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avoxrising · 5 months

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The Feral One • Chapter 3

Finnick x Reader

Series Masterlist Link

I wrote this on my lunch break to squeeze another chapter out for y’all! Enjoy :)

Content Warnings - panic attacks/breakdowns

When the parade is about to start, the peacekeepers march you over to your chariot. They go to lift you onto it but you shriek, causing them to back up and aim their guns at you.

“Woah there,” Finnick states, slowly stepping between you and them. “What have I told you guys about touching her?”

“The tribute needs to be in the chariot,” one of the peacekeepers says.

“Can you uncuff her so she can pull herself up?” Finnick asks.

“No,” the peacekeeper grunts. By this point you are curled into a ball, doing your best to take deep breaths. Tears threaten to spill over and ruin your makeup.

“Hey hey hey,” Finnick says in a calm voice, crouching down to you. “I need to lift you into the chariot. It will be quick.”

You give him a slight nod as you stand up. He gets into the chariot, ensuring you can clearly see his hands the entire time. He’s probably flashed his prep team with all his moving but there’s not much he can do about it with the lack of clothes he’s wearing.

Tensing up, you let him gently lift you into the chariot. He’s careful not to touch you more than necessary. Despite basically living at your place, he always gives you plenty of personal space. However, sometimes you find yourself wishing he would stand the tiniest bit closer to you. He is your safe person, until your brain convinces you that he isn’t.

You nearly fall off the chariot as the horses lurch forward. Finnick grabs your arm to keep you upright and you go to punch him with your cuffed hands, only to remember that it’s just Finnick. You don’t want to hurt him.

“I’m sorry but you’re too pretty to be falling out of a chariot,” he whispers. You nod and do your best to wipe your tears with your hands.

The crowd booms as you enter their view with Finnick. Declarations of love for him are screamed while people shout vile words at you. Roses are thrown his direction, while you get hit with some small rocks and other hard objects. Finnick does his best to shield you but it’s no use.

You can feel him tense as the urge to protect you flairs up, but he can’t; not in front of sponsors. It’s bad enough that he’ll lose most of the sponsors once he allies with you in the arena. You both talked prior and reluctantly agreed that the best move was for him not to be overprotective in front of sponsors.

Another rock is thrown your way, this time hitting your cheek near your scar. That’s your breaking point. You can feel the heat rush to your head as your nails dig into the chariot. Finnick is panicking at this point. There’s no calming you down and you aren’t even halfway through the parade. If you make it back to the stables, he’ll have to sedate you.

You don’t remember the rest of the parade, or nearly attacking Linessa, or Finnick sedating you. What you do remember is the conversation you overhear between Gloss and Katniss as Finnick carries you to the elevator.

“So girl on fire,” Gloss says. “Though of any allies yet? Or are you and lover boy going to try to kill us alone?”

Katniss doesn’t reply but something must have tipped Gloss off to her potential allies.

“Those two?” he laughs. “Fishy and Feral? You’re dumber than I thought. Those two are sadists. They love killing people slowly, and watching the life drain from them. You’d be dead within two hours. Who knows, she might even eat you if she’s hungry. There wouldn’t even be a body left to bring back to your family.”

Finnick tenses up, having overheard their conversation as well. He carries you to the elevator and you fully pass out.

He’s sitting in your room when you wake up. His arms are covered in scratches and he looks exhausted.

“I’m sorry,” you whisper. “I didn’t mean to.”

He shakes his head and walks over towards your bed.

“It’s ok,” he sighs. “Everyone is fine.”

“Is Mags fine?” you ask in a panic. “He, he said…”

“What did he say?” Finnick tenses.

“If I do anything crazy he’ll kill her, and you,” you sob. “I’m sorry. I can’t control myself.”

Finnick let’s out a long sigh and rubs his temples.

“Everyone is fine,” he states. “You didn’t break down until we were back in the stables. Barely anyone saw.”

“I don’t think I should go to training,” you state. “I’m not in control.”

“The peacekeepers informed me earlier that you aren’t allowed out of your room, for training or for the interviews. They’ve allowed me in here on the condition that I carry sedative on me in case you need it,” he explains.

“Mags?” you ask and he shakes his head. She isn’t allowed to visit. Finnick goes to get more ice for your bruises and you do your best to enjoy the remaining bit of sanity you have left.

Taglist:

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#hunger games #finnick odair #hunger games fic #the hunger games #finnick odair x reader #finnick imagine #finnick x reader #finnick x you #finnick odair angst #finnick fluff #the feral one

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layla4567 · 5 months

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Until the birds stop singing 🐦

Young!Coriolanus!Snow x OC!Fem!reader

Summary: Soleil come from district 8, the textile district and she have been chosen for the hunger games. When she hear her name she hesitates whether to approach or not but since she have no other option she go up to the podium. What the girl don't know is that from the screen sapphire eyes are observing her carefully, wondering if she will be his tribute or not. Warnings: Everything is probably too inaccurate with the Hunger Games universe because I have no fucking idea what the movies are about, I've never seen them, sorry!-- I have a lifeguard complex so Coriolanus may not be such an asshole in this fic-- the typical "i can fix him" (no you can't)-- first time using an OC and not Y/N-- basically Soleil replaces Lucy--not proofread--english isn't my first language--injuries and blood--spoilers I think Wc: 4.6k

divider not mine, credits to whom it may apply (I don't remember the user, sorry)

Coriolanus was with his body upright and tense in his seat, staring at the screen and trying to maintain a calm breathing. Next to him, Sejanus looked at him askance, but his classmate didn't return his gaze. It was an open secret that everyone was tense about the hunger games and knowing what tribute they would get, everyone wanted the prize and others needed it more than others. But Coriolanus would never admit it, he preferred to starve before saying that he needed money, he didn't want to compare himself with the poor of the district.

The screen showed people from different districts, all of them standing in rows according to their number. Some mentors had already been assigned his tribute except for Snow, he felt nervous and lightly rubbed his fingers on his thigh to calm the anxiety and stress. Suddenly the presenter put the microphone to his lips and uttered words that someone wished they didn't hear.

"From District 8, Soleil Allen!"

The young girl's blood turned cold as ice and she felt her breath hitch for a second. On the other hand, Coriolanus leaned in his chair, approaching the screen without being able to believe what he saw and heard. Soleil was behind a tall woman so the camera couldn't capture her.

"Come on Miss Allen, don't be shy and come closer"

She sighed deeply and with hesitant and trembling steps she moved away from the rows and slowly approached with almost ceremonial steps towards where the presenter was. People watched her pass as they watch a bull pass to the slaughterhouse. The closer she got, the slower her steps and the more distraught her face became. Her clothes drew attention wherever she went, you could clearly see that they were sewn by hand, for some reason she came from District 8. The camera focused on her worried face and on the screens Snow looked at her for a long time, she had soft and sweet features as a fairy, but her upward frown gave her the look of a scared puppy

When Soleil gently climbed the stairs her gaze went straight to the floor, scared and ashamed. She definitely didn't want to be there, she didn't want to be chosen, she was just unlucky.

"aww is the girl scared?"

A girl who was close to Coryo mocked Soleil, pretending to be compassionate, but her laugh sounded poisonous. Coriolanus looked at her frowning for a second and then turned his face to the screen swallowing nervously, if that girl was his tribute he would be doomed.

"Alright Soleil Allen do you have anything to say to the civilians or the camera? We are recording you right now!"

Soleil kept looking at the floor and wringing her hands like a little girl, some citizens laughed at her and others looked at her with pity. Suddenly she slowly raised her head and looked at the people and then at the camera. Coriolanus on the other side didn't know why but he felt that those eyes were looking only at him. Soleil's eyes showed regret and pain like those of a sheep in danger. Suddenly she approached the presenter and looking at him begged him.

"Please take care of my mother, she is alone…please"

The girl's request and the urgency in her voice caused the presenter's charming and bright smile to fall for a few seconds. Coryo through the screen frowned in confusion while he kept looking at her. Why would she ask for something like that? Doesn't she know that's not possible? Seriously, would she be so delusional to think that someone from here would care about someone from a district? Even Coryo knew that deep down he considered the people of the districts inferior, like animals. Around the room where young Snow was sitting there was also confusion.

"Uhmm well Miss Allen I'm afraid that won't be possible, but thank you for your suggestion!"

The look of sadness that the girl's eyes expressed caused something in Coryo, a certain discomfort that he couldn't identify but the situation bothered him and he didn't know if it was because of the girl's request or because of her reaction when it was rejected. The presenter smiled again as usual and some men took Soleil by both arms, dragging her like a sack of potatoes, she moaned fearfully and looked at the camera again as if she were looking for help, and again Coriolanus felt that she was asking him for help even though she didn't know him.

Young Snow remained still in his seat watching as the girl was taken away until she was just a blurry dot on the screen. The tributes continued to be announced but Coriolanus was not paying attention, his head was somewhere else, very far away. He couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened to his tribute, he didn't even seem to notice when they announced the tribute of his friend Sejanus. For the first time Coryo felt that the situation was slipping out of his hands. He who always felt prepared for any adversity now felt like he was losing control and the games hadn't even started yet. The room began to empty little by little and only Snow was left standing in the middle of the room with his gaze fixed on the already turned off screen, even so he could continue seeing Soleil as if it were on. Sighing, he slowly walked away with languid steps and went outside.

Coriolanus Snow in his scarlet red uniform was standing in the middle of the train station alone. He had decided to receive the girl with a welcome and a white rose, a rose that he now held in his hand, turning it over thoughtfully and anxiously. After thinking about it for a while and analyzing what he had seen on the screen, he said that Soleil needed to trust someone and that someone was none other than his mentor. If he did not achieve this he risked losing the opportunity to win the Plinth Prize. Snow had to achieve a favorable and calm environment to calm the waters, she is probably scared and confused now so he will be her anchor, her lighthouse in the storm.

Meanwhile, Soleil was sitting on the floor of the train car with her knees bent up to chest height and her hands clasped in front of her legs. She had her chin buried in her knees and her gaze was empty and lost. She made great efforts not to cry, but she told herself that she was not weak or cowardly and that no matter how ugly things looked, she would always know how to find the light. Precious and sweet memories of just a few days ago came to her mind, she and her mother sewing dresses together singing happy songs of yesteryear. Or years ago when she was a girl of only 10 and her father was still alive and taught her to dance, but since she was very short she always ended up resting her feet on his while her father made her spin around until she burst into laughter. These memories were like a balm for her heart and she allowed herself to smile shyly. She looked around at the people next to her in the car, poor, dirty-looking men and women who were in almost the same situation. Their faces did not reflect any comfort or joy in all this that was happening. You couldn't even make friends because in the end in the arena it will be a pitched battle of all against all. And to be honest, even if it had been possible to establish some kind of friendly relationship with those people, she would not have been able to due to her introversion.

Suddenly a little girl looked at Soleil, at first shyly but then she smiled warmly and Soleil couldn't help but smile too. The girl approached her walking slowly due to the constant rattling of the train. When he was close enough he greeted Soleil.

"Hi!"

"Hey.."-She smiled, speaking softly.

"You're Soleil Allen right?"

"Yeah I am"

"My name is Wovey."

Now the little girl smiled with all her teeth, causing her eyes to narrow in a tender way. Soleil smiled more calmly, at least of all those people there was someone kind enough to introduce themselves.

"What a cute name"

Wovey seemed delighted and thanked him while bowing slightly.

"Why did you say about your mother?"

Soleil's smile faded little by little as she remembered her little "speech" and she became sad when she remembered her mother. The girl had a huge heart and great compassion and she couldn't think about anything other than that her mother was okay. Since her father left, the two of them had learned to be alone and take care of each other and Soleil couldn't imagine how empty her mother must feel now without her by her side.

"I- well...uhm.."

Soleil's eyes felt wet again and she looked away so they wouldn't see her crying, she hated crying in front of everyone. Wovey's face turned serious, fearing that he had made a mistake by asking that question.

"Come Wovey, leave her alone"

A man in a beret took the girl's hand and led her away from Soleil until he returned to her side and sat with the boy. As the train shook faster and faster, announcing that it was about to reach its destination

Young Snow grew impatient as he waited for the carriage and turned the rose faster and faster between his fingers. Suddenly a familiar beep woke him up from his daydreams and he saw the train loaded with passengers stopping right in front of his eyes. The young blonde tensed and adjusted the folds of his suit. A peacekeeper grabbed his hand on the car door and roughly slid it open. A few people got out, men and women of different ages. Coriolanus looked frantically around the train car hoping to find you. When I was beginning to lose hope, a somewhat short and thin girl with short brown hair down to her collarbones emerged from the car cautiously. She walked with slow but elegant steps, looking at everything around her in surprise as if she were on another planet. The peacekeeper snorted irritably and impatiently.

"Are you getting off the train or not? I don't have all day."

Soleil blushed embarrassed by the reprimand and nodded timidly. First he sat on the wagon and then jumped down, bending his legs and shaking his clothes. Coryo, who was a few meters away from her, noticed that she was even prettier in person than what the cameras showed. Her clothes seemed timeless, a shirt with long, puffy sleeves that left her shoulders exposed, a tight corset tied towards the front adorned her chest and highlighted her waist and hips, the flowered pattern looked like a rustic fabric. At the bottom she wore a long soft pink skirt that reached just above her knees and on her feet she wore simple brown boots. Yes, you could definitely tell that girl was pretty. Young Snow saw that the girl was looking everywhere lost trying to look for someone, when she was about to walk away he walked in her direction calling her.

"Soleil Allen, wait!"

The tribute turned around abruptly upon hearing her name and among the crowd of people she saw a mop of platinum blonde hair and beneath that hair the bluest eyes she had ever seen in her life. A tall boy dressed in red approached her confidently, pushing his way through the crowd. Who was that handsome and distinguished boy who had called his name? What did hers want? Despite being a girl who does not think badly of people, at first a small distrust settled deep inside her being.

Now the rose that Coriolanus was holding began to tremble slightly in his hand at the side of his body, he had made a little speeches about what he would say to his tribute but now when he had it in front of him and looked into her eyes he fell silent and his mind remained silent. in white. If he had the bluest and most crystalline eyes, she had the brownest eyes I had ever seen, almost the color of honey, or the golden sun when reflected in the water. And her thick, long eyelashes seemed to simply complete her look. He suddenly felt his palms sweat, and he wished she didn't notice.

"I'm Coriolanus Snow, welcome to the Capitol"

The boy raised his arm and brought the flower to her face. Soleil's face transformed completely, first she frowned in confusion and then her face relaxed until her lips formed a big smile. She inhaled the perfume of the rose with her eyes closed, even though it was not open, the smell was still sweet. Coriolanus seemed relieved that he liked the white rose and smiled softly as well. Soleil opened her eyes by gently batting her eyelashes and looked at the blonde boy.

"Thank you very much, it's beautiful"

Soleil tilted her head, still smiling, and lovingly massaged the petals of the fragile rose. Snow couldn't stop watching her movements, always delicate like those of a princess and smiled even more, something inside him tingled and for a moment he forgot what he really thought about the people of the districts. But he decided to suppress those thoughts and emotions that he didn't know where they came from and he didn't want to find out, the people of the districts were still inferior to him, this was just a gesture to gain the trust of his tribute… right?

"Umh maybe you don't know it but I'm your mentor, I'll help you win the hunger games"

"To win? and how exactly?"

"Well with strategies I guess, we'll see about that later"-He tried to look confident but quickly scratched his neck.

Soleil nodded when suddenly two uniformed men grabbed her by both arms, lifted her off the ground and took her away, leaving Coryo surprised and confused. She kicked and screamed while in the air without her feet touching the ground. In the midst of all the commotion she dropped the rose into her hands. Young Snow rushed to grab it and chased after the men.

"Stop! Don't take her, I'm her mentor!"

Other peacekeepers quickly did the same with the other tributes. They were dragged as if they were light as feathers and were pushed onto a garbage truck-like transport. Screams and commotion echoed in the air and deafened Coryo's ears but he followed your trail closely. He couldn't lose his last ticket to win the prize. At a time when the men dispersed to catch more tributes Coriolanus quickly climbed onto the truck and entered without hesitation. The doors closed and before he realized it he was already fully in the lion's den. Soleil was scared to see his mentor there, his bright clothes made him see a red ant in the middle of warm and dark colors. Soon the other tributes rose from their seats or the floor and looked at him with frowns. Soleil was afraid that they would do something to the blonde boy so before anyone else could move she approached him.

"Why did you get on the transport? You shouldn't be here!"-She said with a thin voice

"Well, I'm your mentor, I can't leave you alone…"

Coryo's gaze moved nervously around the place and became more uncomfortable when he saw that a robust guy was approaching dangerously towards him.

"And who is this clown?"

Young Snow was going to say something but Soleil quickly did it for him.

"He's my mentor, he's supposed to help me win the games."

After saying that, the girl quickly realized that she made a serious mistake. Now others will think she was cheating or something like that. She closed her eyes and bit her lower lip, wishing the earth would swallow her. The other tributes looked at her offended and murmurs of disapproval arose. The sturdy guy behind her moved even closer to Coriolanus and pushed Soleil away with his arm, which displeased the mentor.

"So the rich kid is going to help the 8 win huh? And what the fuck is going on with the rest of us?"

The man had Coryo cornered against the wall, yet he cleared his throat and did his best to maintain a calm attitude.

"I promise you that everyone will have a mentor who will help you"

The guy laughed sarcastically, looking at the others who also started laughing as if Coryo had made a great joke. Suddenly the robust man turned around to look at him, this time completely serious, and grabbed him by the lapels. Soleil, scared, put a hand on the boy's arm, trying to calm him down to no avail.

"Well, I think the pretty boy is lying."

Before anyone could say anything Coriolanus received a strong punch in the face, leaving his lip split and bloody. As if a spring had been activated in her system, Soleil shouted No! and with one jump he climbed onto the back of the man who had hit his mentor. She clung to him like a circus monkey and placed her hands on his head and eyes, preventing him from seeing or moving.

"Leave him alone!!"

The man turned and made great efforts to get the girl off of him but it was useless, she held on tightly as if her life depended on it. Coryo, recovering from the shock of the blow, looked at his tribute with amazement and some admiration. He began to think that maybe you weren't so weak and useless. Soon the other tributes approached helping their companion and trying to remove Soleil and without thinking it all turned into a small fight because Coriolanus separated the others as best he could so that they would not hurt his tribute.

Out of nowhere a strong shock like an earthquake caused everyone to fall to the ground with a thud. The transport was moving from left to right as if it were going to overturn and the people inside were pushed like potatoes towards the walls, causing several bruises. When everything seemed to get worse the door opened and everyone was thrown like garbage into a zoo. Soleil tried to grab onto something and reached for his mentor's hand, who was still clinging to the door, refusing to fall, but another jolt caused the tribute and mentor to fall silent, hitting rocks and scraping their hands as they passed. The fall was hard and the girl felt her palms burning and when she looked at them they were red and she had some cuts with blood.

Soleil felt the veins in her temples throbbing strongly and her face felt hot from the shock. Gasping and squeezing his eyes shut, she stood up slowly and unsteadily, trying to maintain her balance and figure out where she was. She shook the dust off her clothes and to her horror saw that they were locked in a kind of zoo with thick iron bars. Did they really see them as animals?

The girl with light brown, almost hazel eyes looked around at the other people who were with her. Some were still injured on the ground and were getting up as best they could or with the help of someone, but there was one thing in common, and that was that no one knew or understood why they were in that place. The young tribute looked everywhere for her mentor but gave up on that idea when she saw the girl from the train who had greeted her sitting on the floor crying with her injured knee. Soleil felt her heart sink and she didn't hesitate for a second and trotted towards where the little girl was.

"Hey, are you okay? I'm here."

Soleil carefully wiped away the tears that were rolling down Wovey's cheeks and tried to smile so that the girl would understand that everything was going to be okay…or so she hoped.

"That's it, that's better. Now, would you like to tell me where it hurts?"

Wovey with a pout pointed a little finger at her knee. Soleil moved the fabric of her skirt and saw the bruised skin. It was scratched and red and bleeding a little. She quickly tore a piece of the hem of her skirt and gently cleaned Wovey's wounds. She then improvised a bandage by wrapping the cloth around the knee. At all this Coriolanus found her tribute first after looking and searching everywhere, he saw her crouching helping the girl on the train and tried with all his might to suppress a smile but he couldn't. He decided not to get closer but watched her from afar.

"There, this should be enough."

Wovey looked at her bandaged knee and could smile, Soleil saw her finished work with satisfaction and pride. It wasn't the best bandage but at least it would help prevent the wound from opening further. The girl smiled warmly at Wovey and stroked her chin.

"I wanted to see that smile, you are very brave, you know that?"

The little girl giggled in response, which infected Soleil. Suddenly a clearing of the throat behind her surprised her and she turned around to see blue eyes looking down at her in amusement. She stood up quickly happy to see her mentor but then her smile faded when she saw Coryo's busted lip, she remembered the brute man who had hit him and frowned. Coriolanus noticed that she was looking too closely at his lips and became nervous.

"What's wrong?"

Soleil did not respond and instead placed her hands on the sides of Coryo's face and moved closer to get a better look at the wound. His first instinct was to back away but he suppressed it.

"Your lip is bleeding"-she said running her thumb slowly over the cut to which he grimaced-"I'll see if I can heal it…"

The tribute grabbed her skirt again and was about to tear the fabric when Coriolanus's firm hand stopped her.

"No! You don't need to ruin your clothes for me, besides it doesn't hurt that much"-he lied

She was going to protest but a grimace of pain prevented her. Suddenly a burning sensation in her hands reminded her that she was hurt. She looked at her palms that were red and full of dirt. Frowning in concern, Snow pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and offered to clean her hands. Coryo's eyes were on her hands but Soleil only saw his eyes. When he finished he looked up smiling satisfied and she looked down embarrassed not wanting to be caught looking at him.

"Thanks…"-she mumbled

"No problem"

Suddenly he remembered something and raised his index finger in a sign of waiting and took out of his jacket pocket the rose that had fallen earlier at the station. It was a little crushed but still just as beautiful. He looked at Soleil and gently placed it behind her ear. Her honey eyes pierced his ocean blue ones. She thought he was just being nice and wanted to gain her trust because he was her mentor and she was supposed to help him win the prize and in turn he was supposed to help her win the games. But still she couldn't help but feel a flutter in her stomach.

The sound of a microphone startled them both. A man was talking to a camera held by another man. The one holding the microphone seemed excited to broadcast live what was happening on the other side of the bars, as if the tributes were aliens who had just landed on earth. Soleil didn't like all this at all, she felt helpless and vulnerable and instinctively sought the protection of her mentor as if it were her father. She wrapped herself in his arm and clung to him like a little girl. Coriolanus Snow frowned in surprise and confusion but then he saw her scared face and placed a hand on the back of her.

The presenter was still talking to the camera when he turned around and saw Coryo. It was so easy to spot him, his clothes bright red not only because of the color but because he dressed more elegantly than the other people there.

"Excuse me, little boy, yes, yes, the blonde in red. What are you doing here young man and what is your name?"

The camera got dangerously close to Coryo who began to sweat and stutter slightly. He looked for help in his tribute's eyes but she was as mute as he was. Coryo cleared his throat and simply said

"I'm Coriolanus Snow but why don't I introduce you to my tribute, instead?"

The blonde boy pointed at Soleil with one hand and invited her to come closer to the camera. She looked at him scared but he winked at her. He knew this was the best way to start winning over the public.

"Excellent, excellent!"-exclaimed the man enthusiastically

And quickly he brought the microphone as close as the bars would allow to the girl's face.

"Tell me, you're Soleil Allen, right? The one from District 8."

Soleil swallowed and, trying not to look at the camera, answered.

"Y-yeah, it's me"

Coriolanus squeezed her arm to give her courage and to make a good impression and she thanked him with a smile.

"Oh, but what do I see here! Is that a rose you're wearing behind your ear?"

The girl blushed and quickly took off the flower and squeezed it in her hand. The man with the microphone seemed happy with the nervous gesture of the tribute.

"Oh ho ho and may I know who gave you that rose? Was it your mentor?"-he winked mischievously

Mentor and tribute were getting nervous when some children of 5 to 6 years old approached the bars to say hello, they were like angels sent from heaven to save them from the embarrassing situation. The girl approached and placed her hands on the bars.

"You're pretty"-she said to Soleil in a childish voice

Soleil Allen crouched down to the little girl's height and smiled with all her teeth.

"Thank you sweetie, so you are"

Coryo looked proudly at his tribute, with her natural charm and genuine kindness she was winning over the crowd even before the games began. The girl ran her fingers through the tribute's blouse.

"I like your clothes"

"Oh really? I made it"

The presenter looked at the camera again, smiling like never before.

"What do you think of that? Soleil Allen, the girl from 8, is tenderly earning the trust of two little children!"

Soleil looked at the boy who had his hands in his pockets.

"What's your name?"

He hesitated before answering. "I'm Pontius"

"And I'm Venus, his sister!"

"What beautiful names"-she smiled

Pontius looked at Coryo for a long time and then said innocently

"Your girlfriend is pretty"

Soleil opened her eyes and blushed as she looked at the boy. Coriolanus just smiled

"Thank you"

Soleil looked at him confused and he smiled calmly again. The presenter kept talking to the camera.

"Very well we will continue to report on the other tributes later, don't miss the 10th annual Hunger Games!"

With this the man said goodbye and left the zoo. While a peacekeeper led Coriolanus by the arm. Soleil, worried about being alone, clung to her mentor's hand. It was becoming a tug-of-war when another peacekeeper abruptly removed Soleil's hand and pushed the girl aside. Snow wanted to protest but they mercilessly dragged him out of the zoo. Soleil quickly approached the bars and gripped her hands on them as she stuck her head out through a gap.

"Will you come back? Promise!"

"I promise you"

Coriolanus's cry echoed as they took him away and Soleil felt emptier than ever, even more than when she had to leave her mother alone at home.

#oc #oc female #oc fic #the hunger games #coriolanus snow #coriolanus x oc #coriolanus x oc fem reader #fanfic #tbosas #lucy gray baird #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #tom blyth #young coriolanus snow #thg #the hunger games fanfic

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sepublic · 1 year

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G O D *Grits teeth* You ever think about how fucking unfair it is that Luz’s mental health an self worth has been on a decline since like. GROM??? Since she got traumatized, and how many incidents she’s been carrying under her belt discretely, yet very clearly, as they grow and culminate no matter how hard Luz tries to compensate and apologize for being her imperfect self? Remember when Luz once said “I don’t deserve this” to a bad thing that happened to her, only for Viney to admittedly take that the wrong way, and Luz has felt punished for that claim as a result?

Luz tries to help Willow, gets her and Gus hurt, and just offers herself as a sacrificial tribute to Boscha. No blinking. Tries to help Eda with the curse when Eda tells her not to, BAM! Eda loses magic and Luz goes through some horrible stuff, is told that the weirdoes don’t stick together actually, and fucking Belos.

Then Luz spends all of 2A basically apologizing and trying to mend things over while acting like they’re okay for the sake of those she cares about. Says Willow and Gus don’t deserve to be expelled, but not herself! TURNS HERSELF INTO A LITERAL PUNCHING BAG. Thinks Amity hates her, and then that she just scared Amity off in her preemptive self-loathing!

HER MOM. Luz tried so hard to get back to her mom just to leave her sobbing, with Luz feeling like she’s evil and trash. After thinking she got a happy reconciliation with Vee’s help! And it haunts Luz so badly she immediately projects onto KIKIMORA in order to feel like she can make a difference!

And then the feeling of her dad’s death, the guilt, the sense that she’s failed another parent again and how he isn’t coming back. AND FUCKING PHILIP BELOS WITTEBANE GASLIGHTING LUZ INTO THINKING IT’S HER FAULT. THAT SHE HELPED HIM!!!

And Luz is in such anguish but she’s still trying, she still thinks she can salvage this, she’s in desperate denial! But Eda rebukes her and Luz is just WHY WON’T YOU LET ME APOLOGIZE FOR EVERYTHING, and then for a moment it seems it might work out. It CAN work out!

And then King’s Tide.

AND SHE JUST GIVES UP IN S3!!! JUST FUCKING HATES HERSELF!!! The one moment of comfort she has with her mom and she interprets the lesson to mean ISOLATING HERSELF AS REPARATION!

Luz kept encountering wave after wave of bigger and more traumatic incidents that targeted her self worth and sense of guilt over daring to want anything for herself or even for others, made her out to be some villain for trying. And for every slight comfort that tried to bandage over, it’s not enough and is then immediately superceded by another incident! Dana said Season 2 was PAIN, she meant it! She really meant it! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-

Dana Terrace this is fucking criminal. I’m goddamn miserable over this Luz deserves better than this why couldn’t she still be HAPPY after S1?!!?!

TOH got me acting up like a hysterical Victorian woman forreal. Coughing and gagging as I sob!

#the owl house #luz noceda #angst

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crazycriter · 2 months

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As a follow on post, here's why Coriolanus Snow to me, would have had the same emotions invoked if Treech was his tribute that he had with Lucy Gray.

Coriolanus Snow clearly cares about his tribute winning the Games and along the line also starts caring about Lucy Gray.

So, Treech and Lucy Gray both share quite a few qualities that I believe drew Coriolanus to Lucy Gray.

The biggest reason Coriolanus fell in love with Lucy Gray was obvious — he believed he had a claim over. This feeling would easily be found if he was instead mentoring Treech as he'd have the same experience of people referring to Treech as his own.

Another reason he seems to be so obsessed with Lucy Gray is because he believes he needs to protect her. Of course, Treech clearly known how to an ax and is described as, 'athletic,' but still seemed incapable of fighting properly. Even when he kills Teslee he does so while he knows she's distracted and unable to fight back. (And, if we're going by the movies Treech does seem shorter and lankier than any other male tribute his age.)

Coriolanus attempts to convince himself that Lucy Gray isn't technically district as shes Covey, to feel better about his love for her. But, what he's saying is already grasping at straws, so I'd assume he'd also make up another lie to himself that removed Treech from a district label. Probably something like, "Oh well now he's a Victor, he's basically apart of the Capitol regime!"

The poverty that Lucy Gray is in, is something we can assume movie Treech at the very least shares. Movie Treech's outfit is clearly a lot less tailored than every other tributes and already has dirt all over it before they get into the Zoo. We can assume his life in Seven has the same struggles.

Having families to feed. I've always written Treech to have younger siblings — specifically sisters — and that is definitely similar to Maude Ivory.

Also. The obvious — both Treech and Lucy Gray are extremely attractive people.

Even in Coriolanus' own book descriptions of Treech he is more focused on Treech's look than he is for the other tributes. (This is just the funniest part of the book to me, he seems to insult every tribute who is not Lucy Gray, or simply ignore them, but with Treech he describes his flowing dark hair 😭)

Obviously the plot would change slightly — Treech would be less helpless than Lucy Gray and would be able to kill using his ax, but still would not be overly violent and would rely on sponsors.

Treech would likely not have as many sponsors as Lucy Gray, but as he is again more self sustaining, would still be able to steal from tributes until the snakes.

Treech would save him in bombing, even if just out of instinct as from book Treech we can see his natural reaction is usually to help when shocked. (The embrace.)

Coriolanus could feel the same jealousy he felt about Lucy Grays song just to Treech and Laminas bond. It's clear movie Treech cares about her and spends his time comforting her and I wouldn't be surprised if book Treech was the same. Picture Coriolanus fuming that Treech held her when she cried.

That already builds a small layer of distrust.

The kiss before the Games could happen. Treech is intelligent and sneaky — he spends the entire Games hiding and if he saw playing into Coriolanus' crush as an easier way to win, I think he'd do it.

Treech's death simply wouldn't happen — Coriolanus would have the same wish to have his tribute win the Game and therefore would still put the hankerchief with the Snakes and give him poison.

However, I doubt Treech would use the poison much at all and if Lucy Gray somehow did manage to survive till the Snakes came, she would die there, while Treech could still reach high ground.

Reapers death would definitely be more violent, with Treech probably just axing his head off. I've always imagined it looking a bit like an execution.

Really, Coriolanus would be less likely to be caught, however I think the Dean would still manage it.

The sentence would be lighter as his cheating really didn't impact the Game much and he'd be able to bribe his way to Seven quite easily.

This is where its more speculation. In my own depictions of Treech I lean more towards him being a performer — that juggling routine had to have been sublime — and really just being very similar to Lucy Gray.

Sejanus would still arrive, Coriolanus would still meet Treech (perhaps while he's preforming, perhaps not) and if Treech still feels in Coriolanus' debt, would probably enter some type of romantic relationship with him.

Coriolanus gets jealous easily. Very easily. And based on movie Treech, we can assume Treech is quite sociable, or at the very least has an aura that makes people want to stick with him. Coriolanus would not enjoy that.

Treech would feel the same guilt Lucy Gray felt — more to do with stealing Dills water as she died, having kills that were violent. And these kills would only fuel Coriolanus' fear that Treech (as he felt for Lucy Gray) was dangerous. A cold blooded killer that was using him.

The whole mayfair thing has no real reason as to why I think it would happen, but I can imagine Sejanus would still attempt to aid rebels, Coriolanus would still be forced to kill a second person and then would give Sejanus into Gaul.

Why would the death be blamed on Treech? It could simply be a distrust of Victors, especially those who are clearly fraternising with Peacekeepers and killed in the Arena.

Seven would obviously have woods they could get lost in, Treech is intelligent. Snow slips on his words, Treech has a similar reaction to Lucy Gray.

"Who's the third?"

My old self. Treech naturally isn't falling for that and.

You know the end of the story. It may be a snake simply because Treech sees it as symbolic and we know Seven definitely had snakes as Coriolanus mentions in the book that he guesses Treech is already familiar with them as he runs to the leader board.

And Treech's memory is erased, his ending is left a mystery while Gaul welcomes Snow back home.

This turned into a ramble but 😭😭 this is my own understanding of why bisexual loser could also fall for Treech.

@moreespressoformydepresso @zippiedippievippie this is the explanation you guys asked for LOL :3

#tbosas #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #treech tbosas #coriolanus snow #frankie yaps #idk if ill write this but maybe one day!#wintertree

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helpfandom · 7 months

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ELLO ITS ME @yandere-plague

OK so like I've had this idea for a story for so long and-

Okay so handsome dad is your dad and Nisha is your mom.

BUT Nisha, realising she's pregnant she ditches you somewhere on Pandora.

Another BUT some people from Lynchwood take you in.

So you grow up in Lynchwood and for plot reasons Nisha recognises you. She doesn't kill you but you know she hates you (you have no idea who your parents are)

Randomly you wake up on Helios. Then the fucking hyperion ceo walks in with some doctor and there're like. "Yup they are your kid"

You and Jack just stare at eachother in shock (and horror)

You are obviously scared shitless because you know he will throw you out of an airlock if you do so much as breathe wrong.

But then surprisingly he acts like such a nice dad to you even though you are literally having a panic attack just seeing him in person.

Idk if you want to write for this or something but 🤷‍♀️

I'm so happy I spent like 3 minutes stimming and jumping because it's you! I love your writing, and to have one of my favourite people ask me, ME? for something?

Fun Fact! My longest post in Borderlands is Zane Flynt. Something I wrote as a tribute. To YOU [with 1,049 words] Anyway-

Ask, and ye shall receive.

TW: for Handsome Jack shenanigans, mentions of S3X, Handsome Jack, Perhaps a OOC Nisha, because I didn't play Nisha in Presequel, nor did I know she was in BL2. Allusions to abortion or miscarriage.

It had been a great night between the two that, to be quite honest, they both enjoyed, but unfortunately, Jack happened to have gotten her pregnant.

She was quite disappointed, especially since she got herself roped into giving birth to you rather than trying other methods. So, she gave birth, and then promptly left you in the middle of the road, hoping perhaps a skag wouldn't go hungry that night, or maybe someone who could actually care for you would show up before the animals arrived.

And with that out of the way, onto the real headcanons.

There had been some rumblings of a bandit finding something of importance, something that could help, something they could train. Perhaps it was a new animal for Nisha to hunt, or maybe- She pauses, looking at you, you who had tears in your eyes, clearly scared out of your mind, and yet she still couldn't muster up enough sympathy to care for you. Not when she tried to get rid of you.

So you spend most of your life being trained by psychos and bandits and always wondering why Nisha hated you, why she would glare at you every time you dared to be around her, even with all that you put into being the best there is, the best in Lynchwood, maybe even the best shooter that you could possibly be, and yet the only reaction she will ever have to you is just anger, and disdain.

As you get older, you begin to notice that the worst tasks, the deadliest tasks are sent to you first. Is this because she wants to test you, or because she wants to kill you? You can see in her face the hatred she has at you coming back that it clearly wasn't to test you.

At some point in your teenager years, you begin to stop caring about what she wants from you, what you think she desires from you in order to be seen as something more.

And eventually, she just sells you off to Handsome Jack in order to have him postpone his attack on Lynchwood ever so slightly by giving up the best bandit they have.

So as you sit in a car, wondering where Nisha is sending you off when you arrive at a place with the name Hyperion? Does Nisha want you to take them down from the inside, perhaps?

And yet as you're escorted to a room with a doctor and someone- IS THAT THE REAL HANDSOME JACK? The doctor mumbles something to THE REAL HANDSOME JACK-HOLYSHITHOLYSHIT AM I GOING TO DIE HERE? He turns and faces you, looking at you head on, and then walking towards you with open arms, clearly he must mean to attack, right? He HUGS you?

All the while Nisha hates that she misses you, hates the fact that she kind of liked you? Even though you're a reminder of all that she hates in life, she likes the fact that you tried so hard.

Handsome Jack doesn't care about you at first, only thinking of how this could make him look better or how to use this against his Exes. He could gloat to Moxxi how he can take better care of his child[ren] or how much better it is with him to Nisha. All in all, he doesn't truly care about you till later.

As he notices that you flinch at every little thing, he finds it annoying, he wouldn't hit you unless you need it, and you're his kid, so why do you expect him to hurt you?

That's when he realizes that you don't know about Jack nor Nisha being your parent, so all that you've seen is the one person you look up to hate you, and his own reputation coming back to bite him in the ass.

So he drops the ball onto you.

Of course, this is such a surprising revelation that makes everything make sense, but you can't believe it, after all, would you really go as far as trying to kill your own child?

Yes. They both would.

Besides the fact, you then spend most of your days following the revelation staying alone, processing all that happened, becoming your own kind of therapist in a sense.

And because Jack wants to use you just as Nisha did, he drags you out, slowly becoming attached to you, because who wouldn't become attached to a hobby?

Needless to say, they both intend to use you for what they can, then drop you, but end up becoming attached to you.

#platonic x reader #platonic yandere #yandere x reader #x reader #platonic #tw yandere #yandere #headcanon #yandere borderlands #yandere handsome jack #tw abuse #yandere nisha #yandere borderlands 2 #tw abortion #tw miscarriage #bro nisha sucks #Helpfandom's writing

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catoscloves · 4 months

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you know i love that the fact that we don't know anything about canon!clato pre-games gives us the freedom to give them whichever backstories we want and have them in fanfiction as wholesome childhood besties/training buddies to crazy messed up lovers but... to me the idea that they didn't even know one another before volunteering is so interesting. i go to a school of like 4000 kids so i don't know everyone there, and it's entirely plausible that cato & clove didn't know each other/hadn't crossed paths before 74th.

and that kind of makes "cato kneels beside clove" all the more intense. katniss (with her limited first person Main Character narrator worldview) sees him as this insane brutal monstrous person that gleefully kills children. and maybe she's not far off, but like. from his pov clove is just this random kid from home turned fellow competitor. he's spent the majority of his life making it a goal to murder 23 other children and is clearly extremely violent and has a lethal temper. he's not above making weaker children suffer, because that's what he's taught is the ticket to a successful life of wealth and honor, and clove is just an obstacle to that.

but then they have to spend every day in that arena watching each other's backs, and becoming a team, and while killing people is a messed up way to bond they would begin to become something close to friends and tentatively trust each other. even have affection and respect for one another. there are several canonical examples of tributes from the same district bonding that way (mizzen & coral / jessup & lucy gray -10th hunger games, haymitch & maysilee - 50th hunger games, and then most obviously everlark.)

so clove goes from random stranger/competitor, and thus enemy, to ally and partner and probably friend. and they get so excited about the rule change because they can benefit from it, their district can get 2 victors, and they let their guards down and begin to care and look out for each other's safety. they had no reason not to believe the capitol's new rule because children from district 2 grow up believing that loyalty to the capitol will favor them.

they clearly let themselves get much closer than they should have, and had hope to get out alive together and faith in each other. cato was her last hope when she was dying and afraid. seeing clove lying on the ground literally pained cato (so much that katniss, who thinks of them as vile and horrible murderers, who had no reason to care about any of this and was running away from all of it, who doesn't really read other people's emotions well, noticed). and this brutal and monstrous and apparently manic killer got down on his knees to beg a girl that he didn't know a few weeks ago to stay with him. someone he never would have cared about ordinarily, whose death he at one point viewed as a perfectly acceptable outcome. in just a few short weeks, she went from random girl that lives in his district to someone he would get down on his knees on live television for.

#yeah I can ramble about two side characters that barely got three lines of dialogue for hours sry about it #the hunger games #clato #anna speaks

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hello-nichya-here · 6 months

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Girl.... Imma need all the tea abt Michael's brothers being leaches.

I do remember that one of them said that there wouldn't be no Michael Jackson without Jackson 5. BFFR. omg.

Just look at Spotify monthly listeners. I tend to compare artists who debuted at the same time and if they are still alive or not.

Marlon Jackson: 945

Jackie Jackson: 1'180

Tito Jackson: 15'148

Jermaine Jackson: 771'648

The Jacksons: 2'862'021

The Jackson 5: 8'607'046

Michael Jackson: 43'067'506

I know Spotify listeners aren't everything in terms of success or talent. Just look how Selena Gomez supposedly has more than Beyonce. But here I mean the gap is huge.

And the fact they NEEDED him for the Victory Tour otherwise no one would have showed up.

...Anon, I'm gonna be honest here, I completely forgot Jermaine wasn't the only of MJ's brothers to try and have his own solo career. And it says a lot that even though he was the most sucessful of MJ's brothers, he was nowhere near as relevant as he wanted to be - let alone as relevant as Michael.

Also, I know that showbusiness is cruel, especially to child stars, and the music industry is super unfair and buries really talented artists while promoting others that are not even good - but lets not kid ourselves here.

Like you said, the very fact that they had to drag him into that tour to make it relevant already says a lot - but there's even more to that. Michael decided, on his own, that this was going to be the LAST tour, and announced it at the last concert, without discussing it with anyone. He didn't just quit, he essentially ended the group.

They tried to carry on without him a few years later, and it went nowhere because nobody cared about them if Michael wasn't there. Meanwhile, he had random dancers/back-up singers stand in for his brothers whenever he'd ocasionally perform "his" old songs, and nobody except their mom ever complained. I strongly suspect some people didn't even notice - first time I watched some of the performances of the Bad Era, I sure didn't.

They had a reunion in 2001 - in some concerts to celebrate MICHAEL's career, with a moment dedicated to some Jackson 5/the Jackson's hits. They tried for a reunion and their own TV show in 2009 - the same time Michael's final tour was supposed to happen. When Michael died, all the interest in the projects of his brother's died too, with their proper reunion only happening a few years later... in a tribute to Michael.

But by far the biggest evidence that Michael didn't need them was Motown 25. He performed with his brothers, and even though he was obviously the star, they were still great, truly fucking awesome, you can clearly tell they are all giving it all their talent and energy.

Then he performed Billie Jean and did the moonwalk without a breaking a sweat and it was like his brothers never existed. Their big moment was Michael's warm up, and his big moment had him on stage by himself, singing the biggest hit of his SOLO career, overshadowing everything that came before it.

The only one of his siblings that ever managed to not be in his shadow was Janet. And even then, despite being HUGE, she was not KING OF POP huge. Probably because literally nobody else, before or since, could do what Michael did.

For fuck's sake, look at "We Are The World." Pretty much every famous singer of the decade was there, every single one of them giving it their all - and Michael is still clearly the star, because he wasn't just better than his siblings, he was better than everybody.

And I think that's the reason why his brothers never fully let go of all their envy. Pretty much everyone in that family exploited Michael for his money/relevance, but since his brothers were once his bandmates, they felt full on entitled towards not just Michael's money, but his career in general - because their time as a band was the most sucess they were ever gonna achieve, but it was quickly becoming just "Michael Jackson's early years, when he was not as famous as he is right now, but was already way more famous than his brothers will ever be." They were dependent on him, and were now being told "No, he won't let you all tag along forever."

Hence them demanding to be part of "Off The Wall" and getting mad when Michael didn't let them, making him tour with them singing the band's biggest hits instead of doing a tour for Thriller, fucking raiding his house for valluable stuff, using his money to buy mansions for themselves and raise their kids/pay child support, claiming that if things had been just slightly different their own solo careers totally could have been just as big as Michael's, etc.

It wasn't just that their sibling slowly became way better than them and eventually didn't need them to be sucessful. Michael NEVER needed them. He was always the star, the one people were more interested in, the one with the most talent, and eventually he realized that, if he continued letting his family pressure him into ignoring his own goals and focused on "paying his debt to his siblings (and father)" he was at best going to be held back forever so his brother's could stay relevant at his expense, and at worst he'd ruin his own career completely just so they could all fail together and his brother's egos would be spared.

Again, see how HE basically ended the band (or at least the version the public actually cared about). To them, it wasn't Michael going solo, it was him kicking them out. Like they would have TOTALLY made Thriller with him, or could have each done it on their own. Like his solo works are theirs by extention just because they used to do things as a group, and therefore they deserve the profit and the credit for something they were not involved in.

Joseph, of course, did not fucking help make the situation any better. I already mentioned all the physical abuse he put his children through during reharsals, but there's one more thing: he'd sometimes deliberately compare his other sons to Michael when they made a mistake while dancing or singing, to make them feel worse about themselves for not being as good as their brother. OBVIOUSLY that led to a ton of misplaced resentment towards their sibling for them, and to Michael feeling guilty about something that wasn't his fault.

Joseph is also the person who taught them their very warped idea of "family." He had always said that family was the most important thing in the world - because he was one of these parents who believed that, since he was responsible for them being alive, they owed him literally EVERYTHING and thus had to put up with EVERYTHING.

He wanted to beat them with a belt whenever they did anything wrong? They should just shut up and endure it, it's just discipline, and they wouldn't be going through that if they could just do what they're told.

He wants to control their careers, have "his share" of their money, and then use said money to cheat on their mother? Doesn't matter, he is still the man of the house if he's not the one making the money, and thus they owe him respect and shouldn't meddle on what he does with his life.

Michael is clearly depressed about all the trauma he was put through and the childhood that was stolen from him? Oh please, he should be thankful that he was made to work like a dog for most of his life, it's the thing that has allowed the whole family to live not just comfortably, but luxuriously - with his money. That he totally only made because of Joseph, so they really don't owe anything to Michael.

It's really no surprise that, after being raised by that man, Michael's brothers turned out the way they did. Their complaints were "God, he told me to buy a smaller house since I can't afford a mansion instead of buying said mansion for me, the watch he gave me for my birthday is only worth ONE million dollars instead of two, and he will only let us do a medley of our Jackson 5 hits during his show, not tour with us again, how selfish!" meanwhile Michael was complaining that since everyone, including his own family, was only ever thinking of how being close to him would benefit their image/lead to them making money, he was incredibly lonely and miserable.

Nine times out of ten, Michael helped his family out of "obligation" - because that's what they turned their relationship into. A transaction, a contract. Michael "paying his debt" to people that cared about his money and fame so much that they often forgot he was a person that, even after all they did, STILL loved them.

But I guess "We are totally responsible for his sucess, and in fact could have totally been just as famous" is a much more pleasant version of the story than "We completely failed our brother, and we should thank God everyday that he never fully broke free of this AWFUL family, because otherwise we'd be broke and even more irrelevant."

#asks #michael jackson #king of pop

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callsign-blue · 2 years

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The dinner scene with Aegon, Aemond, Lucerys and Jacaerys it’s very tense, because there’s still that animosity from six years ago, obviously, but you can still see how Rhaenyra’s children have more maturity, when interacting with their uncles that puts the uncles to shame. Aegon, Aemond have this mentality to project so much hate onto their nephews solely because , for other reasons, Alicent is constantly comparing them in situation and continuously to Rhaenyra’s kids. Those emotions that she is holding in because she is queen, she can’t let these emotions rule her decision making.

I just find it very hypocritical and funny because when she’s in the room with Aegon it’s exactly how she was when she was younger with her father.

(“Think of the shame on your wife, on me. How can you keep carrying on like this,especially on a day like today?” “Why? What is it today?”*slap*)

*silence*

(Sniffles)

“You are no son of mine.”

“I did not ask for this I’ve done everything you’ve asked me to, and i try so…i try so hard, but it will never be enough for you or father.”

It’s very much full circle. Probably very much how Otto was with Alicent in the beginning and now it’s carrying over to Alicent with Aegon. And I can also see a little bit of Daemon in Aemond as much as the kind of rebellious side. I felt like he was also very hesitant to add his father into that too because it is very much all Alicent.

We actually only ever see the Viserys interact with the kids and grandkids, while in a more public setting or even with just immediate family. It was never seen as one on one with the children and so with that you can see that he is choosing to overlook certain aspects and not call attention to it unless it is any involvement with Rhaenyra or her kids. He has her on such a pedestal because she has a constant reminder of his basically true love, Aemma.(which I am referring to an episode 107 where he calls Alicent Aemma by accident in fromt of everyone. And if he could do things again, he would probably, maybe, choose her over the baby. Like how Daemon did with Laena.(Far fetched just hopeful thinking.)

“Final tribute to the health of my nephews: Jace, Luke and Joffrey. Each of them handsome, wise…hmm strong. Come lets us drain our cups to these three… Strong boys”

“I dare you to say that again.”

“Why? ‘Twas only a compliment. Do you not think yourself strong?”

The dinner was very much how last episode was. The tension between the two houses, how it was the blacks versus the greens in the sense of children children acting upon it then the adults. It’s also was very ballsy of Aemond to bring up/mention the fact that both jace and luke in sentence with the emphasis of Strong within it.

Also very much tells you how Helaena is being treated by Aegon. Luke offers to dance with her after she admits that her husband clearly doesn’t want her unless he’s drunk so he shows compassion for her and it shows a little bit about how Alicent has a little bit more sympathy towards her with a hug after her confrontation with Aegon.

Instead of action, it was words that were put to battle.The last episode “Driftmark”, 1x07, we obviously see a shift and change in Aemond. From then on did not want to be pushed around anymore. He is acting more of an air than Aegon is. I bet we will see more of Daemon like tendencies him with the following episodes to come.

I feel as though Alicent does want some peace with Rhaenyra. But if she shows that emotion or swaying of side that the people that were behind her will go behind her back. I think that she truly does not want this at all she could care less about this she would rather leave, then have all this weight of the crown, and who succeeds Viserys by rightfully heir by ceremonial decree (Rhaenyra) or by political view (Aegon the Older). She was a decision by Otto as a distraction for the Viserys. But since he’s literally falling apart and not “right of mind” , truthfully, if he was given the right medicine, he could be of mind than the Maesters they have for him there. I bet they’re just literally giving him medicine so he could be incompetent.

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moreespressoformydepresso · 21 days

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sometimes i think about like. what if. the tributes escape, they're running around, trying to get things together. and somehow they get caught. how, we don't know, but imagine a peacekeeper comes across them and has a choice to make. obviously peacekeepers can't have families, but they weren't born without them. this one peacekeeper, maybe wovey reminds him of his little sister. or hy reminds him of his first love, the one he never got to act on. or he's some fresh young recruit who feels like in another life, the likes of sheaf or otto or whoever could have been a friend.

and he lets them go.

even other capitol citizens. some socialite might be more privy to give facet and velvereen more leeway, after all, they're one of the 'good' districts, aren't they? or a shopkeeper lets mizzen or treech get away with stolen goods because they remind him of his kids. or hell, imagine one of them manages to find work, and the supervisor should have half a mind to report it, but teslee knows what she's doing and she's doing it better than the other suckers, it'd be stupid to report her, even if she *is* an escaped tribute. lots of little things build up over time. a story where 24 kids don't escape on their own, it takes a whole village to help them.

That’s beautiful I love it. I had ideas of like- the mentors maybe letting them go if they spot them or even actively helping them escape in some cases, but just random citizens? That’s honestly even better. Because to me, a big part of why so many Capitol citizens were okay with the games is because they had enough distance to it to not care. It’s a once a year thing they can ignore if they want, and they do. Just some district scum, right? So who cares? And when they’re in a literal cage it reinforces that distance. They’re not “like us”, so it’s okay. No need to spend time and emotional energy thinking about it. Especially after what they did to you during the war ten years ago!

But when you’ve spend years fighting with the belief that you’re protecting your people, and you used the image of scared dying Capitol children to fuel you, I imagine it hits so hard to look at a terrified child staring down the barrel you’ve got pointed at them. Maybe the peacekeeper had a realization that they are the monster they’ve been fighting. And in the split second that they realize convincing themself it’s not true isn’t gonna change anything, they let the tribute go.

Teslee and Circ are 100% better employees than anyone in that city. No rationalizing necessary it’s just basic business. And they don’t even ask for much, so it’s win win! Also they’re nice kids, it would suck to see them suffer or even die and if they go into the games only one can get out. So eh, might as well give them some basic necessities.

I think it would probably start with Velvereen and Facet. They are “the good ones” so if anyone’s gonna be let go it’s them. Maybe it gets filmed or something and it’s broadcast in an attempt to get Capitol citizens to look out for the tributes and tip off the peacekeepers. And that video makes the citizens go “oh well, at least it’s the good ones and not one of those backwards savages”. Except once you accept the notion that some of these kids are fine, that slowly starts to trickle over into your perception of the others. If the ones from 1 are fine, the ones from 2 are too right? Because those get lumped together a lot since they’re more well fed. And the boy from 2 is pretty similar to the ones from 11 and 12 so maybe those districts aren’t too bad either. And if the girl from 11 isn’t so bad, well she’s like the tributes from 8 and the boy from 4. And the girl from 12 is a performer like the boy from 7 (actor/performer Treech supremacy). Soon enough the network is complete and we’ve got all the tributes being noted as kind of okay, maybe. So when a clearly starved child steals food, well the shopkeeper didn’t really need that lost income. They can miss it, so it’s not worth the energy to even report. And it slowly escalates from there until we have a district-sympathizer Capitol.

#time for a coup!#the ballad of songbirds and snakes #tbosas #the hunger games #10th hunger games #hunger games #fix it au #anon ask #velvereen tbosas #velvereen #facet tbosas #facet #teslee tbosas #teslee #circ tbosas #circ #peacekeepers

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sarndonic · 10 months

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My ramblings on RE: Death Island

Y'all RE: Death Island opened in PH cinemas today and here are my thoughts on some of the scenes. Leaks have been going around on TW since this morning, so I'm dividing my ramblings into four sections.

WARNING: HEAVY SPOILERS AHEAD

Can confirm:

-Definitely Jill's time to shine. Everyone was like..."If there's Jill, there's hope..."

-She even has a big ass plasma rifle scene (probably a tribute to re3r)

-Movie more or less confirms that Jill has met Leon and Claire before. Their first scenes with Jill were like "hey, how's it going?" situations.

-Chris and Claire sibling interactions! We haven't been blessed with those since Code Veronica, nice.

Want to clear out:

-Pertaining to an early leak which caused quite a ruckus on TW: Maria was climbing over Leon like a koala to a tree during their fight scenes, but never once did he flirt with her or anyone else for that matter. He even called Maria "Arias' bitch" who could finally be with her Dad again after she died by Leon's hands. Kinda brutal coming from Leon if you ask me.

-This Leon came in with a luggage-ful of cringey but kinda funny one-liners. He reminds me of Damnation!Leon and I didn't sense any undertones of depression in him! Though he still hates his job (he refers to it as just a "living"), Leon seems to be in a much better place this time around. This scene literally happened:

Leon blurts out a one liner

Jill musters up an Oscar-worthy "Ugh...really?" reaction

Jill, probably:

Want to add:

-Movie was about how people respond to trauma differently. Dylan practically experienced the same sh*t as the main cast in RC, but he had chosen to side with the villains.

-Really nice to see this new model of Leon in action, doing re4r-esque stunts. That was kinda missing in ID, tbh. Also Leon and bikes look hot together, but can never be good news.

-Other character relationships in a nutshell, for those who are interested.

Jill and Leon -> This was definitely their buddy cop movie. I know people like to bully Leon for being "dumb" or for whatever reason, but Jill clearly respects his skills the same way Leon respects hers.

Jill and Chris -> Movie makes it clear that Chris absolutely cares about Jill. You can interpret it as both platonic and romantic (not very much so on the latter, though). I love Chris' "Welcome back!" line to Jill in the end and their little fist bump.

Chris and Leon -> I'd say they're like old co-workers who definitely know how to defeat BOWs. That's about it. They are mostly in action scenes together, with very little dialogue.

Rebecca and Claire -> Had great moments of nerdiness together (I mean that in an affectionate way), but very few action scenes compared to the other 3 mains.

Can't say much about the other character combos, tbh. There was no mention of the ID conflict bet Leon and Claire. They have very little interactions in the film, probably less than a min. of dialogue? Just Leon saying Claire's name when they saw each other for the first time in the film (not even sure if that was Chris or him even), and then a scene where he ordered her and Rebecca to go mess around with the computers (ala ID).

-That character with a special mention in the early leaks -> It was Chris talking about Piers from re6. Unfortunately, there were no surprise appearances from other fan-fave characters.

-The ending was your classic "heroes staring into the sunset after one hella fight" cliche, but t'was nice nonetheless haha

Overall:

It's everything you expect from a Resident Evil movie. Campy and with a weak plot, but gets redeemed by featuring a sh*t ton of welcome fan service (both good and bad). I like it better than Vendetta.

Supposedly a 10/10, but that licker scene was a disservice to Jill, so 9/10.

#resident evil death island #death island #spoilers

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verishii · 1 year

Note

I'm very much invested in this Hunger Games AU now and would love to hear about the others!

Good news for you, i would love to talk about the others!

Obligatory read more added as to not clog up dashes, but reminder that I'm not super well acquainted with everyone so if you have ideas of your own I'd love to hear them!!

GeminiTay:

District 7 baby and uh. holy shit. her games were Intense

Extremely underestimated before the games, not by choice as Johanna did but because she was genuinely just soft and sweet and refused to go into the games being anything less than she 100% was. She wasn't going to die a false version of herself.

So Imagine The Surprise that was when sweet Gem, a tribute who never once went to the weapon stations in training and instead looked at plants and snares, was fucking lethal.

Didn't go to the weapon stations because she already knew how to swing an axe - no, she gathered knowledge on areas she lacked. Like she assumed everyone else was doing.

There is very few moments in which the Career Districts feel like they were embarrassed. There is even fewer times the Capitol feels so thrown off about a games conclusion.

Post games she tries to remain active in her district - has a small herb garden she'll hand out, helps out with local infrastructure. If we go with Ethos in district 7 she and him regularly spar - she always wins, but it keeps them both busy.

Unfortunately, by being herself the Capitol turned her into a propaganda play. One of those "even if they look like people, the districts clearly aren't like you and I!" spiel.

Due to that she tries to distance herself from the games, partly because she doesn't want to cause trouble for any tributes and current victors but mainly because she doesn't want the attention. Being gawked at like you're a lion choosing to wear a human skin isn't fun.

GoodTimesWithScar:

District 9 and like a couple other victors in this AU, should not have won. His games were like a series of miraculous fortunate events and near misses that extremely stressed his mentor out.

He swindled almost every single tribute in his arena, and caused rifts when he didn't even mean to. Taking off with your groups supplies isn't great, but when a canon goes off and your group assumes that one of them killed him and stole their stuff? Well, that takes care of that. Imagine the remaining survivor surprise when Scar was not featured in that nights broadcast of the dead.

Charmed a whole lot of people in the Capitol through this, though. So ontop of his insane luck and people skills, he also had sponsors willing to help him out because he made them laugh.

Honestly his games were more comedy of errors than anything. He killed no one, and his final opponent died via anaphylactic shock. Dude had an allergic reaction and gave Scar the win.

Scar did not expect to win the Hunger Games, so he did not try to win the games. He made peace with his death, and decided to live out his final days in joy and luxury. He wandered the arena, messed with people for fun, created structures out of twigs and rocks and sand.

You can imagine his own surprise when he won. You can imagine the oh shit realization he had when he knew that with surviving came another arena - one he can't prance around in with no care for his own safety because it wasn't just his life on the line anymore.

Post games, he still has plenty of fans. What a wondrous example of how the odds may truly be in your favour, the Capitol says. Look at him paint, look at his cat, isn't he still so funny? So oblivious! No spacial awareness! How can he be a victor, haha!

Scar is forced to walk a tightrope that very few can see. He can't show that not killing is an option, so he's a jester. An outlier. He has forced the Capitol to forget that he's an actor with a quick mind, that the alliances he formed and then promptly broke were because of his personality instead of his knowing of what to say to get the other to agree. He is putting on the performance of a lifetime.

Grian:

District 3 and Capitol golden boy, the people love him there. In fact, Grian mainly lives at the Capitol because the constant travel between his district and there was surely becoming too tiresome for him, so might as well cut out the middleman!

Because of that most district citizens (with the exception of the career districts) see him as a traitor, meanwhile all the younger Victors are like 'Holy Shit. They can just, do that?' while the older ones are just like 'Alright what's the game plan. How Do We Prevent Another Doc, Cleo or Ren Situation.'

Game wise he won via rewiring the arena to fit his needs and creating explosions using stray scraps he could scavenge, plus the detonator mines at the cornucopia. A notable moment from his games is when he took out five people at once, three of which were careers.

His only alliance was with a boy from district 4 named Taurtis, and it was Grians own creations that killed him by accident. Coincidentally, post games he has focused more on creating then tinkering. Funny that.

Grian didn't become friends with the other victors until later - and then he was the one to pull Pearl into the group with them. It wasn't out of hatred or anything, he just felt like he couldn't connect with them and that they wouldn't want him anyways. The Capitol had declared them fundamentally different - where their prisons bars were rusted his were gilded. Grian was precious. Grian was theirs. There is a moment late one night when Grian is overlooking the city and he realizes that even if he were to die, they wouldn't let him stay dead. They would force his heart to start and make his lungs breathe through machine power and even in death he wouldn't get to belong to himself.

Xisuma and Mumbo reaching out and enveloping him into the group really helped him. The Capitol wants him so bad? Fine, he'll be their downfall. Collect their secrets and learn the weaknesses and tear it all down. Viva la revolution.

Impulse:

District 1, and one of the older victors. He didn't want to ever enter the games but volunteered, because like False he was the most fit. During his time there was less focus on the glory of the games in his district, less thought that it was an honour to participate, and more a sensibility thing. If you have the best chance to survive out of everyone here, it is your duty. If you don't then you are condemning someone else to death.

Impulse just wanted to take over his fathers gem processing company but no, he had to be talented. His games were very much bog standard hunger games, and a career win was expected. Not many people were shocked that he came out on top.

His return home was met with nods of approval and cheers. He did his duty, he brought the district more food, he saved a life - now he got to choose what to do. Mentor if he wanted, or take on his fathers business like he originally wanted - district 1 had enough mentor candidates already.

There is something terribly isolating about having everyone shrug their shoulders at the worst experience of your life. To become forgotten by the masses because the blood you shed wasn't interesting enough. To be 18 sat in a too big house with the echoes of screams in your ears, and the names of those whose life you cut short already forgotten because these children had the audacity to be mediocre.

Joe, False, Keralis and Xisuma got it - understood what he was feeling. It was little wonder why Impulse grabbed onto them so tightly.

Seeing Doc win the next year made him wonder if it was better to have the world ignore you for meeting expectations, or adore you for surpassing them. If he had the right to feel both bitter and horrified.

Watching his district over the next 23 years glorify the games and make competing in it an honour, to receive revered looks while out and have small children say they want to become just like him, it is something he can't quite describe.

No one else will, so Impulse remembers. Impulse will continue on living because twenty-three others did not have a choice, and to throw that away would be cruel. Impulse will preserve.

Joehills:

District 8, his games were Also very average.

I am going to be so honest here, i do not know enough about Joe beyond his friendship with Cleo and that he's been apart of hermitcraft for a long time to do him justice. I know he is weird. i respect that. i love hearing his parenting stories - none of this transfers to my hunger games au well. joehills community help me please.

He was Cleos mentor and immediately brought her into the gang. She Will Be Supported In These Trying Times.

Iskall:

District 5, and his games were notable in that it was an arctic tundra based arena with the only living thing and place of warmth being a massive sprawling tree in the cornucopia. It was not one of the games that went on for very long

This was, as expected, Not a great arena for him. There is something that most people overlook though - climbing a tree and climbing a wall is not that different, all you have to do is look for footholds that can bear your weight. Taking over the tree wasn't expected from him, but he did it.

Burning the tree down when it came to the final six was also not expected from him, but boy did he do that. Losing his eye was worth it, he says. In the Hunger Games you have to gamble so the odds may be in your favour, and with some gambles you lose.

Iskall has said a lot of cool things about his games, about how it was all strategy. It was not. Iskall pulled things off, went "how did i do that?", shrugged and then did it again. It is the victors best kept secret.

Keralis:

District 4, his games were a bit unexpected in that a career pact did Not form, mainly because Keralis just found the others uptight and it caused a rift. The fractured pack meant the other careers - whose plans and strategies revolved around the usual alliance until the final ten - were easier pickings.

Keralis of course made no such plans or strategies around that, and sufficiently won doing so. Post games, quite a few people thought he did it on purpose so the tougher competition would be taken out and the next few games were watched with baited breath to see if the traditional alliance would continue on, but he quite simply did not like their vibes. If he is going to spend his last days, he will not do so with those he does not enjoy.

Keralis did not get the Gem treatment purely because he was from a career district, his niceties and soft voice made no one question his lethality. The fact he has remained so is a welcome surprise, however.

With victors, there is often an unspoken sense of camaraderie. An acknowledgement that you, too, went through hell. That you, too, are a monster. You are not alone in your sins. Even with that, the most to be expected was a nod of recognition from across the room. Most victors prefer to be solitary. They may bond with victors that share their district, but otherwise go on their own. Even when you are no longer in the games, you are still in the arena, and it is better to not be attached lest you have to throw your fellows under the bus to save your own skin. He, Joe and Xisuma were the first ones to really get together and form friendships outside of their own districts.

He finds it difficult to connect with his own district after everything. He tries. He does. But the faces of his former neighbours no longer look the same, and in a career district he should have been safe but some people won't look him in the eye anymore. His fellow victors from his district should be his friends but it - it feels hollow. There is no love there.

Mumbo:

District 11, and youngest victor to ever win the hunger games ever. That alone had every older victor immediately sweeping him up and going, "alright, our kid now." Joins the group of 'never expected to survive but somehow, they did.'

Mumbo was genuinely a talented kid with a knack for gadgets, but also extremely lucky. His gangly arms and legs let him scamper and get away quickly, but also compact himself into small spaces to survive. His district gave him enough background to know how to deal with hunger, how to step lightly, and how to hide. He was like a multi-tool, a swiss army knife of survivability.

Mumbo only had two kills the entire game. One was a calculated risk, a growing desperation clawing in his chest as the numbers dwindled down that he may actually somehow survive this, and the other an act of mercy. The latter death haunts him in his dreams, even if he does not know why. He's forgotten his first kills face.

Post games he mainly tried to shut himself away, which didn't work. Being the youngest victor meant people had expectations, meant people wanted to see what made him so great. First year post games he was paraded around like a show pony, but it introduced him to most of the other victors that took him under their wing.

Mumbo mentors. There is little to no victors in 11, and he had to take his part. The first year he mentored both kids were older than he was, and died in the bloodbath. He tries his best but Mumbo is not like them and even if they accept his aid there is something in their eyes that lets Mumbo know they find him lacking.

His friends are perhaps the only lifeline he has that keeps his head above water and away from sinking completely. Mumbo was not made for this type of life, he knows. He does not have the grit for it False does, or the showmanship like Scar. He is smart, he is funny, he is kind - but he is not what they want him to be, and having his name brought up every time some poor kid gets selected for slaughter causes an ache. When he realized he was older than any of his tributes will ever be, he vomited.

Doc and Cubfan are currently discussing seeing if they can get Mumbo transferred over to district 3 - getting him out of a mentor role would do him well, and Mumbo is a certified genius. They're trying not to be hopeful though, due to district 11 being agricultural focused Mumbo would have to be caught up to speed on certain things (and he would understand it too, the audacity of being talented) so the Capitol may not consider it a worthwhile effort.

Note: The others will get put in a separate post, because i am Running Out Of Room and also this has taken me like all day LMAO. I don't watch enough Jevin, , Hypno, XB, or Beef to have any solid ideas or characterization. I'm very sorry about that, but if anyone has ideas i would love to hear!!

#i love mumbo sm and i also really like joehills but i just #i dont know how to angst em alright. im like ayyy those are some goofy guys bro !!!#hermitcraft #hermitcraft hunger games au #geminitay #goodtimeswithscar #grian #impulsesv #iskall85 #joehills #keralis #mumbo jumbo

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mxdnights0 · 4 months

Text

FISHHOOKS

The countdown ended, and as soon as I saw others start to run, I ran into the center. It could have been a foolish move, but I knew exactly what I was going in for. I maneuvered my way into the cornucopia and grabbed what I’d been searching for. That's when I heard it. I twisted my body so quickly I felt nauseous. Two young kids from 7 were in trouble.. They were the youngest tributes this year.

Could I just run away? Pretend I didn’t see it? I couldn’t.

I began running to them, ducking past people fighting, dodging my own death probably more than physically possible. That's when it all went down. I threw my trident, hitting the boy from 1’s throat. The two 7 kids looked at me like deers in headlights, each clutching their own packs that they had grabbed from the cornucopia. “What are you doing?! Go! Get out of here!” I called, though my voice sounded unfamiliar. The kids were still motionless, so I retrieved my trident from the boy’s neck and grabbed their arms.

“Come on! Go!”

As we ran, I heard an explosion from behind, but didn’t turn back. I had to get these kids out of the center of the arena. I couldn’t even see where Dolion was anymore, but it didn’t matter. Making sure the kids from 7 were alright were more important to me. Finally, we made it to a hidden clearing and I let go of them. “Are you two crazy?” I exclaimed, “Freezing up like that could have gotten you killed!” “I’m sorry... I didn’t know what to do-” The boy muttered frantically, clearly shaken up. “What are you guys’ names..?” I asked softly, realizing I was being too harsh on them. The girl had been quiet until she looked up and started to speak. Her voice was full of caution, which was understandable considering the circumstances. “My name is Pia, he’s Jamie. We can take care of ourselves.” Jamie looked at Pia like she was crazy “Are you kidding me? We didn’t even grab weapons! If she’s willing to help, then let her stick around!” Pia rolled her eyes “We don’t need anyone else, Jamie. This is the hunger games, you see what happened to the alliance last year!” she said quietly, not wanting to be overheard mentioning last year’s games. “I can promise you, that won’t happen,” I stated calmly. “You were in danger, I got you out of the situation before your hard headedness got the better of you and put you and your friend in a deadly situation.” Jamie nodded “She has a point, Pia… You were the one that wanted to get into the middle” The younger girl rolled her eyes “Fine. We’ll stay.” I sighed quietly. I knew I had to keep these kids safe now, which I wasn’t against. However, it put a major responsibility on my shoulders. I needed to find Dolion. Fast. My entire body tensed as the sound of sticks cracking under feet were heard from behind us. The kids looked wide eyed as I pushed them into the bushes, grabbing the trident from off my back and walking toward the sound. It was a tribute from 10. Kristen, I think their name was. “Woah, woah! Hold your horses!” they said quickly, holding their hands up in defense. I didn’t lower my trident, instead just inching it further from her face, raising an eyebrow and asking carefully, “What are you doing here?”

They shook their head. “It isn’t what you think! I saw you headed this way, he wanted me to show the way you went.” That's when I saw him. Dolion. Alive.

I ran up to him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders as his wrapped around my waist “Dolion! Thank god you’re alive!” “Were you worried about me, sweetheart?” he asked jokingly, looking down at me. Kristen cleared her throat from behind us, a small grin gracing her face. “Kids present, we need to set up camp.” I nodded, pulling away from Dolion’s embrace before walking back to the kids “I’m going to get some fish, either of you want to come with?” Jamie nodded quickly “Yeah, okay!”

Pia begrudgingly agreed, only going because Jamie was going. I headed to the shore, the two children following behind. I held my trident, both having their own pack with them. “Do either of you have any needles, pins, anything?” I asked. They started digging through their packs, resulting in a sewing kit being pulled out of Pia’s bag. She handed it over as I sat down on the rocks lining the water.

Jamie pulled a box of matches out of his “Would these help any?” I nodded, offering him a small smile. “Yeah, they’d be great!” I took the box, lighting a match before holding it under a needle. After it heated up, I put it against the stone and used a rock to bend it into place. I held it in the light and showed both kids. “That’s how you make a fishing hook!”

It wasn’t until later that night that we heard Lucky Flickerman’s voice flowing like a song through the once quiet arena. “Oh goodness, folks.. Today took quite the chunk out of our victors! Gideon Pax from District One, Harlow Faye and Jaxon Lark from District 11, Tate Wren and Maven Bane from District 12, Flynn Thorne and Ender Delia from district 6, and Magnus Bronte from District 8 all died in that messy dispute we here in the newsroom call a bloodbath! Looks like Knox Lyra and Jericho Gala from District 5 are toast too! Too bad infection got ‘em, They could have been real contenders this year.. Well, that's all for tonight folks, sleep tight, we’ll see you in the morning!” And with that, Lucky stopped talking, and it all went quiet again.

Ten people were gone. That left 14 including us. 9 other people were out there, ready to kill us. It was safe to say I didn’t sleep that night. Over the next day and a half, it was a constant run. It wasn’t until that night, when Kristen was helping the kids and I fish, that we spotted anyone else. We were just fishing while Dolion gathered nuts and berries to keep in the pouches when I heard them. It was a rowdy group, almost begging to be caught by someone. It all happened so fast, I couldn't really process anything. One minute, Kristen was standing, holding one of the packs, and next they were on the ground with an arrow in their chest. I saw Pia drop next to them, grabbing a medkit while I sped after the people that had fired the shot. I ran until my legs ached and my lungs burnt with every breath forced in and out of them. That's when the knife was thrown. I felt it cut into my side, and raised my trident from its spot beside me. I looked around and finally aimed at her, the trident going into her stomach and pinning her to a tree. I felt nauseated at the sight of all of her blood spilling onto the ground as I tugged my trident back. She crumpled to the ground and I turned back, running to where I had left the others. There was no saving Kristen. I could have tried with every one of the supplies that we had, and my heart broke when I finally came to terms with that fact. I held her in my arms as she took her last breath, and that wasn’t something I’d wish on anyone. We all knew it was coming, yet it was still so painful when she closed her eyes for the last time.

We went through the same routine, fishing in the mornings and evenings, surviving on berries and nuts in the afternoons. Night by night, more and more people were gone. It wasn’t until day 5 that we were announced the final four. I didn’t know where it would go from there. If I had known, I wouldn’t have shut my eyes that night.

I woke up to rain starting to drip onto my face. As my eyes adjusted to the late night sky, I smelled the scent, metallic. like rust and iron. Blood. My eyes focused on where the kids had been sleeping when I finally took my rest, only to find them dead. My entire body felt frozen before I scrambled up to get to them. My chest rose and fell quickly as I tried to check for pulses, heartbeats, anything I could find to assure me that they were alive. No such assuagement came as I finally realized one fact. They were gone. I had promised to keep them safe, and they were dead because I had been foolish enough to fall asleep. I heard a low chuckle emit from behind me, so I whipped around to see Dolion cleaning off his knife. “Dolion, what did you do…” I said quietly, a rage boiling in the pits of my mind. “WHAT DID YOU DO?!” I didn’t even register that the yelling had come from my own mouth until a flash of fear appeared in his eyes. Suddenly, all of the love I had harbored for him was gone. It was replaced with hatred for what he had done.

That was not my friend anymore. He jumped at me, holding the same knife he had used to kill the kids from 7, but I tripped him, knocking him to the ground. He was trying to kill me now. “How could you?” I cried as he scrambled up “They were just kids! They didn’t deserve what you did to them!” “Yeah, well neither did those people Peggy killed.” Dolion scowled

“You keep her name out of your mouth, Dolion. Peggy didn’t deserve anything that happened to her, you know that.” I said shakily as he started to walk towards me. I had to strike first if I wanted to survive. Dolion was physically stronger than me, taller than me, I didn’t stand a chance.

The games changed us all, but I hadn’t realized that it had changed me until my trident plunged into his chest, my hands wrapped tightly around the pole. I glared down at him, the rain pouring down, soaking me to the very core as I watched the life drain out of his eyes. I felt nothing.

Then, I heard it. The victory bell. This didn’t feel like a win. This felt like emotional manipulation. I felt like the weight of the world had dropped onto my shoulders as I realized what had happened. The bodies of Jamie and Pia were just a few feet away from me, their throats a bloody mess from where Dolion had slit them. Right below my feet was a now dead Dolion, and I didn’t even feel an ounce of sadness. He had broken a promise. Betrayed our group. The young kids he swore he’d help protect. They were 12 years old. He had shown no mercy to them, so I taught him that I knew no definition to the word. I went across the clearing, picking small flowers for the kids from 7. I placed them around them both, sitting near their heads as I felt searing tears build up behind my eyes. “I’m so sorry” was all I said, but I never let the tears fall. I would let the Capitol see me hurt, there was no avoiding that. I would not let them see me broken. It would only give them the exact cruel satisfaction they craved from the games in the first place.

I didn’t stand until peacekeepers pulled me up by the arms, dragging me to what should have felt like salvation in the airplane. I was alive. The others weren’t so lucky. Kristen, Jamie, Pia… Innocent lives were lost so the Capitol could have a little betting fun. All of the kids that were put in the arena had families.

They were just as human as the non-district livers, but they were seen as the animals of society. The ones that needed to be ‘punished’ for the wrongdoings of the rebels. For once, I’d finally seen what the rebellion was all about.

It wasn’t until I was back in the capitol that I realized I had gotten out of the arena. It wasn’t until Tigress pulled me into her arms, telling me that everything would be alright, that the ringing in my ears stopped. The overwhelming urge to cry was growing stronger by the moment, but I would have to suck it up.

I suppose this was the life of a victor.

#hunger games #the hunger games #district 4 #mags flanagans games #mags flanagan #mags

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slate-skylar · 6 months

Text

pink tourmaline

time: after the parade

ft. @cress-meadowforge

“I wish we could live somewhere else. You and me. We deserve to live somewhere else. That’s what I want. I don’t want to die, I want to live, but not… like this.”

tw: suicide attempt

The cheers of the crowd echoed in his ears even now, in his room. No one had kicked him out or forced him to take the tribute room, so here he still was, staying where he’d always stayed. The night before, after arriving at the Tower and a chaotic first day, he’d fallen asleep easily in Cress’s arms. He’d slept like the dead. Today had been different, though. Waking up as a tribute and going to bed as one made it all feel more final. This wasn’t a nightmare that had begun in today’s waking hours; it was a nightmare that had been sealed by his sleep and asked to be sealed again. Tomorrow he’d begin training, or a continuation of it. He’d see the other tributes with knives and swords – Ezra, who’d promised him a quick death, would be there; Bramble and Nettle, who had not trained for this, hadn’t known they would have to; Mercuria, who had promised him her life; Callisto, Cress’s blood, her sister (was there anything more cruel?).

Slate threw the costume to the ground, kicked it with some reserve of anger he hadn’t known he had, and tossed himself onto the bed. In the moment of the parade, standing on the chariot, he had found some sort of peace or calm that he could only hope he’d be able to muster again in the Arena. But that calm had no room for thoughts or feelings, and here in the room with Cress, those were everywhere. Swirling all around and him, unable to catch any of them to hold them for more than a moment at a time.

Cress lingered at the threshold, observing, trying to understand her place — in this Tower, on this floor, within this room. Tribute spaces didn’t have locks (a measured precaution, she was sure), but the others did, so as she stepped inside, closing the door, she locked it too. It wouldn’t protect them from Peacekeepers, but very little could. The illusion was comfort enough. She kicked off her shoes, tugged the zipper down her side. Cress wished he would stop her, murmur let me from behind, but the dress pooled at her feet unceremoniously. This was not their apartment. This was not their life. From a drawer, she dug out a shirt, his, only in the sense that it had been bought for him. He’d never worn it himself. He probably never would. Everything truly theirs had burned.

The edge of the bed dipped beneath her weight. The mattress shifting as she crawled beside him, settling, reaching, propping her head on a pillow as her fingers traced his ribs. Tomorrow she was due back at her station, back in this world, with the lines drawn clearly: Trainer Cress, with a fresh batch of tributes; Victor Cress, with a familial legacy on the line; Cress Meadowforge, with a reputation to repair or ruin; and Cressida – with him. Only him. She could be that, only that, for tonight. “Where are you?” she asked, searching in the haze, wishing for his thoughts. His eyes were unfocused. Cress could feel him sinking deeper beneath, getting lost in his headspace. “Slate,” fingertips along his skin, “don’t go where I can’t reach.”

Slate turned his head toward her, focusing his gaze on her after a moment of effort. Was it exhaustion that made it difficult to really look at anyone, anything? “How do I stay within reach?” he asked, a genuine question. But Cress wasn’t sure, did not truly know. Perhaps this was enough – that he was aware of her presence, that they were conversing coherently. He touched the bracelet on his wrist. They’d let him wear it on the chariot – or they hadn’t forced him to take it off, anyway. Maybe they just hadn’t cared. Hestia had been a tribute; Cress had been; and he’d hardly talked with either of them about their time in the Games, or just before it. He knew they’d experienced it but he hadn’t wanted to force them to dig into the memories. Now, though, he found himself entirely unprepared. “I feel like I must be in shock, or something.”

“Must be,” Cress agreed. They’d studied shock in the Academy, in a class called Psychology of a Tribute. She’d been fascinated by it: the chemicals that were released in the brain during the Reaping, the different ways the mind and body reacted in the days leading up to Launch, how these could be predictors for failure or success in an arena. “It will pass,” gentle assurance, as honest as she could give. “Being out of the environment will help; it just takes time to come down.”

Slate nodded, as if he believed that were true. He wanted to ask her what environment she referred to – he felt like his current state of mind had been created by the entirety of his life and his country. What environment could he possibly have left?

Cress wiped soot from beneath his eye as her own drifted, to where he was fidgeting against his wrist. Familiar as she was with his body, this piece was new. Well, not quite. The bracelet was worn, frayed lightly. Certainly not part of his costume. Cress dipped to touch it, “What’s this?”

“Hestia’s,” Slate said. “Her token. Now mine.” It seemed full sentences wouldn’t come when it came to this. The braided leather. “Never thought I’d have one. A token. What do I even do with it? What if it gets fucked up?” It could get wet, or it could fall off, or it could be cut off. Someone could take it. He suddenly felt fearful, responsible for this important thing.

Cress adjusted, pushing herself up to sit on the bed, feeling the material, assessing its current condition. “You wear it. You let it remind you of home, what you’re fighting for, surviving to get back to.” They hadn’t spoken much of her experience. He’d watched her Games when they first started training, but Cress had never pressed, never offered more than needed. She didn’t want Slate to see her like that, the amalgamation of everything he had once accused her of. “I wore a necklace,” she said, rolling the frayed ends of the leather between her fingers. “My parents made it, selected and set the stones.” Cress hadn’t worn it much since her victory, but she’d started again, after the fire. It had gotten her through one impossible period of her life, perhaps it could propel her through another.

She dipped beneath her shirt’s collar, pulled the pendant forth, held it between them for him to observe. Her fingers moved blindly over the four stones. The knowledge was rote, a list she’d recited each night: a reminder in the arena that she was still alive. “Black diamond, a shield,” bringing invincibility and beauty to its bearer. “Aquamarine, for clarity and conviction. Pink Tourmaline, to soothe. And Aventurine Green, for luck and wealth.” The gems were set in gold, though Cress had never polished or cleaned it. She needed to, but something held her back, like wiping the dirt, and blood, and tarnish from it would drain its power. Erase her past.

Slate looked, then reached out his finger to touch it. She tilted her head up so he could better reach. The necklace was small, delicate, but with the stones inlaid, it carried immense power. Power even Slate could feel. He remembered Cress holding the stones from Marble, how they’d brought her comfort in the Hob during the reading. He could feel now, beneath his fingers, that these stones had brought her comfort many times. He could see, too, how it had been well-worn by her own fingers.

“I could have yours looked at,” Cress offered, dropping the pendant, which fell against the hollow of her throat. She took his hand again, focused on his wrist, tracing her thumb across the material. “Leather is extremely porous, so it’s impossible to make it entirely waterproof. But a treatment will largely protect it from moisture. If you want to leave the fraying, we can–” It was likely of sentimental value, if it had been worn by Hestia. “But it needs to be oiled, broadly, so it doesn’t crack, and sealed here at the edges, so it doesn’t unravel further.” It would help, keep it in good condition so that it would see Slate through. The intentional destruction of tokens wasn’t commonplace, though. It was a particular cruelty, an unspoken boundary rarely crossed. And besides, if another tribute was close enough to take it, or if an event was strong enough to ruin it, then you were probably dead as it was. “Would you be open to that? Just a bit of care?” An offering of support, an ounce of love.

Slate bit his lip. Perhaps that would be nice, but this wasn’t his bracelet. It was Hestia’s, and she might not like it being messed with, even if the intent was to better preserve it. That way, when it arrived home on his body, she could remove it and keep it. It would comfort her. “We need to ask Hestia,” he said, “it’s not mine.” Those words – it’s not mine – so common for him to speak. He had so few things, and though Hestia had given him this, he still felt like it didn’t belong to him really. It wasn’t his. He was borrowing it.

Cress hummed softly in disagreement. “It is,” she said, knowing Slate, knowing he would deny it. “We’ll ask Hestia, though I’m confident she’ll defer to you.” He made a slight face, an expression of uncertainty, suggesting that he didn’t agree with her, but he knew she was probably right. Hestia wouldn’t make any demands of her own right now, and if this would make Slate feel better, he was sure she’d give her blessing.

Cress’s fingers trailed up his arm, along the slope of his shoulder and down, to brush the hair from his neck. There, still there, that pink line. Not a figment of her imagination, or a trick of the light. Cress traced the scarring, the skin lightly textured, her fingertips following along the discoloration of his throat until he met her eyes. “Will you talk with me about it?” What you did to yourself. What was done to you. “If you’re willing, I’d like to.”

The skin there was sensitive, still healing, and Slate fought the urge to close his eyes, to refuse to speak about it, as he’d done before. She wanted to know. She had wanted to ask earlier, hadn’t. And he wasn’t willing to talk about it, didn’t want to discuss any of his time in prison, but he knew that he owed her an explanation that would, at the very least, calm any concerns she had. He didn’t want her to think that he’d done this after finding out about the pregnancy. He knew she might think it, with her concern over his willingness and interest to have a child. He knew what this could look like, in the long nights that would follow his death.

“It was after they stopped trying to get information out of me,” he said, “before you came.” His voice was dry, as if he were discussing the events of ancient history. The act of removing his clothes, tying them together with knots as tight as he could, knots she had taught him to make as part of their training. Of jumping up, hanging the noose around the top bar of the gate. Doing all of this in the short moments between the guards passing by. The eye of the panopticon always on him, though, never away. Watching him and his naked body as he scaled the bars and slipped his head through the noose.

She tried to recall how he had appeared during her visit, but the memory was unclear. The details that she could conjure were focused elsewhere: his face, his words, the pallor of his skin. But whether it had been concealed, or she’d had not seen, the fact remained that Slate had navigated that encounter while nursing this, harboring this secret against his skin. Cress shifted, hoping his body would follow without resistance. She wanted his head in her lap, and he complied, closing his eyes and allowing her to touch him, to give him comfort. Her hands over him, fingertips trailing his ribs and his back, or else toying idly with his hair, raking gently against his scalp. In this, Slate would not have to look at her. In this, Cress could continue her questioning. He allowed it, eyes closed, the world quiet except for her words, her impossible questions.

“Why?” But that was a poor question. Overbroad and unfair. He was being tortured, and when they were through, he would be put to death. Why wouldn’t he wish for relief? She rephrased. “What did you think about, when it was happening?” And then, brow furrowed, “were you stopped?” Found? Caught?

He didn’t speak for a moment after she stopped, allowing her last words to hang in the air. And when he did answer the questions, he went backwards. From the end to the beginning. “The knots didn’t hold,” he said. “They did for a bit. But not long enough. Fell on the ground.” Gasping and trying to figure out if this was what death felt like and if so, why it hurt so badly. Cress’ acknowledgement came only through her touch – constant, careful not to startle him away from vulnerability. “Thought about… how I didn’t want them to televise my death.” It was an ironic thing now, but it was true. He hadn’t wanted everyone to see. Cress and Hestia and his siblings and all of his friends. He didn’t want them to watch it happen.

She thought that nothing should touch him harshly, his body a sacred thing harboring an imperfect soul. Then she thought of honor, of the notion of a fitting death, of her world, which was filled with so much duty and its consequence: shame. “Do you wish for death?” Cress asked, searching for common language, for something she could understand. “Enough to exact it at your own hand?”

His eyes opened at that, he adjusted so that he could look at her. “I didn’t,” he replied, honest, working his way through the murky feelings surrounding this. In the prison everything had been harsh, confusing. Here, it was different. There was comfort and warmth and Cress. He didn’t wish for death, not in this moment, not at all. “I don’t want to die, no.” It was honest. He laid his head back again, breaking the eye contact. It was enough to say that; it was true, and better to leave it at that. He didn’t want to die, but he didn’t want to be a tribute. He didn’t want to be a victor, either. He wasn’t sure he’d been left with any choice after all.

“I believe you,” Cress murmured, and though he settled again, his eyes turning away, her gaze remained fixed upon him. “But I would understand if you did.” She brushed across his forehead, fingers skimming down the bridge of his nose. It sent a contented feeling down his spine, despite the subject matter. “I’ve felt that way.” A secret for her lover, who had given one to her first. “The inexorable desire to die, to be dead.”

He moved his hand, tracing slow circles on her thigh, a response or some type of comfort, the touch she had provided him being returned. Cress welcomed it, this tactile reply. He wasn’t surprised. He didn’t see how you could go through something like this and not feel it. The desire to die. To have died. And Cress had been through so much, in the Arena and after. Victorhood, life, neither had been kind to her. “I wish we could live somewhere else,” he said quietly, a response, an offer of a comforting thought, because there was nothing else appropriate. I’m sorry. That wasn’t right. “You and me. We deserve to live somewhere else. That’s what I want. I don’t want to die, I want to live, but not… like this.”

“Mmm,” she smiled, but it wasn’t a joyous, elated grin. Rather something tired, the expression of relief in being permitted to give in. He would not judge her for it, for her past and present exhaustion. Cress trusted Slate unconditionally. “That’s what I want too,” her fingers slipped down his nose again, the dozenth time down this well-worn path, but they did not slide up again. Instead, she continued, over the slope and tip of his nose, finding his mouth: ghosting over it, tracing his Cupid’s bow, smoothing out along the soft plane of his lower lip. She loved his mouth. Loved the words that came from it. Loved their presence over her pulse, her flesh, dipping down to meet her, to consume her, to set her free. And here they were, spinning a beautiful mirage, a place to rest upon the long journey. “I’d like to live somewhere else with you.”

Another time, maybe. A different place. A separate life from this one, where they would be permitted their soft landing, their happy family. They both envisioned it, silent, allowing it to blossom in their separate minds, the details perhaps differing but both of them containing the same core, essential peace.

“This will pass,” Cress murmured, fingers splaying over his cheek. “That’s what I told myself.” Even when it felt impossible to believe, it kept her breathing. “I couldn’t stop it from happening, and we can’t stop this, but you can survive it. You can come back to me.” It would change him. He would always carry this weight. But it had changed Cress too — her arena, what came after — and Slate still found her, still loved her despite the anger, and the sadness, and the panic. They had learned to live with it, to navigate it in their dynamic. To hold space for the shrapnel that remained.

Slate allowed himself to be swept away by her words, the idea that he could come back to her, her faith in him and her hope. Training would begin tomorrow and time would continue to wash over him. He couldn’t stop it or slow it. But he could be here now, with her hope and her love, and allow himself to be still. “I love you,” he said quietly, a request to end this conversation, to speak no more about death for now if they could help it, to just be here, still, happy – for now, for as long as they could.

#134 #cress #writings #icarus burning

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