i get why a lot of people don’t like reading mockingjay as much as the rest of the trilogy, but i think it’s actually so essential to understanding the central thesis of the entire hunger games series.

the whole point of the hunger games is this: all human life is valuable, and artificial divisions between people keep them weak. and the only way out is radical love.

and this is something that is literally echoed again and again in the books. take, for example, gale. why is gale such an interesting, complex, and yet reprehensible character? yes, it’s because at the end katniss cannot separate his bomb from prim’s death. but it’s deeper than that. why does gale build the bomb in the first place? it’s because gale doesn’t see every human life as valuable. gale is willing to kill people and to deny them their humanity simply because they are his “enemy.” so, there’s the obvious example of his willingness to blow up the nut with everyone inside and his disregard for the human casualty. and the people in the nut aren’t even from the captiol, he just wants to do it because the stereotype of that district is their allegiance to the capitol, and gale hates that.

but there’s another scene, also in mockingjay, that i think goes under-discussed which is his view of katniss’ prep team. when katniss finds her prep team literally imprisoned in 13, she’s horrified and upset by the conditions they are in. but gale isn’t. and he’s confused about why katniss would care for them! her response is to say that it’s because they cried when she went to the quarter quell. and gale is like, “sure, but they’re still from the captiol.” and this argument is so important. because katniss argues that the prep team deserves to be treated as human beings, and when he presses her on why, she basically says because they treated her as a human being. but gale can’t see that–all he can see is that they’re from the capitol, and he’s confused about why katniss should care.

and this is, so crucially, what katniss learns in the hunger games. she realizes that she doesn’t want to kill the other tributes just because they are from the other districts. she hates the fact that they have turned her against people who are, in their core, just like her. frightened children who have been manipulated to kill other children against their will, all selected based on their district, a social divide that has literally been invented and imposed on them.

and another just absolutely essential thing to understand here is that peeta knows this all along. we talk at length about how peeta’s defining trait is his kindness. but what’s so important about peeta’s kindness is how it transcends any boundaries of social class or social division.

when peeta gives katniss the bread, it’s important to note that just before he does that, we hear his mother talking about “seam brats pawing through her trash.” peeta’s mother buys into the social divides in district twelve–she views herself as better than someone from the seam simply because of her standing as a merchant, and reinforces these class divides by refusing to extend the simplest humanity to a child from the seam. she literally refuses to feed a starving child on the grounds of a social divide, within a world that already has divided them into districts. but peeta doesn’t see it like this. peeta refuses to deny katniss food just because she’s from the seam. peeta gives her kindness. peeta gives her humanity.

and he does the same thing in the games! his entire first interview, the dramatic king focuses, not on the games, but on his genuine love and adoration for another tribute. how radical! to refuse to subscribe to a system which asks him to hate her? to want to kill her? and to instead confess his love for her? sure, katniss ends up being the mockingjay. katniss might have held out the berries. but peeta in that moment is the one who sets the rebellion in motion. peeta is the one who refuses to engage in the senseless hatred of someone who “should” be his enemy. instead, he reaches out in love.

and it all culminates at the end of mockingjay, when katniss votes for the capitol hunger games to gain coin’s trust. and peeta is utterly horrified by this. because he can’t understand how she could have been through everything he has been through and not understand that continuing to senselessly kill human beings (children!!) for some kind of revenge just reinforces these binary modes of thinking. but the thing is–katniss DOES see that. and when coin proposes it, that’s when she knows she has to stop her. because coin, like gale, like peeta’s mother, and like so others many around her, is still buying into these divides. is still viewing the captiol as the enemy. is still viewing a human life as expendable. 

and there’s a quote in mockingjay that i think lays this out pretty explicitly. katniss says, after she kills coin and is recovering, point blank: “they can design dream weapons that come to life in my hands, but they will never again brainwash me into the necessity of using them.” she’s realized the crux of the entire hunger games–that manipulating us to hate and kill our fellow humans, that drawing up divisions between people because of where they live and what they produce, that believing that hating someone on the basis of any of these is justification for their death, is all a farce. it’s all a distraction. it’s all pretend. she says, in the same chapter: “no one benefits in a world where these things happen.” not the districts. not the capitol. not the victors. no one.

the entire arc of the hunger games is really just about katniss catching up to what peeta has known from the start. katniss overcoming all the manipulation from those around her, all the glitz and glamour, all the artificial social and class divides to see what peeta has seen clearly from the start: love.

Adrien showing up to school the next day:

Sometimes I think about the fact that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was completely convinced by the Cottingley fairy hoax, while J.M. Barrie looked at the guy and his whole belief in fairies and stuff like "dude, what."

This is what I have gleaned from skimming @residentmiddlechild's blog regarding the people in Dracula Daily

Dracula: Eccentric vampire. Actually fine, he likes train schedules. He walks a little funny sometimes but that's okay he has a lot of servants to remind him it's one foot in front of the other and not gecko form up the wall. I think he's a Jonathan Harker simp and that's why he didn't kill him on sight. Anyways he took a dive recently cause he stopped reading about transportation and now he's committing heinous crimes. He's very stinky too <3

Jonathan Harker: actually stupid and featuring some really nifty psychological issues idk how this is your protagonist I worry for him greatly. He is also a simp

Therapist: I only recently decided he is named Seward because I did. He is a silly man. I don't think he knows jack sh*t about what's happening in Johnny's life and he just stares straight ahead while Mii plaza music plays in his head except now he has taken a drastic career change after validating Johnathan once and now he's a cowboy. I think he eats paper too? Like he's racing his box spiders to the paper and he eats it. What is wrong with him

Lucy Westerna: She's got the coolest name here actually but I think she might be possessed. She has red trauma eyesTM so tjat's a sure sign her character theme will now be played in a minor chord when she enters the room

Arthur Holmwood: Married to the lady who might be possessed but I don't know if they actually got married cause it seems like wifey was more interested in nibbling on infants and becoming 2D to crawl under doors than get hitched but also that's okay cause Arthur has iron deficiency and keeps passing out so I don't think he'd survive the ceremony anyways. Thought Arthur was Jonathan for a second and then thought Jonathan was having an affair with Lucy, betraying his wife Mina who honestly I think was made up last second I feel like I never heard her name until this week. 

Van Helsing: Tbh this one-... I don't think he's all there. I think he needs melatonin and to not watch Buzzfeed Unsolved cause I don't think this man can handle anything else supernatural happening. 

 Mina: no discernable personality but she makes a mean cup of tea. Her tea could be its own HGTV show from how it's flipping people's houses actually. She napped so hard she forgot Jonathan #girlboss

Quincey: has a personal vendetta against animals who use echolocation. This is why he shoots at them, it's to deafen them so they can't fly and live anymore. Do not tell him there is a superhero named Batman I think he'll cry

Renfield: his psychic visions foretold all this but he likes keeping secrets and watching people fret over his cryptic warnings while kicking his feet like a schoolgirl. Also he wants to move but will not disclose why he wants to move or where because he's like that. I don't know why he's in this friend group. I bet he's the guy to say, "Wouldn't you like to know," if you asked what he had for breakfast. If he tells you to, "Guess what?" and you say what, he will keep telling you to guess obnoxiously.

I would like to know how Demeter is in this. Last time I checked, she was a Grecian goddess but I guess she's here too

post-quest

Pippin: hey Merry, I have a question

Merry: alright

Pippin: if we were to take one of Sam’s children how long do you think it would take him to notice

Merry: ………..what why would you say that, what’s wrong with you

Pippin: I’ve just been thinking, he has so many, it might take him a while

Merry: it absolutely wouldn’t? they’re his children?

Pippin: but he has so many

Pippin: and he gets them muddled up all the time Merry

Pippin: I think we could get away with it

Merry: are you seriously proposing we kidnap one of our friend’s children??

Pippin: to satisfy our scientific curiosity

Merry: absolutely not??

Pippin: but our scientific curiosity, Merry?

Merry: no.

Pippin: bet you 10 silver pennies it takes him at least two days

Merry: Rosie will notice

Pippin: Rosie’s away all week

Merry: he probably counts them every night

Pippin: bet you he doesn’t.

Merry: …

Pippin: …

Merry: alright which one are we taking

*later, at Bag End*

Pippin: hey Robin

Robin Gamgee: :)?

Pippin: want to help your uncle Pippin win a bet

*still later*

Sam: *sitting down to dinner with his many children*

Sam: *notices empty seat* ???

Sam: *tallying up children* ????

Sam: …………where’s Robin

Elanor: I thought he went away with mum

Sam: no??

Sam: has anyone seen him?

Daisy: Bilbo knows where he is

Bilbo: I don’t!!

Daisy: he knows and he WON’T tell me

Sam: …

Bilbo: …

Sam: …

Bilbo: …

Bilbo: ….they gave me sixpence not to tell

Sam: WHO GAVE YOU SIXPENCE NOT TO TELL

Sam: *banging on door* OPEN UP

Merry: yes? :)

Sam: WHERE IS HE

Merry: where’s who

Sam: I WILL DECK YOU

Merry: he’s in the parlor

Merry: you realise it’s been three days

*meanwhile*

Robin, hearing the commotion: oh! my dad’s here!

Pippin: so he is

Pippin, opening window: this has been fun, bye now

*shortly*

Sam: where’s Pippin??

Robin, pointing at window: he ran REALLY fast

Sam, holding Robin: oh god oh god oh god

Merry: in my defence, I bet that you would notice right away

Merry: I lost.

Sam: I’m going to tell Rosie and she’s going to skin you

Merry: really

Merry: you’re going to tell your wife that while she was away one of your children went missing and you didn’t notice for three entire days

Sam: *laying his head down on the table* oh god

Merry: even Pippin didn’t think it would take you this long to notice

Sam: I’m the worst father in the world

Merry: *patting his shoulder* there, there

Merry: we fed your son a LOT of sweets and now he says he doesn’t want to go home

*still later*

Estella: so I hear you let Pippin talk you into kidnapping a child

Merry: ………………I have some regrets.

Merry: do you think he’ll ever talk to me again

Estella: I wouldn’t count on it.

I read this wrong, I thought Pippin was propsoing that they insert themselves into Sam’s family as his kids and see how long it took him to realise.

See he’d definitely notice that but if they just like… Inserted another child… Hm

pippin would go just,, show up at sam’s dinner table and sam would be like?? pippin what the hell? and pippin would sulk out of the house, little did sam know that pippin left his own child faramir in sam’s house. Diamond was furious. but thats how faramir and golidlocks met

Faramir Took: *chilling out at the breakfast table in Bag End*

Sam:

(alternatively: Sam would notice right away if a new child was inserted. Rosie however unthinkingly accepts the addition. Rosie is very tired.)

yes and

and 

Krakoa fic I'm not going to write

Emma Frost has already been congratulated on conquering the planet. That's a thing. It's canon. So it got me to thinking...

First scene: Magneto and Xavier have a tiff over something stupid. Doesn't matter what it is. Just dumb not-boyfriends arguing over some dumbass thing or another.

Then Amora the Enchantress shows up quite suddenly. Because she wants to marry Magneto. Because, you know, he's the best-known of the Krakoan leadership and she has thus decided that *he* has conquered the planet. Magneto is therefore worthy of her time.

Magneto agrees, mostly to piss Xavier off.

Various Marvel characters cameo to react to this announcement. Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch both agree that their new stepmom-to-be is "disturbingly hot," which is incredibly awkward.

Blah, blah. There's a lot of Amora demanding attention and Magneto giving it to her in an obvious bid to make Xavier jealous. It's all very obnoxious.

Blah, blah. Wedding planning is a nightmare. Amora announces to Magneto that they should kill Polaris. Because Amora demands to be the only one in green at the wedding. Magneto refuses and insults her. She casually backhands him, which crushes his skull. Because she's an Asgardian goddess with super-strength and he's a Squishy Wizard (warning for TV Tropes link!).

The wedding is off. Amora flounces back to Asgard in a huff. Krakoa enters into discussion about whether or not to bump Magneto to the top of the resurrection list or let him wait a bit as punishment for being obnoxious because it's bad form to jump the line (again).

alfred pennyworth driving 15 year old bruce to the mall and standing in the middle of hot topic wearing his three piece suit while bruce scurries about is an image that will not leave my mind

I cannot believe my dash did this.

insp by @ladynoirist​ ‘s post

( click for more Ladynoir social media nonsense )

Me, holding Disney by the shoulders and shaking vigorously: LET ME GET THIS RIGHT

YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT THIS ISN'T APLICABLE TO STEVE ROGERS??!!??!??!?!?

thinking about adrien agreste preparing himself to call marinette, rehearsing the conversation in his head, thinking about the best words to use, getting a picture of her to practice with, getting lost in her pretty blue eyes, shaking himself awake saying "focus, gotta focus", but then going back and getting lost in her eyes again

then finally calling her and waiting for her to pick up, is she there? maybe shes busy....is it too late at night? he should have asked nino when is the best time to call someone what if he wakes her up plagg what do i do???

and then she picks up and wow her eyes are even prettier in real life but it's just a phone he needs more wait no talk got to talk even when she's so cute but gosh he cant look at her or else he'll get lost in those sparkling eyes but make sure you say it, gotta say it.

but what does he say? he doesn't know. the words he practiced are all gone but he needs to say something, but what to say when you don't know what to say? or how you feel? he doesnt know anything except this is something new and exciting and he cant quite put a name on it but it's...it feels like....

"there's still a lot i don't understand..."

but sometimes you just gotta say what you feel

"but im sure my life would be very different without you..."

You... you really are a Jedi.

For me, it works to read Leia’s distant, impersonal tone and way of expressing herself as intentional.

That she’s not asking for Ben, her Jedi friend, to come save her. She’s asking Jedi Master and General Obi-Wan Kenobi to help the rebellion. To get the plans to Alderaan. Leia herself? She’s dead. Her chances of coming out alive now that she’s been captured aren’t good, and she knows it. So she’s keeping it professional, keeping it distant, on his relationship to Bail, because otherwise the urge to ask him to help her, save her, again, might grow to big. And they can’t afford that right now, the Death Star plans have to come first.

#kenobi series#kenobi series spoilers#you just got a stretch it a little and that speech can now fit so much angst#her little pauses as holding herself together professional#skimming over how her mission has failed and she’s being captured - by Vader no less#not dwelling on her own future fate#so that he will know not to dwell on it either#that she’s not the important part here#and then he ends up coming to save her anyway (via @ilummoss​) Wow, okay, I thought I was done hurting about this but apparently not.