Otterpoppin

I already know the majority of my mutuals will likely agree with everything I am about to say, but there is a serious amount of casual fans that hold true to their claims that the “old Peeta” is dead. Edits upon edits are made about this, and the amount of traction they get aggravates me greatly. Because this is NOT the case at all, and it genuinely has warped the resilient arc that Suzanne crafted for Peeta in Mockingjay.

Going from latest events in the book to earliest, these readers read about Peeta planting the primroses, saving Katniss from unaliving herself and refusing to “let her go” (not just in the physical sense in that moment, by the way), voting most passionately against a Capitol games, very plausibly having been the one to put out the fire on Katniss from the two-tiered explosion and obtaining his burns while doing so (there is a deleted scene of Josh Hutcherson doing this), hyping up Tigris for her fashion skills with his trademark, sunny disposition, clearly already indicating his capacity to long for Katniss to choose him again during the conversation with Gale while still battling his mind, knowing the exact right words to alleviate Katniss of the guilt she was feeling over every 451 squad member they had lost (which everybody else was trying and failing at), reiterating his promise that he would always stay with her, saving Katniss from the lizard mutts and having the most level head amongst the group in the most high-stress situation their squad experienced, knowing the exact right words to commend and cheer up Pollux for the asset he could be for their squad, giving Katniss the can of lamb stew on a whim WITHOUT needing to confirm with anybody that it was her favorite, begging to be unalived because he couldn’t bear another person dying by his hands, of course remembering Katniss’s favorite color before he could remember his own, scolding/arguing with HIMSELF about how he had just treated Katniss at that awkward group meal, decorating Finnick and Annie’s wedding cake with such intricacy, having an audio of Katniss singing be the first thing that didn’t make him enraged and receiving his first, true onslaught of memories through that, and SOMEHOW many readers come to the aforementioned conclusion. Peeta, who if they didn’t have a photo to put in the memory book, would sketch or paint that person from MEMORY. Peeta, who brought bread over out of a long-old habit the morning after his return to District 12, symbolizing the LIFE he will provide for her again. Peeta, who continued being this symbolic life-giver by building the life-sustaining incubator for Haymitch’s geese. Peeta, who is Katniss’s “dandelion in the spring” both at the beginning of the series and the end of it, symbolizing REBIRTH even after the harshest winter (the hijacking). Peeta, whose kind and good nature being especially showcased was always the precursor to the kisses that gave Katniss a hunger for him, and therefore her reporting on that hunger again must mean his very nature she loves so dearly returned as if no lapse had ever occurred. Peeta, who regained his innate instinct to take care of Katniss and love her with every fiber of himself. Peeta, who made Katniss feel safe enough to have children and brought her a brand new kind of joy in them. Peeta, who must make up ninety-percent of the list Katniss makes of any act of goodness she’s ever witnessed, which she uses to cope just as much as his strong arms in the night. This is the man they claim is so drastically different from the boy we first met.

This part of “Catching Fire” is done (finally) so I put it all together;) DISTRICT 11, THE SQUARE

I go to my compartment and let the prep team do my hair and makeup. Cinna comes in with a pretty orange frock patterned with autumn leaves. I think how much Peeta will like the color. <…> As the train is pulling into the District 11 station, Cinna puts the finishing touches on my outfit, switching my orange hairband for one of metallic gold and securing the mockingjay pin I wore in the arena to my dress. <…> I can hear the anthem beginning outside in the square. Someone clips a microphone on me. Peeta takes my left hand. // Catching Fire, ch. 4

I think this dress should be a little semi-official so I choose cape sleeve sheath midi dress. It’s perfect for autumn (and they have early autumn weather there in 11th). The hair is just plain + gold hairband = girlish innocent look like the one after the games (this tactics they choose for the Tour). Plus I wanted to draw Katniss with her natural straight hair because i draw her with her braid usually ;) And again nothing about Peeta’s outfit. You know I feel like Portia 😅 because I have to choose how to dress Peeta. I’m not complaining through. So it is black suit with golden buttons (matching Katniss’s hairband and pin), thin soft orange sweater and black leather shoes.

DISTRICT 11, THE DINNER

A pale pink strapless dress brushes my shoes. My hair is pinned back from my face and falling down my back in a shower of ringlets. Cinna comes up behind me and arranges a shimmering silver wrap around my shoulders. He catches my eye in the mirror. “Like it?”  “It’s beautiful. As always,” I say. “Let’s see how it looks with a smile,” he says gently. // Catching Fire, ch.5

DISTRICT 7

Jackson has devised a game called «Real or Not Real» to help Peeta. He mentions something he thinks happened, and they tell him if it’s true or imagined, usually followed by a brief explanation. <…> But since Peeta’s greatest confusion centers around me—and not everything can be explained simply—our exchanges are painful and loaded, even though we touch on only the most superficial of details. The color of my dress in 7. My preference for cheese buns. The name of our math teacher when we were little. Reconstructing his memory of me is excruciating. Perhaps it isn’t even possible after what Snow did to him. But it does feel right to help him try. // Mockingjay, ch. 19

So we have only one sentence in “Mockingjay” about this outfit. And still I decided to draw it because I have a theory (head canon?) about it. I think Peeta remembers the color of her dress because it was special night for him (a lot of kisses and attempts to sneak away from everyone and maybe it felt very real at times) and also because she had two braids and the dress was red. RED is the color ❤️. / Peeta has dark red + black + a little bit gold which is also sexy color combination.

DISTRICT 5 I volunteer to take Annie back to my house in 12, where Cinna left a variety of evening clothes in a big storage closet downstairs. All of the wedding gowns he designed for me went back to the Capitol, but there are some dresses I wore on the Victory Tour.  <…> Annie wears a green silk dress I wore in 5, Finnick one of Peeta’s suits that they altered— the clothes are striking. <…>  As surely as the embroidery stitches in Annie’s gown were done by Cinna’s hand, the frosted flowers on the cake were done by Peeta’s.  // Mockingjay, ch. 16

Katniss: green silk dress + wavy sleeves + sea waves embroidery / Peeta: ivory dress shirt + knitted green waistcoat with sea waves embroidery + tweed suit

DISTRICT 2

Girl talk. That thing I’ve always been so bad at. Opinions on clothes, hair, makeup. So I lie. “Yeah, he’s been helping me design my own clothing line. You should see what he can do with velvet.” Velvet. The only fabric. I could think of off the top of my head. “I have. On your tour. That strapless number you wore in District Two? The deep blue one with the diamonds? So gorgeous I wanted to reach through the screen and tear it right off your back,” says Johanna. // Catching Fire, Chapter 15

This description gave me strong “Anastasia” feels 😅. So I loosely based Katniss dress on Anastasia’s ballet evening gown. For Peeta I chose tuxedo jacket similar to Salvatore Ferragamo design for FF 12/13.  Neo classic, purple velvet, shiny shoes. Also I decided to include a cane, both to help Peeta to have some rest during all this Tour activities and as an accessory.

DISTRICT 12

When we reach the mayor’s house, I only have time to give Madge a quick hug before Effie hustles me off to the third floor to get ready. After I’m prepped and dressed in a full-length silver gown, I’ve still got an hour to kill before the dinner, so I slip off to find her. <…> She [Madge] saw my reflection behind her and smiled. “Look at you. Like you came right off the streets of the Capitol.” // Catching Fire, ch.6

When I started drawing this one I just felt that I need to make it look very “Capitol”. So I added some feathers. A LOT of sparkling feathers, haha. Also there are some “moon and stars” accessories in Katniss’ hair because this silver gown gives me moonlight vibes. For Peeta I came up with classic suit but made him wear it casually.

Happy belated birthday to Katniss Everdeen — the girl who keeps reminding me not to lose hope (which is not an easy task).

What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again.

Joey, the rescued baby otter loves crunching ice.

If there’s something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call?