#sunshine on the reaping

[jubilly]

haymitch seeing a bunny: "how could I possibly kill a creature that brings to mind my girl?" 🥺

snow seeing mockingjays:

[waywardangel-wilds]

Haymitch staying alive long enough to meet both toastbabies because, if what Lenore Dove says is true, and you can go someplace else after you die, he needs to make sure he can tell Burdock all about his grandkids.

[eeriethacus]

They're in my head

[ultimate-marysue]

It's so important to me that Haymitch figures Lenore's mystery.

We know Lucy Gray was such a remarkable woman in spite of Snow's pov. He never understands her and to the audience she remains mysterious despite the fact that we (the audience) know there was more to her than the pretty songbird or traitorous snake. To Snow she stays his manic pixie dream girl, a lesson in getting attached to pretty things he can't control.

But not Haymitch.

There are multiple characters (including Lenore Dove herself) that allude to Haymitch not knowing all her secrets. Even when he's dreaming of a life where he's not reaped, he immediately starts thinking about how Lenore Dove has that side of her that doesn't include him. Does that make him rethink his love for her? Does he ever wonder if he should find another girl that would be happy as just a miner/bootlegger's wife? Nope.

He understands that Lenore Dove has her own interior life, her own dreams and her own agency. Haymitch knows that he doesn't play a major part in all of those. He fears her rebellious spirit for the trouble it may bring to her, never blaming her for the major problem it caused him, but he doesn't try to stop her and control her. Haymitch never once wants to ask her to do what he wants, he doesn't even seem to register that as a possibility.

I keep thinking about how Snow hated Lucy Gray's poem, how he dismissed the poetry as silly and never cared about metaphors. I don't remember his exact words, but he made it sound beneath them, barely managing to pretend he cared only to get Lucy Gray off his back.

How Haymitch admits that a lot of Lenore Dove's philosophies go over his head, but instead of just giving up he keeps trying to understand her explanations. How he never got angry or frustrated despite wanting to chill with his girlfriend when she started quoting David Hume. He's constantly reflecting on what she teaches him, he's proud of how many new words she's taught him through songs, and laments that the covey can't sing them. She recognizes the dangerous lyrics and makes them his flag in the games. He memorizes Lenore Dove's name poem and he constantly analyzes its meaning. That man is 24/7 rotating The Raven by Edgard Allan Poe in his head because it's his girl's poem. He was never a singer but he learns to love and understand poetry to be worthy of the girl he loves.

So the fact that, in the end, he learns about the orange nail polish and the posters is so important. The fact that he gets the final piece to understand that Lenore Dove wasn't just his girl (he never thought that, he's not Snow), that she wasn't just smart, philosophical and a bit rebellious; that she was actively a Rebel. The fact that he takes it as a sign to forever forsake whatever remains of his dreams and commit to his promise to her, to bringing her dream to reality... He is the antithesis of Snow.

Haymitch truly, selflessly, loved Lenore Dove. In the end, he understood her better than anyone else and honored her wishes above his own. When he found out that her dreams were so much bigger than he first thought, so much bigger than him, he wasn't turned off by it. He never wanted a woman that was reduced to just him, but he gladly sacrificed all that he was for her legacy.

Snow tried to erase Lucy Gray from the world, Haymitch worked his entire life to transform the world into Lenore Dove's dream, even if he had to erase himself in the process.

[solennazertuiop]

What makes sotr so heartbreaking is that every single character is utterly doomed by the narrative

They all have their role laid out in front of them from the get go, every path leading to its own kind of despair and misery

And yet they struggle with everything they have and you can't keep yourself from hoping with them

But the story, and the games, is too strong and in the end it has to win

It's really a masterclass in prequel writing

[anarcho-smarmyism]

omg katniss reminded haymitch of louella but katniss always just thought he was being patronizing and mean

[xweex]

Thinking about Sid Abernathy who was bright and loved the stars and had a future, or as much as he could have one in D12. Sid Abernathy who never got to experience his own Reaping. Who never got to see Haymitch after the games. Sid Abernathy who died at ten and his only crime was loving his big brother.

[quirkedupratgirl]

i understand her.

[sugarcube-stillabookworm]

something something wyatt doesnt get the chance to prove to louella that he's not cruel and uncaring making money off children's death but he shows it through lou lou. the girl who thought him heartless died already but here's this little double who's defenseless and in pain and has no one. something something he's presented as a human calculator but the human prevails by so much

[ashyblondwaves]

Haymitch in the epilogue saying, "I'm not sure I'll be here in the old therebefore much longer" made my breath hitch.

We know Haymitch isn't immortal and has likely drank himself into cirrhosis. Hell, I even wrote a one shot about his passing way back when. But, there is just something about it coming from him, that acknowledgement that he's probably not long for this world due to his lifestyle was like being taken by the shoulders and shaken.

You need to stay with us, Haymitch. You need to see the toastbabies grow up. You need to just always be there. After reading this book, I won't hear anything else.

[itscherrylipsforme]

Please, I need to kiss his forehead, hug him while he has nightmares, help him deal with hangovers... Give me a chance please!

I am feral. As soon as I get my hands on a copy of Sunshine on the reaping I will leave all my current readings aside until I finish it. IDK if it is gonna be niche, but I fully intend to post fics about him (both Hunger Game and Sunshine versions for sure)

[sundr0pl1ly]

I genuinely have such a big ass crush for sejanus plinth. I saw him on screen and was like. 'Woah okay??'

Theres ofcourse also coryo. But everytime i find him remotely attractive i make sure i feel deeprooted guilt because i swear the damn edits are the reason haymitch suffers. 😔

She said 'oh snow lands ontop right? Well your feelings are the dirt and they are deep in the ground for me to step on.'

ITS NOT OUR FAULT TOM BLYTH LOOKS LIKE ALLAT 😔😔😔😔

[waywardangel-wilds]

Just got my copy of sunshine on the reaping 🤭

[blogger360ncislarules]

[ultimate-marysue]

Also, with what we know now from tbosas and sotr, it would have been impossible for Katniss to succeed at Snow's mission. "Convince me" but there's nothing that could convince Snow of a Covey girl being in love.

[nessa007]

oh hell yes!!

the casting directors deserve a raise because they excelled with this casting