#capitol lake fair

[kiss-me-muchoo]

𝐖𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲… || 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠!𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐬𝐒𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐱 𝐅𝐞𝐦!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲_ As a punishment for helping Coriolanus to cheat on the games, you’re sent to serve as a nurse in District 12 for the summer. He had to choose between Lucy Gray and you. He just needed a reason to pick you, luckily the songbird gave him one in time before you were gone. 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬_ evil nurse!reader x peacekeeper!Coryo, very slight canon divergence, jealousy, sexism, stalking, nudity, reader is a little crazy and evil, you can’t trust her feelings, angst, beef with Lucy Gray (I <3 her irl), blowjob lol, buzzcut!Coryo fucks reader in the lake so MDNI 18+, this is so fucked up tbh. 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞_ reader is mentally unreliable. Song of course is liability, I know it won’t work, Will you cry? And buzzcut season lol. All in my playlist, It’s the worst and will disappoint you.

♪ ♫ The worst playlist 4 Coriolanus Snow ✰ Index (+ fics here)

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You’ve made big mistakes.

You accept it looking at the lake, ripping the delicate petals of a wildflower. Having to say goodbye to your summer vacations after graduation was fair. Your parents convinced Dr.Gaul to have some mercy on you. You wanted to die when they convinced her that you did it because you were a girl in love. You helped Coriolanus to find the aisle where the snake's tank was going to be picked up.

You were so in love that you only wanted to help your lover. Coriolanus was far from being your lover. You heard him countless times making fun of you. And you still helped him because your good heart wanted to see him winning the prize.

And what did you get? Serving as a nurse in the worst district for the whole summer.

It’s been two weeks. And the only good thing is the evening, where you like to kill time alone, in the silent woods. The moment to breathe and realize how naïve you had been. You deal with the damage Coriolanus had done to you. And the worst part is that he couldn’t care less. He only had eyes for his songbird after all.

And that’s what boiled your blood. That it was her and not you.

There’s already a little pile of dry flowers around you, from all the previous days you were at the same position as now. The days passed and you weren’t ready to let go. You needed to find a way to forget about him. “Damn it…” you whisper, cringing at all the memories, rage invading you, violently throwing the flower in your hands and wiping away the tears.

When you return to the medical aisle, you need to pass by the military camp. You were obviously a Capitol girl. Anyone with a golden watch and lip tint was. Since day one, many peacekeepers have asked you out. They wanted to spend the night with you. But you weren’t in the mood to lose your virginity yet. You were stressed, angry, embarrassed, but you tried to put your best face.

“Y/N! IS THAT YOU?” You turn confused. Only to find Sejanus Plinth. It genuinely made you smile seeing him.

“Sejanus? What are you doing here?” You ask for a hug. His hair had to be gone, he had the peacekeeper uniform. You were extremely confused.

“The real question is what are you doing here?” You roll your eyes.

“Coriolanus. He cheated on the games.” He sighs, nodding.

“I know. He’s here too.” Your eyes widen. He notices you are uncomfortable.

“Well, I helped him, and Dr. Gaul punished me to serve here for the summer” Sejanus seems surprised to hear it. He sees your nurse uniform, noticing the silver plaque attached in your chest. He knew women of the military with that plaque were on a higher range. In your case, probably because your father paid for you to have some commodities.

“At least you’re here” you add.

Sejanus knew you weren’t on good terms with Coryo. The boy asked for you on the train. But Sejanus hadn’t heard from you. Which apparently left Coriolanus slightly disappointed.

“Yeah. I’m here… we’ll have a good time. Promise” honestly, you were relieved to see him. But just by remembering that Coriolanus was also near you, it made you wish you were still alone.

“Any plans for tonight?” He asks, smiling.

You only had three friends. All girls from District 1 and 2. They were serving just because they were kind and wanted higher chances to get into University. They comforted you and Fridays were for two things. Going to the most famous bar, where Lucy Gray performed. Or going to a secret and elegant club for people with enough status.

“On downtown’s Main Street. A block to the left, the second alley. Tell the guy at the entrance you know me. Use my full name” your friend giggles, slowly moving away.

“You’re unbelievable” as you go back to your private room with your new friends. You can only think of how to avoid encountering Coriolanus for the rest of the summer.

It was enough for him. You wouldn’t even breathe near him. It was you, always offering subtle love. And he gave nothing back.

…

Lucy Gray was such a warm and sweet girl. Her dress with flowers and detailed boots added something to her performance.

Her voice was hypnotizing, her smile so pure and her hair so soft. It was the third night Coriolanus watched her perform. He smiled, drinking something. It was a humble bar, but the most famous one. He looked around looking for Sejanus. Last night he never appeared either. Coriolanus was growing worried, noticing his friend was starting to contemplate rebellious acts to help the people. Always trying to be the hero. As Lucy Gray finished her song, Sejanus appeared. A big smile on his face.

“Where have you been?” The blonde asked.

“You have to promise me you won’t freak out” Coriolanus rolled his eyes.

“Y/n was punished for helping you to cheat. Gaul sent her here to serve as a nurse for the summer.” His eyes almost popped out.

He had completely forgotten about you. He cringed, already expecting to have you all over him.

“Does she know I’m here?” Sejanus nodded.

“Yeah. She wasn’t happy when I mentioned you.” Coriolanus suddenly remembered that the last time he talked to you, you cursed him. You got mad after he didn't even offer a thank you for your help. Coriolanus realized at that moment that you hoped he would choose you over Lucy Gray. Which didn’t happen.

“She has access to the club reserved for high status military personnel. I won’t say this is bad but there is better…” he looks at his songbird. Everyone cheered for her, but…

Suddenly, Coriolanus doesn't like that Sejanus had spent last night partying with you.

“Take me there.” He says, looking at his friend.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea. She stated very clearly that-“

“Sejanus… I need to see her. I won’t cause any disturbance.” After a minute of debating, Sejanus stands up and tilts his head, telling Coriolanus to get out of the bar.

It’s a fair distance. Coriolanus has no idea where he is going. Until the end of an alley seems to have some hallway that irradiates red lights.

“Here it is.” Sejanus points out.

There’s a man with a different peacekeeper uniform. He asks Sejanus who invited him.

Coriolanus hears your full name for the first time. He learns you have two names and two last names. At the Academy you only used one of each.

“How do you know her full name?” He asks Sejanus when the man lets them inside the place.

The red lights start changing, mixing with crystal chandeliers and velvet walls.

“Our parents have made some deals in the past.” Coriolanus wants to know more. He needs more details about how you ended up in the same place as him. He doesn’t think you also paid to change districts like him.

“Hey. Whatever you plan to say to her, apologize to her. She’s a girl a million would pay to have. She just wanted to help you, Coryo” he doesn’t know how to take Sejanus. He sure sounded like always, the friend trying to give advice. But he also sounded… like he was one of the millions who would pay to have you. Coriolanus didn’t feel pleased.

Finally, the place is crowded. And the people inside look different than the ones at the bar. These people looked very clean and elegant to be in District 12.

The music is live jazz, the smell of pure tobacco and laughs everywhere. Coriolanus feels like he fits there. And he promises to talk with Lucy Gray the next day. After he left the bar she would ask where he did go.

But for now, his eyes start searching for you. A man in a suit that looked very Capitol started talking. Daring all the beautiful women there to dance, promising to crown one as the star of the night.

He hears a group of females laughing. And when he spots the group, you are being pushed to the dance floor.

Since Sejanus is nowhere to be found, Coriolanus makes his way closer to you.

He sees your natural hair down and wavy. Cranberry lips and gentle purple eyeliner around your eyes. A simple mauve dress, and he almost chokes about it.

Tigris made that dress. You asked her one day at the Academy. If she could make a dress from elegant fabric. Tigris said that she didn’t have enough to make a full gown. You didn’t care, you just hoped she could do something.

Coriolanus remembered Tigris making the dress late one night. And he tolerated you even less for making his cousin work harder. That was long forgotten when you paid her and referenced her to work with a friend of your mother.

You looked totally different. Not the same annoying material girl he knew at the Capitol. This humble version of you was totally attractive to Coriolanus.

He couldn’t tell if you were dancing tap, swing or something else, but you were good at it. A couple of times, he heard you talking with Clemensia and Arachne, about your winter concert or rehearsals. Now, it was evident you were good at dancing.

You laugh and people cheer for you. Mostly men, which for some reason makes Coriolanus tense his jaw.

The mauve fabric shined disguised under the chandeliers, and maybe it was just the sight of seeing you happy, or the way the dress hugged your body. But it made him smile. For the first time, Coriolanus feels a positive feeling about seeing you. He wants to talk to you. But he isn’t sure what he’ll say. So he opts to just see you for the night. He can see a slight layer of sweat on your forehead after two songs have passed. The crowd seemed to want you to win. And it only makes you more eager to do so.

In your head, this was a big distraction. It was the only moment of the week where you felt happy and free. It makes you forget about your pending University admission and all the drama. About your silly actions and disappointments.

The way your friends cheer and joke about making a bet to see who’d win between you and the other girl left. You really are having fun.

Until the remaining girl surrenders. It feels great. Being crowned as the star of the night, leaving the dance floor with so much admiration and looking over you.

Coriolanus sees how you cheer with your friends. You laugh and he swore he had never seen you smile and laugh so much. Maybe you are a little tipsy. He can’t tell, but after some minutes, one of your friends leaves with a man. The other two stay drinking, and you say your goodbyes.

Your dark coat covers everything once you’re ready to leave. And Coriolanus knows he shouldn’t, but he does it anyway. He starts following you.

Internally, he claims he did it because he thought it wasn’t safe for you to go back to the medical aisle in the middle of the night.

It’s not a long way. And Coriolanus notices how close his bed is to yours, literally.

He feels like an animal, following his prey. Only that he doesn’t intend to hurt you. Not more than he already had.

His legs act by themselves it seems. He keeps venturing into the decent building. It’s lonely and dark. Coriolanus notices that probably many nurses were already sleeping. He sees you enter a room, and he memorizes the number. Seconds later, when he’s about to leave, you come out again. A towel in your hand…

It’s his cue to leave. He knows it’s enough. He never should have followed you. Not when he was supposed to be listening to Lucy Gray and The Covey. Not when he paid to serve in District 12 for Lucy Gray.

But it’s too late because he’s already poking his head, and when his eyes meet your body, your coat and dress are on the floor. In a bench near lays a simple but naughty red pair of panties. Coriolanus feels himself getting red at the sight of the underwear, just red, no details, just red. Red like his cheeks, you are naked, under the spray of the shower.

As you’re supposed to be a person he barely tolerates, Coriolanus hates himself for admitting how beautiful you were.

The water coats your body in a gorgeous way. He sees your hair become slightly darker and falls longer across your back.

The shower smells like some summer fruit and it’s all because of your silly shampoo. Coriolanus had seen it before at the Capitol, it was expensive.

Something changes as you massage your scalp, giving Coriolanus a view of your soft and pretty stomach. Your breasts and some moles that are visible are the death of the man. He shouldn’t want to hold your waist and help you clean your body. He shouldn’t want to kiss every birthmark and mole covering you.

It’s the first time he sees a woman naked.

That night, you happily go to bed, soothing the heat wave. Some weight falls from your shoulders. And for the first time, you feel like everything was meant to happen, and it’s okay.

For Coriolanus, he has to touch himself to forget about your naked silhouette haunting his dirty mind. And when he ends, he takes a cold shower and falls into the tiny uncomfortable lower bunk. Sejanus was snoring already, some bunks without a host, probably still at the bars or sleeping with a lover.

Coriolanus is ready to sleep and pretend nothing happens. He would go back to his soft songbird by the morning.

But it doesn’t work. He knows he’s so messed up. Because you are still there, and not only your naked body. Your natural hair, sweet lips and the way you smiled, danced and laughed are there too.

…

When the sun rose, it was imminent that it was going to be a hotter day. The summer in district 12 was bright. Full of light, and green from nature in the surrounding woods. That’s not necessarily the case in the medical aisle. You woke up at 5:00 am to start your shift. Your soft hands had been classifying medicines through shelves.

“Y/n” calls one of your friends from the entrance of the storage room. She giggles after seeing you on top of the stairs, holding onto your dear life.

“Need help?” You smile, shaking your head.

“I’m okay, thanks. What happened?”

“There’s a telegram for you at the mailbox” was unusual. Only your mother called once to see how you were doing. She was still very mad at you.

“Oh, okay. I’ll go now…” with that, you hop off the stairs and leave the little box with remaining bottles on a desk.

After a minute of going downstairs in the building, you get to the mailbox. You give your name to the elder woman in the office and she hands you a cream envelope.

Making a pause in the hallway full of lockers for peacekeepers waiting for mail you open your own.

[The head of the hospital has shared with us you’re doing an outstanding job. This is what we expect from you after your return to the Capitol. Keep going and we might pull some strings to get you back earlier.

Take care, dad.]

You smile. It was enough for you. The anger was undeniably lowering. And going back to the Capitol would make you very happy. Already contemplating the perfect lie. That you went to serve as a nurse for charity, for your kind heart. Everyone would believe you, and the girls would be jealous of your bravery. Nobody would know it was a punishment.

A punishment caused by the man you had just bumped into.

He picks you the open envelope and once he hands it, he sees you.

“Y/n…” you take the envelope from his hand, avoiding the touch.

“Coriolanus” with less makeup than two nights ago, you look even more beautiful he believes. The white nurse cap was so silly, but it was part of your uniform. But he can’t help but blush after remembering how the water fell across your body. And how he touched himself that night.

“I-…Sejanus told me you were here.” Your eyebrows rise, nodding with disinterest.

“Yeah, I’m here because of you.” He sighs, realizing that his friend was right, you were really disappointed to see him.

“This isn’t what I wanted for you.” You roll your eyes. Already sick of wasting your time for him. You had been so scared to encounter him one day. But that you had him facing you, you couldn’t care less.

“Of course. Because you couldn’t care less about me…” he wants to say he actually cares. But the truth is, that before the night he saw you at the bar, he didn’t even remember you. But now, it was like you had put on a spell on him, making him want to know everything about you.

“Just stay away from sight of view and everything is going to be okay” he was shocked to hear you talk to him with much indifference. He was used to your sweet voice, asking him every morning how he was doing at the entrance of the classroom.

You were always at his feet. Helping him and doing everything so he would look down at you. And now, he actually was looking up, seeing how you went upstairs again. And he would do exactly the opposite of what you asked.

He would be everywhere if it meant seeing you again.

…

The bittersweet feeling of seeing Coriolanus stayed the whole afternoon until you finished your shift at 6:00pm. The heat was barely tolerable when the sun was almost gone. You went to the market, as you had promised to cook dinner for the girls that night.

The vegetables were fresh and there was a lot to pick. You carried a little basket filled with carrots, some potatoes and a piece of raw meat carefully folded. You were looking at some pair of earrings. They were handmade. With blue feathers and some tiny pieces of quartz. You smiled looking at them. When you were about to tell the little girl who was selling them, you felt very deep looks. And when you turn to the left, there is Lucy Gray and some of her friends from the band. She was sixteen, you were almost nineteen, you couldn’t pick a fight with her. She could hate you for being Capitol, for being such a bad mentor at the games. But maybe she didn’t knew that thanks to you she was alive. And the most important, she couldn’t hate you because of a man.

Before you can even feel awkward, you had already left the earrings and walked towards the girl.

“Is there anything I did to upset you, Lucy Gray? Because as far as I know we don’t know each other” that was the truth. You had your own motives to dislike her. But you hadn’t even turned to look at her. Unlike the songbird, who didn’t have a problem showing her disapproval of you with her face.

“Did you follow him here too?” You smiled. You didn’t know what Coriolanus had told her, or what she suggested on her own. Based on what happened, probably Lucy Gray believed you were the crazy stalker who couldn’t let go of Coriolanus Snow and his unrequited feelings for you.

“No. I was already here weeks before he arrived.” You simply answer her by looking at the notebooks in the table beside you. Lucy Gray couldn’t be jealous, but she had a bad omen about you.

“I was blinded by him once, just like you now. I helped him so you could win. Hoped he could choose me. And it wasn’t enough. He’s not the boy you think he is, Lucy Gray. You don’t know him like I do. But you can rest knowing I won’t lift a finger to make him notice me anymore” she seems surprised by your answer. But there’s no time for her to throw a rebuttal because you’re gone. Her friends gossip without her, saying how mean you were.

And Coriolanus had seen everything from a hidden corner. He was looking for Lucy Gray, already growing confused. Your words had gotten deep into his mind. While Lucy Gray was the sweetest girl he ever met, she also confused him. She had a rebellious side that he didn’t like. And you, he knew he would never be able to control you now, but he knew you would easily do the same things he did to win.

He stayed far, letting Lucy Gray to pass by with her friends. And when she was gone, out of the market, he came out.

He grabbed the same earrings you were looking at before.

…

It’s another night at the private bar. This time you know Coriolanus is there. He had the audacity to bring Lucy Gray. And you wonder if it was a good idea to tell Sejanus about the bar. Her green dress didn’t match the bar style. However, you ignore them as soon as your friends tell you they befriended a high standard peacekeeper. He had some handsome friends and they made you completely forget about Coriolanus and her songbird. You grew invested in the conversation with the men and your friends, even when one of girls makes fun of Lucy Gray and her visit to the secret bar.

Coriolanus keeps painfully turning to look at your way. He wants to go and get you out of the bar. But he already had a girl beside him. A much younger and innocent one. His anger escalates when a man takes you out to dance. You giggle as he says something in your ear. You had a pretty ruffled pink dress. Red lipstick and matching shoes.

“She looks happy…” Lucy Gray says, also looking at you.

“She isn’t happy. And that’s just an idiot” he spits pointing at the handsome peacekeeper dancing with you. He shouldn’t have said that, especially in front of Lucy Gray. But the way the man twisted you like a piece of the softest fabric, and the way he singed for you, it was taking over him.

It’s his hands that should be holding your hips. It’s his voice that should be making you dance. But Lucy Gray grabs his chin and offers him a sweet smile that makes him get lost on her brown eyes. She’s too good for him.

As he kisses her, he still feels the anger. Cause’ it should be you.

…

The roles had switched up. Coriolanus was infatuated by you. And now, you ignored him as if you never ever thought he was the love of your life.

Maybe is his hair, now short. Or maybe it is that deep sight he always has on you. The sweet boy that didn’t look on your way was gone.

As the days passed, you could feel the air changing. Telling you that your punishment would soon be over.

You flip through the pages, tons of files in the racks perfectly accommodated in the room. You read about all the frauds and corruption of the hospital and the military aisle. Enough to make you a dangerous target. So as soon as the headmistress nurse knows you have a long secret file in your memory, he gives you easy jobs.

And the dirty ones too.

Coriolanus follows you. Thought the archives rooms to the cold storage. He sees how there’s a tray ready to go. Some needles ready to pinch someone. And then you are changing the yellow liquid inside the injections, your face mask covering the small grin on your face. It makes him slightly shocked. He didn’t think you would be capable of doing such a thing. Some rumors flew across the militar camp. About a deal, between the heads of the hospital and the camp. Where they would secretly get rid of sick people from the district to stop wasting expensive medicines and other products.

But you hand the tray with an innocent smile.

And he grows worried. He can’t believe it, but he fears you could end up dead because of your little tricks. You leave early. So, he gains some confidence to follow you. He needs answers. He’s tired of following you to beg for your attention. It’s his lucky day that you chose to take the little trail that crossed the resting cabins of the peacekeepers. You walk past his cabin and his brain makes him walk faster, grab your forearm and push you inside it.

“What the hell?” You ask, startled. Looking at Coriolanus in shock.

The bunks are empty. Everyone is out.

“What were you doing? Switching the shots? You could get hanged or something else!” Suddenly you’re confused, questioning why he was caring now.

“There’s a lot more going on in the hospital than you could ever know, Coriolanus.” He understands it. And he isn’t surprised after all. Injustice happened everywhere.

But he wouldn’t easily let go.

“You could still get in trouble. Who’s making you do this?” You sigh frustrated, shrugging.

“Why do you care so much? Why can’t you leave me alone for once?” As you raise your voice, he grows impatient.

“I DO CARE ABOUT YOU!” Your silence makes him step closer.

“Seeing you dancing with that man, how he grabbed you, it boiled my blood.” Suddenly you feel nervous about his proximity.

And the cheeky asshole decided to step even closer.

“That shouldn’t be a problem for you” you do your best to keep the visual contact. But the way he’s looking at you is making it difficult. Especially after his lips are literally brushing your cheekbone.

“You are the one I desire.” He smashes his lips with yours. Honestly, you believe him. But it isn’t enough to make your heartbeats for him.

“Did you let that man touch you after you left?” You giggle, letting him wander under your nurse apron.

“My virginity is part of my pride and dignity” you answer, kissing his neck, letting his sneaky hands touch you everywhere. His right hand gropes your breast and the other is trying to hold the fat of your hip and ass like a starved man.

Your brain can’t work for some minutes. But you kiss him back. You decide he wouldn’t puppet you. Never again.

As he devours your lips, confirming you gave the softest kisses, yet passionate. You push him gently towards a random bed. And slowly, you get on your knees, dropping your nurse cap and navy blue cape to the floor.

Coriolanus is officially in shock as you drop his belt to the floor.

When he least expects it, you are already licking the tip of his cock. You make a wet mess of him. His head drops back, letting you do whatever you want.

He’s in heaven. Of course, you weren’t the most experienced but to be a virgin, you were quite an addictive lover.

In your head, you just can think about giving him pleasure. Your twisted plan would be effective as soon as he exploded. You put much effort in sucking and licking every vein of him. His length did not disappoint, and you mentally cursed as you realized he could’ve been your first time.

Coriolanus knows damn well it is over for him when his eyes meet yours. His tip met the back of your throat, and he ended up spilling his hot seed inside your mouth. You show him your tongue, covered in white, only to swallow everything. He gulps, feeling the remaining spasms of his orgasm.

“You’ll be the death of me…” he admits, taking a long breath.

As for you, you know it’s just a matter of time. If Coriolanus was so invested in making you look at him now, you would give him more reasons until he broke and admitted he couldn’t live without you.

So you clean your messy lipstick. Your nurse cap and navy cape perfectly in place and you look gorgeous in a mirror near the door.

“If anyone asks where I was, you say I went to drop some letters.” After that you don’t nothing else. He tucks himself inside his pants and stands quickly.

“Wait-” but you had already left.

…

In the night, Coriolanus starts looking out for Sejanus. He was going to ask if he wanted to go to the bar to see Lucy Gray. But he couldn’t find him. He feels his forehead sweating even in the middle of the night.

Near a little training center, he hears two recognizable voices. And when he turns into a little hallway, he sees you arguing with Sejanus.

“No, I’m not defending the Capitol, but these people are not worth risking your life, Sejanus” it’s the first thing he hears from you.

“They deserve better luck, y/n. Something we were born with.” Coriolanus sees you huffing, arms crossed as the slight wind makes your uniform cape lift.

“What’s going on?…” the blonde asks. You turn and sigh, expecting Sejanus to explain. You like to think Coriolanus would make Sejanus to think clearly. Like he did before.

There’s only silence.

“You won't tell him? I will…” you turn to Coriolanus. He can feel you are angry; you disapprove whatever it was happening with Sejanus.

“He’s helping some rebels.” Sejanus only looks down.

“They’re not rebels.”

“Well, they’re definitely not on the right track. And helping them will only lead to trouble.”

“Why are you doing this?” Coriolanus joins. He sounds tired, immediately remembering how he had to literally fight in the Hunger Games to save him.

“They are suffering. They don’t have anyone.” Sejanus replies.

“If you weren’t helping them, they would put a bullet in your head before you could even blink. They are not worth risking your life, Sejanus. I don’t want to see you hanged.”

“I appreciate your worries, y/n. I really do. But this is the least I can do after all the things my parents have aligned for me.” Your eyes water. Even after all the horrible you have done at the Capitol, as a nurse, you cared for Sejanus and Coriolanus. You might have been playing a game of manipulation with Coriolanus, but if he ended up in a mess that threatened his life, you would fear. The same for Sejanus.

“Sejanus…” Coriolanus felt slightly bad after seeing you at the verge of tears. He knew behind that new mask of indifference you were very soft.

“If something happens to you, I’m gonna live mad at you for the rest of my life. Life made us end up here for him…” you say pointing at Coriolanus.

And it’s true, you were sent to the 12 for punishment. Sejanus literally followed him just because.

“That’s enough penitence.” Feeling the tears flow, you start walking away.

Sejanus also feels wrong. But he’s confident. Both men stare at you, and different thoughts run through their heads.

“If anything happens, Coryo… Take good care of her.” Coriolanus looks at his friend.

He thinks you deserve more. He finally accepts there’s more to win by your side rather than following the songbird. Yet, he couldn’t push away Lucy Gray yet.

“I’ll take care of her, Sejanus.”

…

You don’t see the boys for the next two days. Until the night. When for emergency protocol you had to work. A fight in the bar caused some injuries to many men. So, there you are at 1:00 am sending gazes and bottles of alcohol. And when you are about to clean your own space, after a knock on your door, you see Coriolanus and Lucy Gray.

Unbelievable.

“What happened?” You ask as soon as you see him properly. The tray on your hands falls to the ground, making a loud sound. There’s blood on his face, a dark splotch on the right side of his nose. Beside him is Lucy Gray. Wearing one her bohemian dresses with her rural touch of always. You go to inspect his face.

“Got into a fight.” Coriolanus explains. You frown, thinking that is very ignorant and low. Completely disappointed of him for joining the cause.

“You got into the fight? Why?” He sighs, and Lucy Gray only huffs, helping him to sit on a bench. You ignore her, proceeding to take some cotton and equipment to stitch the little wound on his cheekbone. Your fingers are cold, and make him squirm as soon as they touch him.

“Some guy. He got violent after harassing her” of course it had to be for Lucy Gray all the commotion. Everything makes sense, the fight at the bar you listened to less than an hour ago. The songbird must’ve performed, and someone made a mess.

You can’t feel bad for her. While half of the district loved her, there was a considerable amount of people who disliked her, rumors saying she carried problems wherever she went.

“Hmm.” you have a lot to say, but you won’t spit everything at once. Coriolanus sighed, pretending it was because the alcohol was touching his skin, but it was because you weren’t pleased.

Even in his exile, he was between two women again. And while he couldn’t push away Lucy Gray, he couldn’t let you go too.

“Can you give us a moment, Lucy Gray?” he asks calmly. And maybe her reaction wasn’t meant to, but she showed that it made her uncomfortable.

“Sure. I’ll wait outside…” awkwardly she made a smile to the man seated in front of you and left.

Silence took over. You continued to clean the wound, and his deep blue eyes were locked on your face.

Finally, he was able to see your real beauty. Bare amounts of makeup. Hair down and short nails. No crazy looks, ridiculous hairstyles and cat nails. This was the real you.

“I didn’t start the fight…” he started.

“But of course, it had to be for her.” you finish for him. Again, he sighs, trying to avoid any possible irritation.

“It wasn’t her fault what happened.”

“Oh my god. Just listen to yourself! … Everything is her fault!” You burst after finishing with the needle.

“Why do you hate her so much?” He asks irritatedly, shrugging and expecting you to answer soon.

“I don’t hate her. I couldn’t care less for that poor girl. But she’s the reason why you got so obsessed with winning the damn prize. She’s the reason why you cheated and she’s the reason why you’re exiled, and I’m punished” he knows it’s true. In a matter of weeks, Coriolanus repeatedly questioned why Lucy Gray. And until two weeks ago, when he started questioning why not you.

Coriolanus smirks. Finding a way to evade a deeper conversation. He wasn't ready for the time to come where he had to decide. Lucy Gray or you.

“You sound like you’re jealous” he actually thought you would deny it.

“Of course it makes me jealous, Coriolanus!”

His smile fades away. You curse under your breath, moving aside to pick up the nursing equipment. There was no way back, and you wouldn’t lie.

“Ever since I met you, I wanted you to like me. And all I received were mean looks and judgmental jokes. About my hair, my lipstick, my dress, everything” you admit, sounding a little hurt.

“And this girl comes, and in less than two months she has you doing the impossible for her” you mumble. Coriolanus was never the romantic type. He was a man of few words and very analytical. He wasn’t a fan of the districts, so you wondered what could possibly be the reason for him to get obsessed with the songbird.

“Do you love her?” For you, it was a simple question. You always faced your feelings. But for Coriolanus, he tended to avoid his feelings.

He looked at the ground, at your boots before looking up at you.

“Why are you making this so complicated?” He asks, in hopes to avoid the real question.

“You won’t have both girls, Coriolanus.” When you come back at him, he stares directly at his view, at your waist. He focuses on the details of the grey and white fabric decorating you. There’s a tiny spot of blood near your breast, and some dirt near where he thought it was your belly button.

For sure, he knows he won’t have both girls.

“And as much as she tries to make you fit in. You don’t belong here. You and I were educated to live in The Capitol.” He’s well aware that with Lucy Gray, he would be pursuing a humble peaceful life. With you, he would be pursuing a luxurious and firm life.

The harder you are pushing his buttons, the harder you’re manipulating him. You trace his chin and neck, fingers grasping his silver chain. And you know he’s getting soft, vulnerable for your touch.

Maybe he changed his perspective of you after seeing you dance. After seeing you naked in the showers. After realising the type of woman you were.

“I would love to see when realization hits you. You’ll see that she only used you. You’ll notice that I was on your side and could’ve been for the rest of my life” his jaw tenses. He looks you in the eye again. You smile, thumb on his lower lip.

“And pretend as much as you can, selling me that face of I don’t care about you. But I know you do; you’re just blinded by the songbird. Count the days till she uses her singing against you. It’ll be too late.”

He hates losing, missing things. And you know it.

“She makes me want to be someone better.” His best attempt to soothe you makes you laugh.

“The summer will be over, and I’ll leave. She won’t inspire you to grow. She will make you lay still. I’ll be at the top of the Capitol again. And you couldn’t make your house rise…” that hit him in his pride. The fact that your words were true. He thought about Tigris and his grandmother. They deserved better.

“I want you to be someone better. And yet, you’re here. Without the prize, without being home. Just picture it… Where would you be if you had chosen me?” He really wanted to choose you. He just needed a fucking reason. But once again, you have disappeared.

…

He cared. But he cared more for himself.

That doesn't make him feel better though. He had doomed Sejanus Plinth by recording his words.

He couldn’t sleep, knowing that anything could happen the following morning. He has a tiny brown bag in his hand, clutched as if it was made of pure gold. He can’t wait, and he can’t sleep. So, he sneaks out of the camp and goes to your room. He needed to see you, he needed to choose you. That would mean leaving. Concentrating on you and his family. Pursuing the Capitol’s type of future, away from the country life.

Your friends were about to leave to go to the secret bar. And they tell him you were gone to the lake. It makes him realize how much you had to be overthinking. Just by seeing you, anyone could tell you weren’t from the districts. Spending the night in the lake wasn’t pleasant at all. With animals, mosquitoes, and the humid heat of the woods.

But he walks in the darkness. Hearing some crickets and frogs that guide him to the little visible light at the end of the trial. The more he walks towards it, the more he can distinguish you.

There you are sitting over a blanket. Reading a book, wearing a long pastel nightgown. The sight makes him smile.

He steps over a branch and makes you turn worried. But as soon as you spot him, you sigh, closing the book.

“What are you doing here?” You ask.

“I could ask the same question. It’s nearly midnight.” He sits beside you on the blanket, you only shrug, facing away from him, looking at the barely noticeable reflect of the lake under the moon.

“I couldn’t sleep.”

“Me neither” there’s a lot of things he wants to say, you want to scream it too.

“I wanted to give you this…” he hands you the brown bag. Frowning, you take it, your fingers brushing his, but you opt to ignore it.

When you dig your hands inside, you feel something soft. And when you see what’s inside, you can’t help but cheekily smile.

It’s the feather earrings you wanted at the market. He probably collected the least he could to pay for them. Or maybe he traded something. It’s uncertain, but you can’t deny it warmed your heart a little.

“You saw me?” He nods, watching how you cautiously caressed the pair.

“Then you must’ve heard me too…” Coriolanus heard it. But he would pretend the opposite. Just to avoid the question.

“I didn’t. I was passing by when you were looking at them. What happened?” You tilt your head, putting the earrings on.

“Your songbird is jealous of me… Does she know about the good time we had the other day?” He blushes, closing his eyes out of embarrassment.

“How do I look?” When he opens his eyes, he sees you have the earrings on. The blue feathers looked very outstanding in the middle of the dark. The light you brought did not make any justice to the beauty of your face. Barely highlighting your eyes and lips.

“You look beautiful…” there’s something on your mind. You want to ask so badly. And while you could pry about his thoughts of your new appearance, you don’t. Your voice slightly trembling as you start speaking.

“Did you and Sejanus have anything to do with the death of the daughter of the mayor and the boyfriend?” He closes his eyes.

“No.”

“Coriolanus Snow… Do not lie to me.” his arms come to rest on his bent knees. And you know the truth through his breathing.

“Sejanus went too far. I wanted to keep him alive” you sigh, feeling already stressed. Panic invades you, fearing for both boys.

“What if this is just what you two needed to end up in real trouble?” He looks at you, and he wants to kiss you so badly. He wanted a hug from you. He wanted you to love him like he knew you did during the Academy days. Just to feel some sense of normality. That this isn’t what his life turned out to…

“What if he gets killed. What if you get killed?”

“It won’t happen. It’ll be okay” your nails were going to suffer from anxiety. But he places a hand on your bare shoulder, calming you.

“Why can’t you give me a rest, Coriolanus?” He knows what you mean, and it makes his heart grow soft.

“Honestly. Before the games I barely tolerated you. But after seeing you here and everything that happened, you’re right. I can’t have both girls.” It makes you weak.

“What made you look at me? Why now?” He sighs.

Firstly, it was pure lust, your body. But at this point, he knew he could potentially end up alone. And he refused to let go of the person he had won since the beginning.

“Because I wasn't able to appreciate that I had you. And… I don’t want to be alone.” You nod, analyzing his words.

“But you have her. Since when is she not enough?” Coriolanus had to accept how analytical you were. He can be honest and be in peace with you or lie and keep fighting for you.

“I don’t think she’s ever been enough. We don’t have much in common. Just that we are orphans… if she never came along… I swear I know I would have ended up by your side.” You think you understand him. He just realized what he lost. And now he was trapped to decide. However, you were not going to give your heart again. Only time or a life-or-death situation would make you admit you still loved him.

“I said it before, I’ll repeat it again. I won’t be here forever…” he leaned closer. His hand caressing your chin, appreciating how soft your skin was. He wanted to crown your head with flowers and promise he was yours. Just not yet.

“I know…” his nose brushes yours, the tension grows and this time, you are the one closing distance to kiss him. You are so close to winning, to have him begging for you.

That night, he keeps kissing you, you read him your book for a bit and before realising it, both of you end up sleeping on the blanket.

In the morning, he finds you undressing to take a quick splash in the lake.

When you realize he’s awake, you smile at him.

“Morning…” like a slow striptease, you let the nightgown fall and he just stares at your body with the first rays of sun illuminating you.

“I don’t think this is a dream. Right?” You chuckle before your body disappears under the water.

It’s the perfect invitation. He joins you, and the first minutes of his morning are spent kissing you. Only to end up in the same blanket both of you slept on. With him on top of you.

“Tell me to stop now.” He says in your mouth. Your leg slowly slides through his ankle, sending shivers through his spine.

“I think it’s too late for that.”

He returns you the favor. His head between your legs is the most erotic thing he’s ever heard or seen in his life. It’s so dirty, eating you out in the middle of the wild. You taste better than expected, and it feels simple, even natural to please you. He can see how your back arches when his nose gently touches your clit. He feels so proud, and he can already see how well you two could handle being lovers. He remembers how you sucked his cock and how good you did it.

To you, you felt some insecurity, because he hadn’t decided on you. But you already feel the lead being on your side. Soon that thought fades away, because the pleasure is becoming too much. And you’re ready to receive the upcoming orgasm.

You forget about Lucy Gray, Sejanus, the deaths, your return to the Capitol.

Everything is gone as soon as you feel him. Even the pride and dignity you talked about on losing your virginity.

It just feels like it was meant to be.

“You’re so perfect…” he says, eyes on your stretch marks, fingers tracing them before moving towards north and pinching your nipples.

The way you clench around him, his lips leaving red marks on your breasts that would soon turn purple. Your moans, and your dirty mouth cursing.

“Fuck- oh, Coryo!” He couldn’t believe you just cursed. But he then realized he was fucking you. Maybe he had already chosen.

“More, please-“ you manage to say between moans. And he’s in heaven again. He fucks you harder, faster, already feeling he was close too. The silver chain dangling just in front of your face. You swear he had split you in half, but the pain was nothing compared to pleasure.

“Wait for me. We’ll do it together” you nod, noticing how intimate and passionate your first time was being. He wanted you to wait for him. And it made your heart clench. You need to hold him. So, your arms hug him, and he understands, leaning to end up with your foreheads together.

In a matter of seconds, you both reach climax.

“Promise me you’ll be careful” he nods, kissing you one last time.

“It’s gonna be fine.”

But it isn’t. You run as soon as your friends say Sejanus Plinth was going to be hanged for treason. You run and your feet burn.

When you make it, you have to hear him screaming for Coriolanus. You start reaching the front faster. But you meet his blue eyes, and you are able to see him saying no to you. Your heart beats fast, sweat on your forehead and eyes watering faster than ever.

When you look at Sejanus again, his neck broke and he was already hanging.

Coriolanus sees the shock and terror on your face. The birds flying and repeating the last words of Sejanus make it worse. He holds the rifle firmly, but his eyes water too.

He follows you as soon as he’s able to leave. Too many things happening at the same time. And he really regrets not noticing you before. None of his life would’ve been ruined.

He finds you alone in your room. Your friends were working. But you were crying on the floor, covering your face and sobbing loudly. His heart broke, and he let some tears fall too. So he couldn’t resist it anymore. He went to hug you tightly.

As soon as you felt him, you hugged him back.

“He deserved better…” you mumble between sobs. You say he was a good man. But soon your sobs stop, and Coriolanus can almost hear you plotting.

“Where is the gun you used, Coriolanus?” His heart stops, and that’s his epiphany.

“I don’t know. Lucy Gray must know…” the girl could easily be fast to learn where it was. You remain silent.

After some minutes of crying, he’s still holding your hands.

“Lucy Gray wants me to go with her outside of the districts…” you don’t have the strength to laugh, but you really wanted to.

“One last time. Do you love her, Coriolanus?” He knows it’s time and there’s no going back. So he sighs, feelings the dry tears on his face.

“No.”

Your soul can finally rest.

“In two days, I’m leaving. I got accepted by Gaul into University. I just learned this morning after receiving mail.” He looks deep at your eyes. Trying to understand what you just said.

“Then you are going with Lucy Gray. You find the gun and if needed… Also get rid of her” you knew Lucy Gray was there when the incident happened. You had also made up your mind. And you would give Coriolanus one last chance.

“I’ll wait for you for two days. If you come back, you know I’ll be yours. But if you decide to stay with her, I’ll understand. And your secret will die with me.” He feels you kiss his cheek and after that, you quietly leave. Giving him no choice but to pack to meet Lucy Gray at the Hanging Tree.

…

You wait impatiently for your train. Coriolanus was gone. He didn’t return. So, you wait with your heart full of fissures. Your violet dress makes you a target among the station. You look very Capitol again. But something from District 12 changed you.

And then you hear him. Calling your name.

When you turn, you see Coriolanus almost running towards you. You can feel some tears forming. Your messed up mind was ignoring all the hell he made you feel and see. Like he never killed anyone, like he didn’t take so long to choose you. Like you didn’t know he consciously chose to be a bad person.

He looks agitated, with his peacekeeper uniform intact. His blue eyes look thrilled. Like a lot of emotions were invading him at the same time.

And the first thing he does when he’s in front of you, is to smash his lips with yours.

It takes you by surprise. The way his free hand immediately goes to your chin. In the middle of the train station. Feels like you were meeting your lover who survived war. It feels wrong to be savoring the moment you realize Coriolanus Snow finally chose you.

At that very moment you tangle your arms around his neck, stepping on your tiptoes to deepen the kiss. He feels you smiling, and that’s all he needed.

He needed to kiss you to forget about the cabin, the birds, the gun and Lucy Gray Baird.

And he does, your lips assuring him it was okay.

He isn’t evil, he can’t be when a sweet woman like you was kissing him back.

It was delicate for sure.

“Is it over?” You ask between tears. He nods, smiling, holding you close to him.

“Everything is over now.” You won’t ask what happened. You will just savor the victory.

“I can go to the Capitol. Gaul wants to see me” your eyes shine, relief flowing across you. Knowing you will be able to go back home with him.

“Where does this leave us?” He chuckles.

“We’re marrying as soon as we make it to District 2, dear” he kisses you to soothe your shock.

Almost at the end of the ride on the train, you chuckle looking at the window. He looks with curiosity, still drooling over you wearing the earrings he gave you. They would be his reminder that you had been there since the beginning, when he had nothing to offer. And yet, you stayed.

“What?” He finally asks.

“We’re a liability, you know?” A smile forms on his face. He shouldn’t be smiling, but he does anyways.

“I would repeat everything if it meant ending up here with you” and it was true. Because he would receive the money from the Plinth family, he would be able to study from Gaul, with you. He would get rid of Highbottom, and anyone on his way. But what seemed to be the most urgent matter, was to make you his wife.

But for now, he just takes your hand, kissing it.

….

Soft!Coriolanus fic is next. Hint? It’s gonna be based on Supercut from Lorde. Thanks to my crush with Tom Blyth, I realized Reputation and Melodrama are my favorite albums on earth. If you want to be tagged on the next fic, comment!!!!!!!! <3.

Taglist: @peachyharht @toogardenheart @slytherinholland @futurecorps3 @asapkyndall @speedycashflowerbasketball

#coriolanus snow x reader #coriolanus x sejanus #coriolanus x you #coriolanus x reader #young coriolanus snow #coriolanus snow #coriolanus smut #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #tbosas

[phoward89]

Based on this ask

WARNING ⚠️ Coriolanus Snow is his own warning, obsessive!Coriolanus, manipulation, murder, unplanned pregnancy

You’re by yourself in the house you share with your little sister Maude Ivory and your cousins whenever a loud series of knocks sounded on it. Oh god, you hope it wasn't Billy Taupe coming around to torment (woo) Lucy Gray again.

Hell, he moved out of the Covey house and into the Mayor’s house to live with Mayfair as soon as Lucy Gray was shoved onto that train’s cattle car headed to the Capitol to be tribute in the Hunger Games. Just because she won; came back in one piece, doesn't mean that he has the right to come around. Begging her to take him back, even though he has no intentions on leaving Mayfair.

Why would he? He's got it made by shacking up with the Mayor's daughter. Hell, being with Mayfair means he never has to work again.

Sighing, you placed your composition book down on the sofa and went over to the door. When you pulled it open, you were shocked that it wasn't Billy Taupe at the threshold, but a peacekeeper.

A very handsome peacekeeper, might you add.

You had to crane your neck up slightly to look him in the eyes. Eyes that were icy blue, like a frozen over lake. You noticed that his buzz cut was platinum blonde, a blonde so light that only the gods of ancient myths could have such fair hair. Your eyes didn't miss his prominent nose or his broad shoulders and tapered waist either.

But it was his smile that had you dazzled. A smile that was bright, splitting his face in half with perfect pearly whites.

“Hello. I'm Private Coriolanus Snow; I was Lucy Gray’s mentor during the games and since I'm serving here in 12 I just wanted to check up on her. Make sure that she’s alright.”

“Yea, she mentioned you.” You nodded, feeling your heart sink into the pit of your stomach. Of course, your cousin's mentor looked like a Greek god. No wonder Lucy Gray seems to have a little crush on him. No way would he ever talk to you again once he got to see her.

Nobody ever talked to you again after spending time with Lucy Gray. Hell, her voice made the mockingjays stop and listen to her sing. Her beauty was exotic; she was a beautiful mystery that every man wanted to solve.

“I’m Y/N Scarlett.” You introduced yourself, only to tell the peacekeeper, “She's deep in the meadow that's some yards behind the house. She's working on a song, but I'm sure she won't mind if you interrupt her.”

“She never mentioned you.” Coriolanus said, moreso to himself then to you, his eyes raking over your body.

“Why would she? She was in the Capitol for the Hunger Games, not an afternoon tea party.” You sarcastically scoffed. Unknown to you, Lucy Gray did talk about the Covey, including your little sister, just not you. “Well, since I told you where to find my cousin, you better be on your way.” You said, politely dismissing him so that the blonde could go woo your cousin; you could also finish writing your thoughts down in your composition book.

“Is she doing alright?” Private Snow asked instead of saying goodbye.

‘She seems fine to me. Went right back to singing and charming the stage.” You wanted to add living off of her charms too, but you didn't think that'd go over too well with the buzzcut blonde grunt.

“That's good, I'm glad singing while covered in a bunch of lethal rainbow snakes didn't stop her from singing.”

“Lucy Gray stop singing because of the snakes? Are you kidding me? That girl loves snakes, is always playing with the slithering demons.”

“You don't like snakes, I take it.”

“You ever get snakebite because your loving cousin played a practical joke on you by hiding a harmless garter snake in your shawl that was nestled on the grass?”

“Uh, no, can't say that I have.”

“Yea, well, I have and it's not fun. So, no, I don't like snakes.” You dryly told the blonde peacekeeper.

“Would you like to go for a walk?” Coriolanus asked with a charming smile painted on his face.

One of your brows rose up. “To the meadow to see Lucy Gray?”

No, Coriolanus wanted to take you on a walk.

By yourself.

There was something about you that he was instantly attracted to. As soon as he laid eyes on you, all thoughts on your cousin left his mind.

It's was like ‘Lucy Gray, Lucy Gray who?’ in his brain. She didn't matter to him anymore, but suddenly you did.

You seemed so beautiful to him. Like a fine piece of spun glass that holiday ornaments are crafted from.

Coriolanus couldn't explain it, but he has the primal urge to claim you. To protect you; make you his. All because of the sweet look in your doe eyes whenever you answered the door for him.

“No.” Coriolanus shook his head. “I want to take you for a walk, spend some time with you before I have to head back to base.”

He wanted to spend time with you? Oh boy, now that's unexpected.

All you could do was smile and squeak out, “Okay.”

And that's how you became Private Snow's girl, much to Lucy Gray's dismay.

You've been seeing Coriolanus for a few weeks now. Every weekend he seems to get weekend passes from his commander; uses them to stay with you at the Covey house. The Covey takes to him pretty well, especially when he brings over something from the Mellark bakery with every visit. He also brings over large bags of ice too, which is a godsend considering your family doesn't have an icebox.

Lucy Gray looks at him with sorrow and pain in her big, brown eyes. It's evident that she's disappointed that Coryo (what he's told you to call him) picked you over her. See, nobody ever picks you over her.

Well, not until Coryo that is.

But he's not like the other district boys because he's not district. He's a Capitol boy. And you know what they say…

You can take the boy out of the Capitol, but you can't take the Capitol out of the boy.

Today's a sweltering hot summer's day so you, Coryo, his friend Sejanus, and the Covey are at the lake: swimming.

You and your platinum blonde peacekeeper are the last to enter the water. Everyone else is already in the water as you two stand by the dock, stripping out of your clothes. Despite having seen Coriolanus naked a few times already, seeing him pull off his shirt makes you swoon.

You can't help it. He's just so handsome. Too pretty to be real.

Goddamn, those broad shoulders, toned arms, toned chest, and tapered waist of his gets you every time.

And yes, when the Covey's asleep he sneaks into your bed; fucks you senseless. The two of you think that Lucy Gray doesn't know, but she does. Her room and yours share a wall, she has ears and can hear the noises you and Coriolanus don't even try to quiet down.

Lucy Gray's disappointed in how reckless you're acting with Coriolanus. The last thing the Covey needs is for you to fall pregnant. Your family can barely stay afloat as it is.

But, on the other hand, your cousin can't help, but to see how happy you and her former mentor look, laughing and giggling as he chases you down the dock, causing you to jump into the water with him cannonballing in right after you.

The loud sounds of laughs, squeals, and overall cheerfulness mixed with water splashing loudly fills the air. Everyone's having fun.

But despite that, Coryo seems a bit melancholy. So much so that he swims a few yards away from the group, just to have a moment to himself. You have no idea what's going on in that head of his, but you don't want him to feel alone. As if he can't lean on you.

So, you swim over to him; climb up his back like a sloth and wrap your arms around him. You rest your chin on his shoulder, causing him to grab your hand and lift it up to his lips; pressing a kiss against your knuckles.

The boys, Sejanus included, are cleaning the fish that they caught while your little sister's digging up swamp potatoes (Katniss as Lucy Gray calls it) and giving it to Lucy Gray, only for your cousin to remind Maude Ivory that the plant’s roots ain't ready yet. Barb Azure was with Lucy Gray, just talking.

And you're off to the side, laying on a blanket with Coryo. Your head’s in his lap as he lazily runs his long fingers thru your hair. Looking out at the view of the crystal blue lake and the trees surrounding it, Coryo told you, “It's beautiful out here.” Flashing you a smile, he added in, “Thank you for sharing this with me. You sharing your special spots with me means a lot, little dove.”

“No need to thank me, Coryo. I enjoy spending time with you; bringing you along on Covey excursions just happens to be a part of that.” You replied with a genuine smile.

“You know, there's so much I’d like to show you in the Capitol.”

“Lucy Gray says that the Capitol's a horrible place.”

“Don't listen to her, Y/N. She never told me about you, but she talked an awful lot about your little sister and the rest of the Covey.”

“She talked about them, but not me?” You asked, feeling sudden heartbreak and betrayal from your cousin.

Coriolanus’ heart hurts for you. He can't imagine how it'd feel to be so easily dismissed by his cousin, Tigris, who practically raised him. Just seeing your face so fallen and grief stricken at the revelation that Lucy Gray talked about all of her cousins, except for you, made him want to protect you from her.

Yes!

Coryo wants to protect you from your own cousin.

But not just her. No, he wants to protect you from everything that might cause you harm. And the only way to do that is bringing you back to the Capitol with him.

“Do you like it here, in District 12?” He wondered. He personally hates it; secretly wants you to hate it too.

“No.” You shook your head. “It's miserable in 12.”

“It's not miserable in the Capitol. The Capitol had rules, law and order, food, and warm beds.” Coryo recited, as if reading an ad from a vacation brochure. “I hope that when I go back one day that you'll come with me.” He confessed, looking down at you with a hopeful smile.

“I dunno if I could leave the Covey. They're my family, Coryo.” You honestly answered, feeling a sense of dread at the idea of leaving your family behind for another life. A life thousands and thousands of miles away from them.

“But you could leave me, your man?” Coryo asked incredulously, his jaw ticking.

“Coryo-” You tried to reason, only for him to cut you off with a blunt honest retort of, “You're going to have to choose one day, little dove. I just hope you pick me.”

Silence fell over the two of you as he twisted his torso, reaching into his bag beside him to get something. You didn't pay it any mind, figuring he was getting a snack or something that he packed. But, when you noticed a balled up piece of orange material in his hand as he straightened his back to resume his previous position of sitting, you couldn't help but wonder what the material was.

It wouldn't take you long to find out.

Handing you over the orange ball of fine spin silk, he softly told you, “It belonged to my mother.”

“Oh, Coryo…” Your hands gently clutched the token to your heart. You knew that it must've meant a lot to him; that you must mean a lot to him too in order to receive such a gift. “Thank you, I'll take good care of it.” You studied the orange gift, concluding that it's a scarf. “I promise.” You smiled, looking between him and the scarf. Taking his hand in yours, you sighed, “I only wish that I had something meaningful to give you back.”

“I don't need anything, but your love, darling.” Coryo assured you before bending down, cupping your cheek with his large hand, and capturing your lips in a soft, but hungry kiss.

The following week, you began getting sick in the early mornings. Sometimes, you'd get sick due to a strong smell too. You even seemed more fatigued, sometimes even feeling a bit flushed and dizzy. And your boobs were tender. You knew what the symptoms mean and it terrifies you.

It terrifies you because you and Coryo never talked about the possibility of children. Would he even want a baby? He's a peacekeeper, is he even allowed to claim a baby with a Covey girl? Would the baby be a bastard? Would he-

“Hey, little dove, what's wrong?” Coryo asked, walking up your front porch with a bag of ice over his shoulder and a paper bag labeled Mellark Bakery in hand.

“We need to talk, Coriolanus.” You sighed, picking at your nails.

You're afraid that after you tell him your discovery that he'll leave and never come back.

Coryo's brow furrowed with worry. You haven't called him Coriolanus since the day you first met him. Something's wrong.

Setting the bags he was carrying down, he went over to your side. He pulled you up from your seat on an old wooden rocker, only to sit down and pull you onto his lap. Lightly threading his fingers into your hair, he asked, “What's wrong, little dove?”

“I'm pregnant, Coryo.” You nervously revealed, dropping your head in shame.

“Yea?” Coryo asked, gently tipping your chin up; making you look into his icy eyes. Icy blue eyes that are filled with only joy and pride. “We’re having a baby?”

“Yea.” You confirm.

“I promise, I'll take care of both of you.” Your peacekeeper vowed, protectively placing one of his large hands over your stomach. He pressed his lips against yours in a soft, chaste kiss. Pulling away, he leaned his forehead against yours and asked, “Does the Covey know?”

“No. I wanted to wait to tell them.”

“Why? Are you afraid of what they'll say?” Coryo asked, genuine concern flooding his baby blues.

“I doubt they'll be happy about another mouth to feed.” You sighed. You could already hear your family's fake congratulations in your head. You know full well that they'll be disappointed about this. It's just not the ideal timing.

Coryo tucked a stray piece of hair behind your ear. “Don't worry, little dove. We'll figure it out.” Your boyfriend assured you with a thin smile.

Coryo didn't want you performing with the Covey anymore. He claimed that the stress of it would be bad for the baby. So, you obliged him and made a lame excuse about a headache in order to be a spectator in the crowd.

You're sitting at a table against the wall with Sejanus and Coryo. The boys are drinking jars of shine while you're stuck drinking nothing- since shine's bad for pregnancy and the Hobb doesn't have anything else for drinking. Lucy Gray had just started singing her debut of a new song whenever Sejanus excused himself and took off to the bar, where Billy Taupe was. It looked like he was waiting for him too.

“You might want to keep an eye on that. Billy's bad news, Coryo.” You told your boyfriend, subtly gesturing to where Sejanus and Billy Taupe were.

Unknown to you, Coryo's been keeping an eye on it. That he even sent a jabberjay to the Capitol with Sejanus' dumb rebel plans on it so that Strabo Plinth could be made aware of the bullshit his son's up to; buy him a discharge and a one-way ticket back to the Capitol.

“I'll follow him; check it out.” Coryo told you, standing up. “Stay here, I'll only be a minute, little dove.” Coryo kissed your cheek before slithering thru the crowd to follow Sejanus and Billy Taupe as they ventured to a back room.

After a while, you got concerned and decided to find out what was going on. So, you went down the back hallway and into the room you saw Coryo slip into. Which was a mistake considering you walked right into a dicey situation.

You saw a small pile of guns splayed out with Sejanus, Billy Taupe, Spruce, and Coryo all in a corner of the room, exchanging barbs.

“Who's she?” Spruce asked, pointing to you with a gun.

Looking over his shoulder, Coryo gritted his teeth and told you, “Baby, I told you to wait for me out there.” He grabbed your wrist and shoved you behind him, while telling Spruce, “She's my girl.”

But at the same time Billy Taupe said, “Y/N Scarlett's Covey, her and her peacekeeper friends are coming with us.”

“Since when, Billy?” Asked the shrill voice that belonged to the district shrew, Mayfair Lipp.

Oh shit…

Mayfair entered from the other side of the room, making her presence known when she heard her pathetic accordion player boyfriend was planning on taking a Covey girl and some peacekeepers somewhere.

Somewhere her daddy wouldn't approve of.

“What's going on?” The redhead asked.

Looking at his girl, who he was trying to shake in favor of making up with Lucy Gray, Billy said, “I'll explain later, Mayfair. Just let it go.”

“No, I won't let it go, Billy. I want to know what you're planning with these guns.”

“Oh my God, Coryo, I'm so sorry. I swear, I didn't mean to bring you into this mess.” Sejanus cried.

“You should be sorry. You've pulled not just me, but the mother of my child into your stupid bullshit.” Coryo angrily shouted. He was so pissed that he could strangle Sejanus for his stupidity.

“I'm so sorry, I didn't know.” Blubbered the dark haired peacekeeper.

“Wait a minute, I know exactly who the two of you are.” Mayfair’s beady eyes lit up. Pointing at Coryo, she said, “You were Lucy Gray Baird’s Capitol mentor during the games.” Pointing to you, she sniggered, “And you're her cousin.”

You and Coryo exchanged worried looks. Right now, both of you wished you'd stayed outside in the main bar room of the Hobb.

“Well, wouldn't my daddy like to know that you're all planning on running away.” Mayfair's voice rang out, all smug and evil sounding.

“She won't say anything.” Billy Taupe assured everyone. Looking at his girlfriend, he asked, “Won't you?”

“Oh, why don't you ask her if I'm bluffing.” Mayfair pointed to you. “Did your cousin like her trip to the Capitol? Maybe you and your peacekeeper traitor boyfriend will like your trip to the hanging tree.” Mayfair said before pivoting on her heel and making to leave. To tell her father, Mayor Lipp, about what she's seen and overheard.

But before she got very far, Coryo reached for one of the rifles and shot her in the back, causing her to fall down.

Dead.

Your eyes widened, but you knew why he did it. He did it to protect you and the baby.

“What did you just do?! Why did you do that for?!” Billy Taupe shouted at Coryo while Sejanus was just balling his eyes out.

“He did what he had to, she was gonna talk.” Spruce said, siding with Coryo.

“Oh, I'm not going down for this.” Billy frantically said, most likely figuring that he'd be the first suspect since he was Mayfair's man. Grabbing a gun, he pointed it at you and Coriolanus.

He never got a shot off cause Spruce got him first. Tossing his gun in the pile and motioning for Coryo to do the same, he told your boyfriend, “I'll get rid of the guns.”

Coriolanus nodded, only to turn to you and cup your cheeks. “Go back out there and find some friends to talk to as an alibi.” Kissing you, he swore, “I'll keep you and our baby safe, I promise, my little dove.”

“I know you will.” You replied, softly wrapping your hands around his wrists and squeezing them.

Sejanus was crying to bad that he was hunched over, having a panic attack. You and Coryo shared a silent look. Without words, you told him to help his friends and he agreed that he word.

After parting from each other, you went out to the main bar room of the Hobb while Coryo calmed down his best friend and assured Sejanus that they're brothers; that he'll protect him.

Sadly, Coryo couldn't protect Sejanus from being marked a rebel spy and a traitor; from the noose of the hanging tree. The death of his friend hit him hard. Sejanus was hanged alongside Spruce and his sister, Lil.

Coryo had received a spot in an elite officer's training program in 2; he wanted you to go along with him. Apparently officers were allowed to have women. Coriolanus himself was the son of General Crassus Snow. You agreed to go with him, but told him that you suspect that Spruce might've told Lucy Gray about what happened.

When he asked you why, you told him that Lucy Gray made a remark about how you couldn't trust Coryo because men like him need to tie up loose ends in order to get what they want. That if he's able to find the guns hidden at the cabin he'll get rid of her; tie up his loose end so that he'll be free to ran back to the Capitol.

Lucy Gray had told you that in warning, after stumbling upon Spruce hiding the guns while out hiking to help clear her head and get her muses energized. But, you didn't take her warning. In fact, you did the opposite of that warning; told Coryo all about it.

When he asked where your cousin was so that he could talk to her about what she knew, you never would've thought in your wildest dreams that he'd kill her to shut her up. To ensure that he'd be able to bring you with him to District 2.

So, you told him that Lucy Gray was hiding out at the lakeside cabin because she was afraid of Mayor Lipp (since he's been harassing her ever since his daughter's death).

No, how would you know that by telling your boyfriend where to find your cousin that you're signing her death warrant.

The day of your departure arrives and you don't have many things to bring. Just a single, small carpet bag filled with a handful of dresses. You're wearing one of your nicest dresses paired with the orange scarf Coryo gave you. And when Coryo saw you step onto the train platform, he couldn't help but to run over to you and wrap his arms around you.

Kissing you, he smiled, “You look beautiful, my darling.”

“You look quite handsome yourself.” You told him, since he did look stunning in his dress uniform. Honestly, the hat did things for you.

“I'm glad you think so.” He smirked. Breaking your embrace, he took your hand in his and said, “Come on, we need to be sent off by Commander Hoff.”

“Okay.” You nod, despite feeling uneasy about revealing your relationship to his former commander.

After a couple of minutes walking along the platform, you spotted Commander Hoff. He was standing by the train, waiting for Coriolanus. Upon seeing him, Coryo greeted him with a salute. You did a slight curtsey, out of respect.

“There’s been a slight change of plans. You and your girl will be going to the Capitol instead.” Commander Hoff informed the two of you. “You make us proud, Snow.” He said before walking off.

“The Capitol…” You trailed off in awe.

A large grin split Coryo's face from ear to ear as he picked you up and spun you around. “We're going home, baby. We're going home.”

As you sat with Coryo on a train bound for the Capitol your family was at home, sulking over your sudden decision to leave. One that they didn't approve of. One that they thought Lucy Gray would be able to talk you out of if she was around. They blamed the mayor for her absence

And while, yes, her fear of Mayor Lipp made Lucy Gray hide out in the cabin, it was Coriolanus Snow that truly made her disappear when he showed up at the cabin, peacekeeper issued pistol in hand. Poor thing was at her patch of Katniss, checking to see if they were ready to pick when he snuck up behind her and shot her point blank in the head.

He dumped her and the guns that he found hidden under the floorboards, after tearing the entire cabin apart, in the lake.

You'd never know that he committed not one but two murders to keep you safe, to keep your unborn baby safe. Because to Coryo you're as precious as spun glass and he'll do anything to protect you. Anything or anybody he sees as a threat to you and the baby he'll deal with.

And he knew that Lucy Gray was dangerous. She didn't trust him; might try to turn you against him. The thing about spun glass that it can break if not handled with care. Coryo will never let anyone break you, so Lucy Gray had to go.

He knew that your cousin saw right thru his facade. Could see him for the true snake he was. And he couldn't have her ruining everything for the two of you.

But you'll never know any of that. All you'll know is the safety of the Capitol and a loving husband that'll spoil you and your baby rotten.

Tags: @kuroosbby001 @purriteen @poppyflower-22 @meetmeatyourworst @whipwhoops @bxtchopolis @readingthingsonhere @savagenctzen @ryswritingrecord @erikasurfer @tulips2715 @universal-s1ut @thesmutconnoisseur @squidscottjeans @sudek4l @wearemadeofstardust0 @mashiromochi @gracieroxzy @belcalis9503 @shari-berri @aoi-targaryen @whiteoakoak @spear-bearing-bi-witch @gisellesprettylies @loverandqueenofdragons @qoopeeya @mfnqueen1 @permanentlyexhaustedpigeon88 @v-love @swiftieblyth @joyfulyouthlover @nowitsmissing @edb954 @astarborntowrite @devils-blackrose @gentle-aesthetic-bby @elizabeth-nobennet @harvey-malfoy

#coriolanus snow #tbosas #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #the hunger games #thg #coriolanus snow x reader #tbosas fanfiction #coryo snow #coriolanus snow fanfiction #coriolanus fanfiction #dark!coriolanus snow x reader #dark!coriolanus snow #peacekeeper!coriolanus snow #coryo snow x reader #coryo x reader #tbosas fic #coriolanus snow x covey!reader #peacekeeper!coriolanus snow x covey!reader #thg fanfiction #tbosas x reader #coryo snow x you #coriolanus snow x you #tom blyth fanfiction #coriolanus snow imagine #coryo snow fanfiction

[ilguna]

☼ the lakes (Finnick Odair) ☼

summary; you can't help dreaming of running away with your muse.

warnings; swearing, mention of violence, derogatory language, and death threats.

wc; 1.6k

notes; this is a songfic. the lakes by taylor swift.

–

As much as you hate to say this, with how everything is going right now, you can’t keep doing this.

There’s nothing that makes you second guess your choice of staying with Finnick more, than going to the Capitol together to mentor every year. You’ll go as a happy couple, without a single issue between you two, only to come home completely miserable, questioning whether or not it’s the right choice to stay together.

They know exactly what they’re doing each time you arrive. It didn’t bother you in the beginning, because you thought that tough skin never wears, but you were wrong. When they’re clawing at the same spot every year, it’s hard not to get sensitive over the topic, even with Finnick.

They’re hoping that you’re going to finally call it quits, and you’re getting close.

You don’t know how Finnick does it anymore. You get that he’s in the Capitol eye all the time, so he’s got experience when it comes to them fucking with him, but you thought that by now, there would be some urge to bite back and push them away. Especially when he sees how upset you get by their comments.

He likes to tell you that you need to stop worrying, and focus on the relationship more, that it’s easier to ignore them when you don’t care. His go-to question is, “What are they going to do about it?” Recently, you’ve been asking him, “What haven’t they done about it?”

You said you get upset by their comments, which is more than just words on the street, which you’ve gotten as well. They started off innocent enough at the start, where they told you to break up with him, you’re not good for him, they like him better single. And it turned worse, when they realized it wasn’t working.

You’re every vulgar name under the sun, apparently. And they own Finnick, which means that you’re not allowed to have him. If you don’t give him up soon, then your entire family’s going to be killed, while you watch. After that, they’ll kill you too, in front of everyone, where they’ll celebrate and throw a festival in Finnick’s honor.

You have received so many death threats, that you don’t bother to leave the Tribute Center without the Capitol escort or the stylists. You know that you’d be safer in numbers, and you stopped bothering to try and get away from that. 

They have smeared your name across every platform possible, picking out every single one of your insecurities, and ensuring that the magazines and newspapers got to you somehow. So that you’d have to see what the latest rumor there is about you inside of the Capitol.

There’s only so much Finnick can do. He had a conversation with Coriolanus, in hopes that he’d get his people under control. It worked for one summer, by the time you came around the following year, it’s like it was a contract that lasted for a single month. You were back to being afraid.

Finnick can’t stop mentoring, per Snow’s rules, and even though you’ve tried dropping out a couple times now, Finnick won’t let you. He wants you to be there with him, because you’re his partner in crime. You’re the person he wants to work with in the Capitol to bring tributes home. He doesn’t want anyone else.

“Come here, baby.” Finnick murmurs, pulling you into his side. He presses a kiss to your forehead, “Don’t let them do this to you again, please.”

“I can’t do it again, Finnick.” You tell him, “I won’t survive another Capitol trip. We won’t survive another trip.”

“It’s not that bad.” He says, you meet his eyes for a few seconds. He’s got his head tilted, mouth pulled into a frown.

“They threw a drink at me this time.” You emphasize, “During their interviews, I had to sit with wine on my dress. How am I supposed to help them when I can’t even go talk to sponsors without ruining their chance? It’s not fair for them!”

Finnick stares at the gravel wordlessly.

“It’ll be one summer, you can take Mags with you. They love her.” You watch his face.

“What happens when you decide you don’t want to do it the year after that? And so on? I’m going to be left alone to deal with those people.” He shakes his head, “You can’t go there without them hating you, and I get eaten alive every night. I don’t like it either, (Y/n). I’m just asking you to suffer with me.”

“They want me dead.” You stop walking, “That’s my safety, babe.”

“I’m sorry.” He brushes a strand of hair out of your face, “I really am, (Y/n).”

You gather your hair into your hand before tossing it over your shoulder, “I’ll meet you at home.”

“Where are you going?” 

“To clear my head.” You take a step toward him, he holds your jaw still to kiss you. When he pulls away, he gives you a half-smile before turning and walking away, going to Victor’s Village. You watch him go for a few minutes, before you turn to the left, and head straight for the woods.

It’s overgrown, the bushes and grass reach your knees easily. Your fingers brush over the top of the leaves, pulling them away from their position. When you move on, they spring back into place, bouncing from side to side until it eventually settles.

You like it out here. There are times you wish you grew up somewhere with more trees and less water. You’ve gotten lost here a few times, spending whole days wandering back home. The fences that were put up during the Dark Days are pushed back far, likely anticipating that the trees would get cut down and be replaced by houses or factories.

You’re glad that the forest has gone untouched here.

There’s a vague path stomped into the grass, one that you’ve taken before. You have two spots you like to go to, depending on which is closer and how far you want to go into the woods. Every time you come here, you’re upset in some way, and you unintentionally take your anger out on the flourishing plants that conceal you.

You love Finnick, you really do, but you can’t continue to sacrifice your happiness for him. And you are so genuinely afraid that you won’t be able to continue to be with him, if something doesn’t change, soon. The Capitol might treat him harshly at times, but they also praise the ground he walks on. He has no idea just how much you bottle to keep from upsetting him while you’re there.

If it were up to you, you’d leave and never come back. You’ve got nothing to lose, everything that had mattered to you is gone now. Snow took them from you to punish you for saying no to him. Finnick was the only one of the victors who bothered to check up on you after, because he knew what it was like to be isolated like that. 

Finnick is the only person you have left, without him, you’re nothing. You can’t afford to lose him to the Capitol. 

It’d be so easy for you to come out here and disappear, you’re sure that no one important would notice, like the mayor or the peacekeepers. They hardly care that you show up to the reaping each year, it would be Finnick that they’d be looking for.

There’s got to be some place to hide out here, beyond the fence. The trees are tall and thick, creating a dense forest. The leaves provide shade and shelter from the hovercrafts that fly by. There’s wild plants, and animals that you haven’t seen close up in a long time.

The further you go, the harder it would be to find you. 

It would be just you and Finnick, forever. There would be no Capitol, no one following you around with an opinion, trying to pin you down and pull you apart. Every moment could be yours, without someone coming along and ruining it. You could live longer in peace, than in violence.

Those windermere peaks could be a perfect place to cry without someone turning your tears against you. It could be home, instead of some distant fantasy. And you’ll go, but not without Finnick, holding your hand the entire way there. Your future, so close and so far at the same time.

There, the air is crisp and clears your mind. The shade is cooler, you could sit in it for hours. The grass tickles every inch of skin that it can reach. The sun shines brighter, no clouds there to hide it. The birds sing louder, there are no threats to quiet them anymore.

You could be there for years, no one would come to bother you. You’d stay so long that the wisteria would grow right over your bare feet, locking you to the earth for the rest of your life. 

You could finally be who you are without people telling you that you aren’t good enough for him. There’s no one to judge you, as you and your muse sit beside the lake, where all the lovers went to die before you. And you’d live in a small house, you and your family, where roses sprout out of frozen ground because the love you have to give is insurmountable.

You wish you were somewhere other than here.

#iguna #finnick odair #finnick odair imagine #finnick odair oneshot #finnick odair fanfic #finnick odair x reader #finnick odair x you #finnick odair x yn #finnick odair x y/n #finnick imagine #finnick fanfic #finnick oneshot #finnick x reader #finnick x you #finnick x y/n #finnick x yn #thg #the hunger games #requested #fluff

[mrsnancywheeler]

OKAY SO-

You said onetime that Finnick and sweet girl have major hadestown vibes and that’s so real!!! (That literature paper I wrote that was around 4,000 was actually about hadestown! I was writing about the contemporary political themes and love)

The sudden way Finnick went to talk to her for the first time reminds me so much of “come home with me” and overall their love story reminds me of “all I’ve ever known” because of just how much they’re like “the world is shit but when I’m with you everything is okay” yk? And Finnick is so Orpheus, willing to risk everything for Eurydice.

ALSO!!! Sweet girl reminds me of “flowers” specifically after the capitol took her after the quarter quell. I mean the whole song takes place when Eurydice can’t remember Orpheus but all she can’t remember is the feeling of safety, the feeling of belonging,

I could talk about hadestown all day (my original draft was 5,000 words) , and I could talk about the lakes all day

-🌾anon

YES YES YES I've be wanting to fully explore this so buckle up guys this is a long ride, ily so much pookie bc I've missed your thoughts while I've been sick 😭

(also that as an essay topic is so real and I bet it was absolutely amazing)

starting off with all I've ever known because it is so absolutely them in every sense of the song

"this is how it's always been, all I've ever known is how to hold my own, but now I want to hold you too." finnick only has people he perceives as fair weather friends or those who use him, but then there's her and suddenly he doesn't have to worry about that. and she's so used to masking, protecting herself but then there's him, all she longs for.

we know sweet girl is always cold and finnick is the warmth to contrast that, her sun to keep her from freezing "you take me in your arms, suddenly there's sunlight all around me, everything bright and warm and shining like it never did before and for a moment I forget just how dark and cold it gets."

"now I wanna hold you, hold you close, I don't wanna ever have to let you go. now I wanna hold you, hold you tight, I don't wanna go back to the lonely life." both of them longing for each other's touch, presence, the release found in being with one another

readers anxiety about not being worthy and deserving suffering is so, "I don't know how or why. who am I, that I should get to hold you?"

and finnick knowing she's the one before they've even really spoken, he just knows it's right is so, "it's like I'd known you all along, I knew you before we met and I don't even know you yet. all I know's you're someone I have always known."

and him and his sweet girl as the back in forth at the end, chef's kiss perfect

"say that you'll hold me forever. say that the wind won't change on us. say that we'll stay with each other and it will always be like this." with her never ending anxieties

"I'm gonna hold you forever, the wind will never change on us. long as we stay with each other, then it will always be like this." as finnick trying to reassure his sweet girl.

side bar to a line in hey, little songbird that always makes me think of her when she's trying to differentiate reality from lies in the Capitol

"suddenly nothing is as it was. where are you now, orpheus? wasn't it gonna be the two of us, weren't we birds of a feather?"

moving onto flowers which is so her

"dreams are sweet until they're not. men are kind, until they aren't. flowers bloom until they rot and fall apart." the dream of being with finnick getting her through the games versus the reality of winning and what that took. the trafficking faced in the capitol AND when conway turned on her, playing into the romantic facade in the end. her when she was young, become a husk of that.

and then the feeling when she's in the Capitol and can't verbalize how she's feeling, she just needs people to know because it's all too much. she doesn't want to be unreadable, she longs to be herself again but isn't quite there yet.

"is anybody listening? I open my mouth and nothing comes out. nothing. nothing gonna wake me now."

then out of all the negative, twisted memories, the positive anecdotes she does have. and the way she's so scared but still longs for finnick regardless.

"flowers, I remember fields of flowers, soft beneath my heels. walking in the sun, I remember someone, someone by my side turned his face to mine."

"you, the one I left behind. if you ever walk this way, come and find me lying in the bed I made."

AND FINNICK IS JUST SO WAIT FOR ME CODED

"wait for me, I'm coming. wait, I'm coming with you. wait for me, I'm coming too." like he so desperately wanted to instantly go back to the capitol and save her or just be with her that he was stuck in a constant state of sedation when they refused to let him.

"that town'll try to suck you dry. they'll suck your brain, they'll suck your breath, they'll pluck your heart right out of your chest." the lengths he's willing to go, the trials he'll endure for her

a small time to flash back to wedding song because on a fluffier note it's so a back and forth between them

sweet girl is so "lover, tell me if you can, who's gonna buy the wedding bands? times being what they are, hard and getting harder all the time."

and the ever reassuring finnick "lover, when I sing my song, all the rivers will sing along. and they're gonna break their banks for us and with their gold be generous. all a-flashing in the pan, all to fashion for your hand, the rivers gonna give us the wedding bands."

okay and the way reader views herself and what Snow manipulation to hijack her, and how they always mention fate is tearing them apart is very akin to when the chips are down.

"help yourself, to hell with the rest, even the one who loves you best."

"what you gonna do when the chips are down? now that the chips are down. " " oh, my aching heart."

"ain't nobody but yourself to trust"

"aim for the heart, shoot to kill. if you don't do it then the other one will."

"cast your eyes to heaven, you get a knife in the back. nobody's righteous, nobody's proud, nobody's innocent, now that the chips are down"

AND PROMISES like finnick trying to work them back though what the Capitol did to her and she's so desperate to be herself again even if she's struggling. and he's trying but he uncertain on how to do it especially since this isn't the future he necessarily envisioned for them.

(in a sweet girl then finnick line set up)

"let's go, let's go right now"

"okay, let's go. how?"

"we'll walk, you know the way. we'll just come back the way you came."

"it's a long road, it's a long walk. back into the cold and dark. are you sure you wanna go?"

"take me home."

"I have no ring for your finger, I have no banquet table to lay, I have no bed of feathers, whatever promises I made. I can't promise you fair sky above, I can't promise you kind road below, but I'll walk beside you love. anyway the wind blows."

"I don't need gold or silver. just bread when I'm hungry, fire when I'm cold. don't need a ring for my finger, just a steady hand to hold...just walk beside me love, anyway the wind blows"

and both of them "do you let me walk with you? I do. I do. and keep on walking come what will? I will. I will. we will."

this is all for now because it's so long but they're literally them and I'm convinced this is just one of the lessons they've learned in a past life when he turned around. so now he's learning to trust in this life.

and as evident so can I lmao 😭 I'm glad we're on the same page though. love you 💋

#wanda 💋 #finnick odair x reader #finnick odair x y/n #finnick odair #the lakes #finnick odair fluff #finnick odair angst #finnick odair x reader fluff #finnick odair x you #the river #🌾 anon

[maysrinn]

family au Headcanons: those brats probably snuck on a train once to district 12 because they wanted to see where their mom grew up. Do they succeed is up to whether Snow hired a good enough security team. To be fair these are the children of Coriolanus and Lucy Gray.

Brats!? They are beans smol beans!! they have never done anything wrong in their life T^T…alright Xanthos is a brat but it’s not his fault, it’s mine.

________

Xanthos would absolutely not be interested in stepping one foot out of the Capitol. He would be clinging to his mother terrified of everything that lies behind those borders. Janus, he would come along for the ride but as of going for his own curiosity, not really. The one you need to be watching out tho is Rosalyn and her partner in crime Augustus Dovecote. Inseparable those two and never up to anything good. She would absolutely be thrilled about everything her mother told her about like the meadow, the lake, the hob she used to perform at and all the snakes she would collect. 6 year old Rosie tho can’t do much, she can’t even reach the doorknob at home let alone count to 10 but give her at least 8 more years and she is out with the next train!

Possibly giving her father a heart attack along the way, panem will thank her 🥀

—————

#snowbaird #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #tbosas

[cafeleningrad]

Boy do I have ambiguous feelings towards TBSOS as a book. Thinking out typing, to say so.

Because Coriolanus is so compellingly written: Constantly in a state of mental warfare, him being conditioned to think of himself as superior, the constant survival mode having molded him selfish, any kindness and comradery is mocked by, if not deeply dangerous in his enviroment. Dr. Gaul, Panem itself never letting him escape out of this mentality.

So then, District 12 should take him out of this environment, giving him a chance to re-evaluate. And sure, nature, birds, the lake as metaphor how District people live a hard life but full of connection. Yet Coriolanus stumbling thorugh this metaphor with "not liking birds and mosquitos" so "we need control of that", is not really re-evaluating his beliefs enough for a debate about state control. Like, he's a city kid on his first time out on the country side. These parts were so funny to me because yeah, I had to softly tell friends form the city that the coo-coo sounds wasn't a barnowl but a forest dove, and yeah the hiking pathways get muddy when it rains, get used to the dirt, don't look so surprised this is how to milk cows and yes neither the cow nor I are happy to get up at 5am but it has to be done. Again, I do see the metaphor but I do et the culture shock from his perspective, and that a first impression at 18 informs his first dabbling at political theory without any proper counterargument leaves a big gap between the meta discussions and actual events. For a guy who was raised in luxury, was recently promised luxury, him being confronted with utter poverty... I mean yeah, there's just juxtaposition, no nearing of positions.

For one Coriolanus has barely gotten out of his old life, yet the narrative doesn't really confront his believes, especially in his late teens, is just weak. I've a lot of problems formulating this properly because Coriolanus considers the cruelty of the Capitol he himself was subjected to as necessary, his belief in his superiority aids him through the mental loopholes to justify his killings, only his actions are noble but nobody else could act out of the same reasons as him. Yet all Lucy Grey and Coriolanus argue about is "people can easily be bad" back with "actually, people are good" and that's the whole debate of safety vs. liberty. I mean yeah sure, the narrative and Dr. Gaul made sure that a first shock experience was somehow enough to convince him that things are good and fair as they are, and yet I am left dissatisfied at the book leaving me with such an intricate character in a world of simple sides.

(Also Coriolanus deciding to kill Lucy Gray instead of thinking how to get the girl with him to District 2. I mean yeah, again I've to argue with the meta that Coriolanus is selfish, and thinks of her more as his property, and by now she's metaphorically connected to nature, autonomy and so on, but still... why would a guy this possessive, five minutes ago agreeing to run away for her, not try to have her but in his way? the final quarter really grates me in a way that I have a hard time pinpointing how the text established so much for Coriolanus to walk on it's own although he doesn't walk a path of argumentative logic.)

#Lewis rambling

[acornsandoaktrees]

LOTRweek Day 7:

free day

ad meliora (toward better things)

Two generations return home at long last.

>---|-

The new road followed Erebor's shoreline down onto the marshes of the Long Lake, running inland from the river and connecting with Felegoth on the north side. From there the derelict elf path had been strengthened and widened, patrolled routinely as frequent traffic wore newly laid cobbles.

This road, quickly adopted as the Woodland Highway in travellers' cheer, worked through the mountains as far as Rivendell, there connecting with the Road that led ultimately to The Shire.

Previously, paths had to be forged through shifting terrain for miles, severely limiting trade between far peoples. The world had gotten a whole lot wider thanks to the Highway, and the Elvenqueen's grace.

All this Laerion explained as they left Dale's busy streets behind in the shadow of the Lonely Mountain.

Ríros' head swivelled around to follow a laiden pony emerging from the forest. "Was that a dwarf?"

Laerion laughed heartily. "They like the caves," he said, rather cryptically, steering his horse from the path of a trundling wagon.

Felegoth's gates yawned ahead of them, wide open and drawing closer through a thinning thicket of trees. They left their horses with a stablehand before crossing the bridge. Laerion passed on a command regarding Rìros' belongings on his behalf -- he was too occupied watching traffic moving through the gates.

Disbelieving, he shook his head, then followed Laerion inside.

Much of the traffic peeled off before the main bridge, instead channelled down other paths into halls from which busied conversation echoed and ribbons of incense curled. Cracks of light found their way between tree roots laced through the stone ceiling high above. Clear and cool, the air was light on one's lungs, forest fragrances cutting through an earthy undertone.

Prior to his cursed banishment, Ríros hadn't ever spent much time in Felegoth, its construction new and his home village away nearer the opposite border of the forest.

Laerion had explained much of its history, having been born in the flourishing time of Emyn Duir's place as capitol of the Greenwood, but such wisdom had fallen largely on deaf ears. Ríros had no wish to be here, to see that throne again.

Finding someone familiar to him, Laerion left him at the bridge. The river rushed raging below. Under his fingertips Ríros traced weary breaks in stone, moving at a snail's pace past trailing ivy.

Then, she was there ahead of him. Framed by vast antlers, her woven crown of verdant branches a halo.

For all that he thought of her father, Ríros could not deny that Alphes looked awesome; an incandescent figure of the sun.

She noticed him quickly. The Elvenqueen descended the stairs in quick strides to meet him, dismissing an ellon bearing the crest of Lothlórien on his messenger bag as she went.

"You're here," she breathed, taking his hands in hers, face alight.

Her ashen hair shone like white fire in a beam of noonday sun. Smaller than him, her hands were fair and warm in his. Unable to fight a smile, Ríros squeezed her hands gently. He still saw so much of that bright little elfling in her, grown before him.

"I have been waiting with baited breath since the day I left."

"That day has arrived," Alphes said, like a promise, though such a thing was unnecessary. He was home again, at last, and did not plan to leave any time soon.

"Felegoth is more lively than last I was here. It is good to see."

A hint of melancholy crept onto the queen's face, and she dropped his hands. "That did not change until long after you left. But I am not my adar."

"Of course not. You must be proud of what you have accomplished."

Alphes inclined her head in thanks, beech leaves of her crown swaying as she did. She didn't meet his gaze. In the pause, Ríros addressed his burning question, hope straining its bonds.

"Tell me, Elvenqueen, is my daughter here? Tauriel? Laerion -- the Prince tells me you know of her."

Twisting her fingers over one another, Alphes smiled strangely, tightly. "I hope she will be."

What could that mean? "Then do you have word of her mother? My bonded, Andrethien."

Alphes grimaced and looked away. "That... is another matter."

>---|-

The following week passed blurry and languid. After eons away, it was almost like a waking dream, only believable because of how different it was to his usual hauntings.

Ríros' rooms had been prepared ahead of his arrival: a lovely furnished suite high up in the cave system, lit by flameless lights in sconces, porthole windows overlooking the rushing river and faraway glittering lake.

Kindly, the Elvenqueen eased him into his new duties, only calling on him when absolutely needed. In this way she left him many hours to reacquaint himself with Eryn Lasgalen (as it had come to be known in his absence).

His first act was to visit Andrethien's gravesite. All that remained of her was a stone cairn at the foot of a great oak tree, drenched in sunlight. His daughter had laid it, he knew. She loved oaks more than any other.

There at her grave he begged in soft murmurs for her forgiveness on his knees, until his body ached as his heart did. From that day forth, he visited her often between his journeys.

At times, he travelled so far south as the wooded fringes of the mountains. Beyond them, he was told, the Narrows had been shared with the Woodmen and Beornings, and Lothlórien had expanded its domain southwards of the Narrows into new East Lórien. Lothlórien's leader had in the absence of Celeborn reclaimed Amon Lanc a final time, and the hill sat again a shining Elvish jewel in the south.

Ríros promised himself to visit one day soon, as Andrethien had always wanted to.

However, as of then, more pressing matters kept him close to home. The new King Under The Mountain had made an egregious claim to Felegoth, on the basis that their craftspeople had hewn its halls millennia ago.

"As if their own halls are not enough," Alphes groused, pinching the bridge of her fine nose.

Dwarf greed was something deeply lamented by elves, chief amongst every other percieved failing of the mountain children.

"They are fickle," Laerion soothed his sister, laying a hand on her shoulder, "but we owe them nothing, and they are not going to risk war."

Alphes placed her hand over his. "No, I suppose they're not."

All heads snapped to a fuss at the gates. Guards' voices rang joyful, echoing throughout the great pillared caves of the fortress.

"Tauriel!" They cried, delighted, "You're home! Thank the Valar!"

Across the ivy-ridden bridge crimson hair flowed, footsteps echoing richly, outpacing the guards' golden march. Features solidified in sheltered beams of sunlight. In hazel eyes -- his eyes -- a fierce fire burned.

"Tauriel," Alphes breathed, moving to meet her as if in a daze.

Ríros' heart soared. He made to step forward, but Laerion stopped him with a hand at his sternum and a knowing look in his eye. Ríros bit his tongue and rooted his feet.

Trembling, his daughter reached up to cup the queen's face, fingers lost in ashen hair, eyes glazed, riveted, drinking in the sight of her. The tiniest of sighs left Alphes, and her shoulders slumped with held relief. Their foreheads came together; Alphes clung to her arms for dear life. Tauriel's thumbs brushed over her tight jaw.

Beside Ríros, Laerion was smiling, hand over his heart, shining silver eyes fixed on his sister. After exchanging whispered words, the two elleths broke apart, trying to subtly rebuild themselves, cheeks glistening.

Then Laerion and Tauriel embraced, faces bright in reunion. And finally, Alphes turned to Ríros, clasping her hands in order to still their anxious fidgeting. She opened her mouth to speak.

"Ada," Tauriel gasped, taking note of the stranger for the first time.

She was long grown from the elfling he knew in old memories, but in her face he saw the daughter he had once sung to sleep every night, and in her stance he saw her mother, and in her eyes he saw himself.

Ríros quickly lost the battle to retain his composure. "It's me, iellig."

"I don't understand. I don't-- I don't understand," his daughter fretted, looking around for help.

Alphes steadied her with a hand on her arm. "My father lied, Tauriel," she pulled in a shuddering breath, averted her eyes. "He lied."

Suddenly so young, Tauriel's gaze flicked between the queen and Ríros, utterly bewildered. She sat heavily on the first stair to the throne, knees folded up to her chest. Hiding her eyes behind shaking hands, she shook her head vehemently.

"This can't be. I -- this can't be."

Ríros swallowed away a wash of nausea. "I'm right here, pîn breth," he said as soft as he could, braving a step forward.

Tauriel leapt up from the stair. "Why! Why now!"

"I--"

"Why are you here so late? She's gone!" Her entire body shook, furious and fragile. "She's gone!"

"Tauriel--" Alphes tried, reaching out. Tauriel brushed her off.

Ríros frowned, and sudden tears sprung to his eyes. "You think it does not pain me? All this time I thought she was alive, with you! You have had a lifetime to grieve! I have had seven days."

Tauriel looked between him and the queen as if stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"This is not what I wanted," she choked, and swept from the hall before either could stop her.

Alphes looked after her sadly, a different kind of pain etched on her face.

>---|-

They did not see Tauriel for some time afterwards. Much, much, less than her previous absence in Rivendell, but notable after so long already. Laerion, who had been the only one daring enough to visit as of yet, reported that she had taken up residence at her old home in Laspen, and was repairing the house.

It sickened Ríros to think of returning, and so he left her what distance she wanted, though doing so pained him equally.

Soon, Alphes left for a gathering of Middle Earth's leaders in Gondor, an event which would occupy her for multiple weeks. A contingent of golden-plated guards flanked her, lean horses clattering through the gates in breast straps and cruppers of glossy leather, harsh breaths misting in frigid winter air.

With the Dwarven threat on hold for the gathering -- and with the potential to be mitigated during -- Ríros and Laerion remained to watch over the forest. As trained heir before abdicating, Laerion handled matters of state in his sister's stead; not that there were many, for elves were slow in most things and took no rush.

For his part, Ríros kept a steady eye on all going-ons. Despite his insistence otherwise, Laerion was adept at his task, and needed little help. His mere presence seemed to offer strength enough.

Rather quickly, even that was unnecessary, and the ellon found himself with abundant freedom once more. Eventually, he exhausted all other routes, and plucked up the courage to visit... home. True home. His daughter.

The village was quiet, and different.

Some houses were taller and some wider, points of light shining in the after-sunset dark. Tiered platforms hugged trunks of thick pine trees, and between certain houses frosty rope bridges extended high above the snow-dusted carpet of ferns. Familiar, the Forest River rushed distantly, ice cracking.

His house (what to call it now? Tauriel's house? It had not been his a long time, nor Andrethien's) laid ahead past the light, its own star in the hazy evening gloom. A field of asters bloomed around the roots of the pine, dainty violet petals folded inward, brushed with glittering frost like the night sky.

Honey-coloured wood mimicked the interlocking spines of a pinecone. Powdery snow piled anywhere it could find purchase. Through the center rose the old pine, tall and straight and proud as always. A particularly thick branch broke through one side: a porthole from which smoke of a cooking fire ribboned up into layers of dark needles. On the wood around it snow had melted.

Glowing lanterns hung from each window and above the rounded door, casting pale pools of light against snow flurries. Crawling plants and untrimmed bushes in planters clung to the ridges of the house, clouds of frost scattering in a mournful rush of wind. Past cracked window panes, warm light illuminated the trunk within, busy shelves crowding its silhouette.

Standing before the waving rope ladder, bile rose in Ríros' throat, and he turned away. Instead, he followed a beam of pale light; the moon was just rising through the trees beyond the houses.

What caught him truly unawares, in all this half-forgotten newness, was finding his own cairn in a moonlit glade before the river. He had never known what his family had been told of his fate. Here was the answer:

An unused liaison standing sentinel in memoriam. Time had worn its stone, and snow piled high enough to almost swallow his etched name.

He cried again for his daughter and his bonded, quiet and still and muffled by sheets of snow falling thicker by the minute. What injustice, to have been left behind in a place of sorrow.

Footsteps sunk cautious into snow carpeting the glade. Ríros stood; his crimson hair and Andrethien's dark skin greeted him, bashful.

"I'm sorry for lashing out, before," Tauriel said.

Ríros wiped his eyes. "I deserved it."

"No, I was harsh--"

"Your feelings were perfectly justified. This was sudden for both of us."

"...I missed you, Ada."

"Oh, pîn breth, I--" Ríros sighed, his exhale a misted cloud, and closed his eyes. "I can hardly begin to put voice to my regrets."

Jaw flexing, Tauriel chewed the inside of her cheek. "Where did you go?"

He hesitated. "Is this really the place to discuss such things?" Ríros gestured at the cairn. His cairn. The conduit of a broken thread.

Steel cooled hard in Tauriel's eyes. "Where else?"

That, he realised, was fair. His own feelings did not take precedence; this was the grave of the peace of his daughter's heart, not of him. She may as well heal a fraction of it here.

"A blood debt," He said. "I... owed someone my life, my service. I had no option to refuse. I am only able to be here now because they recently sailed for Valinor."

"We were told you died in a skirmish with orcs," Tauriel said quietly.

Ríros nodded. He had expected such a tale. "You couldn't be told the truth. It would have been so much harder if you had known I was still here, still alive, but... never with you."

"I suppose." She looked at the cairn for a long moment. "We mourned you."

"I know it must feel hard to believe, but it was the right choice, Tauriel."

"Maybe. But one hurt traded for another does not mean there is no hurt."

Ríros thought of his dear friends, and their absence, and their children. His heart ached anew. "No."

"It nearly killed Nana, did you know? Then when she overcame it, a different darkness took her instead." Restrained rage rose into a hum beneath Tauriel's words. It was general, directed at everything that had caused her pain.

Overwhelmed by all he felt yet lacked the words to say, Ríros said nothing and watched her quietly.

"I hope you know my life has not been easier for your absence, even under the wing of monarchs." Tauriel took a shuddering breath and drew folds of her dark dress into her hands. "When Thalanes died, I saw Thranduil break just the same, and it threatened to tear his family apart, and it scared me."

Braving a step closer, Ríros laid a fatherly hand on the brun fur covering her shoulders. "We have lived through dark days, iellig. They are over now."

Turning to him, Tauriel's eyes adopted a teary quality like starlight. No sooner were his arms open than his daughter had filled them, clinging to him like that small elfling she had last been. Making tight fists in his tunic, Tauriel gasped for breath, choking on sobs that wracked her entire frame as if the ocean swelled in her lungs. Ríros buried his nose in her crimson hair and held her close.

"My pîn breth," he murmured, repeating the nickname until his lungs burned. Snow began to settle on their clothes and hair.

"I'm sorry I failed to protect her," Tauriel wept after a brief time.

"Oh, darling, that was never a duty you should've felt you had to bear." Heart aching, Ríros pressed a fierce kiss to the crown of her head. "You have grown into a wonderful elf, Tauriel... I am sorry I missed it all."

Seeking warmth, Tauriel nestled closer to him. Her tears seeped salty into his shirt. Ríros sighed into her hair and held her tightly.

"I should have been there," He murmured, watching snow fall.

"It couldn't be helped," Tauriel mumbled.

Ríros closed his eyes and said nothing more for a while.

"Ada, let us see her together again. It has been so long."

"...Alright."

>---|-

Her mother's cairn was not far from the house, hidden by a clump of bushes past the river. Ríros gasped at her side: he hadn't released how close to his own.

Her father kneeled and laid a hand beside Andrethien's cairn. They had kept the sight of her body from Tauriel. She had only seen the ashes scattered. Clovers surged amongst the snow, crowding at his hand.

"I will honour you, melleth," Her father swore, hushed and reverent.

Quivering with the weight of tears, a sob burst fragmented from his mouth. Utterly despairing, he pulled his hands to his lips, struggling to suppress the grief that bubbled into steam within him.

Faced with his raw, bleeding emotion, Tauriel felt utterly detached. The ache of her mother's loss was long dulled by time. She could hardly remember the touch of it, the hold it had clung to her with as it now squeezed the life from her father.

"This grief is new, and heart- heart-cleaving, and I don't know h-how you bore it as a child," Ríros gasped, deprived of breath through tears, kneeling in the snow like a prayer.

Although she knew his pain keenly, Tauriel could not think of a single thing to say. Instead, she knelt beside him and brought him into her arms.

It was a strange thing to hold her own father. Strange enough to see him now, far from the tall broad hazy figure of her memories. He was warm against her; tears on his face and a latent heat althroughout his body.

"Before, I always had the comfort of someday seeing her again," Ríros said over her shoulder.

Tauriel bit her cheek and tried to feel. Blood sprung to her tongue. "In Valinor, Ada."

He nodded halfheartedly.

"...Do you regret returning? To this horrible truth?"

Abruptly, Ríros pulled from her to see her face. "No! No! I-- I loved your mother, and I always will, but you are my daughter and you are here, now. You are my priority, above everything."

Something unknown ripped through her chest at that. Since her mother's death, she had only dreamt of hearing such an assurance. She loved Liatan dearly, as a caretaker and a brother, but what could compare to a father's piety?

Tauriel squeezed his hands. "Thank you, Ada."

He cupped her cheek, brushed a thumb over the familiar shape of her ear. "Of course. Of course."

>---|-

The house was a mess, but overall stable. Elves built things to last. The spiders hadn't gotten inside; everything was as she had left it long ago, buried beneath a thick layer of dust.

Tauriel's first act was to tear down the webs encasing the outside. She bundled them up and burned them in a clear space on the forest floor. A light rain drowned the ashes. Tauriel set a bowl she had carved as a child under the leak in the roof.

The tapestry her father had braided still hung over the mantle, affixed there centuries ago by her mother. To keep him in their hearts, she had said, as if the whole house wasn't steeped in the memory of him. The threads were faded.

Tauriel didn't have the heart to remove it. She slept on the floor that night, curled up away from the fire. Neither bedroom felt right.

In time foundations were replenished and wood varnished and dust swept away.

Her father stayed and helped for a few weeks, sleeping each night in an armchair instead of the master bed. Eventually needed in Felegoth, he departed with a smattering of personal items that hardly left a visible dent in the house.

In spring's emerging newness, a fleet-footed elk approached in its lurching proud way on soft grass, weaving between blossoms.

Tauriel let down the rope ladder as the rider tied her elk on a roaming rein to a post underneath the house. The elk set to grazing on woody plants sprouting by the old pine tree's roots. Ashen hair -- loose and crownless -- rose over the lip of the platform.

The elleths regarded each other a moment, caution held tight to chests. Then Tauriel reached out and helped her up the last step.

Waving daylight streamed inside through the large windows. The panes were still cracked, scattering fragments of kaleidoscopic beams over honey-coloured wood.

Curious as a cat, Alphes peered at everything, young light gliding over her form as she moved about. Her mere presence brightened the space, warmed the sun. Tauriel watched her from the doorway.

"This house looks so different with you here."

Diverting her attention from an obscure carved figurine sitting on the mantle, Alphes glanced her way. Blue eyes caught a ribbon of light, melting like silver.

"In a good way or bad way?"

"I'm not sure yet."

Alphes hummed and toyed with a different figurine of a posing deer. "It's nice. This is where you grew up?"

Tauriel shifted her weight. "Yes."

"Before you lost them."

"...Yes."

"And now you're back, hiding here."

Tauriel did not give an answer. "Why did you come?"

"Everything is different now." Tone softening, Alphes pulled in a shuddering breath. "I-- so much has changed, I thought I'd at least try--"

She stopped then and turned away, clutching her arms. Short sleeves lifted with the stretch of her embroidered blouse, consequently revealing the edge of a pale ridged scar.

Disturbed by memories, Tauriel fought with stubborn words. "I am here, aren't I?"

"If you believe that."

Silence dragged heavy between them. Hardly seeing past a haze any more, Alphes thumbed the curve of her palm.

"Where did you go?"

"Please, don't."

"Tauriel," she pleaded, "Just... tell me. I must know. If you were safe, or alone, or--"

"Elrond accepted me into his House," Tauriel blurted, uncomfortable to imagine Alphes' worries. "For a time."

"Oh."

"He was kind to me," she tried to cushion.

Turning out of the light, Alphes dropped her hands. "Would you rather be with him now than here?"

Braving a step closer, Tauriel raised her voice by a notch. "You cannot believe that. This is my home."

Alphes raised her own voice in return. "Is it? Really? Because you're not acting like it."

"Alphes," Tauriel tried, though nothing else followed past the growing lump in her throat. She did not wish to fight.

The Elvenqueen stepped past her at the doorway, hovering beyond it in the light as if tied. "Maybe you've been away too long."

"Alphes, please," Tauriel choked again, her voice degrading. What she was begging for, she did not know. Only perhaps to stay.

Against the strength of her will, Alphes turned back, hair alight in white fire. "I missed you so much, Tauriel. All that time I wanted you home. When you didn't answer my letter, I thought... I was terrified you..."

Finally reaching out, Tauriel caught her wrist, intent on not allowing her to leave despite the elleth showing no intention to go any further. "I am here now. I couldn't stay away. Not forever."

Glistening in the light, tears gathered in Alphes' pale eyes. "I never wanted you to go."

"I know." Without hesitation Tauriel pulled her close, laying a trembling hand on ashen hair. "It was not your choice."

"I would have ended the world for you, Tauriel," Alphes gasped into her shoulder, raw, bleeding, clinging like a drowning sailor to her shirt.

Hot tears burning her face like memory of dragon fire, Tauriel closed her eyes tight. An open wound nestled between her ribs, her heart ached.

"And I you, melleth."

#lotr #tolkien #tolkien elves #the hobbit #aaotverse #acorns and oak trees #greenwood kids #lotr au #lotrweek #ríros of greenwood #laerion of greenwood #alphes of greenwood #tauriel of greenwood

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

KAL

* * * *

Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter

Biden v. CPAC ::  March 6, 2023

Robert B. Hubbell

         To the extent that the ultra-conservative CPAC convention over the weekend tells us anything, it is encapsulated in this fact: “Governor-in-her-own-mind” Kari Lake placed first in the polling to be Donald Trump's running mate in 2024. That’s right, a woman whose most significant life accomplishment is not conceding an election she lost was selected to be the vice president for a man whose legacy will be not conceding an election he lost. If you add “refusal to concede” to the “war against woke-ism,” “retribution,” and “Hunter Biden’s laptop,” the result is a fair approximation of the GOP 2024 platform.

         While we should not dismiss the attraction of that platform to 20% of the electorate, it does not roll trippingly off the tongue. If CPAC 2023 is a mirror into the soul of the GOP heading into 2024, Democrats have plenty of reason to be hopeful—but no reason to be complacent!

         Before reviewing what happened at the CPAC convention in DC, it is reasonable to ask whether CPAC remains relevant to the fortunes of the Republican Party. It does. True, CPAC is receding back into the dark corners of the GOP from whence it emerged in the 1980s, but it remains aligned with a plurality of Republican voters (which includes Republican-leaning Independents). As such, the straw polls and jeering of non-Trump candidates over the weekend suggest a bruising fight in the 2024 GOP primary.

         I cannot cite poll numbers that address the specific question of whether CPAC is representative of the Republican Party, but other polling demonstrates that the conspiratorial beliefs on full display at CPAC animate the majority of Republicans. See, e.g., Philip Bump's op-ed in WaPo, Figuring out how many ‘MAGA Republicans’ there actually are. As explained by Bump, if you consider four common beliefs (the Big Lie, supporting Big Lie candidates, support for J6 insurrectionists, and support for violence to effect political change), Republican support for those beliefs ranges from 50%+ (Big Lie) to about 20% (violence).

         Given that election deniers Kari Lake and Donald Trump won the straw polls at CPAC by capturing 62% and 20% of the vote, respectively, probabilities favor a Republican election denier nominee in 2024. DeSantis garnered only 20% of the vote, with Pompeo, Haley, and others claiming the remaining 18%. Projecting a roughly equivalent result in the GOP primaries, Trump is the odds-on favorite to secure the GOP nomination, despite his waning support. Indeed, the CPAC straw poll closely tracks Trump's favorability ratings in the PBS News Hour poll last month.  

         It is, of course, too early to rely on polling to predict election outcomes in 2024, but the themes espoused by candidates trolling for votes at CPAC will not change. Nikki Haley—whose proudest moment was being forced to remove a Confederate flag flying over the South Carolina Capitol—based her CPAC pitch as a war against “wokeness.” In a truly thoughtless statement, she claimed that “wokeness” is a virus “more dangerous than any pandemic”—an affront to the families of 1.1 million Americans who died from Covid.

         Other CPAC speakers echoed similar themes, with one conservative radio host saying “transgenderism must be eradicated from public life entirely.” See Rolling Stone, CPAC Speaker Calls for Eradication of ‘Transgenderism’ — and Somehow Claims He’s Not Calling for Elimination of Transgender People.

         [It is appropriate to pause here and reflect on how closely the speaker’s words came to a call for the eradication of transgender people. For everyone who is exhausted by the fight or unwilling to support the transgender community, the call for “eradication” should be the clarion signal that if we do not stop the hate against the transgender community, similar calls against the broader LGBTQ community will be next, followed by other religious, ethnic, and racial groups that have been the traditional targets of white supremacists. We must draw the line here.]

         The calls to hate, division, and denialism that dominated the CPAC convention were the themes that led to GOP losses in 2020 and 2022. But the GOP seems unable to quit its symbiotic relationship with those vices—no matter the political cost.

         This brings us to Trump's speech at CPAC. You have seen his speech before, dozens of times. The fact that he recycled hateful memes and phrases does not make it less dangerous. See The Guardian, ‘I am your retribution’: Trump rules supreme at CPAC as he relaunches bid for White House.

         I will not dwell on Trump's speech. You can read the details in The Guardian, linked above. But the straw poll that Trump won convincingly was taken after the speech. I do not believe that the CPAC straw poll should cause fear and anxiety among Democrats; instead, they should re-affirm our conviction that we have plenty of reason to believe that Democrats will retain the White House in 2024. And as Trump drags down the GOP hope of recapturing the presidency, he will hurt down-ballot Republicans who will be forced to defend his hate, division, and anti-democratic messages.

         We can never count on Republicans to beat themselves, but we should not ascribe to them superpowers or invincibility they do not have. We can beat them—especially if they spend another two years in the echo chamber of Trump's empty, grievance-filled mind.

Meanwhile, Joe Biden acknowledges the nation’s debt to the civil rights marchers on the anniversary of Bloody Sunday.

         As Trump was spewing hate at CPAC, Biden was preaching healing and remembrance in Selma, Alabama, on the 58th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, a day of infamy in America’s history. Historian Heather Cox Richardson has already written eloquently about the backdrop of Biden’s speech, so will I not retread that ground. See Heather Cox Richardson, March 5, 2023 (Sunday).

         It was ‘fitting and proper’ for Biden to deliver remarks in Selma on the day of remembrance for Bloody Sunday. He spoke as the leader of a nation still attempting to reconcile its promise with its past. As Biden spoke on Sunday, many of the promises of the Constitution remain unfulfilled or under attack. By calling for the nation to honor those overdue promises, Biden was being alert to the continuing injustices faced by Black citizens in America—the very definition of “wokeness” condemned by Nikki Haley, Donald Trump, and other CPAC speakers.

         We must assume that unlike Joe Biden, Nikki Haley (if she becomes president) will refuse to observe similar anniversaries because of her campaign against “wokeness”—days like Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month, or Loving Day. The latter celebrates the end of laws that prohibited marriage between “whites” and “Blacks”—laws that were applied against immigrants from India after the US Supreme Court ruled in 1923 that an immigrant from India did not meet the “common sense” definition of “a free white person”—and could not, therefore, become a naturalized US citizen.

But for the “wokeness” of Mildred and Richard Loving, some states might still prohibit marriages between US citizens whose ancestors immigrated from India and “white” Americans. See The India Forum, The ‘Hindus’ and Anti-miscegenation Laws in the United States.

         Joe Biden’s remembrance of Bloody Sunday is not only an “alertness to discrimination” against Black Americans but a reminder that the liberties that the Freedom Riders redeemed with their blood are gifts to all Americans—including Nikki Haley and her husband, who enjoy those freedoms in their personal lives even if they choose not to acknowledge their debt to Black civil rights activists who secured those rights for all Americans.

         If remembering the sacrifice of the civil rights marchers of the 1950s and 1960s is wokeness, we need more of it, not less. And bless Joe Biden for acknowledging our national debt to those brave Americans who walked stoically into the waiting batons, whips, and rubber tubes wrapped in barbed wire on Edmund Pettus Bridge fifty-eight years ago. Each of us owes them a debt of gratitude that can only be repaid by vigilance in protecting the rights they secured at great personal sacrifice.

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

#Robert B Hubbell #Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter #CPAC #election 2024 #The Big Lie #Corrupt GOP #Criminal GOP #corrupt SCOTUS

[swan-of-sunrise]

Spellbinding (Chapter Twenty Eight/Finale)

Summary: An Alfheimian coronation and the promise of a happily ever after for Loki and (Y/N)...

Pairing: Loki X Reader

Word Count: 7k

Warnings/Disclaimers: Disclaimer for a depiction and discussion of PTSD and its symptoms

A/N: Thank you guys so, so much for being patient with me, I’ve been working on another series and if I’m being honest, I didn’t want this series to end just yet but here we are at the final chapter! (Just a head’s up, there’s a POV change halfway through the chapter) Whose coronation do you think we’ll be seeing today?? How do you think it’ll all end?? Thank you so much for reading and I hope that you enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-Eight June 21nd, 2016 Alfheim (Previous Chapter)

Throughout his long life, Loki had visited countless planets across the entire cosmos and while each of them were beautiful in their own right, he could honestly say that the mornings on Alfheim were parallel to none; the early rays of sunlight streamed in through the balcony’s gossamer curtains that gently swayed in the sweet-smelling breeze and the sounds of birds chirping in the nearby forests filled the air. If he were to go and stand out on the balcony, he’d see the sprawling city of Ljosalfgard just beginning its day, the crystal-clear water of the lake surrounding the realm’s capitol and the deep green forests and wildflower-covered hills in the distance. However, he was more than content staying exactly where he was: lazily sprawled out in bed as he snuggled close to (Y/N)’s warm body and dozed.

A strange tickling sensation along the bridge of his nose pulled him out of his blissful slumber and he wriggled it, attempting to make it go away and fall back under as quickly as possible. It stopped but moments later, the tickling sensation trailed across his cheek and towards his ear; annoyed, Loki impatiently brushed at it and draped his arm back across (Y/N)’s waist before burrowing his face further into his pillow. A groan of annoyance rumbled in his chest when the tickling traveled to the sensitive patch of skin beneath his ear and when he finally forced himself to open his eyes, he found himself looking up at his fiancée’s smiling face as she twirled a lock of his own hair between her fingers.

“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty,” (Y/N) sweetly greeted, her mischievous smile widening when he merely narrowed his eyes. “What? I think it’s adorable that you’re ticklish; your nose scrunches up as you try not to laugh.”

“Careful, darling, I know for a fact that you’re quite ticklish yourself,” Loki warned, fighting back his own smile as he attempted to look intimidating. “And as formidable as you are in battle, you won’t win a tickle-fight against the God of Mischief himself.”

“You’re right, sweetheart…” With a sly grin, (Y/N) leaned down and began trailing deliberately slow kisses along his throat; he bit his lip to keep from audibly groaning in pleasure and the hand resting on her hip tightly clutched a handful of her silk nightgown as her lips brushed against his earlobe and she whispered, “But who said I’d fight fair?”

In an instant, the fingers that had been gently carding through Loki’s hair darted beneath the bedcovers to dig into his bare and defenseless stomach, causing him to burst into laughter and unsuccessfully attempt to squirm away from her merciless attack. He was eventually able to flip his fiancée over onto her back and pin her hands above her head while their breathless laughter filled the vast bedchamber; he captured her lips in a passionate kiss that she enthusiastically reciprocated, stealing his breath away and igniting a smoldering flame within him that he resisted acting upon with great reluctance. “My love, as much as I’d thoroughly enjoy following you down this familiar road, we have quite a busy day ahead of us.”

The humorous gleam in (Y/N)’s eyes dimmed a little at his words and she furrowed her brow in contemplation before looking across the bedchamber at their ornate Alfheimian coronation garb proudly displayed on dress forms and the glittering amethyst and diamond tiara resting atop the vanity. Looking down at his fiancée beneath him, Loki could clearly see the aged and almost world-weary tension in her beautiful features, as if she’d seen too many horrors and carried far too much weight on her shoulders for someone so young; before her climactic confrontation with Tarian, it was sometimes easy to forget that she was only twenty-seven but in the weeks following the traumatic event that was still shaping and affecting her future, he’d look at her and sometimes glimpse the heavy toll it had taken on her spirit. However, (Y/N) was strong, far stronger than anyone he’d ever known, and he believed whole-heartedly that she’d heal from all the pain and heartbreak she’d so bravely endured. And I’ll be by her side every step of the way, he silently vowed while he gently traced her cheekbone with the pad of his finger and murmured, “What’s on your mind, darling?”

“The coronation,” She replied with a small sigh, her fingers fiddling with the curls at the base of his skull as she stared back up at him. “Loki, do you think I made the right decision?”

“When you decided, did you ignore the voices of everyone else around you and follow your own heart?” His fiancée nodded and his tender smile widened. “Then I know that you made the right decision. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what I think, (Y/N), or what anyone else thinks for that matter. You’re allowed to choose your own path; you’ve done so all your life, so what’s the sense in stopping now?”

The tension in her features gradually dissipated and her hands traveled to cradle his face between them. “I know that I’m just over-thinking all this; I definitely don’t regret my decision, but the thought of all those people – my people – at the coronation just makes my anxiety rear its head. It’s such a culturally-significant and time-honored tradition here, and having all those eyes watching my every move, judging me the entire time…” She shuddered a little and met his gaze with a sheepish smile. “I guess it makes me feel like I’m still just that shy trainee librarian who couldn’t quite reach the top shelf of the bookcase.”

“Then I suppose I’ll just have to keep you from falling again, won’t I?” Loki kissed the tip of her nose and winked before sitting up and flicking his wrist, chuckling to himself as a familiar quill and scroll of parchment appeared in his hands and (Y/N) shook her head in amused exasperation. “Let’s see, you’ve flawlessly memorized the entire coronation in both English and Ancient Alfheimian – with spot-on pronunciation, I might add, beautifully executed for a beginner – rehearsed the ceremony’s proceedings over a dozen times while wearing your tiara and your heels – a feat you achieved by excelling in your final physical therapy sessions, of course – and you’ve successfully utilized the breathing exercise that Doctor Banner recommended whenever you begin to feel overwhelmed.” With an exaggerated motion, Loki checked off the final item on the list and flipped the parchment around for his fiancée to see. “According to my check-list, you’re the most prepared half-Alfheimian in the cosmos and more than ready to face today’s challenges.”

(Y/N) was failing miserably at hiding her growing smile at his silly dramatics. “A very scientific deduction, sweetheart, but you’ve forgotten one crucial variable.” She sat up and looped her arms around his neck, her love-struck grin and sparkling eyes making him momentarily forget to breathe as she continued. “My wonderful, kind-hearted and handsome fiancé will be by my side to support me today, just as he always has.”

With another flick of his wrist, the quill and scroll vanished and his hands splayed over her back as his arms moved to wrap securely around her. “Of course I will, my love…” His lips had barely brushed against hers when he suddenly pulled away and flashed her a mischievous smirk. “But today cannot begin until we pull ourselves out of bed, can it?”

(Y/N) grumbled in displeasure and with a small laugh, Loki pressed a kiss to the palm of her hand before clambering out of the bed and tugging her along with him. Their breakfast was delivered to their chambers by two palace servants and they decided to enjoy it out on the balcony, watching the city slowly come to life down below and observing the Alfheimians prepare for both their realm’s Midsumarblot festival and the long-awaited coronation of their new queen. (Y/N) dropped her sweet pastry onto her plate in stunned delight when she spotted an Alfheimian woman coaxing a herd of unicorns down a cobblestone street and listened with interest to a group of musicians tuning their instruments by the large flower-covered maypole erected in the center of an open park, all while Loki munched on an apple and happily admired his fiancée from his seat across from her.

“-mentioned that the Asgardian delegation is set to arrive an hour before the coronation begins, and…Loki?”

“Hmm?” A distracted Loki shook himself out of his trance and gave (Y/N) an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, darling, what was that?”

“Before we went to bed last night, Thor told me that the rest of the Asgardian delegation wouldn’t be arriving until an hour before the coronation,” She patiently repeated, casting him an apprehensive glance before shifting in her seat to fully face him. “He also said that Odin wouldn’t be with them.”

The easy-going smile on Loki’s face faltered at the mention of his adoptive father. In the weeks following the Battle of Boston, Loki had been so entirely focused on assisting (Y/N) throughout her lengthy recovery that he’d nearly forgot he committed high treason against the throne of Asgard, and a royal summons delivered to him by Lady Sif and Fandral was what jarringly reminding him of the transgression. With Thor by his side, he returned to his home realm and stood in stony silence while Odin declared him officially pardoned of his crimes against both Midgard and Asgard; the old man avoided making eye contact with him and spoke to the assembly of Asgardians with the same detached formality that he grew up listening to. After all the things they said and did to one another during their last interaction, Loki hadn’t expected anything different and he was slightly surprised by how apathetic it made him feel; he’d sought Odin’s approval his entire life and even after learning the truth of his lineage and attempting to conquer Midgard, a part of him had still longed for it. That part of him no longer existed – not after how cruelly the old man had treated him and how disrespectfully he’d spoken of (Y/N) and Alfheim in their hour of need – but now he was unsure of where he stood with his adoptive father and if he were being honest with himself, it was an issue he wasn’t exactly keen on confronting just yet. “Thor felt that it would be more tactful if he represented Asgard in the Allfather’s place; he earned the Alfheimians’ trust by fighting alongside them on the battlefield even before the Allfather decided to deploy his Einherjar, so it only makes sense that he’d be the one to personally pay Asgard’s respects to Alfheim on such an important day as today.”

(Y/N) nodded in agreement before reaching across the table to hold his hand, the gentleness of her touch instantly calming his agitation. “I think you were very brave to stand up to Odin the way you did. I know that your relationship with him is even more uncertain than it was before, but if he’s not willing to see how utterly amazing you are then it’s truly his loss.”

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Loki returned her smile and brought their joined hands up to kiss her knuckles in silent thanks; the precious stones of her engagement ring sparkled in the sunlight and while (Y/N) launched into her third recitation of her coronation lines that morning, Loki continued to admire her as he once-again thanked the Norns for sending such an angel into his life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After breakfast, the couple washed together in their chambers’ luxurious bathtub (“To conserve water, naturally,” His fiancée assured him, winking suggestively as she led him into the bathroom, where they stayed for much longer than necessary) and went about dressing for the coronation. By comparison, Loki’s outfit was less complex than (Y/N)’s – an embroidered periwinkle-purple coat and white trousers tucked into a pair of black leather boots, and a simple braided circlet of silver resting against his forehead – so once he finished dressing, he assisted her as she manipulated her hair into a formal style and applied her cosmetics. He was biting his bottom lip in concentration as he carefully brushed eyeshadow across her eyelid when there was a knock on their bedchamber’s door and a familiar voice called out, “Are you two decent in there, or am I about to be as traumatized as Thor was during The Incident?”

“I swear, we’re never going to live that down,” (Y/N) mumbled in embarrassment before calling back, “It’s safe to come in, Nat.” The door opened and the spy stepped in, dressed in an elegant peridot-colored gown with her vivid red hair styled to one side. “You look amazing, Nat, and your dress matches your hair perfectly! Is everyone else here, too?”

Natasha nodded. “Thor’s keeping an eye on them; Tony and Clint already tried sneaking off to see the palace armory, Steve and Bruce are geeking out over all the art and architecture, Sam and Bucky are flirting with your friend Myriani and Scott…actually, I’m not sure where the hell Scott is but he’d better be staying out of trouble if he knows what’s good for him.”

“And what about Parker?” Loki asked, resuming his work with a small chuckle. “When we saw him last, he seemed quite excited at the prospect of visiting another realm and witnessing a coronation; he was under the impression that it would be similar to that Narnia film he enjoys.”

“Unfortunately, the kid’s got a Spanish final tomorrow and he needed stay home to study for it, but he told us to wish you luck for him.”

“Mierda.” Careful not to move her head too much and disrupt Loki’s work, (Y/N) opened the finished eye and gave the spy a frown. “I would’ve helped him study but I was busy studying some coronation lines myself. Well, I’m sure that Tony or Clint will try to record some of the ceremony for him…if they’re not caught by Elora, that is; if I’ve been anxious about today then she’s been borderline frantic, but don’t tell her I said that. After everything that’s happened in the past twenty-seven years, I know how important it is for her that today goes perfectly.”

“And it will, (Y/N), I promise,” Natasha reassured her with a smile before gesturing towards the dress form displaying her elaborate coronation gown. “I was originally gonna ask if you needed any help getting dressed but since I have no idea how that thing works, I think I’ll just go and track down Scott before he gets himself thrown into the dungeons. Break a leg, you two!”

They both bid the spy farewell and once the door closed behind her, Loki sat back to admire his completed handiwork. “Darling, you’re a vision of perfection without these Midgardian cosmetics, but I cannot deny that they enhance the beauty of your eyes quite nicely.”

“Such a flirt.” His fiancée bashfully ducked her head at his compliment and he kissed her temple as she reached into her makeup bag and withdrew a light brown eyeliner pencil. “Would you like to enhance the beauty of your eyes, too? Brown liner pairs so wonderfully with eyes as green as yours, sweetheart, and I promise not to poke you.”

Loki relented, scooting his seat closer to hers and forcing himself not to grin as a happy (Y/N) took hold of his face and carefully applied the cosmetic along his eyes, her worry and anxiety over the impending coronation temporarily forgotten while she engrossed herself in her methodical task. Once his fiancée finished and he stole a handful of kisses from her in thanks, she slipped on her glasses, pressed the small button on the side to make them invisible and allowed him to help her into her ornate coronation gown; the violet-colored dress hugged her torso and the full skirt synched at her natural waist while billowing sleeves of delicate tulle hung off her shoulders and tapered off at her wrists. Loki tightened the laces on the back of her dress and helped her step into her silver-hued high heels before taking the diamond and amethyst tiara and placing it on her intricately-styled hair.

“It’s nearly time; General Elora should be by to collect us soon.” Loki moved to fix his hair in the vanity’s mirror but stopped when he caught sight of the expression on (Y/N)’s face. “Everything all right?”

“Yes, of course, it’s just that…” Her lips curved into a playful smile as she stepped forward and gently adjusted the collar of his coat, her eyes flicking up to meet his and her smile widening while she continued. “I really, really love how you look in purple.” Her fingers traced along his neck before trailing up to rest against his jaw, her enticing touch making Loki’s breath hitch. She tilted her head up and just as he leaned down to softly kiss her, she placed a halting finger against his lips and grinned when he gave her a quizzical frown. “It’s not very fun being teased, now, is it?”

He narrowed his eyes at her successful revenge for his teasing earlier that morning. “Playing tricks on a trickster is never a good idea, darling.”

“True, but I wouldn’t bet against the daughter of the Alfheimian goddess of love and warfare if I were you, sweetheart.” A loud knock on their bedchamber’s door interrupted their flirtations and anxiety crept back into (Y/N)’s eyes as she called out, “Come in.”

The door opened to reveal Elora, dressed in the polished ceremonial battle armor of an Alfheimian general with her long box braids hanging loose and decorated with thin strands silver braiding string; the general’s golden eyes softened when they landed on (Y/N), no doubt seeing so much of Layeia within her daughter, and Loki could swear that he saw her blink away some tears as she clasped her hands together. “Your highness, it’s time.”

Bowing his head in respect, Loki held his arm out to (Y/N) and gave her a tender smile. “Are you ready for this, (Y/N)?”

(Y/N) straightened her posture and after taking a moment to smooth out her gown’s skirt, she took a steadying breath and accepted his arm with a small yet confident grin. “Absolutely.”

Deep breath in, four seconds. Hold, seven seconds. Exhale nasally, eight seconds. Repeat.

Deep breath in, four seconds. Hold, seven seconds. Exhale nasally, eight seconds. Repeat.

Deep breath in, four seconds. Hold, seven seconds. Exhale nasally, eight seconds. Repeat.

Deep breath in, four seconds. Hold, seven seconds. Exhale nasally, eight seconds. Repeat.

The breathing exercise that Bruce taught (Y/N) worked remarkably well to manage her anxiety and the other symptoms of her PTSD, helping her slow her racing heart and focus her mind back on the present. As she positioned herself before the closed double doors and adjusted the cuffs of her gown’s sheer sleeves, she made a mental note to thank the scientist for indirectly getting her through such a stress-filled day; her gaze drifted away from the doors and focused on the portraits of Alfheim’s past kings and queens lining the hall, specifically the newest of the collection and the one nearest to her. Tarian’s portrait had been removed and destroyed and was quickly replaced by one of Layeia and David, despite the couple never officially being crowned monarchs of the realm; the painting of her parents looking happy and in love warmed (Y/N)’s heart and reminded her of the parting words of wisdom her mother and father had given her in Ey Stiarna-Ríki, or the Eternal Realm of Stars.

“Don’t make the choices you feel you have to make…Just follow your heart and you’ll never find yourself lost.”

“We’ve all lived our lives, princess, and now it’s time for you to live yours.”

From inside the throne room, a trumpet sounded off and (Y/N) turned her attention back to the double doors in front of her, straightening her posture and murmuring her trusty mantra under her breath, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

The doors slowly opened to reveal the ornate throne room, packed full of Alfheimians, Asgardians and even a few familiar Midgardians. Warm sunlight and a gentle breeze streamed in through the chamber’s open archways, the flower garlands wrapped around the marble columns filled the air with sweet scents and the music played by the palace musicians echoed throughout the cavernous room.

General Elora stood at the base of the throne’s dais and waited for the musicians to finish before announcing, “My fellow citizens and honored allies of Asgard and Midgard, I present to you (Y/N) Layeiadottir (Y/L/N), the Crown Princess of Alfheim.”

The musicians sounded their trumpets again and (Y/N) began making her way down the aisle to the throne, hiding her sudden nerves behind a mask of calm as she walked through the attendees. Tall and graceful Alfheimians of both noble and working-class backgrounds made up the majority of the audience, dressed impeccably in their finest clothes that served to accentuate their otherworldly beauty and wearing pleased but subdued smiles on their faces. Further into the throne room stood Lady Sif and the Warrior’s Three; their happiness was much more evident, with Fandral winking at her and Sif giving her a cheerful wave as Volstagg toasted her with the sweet tart he was snacking on and the stoic Hogun cracked a rare smile. And at the very front of the audience stood her family, and their strange but familiar presence brought a true smile to her face. Thor stood beside Loki and represented the throne of Asgard by wearing his finest ceremonial armor complete with the silver-winged helmet his brother always teased him about, Tony adjusted the cuff of his tuxedo and flashed her a peace sign, Bruce gave her a thumbs-up as his green eyes apprehensively surveyed the towering Light Elves that surrounded them, Steve and Natasha were both beaming with pride and the spy even gave her gown a nod of approval when she passed, and Clint signed a quick ‘good luck’ to her while Sam and Bucky both stopped an enthusiastic Scott from stepping into the aisle to give her a hug. Any lingering worries and tension within her body melted away at the sight of her family’s faces filled with so much love and acceptance, and she felt her confidence surge when Loki’s emerald-green eyes met hers and sparkled with pride. Finally, it was time to follow her heart.

(Y/N) took her place at the base of the dais and clasped her hands together as Elora spoke out of the corner of her mouth. “Your mother and father would be very proud of you today, (Y/N). Although you cannot see them, know that they’re both by your side always and forever.” Swallowing the lump in her throat, (Y/N) gave the general a small smile and nodded once before she addressed the entire chamber once again. “And now, I present to you Amirah Farryndottir, heir apparent to the throne of Alfheim.” The double doors at the opposite end of the throne room opened to reveal three figures: Amirah, dressed in a spectacular silver-colored gown embroidered with little blue butterflies, Myriani, who held a purple cushion upon which the former princess’ sword rested, and Hagen, who’s matching cushion proudly displayed the blue opal tiara worn by every female monarch and the one that Amirah would wear once officially crowned the new Queen of Alfheim. As the trio made their way down the aisle, (Y/N) moved to stand on the dais’ first step and the memory of her fateful meeting with her Alfheimian friends at the Avengers Tower came to the forefront of her mind…

“…I’m sorry, what?”

Both Elora and Amirah were looking at (Y/N) in stunned disbelief and if it wasn’t such a serious situation, the Alfheimians’ identical expressions of incredulity would’ve made her burst into laughter. “I’m abdicating. I’m giving up the throne so that Amirah can become Alfheim’s new queen.”

“…What you’re proposing is an impossibility, your highness, tradition clearly dictates that-”

“With all due respect, Elora, stubbornly holding on to outdated traditions for tradition’s sake is exactly what helped Tarian rise to power in the first place,” (Y/N) interrupted, watching as Elora released a sigh, Amirah cast her gaze downwards and both Loki and Thor exchanged a silent look. “If Alfheim hadn’t held a millennia-long grudge against Midgard, my mother wouldn’t have felt the need to hide her relationship with my father, and…well, things might’ve turned out differently for them.”

There was a moment of silence before Elora stood and moved to the center of the living room. “That may be, (Y/N), but Alfheim is currently at a dangerous precipice. We’ve spent almost thirty years torn apart, half of us living in exile as enemies of the throne and the other half living under Tarian’s treacherous persuasions without any way of knowing. More than ever, our realm needs stability, something that can easily be achieved with the last living descendant of Lady Astrid on the throne.”

“You’re right. Alfheim deserves stability, but it won’t come from me becoming your queen. I’m a former trainee librarian turned Avenger; I have no background in diplomacy, no experience as the leader of an entire species and barely any knowledge of Alfheim or its long history and customs. Hell, I only found out that I’m a Light Elf last year and a princess less than two months ago.”

Loki stood from his seat and crossed the room to stand beside (Y/N), gently holding her hand and interlacing their fingers as he met Elora’s gaze. “I don’t wish to overstep or offend, but (Y/N)’s right. If Alfheim has any hope of surviving after everything Tarian’s done, then it requires not only a monarch who’s familiar with the intricacies of ruling, but a monarch that possesses the will to rule.”

(Y/N) nodded in agreement and looked over at Amirah; the former princess was fiddling with her fingers and staring down at her lap, her beautiful features twisted with an unreadable emotion, and (Y/N) felt a surge of sympathy for her. She found out that her entire life had been a lie concocted by her father and dealt with the conflicting emotions over losing him while simultaneously helping repair all the destruction he’d caused her home world, and all without a single complaint, she thought with an inward sigh. It wasn’t fair to burden her with the notion of taking the throne but if there was anyone that (Y/N) trusted to rule in her place and to rule well, it was Amirah; the young Alfheimian loved her people dearly and wanted nothing more than for Alfheim to thrive, to live in peace with the other realms and to once-again spread peace and harmony throughout the cosmos. She was everything that Alfheim deserved in a queen and the only Light Elf qualified to continue all that Layeia fought and ultimately died for. “What do you think, Amirah?”

The young Alfheimian was silent for a moment before finally looking up and answering. “I’m deeply honored, but…I’ll simply never be accepted by our people. My father violently subjugated Alfheim, murdered King Tilas and Princess Layeia and broke Alfheim’s most sacred laws by using dark magic to create the Draugar. Can you honestly stand there and say that the people of Alfheim will accept me after everything he’s done to them?”

“Yes, I can.” Letting go of Loki’s hand, (Y/N) limped her way over to the sofa and eased herself down onto the cushion beside Amirah; she rested a hand atop hers and gave her a gentle smile. “Because at the end of the day, we’re defined by what we do, not by meaningless labels or family trees. Even when you didn’t know about your father’s manipulations, you fought against his magical control to protect the rebels on the battlefield and once I managed to break through it, you switched sides to help us defeat him without a second thought. I believe in you, Amirah. You’re a natural ruler, and Alfheim would be lucky to have you as its queen.”

Amirah’s frown slowly morphed into a smile. “All right. But if I agree to do this, my friend, I want to take my mother’s name in place of my father’s.”

“Okay.”

“And I have one small condition…”

When the trio reached the end of the aisle, Myriani and Hagen bowed their heads in respect and moved to stand on either side of (Y/N) while Amirah knelt on the ground before her, her stormy-grey eyes filled with poised sureness as she gave her a lopsided smile. (Y/N) smiled back, straightening her posture and taking a deep breath before addressing the assembly. “My fellow Alfheimians, trusted allies and honored friends. A millennia ago, war broke out among the Nine Realms and Alfheim was nearly destroyed, forcing King Freyr to create an impenetrable barrier of Alf Seidr for the protection of his people but over the course of a thousand years, the barrier meant to keep Alfheim safe became the cause of its deterioration. My mother, Layeia Tilasdottir, sought to not only restore her home realm back to its former glory, but to also mend the rift between Alfheim and the rest of the Nine Realms through diplomacy. Today, her vision finally comes to fruition as we crown Alfheim’s new queen and usher in a new age of peace and prosperity.”

The palms of her hands were clammy and as her fingernails dug into her skin, she glanced over at Loki and was comforted by the supportive smile he gave her; she relaxed her fingers and reached over to carefully take the opal-encrusted tiara into her hands before turning back to Amirah kneeling before her. “Amirah Farryndottir, do you swear to rule Alfheim with wisdom and benevolence, to lead this realm with a kind but just heart?”

“I swear.”

(Y/N) placed the tiara atop the young Alfheimian’s head and grasped the hilt of her blade. “Do you swear to defend Alfheim and its people from any and all threats, originating both outside of the realm and within it?”

“I swear.”

She placed the sword onto Amirah’s open hands and closed her fingers around the blade. “And do you swear to maintain the peace that countless Alfheimians fought and died for over the course of a millennia?”

Amirah’s eyes flicked up to meet hers as she firmly nodded and replied, “I swear.”

“Then rise, and be seated on the throne.” While Amirah stood and ascended the short steps, Myriani and Hagen joined Elora in the audience’s front row and (Y/N) moved to stand next to Amirah as she sat herself down on the golden throne. “Mega þinn forrað vera ór af fegrð æn friðr.”

“Mega þinn forrað vera ór af fegrð æn friðr!” The assembly recited, and the words resonated throughout the throne room.

(Y/N) bit back a fond smile when she noticed her friends struggling to pronounce the Ancient Alfheimian saying but trying their best all the same; once the chamber quieted back down, she exchanged a brief but happy look with Amirah and turned to face the audience. “I present to you Her Majesty Amirah Farryndottir, Queen of Alfheim and of the Light Elves.”

The throne room erupted into cheers as the musicians sounded their instruments and the brand-new Royal Guard lining the perimeter of the chamber banged the ends of their spears against the marble floor. Amirah’s smile was as bright as the sun as her fellow Alfheimians made their approval known, and (Y/N) couldn’t help but admire how well-suited her friend was for ruling and how natural she looked seated on the throne of Alfheim; she felt her heartbeat quicken as the ovation began to die down and she took another deep breath in preparation for what she knew was coming.

“I thank you for your support, my fellow Alfheimians, but this momentous day does not belong to just one of us. It belongs to us all and as we continue to heal and rebuild our realm, know that it too will belong to each and every one of us.” Amirah’s clear and strong words was met with another round of cheering and clapping. “And now, for my first formal act as your queen, I ask that (Y/N) Layeiadottir (Y/L/N) please take a knee before me.” (Y/N) did as she asked and carefully lowered herself onto the step in front of the throne, taking a moment to adjust her full skirt before looking up at her beaming friend. “For your inspiring bravery and selfless sacrifice during the Battles of Alfheim and Boston, I bestow upon you the honored title of Defender of the Realm and declare you our official representative to the Nine Realms. I hereby decree that any and all titles bequeathed to you remain unchanged, regardless of your recognized abdication, and that any future heirs may inherit these titles upon their birth.” So that my family’s legacy will continue to live on through me, (Y/N) thought as she recalled the condition Amirah insisted on before agreeing to become Alfheim’s next queen. “Now rise, my friend.”

(Y/N) stood and was taken aback when Amirah got up to wrap her arms around her in a tight hug, her warm embrace saying far more than any number of words ever could. When they finally parted, they shared a smile and the queen guided her to face the assembly of Alfheimians, the Asgardian delegation and her very Midgardian family as a teary-eyed Elora spoke to the crowd. “My fellow Alfheimians, I give you Her Royal Highness (Y/N) Layeiadottir (Y/L/N), Crown Princess of Alfheim, descendant of the great Lady Astrid, esteemed representative between Light Elves and the Nine Realms of the cosmos, Defender of the Realm of Alfheim and Midgard’s Cosmic Sorceress. Heill, (Y/N) Layeiadottir (Y/L/N), Ǫldungr ór Álfheimr.”

Her beloved friends were the first to burst into raucous applause, clapping and even whistling in support right when Elora stopped speaking, and the rest of the throne room soon followed suit. Perhaps it was because the coronation she’d spent two weeks worrying about was officially over or maybe it was the heartwarming sight of Loki loudly cheering her on in the front row, but (Y/N) didn’t feel the urge to duck her head or curl into herself at all the attention she’d garnered. Instead, she held her head high as her face broke out into the widest smile she could manage and for the first time since her Alf Seidr was taken by Tarian, she felt whole.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Midsumarblot festival and post-coronation celebration went on all through the afternoon and was still going strong when the sky darkened and dusk settled across the sky, the Alfheimians seemingly unwilling to stop singing, dancing and drinking to their heart’s content after so many years of living under Tarian’s oppressive reign, and their Asgardian and Midgardian guests eagerly followed their lead. After hours of dancing with one another and hanging out with their friends, (Y/N) and Loki found a quiet corner of the festival where they could enjoy a goblet of mead and each other’s company in privacy for a short while.

“A celebration this grand was certainly well-earned,” Loki remarked, his fingers toying with the delicate material of her dress; they were sitting on a thick wool blanket in the back of a horse cart parked at the edge of the celebrations, with (Y/N) sitting between Loki’s legs and resting her back against his sturdy chest while his arms snugly wrapped around her waist. “One could scarcely believe that this is the same realm that Tarian terrorized for nearly thirty years or that these are the same people who suffered loss after loss at his hands.”

“After everything they’ve gone through, they’ve gained a new appreciation for the things we often take for granted.” (Y/N)’s hands rested atop his and her fingers began to absentmindedly trace patterns onto the cold skin of his knuckles as he pressed languid kisses onto her bare shoulder. “Natasha once told me that her adoptive mother used to say that pain only makes us stronger and in this instance, I think she’s right.” She pursed her lips to stifle the amused giggle bubbling up within her when she looked over at the festivities unfolding in the distance. “And as for our friends…well, I think they might’ve just gained a new appreciation for off-world partying.”

The inebriated trio of Sif, Natasha and Myriani were hosting an arm-wrestling competition against any who dared challenge them while Clint and Steve cheered them on, Bucky and Sam were chatting away with a couple of former Alfheimian rebels and seemed to be trying to out-flirt one another, Volstagg and Hagen were enjoying an armful of enormous baked treats from one of the nearby vendor stalls as the strange duo of Fandral and Tony drunkenly taught each other drinking songs from their home realms, Scott was hanging out near the children’s party and showing the excited Alfheimian boys and girls how his Ant-Man suit worked, Elora and Hogun were in deep conversation with Bruce about the environmental improvements that Alfheim could experience with fresh resources brought in by trade, and Thor and the newly-crowned Queen Amirah conversed over goblets of mead and judging by the glances they were stealing and the smiles they were sharing, it was much more than a professional discussion between fellow royals.

“Yes, I see your point, darling.” Loki chuckled to himself and leaned over to meet her gaze. “Perhaps we should consider nixing the open bar entirely at our wedding reception; after they all wake up tomorrow with splitting headaches and nauseated stomachs, they’ll probably beg us not to serve anything alcoholic to avoid a repeat performance.”

(Y/N) grinned, reaching up and behind her to thread her fingers through her fiancé’s raven locks. “Or, they’ll forget about their bad experience with aged Alfheimian spice mead in favor of celebrating the day we’ll – and I quote – ‘get hitched and finally stop swooning over each other like hormonal, horny teenagers.’”

He snorted and rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Tony Stark, so eloquent with words.” One of his hands moved to rest against her cheek and his thumb traced along her cheekbone as his emerald-green gaze darkened with desire. “He’ll be very disappointed to learn that marriage won’t change anything of how I feel about you. If anything, my love for you will only grow the moment I can call you my wife.”

Wife. The word sent a pleasant shiver down (Y/N)’s spine and she couldn’t help but smile at her fiancé. “And I’ll only fall deeper in love with you when I can finally call you my husband.” The hand resting on her waist tightened in response; they both leaned in, their warm breath mingling as the space between their lips narrowed and their eyes drifted closed before-

“Hey, Arwen and Aragorn! I know you guys promised us some big-ass fireworks but not those kind!”

They both groaned in annoyance at their ruined kiss, opening their eyes and turning to see their friends laughing at Tony’s drunken exclamation. “I don’t know about you, darling, but waiting three more days for our vacation to begin feels like an eternity.”

“My sentiments exactly but just think, in three days it’ll just be you, me and a dozen of the largest and most beautiful libraries in the world for an entire month.” Loki’s expression brightened at that. After struggling with where to go on their much-deserved vacation, they decided on traveling across the globe to visit a dozen world-renowned libraries and explore the cities that housed them; as Avengers, they’d completed missions on nearly every continent but hadn’t had time to learn and explore all the places they wanted to, so now was their chance. “But we did promise them some fireworks, sweetheart…”

Still grumbling under his breath at Tony’s untimely interruption, Loki got to his feet and helped (Y/N) stand, giving the palm of her hand a sweet kiss before clasping it in his. “All right, then, just like we practiced.”

She nodded and when they raised their free hands into the air, she took a deep breath to clear her mind and focus her attention on channeling her Alf Seidr through her body; now that she had double the amount of magic coursing through her veins, Loki’s old mantra of object and intent for controlling the amount she channeled was more imperative than ever. She felt a familiar tugging sensation in the pit of her stomach and swirls of vivid purple Alf Seidr encompassed her hand before shooting up high into the star-filled sky above to join Loki’s green magic. A heartbeat later, their magic deafeningly exploded into colorful fireworks that illuminated the city of Ljosalfgard, earning loud cheers and looks of awe from the Alfheimians, Asgardians and Midgardians that were watching the dazzling display. (Y/N)’s purple and silver sparks mingled with Loki’s green and gold bursts, creating intricate shapes and silhouettes that danced and twirled across the sky.

“It’s mesmerizing, isn’t it?”

(Y/N) glanced away from the sky and her breath hitched when she looked over at Loki; the light of the fireworks reflected his handsome face and the happy smile that he wore as he watched the iridescent sparks created by their magic bloom and grow into whatever shapes they desired. She thought back to the difficult memories he once shared with her and recalled seeing the anxious little boy who only longed for love and acceptance, wishing in that moment that she could show the little boy all the happiness that was in store for him. Her thoughts then shifted to the moments before hers and Loki’s fateful first meeting at the New York Public Library, when she was blissfully unaware of her troublesome past, her danger-filled present and her fantastical future. Everything about my life truly changed the moment I laid eyes on him, she realized as her own lips curved into a smile, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Mm-hmm. Absolutely spellbinding.”

Loki looked over at her and his pale skin flushed pink when he realized that she hadn’t been referring to the fireworks show above; giving her hand a gentle squeeze, her fiancé moved closer and rested his forehead against hers as he gave her a flirtatious smile filled with mischief and love. “Spellbinding, indeed.”

She leaned forward and captured Loki’s lips in a passion-filled kiss, grinning as he instantly began kissing her back and allowing herself to be swept away by the intoxicating sensations of kissing the love of her life underneath a blanket of glimmering stars and ancient magic.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Midsumarblot-the celebration of the summer solstice Mierda-Shit Ey Stiarna-Ríki-The Eternal Realm of Stars “Mega þinn forrað vera ór af fegrð æn friðr”-May your reign be filled with beauty and peace “Heill, (Y/N) Layeiadottir (Y/L/N), Ǫldungr ór Álfheimr”-Hail, (Y/N) Layeiadottir (Y/L/N), Hero of Alfheim

A/N: And there we go! Seriously, guys, thank you for reading this story. I started writing it all the way back in 2017 and when I finally mustered up the courage to begin uploading it, I never thought that so many people would be interested in reading it! It’s been a crazy journey and I’ve loved every minute of it, so thank you so much for being here with me!

As for the future of Loki and the Cosmic Sorceress...We’ve still got a wedding to attend, don’t we? Stay tuned for the wedding of the century and even more Spellbinding sometime in the future (It’ll all be linked down below)! I’ve created a Spotify playlist inspired by this series, so check it out if you haven’t already! Enjoy!

Loki and the Cosmic Sorceress’ Spellbinding World Tour

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2wx8TZwpDN0l33tES3W3Nk

Spellbinding Masterlist

Tagging: @nexiva​​​​​​​ @ravenclawbitch426​​​​​​​ @cminr​​​​​​​ @confusedfandomwriter​​​​​​​ @momc95​​​​​​​ @nickkie99​​​​​​​ @austynparksandpizza​​​​​​​ @brooke0297​​​​​​​ @a-laufeyson​​​​​​​​ @outoftheregular​​​​​​​​ @itscomplicatedx​​​​​​​​ @0-artemis​​​​​​​​ @vivloki​​​​​​​​ @crowleysqueenofhell​​​​​​​​ @groovy-lady​​​​ @mostclevermiss​​  

#spellbinding #loki x reader #loki odinson x reader #loki laufeyson x reader #thor odinson #steve rogers #captain america #tony stark #iron man #bruce banner #hulk #natasha romanoff #black widow #clint barton #hawkeye #sam wilson #falcon #bucky barnes #the winter soldier #peter parker #spiderman #nick fury #director fury #maria hill #agent hill #marvel cinematic universe

[kavrillia]

A.I. art is kind of creepy, or at least unsettling, and I think it should be clearly labeled so it doesn't get confused with human-created art, and it should be trained on images used with permission, not lifted from artists without their knowledge or consent.

Having said that, I thought I'd mess around with an AI art generator to see if I could get it to make anything from the Kavrilliaverse.

Spoiler: It was pretty much crap.

Various attempts to generate a person with antennae or green skin failed miserably. The best I got were people in green clothes and one in a weird headdress that kind of stuck up like horns on either side of the person's head. I asked for an anthropomorphic salamander with green skin and got a normalish but still uncanny-looking lizard with green skin. I even tried feeding it Vazali's name, thinking it had picked up some of my art from Google images, but nope.

Then I tried to generate the capitol building in Shalanera, but nothing close emerged. I got something that looked like the U.S. capitol in Washington D.C. with a black spire stuck on top, and a big fountain in front. The spire was relatively accurate but it's supposed to have two waterfalls that appear to flow off the roof into a fountain/moat along the front of the building. Apparently that was too imaginative for the AI. I eventually got a view of water flowing off a roof, but the POV was looking up at it from a weird angle so you could barely see any of the building, and there was a random silhouette of a human on a walkway looking down. Didn't ask for that, but okaaaay...

I worked for awhile to get a Sacred Grotto, and you'd think "giant pearl seeming to float in a rock grotto" would be fairly easy, but no. I did get one cool image of a large, transparent pearl with a bunch of smaller pearls inside it, but that wasn't what I wanted.

The first thing that came out remotely the way I imagined it was this:

"Boat escaping volcanic eruption"

But WTF is going on with the smaller volcano that looks hastily glued onto the side of the bigger one? Not impressed.

The second attempt was better, but the plume of smoke and ash doesn't look right.

Requests for "imperial palace surrounded by gardens" brought up a very Chinese building. "Palace surrounded by green space" made this:

Not how I imagined the palace in Shalanera, but at least it's a decent looking ediface.

"Island inside old volcanic crater" gave me an old crater but no island, just a lake inside. YOU HAD ONE JOB (well, two, I guess, but still.)

"Blue chicken peafowl" gave me a normal looking peacock with maybe a slight deformation to its neck. "Blue chicken-like bird" gave me something that looks like a warvcallie from the chest down. The head, not so much. Although to be fair, I did ask for "chicken-like" without specifying details.

Attempts to create a grekk were unsuccessful in any way, shape, or form.

I fully admit I'm probably not phrasing the prompts the right way, as it's the first time I've used a tool like this, but yeeesh.

#author rambling

[bash-the-fash]

Heads up: Fascists active nationwide on Saturday, 10/21! Gays Against Groomers will be rallying in 75+ cities against gender affirming care. Stay safe out there 🏴

ARIZONA

TEMPE (11am)

Moeur Park

701 N Mill Avenue, Tempe

TUCSON (11am)

Hotel Congress

311 E Congress Street

CALIFORNIA

CASTRO VALLEY (10am)

Redwood Rd & Castro Valley Blvd (corner by Safeway)

LONG BEACH (10am)

4th Street Promenade

350 The Promenade North

NORTHRIDGE (12pm)

CSUN

(corner of Nordhoff St/Lindley)

ORANGE (10am)

Circle of Orange

100 S Glassell Street, Orange

PALM DESERT (11am)

The Shops at Palm Desert (near Buffalo Wild Wings)

72-840 CA-111, Palm Desert

SACRAMENTO (10am)

NEW LOCATION:

6700 Block of Tobia Way, Fair Oaks

SAN DIEGO (11am)

3325 Zoo Drive, San Diego

TEMECULA (1pm)

Temecula Duck Pond (Rancho California Rd & Ynez Rd)

28250 Ynez Road, Temecula

COLORADO

DENVER (10am)

State Capitol (west steps)

200 E Colfax Avenue

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Veterans Plaza (11am)

1 Veterans Place, Silver Spring

FLORIDA

FORT LAUDERDALE (11am)

Freedom Corner

NE corner of Oakland Park & US 1

TAMPA (10am)

5311 E Fowler Avenue, Tampa

GEORGIA

ROME (2:30pm)

Heritage Park Trail Levee

1 Shorter Ave, Rome

IDAHO

PONDERAY (10am)

30640 Highway 200, Ponderay

ILLINOIS

CHICAGO (10am)

Fullerton / Halsted / Lincoln (near old Children's Hospital in Lincoln Park)

IOWA

ANKENY (11am)

Hawkeye Park

400 NW Lakeshore Drive, Ankeny

MASSACHUSETTS

BOSTON (11am)

The Boston Common

139 Tremont Street, Boston

MISSOURI

KANSAS CITY (10am)

JC Nichols Memorial Fountain at the Country Club Plaza

47th Mill Creek Pkwy, Kansas City

NEW JERSEY

TRENTON (10am)

State House Annex

131-137 W State Street, Trenton

NEW YORK

ALBANY (1pm)

East Capitol Park

Eagle Street, Albany

NORTH CAROLINA

MONROE (10am)

Belk Tonawanda Park

217 I B Shive Drive, Monroe

TENNESSEE

FRANKLIN (12pm)

Pinkerton Park

405 Murfreesboro Rd

TEXAS

NEW BRAUNFELS (10am)

500 Main Plaza, New Braunfels

DALLAS (9:30am)

Fair Parks Gate (main entrance)

3809 Grand Avenue, Dallas

HOUSTON (11am)

Discovery Green

1500 McKinney Street, Houston

UTAH

SALT LAKE CITY (11am)

Hutchings Museum Institute

55 N Center Street, Lehi

WASHINGTON

VANCOUVER (12pm)

Esther Short Park

605 Esther Street, Vancouver

WISCONSIN

GREEN BAY (10am)

1265 Lombardi Ave, Green Bay

#bash the fash #gays against groomers #lgbt pride

[mnranger5]

1st Week of Summer BREAK! Graduation, Class Trip to Washington DC, Baseball, Fishing and Valley Fair! 6/1/22 - 6/10/22

Summer is anything but a BREAK in the Blaniels household. If anything, summer is more buys they the other parts of the year! Here was our schechedule the first week of summer BREAK in 2022!

6/1/22

Ashlynn graduated and was recognized by the school as being only one of three kids with academic honors, exceptional service time and being a faith leader within the school. So incredible!

6/6/22

As a freshman, Aidan had his first ball game under the lights for Eastview. Batting 2nd in the order, he was 3-3 with three singles, 4 RBIs and 3 runs scored. In the field he played 3rd, SS and LF. It was a perfect night for a ballgame at sunset.

6/7/22 - 6/9/22

Ashlynn spent three days on a class trip in Washington DC.

They toured museums on the National Mall, The White House, Capitol Hill, Mount Vernon, Arlington National Cemetery as well as the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument.

6/8/22

While Ashlynn was jetsetting to the east coast, Scarlett and Brianna were busy putting monsters in the boat on Lake Marion. Brianna slayed this gigantic bass!

And Scarlett heaved this mega pike into the boat!

The girls were tired after the beat down they put on the fish, so they took the opportunity to cool off in the water!

6/9/22

To celebrate the beginning of summer, Dyan took SIX girls to Valleyfair.

6/10/22

Aidan and I hit Crystal Lake first thing in the morning. Aidan even picked up a fish at the perfect time so that he a prop in the obligatory sunrise picture!

And a few moments later, Aidan picked up this fish. One of the most beautiful bass I have ever seen...haha.

Just a typical summer week at our house!

[ilguna]

☼ doing better with you (Finnick Odair) ☼

summary; ' I was wondering if you still write for finnick and if you're comfortable could you write where in district 13 finnick finds y/n in hospital at her lowest in a ED recovery and he helps her recover? ‘

warnings; swearing, ED talk, puke mention

wc; 2.3k

notes; please do not read if you’re sensitive to eating disorder topics. keep your mind and body safe, thank you.

–

So far, the worst part about District Thirteen is the fact that they hold all the power when it comes to your freedom. You haven’t been outside of the compound in over a month. You haven’t felt the fall breeze across your skin, heard the sound of chirping birds in the daytime, or walked the green earth. And that’s because they’re under the assumption that the district could be attacked at any moment. 

They would rather be safe than sorry. Which you understand perfectly, because it makes sense. They’re harboring five victors that managed to make it out of the Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games. What Snow would give in order to ensure that the secrets you know about him never get out.

The last time you breathed air that isn’t stale and recycled was inside of the sweltering hot jungle. You can still feel the steaming heat on your skin, keeping your body wet at all times. Whether that be from sweat, the lake, or the water droplets that would roll off leaves and land in your hair.

What’s even worse is that you’ve been banned from wandering the compound as a whole for three weeks. You’ve been in the hospital since, because they don’t want you going off by yourself. They’re worried that you’re going to throw up every meal that you have at the first chance.

You’ve hardly spoken to anyone, it’s driving you crazy.

The only person that you were seeing regularly was Finnick. He’s also here in the hospital, only he’s in worse condition than you are. The adjustment from the arena to District Thirteen has been hard on him. He wasn’t able to properly grieve Mags inside of the arena, and he has the time to do that here. That’s why you’ve been with him, to make sure that he’s okay.

You’ve tried to see him several times now, but the nurses don’t want to let you go to him. If you step foot out of this room without one of them by you, some silent alarm goes off and they pile on you as if you’re escaping the district, and not trying to see one of your best friends. It’s irritating, and each time you start screaming at them, they walk away.

You don’t know what else they want from you. You let them monitor you during meals, you hold your bladder for hours after to appease them. You smile through the tears and make conversation that they’re not interested in. You wear their itchy clothes and follow their traditions and resist the urge to rip the books they hand you.

If they feel like you’re doing anything wrong, they can rip you from the schedule that they give you, and make you do something else. It’s not fair. You can’t watch the Capitol television, you’ve read every book that they’ve given you. They won’t give you any toys to pass your time, afraid that you’ll eat them. When the whole issue in the first place is that you won’t eat.

They’ll tell you a few more days, dangling your freedom over your head like some fucking dog and they’re satified when you lose your mind because of it. It gives them more of a reason to keep you here. You’re unstable. And you’ve tried the whole route of demanding to talk to Coin, or Plutarch, or someone in charge! You need them to see that you’re drowning at the moment.

You get that they’re concerned and they’re not allowed to let you cause harm to yourself, and you’ve already pinpointed the moment when they realized that you haven’t been eating. It was the last time you saw Finnick, when he was half-asleep in his bed, barely comprehending what you were saying. A nurse had walked inside to check on him.

Her eyes were lingering too long on you. For someone that was supposed to be worried about Finnick, all she could do was stare at you and every move you made. It wasn’t even an hour later when they were admitting you to the hospital. They wouldn’t even let you explain.

No matter where you went, what job you were assigned to do, the people you tried to surround yourself with, it was inescapable. The same question, different people, varying levels of judgement and severity. Have you considered asking the kitchen to give you smaller portions?

You thought that the first time you heard it would be the last. You spent time telling them how you had bulked up for the Hunger Games in advance, knowing that you’d be volunteering to go inside to help the rebellion. What they were seeing wasn’t just fat, it was also muscle that took time to build.

However, when you hear that question everyday—sometimes several times—it’s hard to convince yourself to continue to smile through it. It stopped being ignorance and it became malicious. Where you’d be seen as the ideal body in District Ten, and the perfect example of a fit victor in the Capitol, you became a disgusting figure of fat in District Thirteen.

It took you months after your first Games to recover from what they’d done to you and your appetite. You used to go two whole days before the thought of hunger began in the back of your mind. You were able to push it back to four, which is when you’d eat, because you didn’t know how to hunt in the arena, and coming across food in a desert is scarce.

They’re all about not wasting anything here, they don’t know what it’s like. It’s their fault they turned you this way. The people of District Thirteen are just as close-minded as the people they’ve tried so hard to distance themselves from. When putting them side by side, it’s not even a comparison anymore. They look the exact same.

None of this matters to them, your feelings don’t exist. You’re (Y/n) (L/n), another forgettable nobody victor from District Ten. You should be used to being pushed aside and treated like you don’t exist. In fact, what role did you play in the arena again?

Oh, that’s right. You’re the reason why Katniss Everdeen survived the fog, and the monkeys, and the attack from the careers, and the jabberjays. You were attached at the hip with her to keep her alive. And Coin can’t even entertain five minutes with you.

This whole place is a joke.

You can’t make anyone happy, not even yourself.

You sit back on the hospital bed, sucking on your bottom lip while watching the hallway. Your lunch should be coming at any minute. District Thirteen has a strict flow that they follow. If they step out of it, then their whole system fails. It’s ridiculous. Back home, you’d eat when you were hungry, not because a washable tattoo told you to.

You wipe your eyes with your fingers, trying to hide the evidence that you’re miserable, you don’t want to get your time extended. You want to get out of here, get back to the stupid classes you’re required to take about nuclear bombins. Although, with all the time you’ve spent here with the inhospitable nurses, you’re about ready to make a run for the hills and take your chances with President Snow and nature.

They’ve given you a timeline again, like they did a week ago. Granted that you behave and don’t have any major breakdowns, you should be out of the white cell by Sunday. You think you can handle three more days, then again that’s what you said last time, and ended up extending your stay by a week.

“Let me see her.” A voice shouts down the hall.

“Sir—please go back to your room. You don’t have permission to be down here.”

“Where is she? She hasn’t come to see me in weeks.” The person’s getting closer, “It’s not like her.”

“I can’t disclose that information. Will you please—?”

“No, and get your hands off of me.”

You see who’s speaking when he passes in front of the glass windows of the hospital room, bronze hair bouncing with each step. He’s surveying the hall, looking into every window possible. He’s wearing a white hospital outfit, arms crossed over his chest, concentrated.

Finnick Odair.

“Finnick!” You immediately shout, leaning forward.

He stops where he is, head turning in your direction. He sends a nasty glare to the nurse that’s beginning to block his path to the door. With one push to her shoulder, she stumbles out of the way.

“Mister Odair don’t—she’s on special bed requests!”

Finnick rolls his eyes, ignoring her. He opens the door, stepping inside of the room. You slip out of the hospital bed, stretching your legs for the first time since breakfast. You don’t have a reason to get out of it, they won’t let you go anywhere unless it’s to the bathroom. 

“Oh!” You let out, hugging Finnick as soon as you’re close enough. He squeezes your shoulders.

“Miss me?” He laughs.

“I haven’t talked to anyone reasonable in three weeks, of course I missed you.” You breathe, taking a step back.

He’s awake in front of you, that’s new. You were carrying the conversations when you saw him, because he wasn’t listening. It would take three to four times before he would hear what you were trying to tell him, and even then he wasn’t there. You wouldn’t be surprised if he can’t recall a single word you said during those visits.

This doesn’t mean he looks any less tired, though. Despite the fact that he’d spend his whole day sleeping and rolling over at the sight of certain guests, there’s bags beneath his eyes. And he’s lost the golden tan that he earned in the sun in District Four, his skin’s begun to pale.

“What happened? Why do the nurses have you on lockdown?” He asks, reaching over to fix a stray hair behind your ear.

“It’s a long story.” You shake your head, backing up toward the bed. The nurse has left the two of you alone, she’s probably getting back on track of the schedule. Your lunch is three minutes late.

“Well, I have time to hear it. I don’t plan on going back to my room for a while.”

You press your lips, crossing your legs when you sit down. Finnick sits at the end, tucking one leg beneath the other, letting it dangle off the side, “Well, when I was visiting you one of the nurses noticed…” You trail off, staring at the tile floor, “I wasn’t maintaining my weight.”

“You stopped eating again?” He asks.

Finnick knows about your first time in the arena, the way you survived. And the relapse you had on the Victory Tour. At the President’s Mansion, they had these green fizzy drinks that would make you throw up the food you’d eaten to make you hungry again to eat more. When you discovered them… it took months for your mom to find all the pills inside of the house. 

You swear you’ve been clean since, watching her bawl her eyes out was guilting enough as it is. You didn’t want to see her that desperate ever again. It’s not easy bringing her to her breaking point, but when it happens, you know you’ve fucked up.

“Apparently I don’t fit the District Thirteen beauty standards.” You manage through gritted teeth, feeling the way your face burns at the words, “District Ten hates me, the Capitol thinks I’m ugly, and I’m too fat to be in District Thirteen. I need more appropriately sized portions.”

“Hey,” Finnick says, “You know as much as I do that it’s not that simple.”

You look up at him, he’s got his eyebrows raised. You blink your eyes, fighting the tears, “I worked so hard to make sure that I would fit in here, and they can’t accept me.”

“We’re not them.” Finnick reminds you, “They don’t know what it’s like to survive an arena, much less the damage it can do on you years later. They’re insensitive here, you’ve figured that out, right?”

You bite the inside of your cheek, nodding.

“You’re beautiful.” He says, “And as long as you’re happy and healthy, nothing else matters.”

“Thank you, Finnick.”

At the sound of footsteps, he turns to look over his shoulder. The two of you are met with the sight of the nurse, pushing a cart down the hallway. She pulls the only two trays left on it, coming inside of the room.

“Excuse me, I’m afraid we can’t have you in here.” She murmurs, placing one of the trays on the table, sliding it in front of your bed, “I brought your lunch here so you may bring it back to your room.”

“I’m not leaving, I’m going to stay and eat with her.” He says firmly, “She’s not a guinea pig, she’s human.”

“Meals need to be monitored.”

“It’s a good thing that I can do that for you.” He turns his body away, not entertaining the conversation any further, “Move your try so I can set mine down, unless you want me to finger paint on your bedsheets.”

You crack up, giving him some room.

The nurse makes a face, walking over to the chair in the corner of the room before sitting down.

“Listen to me, (Y/n).” Finnick says, you look at him, “I’m going to help you. We’ll be out of here in no time, and then the two of us can go and bother Katniss together. One step at a time, though, okay?”

“Okay.” 

#ilguna #finnick odair #finnick odair imagine #finnick odair fanfic #finnick odair x reader #finnick odair oneshot #thg #the hunger games #request

[202109237ciac2223]

The Ongoing Controversy of Donald J Trump in Ex-Presidency, The Ever-Present Populist Mind of America

On January the 8th, after the chaotic scenes that unfolded at the Capitol Building, Trump exclaimed ‘to all of those who asked, I will not be going to the inauguration on January 20th’. This is the first time a former president has been so callous towards a successor. This was met by unfathomable praise by all MAGA supporters alike, and as the sun rose on inauguration day, air force one touched down in south beach Florida airport, sure enough Trump stuck to his word. Tradition was broken on this historic day, and the divide became ever clearer in the always evolving political landscape of America.

During his more than tumultuous time in the White House, Donald Trump caused several issues for the American government. These problems consist of the mishandling of COVID-19, the attempted defunding for Obama care, boosting religious education, denying medical treatment for LGBTQ+ citizens and the list goes on. These issues between 2017-2021 created an America that is still crippled from the resurgence of the far right. Donald Trump is easily the most infamous president ever to take the White House and the number of scandals, speeches, policies he set in motion have continued even outside of his presidency, which has not been an easy task for the current Biden administration to fix.

The numerous scandals surrounding the absurdity of Donald Trump’s post presidency, have been amongst the familiar mundanity of his days this mostly spent playing golf in Mar A Lago and taking to ‘TRUTH Social’ to proclaim wild things about ‘the left’ and preach about his loss to the democrats. On September 24th, during the election he proclaimed ‘we want to make sure the election is honest, and I am not sure that it can be. I don’t know that it can be with this whole situation of unsolicited ballots’. This unequivocally shows the character he is by refusing to accept defeat at any cost, and how his wave of populism has, in a sense, destroyed the very democracy he swore to uphold.

Trump is the first president in US history to be impeached twice. This marks a pivotal point in recent US history, as throughout 2022 much of what happened has been linked to his second impeachment. Trumps heavy denial of the election result and the Capitol riots has set the tone for his post presidency. As he was in office for one term, he is constitutionally eligible to run for another term in 2024 and Many republicans have welcomed a second presidential term, which could be further damaging to the next election. This is in the form of very close supporters, like the self-proclaimed ‘Christian nationalist’ Marjorie Taylor Greene, who proclaimed that if she were in charge the riot ‘would have been armed’ and also went on record to say ‘I organised the whole thing’. This contradictory narrative seems to make up a great part of the Trump support, seemingly to be recognised by trump himself and be recognised within the republican party. The damaged republican party, at the current moment shows what an influence he still has and how even post-presidency, he is a force to be reckoned with in American politics.

His support post presidency has been a major event, especially in the crowded streets of the red states, Arizona particularly has been outspoken about their endorsement of Trump 2024. This endorsement has been especially present in the results of the Midterms, which the republicans have called ‘unfair’. Kari Lake, being of the most notable GOP republicans to have been endorsed by Trump and is one of many to call the midterm elections ‘fake’ and went so far as to say the US has a ‘broken election system’. Unwavering support for Trump continues even after the elections were found to be fair.

The endorsement of extreme republican candidates by Trump has also been controversial in his post presidency as his continued support for GOP candidates that deny the midterm results have damaged the republican party’s reputations. This is all too clear with the recent results showing Georgia and Arizona becoming Blue States.

As the table above shows, the effects of Trump’s endorsement have particularly damaged, the red states, especially Arizona and Georgia that have high republican followings. The democrats have won because of Trump’s post presidency endorsement and the ‘false results’ the GOP candidates have claimed, and this has only hurt their campaigns. Their claims for the ‘unfair democratic system’ have been a much more extreme version of opposition. The extremist populism is on the rise and only time will tell what will come of it. For some there is hope and for many, they are still stuck in their Grand Old Party ways.

Another event that struck the hearts of many in Trump’s post presidency, is that earlier this year, the FBI, raided his Mar A Lago estate, the events unfolded in what could only be described as a plot in a crime drama. The raid was conducted on the grounds of potential violation of the Espionage Act (1917). This was an ongoing investigation since the insurrection on January 6th, 2021. The raid was successful, the FBI found 15 boxes with 11 otherwise classified documents, some were even ‘top secret’ and only to be viewed in special government facilities. This was part of a federal investigation by the NARA (National Archives and Records Administration), who were also looking into his alleged tax fraud with his real estate business. Trump however, described the attack as ‘dark times for our nation’ exclaiming that the raid on his home was a disservice to democracy. Trump further claimed the White House officials were behind it, but they knew nothing of the sort.

The investigation conducted by the NARA looked into Trump’s breach of the Espionage Act (1917) as well as the Presidential Records Act (1978) which states documents must not leave the White   House after a former president finishes their term, this came after Nixon’s infamous Watergate scandal in 1975. The act states that the president does have control over where files go while in office, but after which are not allowed to be moved from such places. Trump formally denies that he took the documents, and accused the FBI, on his own social media platform ‘TRUTH Social’ to say that the FBI had planted the documents, and then said he had declassified the documents before leaving office.

This however is a baseless claim as the court documents, providing the search warrants to search the home stated that they had reason to believe he took the documents from the White House, which could further prove his involvement in the horrid insurrection that took place 2 years ago.  This change in narrative highlights his controversial post presidency, as he will change the narrative to suit his supporters.

The Mar A Lago debacle is still the main event that has taken Trump’s post presidency by storm, and the amount of support Trump had from republicans like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Kari Lake after the raid was staunch, and they went so far as to say they would ‘defund the FBI’ if they were in charge, which again goes to show how much support Trump has gained since his time in office. There is reason to believe that the raid has also had bad consequences for the GOP, as it has cemented further opposition for a Trump 2024 campaign.

Trump however, after announcing his new campaign MAGAGA (make America great and glorious again), as hilarious as it sounds has been something that to no one’s surprise has been somewhat successful, this expansion for his campaign is important as it has continued to gain attention, most notably from republican platforms like Fox news. The way Trumps post presidency has caused this uproar in populism, is nothing short of fascinating, and this is a time for the history books.

Considering recent events, regardless of how questionable they have been, there is always two sides to every story, and with Donald Trump’s post presidency, his time out of office has seen many, many narratives. These narratives mostly come from networks like Breitbart that are large parts of why Donald Trump’s post presidency has been controversial to say the least.

An example of this ulterior viewpoint is that outlets like Breitbart (run by republican Andrew Breitbart)  is that many of the articles endorse trump, and this site seems to be a place where the Trump post presidency support has accumulated. Articles like ‘big media claim Biden’s mishandling of classified documents is ‘different’ to Trump’s’ claim that how Biden handled secret documents was not different to trump. The article does not defend Trump but instead tries to bring Biden down to the same level. But the difference is Trump failed to comply with authorities out of office whereas Biden handed the documents over.

While many consider Trump being out of office a good thing, as the recent midterms suggest, many on the far right argue this should have never been an option as they continually claim that the election was rigged time and time again. Those on the far right argue without reason, Trump has been good for the United States and should therefore still be the rightful president. This is because of how those on the far right agree with trump regardless of rational thought. Many are republican for the sake of being republican, other support comes in the form of some of the most bigoted people in the US such as hate groups like Q-anon and the KKK, and while trump has no proven affiliation with these groups the resurfacing prevalence of these groups has caused more than a few problems for the current administration.

This voice that trump keeps giving these groups has undeniably had a big impact on the way the world now views the United States, and Trump continues to hold power in the rest of the world. The far right has been on the rise in Europe due to Trump bringing back a resurgence in right wing populism. A few cases like in Italy with the recent election of Giorgia Meloni and Viktor Orban in Hungary have been a key part of Trump’s popularity especially in Europe.

Daryl Davis, an Black political activist and musician, famous for talking to the KKK and getting them to quit the organisation, had an interesting opinion on Trump and said that ‘while I did not support him at the last election, I truly believe he is the best thing for my country’ and further stated ‘he is breaking the bone of the country, not by any intelligent design.. and we must rely on each other to rebuild together.’ This opinion is one of the more nuanced but is still important, as it is a perspective that fits both narratives. In context, Davis believes that we cannot hide American history (see accidental courtesy). While trump is not mentioned in the documentary, it shows how deep rooted this bigotry he gives a platform to is. This opinion is true especially looking back on what has happened throughout both Trumps presidency and post presidency. Biden is currently during sorting a giant divide in the White House.

To this extent Daryl Davis opinion on trump remains interesting, and eerily accurate as he shows that Trump is a key part of the divide and why he is so influential in the split in American politics. His push for an even greater campaign out of office for 2024 shows how Trump continues to make up a great part of the current political landscape and how he has managed to remain so controversial. Davis also showed how Trump is good for America like he believes. This is because through this populism and bigotry, ‘everyone will be hurt’ and so can progress together, because of how big the problems of Christian nationalism and racism are in the States.

There is also a much more centred and neutral outlook towards Donald Trump’s post presidency. As a result of staying out of regular politics. In this view the way Trump continues to change politics has been a talking point, a kind of pop culture joke. This view also seems to be present in the perspective of the rest of the world who are much less divided on the topic.

In some ways the rise of populism due to the impact of Trump, and his popularity even out of office has been good because people like Trump explain some of the broken fundamentals of modern western politics. However, the ways in which this rise in populism has become a staple of far-right politics has not done well for the reputation of the US he has left behind.

As the sun has set on 2022, we are another year away from a 2024 election, and nervously awaiting the results of the midterms and the presidential nominees. As well as this, the January 6th committee has wrapped up their investigation into Donald Trump’s engagement in the Capitol riots, his classified documents, and his tax fraud. What will 2023 bring, more scandals, more lies? The tension is high but has been more than exiting, I doubt we are even halfway through this disturbingly and scary story.

In conclusion, Trump’s post presidency has been rife with scandals and damning events. Donald Trump has been consistently in the news and his influence lives on in politicians like Marjorie Taylor Greene and internationally with Giorgia Meloni. His populist views, and his foreign policy have continued to have an impact in American politics despite not being indirectly involved, and his post presidency is only continuing to build on his damning legacy. Donald trump will forever be a major chapter in the ever evolving history of the United States and many will undoubtably watch on in awe as the story continues to unfold.

[blackmagicspecialist786-blog]

After Election Problems in Houston, Republicans Seek to Overturn Results

Houston, Texas -Houston - Jon Rosenthal has seen some tight races, however his re-election to Texas State House in November in the Houston district that was drawn to be virtually a guarantee for Democrats did not happen to be one of the races. The Mr. Rosenthal won by 15 points. It was unexpected when his Republican opponent challenged the results and asked for the State Legislature to order a new election. A surprise occurred late on Thursday night when one of the Republican candidate for Harris County's highest executive post within Harris County, which includes Houston, announced that she would challenge her narrower loss of around 18,000 votes, against her more progressive Democrat who is currently the county's Chief Executive, Lina Hidalgo. On Friday, more than twelve unsuccessful Republican candidate had filed lawsuits to challenge the outcome of their contests. Election Day in Harris County, Texas' largest county was marred by a variety of issues at the polling stations such as those that were closed late and some that were unable to find the paper needed to print ballots. The judge ordered that the polls be open for an additional time to make up for the loss; after that, they were able to stop the extra voting. Texas Supreme Court stepped in and stopped the extra vote. Republicans who have been keeping an eye out for electoral issues in elections across the nation, took a stance on the challenges that are affecting Harris County, which is growing into an increasingly Democratic stronghold. Candidates challenged the validity of the results in a costly and bitter campaign that did not succeed in dislodging Mrs. Hidalgo and a slate of Democratic judges. "It is inexcusable that after two months, the public is no further along in knowing if, and to what extent, votes were suppressed," said Alexandra del Moral Mealer when explaining why she decided to appeal her defeat in the election to Mrs. Hidalgo, adding that her argument to the challenge was "fundamentally about protecting the right to vote in free and fair elections." Contests for election are not unusual in Texas with a lot of down-ballot elections in smaller counties where margins of victory are usually quite small. However, the contests that were faced in Harris County appeared to be unusually broad in their attempts to question the legitimacy of the process of voting in an election that included 1.1 millions of votes. The county was the target of the calls of state leaders such as Gov. Greg Abbott, for an inquiry into the conduct of the county's administration in the conduct of its election. The district attorney of the local area launched an inquiry in November. The contests for Harris County's elections Harris County have at times like the ones by Arizona from the Republican Governor candidate, Kari Lake, who is seeking to reverse her defeat by claiming that officials from one county intentionally disenfranchised her voters. A judge rejected her claims last month , citing a the lack of evidence. However, the current contests in Texas have no precedents as stated by that the Harris County attorney, Christian Menefee who is who is a Democrat. "To my knowledge, this is the first election contest filed in Harris County that is wholly focused on these kinds of process failures," Mr. Menefee said in an interview. The vast Texas county has been shifting more strongly toward Democrats during the last couple of elections, largely following the direction of the other significant Texas cities. Due to a myriad of reasons, the county has had a difficult time conducting elections with ease, attracting repeated attention from Republican lawmakers at the State Capitol. The size of the county has been difficult with a territory similar to Delaware which has 2.5 millions registered voters and over 700 polling locations. The county has been struggling with the newly mandated systems for voting and hasn't had a consistent direction from its elections office, which has had three administrators in place from 2020. A review of the 2020 elections that was carried out by the secretary of state revealed a myriad of problems and instances of in which Harris County did not handle its electronic records in a proper manner however there not evidence that there were widespread instances of fraud. The county took a number of steps adopted during the coronavirus epidemic to facilitate the ability to vote in Houston like the restriction of 24-hour voting hours and polling stations with drive-throughswere also met with criticism from Republicans who claimed that the changes resulted in a less secure election. The majority of Republicans in the State Legislature, in its final session, took measures to curtail a lot of these measures. In Election Day in November, the county faced issues in a variety of polling stations, including a few that were a significant delay in their opening times, as well as others which reported having run out of ballots in paper. A judge directed polling stations in the county to stay open for an additional time after the Texas Organizing Project, a non-profit, filed suit against the issue, alleging that voters were being denied from casting their ballots. It was the Texas Supreme Court stepped in and stopped the decision in response to a challenge by Ken Paxton, the Republican attorney general Ken Paxton. The court eventually permitted about 2000 voting ballots used during additional voting period to be counted in those counted in the final official report. The county's election manager, Clifford Tatum, has stood up for the election and claimed that the issues that were raised are minor in a well-run election. "Overall, Election Day was a success," the post-election report by the office of Mr. Tatum's department concluded. However, the report, published this week, also revealed that the county's system for voting had "an immediate need of upgrades or replacements" to address issues with software, streamline the process of voting and establish an election system that allows the administrator to be aware at any time if issues identified at polling stations were being fixed. It is believed that the Harris County Republican Party has been focusing on a wide range of issues that were raised during Election Day, including not just sites that were void of paper ballots, but other sites where poll workers improperly put paper ballots in voting machines. In the report the office of the election administrator stated that the officials of the voting centers in 68 reported that they ran over the original allocation of papers on Election Day, and that only 61 of them reported that they received delivery of paper. However, it was unclear what percentage of voters were refused entry due to shortage of paper, in part due to the fact that, according to the report, a few of the elections judge "declined to speak after reportedly being advised not to do so by the Harris County Republican Party." A spokeswoman from the County Republican Party, Genevieve Carter denied receiving any instructions. "We encouraged them to provide their firsthand account of any issues that occurred," she explained. "Our goal is to get to the bottom of what went wrong during this election." The leaders and lawyers of the party haven't claimed they have the evidence to prove that their candidates could have won. Instead, they've claimed that the magnitude of the problems that occurred on Election Day were so great (including, the claim, permitting voters to cast votes who were not qualified to do so throughout the entire county -- the real results of the election cannot be known. They insist that elections be held again. (More than two-thirds of votes were cast at the time of early voting or via mail but however, not during Election Day.) "We have a systematic cancer that has invaded our election process," stated the county chair of the Republican Party, Cindy Siegel. Democrats have not yet raised formal challenges to the election, but privately, they have complained that numerous issues in the electoral process in Houston were not adequately dealt with, giving Republicans an incentive to pass restrictive legislation and, more recently, elections. Candidates are the only ones who are able to initiate contests So far, at most 14 have taken part which includes the candidate Ms. Mealer, a first-time candidate who was able to receive millions of donations from Houston's top donors as well as Mr. Rosenthal's opponent Michael May; a candidate for county district clerk and nine Republican Judicial candidates. One of the first challenges was made by a candidate for judicial office, Erin Lunceford, who was defeated by 2,743 votes and filed suit in the last quarter of in the year. Ms. Lunceford's complaint contains 19 claims that raise issues concerning the way that voting was handled or counted during the November election . The suit requests the court to annul the court-appointed elections in addition to "declare that the true outcome of the election cannot be ascertained." Ms. Lunceford is represented by Andy Taylor, an election lawyer representing the County Republican Party. Ryan MacLeod, a lawyer for the Democrat who took the election, Tamika Craft, described the lawsuit in court papers as an "stunt to make headlines" after the election was canceled, and claimed the suit was a "stunt to make headlines" after an election "no allegations are supported by facts" and that there was no evidence given. The latest challenge made on Thursday to the result of the race to be Harris County judge -- effectively, the county's chief executive Ms. Mealer's lawyers focused on the issues of the paper ballot in arguing that they were concentrated in high-turnout Republican regions and County officials "suppressed the voting rights" of the residents living in these areas. The woman. Hidalgo's office directed concerns to county attorneys the attorney, Mr. Menefee, who described the issues to the county's constitution as "frivolous attempts to overturn the votes of more than a million residents." In contrast to other contests and challenges. May's race was a loss to his opponent Mr. Rosenthal does not go before a judge because it is an State House race. However, according to Texas laws, it will be scrutinized by the state legislature, who will meet in the month of March. The House may determine that the appeal is unfounded and dismiss it immediately, or opt to investigate the allegations gathering evidence and testimony before taking a decision about whether the vote should be thrown out and a new election scheduled. He. May, in his petition, mentioned the issue of paper ballots and claimed that eligible voters were denied access and not able to vote. He did not provide any evidence and has not responded to a request to comment. He. Rosenthal said he believed the contest was frivolous, and that allowing it continue could result in some future problems for lawmakers. "If there is life given to this, and there is no consequence for bringing something this frivolous, you're setting up for election challenges across the state," he added. "You could have dozens of challenges per cycle." Read the full article

[mh073099]

Book idea??

4 kingdoms. United by a war all these young queens and kings partook in when they were princesses and princes.

One in the west. Kindness and honor here. A beautiful bountiful culture. A kind but firm queen. Rocky hills with vineyards and luscious valleys, and a desert before the lush valleys. They created a path over time, that was the only lush area in the 1000 mile desert. It’s along a river. Which leads to the celestial city. Colors are yellow and purple, accents of white.

One in the north. This king knows survival. Honor. Justice. They respect the land they are on, and they respect those around them. A strong army commonly referred to as “the wall” shield formations unmatched

The land of Forrest and ice. Trees are everywhere. Rolling hills filled with little valleys and streams. Two big rivers and a massive lake/sea in the far north. Not many cities in the far north but the few there are strongholds. Northerners have made travel efficient in the north. Most cities are along the river, with two of the largest cities are where the two rivers meet the sea. Common trade by sea and river, bc the Forrests can be so dangerous. Western side river flows into the celestial city, the eastern side river flows into the east Kingdoms capital city. Flag: Red and white, with hints/ accents of gold.

One in the east. An intellectual queen. Strategies unmatched. Whale oil rich country bc the east meets and ocean. Before that it is plains. Lots of farming done in this kingdom along with world trade with other continents. Has a caption city on the coast, known for its medical and technological advancements, especially in their secret warfare experiments. Has a road from the capitol city into farmland/ plains and on to the celestial city. Blue and silver, accents of deep purple.

One in the south. Surrounded by the most ancient mountains. Dark things swell in these mountains. Which eventually gives onto swamp lands and Forrests before eventually meeting an ocean that leads to many island nations, if not thousands. The king is a cunning, ruthless warrior, but he loves his people and culture. He is working on uniting the islands with treaties and respect. Story telling is huge there. The law is loser on something’s but grip tight on other. Always fair and just. Fair trials happen there. Dark and light skins blend into the food and music there. The people often tell stories of the hero’s who fight the darkness in the mountains. They’ve gotten so good at it that they’ve built a road through and into the celestial city, that goes back and forth over a river. Cities along the way tucked into the valleys of these mountains.

The south is the land of magic in all forms. Legends and stories come from this place. The west has their own beautiful stories about the travel out there and the magic in the valleys of these Rocky Mountains ie fairies. The north has one legend that they tell. The story of the old magik. (Idk what that is yet.) the east tell stories of the sea, and the sea magic.

The celestial city is the center of these four kingdoms, where these queens and kings rule from traveling back and fourth from their perspective caption city’s. Magic and might flow here. Creatures of all kinds live here.

2 kings and 2 queens who all fought young together in a war before the were crowned respectively. North, east and west accuse the south of protecting dark magic and the killings a dark entity that is harming the land and people. All four go searching for their own answers. The south understands that dark does not mean evil.