asking You, my most trusted annie mutual, for any thoughts you may have on possible annie and gale interactions bc your interpretation of her is so good
Annie and Gale…Annie and Gale.
I think Annie, once she learns of Gale’s involvement in her rescue, would see that with the gravity it deserves. Gale is a young guy. he’s younger than her! I think she’d recognize the immense bravery it took for him to volunteer for that mission, which is something that literally nobody else seems to recognize, and she’d validate that in him. I know that she’d definitely go out of her way to thank him for it once she was well enough.
in terms of postcanon, Annie by the end of mj, just judging by her effort to reach out and connect with Katniss in both the book and the movie, has accepted the role of being a responsible and present adult in these kids’ lives. I think that would extend to Gale. Annie knows a lot about isolation and I can imagine she also knows a lot about being ostracized from her community, and I think she’d reach out to him and try to help him navigate that.
overall, I think Annie tries to bury her grief by being there for other people and taking care of her son. she’s someone that seems to care for people in grief, and I think she’d see Gale as someone who really needs caring for. Gale would probably bristle at that, but she’s also removed enough from his life that he might eventually accept speaking with her and her support, because sometimes it’s easier to talk about that with a stranger. I don’t think they ever truly become that close, but I think they’re bonded by his rescue of her and I think there’s a respect there that continues for a long time, if not the rest of their lives.
@sangrefae | Ilavendermenace | Iolanthe, or just Io
What's your THG origin story?
The books originally came out when I was around 6, and my older sister was 11 or 12 at that point. Considering my sister had loved the wizard series that shall not be named, and the Hunger Games books were getting popular, my mother decided to read the first book to see if it was appropriate. I remember my mother being so upset by it that when the first movie was announced, I remembered her reaction and asked her about it. By then I still wasn't really in the appropriate age range, and she told me as such, that I would have to wait until I was older to read it. So I, of course, found the first book in the school library anyway -- I'd already been reading the Animorphs and Warriors series, how graphic could it really get comparatively -- and tried to sneakily check it out and read it. She found out, obviously, but upon learning that I wasn't really bothered but instead fascinated, she gave up and let me read them, LOL. Thus began my love for the series, and I've continued to love it off and on in the years since.
What are your favorite things about the series?
I like a lot of things about the series, but it really all comes down to the characters and their relationships to me. The political commentary aspect of the books is a cornerstone, and the worldbuilding is fascinating, but I truly don't think the series would have been as successful as it was without the strength of the characters and how they interacted with each other. Collins in the trilogy has a really good sense of creating captivating characters in a small space, and even the one-off characters become memorable in their short time-frames. I especially think of characters like Boggs and Paylor in this way; we barely get any characterization outside of their interactions and a cursory description, but they feel just as human as the characters like Haymitch and Katniss, containing rich inner stories of their own. In my eyes, the characters are the pillars of the books holding everything else up.
What's something you want the fandom to know about you?
I'm determined to rehabilitate Gale Hawthorne's image even if it kills me, LOL. He's one of the most fascinating and well-rounded characters in the series to me, but over time he's become reduced to this almost cartoon-like cardboard cutout of a rival love interest that very few people willingly engage with seriously and not from a place of pure dislike. I mean, he's arguably one of the most important secondary characters in the entire series, but he's continually erased and diminished! I say no more Gale erasure, and I WILL be enforcing this. This is a threat. (Joking... But am I? 🤨🤔)
When did you begin creating? What inspired you to begin?
For the Hunger Games specifically, or just in general? Because I've been creating in general since basically the moment I could hold a pencil straight. For the Hunger Games, though, beyond a few sketches as a preteen it's mostly been a recent development that I've started creating fanworks. Reading SOTR finally pushed me over the edge to draw the characters as I've always seen them in my mind, and the positive response encouraged me to continue. Creation for me is closely tied to the audience and the dialogue I get from engaging with the people who like my work, and the fact that people liked my little sketches was like a breath of fresh air after years of being very niche in previous fandoms. As artists, we all strive to keep creating for ourselves above everything, but it also feels really nice to know that the world sees you and appreciates you, too, y'know?
What is your favorite thing to depict in your work?
I love dissecting character relationships and figuring out how they would collide and rub each other the wrong ways, how they'd respond to conflict as well as how they act when they're truly comfortable. Even my shitpost-y doodles tend to revolve around funny scenarios between characters, because I truly enjoy thinking about all of the nuances that come with the connections that are both canonically formed and imagined in fanon.
What’s your personal favorite of your works?
While my Gale fic is my baby, I still really love the piece of art I made of him and Katniss inspired by the song "Two Slow Dancers" by Mitski. Their relationship is so compelling to me, platonic and romantic and everything in-between, and I feel like the song speaks to that bittersweet nostalgia that underlies their dynamic. It was more experimental than most of my usual art, based more on the emotion than the visuals, and so I'll always have a soft spot for it.
If you could recommend just one, which would it be?
Considering that it's my only published Hunger Games fic, I have to say The Game Is On Again, my canon rewrite where Gale is the one reaped for the 74th Games instead of Peeta. It's really a labor of love and I'm genuinely enjoying working on it, especially figuring out the fine details of what will change and what stays consistent between the og plot and this new divergence. Plus, I'm having so much fun writing from Gale's point of view and really diving deep into his head and his worldview, especially since we only get a small window of him in the original trilogy. I also think the twist of (spoilers? Maybe? It's my own fic i say what's spoilers and what's not LOL) there not being the star-crossed lovers angle really shifts the story in a fascinating way where Gale and Katniss both have to navigate the Games without that central storyline already endearing them to the Capitol. It's still a work in progress, I'm writing Chapter 13 right now, and it's going to be an interesting one, so you should read it just in time for the update! 👀
What are the main characteristics of your favorite canon characters you always try to maintain in your stories?
For Gale, it's definitely his sense of humor that's balanced by his strong sense of justice and righteous anger. It can be really easy to fall into just writing him as a big goof or a huge asshole, but the thing about his character is that he walks this very fine line between them. He's very similar to Peeta in that he defaults to humor in times of stress or tense situations, but it's more sarcastic than it is self-deprecating; he's judgemental and quick to anger, but there are also only about two moments in the entirety of the series where he actually loses his cool and raises his voice; he's impulsive and makes stupid or even dangerous decisions when he's worked up, but he's also one of the more calculated and perceptive characters of the cast. It's important to me that I keep all of this in mind when I write him, because otherwise I feel like it does a disservice to him and the complexity that he represents.
For Katniss, in contrast, I wouldn't say she's less complex as she is much more straightforward, and has a very utilitarian way of seeing the world. I like to joke about her obliviousness as much as anyone else, but I also feel like it really speaks to her character----if it isn't absolutely essential for her safety and survival, she doesn't notice it. It isn't even that she doesn't care about it, either, but rather that she CAN'T care. I always think about how in the books, the most vivid and detailed descriptions Katniss gives are of the food in the Capitol; she's been food-insecure for the majority of her life, and the sole provider for years at the point of the first book, so of course the thing that she allows herself to fully take note of is the food. This kind of mindset is essential for me to maintain in my writing of her, just because it's central to how she navigates through the world.
Tell us about an OC of yours. What inspired them and what purpose do they serve in your works?
She hasn't made an appearance in any of my fics (yet!), but I will always talk about my victor OC, Arizona Deltoro from District 10:
At the age of 15, Arizona was reaped for the 51st Games along with her district partner, Marrow Holstein. Compared to the spectacle of the Quarter Quell the year before, the Games were expected to be somewhat lacking, and so Arizona flew under the radar even with a score of 9 in training. She managed to survive the first few days by hiding, but after her district partner was killed by the boy tribute from 4, she finally put her skills from working in the slaughterhouses of 10 to use. She used a heavy stone to strike at the tribute's temples, knocking them out before slitting their throats to bleed them, and picked the others off one by one if they weren't already dying from dehydration. Eventually she was caught out by one of the other Career tributes, resulting in the final fight where she got the scar on her face from being pushed into barbed wire by her opponent. She claimed victory when she used her knife to cut open the other girl from clavicle to navel before leaving her to bleed out, like she had with the others. Her clinical, almost impersonal method of killing tributes deeply unsettled the Capitol audiences, especially since she didn't outwardly show any emotion, making her an incredibly unpopular victor. This reputation has protected her in her adult life from the worst demands of the Capitol, but she's also ostracized from even the other victors, leaving her oftentimes alone in 10.
I started out with an idea in mind of a victor from District 10, because it's one of the districts we know very little about in the series; Tanner in TBOSAS is the most representation it gets, followed by his district partner Brandy and Dalton in Mockingjay. Tanner specifically made me think about the theoretical victors for 10, though, because the fact that 10's industry is livestock and a large portion of that is to do with killing and butchering the animals makes me think that they'd have an advantage already as a tribute. Arizona is also a result of me thinking about the other "unpopular" victors that surely exist and how they lost the Capitol's favor, specifically to do with the level of "acceptable" violence permitted in the Games and when it goes from enjoyable to too brutal. There's a lot of nuance that goes into the world of the victors, in my opinion, and I really wanted to explore some of that nuance through Arizona.
Tell us about your favorite relationship (of any kind) in the series. Why is it your favorite?
If you couldn't already tell, the majority of my fixation on the Hunger Games revolves around Gale and Katniss's relationship and the tragedy of it in the series. Like I said before, it doesn't matter to me if it's platonic or romantic; Katniss herself said that Gale had become more than a friend to her, even if it wasn't in a strictly romantic sense, and I think the strength of their relationship lies in that ambiguity. For four years they were each other's stability, relying on the other for their mutual survival, and no matter what I do genuinely believe that they loved each other. They weren't perfect friends, to be sure -- they were both teenagers thrust into an insanely complex world with dire consequences if they messed up, and where Gale was persistent Katniss was uncommunicative -- but I liked their relationship because they were still close and helped each other through their personal conflicts. It's also why their ending in Mockingjay hurts so much. They stuck together through so much, and Katniss doesn't even want to let him go, but he crossed that one line he can never come back from and he knows it. What can I say? I enjoy angst and these two are full of it. (Benoit Blanc voice) It hurts me so damn much! Compels me, though.
Anyone you would like to shout out in the fandom?
My trusted mutual and dear friend @tiffynathy is one of the best people I've met through coming back to THG, along with @districtfourmermaid, @sadalmostlesbian, @hawtnip , @ongreenergrasses, @mr-nauseum, and many more but I don't want to blow up people's notifications with this.
Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?
Gale Hawthorne has long hair and Suzanne Collins is a coward for not mentioning it. /j
rules: link the fic(s) you’re currently reading, tag the author (if you know their blog), then share your favorite part!
I was tagged by @districtunrest (thank you!!) and I'll be tagging her back with Something of Our Own
Post-canon Haymitch in the new District 12. People are rebuilding, and Haymitch takes a shot at healing. It's a super insightful exploration of recovery from addiction with a mix of mental and medical aspects that both slap. Also The Hayzelle Slow Burn. I love Hazelle in this, and it's been a fun dive into the ship.
I fell off around when SOTR came out, but I'm finally getting back into it. Here's a quote I loved from the most recent chapter I read, 22: All in Good Time because it so charmingly encapsulates something I like seeing in Haymitch's personal journey; referencing a girl, Nadine, who rolls her eyes as Greasy Sae puts her to work, which amuses Haymitch:
Instead of wallowing in the same old things that the sight drudges up in him, he tries to remember being fourteen. His grandma died that year, and he started dating his first real girlfriend, as he'd distinguished to his brother. Haymitch believed he was nearly grown up, then, but of course he wasn't. He can see that same kind of bravado in Nadine, and it's odd to feel only amused by it. He doesn't have to discern whether it'll make her hard to mentor or get her sponsors.
And naturally, I am blown away by everything I've read so far in The Game Is On Again by @sangrefae . I could take a whole Trilogy of this!
Gale Reaped AU from his perspective following the canon events with impeccable precision and adapting them to the changes in situation in very interesting ways. The characterization and voice are top notch. All the little details are exquisite. That's the guy! He has the attitude and the fire but he's smart and loving and adorable. I also love the chance to see details, events, or interactions with other characters that are para-canon because they were outside Katniss's notice/experience/comment or entirely fresh because they happen due to Gale's presence.
All the Everthorne sweetness and Katniss from his perspective are amazing, but here's a funny moment in the most recent chapter, 8: love is going to lead you by the hand; just after Effie critique's Gale's accent in preparation for the interviews, which sparks some thought on her I really liked, but this part got me:
I straighten up in my seat, angling my body just enough to mirror Effie's position without it being too obvious. Years of practice make it surprisingly easy to pitch my voice up in the fake peppy way of the Capitol, though I'm careful not to overdo it. “Is something like this better for the interview?”
I'd been watching her expression out of the corner of my eye to see if she realized my true intentions, but amazingly, she breaks into a delighted smile with no indication that she noticed. “Yes, exactly that! That's perfect!”
I grin back at Effie just as brilliantly, even going so far to toss my hair over my shoulder in a mimicry of her mannerisms. It takes everything in me not to burst into laughter.
also for the character ask..... im predictable. tell me about gale
.. 𝗔𝗦𝗞 𝗚𝗔𝗠𝗘.
ONE. how i feel about this character.
it's become a known fact that i've always adored gale, he's easily on my top five favorite thg characters. that being said, i love his resourcefulness, intelligence, and outright loyalty to the people who he loves and cares for. such an admirable thing to be.
TWO. all the people I ship romantically with this character.
katniss, mellark brother (18-20).
THREE. My non-romantic OTP for this character.
diadene fay (my oc dina's daughter, whose sister lydine was in the 50th as the other female seam tribute.)
FOUR. my unpopular opinion about this character
i will always stand firm in my belief that coin, plutarch & beetee were all doing a subsequent level of grooming in order to get gale to be compliant / weaponising his anger for the rebellion's gain.
FIVE. one thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.
i wish he wasn't put into another flashy position and was able to heal on his own terms / not abandon his family.
one of the reasons I will never really be able to take a lot of Gale criticism that in particular attacks his character very seriously is that I feel like about 90 percent of people’s complaints can be rebutted by the fact that Gale is a 19 year old. like have you met a 19 year old before. a lot of the things you see as being “erratic” or “red flags” are in fact symptoms of being 19 and having been through as much as he has. “he seems immature!” because he’s 19. he’s acting his age. “he’s self absorbed!” he’s 19. “he’s not really able to think through consequences and acts irrationally!” yep, he’s 19. like come on
characters are not real people. this on the surface is not a controversial opinion, but the way people act about characters (specifically their faves) makes me be like oh. you guys have these characters filed away in your head like they are actual and real. no, your faves do not need defending from criticism, because they are not real and hence the criticism does not bother them. conversely, no, you do not need to “hold your faves accountable” (whatever that means) because they are not real and hence they have done nothing actionable to harm a real person. these characters are not real. they are not people. they do not have feelings that you need to respect. it will do everyone a great service to remember that because the problem is when you file away characters in your mind like they’re real, you put them on parallel or god forbid, make them more important, than actual living breathing humans. how are you out here harassing people over their interpretations and takes over fake people. that is a person. your unkindness is going to impact them, maybe just a little, or maybe massively. get your priorities straight. there is no character that is more valuable and more important than a human person.
