Today I'll talk about the rooftop scenes. Mainly the first one, from The Hunger Games, but a bit of both. Both of them are quite passable at first, but mean a lot, each in their own way.

In Catching Fire, Chapter 11, Peeta says to Katniss while working on the plant book: "You know, I think this is the first time we've done something normal together." Well, the rooftop scene is the first time they have done anything fun together. Not drawing some plants, not staring at each other's eyelashes (cough cough KATNISS YOU THIRSTY LITTLE GIRL), two teenagers laughing and having fun together just days before they need to go into an arena and kill each other. So rebellious, having fun with your opponent and getting closer before the games, just behind using CPR in the arena. Also, it is the first insight that there's something more going on. Because for Effie to not to train Katniss on walking on heels, it means that Katniss won't need the sponsors.

The first rooftop scene... Well there's two more? I think? The first one is in a garden, however the garden is still on the rooftop so I'll count it. I think these scenes played a big role later. And I also think they are proof that Snow had bugged the rooftop, too. Lavinia was only acknowledged by Peeta in two moments. One, where he covered for Katniss and said that she was Delly Cartwright. That was for just a moment, and for all Snow knows, it wasn't even a lie. And when Katniss explained to him how she knew her. That Katniss didn't protect her. And I think Peeta seeing the girl Katniss couldn't protect being brutally killed, might have helped with the hijacking later on, because it would prove in his mind that Katniss just didn't care about any life, or even worse wanted to see suffering, and that she was heartless towards everyone, not just him. He'd think that anyways, but seeing Lavinia die in the hands of the Capitol just underlined this.

And of course, the elephant in the room... The "I don't want to be another piece in their Games" rooftop scene. Firstly, even though Katniss is the unreliable narrator that she is, we can clearly see Peeta's true character in that scene, if we are not too caught up in Katniss' thoughts and can consider the possibility that Peeta isn't lying. That he values self-awareness, agency and staying true to yourself. Personally, that made me love him even more, wanting to resist the corruption. And of course, that makes his character arc even more tragic. That he became exactly what he resented. A piece in their Games, a monster he's not. And that is another reason I think Snow was watching them the entire time. Snow could have known from the Games that Peeta was against violence. That he adored Katniss. That he'd do anything to save her. But he couldn't have known that Peeta's dying wish was to stay true to himself. Not to be changed by the horrors of the Capitol. He couldn't know that Peeta would absolutely resent himself once he was lucid enough to realise what was going on. And also, yeah I am going to add that this scene might be my favourite foreshadowing of all time. I don't know if Suzanne had planned it all along, she probably didbut I like to think that she didn't, and instead her decision to hijack Peeta went like this:

Suzanne, rereading her own book: I'm stuck. What could I possibly do that will move the plot forward? But doesn't seem cheap? No, I have to reuse an idea. It'd be out of place to just invent facts about Panem. Wait a minute. I could turn a fan favourite (and Katniss favourite) character into an insane 17 y/o so that Katniss will be desperate for revenge and the story has a bit more Angst. The readers will hate me and I don't give a shit

Or maybe

Editor: The love triangle isn't working.

Suzanne: I know. I have expressed my opinion towards the love triangle

Editor: Yes, but it sells more. And you cannot just abandon the idea.

Suzanne: Who says that Katniss can't choose her own boyfriend in the middle of the book and not the end

Editor: Listen... There's still a lot people who like Gale. You can have anyone win her. In fact, I would advise you to stick with Peeta. But the idea of a romance between Gale and Katniss has to have a satisfying ending. So no one can doubt Katniss' decision. But it also needs to feel like a hard choice. Or maybe make it impossible to choose between them anytime before the end.

Suzanne: What if I make Gale kill Prim?

Editor: Wha-

Suzanne: And make him unfathomably annoying the entire book and have him become a violent b*itch because of the war.

Editor: What's preventing Katniss to choose-

Suzanne: What if I make Peeta go insane?

Editor: What!?

Suzanne: What if I make him go insane? He's already in the Capitol, it wouldn't be a hard feat

Editor: But then Katniss couldn't choose either of them!

It was 55 years ago today….

the Beatles performed live on the rooftop of the Apple Building at 3 Savile Row in London on January 30th,1969.

it was a strange, almost awkward feeling to have returned to the wexley with not only much needed supplies but several carefully considered gifts.

it was easy to think that the items were trivial—trinkets that added nothing to the group’s ongoing fight for survival. but that wasn’t the case; because for lane… it had been entirely about survival. thinking of the familiar faces she had left behind and the friends she had come to know provided a much needed sense of comfort. it was a reminder that when she was ready, there was something at the wexley worth returning for.

“soldier boy,” lane bounded towards the slightly taller figure with a noticeable bounce in her step. she smiled despite the breeze of cool air that brought a wave of gooseflesh on her dark skin. when ashton turned lane found herself overtaken by emotion and before they knew what they were doing lane threw their arms around the man who had gotten her back to the wexley safely the first time she was cut off from it.

lane held a stack of papers in their hands which were becoming crumbled from the hug. they pulled back and released ash with a awkward smile. “just checking you were real, yeah? seen too many ghosts the past few months.”

many of those months had been spent at the university. lane had eventually learned to navigate the stagnate undead that resided within the campus threatening to become animate at the slightest hint of prey. during their time at the university lane had come across a door with a familiar name emblazoned beside it. professor ryder.

Taking Doom to the roof to play fetch was something he did often now; it's gotten warm enough to hang out there. Mornings were still chilly but Zach didn't feel bad for dragging Emily with them to have breakfast there. If anything, he was happy to relax in their company before all the craziness would start, and this seemed the only safe place. He took care of the coffee and left the task of getting food to Em, even though they couldn't be picky with their supplies. Doom's sole worry was carrying the ball in his mouth and not eating it on their way to the rooftop.

"I hate leaving him here," he muttered, throwing the ball for the first time and watching Doom chase it while he and Emily headed to the gazebo. "I like it much more when we can go out there together, like in Mad Max."

Now we have just one more teensy piece of the puzzle, that is the history of Jungkook and Jimin.  

The rooftop.

I don’t recall the rooftop being mentioned ever before.  Of course, I’m not original ARMY from 2013, but I have watched a ton of original content in the last 3 years.

That rooftop must have been a place that they frequented, when they needed time away from the ears and eyes of their hyungs.  They probably had a lot of conversations there, and I would bet a lot of bonding happened as a result of it.

When you think about how they were literally piled up together in a small living space originally (sharing the bunk-beds all in a room together).....and then still didn’t have their own personal sleeping space until they moved out of the dorm, it’s no wonder that a place like an accessible rooftop would become a little refuge.  

Humans need space.  Privacy.  An opportunity to think away from others. 

I personally had wondered about their private space in the years that they were living in the dorm environment.  It’s really not a normal way for 7 young men/teens to live, where literally every moment is captured by cameras, and there are staff persons and such around all the time.  (Not to mention the separation from their families.)  It was not a normal way to live. 

My guess is that the rooftop was a place that they all went to at various times, when they needed to.  It makes so much sense...

That “Rainy Day Fight” story just took on more depth, and has offered us a clearer understanding of the dynamics. And, Kookie just gave us a deeper glimpse of how he and Jiminie navigated during times of difficulty and stress...  

Oh, to be a fly on that rooftop...  the stories it could tell.  💜🐰🐥💜