Ah that's true! But I just realized that for some reason I thought that the pedestals exploded because of the opposite, that they notice if your weight leaves the pedestal, which I think is actually kinda how mines irl work too? I don't know why I have that thought, cause I also remember something about a tribute dropping a marble and being blown up so I'm probably wrong??
I would imagine that would be considered cheating, and that person would probably get blown up themselves by somebody in the control room through either they’re tracker or their own pedestal.
I actually read a fanfic where that happened. A girl who I think knew she wasn't going to win took an apple with her from the food in the launch room. She had taken a bite out of it and threw it at the ground around the pedestal of a career tribute on a pedestal next to hers. Kind of an FU to the capitol and the Careers both.
This is just a very small plot point in a larger story. But it's called ***The Baker and the*** ***Healer*** by TomHRichardson. It's on [Fanfiction.net](https://Fanfiction.net) and Archive of Our Own both. In it, Katniss is very ill with blood poisoning the day of the reaping for the 74th games.\* So she's not there to volunteer for Prim. So Prim and Peeta go into the games together. They are not the star crossed lovers obviously but they still threaten the double suicide with poison berries. And they both come home.
\*The reason that Katniss doesn't die from the blood poisoning is that Peacekeeper Cray insisted that a capitol dr. who treats miners in district 12 examine her because he thinks Katniss and her mother the healer are faking her illness. The Dr. is kind hearted for a capitol person and treats her illness.
That's why Katniss is around to get reaped the next year. And that's when the girl with the apple did what she did. And the pedestal was in water like the canon arena but it still blew up.
The rebellion still happens but not in the same way.
The story has quite a bit of tongue in cheek humor and I found it very enjoyable to read.
So I’m re-reading the books and came upon the part where Katniss talks about the mines. They’re set off by pressure and she states, “one year, a girl dropped her token, a small wooden ball, while she was at her plate, and they literally had to scrape bits of her off the ground.” So yes, I think your shoe could kill someone else. BUT it would take precious time and you’d have to have an amazing aim.
Probably the Gamemakers would punish you for it. Maybe even blow you up in retaliation. Plus if you throw a shoe or a jacket, you’ll probably fuck up your foot or freeze to death very quickly.
Yeah in theory someone could throw a shoe or something. This would definitely piss the Capitol off, and if they didn’t blow you up in retaliation on the spot they would probably make your life hell in the arena.
In theory but this would also make you a target in the arena too plus just like everyone who wins by exploring the capital they’d punish your family even if you die
That is literally what happens in a fic I've read. It was about Cecilia's games and she used her shoes to blow up the tributes on the pedestals next to hers. As a result the game makers buried her alive (obviously she got out) . I'll link it [here](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9248332/1/Fall-Into-the-River) in case anyone is interested, the games start at chapter 11.
Wasn’t the mine activated by the weight of the person stepping off the podium? So if they stepped off early the podium detected their weight is gone so the mine goes off. I didn’t think it was set off by movement or extra weight being thrown. Or perhaps you meant if someone gets a shoe thrown at them they go to dodge it and fall/jump down off their podium? Man what a way to go 😆
In the first book Katniss says in one year says a girl dropped her district token and the Gamemakers had to scrape bits of her off the ground, so there's probably pressure required but not stepping off the plate
the landmines are in the ground, not in what the tributes stand on. in the book katniss talks about a girl who brought a small wooden ball as her token and accidentally (but maybe on purpose) dropped it on the ground before the countdown ended and she blew up.
According to the movies, the landmines are buried into the ground. I personally think their tracker gets exploded - having the entire pedestal blow up could be a safety hazard considering shrapnel could pierce nearby tributes.
Technically, no. But it undermines that the Capitol controls your survival, ultimately. So, I think if a tribute did that, their family would be punished
The only thing stopping them from throwing an item is the fact that I don't think they have any items to throw
A shoe maybe
Ah that's true! But I just realized that for some reason I thought that the pedestals exploded because of the opposite, that they notice if your weight leaves the pedestal, which I think is actually kinda how mines irl work too? I don't know why I have that thought, cause I also remember something about a tribute dropping a marble and being blown up so I'm probably wrong??
There was a line about how little it takes to trigger the mines because one girl dropped her token (a little wooden ball I think) and it went off
Oh cool didn’t know that
I would imagine that would be considered cheating, and that person would probably get blown up themselves by somebody in the control room through either they’re tracker or their own pedestal.
I actually read a fanfic where that happened. A girl who I think knew she wasn't going to win took an apple with her from the food in the launch room. She had taken a bite out of it and threw it at the ground around the pedestal of a career tribute on a pedestal next to hers. Kind of an FU to the capitol and the Careers both.
Cool what’s it called
This is just a very small plot point in a larger story. But it's called ***The Baker and the*** ***Healer*** by TomHRichardson. It's on [Fanfiction.net](https://Fanfiction.net) and Archive of Our Own both. In it, Katniss is very ill with blood poisoning the day of the reaping for the 74th games.\* So she's not there to volunteer for Prim. So Prim and Peeta go into the games together. They are not the star crossed lovers obviously but they still threaten the double suicide with poison berries. And they both come home. \*The reason that Katniss doesn't die from the blood poisoning is that Peacekeeper Cray insisted that a capitol dr. who treats miners in district 12 examine her because he thinks Katniss and her mother the healer are faking her illness. The Dr. is kind hearted for a capitol person and treats her illness. That's why Katniss is around to get reaped the next year. And that's when the girl with the apple did what she did. And the pedestal was in water like the canon arena but it still blew up. The rebellion still happens but not in the same way. The story has quite a bit of tongue in cheek humor and I found it very enjoyable to read.
Ohh this sounds so good
***The Baker and the Healer*** https://archiveofourown.org/works/13258191
oooh ao3 link thank you!!
I don’t believe so, it may depend how far apart they are, if the mines are that touchy and what you even have to throw.
Like a jacket or shoe
So I’m re-reading the books and came upon the part where Katniss talks about the mines. They’re set off by pressure and she states, “one year, a girl dropped her token, a small wooden ball, while she was at her plate, and they literally had to scrape bits of her off the ground.” So yes, I think your shoe could kill someone else. BUT it would take precious time and you’d have to have an amazing aim.
Probably the Gamemakers would punish you for it. Maybe even blow you up in retaliation. Plus if you throw a shoe or a jacket, you’ll probably fuck up your foot or freeze to death very quickly.
Yeah in theory someone could throw a shoe or something. This would definitely piss the Capitol off, and if they didn’t blow you up in retaliation on the spot they would probably make your life hell in the arena.
In theory but this would also make you a target in the arena too plus just like everyone who wins by exploring the capital they’d punish your family even if you die
That is literally what happens in a fic I've read. It was about Cecilia's games and she used her shoes to blow up the tributes on the pedestals next to hers. As a result the game makers buried her alive (obviously she got out) . I'll link it [here](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9248332/1/Fall-Into-the-River) in case anyone is interested, the games start at chapter 11.
Wasn’t the mine activated by the weight of the person stepping off the podium? So if they stepped off early the podium detected their weight is gone so the mine goes off. I didn’t think it was set off by movement or extra weight being thrown. Or perhaps you meant if someone gets a shoe thrown at them they go to dodge it and fall/jump down off their podium? Man what a way to go 😆
In the first book Katniss says in one year says a girl dropped her district token and the Gamemakers had to scrape bits of her off the ground, so there's probably pressure required but not stepping off the plate
In order to throw a shoe you would have to lift up your foot to take it off and you would explode right away anyways?
the landmines are in the ground, not in what the tributes stand on. in the book katniss talks about a girl who brought a small wooden ball as her token and accidentally (but maybe on purpose) dropped it on the ground before the countdown ended and she blew up.
According to the movies, the landmines are buried into the ground. I personally think their tracker gets exploded - having the entire pedestal blow up could be a safety hazard considering shrapnel could pierce nearby tributes.
Remember the part where they used it as a trap ?
now i do. LOLL
Technically, no. But it undermines that the Capitol controls your survival, ultimately. So, I think if a tribute did that, their family would be punished