

Thank you @curiouskatnisseverdeen x