#like they didn't explain the avoxes

[oveliagirlhaditright]

I forgot to mention that I saw the trailer for the new the The Hunger Games movie when I went and saw Blue Beetle (the prequel, you know?) and it does look really good (even though at first I was unsure about it). I'm probably for sure going to see it when it comes out. Though this will be the first time that I haven't read the book first... unless I do end up reading the book between now and then.

[evita-shelby]

They didn't know we were seeds

Chapter 11

Cw: nightmares, mentions of torture and mutilation

Taglist @emotionalcadaver @justrainandcoffee @peakyswritings @call-sign-shark

Lucy Winters belongs to @emotionalcadaver

He’s not had a good sleep since they talked.

If it's not him back in the arena with Juno and the girl from 5 trying to kill him, he’s watching Gina die in the rubble of a city or worse, being tortured to break him.

They’re all bad. He sees Eva be shot and pulled away by a cable from his arms as he reaches her farm. He sees her be tortured and having her tongue removed for her treason.

Those where he sees the people he loves be tortured are the worst.

Last night, he dreamt he’d gone to the farm and found his family all without tongues. He hadn’t known until he’d greeted Eva with a kiss and found her missing her tongue, as if she’d never had one. No one behaved out of the ordinary. They were just silent, using signs to communicate, and he was unable to understand them.

There’d been a baby crying soundlessly in Gina’s arms, an L for Laurie stitched in a yellow blanket and when Jack had picked up his imagined son, he’d found that they had all been made Avoxes.

It had been so unsettling that the victor had spent half an hour trying to get the images of it out of his head. He thinks the baby in the dream may have been caused by the dread he felt when Cecelia mentioned her baby back home and asked him how old Gina was.

It was barely dusk when he picked up the phone and dialed a number he’s known for a year, but only pretended to find out a month ago. The games had lasted nearly fifteen days this time, and while he’d been busy with his tributes, knowing they’d be mincemeat for Braun, he had avoided her in private.

“Couldn’t sleep either?” She sounds drowsy and yet alert enough to tell him she hadn’t been sleeping for as long as he had either. He doesn’t tell her about the nightmare. He didn’t want to burden her with it nor risk getting caught with information no one in 2 is supposed to know.

“I miss you.” There are few things he can say through a phone call, a few things he can freely say without arising suspicion from those spying on them. Beette had assumed he’d agreed to join them and confided that he was working on something that would allow them to communicate without interference.

Wiress, in her strange, odd way, had given him a stud earring that matched the pair she gave to Eva. Her husband had then explained what it did.

Jack never agreed to be a rebel, and yet most of them assumed he had. Oh, if the rest were like Nuts and Bolts they were fucked.

“Me too, felt so lonely back there. For a while, I thought we were over.” Eva admits her biggest fear.

“No, never.” Jack hides his fears of what could happen and instead tries his best to have the most innocuous talk with his girlfriend while setting a date for their secret weekend together.

When he gets to the farm, he makes sure Eva still has her tongue and that there is no chance in hell that she could get pregnant.

Their first anniversary is celebrated late, but to make up for it, he stays an entire week with her. The weather had been shit closing the farm and making the trek back dangerous for him, and neither had been happier to hear reports of bad weather that Friday.

He’d brought wine, chocolate, and with a cheeky grin presented a gift: skimpy lingerie he wanted her to wear for him.

They’re lying in bed together, naked as the day they were born and enjoying the thunder outside when he tells her of what the Peacekeepers do to traitors.

Eva’s gift felt too extravagant compared to his, while she had more wealth than she could imagine, things were still hard to come by even in the main city. She paid through the nose for a cowhide leather jacket lined with fine wool that matched a pair of boots he had been given by his mom on his last birthday.

“Have a recurring nightmare where they make you an Avox, not just you but a kid we have in the dream. Its not as horrific as the ones where they torture you and Gina and my folks, but somehow its just as bad.” He tries not to look at her as he speaks, as if he might see it come true the moment he looks at her. plays with her hair as he tries to push it out of his mind, and when that fails, she kisses him with a whole lot of tongue to remind him it isn’t real.

“That won’t happen. Whatever children we have won’t fear an arena nor losing their tongue. I feel it in my bones, Jack.”

Jack won’t come around until it’s personal for him, until he has no other choice but to join them. They can’t afford to wait until the 72rd game for him to see reason. There’s still four years to Gina’s 12th birthday.

What if the rebellion happens before then and he is stuck on the wrong side?

“Did you know Cece got removed from the roster because they don’t like how pregnancy changed her body?” Eva brings up after he helps her erase any trace of the man she was sold to for the evening in her shower.

Jack’s jealousy was adorable, hated when other people demanded her so much so that he’d fuck the memory of those encounters out of her head after she told her it . Likes leaving marks where only he and the clients can see it, as if too show them she doesn’t belong to them.

“Is this your way of saying you want a baby? I was hoping to be romanced into it, babe.” Jack jokes as if this will pass. Babies were serious things. Can’t return them when they come, and you can’t save them once they turn 12.

“I want you to make me fat and ugly so no one else can fuck me except you.” It’s not the best reason in the world, but it gives her a damn good reason for wanting to take the risk. She only has this month to try, they can’t afford to get pregnant before or after the games.

Game 68 wouldn’t last long. Most children had died in the first four days, but the careers had yet to find the boy from 6 while they succumbed to the new arena events made this year.

“I’m going to tell Cece you called her fat and ugly.” The career tries to change the topic, but still lets his hands wander on her wet and naked form. They were ravenous for each other, and both struggled to keep their hands off each other to pay attention to anything beyond them.

“We’ll only have to give it a try this month. If it doesn’t work, I won’t bring it up again.” She compromises knowing he’ll forget when she brings it up next year if it doesn’t take. “I want a baby, Jack. I want them to know I belong to you and only you, love.”

A month after the 69th Games, Eva finds their herself pregnant. The joy they should feel is completely smothered with terror.

“What if it fails?” Jack asks her quietly as they feel the baby kick on their second anniversary.

“It won’t, Laurie won’t ever be reaped. He will never suffer like we do.” Now she begins to comprehend why Cecelia is so hopeful because the reality is too horrible to even consider.

Laurie Smith is born in April, his paternity a mystery to everyone except those who won’t reveal their secret. He doesn’t meet his father until late May, once the coast is clear for his monthly visits.

It's the first week of June when Lucy Winters’ prediction comes true.

“I’m not gonna have a choice about this, aren’t I?” Jack is so distraught by what April brought about at home that he agrees to join them. Not just him, his mother too.

Some volunteer as young as twelve thanks to Finnick’s win years ago, and to ensure they have a fighting chance, training begins at eight years old for those who’s parents allow it. Carrie, her young mother, had been thrilled at the idea of Gina becoming a victor like her uncle that Gina had started her training last year.

His mother had been horrified at how excited Gina was at dinner that Lyme had no trouble recruiting them the next morning. Laurie’s birth had both Nelsons agreeing that the two children would be spared the arena at any cost.

“Bring your mother with you next time you visit, she should meet her grandson, Gina too, maybe we can wean her off the idea of the games.” Eva comforts him when his nightmares of the arena feature eight year old Gina fighting for her life while they watch from the mentor’s room.

“After the games, I need to convince her first.” He pressed a soft kiss on Laurie’s little head and kissed her goodbye. “See you in July.”

[astrid-sama]

Labyrinth of white roses

(Effie trinket x fem oc)

Chapter 2)

"Capitol City"

The station is full of journalists from the Capitol City who have come to film the departure of the tributes from the station, I'm happy I didn't cry before. Alexander on the other hand still has red eyes, I feel sorry for him, after all he is still a child; if Elia had been in his place he too would have cried.

The train is incredibly luxurious: the furniture is made of solid mahogany, the tablecloths are silk and the sofas are soft and comfortable.

We each have our own bedroom with attached private bathroom with hot running water, in district twelve we don't have hot water.

Effie told us that we can do whatever we want until dinner time, so I decide to take advantage of all this luxury, I take a long hot shower and I apply a berry scented cream on my body which makes my skin soft and fragrant; I decide to wear my green dress with white flowers again but I change my old boots with a new pair that I found in the wardrobe of my room and finally I tie my hair in a braid like the one Elia had done for me this morning.

Thinking about Elijah makes me sad, it reminds me that if I want to see him again I will be forced to kill; I think I wouldn't feel guilty if I were forced to kill to defend myself but the very idea of ​​having to kill scared children like Alexander makes me feel bad.

I leave my room and start walking towards the carriage where we will have dinner, I was hoping that walking would help me stop thinking but that's not the case.

When I arrive at the restaurant car there is only Effie sitting at the table.

-Darling you arrived right on time, come and sit down-

Effie invites me to sit in front of her and smiles at me.

A few minutes later Alexander and Haymitch also arrive and the Avox begin serving dinner.

As a first course we are served a delicious risotto decorated with wisteria flowers, as a second course we are served a cut of pork accompanied by various vegetables and finally they bring us some cakes filled with what I believe is chocolate.

When dinner is over I feel full like I've never been before and judging by the look of deep subscription on Alexander's face I can tell he feels the same as me.

Before going to sleep Alexander asks Haymitch for advice on how to behave as soon as we arrive in the Capitol, Haymitch replies that he will explain it to us tomorrow if he feels like it then grabs a bottle of whiskey and goes to his room.

I also go to my room and get ready for bed.

When I am woken up in the morning by an Avox I feel very tired due to the lack of sleep due to the constant nightmares I have been having.

After washing I put on a simple light blue dress that I found in the wardrobe and head to breakfast.

When I arrive, everyone is already there: Haymitch is pouring what I think is whiskey into a cup of tea, Effie is eating a pink muffin and Alexander is eating a bit of everything.

-Good morning darling, did you sleep well?-

Effie said smiling at me, "she has a beautiful smile" I think and I can't help but blush.

-I slept very well Effie-

In reality my sleep was downright terrible but Effie doesn't need to know that.

-I'm happy to know, we will arrive at Capitol soon and you will have to be in perfect shape for the tribute parade-

-Speaking of the parade, Haymitch told us yesterday that you would explain to us how to behave-

Haymitch looks away from his tea for the first time since we started eating and, far from happy, answers Alexander.

-Do you want some advice?! Smile, blow kisses to the crowd, make the citizens of the Capitol believe that you love them and that you are honored to be here-

-Do you have any advice regarding the Hunger Games? Should we try to ally ourselves with other tributes? What should we focus on during training? What is the weapon we should learn to use? -

-Girl, you're really trying to win, I like you. To answer your questions: the only solid alliance is that of the favorites but allying with them if you don't come from districts one, two and four is practically impossible unless you prove yourself incredible in training; During training you will need to balance practicing survival techniques with weapons training. Do you have survival skills or experience with weapons? -

-I know medicinal plants, I'm quite agile and I can climb practically anything but I don't think they are very useful skills-

Alexander seems very dejected, he already thinks he's done for. I take his hand in mine and squeeze it reassuringly, he turns to look at me and gives me a small smile.

-I know edible plants, I'm good with throwing knives and I'm really good with a bow I always hit my prey in the eye-

Haymitch hums thoughtfully, I hope it's a good sign.

-We have arrived, we will continue our conversation after the tribute parade in the meantime my first piece of advice is let the stylists do whatever they want with you, they know what they are doing-

Once we got off the train we were accompanied to the tribute preparation center, each tribute was assigned an entire staff with the task of making us beautiful for the parade.

I lie down on a metal surface, they massage my whole body and apply a lotion that makes my skin glow; at a certain point the trainers decide to remove all the hair on my body, when they're done, my body burns.

When I finally finish all the treatments I am taken to a room and told to wait for my stylist to arrive.

After a while a man with dark skin and a thin layer of gold eyeliner over his eye enters; in his hand he holds a garment bag in which I think there is my dress.

Usually for the parade the tributes are dressed to recall their district, for example the tributes from district one are often adorned with jewels; the tributes from district twelve almost always come dressed as miners and unfortunately this doesn't get us many sponsors; other times, however, the stylists decide that the clothes are overrated and leave the tributes practically naked, I remember that a few years ago the tributes of district twelve did not have a dress but had been covered in ash. "I hope I'm not naked"

-Nice to meet you, I'm Cinna your stylist. I decided to make you wear a particular dress that doesn't focus on the miners but on coal and fire-

"Oh no! I'll be naked for sure"

-The idea for your dress came to me when I saw you and the boy from district twelve. I thought about how different you two were, one with red hair and the other with black hair. Looking at you, coal and fire came to mind; you with your black hair will be the coal while the boy with his red hair will be the fire-

He opens the case and takes out a black leather suit. After putting on the pants and leather bodysuit Cinna has me put on some high boots with a small heel. Cinna attaches little pieces of coal to my dress which are covered in a thin layer of red glitter which makes the little pieces of coal look like they are glowing.

When I'm done getting dressed, I apply make-up: a little black eyeshadow with glitter, a red shaded eyeliner and a gloss with glitter.

-Now the final touch-

Cinna placed on my head a beautiful diadem with fiery red rubies.

When I can finally look at myself in the mirror I am left speechless.

"I'm beautiful"

The leather clothes bring out every curve of my body, the makeup makes my eyes appear a deeper blue, and the crown highlights the black of my hair. Without even thinking about it I hug Cinna, thanks to him I will be able to get some sponsors and my chances of winning will increase.

-Thank you Cinna, you are saving me-

When I see Alexander I notice that he is dressed similarly to me, but his crown is black.

Our stylists help us get on the bandwagon and wish us good luck.

Around us, there are the other tributes on their chariots: the tributes of district two wear armor that leaves little to the imagination, the tributes of district seven wear clothes made of leaves, the tributes of district nine wear a dress made of a fabric that resembles corn ears...

One by one the floats begin to advance and the crowd begins to applaud. Our wagon starts to move, I turn to look at Cinna and he motions for me to hold my head high and smile.

When spectators see us they shout our names and throw roses at us; I grab one and after kissing it I throw it back to the crowd and everyone tries to catch it.

"They're fighting about me! They care about that rose because I kissed it."

Continue to blow kisses to the crowd and smile until the parade ends and we are taken back to the preparation center.

Our stylists come to meet us, hug us and congratulate us.

Shortly afterwards Effie and Haymitch arrive and after congratulating us they accompany us to the elevators. Above us is the training center and above it are the living quarters of the tributes and their staff. Each district corresponds to a floor, ours is the twelve.

[starlightingsss]

sparks fly / 3

the sweet nothing. 4

trigger warning for this chapter is basically reader getting upset w her face and has a whole mental breakdown where she get violent towards herself and its a little very graphic

i loved this fic when i started writing it but now im kinda hating how im writing it out 😭

she rolled out of her glamorous, luxurious bed, memories of last night flooding her mind.

she and haymitch didn't do anything, she wasn't sure if she would want to do any with him if she got the opportunity anyway.

he was drunk out of his mind, she doubted he would remember anything she said that night either way.

she slipped downstairs, still wearing her clothes from the previous night, her hair a little tussled and her as an entirety looked like a mess. a beautiful mess.

it was 8 in the morning but she was excited, today was her first training and she couldn't keep the anxiety out of her veins - what would she do? she's not strong, she can't keep up with the bigger tributes who could probably snap her in half effortlessly.

she once again, stole the job from an avox and prepared the table, silently helping them set the food.

her escort was the first to wake, as she saw the tribute doing an avox's job, "oh dear! you don't need to do that .. an avox will!", she explained, assuming the girl didn't know.

"oh no, i just wanted to do it .. kinda helps me clear my mind in a way." she told her escort, with a smile on her face. "they made fresh croissants! did you know they do that? they smell sooo good!", the tribute gushed.

"oh dear yes .. i avoid those though. a lot of butter, not good for the figure.." her escort muttered, a little shocked her tribute was doing chores.

"how'd you sleep?", the girl asked, attempting to continue the conversation with her already glamourized escort.

"oh i slept well! i always sleep well, capital beds are amazing." the escort replied, as she pulled out a compact mirror and fixed up her makeup.

"come sit!" the girl gestured, as she finished setting the table.

"dear i really don't think you should be doing this stuff .. it's an avox's job after all." her escort whispered, trying to make sure the avoxes didnt hear.

"oh what happened to them anyway? they choose to work here right?, the girl asked, oblivious to the conditions of an avox.

"um well no, avoxes are people from the districts who disobeyed rules/laws, so they got their tongues cut off. its quite gruesome really, but they help serve us with stuff." the escort replied, shocking the girl a little.

before she could reply, her district partner walked into the kitchen, he probably couldn't sleep, just like her.

"our training's at 9, and lasts until 3," she told him, having memorized the schedule they were given. "we have an hour to eat, i'm gonna go see where haymitch is."

basil rolled her eyes at this, scoffing out a "do you have a crush on him or something".

she ignored his statement and just continued to haymitch's room.

once she got there, she knocked a few times, then just entered.

in the room, she found her mentor wasted on the bed, a bottle in his hand, his vomit covered shirt on the floor, and the stench of the expensive capitol liquor lingering.

"jesus.." she whispered, as she navigated her way deeper into the room.

she knew the man was a mess, but not this much of a mess, there were a few broken bottles on the floor, making it unsafe to walk barefooted, she felt horrible for the man - he probably kept drinking after she left him to go to sleep last night.

she neared his bed and tapped on his shoulder, calling his name, when he didn't wake, she shook his body a little bit.

when he did wake up, he swung a bottle that barely missed her head and shattered on the wall, causing her to yelp out.

"um! i'm sorry for waking you i guess!" she said, as she backed off the bed, out of his reach.

the fear on his face, as tears welled in his eyes as he realized what he just tried to do.

"shit.. sweetheart." he mumbled, before he sat up, "i didn't mean-", was all he managed to slur out as he planted his bare feet onto the floor full of shattered liquor bottles carelessly, as he cursed loudly and fell back onto the bed.

"haymitch!" she hissed, as she realized what he did, blood dripping from his feet. she ran into the bathroom and grabbed a wet cloth, turning on the lights of the dark room in the process. as she got back, she saw him lying there a little hopelessly, bleeding and drinking from the bottle he had in his hand.

"it's gonna hurt a little, but if it hurts too much tell me because then that means there glass in your foot.." she told him, as she crouched down to examine it. dabbing at the blood with the wet rag, thankfully there actually was no glass in his foot.

"'m so sorry sweetheart .. shouldn't have drinken so much, t's you're training ... 'm a horrible mentor.." he managed out, as she heard his tears a little. he was definitely drunk out of his mind.

"dont worry about it! we're just gonna like train right? like it'll be a little gym full of weapons .. not that hard to navigate!" she told him, in an attempt to reassure him, as she cleaned the cuts on his foot. "i'm not sure you're gonna be able to walk okay for a bit .. if there any sharp piercing pains tell me because then that means theres glass in your food."

haymitch was sat up now, his hand carressing her cheek, "not just the training though .. haven't helped you with anything, haven't taught you the first thing about survivin' in that arena." he, said that in barely a whisper, regret tainting his voice. "haven't been a good mentor to anyone for a while.."

"oh haymitch! it's fine, you did what you could, and it didn't work, it's not your fault these games exist - they were kids, and they shouldn't have been expected to be able to kill." she told him, trying to assure him, his eyes clouded and wide. her district partners words last night clearly got to him, his attempt to smash a bottle over her head probably not helping his peace of mind either.

"please haymitch .. don't worry about it, come down to breakfast? ill get you some slippers so you can walk in the glass, and some water so you can rehydrate. i'll ask someone to come clean your room and if you dont trust them to then i can do it later tonight, is that okay with you?" she whispered, as she stood up and looked down at the sad man. "i'm gonna go find some of that capital instaheal stuff and get you some water and slippers right now, and then we can walk down to breakfast together?"

he hesitated, a sad look still in his eyes, but unwilling to turn down the woman who was trying to help him. she took him not objecting as a yes, so she gave him a hug and went on her way to find him the stuff.

once she returned to his room, she found him lying down again, his arm over his head.

she made her way back over to him, shaking him awake again.

when he moved his arm down, she finally got a clear look at his face that day. little claw marks on his cheek from his own hand, bags and dark circles under his eyes, his haunted blue eyes, his face carrying more weight than she could see before.

he sat up when he saw her, she passed him the water and applied the instaheal ointment, bandaging his food and then helping him put on his slippers, him not even expecting himself to be this vulnerable - especially with a woman whom he barely knows.

"the ointment should take a while to work .. i can help you walk right now, though!" she told him, "you have to eat .. especially after drinking so much! i remember once i took a shot of fireball and i didn't eat for a bit and i ended up in the icu, and i don't want that to happen to you.. just finish your water right now and then we can go back down to breakfast, we only have 30 minutes to eat."

"don't have to baby me.." he grumbled, the only reply she gave him was a gentle touch on his shoulder as she moved closer to examine the marks on the disgruntled man's face.

"drink your water faster so you have time to eat and then shower too, you smell." she told him, not letting the "smell" repel her.

"i smell, so why are you still so insistent on being close to me, sweetheart?" he teased, regaining a bit of the ego of his previous self.

she just laughed, "looking at your handsome face is soo much more important to me than avoiding the smell of alcohol!", she joked, as she winked at him.

he chuckled before finishing his water, and she straightened up to help him down to breakfast.

"can walk by myself, hon", he told her as she grabbed his arm.

"still wanna hold your arm!" she replied, excitedly. "i'm so excited for the training today, and kind of scared but also so excited! can't wait to meet everyone! i was too late at the parade to talk to anyone."

they kept walking together, with her talking and haymitch listening keenly to what she was saying while she was clinging to his arm.

eventually they did make it to the table, and her escort was the first to notice them, letting out a "oh dear! you were gone forever, was about to go check on you!"

"oh no! i was totally fine, vanity! i was just helping him clean up a little." she replied, as she sat down at her previous spot, directly across from haymitch.

"helping him 'clean' up" her district partner mocked, much to her annoyance.

she just ignored him, the implications of his words something not worth dealing with.

"i'm gonna go change into something practical and get ready for training." she told them this, as she dismissed herself - having not sat down for even 2 minutes.

she stood up and almost made it out of the room before their resident alcoholic rang out a, "have you eaten?"

she turned her head sharply and asked a, "what?"

"have you eaten? lately? after you got reaped?" he clarified, noticing that she was skipping meals wasn't an observation she expected him to make.

"yes , of course i have" she told him, her tone sharp and dismissive of the conversation - something that wasn't common for her.

"and what have you eaten exactly, dear?" her escort asked, the question haymitch brought up something concerning to her.

"some ham and fruit,", she lied, she hadn't eaten.

"only? oh dear ! you're going to pass out the moment you try to lift something during your training .. come eat!" her escort exclaimed, waving the girl over.

"i'm not hungry," she told them, dismissing their worries.

she walked out of the room, ignoring them as she heard basil proclaim something along the lines of "told you she was anorexic".

her irritation quickly faded, as she walked into her room, sitting at her vanity.

she opened the drawer, trying to find cosmetic products - and that was exactly what she found.

she picked out a concealor in her shade, a sunscreen to go under it, and used the moisturizer from the day before under both of those products.

as she spot concealed and layered on the skincare, she found a lip tint that she proceeded to use on her lips, leaving them a lighter red, then she applied some waterproof mascara before drawing on a small wing with kohl eyeliner, smudging it out a little to blend better in her eye, and then adding some highlighter on her nose and inner corners.

once she finished that, she put on her training uniform.

she soon exited her room, with 5 minutes left to get to the training area.

haymitch, vanity and basil were already waiting for her, apparently she took forever.

"well! guess who finally showed up," haymitch grumbled, as she appeared.

"..didn't even take that long." she mumbled, a little annoyed back at him - she didn't really like how she looked that day.

"well .. the elevator goes straight down to the training center so we have time to .. chat?" vanity said, not necessarily understand the aura of the room.

"alright, how are you two going to try and market yourselves? any ideas?", haymitch said, sipping from his drink.

"not 'you two', i wanna be apart from him", she grumbled with an uncharacteristic frown.

"don't wanna be with you either", he snapped, with a glare.

she rolled her eyes, clearly not in a good mood - heavily contrasting with how she was before breakfast, when she was nothing but sweet.

haymitch just grunted as he leaned back, continuing to drink, not necessarily wanting to deal with the pair at the moment.

they sat in silence for a little bit, before she saw her reflection in a crystal bottle. her face obviously a little distorted, but still the image distressed her.

"ugh!" she hissed, as she threw the bottle on the floor, shattering it and storming away.

she left all 3 of them confused with her sudden upsetness, as they all exchanged looks - or not all, just vanity looking up with a look of concern and confusion, and haymitch continuing to drink, basil irritated.

"she's probably just on her period or something", basil mumbled, "women are so sensitive."

this led to haymitch glaring at the man, shutting him up quickly from starting his rant again.

"someones gotta go get her for training", he grumped, as he checked the watch on his wrist.

basil didn't acknowledge that, he didn't care about the woman.

vanity would've but she didn't handle mean people and criticisms well, and didn't know the girl well either.

haymitch groaned, rolling his eyes and mumbling something under his breath, as he realized neither of them were going to go get her - and if she missed the first training, she would have to face many consequences.

as he opened her door to walk in, he was met with a mirror flying at his head, shattering on the wall behind him.

the woman letting out another angry remark, her vanity shattered and her hands bloody. her arms were scratched up, clawed by herself. makeup splattered on the floor, and mascara running down her face.

"jesus sweetheart," he mumbled, as he neared the woman.

"stop it! go away!" she screamed, her voice breaking and tears streaming. her arms crossed and her nails clearly breaking skin as they raked against the soft skin of her lower arm.

"well, i would love to get away from-" he waved his arm around the room, waved his arm at the woman, "whatever this is, but, not sure if you're aware, if you don't show up to the first training, they'll drag you out there anyway," his words didn't seem to convince the woman who waited for him to elaborate, " and that, is a very embarrassing thing. peacekeepers aren't gentle men."

"i dont care", she hissed as she looked at her reflection in a shard of glass she had broken, before apparently not liking what she saw, and throwing it at the wall, causing it to break into a million pieces. she picked up another shard, trying to see if the image in it was different, and it wasn't, this time - instead of throwing it against the wall, she slammed the shard into her thigh, breaking the cloth and sinking in deep.

the pain didn't seem to phase her, if anything, it just annoyed her more, causing her to remove the shard and throw the bloodied piece at the wall. her anger still apparently as she raged in the room, when her body forcibly gave out on her, and she was forced to lean over the counter, where there were even more pieces of her mirror, she slammed her face into them, repeatedly.

once haymitch recovered from the shock of what she was doing to herself, he grabbed her, pulling her arms back and restraining her, lifting her upper body up out of the shards of a broken mirror.

he repeatedly told her to "stop it" as she fought him, her blood getting everywhere.

she clawed at his chest, fighting the man who was trying to keep her from hurting herself, as he pushed her onto the bleed - her face cut up and bleeding, same as her thigh.

she kicked and she punched and she fought, trying to be let go out of the suprisingly strong alcoholics arms.

her blood and anger on her face as he pinned her down, forcing her to stop fighting.

"what the hell is wrong with you?" he growled, pushing her down.

she just cried, refusing to answer, as her blood mixed with her tears,

she kicked from under him, not really hitting anything as he was practically on top of her.

"you're gonna go into the fucking games like this?" he snarled, examining her face, seeing how she had stained the pink sheets a bright crimson red.

he didn't understand what triggered her, he couldn't tell why she got so upset and started smashing mirrors - or why she starting hurting herself.

as she calmed down, and stopped fighting him, resorting to just sobbing instead, and he figured she was ok, no longer a danger to herself anymore, as he let her go.

he mumbled out a "stupid woman" before letting her go.

"i'm not!" she told him, her voice breaking.

"what?" he questioned, looking down at her.

"stupid! i'm not stupid!", her words barely making it out over her tears.

"well you bashed your fucking face into glass.." he told her.

"so? why does my face matter? why does it matter?" she screamed at him, her anger and rage having built up over the years, "why does my face matter so much?"

she wanted to hear him say it, she wanted to hear him tell her that she was nothing except her face, nothing but pretty.

he hesitated with his words, unsure of what to say.

"your face.." he couldn't seem to be able to think of what to say, as he looked at her, he couldn't find the words. he couldn't bring himself to tell the girl that her face was what people liked about her, that her face was her whole thing, but he knew she knew. he was at a loss of what to say, he didn't know her - not personally. he knew her face, he knew nothing about her but he knew she was beautiful. "is the first thing people see, they judge you on it when they first meet you."

a mediocre response, that didn't seem like something he would say, a response that didn't help.

"and its all they see. my face. i'm nothing else to everyone, i'm just a pretty girl with a pretty body. you know that right? everyone tells me "oh youre so pretty!" but no one says anything meaningful, no one tells me that im funny or smart or nice or anything, i'm nothing if i'm not pretty" she hissed, as he realized why she was so upset.

"then why did you do that to your face?" he said, his tone lighter as he examined just how extensive the damage was - nothing much, just a few cuts on her face that were bleeding.

"because im ugly."

confusion was evident on his face, the drunk not taking this whole dilemma lightly.

"i was ugly! my nose was a little too big and my lips were a little too small and oh my god my eyeliner looked so bad, and i wasn't even wearing that much makeup but i still looked like a total cakeface! i looked disgusting!" she told him, her tears still streaming down her face. "and i was trying to fix it at first but then it just got worse and i started getting uglier."

before haymitch could reply, peacekeepers entered her room.

their guns strapped to their belts, as they stood there menacingly. needing to know why she wasn't at training, especially the first one.

haymitch was quicker to think than the crying woman was, telling them she was injured.

he showed them her thigh, still bleeding as the older one questioned why she wasn't in the infirmary, to which haymitch answered that the injury just happened in her rush to get ready, where she tripped onto her chair and fell into her vanity, shattering the mirror.

they transported the woman to the infirmary, where haymitch followed.

once they were alone, she asked, "why did you lie?"

and he told her, "if they figured it out - figured out you weren't eating, or did that to yourself -, they would put you in rehab. keep you out of training and out of contact with everyone while they forcefeed you through a tube and put you in 'therapy' with a capital therapist. they would deem you unstable and a danger to yourself, might even put you in a straitjacket.", he was a drunk but still he could think, and he thought quickly.

"the capital medicine should be able to heal you up well in less than a week, still before the games, don't do that to yourself again, cant have you go in injured," haymitch whispered, "promise me you won't do something like that again. if you're upset, come to me and please try to eat something."

"pinky promise i won't" she whispered back, sticking up her pinky finger. he did pinky promise with her that she wouldn't - no matter how silly it might've seemed.

[hillnerd]

In your opinion, please rate thg movie series with 1-5 scale.

(1 = I hate it, 3=neutral, 5 = I love it.)

1.The Hunger Games :

Things that you like :

Things that you don't like :

2.Cathing Fire :

Things that you like :

Things that you don't like :

3.Mockingjay

Movie 1 :

Movie 2 :

Things that you like :

Things that you don't like :

Thank you 😊

@curiousnonny

@curiousnonny

1. The Hunger Games : 4

Things I like : the acting is very good, especially with the adult cast. (Haymitch, Caesar and Snow especially!) They give a very full sense of the world in a succinct manner, and have some really good costumes (especially the Capital!) I enjoyed how they brought the visuals to life, and the action was directed in a way that brought one in.

Things that I don't like : I really like the casting of the characters as far as they all are very talented- but I would have preferred a different Katniss and Peeta- (honestly i think Cato should have been cast as Peeta, given the acting I've seen from him in other series and his looks/general air about him- Hutcherson brought in the sweet factor but imo it went too far and he just sort of came across as a wussy weirdo a lot of the time, and Katniss was just a little off for me at times- but still very good!) I also hated the 'finale' of the games- I understand how it's almost impossible to make the dogs actually like they were in the books- but it was hard to see anything at all it was so dark. Also avoxes not being explained. :(

2.Catching Fire : 4

Things that I like : Finnick! Oh my gosh, amazing casting with him and most of the other new cast- Joanna Mason nailed it, Beetee yasss. Like, really excellent. The visuals for this one are spectacular, especially given the challenges of the games.

Things I don't like : The ending feels cheesy on the plane thingy. I also feel Katniss and Peeta don't have that much chemistry- both are acting the hell out of it, but eh... Peeta in general just feels so weak inside the games- and it's not just fighting wise but emotionally- vs emotionally he is so grounding and amazing before the games. And Finnick doesn't get to bond enough with them.

3. Mockingjay

Movie 1 : 3

Movie 2 : 3

Things I like : I felt they did a pretty good job capturing district 13 and the action in different places. THE SONG and how they use it during the rebel action is everything. Seriously very very very moving. The scenes we get from the districts as they rebel are amazing. Seeing how they break Peeta down video to video is heartbreaking and very raw. Finnick is underutilized- they have a whole movie here and many of the characters aren't shown enough.

I really like the new adult cast brought in- but especially BOGGS! Omg he's so amazing. love love love

Then in movie 2 they do a good job showing the more horrific pods and challenges they face in the capital. I also liked that they had finnick's death feel like it was for SOMETHING- vs book really made it feel like literally NOTHING was gained

Things that you don't like : Prim is underutilized, as are many of the cast, and because we didn't have enough of why Peeta is great truly established in the prior films, seeing him here, so broken and not himself- didn't feel like as much of a unforeseen tragedy? So it just made it more like 'yeah... maybe you SHOULD leave him behind?' when he's manslaughtering :P I wished we saw more of Katniss in district 12 after and that we had a clearer picture of why she's okay with having kids now that lead up to the 'picturesque yay we have kids' ending.

Overall, I quite enjoy these films. As per usual, I tend to like books more- but these are excellent and I can't unsee Haymitch, Caesar or Snow from the movies even a little.

[evita-shelby]

They didn't know we were seeds

Chapter 15

Cw: death, trauma, rage issues, mentions of cannibalism

Heaven Lavey belongs to @call-sign-shark ,Nina to @peakyswritings

@justrainandcoffee @emotionalcadaver

There were always rumors that the lands up north had people no longer subject to Panem, as there are rumors of South America existing beyond the ocean that covered Central America and what used to be southern Mexico.

Those who went looking never came back. The last she heard, Dalton, a man who used to work with Cousin Andres had left and so far, no body had been found.

“What do you mean?” Eva asked quietly fearing they’d still be overheard.

“13 and Panem made a treaty that 13 would fuck off and Panem would let them be as long as they never made contact. Our friends have been working with them to end all this.” He explained, just as quietly as she had spoken. “There’s a network that helps you evade peacekeepers and the like from 11 to 12 and then leading you to 13s first watchtowers.”

So, Lyme knew of it through Aveline, or Chaff and Seeder? Haymitch was somehow involved as the only victor of 12 by the looks of it too.

And now they did.

“We could leave, take Laurie and run.” He takes her face in his hands and begs her to run away with him.

“We’ll talk about this at home, I don’t trust this place.” Eva hides her no well enough for him to fool him. False hope was better than no hope at all.

Maybe they could run away if Heavensbee doesn’t find his symbol before Laurie’s 12th birthday, or if things become harsher for them, but right now isn’t the time.

Even when it will destroy Jack to lose his niece.

“For now, I need you to be strong for Gina’s sake. She’s terrified, Lyme told me about last night’s nightmare and how scared she is.” The woman pulled him closer until he was resting his sweaty head against her, and she could calm him down enough to pretend he’s not broken.

“I don’t know if I can, every time I see her, I know she’ll come back in a coffin. I killed her, if I hadn’t---” he’s too weighed down by the what ifs that Jack can’t even feign strength.

“Shh, I know, Jack, for Gina’s, for me and Laurie, don’t let them know they’ve won.” Eva soothed him as best as she could.

It was no wonder Abilene and the victor before her got so bad, how can you live past this? How can you live when your child is dead?

A freak summer storm stops them from having another pool party on the last day of training, but they have a party with foods and snacks teenagers like in the game room no one uses in this hotel instead. For a moment they are kids, tomorrow they’ll try and hope to charm the Capitol as to why they deserve to live and the day after these kids die at each other’s hands.

Eva shows up with Matty and their kids and try their best to ignore Gina’s death stares at her. She knows her as the woman who murdered her dad whom she had never truly met. She may die never knowing that Eva is her aunt, Jack has no idea how to even tell her.

Jack has done his best to be strong for her, to give her the false hope that she may actually survive this. The blonde tween had beamed at him when the trainers praised her for her agility and skill.

“I don’t know if I’m going to tell her; I can’t send her off like that.” He admits as they sit against the wall while the kids watch some funny movie that’s all the rage in the capitol right now.

“Then don’t, I won’t make you do it.” She whispers as she gave his hand a good squeeze.

“I love you.” He says, turning to look at her thinking no one can see or hear them and even worse kisses her sweetly as if he might never see her again.

“So, its true then? You’ve been fucking this bitch like she didn’t kill my dad!” Gina makes her presence known with a shout and begins throwing anything she can get her hands on at them, at him.

Gina’s shouting loud enough to startle the avox setting out her night clothes.

“They talked about it at school and I told them you would never do that, that you loved my dad too much to fuck her and have a baby with her!” the betrayal has his niece crying and screaming as her image of Jack is shattered by the truth.

“I planned on telling you, once it was safe to do so, Gee. Shit is more complicated than you think.” The mentor still barely knows how to explain it to a child.

As much as Gina thinks she is grown, she is still a fucking twelve-year-old girl.

“She killed your brother, my dad, and you decided to get together with her even if its fucking illegal!” she grows shrill and loud unaware every second of this is being recorded.

“Once you are inside that arena, you have no choice, kid. Even those of us who volunteer.” He would love to tell her everything and hope she could change her mind, but he cannot. “Every victor here has met the victor that took their loved one. I killed two kids she grew up with, Brutus and Wiress had killed her brothers.

Most of us learn to forgive them and even befriend them. If you survive your games, you’ll know what I mean.”

“Did you have to name him Laurie?” Gina asks, having heard some of what he said. She never would understand it entirely because she is going to die this weekend. Something that he hates himself for.

“No, but we wanted to. I’ll never see him beyond pictures, at least I know he is mine and that his name is what I wanted to name my son.” Jack lies through his teeth to a girl already dead.

There is an axe at the cornucopia.

It is a dense foggy forest at the foot of a snowcapped mountain and while everyone has a reason to fear for their tributes, no one has their own flesh and blood in there.

Jack is glued to the screen, digging his nails on the back of the chair he’s sitting backwards on as he mutters as if Gina could hear him. Gina had done exactly as he had trained her to do and with the career pack with her had survived the bloodbath.

Marius and the rest of the careers do their best to protect her, getting her safe and armed with the hunting knife meant to tempt Titus from 6. Titus was too fond of meat, always hungry and prone to biting other tributes and even trainers. Had trained with a hunting knife and had promised to carve out his enemies’ hearts and even Caeser in his urine-colored hair wasn’t sure how to spin that.

His mentor had whispered of a cannibalism charge that led to him being reaped. Said poverty was so bad in their district that it was not unheard of for someone to eat another human being.

The Gamemakers had given him a 10 in hopes of getting the careers to kill him faster.

Jack knows the game is over when Heaven Lavey comes away with the bloody axe and proceeds to hunt the weaker ones hiding about the woods that same night.

Marius had had the hots for her, like Laurie once had for Eva because Jack had made the mistake of saying the girl from 10 was 10 and asked if he agreed with Jack’s assertion. Jack had to warn the boy several times that the hot chick from 7 was there to kill him not take his virginity.

Eva’s kids had hidden well, worked together to get a handful of things and hid in a tree for the night. Chel was good at climbing, the cacao trees could be up to 40 feet tall or so she had said in her interview last night. Andy had a tree house high up a mesquite, and while not as adept didn’t fare too badly as Eva had feared.

Gina has yet to kill someone, the most she did was maim the girl from 6 that one of Cashmere’s kids finished off. But she was safe as long as the career pack didn’t break off. By herself she was as likely to survive as Alfie and Nina’s kids.

“I’ll stay with you until its over.” Eva moves a chair close to him after having reminded Nina from 9 to keep herself hydrated because she’s in the same shape as Jack.

Eva’s a healer, always taking care of everyone. It’s something he loves about her.

But Jack doesn’t know he’ll ever recover when Gina dies because he was too chickenshit to take them and run.

Gina is killed in the second day. She’d spotted a shock of white hair by the lake and tried to drown her thinking her easy prey.

It was morning when Jack is made to watch as Heaven Lavey buries her hatchet into his niece’s head.

Jack doesn’t come too until he is sitting in a room he destroyed with his bare hands. He is bleeding and hurt and crying like he’s never cried before sitting in the rubble of his room.

“I killed her. I killed her. I killed her!”