#head catches on fire

[half-full-colon]

been thinking of @/jsab-fuiji's swap au; i think Treecko'd be the one to gather items for expeditions! this's a bad idea 👍

[emptyjunior]

Still in hunger games analysis mode, do you guys ever think about what Seneca did Wrong. About where he failed at the job he was given.

Because I think what his true fatal flaw was, was he believed it. He believed in the game and all of the propoganda surrounding it.

And this was something that was bound to happen in Snow's kingdom eventually! He made citizens that were clueless and lost in his little cloud nine. You can't make killers out of your arrogant, privileged sheep population!

Seneca Crane believed that the games were about the great show, about making stars and entertaining the masses.

The cold truth that you and I and Snow are aware of, is that the games are one part of the great oppression machine. They're a good political tool to be in control of, they can be used as a punishment to target whoever you need to, you can manipulate the big show on screen in a crude mockery of what's going on in real life! You can crush the spirit of certain districts, you can keep other ones loyal to you. And the victors are an extremely valuable Product that you are endlessly creating, idols and mouthpieces for your horrible propaganda machine.

So that's what the games do! A good tool for a dictator to have, and if you're aware of all the context, then being in charge of them gives you a lot of power.

But Seneca?? Seemed to genuinely believe he was there to put on a big fancy show😭 He was so excited about it, he chatted to sponsors, he did the interviews, he picked themes😭

Like of course he gave Katniss a 12 after her stunt, he wasn't worried about the fire outfits or her popularity at All. Because he thought it'd be good ratings, and it was! That's what he thought the goal was: Get the best, most entertaining story possible.

All those talks in the Rose garden?

This was not Seneca checkin in with the boss, that was the boss saying Hey what the Fuck are You Doing.

Because Seneca truly did not understand at all! How dangerous it would look for someone from district 12 to rise up that fast! (And Snow most definitely understood Very Quickly because he has been dunked on before by a black haired girl from district 12😭)

But even after that Very explicitly clear talk, Seneca kept allowing Katniss chances to tell the Mockingjay story. Because he is a fool, who thought he was there to make tv😭 And did not realise that the silly story they tell in the games, has very real effects on the districts.

Like the metaphor for it could be you hire someone to make you maybe pro-military, pro-war, propaganda films, and that goes great for years until they get a few generations in and the new guys are like "oh we're just making popular films here right?" And let your direct rebel enemy, star in a touching depiction of how great rebellion is😭 And then your movie guy goes "how was that boss? Lots of people watched!" ☠️

[fangrurin]

Fashion of the Great Houses of Westeros: House Arryn of the Eyrie

[sweetpaintedladie]

Keith Richards in Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg (2024)

[itsajollyjester]

The amount of comfort Finnick and Annie must have had to bring each other over the years makes me weepy

[arthdoesart]

Dancing with the Mockingjay 🐦‍⬛ (and the boy who doesn't burn🔥)

Everlark Valentine piece that got delayed because of (life)

[everlarksquell]

everlark IS the dictionary definition of peak romance i don’t make the rules.

[3d-wifey]

Sigh

[alongtidesoflight]

so here's my honest thoughts on dragon age: the veilguard, after ~40 hours of playing. i finished the main quest after having finished all companion quests and major faction quests. just to clear up what content i saw, i played as an elven transmasc rook who is a member of the lords of fortune. he romanced lucanis (although after finishing the game i'm now leaning towards taash). i don't know what's happening in playthroughs that have a different race, gender identity, romance or faction going on.

full spoilers ahead, i mean it. don't read further if you want to avoid them. i don't want complaining about it in my asks.

oh and also, if you're worried because of a few negative reviews online i can comfort you by saying don't give a fuck about a certain big name youtuber who is very much tied to bethesda franchises giving this a negative review. i'll explain why.

i'm starting off with the things i liked

the game looks really pretty. i was worried it wouldn't feel like thedas anymore (with them trying to "focus on northern thedas only" i thought they'd make a clear cut in environmental design. they do and they don't. it's complicated. i'll elaborate on it when talking about the negative stuff). anyway it does. minrathous feels like kirkwall. treviso enchanted me like the winter palace did. the hossberg wetlands reminded me of the hinterlands and a couple other inquisition maps. arlathan looked like... arlathan. the crossroads were different, but familiar. overall i like the way it looks and feels. it's thedas, with a twist. it's a good one, and gives everything a solid but unique feel.

combat is top tier. if you're a hardcore dragon age player you WILL miss the tactical aspect of it for a bit, but i promise you, once you're used to the way the combat works, you will be lapping that shit up. and once you get to ability combos you'll mourn the control you used to have over your companions in battle a bit less

the MAIN quest and its story. i expected worse, way worse. and for a while the game even had me tricked (harr harr you'll get it in a second) it is Really That Much Worse. but holy shit was it good. i walked away satisfied ngl.

your choices have SOLID weight. there's consequences, good AND bad. i got minrathous blighted, ruled over by venatori, and the leader of the shadow dragons ultimately died because of my decisions. i made those at the beginning and throughout the game. he died at the end. DAVRIN died because i didn't expect what i was saying to have that much weight. i thought i was in the clear. he had hero status. well turns out, your choices can still get your companions killed even if you do everything right. i fucking love him. he shouldn't have made that sacrifice just because i told him to do everything it takes once.

the inquisitor, morrigan and dorian being there, surprisingly. there's also negatives to this though, see below.

speaking of companions dying and the inquisitor playing a bigger role: the final quest feels like me2's suicide mission. i was blown away by it and the fact that i got to see the results of all my efforts playing out in front of me.

bioware are NOT trying to redeem solas. they love him as a character yes, but i wasn't forced to see any good in him. he betrays you. he fucked my rook over twice. he fucked him over right back, for good this time (the veil wasn't torn down, i anchored it by binding him to it, he's doomed to uphold it). but solas really lives up to his name as the trickster elven god. rip to all the people who grew really attached to him over the years.

varric died. if you like him that's probably as hard reading it as it was watching it. varric died and the game lies about it until the very end. when the realisation hits, it hurts. but in the very best way.

the amount of care they put into gender expression and trans identities this time around. (i'll add onto this with negative points as well too).

rook feels very much ingrained in the world of thedas. he doesn't ask questions that expose the player to lore through dialogue as if he's stepped foot into thedas for the first time. those conversations feel very solid and good. i hope other faction players got as much joy out of this as i did.

and the things i didn't like and boy there's a lot unfortunately

the music. let's just get that out of the way holy shit. it doesn't feel like it belongs in this universe. it gets so incredibly sci-fi-y at times you'd think it's taken straight from mass effect andromeda. there's not a single song unique to veilguard that i really enjoyed. it broke my immersion, real bad. hearing a busker play the tavern songs from inquisition on a lute right after i killed some venatori with wobbly bass songs playing in the background is just odd. weird tonal shift. don't like it. it's made for people who like flashy light-weight cinema.

tevinter nights is required reading. the podcasts are required listening exercises. the game is so fast paced, especially at the start, that there's no time to introduce you to characters and how much weight their names carry in-game. i would not have known who half these people are if i hadn't skimmed over tevinter nights. i'd care even less about them than i already did. there is no time to get properly attached to them. people will act as if you're talking to a legend personified and you'll be thinking man goddamn which chapter of tevinter night were they in again and what did they do???

there's a weird mismatch with the animations. you'll have beautifully fluid ones, like emmrich casting spells. and then you'll have rook's face animating in the most unnatural manner that's sorta reminiscent of mass effect andromeda's "my face is tired" addison, when their emotions SHOULD be landing with the player rn instead.

i'm not vibing with the art style. sometimes it works. most of the time it doesn't. at points i felt like i was watching tangled.

that also brings me to some of the dialogue. same issue. i am watching frozen. i am watching tangled. someone on the writer's team really likes the adorkable trope. bellara is its victim.

for all the talk about identity, bioware sure doesn't like theirs. the grey warden armor got a redesign again and it just makes them look like a generic army. i hate it lol

in general, i don't like the armor design. the wardrobe/appearances system is fine, but it's just not helping if all the armors are just... kinda bland or downight bad looking? and don't get me started on the lords of fortune armor. that is orientalism personified.

the world states should have been carried over, full stop. i know they said they didn't because they want to separate what happens in the north from what happens in the south, which... i could have lived with that. but the inquisitor sends you letters that keep you up to date on... the south of thedas. you learn that there's a blight again, that people are standing strong but it's difficult, denerim's fallen, the rulers are taking care of it, orlais is fighting and they're successful for a while, etc etc. what's good bioware. i thought we don't care about the south this time around. why are you feeding me so much boring generic information. if you're not gonna show any of it and just write letters, then carrying the world state over should not have been an issue. i have a game dev background. those few lines of code would not have broken your budget or pushed your engine's limits. fuck right off.

this gripe of mine carries over to all the cameos. as a lord of fortune you have to deal with isabela a lot. it's fun. i missed her. you get to go drinking with her and taash and bellara! also my hawke romanced her. she's not mentioned once. they had the opportunity to put a sentence or two about her in there with not a lot of effort, trust me.

when varric dies, all she has is a single line about it. for gold, for fortune, for varric. she only says it if you interact with her on your way to the final push. that's not mandatory.

morrigan is there. kieran isn't. the old god soul that mythal and then solas absorbed? who cares at this point, the gods are dead now and solas is locked away for eternity. i suppose? why is morrigan there. she feels unneeded. i wish they'd just left her down south, at least that way i wouldn't have had to witness her god awful redesign.

dorian at least feels as if he belongs in this story. the shadow dragons are a crucial part to protecting minrathous. he's also weirdly underutilised. isabela and morrigan had more lines than him in my playthrough.

on the topic of romance: bro that was underwhelming. no, genuinely. you know when romance picked up a bit? after the point of no return. i heard maybe two lines of companion banter about it before that. maybe i missed something which i honestly doubt, but romance did not play much of a role in lucanis's storyline. i saved his grandmother as he wished me to (and if you read tevinter nights you know she was rather abusive and their relationship not the healthiest) and told him to focus on his family. a reunified family my rook wasn't even introduced to as a partner at the end of all that.

really, do not buy this game if you're only in it for the romances. others might be better, lucanis's basically gave me nothing. except for an outing (the second coffee date i had with him, it was getting repetitive) all of it played out once i committed to the final quest. the sex scene was a fade to black. annoyingly right after davrin died. if you're looking for well paced and good spice, pick up something else. the sweet talk and the final goodbye were nice though.

for all the good the ever-presence of gender identity does, it is brought up in such a disruptive manner too. it doesn't even play out naturally if you CHOOSE the lines that are meant to be said. hearing the words trans and non-binary in this setting doesn't feel right, and i'm saying this as a trans guy. i think it could have been handled more gracefully. the amount of times my rook went "i'm a MAN" as if he's about to start drumming on his chest and roaring any second now got super nerve-grating. "i'm so glad you're into me... the me who is trans. remember?" just. tell me one trans person who'd talk like that to a person they've grown close with and are trying to romance. this game doesn't handle sexuality well, so all this hey my body might not look like the way you're expecting it to look talk amounts to nothing anyway. i feel about this the way i feel about krem: this is partial exposition to trans experiences... packaged up for cis consumption. the ONLY exception to that is interacting with taash. holy shit was all of that heartwarming and bro did it feel good and natural to talk to them about theirs and rook's gender.

rivain and nevarra are new locations added by veilguard. they're also incredibly underwhelming, small and constricted maps. rivain is a coastline with a few ruins. the hall of valor is a partial ruin nestled into a cave on a beach, with a fighting pit. isabela is there in her skimpy outfit commentating your pit fights. that's it. i'm sorry if you were looking for a bustling pirate cove or whatever. you're not gonna get it. the nevarran crypts btw are a long ass dungeon crawl. that's it.

speaking of maps. i thought people were being dramatic when they said you're gonna be fighting the same enemies on them again and again. i thought they were figure of speeching it. they're not. you WILL fight the same amount of enemies. in the same spot. every time you reload the map. best to stay on a map and clear out the enemies and do as much questing on that map as you can before leaving, because you WILL have to do it all over again once you return.

the three choices i made for my inquisitor didn't matter lol she didn't have to face solas and therefore couldn't stop him at any cost as she had sworn (maybe because my rook tricked solas into binding himself to the veil, there was also an option to fight him. would she have stepped in? who knows). blackwall wasn't mentioned. and either her using a small amount of her forces in the final fight was the reason the civilians of minrathous fared so well..... or it just didn't matter. ultimately i think she had very little impact on anything

[it-came-autumnally]

the event name wasn't lying, he really did burn his soul (and the people. rip vivid street akito set everything on fire)

(I am joking but some of the phrasing for the fire symbolism is almost comical... out of context it sounds like Akito’s literally starting fires)

[macksartblock]

If anyone’s wondering how I’m doing this week my brain has a million tabs open rn

[thesweetnessofspring]

Meme inspired by @daydreamingandprocrastination's post on Peeta carrying a picture of Gale to try and convince Katniss to win the Games.

And Katniss's response to this offer:

[thelaziestmotherfucker]

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE (2013) dir. Francis Lawrence

[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.”

[puckleberryfinnie]

covey!reader in the quarter quell (opening ceremony!!)

read these first for this to make a bit more sense!

original idea post: click me!

introduction story: click me!

thank you to anyone who showed support in any way on the first introduction for this, it means a lot <33 there’s a lot of just reader content in this (mostly because I’m still working on doing a large amount of dialogue between characters), so if you want, you can skip to later down into this to find more interesting stuff!!

summary: reader goes through the opening ceremony process, meeting people along the way!! - reader meets a bunch of the characters! (Finnick, Johanna, Katniss and Peeta)

warnings: fem!reader, slight mention of ptsd?, alcohol, really bad writing (specifically dialogue)

“Get to know those new winners, the lovers. It’ll be good for your image,” she had said, pouring herself another cup. “It’s not lookin’ too good, kiddo. I’ll miss ya’, if I’m honest.”

Both of you knew your partner- the 50 year old, previous farmer, current jobless winner, would be no help to you. He’d made it known very early on that he hated you- hated the Covey as a whole, if we’re being honest. No amount of kindness, no amount of cheerful smiles could make this man like you. If he saw you in the games, he’d kill you. No hesitation, especially if it meant his chance at survival.

The predestined goodbyes made your heart ache, but in reality, they were better than none at all. Getting one last word in was something of importance to you, with anyone you loved. The games had forced you to realize the value of human life more than ever.

Those lovers, though. Katniss and Peeta- You’d have to understand them, before you arrived. Even if you couldn’t make it out alive, you’d like friends in your final moments. Someone to talk to. The last games had been filled with sleepless nights alone, humming melodies to the mockingbirds in the trees. “K-A-T-N-I-S-S,” typed slowly into your search engine device, one implanted into a high-tech table on the traveling train, headed for the Capital. Millions of articles popped up, lighting up the screen with bold titles, attached with colorful images. This Katniss girl, she was something different from the tributes you’d met. There was no determinable factor to it, she just had something about her that made you curious. You dismissed the thought, closing out the browser before turning your head, looking out the fast-moving train through the pristine, freshly cleaned windows.

It didn’t take too long for you to arrive at your all-too-familiar destination- the Capital buildings towering over you, providing shade for your short trip to the training/housing facility. There were people calling out your name as you walked along the gold paved path, asking you questions. All of them wanted to get the inside scoop on the nearly-dead, newly returned tributes, getting their last words before they reached the end of their life. You smiled, waved, said hello to the reporters before escaping them through the front doors of the tall building in front of you.

The outfits available to you for the opening ceremony were better this time around. Your stylist, bless her heart, knew nothing of Covey fashion, and struggled with finding something with farmy-like elements of District 11 while still reaching the level of luxury an event like this one required. This year’s selections were much better- she took the Covey’s bright colors, taking inspiration from patterns found in the little art markets that used to be found in District 11 and 12, tended to by Coveys looking for some extra money for dinner. You picked the one you found the most suitable for yourself, knowing you’d at least semi-match with your partner.

Exiting the building into an area close to the path for the ceremony, you saw many familiar tributes standing around. Johanna Mason. Finnick Odair. Beetee and sweet old Mags. Despite the screaming from the crowd who’d catched a glimmer of your appearance, you calmly walked towards your pair of horses, placed in front of District 12’s. Katniss was standing there, brushing her hand along her horse.

Walking up to Katniss wasn’t a problem- your mama raised you to be confident like that, knowing that’s the only way to live the Covey life. Smile raised, you prepared to give a classic Covey welcome, sure to draw anyone in!

“Katniss, right? Y/N L/N! I love the dress.”

Poor Katniss had been a bit frightened, not planning for anyone to approach her during this experience. She’d seen you before, though- in the games before hers. She’d remembered Prim saying something about her wanting to win the games like you had- no killing, no violence perpetrated on her part. It’d stuck with Katniss after her own games, knowing she’d played against her sisters ‘morality rules’ with her ever-lethal bow and arrow.

Haymitch had mentioned the girl, too- “she’s not much of a threat- that voice of hers is her only weapon when it comes down to it. But she’s smart- slick and sneaky in the arena. An ally like her would mean more sponsors (her adoring fans) and better hiding places.”

Before Katniss could even get in a word to you, a large arm was wrapped around your shoulders, making you tense up slightly before relaxing at the slight of the boy next to you. Finnick. Finnick Odair. You didn’t know him very well, but whenever you sang for those Capital parties, he’d make sure to send a compliment your way, sauntering off after talking for a moment.

“Now, what’re you girls talking about? Me, I’d suspect?” Finnick gave Katniss a nod before looking down at you, smirking.

“You wish, golden boy,” you laughed, taking a closer look at his ensemble of clothing (or lack thereof) for the evening. You turned back to Katniss, still very aware of the touch between you two.

Katniss gave a strange look to the two of you before saying “Yeah, definitely not talking about you… maybe that ridiculous outfit, though.”

“Ouch! I think it looks pretty nice, don’t you think, singer girl?”

“It’s alright, I guess. Not much to look at, though.” You answered.

“Oh, believe me, singer girl, there’s plenty to look at.” He winked, before walking off with a smile on his face.

You watched as he walked away, realizing what he was insinuating. You slowly turned back towards Katniss, shaking your head before resuming your conversation, the one left unattended when Finnick had blessed the girls with his presence. Now, however, a new person has joined your duo- Peeta. Peeta looked a lot kinder than Katniss, his overall aura more inviting.

“Anyways- I wanted to come meet you, given we’re the two newest winners.” You smiled before lowering your voice to a quiet whisper, leaning closer to the pair. “Covey has loved what you’ve done so far, with the movement and everything. I’ll help in any way I can.” Noticing the cameras pointed right towards you three from above you, you ended the conversation as quickly as possible with: “Well, thank you for your time! I better get to my ride before it leaves without me.” You waved before walking quickly to your place in line, fixing your outfit before getting ready in your pose.

The opening ceremony was the same as last year, for the most part. Not as much smiling, though. A lot more frowns and angry faces were found on the faces of tributes highlighted on the giant projector screen. You kept your smile, though. Smiling and waving is what you knew best. Before long, the event was over, and you found yourself heading to your assigned room. Considering your living space was the second highest floor (District 11 bonus!)taking an elevator was your most efficient mode of travel. There weren’t too many tributes left on ground floor level, most of them had found their way to their rooms at this point.

“Mind if I step in, Songbird?” Johanna Mason, leaning against the elevator door, smiling expectantly at you, waiting for an answer.

“No, no, I don’t mind. Come on in!”

Johanna strutted into the elevator, standing awfully close to you, both of your shoulders almost touching.”Thanks. Johanna, by the way.” She said, turning towards you.

“Lovely to meet you, I’m Y/N.”

“Oh, believe me, I know your name. I see you singing those songs of yours all the time. Pretty good, if you ask me.”

“Oh? Well, thank you! It’s… disappointing that my music will be going away pretty soon… with the games and all…”

“I think there’s some more song left in you, Songbird.’ Johanna sent a slight smile your way before stepping forward with the ding of the elevator. The doors open to her floor, and she steps out before turning around again, “Nice talk, Y/N. See you soon.” The doors close, leaving you alone in the elevator.

You fell asleep promptly after arriving in your room- the day had been quite tiring for you, and you needed to prepare for the next day ahead of you, too. You’d begin training tomorrow, and soon enough you’d have your all-too-stressful skill evaluations. And there always was the impending doom shadowing over every thought in the form of the start of the games, just a week away. As you drifted off, you thought of relationships you’d form in these next days, vital to keep your ever-falling spirits from reaching rock bottom.

ooo they’re flirting with youuuu

I hope you guys liked this little part of the story, let me know if you want more or want to be added to the tag list for this series <33 I’m soso sorry this took me so long, too!! I already have some parts of another chapter started, so it should come sooner!! hopefully my writing had improved just a little, I promise I’m trying <33

INBOX IS OPEN FOR REQUESTS OR CHATS <33

tag list (love you cutie patooties so much 💋💋)

@randomgurl2326

@marvelescvpe

love ya!!

[lemonluvgirl]

Peeta Getting Relationship Advice from the other Victors

(After the infamous elevator scene in Catching Fire)

Peeta: I meant it as a compliment you know? I even said she was perfect! Perfect for me! And she still won’t talk to me! We’re going back into the arena in like two days! What the hell am I supposed to do to fix this? 

Johanna: There’s nothing to fix. You’ve got her right where you want her. Actually you could lean harder into the whole thing. I could sit in your lap at breakfast if it would help. 

Peeta: *(silently flabbergasted)*

Finnick: *laughs hysterically at the stunned face Peeta is making, and slings an arm over his shoulder* If you listen to Jo, you’ll be in the dog house for the rest of your life. Maybe even after it, too. 

Johanna: *snickers* Whatever bitches. Go ahead and waste your night moaning about your pathetic love lives. I’m gonna go steal Enobaria’s retainer. Bye!!!!! *walks out while giving the two of them a  sarcastic three finger mockingjay salute*

Finnick: *waves Johanna off before returning his attention to Peeta* Now, Peeta, I’m going to give you the same advice I’d give myself if I were in your position. It’s fool proof. Works every time. You cannot go wrong with this. 

Peeta: *nods head vigorously, and looks at Finnick expectantly* 

Finnick: *takes a deep breath and pauses for dramatic effect* So, here it is. The secret to getting back on your finace’s good side. When in doubt, eat her out.

Peeta: ...............

Peeta: *thinking about all the platonic bed sharing, kissing, and whatnot he’s been subjected to for the past year with Katniss that never lead to anything more* 

Peeta: What else you got?

Finnick: Well, you could always just blow your previous fuck up out of the water with an even bigger one. Just make it stupid and romantic and she’ll have to forgive you.