Truly horrifying story; truly wonderful storytelling.

It's chilling. Amazingly so.
Thank you for a great story!

Very well written

This was simply amazing. I normally don't like fics that aren't centered around Harry but this was just utterly perfect and completely unbelievable in the most amazing way.

Loved this

Wow. That was incredible. It's really rare to come across such a well-written fic, and you've just done this so well. Every character, action and emotion is portrayed perfectly. Well done.

nice story! i like how it does not have a happy, peaceful ending like other stories!

Amazing, just like the other oneshot. I'm so happy you wrote this :')

Ah, classic page turning L. I've missed this...

I haven't missed the heart breaks as much though. I mean, it makes sense. You plant the changes nicely and quietly derail the original plot through Tom's subtle machinations.

The playing of truth and lies... my, you take a bold stand. Perhaps there are no atheists in foxholes, but that's why atheists avoid foxholes when they can, now isn't it? And yet, Katniss's betrayal of Peeta isn't without a faith of its own. She trusts Tom in an almost superstitious way after his predictions come true. He wasn't lying about what would happen, but he certainly omitted what /could've/ happened.

And yet... in spite of all Peeta's honesty, was Katniss truly worth saving? Was his idealism the real beautiful lie of the arrangement?

The descent into madness takes its time, almost holding the reader captive in the same way that it does Katniss, tracing each lumbering step closer to the oblivion that Tom wreathes with ashes. We can see from a far way off that Katniss has already met her fate on the road she took to avoid it. But what are we to blame it on? How was she to know better? She has done the only thing that she knows how to do: live. Why has that not been enough? The logical path of following the boy who seems to deliver his predictions by commanding the very fates lead right off a cliff. He has promised life and destruction, and both things were delivered. The only piece of him that was a lie was that he ever intended to move beyond that.

But isn't that the nature of life? That if we choose assurance over virtue, our decision to put ideals on the back burner lasts longer than we'd like.

Finally, isn't it funny that Tom gives Peeta twelve days, but the boy makes it all the way to the end? Perhaps he was the one miscalculation in the mix that could have turned the tide if things had been different. Just a thought.

On the notes side:

When describing Peeta in contrast to Haymitch:
"He's the one to reassure them that everything {that everything} will be all right..."

When Tom is surviving the Hunger Games:
"People are trying to kill him, not [that] it particularly matters."

When Tom is starting to crack:
"And he finds that he is drawn to [the] despair of others..."

When Katniss is seeing Tom's true side:
"S{s}omehow they believe him, and it is difficult not to when he is so charismatic."

Oh... but how well it flowed. Haunting as ever, L. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, as they say. What are intentions without integrity though? You bring up a most intriguing thoughtline while endowing it with all the literary grace of a master. Well done, this was most certainly worth the wait.

Regards,
-CG

Well, this should be an interesting cross-over (also glad to see that you're back to show your stuff!)

Gah, Riddle is so evilly cool. The way you write him just brings the shivers.

Plus he's just so manipulative and I love that. Seriously, you nailed his personality, L!

I love how you altered the end of the games for this. After all, it's the little things that can cause the biggest changes...

"[S]omehow they believe him." Unless the double ss is because Tom's a snake.

I really do like this piece, L. You show a great alternate "what if" situation. And, really, I feel this is exactly what Riddle and Katniss would do.

Carry on, L, I'll be dropping through your other shots, soon!
-Avi

That was awesome! Great work, even though it didn't have a happy ending. But how you portrayed Katniss and Tom...marvellous.

That was amazing... Thank you for this amazing story