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louezem · 4 years

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Saying Yes

Summary: Katniss and Peeta had a bitter break up years ago and went their separate ways. Katniss knows nothing of Peeta’s life now, until a stunning blonde walks into the exclusive bridal salon were she works, to buy her a dress for her wedding - to Peeta Mellark.

Part Four - Sisters…..

Part 4 - Sisters

“Prim? Are you here?”

Katniss threw her keys and bag down and toed off her shoes with a sigh of relief. It had been a long and frustrating day at work. All she wanted was to shower, eat and then sleep.

“I’m in the kitchen!” her sister replied. “Dinner’s almost ready!”

Katniss offered up a silent prayer of thanks that she wouldn’t have to face another takeout or frozen pizza for dinner tonight. She knew how to cook but was lazy about it when she only had to cook for herself. Prim, however, loved to cook.

She followed the delicious aroma wafting down the narrow hall to the tiny kitchen. It was barely big enough to hold a small table and 2 chairs, but Prim had set it with the nice plates and cutlery and a small bud vase holding a single, yellow dandelion.

“What’s all this?” Katniss waved at the table. “It’s not my birthday.”

“Does it need to be a special occasion for me to show my appreciation for my favorite sister?” Prim asked, lifting a spoon to her mouth and offering it to her for a taste.

“Mmm, that’s so good.” Katniss licked her lips. “It tastes familiar. What’s in it?”

“It’s lamb stew with dried plums.” Prim smiled as she added an extra dash of red wine to the simmering pot. “I remembered how much you love it and I thought I’d try to recreate the recipe. Besides, lamb was on special at the market today.”

Still thrifty with the budget. Katniss thought. Old habits die hard.

“Go get cleaned up. Dinner will be ready in ten minutes. I just need to warm up some crusty bread to go with this.”

“I love you, little duck,” Katniss said, pulling her sister in for a hug.

“I love you more, duck potato,” Prim grinned.

An hour later and Katniss was feeling full and sleepy as she curled on the sofa with her legs tucked under her, sipping on a second glass of red wine.

“Thank you Prim, that was wonderful,” she sighed, patting her full tummy. “I always appreciate a home cooked meal but I thought you had plans to go to the movies with Rory tonight?”

“I did but he caught an extra shift so I decided to come over and bug you instead.” Prim said, joining her on the sofa.

“So, did you happen to catch any news today? Hear any juicy celebrity gossip at work?” she asked, taking a sip from her own wineglass.

Katniss looked sideways at her sister, wondering why she was asking such an odd question. Prim knew Katniss was not big on the news or gossip – celebrity or otherwise.

“No, I was run off my feet all day. I don’t have time for gossip. There’s a trunk show on all week and they can get a little crazy.”

“Huh,” Prim starting tapping on the screen of her obnoxiously large smart phone. “Then you haven’t seen this?” She slowly turned the phone screen to face her sister.

Katniss fought to keep her composure as she watched the images unfold in front of her. The video captured a gorgeous smiling couple standing close together, hands intwined, on a gilded balcony overlooking the park. A fireworks display was lighting up the night sky behind them. Once the fireworks come to an end the couple and their guests start to clap and cheer and someone pops a champagne cork as music begins to play and other couples start to filter onto the dancefloor.

Dressed in the one-of-a-kind flowing white and gold reception gown created by Cinna, paired with custom Jimmy Choo couture heels and her golden hair flowing in loose waves almost to her waist, the bride was every bit as breath-taking as Katniss knew she would be. Holding her close to his side with an affectionate smile on his face was Peeta. He looked equally handsome in a perfectly tailored white suit with gold accents at his throat, breast pocket and cuffs.

Though Cinna never talked to her about it – most likely to spare her feelings - Katniss knew he’d worked closely with Portia, the designer who created Peeta’s outfit, to ensure the bride and groom perfectly complimented each other on their special day.

She couldn’t help looking carefully at Peeta’s left hand now placed on Glimmer’s waist expecting to see the shiny glint of a new gold band on his finger but he didn’t appear to be wearing one.

That’s odd. She thought. No wedding ring?

She always thought Peeta was the type of guy would like to wear a ring when he got married.

When they were dating he was always very open about showing his feelings for her, and would tease her gently when she got embarrassed by his frequent public displays of affection. “I want the whole world to know I’m yours,” he’d told her, more than once, gently tugging on the end of her braid as she’d scowl.

Unable to continue watching him display affection for another woman was more then she could bear and she pushed the phone away.

“They make a very lovely couple,” Katniss said quietly. “I hope they’ll be very happy together”.

Prim snorted out loud. “Katniss did you even read what’s under the video?” she held the phone up again.

“The Show Must Go On!”

An official spokesperson for the Snow family declined to comment following the cancellation of the nuptials between heiress Glimmer Snow, granddaughter of Coriolanus Snow, and her fiancé Peeta Mellark, Culinary Director for the “Arena” chain of restaurants owned by the Snow Corporation. However the brother of the groom, Mr Ryan Mellark, confirmed that the decision by the couple not to proceed with the wedding was both “mutual and loving” and that the couple would remain friends.

“I don’t understand,” Katniss looked to her sister, confused. “Are you telling me they didn’t get married?”

“Yep. No wedding. They called it off at the last minute but went ahead with the dinner and reception anyway, which is kind of cool. One of Rory’s classmates was working the bar for the evening and he says it turned into one hell of a party. But then I guess the Snow family does know how to do things in style.”

“Wow. I wonder what happened to make them call it off.” Katniss stared into space as she tried to process this new information. She’d purposely avoided all news and social media over the weekend, hoping that if she distanced herself the sooner she’d be able to forget the intense look in Peeta’s eyes as she’d driven away from the hotel. “So much time, money and effort went into those dresses, poor Cinna worked for days hand beading the reception dress—"

Prim rolled her eyes.

“Lord almighty Katniss, you can be so dumb sometimes,” she took another sip of her wine. “Isn’t it obvious what happened? Peeta claps eyes on you again for the first time in forever and the next day his wedding is called off. He still loves you.”

“That’s not true.” Katniss jumped off the sofa and quickly gathered her wine glass and the near empty bottle. “Don’t say that. Why would you say something like that?”

“Hey, give that back!” Prim tried to grab the wine bottle from her as she stomped past into the kitchen and began angrily slamming their dirty dishes into the dishwasher. It wasn’t long before she heard her sister’s soft footsteps behind her.

“I’m sorry Katniss, I didn’t mean to upset you.” Prim apologised quietly. “I’m worried about you, that’s all. You haven’t been yourself since you found out Peeta was getting married.”

Katniss sighed. “I’m fine Prim, really. You’ve no need to worry about me. Peeta and I were over a lifetime ago. I’m over it. I know absolutely nothing about his life now.”

Prim tilted her head and regarded her sister with cool blue eyes. “Will you ever tell me what happened between the two of you? You’ve never given me a straight answer.”

“Does it matter now?”

Prim shrugged. “I’d like to understand. I was still a kid when you two broke up and no one bothered to explain what was going on to me. It was confusing. All I knew was one day you were getting ready to leave for college, the next you were staying in District 12 and applying for any low paid job you could get. Why didn’t you go?”

“Because things changed,” Katniss scowled. “Family comes first.”

Prim squinted. “Really, Katniss? You’ve fobbed me off with that line for years. I was hoping you were finally ready to open up with a few more details. I know you loved Peeta, don’t bother denying it. Your feelings for him weren’t the problem. Or his for you, everyone could see how bad the guy had it for you. It wasn’t Mom, or money issues. She was fine then and you had a full scholarship. There’s something else you’re not telling me.”

“All right, if you want to know I’ll tell you.” Katniss reached up into a small cupboard a produced a bottle of whiskey and two shot glasses. “Follow me. This conversation is going to require something a bit stronger than wine.”

Settled back on the sofa once again, she tossed back a shot and took a deep breath.

“Peeta accused me of cheating on him,” she began. “When I tried to defend myself, he didn’t believe me. He chose to take his brother’s word over mine.”

“No way.” Prim gasped, her eyes widening.

“It’s true. Rye told Peeta he caught me making out with Gale after a graduation party at Madge’s house. Rye didn’t believe me when I told him that Gale kissed me, that I didn’t invite it and I didn’t kiss him back. After cussing me out and calling me a few choice names he went straight to Peeta and told him.”

“Oh, shit.” Prim’s mouth dropped open. She picked up a full shot glass and threw it back before fixing her sister with a stare. “Okay. In the interest of full disclosure I have to ask – did you make out with Gale?”

“Of course not!” Katniss yelled. “Gale was my friend! I’d known him since we were kids. Besides, Madge liked him and I wouldn’t do that to a friend.”

“But did you like him? Let’s face it, Gale is attractive. In a Hemsworth kind of way.”

“No. I only ever saw him like a cousin, or maybe an older brother. I never felt anything romantic for Gale. It shocked the hell out of me when he kissed me. We didn’t talk for a long time afterwards.”

“Okay, okay, I just needed to clarify that. Continue, please.“

“Peeta and I had a huge fight and he broke up with me. He was horrible to me Prim.” Katniss voice cracked a little as the memories assaulted her. “He wouldn’t give me a chance to defend myself. He was so mean, I’d never seen him like that before. He was like a totally different person.”

Katniss felt the familiar sting starting to build behind her eyes and bit her lip in order to try and gain some control over her emotions. It still hurt, remembering the words that came out of his mouth.

“He asked me had I led Gale on, and told me to crawl back to the slag heap I came from.”

“Oh my god, Katniss,” Prim’s eyes softened and reached towards her sister “I’m so sorry—"

“Wait! It gets worse!” Katniss let out a hard laugh. “As if that wasn’t bad enough, somehow Peeta’s evil bitch of a mother found out about what happened. She called Mom and threatened her. She told her that if her seam slut of a daughter went ahead with her plans to go to the same school as her son, that she’d report her to Child Protective Services for neglect. She’d tell them about Mom leaving us alone at night while she worked, and that you would be left at home by yourself at 14 if I left town for school. She even knew about the bouts of depression after Dad died. All stuff I’d confided in Peeta about.”

“I can’t believe what I’m hearing.” Prim jumped of the sofa and started to pace up and down. “It’s so unfair. And untrue! Mom and I talked about what would happen when you went to school, I was going to stay overnight with Hazelle at the Hawthornes when she was on nights!”

“You know that and I know that, but Mom was terrified. She didn’t know what to do.”

Katniss downed another shot.

“After she threatened Mom, I tried talking to Rye one more time. I begged him again to believe me that what he saw wasn’t real, but he insisted I was lying. That Gale had been seen at the slag heap with a girl from the Seam, and I must have made it worth it when he could have had Madge instead of my skinny ass. His words. I never really understood that part.” She frowned.

“I told him about his mother’s threats and he finally said he’d talk to his Dad about keeping her off our Mom’s back, but only for your sake and only if I agreed to stop trying to contact Peeta. So I did what he wanted. I gave up my college place and started applying for jobs and signed up for a few classes at the Community College.”

“So, it was me.” Prim’s eyes filled with tears and she crawled towards her sister and wrapped her arms around her in a fierce hug. “You did it for me.”

Katniss shrugged like it was no big deal. “You’re my sister. I’d give my life for yours in a heartbeat.”

“You’re such a dumbass but I love you.” Prim began to cry harder. “You sacrificed so much Katniss. Your education. Your future. Peeta. I’ve never seen you as happy as when you two were together, not even when you were with Darius.”

“Hush now, no more of that talk.” Katniss soothed her crying sister, tears forming in her own eyes. “It all worked out for the best in the end. I was here when Mom got sick and I took on a second job to help pay the bills. We got by, and we stayed together. That’s what Dad would have wanted. Family comes first.”

“Peeta was a part of our family. He was like a brother to me when I was a kid.” Prim sniffed. “Why didn’t he believe you? And what the fuck was Rye’s problem?”

“I don’t know. All I know is his mother always hated me, but I never knew Rye did too. Peeta and Rye were always close, and once Rye started filling Peeta’s head with lies I just couldn’t get through to him after that. He never spoke to me again after he broke up with me. A few weeks later he left town for school and I never saw him again until that day on the steps of his hotel.”

“Katniss, I don’t know what to say. I am so sorry. It sounds like his mind was poisoned by his brother and that horrible old witch who gave birth to him. God, I’d love to give her a piece of my mind. As for Rye? I swear, if I ever see that guy again I will dick punch him.”

“I saw Rye the day before the wedding, he has mellowed quite a bit,” Katniss continued to stroke Prim’s blonde hair soothingly, taking comfort from the continuous motion herself. “He was almost pleasant once he realized I had a legitimate reason for being there.”

“I owe you so much Katniss,” Prim sat up, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. “Because of your support, I got to come here, go to school, do everything you missed out on. Everything I’ve achieved is because you. How can I ever repay a debt like that?”

“Don’t worry, you can pay for my luxury retirement home on the beach in District Four when you find the cure for cancer,” Katniss quipped and laughed as Prim hit her with a cushion.

Later that night, after Prim had left and Katniss was getting ready for bed, she couldn’t help but look for a small box she kept hidden in the furthest corner of her closet.

Inside were a few sentimental items that even after ten years, she never had the heart to throw away.

A pencil drawing of a dandelion he’d put into her locker one day, after she told him they made her think of him.

A movie stub from their first date. She smiled at the memory. Peeta had taken her to see “I Am Legend” and got embarrassed when he cried over the dog, Sam, dying. It was still one of her favorite movies.

A photo of them together at Senior Prom, and another of their High School Graduation, big smiles on their faces just days before he broke up with her and her world came crashing down.

“Oh Peeta,” she mumbled, “why didn’t you believe me?” She sniffed. No, she wasn’t going to cry. She’d already done enough of that for this lifetime.

“… maybe you should crawl back to the slag heap you come from.”

She felt a spark of anger in her own stomach when she recalled the things he’d accused her of. It was an old spark, but one that had helped her keep going and moving forward over the years. She slammed the box shut and shoved it back in the darkest recess of her closet before crawling into her bed. She had run from the bakery that day. Run from his words and the rage and hurt in blue eyes that had only ever looked at her with softer emotions.

She closed her own eyes and pulled the covers over her head, hoping she wouldn’t be hearing them over and over in her nightmares that night.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

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#promptsinpanem #15Days #for Kika #Kristin Rouse #baronesskika #authoresskika #in loving memory

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jennagill · 4 years

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Olfaction by Kristin Rouse

Olfaction: A Holiday-Hangover, Long-Distance Love Story (Long-Distance Love Stories Book 1) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YXD9HNM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_eGoxFb2Y10E6N

Kristin has a second novel that needs more exposure too! This is a lovely story and close to my heart since I did some early editing work on it with her.

#kristin rouse #olfaction #kika #authoresskika #baronesskika

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everlarkficbackfriday · 4 years

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Hey Everlark family,

Today we found out that one of our own, Kristin Rouse who wrote many Everlark fics under the name authoresskika before moving on to publish her own novels, passed away from a sudden illness. What a tragic loss to the world, whether it be her family, friends, and to a lesser degree those of us who were simply her fans.

From what we are seeing, many of you were her friends and are mourning her tonight. Or perhaps Kristin simply touched your life through one of her stories without ever knowing her.

For tomorrow’s (9/11/2020) edition of EverlarkFicBackFriday, we invite you to share your thoughts, stories, or maybe just your favorite fics by Kristin. Let’s celebrate her life- you can send your thoughts and memories in the form of an ask or submission to @everlarkficbackfriday . And if you can’t get it completed by tomorrow, no worries- we’ll continue to post things as they come in.

We are looking forward to the things you have to share.

Thanks, Everlark Family, in advance, and with much love.

#everlarkficbackfriday #please reblog to spread the word #authoresskika

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lost-in-time-marie · 4 years

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Into the Shadows: Chapter One

I stared idly at the flat, gray skies waiting for Natasha by our favorite weeping willow in the courtyard, its green sweeping leaves the only splash of color in a sea of grays and browns. Whole school years had come and gone, but the two of us still met every morning in the same spot, at the same time, before the bell rang; I liked the tradition. Thick fog wound around the students filling the small, square dirt field, the grass trampled long ago. I loved the fog and the wind and the overcast, gray skies. If I breathed in just a little deeper, I swear I could smell the fall; the decaying leaves, the hint of chill forming in the air, signaling for the winter to follow close at its heels. The wind picked up my wavy, brown hair then, swirling it around my shoulders, as if to thank me for acknowledging it. I neatly tucked it back behind my ears and instinctively hugged my soft, red jacket closer to my body. It was far too early for the September sun to break through the grey yet, but I knew in a few hours the leaves would be alight with my favorite green-gold.

“Hey,” Natasha called, her freckled face cracking into a huge grin. My smile answered automatically.

“Hey,” I replied, switching my thoughts to the first day of school.

“I’m so excited! Especially for Advanced Placement Psychology,” Natasha chimed happily, her brown eyes lighting with excitement. I always teased her because her brown eyes were the exact shade of brown as the freckles that speckled her face and body. She did not particularly like such facts being pointed out to her, and I could picture the exact dark scowl she would pull her face down into at the mere mention of such subjects. Something was off about her appearance; it took me a moment to place it. Her usual long locks had been sheared off to above her shoulders, in what I knew was a last-minute decision to start off this school year different than all the others. Despite her tireless attempts at straightening the ridiculous curls every morning, the wind seemed to take great delight in ruining it her first step out the door.

“I know,” I replied with a groan, “You’ve said so at least every minute since school let out last year.”

“I know, I know, but still it’s going to be great!” she enthused, practically bouncing in place. I rolled my eyes.

“I like your haircut by the way,” I smiled. If I responded more than a few sentences before acknowledging such a crucial change, I certainly would suffer for it later.

She smiled, knowing my thoughts without me having to say them. “Thank you,” she said, touching the curls self-consciously. Shortly after catching up with our other friends in the courtyard, the bell rang. All of us seasoned citizens of this school, no one jumped, we merely begrudgingly separated off toward class, roused by the unseen compulsion.

I pulled a folded piece of paper from my jeans pocket and remembered my first period to be Acting 1 with Mrs. Robertson. Acting wasn’t particularly interesting or my cup of tea, but I couldn’t get Ceramics 1 with my schedule so I was forced to have Acting as my fine art credit. Mrs. Robertson was one of my teachers freshmen year, she loved me; this class would be a breeze.

I weaved easily through the crowd of students filing into the school and made my way up the stairs to Mrs. Robertson’s room; being petite and short had its advantages at times. Bright, sentimental posters plastering the walls and desks paired in twos greeted me upon entering Mrs. Robertson’s room. It was like something out of kindergarten. I barely concealed my cringe. Mrs. Robertson stood at the front of the classroom in a blinding yellow sundress writing “Welcome Students!” on the whiteboard in careful cursive. The few students who milled around the room I recognized, this was not surprising, our high school being small and suburban.

“Hello, Kristin, it’s nice to see you again this year,” Mrs. Robertson greeted me cheerily. She hadn’t changed at all in the three years since I last had her class last. Her blonde hair lay neatly in short layers tucked behind her ears, bright blue eyes still holding a smile for everyone, and a stature almost impossibly smaller than even mine somehow. It always bothered me how eerily happy and cheerful she was. I tried not to stare directly at her, it kind of felt like looking at the sun with her exuberant attitude and too bright dress.

“You too, Mrs. Robertson,” I replied with a smile, portraying none of my true feelings. I walked over to a desk and took a seat.

“Oh, I’m giving you seats in alphabetical order when the bell rings. Just stand at the back wall until we are ready,” Mrs. Robertson ordered me brightly. I did as she said, stifling a sigh. I watched the other students pour into the classroom and line up beside me after much prodding from Mrs. Robertson. She had almost no authority with the other students because she didn’t like to be stern, it was a rare event when a student actually listened to her.

“Alright class, please line up against the wall. I’m giving you assigned seats in alphabetical order,” Mrs. Robertson called, her cheerful voice never faltering. I leaned against the back wall, waiting for her to control the class and call my name.

“Ryder Grim, Kristin Hart,” She called several minutes later, having finally made some progress towards conducting a classroom. I walked to the pair of desks she stood beside and took the one she pointed to. The intense stares of my classmates weighed on me, heavy and palpable. I resisted the urge to bury myself right then and there. A guy sat in the other desk beside me. I didn’t recognize the name. Strange, thanks to Natasha’s insufferable curiosity I thought I knew all the seniors at this school. I peered at Ryder from the corner of my eye, using a thin veil of wavy brown hair to hide my gaze. His jet-black hair was gelled and stylishly tousled, almost long enough to hang in his eyes, which were the brightest green I had ever seen. Coupled with snow white, flawless skin and wiry muscles, he was quite a sight, even more so because I realized I really didn’t recognize him at all.

“Kristin, this is Ryder, he’s new to our school this year, please be a dear and help him out,” Mrs. Robertson instructed, standing over my desk. I nodded obediently, and with a merry smile she returned to calling out names and assigning desks. Relief swallowed me as attention gradually shifted away from us again. I guess that explained things at least. A pang of pity sliced through me unexpectedly. All my awkward, lonely past first days of school as the new kid in town suddenly flashed behind my eyes. I turned to Ryder, determined to be welcoming, despite my usual shyness.

“I’m Kristin, it’s nice to meet you,” I introduced politely.

“Ryder, pleasure,” He said curtly, his words harsh and clipped as if meeting me was absolutely the worst ordeal in the world. A flicker of surprise skipped through me, followed by an unwanted wave of rejection. I didn’t often go out of my way to reach out to others, and I certainly wasn’t expecting such a vehement response to a usually harmless gesture. He kept his stony, bright green eyes forward without even a glance in my direction. I worked to bite my sharp tongue and resist the urge to say something that would force him to turn to look at me, my instinct being to lash out with the hurt.

“Well you seem nice,” I retorted sarcastically, half to myself. Well, at least I tried.

“I do my best,” He sneered coldly. I rolled my eyes and focused on class until the bell chimed again, refusing to engage him further. Now I could have a whole new reason to dread this class every morning.

The class passed quicker than I expected; much to my delight. Most of the class period was wasted assigning seats and getting students to behave, the rest was spent just going over the syllabus, rules, and future class assignments; generic first day business. Ryder’s presence nagged at me through the entirety of the period, like a fly relishing in buzzing specifically in my ear. The bell rang. I jumped from my seat and fled to the hall, eager to retreat from my icy partner, the tangible tension between us was beginning to suffocate me towards the end.

“Your partner seems super friendly,” A breathy voice called from behind me. I turned to see a short, plump girl with short black hair and a sweet smile.

“Oh hey, Katy, I didn’t even see you, we have Acting together?” I asked, slowing my stride to wait up for her. Katy’s smiled beamed at me from her round face, as always. She was the sweetest girl, kind to everyone, it was easy to quickly become her friend.

“Yes,” She replied happily, almost childlike.

“I’m so glad we have classes together this year too. I feel like I didn’t see you nearly enough this summer,” I commented with genuine pleasure. Katy wasn’t my best friend like Natasha or anything, but she had always been kind to me when Natasha and I got in a riff or when we shared classes in past school years. She let her layered black hair fall in her face as she asked to see my schedule. I pulled my schedule from my pocket again to compare, discovering Katy and I shared only one other class.

“So who was that guy?” asked Katy, round cheeks turning bright red.

“Ryder? I don’t know, he only said two words to me the whole class. He was pretty rude, actually,” I answered with a shrug.

“That’s so weird, but he was seriously hot,” She admitted, grinning wildly and nudging my arm.

I gave her a wry smile before replying, “Do not even think about it.”

“Oh, come on! It’s been forever since you dated anyone! Eighth grade to be exact.” Katy prodded, wagging her eyebrows at me.

I laughed, “Yes and I plan to keep it that way for a while longer. Ryder is a rude jerk and I’d consider myself lucky if I never had anything to do with him again! Besides, I’m headed off to college after this year, why would I want to start a relationship now?”

“You’re so critical, maybe he’s just...shy? He is new this year” She replied, always coming to the defense of others.

“Yeah, I sincerely doubt it. If it makes you feel better, I’ll see what Natasha knows about him,” I supplied, sneakily negotiating an escape. Katy’s grin collapsed and her full, pink lips pulled down. I sighed.

“I really wish you and Natasha would just get along,” I said, shaking my head, but secretly happy for the redirection of conversation.

Katy snorted, “Unlikely.”

I rounded the corner approaching my class and Katy waved goodbye as she headed in the opposite direction to her next period. Just as I reached my next class, I noticed Ryder standing in the hall with his schedule in one hand and a map in the other. He twisted the map around and furrowed his brows; if he stared at the paper any more intently it would just spontaneously combust.

I sighed and approached him, silently cursing my better nature. “What class are you going to?” I asked, just barely attempting civility. I was a sucker for people in need, even for rude jerks that made bad first impressions. Doesn’t everyone deserve a second chance?

He jumped and turned to me. He was even more handsome when I stared at him directly. The paleness of his skin was striking against such dark black hair and his green eyes were practically luminescent. I quickly pushed that thought from my mind, not even wanting to admit it’d skidded through.

“Look, I don’t need your help, I can get around on my own,” He replied stonily.

“What is your problem? I’m trying to help you! Why do you have to be so stubborn?!” I practically yelled, my temper flaring sharply. I snatched the schedule and map from his hand. I angled the map the right way and shoved it back at him.

“Your next class is down the hall, third door on the right,” I fumed, relinquishing the schedule to him before turning sharply on my heel and stalking angrily to class. I should have just let him wonder lost, maybe he would have left, I half wished silently.

I didn’t understand quite why I hated Ryder Grim so much already, especially when it was quite a feat to even make me angry, let alone produce hate. Perhaps it was the stubborn way he refused help or the insolent way he directed his every word in the direction of others. I liked to think I was above being hurt by his rejection at my attempt to be friendly to the new kid. It might even be jealousy at his utter perfection compared to my awkward, clumsy mannerisms. Regardless, he made my skin heat, my muscles itch to hit him, and more than anything, he made me not want to be within a ten-mile radius of him. I tried to simmer down and feign indifference, but I knew myself better.

Besides that incident, I refused to allow my mind to recollect the boiling irritation of earlier, the rest of the day passed rather easily. We did all the usual first day of school nonsense. AP Government followed into Calculus which turned into AP Literature then Lunch trailed by Teacher Assisting to AP Chemistry, and finally my long-awaited AP Psychology. A teacher named Sinclair taught AP Psychology, I had had a class of his every year since I started high school, as had Natasha; he was the best teacher on campus and everyone’s favorite.

I barely saw Ryder after first period, I let out a silent thank you to whoever was listening for that small stroke of luck. He was in my Chemistry class, but I sat as far away from him as the classroom would allow. Every time I saw him, I just got more and more steamed until even his name made me want to spit fire.

I rushed for Sinclair’s class just in time to see Natasha practically dance through the door. I had only really seen Natasha in between classes. Natasha was in my AP Government class and this class, but that was it, not including lunch. Most teachers knew well enough now to separate us, or she would talk all through class. I followed her inside and we took our usual seats beside each other. Sinclair was different, there was an unspoken expectation in his classroom that not even Natasha dared challenge. We caught up with each other and asked about how school had gone so far, both of us had good things to report and I had all but forgotten my early morning encounter with Ryder. Unfortunately, the next time I glanced up he was walking briskly across the classroom and took a seat at the very back.

I was careful to compose myself around Natasha, lest I give away my true displeasure, but she was too quick and knew me too well.

“I see you’ve met the newest addition to our campus already,” Natasha mused, seeing right through me.

“Ugh! Not him again,” I groaned, not hesitating to unleash the true force of my annoyance from this morning now that I was discovered. I hastily recapped the events of the morning for her benefit.

Natasha laughed. “Wow, you hate someone already and it’s just the first day of school, you’ve learned so well from me,” she beamed with pride.

I shook my head, “Please, he’s just another stupid, immature boy to add to the already overly healthy collection at this school,” I muttered, stealing a glance in his direction at the back of the room. He sat perfectly straight and barely moving, looking very much like a statue.

The late bell rang then, and Sinclair swept into the classroom with a brain in his hand. A fake brain, of course. Sinclair always rolled into class just as the late bell rang with some mysterious prop which our lesson for the day would focus on. It’s why everyone loved his class, he kept things interesting and didn’t waste time on stupid things like a syllabus or rules. That, and, in a lot of ways, he was kind of like a kid himself.

“My name is Sinclair. Not Mr. Sinclair, that was my father’s name, just Sinclair or sir. The rules are: no cell phones, don’t talk while I’m talking, and do as I tell you. Follow the rules and we’ll have lots of fun, break the rules and your life in this class will be hell,” Sinclair explained in a stern, booming voice. New kids would be fooled by this strict façade, although Sinclair knew how to control a classroom, he loved all his students and made everything very fun. He gave the same introduction at the beginning of every year. “I gave you all a syllabus at orientation, I’m not going to waste time going over it with you, you can all read by now I hope,” he continued, several repeat students of his, like Natasha and I, laughed, “Today, we’re going to talk about the brain.” The rest of the class he showed us diagrams and models of the brain explaining each part and its role, it was all very fascinating. Natasha ate up every word and took notes. I’d never seen her so motivated. Sinclair had that strange effect on his students, no one wanted to disappoint him because no one could be disappointed in quite the same way Sinclair could be disappointed in you. Class passed quicker than I would have liked, at the last ten minutes he had us break off into groups to become more familiar with the brain models.

“You know that guy you were talking about earlier? Ryder Grim? I heard about him earlier,” Natasha whispered to me as we broke apart models of the brain to peer inside. Natasha dealt in information. Every school had a rumor mill, but half of the information was false or misconceived. Natasha knew just about everything about everyone and all of it was one hundred percent true. I’m not particularly unpopular or popular, but Natasha hated about seventy-five percent of our school population and the other 24.5% was acquaintances, that last .5% was her real friends, like me. How she got all her information with that kind of social order astounded me, but I never asked, somehow, with Natasha, I was almost afraid to find out. Don’t be fooled though, she did spread a lot of information around school, but if I or anyone else told her a secret they didn’t want to get out, she would take it to her grave.

I sighed and chuckled, “Why am I not surprised?”

“Because you know me too well,” She answered with a devious smile, “Anyways, I heard he just moved here to live with his uncle, not too far from you actually. A lot of girls are already swooning over him, too. He’s in one of my classes.”

“How do you ever actually get work done with all this gossiping?” I joked, shaking my head.

“Work? What is this work you speak of?” Natasha asked in mock confusion, tilting her head so short, brown ringlets fell over her face.

I laughed, “I don’t even really care anymore, he’s just a jerk, and I’m not going to let him or anyone else bother me this year,” I vowed. The bell rang making us all jump, this time with eagerness to follow its prompting, as this bell released us home. I hoisted on my loaded down backpack and walked with Natasha to her white Prius.

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badnovels · 4 years

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Hey! I see someone asked about a book called “the fix”. Who is the author? Thanks! From a huge fan :-)

It’s by Kristin Rouse, who sadly passed away recently. You can find it here.

#also thank you #reply #anonymous

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dustedmagazine · 4 years

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Cuddle Magic — Bath (Northern Spy)

Bath by Cuddle Magic

When you’re the kind of musical collective able to flex gracefully in many directions at once, it pays to have creative limitations to shape your output. So it goes with Cuddle Magic’s new album, Bath, recorded in a bathroom using 23 microphones, no headphones, no amplification and no overdubs. While some of the band’s last album, Ashes/Axis, took shape from rhythmic ideas sourced from old songs, on Bath the band prioritise melody and intimacy. The hushed voices of Benjamin Lazar Davis, Kristin Slipp and Alec Spiegelman move front and centre, gently lapped on all sides by nylon-string guitar, pump organ, trumpet, woodwind, keyboards and percussion.

Although clearly a collective labor of love — in full bloom on charming opener, “What If I” — a division soon emerges between the songs led by Lazar Davis, Slipp and Spiegelman. Lazar Davis’s way with a melody tends to have greater impact when he’s got more muscular backing, such as on Ashes/Axis or his 2016 collaboration with Joan As Police Woman, Let It Be You. Here, he tends to let his vocal melodies fall in step behind his lilting guitar lines. While sweet, the refrain of “I think I’m thinking about you too much” on Spiegelman’s “Still in Touch” begins to grate before the band wrap things up, and the lyrical sentiments in “Whatever I Want” feel a little out of place (tellingly, it turns out this song was actually written by bassist and friend of the band, Bridget Kearney). Spiegelman strikes a winning balance on “Hurt A Little,” as the glowing immediacy of the melody is bolstered by the time-worn simplicity of the lyrical sentiments.

For a band that often paints in primary colors, it’s the more muted and minor-key moments that excel. Early standout “Working On Me” is a power ballad sapped of big-budget production values, a blast of radio interference adding some welcome grit to the verse. Slipp’s voice cracks with emotion on mid-album heartbreaker “This Way” as flute shivers, keyboards shimmer and trumpet blooms. And the short, minimal “Eleanor” renders the blueprint of many of the other songs in more easily digestible form, Lazar Davis and Slipp harmonising sweetly.

Two of the album’s best songs come towards the end. On “Valid Jagger,” brass, woodwinds and glassy keyboards take the lead as Slipp’s deliciously hushed vocal lulls the ear. Closer “Anything” sours into a confrontational “Where do you get off telling me anything?” before Slipp’s voice soars into lonely theremin-like tones. Then, in the closing seconds, the band unite in a rousing “Yeah!” in celebration of the magic they’ve collectively conjured.

Tim Clarke

#cuddle magic #bath #northern spy #tim clarke #albumreview #dusted magazine #chamber pop #experimental pop #brookyln #bathroom pop

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everlarkficquestions · 5 years

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Him looking for a fic where peeta was an alcoholic and now he's a massage therapist and he meets katniss at his best friend madge wedding where he's the maid of honor and katniss is gales best man

Hi,

The story you are looking was removed by the author and developed into an original, and published work.

Check out this link to “The Fix” by Kristin Rouse on Goodreads, and for info on where you can get a copy. .

#+#fic finder #kristin rouse #the fix #support your favourite fic writers #kiloa1993

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eventplanner · 4 years

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Finding Event Planner Conferences

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View more here: https://youtu.be/uhiNF0liu3I.

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siderealxmelody · 4 years

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Millie-Mae's Backstory

@wayward-roleplays

@you-shouldnt-have-cut-my-wings

@candy-addicted-angel

@hunterxcarlie

@tohavelost

@thevictoryofthepeople

@nptperfect-indadseyes

@redeyesgreeneyes

Millie-Mae never knew her mother or grandmother though she was named for them.

What she does remember is moving around, is having nightmares of all the evil things outside her window.

She remembered being too emotional as her father put it. She remembers watching Henry walk out the door and never come back.

She remembered Sam leaving and never calling her for her birthday like he used.

She remembered Adam growing further and further away and becoming unrecognizable.

She hated living with her father, it always felt like she was walking on eggshells, never knowing what could set him off.

Coming to stay with Bobby was the best thing that could happen to her, she loved him. He was supportive, caring, and Jody was an amazing role model. She remembered Owen he had been a cute kid.

But Bobby had been adamant that Adam and her be given more normal childhood. They were put into the local school. It was there she met Kaelin McGee, he was annoying and rude but he became a sort of friend as Kristin and Adam closer over the years.

As she grew she also met the Greythorns a hunting family that John had allied with a few times. Ultimately they had had a falling out when John chose to allow Mireya Greythorn die to kill the monster they'd been hunting.

This left Mireya's children twins Sebastian and Viola without a mother and at 13 they moved to be near Bobby.

Mireya's husband Andon worked with Bobby on his automobile shop.

So Millie saw the twins a lot as they became teenagers.

Mireya had been a cradle witch and had hoped her children would have inherited her abilities. Viola had but Sebastian hadn't gotten any as they grew it became a point of contention.

Andon doted on Viola for continuing their mother's work, Sebastian at best he ignored; at worse he took out his aggression on.

When they were both 16 they had had enough hatching a plan of escape, the night of their planned escape Viola roused their father telling them their plan and pinning the whole rouse on Sebastian - she didn’t want him to tag along, he would only slow her down.

Millie had helped them plan everything out. She found Sebastian the next morning shivering from the cold. He looked too pale and was disoriented. Had he been out all night in the snow?

She tried to patch him as best as she could. Sebastian was gone when she came back with his lunch. Millie found him in the woods a few feet from Bobby's property.

He told he was dying, he could feel it. He may not have had inherited his mother's powers but he could feel as his body shut down.

He'd come here to let his body die, maybe even ask someone for powers. But if he did that it wouldn't matter, he was still dying. He would be dead before midnight. He wasn't sure how he knew that.

So Sebastian knelt down and began to draw using a cut he had re opened on his arm.

He had seen this spell in his mother's old grimoire. It was said to summon the Master you need.

Millie tried to stop him repeatedly, she begged him to let her take him to hospital. She tried to pull away only for him to push her roughly into a tree.

The old tree stump he had been drawing on split open, a plume of smoke composed of blues, reds, and gold swirled before Sebastian.

He looked up at in awe, it seemed to be speaking to him. But Millie couldn't make anything out. Millie threw one of her knives at it but it went right through.

It rusted as it came out the other end. That only solidified that this was a terrible idea.

Sebastian gave a nod and a grin as the smoke moved around him.

As Millie watched in horror the smoke seemed to sink into Sebastian.

His blue eyes shifted. Now his left was half gold and blue.

Sebastian spoke again to her, telling her that the thing that he called was named Furneus. He was the younger brother of the famed general Asmodeus. Millie shook her head, shock making her brain numb and slow.

She demanded Forneus leave Sebastian. Forneus shook his head, he couldn't. Sebastian needed him like he needed him. Asmodeus had been fearful of his power and had wounded him. The only solution was a soul given willingly with the owner understanding what Forneus was.

Forneus had nearly given up on a human doing that till he had met Sebastian. Besides their energies were too well meshed that if Forneus tried to leave Sebastian would die.

Soon they'd meld into one person.

Besides, wasn't Millie happy now? Now Sebastian was a witch, he had powers. He wasn't useless or worthless anymore. He was finally someone that was worth her.

Millie shook her head yelling that he was an abomination and would never be wether her time.

Millie ran away after that, she saw that Faye had come to visit that day. She demanded to go to where Dean and her father was. She couldn't stay here anymore.

Faye looked at her in confusion, she pulled Millie away from Ben and Emma and managed to calm her down.

She asked her to tell her what had happened Milie refused. If she told her about Sebastian he would be killed, they'd say he was a monster. Besides Forneus hadn't seemed so bad in retrospect, maybe everything would be okay.

Faye finally relented and made her some grilled cheese to comfort her that night.

She stayed for the next few weeks when the news came in. Andon was dead and Sebastian and Viola were gone.

Hunters looked everywhere for the twins but couldn't find them.

Millie tried to move on, not answering any of Kaelin's questions on where the twins had gone.

Millie kept her head down for the next two years. She watched as Adam and Kritstin got together, she liked Kristin she was so confident. She wondered if she could be like that.

She helped Adam move into college and left to join her father and Dean on the road. She couldn't stay in that place anymore. She would miss Bobby and Kaelin though. They'd become friends in the last year.

She taught herself coding and website design in an effort to make some extra money for Dean, John and herself as they went on the road.

She sometimes felt like life was passing her by, that she was drowning and no one noticed. But she knew if she tried to take control of things it would end in pain.

She couldn't bring herself to do that again.

So she let John order her around, she cooked and cleaned for them. Faye tried to intervene but Millie stopped her. She wanted to do this, she wanted to care for her family.

Faye didn't seem to understand but she relented finally, especially when Millie began to watch over Ben and Emma when they all went hunting.

#hunter bios #kinda based off my mental state whej i was in college and high school so yayy trauma!!

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loveforpreserumsteve · 5 years

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A Place to Fall (skinny!Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes Modern College AU)

Thirty-Six:

After the hot chocolate was made and distributed among one another, the group got cozy around the TV. Comforters and pillows were thrown on the floor, allowing everyone to lounge about. Sam sat, leaning against the futon with Kristin in between his legs, resting easily against his strong chest like Sam was her very own chair. Snagging the futon for themselves, Natasha sat with Clint's head in her lap.

Leaving Bucky, Steve, and Brock to take up other spots. With Steve quite literally in between the two brunets. Just like the previous night. Which Steve really didn't want to think about. Well, everything before, he wanted to forget. But everything that happened after Brock and Bridgette left; Steve wanted to remember those moments forever.

Steve shivered at the memories. And the wet dreams that were sure to ensue for the next foreseeable future. Noticing Steve shiver, Bucky turned his concerned gaze to the blond while asking, "You okay?"

Blushing, Steve bashfully stuttered, "Ye-yeah."

"Are you cold?" Bucky asked, making Steve positively melt. Before Steve could answer, Bucky gestured behind Brock, "Mind handing me that blanket?"

"Sure," Brock readily agreed, passing the fleece blanket over Steve to Bucky.

"Thanks," Bucky smiled and unfolded the blanket, opening it up over himself and Steve. Sincerely, Bucky asked, "Better?"

Steve nodded his confirmation, seemingly pleasing Bucky. When Bucky turned his gaze back to the TV, so did Steve. Although, Steve doubted that Bucky was having as much difficulty on keeping his attention on the current Thanksgiving episode of Bob's Burgers as Steve was.

All Steve could think about was how little space was left between himself and Bucky. It was all entirely, eerily, similar to the previous night. Even, begrudgingly, with Brock occasionally watching him. But Steve really could do without that.

Then, Bucky slid his leg along the length of Steve's. Making sure to rub his socked foot against Steve's socked foot. That movement was more than enough to hold Steve over until they were alone. But Bucky didn't stop there.

Soon enough, Bucky brushed his fingers across the side of Steve's hand. Steve's breath hitched. Out of the corner of Steve's eyes, he spotted Bucky literally biting back his own grin. Playfully rolling his eyes, Steve subtly shook his head, but he couldn't hide his own smile either. Especially not when Bucky took Steve's hand in his and laced their fingers together.

Bucky's calloused hand was warm and while they sat there under the fleece flannel blanket, Steve could feel his hand starting to sweat. But he knew that he'd rather die than remove his hand from Bucky's.

"Oh, hell no," Bridgette declared, exiting the bathroom.

Steve went rigid beside Bucky. Fearful that Bridgette could tell that they were holding hands. Afraid of what Bridgette would do. After all, she had been Bucky's first date last night. Oh, god, I'm an awful person, Steve internally chastised himself.

"There is no way that I'm sitting on the hard ass floor," Bridgette clarified.

At that, Steve let out a small sigh of relief. Causing Bucky to softly chuckle beside him. In jest, Steve elbowed Bucky, which only made Bucky throw his head back as he laughed louder.

As Steve rolled his eyes, Brock nudged his shoulder against Steve's, gaining Steve's attention. With a confused expression, Brock quietly asked Steve, "What's up with, Barnes?"

Trying to be as nonchalant as possible while also trying not to rouse suspicions, Steve simply shrugged in silent reply. But Steve's never been a good liar, so he's not sure how well Brock believes him. Especially not when Steve starts blushing.

Thankfully though, Brock doesn't question it. Not that Bridgette gives him enough time to as she deliberately takes a step in between the two as she climbs onto the futon. As Bridgette lifts Clint's feet to take a seat, Steve can't help but notice the considerable amount of distance between Brock and himself. A symbolic separation that Steve silently prays Brock will intuitively pick up on.

From beside Steve, Bucky's laughter dies off only to start up again when a joke is told on screen. Steve gives him a fond, amused glance. If the symbolic separation wasn't enough for Brock to pick up on, he's sure that the way he looks at Bucky would be.

Bucky must feel Steve's gaze because he gives Steve's hand a comforting squeeze. Of course, that didn't stop Steve from sweeping his eyes over Bucky's face appreciatively. Steve would like to think that if their dates from the previous night weren't there, he'd have the confidence to snuggle up to Bucky the way that their other friends were cuddling with their significant others.

Wait, Steve paused, his heart stuttering in his chest, is Bucky my boyfriend?

Steve sure hoped that he was. Especially when Bucky looked over at Steve, practically mirroring Steve's adoration with his own.

#a place to fall #stucky #steve rogers #bucky barnes #steve rogers x bucky barnes #marvel #fanfic #wattpad #ao3 #modern au #college au #pining #cozy

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