THG fic: "Spin Control" [23/24]

[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]

I loved what you said about Thresh via Tumblr, about showing that the unlikely thing was always statistically possible. I thought that you would have to end the games in a way that wasn't totally devastating for 12, because I figured that Finnick wouldn't be able to continue games school if you didn't. I do love the whole idea of Finnick being a kind of community organizer -- it's just in this community, that needs to involve teaching children how they might survive a death match. And I do think that it's something Finnick needs because he will always want to feel like he's doing something and he genuinely wants to help. Even if these children never get reaped, games school is good because it provides some food (which could actually keep some of these kids alive longer), something constructive to do after school, a feeling of empowerment because they are learning new skills, and for some of them, a safer place to hang out than their homes. So having Katniss and Peeta do so well and Katniss taking out both Twos before sponsor-free Thresh kills her definitely shows 12 that it is sometimes possible to beat the odds. The result also shows that Finnick and Haymitch were doing a lot to help. They did do everything they could, short of committing suicide. ;) So Finnick is right, things have changed a bit.

I don't know exactly how you'll have Gale react when Finnick and Haymitch get back, of course, but I don't think he can argue that they didn't give Katniss every chance they could. I do think Gale is practical enough to work that out eventually, even if he is consumed by grief. Hopefully that is enough to keep Games school going. Katniss' bows are still out there and it would be cool if some of those kids were inspired to train with them. Archery could become a 12 thing. I mean, I figure if the Capitol lets them train kids with spears and knives they would be okay with the school using one or two bows. Okay, just babbling now.

Btw, it was your writing that led me to think about Peeta. I loved what you did with him in your memory fic. I am much more interested in him as a character now, and I actually think there is a lot to him that fandom ignores. So in other words, it's all your fault.

[trovia]

That's so interesting what you're saying about Thresh's victory being hopeful for Twelve, because it's so true, yet I've never thought about it that consciously. I decided very early on that Thresh should live just because I thought that would be pretty awesome and also the next best thing to a Twelve victory. And it makes so much more sense than a victory by Rue, which I have read more often.

Finnick totally is a kind of community organizer. Having grown up in a big family and in a district that values the idea of doing things for the group (volunteering!) so highly, he'll probably always need that sense that he's contributing to the pack. He used to crave recognition for that too, which I think he needs less now, having gotten over the idea that other people's image of him is that relevant and learning the joy of saying "what the hell, I don't care."

The Gale thing is going to be resolved in the next chapter.

I started finding Peeta much more interesting after I wrote that story, too, so really it's the fault of the person who wrote the original fic that I remixed. ;)