#which Peeta also has towards Gale

[mollywog]

Gale knows his anger at Madge is misdirected. On other days, deep in the woods, I’ve listened to him rant about how the tesserae are just another tool to cause misery in our district. A way to plant hatred between the starving workers of the Seam and those who can generally count on supper and thereby ensure we will never trust one another. “It’s to the Capitol’s advantage to have us divided among ourselves,” he might say if there were no ears to hear but mine. If it wasn’t reaping day. If a girl with a gold pin and no tesserae had not made what I’m sure she thought was a harmless comment.

As we walk, I glance over at Gale’s face, still smoldering underneath his stony expression. His rages seem pointless to me, although I never say so. It’s not that I don’t agree with him. I do. But what good is yelling about the Capitol in the middle of the woods? It doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t make things fair. It doesn’t fill our stomachs. In fact, it scares off the nearby game. I let him yell though. Better he does it in the woods than in the district.

Gale isn’t blaming the Merchants for the division: he is correctly identifying that the Merchant/Seam divide is a Capitol created division to distract the district citizens from the real enemy.

[lunar-years]

It's really interesting how Peeta's quiet rebellion in the first games is kind of completely overlooked by everyone, right down to President Snow, while Katniss emerges as The Singular Target. To the extent that by the end of the book when they meet Snow, Katniss can tell right away that only she is to blame for the berry trick, whereas Peeta is quickly dismissed and then for a long time, an afterthought,

Like, yes, the berry trick was Katniss' idea, but it comes to her straight from Peeta's rhetoric!! "They have to have a Victor, Katniss" and before that on the cornucopia, when Katniss asks him why they won't just let Cato die already and Peeta responds "you know why." Like...both statements are vague enough to maybe not seem of any big concern to the Capitol, but Katniss is directly picking up on the undercurrent of his words. And you can't convince me that by the time they actually go to put the berries in their mouths, Peeta isn't fully aware of the same thing Katniss is: the Capitol won't let them both die. They need their Victor, or it falls apart. Yet to Snow and the Capitol, they truly believe Peeta is just a lovestruck idiot carrying out a double suicide so they can be together forever, Romeo & Juliet style. Whereas Katniss, in their POV, is doing it out of direct malice towards the Capitol, not love for Peeta. Even Haymitch doesn't let Katniss and Peeta talk afterwards and only tells Katniss the reality of the situation in the Capitol because he thinks that if Peeta finds out the truth he'll get too upset or won't be able to handle it and things will blow up.

This is after an entire Games where Peeta has been doing something that I have to imagine is pretty unprecedented, and definitely in contradiction to the entire mindset of the Games, which that he neglects his own self preservation instincts and safety to protect and save Katniss. He's kind of playing the Capitol the whole time, because right from the beginning he's refusing to participate in the inherent selfishness and division they try to sow in the Games. And he's doing so in ways he can easily get away, because Snow and by extension the Capitol don't see love as anything other than a form of weakness.

And I'm not trying to say that Peeta is this mastermind deliberately plotting intentional rebellion from page one, because yeah, his actions are largely purely driven by love for Katniss. But the thing the Capitol can't understand is that for Peeta, that love has always been inseparable from rebellion. One necessities and fuels the other. The paragraph Katniss spends lamenting on how horrified Peeta would probably be if he heard the way she and Gale talk about the Capitol in the woods is almost laughable as a reader, because girl, Peeta would absolutely be right there with you. Meanwhile, Katniss is shocked at herself when she so much as thinks the word 'murder' for the first time in relation to a death in the Games. It's just fascinating!

And again, that's not to say Katniss isn't also very much rebellious, especially as the narrative goes forward, but what's key is that her rebellion also stems out of love, and it strengthens over the course of the books as her love strengthens. Her first act of rebellion is volunteering out of love for her sister. And then slowly, her mindset in the game evolves from pure survival as she comes to love Rue, then Peeta. In nearly every case it's love that prompts further rebellion. The Capitol just can't see it because they can tell the star-crossed lovers narrative is on her end, but not Peeta's, a ruse. That's why Katniss is singled out as a threat and Peeta isn't. And by the time the Capitol/Snow realizes the love is reciprocated and that Peeta is the key weapon to use against Katniss, the love is already so deeply rooted that nothing can stop the rebellion that follows.

[chrkrose]

Just wanted to say that I completely agreed with your Sunrise take. It's almost as though you plucked it out of my brain and put it in words.

Its a shame that the Maysilee/Haymitch ship has been struck down so explicitly. I can't see the ship being popular now without fans claiming that we've 'missed the whole point'.

I also agreed with your take about Lenore: to me, she's far too similar to Lucy Gray for me to care about her in her own right and that's a shame.

I'm interested to see if you have any other thoughts since I enjoyed your first post a lot.

More thoughts on SOTR, Maysilee and Maysilee/ Haymitch.

I mean… I have issues with several aspects of Sunrise on the Reaping (SOTR), honestly. Like, the way the book handles its themes is just so on the nose. It lacks the subtlety Suzanne used to have. One of the biggest appeals of the original trilogy was that Katniss wasn’t a chosen one—she wasn’t special, she wasn’t trying to be a rebel, she was just surviving. And now suddenly we’re rewriting that entire foundation to make her destiny feel preordained? Add in all the fan service, which felt so Marvel-level with its cameos and callbacks, and yeah… I struggled with a lot of it.

The Maysilee stuff—and the Maysilee/Haymitch potential—is just one example in a list of things that didn’t work for me, but it’s a great one to highlight what went wrong.

First off, my gripe with Maysilee and Haymitch isn’t even just that they weren’t romantic. Sure, I do think a romantic storyline would’ve added more depth and been more compelling, but what really bugs me is the way people jump to that “not every relationship needs to be romantic!!” discourse like it’s some mic drop moment. And like—yeah, of course not every bond has to be romantic. The series already gives us beautiful platonic relationships, so what are you truly saying here? I always feel like that argument has a bit of a misogynistic edge, like romance automatically weakens a story or a character. That it’s less serious or important just because it’s “girly” or emotional. It’s the reverse of the people who think romance is the only thing that matters—it’s still minimizing, just from another angle.

Personally, I think a romantic connection between Maysilee and Haymitch could have added a lot to the story. Not because romance is inherently better, but because it would’ve allowed us to actually see the relationship develop. Imagine Haymitch having to confront and dismantle his class prejudices toward her. Imagine the layers that would add to his trauma, to his choices, to the person he becomes. That arc would’ve felt way more grounded than suddenly introducing Lenore Dove—a character who feels like a Lucy Gray copy-paste—and expecting us to accept her as the Great Love of Haymitch’s life.

And look, I’m a sucker for a good love story. I would have eaten it up so fast if this was a good one. But it simply wasn’t. There was no tension, no buildup, no spark. Just symbolism on top of symbolism, and a girl who was written to be “quirky” and “different” and important, but never felt real. She was too mythical, too much, too “main girl who haunts the narrative” without earning that weight. At least Lucy Gray had quirks and nuance. Lenore just felt like Suzanne ticking boxes: rebel, covey, singer, poet attached to her name, dead too soon. And I’m sorry, but having Haymitch still pining for his 16-year-old girlfriend decades later, when we barely get to see him reflect on his family or his fellow tributes? At least give space to his mother and brother, to the tributes he bonded with, to all the people he lost along the way.

And that’s what really bothers me. Suzanne always trusted her readers to come to their own conclusions. She showed us dynamics—Katniss and Peeta, Finnick and Katniss, Johanna and Peeta, even Katniss and Gale—and let us interpret. She never had to spell out who these people were to each other. But it seems like she didn’t trust that when it comes to Maysilee and Haymitch, and to Lenore and Haymitch as well. Suddenly we were told what to feel, how to perceive every relationship. And that just doesn’t land for me. It actually undermines the emotional weight because it feels like she didn’t trust the story to stand on its own.

And if the whole idea was to subvert expectations and say “Surprise! Everything you thought you knew about Haymitch’s Games is actually propaganda,” then… I don’t know. That twist didn’t work for me either. It didn’t enhance the themes, it just made me feel, again, like I wasn’t capable enough to reach conclusions on my own. For a book who speaks of propaganda, she sure tried to determine how we would interact with it without room for anything else.

Now, about Maysilee herself—she would’ve worked so much better as the ghost in Haymitch’s narrative. Platonic or romantic, an ambiguous bond between her and Haymitch had more potential than what we got. The Capitol downplaying her role would’ve tied beautifully with Haymitch’s later manipulation of the Katniss/Peeta narrative. She mirrors both of them in ways Lenore doesn’t: she’s a merchant girl like Peeta, she’s got Katniss’ fire, and her pin—her pin—becomes the ultimate symbol of rebellion. She painted the final poster. Not to mention the quiet tragedy of him having to see her twin sister around town for the rest of his life. That’s the kind of subtle, haunting storytelling that would’ve worked.

But instead, they stripped all that from her to give it to Lenore, and in the process, even Katniss’ story gets hurt. Because now, Katniss isn’t just a girl who stumbled into something bigger than herself—now she’s been chosen since the beginning. Which removes one of the most powerful things about her arc: the idea that regular people, caught in the right place at the right time, can change the world.

Lucy Gray worked as a ghost in Snow’s story. Maysilee should’ve been that for Haymitch. But unfortunately, all that depth, all that symbolism, was handed to a character who didn’t earn it and who honestly just didn’t deliver the emotional payoff Suzanne thought she would.

[acekoomboom]

So.

Gale Killed Prim, and his relationship with Katniss ended because of it. Why is Peeta different?

"Why was she able to forgive Peeta but not him? She had dismissed Gale from her life with barely a blink. Snow had twisted Peeta’s gifts and turned him into a weapon against the people he loved. Hadn’t Coin done the same thing to Gale? He loved Prim like his own sister." A quote from oakfarmer on ao3 that I actually have SO many thoughts on, though I can't remember which of their fanfics this is from. Darn me for not labelling my notes well enough.

What it boils down to, for me I think, is that the capitol has to create things to manipulate Peeta but D13 used what was already there for Gale. Gale already had a mean arrogant streak and wasn't good at taking criticism or rejection. He already had a cold callousness about killing and death. He was already a bit radicalized, and Coin did twist that into something worse. No, Gale didn't kill Prim, Coin did. BUT Gale did invent the weapon + tactic used by his ally and superior to kill her. Katniss told him it was wrong, this trap he'd made, and he condescended to her about it, how this is just how war works. Acted like she was just naive about it. His own ignorance of the reality of life and death and his complete disregard for human life on the other side of the war is what got Prim killed.

Peeta, on the other hand, is nothing like his highjacked self. They didn't take pieces of his personality, personal flaws, etc. and twist them into their perfect soldier. The capitol had to use false memories, had to inflate his insecurities, had to use chemicals and torture and mutated venom. They didn't make Peeta aggressive through hatred or vengeance, they made him aggressive through bodily fear. The venom and his body's extreme adrenaline, fight or flight response to that. He didn't attack Katniss bc he thought he was better than her or bc she deserved it, he attacked her because the very sight of her caused his body to go into overdrive of adrenaline to protect himself from her. This is a Peeta that *hates* Katniss, and he wants to kill her, but her specifically. He only reacts negatively towards other people (other than normal trauma-induced stuff) when she is involved somehow, like him flipping out on Delly while Katniss watched behind the glass.

These characters are not equivalent. And from a meta perspective, they're not supposed to be. Katniss ends up picking Peeta. Yes, the character obviously would have picked him, but also Katniss as a narrative figure picks him. She picks what he represents. Integrity and war. That boy on the rooftop that said he was willing to kill himself defense and to do what he needed to do but wanted to stay himself. Wanted to stay a human being even in that violence. Wanted to come out the other side of it still intact. Wanted the flowers to grow again after the harsh winter; a dandelion in the spring. Not the cycle of destruction, of forever punishing those that have wronged you, that both Gale and a capitol-kids hunger game would represent.

Which brings my thoughts also to the male loneliness epidemic. (We won't even get started on the fact that when women have problems it's something they need to just get over and take a joke, but when men have problems it's an epidemic) That is Gale. Yes, he has absolutely valid reasons behind his emotions. But he then takes those emotions and becomes radicalized, become something lesser. And that is so indicative of our current political climate in a lot of ways. Men have been hurt by the patriarchy also, they have been raised and socialized and desensitized and to not forming genuine emotional connections with the men around them or the women there in a relationships with. And I do separate those specifically, because men are also taught to not see women as people, so to a lot of men you are either a. someone they are related to b. someone they are romantically interested in or c. someone they are sexually interested in. And that is all a woman can be to them, not a friend.

So every which way they turn men are not taught the skills it takes to not be lonely. Community and having a support system and a network of people doesn't just happen by accident. That is something that you build, and cultivate, and prune, and intentionally add to. Men are lonely because they want someone else to do the work for them. The onus is on them and the system that made them that way.

And that man is the same as Gale. Someone who is rightfully hurt and wounded by the society they live in but then takes those real feelings and experiences and lets it justify all of the awfulness that follows.

Gale and Peeta are not equivalent. In dumbed down terms, Gale became bad because of what was already in him and then was fine to stay that way. Peeta became bad because of something someone else put in him, and then he did the work to not stay that way.

Oakfarmer again, to bring my rambling back to its original point: "Snow turned Peeta into a weapon, Coin turned Gale into a weapon. Both had been unleashed to destroy Katniss. They were the same, but they weren’t the same at all. The Capitol pumped venom into Peeta to create a hateful mutt. Coin only needed to provide an outlet for the hateful venom already circulating Gale’s veins. Hate and rage, he had never tried to suppress. Hate and rage, Peeta painstakingly clawed his way out of to recover his identity."

[stay-with-me--always]

I need to take a moment and do a deep dive on the scene where Katniss sits with Gale after he's been whipped vs the scene where Katniss sits with Peeta as they work on the plant book.

Why these two scenes? These scenes in particular I feel like have a lot of similarities as far as Katniss' narration is concerned. They are both scenes where she is alone with either boy in an unrushed, natural environment where she is capable of really looking at them and noticing them both. and in both scenes she IS actively noticing them. it is important to note though, that the tone of these scenes are pretty different, since Gale's is right after he was whipped, and she's still reeling from her intense day. Even so, the plant book scene with Peeta takes place during a time where Katniss has more reason to be worried about her life/family than ever, so I feel like a direct comparison of these isn't too much of a stretch.

----

The Gale text in question:

"I touch parts of him I have never had cause to touch before. His heavy, dark eyebrows, the curve of his cheek, the line of his nose, the hollow at the base of his neck. I trace the outline of stubble on his jaw and finally work my way to his lips. Soft and full, slightly chapped. His breath warms my chilled skin." (CF, 116)

The biggest thing to note is the detail in which she describes him. Katniss takes her time and touches Gale's face with her hand, taking in his features. and yet, most of the descriptions are very generic and could adequately be attributed to most anyone's face, including Peeta's. Even the lines where she takes a bit more notice 'his heavy, dark eyebrows', 'the outline of the stubble on his jaw' are pretty vague and don't give much detail into her REALLY noticing him. the most detailed part we get is the last line about his lips.

Let's keep all of that in mind while we contrast that to the lines any Everlark fan probably knows by heart - the eyelash scene:

"I also become a little fixated on his eyelashes, which ordinarily you don't notice much because they're so blond. But up close, in the sunlight slanting in from the window, they're a light golden color and so long I don't see how they keep from getting all tangled up when he blinks." (CF, 161)

In the time it took for her to describe Gale's entire face, she only managed to describe Peeta's eyelashes. the level of detail that she notices about Peeta goes far beyond what she sees about Gale, even in a moment where she's really taking the time to look at him. The description she gives about Gale's face really accentuates her feelings towards their relationship - practical, obvious, concise. Whereas the description for Peeta just highlights what shes been thinking about him all along - interesting, perplexing, alluring. It's clear from those paragraphs that she just doesn't see Gale in the same way that she sees Peeta.

These scenes can be analyzed all day, and I've been busy making notes on the way she describes both boys, to be compiled and analyzed once I've gone through all 3 books, but I feel like these two scenes alone give a very good look into Katniss' mind and what she really sees in each of her boys.

[sasukekys]

the fundamental difference between katniss and gale.

katniss contrasts the people from the seam and the merchants, because she knows the former have it rougher, but she not only knows the anger towards the merchants would be misdirected, but she also learns that peeta, who had it easier than her, isn’t as wealthy as she imagined, that his family, despite not battling starvation, only eats the leftovers because they can’t afford fresh food. her only friend at school is the mayor’s daughter, someone gale resents.

so the problem must be with the other people in the districts. but it’s not, and katniss knows the capitol tries to keep the districts alienated from each other to fuel the feeling of distrust and discourage their union. she learns from rue that people in district 11, for example, also struggle to put food on the table, despite its economy being agriculture, workers there can’t eat what they harvest.

would the problem be the careers, who eat better and train their whole lives to win the games and get the glory? but they are children as much as any other tribute. she can’t bring herself to hate marvel. despite him killing rue, he also appeared vulnerable in his death. cato’s death is much crueler, and after katniss’ act of mercy, both her and peeta feel hollow at his death. the problem isn’t with the other tributes too. meanwhile gale compares killing other tributes to killing animals.

so it has to be the capitol citizens… but she still can’t bring herself to hate them, because not only katniss understands they have different upbringings, and she herself wonders how different she would be if she was raised in their environment, but she learns that, despite being sometimes alienated to the point of acting insensitive, most of them are willing to help, they cry for her for having to return to the games and they respect and are nice to her mother. katniss doesn’t want her team to be tortured at district 13, because she knows it’s wrong, something gale can’t bring himself to comprehend, simply because they are from the capitol.

katniss’ anger isn’t misdirected, she remembers who the real enemy is, which would be snow, but also coin, the political leaders that put the people in those positions for their own interest and safety. i don’t believe gale would kill children wholeheartedly, but he does believe in “necessary evils”, like taking the easier solution with the nut, the one that would have more casualties, and he designed the bombs that killed children and healers and sisters. so where do you exactly draw the line when it’s all extremism?

gale and katniss have the same upbringing, have gone through similar experiences, losing their fathers on the same accident, signing up for the tesserae, battling against starvation, getting their district bombed, but they go on opposite directions. gale falls into extremism because he sees human life as expendable. katniss extends her compassion, because rebellion comes from loving humanity and believing a better life is possible. fire can’t burn enough to turn everything into ashes. the last chapter or the epilogue isn’t a surprise, it’s just a synthesis of what has been going for three books.

[thesweetnessofspring]

What do you think is Katniss’s main character arc through the series?

Such a great question Non, and one I wanted to take time to consider!

While the themes of THG revolve around war, Katniss's personal arc is that of hope.

In chapter one, Katniss recognizes the injustice of life in Panem, but doesn't do anything about it. "So I learned to hold my tongue and to turn my features into an indifferent mask so that no one could ever read my thoughts." She also tells us that she doesn't want children, and the proposal Gale makes to leave the district and live in the woods also seems impossible to her. "We can't leave, so why bother talking about it?" All of this shows a teenage girl who, from the trauma she's experienced, is stuck in the pattern of how life is and simply surviving. She doesn't see the possibility of life being different and changing. She protects herself from vulnerability, and what makes her the most vulnerable is trusting in that hope "that life can be good again." Another way we see Katniss deny this hope is in her declaration, "But to be honest, I'm not the forgiving type." Because I think that to withhold forgiveness is one way of saying that there a lack of belief that the future will be different.

Through the series, we see Katniss shift. She initially tries to protect her loved ones from Snow by following his instructions to "convince me" that she loves Peeta. But then she sees that they need to fight back against the Capitol, and sees that there is a world in the future "where Peeta's child can be safe." The hope is challenged over and over though the bombing of D12 and Peeta's hijacking and Prim's death. And Katniss does at times fall into such pain that hope is nearly gone for her; she is kept alive by medical intervention after Peeta's capture, she goes on a suicide mission after his returning hijacked, and she was going to take the nightlock pill after assassinating Coin. But each time, the hope returns, and she drags herself to keep going toward that time when life will be kinder.

This is why she chooses Peeta. "What I need is a dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again." This is also why it is vitally important that Katniss decided to have children. From Chapter One, she doesn't want to have children because she sees no future in which there are no Games or no starvation. But that has changed. Katniss is not naive and believes that her children will have no pain. She wonders, "How can I tell them about that world without frightening them to death?" But here, Peeta, her embodiment of hope, gives her the answer: "Peeta says it will be okay. We have each other. And the book. We can make them understand in a way that will make them brave." This is not a guarantee, but now, Katniss lives her life so that she has hope for herself and her family.

[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.

[dandelionsunset1210]

I never see this mentioned but I do very much like your portrayal of Peeta’s jealousy. Sometimes it seems like everyone thinks Peeta is perfect when he’s on record to be the jealous one between him and Katniss. He’s just not insane and a jerk about it like Gale. Your portrayal of him not being insecure about Gale, but being annoyed by his existence and grumpy about the past, works so well. Where it’s not toxic and he’s not really jealous in general, he just has a grudge against the past. He’s not even mad at Gale or Katniss, but he’ll take the opportunity to feel closer to his wife. Also it’s hilarious and matches his subtle jealousy in the first book perfectly. And the “when did you use tongue” line in the Five, Ten, Fifteen had me cracking up.

Oh, thank you! I love writing jealous but not really jealous Peeta. Echoing what I’ve seen in other posts recently, I don’t even think he hates Gale because of his romantic involvement with Katniss. But Katniss is so precious to him that he can’t comprehend the way Gale treated her (“I don’t hate him for kissing you, kissing you is amazing! I just don’t like that he didn’t appreciate how amazing kissing you is.” -Peeta to Katniss at some point).

I’ve also really tried to evolve Peeta’s attitude towards Gale with age. Like, during ~the kitchen table scene~ they’re still 18, newlywed, and by all accounts BABIES. It makes sense for Peeta to be nervous about the first time Katniss sees Gale. But by the time they’re in their late 20s-early 30s Peeta’s secure in their relationship to be able to joke about it and openly discuss his dislike of Gale without fear of being accused of jealousy.

That being said, I do think they got in a little bit of a (lighthearted) argument after the whole “tongue” conversation. And Katniss isn’t one to keep secrets from her husband, but she is taking the fact that Gale kissed the bruises on her neck to her GRAVE (which, by the way, can we discuss how out of pocket that was for Gale to do???)

[sounds-of-some-day]

Sunrise On the Reaping Chapter One Thoughts

I've always wanted to do this for a book, chapter by chapter. But I struggle with having the patience to do something like this, because I can't put a book down once I start getting into it. But I am once again going to make an attempt. I'm on break this week, so I have time.

Let's see how this journey goes.

Caveat: I haven't read Catching Fire since before the movies came out actually, so I don't remember too much about what all is said about Haymitch's game, and I'm not fully up on all the lore. And I'm okay with that. I kinda like the idea of going into this mostly blind. This means that I may theorize about things that everyone else already knows/knows is wrong. That's okay. My predictions rarely turn out anyway, lol.

Obviously, spoilers through the listed chapter, as well as potentially some spoilers about the original trilogy and Ballad.

I'm very intrigued by Haymitch's voice in the narration. I don't think this is what I would have quite pegged for him, but in reflection, it's quite well done. He sounds so young. Not naive, but definitely young. Already jaded to a certain extent in the way that Gale was (and Katniss to a lesser extent), but also hopeful in the way that Peeta was, if that makes sense. Like there's a realism there, but there's still that underlying shimmer of hope. Contrast this with what he's like in the og trilogy and it's quite the stark difference.

It's impossible to not compare and contrast Haymitch to Katniss. They have a lot on common, obviously, which 1) they would have to, given that they both come from the Seam in District 12 and also 2) those commonalities are important, because we know that Haymitch sees at least a little of himself in Katniss (and I would think Peeta, to an extent as well).

So, Haymitch's father died in a fire in the mines, and he and his younger brother were raised by a single mother. Unlike Katniss, Haymitch's mother doesn't fall apart when she loses her husband, and so Haymitch has a little less responsibility resting on his shoulders as he grows up than Katniss does, though he does still work (doing something illegal, like Katniss) to help provide for his family.

Haymitch is slightly older than Katniss (was Katniss 15?) at 16 years old, in some ways feeling older but also younger than Katniss. Younger because he hasn't had the same level of responsibility yet, but older, or, I'm not really sure how to put this, older in the sense that his life seems more on track. Whereas Katniss seems to be in pure survival mode from the beginning, it's that underlying hope that sets Haymitch apart. He's got a girl that he's in love with, and you can almost feel the way he's shifting towards adulthood in a way that Katniss wasn't. Again, I'm rambling, probably not making much sense, but Haymitch is in the process of settling into a life for himself, with a job (with a potential future) and a girlfriend.

Lenore Dove. I love her. Won me over pretty much immediately. I really hope we get to see more of her. A member of the Covey, she of the Baird family. I won't lie, what with her mother being dead and the vagueness about her father, I had a thought for half a second that she was actually Lucy Grey's daughter, which, there would be a certain sense of dramatic irony if she was Snow's daughter, given what we know is going to happen to Haymitch after the games, but then I did the rather obvious math (lol) and clearly this is not the case, which is good. Dramatic irony aside, that level of plot twist is, I think, beneath a series such as this. But she is related in some way to Lucy Grey, which is purposefully done for some reason or another.

Speaking of Lucy Grey! At the reaping, there is no mention of listing out previous winners? Well, winner. It's possible this is just an oversight, but I'm hesitant to think that given that there's been a lot of discussion in the fandom about exactly how much is known about Lucy Grey and her victory in the tenth games. We know that the records of that game were scrubbed (? I think we know this? If I'm wrong, holler at me) but Katniss references there being two winners (only one -- Haymitch -- currently alive) in her year, so the fact that there was a winner from twelve before Haymitch is known.

Katniss' parents! Gah, I really like her dad. I actually really like the sort of easy camaraderie between Haymitch, Burdock. and Blair. Did we know that Haymitch was friends with Katniss' dad before? I didn't anyway, and it heaps another bit of tragedy onto Haymitch's story, having to mentor his best friend's daughter in the games.

There's clearly a lot of commentary in this first chapter about current events (and like, I'm not even trying to make this US-centric. What's happening in the US right now is not unique.) But the messaging is pretty clear, and what I find the most interesting (so far...) is the way the Capital touting it's strength is shown. Like, this was in Katniss' book too, so maybe I am just looking at this with the eyes of someone today instead of the eyes of someone whatever many years ago when I was reading the original trilogy, but it just hits different. Like there's something quite hollow about the way this messaging comes across.

Haymitch notices a capital friendly sticker in the apothecary window and gets a little judgmental, but then Katniss' mom (Asterid) explains that the peacekeepers made them put it there. That actually disappointed me slightly. I think it would have been maybe a little more interesting to see *some* pro-capital sentiment, or at least, Capital friendly sentiment -- even if it was only self-serving -- in the District, if only because every authoritarian government ever has always had it's supporters. And I think it would have given an extra layer of complexity to Asterid if that was her family background. I know we get some of that (a little) with the career districts to an extent, but keeping it as such starts to stray a little too close to Harry Potter good groups and bad groups, when it's often more complex than that, and this franchise has already shown that it's willing to paint in grey instead of just black and white, so I was just a little taken back by the near immediate retraction of Haymitch's perception.

The reaping!! Suzanne said "Oh, you thought! You thought you knew." Again, another way of twisting the knife in Haymitch's story. The overwhelming (even if guilt-ridden) relief followed by what hasn't happened yet, but is sure to come. A beautiful subversion of expectations -- I did not see this coming. I hope whoever directs the movie directs this with as much drama and drawn out anticipation as possible, just for those viewers who haven't already read the book.

Okay, there's my thoughts on chapter one. If anyone joins me in this journey, welcome. If not, I'll just shout my thoughts into the void. I just always thought bookclubs would be more interesting if people met and talked about it while they were reading it instead of after. Or maybe I just miss the days of weekly episodic tv.....

[mollywog]

Characters and Berries in The Hunger Games

Gale -> Blackberries

He plucks a few blackberries from the bushes around us. “And may the odds —” He tosses a berry in a high arc toward me.

In folklore blackberries are associated with bad omens. They can also symbolize haste and remorse. There’s a 1966 poem Blackberry-Picking by Seamus Heaney about growing up and loss of innocence.

Madge -> Strawberries

When we finish our business at the market, we go to the back door of the mayor’s house to sell half the strawberries, knowing he has a particular fondness for them and can afford our price. The mayor’s daughter, Madge, opens the door.

Strawberries often symbolize purity, passion (fuel for Gadge and Kadge shippers), and healing (Madge delivers the Morphling after Gale’s whipping).

Rue -> Unfamiliar Berries

I roll an unfamiliar berry in my fingers. “You sure this is safe?”

“Oh, yes, we have them back home. I’ve been eating them for days,” she says, popping a handful in her mouth. I tentatively bite into one, and it’s as good as our blackberries. Taking Rue on as an ally seems a better choice all the time.

These berries are never identified, so bear with me here…

We know Peeta mistakes nightlock (also not identified) for Rue’s berries, but that nightlock is toxic and Rue’s are edible. We also know Nightlock berries are dark (the dark berries glisten in the sun) and Rue’s berries are round (I roll an unfamiliar berry in my fingers), so two potential options are Elderberry or Blackcurrant.

In pagan traditions Elderberries are associated with Faerie realms - (fitting for the magical wisp of a girl who wore wings to her interview.) They heal; and are associated with breaking curses (Rue’s death has forced me to confront my own fury against the cruelty, the injustice they inflict upon us.)

Despite health benefits, in the middle ages Elderberries began to be associated with grief and sorrow.

Blackcurrants are often associated with protection (Here it’s safe, here it’s warm Here the daisies guard you from every harm)

They are also associated with gathering courage, specifically before going on a solitary journey.

Blackberries (bad omens) are referenced in the description of the taste of Rue’s berries.

Regardless of the berry, they also reinforce Katniss’s decision to take Rue on as an ally (Taking Rue on as an ally seems a better choice all the time.)

Peeta - Nightlock

My father’s voice comes back to me. “Not these, Katniss. Never these. They’re nightlock. You’ll be dead before they reach your stomach.”

Nightlock is likely based on two real ones: Nightshade and Hemlock.

Unsurprisingly, toxic Hemlock often has negative associations, however it is also associated with Socrates. Socrates was convicted of impiety, but refused to renounce his beliefs; Hemlock was his chosen method of death which could be viewed as either rebellious and/or a noble sacrifice. “Scholars surmise that Socrates conceived of his death as a freedom of his soul from the unreasonableness of humanity and the confines of his body.”

Nightshade has been suggested as the poison used in Romeo and Juliet (fitting for the star-crossed-lovers) and Macbeth (poisoning that lead to a civil war)

Thank you to @wistfulweaverwoman for assistance researching! Other interesting [x][x][x]

[lemonhemlock]

it’s beginning to boil my blood how the narrative only half way acknowledges things to the detriment of team green but goes back to being blind as soon as it’s team black.

we’re supposed to forget about jaeherys being beheaded and b&c cuz oh war is so pointless they don’t even remember why they’re fighting but would you look at that in the same scene rhaenyra is allowed to remember Luke and demand ‘a son for a son’ with literally no pushback from Alicent and please can people stop overly intellectualising a sigh from Alicent like at this point we need to dialogue okay especially when rhaenyra is so willing to skip past b&c

now it would’ve been interesting how rhaenyra doesn’t acknowledge b&c but the narrative also wants us to forget as well so it’s like she gets to have the best of both worlds. She gets to be appalled initially and say ‘I would never do that to helaena’ so the audience knows that rhaenyra would never commit something so heinous but then she also gets to brush past that easily and forget about it and invite the man responsible for this back into her team and we’re again not supposed to acknowledge the implications of that for her character cuz she needs the stronger team and she gets to be righteous af the same time. Like please let her do these things but you have to acknowledge that it very well appears that that ‘outrage’ for helaena wasn’t entirely real and she truly only cares about her throne.

we need team green crippled so let’s let team black go through with the blockade but no wait we don’t actually want the audience to reconcile this with how much of an indication it is of how truly little team black also cares about the small folk but no actually rhaenyra gets to go through with the blockade but narrative also praises her for having such a big heart to send in food and she’s so politically savvy.

a member of team black burns hundreds of people on the coronation of the king of one side but the narrative never acknowledges that but we give wait to scenes acknowledging how killing the rat catchers is to the detriment of team green.

Alicent gets to allow the resentment to fester and think the only solution is getting her children beheaded but she’s not allowed to direct even the slightest of resentment towards viserys cuz oh no that might suggest interesting things about the characters of rhaenyra and daemon cuz how are they still able to put that man on a pedestal after what he has done the selfishness it takes to be able to do that.

Alicent is given lectures of how she toils in the service of men but oh let’s ignore the fact that one of those men was viserys cuz we’re supposed to think he’s cool.

I had initially thought this teams angle was marketing cuz the same thing happens all the time eg hunger games peeta and gale teams but that the narrative won’t fully buy into that but no they want for us to watch this as if it’s a football match and we’re supposed to be fully be on one team cuz look the teams actually aren’t team black and green, they’re actually team good and bad.

^^^^ this so much and especially this:

you can't write an entire season skipping important characterisation work and expecting people to "fill in the gaps" SO OFTEN and for SO MANY important characters

i'm sorry but at which point do you draw a line and say enough? question for the defenders of this season: can you indicate the ballpark in which a piece of media that does this ceases to be conducive to <contemplation> and ~discussion~ and "invite multiple interpretations" and becomes just plain incompetent storytelling?

after how many "fill in the gaps" sequences in the space of 8 episodes? 5? 6? after how many characters repeatedly being subjected to this process? give me a number. really, i'm asking.

[katnissdoesnotfollowback]

Dark question, What if in 13, upon hearing that there was no successful curing of hijacking, Peeta tried to off himself only to be stopped by a guard, or Delly, how would Katniss feel towards the person who saved Hijacked Peeta? How would her reaction to hearing about this vary if she was told after the cafeteria scene when she gave up on him, or even in D2, or Peeta told her while in squad 451?

Hmmm... go with me on this... the thing about hijacked Peeta in D13 is that he still doesn't fully believe that something is wrong with him. Even in the Capitol, he still says things that hint at a deep seated belief/fear that Katniss wants him dead. During their late night conversation when Katniss is on guard duty, and right before the Real or Not Real game is conceived:

After about an hour, Peeta speaks up. “These last couple of years must have been exhausting for you. Trying to decide whether to kill me or not. Back and forth. Back and forth.”

Here, Peeta has placed himself as Katniss's eternal victim and problem. She wants him dead. He's the only one truly suffering or being used in this viewpoint. It's only after this conversation, when Katniss finally makes an effort to help him and tells him intimate things about himself that only someone who truly cares about him would notice, and after he sees himself onscreen killing Mitchell that Peeta starts to see for himself what kind of violence the hijacking brings to the surface in himself.

So unless 13 does something drastically different in his therapy, I don't think he'd see an irreversible hijacking as a bad thing. To his tortured brain, Katniss is the real enemy. It's only once he starts seeing how false that is that he begs to die.

While I don't see it happening this way, I'll still answer the last part of your question... how would Katniss feel towards someone who saves him from trying to commit suicide? At the point in the story you're talking about, I think she'd have incredibly mixed feelings about it.

At first, she would probably tell herself that it would have been better if Peeta had succeeded. In her mind, the "real Peeta" is gone and lost forever. Death would be a relief for him, and also from him -- at least then maybe she can try to "move on." She's already basically planning to commit suicide/die once she gets rid of Snow, and she'd probably see Peeta wanting to kill himself as a long delayed fulfillment of their trick with the berries. The manifestation of "wear a necklace of rope side by side with me."

But I also think she'd remember what Peeta said before their first games, about wanting to die as himself. That wish, she would know, still stands two books later... and so she'd be incredibly conflicted about whether or not she even wants him dead at that point. It would be cruel to keep him alive in the futile hope that he might get better, but it's also cruel to let him go without any hope at all, to let him die as "the evil mutt version" of himself. In this regard, Gale is right about Katniss not being able to ever let Peeta go if he doesn't get better.

Which would then lead to an incredibly complicated view of the person who stopped Peeta from killing himself. There would be guilt, begrudging gratitude, but also anger and frustration and "why couldn't you just let him go?" That's the thing about Katniss and why I love her so much as a character. She is an adolescent who feels so many complex and layered emotions, but she is desperate to find the one simple answer, the one word that describes her motivations and feelings, because that's what we tend to do as children or with our children. We tend to try and distill it down to the simplest thing, when the truth is, like most of our human emotions and motivations, there IS NO SIMPLE ANSWER. It's all a mess, and this scenario would be no different.

I have no idea if I made sense of my answer or just rambled on for way too long, lol. Thanks for the ask!

<3 kdnfb

[kataraslove]

hello! I have already seen the opinion several times that everlark and zutara are very similar ships. as a big everlark shipper, I feel that there is something wrong with such an opinion. what can you say about it?

everlark and zutara are similar ships??? how???

zutara has always been given grace from the fandom for as long as i can remember, has always been the fandom preference, while back in the 2010s people despised everlark and wanted katniss to get with gale simply because they found liam hemsworth so much hotter. i directly recall all of my friends being team gale and making fun of me for being team peeta while the movies were coming out. i’m glad that the fandom seems to have done a 180 since the ending of the books and movies; but i also see people taking part in revisionist history by saying that everlark was always the fandom’s preferred choice & i just want to remind y’all that no!!! early everlark stans were in the trenches!

not to mention the criticisms towards everlark and kataang are very similar? i.e., it was forced, katara/katniss didn’t actually love them, aang/peeta coerced their partners into a relationship, aang/peeta isn’t masculine enough for katara/katniss, it was trauma bonding, etc etc. sometimes when i read anti everlark opinions, i get a serious case of deja vu because i’ve heard those exact arguments being used for kataang.

i’ll have to reread the hunger games trilogy for an accurate comparison on the similarities and differences between everlark and the two atla ships. i can, however, offer my two cents based on the following quote:

“That what I need to survive is not Gale's fire, kindled with rage and hatred. I have plenty of fire myself. What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again. And only Peeta can give me that.”

and based on what iroh has said about zuko and katara’s dynamic in the legacy of the fire nation, which i think summarizes it perfectly:

“she was certainly the whetstone against which you honed and sharpened your fury, at least for some time.”

“you both shared tremendous passion, but also emotional pains that fueled the fire in your bellies.”

“but her instincts and aang’s advice served her well, as she discovered that vengeance was not the answer.”

this post also provides a great visual summary into how katniss’ monologue applies to katara and aang (rather than katara and zuko):

[thegreatmelodrama]

I had a great chat with some online mutuals/friends about the Hunger Games and we were talking about the comparisons some people were making between Snow and other characters of the trilogy and more specifically Peeta, Katniss, and Gale. Apparently some people are saying that Peeta is very similar to Snow or probably would have had a POV similar to Snow’s if the events of the trilogy were told from his perspective (which is just objectively false). While others say that Gale is just like Snow, which again isn’t exactly true either. However, there is some truth in these statements and this is what I want to focus on in particular.

Peeta, much like a young and even older Coriolanus Snow, possesses a quick wit and the ability to turn his charm on and off. We see this especially in his interviews with Caesar. And the same goes for Snow, and we see this particularly in TBOSAS, especially within the first two chapters as he turns on this charm when interacting with the students and faculty at the Academy. It’s very much a performance of sorts. And yes, there is the whole “in love” (though not really live for Coriolanus) with a girl who also has a past with another guy type of thing. However, the difference is that Peeta’s love isn’t obsession/possessiveness/a need for control disguised as love. His is a true genuine love, the kind where he just wants Katniss to be happy and in his life regardless of whether they end up together romantically. However, it’s also important to note that Coriolanus Snow was given the chance to actually learn what love was and was given every opportunity to correct his way of thinking, and yet always went straight back to power and control.

Then we have Gale. Gale has probably the most in common with Snow of the main three, and yet still differs. People are very quick to hate on Gale, and while I dislike him, his character should be approached with nuance. And it’s important to note that Gale did not start off as a “bad” person or someone who was willing to kill Prim because Katniss didn’t love him back. With that being said, he also demonstrates behaviors and actions that are bad and wrong. Gale is someone who has been deeply affected by the actions of the Capitol and his feelings towards the Capitol are completely understandable and in many ways justifiable, at least initially. The difference comes in his inability to listen to other perspectives and adapt his views, much like Coriolanus. And his inability to do so stems from both his lack of experience of having to kill someone up close while looking into their eyes, and from his latching onto his feelings of anger and resentment in which he blurs and crosses the line between that which is necessary and that which is unnecessary. And while these things certainly allow for an understanding of where he is coming from, they don’t justify his desires for the people in the nut, his views towards Katniss’s prep team, or his overall decision to use the same rule-book as Snow and stoop to his level. His initial feelings may be justified, but that in no way justified some of his later behavior. The second he said that he was using Snow’s rule-book and the instant that Katniss made a comparison between Snow and Gale in her internal dialogue is the point in which alarm bells should have been going off in our minds as well. It shows us that in those moments where Gale made bad decisions, his line of thinking in many ways mirrored that of Snow.

However in many ways he is very similar to Casca Highbottom, someone who put words to a piece of paper which led to so much more: a mere hypothetical that had catastrophic results. And this is what we see with Gale and the bombs. It was something that Gale and Beetee created together to use for the Capitol, however I don’t think Gale or Beetee really considered just how far Coin would go to win the war. Just like Crassus Snow and Gaul took advantage of this hypothetical and employed it into action, Coin does the same and uses Gale’s and Beetee’s bomb designs to kill countless Capitol children and medics, Prim included. The whole point is that Prim’s death shows the unintended and catastrophic effects of war, but also of human actions and agency. Whether or not Gale took anything away from Prim’s death is unknown and is left largely to the interpretations of the readers. However, Casca Highbottom’s lingering guilt over The Hunger Games May serve as an indication that this is something that will most likely haunt Gale forever. With that being said, we see that Gale, much like Snow is taken down a certain path where he is steered and encouraged partially by an older figure (Coin in this case) but even more so steered by his inability to part with certain emotions and convictions in which he refuses to listen to the words of others trying to broaden his perspective and make him think about his actions. He blurs the line between necessary and unnecessary force and violence. However, this doesn’t mean Gale purely is evil or a villain or even close to being like the Snow we see in the trilogy. He differs from Snow in a lot of ways and we see this in all of the good decisions he makes. However, whether or not Gale regrets ever helping create the ideas of the bombs and whether or not he learns anything from some of his bad decisions is something that is up for interpretation.

Lastly there are even similarities between Snow and Katniss. They both share this fixation with not owing anyone a debt. And while Snow is much better with people than Katniss is, both are still untrusting of the people they encounter initially, always keeping a part of themselves guarded from the outside world. And while these are probably the most basic, rudimentary similarities, I mention them for an important reason. Namely, to show that each of these characters and perhaps even more have all shared certain traits with Snow.

The point is that villains are made, not born. Snow was not born a villain or born destined to be a villain. If you remember the conversation between Sejanus and Snow in the arena, one can even see that even though Snow was saying anything to get Sejanus out of there, he did still have rebellious thoughts about the Capitol and the games. The fact that characters have certain traits that Snow has possessed further shows that he, like every single one of those characters, was at one point a kid and a teenager learning more about the world and his place within it. Snow became a villain because of the choices he made and what makes that so impactful is that it is inevitably a story about human agency and the choices we make and whether we learn from them or repeat the cycle. My point is that people have a tendency to view Snow in a manner very similar to the way Snow views humanity: as lacking any inherent goodness and thus having an inherent darkness. However, we are meant to view Snow (and I mean a young Snow) and the rest of the characters—and in fact human beings in general—the way that Lucy Gray views humanity: as having an inherent goodness or propensity to do good. The whole point is that Snow could have ended up differently, his story “might have been otherwise.” And that is so important because it makes his story and the results that came from his path that much more tragic and anger-inducing.

[zenkor123]

What is the plot of your main fic?

Trigger warning: Morphling.

Following the cafeteria incident Peeta begins making progress on his recovery but that is disrupted when Arthur Cartright is killed by PK insurgents in D2. Delly lashes out at everyone and when Peeta tries to console her she calls him a mutt and failed project saying he isn't Peeta at all. Peeta has a moment of doubt wondering if the current treatment plan will work.

Coin sees an opportunity in this, she has long harbored a Jealousy of Katniss for being the MJ instead of her when it is Panem's destiny to rise under her leadership as she is the rebellion not Katniss. She figures out a way to punish Katniss for this.

Give Peeta D13 citizenship utilize Peeta’s identity problems to utilize him. Coin deems that Katniss will escape Peeta whenever possible she hopes to drive to her to a state of self loathing alone with no one. People will wonder why Katniss was ever the Mockingjay and how it was ever possible, Katniss's place in history will be replaced by Coin.

She allocates resources away from treating hijacking and towards turning Peeta Mellark and Annie Odair into workers with the caveat that no one is allowed to mention Peeta's memory/identity.

Katniss is uncomfortable with Peeta walking in an about 13 and protests to Coin, who wants Katniss to endorse her program and make a disparaging comment. With contempt Coin sneers that Katniss is an unstable and selfish girl who 'abandoned' Peeta. Katniss says that Peeta is a mutt, he isn't Peeta and Johanna's right saying that 'you can have her' to Coin.

This was recorded so all of 13 could hear this and turn against the MJ. The message Katniss even if she wasn't responsible for Peeta is morally ill suited to be the MJ. She abandoned her supposed lover but goes into action for people she does not know. The isolation of Katniss begins, with Haymitch joining a branch of the morphling industry of 13 called the victors cell, blasting Katniss for "giving Peeta to Coin" and stating that his mentoring is finished as he cannot help her.

Peeta also joins the morphling cartel, not sure of who he is, but trusting in his doctors, a plan to expose him to triggers until the triggers are diminished is crafted by his doctors. In late September he sees hours of footage of himself after the rescue and his strangulation of Katniss, and is given an incapacitator which will knock him out if he is too far out of it. Numerous treatments are given for his episodes-PTSD therapy for his time in the capitol, Constant talks from doctors, keeping himself occupied at all times, various pills, physical therapy that include exposure to something analogous to physical pain.

They also ensure work to combat Peeta's DID like symptoms ensuring that Peeta know that who he is now is who he is and he isn't a separate person when he has his episodes. He is him. But beyond that his identity is up to him, and what that results in isn't pretty to say the least. He remembers bad memories more then positive memories becoming convinced that 13 without any utilitarian purpose refused to give up on him.

Peeta Mellark works 20 hours a day, and is later drafted to the D13 military against his protests, he makes new friends and reconnects with old ones, exploring sides of 13 Katniss hadn't noticed.

When Peeta becomes BFF with Annie and Finnick Katniss is isolated from them as well as from Johanna who goes nude in front of Peeta leading to hostile reactions from Katniss. Gale makes no effort to approach her. Her refuge from Peeta training to kill Snow, is defiled as well when Peeta is compelled to show up to training.

Both Katniss and Peeta show hostility to each other along with attempts at cordiality followed by general cordiality. Peeta is a stranger to Katniss, Peeta may be good at putting on a mask of sanity but to Katniss the damage from his identity problems, the mental instability of Peeta are apparent. The knife of Katniss's grief twists again as Katniss and Peeta both view Peeta's old self as gone, and hearing Peeta describe what it means for him, describing it as a second chance in life only furthers her desire to kill Snow and bite the nightlock. While remnants of the Jacker conditioning initially shape Peeta's sense of an imminent danger from Katniss even with that gone, with identity issues, and damage to his ability to recall memories from his hijacking(the memories are there they are difficult to summon), whatever self treatment he does to reconstruct what is true or false about his past often brings him farther from the truth then he was originally or gives him selected aspects of the true timeline.

Yet his nueral pathways continued to repair itself naturally feeding his efforts despite the memory damage that made him forget his favorite color, mortal fear of episodes, memory triggered headaches, and bitterness at those memories being "lost." Comparing his observations of Katniss to his memories, associating everything from the color of floors, and fighting through memory triggered episodes were the most effective methods used in his self treatment along with critical evaluation.

Gale makes it clear he will only be friends with Katniss, Johanna makes up with Katniss, and she tries to befriend Delly, Finnick makes Peeta give her baked treats he made. So this continues until Prim begins taking up morphling and Peeta has a lethal episode on the 7th(possibly orchestrated by Coin) and Katniss snaps blowing up the den Peeta works in, Katniss blasts Coin and tries to resign as the Mockingjay. Coin sustains damage and is forced to resume treatment of hijacking but Katniss is institutionalized. Katniss manages to secure treatment for Peeta's hijacking, and taking off of Johanna, Peeta and Haymitch of Morphling with the help of D6. The districts distrust of Coin grows. Put together by Coin Katniss and Peeta must navigate a new arena District 13