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heliads · 11 months

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Requesting a Clove x reader fic where the two have known each other since childhood! While Clove is an aspiring Tribute, the reader is from a super privileged District 2 family who’s exempt from the reapings, for some reason. (they were close allies with the capitol, ever since the first rebellion?? they train peacekeepers or make high-tech weapons?? Idk.) The reader always knew that Clove dreamed of participating in the games, and as her BFF (best friend-turned-girlfriend), she’s always supported her in her endeavors. Hell, her main motivation in learning hand to hand combat, even though she will never need to, is just so she can spar with Clove whenever Clove can’t train with anyone else. the reader probably still sucks though.

About a year before the 74th Game, the reader realizes just how close Clove is to being “ready.” And it scares her more than anything. She still tries to support Clove, and she still helps her practice occasionally, but she is clearly losing her enthusiasm each time Clove discusses or demonstrates her progress. Whether or not Clove has to convince her, the reader eventually spills out her fears for what will happen in the arena, verging on begging her not to volunteer next year. No matter how much she wants to trust Clove, she can’t fight down the dread that now shadows her 24/7. 23 enemies (especially the other Careers, they can’t be allies forever). Mutts. Bad weather. Dehydration, starvation, illness. There are too many things that can easily go wrong, so how could she possibly be okay with her best friend/girlfriend leaving?

This is of course an angst request, but here’s where you can decide if it stays that way! Does this become an AU where Clove later decides that she won’t volunteer, even if it means throwing so much away? The glory and her many years of preparation? The expectations of her peers, teachers, neighbors and family? (But that’s okay, the reader is willing to use her own family name to back her up if she has to.) Or is Clove just too far invested, and there’s no turning away from her life purpose? If that’s the case, then… the reader needs a big fucking hug, and she’ll be there to say goodbye before Clove leaves for the capitol.

just realized that this actually works as a prequel to my other clove request, which is dare i say iconic. also anon you must know that if you offer me a chance for angst i will never turn it down! !

masterlist

If someone were to listen to the gaping cavity in your chest, you think they’d hear the thud of a throwing knife against a target instead of regular heartbeats. It certainly feels like that, at least; you must have spent hours in the training room just today, and that’s not even mentioning every other day in your past and future.

That’s how it must be, though. Someone has to train until they’re as close to perfection as a human being can get. Someone has to be able to kill twenty-three other tributes until they’re the only one left standing. Someone must do all this, and that someone must be Clove.

The idea of prepping your girlfriend for the arena is somewhat morbid, but it’s not as if you truly had a choice in the matter. Clove made you swear to help her when you were small, and you’ve never been able to hold her in anything less than your word. If you really think about it, what you’re doing here is saving her, not damning her. By ensuring that Clove is as good as she could possibly be, you do all you can to keep her alive when she’s finally beyond your reach as a competitor.

Besides, it’s the least you can do. You won’t be in the Games, after all. Your name is not in the Reaping, nor has it been any of the other years you’ve technically been eligible. That’s the way it went for your father, and for his father before him. The Capitol does not like sparing any of the districts from the Hunger Games, but for a family they need in Two, certain exceptions were made.

The first lesson your family taught you was how to make yourself important. You should always have debts owed to you, favors that need to be paid off. That’s how you stay alive, how you stay out of trouble, and, most importantly of all, how you ensure that your name will never be called to participate in the Hunger Games.

In a place like District Two, where volunteers are commonplace, taking part in the Games is a source of pride. Lurking in the back of everyone’s mind, though, is the sickly truth that they’re not an honor but a chance to die. Sure, you could win it, and earn your family honor and respect, but you could lose the Games and have your life ended before you even saw twenty.

Your family knew that they needed to find a way to permanently stay out of the Reaping, so they played their cards right during the war and it paid off. Your family closely allied themselves with the right people in the Capitol, and so when the Hunger Games started, the leader of Panem made a rule that the names of anyone in your bloodline would never be called.

It was their only choice. Your family found a way to deeply involve themselves with the organization of the Peacekeepers. Without your relatives there to keep all of the branches interacting with each other in the best, most efficient way, the entire system would fall to pieces. There was a bit of dispute around that point when your grandfather was first running things, so he proved his points by stepping away. Nothing worked– the Peacekeepers in each district lost communication with each other and the Capitol in hours.

After that, they didn’t test you any longer, and your family was allowed to stay out of everything. It was an unspoken agreement that carried on no matter the leader of Panem, no matter the generation of your family. Your grandfather passed on the responsibility to your father, and you’ve been receiving the necessary training such that, when you finally come of age, you will be able to take it from him.

For the sake of pretense, all of you still entered your name on Reaping Day like everyone else, but the slips of paper would be removed before the ceremony began. That was to be expected, though. Divisions arise when people have a sense of inequality. If you want to stop the rebellions from arising, you reduce the visibility. You can’t grow outraged over unfair circumstances if you have no idea that the unfair circumstances exist at all.

To account for this, only the members of your family know that you’ll never enter the Reaping. You can play it off as good luck, and so long as you’re not obvious about it, no one will think twice about the fact that no L/N has ever entered the Hunger Games. Citizens are already distracted by the looming terror that one of their young ones could die within a month. No one’s tracking back your lineage to examine how many people you’ve lost.

You did tell one person, though. It couldn’t be helped. You and Clove tell each other anything anyway, how could you keep a secret like this? She made you swear to help her train years ago, but when the first year of Reaping eligibility finally started rolling around, Clove was confused as to why you weren’t training as vigorously as she was.

The answer you gave hesitantly, after consulting with various relatives to make sure you wouldn’t be damning most all of your loved ones. Clove took the news surprisingly well, actually. Maybe it’s because you were one fewer target that she had to take out. You were no longer a threat, which meant that you could instead be a friend. And then, later, you could be more. You could be someone she loved.

Loving her was inevitable. If you spend hours every day with another girl, if the two of you start sleeping over in each other’s rooms so as to not waste a single moment as the Games draw closer every year, if someone looked at you the way Clove did, of course you would fall. The falling was the easy part. Having to live with it was harder.

In the decades to come, you think you’ll look back on those years as the best of your life. Training always ramped up closer to the Games just in case; although Clove planned on volunteering when she was older so she’d have the best chance of a decisive victory, there was always the possibility that her name would be called before she was ready. Clove simply had to be prepared for anything, and so you cleared your schedule so you could help her out.

And so the days would pass, bleeding into weeks and months. You’d meet her at the District Two training center, or maybe the two of you would walk together. You learned combat for the sole purpose of being able to let her practice even better. You’d spot her while she was lifting weights, judge her form when she couldn’t watch her back, and do everything in your power to make sure she was going to win when the time came.

You have a thousand such memories stored in your head, of Clove throwing her first series of successive bullseyes and nearly tackling you to the ground from hugging you so hard; her exultant grin every time she could lift more, throw harder, do better; how she used to grab you around the waist with that mad laugh and tell you that she was going to do it all. You believed her, how could you not? How could you do anything but nod along, lost in her ferocity for life?

You loved her from the start, maybe. It was something you were born to do. You stood in her shadow and it did not darken your spirit, for it gave you the chance to watch her thrive and that would be enough for you, it always was. She was glorious. You were you. It had always felt uneven, but that was alright so long as you could just keep her.

The keeping her was the problem, though, as it would turn out. Clove wanted to volunteer, she always had. District Two raises golden tributes who can win better and faster than anyone else. Her end goal was always entering the Games so she could come out the other side with that title. It was her plan from day one, and you knew that, but somehow it still stunned you when she finally announced to you that it would be time to volunteer.

Your first reaction was disbelief. It was, of course, something that you were aware of the entire time, but it was wrong now. Clove volunteering was always something distant, an event that wouldn’t happen for years. It’s real now, though. It has always been real, but for once, you have to face it.

Selfishly, you had tried to talk Clove out of it, asking her not to volunteer. If her name was called, of course she would enter the Games anyway, but why put herself in unnecessary danger? You begged and pleaded, you asked her to stay out if not for her own life than for yours, but Clove just laughed and said you wouldn’t have to worry, because she would win. Of course she would win. There was no world in her mind in which she would die.

Still, you tried to persuade her otherwise. You still helped her train, but your enthusiasm flagged by the day. You were no longer protecting her from death, you were preparing her for her own demise. You encouraged this in her. You are to blame if– when– she dies. It will be her blood on your hands, and that will be something you will never be able to forget.

All of your attempts come to naught. The Reaping still comes, and although Clove has not promised you anything outright, you find it hard to believe that you’d be able to break through so many years of propaganda to make her realize that her life is worth more to you than her dying in the Games for glory that would only end up someone else’s. It doesn’t matter that you would put your family name on the line to keep her safe, this is what Clove wants, and you’ve known her long enough to recognize that it’s what she will get.

On Reaping Day, you find yourself lining up with the other District Two girls to learn who will become your tributes for the coming Games. You have never feared the Reaping; why would you, when you know for certainty that you and your family would always be safe? Now, though, your entire frame is wracked with terror. Either Clove’s name is called or she will put herself in. There is no way you win.

The designated representative from the Capitol takes to the stage, and then they reach their hand inside the glass vessel enclosing the names of all the eligible female contestants. The Capitol rep reads out a collection of syllables, and it is not Clove’s. You feel one wave of relief crash into you, and it takes everything in you to stay standing. That’s one possibility eliminated, at least.

You look over at Clove and you feel sick to your stomach, all confidence from before evaporating just as quickly as it came. She’s got that look in her eyes again, and you know what’s coming before she can form a single word. This is how it ends, then. This is how you lose her.

And then, at the very last moment, someone else could volunteer before Clove. The fate of the female tribute from District Two would only be decided because someone else was able to raise their voice faster than your girlfriend. It would be so easy for everyone to brush off the whole affair. It’s what they expect to see, after all. There’s a brilliant Career volunteering, and maybe it wasn’t Clove, but it’s still one of their own.

You, though? You were watching. It would be so simple if Clove just waited. It would have been just a half second’s pause, but it would be enough. No one would know. No one would have known but you. A thousand intricacies in one poorly timed breath, and Clove would stay alive. Easy as that.

But then Clove tugs the other girl down, shoves a hand over her mouth before she can scream, and yells that she will volunteer. This is not your imagination. This is not all the scenarios you can conjure up in your own head. Clove will never back down, and so despite your best attempts, you will never be able to escape this.

Clove is in the aisle before you know what’s going on. She’s marching towards the stage with that determined gaze she’s always worn so well. The Capitol citizen asks Clove her name and she answers, her hand is raised, the crowd cheers. You stare at her in horror, and she grins proudly. This is what she’s always wanted. You knew she would get it.

You find her afterwards. Tributes are allowed to say their goodbyes, and your family knows you enough to make room for you once they tell her to win. Your fingers find holds in her clothes, and you beg Clove to find some way out of this. Say it was a mistake. Say you said the wrong name, that you took the chance from another volunteer. Find some way to come back to me.

Clove would never listen. It’s all in her hands now, and you can see the excitement building in her chest as she thinks about it more. In moments, she will board a train to the Capitol, and then she will win the Games and you will be sorry for doubting her. Clove has dreamed of this while you were dreaming of her death. She knows exactly how this will play out.

Clove leans over to you, says I’m doing this for both of us, and then she’s across the room in the blink of an eye, telling the Peacemakers that she’s ready to go. The last sight of her is the vicious, glimmering girl you’ve always known, and then the doors slam shut behind her and she is yours no more.

You see her die when you’re least expecting it. She made it past the initial bloodbath, past the splitting of the Careers, past all the twists and turns of fate. You honestly thought she would win by that point, even though Cato was still in it. Clove had told you privately once that she would kill any of the other Twos were they to be her fellow tribute, no matter how strong an ally. She would never hesitate, and she would win. You believed her.

Clove doesn’t get the chance to prove herself right or wrong. She dies trying to kill Katniss Everdeen, that revolutionary from District Twelve. Clove was taunting her, taking her time about the kills. It was a mistake, and it haunts you to know that’s what her district will think of her. They won’t remember her bravery for joining the games, they’ll point out that one flaw in her perfect game to their children so the next generation will be even better.

You miss her night and day. You still expect the Capitol trains to bear her back to you when the Games are over, and it takes your brain some convincing to realize that Katniss and Peeta won the Games this round, not your lover. She’s yours no longer. She’s yours forever. Yours and that of the cold, dark earth in which you buried her empty casket. The grass grows over it now, thick and green. You knot your hands in it when the going gets tough and you scream at her for leaving you. She never answers.

It sickens you later, poisoning your mind against everything you’d ever held dear. This was their golden girl, their Clove, and when she died, they all tossed her aside like a bloody rag doll. She gave them everything and they can’t even remember her properly.

Another war comes soon. It brings rebellion to your very doorstep. Soon enough, they find you, and tell you that there are ways to help their cause. If you were not so foolish to admit it, you think you might even be listening.

If you were to do it, you’d do it for her. Clove always taught you to never back down. You think of her, and you enter the fray.

hunger games tag list: @w1shes43, @ilovexavierthrope

#clove #clove imagines #clove x reader #clove oneshot #hunger games #hunger games imagines #hunger games x reader #hunger games oneshot #thg #thg imagines #thg x reader #thg oneshot #hunger games clove #hunger games clove x reader #hunger games clove oneshot

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johannamason07 · 5 months

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You want me to do basic math? Sorry, I don't know, I get really lost in here. What's that? You want me to reanact the entire Clove's monologue from the feast before Thresh got her? Oh, I don't know if I can go that eith-where's lover boy? Oh I see... you're gonna help him, right? That's sweet. Now, it's too bad that you couldn't help your little friend. That little girl, what was her name again? Rue? Yea, well we killed her. And now... we're gonna kill you...

#i practice this almost all the time #i know it from memory #i even try to reanact the way she says this and how she acts #the hunger games #hunger games #hunger games clove #clove kentwell #i also love the fact that her name is a herb #like she is this dangerous girl who can kill you from meters away if she has a knife and her name is a literal herb #clove is amazing #we love clove

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cluelesskitten · 2 years

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Confession Time:

When I was 12/13 I had a crush on Clove from the Hunger Games.

#hunger games #confession #memories #hunger games clove #wlw problems

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debeedoublefu · 1 year

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I'm certain I'm not the first to think/realise this, but during my hunger games reread I noticed that the announcement that there can be two victors if they are from the same district comes when the only pairs left are Katniss/Peeta and Clove/Cato. Plus, when Thresh gets ahold of Clove, she calls for Cato. The book states he cradles her, begging her to stay with him. I reckon the rule change was not just for the Katniss/Peeta romance drama angle, but because unbeknownst to our otherwise occupied narrator, Clove and Cato had formed a romance in the arena that was being televised. So the capitol was like,,, let's add a couple V couple love island element

#ias posts #the hunger games #thg #katniss everdeen #peeta mellark #everlark #clato #cato hunger games #clove hunger games

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flshfish · 5 months

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anotha hunger games

#art #fanart #my art #artist #artwork #awesome #the hunger games #thg #hunger games #everlark #peeta x katniss #everlark fanart #clove #clove the hunger games

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nickeverdeen · 1 year

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The Hunger Games characters getting jealous

Includes: Katniss, Peeta, Gale, Finnick, Cato, Clove

Katniss Everdeen

She’s more insecure than jealous

But if so…

She’d definetly give the person “the stare”

Katniss has a self-doubting kind of jealousy

She’s comparing herself with the other person in some ways

Katniss would indeed need a reassurance from you when the person is gone

Even though she wonn’t admit it

She would just try to bottle her feelings in very unhealthy way

She’ll 100% deny that she’s jealous

“I was not jealous Y/N, I just didn’t really like them”

Peeta Mellark

Tries to act polite

He’s smart and rational enough not to throw hands

Peeta would be really uncomfortable

He is aware that you’re loyal to him, but he can’t help it

He hates being jealous

Peeta would walk up to your side and put his hand around your waist trying to give the person hint

Passive-agressive behaivor

He’d talk with you about it after the person left

Or he just wouldn’t want to “bother” you with it and would try to bottle it up

One of you would at the end bring it up at some point

“So.. you and them? Yeah, right. Sorry”

Gale Hawerthrone

Gale is a very jealous person

He has some insecurities and gets all defensive with the person

Death stares

If the person would flirt with you, man would NOT let that slide

Gale can be rational, but if the person won’t drop it then he can and will throw hands

He’s bittter and snicker more during the interaction

Will deny for his entire life that he got jealous

He wouldn’t even try to cover his jealousy up when being near the person

He’s not gonna talk about it

Just kiss will be pretty much enough to reassure him

“I wasn’t jealous. They were flirting with you! It was enough of a reason for me to act that way!”

Finnick Odair

Even though he doesn’t really have a reason to be jealous he indeed does get slightly at times

Finnick is the most famous guy in whole Capitol, but that doesn’t mean that jealousy can’t get the best of him

Just like Peeta he’d try to act polite

Really, he tries not to be jealous, but he can’t help it

Finnick, feels kinda dumb for being jealous ‘cause he trusts you

He isn’t one to really show it

He’s constantly just bottling it up inside of him

Finnick is prepared for being teased about it later by you, but he doesn’t really mind

Walks up to you and the person and puts his hand on your waist

If the person still wouldn’t get the hint he’d kiss your cheek and call you “love” or “sweetheart”

His sassy side kicks in while talking woth the person

Finnick would let you tease him about it later and he’d probably laugh it off

“Yeah, okay *chuckles* I get your point”

Cato Hadley

Definetly the hard stare or some glances

Cato is the type of a person “punch first, ask second”

He isn’t really insecure, but it does bother him when other people are hitting on you

But if the person isn’t bothering you, he wouldn’t pick a fight with them

He’s more bitter and sassy towards the person

Cato doesn’t really shy away from PDA

So he’s not afraid to wrap his strong arms around you protectively or kiss you

He wants the person to get the hint

If the person is your friend he’d be much calmer ‘cause he doesn’t want to ruin yours and their friendship

Cato can and will flex just to prove the person that they ain’t good enough for you

If the person would dare to touch you in uncomfortable way, Cato would be quick to give them piece of their mind

He ain’t losing you to some jerk from a bar

Extremely affectionate with you during the interigation with the person

“Hey love, who’s that? I see… *hard stare at the person*”

Clove Kentwell

Pretty much like Cate “punch first, ask second”

Clove definetly has some jealousy issues

She very quickly loses her cool when someone starts flirting with you

If you weren’t there, she’d most definetly punch the person

Agressively conforts them

She’s indeed intimidating when she wants to be so the person would probably back off

But if not, things could escalate to the point where she throws hands

You’re pretty much the only person who can calm her down at that point

Death stares

Clove isn’t really into PDA, but at that point she would put her arm around your shoulders or rest her hand on your waist

She doesn’t even hide her jealousy

Will deny her jealousy later at all cost

Clove will talk absolute shit about the person after they leave (unless it’s your friend)

Is very clingy afterwards

If it’s your friend, she’ll get slightly bitter with them, but would calm down

After all, she doesn’t wanna ruin your and the person’s friendship

She’ll start playing with her knifes next to you only to intimidate the person silently

“Hey dickhead! Y/N has a girlfriend!”

#headcanons #the hunger games #thg peeta #thg katniss #thg finnick #thg cato #thg clove #katniss everdeen #katniss everdeen x reader #peeta mellark #peeta mellark x reader #finnick odair #finnick odair x reader #cato hadley #cato hadley x reader #clove #clove kentwell #clove kentwell x reader

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nourtarts · 11 months

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felt the spirit of the hunger games take hold of me and drew a bunch of characters from the first book the way I imagined them! might post finnick and the catching fire gang later

#sorry if haymitch is a little intense lmao i had a little too much fun with him #the hunger games #katniss everdeen #peeta mellark #gale hawthorne #haymitch abernathy #effie trinket #primrose everdeen #madge undersee #rue thg #cinna thg #thresh thg #foxface #glimmer thg #marvel thg #clove thg #cato thg #thg #everlark

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7s3ven · 5 months

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LACY. cato hadley

( master list )

IN WHICH… Clove Kentwell can’t help but compare herself to Cato’s ex. They may have dated a year ago, but she sees the way he still looks at her.

“Lacy, oh, Lacy, it's like you're out to get me. You poison every little thing that I do”

—

“Cato, are you listening?” Clove placed a hand on her boyfriend’s muscular arm, her eyebrows knitted together. She wasn’t usually worried but with how distant Cato had been lately, she couldn’t help it.

“Huh?” Finally, Cato turned to her. “Yeah. I’m good. Sorry, I’m just tired.” But his eyes didn’t fail to trail back to her. Clove followed his line of sight, feeling a sudden burst of jealousy.

He had been paying more attention to her than Clove.

Y/N L/N, District Two’s prized possession. A delicate beauty none the less. And Cato Hadley’s ex-girlfriend. It had been a year since the two broke up but he was still gazing at her from time to time, which angered Clove.

She had tried to bring it up with him, but he brushed her off. “Cato.” She tugged on his shirt, gaining his attention. “Do you want to go somewhere else?” The pair were sitting in a small cafe that happened to be Y/N’s favorite. She was always sitting in the corner, laughing with friends.

“I thought you liked this place.” Cato tilted his head to the side.

“I do.” Clove glanced down at the cinnamon spice coffee that she adored, “But I… want a change of scenery.” All she wanted was one day where she didn’t have to witness Cato eying up Y/N.

“Uh. Yeah. We can leave.”

Clove did her best to hide her sigh of relief. They stood up, pushing their chairs back. Clove grabbed her drink and practically shoved Cato out the door.

“What about that dessert place you like?” Cato questioned. Only, Clove didn’t like desserts. She liked warm and hot things; like hot chai lattes and spicy soup. Y/N was the one who liked desserts.

“I’m not in the mood for cold things.” Clove smiled, cooly playing it off. She couldn’t help but loathe Y/N for influencing Cato this much and leaving such a huge mark. But it was partly her fault for falling in love with a guy who wasn’t over his ex.

“Do you just want to go home and watch a movie then?” Cato suggested. Finally, he remembered one right detail about her. Clove silently nodded, taking another sip from her cup.

Cato abruptly paused. “Hey, your friend is friends with Y/N, right?” Clove wasn’t even disappointed at this point.

She heaved a light sigh. “Yeah. I guess. They talk.”

“Great. I need to return some things to her but I don’t know her new address. So do you think you could ask your friend?”

“I’m not really comfortable with you being around Y/N.” Clove fiddled with her fingers, which was another trait she had gained from her relationship with Cato.

Cato quietly scoffed, but not in a rude way. He smiled. “It’s just a few things, Clo. I’ll be in and out like that.” He quickly snapped his fingers. Clove rocked back and forth on her heels before giving in.

“I’ll ask but I can’t make any promise.” She uttered, the light in her eyes dimming when she saw Cato grin wider.

Y/N was the type of girl nobody could compare to with her stunning E/C eyes and lingering perfume that hung heavily on her skin.

She was Heather Conan talked about. She was Lacy Olivia referred to. And in a way, she was Clove’s rival.

“Excuse me.”

Clove’s heart practically dropped after she heard that all too familiar voice. Cato seemed to spin around impossibly fast.

Y/N stood behind them, softly smiling. “I think you left this.” She held up a hardcover book that Clove had forgotten to grab despite it being her favorite.

“Oh…” Clove quickly reached for it, hugging it tightly to her chest. “Thank you.” She choked out. Y/N sent her another smile that made Clove feel sick. How could she be so perfect?

“Cato, I found some of your stuff in my closet.” Y/N turned to the blond-haired boy. “Would you be wanting it back?” Clove almost prayed for Cato to ignore her. To not reply. But Cato opened his mouth anyway.

“I have some of your things too. I was planning on asking Clove’s friend, Aria, for your address.”

“Oh, Aria! She’s so nice. She let me borrow her perfume once.”

It was like Clove wasn’t even there. She clenched her hands into fists as she watched the two converse like they were old friends. They somewhat were but their dating history made it weird for them to be speaking so casually.

Cato was hanging off every word Y/N said which left Clove alone. She almost shrivelled under all the pitying looks people passing by gave her, but she continued to stand tall.

“I’ll meet you there then?” Y/N asked, her perfectly tinted lips curving upwards. Her makeup was always perfect, unlike Clove who preferred to wear none at all. Suddenly, Clove grew self-conscious.

Did Cato like feminine girls? Clove looked Y/N up and down, noticing her neat outfit. The H/C-nette was wearing a skirt while Clove was dressed in loose fitting cargo pants. Her gaze flickered to Y/N’s hair. Every strand was placed perfectly while Clove’s hair was simply pulled back into a messy ponytail.

“Yeah. See you.” Cato bid Y/N farewell. He looked at Clove again, who was losing her confidence the more she compared herself to Y/N. “You ready to go?”

Clove hid her insecurity behind a smile. “Yeah.” She muttered, her voice quieter than she planned it to be.

The couple always watched movies at Cato’s house. His family had a spare room that they used as a small movie theatre. Clove leaned against Cato and despite him allowing her to do so, she knew he wished she was someone else.

“So, what were you and Y/N talking about?” Clove carefully questioned as the movie had begun playing. She felt Cato shrug.

“Not much. We were just arranging a place and time to give stuff back.”

“Why do you still have her stuff?”

“I must’ve forgotten about it.”

The pang in Clove’s heart told her that he was lying. She saw the way he hugged a pink hoodie to sleep. It wasn’t her’s, and it didn’t smell like her either. Clove’s perfume was heavy and mature while the hoodie smelled airy and floral… just like Y/N.

Clove did her best to focus on the movie. She would get lost in her thoughts from time to time but always came back to reality when Cato shifted around.

Clove yawned and slightly slouched, letting the cushions of the couch engulf her. She glanced at Cato who was too focused on the screen to notice.

She suddenly paused the movie, confusing Cato. “Are you leaving now?” He asked, watching as she stood up. She shook her head.

“Cato, we need to talk about…” Clove paused, choosing her next words carefully. “Some things that have been happening recently.”

Cato raised his eyebrows, indirectly telling her to continue.

“Lately we haven’t been the same. I mean, I’m training more and you… you seem distracted. Did I do something wrong?” Clove had never felt more vulnerable than right now.

“I mean… you did eat salt and vinegar chips with Oreos.” Cato quietly chuckled.

“That’s not what I mean!” Clove exclaimed, “And that was a dare just so you know!” She pointed a finger at Cato. “You keep looking at her. And don’t pretend like you don’t know who I’m referring to.”

“What? Y/N?” The way Cato immediately caught on unnerved Clove. “Clo, she’s just a friend. Not even that. I only talked to her today because I needed to.”

“I see the way you look at her. And…” Clove had to take a minute to compose herself, “I know that you wish I was her.” Cato said nothing, confirming her theory.

“Clove.” He uttered after a moment. That was the first time he had called her by her real name in a long time. “I’m dating you. Not her. I”- Clove unexpectedly cut him off.

“Then why does it feel like we aren’t dating?!” She shouted, her voice slightly shaking. She was glad no one else was home. “Why does it feel like… I’m a replacement?”

“You aren’t”-

Clove didn’t let Cato speak. She launched straight into another scolding. “Why are you always looking at her?! And ignoring me! I’m your girlfriend, Cato! Me! Not her! So why do you pay more attention to Y/N than me? You hardly even talk to me now!” If Clove was a normal girl, she would be sobbing. But her parents taught her to keep her emotions, especially her sadness, at bay.

Cato remained silent, staring at her with the same look of pity everybody else did. All Clove wanted was for him to look at her the same way he looked at Y/N.

“I’m sorry, Clo.” He uttered. Clove took a deep breath, trying to prepare herself for whatever was next to come. “I just can’t love you like I love her.”

“I see.” The brunette whispered. She quickly gathered her things, blinking away small tears.

“Clove. Come on.” Cato stood up as she walked away. “We can talk about this. Where are you going? Clove.” He was annoyingly insistent on following her.

Clove spun around, staring right into Cato’s eyes. “I can’t be her, Cato. So maybe it’s best if we split up.” She was prepared to leave but Cato grabbed her wrist.

“Y/N.” He uttered without thinking. His grip loosened on Clove’s wrist once he realized his mistake.

“See? That’s what I’m talking about.” Clove unlocked the front door, stepping out. “Just… leave my stuff on the doorstep and I’ll do the same.” She closed the door behind her and allowed herself a moment of weakness.

Cato stood on the other side, listening to Clove’s quiet sobs and sniffs. He slowly backed away. He knew that deep down, Clove was right. He did wish she was Y/N.

He glanced at the box Y/N’s stuff. It sat at the bottom of the stairs, almost collecting dust.

Maybe it’s for the best, he told himself. He had already hurt Clove enough. There was no reason for him to pretend that he loved her as much as he still loved Y/N.

#hunger games x reader #cato hunger games #cato hadley #clove kentwell #cato x reader #cato thg #thg series #dystopia #hunger games #hunger games fanfiction #fanfic #oneshot

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melusinealarice · 1 year

Text

Somewhere in Panem with the victors the 74th year

Katniss climbing the tree

Gloss: Really Haymitch, this is the girl that got an 11 as a training score??

Cato falls

Haymitch: At least she got up the fuckin tree.

Cashmere: It’s fine someone else will get her.

None if the carriers climbing

Enobaria: You gotta be kidding me.

Johanna and Finnick join on the couch

Johanna: Even Finnick’s kids could climb a fucking tree,

Finnick hiding laughter

Brutus: At least our kids made it past the blood bath, can’t say the same for either of yours.

Johanna: I bet you wish they’d kept one of mine around right about now.

Gloss: its fine, she’s a sitting duck, they can just shoot her, its not like she can dodge it, or move.

Glimmer misses shot

Haymitch: Did that girl ever hit any target with her arrow? Because mine did.

Cashmere: We told her to grab a short distance weapon, she has no aim.

Enobaria: that’s embarrassing, for the careers. Cato will get her, he doesn’t miss.

Cato fires arrow and misses

Brutus: Oh my god, I can’t watch this, im getting second hand embarrassment.

Haymitch: Can none of your kids climb a tree???

Cashmere: I guess not.

Marvel throws spear and misses

Finnick: None of them can aim either, this is just sad

Peeta: lets wait her out, she has to come down at some point.

Haymitch laughing hysterically,

Some time later

Katniss starting to cut down tracker jackers

Gloss: Did all our kids seriously fall asleep,

Cashmere rubbing her temples: Yea, they did

Johanna: Who sleeps that heavily in the arena??? Shes making so much noise how are they not awake?

Enobaria: She’s gonna die from those jackers before that nest falls,

Nest falls and careers scatter

Brutus: I need another drink,

Glimmer dies

Johanna: HAH HOW DOES IT FEEL HAVING YOUR CAREER BE TAKEN OUT BY THE DISTRICT 12 GIRL!

Cashmere: no comment,

Some more time later

Katniss plots with rue to blow up food

Gloss: they aren’t gonna fall for that.

They fall for it

Haymitch: you were saying?

Enobaria: This year sucks

Katniss kills Marvel

Johanna (drunk) : HAH BOTH OF YOUR TRIBUTES TAKEN OUT BY THE 12 GIRL!

Gloss: Ok im leaving now.

Cashmere: yea i think im also gonna head out…

Johanna (drunk): LOOSERS HAHAHAHAHAH!!!!

Finnick: ok Jo, come on, that’s enough for you,

Takes her alcohol

Johanna: no fairrrr, you never take Haymitch’s alcohol

Haymitch: he knows not to mess with me

Finnick: Every time you get drunk, you end up in a fist fight, or breaking something, or both, Haymitch just passes out.

Johanna: OH WHAT YOU WANNA FIGHT LETS FIGHT!

Finnick picks Jo up and carries her to the elevator as she continues screaming and fighting

Haymitch to Brutus and Enobaria: Haha, your tributes arent as cool as mineeee,

Brutus: at least our girl doesn’t look like she wants to vomit getting close to her supposed lover.

Finnick returns

Enobaria: that was fast?

Finnick: I locked her in her bathroom,

Haymitch: Didn’t she just break down the door last time?

Finnick: I handcuffed one of her hands to the pipes and the other to the door.

Elevator doors open revealing Johanna, drenched in water, still handcuffed to a pipe, and the door.

Finnick: I give up. *sits down*

Brutus: what the fuck is wrong with you.

Both Finnick and Jo simultaneously: A lot.

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heliads · 1 year

Note

Request for Clove x reader! Y/N is a young peacekeeper in their home district, District 2, by the time the rebellion reaches its borders. As the source of many of Panem’s peacekeeper recruits and the District with the closest ties to the Capitol, it’s no surprise D2 is the last one still controlled by loyalists… Fortunately, if Y/N defects, their inside knowledge could help the rebels gain more ground. It’s also a personal thing, the perfect opportunity to retaliate against the Capitol for indirectly causing their girlfriend’s death. UNfortunately however, on the night Y/N planned to defect to the rebels, they are suddenly plagued with second thoughts. Fears of the future. The consequences of turning away from their life’s calling as a Peacekeeper, betraying D2 values they’ve been taught since childhood, in order to see a new Panem where all-powerful men no longer reign and the Games no longer exist. There is no ever going back from treason; win or lose, they’ll have to commit to the rebellion until the very end. Y/N’s terror refuses to fade, so Clove’s ghost — a victim of a lifetime’s indoctrination, regrettably molded into a Career Tribute eager for glory — shows up to nudge them towards a decision. How much of her motivation is simply “I don’t want you to end up on the losing side” lol. Maybe their reunion is real, maybe it’s a dream after Y/N accidentally dozed off, that’s up to you! .…. okayyy so this may be a little too much, i’m sorry if I went overboard! Of course, feel free to add or remove any details you want! One last thing, can there be an exchange of “I love you” or “I’ll always love you” between Y/N and Clove before Y/N leaves Thank you very much in advance!!!

anon...this idea is incredible...bless you for giving me such exquisite angst inspo

masterlist

The silence lets you know that it’s time to leave. It has been unfathomably loud this entire time, booming noises and crashing dins ever since the war began. You’ve been doing your best to tune it out, but your attempts were never met with much success. Maybe it’s because you knew you could never really pretend that the earth shattering explosions weren’t there. It is impossible to ignore the war, even when you’ve got your head so far buried in the sand that you’re choking on the force of the lies.

Perhaps you tried so hard to pretend everything was fine because it had always worked before. The Capitol had protected you all your life, how could you not follow the scent of their riches like a guiding lantern through the dark? Even as the light reflected off of the sight of gaudy baubles that could pay for enough food for your entire family for months, you still thought that the glow was worth chasing. You always had.

Everyone had. In District Two, the Capitol is everything. You’ve heard it said before that Two is the closest thing the Capitol’s ever had to a friend amongst the rest of the districts. While the rest are busy throwing fits and holding revolts over things they’ll never be able to change, Two stays strong. That is the way of the world, you suppose, Two holding firm while everyone else crumbles to ash.

It’s certainly what the Capitol would like you to believe, at any rate. There’s a big chance that it was never true in the slightest. The rest of the districts could have been just as stringent loyalists, making Two just as ordinary as the others. Were it not for the fact that you’ve watched years worth of Hunger Games and been able to notice just how visible the starving bones of the other contestants are as compared to your golden, glowing tributes, it might almost be real.

Right now, Two’s fortitude might be the honest truth. The revolution has been baying at your doorstep for quite some time now. It was always coming, even if no one wanted to admit it. There was no way that the rebels with their stolen guns and bloody screams could ever ignore you for long. To topple Two was to bring the war to the very gates of the Capitol. Your home district was just one grand domino to be taken down before the finale.

You would have hated that thought once. You’ve been a Peacekeeper for a few years now, one of their best and brightest. It’s difficult to ascend in this career field due to the widespread corruption and the irresistible allure of a good bribe or two, but you’ve managed to make it work nonetheless. People have always wondered what gave you the spirit to keep going, but no one has ever figured it out. Can you keep a secret? It’s the same reason that you have to leave tonight.

It’s because of Clove.

There is a girl buried in foreign soil some miles away from you, if they ever bothered to bury her at all. They did not bring back Clove’s corpse to you, not in a way that they could ever recognize. You saw what happened in the Games, how those mutts looked eerily like past competitors. You don’t know what they did to Clove, your Clove, but whatever became of her body is in no way available to you.

Clove was the best of you. You can say that with a free conscience. It might be one of the only truths capable of being spoken without regret. Clove studied her entire damn life to win the Games, and she didn’t. There is no greater failure than that. Never mind the fact that she did everything right, that she killed everyone in her path and made alliances with the finest fighters there. In the end, Clove didn’t make it out, and that is akin to treachery in the eyes of everyone but you.

Some part of you wonders if no one talks about Clove’s death because no one expected it to happen. When Cato and Clove were reaped, everyone in Two clasped hands over ill-bought drinks and grinned to themselves over the thought of another Games victory in their laps. It was impossible that either of them would not win. The thought had not occurred to anyone but you.

You were terrified when you first heard that your girlfriend was entered into the Games. You had rushed to find Clove the moment visitors were admitted to the newly reaped tributes, hardly aware of anything but the pounding in your head. You believed in Clove more than anything, but even the microscopic chance that something might go wrong was far too much for you to bear. After all, you loved her, and sometimes that’s enough to rob you of any trust left in the world.

Clove told you not to worry. She wasn’t afraid in the slightest, you could see it in her face. As you watched, her eyes lit up with the thrill of the challenge. Two weeks and she’d be back with her laurels, she promised you. If you were good, she might even let you stay in her house in the Victor’s Village when she returned.

It was a joke, of course, and one made in good fun. Everyone in Two knew that Clove couldn’t go anywhere without you. The two of you were inseparable on the training field, in the streets, in your homes. The thought that she would ever live without you by her side was unthinkable.

It made no sense, then, that Clove would go and die and leave you alone forever. You saw her death on the screens with absolutely no preparation. It came out of nowhere. One moment, Clove had her knife to Katniss Everdeen’s throat, ready for another successful kill, and then Thresh appeared out of the blue and smashed her skull in with a stone.

She fell like an angel, wings cut by bloody palms. You had the perfect view as that spark of adrenaline blinked out of her eyes. Clove called out to someone before she went, you think. The audio from the recording made it seem as if she was screaming out to Cato before she died, but you watched her lips and you saw another word spoken aloud: Y/N. You. Unreachable, but somehow still the one she wanted before she went.

The Capitol wanted Two’s classic loyalty to stay firmly ensconced in the depths of the Games, so they edited you out of Clove’s story. In the end, you wonder if anyone will ever remember you with her, or if Clove will go down in district history as the solitary paragon of every virtue they had ever worshiped by knifepoint. Will your memory die with her? Perhaps, love, perhaps.

Clove was supposed to live, of that you were certain. You cannot even blame Thresh for throwing the stone, nor Katniss for being so damn good at inspiring loyalty that she could convince anyone to fight her battles for her. In the end, they were just kids trying to survive. Is anyone truly guilty of such an act?

Your anger, then, was towards the Capitol. Clove stuck by their rules, and what did her perfection bring her but death? Fine, then. If they want death, you will bring it to their door. The rebels arrived some months ago, this time not by force but by way of lightly creeping footsteps and secrets. They were scouting out potential allies. As it turned out, you would be one of them.

You did not anticipate switching sides at the beginning. You were fully prepared to die for Two. It would connect you to Clove one last time, if nothing else, and the thought of betraying the Capitol after all you have done for them was unthinkable.

The rebels’ arguments were good, though, and you know why they were so keen on appealing to you. As a Peacekeeper, you have access to information that the rebels would kill to have. If they could manage to convince you to join their side, they could gain a much needed advantage just before their fight brought them to the Capitol. With you, they can win.

Tonight’s silence marks your time to leave. There’s an informant waiting for you in the wilderness surrounding District Two. If you can manage to get there without being noticed, they can lead you to the rebels and you’ll have made your choice for good. You think you made your decision some time ago when the girl you loved died, but it’s something entirely different to commit to it like this.

It’s starting to gnaw at you, the weight of what you’re doing. You are turning your back on the Capitol for good, and by extension your district, your home. Your family are still staunch believers in the Capitol. They were the first ones to congratulate you when you first joined the Peacekeepers. Like you, they bitterly mourned Clove’s death. Unlike you, their faith in Snow was never shaken.

Are you the problem, then? If everyone around you has no problem with the way the district is run, why should you raise a different concern? Your entire life has boiled down to following the whims of the Capitol. Who are you to be so hurt by this war that you would turn your back on everything?

After all, that is what treason means: no more home, not until the war is won. You help the rebels crush Snow beneath their bloody heels or you die. There are only two ways you could ever return to District Two once you leave it. You’ll either be a victorious rebel or a dying martyr. Triumph or execution, those are your fates. For once, there is no Capitol-issued road map directing you as to which choice you could make, which is of course why you’re having such trouble with it now.

Your shoulders shake. The house is dark. No one else is here; you bought your own place with your Peacekeeper earnings, so there’s no one here to suspect you. Only the shadows watch and listen, only the restless pacing of your feet indicates that there might be someone here.

Then again, perhaps you aren’t so alone after all. The moonlight shines through a window onto a wrinkled photograph that’s been attached to a nearby wall. The pearlescent glow falls onto the face of a girl who’s been lost to time. It makes her eyes shine again, and although you haven’t seen them move in quite some time, you swear they wink at you now.

You shouldn’t be this indecisive, you know. Make up your mind and go.

It would be just like her to say such things, wouldn’t it? Clove always had a quicker temper than you. She’d snap like a wire in the second, forever the first one to attack. You have a thousand memories of her charging at you, knife in hand, ready to take you down. No matter how many rounds you went, she always came up swinging. Always. Always, until the one time she didn’t.

“It’s not half that easy,” you complain aloud, “I am throwing away my entire life on a feeble hope that this might pay off. It’s not something I can decide in a moment.”

Then make it something you can decide in a moment. You have no time to waste. If you get caught trying to decide which side, that’ll be the most stupid way you could ever die.

“I’d see you, then. Wouldn’t it be worth it?”

Clove’s ghost scoffs in your mind. It’s been more than a year since you saw her last, but you can still replay the echo of her derisive laugh in the back of your mind. Boots scuffing on a wooden floor, a knife sharpened on a whetstone, you can hear her everywhere you go.

Don’t play the martyr, it was never your best trick. You already know what you’re doing, don’t you? Just make up your mind and go along with it for once. There’s nothing left for you here.

You let out a sound halfway between a gasp and a laugh. “Not you? My whole life is here. Everything we ever built was in Two. You think I can leave it just like that?”

I did.

It’s said simply.

I did, and look where it got me. I chose the wrong side.

“You chose the Capitol.”

It chose me.

That’s the truth, isn’t it? Clove was a product of the Capitol in every single way. She was molded into a Career from the moment she was born. All of you have been harboring some illusion of self control, but there is none in this world, not really. You do your best to survive on the path that has been given to you, and if the thought occurs to you that you will live and die without ever making progress, you make the sound of violence in your head so loud that everything else is drowned out.

“So what, you want to protect me? Keep me from following in your footsteps?”

I want you to win.

It’s said with the usual sort of savage sneer that Clove had always mastered so well. You bite back a laugh despite the circumstances.

“That’s generous of you. Tell me, does your superior advice go any deeper than for me to stay on the winning side?”

It’s all we’ve ever needed. What, do you suddenly need a moral compass to guide you? It’s not like either of us ever had such a thing as a conscience.

She’s not wrong. You and Clove were the deadliest pair to ever hit Two. The district swore that its children grew more and more bloodthirsty with every subsequent generation, and the two of you certainly proved that right. That changed when you lost her, though. You couldn’t keep up the spirit when it was just you.

“I didn’t need it when I had you.”

You still do.

Neither of you were much built for kindness. This rare scrap of it now makes you want to cry and scream at the same time. In the end, you decide to use it as motivation to stand up and straighten your spine.

“They’re waiting for me,” you whisper. It’s not a goodbye. You don’t think you could manage it anymore.

I’ll watch your back.

You swear you can hear her smile. The two of you always had each other’s sixes when training for a fight. Even now, when you’re running to reach the rebels before you get shot by the other Peacekeepers, she’ll keep up the familiar rhythm. It’s enough to convince you what the right choice will always be.

“I’m going to miss you. I already do.”

I’m still with you, obviously. You’ll find me soon enough. I’ll wait.

You take one last shuddering sigh and walk over to the wall where her picture hangs. You tear it down with trembling fingers. Once the light is off of the photo, her eyes no longer shine, and you realize that time has long since dulled all details of her usually sharp countenance.

“I’ll always love you,” you say, and leave. The house is empty when you go.

Outside, the sky splits with alternating stars and plumes of smoke from errant bombs. The earth shakes with every other step. The silence is long gone now, but your window of time is not yet up. Your run becomes more sure with every growing second, and soon enough you’re slipping away from Two and into the unnameable wilderness. The fire in the sky above grows, engulfing your old world.

If there are any ghosts watching your progress, they grin to see you finally make your stand. Tomorrow, Two will wake up and learn that the last of its believers has abandoned it. The war will come, its hope will fall. You will be there to see it crumble.

hunger games tag list: @w1shes43

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lost-in-beacon-hills · 5 months

Text

I think at this point everyone has different opinions on each of the Districts and honestly I love that. It's so fun to read people's thoughts.

(I'm sure I'm not the first person to think or say this but) I have a theory on why District One/Two win so many of the games beyond just being Volunteers in a game full of people going in blind.

It's something I've thought heavily about and even incorporated into my own fanfics.

But District One, I think, they win by raising their volunteers to be pretty. They train them to fight, yes, but I think they pull sponsors by making their kids "sexy." In both the book and movie, Glimmer is heavily sexualized. In the book, she's in a sheer gown that shows everything. In the movie, they tone it down but still show quite a bit of her body during the interview. Even the two victors we get to hear a little more about (Cashmere and Gloss) are mentioned to be pretty. Despite being a sibling duo, they're incredibly popular within the Capitol.

But even after they get 'popular' they don't turn down their attractiveness. She still dresses pretty with make up and smiles like she's been taught to do. He's still beefy and hot. You would think if they had any bodily autonomy they would start to tone themselves down in order to get away from the sex slavery.

I think sex appeal is what makes them a victor. Literally. People 'sponsor' them in the hopes of getting to fuck them. They get told that these people are who they're indebted to and most likely are forced into sex as a way to 'repay' them. Everyone says if Glimmer had won she would become the next Cashmere. Which is true. But no one points out how this is planned and a tactic that one consistently uses. Once they win they realize how fucked they are. They don't know they shouldn't want to win until it's over. It's too late to back out. Part of why Cashmeres life is devastating is because Gloss knew what was coming and he wanted better for her. But it happened away. And now they're stuck repaying the Capitol with their bodies.

In Two I think they raise fighters. They put all their effort into skill, endurance and survival. Out of all of the districts I think they do the best at giving them a chance. They make sure they send the best trained, the most skilled and the smartest. Clove is such a good example of this. She never missed her target. (Except for when Katniss moved the backpack making her miss). She was brilliant. Cato too. He was strong and a fantastic fighter. They only lost because the story demanded Katniss win. Hell there's so many moments where Katniss almost dies at their hands only to **magically** get away. (Thresh owing her, tracker jacker nest, not seeing her a few feet away) all of it. They weren't stupid meat heads. They were warriors. Children raised to kill.

I think they delbrately send plain victors. They don't want want to send "pretty" kids. They tone down any sort of beauty their tributes have. One of my favorite examples is Enobaria. She's pretty. And I think that's her downfall. It's mentioned in the series that she wins by ripping another tributes throat out with her teeth. (A popular theory is she was raped and used the very last thing she had in order to get away.) But she ends up getting her teeth filed down. While a lot of people think it was the Capitol, I believe it was her mentors. They filed them down, knowing she wouldn't be able to be raped again. I mean, who would have sex with her knowing one wrong move and you could be dead? She can bite your dick off in seconds if she wanted to. (Not to say she doesn't get booked) It would sway a lot of people away. I think much like Haymitch fighting against Katniss's breast implants, her mentors fought to get her teeth sharpened.

If they're able to I believe Two will alter the victors in order to make them less desirable. One plays it up, Two tones it down winning off skill and merit alone. Any sponsors they get isn't driven by sex.

It's why they win so much, and why the other districts have such a hard time getting sponsors.

I also think that District Four, the last of the career pack, has it's own way of creating victors. They send tributes like the rest but I think they do something different from the rest. My own headcanon is that they send orphans. It's fucked up but if I remember correctly they never mention Finnick having family.

I think they take the kids with nowhere else to go and put them in a training center. Whoever scores the best goes that year. Unluckily for Finnick, he was picked at 14. He was attractive, and part of me thinks Mags played into that to give him the advantage, thinking he didn't have family to leverage. It would have been fine, but then Annie happened. They use her as a control tactic.

I also think Finnick is the reason it was a one and done on leaning into the sex appeal. It fucked him over. Annie was pretty too but she wasn't used. (No one has ever said ah yes she's crazy let's just not rape her, fuckwads do it anyways.) But I think Mags learned from her mistake and played Annie down. Made her less pretty like they do in Two.

It's fucked. The entire system is fucked. But I think each 'career' district creates winners any way they can. No one in Four would volunteer they're disillusioned unlike one and two. So why not send the kids who have nothing, no one to come back to? In Two why not train them and maim them after to keep them safer? In One why not make them fuckable to win? They won't understand until its too late?

Maybe I've overthought this. Probably have. Idk. Just a thought.

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