#and it gets other people killed because the capitol cannot kill him

[woahjo]

callieeee baby did you get my ask? 😭 campus internet is really testing my patience this week. been acting up for everyone since friday and there’s nothing i can dooooo 🥲🥲🥲 anyways if you didn’t get my other ask: you can assign me another emoji if you want 🥹🥲 i feel like it would be slightly weird for you to not see the emoji 🤧 the one i chose (🪼) is a jellyfish because i think jellyfishes are really cool 🥹 like they mind their own business but if you touch them you’re steak. you’re DONE.

anyways. 🧶 or 🫧 or 🧃 maybe? 🥰 pick one! or another one! lovinggggggg the hunger games aus btw!!! like… imagine meeting Satoru and Suguru. victors from different districts, less than one year between them in age and they won the years after each other (Gojo first) 👀👀👀

HIIII omg no i didn't get your first ask 😭 im sorry that u have to keep sending them twice ;(((( but thank you for doing that!!!! im sorry i can't see the jellyfish emoji im sure its beautiful :( BUT the yarn ball is so cute are you cool with me using that one for ya?

ohhhh fuck suguru in a hunger games au is so enchanting to me because... i think his games and the aftermath of them REALLY send him off of the deep end. i think he's a career, probably from a district like one or two where capital loyalty is strong. i also think he volunteers at 18 and i think that the end of his games particularly scar him because he'd been forced to kill his district partner.

after his games.. suguru comes back relatively the same and people are pulled in by his cool exterior and pretty face. the people in his district love him, the capitol loves him, and other victors love (or loathe) him. especially satoru. him and satoru get on well. thick as thieves after their first two years as mentors, but suguru doesn't have the constitution that satoru has. he has more of a proclivity to doom and he begins to succumb to it as he sends others into the arena.

he becomes vengeful, but not in a tactful way, and it gets his family killed. it gets his friends killed. it puts his districts tributes in danger because the capitol punishes him with the deaths of others like him. unlike satoru, who uses his status to his advantage, suguru begins to shy away, retreating into his own personal circle.

i don't think this version of suguru commits mass murder, but i do think he goes off of his rocker just a little bit. his games haunt him, the idea that he was only a kid, that he was tricked into protecting and then subsequently killing his district partner. suguru cannot take the loss and he struggles with the blood on his and the capitol's hands. yes, satoru has been through the same, but suguru takes it more personally. it becomes something that he cannot willfully attempt to shake off. his loyalty to the capitol and his trauma and anger clash in a deeply destructive way.

he's removed from the cameras, from events, he mentors from behind the scenes (if at all), and when a new winner from his district takes over, no one from the capitol ever hears from him again. satoru does though. satoru tries to connect with him as best he can from another district and when people ask with sullen eyes what good could ever come from the games, he can't help but look back on meeting suguru. i think suguru becomes someone satoru feels the need to protect, even if suguru is perfectly capable of protecting himself to an almost selfish degree (given his careless behavior that resulted in the deaths of so many others). but satoru doesn't blame him. fear does weird things to a person. the games do weird things to a person.

yeah... something like that

[daydreamer-in-reverie]

One of my absolute favorite points of comparison about Snow in the original trilogy vs in TBOSAS is his ability and willingness to lie.

In the original trilogy, Snow, despite all of his villainy, is a person Katniss trusts. Why? Because they promised never to lie to each other and they kept that promise. Snow told Katniss the truth, always. And in turn, Katniss could trust that Snow would always act on his worst impulses. He was never duplicitous in his intentions, never tried to mask his actions as good. He was always truthful and that is why Katniss always trusted what he said. She could trust that Snow would always act on his worst intentions. She could trust that he will always choose the worst option. She could trust that he would always tell her the truth. When Snow revealed that it was 13 who bombed Prim, Katniss trusted him immediately because Snow, in spite of everything, had never lied to her before. This is a quality that she couldn’t rely on when it comes to Coin and that’s why she never trusts her. Coin never told Katniss what she meant. Coin’s foible was how two-faced she was. She never said what she meant and she always hid her intentions, so much so that even her right hand man, Boggs, didn’t trust her. Despite all his faults, Snow was not a liar.

Which is so entirely different from the Snow we meet in TBOSAS.

Snow in TBOSAS lied through his teeth. He lied about his family’s wealth, lied about their destitution. He lied about liking Sejanus and then back-stabbing him to his Academy friends the moment he has the chance to. He lies about his Academy friends, pretending as if he liked any of them when really, he hated them. He lied to the Peacekeepers to get into the Tribute’s train when they first arrived and then he lied to Lucky Flickerman when he falls into the zoo cage. He lies about whether or not Clemensia wrote the paper with him and helped cover up the fact that she didn’t do anything. He lied about helping Lucy Gray in the Arena, so much so that he rigged the Games in her favor. He lied so he could become a Peacekeeper in 12 instead of in 8 and when he saw Lucy Gray, he lied again. He lied to Sejanus when he promised to keep Sejanus’ secret and when Sejanus is executed for treason because of Snow reporting Sejanu’s actions to Gaul, he lied to himself about his role in Sejanus’ execution. And in the climax of the story he lied to Lucy Gray when she asked who was the third person he killed. And then when he gets back to the Capitol, he lies to Sejanus’ parents about how his role in their son’s death.

In every chance that he could, Snow lied. And yet he never lied to Katniss.

I could spend hours speculating on why and not get a definitive answer. I’d like to believe it’s because Snow, for once in his life, wanted the truth. He always demanded the truth from Lucy Gray and yet never gave her the truth in return.

Lucy Gray valued one thing above all, above love and music. Trust.

Her trust, once lost, cannot be easily regained.

And Snow lost that.

In literature, when people lie there is always a motive. An intention to hide, a secret meant to be kept in the dark. In his youth, Snow was ashamed of his current situation. The Snows were once a the cream of the crop in Capitol society. They were prominent businessmen with huge military reserves in 13 and it wasn’t until the Dark Ages and the fall of District 13 that they lost all their fortune. Even his family, he was ashamed of. His senile grandmother, who did everything she could to raise the grandchildren left in her charge, and his older cousin Tigris, who did everything she could to ensure she followed her dreams while keeping their family afloat. Snow scorned that Tigris never went into higher education and even if he didn’t voice it to her out loud, his contempt at her career, the menial labor she was forced to endure, even the very act of prostituting herself to put food in their table, are all things Snow was ashamed of. And so he lied through his teeth. He never once let his shame fall through the cracks.

The characterization of how he evolved from this gangly 17 year old boy who lied about everything to a man who held absolute power and never lied is so interesting to me and I really hope we see more of how he became like this in Sunrise on the Reaping.

[fallingskiesandrisingseas]

Seems like I am not done talking about Haymitch.

Do you ever think about how he probably got a visit from Snow after he pulls his stunt with the forcefield?

I mean, this IS an act of defiance, a very big one at that. Finnick, Cashmere, Gloss and Johanna haven't had their Games yet. Snow maybe starts using people as prostitutes after he sees how badly losing his family breaks Haymitch, how it kills his spirit.

Imagine Haymitch coming home from the Games, stitched up, gasping for air, still feeling the ax digging into his stomach. And he's angry. Angry for Maysilee Donner, angry for his other two district members.

But he survived the hardest Games in history, despite being from the worst district. And the forcefield? He chuckles at the thought. Well, that was just the cherry on top. We, the audience, now know how smart he is. But he knew all along. He's made a fool out of the Capitol... and he is proud of it. Now there is only a lifetime of peace with his family and his girlfriend. And maybe, just maybe, also revenge.

He walks through his front door after two weeks of Victory Tour, traumatized but alive, and strong, and ready to embrace his little brother... And there sits Snow. Smiling.

Haymitch looks around. He doesn't smell his moms cooking, his brothers laughter isn't echoing in the halls. He can't find his family.

"Where are they?" Haymitch demands. He feels fear travel up his spine.

Snow gives him nothing but a cold, cold glare. "I hope you will think twice about fooling us in the future, mr. Abernathy. Enjoy your retirement"

He walks out. Haymitch doesn't know what to do. Then he runs upstairs.

Their bodies are already cold.

With no one around to help him, Snow counts on Haymitch's grief taking him out.

And it works. For over 2 decades, one of the smartest, most cunning people to have played the Games is nothing more than a bumbeling idiot, trying to drink himself to death. Snow makes sure the force field is a dome, that he has measures to take out tributes who play the game too cleverly.

Who could become a problem, like Haymitch.

He starts threatening beautiful victors to kill their families if they don't play whore for him, knowing that it'll be much better to have them close, where he can watch them, then back at their districts.

He threatens other winners too, but more subtely. If they can't be prostituted, they might somehow get addicted to morphling or alcohol. A child, brother or parent might go missing. He starts showing up at their houses, making sure that every Victor understand that Snow is all powerful. That there is nothing his hands cannot touch. Just so they are not alone and unthreatened.

Where they can plan, where they can brood. Haymitch might be drinking, but he's not dead yet. He hasn't killed himself like other Victors have. Somewhere deep inside him, the spark for revenge is still burning. So he bides his time, keeps himself alive, even if just barely.

Snow knows a lot about grudges, and he knows about the type of people who hold them. He cannot kill Haymitch, and he cannot blackmail him anymore either. He learns from that. So he keeps their families over the victor's heads.

Because otherwise he might get a Haymitch who isn't drinking himself to death. Otherwise he might be in serious trouble. Men like Haymitch, killers with a sharp mind, they might become a problem. Johanna almost becomes one, before he teaches her a lesson and robs her of her strenght. And Finnick Odair knows more secrets than his best spies.

Then the 74th Games happen. And Snow sees, much to his dismay, glimpses of the old Abernathy, of the brilliant mind, of the charming personality. He sees him walking around the Capitol. Making connections.

So of course, he tries to take the girl that looks so much like him out. Fireballs, secret gifts, rule changes; if he cannot kill Katniss, he will kill the image of her.

But then Katniss gives Rue her funeral. Haymitch sees Rue die in Katniss' arms and is transported back, for a moment, to 24 years ago, holding Maysilee. After he sees the berries and he knows she is much more like him than is good for her. He knows she is in danger now.

Snow thinks about how to kill two birds with one stone. He wants Katniss back in the arena. But maybe there is a way to finally kill Haymitch, too. If things work out.

Haymitch is angry beyond belief when he hears the announcement of the Third Quarter Quell. But he's not suprised. He knows Snow.

Almost all the men and women he knows are going back into the arena. He might go back. The chance that Katniss or Peeta comes back is extremely small.

When Peeta volunteers for him, he knows he can't do anything to stop it. The boy is far too noble for his own good. Haymitch admires that about him.

And that is the moment he starts planning. He knows how he needs to protect her, the girl that looks so much like him. And he's heard the rumours about 13. He might be an alcoholic, but he's still clever as the devil himself. He knows - fuck, he doesn't want to, but he's clocked it - that there are other victors that are angry like him. He starts building his alliance, just like all those years ago, in the Games. Only this time he isn't playing a simple game of kill or be killed. This time around it's much more dangerous.

This time, it isn't just his life he's playing with.

But he succeeds. Even though it costs him almost all his allies, he gets Katniss out. And for the rest of the war, he is right there beside her, advising, keeping her alive.

He knows he cannot keep her safe, so he lets her go into the Capitol, lead a team. Clipping a bird's wings is just as bad as killing her, and she is the revolution, even if she doesn't see it herself.

With Peeta's hijacking, she needs a goal, otherwise it might eat her alive like it's eating Haymitch, who curses himself for not being on time. He could have saved Chaff and Peeta if he got there earlier. If only, if only.

He promises himself two things: that if they make it, somehow, he'll take care of her for the rest of his life, and if she doesn't, he will finally do what he wanted to do ever since he found the bodies 25 years ago.

When she comes back they hug for a long time. Katniss tells her about Prim, about the bomb. She tells him about her talk with Snow, although she doesn't tell him what it was about. But he's figured it out already. How could he not? He's spent months studying Coin; he connects the dots almost as fast as Katniss herself. Coin used the bomb to break the resistance. And Gale designed the trap. So he tells her "to remember who the real enemy is" He trusts that Katniss gets it. She is so much like him, anyways.

And because he knows her so well, because the same dark thoughts Katniss has have been racing through his head ever since he looked into broken eyes of his brother's dead body, he replaces the nightshade in her uniform with simple black berries. And he posts Peeta right next to him, near Katniss. Just in case.

But he needs to do one more thing. The day before Snow's execution, Haymitch visits him. He sits down in front of the dictator of Panem and does not move. Snow doesn't notice him, at first. But after years of substance abuse Haymutch cannot get his hands to stop shaking. Snow notices the twitch from the corner of his eye and starts looking at his hands. He wonders if Haymitch can still feel the blood on them.

Then he looks up. Katniss doesn't terrify him, he knows her through and through. She's an arrow, fast and straight. He knows exactly what to expect.

But when he looks in the eyes of the victor of the Second Quarter Quell he shivers, despite the temperature. For the first time in a long while he feels fear.

Because if Katniss is an arrow, Haymitch is a knife. Concealed, sharp, o so deadly. And slow. Very, very, very slow.

An arrow needs to be fired, but knives can twist all by themselves.

Snow doesn't know how to describe the look in Haymitch's eyes, but it looks nothing like the boy he left broken on the steps of his home, 25 years ago. In his eyes is hurt that sits so deep it's become part of him. And rage. Haymitch, drunk Haymitch, cunning Haymitch, in control Haymitch, has to clench his fists and grit his teeth to not strangle Snow with his bare hands.

Snow is at a loss for words. Haymitch only leans forward and moves his finger slowly across his neck in a gesture that leaves nothing to the imagination. He doesn't say a word. There is no need. Snow knows exactly where he is: in that house in the Seam, 25 years ago.

Haymitch gets up.

For the first time in ages, he doesn't feel like drinking.

[libertyybellls]

OUT ON THE SEA WE’D BE FORGIVEN !

pairing; finnick odair x victor!reader

summary; you have had everything drained from you- but there is one thing the capitol cannot take from you and it's the love you and finnick share.

contains; ANGST, parent death, death, descriptions of death, grief, sadness, comfort, murder, forced prostitution, TW president snow being president snow. no happy ending womp womp.

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩

your world was spinning, your mind was fuzzy, your stomach was doing flips. you'd been in the same position- curled up in the corner of your living room in the victor's village.

your eyes could no longer water- you couldn't remember how long it had been since president snow and the peace keeps had left your home. you couldn't move- you think you remembered that the sun had risen and fallen while you sat in the same spot.

your door bursts open. had you locked it? had you even stood up once?

"mags told me the peacekeepers were here? snow was here?" finnicks frantic, he's horrified, he grabs your hands- stopping them from fiddling with each other. you didn't even realize you were doing so.

you hadn't even looked at him, more so trying to render what had happened yourself- explain it was the least of your concern.

finnick places a hand on your shoulder now, he's desperate- eyes almost begging yours to face him. “y/n. peacekeepers, snow, what happened. are you ok?”

you look at him when he says your name, it is then that your heart starts racing. your parents are gone. you will never see them again. they're gone and they still couldn't protect you in the end. you're still so young.

you are a failure. you deserve what's coming at this point. you must have expected this.

you blink and you can see snows face, his manipulative, evil, face. you can hear his words. you can feel your heart drop all over again.

you swore he was feigning a threat the night of your victory tour- how he told you how desirable you were, how the capitol citizens swooned over you during your initial interviews. so innocent, so pretty.

where would this innocence get you now? when you denied his suggestions, when you told him you wouldn't sell yourself. did you really think you would have the upper hand? that you gained this right because your survived? because you killed so many people merely for a game to the upper class?

you knew he'd threatened you. he'd even said it himself- there would be repercussions. you're so careless. he'd told you their blood was on your hands. your mothers blood was on your hands. your father was buried due to your shortcomings.

and now, all of the bloodshed- for nothing. when snow had mentioned finnick- briefly before he left. you almost cried, almost.

this time you knew he wasn't lying. and you couldn't let him take everything from you. you'd agreed to the thievery of your innocence, your dignity.

you were now a doll for the capitol- theirs for the taking. they could have you when they wanted. all you'd have now was finnick. "they killed my parents finnick,”

your voice was low, the words were foreign to you. "they killed my parents and now their threatening to kill you.”

he didn't need to ask who, or for what. he'd known since the moment you came out of your games alive. why didn't he warn you? would it have helped?

he was scared himself. scared that if he told you your probabilities of getting sold that they would come true. some part of him thought that if he had that dirty reality away it would cease to exist.

he pulled your head into his chest, still in the floor. "it's not your fault princess. this is not your fault.”

you shook your head and pulled away from him. “this is my fault finnick. i did this to them."

"you didn't know-" his own heart was breaking.

"i knew!" your voice was getting louder by the second. “i knew and i thought i was- that i was better than that. that i could escape it." your words were broken up, voice unsteady, cheeks now damp with tears.

“this is what he does, sweetheart. this isn't your fault. he wants you to think it is but it's not.” his hands were on your face wiping away your tears. "snow wants you to blame yourself- to think you've ruined it all for nothing. but you haven't.” he wants to tell you it will all be okay, that it gets better- but how would he know? you are now two sides of the same coin.

you want to be better, to believe him, but you don't know how to try.

-

hopefully 2024 will bring happier blurbs from me but for now this is all i got. last post of the year!! love u all thank u for the love and i hope u all have a blessed new year! mwah😇

as always, reqs r OPENNN! use em!!!

[fantasy-nerdddd]

Coin could have made Katniss mad at Snow with less likelyhood of being exposed and without killing Prim

I was rereading Mockingjay - for the 27th time - and I had a thought. Prim's death was stupid. Coin sent a 13 year old into battle, as an untrained medic, and then dropped Gale's bomb on top of her. But that creates a huge problem. Two, to be exact.

First and foremost, why was Prim into battle? She didn't have the title of soldier. I bet she wanted to go, to keep an eye on her sister possibly or just helping out with her skills. But, it shouldn't be allowed. And District 13 is known for following the strict rules. So, that would have raised suspicion on its own.

Second, although less vital, the attack was their signature. Gale made this bomb, the concept at least. And while the Capitol could have a similar weapon, Coin certainly did. And Katniss could have known. When she learned about the weapon, she was in Special Defences right after she got released from the hospital because her choking bruises were getting better. And Coin had to have been keeping an eye on her. Especially considering how controlling she is. And she obviously knew Beetee and Gale where also there working on bombs, because it must have been in their program. Nevertheless, even out of Special Defences, Gale is supposedly Katniss' bestie. She should have known not to use a weapon of his, because there was a big chance Katniss knew about it.

If someone knew all of the above, they could have guessed that the bomb was from 13, Haymitch definitely would have. I think the fandom underestimates how much he understands what's going on. Coin, should not have killed Prim, because it could expose her intentions before she could get a grasp in control, as it did in the end. So, I can think of one way to turn Katniss against Snow.

When I said Prim wouldn't be killed, it doesn't mean no one else would. We just need to find a good enough substitute. But there isn't a big variety, if we are honest. She needed to find someone Katniss cared about, that was in the Capitol or would be reasonable to send in the Capitol, and could die because they were at the wrong place, in the wrong time.

In Mockingjay, I can't find the exact place it's said, Katniss thinks to herself "Except my mum, Prim and Gale, who else loves me unconditionally? In my case, I think it's none". Other than the criminal offence that she thinks Gale actually loves her, we need to take into account that this is said a short while after Peeta, Johanna and Annie return to 13 and Katniss and Peeta have their wholesome reunion. So, she was referring to him. And she cares. So we are adding him to the list of people Katniss cares about. Haymitch is added too, because she asked for his and only his comfort in Chapter 11, right after the bombing of District 13.

Alright, so our list consists of: Prim, Mrs Everdeen, Gale, Peeta and Haymitch. We already got Prim out of the way, and Mrs Everdeen would be a nurse too, so it would take two bombs to take her out, one to lure her into danger, and the other to blow her up. That's Gale's idea, so we cannot use her. Gale was captured by the Capitol for a bit, and even if he wasn't he is too loyal to Coin. Coin would have killed her only influence on Katniss. I am not convinced Haymitch wouldn't play it safe and hide in the shadows while drinking. And if he did, which to be fair, he would, and if we had a movie of him in the Capitol it'd be named "Finding Liquor", he would stay in a house waiting for the liquor to run out. Coin would have to bomb a entire city, but Katniss might have died in the process.

In my opinion, Peeta was the best sacrifice that could be made. He was already in the Capitol, he shouldn't be but he was. Whether he was there to kill Katniss, or a more unpopular opinion, to make Katniss kill him in fear of her life, that doesn't matter. She had already defamed herself by putting a mentally unstable Peeta in the battlefield, so she doesn't have to make it worse by sending a 13 y/o. And he was just running around ready to cause a distraction (completely irrelevant, but that his first thought was "Oh, let me go behind you so that if Katniss needs saving I can risk my life so she won't get captured" is so cute). He was just an accident away from blowing up.

But, I hear you asking, how could Coin know that Peeta meant this much to Katniss? Omg, do we have to get through this again? Finnick, chapter 11: "After your first Games, I thought the whole romance was an act on your part. We all expected you'd continue that strategy. But it wasn't until Peeta hit the forcefield and nearly died that I - that I knew I'd misjudged you. That you do love him. I'm not saying in what way. Maybe you don't know yourself. But anyone paying attention could see how much you care about him". Anyone. And if that isn't enough for you, Katniss, chapter 3: "When the war is over, if we've won, Peeta will be pardoned." *Dead silence for a while* "No form of punishment will be inflicted. The same goes for the other captured tributes, Johanna and Enobaria.". She basically said to her face "I care about him".

And I hear you saying "How would they know where he is?". Oh shit, that's a very good question. But how did they know where Prim is? How did they know that Katniss would see what happened? Or that they weren't hitting Katniss herself? Or that it was worth doing all of this, and Squad 451 wasn't dead in the sewers and eaten by the mutts? That's what I propose: Beetee found a way to hack the Capitol cameras. Plutarch was working next to Snow, he knew where the pods were. Beetee made the Capitol's TV system, that's why it took them so long to break into. But it's not unlikely either of them knew a way to hack the cameras. Or Plutarch just had people working for him that had access to the cameras.

And you know the best part? Katniss wouldn't need to see it either. If they had access to the cameras, they could just replay a video of the hovercraft dropping a bomb on Peeta. And it would break her. Just as much as it would with Prim. And Snow might have not convinced her that it was Coin. Because Coin wouldn't have sent a 13 y/o to battle, suspicious enough. And the attack wouldn't have Gale's signature. Just a hovercraft that dropped a bomb. And Snow's main argument still stands: Why wouldn't he have left with that hovercraft? But it might have been someone else's from the Capitol. Or that he knew he was doomed, that soldiers were coming from all sides, and hovercrafts were flying over his head. So he killed him, not as a last resort, but out of spite. So that Snow would have his own "If I burn, you burn with me!" moment with Katniss.

And either way, the chances of Coin being exposed would never be zero. But that's the closest I can get them to zero. And also: Peeta was basically a traitor. And I bet Coin wouldn't want to keep her promise with Katniss, to not inflict punishment if the rebels won. So his death would mean that she killed two birds with one stone.

And, in regards to literacy and symbolism, which plays a huge part in the series, his death would be as powerful as Prim's. Prim, was the person she saved from certain death, only to result in an uprising and, after some time, her death. Peeta was the person she refused to kill. Not because she was in love, not yet at least, but because she cared. Peeta was the reason this started, with the star crossed lovers strategy that got them closer, and the berries she pulled out so they both survive. They were the final two tributes of the hunger games, refusing to kill each other. And the 76th Hunger Games, as well as the Quell, were the desperate tries of the Capitol to get them to kill each other. And they refused. Again and again and again. The two tributes remaining, that were allies their whole games, can't be both Victors. They were in a rematch. And with the bomb, it's like getting out the mutts, the desparate option to kill a tribute when the final two refused to kill each other. And, just like how it was supposed to go at first, Peeta died and she lived. Like the Capitol wanted it to go. "Our lives belong to Snow and our deaths do to".

I need a fanfic with this concept. Hell, I might write one myself. Can you add anything? Either to strengthen the idea or to go against it?

Edit: Well know the fanfic is a WIP. Figures.

[inkblotsonmyhands]

***SPOILERS FOR THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES (HUNGER GAMES PREQUEL) BY SUZANNE COLLINS***

suzanne collins just repeatedly pulls the best of a given genre, and what i love about tbosas is that it completely subverts the manic pixie dream girl trope.

the story opens with coriolanus snow, small-minded in his outlook, traumatized by war, starving, struggling to make his way in the world where nothing but his name holds value. he meets lucy gray baird, and instantly, she's the classic manic pixie dream girl. she sings, she wears a rainbow dress, she believes in the goodness of people, despite the fact that her life is as difficult as it gets. in standard trope fashion, she and snow are bound to each other by plot devices: he's meant to be helping her with something, but in reality she has more to help him. she says that nothing they can take from her is worth keeping—because everything she has doesn't have a name. this directly contrasts snow's position where his last name is all he has.

over time, snow begins to realise just how dire her situation is, gets actively more and more concerned about her dying, and eventually falls in love with her. she expands his world, she charms him (and everyone else), and quite literally saves his life. snow believes in debts, and when he owes his life to her, he cannot help but appreciate her for it. she falls for him too—she believes he's a good person, possibly because he's the only one in the capitol to be even remotely nice to her, combined with her genuine belief in goodness and apparent tendency for somewhat toxic relationships.

that's where the subversion starts. despite falling for snow, lucy gray's life does not revolve around him. the song she sings in her interview is about her past relationship, which greatly irks snow who has become incredibly possessive of her. possessiveness is often depicted as a desirable trait in stories with a mpdg angle, but suzanne immediately shows it as controlling and somewhat sinister, despite the story being from snow's pov.

they both end up in district 12, lucy gray as a victor, and snow as a disgraced peacekeeper. it's here that suzanne fully veers away from the more tropey aspects of such a relationship. snow enjoys listening to lucy gray sing, but is constantly upset when she doesn't sing about him, possessively thinks of her as "his girl", and clearly wants control over her life. he doesn't even enjoy all her music, disliking the more freestyle non-lyrical pieces that lucy gray and the covey clearly take a lot of pleasure in. when lucy gray takes him to the lake and meadow, snow enjoys it but hates the birds, mockingjays, that lucy gray loves. typical mpdg arcs often involve the the nature-loving girl taking the city boy to a peaceful outdoors place, showing him all the things she loves about it, and making him love them too. snow never loves the mockingjays and even makes a sport out of shooting them, and thus never appreciates the true reason why lucy gray loves that place. he appreciates it for her as his possession, but not for the freedom that it all represents. he gets increasingly uncomfortable as he starts to realise that free-spirited lucy gray no longer is dependent on him in her own turf, while he still owes his life to her.

when snow kills billy taupe and lucy gray says that this makes up for her saving his life, we see the shift truly happen. snow's debt has been repaid, and his love for lucy gray begins to fall apart without the debt tying him to her. her rebellious tendencies aggravate his capitol heart, and he starts being unable to confide in her when he does things such as inform the capitol of sejanus's escape plan.

in the final scene in the woods, we watch it all unravel. they're both equals, having killed three people each, but snow attempts to lie to lucy gray about his third kill and she realises it. she retaliates by running away and setting a snake on him. snow retaliates to that by chasing her with a loaded gun. he drowns the evidence of his second kill, frees himself of any ties to his dark past, and returns to the capitol where he believes he belongs, forgetting lucy gray and anything he learned from her.

the manic pixie dream girl does not save the desolate boy. it was never her intention to and it was not her life's goal. the boy could never be saved by anyone anyway; the only thing that might have saved him was himself, and suzanne displays repeatedly how he was never truly willing to broaden his perspective right from the start.

i love this because typical mpdg stories make the boy a victim and the girl burdened with healing him and saving him from going down a dark path, but here, it is repeatedly emphasized that snow is a victim of his own making and lucy gray goes through his life on her terms only, trying the change him out of care and the goodness of her heart but leaving him and prioritising herself when she realises that there is no point.

to summarize, lucy gray does not wear a necklace of rope besides the dead man; instead, she flees.

[maidstew]

just a random lil thought but I've been thinking a lot about education in the Capitol recently. Coriolanus mentions the Academy as the finest secondary school in the Capitol, and I kind of see the Academy as a private school equivalent. I think the Academy probably has a primary school too that is much smaller and much more exclusive, which allowed all the 'old' and important families to get to know each other as kids (such as the Snows, Cranes, Ravinstills, Creeds, Dovecotes, Cardews, Prices etc etc) before the school opened up to a wider selection of students in secondary. Haha, would love to hear your thoughts on education in the Capitol and how even that is sorted by class (as it is in our society too). Maybe some kids even have student loans for university?

i always pictured the academy to be more of a private-school type situation where only these truly elite families attend! but then it was pointed out to me that actually there’s around 400 kids in each year at the academy. that’s a pretty massive school!

it’s still described as “anyone who is anyone” attends but it really makes me question what level of important you have to be to attend- because with that many students i’d wager you don’t have to be super elite and important.

but it also makes me wonder how many other school there are in the capitol (and do they compete in sports or other activities?)

i really like the idea of the primary school being much smaller and attended by those children who are truly ultra-rich and elite! i agree because i think the ultra-elite wouldn’t want their young kids mixing with ‘lesser’ children before they’re ready.

coriolanus talks about how important the connections he’s made at the academy may be to him in the future. he also talks about how if he can’t attend university he may have to get a ‘low-level city position’. this is interesting to me because is he able to get these jobs because of his connections or are these just the typical jobs offered to people who graduate from lesser schools? and what other jobs are offered in the capitol because he does say that capitol jobs are hard to come by.

if the jobs are so hard to come by then how are so many people graduating and entering the workforce every year? there must be other, ‘lessor’ jobs for all of these people- particularly the ones who aren’t elite and can’t afford university.

anyway, i apologize i’m getting off topic. back to your point about student loans- i actually don’t think that’s an option? at least, the way i interpret the way coriolanus describes it- he isn’t able to attend university unless he’s able to come up with the money to do so. (which again makes me wonder- are all those other schools kids just entering the workforce post-graduation? and what are they doing?)

i’m not surprised in the slightest that education in the capitol is primarily tied to status and money because that’s pretty much the way it is in our society. if i had to guess- i’d say even the 24 mentors spots are tied more to money and status then to academic achievement.

i’m going to go back off-topic again under the cut-

but snow talks about how being in debt is historically a ticket to being a peacekeeper. i can’t help but wonder what true poverty looks like in the capitol. what if someone lost their housing and cannot get a job because they cannot afford to go university to get a good position? is being unhoused in the capitol an option or are you automatically going to end up as a peacekeeper (or an avox)? what if someone in the capitol is living with a serious mental illness and is genuinely unable to support themselves? what becomes of them if they can’t support themselves but they also aren’t able to be a peacekeeper?

are people who live with smi locked in an institution? killed? i don’t see how in tbosas there would be enough resources for the programs needed to adequately support people who are truly in need. so where does that leave people?

[mrsnancywheeler]

okay okay but finnick and his sweet girl are so wicked game coded ??

❝ the world was on fire and no one could save me but you ❞

→ finnick trying so hard to get her to see herself the way he sees her post her first games & finnick trying to bring her back to her old self after the capitol torture

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

❝ it's strange what desire will make foolish people do ❞

→ him being so desperate that she wins the games, he ignores conway & him trying so hard to get her back after capitol torture even tho it's killing him

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

❝ i never dreamed that i'd meet somebody like you ❞

→ finnick knowing his sweet girl but not KNOWING her till later on but immediately knowing she was the one even before they had their first date

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

❝ and i never dreamed that i'd lose somebody like you ❞

→ him being forced to break up with his sweet girl even tho he tried so hard to keep it a secret

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

❝ no, i don't wanna fall in love with you ❞

→ him practically going crazy after their breakup and never falling in love with anyone but her

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

❝ what a wicked game you play, to make me feel this way ❞

→ her being so confused after their breakup but also could be seen from conway's perspective as her love for him in the arena was all just a part of the game

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

❝ what a wicked thing to do, to let me dream of you ❞

→ finnick not being able to dream of anything but her after the quarter quell & not being able to do anything about the fact that she's in the capitol getting tortured and only having his dreams

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

❝ what a wicked thing to say, you never felt this way ❞

→ just the whole breakup paragraph summarized

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

❝ this world is only gonna break your heart ❞

→ her coming back from the capitol but being scared of him and him realizing that they are never gonna be the same again

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

oh i have so much thoughts about them prepare to be SICK of me ✋️😍😩

yes and additionally the person finnick turns to, who helps build him back up is reader, they're so very codependent yk. and this boy is whipped for his sweet girl, like he really doesn't do his job as a mentor and will let his emotions eat him alive just to get her back as t every turn

they have that unmatchable soulmate energy, literally meant to be and their souls know it even if they haven't spoken yet. and he loses her so many times, he has to break up with her because he's scared, that isn't good enough and he loses her when she's reaped, he loses a part of her spirit when she becomes a victor, parts of her get lost in the midst of what the Capitol does to 'desirable' victors, and he loses a lot of her when she's tortured by the Capitol. but he keeps persevering because there's no one else for him.

also when reader says when he tells her the breakup is to protect her that it only makes her love him more and he's begging her to say she hates him instead. to soften the blow. and it's a wicked game to him to do that, and then reader when she hears some of the rumors of things he's said about her since then, and then of course conway being played to survive.

and even post breakup his thoughts are consumed by his sweet girl, there's no reprieve in any other place or person. and conway's fantasy of being able to be with her being allowed to thrive for so long before it all crumbled down.

literally there's only heartbreak after heartbreak, tragedy after tragedy, very little time for bliss in any lifetime

I literally cannot get sick of stuff like this, I'm immune 🤪💋

[annefolklore]

Hear me out:

Hunger Games au! Wille and Simon

Where Simon is from district 12 and volunteers in the place of Ayub (he can’t volunteer for Sara because he’s a boy). Wille is a career from district 1 who never wanted to volunteer but had to because everyone in his family do, but Erik died during his games, so Kristina and Ludvig pressures him in volunteering to honor Erik. Also, maybe Simon can imitate the noises of birds (like Rue), I think it would be a great way of incorporating his voice.

Marcus would be like Gale.

When they’re training, Wille cannot stop himself from looking at the boy. The way he carries his slender body when he walks, how it seems like he never touched a weapon or tied a knot before. But it all seemed a lie when he got a 9 on his training score.

Simon wouldn’t talk to anyone because he didn’t see the point in pretending to be “friends” with people who will be after him the second they steps in the arena. But there was this boy from District 1 with dark blond hair with whom his eyes always locked with, and Simon didn’t know what to think of it. It was like, the more he tried to avoid him, the more they would run into each other.

He learned his name during the interviews when he got called. Wilhelm Bergström. Wilhelm was really attractive, but Simon couldn’t let this small crush get in his way. He had to win in order to get the prize for his starving district. And the Bergström family was known in Panem for being really close with the Capitol. So he tried to stop the blush of his cheeks when their eyes met again when Wilhelm left the stage, walking by the waiting lines of the tributes waiting to be interviewed as well.

For his tribute parade, Simon’s stylist dressed him like a purple-colored crow. I would explain this by saying that there is a lot of crows in District 12 (the way I imagine it to be) and Simon looks absolutely perfect in purple so yeah. Simon’s storyline would be like Finnick: a pretty boy that people weirdly thirst over. Simon hated how people in the Capitol only saw him as this eye candy, that would probably die in the arena because of his body that couldn’t fight anyone even if he tried.

But yeah, Simon would find his way through the arena and his strategy was simple: hide until everyone dies. He didn’t want to kill anyone, that’s simply not who he is and he didn’t want to join in this gruesome fight that the Capitol only saw as a reality show.

(Then you know how it goes with the fireballs and everything)

Then, one evening when Simon was setting up his sleeping bag on a thick tree branch, he heard a canon go off, meaning a tribute died. Then, would hear other tributes approaching. He would look down and see the careers from district 1, 2 and 3, all cheering. Wilhelm included. The moment he saw him, rage filled his veins. How could he have been so naive to even let himself have feelings for him?

One of the girls with them spotted him on his tree and they started to nag him on how they were gonna kill him. One of them, Vincent he thinks, tried to climb the tree without any success so Simon nagged him too. Then, another one tried to kill him with by throwing a spear at him, but Simon successfully caught it. Simon was waiting for something to happen as he watched them, but Wilhelm was telling them something he couldn’t hear. He only heard the word “morning” before they set up their camp right at the foot of the tree.

(You know what happens in the book the morning after with the bees and all)

After that, Simon wakes up with bandages on his hand, made with leafs. He meets a little girl, called Norä, from district 11 that seems to have had the same strategy as him. Simon quickly grows attachement towards her even though he knew he shouldn't and prayed to anyone that was up there, that if he couldn't win, to make sure that she does.

But their bond didn't last long, because she died a few days later from a tribute throwing an axe at her. Her last words to Simon were "You need to win". Her death shattered his heart completely and was like a wake-up call. He must win the Hunger Games, not only for him or his district, but for Norä and her district as well.

Simon looks up at the sky, where he knows thousands of cameras are, and hold up 3 of his fingers. It was a sign of hope and a promise. He will win the games then separate the prize between district 11 and 12.

As he walks in the forest, he hears a gamemaker speaking about how they've decided that 2 tributes could win if they're both from the same district. It doesn't apply to him, his female homologue was already dead. So now, he had to find a way to know who was alive.

He walks until his legs give out under him, he didn't have any food left in his bag nor strenght left to find water. His vision was blurry and he was hallucinating things. The last things he saw before passing out were dark blond hair and hazel-brown eyes.

When he woke up, he was inside a dark cave. Not knowing where he was, he panicked. How was he alive? Who saved him? He took the bag that was serving him as a pillow and went out the cave, praying that whoever put him there, wasn't outside. He wasn't in the right state of mind to fight.

It seemed clear but before he got too far, he came face to face with Wilhelm, a speare in his hand. Simon's speare in his hand. They both froze as they looked at each other, not knowing what to do. It's only when Simon slowly backs up that Wilhelm wakes up by saying that he went to get him water. He was the one who saved Simon...but why? He seems to understand that the boy didn't trust him so he slowly put down the spear on the ground, the head pointing himself instead of Simon. Simon took back his weapon and accepted the water.

That was probably a bad idea, but for now Simon wanted to survive. He had to eat, drink and sleep, so he decided to trust Wilhelm with this. He would leave as soon as his energy is back though.

The next days, Wilhelm and Simon got to know each other a bit. They talk about their respective life back at their districts, without saying anything too bad, aware of the cameras and microphones everywhere. And despite himself, Simon find his heart swelling when Wilhelm says "I wish we could've known each other outside of these circumstances". They both knew they couldn't win together because they’re not from the same district.

Simon didn't leave Wille even after he got better.

He couldn't leave this boy alone. He liked their routine, they'd hunt during the day to find an animal to eat, a bunny if they were lucky and go back to their camp to prepare it before eating it. But they didn't take a chance of eating any of the berries growing in the bushes, the panicked and deja-vu look in Wille's eyes when he saw Simon with them was something the boy never wanted to see again. He doesn't want Wille to be sad, ever. At night, they'd find comfort in each other's arms, trying to escape their reality and the coldness of the wind by sleeping in Wille’s sleeping bag, sharing body heat. But they both knew it was a terrible excuse. Simon had his own sleeping bag that worked perfectly fine but they didn’t want to admit worked perfectly well. So instead, they choose to say that it brings them comfort and some sort of a homely feeling.

He liked Wille. A lot. But he couldn’t risk telling him and ruining their newfound friendship. What if he didn’t like him back and wouldn’t cuddle with him anymore at night, letting him sleep alone? Or what if he was homophobic and even kicked him out of their shelter?

Together, they could sometimes actually forget where they were apart from the canon booming from time to time and the deaths summary at night they'd watch together.

But tonight was different, there were only 4 tributes left in the arena. Vincent, Fredrika, Wilhelm and Simon. It was almost over, when they heard growling from afar. They took their weapons, ready to fight when they saw eyes glowing in between the trees. They didn't think twice before running as fast as they could.

They ran and ran across the arena, 2 other mutts materialized behind Simon, he couldn't run fast enough and Wille was ahead of him. He screamed his name at the top of his lungs. The boy looked behind him and extended his arm for Simon to grab his hand. The second their hands clasped, Wille ran faster, leading them across the arena as he pulled Simon's hand so he could keep up. They couldn't let themselves slow down even for a second, the hungry growls of 3 mutts not too far behind them. They heard a girl's scream somewhere on their left and a canon went off.

Their race lead them to the center of the arena. Wilhelm quickly lifted Simon upward to make him climb the cornucopia, his lightweight self finally came in handy. He gave Wille his hand to pull him on the small building too, one of the mutt almost biting on his leg.

They were barely catching their breaths before Simon got yanked from behind, his head banging on the stainless steel, making his mind ring a bit and his vision buzzed for a few seconds. Suddenly, he saw Vincent's bloody face as he lifted a cane in the air, about to hit him with it when Wille shoved him away.

They fought against Vincent as hard as they could but Simon was getting tired. He was tired of it all and he could tell that Wilhelm felt the same way.

Suddenly, Wille got swept up by Vincent who was now using him as a shield. Simon took the bow and arrow at his feet and aimed it toward the blond. Vincent seemed to have turned mad too as he nagged Simon on how he didn't care if he died and on how he could kill them both if he wanted to win.

Simon needed to find a way to take Vincent out while saving Wille. So he shot the arrow right in the blond's hand. He instantly let go of the boy, who took his chance of pushing him off the cornucopia. The mutts immediatly jumped on him and screams of agony filled the silence of the night.

When they woke up the next day, they didn't exchange a word. What could they say? One of them had to win, they weren't from the same district. Slowly, Wilhelm gave Simon the bow and arrow. Simon didn't understand, why was he looking at him like that?

Wille only said "go ahead, I want you to win". But Simon wasn't about to agree to that. They came from way too far to kill him now, it couldn't end like that!

So instead, he reached inside the pocket of his jacket, pulling out berries. The same panicked look came on Wille's face but before he could say something, the other boy simply said "Trust me" and gave him some of them. Together, they bringed the berries to their mouth when they heard a loud "Stop!" followed by a "Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present the winners of the 49th annual Hunger Games: Wilhelm Bergström from District 1 and Simon Eriksson from District 12".

They couldn't believe it, they had both won. They looked at each other, a smile on their face and Wille gently cupped Simon's face, bringing him in a kiss.

They won, it was all over...for now

--------

You can definitely tell I got carried away with this. I wasn't planning to write that much honestly, but I guess I had a lot to say. Would you guys be interested if I actually wrote a Hunger Games au? I would try my best to at least rewrite movies 1 and 2 but I can’t really promise anything for movie 3 because I’m really bad at writing fighting scenes so if I try to write a whole rebellion it would be really shitty 💀

But idk though, it’s a lot of commitment so idk. But I promise if I can’t write each movies (I’m too lazy to read the books again pls forgive me), I will at least do like this one and like tell and describe what would happen.

[tomorrowusa]

Even by the abysmally low standards of the 21st century GOP, Speaker "MAGA Mike" Johnson ranks close to the bottom of Republican office holders. Johnson is a flunky to a flunky.

Historian Timothy Snyder has written eloquently about the need to stand up for democracy against fascism. He castigates "MAGA Mike" and reminds us that Russia's war is not just against Ukraine.

Johnson's term of office consists of stratagems to avoid funding Ukraine.  He and a minority of Trumpist Republicans have left Ukrainians without the means to defend themselves, and enabled Russian aggressors to retake Ukrainian territory.  As a result, troops are killed and disabled every day.  Around the world, Johnson's behavior is seen as betrayal and weakness.  We tend to focus on the details of Johnson's various excuses, rather than seeing the larger pattern.  Johnson's success in making the war a story about him exemplifies the American propensity to miss the big picture.  [ ... ] An elementary form of apocalypse is genocide.  Russia is making war on Ukraine with the genocidal goal of eliminating Ukrainian society as such.  It consciously fights its war with its own national minorities, and takes every opportunity to spread racist propaganda (including about African-Americans).  Russian occupiers deport Ukrainian children, rape Ukrainian women, castrate Ukrainian men, and murder Ukrainian cultural leaders with this purpose in mind.  They keep children out of school and force families into emigration, all with the goal of putting an end to a nation.  Ukrainian resistance, though, has put the backbone into "never again."  Where Ukraine holds territory, and that is most of the country, people are saved.  Ukrainians have shown that a genocide can be halted -- with the right kind of help. When we cut off that help, as we have done, we enable genocide to proceed.  This is not only a horror in itself, but a precedent. [ ... ] Russia is testing an international order. The basic assumption, since the Second World War, is that states exist have borders that war cannot alter. When Russia attacked Ukraine, it was attacking this principle. Russia's rulers expected that a new age of chaos would begin, in which only lies and force would count.

It doesn't get repeated enough that a Russian victory is a defeat for efforts to halt climate change.

For the past half century, people have been rightly concerned about global warming. Whether we get through the next half century will depend upon a balance of power between those who make money from fossil fuels and lie about their consequences and those who tell the truth about science and seek alternative sources of energy. Vladimir Putin is the most important fossil fuel oligarch. Both his wealth and his power arise from natural gas and oil reserves. His war in Ukraine is a foretaste of the struggle for resources we will all face should Putin and other fossil fuel oligarchs get the upper hand. Precisely because Ukraine resisted, important economies have accelerated their green transition. Should Ukraine be abandoned and lose, it seems unlikely that there will be another chance to hold back fossil fuel oligarchy and save the climate.

This is the most politically useful chart regarding aid to Ukraine. I've posted it before and will post it again. It shows Republican members of the US House of Representatives who represent districts won by Joe Biden in 2020. These are among the most vulnerable Republicans on Capitol Hill. One seat was just flipped last month in a special election; that should make Biden-district Republicans more attentive to their constituents.

If you live in one of those districts, contact your Rep and urge support to break the House logjam on Ukraine aid. Use language that will resonate with a Republican such as "What would Reagan do?". Check to see if like-minded friends or family live in those districts. Encourage them to contact their Rep.

Not sure who represents you? Use your ZIP+4 to find out here…

Find Your Representative

[caesarflickermans]

wildest headcanon you have

there's never any indication that caesar gets a new dog, but in every timeline he has a dog with the same name and the same behaviour, possibly indicating that this is a rare immortal samoyed..or that I cannot kill off dogs.. or that he just gets the same one each time and it has the same name and just so happens to have the same personality but we never see him as a puppy. you pick

caesar buys victors, but not for the reason most people do.

the avox network, maybe? many avoxes are part of the rebellion and essentially the eyes and ears of plutarch. messages can be delivered through them.

this is absolutely unreasonable and makes no sense, but sometimes I love the idea of major Capitol rebels meeting in some tiny secret room sitting under some lamplight lit ominously and talking about the rebellion. the image is so funny but so unlikely but I still love it. maybe I can find a means of putting it somewhere reasonable—simply because most rebels do not know each other (that's the point!) and the surveillance is a lot. but. I also love it so maybe maybe maybe

[monako-jinn-stories]

Captain Howzer X Fem! Reader FanFic

Rebels on the Run

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Chapter Two

Chapter One

Ryloth is less than ideal of a place to be stranded, but you don’t exactly have any way off the planet. Your starfighter was destroyed when the men of your battalion fired at you, and ever since you narrowly escaped with your life, you’ve been hiding in the wild of the planet. That’s not to say you haven’t gone to the cities every so often, but you wore layers of cover when you did. Not only do you stick out as a human, you don’t want to be recognized as a Jedi.

It’s been months of hiding, and there’s been no variation in your weeks. Each day starts the same; scouting the perimeter of wherever you’re currently hiding before settling back down to make your meager breakfast. Certain days involve different activities after breakfast.

Primeday is when you would clean up your area, making sure everything is washed and put away, or neatly placed out of the way. Centaxday is when you go to the nearest city for food. Taungsday, you head to the farthest city for other supplies, like toiletries. Zhellday you sneak over to your lookout near the imperial base, spending the day listening in on what you can and observing the work of the empire. Benduday is when you allow yourself to relax, as much as possible given your state of being a fugitive. 

There was one recent Zhellday where some very interesting events went down. First, what appeared to be a batch of rogue clones attacked the imperial refinery, and then a guard was sent to guard Lessu. Imperial forces were deployed from the Capitol building, but another squad had set up a trap at one of the Capitol’s exits, seemingly for the rogue batch of clones. After some happenings inside of the building, one lone clone exited and stated his defiance to the Empire. Then, he was arrested and escorted inside the Capitol building.

Once you’d been sure that nothing else interesting or important was going to happen, you’d decided to head back to your current hiding spot. As you had walked, you’d thought about the events you’d witnessed and how it might change things for you. If there were insurgencies within the Empire, then perhaps you could get to some people who would help you escape without asking too many questions. Not that you could ever trust a clone trooper, not after what happened with your own. 

You can still remember the feeling of panic as your starfighter was shot down, the voices of your beloved friends ordering your death. And then the sound of your commander ordering his brothers to take his life, afterwards.

“Commander Sans, General Jinn’s ship has been shot down. It crashed and exploded on impact. There is no way that she could have survived,” Captain Hex had said over the comms, not knowing that you had in fact survived and could still hear.

“Our job is done then,” Sans replied. “Except, I have one more order for you and Major Steele.”

“Yes, sir. What is it, sir?” Steele asked.

“I have done what I was ordered to do, but I do not wish to live in a world without y/n. I know she was a traitor, yet my heart continues to betray me. My love for her will never overcome any other feeling I feel towards her. I could never hate her, and because of that, I will only ever hate myself for continuing to love her after taking her life.”

“What are you saying, sir?”

“I need you and Captain Hex to kill me.” The words had left Sans so effortlessly, almost matter-of-factly, as if this should have been the most obvious request.

“Sir?” Hex said, stepping closer to him. “I will not kill you, Sans.”

“Hex,” Sans said, and you heard his feet shuffle as he turned to face him, “I am ordering you and Steele to kill me. Shoot me and take my life, for I cannot live in this galaxy without y/n.”

“But Sans-”

“No, Steele. There is no argument. If you will not kill me, then I will take my own life.”

A silence followed these words, and you could only assume Hex and Steele had exchanged glances, a silent conversation playing between the two.

“Alright, Commander,” Hex said, “but we’re coming with you.”

“Then I will be waiting to march on with you,” Sans said before a brief silence followed by two blasters firing, and then both of those blasters firing again. And then endless silence on the comms. 

You still feel guilt for not saying something, for not revealing that you had survived. But you couldn’t, because you would have been hunted down and killed. As much as you wanted more than anything to save their lives, you knew, in the end, it would have only delayed the inevitable. And you perhaps might have condemned Sans to killing you as you faced him, which you’d much rather him not have to bear the weight of. The only consolation is knowing that Sans, Hex, Steele, Aid, Tie, and Bomber are now all together again.

A week had passed, and you’d returned to the imperial base. It had been busier, and you could only assume it was because of the defiant clone and the rogue clones. You had heard whispers in the cities that General Cham Syndulla and his wife Eleni, along with their daughter, had been rescued and taken off planet by the rogue clones. A bitter feeling flooded through you as you’d heard the news. Of course you weren’t lucky enough to also be saved by them. It’s what you get for remaining hidden in the shadows.

As you had watched, your mind kept drifting back to think about the defiant clone and the few followers he had raised. You wondered what the likelihood of him still being on planet is, and the likelihood of you being able to help-

No, you’d told yourself before you could finish the thought, you are not going to risk your life for a clone that will just end up killing you or betraying you.

And yet, a few weeks later, you weren’t given much of a choice in the matter.

It’s earlier than normal when you wake up today, and your body is rigid with tension. Something feels off, it’s what had awoken you early, and you can’t tell whether it’s danger or just cautionary. You don’t give yourself much time to debate it. You crawl out of your make-shift bed, which is in reality just a slab of stone, and put your bounty hunter mask on before grabbing your blaster and heading close to the entrance of your hiding spot. You keep hidden while you listen to their steps, trying to sense their location through the force. They seem to be curious about whether or not this area could provide shelter. 

“Huh, I wonder how easy it would be to carve out a living space in this rock,” the person says, and his voice sends a chill down your spine. “No doubt that it would be hard to find me out here.” Your grip on your blaster tightens, sensing him continuing to look around, getting closer to you. “That’s weird,” he mutters, and you can tell from his force signature that he’s found your secret path, the one that leads directly to your entrance. His footsteps echo down the short, hollowed out corridor, and you let out a steadying breath before you make your move.

In an instant, your blaster muzzle is pressing into the side of the clone trooper’s head, and he’s frozen in place, his hands up in surrender. A silence fills the room, and you fight every instinct that tells you to shoot him now, taking away his chance to shoot you.

“You’ve wandered a long way from your little imperial base,” you say, “what led you all the way out here?”

“I’m wanted by the Empire. I’m trying to escape the planet and join the clones who are rebelling.”

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

“Look at me,” he says, beginning to move his hand to gesture at himself. You grab his wrist, fearing him possibly reaching for his blaster. “Relax, I’m not going to hurt you. Besides, I have no reason to hide anything. If you just look at me, you’ll see proof that the Empire was holding me in prison and was trying to torture information from me.”

“Anyone might have tortured you. For all I know, you’re trying to make your way back to the Empire.”

“How can I prove to you that I’m being honest?” You think for a second, trying to decide what could possibly reveal to you that he’s not lying. There is one way, but it’s risky, especially given that he is a clone, but you take the risk anyway.

“Say it again.”

“Say what again? That I’m being honest?”

“No, your claim about fleeing the Empire.” Your grip tightens slightly on him, and your fingers wrap around to feel his pulse. 

“I’m wanted by the Empire. I’m trying to escape the planet and join the clones who are rebelling.” You close your eyes as he speaks and sense his words. Unsurprisingly, he’s telling the truth. You knew his voice had been eerily similar to the defiant clone, and this is all but a direct confirmation of his identity.

“I believe you,” you reply after a minute. You let go of his hand and lower your blaster, motioning for him to sit on your make-shift chair while you sit across from him on your make-shift bed.

“If I may ask,” he says, “how did you know you could trust me just by holding my wrist?”

“When people lie, their heart rate typically spikes. I felt your pulse, and it remained steady.” It isn’t exactly false, but it’s not quite the method you had used. But you also aren’t going to outright admit that you’re a Jedi when he could still kill you.

“Ah, I see,” he says, his hand subconsciously rubbing his other wrist. “Now I guess it’s my turn to ask who you are.”

“None of your business,” you reply simply, and he looks at you silently for a second before nodding.

“I understand you might not trust me completely-”

“The only thing I trust about you,” you begin, cutting him off, “is what you told me about your condition with the Empire.”

“I guess that’s fair,” he replies. “But, I can promise you that I’m not a threat.”

“Not a threat to who?”

“You. Anyone. Well, anyone except the Empire.”

“You’re a clone trooper.”

“Yes.”

“You’re a threat to the Jedi. You’re a threat to citizens who do not want to align with the Empire, even if you’re not with them anymore. People will still see you and fear occupation.”

“The Jedi have all been wiped out,” he responds, “and it is not the clones that forced the occupation, it’s the imperials that order us around.”

“But they’re the sign of occupation, are they not?”

“I mean…I guess.”

“And how can you be certain all the Jedi have died? I’ve heard quite a few rumors about some surviving and in hiding.”

“Well, those are just rumors,” he counters.

“But if you knew there was a Jedi nearby, you’d kill them, right?”

“I-” he begins, but then his face scrunches in thought, almost as if he’s in pain. His hand goes up to his head, but then he shakes it, clearing his throat before looking back up. “Part of me believes that it is my duty to make sure all the Jedi are dead, but the other part of me believes that the Empire lied in order to take control.”

“How come you aren’t convinced of this like you’re convinced that the Empire is wrong?”

“Well…I don’t know,” he admits, shrugging his shoulders. “It’s almost like…it’s natural for me to think the Jedi deserve to die.”

“But you fought alongside them for years, did you not?”

“Yes, I did.”

“And did they ever show signs of betrayal then?”

“No.”

“So what makes you believe that they might have betrayed the Republic?”

“I…don’t know. Like I said, it just feels natural.”

“But there’s no evidence to support this natural feeling?”

“No, there’s not.”

“Then perhaps there is no reason to believe they betrayed the Republic. Perhaps the Empire lied about it.”

“Is that what you believe?”

“Yes,” you say simply. “From the moment he became Supreme Chancellor, I have never trusted Palpatine. Everything he said was always too vague, too…interpretive. I believe that he’s always been up to no good, and never truly liked the Jedi.”

“I guess that does explain some things that he did and said,” the clone responds. “I’m willing to change my opinion on the Jedi if I’m shown that they did not betray the Republic.”

“I’m afraid there is no concrete way to prove this. There is no evidence that the Empire betrayed the Jedi. All you can really do is take the word of those who knew and were close to Jedi.”

“Did you know a Jedi?”

“Yes…I did,” you reply. “He was like a father to me. He cared for me in ways that no one else ever had. And he always had the best interests of others on his mind. Especially my best interests. He taught me how to be the person I am today, how to treat and care for others, while always looking out for myself as well.”

“He sounds very important to you.”

“He was. And he never would have betrayed the Republic. He loved the men under his command as a father loves their sons. And the other Jedi that he introduced me to had equal love for their men. They were all pure of heart and just wanted to help others.”

“I see. I’m sorry that you lost so many people, especially the one who was like a father to you. What was his name? I might have fought under his command.”

You hesitate, not knowing whether or not revealing his name could reveal your own identity, but you decide to take the chance, because you hadn’t spoken his name since his death, other than in screams of despair and nightmares. “His name was Codo Daawa.”

“Codo Daawa? General Daawa?” the words are almost sad, regretful even. “He was a very kind person. I did fight under his command a few times. I looked up to him and how he always looked out for us and protected us. I’m sorry, again, for your loss.”

“Thank you,” you reply quietly. A few minutes of silence pass between the two of you, both of you in your own minds. You are again thinking about the feeling that you’d had when Codo had died, how you instantly felt a difference in the force. You’d known without a doubt that he was next to you, but within the force, and he wanted more than anything to comfort you, though it was impossible. 

“My name is Howzer, by the way,” he says, breaking the silence. “Formerly Captain Howzer, in case General Daawa ever mentioned me.”

“No, he didn’t,” you reply, and he nods understandingly.

“And your name?”

You bite your lip under your mask, a new wave of panic taking over. Do you dare reveal your real name? What are the chances that he knows who you are? Even if he’s heard of you, would he immediately assume you’re the same person as General Jinn?

“It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me,” he adds as you remain quiet, “I understand you still don’t trust me.”

“It’s better for both of our safety if you don’t know.”

“I see.”

“But,” you say, clenching your hands in your lap, “I won’t get anywhere in life if I never trust again.” He looks at you curiously, patiently waiting for you to continue with where you’re going. You let out a deep breath, trying to calm your nerves. You lift your head to gaze at him through your mask. And after closing your eyes and preparing for the worst, you open your mouth to speak.

“My name is y/n. Y/n Jinn.”

If you enjoyed this, comments, reblogs, and messages are greatly appreciated!

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[moonmoonthecrabking]

i think a bit of a loss from a deleted scene in the first hunger games film is in the tribute interviews where marvel says to caesar "if you apply yourself and you focus then all your dreams can come true". like that boy was really on the alpha male grindset culture and it's a shame that wasn't included because it's real. because, especially 11 years down the track, it is a valid critique of hustle culture. marvel was from district 1, he had privileges that kids from the outlying districts didn't have. so when he says "just apply yourself", it won't just happen in that way for the people he's talking to across panem, because even their dreams of surviving the day may not come true, no matter how hard they work. that said, he's still perpetuating this ideal when he's under the oppressive thumb of the capitol. not only is he a district pleb, but his entire life has been in service of being a sacrifice for the capitol's entertainment. sure, he could win, but he's seen the games. he's seen the victors. he would know, even if it's just on the smallest and most hidden level, that a victor's riches pale in comparison to the trauma they must cope with for the rest of their life. even in this interview, where he's playing up that 'he always dreamed of killing people', even if he won his games, the ideal of being treated as an equal, or simply seen as human, cannot come true, no matter how much he focusses on that goal. sure he says he's always wanted to volunteer for these games (which may be true in part, but he's almost definitely putting on an act for the camera. most of the tributes probably are. we talk about the physical training careers must have gone through but in katniss' narration it's made clear that the hunger games is a reality show, first and foremost), but even if you take that at face value, even if you go "this kid just really liked torturing other kids", there's no guarantee of winning. just a promise that you'll come back in a box or riddled with mental scars. he could work as hard as he wanted to, try as hard as he could, but there are so many variables that would block him from winning. i don't know if he would know this or not; the careers are all children, some arrogant, some fearful, many both. but he spreads this rhetoric, as though it were true, as though it were true for him, just like "alpha male" commentators do today, just like mlm promoters. he very partially benefits from this system, yes, but it costs his life. and not just from the moment he entered the arena. people today say "get up your ass and work" or "it's not that hard, Just Do It" or "elongated muskrat did it, so i'll be able to too", ignorant of or unwilling to mention the privilege of those who succeeded, not discussing those who applied themselves and focussed and came up short because the odds weren't in their favour.

[nebulablakemurphy]

i’m so obsessed with your level of genius (in terms of the entire story but also with how haymitch and reader weren’t able to escape the sex work/power abuse from the capitol) and i could only imagine how much haymitch and reader hope their children never find out about what they’ve been forced to do. and oh my god— the levels of fuckery are insane OMG. i mean, there’s probably also the draw of watching haymitch & reader’s pregnant sex, and snow wants to exploit them as much as possible to keep them in check. DAMMNNNN

First of all thank you, second of all I’m answering all on one ask for continuity purposes. Buckle up, this is an essay.

I think this is part of their story, it’s part of their relationship, it’s one of the many layers of abuse they have suffered. But there’s more than that, I mean there’s ten years of marriage and genuine love between them that Snow cannot control. You can make people get married but you can’t make people love each other.

Snow repeatedly puts them in shitty conditions so they can’t be happy, so that they can’t thrive and each time they do, each time they keep going, he gets more angry. I’m sure he regrets the level of fame that his own actions have brought them to because now he can’t just kill them. People will ask questions, people will talk, it’s just too risky.

Now let’s talk about the timeline. First time Snow sees them together as mentors in the Capitol MC is 18. She and Haymitch are newly friends and he immediately identifies her as Haymitch’s Achilles heel. From there it’s really just a field day for Snow.

“I want her to work for me, here in the Capitol.”

Haymitch knows what that means and asks him to please reconsider, pulls out every excuse in the book. Makes it clear that he will do anything to prevent that.

“Would you marry her?”

“I would.”

“Then do it, quickly.”

So they get married. They have to consummate that marriage. This is when people of the Capitol become enchanted by them. Because Haymitch is so sweet on her, because of the forehead touches, the little kisses and ‘are you ok’s. It’s clear to MC and everyone watching that Haymitch could do anything in this moment but he chooses to be kind and good to her. I think she was scared during this time, more because of the situation, than because of Haymitch.

It’s kind of ass backwards but they are falling in love during these trials and tribulations, through the pregnancy and birth of their child. They’re getting to know each other past the surface level. They’re leaning on each other and accepting that the other person is there for them no matter what. Beyond what they have to do to stay alive this relationship has become very meaningful and real to them.

“You said you would ask me to marry you again when I was ready.”

“Yeah.”

“So ask me again.”

They have a private toasting, just the two of them, in the traditions of their district. That’s around the time when he tells her that he loves her for the first time, has this big revelation and starts crying.

Whatever the Capitol and Snow took away from them/forced them to do made them virtually indestructible as partners but gave them issues with codependency.

[the-sun-and-the-sea]

I have no where else to scream this but hear me out: Finnick didn’t want to join the rebellion, but Annie convinced him too.

Finnick, so far under the capitals thumb, so afraid of getting the people he loves hurt that he’s willing to let himself be sold, hears Mags talking about the rebellion and throws up. He’s shaking and he understands why Mags joins. He understands why all the victors in four do. But he’s terrified that it’ll be him that gets everyone killed and at first he refuses. He cannot be the reason they die.

But Annie, the girl who went mad, gently takes his arm and picks up his pieces and makes her case. Makes him understand that in order to bake a cake you have to break a few eggs. Finnick is scared but they are not alone- because for all Annie has been, a career, a tribute, a mad girl, she is first and foremost brave. So she tells him to join. They both do.

Hi, thanks for sharing your theory!

I do agree that joining the rebellion would not have been an easy or immediate decision. Unlike Katniss, who doesn't really have a choice (since the rebellion is already in full swing), Finnick could just as easily say no, and not get involved with the rebels. I think the perpetual threat to his loved ones would have been terrifying and joining the rebellion would definitely not have fixed it right away, and putting them in extra danger like that could certainly dissuade Finnick from joining.

However, while I appreciate the sentimental significance of Annie convincing him to join, I tend to lean towards another option. I think it would make more sense to Finnick if it was one of the other victors who convinced him. Seeing someone in his position (being used by the Capitol, in whatever way) join the rebellion could give him the encouragement he needs to do it as well.

He and Annie care about each other deeply, but Annie hasn't been used by the Capitol in the way Finnick has. This is a part of him that she doesn't fully understand, and that's okay, so I think it would be fitting to have someone closer to Finnick's position integrate him into the rebellion. My favorite take on this comes from The Theory of Everything by Icosagens, so it's basically become my headcanon for how Finnick gets involved.

Does anyone else have thoughts on this? I'd love to hear them!

[inhcritance]

THG verse II - The Career Victor

Harry Osborn is born Harry Lyman, to a single mother in District 3, and the father is and will remain a secret for many years. All Harry knows, once he's old enough to keep secrets, is that his father is a man from the Capitol and she's certain he will, one day, come back to help them. That day does not come.

He volunteers at 16, two years younger than when he should have, because his mother's health is failing and victory might be the only way to get the Capitol to help. He will still be too late to help her.

The rumors about his parentage start the very moment he volunteers: he is very visibly Norman Osborn's son. He meets the man once, and all he gets is two promises: He will not help him during the Games, and they will speak again if he wins.

Harry wins. He wins, and almost dies in the process, but he kills before he's killed and the Capitol gets a shot of a dying, furious young man, who falls as the last cannon sounds. But he wins. And even if his heart stops, the Capitol cannot, will not, let go of their victor.

Harry wakes up again, twice, in the laboratories of the Capitol. No expense is spared. A week later, he's on his feet and talking and very much alive for the Victory Tour and, as in the other THG verse, he's no longer entirely human.

Before the Victory Tour, however, he meets his father: their blood matches, and he is at last publicly recognized as such, and as his heir.

He still finds science is his calling, and lives between the Victors' Villa and the Capitol, determined to do all in his power to help people in his mother's situation, and in his as well.