#What happened I JUST realised Suzanne Collins never told us a thing | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

aj-lenoire · 1 year

Text

okay so one of the changes made when the hunger games books were adapted into the films was something they did with cato—the scene on the cornucopia, where cato has peeta in a headlock, is quite possibly the most devious scene in the film, and the best change made (closely tied with the scene where haymitch convinces seneca crane to make the rule change)

in the novel, cato has one line; he warns katniss what happens if she fires an arrow at him, “shoot me and we [cato and peeta] both go down”. he smiles triumphantly and laughs a bit, and coupled with katniss’ internal monologue when she blows up their supplies, it adds to the idea that he’s not quite there, that he’s not totally sane

in the film, however…

Cato: Go on, shoot! And we’d both go down and you’d win. Go on. I’m dead anyway! I always was, right? I didn’t know that until now. Isn’t that what they [the Capitol audience] want, huh? No! I can still do this. I can still do this. One more kill. It’s the only thing I know how to do. Bring pride to my district. Not that it matters.

now whilst i love suzanne collins and she is a damn clever writer, i think in this case the movie did it better, because this little monologue makes cato go from a generic short-term villain (compared to the long-term villain of the capitol) to a complex and almost tragic character

in both the book and the movie, his death, which a lesser story might frame as a victorious moment for the heroes, is unsettling and tragic, but it’s done in different ways.

yes, he’s a volunteer, a career, but district 2, more so than the rest of panem, has been completely flooded with propaganda and treated more favourably. we see it more clearly in the third book, but the first two show us in part that district 2 is very much how the capitol wants it (and the other districts) to be; it’s completely brainwashed. unlike 12, 11, etc, there’s not such a lack of resources that widespread (but low-level so as not to result in punishment) resentment fosters within the general population. 12 in particular is governed much more loosely, and people have greater freedom because of it. but in 2 the majority of the population is totally loyal, unquestioning, and caught up in the idea that the capitol really is generous and the games really are a glorious opportunity

in the film he’s 18, in the book he’s 16. that makes him, fundamentally a kid. he’s a kid who’s been brainwashed, who hasn’t had the chance to think for himself if maybe the capitol isn’t all that great, who has been fed nothing but heaps and heaps of propaganda, in a district that pretty much buys it wholesale, so he would have likely not come across anyone like, say, gale, whose personal hardships (and to some extent the less strict government) gave him the opportunity to question the capitol and think for himself

I’m not saying he’s totally innocent, obviously–there’s parts in both versions where he shows genuine amusement in hunting and killing his fellow tributes, and only when he’s on the other end of the weapon does he realise that no, this actually isn’t a game.

in the middle of the night, surrounded by vicious attack dogs, knowing that he’s going to die no matter what, cato finally understands what the games really are. terror and subjugation. much like a ww1 soldier having romanticised ideas of war and glory, only to be met with the miserable, awful reality of the trenches, he has bought into the government’s propaganda at the cost of his life, and even worse, his humanity. he’s a kid who never had the chance to think for himself, to be anything other than a tribute, a killer. killing is the only thing he knows how to do.

it is what he has been trained to do his whole life, in the academy for the career tributes, he has been told that he can rise above his life as slave to the capitol and bring pride to his district. but ultimately, it doesn’t matter. whether he dies or becomes a victor he’ll just be a piece in the capitol’s games, he’ll just be another slave. he’ll only one step above district 2′s population, just like they’re only one step above all the other districts. he’ll still be far below the capitol, the people who made him this way.

#the hunger games #hunger games cato #aj watches #aj abstractions

57 notes · View notes

honestlyimstilllivinginthe90s · 5 years

Text

Impossible | Harrison Osterfield | Part 4

Word Count: 2.2k

Warnings: Swearing (how surprising 😂) Mild spoilers for Acotar and The Hunger Games

"Collingbourn......Collingham.....Collinwood.... Collins!" I muttered as I selected the book that I was looking for. I pulled it off the shelf and turned to sit down to read when I walked straight into a hard chest. His hands grasped my hips, stopping me from falling. I hit the chest repeatedly, my mind panicking at the thought that this person could be the bastard that murdered my mother and that they were going to kill me next.

"Woah, calm down! It's just me, just Harrison."

"You scared the crap out of me!!" I groaned as I shoved Harrison's chest away. He stumbled back slightly, but let go of my hips. I continued my walk, just wanting to read.

"Can we just talk?" He asked. It was impossible to walk away from him, his legs were too long.

"Can I just read?" I asked sarcastically. Truthfully, I was scared. I was scared of falling in love with him. He was an Illyrian warrior, if my father had found out that I was in love with an Illyrian he would have disowned me. Or executed me. But I really wanted to take that risk. Harrison was amazing, I was drawn to him like a magnet to metal and the fact that I couldn't have him, made me want him more.

I sat down at a table at the back of the library, Harrison took a seat across from me. I ignored him and opened my book, and started to read.

"What are you reading?" He asked me after a few minutes. I looked up at him. He was staring at me, those beautiful blue eyes gazing into mine. I almost forgot to answer his question.

"The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It's a human book, I honestly don't know how it ended up here but it's really good."

He smiled at my response, causing me to blush. I lowered my head, trying to hide the fire in my cheeks.

"What's it about?" I was happy he changed the subject.

"It's about Katniss Everdeen, a young woman from a very poor district who is entered into a reality TV competition called the Hunger Games, where young people are forced to fight to the death."

"Well that sounds........nice." He tried not to make me feel bad. I laughed at his attempt.

"It's not the fighting to the death part I like, it's the progression of Katniss's character. She started out as just a girl from a poor family, having to hunt to keep them alive and she progresses into the Mockingjay, a sign of freedom and a better world. She didn't have any more paths to take so she made herself a new one. I wish I could be like her. I wish I could be free and strong and brave and I wish people would look at me and see me as y/n l/n, a woman of power and freedom and not as the High Lord of the Spring Court's daughter."

I was scared to look at Harrison, scared that he would just pity me or blabber about how that wasn't true and how I was brave and I was strong and how I was free, when they hardly knew me.

"You know I would love to get to know the real you, the woman of power and freedom you." His voice was soft but not demeaning, it was..... comforting. "And I would love to help you become better."

I looked up at him. My heart was pounding out of my chest and I was wishing that he would stop looking at me that way that he was. I just wanted to carry on with my life and he was messing it all up and he hadn't even been here for an hour.

"I could teach you to fight if you would like. It could settle your father's nerves if he knew that his daughter could fend for herself." He offered.

"That sounds great. We can start tomorrow." I nodded.

"I'm actually quite hungry. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me." I stood up, taking the book with me. Harrison stood up too and I shook my head.

"There's no need for you to follow."

"It's my job."

I sighed realising that there was no point in arguing.

"Fine, but can you a least give me some space?"

He hung his head slightly but nodded.

"Go ahead, I'll follow you."

I smiled and walked ahead but before I reached the door Harrison called after me.

"Y/n! I know that you want to forget what happened the other night and considering the circumstances, I understand why but I can't. I don't think that I will ever forget that night. But if you need me as your bodyguard or otherwise, I'll be there."

My heart dropped to feet. My brain screamed at me to turn around, to run into his arms and to feel his lips on mine again. I ignored my thoughts and walked out of the library, my heart aching with every step.

______________________________________________

"You don't think I'm being stupid, do you?" I asked Bella as she was sitting across from me at the kitchen counter. I had told her everything about Harrison, including that he was now my bodyguard and what he said in the library.

"You wanted to find him after the Ball, right?" Bella reached out to grab a chip from my plate.

"Well, yeah but I wanted to find him. The guy that I spent the night with. Not the guy that my father hired to be my bodyguard." I sighed and chomped down on a chip.

"But he's the same guy! You should get to know him better y/n. You can keep lying to yourself but that won't make your heart won't stop fluttering everytime you look into his eyes." I looked into Bella's brown eyes. I knew she was right and I hated it. I continued to eat my chips in silence before the silence became unbearable.

"Father still wants me to marry, you know." I stated. Bella gave me a look of pity before quickly glancing over my shoulder.

"Who's the lucky guy?" I turned to face Harrison, who was leaning up against the door frame.

"She hasn't decided yet." Bella responded as I rolled my eyes and went back to eating my chips.

"You get to decide?" Harrison asked, surprised. I could see, in my peripheral vision, his Illyrian wings loosened slighty as he said it.

"I have one month." I grumbled.

"One month," I heard Harrison push away from the door frame. I didn't know where he was until I felt his breath on my neck. I prayed he couldn't hear my heartbeat but after hearing a slight chuckle leave his mouth, I knew he could. He pressed his lips to my ear and whispered.

"One month should be a breeze for a gorgeous woman like you."

My breath hitched in my throat and I opened my mouth to say something but before I could, Harrison pulled away from me. He reached out and grabbed a chip before winnowing away, leaving an empty feeling in my chest. I released a breath and groaned.

"Well honestly you kind of deserved it. You did do the same thing to him in the library."

"Bella!"

______________________________________________

"How are you and Harrison getting on?" Tom asked as I pulled a lilac dress off the rack. Harrison and I had spent the night together and not in the way I wanted. He slept in the room next to mine, knocking on the door at 7 the following morning to wake me up. I hardly slept that night, the image of my mother's body was branded into my mind's eye.

"I'm surprised that he let me go shopping with you." I put the dress in front of me and looked in the mirror.

Tom chuckled at my response.

"Well I think I'm the only one that he trusts to look out for you." He smirked. "You know he offered to be your bodyguard."

I almost dropped the dress I was holding.

"He what?!" I choked.

"Well, after you left me in the courtyard, I winnowed back to the Night Court. I met with Harrison and I told him about your mother and about you. He really wanted to meet you, you guys have so much in common with each other. While I was there your father sent me a message, saying how he wanted a bodyguard for you and guards for the Court. I told Haz and he said that he could be your bodyguard. I knew that you two would get on great and he's my best friend. Your father was petrified about what happened to your mother, he said that your bodyguard had to be someone I trust. And I trust him more than anyone else. Other than you of course." He winked.

"Well he's good at his job." I mumbled. Tom looked at me curiously. I avoided making eye contact with him, hoping that he would stop talking about Harrison.

"Honestly, I prefer the navy blue dress." Tom handed the dress to me, I smiled in response. I went over to the worker in the boutique and purchased the dress. She placed it in a bag and I walked back over to Tom with the dress. We walked back to the house together, laughing and joking at whatever we saw.

"See!! If you write the word "bed", it looks like a bed!!" I laughed.

"How in the Mother's name did you realise that?" Tom threw his head back chuckling.

"I was just messing around the other day and- OMG!! There's Juliette!!"

"Crap! Hide me!" Tom ran behind me, using me as a shield. I moved out the way of his grasp.

"I'm not going to hide you! Will you just ask her out already?!" I sighed.

"No! I can't just ask her out. What do I say? How did I say it?" Tom turned his back in the direction of Juliette so that he was fully facing me.

"Just come clean and say it!"

"I can't just-" Tom stopped suddenly, "Who's that?" He pointed behind me. I turned around and saw the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

She was tall and skinny with golden brown skin and dark curly hair. She had beautiful caramel eyes and a warm smile. She walked with a certain confidence that was infectious. She was wearing a long black gown that only complemented her features.

"That's Daya. Her mother owns a jewellery store down the street. I've never talked to her but I see her all the time at the theatre, she's an amazing actress."

"She's the girl." Tom stared at her, amazed.

"You haven't even met her yet! How do you know-" I scoffed.

"No, I don't mean it like that! It's just, this is going to sound crazy but every night keep having the same dream and she, Daya, is always in it. I have to talk to her."

"Well maybe it's-" Tom was already walking over to her before the word "well" left my mouth.

"Hey, we having training in a few minutes, where's Tom?" Haz came up beside me, startling me slightly.

"He's chatting up some woman we just saw." I pointed in the direction of them, Tom seemed so more confident around her than he did with Juliette. Harrison chuckled.

"Of course he is. Wait, I thought he was in love with Juliette, all he does is talk about her all the time." Harrison leaned in closer to me, I ignored the butterflies in my stomach.

"I thought so too." I mumbled.

"We should probably stop staring before it gets weird."

"You're such a loser!" I shoved Harrison's shoulder and grabbed his wrist, tugging him after me back towards the house.

We walked up to the house in silence, both of us aching to say something but neither of us having any idea what to say. As we got to the gate, Harrison spoke.

"Bella's really nice."

"She is. She's the nicest person I know and my only friend in the house, other than Tom."

"She's been really kind to me, everyone else is..." His voice trailed off.

"They're not scared of you. They're threatened of you. Everyone knows how strong the Illyrians are, and most people here have near seen one. They'll get used to you after a while."

"You seem to know what you're talking about."

"They didn't like me either, when I first came."

Harrison looked at me inquisitively, not prying or forcing me to tell him, just curious.

"The High Lord and Lady," My voice shook at the mention of her name, "aren't my biological parents. They raised me practically my entire life but I'm not their biological daughter. I don't know who my biological parents are, nobody has ever told me but when I came here, I was only 4 or 5, nobody here liked or trusted me. They thought I was dangerous. I honestly think they still do." I had never told anyone this, of course Tom and Bella knew I was adopted but I had never told anyone about how I felt feared and disliked by everyone in this Court.

"Well let us be feared together." Harrison grinned at me.

"Together." I smiled back.

We entered the house, Harrison hurried forward to open the door for me. I walked into the entrance hall, Harrison following close behind me.

"I'm going to walk up to my room and get changed. I'll be down in a second." I ran up the stairs and to my bedroom, slowing down when nearing my father's office. He always scolded me for running and making noise outside his office. That's when I heard my father shouting.

"They are going to kill me next because of her!!! My wife wanted to protect her and so did I but she's putting this whole court at risk!"

"But y/n's your only heir." Bella's voice was lower than my father's but loud enough to hear.

"No she's not."

"What?"

"My wife and I have two children. She is not my heir."

"Two? Where is the second? Why have you never mentioned a second?"

"He is here. Has always been here. I never mentioned it because it had not needed to be mentioned. "

"Does he know?"

"No."

"Do you plan to tell him?"

"Eventually."

"Then who is he?"

I knew the answer before he said it. It all made sense now. How our parents' stories were so similar, how my father's hatred of the Illyrians didn't extend to him, how as far as I could remember we had been raised together.

"We talked about this. You have an heir." My mother interrupted, her voice calm and steady. I was surprised that she was standing up for me. She never usually does.

My mother wasn't standing up for me, she was standing up for him. For.......

"My son, y/n's brother and my heir is Tom."

♡●♡●♡●♡●♡●♡●♡●♡●♡●♡●♡●♡●♡●♡●♡●

Oooooo! Cliff hanger ending!!😂 Also I just binge watched all of season one of The Umbrella Academy and it's AMAZING!! ps. I just want Klaus to be happy.

Thank you so much for reading!! I really hope you enjoyed. Feedback is always appreciated and if you want to be added to the taglist, feel free to ask!!!

Taglist: @ignimbritetcax @devildisguiseasangel

#harrison osterfield imagine #haz osterfield #harrison osterfield #imagine #love #x reader #tom holland #fanfiction #fae #acotar au #haz osterfield x you #haz osterfield x reader

10 notes · View notes