#pov peeta

[luvergirl141]

SOON YOU'LL GET BETTER -- PART TWO

First of all, thank you to everyone who read and enjoyed part one, which is linked here! For those who don't know, this is a fanfiction written from Peeta's POV about Katniss and Peeta's time in the cave.

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy! As always let me know what you think, I am always open to criticism.

We also reached 15 followers! Love you all soo much <3

Something is wet on the back of my neck when I wake up.  I’m freezing cold again.  My eyes flutter open and I see that I’m back in the cave.

“Peeta…”

Katniss’s voice sounds far away.  I gasp and push myself up a little, coughing.

“Peeta, lay down.”  I can’t process what she’s saying.  I’m coughing, and then I’m gagging and I put my right hand to my mouth and when it comes away there’s bright red on it.  I realize I’m shivering again.  It’s so cold.

“Peeta,” Katniss says firmly.  She puts a hand on my chest and lays me down gently.

“Something’s–”

“--wrong.  I know.  Try to relax.”  My chest moves up and down quickly with panicked breaths.  The back of my head is still wet.  I put my left hand on the back of my head and gasp in pain.

“You blacked out.  I had to drag you back here and the back of your head got cut on the rock.  Don’t touch it.”

My hand is shaking when I pull it away.

“Is it–” I start to talk, but the pain in my leg suddenly registers again and all I can do is groan.  Katniss puts a hand on my forehead, soothing me.

“....I think it’s internal bleeding.”

“From the rock?”

“....yeah.”  Katniss brushes the hair out of my face.

“Wh-what’s the cure?”  

Katniss shakes her head.  “My mother says that in the capitol, they do surgery for it.  But…”

But….oh.  Oh.  That’s when I get it.  People in twelve can’t get the surgery, so they just die.

“I’m going to…”

“You won’t.  I’m gonna keep you alive.”  I press my lips together and search Katniss’s face.

I still feel afraid.  “You promise?”

I see Katniss look down.  I can’t read her.  “I promise,” she says.  I don’t feel entirely convinced.  But I don’t feel like I’m on the brink of death, either.  Still, I’m exhausted and groggy.

I close my eyes slowly but suddenly feel Katniss’s head next to mine.  My body tenses when I hear her whisper.

“Listen, Peeta.”  Her voice is so low I can barely pick it up.  The cameras 

certainly can’t.  Her lips are practically touching my ear.  My eyes open.  She continues, “I think we can get some kind of medicine that’s gonna cure your internal bleeding.  But we need to be in love.”

I just nod silently.  I know for Katniss it’s a total farce.  She’s not in love with me.  She never has been.  But what I said to Caesar Flickerman wasn’t far from the truth.  There is a more pressing issue, however – the cut on my leg.  Right now it’s causing me a lot more pain than anything else.  But Katniss knows that.  So why…

“I know your leg is worse.”  Damn.  It’s like she can read my mind.  “It’s gonna be 

a lot harder and more expensive to get medicine for that, so we should focus on medicine for your bleeding right now.”

I just nod again.  My stomach and chest are throbbing now that I think about it, but it still pales in comparison to the pain in my leg.

Katniss sits up.  “The sun is starting to set.  You should try eating again.”  I shut my eyes and sigh.

“I can’t eat anything, I’m telling you, Katniss.”  I open my eyes and look at her.  “Believe me, I’ve tried.”

“You can just sleep, then,” Katniss says.  I nod.  I’m completely exhausted.

Katniss leans forward and kisses me on the lips.  My hand moves to the side of her head, leaning into it, savoring it.  A shudder wracks my body and my heart jumps. But as quickly as it started, it’s over.  I put my head back on the rock and see Katniss smiling.

“Goodnight, Peeta.”

“--wait.  I want your s-sleeping bag,” I say.  Katniss bites her lip.

“Your fever could get worse,” Katniss says.  But she can see how much I’m shivering.  “...alright.  But we both have to share it.”  I nod and watch as Katniss takes the sleeping bag out of her backpack.

She gently puts it around me, then climbs in next to me.  I roll over onto my side.  She’s tiny compared to me, but I feel like she’s protecting me now.  I put an arm over her waist.  My shivering is starting to calm down now that I’m in the sleeping bag.  Katniss’s hand goes to the side of my head, petting my hair.

My eyes fall shut.  Katniss sighs.  I’m too tired to stay awake any longer. —--

I wake up slowly.  I’m freezing, and Katniss…is gone.  My breathing picks up.  I start to sit up and look around the cave. I can’t see her anywhere.

She’s left me.  My chest hurts.  I draw in a shaky breath and feel tears welling up in my eyes.  Of course she would.  Of course she left me.  Why wouldn’t she?  I was holding her down.  She was having to take care of me and herself.

Just like everyone back home has given up on me, she has too.  I can’t believe I let myself think that she would stay with me until the games ended.  Tears stream down my cheeks.

My mother gave up on me at a young age.  She decided I was too soft, too emotional, not strong enough.  I’d cry whenever one of our pigs died.  I’d cry whenever I was in pain.  I’d cry when I heard of people in twelve dying.  My mother would scream at me, or come and hit me.  

My friends thought the same thing.  On my fifteenth birthday, I planned a gathering at the bakery for my group of friends.  No one showed up.  I spent the whole day crying.  Eventually, I found new friends.  But my heart always ached, my eyes always stung when I saw my old group.  

Katniss has given up on me now too.  I shake with a sob and cross my arms over my chest.  What was I thinking?  She’d stay with me and take care of me like a child until the games were over?

No.  Of course not.  She doesn’t love me.

Hot tears run down my cheeks and I don’t have the energy to wipe them.  I cry until I have no tears left.  I lay for hours.  It’s pathetic.  I can only hope the cameras aren’t on me now.

Tears run down my face until I am numb.  Finally, I catch my breath.  I lay still for minutes thinking about how Katniss has betrayed me.  My eyes are swollen and they ache.  My whole body is shaking as I realize that Katniss has not only left me, she’s left me for dead.  Before she found me I was going to die.  Without her, I am going to die.

I start crying again when this hits me.  My life is over.  Nothing I’ve done has mattered.  I will only live to be sixteen, and I will be sixteen forever.

I am utterly alone, and that is how I am going to die.  I feel something warm running down the side of my leg.  I’m bleeding again.  Tears roll down my face.  My lips are numb.  My eyes feel like they’re being stabbed.  My heart is racing.  I squeeze my eyes shut and suddenly feel something on my shoulder.

It’s Cato.  He’s come to kill me.

“Peeta.”

……

……

…..It’s not Cato.

“Kat…Katniss?”

“Peeta, what happened?”  I look up and see Katniss’s face, dark with worry and reaching for my hand.  It’s out of my control, I sob loudly and reach for her face.

“Katniss…”

“What?  Peeta, I’m here.  What’s wrong?”  Katniss wipes my tears with her thumb.

“I…I thought–”  I pause, gasping.  “You left me.”

“I just went to get some food for myself.”

I draw in a shaky breath and wipe my eyes.  Katniss kisses me on the forehead and brushes the hair out of my face.

“You’re burning, Peeta.  It’s the fever that’s making you think this way.  We need to get it down.  We need…” ….we need medicine medicine.  We need a gift from the sponsors.

My chest moves up and down quickly.  I’m still crying, still breathing heavily, panicked.  Katniss sees this and she puts a hand on my shoulder.

“You’re ok, Peeta,” she says, placing another kiss on my forehead.  I use the back of my right hand to wipe my tears.  “I’m here.  I’ll keep you safe,” Katniss’s voice is shaking.  

“I’m sorry–”

“--No, don’t be.”  Katniss leans in and hugs me.  “I’m so sorry I scared you like that.”  Her hand goes to the back of my head.  “Breathe.  Just breathe.  It won’t happen again, I promise.”

Something about a promise calms me down greatly.  It means something.  It means there’s meaning behind what she says.

“Okay?” She whispers, pulling away from the hug.

“Okay.”  I wipe my eyes again.  Katniss smiles slightly.

Suddenly, I hear a bit of beeping.  Katniss perks up.  “I think it’s a gift from the sponsors.  I’ll be right back.”

Katniss exits the cave.  She gets out of my line of sight for a few seconds, and when she’s back in my sight, she’s carrying a box with a parachute attached.  She crawls up to me and opens it.

Inside, there’s a small clear bottle with yellow, thick liquid in it.   As Katniss pulls the bottle out, there’s a small note below it.  She holds it up to me.

  Fever medicine.  Temporary.

Temporary?  Does that mean it’ll only work for a few hours?  

Katniss unscrews the lid and hands the bottle to me.  My hand is shaking as I lift it to my lips and drink.  It’s flavorless, but the texture still makes me nauseous.

“Can you keep that down for a few hours?  It is a liquid..” Katniss asks, taking the bottle from me.  I look down.

“Probably not,” I say truthfully.  I already feel like throwing up again, and we’re nowhere near a few hours.

“Just try, ok?  This is important…until we get something for the internal bleeding, this is how we’re gonna fix the fever.”

I press my lips together.  I don’t want to be sick again.  I hate it.  It scares me.

I look down at my lap.  Katniss puts her hand on my thigh but pulls it away, surprised.  “Peeta, your leg is bleeding again.  We need to take a look.”

She reaches for my waistband.  “Lift up.”  I lift my bottom so she can pull my pants down.  It’s vulnerable being in my underwear in front of Katniss – actually, in front of the whole country – but it’s not a really big deal to me.  And Katniss clearly doesn’t care.

Katniss hisses through her teeth when she sees my leg.  It looks a lot worse than before.  My whole thigh is covered in blood.  I shut my eyes and try not to throw up.  I really don’t like the sight of blood.

“It’s ok, Peeta.  We’re gonna fix it.”

“How?” I ask.

“Can you take off your shirt?” Katniss asks.

“What?  Why?”  I’m completely taken aback.

“My backpack came with a pocket knife.  I can cut off a strip at the bottom.  Use it as a bandage.”

“...oh.  Yeah.”

I take off my jacket and put it behind me before slowly taking my shirt off and handing it to Katniss.  I’m really freezing now, trying not to fall over with my shaking.  Katniss gets the pocket knife from her backpack and cuts off the very bottom of my shirt, then hands it back to me.  “Put this back on.”  I pull the gray shirt over my head.  It’s a little shorter than before, but it still keeps me warm.  I put my jacket back on.

Katniss lifts up my thigh gently – I gasp and she apologizes – and puts the makeshift bandage under my leg, then wraps it around the top.

“Be gentle..” I say softly.  Katniss nods.  

She’s gentle, but it hurts like hell as she ties a knot, closing the two sides of the wound together.  Blood oozes out and I can’t help myself as I lean over and throw up at the sight.  Katniss finishes tying the knot, then puts a hand on the back of my neck.

“I’m sorry…” I say softly.  I wanted the fever medicine to work.

“It’s alright…maybe I shouldn’t have bandaged your leg right after you took it,” Katniss sighs.  She’s taking the blame, but we both know it’s my fault.  I shouldn’t have looked.  Actually, I shouldn’t have let myself get beaten by Cato.  Then I wouldn’t even have this fever…at least, I think the fever was caused by the internal bleeding.  What else would it be?

Katniss hands me her water bottle.  “Wash your mouth out.  I’ll clean everything up.  Why don’t you move closer to the opening?  I’ll clean up the blood and vomit.  Just try and get some rest.”  I nod.  Katniss comes behind me and lifts me up, moving me forward close to the cave’s entrance.  She takes off her jacket, folds it, and hands it to me.

“You can rest your head on this,” Katniss says.  I nod and put it below where my head will rest, then lay down.  The sun is starting to set.  I must have been crying for a long time.  

I close my eyes and listen to Katniss humming softly.  I recognize the melody, but through my haze I can’t quite put my finger on it.  It does put me to sleep, though.  My body almost melts into the rock as my consciousness fades away.  No matter how much sleep I get, I’m still tired.

When I wake up, it’s still nighttime, and the footsteps of another tribute are approaching the cave.

[triassictriserratops]

Don't mind me. I'm just crying and imagining being Peeta Mellark.

Growing up being berated and abused. Being the extra mouth to feed. Not the firstborn. Not the best wrestler. Not the daughter. Not perfect. Growing up watching a hunter sing to birds. Watching him hold and love his daughters and his wife. Seeing him take time out of his mining schedule to take his daughter to her first day of school. Growing up watching a girl sing like her father. Growing up watching her her love and protect her sister fiercely. Watching her lose her song. Watching her become the hunter. Become the protector. Watching her step on a stage to protect the sister that meant everything to her. Going into a conversation with your mentor to explore what you can both do to get this girl back to her sister. Weighing the cost of your life and deciding that more will suffer if she doesn't return to her family versus your own family - which would maybe even be better off if you didn't. Deciding to put your heart on a cutting board for the whims of Capitol delight - all to use as propaganda to make this girl important to a fickle crowd. Digging your own grave and laying in the mud, waiting to die. Hoping it was all enough. Hoping she'll win, but knowing that - odds are - you'll die never knowing. Waking up to her gray eyes above you. Looking for you. Pulling you out of the earth. Saving YOU. Risking herself for YOU. Running into danger for YOU. Experiencing the same protection she so readily gives her sister. As if you MATTER. Against all odds, getting out. Surviving. Together. Being willing to die - for her or with her. But SURVIVING. Not together. Not the way you thought. It wasn't real.

[sea-owl]

I think if they ever remake the Hunger Games one thing I would want them to add more in is how much of a pair Katniss and Peeta are.

From the beginning, they're basically a package deal. From when they're threatening Haymitch on the train with Peeta throwing the glass, which leads to Katniss and the knife to even how they play off one another when it comes to the star cross lovers act.

Neither of them could have won the games without the other. Peeta, while he had some strengths in the arena, shinned when he played the Capitol. Katniss was the better fighter in the arena, but she needed someone to play off of for social interactions. She would have been quickly forgotten of in that arena if she didn't have Peeta to help keep their story going and her interactions with Rue.

It will make the devastation of them being ripped apart in Mockingjay so much worse. Katniss' other half is gone, and they want her to now play a role that he excells at.

It will also make they're coming back to one another that much sweeter, too. They're a pair, and they're gonna stay that way. Always coming back to one another.

(Also can we agree that if Peeta was in 13 from the start with or without Katniss, he would've taken control out from Coin in like less than two weeks. Peeta Manipulator Mellark everybody, Coin would be shaken in her revolution needing wig)

[ceruleansx]

need | peeta mellark

↳ peeta mellark x reader

↳ warnings - tooth rooting fluff

↳ summary - you were extra cuddly and craving to give kisses to your bf peeta

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

you woke up with your back towards peeta, the sunlight splayed on your face. you opened your eyes slowly, seeing the sun just setting. the shade of orange was peeta's favorite color.

you turned to him because you wanted to tell him to look at the sunrise.

he was facing you, eyes still closed. he looked so pretty in the presence of the sun. it made the blonde hair covering his face more beautiful, something that you thought was impossible.

the beauty that peeta had almost seemed like he wasn't real.

you moved his hair from his forehead, and gave him a loving kiss. his nose scrunched up and he squinted his eyes.

"mmmm." he mumbled.

you shook his arm. "look peeta, the sunrise." you whispered.

he looked away from you and looked at the sky.

"wow..."

"it's beautiful isn't it?" you said softly, admiring the different shades.

"the most beautiful thing i've ever seen." you turned your head at him.

he was looking at you as he said that. you felt your cheeks burn with redness, and you look back to try and hide it.

"i can see why this color is your favorite, it's so pretty."

"you wanna know why it is?" he said, and you layed down to face him.

"why?" you smiled, still a blush on your face.

he looked at you so lovingly, like you were the only person he wanted to kiss and love forever. no one else.

"cause it reminds me of you.." he whispered, as he brushed a strand of your hair behind you ear.

the butterflies erupted in your stomach, and you went to cuddle on top of him. his arms were now around your waist as you nuzzled your face in his neck.

you gave sloppy kisses on his neck as he rubbed your back.

"i love you peeta.." you mumbled into his neck, mid-kiss.

"show me how much you love me." you could practically hear the blush creeping on his face.

you removed your head from his neck and looked at him.

"wellll" you brushed his hair away from his forehead.

"i love your smart ideas and mind."

you gave a tender kiss to his forehead.

"i love how kind and caring you are."

you kissed his nose.

"i love how patient and loving you are, after every situation or fight."

you kissed his cheek.

you finally kissed his soft lips. "and i love that your mine." you whispered against his lips.

he kissed you this time, much longer than expected. he pulled away, trying to hide his smile. his face was as red as a tomato.

"your not shy with the kisses this morning." he blushed.

you didn't make a comment, just stared at his beautiful face. he did too, thinking that he basically hit the jackpot with being with you. he was going to marry you one day, he knew it.

"so you love me..?" he asked.

you rolled your eyes playfully. "no i totally just kissed someone that i don't love."

he chuckled and you smiled. "of course i love you peeta, only you. and no one else."

oh, how you can make peeta blush like a 9 year old. he kissed you once more before talking.

"i love you too y/n, and i'm going to marry you one day."

you were so in love, you didn't have a reaction.

"i would love to marry you peeta mellark."

after that, you layed on top him, just the two of you watching the sunset. you two were just both imagining your future kids, happily married, and loving each other for eternity.

[lunar-years]

don’t want no other shade of blue, but you / no other sadness in the world would do

Part 5/?? of my favorite ships + taylor swift songs | Katniss Everdeen x Peeta Mellark

[sherwood-scribblings]

HUNGER GAMES (SUNRISE ON THE REAPING) THEORIES: the "sunrise" over the reaping is maysilee

I have been going so absolutely bats off the wall ever since the SOTR announcement that I spent a whole day formulating my theories into in-depth essays and backing them up with canon... here ya go.

So, after some analysis of everything we know about the saga, chapter 14 of Catching Fire, and how Collins writes so far...

I present my theory on the new hunger games book: that the "sunrise" over the reaping is symbolic of Maysilee Donner, the former owner of the mockingjay pin.

I think Maysilee is going to be a symbol of the goodness, kindness, light, etc, of humanity, in the face of the reaping, in the face of violence and war. Aka the theme of the entire series. Aka a symbol of defiance just like Lucy Gray and her kindness. I mean, losing all his metaphorical light is what causes Haymitch to become a drunk... And likely to become so protective over Katniss and Peeta.

I also think the cover is going to have a mockingjay and a sunrise. Cause, Suzanne Collins is VERY intentional about her titles. The themes she uses. The imagery. The covers. It's all part of the story.

HOW COLLINS HAS USED THEME BEFORE

TBOSAS was called "songbird and snakes" which was symbolic of the nature of good vs. evil.

There's essays everywhere about how the songbird represents good (in Lucy Gray) and how the snake represents evil (in Coriolanus Snow), how they are symbolically shown to have both natures by using both snakes and songbirds as weapons, but one nature ultimately prevails. TBOSAS is about the struggle between humanity's two natures, and how we can ultimately prevail in one or the other. The crest of the mockingjay and the snake, is symbolic of said theme. 

Songbirds represent everything Lucy Gray is—free, wild, untamed, kind, colorful, a singer, a performer, honest and moral and true and good.

Snakes represent everything Coriolanus Snow is—deceptive, cunning, ruthless, adaptable, charming, determined to survive, everything sly and wicked and game playing.

And yet, they are shown to have the inverse as well. Lucy Gray is also cunning, and deceptive, and determined to survive. Coryo is also caring (about certain people), honest (he's bad at lying, and in THG he agrees to never lie to Katniss), and enjoys the idea of freedom.

They wield both natures and this struggle is portrayed throughout the story. Hence: A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Hence: a snake and a bird on the cover.

Suzanne Collins is also no stranger to complimentary characters.

Lucy Gray and Snow are inverses of each other, both similar and wildly different. They work well... Until the difference in their nature tears them apart. 

She makes use of complimentary characters to emphasize theme throughout her books, constantly. We see with Katniss and Peeta, how Katniss is war-torn, distrusting, afraid, how easily she could become like Snow, how her motivations for security could become corrupted into a ruthlessness to survive just like Snow was driven by his fear. She is difficult, jaded, and tormented, but underneath that she does have a heart of gold and wants goodness to prevail.

Peeta is her dandelion in the spring, her hope, representative of the goodness left in humanity, he seems soft but he is a lot stronger than his peers would think or give him credit for. She clings to him because in a world of darkness he serves as light, as a reminder that not everyone is selfish, that kindness and morality do exist even if she's inclined to think people just are out for themselves.

He is full of light and her darkness falls for that because she needs light and goodness to heal, to believe, to fight for.

He is her compliment, where she is afraid, a survivor and a fighter, and sometimes rude or selfish seeming, and struggles to show her emotions and how much she cares, more like Haymitch—

Peeta is kind, brave, soft, and charming, has a way with people's hearts, and yet also strong in his own ways and in his morals, determined not to let the capitol force him to lose his humanity. 

This nature of humanity, of goodness, of light, is reflected in other characters.

Prim is that role to Katniss as well. She is a soft girl, innocent, sensitive, tender hearted, kind, a healer, which is part of why Katniss loves her so much.

Prim is a reminder of humanity, which Katniss needs, and it's why Katniss chooses Peeta over Gale. Prim is also contrasted against Katniss. Rue likewise, is similar, she's a symbol of hope and kindness set against Katniss.

We see this utilization of complimentary characters all over— Haymitch and Effie, one being a crude yet intelligent and snarky arrogant tormented and drunken victor from District 12, the other being a prim and proper rich Capitol girl, airheaded, brainwashed, sheltered, yet endearing and caring all the same. They're polar opposites, but they work so well together, both as teammates and as friends. There's a reason the fandom ships them and sees them as the beer uncle and wine aunt of THG, as parental roles to Katniss and Peeta.

Suzanne Collins knows what she's doing. She knows how to write characters that compliment or parallel each other and how to weaponize symbolism and imagery for a powerful theme. (Katniss and Peeta, Lucy Gray and Snow, Haymitch and Effie, Katniss and Prim, Prim and Rue, Katniss and Snow, Rue and the mockingjay, Snow and Coin)

HOW THIS APPLIES TO SUNRISE ON THE REAPING

If she describes young Haymitch as arrogant, snarky, nonchalant, dangerous, smart, capable, etc... Maysilee is likely gonna be his compliment: kind, moral, gentle, soft, willing to call his more selfish means out.

She's the one who saves him and had the idea for the alliance. She's the one who split because she didn't want it to come down to killing each other.

I am convinced the reason Haymitch sets up Peeta and Katniss to work together as teammates from district 12, is because he did that with Maysilee.

He's doing what him and Maysilee failed to do. They agreed to break off the alliance, and look what happened. She died. Why do you think he's so insistent on Katniss and Peeta working together? That Peeta is keeping her alive, that she doesn't deserve him, that she should be more grateful?

Because he sees Maysilee in Peeta, and himself in Katniss. Haysilee (regardless of if they're a ship or platonic) is a gender reversed parallel to Everlark. Perhaps he's harder on Katniss because he sees himself in her, and kinder to Peeta because he sees Maysilee in him. For all we know, Haysilee could have even incited their own rebellion that the capitol snuffed out (suzanne said the main theme of SOTR was essentially propaganda and lies, covering up the truth for the masses).

MAYSILEE IS SOFT LIKE MADGE & PRIM

Further on why I think Maysilee will be a soft sunshine girl—because her niece, MADGE, is exactly that. Golden haired, kind, softened. Selfless. Everything the capitol tries to destroy. Everything the capitol sees as rebellion.

Madge likely got her soft nature from her mom or her aunt (Maysilee), who are twins. They also all have sunshine golden hair.

It's essentially implied Madge is like her aunt.

And guess what? Prim is a blond soft girl and it's implied she's like HER mom, who was close friends with Maysilee.

Katniss' mom was also a soft girl before the trauma shut her down. Clearly Prim gets her own sunshine healer nature from her mother, because Katniss is more is rugged and protective like her father. She fills in for protecting them when he dies, and even notes her mom is too soft and fragile to deal with certain hardships the way Katniss does.

If Katniss' mother is friends with Maysilee, not to mention their daughter and niece are both soft healer kind sunshine girls who seem to take after the rest of their family.... It's likely that Maysilee is like Prim and Madge. Birds of a feather flock together and all. Of course they would bond.

MAYSILEE IS A SYMBOL OF LIGHT

Here's more on why I think the sunrise is Maysilee. 

Madge gave the mockingjay pin to Katniss, from Maysilee. SHE WAS THE FORMER OWNER OF THE MOCKINGJAY PIN. THE WHOLE REASON THE REVOLUTION STARTED.

Maysilee is another form the mockingjay takes. Just like Lucy Gray, just like Rue—a symbol of hope and resistance. A tribute from District 12, so determined not to let the capitol change her true nature, to take her humanity and morals, that it lights the spark to create a fire.

Do you think Haymitch looks at Katniss, and sees Maysilee's pin? Do you think he sees the mockingjay prevail in the face of the reapings, and all he can see is her?

"Sunrise on the reaping" is a symbolic title. This is Suzanne Collins. This is how she writes. 

"A ballad of songbirds and snakes" summarizes the themes of that book, the nature of good vs evil. Lucy Gray is the songbird, Snow the snake.

"Sunrise on the reaping" translates to light, hope, new beginnings, in the middle of war and violence. 

Collins said this book was going to focus on propaganda, how the media LIES to people, puts them in the dark for easy submission, to not see the truth.

You know what you need to illuminate the darkness of a lie? To see anything at all, including the truth?

Light. You need the sun. A sunrise.

Real or not real? How do you see what's real if you don't have the light to see it by?

Sunrise ON the reaping. Not over. ON. 

A sunrise casts light ON the reaping. On the violence of the capitol.

Kindness and hope casts light on the bleak violence and darkness of the capitol. Our humanity is the one true form of resistance. It's the main theme of the series.

This book is going to be about casting light on lies and darkness. On the capitol. The book will be about light prevailing over darkness.

About kindness and hope being the truth that acts as defiance against violent propaganda. Against Snow's beliefs that "there is no hope for humanity, we are all dark and twisted."

This book will be the inverse of Snow and Gaul, of TBOSAS. If Ballad is about how humanity can fall into darkness and evil, Reaping is its compliment, it's about how humanity can be light and good.

All darkness -> light exists -> fire sparks

(Ballad)              (Reaping)        (Catching Fire)

(@ aurynauthor on Instagram summarized that for me<3)

Maysilee is the sun, the warmth to start a FIRE... Her niece gives Katniss, the girl on fire... Her mockingjay pin. 

Maysilee, perhaps, is the true mockingjay.

Katniss compares her death to Rue's, when she watches Haymitch's games. We thought Rue was the mockingjay, but... What if the mockingjay isn't just one person? What if the mockingjay is a symbol, something larger than life, something anyone with the kindness and heart and resistance to stand against evil can be? Like how Katniss and Peeta publicly honor and mourn their fallen tributes when they ought to be entertained alongside the capitol, who is aghast by such displays of emotion.

Maybe that light is some of what the capitol is covering up with propaganda in this book, but it escaped in the form of the pin and Haymitch's survival.

The mockingjay is everyone. Lucy Gray, Rue, Katniss... Maysilee.

Perhaps when Haymitch sees that pin on Katniss, he remembers. When the mockingjay becomes a symbol of resistance, when Maysilee's sunlight sparks the heat for a flame... Perhaps then Haymitch can understand why Maysilee saved him. Why he was the one to survive, and she was the martyr.

How her legacy and her pin lived on even after she faded from history, just like the mockingjay bird itself—small and insignificant, survived against all odds, becoming something stronger.

Maybe, even after her death, even when he forgets the good she taught him and he gets drunk to block out the memories of what happened afterwards, when he has to train up a girl with a mouth of fire and a mockingjay pin, and a boy with a heart of gold and the wits to survive, District 12 tributes, teammates, children he sees someone else in...

Even after the truth of what really happened on the 50th Hunger Games is lost to history and propaganda. Even after all the death and violence.

After all the darkness, the lies Snow preaches, that humanity will always fall into selfishness and survival and cruelty, that nothing and no one can prevail or be different.

Maybe Maysilee and her kindness was the sunrise on his reaping.

[inke-ri]

So I couldn't help but browse the THG tag bc those books own my whole heart. I actually check it now and again, and it's been interesting see how opinions have changed over the years, especially in regards to Gale and Peeta. Going through the evolution of them as just potential love interests to being far more complex than I could have expected has been a wild ride. Crazy how this reads different than from when I was a preteen.

That said, I wanted to give my unsolicited two cents on my boys, because though I have been enjoying the discussion on Peeta and Gale and what they mean to the story, I also feel like reducing them to Peeta = peace and Gale = war is far too simplistic... and oftentimes unfair to one or both of them.

See, I don't think Peeta and Gale are peace and war/destruction. They're compassion and indignation.

Peeta worries about the other tributes, or their families, or how to repay people like Rue and Thresh for what they did.

Gale is indignation at how the Capitol treats its citizens, it's anger at the injustice of inequality and brutality.

Both are needed in a story like THG. You can't have people like even Peeta not say something like "maybe we're wrong about keeping things quiet in the districts", you can't have him not drop the baby bomb, you can't start a revolution without Gale's indignation at the status quo. At deserving a better life but being denied it, at having your kids be mercilessly killed for literal sport.

However, if you start a rebellion and loose sight of your compassion, you end up no better than the people you're fighting against. Gale wasn't a bad person, imo. His heart was in the right place. He was flawed, yes, but so is everyone in this series. Gale, most importantly, lost sight of the line between fighting for the people he cared about and fighting against the people who hurt him.

Reducing Gale's indignation to just revenge and hatred ignores so much of what he stands for. Who hasn't seen laws passed that dehumanize people, who hasn't been angry and furious when someone is elected who fundamentally hates everything you are, who doesn't think some people need to pay for the atrocities they committed? There's a little bit of Gale in every single one of us - and it's important that it's there, because that's what gives us strength to challenge the status quo and make life better for the future generations.

But. You can't let it take over. You can't loose sight of your compassion or your empathy.

That's where Peeta comes in. Peeta is the voice in your head that worries about how many good lives will be lost when they give themselves up for this cause. Peeta is the worry about the people caught in the crossfire. Peeta is rebuilding when it's over and believing that the next generation will have a better life than your own. Peeta is being kind, even to people who may not deserve it.

And Gale... Gale looses sight of his compassion, and he doesn't realize it until it smacks him in the face when the bombs go off and Prim is gone and he's too far gone. Meanwhile, Peeta advocates for the end of the war even though it means the status quo remains - and regardless of what he believes himself, I don't think Suzanne chose him to say those lines by chance. It means both mindsets have their flaws: too kind and things that shouldn't remain will never be challenged and changed, too angry and you may loose sight of what you're fighting for.

And that's just how Suzanne uses her characters, both of them, all of them. Just look at who is with Katniss depending on the situation:

- Katniss chooses to "rebel" after Gale is brutally whipped. She kisses him.

- Katniss realizes that in order for D12 to rebel, everyone would need to be in on it, and she realizes most of them are not like her, that they're scared and she understands, emphasises with them. Peeta walks by her side.

- Katniss finally does it though, shoots the arrow at the force field, and Peeta is taken from her, it's now Gale by her side.

(You can't start a rebellion without indignation, and sometimes you HAVE to do it or things will never change, regardless of the inevitable pain that will come along.)

- Katniss is righteously angry at the Capitol bombing a hospital full of innocents to make a point. Gale remains there.

- Coin twists people's compassion into an army to fight for her own personal gain. Peeta is hijacked and looses his sense of self.

- Katniss and Gale go to District 2 and even though she tries to be like Peeta, she's still shot- reinforcing Gale's views, the person who was with her during that sequence.

- Katniss is angry at Snow, Katniss goes to the Capitol to kill him. Gale is there.

- Katniss gets in way over her head and realizes she is responsible for the death of most of her squad. She shares the lamb stew with Peeta, and later cleans his wounds.

- Finnick dies and she's at her lowest up until that point and all she wants to do is give up and give in to the anger. She kisses Peeta and begs him to stay with her.

... Claiming that Gale is destruction ignores the fact that he's with Katniss through her own moments of strength. Her desire to change things, to fight back, is as important as her compassion. Mockingjay just brutally shows you what war does to your indignation, to your compassion. How easy it is to cross a line between righteous anger and revenge, or how your sense of empathy and compassion can be manipulated into something monstrous by others, or by all the terrible, brutal, painful things you see.

How easy it is to loose yourself- and that goes for both of them.

Peeta and Gale aren't static characters, they go from representations of sentiments regarding an injust government to what happens to those feelings when an extreme situation such as war breaks out. All of that, by the way, while dealing with this duality themselves, because they are still characters who think and feel and struggle and have flaws of their own- and while I love what they stand for, I've seen too many comments that pin everything into what they mean, that they forget that Peeta and Gale are still people, they aren't perfect metaphors. They're human.

Ultimately, Katniss doesn't really choose peace. She wants peace, yes. But what she chooses is compassion. empathy. hope. There's a time and place for anger at injustice. There's a time when fighting back is the right thing to do. There are even times when you wanna give in to your despair and lash out. But if you want peace, then you have to choose Peeta, because Peeta represents what you need to focus on to achieve that peace. You have to let go of the anger or you won't ever rest. So Gale leaves, and does not come back... And yet, Katniss still has her moments of indignation, of making a stand, even as he goes - she still casts her vote at that meeting, she still shoots Coin. Katniss does not abandon that part of who she is. It's just not her main drive anymore.

So then she goes on to make the choice, every single day, to be compassionate to others. To have hope. To rebuild. Of course she chooses Peeta.

... Idk, man. These boys are so much more than what I see them so often reduced to. They're in all of us. There will be times to stand and fight, and times to show mercy and be kind. We just need to find that balance, as Katniss eventually did.

[chipsinsalsa]

Pretty Boy 🖤

Sub Peeta x Fem! Reader

Plot: After a month of no intimacy with Peeta you decided to give him a punishment.

AN: As promised for the winner of the poll! I’ll be doing another poll later to see what the next one will be about! Once again disclaimer for any typos or mistakes. And thank you all for the support it means a lot 🥹! I am taking requests so feel free to do so 🤘

contains: smut, sub Peeta , dom fem reader!,character aged up, handcuffs, overstimulation, no katniss

It was a rainy day when you decided that your boredom just needed to be cured.

You and Peeta had been living together as a couple ever since he came home from the games. It had been great between the both of you. Every day you would wake up to freshly cooked pastries from your boyfriend, and at night you both had incredible chemistry.

That is to say that as of recently the both of you had been going on for about a month without any sexual intimacy. And today you decided you had had enough. You went up to Peeta who was per usual making something in the kitchen. It kept his mind occupied and off of the memories he held onto from his experience in the games.

He noticed you coming towards him with a serious look in your eyes. Immediately putting his stuff away sitting down ready to hear you out. “Yes, darling?” He spoke questioning as you began to sit down as well.

“Peeta it’s been a month”

He furrowed his eyebrows giving you a confused look. “A month? Of what? Did I miss our anniversary?”

You looked at the blonde-haired boy questioning whether he was playing coi or he genuinely didn’t know what you were saying.

“You know what never mind.” You said as you rolled your eyes turning away from him.

Peeta shook his head, still looking confused. "Know what y/n? You haven't told me anything yet," he said gently.

You took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eyes. "It's been a month since we've been intimate, Peeta," you said, trying to keep your voice steady. “Did I do something wrong?” You asked expecting the worst.

He began to shake his head “No no no, I just-” He paused. “I wasn't sure if you wanted to-”

Now you gave him a confused look. “What?”

“I didn't want to force you into anything”

You felt a warmth spread throughout your body at his words. It was sweet of him to be so considerate, but it wasn't what you wanted. "Peeta, I want to. I've been wanting to. I just didn't know how to bring it up, but do you know how long a month is?”

Peeta chuckled, understanding your frustration. "I know, y/n. I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you."

“Oh, you're going to make it up to me, now!” You grabbed his hand dragging him to the bedroom immediately throwing him onto the bed and locking the door.

“Hey now slow down beautiful what's happening.” He said propping himself up.

“I’ll show you what's happening-” You walked over to the drawer next to the bed. As you opened it you dug through it looking for the one item you never thought you would use. Yet here you were pulling out a pair of fluffy pink handcuffs.

You dangled them in front of Peeta, his expression turning into that of fear. “Your not actually going to use those on me, right?” Before he could utter another word you walked over to him straddling him making sure he wouldn't move. You placed the handcuffs on him placing his hands to be above his head.

And you couldn't lie, the angle, seeing Peeta so…vulnerable made you want to do unspeakable things.

“Is this what you want?” He asked his eyes filled with fear.

“It's what you deserve.”

You heard him gulp as he struggled to verbalize. “I’m- why dont we take things slow maybe– fuck.” Was all he said as you took his clothed member into your hands. You could feel his desperation to be released already as he bucked his hips in the air. “Please-”

“Pleading already?” You cooed as you began to untie his belt taking off his pants.

His precum already showing through his boxers. You looked up at him. His cheeks flushed red. You knew he felt exposed and you loved it. “Such a pretty boy”

You slid his boxers off as his cock sprung out. His body shivering from the release.

You couldn't help but smile at his reaction. His body was so responsive to your touch, and it made you feel powerful. You leaned down and took him into your mouth, swirling your tongue around the tip before taking him deeper .“God fuck-” Peeta moaned and his body arched, the handcuffs preventing him from moving.

You continued to work your mouth on him, feeling him twitch and throb inside you. You used your hand to stroke him as you sucked, alternating between soft licks and deep sucks. Peeta's breathing became ragged and his moans becoming into desperate whines of pleasure. “I think I'm going-” With a pop, you took your mouth off his cock wiping your lips.

“Why'd you stop-” He spoke panting.

You smirked at Peeta's frustration, enjoying the power you had over him. "Not yet," you replied, crawling up his body to straddle him again. You leaned in to kiss him deeply, tasting yourself on his tongue. Your hands roamed over his chest.

“I need you-” He spoke between the kiss, his body writhing beneath you. You scoffed.

“Now you do.”

You broke the kiss, trailing your lips down his neck and chest, stopping to suck and bite at his skin. "Please," he begged, his hands pulling at the handcuffs above him.

"Please what?" you teased, trailing your fingers down his stomach towards his hard cock. You could feel the heat between your legs growing, and you knew you needed him just as badly as he needed you.

"Pl-Please... let me touch you," Peeta begged, his eyes pleading with you.

"I don't know, Peeta," you said, teasing him. "I kind of like having you all to myself." You smirked as you decided it was time for one final punishment. You opened the drawer one more time grabbing a condom and placing it carefully onto his shaft. You slid your clothes off positioning your entrance onto him.

“You ready pretty boy?”

Peeta's eyes widened with anticipation as he nodded, unable to form words. You lowered yourself onto him, feeling his hardness fill you completely. You began to move, riding him slowly at first, savoring the feeling of him inside you.

Peeta's moans grew louder, his hips bucking up to meet yours. "F-faster," he stuttered, his body shivering from the contact.

You picked up the pace, bouncing on his cock harder. Peeta's moans turning into whimpers, and his body shaking with overstimulation. "I-I can't- ah- I'm gonna-"

You didn't stop as he came, determined to push him over the edge. "Not until I'm done" you demanded, riding him harder and faster, feeling your orgasm building.

Peeta's body was now shivering uncontrollably, his eyes squeezed shut, and his breathing erratic. "P-Please," he whimpered, "I can't take it anymore. I'm a good boy, remember? You can't do this to me."

You smirked at his plea, loving the way he begged for release. "Oh, but I can," you replied, slowing down your movements to tease him. "I'm going to make you come again and again until you're completely and utterly wasted. And I'm finished."

The poor boy's eyes filled with a mixture of pleasure and fear as you resumed your movements, pushing him towards his second orgasm. "L-let me make you cum, P-Please I’ll do anything. Just let me touch you," he begged unable to moan anymore as only desperate whines came out of him.

You could feel your climax building, but you were determined to make him beg for release. "Tell me how much of a pretty boy you are and how badly you need me to come."

"I'm a pretty boy," Peeta stuttered, his words barely coherent. "I'm such a pretty fucking boy-"

You could feel his body tensing beneath you, and with one final push, he exploded into the condom with a loud cry. Peeta's body convulsed beneath you.

You collapsed onto his chest, feeling your own body shake with the intensity of your orgasm.

You felt his chest panting as he managed to stutter out only a few words. "T-that was- I-I-"

You leaned up to kiss him, a gentle smile on your face. "Shh, it's okay," you said, stroking his hair. "I know."

[radiantdanvers]

Loving Peeta Mellark

[goldrushenthusiast]

Katniss is totally the type to mumble in her sleep and Peeta would 100% write what she says down or just slightly smile to himself. Like it’d be so cute, Katniss just going habgdomb crofhfm in her sleep and Peeta trying to figure out what it says😭

[thetypewritingkate]

"a time with snow." by thesmileykate

(the completed work)

Set during the beginning of Mockingjay and alternating flashbacks to his past, Coriolanus Snow struggles to quell the rebellion as the districts start to fall to District 13. Haunted by the past and desperate to maintain his power, Snow orchestrates a series of manipulative tactics to break Katniss. As Snow's plans unfold, he grapples with the consequences of his actions and the realization that he may not be able to extinguish the flames of rebellion he helped ignite. When these tactics ultimately fail to slow the Mockingjay's flames, he desperately turns to the last weapon in his emotional arsenal: an abandoned boy who has a hold on the Mockingjay's heart.

OR

What did the day that Snow decided to hijack Peeta look like?

Read on AO3

[charlunday]

Sorry but I can't take a fic seriously if it references Katniss having any particularly remarkable assets. We all should know that Peeta is the tits and ass of the relationship.

[shwarmii]

i am so happy for the increase of people like Clarisse La Rue in the new show (and im ignoring the people who don't like her) (also, i have not watched the show yet, in support of Palestine's boycott against Disney+ and am currently too sick to figure out the safest way to 🏴‍☠️) because she is such a good character and i would cry for a well-written book/fanfic series from her pov

like. she truly is the epitome of "my dad is the worst man alive and i am his favorite daughter" and i super respect the decision that this adaptation has towards going towards the whole "in my version, Clarisse will never win her father's approval because she isn't his son" sentiment. not to mention, the decision to couple that by having her be cast as a person of color in addition to her pre-existing character having been someone who has been frantically trying find the opportunity to prove herself, being indirectly one-upped by white boy Percy coming into camp day 1 having fought a minotaur. the intersectionality of her misdirected fury is impeccable. fantastic, no notes

but im also just psyched for her and Chris Rodriguez and i really wish they had more focus in the books. because they are as fantastically amazing as all the other S-tier ships in the series. i think they could even rival Percabeth (notice: i didn't say "could beat", i said "could RIVAL", no Percabeth fans send me hate), honestly, if Clarisse/Chris had been given a chance to somehow be of focus. because you're telling me angry, overlooked Daddy Issues(TM) Clarisse gets to find love with Chris "calm and patient while caring greatly for Clarisse" Rodriguez? the son of Hermes who said "fuck Camp Halfblood, fuck these gods" and went to Kronos and Luke's side? who went into the labryrinth and was driven to insanity? by King Minos himself? who Clarisse was so gentle and sympathetic for, even when others thought he might be a lost cause? even when others debated even helping him because he was "the enemy"? who, after Dionysus (and lets be honest, also Clarisse, because she was his caretaker until he could be brought to Dionysus) cured Chris of his insanity, this guy saw what a catch Clarisse was to have in your life, seeing her as someone sweet and loving (because she can be! she is!!), that who she is as a person single-handedly conVINCED HIM TO LEAVE KRONOS' SIDE AND COME BACK TO CAMP??? SO HE COULD BE HAVE A CHANCE TO BE WITH HER??

their love is so iconic. and that's just the one big moment we get from their story; im so sure there is more that we dont get to see all due to them not being focused on in the story. im so glad theyre still together and so in love. its what Clarisse deserves. i hope the show shines a light on how powerful their love is too. Chris fixes none of Clarisse's tragic father-induced issues, but it helps to remember that at least she has Chris, and im so glad she does. Clarisse is a warrior that deserved a great love-story

[mscresta]

What if Coin banned Katniss from training for the battle of the capitol, she is stuck in 13 with hijacked Peeta, how do you see this scenario playing out

Based on the movies (since I haven’t finished the final book), I think at first Katniss would try to avoid Peeta as much as possible, not out of hatred, but out of fear. She would be terrified of what he might do because of the hijacking, and the emotional distance between them would only grow as she struggles to reconcile the Peeta she knew with the person who now seems so broken and unpredictable. At first, she might keep her distance, torn between wanting to protect herself and wanting to help him.

However, over time, I believe Katniss would begin to engage with him more. She might bring him food or find herself asking the nurses about his progress, even if she doesn’t fully understand what’s happening to him. She’d start looking for small, quiet moments to connect, sitting with him without saying much—just offering her presence, something familiar to him, even if she’s unsure whether it helps.

As she spends more time with him, I think her natural instinct to protect would kick in. She’d feel an overwhelming need to try to help him heal, even if it feels like an impossible task. She might even try talking to him, not expecting him to recognize her immediately, but hoping that somehow her voice, her touch, could reach him. Over time, her fear would start to give way to a deeper understanding of what Peeta is going through, and she would see the small signs of the Peeta she loves underneath the trauma.

Whether or not Katniss is allowed to go on missions, I think their relationship would slowly begin to rebuild. The trauma and distance would still be there, but so would the unspoken bond they’ve shared from the beginning. Their connection might start small—shared moments, fleeting glances, the quiet understanding that they’ve both endured so much—but slowly, they’d find their way back to each other, even if it’s not the same as before. The journey would be long and painful, but their relationship would heal, one small step at a time.

[ceruleansx]

healed | peeta mellark

↳ warnings : mentions of blood, fluffff

↳ summary : after a fight with gale, you tried to find your house. after accidentally going to peeta's instead of yours, you still decided to stay with him.

↳ reader x soft!peeta x mean!gale

↳ a/n : yall r gonna like this one. also sorry for gale people

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

your ears were ringing and you mind was dazing. did gale really hit you and throw you against the wall? you vision was in a blur as you stumbled up the wall.

"y/n i-" you heard gale say. it was probably in his normal voice, but after the impact with you and the wall, it seemed muffled.

you basically ignored his words and opened the door quickly. you didnt want to risk him getting mad again and hitting you once more.

"y/n!!" he yelled, this time a little more clear.

he was upset you went to the woods, knowing that it has become more dangerous.

you walked the streets, trying to recongnize your house. they were all the same looking, since you won the games.

one house looked like it could've been yours. you didn't even hesitate, so you knocked on the door, hoping your mom would answer and rescue you.

you waited for about 5 minutes, until you turned away. before you moved to the next house, you heard the door spring open.

you turned around desparetly, still hoping it was family.

it was peeta mellark.

he was panting fast, like he sprinted for his life down those staires.

"y/n...?" he says out of breath.

you walk up to his door. like usual, you wouldve rolled your eyes and left. but something about that night made you stay.

once you were closer, he finally got a good look at the big scrach and bruises on your face. his heavy breathing almost stopped, and his eyebrows turned into a concern.

"who did this to you?" he grazed his thumb across the wound on your cheek.

you winced at the contact. "gale."

he nods and takes you in. "i'll get you cleaned up okay. lord knows if you could get an infection." he chuckles softly.

you smile at his gesture. you look around his house, almost looking the same interior as yours. but the smell of bread got your attention.

"hmm.." you mumbled.

he smirked and looked towards the kitchen.

"ohh i see," you could hear his smirk forming, "you want bread, huh?"

you nodded, "please, your bread smells to good."

"lucky for you, its fresh." he chuckles.

he carried you two the kitchen and sits you down to the counter. he goes to the oven and tears out a piece of bread.

"here.." he says softly as he hands you an doughy piece.

you two eat the bread in silence, sitting in each other's comfortable silence.

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

peeta places you at the edge of the bathtub. he reaches for a small cloth and waits for the hot water to turn up.

"you didnt have to do this ya know.." you said as you two waited.

he shrugs. "you chose the right house." he smirked.

you smiled and looked down at the face to hide your blush. it cant be. your so called enemy since elementary is being nice. and you like it?

the fact made you look back at him. you didn't realize that he cuter than you thought. his nose was the perfect shape, and god were his arms big.

his beautiful blonde hair fell down his forhead so effortlesly. the thoughts made you admire him.

"i would say staring is rude," he leans toward you with the cloth. "but i dont mind it cause it's you."

you open your mouth slightly, and there was no going back to the blush on your face.

he stroked your cheek lightly with the cloth as you two held eye contact. for a long time. the blood went away, but the stare between you and him didn't.

why was peeta mellark making you feel this way.

you wanted to do something that you didn't want to do, yet it felt so right.

you looked at his lips, his eyes, then his lips again. you grabbed his face and smashed your lips with his. his lips fitted with yours perfectly. his teeth softly bit your bottom lip, which made the butterflies in your stomach go even crazier.

you two eventually pulled away and leaned each others forheads together.

"can gale kiss and treat you like this?" peeta says whispered, almost like gale could hear.

"never in a million years peeta." you say before leaning into another sweet kiss.

[thedelicatearcher]

down bad and i can do it with a broken heart are sooo katniss everdeen coded

the tortured poets department is soo peeta mellark coded

who's afraid of little old me? is SOO johanna mason coded

florida!!! is soo finnick odair coded

the smallest man who ever lived is soo lucy gray coded