#plot drop: one panem

[phoward89]

Banner by me. Dividers by @saradika

Summary: Coriolanus took his wife out, in more ways than one, while you were safe and sound in his 12th floor Corso penthouse. But when you see a breaking news report, you realize that the man you share a bed with is a snake. A snake that kills with poison. And you decide to confront him about your knowledge of poisons.

Warnings: Coriolanus Snow is his own warning! Possessive!Coriolanus, Obsessive!Coriolanus, DelusionalCoriolanus, Dark!Coriolanus, Soft Dark!Coriolanus?, Head Gamemaker!Coriolanus, Poison, Murder, Blood, Plotting/Scheming Couple, um think that's about it

Story Masterlist

Chapter 5

Coriolanus sipped on his wine, watching his wife look around the dining room impatiently. She was fidgeting in her seat; it was embarrassing.

He was paying good money on a meal that they'd never eat, cause she'd be dead soon and he'd be hacking up blood. The least Livia could do was conduct herself properly in public.

The damn shrew was impossible to train. So impatient. Greedy, spoiled, rich bitch was so used to getting her way that waiting a few extra minutes for their seafood appetizer was too much to handle.

God, he's so happy that he dumped that vial of poison in their wine bottle (that he had the waiter leave on their table) after convincing his vain wife that she needed to powder her nose; that it was too shiny.

Soon, very very soon the poison will kick in and Livia will drop dead.

Not him though.

No, he won't die, but he'll get sick though since he's only partially immune to this strong, but sweet tasting poison that pairs so well with the vintage Merlot.

Truth be told, the side effects of the poison he was drinking tonight would stick with him for more than a few hours.

In fact Coriolanus would be stuck in bed recovering for a good week or so. A recovery that would consist of being weak, spitting up blood, and not being able to keep anything other than liquids down.

“Why is it taking so long for our appetizer?” Livia whined, turning to sit properly in her seat. She was giving him an impatient look.

He's sure the oysters rockefeller will be out any minute now.

Just in time for the fun to begin.

“Well, Livia, they do have to cook it.” He sarcastically reminded his soon to be dead wife.

“Don't be condescending with me, Coriolanus. I'm your wife, not some whore from a black market brothel you can speak down to.” The dirty blonde scolded him in an uppity tone while reaching for her wine.

Yes, drink up.

Right now Coriolanus was ecstatic that his nearly dead wife was a lush. The more wine she drank meant the quicker he's rid of her.

Oooo… a poisoning death has never made him more happy then hers.

He couldn't wait for her to start bleeding from her nose and choking on her own blood that'd clog her lungs.

Putting down his glass, he subtly motioned to the waiter making his way to their table. “The oysters rockefeller’s on its way now, Livia.”

“You know, husband, that most men call their wives a pet name; not use their name every time they speak to them.” Livia snapped as the waiter got closer to the table, tray of oyster appetizers in his hand.

“Yes well most husbands love their wives, yet here we are just barely tolerating each other for money and social standings.” Coriolanus factually states, his eyes following the waiter’s every move.

Livia chugged down her wine as the waiter appeared at the table, placing the appetizer tray down on the white linen tablecloth. “Finally. It took you long enough.” Livia rudely remarked, causing the waiter to quickly apologize and leave.

“Your manners are atrocious, Livia.” Coriolanus pointed out as he served them their appetizer.

Fortunately, in a few minutes, he'll never have to deal with her atrocious manners ever again. He'll be free to be with you; he knows that since you're young he can train you. Make sure that you act properly, know your place by his side and as the First Lady of Panem.

“And you parade around like some gentleman when you both know that you have degenerate desires and urges.”

“Livia…” he hissed in a low warning. Why was she bringing this up here, in a crowded restaurant where anyone could overhear? Did she have any decency, any respect for him?

No.

She doesn't, otherwise she wouldn't be insulting his sexual preferences while they’re at her last super.

Ignoring his hissed warning, Livia scooped a small piece of oyster up with her fork while telling her husband, “People are starting to talk, Coriolanus, in the social circles about us being married for so long and not having any children.”

“And whose fault is that, Livia?” Coriolanus asked, taking a bite of his own seafood appetizer. “You're the one that refuses to share a bed with me. Who's shot me down anytime I attempt to bring up the subject of children.” He reminded her as his nose began to burn, tingle, and twitch with the telltale signs of an upcoming nose bleed.

Yes, any second now his wife’ll be dead and he'll be free of his life sentence. He'll be free to make you his in every sense of the word.

“I've been told that there's a clinic that specializes in reproductive matters. That the doctor at the clinic is able to collect the necessary products from us to make an embryo in a lab; that we could even have it implanted into a female avox as a surrogate so that I wouldn't have to touch you or ruin my body by getting fat.”

Was she serious right now? She expected him to be on board with having a science baby? A baby supposedly made from their collected samples and mixed up in a test tube, in a lab.

In a lab.

Coriolanus remembers his time studying and interning under Dr. Gaul, before that terrible accident she had right before he graduated University and was given her Head Gamemaker job. He remembers the experiments that took place in the labs. How creatures were created out of thin air with a few strands of DNA samples. How easily DNA could be twisted and mutated into a creature so vile, so horrible, so deadly.

No.

He wasn't going to have a mutt for a child. Especially one carried by an avox.

No, he was going to have children the old fashioned way with you. And he'll make sure that you enjoy making them too.

Livia’s eyes went wide and she dropped her fork, causing it to loudly clatter onto the bone china plate. Blood began to trickle down her nostrils as she grabbed her neck, clawing at it in a vain attempt for air.

Oh, show time. The poison’s kicked in.

Coriolanus knew what to expect in the seconds to come, he's been through it before. So, deciding that he wanted the last word, he leaned in close to Livia and simply told her, “Snow lands on top.”

When he sat back, blood began to trickle from his own nose, along with rising from his stomach and filling up his mouth.

By this point, blood poured from Livia’s mouth and she was choking on it.

All the while the dining room of Avelina's was full of screams and terrified cries from the elite capitolites whose meals were now ruined.

Coriolanus watches the life drain out of his wife's eyes as he began coughing up blood.

It was a beautiful sight to behold.

You were in a cozy sweater, curled up on the sofa with a steaming cup of tea in your hand. You sent Tigris home hours ago because, even though she was very nice to you, you couldn't handle how she looked at you.

How she treated you like you're made out of fragile glass.

Even though Coryo was a bit much with his hot-cold behavior, he didn't treat you like you're made out of fragile glass. In fact it felt like the opposite. That he wasn't afraid if he shattered you, if you broke.

Coriolanus wasn't purposely trying to break you, or at least you didn't think he was, but he didn't watch his tongue and tiptoe around you.

He was blunt with you; treated you like a person instead of a victim of the games.

Coryo had no problems treating you like a woman, that's for sure. Your status as a victor that had seen horrors in the arena did nothing to deter him from his dominant nature in bed with you.

You know that you shouldn't seek solace with the head gamemaker, the man that designed the arena along with all the twists and turns of this July’s games, but you couldn't help but feel like he was the only one that treated you like a normal human being.

Coriolanus knew, perhaps better than anyone else, the horrors you've seen in the games and he didn't pity you. In fact, the way he looked at you seemed to be almost prideful.

His icy blue eyes also held a sense of lust and possession in them too, but you swore he saw pride in them.

Maybe you were overthinking everything. The way he felt about you didn't matter: he was married.

Of course he was married, he was 15 years older than you.

As you sipped on your tea, you couldn't help, but worry about how your brother and his girlfriend would treat you when you (eventually) went home. Would they tread lightly with you like Tigris does or would they treat you like they did before you left? Would Rein and Ashlie view you as different, would they pity you?

And then the thought of the neighbor boy, the freshly 15 year old Corbin Everdeen, popped into your head.

Would he stop chasing your heels like a puppy; think that you were horrible for killing 7 people in the Hunger Games, or would he still chase you around? Still pester you to listen to whatever song he was working on for his weekend performances at the hob, once you returned to 12?

You think being the Victor of the First Quarter Quell will make Corbin (who Rein felt was a borderline stalker with how he was always finding ways to be around you) leave you alone since he hated the games. He felt that the games changed people; either made them murderers or drove them mad out of their minds with paranoia. He felt that if you got reaped then you should just let yourself be struck down in the bloodbath in order to preserve your identity; to keep the Capitol from stealing and corrupting your soul.

You didn't do what the neighbor boy musician told you to do.

No.

You did what your older brother told you to do. You fought to survive. You did whatever it took to make it out alive.

You trained in those 2 weeks you were given in the tribute center, you listened to the Academy student that was assigned as your mentor (since District 12 didn't have a living victor to mentor you), and you dazzled the audience in your interview.

The gorgeous dresses that Tigris made for you helped sell you as the Capitol Darling too.

It all came in handy when you received a training score of 8 (your mentor thought that you deserved at least a 10 and she was livid that the gamemakers only gave you an 8) and received a few sponsors from it.

You took your brother's advice to heart and did what you had to do to survive. But now you're here, sitting in the head gamemaker’s penthouse while pondering whether or not you'll ever have people treat you normally ever again.

Some reward for winning, huh?

And to think that they tell you once you win you'll go home; will be able to live your life in peace.

Like fucking hell.

That's not what's happening to you right now.

Nope…

So, since you had no control over anything in your life right now, all you could do was sip on your hot tea and watch some rom-com on Capitol TV.

It was amazing how Coriolanus’ TV had more than 3 channels. It also amazes you how the thing took up most of his wall in the main room too.

As you watched the couple on TV do the classic coworkers fake dating for the winter holidays to make the girl's ex jealous trope, you couldn't help, but miss your cat. She used to curl up in your lap when you watched tv.

Suddenly, right as the couple on TV was fumbling thru their fake meet story, a breaking news report interrupted the movie.

You couldn't help, but sigh as you listened to the reporter at the news desk say, “We here at Capitol News 6 are so sorry to be interrupting your programs, but we have just gotten some horrible and heartbreaking, well, breaking news.” The reporter took a moment to put on a sad face and take a silent pause before announcing, “Socialite Livia Cardew-Snow, wife of Head Gamemaker Coriolanus Snow, died of sudden food poisoning merely an hour ago in the Capitol restaurant Avelina’s. Our beloved head gamemaker himself is currently being treated at Capitol General and is expected to make a full recovery.”

What?

Your wheels are turning. You knew that botulism took 48 hours to kill and salmonella had different levels of severity, but wouldn't just cause somebody to drop dead in the middle of a restaurant.

There was only one reason for Livia's sudden death and Coriolanus' sudden near death experience that he'd recover from.

He poisoned his wife and himself, but with not as high of a dose that he gave his wife, and made it look like food poisoning because they were at a restaurant.

What the hell?! How could he be so reckless? What if he accidentally gave himself a fatal dose, then where would that leave you?

That damn snake…

“Let’s go live to our favorite weather and reporter for all things game related, Lucretius ‘Lucky’ Flickerman, who’s with our beloved Head Gamemaker Coriolanus Snow in his hospital room.” The news desk reporter said before the screen cut to live footage of Lucky Flickerman standing next to Coriolanus, who was sitting up in a hospital bed.

You took one look at Coriolanus and knew what kind of poison he used. He used a toxic metal based poison made from either cadmium, selenium, or arsenic.

It's the only kind of poison that would've killed Livia Cardew-Snow so quickly; would leave Coryo coughing up blood and looking so pale and weak in his hospital bed.

You knew about the dangers of metals such as cadmium, selenium, and arsenic leaching into water and turning it into poison from your brother's career as a coal miner. It's the reason why he won't use the water at the mines; why he brings his own in a large glass jug with him to work.

Rein told you that when new shafts are carved into the coal mines or when new mines were blown into the side of the mountains that the leftover rubble gets dumped to the side where it leeches and runs off into water, creating poison for anyone who drinks it.

You've seen the effects of the poisoned mine water too when you started your short lived internship at the apothecary right before you got reaped.

It wasn't pretty.

But the few men that survived, mostly young men that were still in their teens or early 20s, spat up blood, had mouth sores, ulcers, and could barely eat for weeks while they recovered and fought the poison.

They had the same weak, pale, sunk in look that Coriolanus had right now as he laid in his hospital bed telling some bullshit story to the media about the food poisoning that killed Livia and nearly killed him.

Oh, you swear, you're giving him a piece of your mind when he shows up at the penthouse.

And you knew he'd show up since he killed his wife to be able to have you in his bed.

God, you're now sharing a bed with a snake.

“You should be asleep, darling.” Coriolanus chastised you, walking into the main room of the penthouse in the wee hours of the morning.

He looked like shit. Had blood dripping from the side of his mouth.

God, you were so pissed at him. Before you could think better of it, you chucked your teacup at his head, but it just went over his shoulder and shattered against the wall. “You want to off your wife with poison, fine, but don't drink the damn shit yourself, Coriolanus!” You angrily screamed.

“I don't know what you're talking about, Y/N. I got food poisoning from bad seafood; unfortunately it killed my wife.” Coriolanus smoothly lied, his face an unwavering mask.

“I interned at the apothecary in District 12 before I got reaped, Coriolanus. I've seen the signs of cadmium, selenium, and arsenic poisoning since the water from the mines is tainted from it.” You bluntly told the platinum blonde while standing to your feet. Walking up to him, you said, “You have the signs. You're coughing up blood, you're pale and your face looks sunk in.” His icy blue eyes narrowed at you. “Bet you got a sore in your mouth, if not then it'll pop up soon.” Pointing to his stomach, you warned, “Watch yourself, metal based poisons are notorious for causing bleeding ulcers.”

Coryo's jaw twitched as he looked down at you. “I see you're well educated for a girl from District 12. Let me ask you, how do you feel about what I did tonight?” A dark smirk twisted on his bloodstained lips as he asked, “Are you going to be a loose end for me, my darling rose?”

“Honestly, I'm not upset that you killed your wife. What I'm upset about is that you drank that poison too. You drank it without even worrying about what would happen to me if something went wrong and you dropped dead too.”

“Darling,” Coriolanus reached out with his hand, attempting to pull you into him and comfort you, but you pushed him away.

He weakly stumbled, but balanced himself by grabbing a nearby the back of a nearby sitting chair.

“Did you even stop and think about what happens to me if you died or are incapacitated? Huh?!” You asked, on the verge of angry tears. You didn't even give him the chance to answer you. No, you just barreled on with, “Would I get sent back to 12 even though Victor's Village hasn't been built yet or would I be passed onto your successor, whoever would take your place as head gamemaker?"

“Nobody will ever get their hands on you, my darling rose.” Coryo swore as he weakly collapsed in the sitting chair. “I’ll kill anyone that tries to take you from me.” He darkly vowed while coughing up blood.

“You're going to be laid up in bed for a week, maybe 2.” You told him, watching as he took his handkerchief from his breast pocket; coughing into it. The blood spurts from his coughing stained the white cloth red, as if little rain drops had drizzled on it.

You felt bad for him, watching him struggling to breath as his chest rattled with every bloody cough he let out.

You went over to his chair and knelt by his side. You knew he wouldn't stop poisoning people. Not with the outburst that he just had. But you knew that you couldn't let him keep using dangerous metal based poisons either.

Whether you wanted to admit it or not, your red string of fate was tied to the head gamemaker. You needed him for your survival.

Taking one of his hands in yours, you revealed, “Coryo, I have an apothecary book back in my room in District 12. It has recipes for herbal remedies, medicines, poisons, and antidotes in it.”

God, you were going straight to hell for what you were going to say next.

“If you can somehow get me that book I’ll help you make poisons that won't hurt you. That you can take an antidote ahead of time for; that won't make you sick.”

Coriolanus let out a rumbling cough, soaking his handkerchief, only to look at you with a mix of astonishment and admiration in his baby blues. “You'd do that for me? Make me poisons to use on my enemies?”

You remembered what he told you in the hospital, that the Capitol was a dangerous place. Was a chess game of life; that he'd teach you how to play and master it in time.

Well, no time like the present.

“You're enemies are my enemies too, aren't they? Maybe moreso since I'm district.”

Coryo's calloused thumb ran over yours knuckles and he gave you a crimson stained smile. “You're not district, my darling rose. You're a victor, like me.”

If only you knew how damning those words truly were. Would you have tried to get away or would you have still let the white snake wrap himself around you.

But you were a snake as well, weren't you? For only a snake could truly feel safe with another snake.

Where you always a snake or did you just choose to become one because you were drawn to the dark beauty of a beautiful devil?

Tags: @kuroosbby001, @purriteen, @poppyflower-22, @meetmeatyourworst, @whipwhoops, @bxtchopolis, @readingthingsonhere,@savagenctzen, @ryswritingrecord, @erikasurfer, @tulips2715, @universal-s1ut, @thesmutconnoisseur, @squidscottjeans, @sudek4l, @wearemadeofstardust0, @mashiromochi , @gracieroxzy, @belcalis9503, @shari-berri, @aoi-targaryen, @whiteoakoak @spear-bearing-bi-witch , @gisellesprettylies @loverandqueenofdragons, @qoopeeya, @mfnqueen1

[slutforsnow]

His Sunflower

Chapter 3 :3

Cw/TW// Drugs, stalking (for good reason), alcohol, manipulation, taking advantage of, plotting, implied murder, talk of death

"Let me take a bat to his head," Coriolanus stated, sitting at the table of the Plinth residence. Sunni had been charmed by Festus to come study at his place with Arachne and Clemensia, but that didn't relax either of the boys. It was Festus, he could try something without knowing.

"We can't commit murder yet, Coryo," Sej replied, shaking his head no as he threw his satchel on the table.

"You can't, I can and will," the bleach blonde corrected, unbuttoned his blazer and draped it back on the chair he sat on.

"No," Sejanus replied, leaning against the counter.

"Ugh, fine, what do you suppose we do?" He questioned, crossing his arms.

Sejanus pondered his question for a moment before a grin slowly started to appear on his face. "You took photography in middle school, right?"

"Yeah?" Coryo responded, a little puzzled as to where Sejanus was going with this.

"Still got the camera?"

"Grandma'am has it packed somewhere in the apartment, but yeah," He confirmed with a slow nod, beginning to realize what Sejanus was wanting him to do.

"Get it out, and we can pretend we're taking pictures of the scenery around Sunni and Festusnto drive a wedge between them. Sunni may be a little dense, and I say that with love, but if anything, she's loyal to family. So if Festus vents to her about me, she'll drop him faster than you can say supercalifragisticespiallidocious!" Sejanus was red in the face when he said the last word, having started rapid speaking—something he picked up as a kid when he was super excited about an idea he had.

"Never say that word again," He grumbled, glaring into Sejanus' eyes with his icy stare.

"Sorry-"

As the boys were plotting, Sunni was in awe of the Creed mansion. It was bigger than the Plinth one and covered head to toe in marble architecture. She was looking around it, in total shock. It was better than she could've imagined, especially after hearing about how so many families lost wealth after the First Rebellion in History.

"Jeez, Festus, your estate is amazing," She breathed out, looking up at him as he continued to have his arm wrapped around her shoulders as if he was claiming her as his girl. But Sunni thought it was just a nice gesture, a way of comfort as if to say, "It's okay, you'll love it here."

"Ah, this is nothing. You should see Clemensia's and Arachne's—they have the best estates in all of the Academy. Their homes are where we, the Seniors of Panem Academy, have the best parties. All kinds of beers, wines, and even a little bit of drugs to try. Only if you're ballsy enough to try them at least," Festus mused, taking joy in seeing Sunni's eyes light up with excitement.

"That sounds awesome!! Not the underage drugs or drinking, but the parties themselves," She clarified as he led the girls to the library to "study".

"Oh, Sunni, you've never drank?" Arachne inquired, looking at the youngest senior. Sunni shook her head no, a serious look in her eyes. But with how much of an innocent face and look in her eyes she had, no one in the group took her seriously.

"Oh no, never! My auntie always says never to kill your body with that stuff. A little sip here and there for political parties, but never drink it all willy-nilly," Sunni explained, looking at Arachne as everyone sat down at one of the tables. Festus stayed beside her, his arm still around Sunni.

"And does your aunt tell you the same about drugs like cocaine and ecstasy?" Clemensia asked as everyone pulled out their work.

"No, my ma does cause drugs are what took out my pa," Sunni answered.

The group looked at Sunni in shock. They hadn't expected that to fall from her lips but quickly collected themselves.

Then, an idea hit Festus. If Sunni didn't have her dad, she didn't have anyone to really warn her about men who'd taken advantage of her innocence and naivety.

He started to think of how he'd be able to get her to trust him over Sejanus. After all, he had to drive a wedge between the two somehow, and substances were just the answer.

Tags: @etfrin @hearts4court @snows-wife @delusionalbunni @kiraflowersworld @victory-scream0462 @curled-hair-red-lips @morallygrayboys @phoward89 @xoxo-eyeballs @thereeallink @graciouslyc @acidaciruela @wanda-maximoff-enthusiast @firstworldproblemthings @nowitsmissing

[loganlermanstanaccount]

Just to kiss me (Part 3)

pairing: Finnick Odair x reader

(AO3 mirror)

Part One, Part Two, My Hunger Games Masterlist

summary: A night at the lake goes sour. Finnick does some reflecting

warnings: drowning, implied drug use, references to depression, some hurt/comfort (although there will be more in the next part)

required reading: The song "We'll never have sex" by Leith Ross <3

a/n: plot??? in my fic??? who woulda thought

wc: 3.4k

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, you kissed me just to kiss me

Not to take me home

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s cold. Sharp, shallow breaths, and his head pounds in his skull. The weight of a thousand depths on his chest. Something pressing behind his eyes; his head filled with lead. 

Finnick opens his eyes, and he’s met with the bright lights of the mens bathroom. Cold ceramic against his palms as he looks into the basin’s mirror; its ornate frame spanning the width of the double sinks. Beyond its walls, the dull thrum of the gala. Behind him, a man steps out of a stall, donned in shiny grease and draped fabric. Finnick flashes a well practised smile, and steps out.

He walks through the corridors, transforming. Shoulders back, upright, leisurely pace. Walk in like he's Finnick Odair; capitol darling. A deep breath, and he steps through gilded double doors. 

The Great Hall is packed, unsurprisingly. They all blur together, a writhing mass of limbs and wine. Hushed whispers and elbows and raised eyebrows: it washes over him like water. 

Easygoing and free flowing, he drifts between embankments of people. He tugs on the sleeve of his jacket absent-mindedly. Pulling at the threads was an art, at this point. Between sips of champagne, a gentle hand on the back, a well-placed compliment; he pulls and pulls, until they're almost threadbare. An art; skills honed in those four walls, the victory tour, press conferences, a life of cameras and glamour. Watching, always watching. And so he puts on a show. 

Some of his best work yet, he thinks. In the middle of a conversation about a raucous night with Panem's finest; he spots something. Someone. A girl in the corner, eyes flitting around the room like it's her first time. There's always one, shaky, doesn't know how to pretend like the rest of them; she hasn't built that reflex yet. His mouth moves faster than he can think; ichor flows like it's second nature. The group around him; enraptured. He likes this part, at least. Weaving stories, watching the fish in the river rush past his ankles. 

BANG! A spear into the heart of a writhing salmon, and he slams his glass on a side table. "....it was like a rocket! Cora's on the floor, Alaris can barely stand and I'm still trying to figure out which way's up…" laughter erupts from the crowd around him. The girl barely glances at him. He watches as she tucks herself behind the desserts tray, wholly more interested in the cakes than him. She's pretty, of course, but they always are. A newcomer floundering like he once did, overwhelmed by the sharp teeth and pink tongues. He's still tugging at the thread of his jacket. 

In the afterglow of conversation someone taps his shoulder, presses their lips towards his ear. Discreet. He doesn't look, Finnick knows better. Instead, he waits for instructions. 

"Venia Laurel, on your left, towards the door. He knows something." A familiar voice; of which her name he makes a point not to know. Quietly, he hums in affirmation. 

"How long do I have?" 

"He needs it done tonight."

He flashes a smile at a waiter, grabbing a flute of gold liquid. Under his breath, he says. "I need more time." It was a quicker turnaround than usual; and Finnick needed the time. Whilst stupid, many wouldn't divulge sensitive information that easily; he'd like to avoiding waking up in a bed other than his own. 

"Tonight." Firm. An unspoken threat in the air. He sighs and downs his drink. The mask drops when he begins to move away. And then, sharp nails latch onto his forearm. 

"He knows." She says lowly, voice trembling. Finnick stops like she's stabbed him. He turns, and her eyes are wide, bloodshot, scared. 

He knows. 

He rushes out of her grip, shaking. Thudding at his temples, the lights are too bright, the people too loud. Chest tight, he pulls at his sleeves and almost stumbles into an oncoming tray of hor d'oeuvres. 

In his haze, his manager, bumbling and rosy, slaps a hand on his back. Well-meaning, but it makes him jump. 

"Odair!" He splutters, lips curling so his moustache touches the apples of his cheeks. Any other time, it would've been comical. "We've got a certain Councillor Arachne, who wants a word."

Finnick rubs his eyes, tired. "Now's not the time, Stannis."

The man opposite huffs. "Not the time? She's bankrolling us -I mean - you with her campaign. All she wants is a word. Probably pimping you out to her friends, or something."

He winces at Stannis' bluntness. "Sure… sure. Lead the way."

Every step feels like lead. He's not listening when introduced to Councillor Arachne and another girl about his age. Arachne; a tall, spindly woman, dressed in a simple gown and pearls; stretches her face into a thin-lipped smile. Well-practised, too polished. 

"Mr Odair, how lovely to meet you again!" 

"The pleasure's all mine," He says, shaking her hand. It feels clammy, he's sure of it; the room's hot and thick with sweat. The girl besides her buzzes despite his nerves. "And this is…?"

“V-Vonnie. Sir. Mr Odair… s-sir. My name's Vonnie Dulaire, and I am so excited to meet you…!" She's bright, babbling on and on. Her lips are bubblegum pink, moving at a thousand miles an hour and he's barely able to concentrate - unable to stop thinking about the words spoken to him earlier.

".....and I'm probably your biggest fan! I was actually at the victory tour for your mentee, and it was electric...."

He knows.

".....is your suit custom? I hear there's a stylist you always work with that designs similar looks, like in your last interview…"

He knows.  

"....I can't imagine Ceasar actually said that to you, live! I've got a friend, who swears she 'doesn't watch that kinda crap' but even she said it was quite a scandal…"

He knows. 

"....I got it specially made and I think it matches yours, too. What do you think?"

He snaps his head upwards at the question. He gives her a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes, but enough to dazzle. "Couldn't have said it better myself. I-If you'll excuse me." He nods, walking off towards the door. 

Finnick can't breathe.

Clawing at the collar of his shirt, gold jewellery like a noose around his neck, he stumbles onto the balcony - grateful for the cool air. He was careful, he made sure of it. Made sure there were no eyes, cashed in long-standing favours. How could Snow have found out? 

Dizzy, he steadies himself on the balcony. There wasn't the time for a panic attack, not now. He blinks away hot tears, gasping for a breath. Something clatters on the floor behind him. In the gloom, he makes out the silhouette of a stranger. Of you. 

~~~

You're frozen at first - paralysed with fear on the deck. Finnick isn't moving. A man basically born with gills, sinking into the inky blue. Why wasn't he moving? Did he fall? Where did the blood come from?

A thousand questions, not enough time. You don't think, not really, as you reach for the zipper on your gown. Haphazard, you wrench it off - not caring for the tears and rips created in your wake. Before long, you're in the slip dress underneath miles of beaded net. Barefoot, trembling, you don't hesitate. You take a step back, and jump. 

The first thing you feel is cold; consuming, numbing cold. Calm, for a moment. And then biting realisation. When you surface, you look for a sign of life - anything that can tell you where Finnick is. There are slight bubbles, a few metres away. Deep breaths, and you dive into the blue-black. 

~~~

He can't stop thinking about you.

Finnick sits in white sheets, looking up at the ceiling. Exhausted, but he can't sleep. Gentle snoring from beside him punctuates every thought. In the capitol he's constantly surrounded by beautiful things: gaudy, gauche, sickly-sweet and beautiful. Your meeting on the balcony shouldn't have been anything special, and yet… 

Even in your fancy dress, your personality shone through: kind, funny, genuine. He can't help but replay your laugh, your smile, in his head. Gently, he rolls out of bed. 

It's early in the morning, dregs of sunrise scatter through the window. He's draped in amber light as he pulls on a shirt; padding on plush carpet. In the mirror hanging up in Venia Laurel's bedroom, he looks a sight, he thinks. Sallow, glitter smeared around his eyes, and lean lined. There's a nasty bruise on his neck; bite marks at his stomach. He pokes at them demurely. It's tender, but he'll live. 

Methodical, he makes his search. He starts in the bedroom, pulling at cabinets and looking for false bottom drawers, anywhere that could conceal what he's looking for. Laurel's apartment is surprisingly messy - unexpected for such a clean cut actor. Finnick dabbles in secrets, and the older man certainly divulged; he knew of the actor's connections with ex-gamemakers, but nothing concrete to suggest he leaked plans to interested parties. 

When he searches the grand living room, he stumbles onto something out of place. A panel in the floor, it's lip jutting out of the wood. He presses on it, and it pops out with a hollow clunk. Inside, a chip the size of his thumbnail. Finnick pockets it, hoping it may be what Snow is looking for; hoping to appease the tyrant. It burns a hole in his trousers as he covers his tracks, before calling a pod to take him home. 

He can't sleep, for the usual reasons. Guilt, nightmares, fear; take your pick. It's too nebulous and vague to put a name to; he realises quickly. A ticking clock careening towards the end for as long as he could remember. Tick-tick-tick in his head, a countdown of which he dreads to hear it stop. White noise now, the scratch and itch of it all bone deep. He tried to do a good thing, for once; he tried to help Annie. But Snow knows - and now his punishment will be slow and painful. 

In the weeks that follow, waiting for a knife in the back, he analyses every word. On the balcony, the way your lips curled into laughter, how soft your hand was. It was a fantasy, somehow, one he had to convince himself actually happened. A conversation, lilting and light, that he locks up in his heart for safe-keeping. 

It keeps him distracted at events. Instead of worrying about Snow, he fans his breath, adjusts his collar, and stops picking at his sleeves; preening like a songbird. When he asks for the sleeveless sheer shirt instead of his usual, his stylist humours him and lets him choose, just this once. In the middle of a conversation, when he hears bright laughter, he turns around, looking for you. Waiting on balconies, pacing corridors. He's gone insane, he knows. But he needs something to hold on to. Someone that makes him feel like a good person - like he isn't Finnick Odair. 

~~~

You're not the strongest swimmer. Ironic, considering the circumstances. Moonlight streams into the depths as you look for a hint of gold. The water stings your eyes but in the gloom, you see him. Eerily still and rapidly sinking. You pump your legs desperately; darting towards him as best you can. Lungs screaming for air, you swim further down, reaching out for something to grab onto. The tips of your fingers graze his own. He looks peaceful despite it all: eyes closed and hand outstretched like he always does. Except this time you reach for him, a frantic grab in the dark. 

You touch something. His wrist. Curling your hand around his forearm, you pull, and grab onto one arm and then the other. You're dizzy now, hand hooked onto Finnick, kicking with all the strength you can manage. Upwards you go, closer and closer to the surface as black spots dance across your vision. A little further. A little closer….

~~~

The day of Hadrian's soiree, he pretends he's not looking for you. Pretending proves to be marginally easier than to act like he isn't disappointed when he doesn't find you. Instead, there are droves of people in masks. The hair on the back of his neck bristles: they make him uneasy. He finds it harder without a face to a name, beady eyes through masks that follow him around the room.

His own mask was gaudy; triple faced and golden. Its strap itches his nose, and his eyes are caked in glitter. At his stylist's the night before, she gave him talking points for the reporters - a face looking towards Panem's past, present and future. A handsome young Victor, making waves within the Capitol, championing it's people. Pseudo-patriotic drivel to feed the vultures, he thinks. 

Dregs of conversation drip through the night. It's always the same things - empty gossip and the like. Today's topic is no more poignant: the mentors announced for the 72nd Games. A few familiar faces, and faux shock at those not on the list. Everyone dances around the topic when he lingers, and disperses into whispers when he doesn't. Talking of bets placed and withdrawn at the news, he assumes. 

The truth is, he was tired. It was only right he took Mags' place when he won, but he was so young. Odair, bright-eyed and sprightly. A wonderboy, and Capitol favourite from the start. In the mirror of silvered bowls of food, he sees that little boy with bloodied palms and sunken eyes.

He blinks, hard. The image washes away. Seeing things in the light? A side effect from the little white pills he takes before bed, he's been told. He staggers slightly from the table. Annie tugs at his sleeve from behind. 

"You ok?" she whispers, concerned. 

Finnick brushes her off, chuckling. ".... I should be asking you that. It's not too much?" 

She shakes her head. It's the first time since her victory tour she's been at one of these events, and he's worried that it's too much, too fast. Perceptive as always, he watches for a tug of her red hair, or the blank look she gives when overwhelmed. Annie was getting better, lucid for the first time in a while. She smiled, she laughed, she shone. 

That's why he couldn't tell her what he did, what he had to do, to let her see her parents. To let her live. Another time, perhaps. 

She clears her throat, mischievously. "Looking for your mystery girl?“

“T-That's not-" 

"-what you were doing, I know, I know. That's also what you said the last five times." She bounces on the balls of her feet, restless. "I know you like the back of my hand, Finnick. It's not like you to mope in the corner - something's up."

Annie's unrelenting: she doesn't let the man worm out of her gaze. Despite his discomfort, it's nice to see her like this; the little spitfire in Class 9, kind and sweet and determined to help. A change of pace, he presents his forearm to the younger woman. 

He smiles, "We should dance." 

~~~

You break the surface with Finnick in tow. He's completely still in your arms. Desperate and tired, you try to remember the swimming lessons from your youth; on your back, resting him on your legs with an arm hooked around him. Kick with everything you've got, keep his head above water. It's messy and ugly, as you pump your legs towards the shore; searching for the moment the depths below give way to sodden banks. 

You hit silt, suddenly. Your toes touch the lake bed and you desperately try to drag him onto shore.  Without the spray of the water, you can see him properly: sallow and grey. Like a corpse. His stillness is terrifying and you try not to think about what it means, or how long it's been since he's taken a breath. On autopilot now, you lay him on the banks, pressing shaky fingers to his pulse. Nothing. Rushing, you tilt his head upwards like you've been taught. With trembling lips pressed against his, you pinch his nose and breath out. You press your hands against his chest and push down, hard. Quick compressions, and you count from thirty. 

Nothing. And so you try again. Warm lips around his cold ones, deep breaths out, and quick compressions. Again. Desperate, harder, determined. 

When Finnick splutters to life, you think you could cry from exhaustion. His eyes are wild, as he coughs and thrashes; a hand tight around yours. 

"It's okay…. y-you're okay…" You soothe, holding back sobs. It seems to calm him as he lies down, brow furrowed and taking deep shaky breaths. Up this close, his pupils are dilated, and he seems disoriented, dazed. There's a sticky cut at his brow, but his eyes are locked onto you. Green and striking in the low light. Alive. 

For a while, you stay like that; watching his chest rise and fall as you hold hands by the lake. He's closed his eyes, but still breathes steadily. You barely register anything but him, until a chill blows past. Cold. Wet. Tired. The adrenaline of the moment dies down. You have to coax his hand out of yours to grab the things you dropped before… before all this. Every few seconds you glance over your shoulder to make sure he's still there, to make sure he's alive. 

He settles his head onto your shoulder, and you cradle his hands with your own; listening for the cruel staccato of his breath. He's groggy, asleep maybe. You've wrapped yourselves up in the blankets, too tired to move. You should, really: the remnants of your dress strewn onto the jetty, shiny from where you are by the trees. Cottonmouth and lead-limbed, you wait for him to become lucid. 

Something's wrong. You've felt like this before holding Vonnie's hand on the bathroom floor after a night out with the wrong crowd. Calm, and then a moment of mania before a rough comedown. You can't help but to search for needle marks on Finnick's arms, his neck, anywhere. He's pliant, unusually so, but you don't find anything. 

Your heart sinks, when you realise. The pills in his car. Morphling? He could've slipped or fallen in. He could've… jumped. And if he's been drinking….? It wouldn't matter how strong a swimmer he was usually. You dread to think of what could have happened if you were even a minute later. Tears fall even faster. You hold onto his hand a little tighter. 

When Finnick comes to, properly, you've fallen asleep. He opens his eyes to you by his side: hair down your shoulders, glitter-peppered skin, pearls in your locs, and in a white flowing dress. Well and truly, he thinks he's died. Somewhere faraway he doesn't deserve, waking up besides you. His head hurts. 

You startle, awake from your shallow slumber. Eyes red-raw, you've been crying. He wipes at your cheek and smiles weakly. 

"Let me take you home." 

Defiant, you shake your head. "No. N-no. You need to see a doctor. I can call a pod and-" 

"-no. We can't. No doctors. I'll take you home."

"Finnick, you almost died. You need help, medical attention…"

"I can't. Please."

He must look so pathetic like this, he thinks. You soften under his gaze. "N-no doctors, then. But I'm not leaving you alone like this."

"I'll be okay. I've got a first aid kit at home - don't need you worrying about me."

You stand up. "I'll come with you, then. Help patch you up." 

Exasperated, he moves to argue but doesn't have the energy. And so, he nods faintly. Despite his injuries, he towers over you, to wrap you up in the blanket, criss-crossing at your chest. It feels intimate, too close, warm breath in the cool air. With the way you look up at him, he hears his heart splinter. He pauses. 

"I'm sor-" 

"No." You say.

Finnick frowns. "I'm s-" 

"No." Your lower lip trembles, threatening to spill over. So he sighs, softly, and makes towards the deck to get your dress. Hand tight around his arm, you stop him. He's not going anywhere near the lake, not if you can help it. Hands up like he's guilty, he waits and leads you towards the car.

_

_

_

[katnissdoesnotfollowback]

What's your opinion of President Snow as a character in THG trilogy? Was he a great villain?

* Spoiler for TBOSAS *

After reading the novel, what's your opinion about Coriolanus Snow 'transformation' in the end?

Was it his nature or the way he was nurtured that led him to become the character we know?

Thank you :)

@curiousnonny

Snow was a Bond villain and I will die on this hill. He's awful, don't get me wrong, and I certainly would never want to meet someone like him, but there are so many more efficient ways for him to get what he wants, for him to keep control of Panem. He fixates so much on Katniss Everdeen that he loses sight of almost every other threat. I mean... why send Peeta back hijacked to kill one person when he could send Peeta to 13 carrying some kind of lethal disease that would wipe out a large portion of 13's population without harming the weapons or infrastructure? He takes on his fight with Katniss and Peeta with single minded determination and basically forgets that his real enemy isn't just this one girl and her pesky tag along baker boy. These are two kids from District 12 who, while they certainly have a large impact, are by no means the largest or most important piece of the rebellion game. At times it feels like they are because we're in Katniss's head and only see her perspective, but the rebellion and the overthrow of the Capitol happens mostly not in front of Katniss.

That said, Snow tells us in Ballad that he has a tendency to be obsessive and fixate on one thing, and if I remember correctly, Collins even drops the foreshadowing line of "it would be his undoing if he didn't learn to control it" or something to that effect in case we missed the point the first time around when he tells Katniss that he was so busy watching her that he didn't see Coin coming. So that's exactly what happened he didn't control his tendency to obsess when it came to Katniss and Peeta.

And I don't think that makes him a "great" villain. I think it makes him the villain that makes sense for this story. And the one with the right kind of flaws for the plot of the original trilogy to make sense and work well.

One of the things that's actually really good about Collins returning to Panem to tell us Snow's story with Ballad is that Snow finally makes sense in the original trilogy, rather than being a caricature villain. He spends the entirety of Ballads obsessed with Sejanus and Lucy Gray, even though he doesn't want to be. He can't figure them out, and while he manages to "beat" them both by literally getting the one killed and possibly killing the other, his actions still stem from his inability to understand them or control them, and therefore his obsession with them. And then 65 years later he does the same thing, only he can't understand and therefore can't control these two kids either and thankfully just keeps (ultimately) failing with his Drama King tactics like dropping a bunch of roses from a bomber in order to play with Katniss's head rather than do something that would, you know... actually be an effective war tactic. And he does it all in the name of trying to get them to kill each other the way he killed Sejanus and Lucy Gray.

As for the nature versus nurture question, I think it's a little bit of both? We are of course, always influenced by the people around us. But the whole thing about Snow being 17 and right on the cusp of adulthood in Ballads is that yes, how you were nurtured impacts your decisions, and he was certainly raised and taught to become what he did, but Snow in Ballads was also literally surrounded by a thousand chances to do the right thing or to become a better person. I don't think he was nurtured in a way that would've made him heroic in our eyes. Not at all. But he didn't have to be so awful. And a lot of it also has to do with the REASONS he does what he does. He only helps Lucy Gray because it helps himself. He only befriends Sejanus because it benefits himself (momentarily). He only listens to Dr. Gaul because it benefits himself, and he ignores Dean Highbottom because those thoughts make him uncomfortable and angry.

There were any number of people showing Snow or telling him how to be kind, humane, thoughtful, and he ignored them all or dismissed them as weak, stupid, inconsequential (how do you like that call back to Peeta's words huh?). Tigris, Lucy Gray, Sejanus, the guy from the bar whose name escapes me but who was always kind to Coryo and his family. And yet Snow actively kept choosing to be a violent, murderous, entitled dickbag.

Thanks for the ask, @curiousnonny!!!

[devynshaw]

Setting: Caesar Flickerman's After Party at The Museum of Panem History, post plot drop Who: Open

The surprise footage that was shown at the party had left the museum in stunned silence for a little too long. Soon, excited and confused murmurs sounded throughout the party, but Devyn's mind was racing as she stood in one of the exhibit rooms. What did it mean? She had an idea of what the footage meant, but it wasn't like she could talk about it with anyone openly. Best she figured she could do for now was carry on like everyone else seemed to be. Last thing she wanted was to hurt her chances of survival going into the Games. Still, it didn't stop her from wondering about the footage, letting it twist more at her gut and think that she might be part of that montage after tomorrow.

She decided to head to the drinks table in the dining room to get herself something to relax. Wouldn't have been smart to go into The Games with a hangover, so she made a promise to herself to just one drink, even though she would have preferred to drink the place dry. But she had to make good impressions, last minute things before she would have to go and fight for her life. Maybe she needed to find someone to talk to, just to keep her mind busy with things outside of whatever the hell they just saw on the screens and her own potential demise. No pressure, right?

Someone else approached the table and she glanced over with a polite smile, "Having fun so far?" she asked them, taking a sip from the champagne flute she picked up.

[xtabithanala]

Another OC drop <3

Today I'm dropping one of my most dearest OCs: Szimba Luani from District 3, winner of the 59th Hunger Games ♡

Faceclaim: Alexandra Breckenridge

Szimba and her younger sister Hayden grew up im the poorest part of District 3. Their parents had left by the time Szimba was of eligible reaping age and hadn't been seen since. Therefore and to support themselves, Szimba and Hayden stuck to stealing. When Szimba was 16 years old, she was reaped for the 59th Hunger Games. Her District partner was 12-year-old Tyrone Bell, the mayor's son. The citizens of District 3 were rooting for Tyrone, not only because of his age and because he was the mayor's son but also due to her dislike of Szimba who could be caught talking to herself on several occasions.

Szimba received a score of 5 after showing her skills of building traps and camouflage. She wad mentored by Beetee Latier who'd won the games a little over 20 years before her, being District 3's most 'recent' victor.

Originally Szimba and Tyrone had planned to form an alliance that ended right before the games started as Tyrone dropped his token, which caused his platform to go off. Szima, now all on her own, stuck to hiding, camouflaging and living off a minimum of supplies that eventually left her weak and disoriented. By the point the games were almost done (the 59th Hunger Games were among the shortest recent games in history with just a little over 4 days), Szima and the District 2 female Petra were the only ones left. Hallucinating, Szimba killed her final opponent which made her the eventual winner.

The Capitol citizens weren't fond of her due to the lack of entertainment yet liked the final fight between her and the District 2 girl. Like other victors before her, Szima was approached by the president who wanted to sell her to Capitol people. When she refused and eventually returned home, she found her sister Hayden to be gone, knowing that the president must've killed her.

This proved wrong however when the name for the District 3 female for the 60th Hunger Games turned out to be Hayden Luani, Szimba's now 14-year-old sister.

For the first and only time, District 3 had a volunteer: Szimba's best friend from the black market, Aviani.

Forced to mentor her best friend, Szimba eventually had to watch Aviani dying at the cornucopia.

In the years that followed, Szimba began descending into madness. Her best friend was gone and her sister hidden away in an orphanage. The tributes she and Beetee mentored usually never made it far.

When Katniss and Peeta won the 74th Hunger Games, Szimba knew that the president would take revenge. Yet the rule for the Quarter Quell came as a surprise. Despite it wasn't her name being reaped, Szimba could never fully let go off the guilt for not volunteering in Wiress' place.

Szimba was among the many victors to know of the rebel plot. She didn't believe in its sucess as she thought the president was too powerful to be defeated by a bunch of victors. After Katniss blew up the arena, Szimba was among those escaping to District 13 where she reunited with Beetee. She and Beetee worked together in District 13's technology section to send propos all across Panem.

After the war, both Beetee and Szimba returned to District 3, where Szimba finally reunited with her sister Hayden. The two of them - now both in their 30s - hadn't seen since the reaping of the 60th Hunger Games but finally got to catch up on everything they'd missed <3

[forthesanityofstorytellers]

WHG Prompt 1 - Finally Arrived

HAHA! Finally got one done 🤣

Lyra gets to Panem with a quick jolt and immediately starts plotting.

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

Lyra slammed onto solid ground, blinking and quickly getting to her feet. She took a look around and stretched her wings, taking off into the air and zipping quickly to the nearest high spot that looked like it had some kind of cover. She folded them tight against her back upon landing and crept forwards as a pair of uniforms walked past. She strained her ears, twisting them forward to get a better sense of sound and heard them talking about something called…the reaping.

Oh. Good. She thought this place looked familiar.

She’d been here before, but with two others that wanted nothing more than to leave. They’d been forced to fake their deaths and escape using portal magic from home. She was the only one that had wanted to come back…which meant finding another way to jump worlds.

Thankfully, she’d found some scrolls detailing the magic among her parent’s word-keepers. It had given instruction on how to use the magic trapped in the lines, and she’d used it. Had gotten decently good, too, but one main problem. She’d figured out how to get the scroll to come with her. She hadn’t quite figured out how to make them appear in the same location as her, however, and so half of her world-jumping usually involved hunting down the scroll before anyone else figured out what it was and what it was for.

After the uniforms or…or…Peacekeepers, is that what they were called? After they passed, Lyra snuck her way into the building, past a very large “8” sign near the top. Eight…Eight…building eight? Location eight? She had to think as she wormed her way through the nearest gap, taking care to tuck her wings tight against her body as she squirmed.

Oh right, it was a district. Hansel, one of the previous ones that came here, got dropped in this district. He said it had to do with…what, clothing?

Ah yes. Soon as she spotted the contents of the building, she figured out it was a warehouse designed for the making and storing of fabrics. She sat near the top of the building for a minute, hidden near the ceiling as she studied the place. It seemed empty, but if she remembered right that’s how it was during the reaping.

After taking a moment to double-check that no one was actually here, she made her way to the floor and navigated around. Took a bit here, a shirt there, a snatch of fabric from the floor. Made a bandana to wrap tightly around her head to hide her antlers and cover the tips of her ears. Found a shirt that she could make adjustments to, slipping it on and checking the slits she made to make sure her wings could still flit and move. Lift her. Then covered them with a sleeveless vest that someone once called…a waist coat, she thought. Buttoned it tight and then threw another jacket over it to hide the length.

Found a bit of window she could see herself in and checked herself over. Looked like she belonged now, or at least she hoped she did.

She gingerly snuck her way out of the building and made for the path that seemed to lead to a more central location. Get in the games and stay in them this time. Find others that could help her navigate. Help tributes escape. Fight the governmental system currently in place.

How her siblings would laugh at her, but she didn’t care. Her parents had made it clear to her that being of a high-born bloodline meant helping those around you. She’d learned to temper it to ‘helping those that need you and want you to help them’, but even so. That’s what she had set out to do, and it was what she was going to do this time.

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

Taglist: @concealeddarkness13 @maple-writes @pied-piper-of-hamlet @pen-of-roses @ratracechronicler

[a-skirmish-of-wit-and-lit]

Book Review: Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins

Who would've thought that a handful of berries and a girl from District 12 could spark unrest throughout Panem? Forever my favorite of the series, Catching Fire dials the intensity, the stakes, up to an eleven and has readers seated front and center as the flames of rebellion begin to lick through the districts. Part of what is so engrossing about this novel is the hopeless desperation of all the characters, the bloody struggle that ensues to parse friend from foe, enemy from ally, and the chess match taking place behind the scenes that turns Katniss and Peeta into political pawns. It's unputdownable from the first mention of the Victor's Tour all the way through to the Quarter Quell.

Unsurprisingly, emotion and intrigue catch me in all the same spots no matter how many times I reread: when Katniss learns she'll be reaped into the Games for a second time, when Gale is whipped in the square, when Finnick appears all charm and flirtation with his sugar cubes, when the victors all link hands onstage, when Peeta crashes into the force field, almost losing his life, when Mags sacrifices herself to the fog, when Katniss and Peeta share a moment on the beach, full of pearls and soft lips and borrowed time, and, of course, when the pain of their separation, with her being rescued by the rebels, and him being captured by the Capitol, comes down with the force of a hammer. I want to cry at the injustice of it all every time!

There's a part of me that always stops to savor certain moments in the plot, clinging to the few shreds of warmth and light that peek through like one would a blanket, knowing that, before long, they're bound to be ripped away. They're bound to be gone in a moment. I love that there's this constant pervasive sense of me holding my breath, waiting for the next shoe to drop, while I'm also chasing that flicker of something in the distance. Still believing, like Peeta, that there's something worth fighting for, and like Katniss, still knowing there's someone worth sacrificing everything for.

Let's just say my soul is in this book's clutches. Forever.

5/5 stars

**Follow me on Goodreads

[maytheoddshq]

Interactions for the 136th Hunger Games may now BEGIN!

The three months since President Snow's announcement at the Victor's Ball have been chaotic. On the home front, many District citizens have found themselves with less and less access to fruits, vegetables, and other exports from District Eleven. In the Capitol, the food restrictions have hit the privileged citizens hard, but the messaging from the government remains positive. Vitamins and supplements have been pumped into the hands of Capitolites, but reports of disease from the Districts due to lack of important vitamins from the products of Eleven have grown concerning.

However, the Vox recruitment arm has been strong, and many from Districts across Panem have joined the fight against the Peacekeepers. Snow's announcement of the Reaping twist has caused pause for many would-be Vox recruits, but the numbers have grown steadily regardless of the fear of being Reaped.

Just before the 136th Games, the Vox plant a spy with information about an upcoming battle to surge from Eleven into District Twelve. More Peacekeepers than ever are deployed to Eleven, and the Vox take advantage of this to surge further into District Two. They hit main armories and call up the dissatisfied quarry workers who they've been targeting for months with rebel propaganda. While they have not yet taken full control of District Two by Reaping day, the Capitol has lost access to at least two key armories with stockpiles of weaponry, and the fighting continues actively in the District, getting far too close to the Capitol for comfort.

As a show of strength, the Games will go on as usual. As the team members and tributes arrive, they are all searched and patted down before entering the Tower. Once everyone necessary to the function of the Games has arrived, the president delivers a televised address broadcast to the entire city: the Capitol is on lockdown.

People are strongly discouraged from leaving the Tower. Supplies that would normally be abundant are either being withheld by the Vox or have been redirected to the war efforts. There are rumors of Capitolites rioting in the outskirts of the city.

The training center is just as equipped as ever, but the buffets on each floor are totally lacking. Instead there is one central buffet in the tributes' cafeteria, and it leaves much to be desired in terms of food. Grains, cheeses, meats, and fish abound.

OOC INFORMATION:

The tribute parade will continue as normal and with the typical level of flair and style. RPing for the tribute parade will begin on May 18th.

The training period will be the typical three days, with the training center just as stocked as ever. RPing for training will begin on May 25th.

Tributes will all do a private training presentation. These will not be submitted by players for scores from admins, but you are welcome to post your tribute's presentation and score yourself. More information about this will be posted during the training period. If you plan on posting a training presentation, please do so by June 15th.

The interviews will also be held as normal, but with a smaller audience than usual and more security screening for audience members. You are welcome to write a para for your tribute's interview. Please post this by June 22nd.

The 136th Hunger Games will launch on July 6th. The launch will be swiftly followed by a plot drop.

[eventiderpg]

District Twelve is nothing but smoke and ash due to the devastation that The Capitol caused. Just like the fallen District, District Eight has also been dealing with cruel bombings and The Capitol's militia. A district that once had over 122 thousand people, has lost over twenty-five thousand people in over twenty some days of war. Those numbers are a combination of confirmed deaths as well as people being missing in action. Had the rebel forces not been strong and united in the underground scene of District Eight, their fate might have been just as fatal as the one seen in District Twelve.

President Alma Coin of District Thirteen has begun to send troops to aid those in Eight in an act of showing unity within the rebellion. This is the first combined efforts of a District acknowledged by Panem working with physical forces of Thirteen outside of providing hovercrafts. President Snow of The Capitol has been working tirelessly to consistently air footage of District Eight, ensuring that the citizens of that District seem like bloodthirsty heathens who thrive on anarchy. Information of all the monstrosities his military forces have done against the District has conveniently been withheld from Panem's public.

This mission has many objectives: provide aid to District Eight, show Panem what its government is willing to do those who don't blindly support the nation, and to utilize the symbol of The Mockingjay to show how Katniss Everdeen stands with The People. Before leaving the safety of District Thirteen, the volunteers are ominously given a speech by a nameless officer.

"Being told of war and witnessing the carnage are vastly different beasts. With the training you've received, each one of you has garnered your clearance. This means the Rebellion sees you as someone capable of being on the battlefield. District Eight has lost a considerable amount of its people. Some of you will likely not be joining us when we fly back to Thirteen. Be sure to make your life worth it, whether it ends in Eight or continues in spite of the brutality you will witness."

While this plot drop will not actively involve everyone, it will take place over the 26th through 35th days of the rebellion. All our muns are welcome to play through the thirty-fifth day at this point. The end of this mission will play out similarly to canon in Mockingjay. The beginning and middle of it that we do not see in Mockingjay will play out however our muns see fit. If you would like your muse(s) to have seen or done something significant during the mission, please let the admins know. We plan to compile a list and post it for easy access for our roleplayers. This plot drop begins now and will run until at least September 25th.

During this plot drop, propos from The Capitol and the rebels will be airing. If there is cross interference, our roleplayers will be notified. This means if a rebel propo plays in The Capitol or a Capitol propo plays in Thirteen, a detailed post will be made as such. Additionally, we still plan on posting captive and freely roaming individuals' Caesar Flickerman interviews during this time. Also, the possibility of airing rebellion propos to Panem's public will begin. For those interested, please reach out to the admins!

Threads that pertain to anything in regards to the District Eight mission should be tagged with both #eventideevent04 and #eventidemd08. Under the read more includes information regarding the roles muses directly involved with the event will play. Some roles are individualistic, while others are paired. As always, happy roleplaying! To everyone, thank you for continuing to be a part of our roleplay.

Roles:

Commander Paylor (NPC)

Command: Paylor and other higher ups will be in constant contact with District Thirteen as well as relaying and giving orders to the troops in District Eight. As a commanding officer, Paylor also has the ability and responsibility to pick up slack in any roles below her position.

Beetee Latier

Hacker: Beetee will be working alongside a special unit on the ground that will be working in stalling communication to The Capitol, air propos to D8 and its neighbors, as well as attempt to hack into the technology utilized by The Capitol's forces. The hackers will warn the soldiers of any approaching danger.

Cadence Kentwell

Snipers: On the rooftops of a high building, the snipers will act as lookout and alert the soldiers if Peacekeepers arrive or if any other suspicious activity occurs. Aim will be vital in this role.

Cressida Astor

Filming: The District Eight mission is about offering aid to the District under attack. An underlying importance stems from the filming of propos as well. These propos will be edited and played across the nation of Panem. The filming crew will be following different facets of the mission daily.

Ezra Klair, Gale Hawthorne, & Sterling Whitvale

Scouts: Sent out ahead of the main group, scouts will go and gather intel of the enemy’s environment, position, and numbers. They return to the group and share what they have learned. The brunt of this role will be at the beginning of the mission as well as several early mornings.

Ezra Klair & Sterling Whitvale

Soldiers: Using the information gained by the scouts, they will tread forth afterwards and take down any Capitol troops that stand between them and the citizens of D8.

Gale Hawthorne & eventually Katniss Everdeen

Assists: These are soldiers whose main objective will be to take citizens and navigate them to pro-rebel safe havens in District eight. Additionally, eyes will be steadily on them once the Mockingjay arrives.

Haymitch Abernathy & Vesper Quinn

Communication: Working from District Thirteen, communication will work as a step between Command and the higher-ups of District Thirteen to relay information. When the Mockingjay goes to District Eight, Haymitch in particular will also be focusing on that objective while Vesper continues working hard with the remaining troops.

[incaensio]

setting : post plot drop, caesar's party. with : effie trinket @mxllitiam

the broadcast had been unsettling. what had started as what seemed to be a commemoration video highlighting iconic gory moments over the years, ended with a call for…something. domitila couldn't quite understand it. how could there be a hunger games without violence? and there is no proper panem without the hunger games; without it, the districts attempt to take over and incite chaos, total anarchy, war. they learn that in the academy. the dark days had been deplorable for both the capitol and the district, and no one should ever want something like that ever again. honestly, it's enough to turn her stomach — not the killing, but the way those words could do… something. domitila isn't sure what. what she is sure is that she can not let anything bad show, so she soon begins shifting the topic. this must have had to be just a draft of a video, or something. nothing more. right? right.

she scavenges the room for a familiar face and her gaze falls on a pink-covered thing. she approaches. "effie, darling," the customary kiss to each cheek is exchanged, before domitila places a hand upon the escort's arm. "honey, your eyelashes seem to have shifted a little. were you crying?” the words are not as demeaning as she may have made them sound, though domitila did think it would be odd if effie had cried — hasn’t she been escorting for more than five years? she has at least ten corpses she should be familiar with looking at. “i have some glue and lipstick with me, do you want to accompany me to the loo?"

[ofcressida]

Setting: Caesar Flickerman's After-Party, The Museum of Panem History, post plot-drop

Who: Cressida and Connie ( @incaensio )

Cressida had to admit to herself that the clips of the games hit a lot differently when one didn't agree with the games anymore. Even if she could appreciate how well the clips were organised, and blended together, as if they were actually from one year rather than multiple ones, it didn't make it much better. A few years ago Cress probably would've watched it, and reacted the same way as manner of her fellow capitolites. But she didn't feel that way anymore. She was grateful that she was at least not by her parents. Because Cress just knew that they were enjoying this, and probably wondering if they had shot any of the clips that had been used. She was also sure that the message at the end was missed on them, like most the people around them.

So, when she spotted the familiar face of her best friend, she headed in his direction, knowing that they would at least feel the same way. She didn't feel like pretending right now. "I'd say it was an impressive collection of clips if it wasn't something we disliked so much." She mused, her voice low, meant only for his ears. "And of course, no surprise, that everyone just moves on like it was nothing."

[cannotflyarc]

panem au.

this is meant to be read as a bulleted list ( yes i know i cannot shut up ), but dumblr wouldn't allow me to make this a list. if you're familiar with the themes of the h.unger g.ames, you'll likely realize this is a very dark au. out of all of my verses, this one is probably my darkest one. themes include child murder, revolution, abuse, prostitution, miscarriage ( in the final paragraph ) and rape. i want this verse to be accessible to everyone so i try to be as vague as possible, but keep in mind these themes are scattered across this post. i do warn for some paragraphs, but i am not perfect and didn't catch everything. i will not give any warnings for murder as that is a central theme in canon. keep in mind, this is a more detailed description of the second way this verse can go. details for both are the same until i mention it differs. this verse is heavily affiliated with @playboths as i developed most of this au with jasmine. keep in mind, i'm always down to plot other things for this verse, just most of the time i will be referencing events in our muses' lives. read at your own discretion.

— j.ohanna barker: the pearl of district four.

johanna is a descendent of the covey that settled in district four. lucy's parents went along with everything peacefully and even started to morph more into panem society, though they raised their daughter in covey traditions and values. that included naming their daughter lucy coral, after the color.

lucy later married benjamin, the victor of the 48th games. their match was an interesting one, but they were young and wanted to be married as soon as possible. lucy gave birth to their daughter, johanna canary a year after their wedding.

turpin was from the capital on special assignment in four. he met lucy and attempted to woo her, failing at every attempt. after she escaped after an attempt to assault her, turpin bribed his friend to make lucy one of the female tributes for the upcoming games: the 50th games. the quarter quell. being the wife of a victor didn't protect her from the reaping.

no one volunteered in her place. at hearing that a member of the covey was in the games again, snow personally came to lucy and warned her to drop the second part of her name and make no mention of her ancestry. the capital adored lucy since her mentor talked her to extort the fact she had a daughter at home to gain sponsorships.

overall, lucy was one of the most favored tributes of the games. however, that couldn't save her from the knife in the throat from the male tribute from one.

benjamin was outraged. he knew the games were rigged and made an open threat on turpin's life. turpin did not take well to this. he sent him to prison on a flimsy charge. he was not made into an avox due to the fact that he would be recognized as a former victor. turpin wanted him locked away. he faked benjamin's suicide.

without a parent, turpin took johanna in. this is where the verse branches into two different directions:

one. turpin takes johanna back to the capital and he is one of the gamemakers. ( there's not much more to it )

two. ( more commonly used ) turpin stays in four under special assignment and johanna is raised in district four.

in the instance johanna in raised in four, she is given a very similar upbringing to her canon. she is privately tutored. she is raised to be very lonely. however, turpin is more brutal and abusive in this verse.

( warnings for rape and abuse ) details will be scarce here, but what he attempted to do to lucy earlier, he succeeds to do multiple times to johanna. panem isn't religious, thus most of the reason why he "held himself back" in canon mixed with the fact he was unsuccessful with lucy is gone. he doesn't care that he hurt a child. because of this, she is even more reclusive than in canon.

however, when johanna is sixteen, she meets a.nthony h.ope, a fisherman. turpin always implied finding her a good, capital match since he wouldn't want his ward to marry district. but that match didn't matter in that moment. anthony delivers goods to the house and johanna uses it as an opportunity to sneak him into his room or talk with him. they fall in love.

but despite her newfound bliss, turpin approaches her one night with filmed evidence of her and anthony. he reminds his ward that he is a very powerful man before leaving. the reaping was the next day.

johanna knew she was never in danger, but it felt worse to hear anthony's name. he rigged it and she knew it the moment his name was read. everyone in the crowd could hear her cry, yet no one volunteered. it was as if they'd been warned not to.

anthony did not survive his games. johanna became a shell of her former self. turpin had made her watch every moment.

two years later when anthony's sister name was read, she didn't hesitate to volunteer as tribute.

she barely heard turpin yelling at her during their minutes together. he did so much to prevent this from happening. how could she? what was wrong with her? ( honestly, johanna wasn't certain if she wanted to live anymore. )

when art donaldson, the son of the mayor and winner of the 65th games informed her that he was anthony's mentor, she clung to him. as they began to get to know each other better, she slowly felt herself falling for him. it terrified her to have a reason to keep living.

johanna proved herself have a good aim, though she also trained herself in the blade. she formed an alliance with her district partner, angler. however, it was her interview that gave her an advance. she charmed the capital, securing her sponsors. that night after punching patrick walters as he claimed art was a prostitute for the capital, donation and donation came through.

the next day, she clung onto art's hand for as long as possible before she was brought to the arena. she didn't expect herself to survive. she thought she would be dead by night. during the bloodbath, she was able to grab a poison dart gun and a water canteen. she and angler took turns guarding themselves. the first gift arrived that night: a loaf of bread she split with angler.

during her games, johanna relied on luck she never had before. she was fast and a good hider. with angler at her side, she didn't have much to worry about. but the career tributes found them one night. angler was killed in his sleep. johanna, ever the light sleeper, woke up and ran off before they could catch her. however, they'd cut half of her braid off. she was completely alone now. hiding in the trees as the other tributes killed each other off. she was able to get a knife out of a corpse which brought her belongings to a small pack, a canteen, a poison dart gun she'd yet to use and a knife.

eventually, she was confronted by the male tribute from district six. he crushed her gun and she only had time to grab a small dart before he backed her into a tree. he pressed his blade against her throat. as she accepted her demise, her hands seemed to work in spite of her numbness and stabbed the boy in the back with the poison. she watched as he slowly perished before taking his belongings and her own and darting into the trees.

she stayed hidden for the rest of the games. not even the cameras could find her. it was a small arena, yet hardly anyone knew that johanna was crying to herself over the loss of her hair in the trees. she was forced out of her tree when another tribute attempted to cut it down for firewood. the fall left her unable to move, but the tribute had pity on her and left without a word. she had helped her earlier in the games to get food. she would die anyway. once johanna was able to force herself into moving, she found another hiding spot. during the final bloodbath, the final two tributes killed each other. everyone held their breath as the second place tribute let out her final breath.

johanna was the victor.

she wasn't able to climb the ladder. they had to swoop in and begin surgery. before they knocked her out, she whispered art's name. the next few days were swirls of confusion. she did not like her nudeness under the hospital sheets nor the band preventing her from sitting up. finally, she was able to leave.

after dressing, she began to look for art. when johanna saw him down the hall, she didn't hesitate before running to him. when he kissed her, she kissed back. she hadn't realized there were cameras on them nor the fact that they weren't together. art was many members of the capitol's favorite pets. she had a guardian waiting at home who would not be happy. her interview wasn't brief on that kiss. the capital was abuzz with speculation.

( warnings for rape ) returning home to confront an incredibly unhappy turpin, he dragged her to her new home in victor's village. johanna hated to lock doors, but she would keep the door to the office forever shut. she didn't want to be reminded of what he did to her in there. after he left, she tried to stop herself from feeling anything. when that didn't work, she went to art's house.

the months between the games and her victory tour were spent mainly with art. nights at his house. days teaching each other things. despite neither of them mentioning what the capital thought they were or the kiss, they were as affectionate as ever. eventually, they confess their feelings for each other and begin what they hope to be a secret relationship.

on her victory tour months later, johanna and art were outed as a couple. still a couple. the news crushed the hearts of some of the capital, but the rest rejoiced over the love story brought together by the games. they attempted to dodge questions as much as they could. it didn't work.

they were secretly married shortly afterwards.

johanna and art mentored the next few year's tributes from district four. she sobbed for days when her tribute was killed.

eventually, turpin returned to the capital but it wasn't long until he missed her. he had snow arrange for her to be brought to the capital, just as what happened with art. at the news, johanna panicked and she and art made arrangements to flee to thirteen.

he would go to make sure it was safe, then come back for her. it was a safe plan. they were supposed to be safe.

( warnings for torture ) when patrick discovered art had gone missing, he reported it to snow. as revenge, johanna was ripped from their home and brought to the capital to be tortured.

( warnings for rape ) she nearly avoided seeing turpin again. she wasn't as lucky as she was in the arena.

( warning for torture ) they rebroke her back. they drew new scars all over her body. she knew who was behind it. she knew they were filming her to send a message to art.

eventually, art was able to break in to save her. he had a small team with him. one member known as the surname, "todd" couldn't be found during her rescue. when they got to the ship, he came back covered in blood and refused to elaborate. johanna barely noticed him between trying to clutch onto art and the med team attempting to help her.

she woke up in the med wing in district thirteen. there was no band holding her back. johanna tore off her ivs and needles and ran to find art. during her recovery, she would often sneak out to sleep in an actual bed with her husband. she did eventually recover, though her progress was slowed down by her rebellious nature.

johanna learned who the todd figure was from art. her father. utterly betrayed by his decision to assassinate turpin instead of rescue his daughter, she refused to speak to him.

while in district thirteen, lucy gray helped johanna discover that she is a descendant of covey. the two bonded over this, becoming good friends.

she later finds out her full name is johanna canary. she begins to go by both.

during the rebellion, she assisted with the injured and the homeless. while art was helping with the attacks on the capital, johanna could only hope he would make it back alive.

she is one of the other nurses, along with prim, that were rushing to help citizens in the capitol. todd knew about the bomb and he snuck into a vehicle, not hers. he wasn't able to warn her. he pushed her out of the way so she wasn't harmed. when she was able to sit up, she watched her father die, unable to do anything to save him.

people called todd a hero for saving his daughter's life. they talked about how much he must have loved his daughter for sacrificing his life for her.

johanna had a different interpretation. clearly, he knew about the bombing. he did it to lead himself to his own death. he didn't have any point in living anymore. he hadn't sacrificed himself. he was selfish.

( he had learned lucy wasn't dead after all. the capital mistook her for being dead and the capital doesn't make mistakes. upon realizing she was barely alive, they worked to save her life. lucy was used to assist the gamekeepers, as a prostitute under a different name and experimented on. even as she slowly went insane. she perished, but if todd had only went in to rescue johanna, he would have been able to save his beloved wife, as well. he couldn't live knowing he was the reason his wife died. )

johanna is kept in some sort of medical wing/hospital. her burns slowly heal and she trims her burnt hair herself.

art leans he had a daughter from one of his capitol "clients." they eagerly take lily in and johanna considers her to be her own daughter.

they move back to district four where mrs. everdeen set up a hospital. johanna continues her work as a nurse there.

a few years later, she finds out she's pregnant. they found out it was a boy before she miscarried.

a few years later, canary violet is born and named after covey tradition. mavis indigo joins their family a little while later, too.

[vengefvlx]

Setting: Caesar Flickerman's After-Party, The Museum of Panem History, Post-Plot Drop

Who: Cadence and Annie ( @fatefought)

Not a lot of things stopped Cadence in her tracks these days. Since she'd been in the Games, and then endured all the lovely life that was offered to a victor, she'd seen most things. She hadn't anticipated that little show though. At first, she wondered if it was the Capitol's sick way of getting everyone excited for that was to come, but then that message came, and it was very clear it was not the Capitol. To be honest Cadie barely thought about who had done it. Her mind was more swimming with the memory of the kill she'd just watched herself do. She hadn't watched her games since the win. And whilst she was impressed with herself, and thought she looked good, she really did not want to see the kills again.

But as the party had got back into action, and some people seemed to forget that they'd just watched innocent children kill and get killed, Cadie's thoughts went to a couple of the other victors. She might not get along with all of the other victors, but they were victors, and they had to stay together. Only they knew of the things they went through. That was why Cadie spent the next few moments walking around the party until she found one particular victor.

"Annie...." Her voice was was quiet as she came up to the girl she'd been looking for. She let her hand slip gently into the others. Cadie was not really a gentle or soft girl. But she could try. "Are you okay?" It was a stupid question really, but she didn't know what else to say.

[tinamaetales]

The Odds Are Never in Our Favor

“There's no morning glory, it was war, it wasn't fair” – Taylor Swift, The Great War

It is very rare for me to rewatch a show or movie unless I consider it an all-time favorite. Most of the time if I like something, I will just watch some clips, high lights, or my favorite scenes but I do not really watch the entire show again. However, these days I just cannot find myself the energy to watch a new series or movie; I feel like I am not ready to introduce myself to new characters and new “worlds.” Most of the shows or movies that I started watching, I ended up dropping after a few episodes. For movies, lately I have been finding myself browsing through twitter or tiktok after about 20 to 30 minutes into the movie. I just do not have the energy and I do not know why. Then suddenly, my tiktok fyp was filled with Hunger Games content. At first, I got curious as to why it is trending again then upon checking, I realized that all the four films are now available on Netflix and sometime this year a prequel will be released. And since I am familiar with this series, I decided to watch it again – all four movies.

I was 16 years old when the first Hunger Games movie was released. Since it was trending on social media, I decided to watch it with my friends. I have no background about the series, I did not even watch its trailer so I have no idea what to expect. And obviously, I have not read the books (until now, please do not hold it against me). At that time, I just view it as another dystopian genre film. I ended up liking it and I also watched the next three movies from the series. I liked the film but it did not really resonate with me. After I watched the last film, my thoughts were just this: It sucks that it happened to them but at least it made them stronger and now they are free. Looking back, I realized how tone deaf I was. But then for someone as young and naïve as me during those times, I feel like I should forgive my younger self for not having the kind of empathy I should have, right? I was 16 when I watched the first film and I was 19 when I watched the final film of the series (basically the same ages as Katniss when she volunteered as tribute and when the war was over) and back then I do not have the same knowledge and life experiences that I have now. I guess it is true when they said that people change because I did change and it is because I have been through so much from the last 8 years that my perspective in life and me in general have changed drastically. And after watching the Hunger Games series again, I have found a new appreciation for it….and has, in some way, installed a different sense of fear in me.

Art imitates life. Life imitates art.

There was a phrase I came across online (I cannot remember where I read it, though) that says “Remember kids, the next time somebody tells you ‘The government would not do that’ oh yes, they would” and I cannot help but associate it with The Hunger Games. The plot of the Hunger Games can be summarized this way: the government uses violence to instill fear so they can control the people. In this series, a country called Panem has 12 districts and they are being governed by the Capitol. As a way of punishing the people from the rebellion that happened years ago, they have this survival game called “The Hunger Games” in which each district must offer a boy and a girl, called as tribute, to represent their district. In the Hunger Games, the tributes must fight each other to death as there is only one winner or “victor” And while the idea itself is already horrendous, one will be shocked with the way people from the Capitol find it entertaining. For the people in the Capitol, the Hunger Games is not a brutal way of having kids from each district fight each other to death but a reality game show held every year for their entertainment. It seems like for them, the Hunger Games is a normal part of their lives. It is entertaining because they are not the victims. It is entertaining because they are the spectators and the children involved are meant to provide them entertainment. It feels like it is a sporting event wherein the audience does not care if the athletes get hurt because it is part of “their job” And while the idea of Hunger Games seem to be only possible in the fictional world, I cannot help but think how in some ways it could happen…. or it already happened?

In school, history is my favorite subject. As a young kid in school, I treated history as an interesting subject but I never really immersed myself with the moral lessons we can learn from the events from the past. I find the stories of people from the past interesting but I lack the empathy to fully understand how these events have changed the course of the world. And now as a young adult, reading history books would often give me the feeling of discomfort like there is something sharp stuck in my chest. Really crazy how life can make you experience the worst just so you can have the character development you desperately need. But the thing is, I am not the only one who acted like this. In fact, there are a lot of people who do not even find studying history interesting. It is not easy to keep on looking back when you have the present to live and conquer, right? Yet, if we do not look back and learn from the mistakes of the past then the cycle would not end. Like what the famous Filipino historian, Ambeth Ocampo, said: History does not repeat itself, it is we who repeat it and such words are true. One could argue that the Hunger Games is impossible in real life but there are a lot of events from the past that already proved otherwise. Remember the Gladiators? During those times in the Roman Empire, people called as the gladiators (most of them are slaves or criminals) are put into the Colosseum to fight each other to death just like in The Hunger Games wherein tributes were put in one location so they can fight each other to death and all these battles are happening while the rich people watch as if it was an entertainment show, totally ignoring that people are dying for their entertainment. In the present time, maybe we can say that the possibility of the Hunger Games is impossible but is it really? Does it really have to be a direct copy of what was written in the books for us to realize how close we are to becoming like Panem? I do not think so.

I can remember how people, especially from my own country, would advocate for the reinstatement of the death penalty so that people would be afraid to commit crimes. While there is a part of me that understands where they are coming from, I must disagree with them. I disagree because I am aware of how crooked the justice system in my country is; justice is reserved for the rich and the privileged and in the end, the poor and the marginalized are the ones who will suffer. When most of my fellow countrymen seemed unbothered by the war on drugs, it was the time I realized how easy it is for people to advocate for something, let us say violence, when they are not the ones affected by it. I find it disgusting that instead of proper judicial procedure, the authorities have resorted to killing the people who they suspect to be drug dealers/ drug users. I find it disgusting that instead of addressing the problem of addiction, killing is the solution they imposed. What happened to rehabilitation? What happened to giving everyone an equal opportunity to defend themselves in court? Another example I can think of is when the innocent civilians, especially the women and children, suffered the most when the US invaded Iraq as a response to what happened on 9/11. I truly understand the sentiment for revenge as many people have died during 9/11 but I feel like the actions following it were not moral at all. Yes, people have died during 9/11 and they deserve justice but does it have to be in the way it was handled? It somehow mirrors what President Coin wanted after they had won against President Snow and the Capitol, to hold a symbolic Hunger Games featuring the children of the capitol. I just find it appalling and disgusting to let the innocent suffer in the war orchestrated by the oppressors.

The gray area

The first time I watched the Hunger Games series, I liked Gale because he was the “best friend” of Katniss. I liked him because he was someone she can rely on especially when she went to compete at the Hunger Games and Gale was the one who provided for Katniss’ family. But as the series progressed, I knew that it has always been Peeta and Katniss. And even though I liked the best friend guy, I am team Peeta. Peeta is just the man, you know? He is THE standard. 

As I mentioned, it was tiktok that made me become interested in rewatching the series. But what intrigued me is the amount of people on the app who hate Gale. Sometimes I feel like they hate Gale more than Snow and Coin and I do not like that. So here is my opinion about Gale Hawthorne:

Not everything should be taken into black and white. There are what we call the gray areas and that is what I think Gale belongs to. We know that in every story there are the heroes and the villains. The heroes are the good ones while the villains are the bad ones. But what about those in between? English is not my mother language so forgive me if I am not using the word anti-hero properly but that is how I would like to describe Gale even though he is a supporting character in the series and not a main one. You see, Gale is also from district 12 and has been a close friend of Katniss for years. I guess they grew up together and the hardship they endured in living in district 12 is what bonded them. What most people forget is Gale is a kid too, just like Katniss and Peeta. And while we can all argue about how at least Katniss and Peeta turned out good despite everything they have been through, I believe that Gale should also be given the same amount of empathy. He was a victim of the system too. And, we all have different ways to respond in similar situations. Gale might not have experienced the traumatic hunger games like the protagonists but he also experiences something traumatizing. I mean, district 12 was bombed and wiped out by the Capitol, it was his home! He saw the evil ways of the Capitol with his own eyes and while he was not able to save everyone, he did try his best to save as many as he could. What he experienced at the hands of the Capitol is something that should not be taken lightly. Like I said, he was also just a kid. All he wanted is for his loved ones to survive and for the rebellion to succeed because only in ending the tyrannical rule of President Snow can we see the end of the years of suffering of the oppressed. And when you are at war, there really is no distinction between the sinners and the saints, right? For people like Gale, they must do whatever it takes just to make sure that they succeed by all means possible. In war, there really are no real winners, everyone loses. Just like what Taylor Swift said, “There's no morning glory, it was war, it wasn't fair” But let me also point out that I am in no way justifying the killings during war, what I am just trying to point out is that why are we so pressed to put the blame on Gale when it was President Coin who ordered the bombings? Gale was a kid who got entangled in a war against the oppressors and in his mind, the end justifies the means and who taught him that? It was the system of the Hunger Games brought by the Capitol. So why are we so hard on a kid whose mindset was a result of the years of oppression and fighting back by whatever means necessary is the only way he knows how? If we can extend a little amount of sympathy for some villains, why can’t we do the same for “anti-heroes” like Gale? He was a victim too.  

If we are so eager to put all the blame on Gale, then what about the career tributes? For the career tributes, killing is just part of the games because they were conditioned to that kind of mindset. They were even trained at special academies to ensure that their districts will always win the games. The career tributes sort of reminded me of the young men, mostly those who just turned 18, who were drafted to fight in the war. Or I guess the closer example I could think of was the Hitler Youth wherein they “brainwashed” the children into the ideology they wanted to instill and, in this way, they were able to gain a strong control of the youth who will all eventually become soldiers during World War II. Looking back, we could see that the establishment of the Hitler Youth was effective in recruiting young people into believing the same sick ideology of Hitler. Their young minds were indoctrinated with the Nazi philosophy. It was scary to think how tyrants would take advantage of the young minds to further their oppressive agenda. After all, a person who was conditioned in a certain belief at such a young age is easier to control. Just like the careers, they were raised to believe in a romanticized version of violence and killing is just part of the game. It was as if they were taught that the life of others, those who are different from them, are cheap. 

At the end of the day, the careers and people like Gale were all just victims of the system. I do not think it is right to put all the blame on them. These are kids who were indoctrinated with a romanticized version of survival which involves violence. So, if we are so keen in hating them for the decisions they make, then it is just proof that the oppressors’ ways are effective because instead of blaming them, we blame the youth. I did not like how some people would say “Yes, the kids were victims of the system but it was their decision to volunteer at the games….it was their decision to kill others…” No, it was not really the case. People who were conditioned in a “cult-like” mentality lack the rationality to know whether something was good or not. As I keep on mentioning, they were raised in a different kind of mentality and they were exposed in an environment that romanticizes the use of violence. Just like what Haymitch said, “Remember who the real enemy is” And it was President Snow. It was never the youth. 

If we burn, you burn with us

The Capitol’s stronghold of the districts was effective because they used the divide and conquer strategy. They made the districts become each other’s enemies through the hunger games so they have become divided instead of united in fighting the real enemy - President Snow. Moreover, the exploitation of people’s fear became an advantage for the Capitol. They have instilled in the people’s mind that disobedience would result in brutal punishment; the Capitol depended on using violence as a tool to make people obey them. It is not just a division of the citizens through the districts but also a division between the people in the Capitol and the people from the districts. Capitol citizens live inside a “bubble” where they find the hunger games entertaining. Of course, one will not see a problem about something that does not affect them. What I find surprising about the people from the Capitol is how they reacted angrily and even wanted to cancel the games when Peeta announced that Katniss is “pregnant” because suddenly they find the games brutal…..suddenly, they care about the innocent baby that can die during the games….suddenly, they care about life. They started caring when an unborn fetus is involved and not when the government is putting 24 children in an arena to fight each other to death. Sounds familiar, right?

It is the divisiveness of the citizens that allows oppression to thrive but once they wake up and decide enough is enough, they can become a force to reckon with. In every revolution, I would like to believe that there are people who are already wanting to break free from the oppressive rule but they just needed a certain spark or a symbol that can inspire them to unite and fight together, the people of Panem found it in Katniss.

While brainstorming over how I can discuss Katniss’ Mockingjay in this blog post, I suddenly remembered my own country’s version of it through Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio. My country was under Spanish rule for more than 300 years and suffered greatly. My own people were treated like slaves in our own country. There have been attempts or acts of resistance but they were not as big, as organized, and as influential as the Katipunan founded by Andres Bonifacio. And what led to it? Books. Jose Rizal wrote two novels reflecting the Filipino society of his time, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. Those books are said to have inspired Bonifacio to create the Katipunan. And it was the Katipunan that helped the nation to find its voice and fight for its freedom. The act of resistance led by Bonifacio started when they, Katipunan members, tore their cedulas in the infamous cry of Pugad Lawin. This became the first steps towards the fight for freedom.    

The road towards the revolution with the Mockingjay as its main driving symbol was a small unconscious act of defiance that awakened the people of Panem. At first, I thought it was when Katniss and Peeta decided to eat the night berries at the same time so that there would be no winner at the 74th Hunger Games which sent Seneca into panic and just announced that they are the winners but then it was not it. The small unconscious act of defiance happened when Katniss laid down Rue’s body after she was killed and surrounded it with flowers because that one simple gesture from her showed empathy. That gesture showed how people from different districts should not see each other as enemies because they are all victims of oppression. And with Katniss showing that she has empathy for Rue, it awakened the hearts of the people of Panem. After the Hunger Games, people from different districts started to show their own ways of defying the capitol especially with painting the Mockingjay symbol in public areas. Those events made President Snow act towards removing the symbol of hope, Katniss, but not in an obvious way since she has become a favorite in the Capitol; Snow decided that for the quarter quell, they will choose the tributes from the pool of victors in each district and in this way, he secured Katniss’ death as she is the only female victor from district 12. But I guess he overestimated Katniss and underestimated the other victors. You see, Katniss never wanted to be the Mockingjay or the symbol of the revolution; she just wanted to keep her loved ones safe. But in sending all the previous victors into the 75th Hunger Games, it awakened the others. When they held hands after the interviews, it showed how when the oppressed unite and fight back together, they can end oppression. Pretty ironic because it was Snow who said, “Hope. It is the only thing stronger than fear. A little hope is effective. A lot of hope is dangerous” and it was that hope that ignited the fire in the people to fight back. It is when the people realize their strength through being united that allows them to shake the system.

And like any tyrant, President Snow resorted to double up the violence and manipulate the people more through using the media to further his propaganda. When he felt like the people were getting stronger, he inclined towards using more violence. He keeps on preaching about law and order and how the people, or as he called them the rebels, are the “bad ones” because they instigate chaos. And when it comes down to the final “showdown” between the hero and the villain, Katniss ends up shooting Coin instead of Snow. But Snow was killed by the mob. I find it symbolic and justified. Katniss as the Mockingjay ensures that as the Snow regime falls, someone else’s rise to power, Coin, will be prevented. The revolution won not just with Snow’s downfall but also with the prevention of another tyrant on the rise to power. By removing Snow and Coin in the picture, a true new chapter for Panem is guaranteed. The people won but their way towards victory was paid for by the blood of those who died and it is now up to them, it is now in their hands to make sure that the blood that was shed will not be wasted. In the end, Katniss acted on Coin’s words “May her arrow signify the end of tyranny and the beginning of a new era.” Because it truly was a beginning of a new era for Panem.

No winners, just survivors

What makes Katniss different from the other protagonists/heroes is that she was never the “chosen one” She was more of a hero by coincidence and by the people’s choice. All she wanted was to keep her sister safe; she never really imagined that in showing empathy for Rue, and defying the rules of the game (night berries) would lead her towards becoming the Mockingjay. Katniss is an underdog story. She was never the special kind. She was never the “best” among her fellow tributes. In fact, the careers are even highly skilled compared to her. She was not the “chosen one” because of destiny but because people chose her to be. They find a certain kind of awakening and relevance with her which makes the Mockingjay symbol become effective. Even in the climactic battle in the Capitol, she was not the one who win it all for them. Bombs exploded twice and then the next thing we see is the people have won against the Capitol and Snow was captured and is now just waiting for his execution. Katniss may have shot an arrow to Coin to prevent another tyrant on the rise but that was it. After all the chaos, Katniss went back to district 12 alone. And by being alone in district 12, she finally got the chance to face the aftermath of everything that happened to her since she volunteered for the 74th Hunger Games. And her dealing with trauma was heartbreaking to watch. This is what sets Katniss and the Hunger Games series apart from the other stories of the same genre. It was not a happy ever after type of ending. It was realistic. Painful yet truthful.

The series have taught me that war is nothing but destructions. There is no reason to sugarcoat the victory of the good ones against the bad ones because in war, there are really no winners, just survivors. And most of the survivors must live the rest of their life dealing with trauma and sometimes, guilt. Katniss described it best when she told her child “Did you had a nightmare? I have nightmares too. Someday, I’ll explain it to you, why they came, why they will never go away. But I’ll tell you how I survive it. I make a list in my head, of all the good things I have seen someone do, every little thing I can remember. It is like a game and I do it over and over. It gets a little tedious after all these years but… there are much worse games to play…” because these words are an accurate representation of how some wounds can never fully heal. Yes, there are better days but the pain will always be there; sometimes, we just have to accept how to live with pain. Years have passed and Katniss was able to build a family of her own with Peeta but the scars from the past will always be there. And you know what makes this truly heartbreaking? Both Katniss and Peeta were just teenagers when it all started. They were just kids who ended up scarred for life. Now, I can’t help but think about all of the children in war zones having to live this kind of reality. While for some of us the war is just a part of the history or something that we read about in fiction books or watch in movies and series, for others it is their reality. It is frustrating and heartbreaking to know that the kind of atrocities shown in the movies and in the books are happening in real life.

 x,

TinaMae

 PS, I never expected this to be this long but somehow, I feel like I still did not fully discuss everything about the Hunger Games series. Maybe I’ll write a part 2 of this someday (but I will focus on other characters like Effie, Haymitch, Finnick...)

[latinorry]

thoughts on the new hunger games movie // spoilers ahead because I don’t have a letterboxd account and I can’t be bothered to make one rn but I have opinions

-pacing was really weird and the title cards announcing each act took me out of the story each time

-I don’t hate Rachel Zegler so this isn’t a personal insult to her but her acting is soooo theatre kid and I didn’t care for the southern (?) accent especially cause literally no one else had one sjskdnsls

-that being said girl can sing!

-maybe I should just read the book but I kinda wanna know more about the whole war between the districts and the capitol and how that resulted in the Hunger Games… like it’s eluded to throughout the movie that the games are a punishment for the district uprising, but when Casca Highbottom dropped that line about drunkenly coming up with the idea with president snow’s dad during the VERY LAST FIVE MINUTES LIKE??? How is that not more relevant to the plot and what am I supposed to do with this information now

-I would also have liked to see more scenes between Snow and Highbottom in general like they’re interesting because in a way they’re the same person… Highbottom is the original mind behind the Hunger Games and Snow elevated the Games to what they later became in the trilogy and yet they have such different responses to that legacy… Highbottom becomes a drug addict to cope with the guilt while Snow embraces the power and as we know ascends to the rank of President… and yet they’re both willingly complicit in the system which is an interesting comment on the corruptive nature of power +1 points for Suzanne Collins’ brain

-Was Peter Dinklage even in the same room as the other actors though ? because why was he alone in all of his scenes it just felt so glaringly obvious that he did all of his takes in remote sound studio in one day lmao

-the performance by that tribute who like tore down the flag of Panem and put them over the bodies of the deceased tributes… SO powerful it literally gave me goosebumps I think that was probably my favorite scene

-Lucky Flickerman wasn’t camp enough which is crazy considering he was played by Jason Schwartzman but maybe we can just blame the directing or lack thereof … but i can also see them not wanting to just recreate Caesar flickerman’s character cause how do you even follow a performance by Stanley Tucci anyway idk

-the acting overall was soooo ??? Meh even the top billed actors like Peter Dinklage and Viola Davis were not giving what they usually give so I’ve got to wonder what was going on with Francis Lawrence this time around like is he just not capable of directing anyone other than Jennifer Lawrence?

-Tom Blyth ate though that’s one thing about the British actors you can count on them to deliver like their work visa is about to expire at any given moment

-the actor who played Sejanus Plinth also gave a really good performance I’ll give him his flowers he earned them 💐

-not enough Hunter Schafer idc if she’s only snow’s cousin make it work

-this is kinda out of order but they never really revealed why Snow’s dad was killed other than being in the resistance but I feel like that’s such an integral part of what motivates Snow’s devotion to the Capitol and it seems so glossed over cause why was the rest of his family allowed to live idk again maybe I should just stfu and read the book

-overall I think the movie was alright but it didn’t necessarily live up to the hype for me so 4 snakes out of 10