#twin stuff

I wonder when the Tribute Center was built. Haymitch gets an AirBnB. Wiress says she stayed in barracks, so that was probably where they went after the zoo?

Haymitch is familiar with Wiress’ games, since they happened the year before. But he doesn’t seem to know about Mags. He is unsure if she was a Career. Based on the tributes from 4 in TBOSAS, I think it is doubtful they created a program in a year. But this makes me wonder if Mags’ games are not shown because they are old, or for the same reason Haymitch and Lucy Gray’s aren’t? Haymitch did say he looked at old game clips hoping to see Lucy Gray. But he didn’t see Mags either until she mentored a young boy?

Haymitch tries to lighten the mood between him and Wyatt by making a crack about how they are wearing the same outfit, which reminds me that he made jokes about Burdock and Blair dressing up for his birthday earlier in the book. Haymitch’s go-to move is jokes about appearances.

Maysilee hates that they are dressed alike because it was bad enough being a twin. This makes me sigh. I posted earlier about how I didn’t approve of the Donner’s treatment of their twins. My sister and I dressed alike, but in different colors, when we were little. But eventually we got old enough to pick out our own clothes. Maysilee is 16. That seems awful late in life for her mom to still be dressing her. I know the people in 12 don’t have as many options for clothes as modern folks do, but she can’t even wear a matchy matchy dress on a different day from Merrilee? *disapproving twin face*

Mags says she has mentored “several times” which seems like an understatement? She talks about asking the tributes what they wanted, which is an interesting concept. Obviously people want to survive, but beyond that each tribute has their own goals. She talks about wanting to protect her district partner (very Peeta), and Wiress didn’t want to die at night (which makes me glad she did die in bright daylight).

This makes me think about Thresh because I have been thinking about Thresh for weeks, because of my fic. In THG, Thresh wants to win, I think. He has a sister and grandmother to get back to. I imagine, like Katniss, he is the breadwinner there. But he won’t do anything to win. He refuses to join the Careers. He won’t talk to Caesar. Nor does he kill Katniss when he has the chance. Though the latter seems to be spur of the moment, he still must have had some rules for himself going in. Things he wouldn’t do no matter what, the kind of person he wanted to be. Possibly not lose his sense of self, like Peeta talks about.

I am fascinated by the different ways people play the Games.

Haymitch doesn’t want a long death. He also wants to, as Ampert put it, make the President own it. Similar wording to Peeta saying he wants to show they don’t “own him” but slightly different meaning. Haymitch wants to put responsibility on the Capitol. Peeta wants to maintain himself.

Wyatt wants to go fast. He doesn’t want people to make money on him. (He dies die quickly, and by doing something no one would predict. Is that an act of rebellion?)

Maysilee doesn’t want to beg, wants to go out with her head up.

Wiress encourages Haymitch to break the machine. He doesn’t think he’s as smart as her, but Wiress seems to have more faith in him.

Mags loves allies. She wants them to be allies. She wanted to protect her district partner. (She does protect Finnick, in a way, and certainly Peeta as her ally.) The Careers work together. She likes groups.

Haymitch tells them about Ampert and his grand alliance hopes. It’s notable that Wiress does NOT say, “oh I know Ampert. He is my mentor’s son.”

Mags says sometimes there are clues to the arena in training. This is something I had theorized about before this book. For example, the edible plants station must contain some actual plants that will be in the arena, that could help you narrow down location if you knew which ones were real. Katniss regrets not doing that station in CF, because the plants in THG were so easy for her. It surprises me that this is not something Haymitch (who I consider to be very good mentor) doesn’t mention this in THG. Or maybe he does and Katniss just doesn’t report it back to the reader, there is complaining about how many questions Effie and Haymitch ask at meals.

ways you can give your twins "matching" names":

same theme (examples: Skye and Ocean, names relating to nature)

same meaning (examples: Selene and Diana, names of moon goddesses)

I assume this is in reference to the recent post in which my twin @eirianerisdar and I were deliberating which one of us is Fred and which is George

This is an excellent way of determining the issue, Fred and George hold anger in very different ways hmm

I do think this confirms that Eirian is Fred. She’s all calm and easy smiles on the outside and bottles anger on the inside until she explodes like a firework. I’m probably George because, at length, George can be bitter and acerbic and a bit like a furled snake

I can't even @ her to complain because THE FUVKING NOTIFICATIONS ARE BROKEN