Alisonnott

21

[heartforeyes]

Peeta: I choose to die so Katniss can live. Help me

Haymitch: you know what, bud? I would’ve done the same fucking thing. Done.

[gildusandschwifty]

Suzanne Collins number one Maysilee Donner defender

[allovesthings]

One of the things all four victors of District 12 have in common is that all of them stayed with a dying tribute so that theirs passing could be at least peaceful.

Lucy Gray held Jessup as he died.

Haymitch held Maysilee as she died.

Katniss held Rue as she died

And Peeta held the girl Morphling as she died.

[lanadel-heyyy]

burdock everdeen couldn’t save haymitch but haymitch could save burdie’s little girl

[thetwinandpinleftbehind]

so in light of ma abernathy being like hazelle in the sense that she was able to pull herself up by her boot straps after being widowed (and by the same means, from the looks of it), I better not see any mrs everdeen disrespect

[mage-chocolate]

The devastating parallel of Haymitch not being reaped, he was just taken because he was trying to protect the girl he loved. And the next time he’s reaped he’s replaced by a boy trying to do the same thing.

[yelenadelova]

We finally have confirmed names for Katniss’s parents: Burdock Everdeen and Asterid March.

[thesmileykate]

there is something there about katniss's mom being the main person people turn to when their loved ones are whipped. but when she falls into such an intense depression after katniss's dad dies, no one comes to her aide.

i don't know. she has given so selflessly for years. but i guess that isn't how things work in panem.

[theladyofbloodshed]

Do they know that reading is not mandatory? Nobody is forcing them to read?

[theladyofbloodshed]

With regards to this post, I do think it's as a result of a number of factors:

booktok is fast fashion for books; hurriedly written, without care, and not memorable

bookstagram has created a need to read as much as possible to have a high total so people are skim reading or listening to audiobooks at double the speed

attention spans are diminishing thanks to vine then tiktok

it's trendy now to be a reader but people want fantasy books with no worldbuilding, want a book built on tropes rather than plot, or want the same plot and characters recycled - which many authors are jumping on the bandwagon and doing

thank you for coming to my ted talk

[stonedrozes]

the worst thing in the world is doing things. the second worst thing in the world is not doing things. how has no one ever come up with a solution for this

[ihopeucomehomesoon]

i don’t feel like an adult and i don’t feel like a real person and i don’t feel like i have autonomy or agency in my life although i’ve made every decision of my free will

[asanaquarian]

Lucy Gray Baird is a name lost to time, yet she is kept alive in many ways.

Despite the efforts of President Coriolanus Snow to scrub the victor of the tenth Hunger Games from the face of the earth, her legacy remains.

Once, only a master copy of the tenth Hunger Games existed, but in the sixty-five years since then, the tapes have been released to the public. The editing is odd, and sometimes it’s hard to make out anything, but it’s impossible to miss how Lucy Gray sings to the serpents that swim across the asphalt and coil around her skirt like vines.

Even before the games, guitar in hand at the interviews, she trills to the crowd; serenading them into a trance just like snake charmers of old.

Yearly, her name is the first read out at the District 12 reaping. The short list of past winners is read to the hundreds of citizens made to stand in the square. No one gives it a second thought, not when they’re standing there silently pleading for someone else’s name to come out of the bowl.

Haymitch Abernathy has always been curious about his predecessor. He has a copy of the tenth games under his floorboards, and when he’s in the depths of drink, he pulls it out and watches the tape. Again and again. Not many people alive in Twelve remember the girl in the rainbow dress, but if you know the right people and have expensive booze, you can find what you need. The goat man seems to know a lot.

Lucy Gray Baird is kept alive by the spectacle that the Hunger Game have become. She’s kept alive by the mayor of Twelve when he reads her name once a year. She’s kept alive by Haymitch, who’s grown fond of the woman who disappeared before he was even born, who could’ve been his mentor. She’s kept alive by the girl on fire, whose voice is as clear as day and sweet as a songbird. Whose grandmother could memorise a song from a single listen.

[burst-of-iridescent]

i love the ballad of songbirds and snakes for many reasons, but my favourite has to be its complete and utter repudiation of the myth that humanity is inherently evil.

the first person to raise this idea is dr gaul, who uses it as justification for the games. if savagery is the unchanging, brute nature of human beings, then it must be kept in check; if chaos is inevitable, then so is control. the hunger games are a leash, necessary only because of the rabid dogs it's forced to keep in hand.

but of course, we know both from the original trilogy and tbosas itself that this simply isn't true. over and over again, there are people in the games who choose kindness and compassion and empathy, from lucy gray to jessup to reaper to katniss and peeta. the games reveal the best of humanity even in circumstances specifically curated to bring out only the worst. contrary to what dr gaul believes, they're actually testament to the innate goodness of humanity and its ability to thrive even amidst every attempt to quell it.

and multiple people, including coriolanus himself initially, point out that the worst aspects of the games are largely due to a lack of choice. none of those tributes would be murdering each other if the capitol wasn't forcing them to. but that highlights the very reason that this argument about the nature of humanity is used in the first place: to absolve those who choose to do evil from the guilt they should rightfully bear for that choice.

by the end of the book, coriolanus gives in fully to dr gaul's way of thinking simply because it excuses him from accepting blame for his actions. if he killed sejanus, it's because he had no choice. if he betrayed lucy gray, it's because she would've betrayed him first. coriolanus refuses to believe in the goodness of humanity because that would have meant accepting the goodness that existed within him, and with that came the potential for making a different, better choice - potential that he knew, deep down, he had wasted. attributing his crimes to an innate evil that no one can overcome means that he can't be held accountable, because it's out of his control. and ironically, it is this supposed lack of control over the fundamentals of oneself that coriolanus uses to justify his love for control and authority in all else, even to the bitter end.

the hunger games books have always been a love letter to humanity and the importance of believing in the goodness of your fellow human beings. but in tbosas collins shows you the flip side: that the only people invested in declaring the inherent evil of humanity are those who have no interest in bettering it.

[let-me-sleep-or-die]

Yeah Katniss Is Lucy Gray’s greatest revenge on snow

But Peeta is how she haunts him. 

Katniss is Lucy’s anger. She’s the retribution. 

Katniss is fire. Katniss used her songs as a warcry. As a call to arms. 

Katniss is the fight. 

Katniss is the revenge. 

Peeta is Lucy’s kindness.  He’s the reminder. 

A boy in love with a songbird. A boy obsessed with with a victor from twelve. 

Peeta is the good that Lucy was. Peeta believes in that fundamental kindness Lucy gray did. Peeta is her memory. The reminder that Snow crossed that line into evil. 

Even after being high jacked, peeta warns people. He tells them to flee the danger. Run like Lucy did. 

Peeta knows how to hide. He can disappear in the woods. 

Just like Lucy did. 

Peeta is charismatic, someone the capitol fell in love with, like they did with Lucy. 

Peeta is the memory. 

Katniss was there to end Snow, to stop him to make sure everything he built was burned. 

Peeta was there to torment him. Be the ghost of Lucy. Make sure Snow was in pain over the woman he lost. 

[paperpuzzles]

The Pearl (Everlark Headcanon)

One morning, Peeta woke up and Katniss’s side of the bed was empty. Assuming she’d gone hunting, Peeta went to make breakfast for when she got back. But when he got downstairs, he saw Katniss frantically searching the living room.

“Katniss?” he said softly.

She looked up. Her eyes were red and puffy. Immediately, Peeta rushed over to her.

“Your pearl,” she choked. “It’s gone. I’ve been looking for it all morning.”

Peeta wrapped his arms around her body. He knew what that pearl meant to her. “I’m sure it’s around here somewhere.”

Katniss sniffed and buried her head in his nightshirt. “I can’t believe I lost it, Peeta.”

“You didn’t lose it.” He gently pressed his lips to her forehead. “We’ll find that pearl, I promise.”

“I was so stupid to leave it out.” She sounded on the verge of tears again. “The damn thing is always rolling around! I need to keep it safe!”

“Hey,” he took her chin in his fingers and tilted her face up to him. “Why don’t you take a break from looking and go hunt, hm? I’ll look for it in the meantime. Okay?”

Blinking back a tear, Katniss smiled weakly. “Yeah.” She gave him a quick kiss and headed out the door.

Peeta spent the next hour looking for the pearl. Right as he was starting to think it might actually be lost, he heard a commotion from the bedroom and ran upstairs. He chuckled when he saw Buttercup batting the pearl across the wood floor and chasing it like a mouse.

“Silly cat,” he laughed as he plucked the pearl out from between Buttercup’s paws.

The cat meowed in protest.

“I’ll make sure you don’t get ahold of this again,” he teased as he lovingly scratched Buttercup’s chin. “And make sure Katniss doesn’t lose this again.”

The idea came to him in a flash, and he wasted no time.

The blacksmith by the square was known for occasionally making simple jewelry for the right price. The blacksmith asked what he wanted and how much he was willing to pay.

“The pearl pressed into a ring,” Peeta requested. “As long as it won’t budge. And I’ll pay whatever you want.”

“Won’t be too hard,” said the blacksmith. “It’ll take me an hour or so. How about you bring me bread for the…. For the rest of the week, how’s that?”

“No problem.”

When the blacksmith was done, Peeta took the ring and went home, examining it on the way. Just like he’d asked, the pearl was pressed into the ring, which was made from scrap metal, but still looked nice. Perfect for Katniss, since she always avoided flashy things. They reminded her too much of the Capitol.

Arriving back at the house, Peeta walked in on Katniss skinning a wild turkey. “You’re back!” she said. “Were you in town?”

“Yep,” he grinned. “And I got you something.”

Eagerly, Katniss washed her hands and sat next to him on the sofa. Giddy with excitement, Peeta pulled out the ring.

Katniss’s face froze. “Is that the…”

“It is.” He held it out to her. “I found it upstairs. Buttercup thought it was a fun little toy.”

A smile broke over her face and her eyes glistened. “That stupid cat.”

Peeta laughed. “I had it made into a ring, now you can keep it on you so you don’t have to worry about losing it.”

Katniss threw her arms around him and pulled him in for a long kiss. Even after all these years, her kisses still gave him butterflies. “Thank you, Peeta. I… thank you.”

Sliding the ring onto her left middle finger, she held up her hand. “What do you think?”

“It’s perfect,” Peeta smiled.

Pleased, she examined it again. “Did you know people used to give each other rings when they got married?”

“Really?” said Peeta. “Weird!”

[ars0nistpixie-deactivated202411]

Hunger Games is a love letter. 

Hunger Games is a love letter to Prim. A love letter to the gentle, to the healers, to the kindly headstrong, to the wise. A love letter to the defenceless and precious, to those who have seen too much too soon — a love letter to those we yearn to save and, often, can’t.

Hunger Games is a love letter to Madge. A love letter to those who love quietly, to those whose silent actions say a lot more than words ever could. A love letter to the companions whose acceptance and support warm our hearts and touch our souls, to those who stay with us forever — sometimes, regrettably, only in memory.

Hunger Games is a love letter to Johanna. A love letter to the wounded, to those made harsh by loss. A love letter to those who’d rather be loathed than deemed an inconvenience, to those who don’t know how to let people in anymore — a love letter to those who don’t remember what it is to be loved.

Hunger Games is a love letter to Rue. A love letter to the sweet and generous, to the brutally sacrificed, to the victims of injustice. A love letter to those who could have been saved but weren’t, to those who deserved better, to the innocent — a love letter to the children who will be forever mourned. 

Hunger Games is a love letter to Finnick. A love letter to those whose pain was made to be spectacle, to the dehumanised and abused. A love letter to those who put up a wall and hide their pain, to the brave and broken, to the soulfully beautiful — to those who sometimes fall to pieces and can’t put them back together.

Hunger Games is a love letter to Haymitch. A love letter to those who never stopped hurting, to those who dismantle themselves to cope with what’s left, to those who’d rather forget. A love letter to those whose self-hatred struggles with all the good they desperately want to do, those who’d love to love, those who are afraid to fall asleep — those who are irreparably torn in the aftermath.

Hunger Games is a love letter to Katniss’ father, whose memory is the only survivor, and to Katniss’ mother, who is left to pick up the pieces.

Hunger Games is a love letter to Peeta, the dandelion in the spring. A love letter to rebirth and hope, to the growth of flowers among the ashes, to the promise of a better future. A love letter to love, the selfless, healing love, the one that breathes life back into starved lungs, the one that makes a home, the unconditional embrace that warms wintery hearts — a love letter to a sunset that calls for dawn.

Hunger Games is a love letter to Katniss, to the fire of a revolution that yearns for peace. A love letter to those who, surrounded by violence, choose compassion, a love letter for the inadequate and chosen, a love letter for those who are exhausted and forced to get up. A love letter for those who, after the fight, seek to rebuild, a love letter for those who are broken and selfless, a love letter for those who tried their hardest to save those they loved — a love letter to the survivors.

[thesmileykate]

watching the movie has really brought to my attention that what katniss did with rue was not new.

like watching reaper make a mass grave of the children, covering them with the symbol of a government whose job it was to protect them. or lamina giving a mercy blow to marcus, putting him out of his misery.

and then thinking about haymitch and maysilee. the way he ran when he heard her screaming. and stayed with her until she died.

memorializing the other children in the games might have been less common, but it was not new. because, as it turns out, children do not like to see their friends, their peers die in front of them.

and so, it makes me feel a little more dubious when people say that katniss's memorialization of rue in the first book was *the* catalyst for the revolution. and that is not to say that it was not part of the reason, but it just wasn't the most revolutionary thing that happened.

because while the movie directly connects that incident with the first protest in district eleven, that is not what we get in the book. in the book, all we get is a little gift of gratitude from district eleven to the girl who protected a child.

so, what was so revolutionary?

i think it all revolves around katniss's actions that put aside her will to survive to protect the people she loves. because when push comes to shove, she will not become the monster that is set solely on self-preservation. one that is only focused on her survival.

and for some reason, in my head, katniss's actions with peeta are a little more important than her volunteering for prim.

because while she did volunteer to enter an arena that almost guaranteed her death, it was for her sister. a perfectly healthy girl with a future ahead of her.

but when peeta was dying, it was a little different. she didn't need to do anything and she would be guaranteed safety. he would just die and she would be crowned victor.

even if she could save him, who knows if he would even survive when the capitol picked him up. (i mean... he almost didn't). so, it literally does not make any practical sense why she would sacrifice her life for a dying boy.

but she couldn't let him die. so if that meant that if she had to gamble her life to possibly get him to safety, she would do it. because she had no choice. because she loved him, she gambled her life to call the capitol's bluff.

and that was revolutionary.