#ma and sid

[abbysciutossecretwife]

So, I’ve been going down the Anti SOTR rabbithole on here recently, and although I still adore the book, the naysayers did bring up some good points. Mainly, Ma and Sid’s deaths being too overshadowed and Lenore Dove simultaneously not getting enough time to shine and being constantly mentioned every other page. So, I decided to think of a way to fix that.

What if he’s utterly wrecked after Ma and Sid’s deaths, and who’s there to comfort him? Lenore Dove, who just got released from prison. And she actually does help him through his loss, and she doesn’t die right away. Two years go by, and we get to see more of Lenore Dove’s personality. More proof that she’s not a “knockoff Lucy Grey” as critics might say. The two are there for each other, although there’s still a distance between them, something that wasn’t there before, something that despite all of their efforts to ignore it, will always remain. Lenore Dove, wonderful as she is, has never been through the Games, has never known what it it to be treated as a plaything by the Capitol. Try as she might, she cannot truly understand Haymitch’s pain, the dreadful grief that is only worsened when he mentors the tributes in the coming years, when they all die horrid deaths in that arena. And Lenore Dove, rebel, cannot understand why he is so complicit, so willing to go each year to the Capitol, to go and, in her view, allow more children to suffer, allow the Capitol’s horrid oppression. She cannot understand his plight. How could she? And then something happens that Haymitch does, something so outrageous, that Snow snaps. He kills Lenore Dove, who has probably also been causing trouble in the district. (I don’t know, I haven’t worked out the specifics yet. I also don’t know how Lenore dies, but it will probably be very similar if not just the gumdrop scene. She might have gotten arrested again, I don’t know.) But it’s her death, the death of the rare and radiant and radical Lenore, that truly is a breaking point for Haymitch. He tries to hold it together, but then he has to watch two more children die next year. Then he spirals into the alcoholism that will plague him for the rest of his life.

Also, throughout Haymitch’s games, we should see actual tangible pieces of the personalities of those he holds dear. Instead of just telling us how wonderful Lenore Dove is, why couldn’t we see an actual memory of her? Look, I still love Lenore, because manic pixie dream girls will always have my heart, but she really did not get enough screen time at all! What if we saw flashbacks in Haymitch’s dreams or in moments where he’s almost dying? We might even get to hear more about his father.

Having more time after the Games would solve this. Also, it could highlight how the Districts were just now starting to grow uneasy. Maybe this is the turning point where District 11 is harshly punished for a failed revolt, and Haymitch could learn this from Chaff, who he befriends during his mentoring.

I kind of rambled during this 😅 mainly because most of this is copy-pasted directly from messages I sent to my friend, and I know the SOTR discourse is probably futile in June, but I just wanted to post it here. Also, I still love the book! It’s my personal favourite in the series! I was weeping buckets at the end, but analysing it critically does point out multiple major flaws, and I feebly tried to fix it. I might even write a fic of this. I was going to work on a fic of the first Quarter Quell, but then I saw a post on here mocking a major idea I had for it, and I now feel pretty damn demotivated 😔

Anyway, thanks for reading my ramblings! If you have any feedback, I’d love to read it!

[madzthemenace]

People Magazine just released an extract from Chapter 1 of SOTR and here’s what we got from it:

- Haymitch’s birthday is on Reaping Day, 4th July

- His brothers name is Sid, and is 10 years old. 6 years younger than Haymitch

- His girlfriends name is Lenore Dove

- His mother is 35. Meaning she had Haymitch at 19, and Sid at 25

- Haymitch goes to the woods (to do work?)

- Haymitch’s father also died in a coal mining accident

- His mother does Laundry, same as Hazelle

God I am so excited I need the book NOW

[witha-boxofscraps]

OH GOD BURDOCK HOLDING HAYMITCH AS HE CRIES WATCHING TWO OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN HIS LIFE BE MURDERED BY THE CAPITOL ONLY FOR HAYMITCH TO HOLD KATNISS AS SHE CRIES THINKING TWO OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN HER LIFE HAVE BEEN MURDERED BY THE CAPITOL 25 YEARS LATER. SOMEBODY SEDATE ME.

[thejohnlockedfemboy]

i just… finished… sunrise on… the… reaping…

[claireclaymore]

If The Hunger Games were in Peeta's POV, and he would talk about Katniss the same way Haymitch talks about Lenore Dove. So I don't want it anymore.

[bohemian-rhapsody-in-blue]

Ladybug, ladybug, fly away home

Your house is on fire, your children are gone

All except one, who answers to Hay

And he was lost on the Reaping Day

[kazmanian-devil]

the fact that the last time haymitch hugged his ma and brother he thought it was because he was being sent to his death only to survive and witness theirs

[theknifegirlfromdistricttwo]

I’m rereading Mockingjay and I can’t help but think that maybe part of the reason Haymitch couldn’t bear facing the remains of district 12 is due to the fact that it reminded him too much of what he lost to flames in the same district so long ago

[katnissandpeetamellark]

Can you imagine how for a moment Haymitch had survived and had all the love in his life around him— to an extent he may have felt safe or at least could pretend he was.

And it all comes crashing down— suddenly the house that he had them all in for 2 weeks was haunted by the love that he once held. Their laughter and love soaked into each fiber of wood and stone— how could a place haunted by the love now out of his grasp be his home?

[thetorturedpoetsdepartment]

Looking back whilst doing my [redacted] reread, I...wow. That foreshadowing was really there since the beginning, huh? With the emphasis on Haymitch not filling the cistern. I don't know why I was so shocked when the Abernathy home was arsoned. Like, I knew they were gonna die, of course. That's just not what i predicted. When I should've! What with fire being such a heavy theme in the series! What with us already knowing (from actually seeing it happen and also from Finnick mentioning it as a secret) that Snow has his people Burn Places The Fuck Down. Even the flint striker!

Yet somehow between being fanfic-pilled (positive) and the reveal of the Abernathys being rebels (something i've headcanoned since the beginning btw so at least i was right about THAT), I fully expected Ma and Sid to be executed for some reason. That was the headcanon I'd had for awhile, and something I had known and loved in several fics. But looking back, damn, the dry cistern dooms the narrative ugh.

[hearts4alastair]

sunrise on the reaping is absolutely fucking devastating and i hope suzanne collins knows what she has done with this book. on that note does anyone have tissues

[slattern-femina]

autumn tint of gold

Summary:

Sid woke up, excited that Haymitch might come home that day. But then he sees Peacekeepers outside of their house. Or- The last moments of Willamae and Sid Abernathy.

Notes:

:') i will be crying about this book forever

from my ao3

From childhood’s hour I have not been

As others were—I have not seen

As others saw—I could not bring

My passions from a common spring—

From the same source I have not taken

My sorrow—I could not awaken

My heart to joy at the same tone—

And all I lov’d— I lov’d alone—

Then —in my childhood—in the dawn

Of a most stormy life—was drawn

From ev’ry depth of good and ill

The mystery which binds me still—

From the torrent, or the fountain—

From the red cliff of the mountain—

From the sun that ��round me roll’d

In its autumn tint of gold—

From the lightning in the sky

As it pass’d me flying by—

From the thunder, and the storm—

And the cloud that took the form

(When the rest of Heaven was blue)

Of a demon in my view—

- Alone, Edgar Allan Poe

Sid wakes up under the familiar printed quilt, tugging it over his nose a bit. His nose always gets cold when he sleeps. He has borrowed the quilt since Haymitch went to the Capitol, he had hoped his big brother wouldn’t mind too much. It felt nice to sleep in it like he was close to Haymitch. If he shut his eyes and dreamed really hard, he could feel his brother's arms around him. 

With hazy eyes, Sid yawns, before the realization of what day it is makes him leap awake. Ma had said maybe Haymitch would come home today! 

Sid gets up, nearly falling out of bed, and goes to the small basin of water beside the stove. He splashes himself once, he’ll want to look his best for his big brother. 

Outside, Willamae is tending to her laundry, as always, in the thick haze of the morning heat. 

Ma didn’t let Sid watch any of the games. They didn’t have a TV, but even if he could, she said no. She knew her son was alive and would tell Sid that, but she didn’t want him… didn’t want him to see what could’ve happened. 

Sid had cried when Louella died. He had heard her family crying that night, even when they tried to be quiet. 

Ma went to them and offered to wash Louella’s best dress for her burial, for free of course. It would have to be her second best since her first went with her to the Capitol the day of the Reaping. 

Just because he was young, Sid felt the tremendous grief felt by the District. No one escaped it. 

Sid didn’t see many people while his brother was gone, didn’t want to. Everyone would ask how he and Ma were, and he didn’t wanna lie. He could tell his Ma was frightened and tired. She looked tired. 

But no one deserved to know that. His Ma was amazing. Sid wouldn’t let anyone think poorly of his Ma. 

He did see Lenore Dove, though. He had given her the candy, and she gave him a long hug. 

She must be so excited if Haymitch comes home today too! Maybe they’ll let Sid come by and feed her geese. Her geese liked Sid, they never bit or hissed at him like they did at Haymitch. 

It’s still early morning, so Sid is going outside to see Ma when the door flies open. And Sid hears his Ma screaming. There are Peacekeepers in their yard, and two have their hands on his Ma. She writhes and kicks, but she is dragged inside. 

Sid’s eyes go huge. Get off his Ma! 

He runs as fast as he can out to try and get to her, crying out. “Ma!” 

“What are you doin’?! Let go of me!” She yelps but then hears Sid’s voice. “Sid! Hey! Don’t touch him! He didn’t do nothin’ wrong! Please, let go!” 

The Peacekeeper doesn’t even say a word before he uses the baton to strike Ma on her face, breaking her nose. Sid screams. “Ma! Stop! Leave her alone! Ma !”

When the Peacekeeper lifts him to keep him out of the way, Sid wriggles and tries to fight back, managing a good blow on the Peacekeeper’s helmet. 

“Dirty mutt,” he spits before dropping Sid on the ground, and stomping on his hand so hard, it cracks.

Sid screams as his little hand breaks under the Peacekeeper's boot. 

“Get the hell off him!” Ma cries out. 

Sid feels so confused. Why are they doing this?! Haymitch was maybe going to come home today, he and Ma were good, they did everything right to see him! 

Did Sid do this? Did he make a mistake? Haymitch told him to be the man of the house and he really tried hard! Haymitch would be so mad at him because Ma got hurt. 

The Peacekeepers drag them inside, and Sid feels his hands being tied, and his ankles too. He screams as his broken hand is jostled in the bindings. “You're hurtin’ me…” he whimpers out to the Peacekeeper. He’s thrown on the ground, while Ma’s ankles and wrists are hogtied. 

She’s bloody as they drop her next to Sid, and there are tears in her eyes. “Oh, baby, did they hurt you? Sid, look at me, are you okay?”

Be the man of the house, be strong, like Haymitch had asked. 

But instead his lip wobbles, more tears streaming down his little face. He doesn’t wanna worry his Ma anymore but his hand hurts so badly. “He stepped on me…” 

Willamae nearly snarls and begins fighting violently against her ropes, trying everything to get free of them. 

As soon as the Peacekeeper’s came, they were gone again. 

Sid looks around, terrified. Their breakfast had been knocked off the stove, and he let out a small whimper. “You’re bleeding, Ma!”

“I know, it’s okay, we’ll be alright,” she says, trying hard to free herself. She groans as she pulls at her bindings, and outside, they see the Peacekeeper’s pouring cans of liquid on their house. 

“Ma? What is it?” Sid asks tearfully. 

She looks at the scene, then hears the whirring sound and sees the flames rushing up at an alarming pace to their windows.

“Oh my God,” is all she says before she violently starts clawing and fighting her bindings, only staring at Sid, who now sees the many, many flames licking at their house.  

“Ma…?” He asks, his voice stuttering, confused, more tears rolling down his cheeks. Why… did they mean to do that? 

“Sid, baby, look at me! Look at Mama,” she tells him, trying to keep her voice calm. ( failing .) She is writhing so hard but manages to crawl over to where Sid is, wrapping her body around his. She’ll get out, she’ll get her boy to safety, Haymitch will come home and get him— yes, that’ll happen. She can protect her baby. 

Sid looks up at the window, now engulfed in flames. He can hear screaming, maybe… is Haymitch here?! 

The smoke is starting to billow into their small house, and Sid is crying now. “Ma, the smoke…” he coughs too, feeling like his throat is being clawed at. 

“I know, baby, it’s okay, Ma will— I’m here,” she cries out when she nearly breaks her wrist, but the binding gives, just as the intense flames now reach and engulf their entire ceiling. 

“Ma!” Sid screams, terrified at the orange and blue flames, the heat blazing his skin. In that second, Ma has him, she scoops up, cradling him to her body while trying to get her feet free, but her feet are in shackles. Both are choking, their eyes watering, and the flames burst down onto the walls, and then the floor. 

In a fit of smoke and flames, they cling to each other. “Ma, Ma- why— Ma, what did we do wrong?!” Sid begs. 

Where’s Haymitch?!

Willamae screams as the flames get to her back, she tries to curl herself around Sid, so the fire won’t get to her boy as fast. “Just look at me, Sid. Look at me, I have you—” she wheezed out and clung to her boy even harder. 

The flames were abnormally violent like Snow somehow cracked the accelerant to be the most destructive creation that will eat anything in its path. Their house is engulfed in no time, Sid’s bindings only freed once the fire ate away the rope on his wrist, and he was able to hug his mother back, dying in her arms, and she died in his. 

“Sid, look at me, look at Ma,” Willamae rasps out. “Don’t cry, Ma. It’s okay. It’s okay,” Sid chokes out, feeling the heat and flames on his body and he screams, hugging Ma tighter. He tries to hug her tighter and take care of her like Haymitch had asked him. 

He wasn’t a very good man of the house. 

He hopes Haymitch won’t be mad at him. 

Sid wishes he could’ve had one more morning of waking Haymitch up, and having his brother smile and laugh at him. Sid shuts his eyes, tries to dream really hard, and feels Haymitch’s arms around him one more time. 

[you-askedforthis]

Just thinking about how Katniss lost her family to explosions and Haymitch lost his to fires…

[becauseimamastermind]

JUST REMEMBERED HAYMITCH'S MA, SID, AND LENORE DOVE DIE. HEY. NOT SOMETHING I WANTED TO REMEMBER. I SUCCESSFULLY FORGOT. WHY WOULD I WANT TO REMEMBER!?!??

[linkislefthanded]

I wanna turn back time to midnight on March 17 I was so pumped I even took time off work to hit the bookstore first thing in the morning and allat like…. Now what 🧎🏻‍♀️

[heyimanowl]

Goin back to my roots of crayon art bc i love it

without blacklight below + bonus unfinished luther