#ideal-for-tributes

[rubenesque-as-fuck]

The problem with reawakening my greedy-ass libido is now a small gremlin has been released in my brain that just keeps popping up and going, "Sex?? Sex now?? Touch touch touch. Cum time! When more sex?? Now please? Now sex yes good!"

[agir1ukn0w]

hey suzanne, you probably aren’t reading this, but if you are I just wanted to ask if you could write a book about every victor of the hunger games, with descriptions of their lives, how they won, and what happened to them after that, because I am actually frothing at the mouth wanting to know more about mags flanagan and finnick odair and johanna mason and beetee latier and wiress and the morphlings and enobaria and chaff and even cashmere and gloss. I want to know everything about these people and how they survived such brutal circumstances, please pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseprettyplease can you write something like this for us suzanne???

[pynkhues]

https://www.tumblr.com/pynkhues/780516569731186688/httpswwwtumblrcompynkhues780388832935870464?source=share

with the dress, I wonder if we might get Lestat clutching it in the aftermath of her death, before he's pulled away or whatever happens that he winds up in the tower. I do think we might see what Lestat really felt, if not during her death then right after. The stuff around the trial...I am so curious, man.

I've wondered that too, especially given Louis doesn't get her dress until he goes back to burn down the Theatres des Vampires. There's room in there as a result I think to have Lestat with it for a time, but Lestat's also such an insanely sentimental character, y'know? The show's exploring that in its own way already between New Orleans, and Nicki's music box, and maybe even the necklace he gives Claudia on her birthday in s1 given it's alluded to as having been his father's (I'll answer that ask in a sec, it's an older one, sorry!) - that I can't see him letting her dress go without someone taking it from him? But I guess that adds to the tragedy of the tower and the trial sequences that are going to be elaborated on next season!

Regardless, like I said in my last reply, it'll be so interesting to see how they play it.

[20percentbug]

[lullabyes22-blog]

"I think the cycle only ends when you find the will to walk away."

Got a lot of Q's for this in my inbox. Figured I'd just address them here.

tw: mentions of suicide, suicidal ideation

Re: the ending of S2:

Jinx did not die.

She symbolically killed her old self, and with it, her last ties to the past that imprisoned her. She understood that for her sister to move on and live her life - be happy without guilt - she'd have to renounce the bonds that held them together.

Her talk with ghostly Silco was the 'sign-off' she'd been waiting for, ever his dutiful daughter. Throughout S2, she kept hoping he'd haunt her, and in doing so, offer some impetus given her aimlessness. Maybe just straight up boss her around, and tell her how she's supposed to exist now that he's no longer there to be a (subversive if loving) guiding hand.

But it was the promise of time (as represented by Ekko) healing old wounds, and the courage to feel, as she once had - a hopeful child with a hopeful future - that allowed Jinx to commit impetus to action.

Her blimp-ship in the climactic battle is a tribute to Isha - but also to the child in Jinx's own fractured psyche: Powder. She's letting both little girls have one last hurrah before she takes care of business - and cuts off the last oaths, duties and commitments that bind her to a past whose parameters she's outgrown.

Better still, she knows she's got the capacity to outgrow them.

That was the point of Jinx's arc with Isha, and why, no matter my misgivings on Isha's character herself, I found Jinx's trajectory towards a more nurturing and fun-loving figure more life-affirming and positive than the straightforward 'Daddy's Villain Goes Postal' shtick.

It's even why there's a minigame titled Jinx Fixes Everything. It's Jinx, struggling and stumbling, as she tries to rewrite her narrative, and finds in herself the capacity to do good.

To fix things that seem irreparably broken.

And to understand why she's reached this stage, we've got to let go of our tendency to project our own stuff onto Jinx (precious meow meow, unrepentant terrorist, manic pixie crazypants, edgy hot psycho) and acknowledge the purpose she plays in Arcane's thematic structure.

Jinx's character comes off as a death-seeker, and that's no shocker. She is hounded by terrible guilt and loss. She's got blood on her hands, and ghosts on her heels, and no matter what she does, she can't seem to be rid of them. Her inner mind's fractured, her mannerisms ooze pure chaos, and she seems a creature of pure feral impulse and no mercy.

That's the Jinx we're accustomed to seeing in S1 - except that's also both the front she's most likely to put on during that timeline, and the persona that is necessary for her to inhabit to survive, as Silco's daughter and his top enforcer.

Then Silco kicks the bucket, she symbolically fulfills his dream by shooting at the Council HQ, she accepts that she must inhabit this path of shadows and loneliness (as symbolized by her starkly decorated chair in the tea party scene), she accepts the fragmented push-and-pull between past and present, and...

And now what?

Silco's given her a semblance of direction for six years, and he's gone. Vi, the sister she'd hoped would return, and whom she'd hinged so many childishly idealized hopes on, is herself traumatized, and afraid of what her sister's become.

Jinx has her shadows and her loneliness. Jinx is traumatized. Jinx is suicidal.

But Jinx is still, whatever else, alive.

And all living things need connections.

That's why we as the audience enjoy her little found family dynamic with Isha and Sevika. It's Jinx, taking the first tentative steps to reach out to people beyond Silco and Vi, and realizing, wow, she enjoys the pay-off.

And all throughout S2, we see Jinx growing more and more comfortable in this newfound space - even jealously guarding it at the expense of Zaun's liberty, and Silco's wishes, because she can't bear to lose what she's found.

And what she finds empowers her enough that, when Warwick shows up, she's actually willing to reach out to Vi, and call upon their family connection, because Jinx is learning the value of bonds, not as baling hooks of guilt, but as buoys to carry her forward.

That's the story Jinx's relationships serve to tell in S2. Each one shapes the choice she makes in the finale. Until she learns to accept the past (Vi), to lay the monsters to rest (Silco and Vander/Warwick), forgive herself (Caitlyn) trust that time heals all wounds (Ekko), and hope for happier new beginning (Isha), she'll never trust herself enough to just seize the chance.

Jinx's culminating arc is not about death, much less self-erasure. It's about resurrection, and embracing the sublime chaos of a freed mind, and a lightened spirit. That's what she craves beyond simple death, and what her baptism by fire, blood and riverwater, has been about.

Each trial grinds her down into someone else. Someone new.

Someone closer to who she is meant to be, rather than who she's expected to be.

That's why she's so glad to make the sacrifice for Vi. She's not dying as an act of self-immolation. She's giving her sister - the one who's proven she'll never give up on her - the ultimate gift, and showing Vi that she deserves to live.

She needs Vi to live, so Jinx, the persona, can finally die.

"He (Silco) didn't make Jinx. You did."

She's basically saying, "I love you, I will always be with you, but you are no longer responsible for my actions. Please move forward with your life, and grant me the choice to do the same."

It's two sisters embracing everything they've meant to each other, acknowledging the pain weighing them down on both sides, and welcoming the new so they can each slough off old paradigms and live life as a whole person - or at least take steps to remembering what wholeness feels like.

That's the reason the show's final shots linger on the Hexgate tunnels, Jinx's monkey bomb, and the aircraft.

It's the show's way of reminding us that Jinx has ascended to a different version of her identity - one removed from the past that haunted her. It's Jinx, finally striking out alone, away from the sister whose memory she clung so desperately to, and who was, in turn, horrified by her hand in making Powder a monster (perceived guilt or real, fandom may debate ad nauseum) due to past mistakes and abandonment.

The ending of Arcane isn't tragic. It's deeply hopeful, and serves as a reminder that no matter how damaged you think you are, and no matter how monstrous the world finds you, there are still ways to come back to yourself - or to walk the path toward a new you.

Jinx is symbolized by crows. Jinx is shown with firelights emerging from her mouth. Jinx is depicted holding a torch like Janna ushering in the winds of change.

Thematically, Jinx is change.

And the best way she can embody that change is to write her story, and make it her own.

[bruisedboys]

I don't know if this would be something you're interested in but I'd really like to see a protective!finnick. Doesn't have to be related to the games, like reader doesn't need to be a tribute or a rebel but she can be! Up to you, but it'd be interesting to see that side of him

thank you for your request lovely! I challenged myself to write something actually in universe for once, so I hope you enjoy it! (set in catching fire)

finnick odair x fem!tribute!reader cw for reader fainting from the heat

“Be careful.”

Finnick’s big hand on your back, his torso not far behind. He points to a thick tree root in your path. You step over it easily, exasperated. This is maybe the fourth time in the past ten minutes he’s said those same two words.

“I am,” you say simply. You are. If not for your sake then for Finnick’s. If you were to get so much as a cut on your leg he’d lose his mind. “S’hard when you’re standing so close, though.”

Finnick makes a face at you over your shoulder. “Sorry. You’re precious cargo, y’know?”

Your face warms, which is not ideal. You’re already well on your way to becoming a human furnace — the jungle you’re surrounded by is sticky and overly warm. You’re definitely overheating though you won’t tell Finnick that, he’ll only get worse. The water back at the beach is sure to cool you down — you’ll hop in as soon as you get back.

“You’re hopeless,” you tell Finnick in the meantime.

Finnick grins. “For you, yeah.”

You roll your eyes and march on ahead. Slowly the jungle gets thinner and thinner until you’re emerging onto the beach and your makeshift camp. The sun beats down on the landscape, glinting off the ripples in the water and rolling off the white sand in waves. You’re struck suddenly by how agonisingly hot you feel. It was sickeningly warm in the jungle but this is somehow much worse, the heat like a knife, sharp, cruel, and enough to make you dizzy.

“Ah, the lovebirds are back,” Johanna drawls when she spots you and Finnick emerging from the deep green trees. “What took you so long?”

Finnick shrugs. “Oh, you know. Sight-seeing. Did you— hey, what’s wrong?”

You’ve grabbed a tree for support as your vision swims suddenly. Your head pounds, as if your brain is trying to punch it’s way out of your skull. The dizziness you’d felt as soon as you stepped into the sun builds until you’re swaying on your feet.

You try desperately to keep your eyes open but the sun glares at you until you’re forced to squeeze them shut. “I don’t feel very well. I think I’m…”

It’s all you get out before you collapse in half like a rag doll. Finnick shouts your name and surges forward to grab you. He slides an arm under your back while the other grabs at your waist, tight as a vice.

“What the hell?” Johanna says loudly, standing up fast. “Is she okay?”

“Get me some water, please,” Finnick says, strained. You’re clearly not okay. His heart pounds in his throat and threatens to choke him. Johanna runs off and Finnick pulls you into the shade of the trees, carefully lowering you into the sand on your back.

He kneels next to you, panic rising like bile in his throat. Your eyes are closed, your head heavy in his hands.

“Y/N,” he says, an edge of panic to his voice. Please wake up, he thinks. “Y/N, honey.“

You’re completely unresponsive. Thinking the worst, Finnick presses his fingers to your throat. Thankfully, he feels a steady pulse, though it doesn’t do much to calm his spiking worry, not when you’re still unconscious.

“Can you hear me?” He tries gently tapping your cheek but to no avail. He curses. “Johanna!” He yells out, past being polite. “Water, now.”

“It’s coming!” Johanna yells back from the shoreline, clearly as agitated as he is.

Finnick grits his teeth and takes your face in his hands, trying his best to be gentle when he’s so panic stricken. “Hey. Baby, come on. Wake up.”

When you don’t respond, he carefully lowers your head and swiftly slides his hands to your shoulders. He’s careful but firm as he shakes you. He doesn’t want to, doesn’t ever want to be rough with you, but he’s glad he’s done it because it works. Just as Johanna arrives with a seashell full of water, Peeta and Katniss hot on her heels, your breath catches. Then your eyelids flutter, and then your lips part.

“Finnick?”

Finnick releases a shuddering breath, his heartbeat a pounding drum in his ears. The relief in hearing your voice is akin to a spear being pulled out of his chest. “Yeah. Yeah, hey, I’ve got you. You can hear me, right?”

“I can hear you,” you say. You try to turn your head, searching for him even in your disoriented state, but Finnick holds you in place.

“Don’t move, sweet thing,” he tells you. Unable to look away from you until he knows you’re absolutely alright, Finnick puts his hand out for the water wordlessly. Johanna hands it to him quick as a flash. “Can you open your eyes?”

You can, though it takes you a little while, blinking sluggishly in the harsh light. Finnick’s quick to shade your face with one hand. Your eyes appear, glazed but beautiful as always.

“Good girl,” Finnick tells you, hand on your cheek. He’s still buzzing — the heat of the sudden onslaught of panic hasn’t dissipated just yet. He carefully strokes your hair away from your sweaty neck with the back of his hand. “I’m gonna cool you down, okay? Can I unzip you?”

You nod. “Yeah.”

Finnick unzips your suit halfway down your chest, taking care to angle his torso so the others don’t see anything they don’t have to. Slowly, he tips the water over your hot skin. It slides over the slopes of your shoulders and creeps down into your suit. It must feel good because you shudder and let out a small breath.

Finnick thumbs your collarbone, feeling overwhelmed with relief. His hands don’t leave you, afraid you’ll disappear again if he lets go. The panic ebbs slowly as he watches you come back to life, your eyes becoming clearer by the second.

“She’s okay?” Peeta speaks up after a long moment of silence.

Finnick nods. “She’s okay,” he assures. “It was the heat, I think.” He finally lets himself look away from you, if only to ask Peeta, “Could you get us some more water?”

“Yeah, of course.”

The other three all trail off, leaving you and Finnick on your own. You try to sit up as they leave but Finnick presses his hand to your chest, palm flat on your warm skin.

“Don’t,” he says. “You’ve gotta lay flat, sweetheart.”

You do as he says, looking bashful. “Sorry,” you say softly.

“Don’t be sorry. No more fainting though, okay?” He rubs your shoulder. “I know I’m really handsome, but you don’t have to be so drastic about it.”

You groan but it quickly morphs into a laugh. Finnick kisses your forehead and then holds your hand until Peeta returns with the water.

-

thank you for reading! please consider reblogging if u enjoyed 🤍

[seaemberthesecond]

I have such a visceral reaction to fandom acting like Kakashi was wrong, or worse, piteous for all the time he spent at the Memorial Stone. It genuinely makes me lose my mind and this take is EVERYWHERE.

Naruto (the story, not the boy. but also the boy) is about how love is never wrong. It's never wasted and it doesn't have to be deserved. To then turn around and paint Kakashi's love and devotion to Obito and Rin as stupid and shameful is ????

Rin and Obito represent two lives that were ended too soon, two children who died in a bloody war they should never have been in. Kakashi mourns them, and continues to mourn them years after their death (supposed, in Obito's case) because they were his friends and he loved them, they were his comrades that he fought a war with and they died because they were cannon fodder for an ever-churning war machine.

Kakashi's refusal to "let go" and "move on" is, I would argue, a radical act. It is an extension of his those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum ideology. In a world that treats children as expendable soldiers, cheap and replacable, Kakashi refuses to see his fallen comrades like that. He carries them with him because they weren't expendable. Not to him and not to the people who loved them. By going to the Memorial Stone, Kakashi keeps his teammates memory alive. By continuing to mourn them, he does not let them be forgotten, just another couple of names in a sea of dead. They were people, they had lives and dreams and hopes and now he is the only keeper of their memory. Even in death, he will not abandon his comrades.

And this choice is vindicated!! This is what gets me the most!! Not only is Kakashi keeping Obito and Rin's (and his father's!!) memory alive by passing on Obito and Sakumo's nindo what eventually leads to Naruto saving the world, but it is personally vindicated too!! because Obito comes back to their side!!! Kakashi's love and faith and devotion all these years were not misplaced!! Obito gets to die a hero a second time because Kakashi raised children who held to Obito's ideals and he was only able to do that because of how closely he held Obito and Rin's memory and sacrifice.

At the end of the day, I think people criticize Kakashi for paying "too much" tribute to the dead because they think it made him a bad teacher or because he "lived in the past," and I just don't think either of those things is true but I guess that's for another day.

But yeah, to conclude, tl:dr, Kakashi's visits to the memorial stone are emblematic of his commitment to honouring his teammates and keeping their memory alive, a choice that is ultimately vindicated by the narrative and to paint it as pathetic/short-sighted/unwarranted goes against the themes of the show. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

[jakubrozalski]

'Zygmunt and Zośka'

Ewka joined the "Zośka" battalion before the outbreak of the uprising, together with her beloved Tomasz. She met Tomek in the Grey Ranks two years ago, they participated in many reconnaissance and sabotage missions together.  They both welcomed information about the planned uprising with excitement and euphoria. Those moments seem so distant now... The uprising has been going on for a month now...  Tomek is gone. All she has left are memories of long walks by the Vistula and those short moments together when they felt free and happy, despite the horror surrounding them. Now, with a Colt M1911 in her hand, which she received from one of the "Cichociemny" fighting in the Old Town, she is waiting for the Germans assault, leaning on Zygmunt statue, her last sanctuary, last support. They will both fall today, the old king Zygmunt and brave Ewa from the Zośka battalion. -

Exactly 80 years ago, 1 August 1944 at 5:00 p.m. the Warsaw Uprising broke out. The Uprising was supposed to last a few days at most, but it did last sixty-three days and claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. Directly, of course, it was aimed to liberate Warsaw from the occupation of the falling German Reich, but indirectly and politically (as part of Operation 'Burza') was aimed against the USSR and Stalin's plans. This was also one of the reasons for its calamity and the help ( of the Red Army ) that never came. It was definitely too optimistic for the Polish underground resistance command to count on any help from Stalin, whose plans concerning Poland were known and who, as a vindictive and unforgiving person - in my personal opinion - certainly wanted to take revenge for the 1920 and his personal defeat.

There is no doubt, however, that it was an uprising of brave young women and men, full of high ideals, passion and dreams of a free homeland, who wanted to feel a little freedom, self-agency and relief, but also to take revenge after 5 years of terror and occupation. Very tragic and beautiful at the same time. It is to them that I wanted to pay tribute and honor their memory. 

I also observe with great concern and sadness what is happening in the world currently. Not even 100 years have passed since the apocalypse of WWII and the world is again full of divisions, tension, polarization, violence and hatred... For this reason I believe it is worth remembering and reminding about history, to try to stop it from repeating itself, over and over again...  Honor and glory to the heroes who fought for freedom and higher values ​​against evil. Work process: https://jrozalski.com/projects/QKmkRd

[emeraldrush]

Reading Sunrise On The Reaping and learning about Louella, Maysilee, Wyatt, Ampert, and overall Haymitch's games made me so confused.

Why I couldn't remember he teaming up with a young girl? Katniss had to mention it in Catching Fire while they were watching his games, right? Tributes from 12 always teaming up with 11?

It was like Mandala effect, my brain trying to correct my memories, I even made up some dialogues (yes, I remember Katniss saying something like: "I see Haymitch carrying a little girl's dead body, hopeless, just like I was next to Rue. He couldn't save her either, so he just held her until she left this world").

And then I read the final chapters, and Haymitch explained how the Capitol and Snow (probably even Plutarch) controlled the narrative. They told a very different story from what actually happened, blatantly lying and leaving out crucial details, like the New Comers, Ampert being Beetee's son, Mags and Wiress involvement in the Games as District 12's mentors, the whole rebel plan and then everything made perfect sense!

We know all we know about the other 73 Hunger Games thanks to Katniss' knowledge, and she obtained said knowledge by just watching what the Capitol, what Snow, wanted her to watch. And then that made me wonder:

HOW MANY OTHER STORIES THEY MANIPULATED, CONFECTIONATED FOR THEIR OWN POLITICAL AGENDA? Annie's? Finnick's? Johanna's? Cashmere's? They were just kids, how many rebel plans they frustrated? What was their truth?

Suzanne did a brilliant job showing how media controls the narrative and make it look effortless, how we, in this time and age, are fed by this gigantic corporative monster who gives us exactly what we need to know in order to adopt an ideal mindset that allows them to control the whole fucked up system.

And idk, maybe it's the sleep depravation but I think she is the actual mastermind and we should all TALK ABOUT IT.

[jetblack4realz]

protector - haymitch abernathy

hey hello (also kinda prologue)

masterlist

your grandmother sure has a soft spot for that district 12 rascal - and she's convinced you will too.

warnings: sexualizing, allusions to sa and gross people, spoilers to sotr, age gap of like 3 years

word count: 1.3k

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

mags had done a really good job preparing you to enter the wild world that was the capitol. she warned you about smiling judgements from everybody and the strange clothes and drinks that make you throw up so you can just keep eating. you knew all about caesar flickerman and his awkward and too blunt questions. and you knew, even, that victors were used as tools for snow to make more money, earn loyalty, and win the support of many hunger games sponsors.

you just didn't know that she really meant you.

you, the newest and brightest young victor, 18 years old and easy on the eyes, a shining star from district 4, the golden new heartthrob of the capitol that had men way into their late forties salivating at the thought of meeting you.

you were the best target.

"why was he looking at me like that - and why did he say that? that was completely crude and disrespectful and he acted like i was some girl who he had easy access to, like a bloody slab of meat, and why-" you turned sharply to your grandmother, "do you have no reaction?! why aren't you saying anything? why do you just sit there and listen to me and not do anything-"

"my dear," mags sighed, a hand in the air to cut you short. "i tried. i do try and i will continue to try, but i told you. i told you before you volunteered, before your games, and before this party - this is snow's way. this is his game. the gamemakers and sponsors, they can do whatever they want in the arena he couldn't care less but here, in the real world... he loves to play this game."

"but this is my life, gigi," you breathed out, sitting next to her finally. "i can't - i won't be played like this. i can't handle it. i should've listened to you."

"you should've." she nodded and finally met your eyes. "but you can still listen to me now."

you sat straighter, your brows furrowing but you nodded anyways. "i'm listening, gigi."

"there's a boy that i mentored a few years ago - young, charming, a bit of a throwaway victor because he was rebellious. the capitol loves it, they consider him more of a rascal as opposed to a threat but snow... he hates him because he can't use him. i think he could be a great help to you, help protect you in ways that i can't," mags explained.

you let out a breathy laugh. "you can't mean-"

"haymitch abernathy."

"but, he's all out for himself. he won't help someone like me. i - i'm a career, a volunteered tribute who was an idiot enough to do it. he won't help me," you told her, shaking your head.

"he will."

"i doubt it."

"he's already agreed," she said. a small, sad smile pulled at her lips. "it's another game you'd be playing if you go along, but at least you have some control over it. and you have a partner. and we both know that having a partner in the capitol's games can help your chances of survival."

you considered her words even though you knew immediately she was right. you just couldn't wrap your head about the idea of haymitch abernathy - the victor of the second quarter quell, the only living victor from district 12, famed for his solidarity and genius and charm and brewing of illegal alcohol - helping you.

"what's the play?"

"you flirt. pretend to be a couple. it's your only chance of snow leaving you alone, if you're in a very active, very public, and very popular relationship," she answered with a sigh. "i know it's not ideal, but sweetheart, i think it's the best chance you have."

you hesitated again, but only to ask: "he's a good man? you like him?"

mags didn't hesitate with her response, only smiling slightly. "he's a good boy. his heart is in the right place. and he's got spirit, spunk - i think you two would get along really well."

"okay," you breathed out, nodding as you looked up from your hands to meet her familiar seagreen eyes. "if he's in, i'm in. i'll take my chance."

"he is your chance. and he's waiting to meet you," she said, squeezing your hands before standing from the couch in the greenroom and nodding towards backstage. "come along now. caesar is set to interview him in a couple of minutes, just a bit before you, and i'd like you to meet beforehand."

she ushered you along sidestage to the massive curtain that made up caesar's backdrop, making sure to stay quiet as you crossed behind it to where you just noticed a messy tuft of sandy blond hair slip to.

he was taller than you expected, and had more muscle too. you figured it had to due with the last few years of finally eating right, but still, with all the alcohol you heard he consumed you were impressed with how he held himself.

his eyes were a deep gray that flashed blue as he turned his head, and they softened when they spotted your grandmother, settling into a clear silvery ocean color when they finally rested on you. his posture straightened, the glass in his hand never swishing or threatening to spill even as he crossed a few steps to meet you both.

"hello haymitch," mags said with a smile.

"hi mags," he answered, matching her smile genuinely. he glanced behind her to you, one brow twitching up as his smile grew a bit lopsided. "hey."

"hello," you said, bouncing on your heels a bit as you heard caesar's interview wrap up and edge closer to yours at the end of the night. "i'm-"

"mags' granddaughter, i know," he said, waving his hand with the glass and not spilling a drop. "i watched the games. you were very impressive."

you'd gotten that a lot. "thanks."

"quite honestly i thought you were going to fail. that dry as hell desert was a far cry from district 4, but you held it together," he hummed. "good job."

you shifted on your feet, offering him a bit of a smile. "i do my best."

"haymitch is good at that too," mags said, glancing between you and the boy. "especially out here in the capitol. he can show you the ropes."

it was like ropes was a keyword for something they'd previously discussed, because as soon as it left her mouth his eyes were back on you with a strange intensity that turned them back to steel gray. he tilted his head. "yeah? you want that?"

you had to break eye contact with him to breathe and actually think about anything other than how annoyingly perfect his face was, especially for a district 12 boy. and then the only thing you could think about was going out to meet caesar for the fifth time since being in the capitol and how every word you said was like honey to some psycho sponsors who was just waiting for snow to let them sleep with you.

you chewed on your lip, your eyes on the curtain and your ears trying to tune out the laughing crowd behind haymitch. and then, with a nudge from mags, you finally met his gaze and nodded. "yeah. that'd be great."

"okay," he agreed. and then, all at once, his seriousness was gone and a boyish smirk was on his lips. he took a dramatic sip of what you assumed was some sort of whiskey and then stepped back, his hand in the air in a vague gesture to the stage. "and that's my cue. wonderful seeing you ladies."

your brows furrowed as he stepped away, glancing at your grandmother. "what's his cue?"

and then you heard the laughter change to applause and then as he slipped out of sight onto the stage they turned into screams and whistles and loud universal giggling.

"they love him. they want him. they can't have him," mags told you, a small smile on her lips. "and when he's yours, you'll be untouchable too."

[dream-with-a-fever]

the main reason i struggled to connect with the haydove storyline was because so much of it was tell not show. haymitch recalling past interactions with his tRUe loVe at random moments throughout the book was less romantic and more irritating as a reader. i understand in the circumstances, there wasn’t the time to have them develop over time or see the course of their love, so when we just continually get told they love each other like all-fire it’s like…. okay? but like.. i’m still not that invested.

that’s why i was immediately drawn into his dynamic with maysilee. it’s all happening in the present. he’s had these long held views about who she is and what she does — she’s the most stuck up girl in town, she flounces around in nice dresses and nail polish, nicknames him itchy itchy haymitchy, supposedly looks down on everyone else in town — but he soon learns there’s a lot more to her than he realised. his perceptions of her are challenged, and he comes to not only really respect her, but genuinely like her. they form a trusting bond despite their initial dislike/mistrust of each other. they have a mutual disgust of the capitol and you’re lying if you think they don’t find it admirable and attractive, that the other doesn’t back down in the face of adversity and stands up to anyone who disrespects them, which could and does often result in disastrous consequences (haymitch placing louella’s body directly in front of snow, maysilee slapping drusilla right back, haymitch actively trying to dismantle the arena, maysilee attacking the gamemakers who are trying to fix the berms etc). and yes, we hear that lenore has done some of this too back in 12, but again i feel less connected to it because it’s all tell and not show. maysilee and haymitch’s acts of defiance are shown, not told.

not just that, but they actually get along? their little chats in the training room, the way they joke around together a lot in the arena (miss donner! mr abernathy!), the way they look out for each other and care about each other. that’s a gOOD STORY. that dynamic is so engaging and fun to read, and ultimately so tragic when they have to split up, and he ends up losing the girl he swore he didn’t give a stuff about? and he holds her as she’s dying, pinky swearing to tear down the capitol brick by brick. like??? him seeing her twin sister back in district 12 and running to her, screaming her name?? only to realise… it’s not her. but her face will haunt him forever. LIKE. my HEART. none of his reminiscing of lenore or their two three-page scenes managed to hit as hard as these two.

even his interactions with effie??? like i was SEATEDDD. i loved how she was still kind, empathetic and respectful, despite being brainwashed. she was still a good person, who had been completely indoctrinated into a set of ideals by her government. but clearly had the empathy from the beginning to change perspectives as the story goes on. the way they come to trust each other. the ‘i’m not going to hurt you’ ‘i know’ like???? nothing about their relationship gave romance (yet), but their interactions were so damn lovely, and knowing she stuck by him all those years afterwards, just adds to the sweetness.

in conclusion, sc should’ve made maysilee his love interest. she set it up perfectly. he didn’t need to have the girlfriend back home (she was like lucy baird 2.0 like….. we’ve seen it already) when the tension with his fellow tribute served so hard. him and maysilee basically acted like parents to half the tributes like are we SEEING THIS!!!! and the story still set up effie to be his second chance at love. like the slowest of slowburnnnnn. i need ten more books on that. it’s what i deserved and what the narrative should’ve followed through with, because those relationships were the pumping heart of the book (aside from louella/loulou).

[eidolonplaytest]

art by @veldrin

The Sealed Evil

Range: 10 Feet Stats: 2 POW 1 ELE 1 GEN 2 GLAM 3 BIZ

“My thrall can pay tribute to access my unlimited power to _______.”

The Sealed Evil is one of the nine new playbooks introduced in EIDOLON: Become Your Worst Self, the upcoming expansion to EIDOLON: Become Your Best Self! 

What is EIDOLON: Become Your Best Self?

EIDOLON: Become Your Best Self is a tabletop RPG for 2-6 players. Look deep inside yourself to find the power lying dormant within, nourish that power through the bonds you build with others, and use the reality-bending abilities it grants you to fight for your ideals, fighting against the pull of the Undertow, the psychic tides that dictate the collective unconscious!

$5 Patreon subscribers get access to:

Playable drafts of Worst Self

Complete plaintext version of Best Self

Monthly Design Session podcasts where Luke and Molly design the game in response to both the official playtest and to YOUR emails detailing your experiences playing the game!

[sizeofyoursoul]

Anne Rice's Personal Fancasts for The Vampire Chronicles

(Important Disclaimer: I gathered this together as a curiosity, not as a comment on any past, current, or future actors playing these characters, and if you feel the need to use any of this to make anything other than positive comments on any past, current, or future actors playing any of these characters, I don't agree with you and I don't endorse it, and I hope Lestat comes and yells at you about it in your dreams)

Looking for her thoughts on a few things from her novels, I stumbled upon the weird fact that Anne Rice has a huge digital footprint of which actors she at some point had as her own mental image or ideal casting of her characters. I've collected as much as I could, and so, for fun, here they are! Unless otherwise specified, these were all posted on Facebook between 2009 and 2018.

Lestat

General Comments:

He is a "man", not a "boy"

He's a "big guy, quite tall and strong" (she emphasized this a lot)

He should be a guy in his late 20's so the actor doesn't change too much and can play a 250 year old immortal

He could be played by an unknown

He should not have dark hair or a five o'clock shadow

He should be good looking, because "Lestat's beauty is part of him, part of his self-assurance, his arrogance, his confidence and his seductive power"

First actor she thought looked like Lestat: a young Rutgar Hauer

Actors She Specifically Suggested

Chris Hemsworth (Mentioned at least x 3, said when she watched movies with him she could only see him as Lestat)

Richard Armitage (Mentioned at least x 3)

Anson Mount (Mentioned at least x 2)

Stephen Amell (Mentioned at least x 2)

Charlie Hunnam

Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ

Leonardo Dicaprio (late 90's, mentioned at least x 2)

Actors She Responded Positively to Being Suggested

Travis Fimmel

Harry Lloyd

Wes Bently (2000, was apparently considered for Queen of the Damned)

Louis

General Comments

Mentioned the idea of Louis and Nicholas being played by the same actor

Originally inspired by actor Alain Delon

Actors She Specifically Suggested

Matt Bomer (Mentioned at least x 7, mentioned a lot outside of fancasting, she was really in love with Matt Bomer)

Richard Armitage

Hugh Dancy

Marius

General Comments

"At least 40"

She did not care if he wasn't blonde (see her suggestions below for why)

Actors She Specifically Suggested

Matthew MacFayden (Mentioned a least x 7 but I eventually stopped counting)

Gary Oldman (late 90's)

Actors She Responded Positively to Being Suggested

Paul Bettany

Armand

General Comments

Has to be someone in his 20's (also specified 25 or 30), a "baby faced man, a boyish man"

Actors She Specifically Suggested

Simon Woods (Mentioned at least x 2)

Johnny Depp (Late 90's)

Gabrielle

General Comments

Past 40, closer to 50

Actors She Specifically Suggested

Cher (Mentioned at least x 2, was a suggestion for Louis in the 80's when the idea of gender swapping the character was in the mix for IWTV)

Judy Davis (late 90's)

Eva Green

Actors She Responded Positively to Being Suggested

Claire Danes

Evan Rachel Wood

Kirsten Dunst

Akasha

General Comments

Should be played by a black actress in tribute to Aaliyah's performance in Queen of the Damned being such an entry point for black fans of the series

Actors She Specifically Suggested

Lupita Nyong'o

Tiana Benjamin

Memnoch

Actors She Specifically Suggested

Russell Crowe

Pandora

Actors She Specifically Suggested

Eva Green

David Talbot

General Comments

Should be British

Actors She Specifically Suggested

Jeremy Irons

Anthony Hopkins

[steampunkforever]

THEY USED REAL MAGRITTE PAINTINGS IN THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME.

The Phoenician Scheme is a movie about making movies, but specifically about producing movies. Diverting from the formula he's most known for and yet completely within it, Wes Anderson's newest film explores the psychology of the producer through a story about postcolonial imperialism in the near east. It's fantastic.

I'll admit I understand why a portion of the Anderson Cohort hates the film. The first 3rd of the movie takes some getting used to. Anderson's devotion to his singular cinematic style has distilled past quirky and auteur and has finally started to scare the hoes as it were.

In the first 15 minutes of the movie I began to doubt Del Toro's ability to deliver the classic Anderson dialog. Only after the second act was well and on its way did the whole thing click for me. But when it did I really appreciated the film's place in Anderson's filmography.

Beyond being a story about an eccentric producer coming to atone for trampling he's done in the world, or a tale about a captain of industry learning that slavery is bad as he attempts to develop an underindustrialized and heavily fictionalized Levant, this is a movie that tackles the question of how much a man is willing to pay for his legacy, or if it can be bought at all. Knowing Anderson's own battles to get things funded, one can't help but connect certain dots.

Tonally the film was much different than many of the Anderson films before it. Though not lacking the whip pans and snappy dialog, it felt almost slow for a Wes Anderson movie, as the opening credits would have you see.

Thematically this is almost Wes Anderson doing Lawrence of Arabia, if the T in TE stood for Tenenbaum. It's the peak of his Midcentury ideal, it's arguably his most violent film yet. It's a spy thriller with no particular mystery in particular. It's politics in aesthetic only (this is a film about producing movies after all). It's Micheal Cera absolutely killing it despite my initial annoyance at his character's vocal affects.

This is by no means Anderson's best movie. Like Tenet, it feels like an abandonment of all else in pursuit of vision, though I'll admit it isn't the overextension into style that Tenet was. Maybe his next movie will be.

Delightful film. Loved seeing Wes Anderson tackle subjects slightly less twee than you'd expect, with a dash of Jodorowsky tribute to boot. To top it all off, as I mentioned earlier, many of the famous paintings you see on film are the real deals on loan from collections across the globe, not reproductions. Those are actual Magrittes and Renoirs he's shooting in this.

Go see the Phoenician Scheme.

[dolljunk]

Here are my two Create A Monster Bee girls, one I customised back in 2022 as amemento of my time in the UK and the other being one to actually fit in my Monster High collection.I did my first one as both a tribute to my 2022 Summer holiday but also as a homage to a Bee doll I painted and sold over a decade ago (which one of my Twitter friends actualy has now) so xhe's definitemy my softer style with a bit of an anime influence to her.My reroot and restyled CAM Bee is because I wanted one that better fit the rest of my collection which is aimed to be my ideal Monster High collection which has a blend of factory made dolls and customs that fit that aesthetic.I really love the CAM Bee so I'm happy I have one that works for my greater MH collection...

[daddychi-01]

Batfamily Hunger Games Designations HC:

Bruce Wayne: District #1

District #1 is a wealthy district that produces jewelry and other luxury items, which could account for the Wayne Family wealth. Bruce’s parents were killed in the war with the Capitol and he inherited their fortune but was reaped in on of the first set of Hunger Games. The Capitol recognized Bruce could pose a threat and intended to neutralize him like it had his parents. Bruce was around 15 when he was reaped. Coming from District #1, a career district, he would have received more training than some of the other tributes. His primary mentor from his games was Ra’s al Ghul. After his victory, Bruce was forced to become a mentor as well but was given kids from the more “pathetic” districts so they could torture him. They knew it was hell for Bruce to send helpless kids into an arena knowing they would never make it out alive.

Dick Grayson: District #12

The Covey were a nomadic group of performers. A few years before the 10th Hunger Games, the Covey were rounded up by Peacekeepers and forced into the districts. Those that resisted were killed. Dick was born into a Covey family that had settled into District #12. His parents had rebellious spirits of their own and raised Dick to live without fear. Dick would often idealize birds and their ability to fly free, wishing one day he and his family could return to their nomadic lifestyle and roam the country. But he was reaped for the Hunger Games at 14. His parents caused a scene when Dick was being escorted to the stage. The Peacekeepers took them both to a nearby alley and killed them for their resistance. Dick was then placed on a train where he met Bruce Wayne, his mentor for the games. The two grew close in a short period of time and Bruce helped Duck channel his anger at the Capitol into the skills necessary to survive the arena. Dick won and was the youngest tribute to ever win the games. As he grew into his looks, the Capitol began to exploit him (think Finnick).

Jason Todd: District #6

District #6 specializes in transportation. I’m not gonna lie, this choice was mostly inspired by Jason stealing the tires off of the Batmobile in canon. I think this Jason’s father was a mechanic before he passed away in some kind of “accident” or was killed by the Peacekeepers. His mother was a drunk after that and it left Jason to take care of himself and his mom. He picked up his dad’s old trade but still had to put his name into the reaping extra times so he could help make ends meet at the house. He was reaped when he was 15 years old and Bruce Wayne was assigned as his mentor. Just like with Dick, Bruce felt an immediate connection with the kid and he became more of a father than a mentor. Jason also met Dick several times while training for the games. Dick had his own tributes from 12 to mentor but he still gave Jason advice, like how to climb a tree and walk on the branches without falling.

To match Jason’s death in canon, I don’t think Jason survives his games. Bruce had hope that Jason would be like Dick, that the something special in the kid Bruce sensed meant Jason would survive. But Jason was lured by the sound of JabberJays mimicking his Mother’s screams. He couldn’t resist the sound of her crying out for him and he was met with a pack of mutts waiting for him that he couldn’t escape. Dick and Bruce had been watching together, holding hands. Dick saw the little bit of hope Bruce had left leave his eyes.

Cassandra Cain: District #2

District #2 is another wealthy district, this one responsible for manufacturing weapons. They are also a career district that trains their children to prepare for the games. Casandra Cain’s mother was a previous Victor and personally trained Cass for the games. She was instructed to volunteer for the games at 13 so she could break Dick’s previous record. Her mother was her mentor for the games.

For added angst, she could have been in the same games as Jason. Cass found Jason after he passed and dug a grave for him, that way he couldn’t be disturbed by anymore mutts. This action endeared her to Bruce, even if he was in the midst of grief. After she won, Cass’s mother didn’t offer any congratulations. Instead, she scolded Cass for wasting her energy on digging graves for fallen enemies. Dick overheard the admonishment and approached Cass after to thank her for burying his little brother. The two became friends after that and then Dick introduced her to Bruce.

Stephanie Brown: District #2

I think Stephanie is also from District #2 and a year younger than Cass. The two of them became best friends because Stephanie’s dad worked with Cass’s mom. I know the district is wealthy so they don’t need to trade extra names in the reaping for food like other districts, but imagine Stephanie did have extra names in the bowl the year Cass volunteered. Yes, Cass was instructed to volunteer that year but she also did it because if a girl had to be reaped, her best friend had increased odds. And Cass didn’t want to see Stephanie die.

Stephanie wasn’t reaped after Cass won, but the two trained together to prepare for the possibility. Cass asked Stephanie not to volunteer for the games and Stephanie agreed under the condition that the girl reaped from their district isn’t under 15.

Cass also introduced Stephanie to Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne when the two visited Cass’s house in District #2’s Victor’s Village. A house that Stephanie has since moved into because she and Cass are attached at the hip.

Stephanie loves purple and before Cass’s games, she didn’t have many clothes or jewelry with purple accents because her father said it wasn’t worth it to spend that kind of money on her. But now Cass loves to spend her winnings on Stephanie. It is partly because Cass likes to see Stephanie happy but it is also to spite her mother. And Stephanie is on board for both.

Tim Drake: District #3

District #3’s primary industry is electronics. Tim’s parents were engineers and openly hostile to the Capitol. They often spoke reverently of Thomas and Martha Wayne, and told Tim they were working with Bruce to stage a rebellion. The Capitol became suspicious of the Drakes and punished them by reaping Tim when he was 16. Bruce Wayne manages to pull some strings so he could be Tim’s mentor.

Tim (like Beetee and Wiress) outsmarts his arena and fellow tributes with his knowledge of electrical engineering. It is one of the shortest games ever recorded.

The Capitol for its part is humiliated by Tim and as punishment it stages an accident where his parents were killed.

Barbara Gordon: District #3

Barbara Gordon worked closely with Jack and Janet Drake and was introduced to Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson by extension. Bruce immediately recognized her skill and brought her into the group he was forming to start resisting the Capitol.

Barbara was never reaped, aging out unscathed. But after her first year not having to put her name in the reaping, she is at the Drake’s house the night of the accident. She isn’t killed but she is severely injured and confined to a wheelchair after.

She goes to live with Tim in the Victor’s Village after she is released from their district’s hospital.

Duke Thomas: District #5

District 5 is the battery of Panem. As a reference to Duke’s meta abilities in canon, I think it would make sense for him to be from the district responsible for keeping the lights on.

Duke’s family was average and unassuming but Duke was a little more rebellious. He had been caught by Peacekeepers attending suspicious meetings run by district members that had been arrested for insubordination multiple times. Duke had pitched an idea at one of the meetings to blow the dam and cut off power to the Capitol. Two weeks later, he was reaped.

Tim was assigned to him as a mentor. Duke felt weird about it because Tim was only 18 and Duke was 16. But Tim managed to be a decent mentor because his engineering background complimented Duke’s knowledge of electricity. Tim warned Duke about ending the games too quick, sharing his own story and punishment from the Capitol.

Unfortunately for Duke, the Capitol was not satisfied with simply putting him into the games. It didn’t want him to win and when he came out a victor, his parents disappeared under suspicious means. That was when Tim introduced him to Bruce Wayne. Bruce promised to find Duke’s parents or find out what happened to them, and he promised to look after Duke in the meantime. Duke agreed, sensing Bruce had more planned for the Capitol than merely exposing what they did to his parents.

Damian Wayne: District #1

This year is a quarter quell and the theme made Bruce’s stomach drop. The tributes were to be reaped from the victor’s children. The Capitol had grown tired of Bruce’s scheming and decided to put him back in his place. They were also threatened by the amount of victors that Bruce was amassing and they wanted to make it known that to be associated with Bruce Wayne meant almost certain death.

Damian’s name was the only one in the boy’s bowl. He stood there with his head high, refusing to show even an ounce of fear. His mother and father had trained him for this. The people he had come to see as siblings were victors and he was determined to join their ranks.

Stephanie broke her promise to Cass. After seeing Damian be selected, she volunteered as the district #2 female tribute. Her father had won the Games years ago and for the first time in her life, she felt it was useful. She would go into the arena and keep Damian safe. She was doing it as a thank you to Bruce for taking Cass in and loving her as his own. She was doing it for Cass, who adored Damian as a little brother. She was doing it for Damian, who was far kinder and gentler than he liked others to believe. And she was doing it for herself, to prove that she did deserve all the things her father denied her.

Bruce was terrified. He had already lost Jason to the Games. Now, there was a chance he could lose Damian as well.

The night before the Games, Dick and the others approach Bruce and Damian. They have a plan. Damian and Steph would go into the arena but they will also come out, not as a victors but as a rebels.

They are were going to overthrow the Capitol.