Fics for Holiday Tears

Happy Holidays! The Owl is back with some heartbreaking stories so you'll have an excuse to cry during the Holidays (ouch).

And of course I'm kidding!

Tie a Knot and Hang On (ff.net and AO3), by Shesasurvivor (author's tumblr)

Let's start with a Finnick/Katniss (friendship!) story. We don't see this often, and Shesasuvivor explored this relationship in this one-shot.

Summary: Finnick visits Katniss in the hospital after Peeta's assault, and shares the story of how he and Annie fell in love. Odesta, Everlark. Written as part of the Hunger Games Spring Fling on AO3.

Warnings: Rated T.

Why is this fic a creature from the night?

Finnick and Katniss share the stage as friends. Their conversation is what guides the plot, and this is certainly something rare in this fandom.

Why is it good?

It's an interesting journey in the author's take on Finnick and Annie's relationship. Katniss is destroyed because of Peeta (Mockingjay), and the Victor from Four brings her comfort.

Writing stuff comments:

Shesasurvivor's dialogues are very fluent, and they domain this fic's context. 1^st Person POV, Katniss' POV, Present tense, but we go into Finnick's mind by his lovely words.

Heartbreaking line:

“Was it worth it?” I ask.

“Yes.”

I had some fun around Shesasurviver's profile. Titania522 recently recommended amazing stories from a not-so-comfortable theme: prostitution. I loved her recs, and since this theme kind of enters in my jurisdiction too (obscure!fics), I decided to add this WIP.

The Tigers Come at Night (ff.net and AO3), by Shesasurvivor (author's tumblr)

Summary: Forced into prostitution in the Capitol, Katniss and Peeta find a way to seek refuge in the only people who understand: each other. But when they begin to sleep together for comfort in the supposed safety of their own homes, an unplanned occurrence makes the third Quarter Quell more difficult than it already is. Catching Fire AU. WARNING: Forced prostitution, non-con sexual situations.

(Yeah, the girl can go to the dark side too.)

Warnings: Prostitution, Non-Con, Adult Content, Abuse, Rated NC-17.

Why is this fic a creature from the night?

Prostitution. Not a fun theme; full of angst, fear and desolation.

Why is it good?

Katniss and Peeta are surprised by it. They are leaving a party and suddenly they have to face this reality. The first paragraphs install a setting that you can't just stop reading.

Katniss' innocence is another center theme. She doesn't know what it's going on, and Peeta has to lead. It's what canon Everlark would be.

Writing stuff comments:

Another point to Shesasurvivor's dialogues, but there are more description here. Katniss' POV, 1^st Person, Present Tense. Like the books. The description from Katniss' POV is limited due to her inexperience, but it adds to the feeling of the story.

Heartbreaking line:

" (…) and with a bow (…), ushers us inside. We exchange another glance, unsure, before Peeta cautiously steps forward, placing himself between the man and me (…)  Then the door shuts."

Burning (ff.net and AO3), by Swish Willow Wand (author's tumblr)

Entering the "minor pairing" section of my recs, I offer you this angst Gadge (Gale/Madge) story.

Summary: He doesn't know how it happened, but suddenly it's the night before the Games start and he's restless in his bed, thinking of her. - Alternate Games.

Warnings: Rated T.

Why is this fic a creature from the night?

Minor pairing. I recently discovered this great Gadge world, and I intend to write a full rec about Gadge stories.

Why is it good?

It is a current theme in Gadge stories, when Gale and Madge are reaped. They are both minor characters in the books, and the author is free to explore their personalities, but Swish makes them look really canon. Her take on Madge is extremely rich.

Writing stuff comments:

She likes flashback scenes and to jump forth and back the timeline, but she does the transitions skillfully, and it's a great way to present an AU. 3^rd Person POV, Gale's POV, Present Tense.

Heartbreaking line:

"Stop," she hisses, (…) "What good is it to talk like this, Gale, when we're going to die?"

Do you have any suggestions for my next review/rec? I'm on tumblr : thesagaciousowl - I'm also Miss Maia on ff.net and AO3. Leave an ask or a PM so we can chat.

Need a beta? Check out the I need a beta blog!

WIP Everlark Recs with Titania - The Capitol's Depravities

The Capitol’s Depravities

I have to start off my review by saying that I was slow to love Mockingjay (the third installment of Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games Trilogy).  It was so bleak;  a happy ending more qualified than any I’d ever read since Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried or Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale.   Truthfully, I didn’t pay attention to the themes building up to that novel.  Because when I opened my eyes and allowed myself to think critically about it, I realized that there was no other way the trilogy could have ended.

Mockingjay, among other things, reminds the reader that there are no limits to the lengths that those in power will go to stay in power.  It also demonstrates that there is no limit to the depravity that can be reached.  As George Orwell famously put it “Power corrupts.  Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”  There is no question that Cornelius Snow is the embodiment of corruption made extreme.

We learn the depths of Snow’s corruption in the person of Finnick Odair, who confesses that, through the use of threats and coercion, Snow has reduced him to a highly desired prostitute.  This confession shocks the readers as well as all of Panem and explains so much about his character and behavior throughout the trilogy.  Furthermore, the revelation that many other Victors suffer the same fate at the hands of the Capitol makes the reader blanch at the possibility of Peeta and Katniss suffering the same fate had the revolution not been successful. 

This what-if premise is explored in several well-written, gripping Everlark fanfics.  There are a few centered only around Johanna, Haymitch and Finnick but as I am an Everlark rec page, I will concentrate on those stories that feature our favorite OTP.

Warning:  While well-written and thought-provoking, some feature non-con and other disturbing characteristics as befits their subject matter.  I consider forced marriage and consummation, especially public consummation, to fall under this category.  Tread carefully and pay attention to triggers.

The Other Mockingjay by Mockingjayflyingfree 

(https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9589385/1/The-Other-Mockingjay)

Katniss and Peeta weren't reaped for the Quarter Quell. Instead, they were forced by Snow to get married as soon as they turned 18. How does their marriage change the future of Panem? Will there still be a rebellion - when Snow is controlling the Mockingjay?  The sequel to The Wedding. https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9566232/1/The-wedding

A Marriage Between Victors by Optimus-Pam (https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8081564/1/A-Marriage-Between-Victors)

What if the Victory Tour ended with a wedding rather than an engagement? A story that explores what would have happened if Peeta and Katniss had been forced to marry. How does this change affect their relationship? District 12? The rebellion? 

Darker Path by Miss Maia  (https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9350026/1/Darker-Path)

The 74th Hunger Games is over, but now Katniss and Peeta have a different battle to fight. Recruited to the lascivious business of Escort Victors, they have to face an entire new set of fears and challenges. What seemed a place for the hopeless could develop into something major as other Victors have plans for Peeta, Katniss … and Panem. 

Lines of Demarcation by Amelia Day (https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9692359/1/Lines-of-Demarcation)

"It's a protection, Katniss," Peeta mutters, dejectedly. "Even if I was allowed to be paired, who would want me?" If only he knew... In a world where your entire life has been decided for you, it's hard not to be envious of what can never be yours.

The Tigers Come at Night by shesasurvivor
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9855911/1/The-Tigers-Come-at-Night

Forced into prostitution in the Capitol, Katniss and Peeta find a way to seek refuge in the only people who understand: each other. But when they begin to sleep together for comfort in the supposed safety of their own homes, an unplanned occurrence makes the third Quarter Quell more difficult than it already is. Catching Fire AU. WARNING: Forced prostitution, non-con situations.

Their Last Night of Love: A Special Verity Presentation, Exclusively for Preferred Customers by Yahtzee for Alaylia

http://archiveofourown.org/works/32054

Amid the media circus leading up to the Quarter Quell, Katniss and Peeta try to create something real.

XXXXX

One shots and short fics of the same theme:

Knots by atetheredmind (https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8795966/1/Knots)

"Making knots. Making knots. No word. Making knots." Snow has plans for the Star-Crossed Lovers of District 12, and they involve his most lucrative commodity. Written for Week 2 of Everlarkrecs Dirty December. Katniss/Peeta/Finnick.

Behind the Shroud, Beneath the Veil by ghtlovesthg 

(http://archiveofourown.org/works/1013433/chapters/2012276)

She’s an escape artist and he’s a master of disguise.  Having convinced Snow and Panem during the Victory Tour, the star-crossed lovers find themselves the darlings of the Capitol.  An all that entails. AU following Victory Tour.  PiP Round 3 Submission.

Primrose by Alexabee

Hello, guys! The night has just begun, and it's time for some wise rec with the Owl.

Themes that often come out at night are my favorites, and my first rec will be a heartbreaking—though lovely—tale from little Primrose's POV. Trigger warning as this fic contains references to rape.

Primrose by Alexabee

Summary: 

Prim and Katniss end up in the community home. Canon divergence from Prim's POV. Rated M for non-graphic references to child molestation. Keywords: Canon divergence, community home, Prim's POV, everlark, one shot, child molestation trigger, rape trigger, angst, happy ending.

Warnings: No-Con, Child Abuse, Violence, Rated M. (I said "obscure"…)

Why this fic is a creature from the night? 

Primrose's POV and canon-diverse with Prim and Katniss going to the community home.

Why is it good? 

We see Primrose's innocence being replaced by fear, but Katniss—being Katniss and all—tries her best to protect her sister. We don't have The Hunger Games, but both Everdeens will endure hard challenges all the same. 

Writing stuff comments:

Alexabee has a flowing style, and you'll barely feel you're reading angst. No, kidding, it's angst all the time, but it doesn't suffocate you. It's beautifully written and it's an one-shot: if angst is your thing, go for it.

Heartbreaking line:

"I think it's okay this time, Prim." She smiled. She sounded relieved.

Do you have any suggestions for my next review/rec? I'm on tumblr : thesagaciousowl.