THG fic: "Spin Control" [22/24]

[trovia]

Title: Spin Control
Pairings: Finnick/Haymitch, Kat/Peeta
Characters: Finnick, Haymitch, Chaff, Peeta, Gale, Kat; plus appearances by Mags, Johanna, Caesar Flickerman, President Snow, Effie, Claudius Templesmith, Beetee, Prim, Thresh, Rue, District Twelve ensemble and various OC
Rating: adult
Warnings: forced prostitution & non-con; people dealing

Comments

[roguedemon]

Mechanically, Finnick pictured how this imagery was just spreading through the Capitol right now, like a virus infection. In clubs and bars and private homes, everybody was staring at this. They - Haymitch - had built this story of Katniss so carefully, every detail tweaked and calculated, every nuance spun. That had been then. This was something new.

He could almost physically feel that story slipping out of their hands, out of their control, because the production wasn’t cutting away and Kat still sang and that meant everybody fell in love the exact way everybody had last fallen in love with Finnick.

This wasn’t about sex, though. Finnick didn’t think that people wanted to fuck Katniss right now, and that only made it worse. It made it dangerous, because what else was there to want on this scale?So I wanted to return to continue my comments. The above really jumped out at me when I read. I loved how Finnick framed the whole thing in his mind. He's been focused on trying to save a tribute while avoiding them ending up in his

[trovia]

The way Finnick processes it, his dawning horror that something is happening that really can't be spun in any way he knows, just builds the suspense brilliantly. I'm a bit amused by everybody's reactions to this scene, because I think I've always processed the canon equivalent differently from everybody else. I read it as shit hitting the fan, while everybody else seems to think it's this grand thing. Maybe it's because of my marketing background. And because I'm a control freak. ;) The moment when a product goes viral is awesome for the product usually, but still a little scary because all bets are off once it happens

[roguedemon]

Re: the marketing, I think you have just done an incredible job extrapolating from the ideas Collin presented in canon. I actually agree that all the marketing/propaganda elements made sense in the books. I think it is one of the areas that Collins put some vigorous thought into. But you've just taken it to the next level, and it's really peaking here. I loved all the detail at the beginning of the chapter about the PR blitz at the beginning of the games, all the details about the bets that can be placed, and the way all the mentors are trying to manipulate the media. I loved Finnick and Haymitch stumbling into their reporter of choice. :)

Finnick leaned against a wall and blinked into the sun, letting his beauty and this year’s media pull work for him. Mooching that cigarette off the Trophy’s editor in chief, he sighed and said it was hard, looking at Peeta and being reminded of his own love affairs. He assured her in a confidential voice that leaving the Capitol had, more than once, broken his heart. Then, he assured her that she

[trovia]

I've seen certain writers argue that Haymitch and Finnick wouldn't be good for each other, because Finnick would be too easily hurt by Haymitch's snark. :p They seem to have forgotten how Finnick deals with Johanna's snark by throwing her over his shoulder and dumping her in a lake

[roguedemon]

Hee, I've heard from smokers that it's a great way to pick people up. :) People that quit have said that they needed to find new ways of starting conversations with people

[trovia]

Yeah, I bet I know who said Finnick would be hurt by snark. :-/

Yeah, I bet you do. ;)

The lake dumping was great. It shows so well how close they are, as you said, and definitely shows that it takes a lot more than a snarky comment to get under his skin. Generally, I think it's a safe bet to assume that a lot of victors had to develop a thick skin. A lot of them would be more likely to laugh in your face at your inexpert attempts to insult you. Somebody like Kat or Peeta would never succeed. (it was also once pointed out to me that Haymitch would have felt hurt when Kat and Peeta made "eww" faces at the thought of living next to him during their Games in the cave - likewise, I think Haymitch has bigger fish too fry than take at all seriously what two sixteen-year-olds are saying about him, especially since he and Kat haven't exactly been exchanging hugs and kisses on the cheek up to that point. I think whether or not Kat takes him seriously is not at all on Haymitch's list of things that matter)

I hate the whole "strong" thing