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thatoneyanderewriter · 5 months

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Deception

pairing: yandere!coriolanus snow x everdeen!reader

summary: it’s the things we love the most that destroy us.

warnings: yandere behavior, stalking, implied murder, violence, delusion, possessive!snow(as in VERY possessive) unhealthy relationships, superiority complex, narcissistic tendencies.

a/n: I love Lucy gray okay? but she didn’t exist in this! Just for the plot btw. also more yandere tbosas characters to come!

Coriolanus liked to think that he was always on top. Snows were, after all, very prominent. That was what was keeping him going in life. His name.

This mentorship would be the key to his future. He had already decided he wanted to be the President of Panem, another way for him to gain control.

He first notices you at the reaping. Not physically. But it’s programmed live, so everyone could see. You stood out. Maybe not on purpose, but to him you did.

“District 12 Girl is Y/N Everdeen.”

The Mayor looked smug. You look over to a smug redhead. He wondered what past you shared with her. And you stood tall and confident. You kept your expression the same as you walk.

The redhead screamed, as the mayor called for help. That was revenge. But you didn’t do anything else, as you stood, the Mayor slapped you so hard you were off of your knees.

But you made no reaction as you stood back up, giving the mayor a warm smile as he was taken away. This was your opportunity, sure. You went over to the mic simply said,”Thank you, hope you enjoyed the show!”

Stepping back, You bowed, and added,”I hope you’ll enjoy my show just as much as I do!” You acted as if the audience was cheering, but it was silence.

The Peacekeepers shove you inside as Jessup is announced as the District 12 Male. You shake hands and that’s one of the last moments of the reaping he sees of you.

To be honest, receiving District 12 was a slap to the face. It was the small, joke district. It was clear Dean Highbottom had something against him, giving it to him on purpose.

In fairness, Coriolanus had made fun of him with friends behind his back, but still. It wasn’t fair. His petty resentment shouldn’t intertwine with his work.

But, you had some sort of gift. One he’d use to his advantage when it came to winning the games. And clearly, people liked you.

“I’ll have to admit, Coriolanus, you’ve gotten lucky, His fellow classmate, Hilarius teased. “I have, He replied proudly, having placed his plate next to Clemensia, He spots pie and immediately goes after it.

He hadn’t had Apple Pie in quite some time. The thought of it made his stomach growl. When all of a sudden, Dean Highbottom placed a bogger slice on his plate.”Oh, take a big one. Growing boy like you can handle it.”

Coriolanus grins at him. Thank you, sir. I can always find room for pie.” The Dean responds, “Yes, pleasures are never hard to accommodate, No one would know better than I.”

He never liked Dean Highbottom. He probably only had his position due to his fame of creating the hunger games.

The conversation sent chills down Coriolanus’ spine when Dean Highbottom spoke the words,”Look at you, in your makeshift shirt and your too-tight shoes, trying to hold it together. Strutting around the Capitol, when I doubt the Snows have a pot to piss in. Even with a prize, it would be a stretch, and you don’t yet have one, do you? What then, I wonder, would happen to you? What then?”

The next morning, Coriolanus stood at the Train Station. After hearing about the arrival of the tributes, he felt it was best to see you personally. A start that most hadn’t jumped to.

This made him feel more confident. And in his hand was a white rose, one from his grandmother’s garden. It was Tigris who suggested bringing a gift. And his cousin was never wrong, most of the time at least.

The train was a bit late but when you arrived, didn’t run per se, but rushed over to you, rose in hand. “Welcome to the Capitol, He greeted you.

You look up at him.”You shouldn’t be here, well, you don’t look like you do.” “I probably shouldn’t, He admits. You laugh a little, but aren’t scared. You don’t trust him right away of course.

“So then, What’s a Capitol boy like you doing around here? You ask, eyeing his clothing. “I’m your mentor, He said.”And I wanted to know you without the Capitol.”

“Hm, a rebel, You teased, taking the rose from him.”Does everyone have a mentor?” “Yes, but the others are waiting I suppose, He winked.

Coriolanus was intrigued. You were a bit more bold and confident than he expected. But the reaping showed a little bit of that.

“What does my mentor do besides bringing roses? You joke. “I do my best to take care of you, He said.”Coriolanus Snow.”

“I’m sure, if you’re my mentor, you know my name, but I like yours, You compliment.”And good luck, by the way. A lot of people don’t like me. Might try to kill you too.”

It was a clear joke, but Coriolanus was still puzzled. How could anyone hate you? You weren’t dangerous by any means, and the confidence you had became attractive to him, almost.

You expect to go on by yourself, but Coriolanus joins beside you, being shoved into the platform. He did so much for you, and maybe you should’ve done more. Then, you saved his life. Out of oath and a sense of guilt. And the fact you wanted to help people, not do the opposite.

Eventually, The games ended. And while Coriolanus was certainly relieved. Dean Highbottom found out about his little favor to help you win.

He just had to see you one last time. To say that he had grown infatuated was an understatement. You just were very charming, and sweet. Naive, even. Maybe not from your eyes, but his? Definitely.

“Are you okay? You ask.”You seemed urgent when you asked to meet up.” It was secret, just like your relationship.

“They’re punishing me, He said.”I don’t know if I’ll see you again. I cheated to help you win.” “I would’ve done the same, Coryo, You remind him.”Besides, I owe you. What’s your punishment?”

He could either lie, or tell you the truth. See, he always felt like you needed to be saved by him. He was superior, in a way. Of course he loved you, but he wanted to protect you too.

“I’m going to be a Peacekeeper for 20 years, He admits.”Protocol, but at least I won’t suffer humiliation.”

You chuckle.”I know, Coryo. I’d rather suffer humiliation than be a Peacekeeper. Will I see you again?” He replied,”I don’t know.”

But when you kiss him, it feel incredible. You loved him so. And from your eyes, he loved you too, yet it didn’t change your confidence and boldness.

He was well aware that you would’ve stood up for what’s right. You were an Everdeen. A family of that, according to you.

But truthfully, he insisted on district 12. “Well, they’re sending me back too, Coryo, You tell him.”Might pick up on more jobs to survive.”

He kissed you roughly one last time. Even though he was sure he’d see you again. Maybe without your knowledge.

When you came home, you did as you said. You picked up on more jobs. And when he first was there began following you, more like stalking you, but he was protective of you, his girl, he’d say to himself.

He didn’t want anyone else to have you. And he knew his silly infatuation became an Obsession. But this wasn’t new. Not in the slightest.

You began singing a little at the Hob, alongside the Covey, a group of musicians. You didn’t sing too much, he notices.

But when you did sing, you sang beautifully. You always sang what you felt. And he admired it. One night, however, you noticed him. But made a small reaction, turning back to the song.

When you ended, you rushed over.”Coryo. Didn’t expect to see you here.” “Surprised? He teased. “A little, You admit.”But, I knew you would. It wasn’t too much of a surprise. Nice buzz cut.”

He laughed, your fingers brushing over his shaved head. He’d miss his curls, but they’d return. “Where’s Sejanus? You ask.

You find him within the crowd, and start up a conversation. However, the night ends with you and Coriolanus, like how he wanted.

His ever growing possessiveness for you was showing a little, his grip on your hand was strong. You didn’t care, though. Not at first. You might not see him again. Or rarely.

Your judgement was clouded by the feeling of Love. A feeling many experience at your age. “Y/N, A voice said drunkenly.

You turn, annoyance in your tone.”What? I know exactly why you’re here.” Your former lover, well, truthfully, a one-sided crush at that. He just thought you were lovers.

He'd believe Mayfair over you, on a lie. that was it for you. “Come on, I miss what we had! He whines. “As if it was anything special, You scoffed.”See, if you hadn’t believed that redhead, it would’ve been just fine. She tried to kill me!”

Coriolanus wouldn’t admit it, at least to you, but he was fuming. His jaw clenched, and obvious signs of frustration. You soothe him, or try to. “Coryo, he’s an idiot, You say, assuringly.

“Ah, your new victim? Your former friend said jokingly, but anger in his voice.”She’s just using you, like with me.”

And that seemed to be it. You could only watch as his fists landed on his face. Stumbling back, he groans.”What the-“ Coriolanus wasn’t done. Now relying on his anger, jealousy, and bloodlust. He punched his jaw, so badly that by the time he was done, which was after a few times, his knuckles were bleeding, and blood landed on him.

Clearly, he was good as dead. This was a side you hadn’t seen before. But nonetheless, You couldn’t react. “Coryo… You could only say. And as he looks up, he hugs you, a bit more passionately than usual.

“You were never here. Go. I can handle it.”

You decide on listening. He wasn’t even really suggesting, but rather ordering. And you didn’t want to stay a moment longer.

Truthfully, He felt a sense of power, and control when he was punching him. You were his, not your former friend’s. He had to make sure of that.

It was a swift process, he had killed before, technically having no other choice but still, he was worried you wouldn’t forgive him. Or tell someone. That would ruin his future.

Of course, it didn’t mean he regretted doing so. He loved the feeling he got. The violence itself he enjoyed. And the way he spoke of you, it was justified. He shouldn’t have talked to you like that.

“Coryo, are you alright?”

Hearing your voice, his head spins. Your voice was like a bell to him. “I’m fine, are you? He hurt you? Coriolanus asked in response.

You shake your head.”He’s done this before. He may have hurt me once, but not again.” It was stupid, in your eyes. It wasn’t like he was a lover of yours, just your best friend. You thought he’d choose you over Mayfair, who clearly had her eyes on him.

Which wouldn’t be a problem, if she wasn’t a bitch. “As long as I’m here, Nobody will hurt you, Coriolanus assured you. You smile.”I know. And that’s why I love you, Coryo. Always there for me. I owe you big time.”

You owed him, and he’d never let you forget that. You belonged to him, and nobody else. You better remember that.

#coriolanus snow x reader #yandere coriolanus snow #everdeen!reader

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house-strong · 2 years

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— THE WAKE of the dragon ʾ ⋆

summary ; a request by anon.

“Would you please write a Daemon x niece!reader where Alicent attempted to attack her half-daughter like Episode 8 but the reader is pregnant with Daemon's third child?? I NEED protective, murderous Daemon in my life.”

pairing ; daemon targaryen x targaryen!reader

notes ; daemon is the man that i need in my life 😭 i cannot get over his short hair look. also, myrax is the name of your dragon. there’s no description for her, so feel free to make up your own! also unrevised,, oops.

funerals were a finicky thing.

when laena velaryon passed from childbirth, or rather the flame of her dragon-mount vhagar, the royal court had assembled on the velaryon’s ancestral seat of driftmark to pay tribute to the beautiful sister of laenor velaryon.

a towering castle surrounded by black water bay, driftmark was surely rivaling the volcanic mountain of dragonstone in terms of beauty. dragons soared across the sky, a plethora of beige, red, silver, and green wings dappled the sky. with a monstrous cry, vhagar was lurking within the mountains somewhere.

the procession was something that bordered mystic. tossing laena’s body that was enclosed in a stone casket carved out of her liking into the sea, never to be seen again. you supposed it was poetic, the velaryons were of the sea after all.

your two children, daenys and baelon, were doing their best to console their cousins, rhaena and baela. you smile fondly at them, the girls holding hands and baelon trying to make them laugh in attempts to raise their spirits. a sharp kick to your belly sends you leaning forward. your arm shoots out to find something to grasp on to and sure enough, you find the arm of your husband, daemon.

“he’s a fighter, isn’t he?” his voice asks, the tone low and cool enough to send a shiver down your spine. you wince and try to muster a smile despite the pain, but you shake your head.

“she is a fighter. i was thinking about the name visenya.”

“he will be named daerion,” the rogue prince counters, a sly smirk rising the corner of his lip. his eyes you curiously, eyes flickering back and forth between your eyes, your nose, and soon, he stops at your lips. he licks his own, before turning away and gazing at your children. you sigh in soft adoration, the action he did was enough to send the babe in your belly and stomach into flips.

it was no secret that daemon wanted another son; after the birth of prince baelon, named after his late nephew and in a sheer decision to repair old amends with his king brother, he was enamored with his child. he was the epitome of what daemon had inspired to be; a faithful and loving brother to his sibling, and a bundle of joy that was the near opposite of what daemon was. to create something so good and so pure was evidence enough that maybe daemon could be salvaged.

he knew that this, this family – his family, was the one thing in the world that he vowed to uphold and protect, no matter the cost. he’d cross oceans, move mountains, and bring the kingdoms to heel with the help of his dragon-mount caraxes if that was what you needed.

“they’re sweet, aren’t they?” you say, following his gaze. he hums in agreement.

the funeral then moves to the inner halls of driftmark, where corlys velaryon and your aunt, rhaenys targaryen, had set a feast in remembrance of their late daughter. the food was delicious, an array of players of roasted pig, cakes, and fish been laid out. no doubt they were delicacies that were once enjoyed by laena velaryon. your seat was at the long table alongside the princess rhaenyra’s family, your fathers family, and your own.

the day had swiftly come to an end and everyone was confined to their chambers, or rather, they were supposed to be. it was no secret that aemond targaryen had disliked the obviousness of being without a dragon-mount. he, however, had the glorious idea of claiming vhagar as his mount. now riderless and unclaimed by someone of valyrian descent, the enormous beast had accepted aemond as hers.

this did nothing but enrage the velaryon twins. push had come to shove, and soon punches were being thrown. it was only through the intervention of the targaryen household guards and kingsguards, were the children separated. your children, unfortunately were caught in the crossfire trying to defend both aemond and rhaena. your poor children had no idea of the growing divide that grew between the children of alicent hightower and rhaenyra targaryen.

a knock had come to your chamber doors, one that interrupted the slow, passionate kisses that were exchanged between the near naked body’s of you and daemon. he pulls away from you and glares daggers toward the door.

“i thought we asked to not be disturbed?” he asks, his voice mixed with the edge of anger and annoyance.

“i’m sorry, my prince and princess, but it’s of grave urgency,” the steward responds behind the closed door, “i’m afraid it involves your children.”

the pair of you were quick to redress and make yourselves presentable. with the swing of the door and a bow of respect, you both followed the steward without another word.

that is when you met the other members of your family in the halls of hightide and you arrive before moments before rhaenyra. your children are quick to be by daemon and your side; daenys hugs you and baelon seeks refuge by daemon. a growing, red and purple welt had begun to swell on the full cheekbone of baelon. the fury that begins to grow in daemon is obvious.

you bend at the hip to the farthest your growing stomach will allow, your hands gently cupping daenys’ tear stained cheeks. her cheeks are flushed with pink and hair frays thick with sweat gather at her hairline. you feel your heart break as you feel her small body shudder.

“what happened? tell me the truth.” daemon asks gently as he kneels down to baelon’s level. the growing boy turns his head to glare at where the other children were gathered.

“aemond claimed vhagar as his mount, but baela said vhagar was hers to claim.” gods, the kids and their never ending desire to be a dragonrider. you were thankful your kids had mounts already, as your dragon myrax had laid a clutch of eggs that both hatched. “then jace and luke got involved.. then i tried to help defend aemond. it wasn’t right that they all attacked him.”

atlas, your son wasn’t a bully. a sigh leaves you and you hug your daughter tight.

then, the question comes to what would happen as a result of aemond’s eye. you release the hold from your daughter and approach the rapidly forming circle. you stand by your elder sister rhaenyra, your hand holding hers in support.

everything happens too fast. rhaenyra demands that aemond be questioned about where he learned to call her children bastards, alicent demands and eye for an eye, and soon, a knife is drawn by the queen and she makes a beeline for the crowned heir.

your eyes open wide in surprise, but you move forward quickly despite the pregnancy you bear, “no!”

again, a push comes to shove, and alicent shoves you to the side. you cry out as your body collides with the floor. somewhere along the fall, you hit your head. your children shout your name and rush to your aid, followed by their father. he kneels beside you, moving your hair from your face, eyes assessing the damage.

it’s then he notices the crimson liquid that slowly gathers then falls from your temple. your hand tenderly touches the spot and you grimace with pain.

he rises and moves to pull the queen away from rhaenyra, his eyes cold and his face hardened. the members of the kingsguard are confused as to who to protect; the king whose in the presence of a weapon, the queen who was just shoved by the rogue prince, or the named heir to the iron throne who was bleeding from her forearm. three important figures of the crown were in the crossfire.

criston cole, ever so faithful to his lady, ran to alicent’s side and stuck himself between daemon and his queen. daemon takes this as an invitation to draw his sword and the kingsguard, as well as the targaryen household soldiers, follow suit. your husband raises dark-sister and points it accusingly at alicent and her band of loyalists.

daemon wants a reason to have dark-sister meet criston coke – any reason, small or large, would’ve rid the targaryens of this rat.

“disarm him!”

the command is met with no response. no one knows who to defend, but your heart warms at daemon’s ability to single-handedly not care and care so much at the same time.

“you will not come into this hall and dishonor the very memory of laena velaryon,” he starts, voice low and thick with disdain. his lips curl back into a snarl, “and you will not bring my wife and my children into this feud.”

once his message seeps into the air; he pulls away and sheathes his sword, eyes locked onto the shocked expression that queen alicent wore, “you should remember your place, alicent. royal blood runs through our veins, you should do well to remember that you don’t have the same luxury.”

the comment causes a scoff to draw from alicent’s mouth.

daemon returns to your side and helps you to your feet. a maester comes, along with a rag and some needle in case the wound is needed stitches. he leads you away, arm wrapped around your back and the other supporting your weight as you hobble your way next to him.

“as soon as you are seen to, we and the children are leaving.”

and with a few stitches to close the wound, your face was rid of the blood that came. daemon, daenys, baelon, and yourself, packed your things and sent them home along with your household guards. the four of you, took your dragon-mounts to the sky and flew to dragonstone, where you shared the massive castle with your sister and her family.

despite warning alicent to not involve his family, you taking rhaenyra’s side and baelon’s actions in the squabble between the children had already chosen your fate and tied you to the blacks.

sooner or late, the war between the blacks and the greens would divide the targaryen family.

#daemon targaryen #daemon targaryen x reader #daemon targaryen fic #daemon targaryen imagine #daemon targaryen fanfic #hotd x reader #hotd fanfic #hotd imagine #my writing

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brf-rumortrackinganon · 3 months

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I know it’s too soon and it sounds like they have everything under control, but let’s say the worst happens and we suddenly have King William and Queen Catherine….

Yes, it would be sad yada yada, but how delicious to see the Harkles forced to bow/ curtsey to the new King and Queen in public.

Markle would brave the humiliation to help her brand, but how humiliating for them to bow/ curtsey to their hated rivals.

***

Seeing Meghan have to grovel to William and Kate would be better than a free dessert with Costco-sized portions.

The humiliation she felt at the Queen’s funeral is going to pale in comparison to the humiliation she will feel at the King’s funeral. And when you think about it, The Queen’s funeral was three times the humiliation Meghan was expecting:

1. She (and Harry) were already in the UK which meant she was on a kind of lockdown that kept her from orchestrating the usual PR shenanigans she has become accustomed to when the BRF has major ceremonial events like this. She not only had ‘the firm’ watching her, but Harry was also there with her, in the same house, and she couldn’t just send him away so she could scheme in private (as she did every other time Harry went back to London without her, and notably for Philip’s funeral).

2. This “lockdown” also meant that she couldn’t go anywhere. No traveling, no parties, no nothing because of tightened security protocols, which means she couldn’t escape any of the criticism being said about her and Harry and she also couldn’t escape any of the praise Kate was getting...whom everyone was now calling The Princess of Wales while she was just ‘Meghan.’

3. It was made very clear that she and Harry were not welcome around the family, neither the main “branch” of Charles and Waleses nor the extended family. Harry wasn’t invited on the plane with William, but Andrew was. Harry wasn’t invited to Birkhall with Charles the night The Queen died to discuss transition. Hardman’s book all but says no one talked to Harry that night at Balmoral over dinner. Harry didn’t do the “family” walkabout at Balmoral with the rest of the grandchildren. The Sussexes didn’t get their own “meet the public and view the tributes” walkabout like the rest of the titled family members (minus the Yorkies). Charles called them ‘Harry and Meghan’ (no titles) and wished them well overseas in his first speech after The Queen’s passing. Harry wasn’t part of the Accession Council. Members of the public visibly and audibly refused to give greetings to Meghan at the Windsor walkabout. Harry had his ER revoked from his military uniform the one time he did get to wear it. Meghan was rejected by Camilla, Kate, and Sophie at the funeral - look at the gulf between them after the service when they were curtsying the cortege. No one spoke to them after The Queen’s commital service when they were waiting to leave but the staff.

It’s going to be so, so much worse when Charles passes. Especially if they’re in California (like when Philip passed) and all these negotiations are happening over much longer distances with much more time zones.

(And I do think Harry has some regret over The Queen and Philip’s passing - he “wasn’t told” they were dying so he didn’t get to see them one last time, which which probably made the trauma from Diana’s passing fresh again, and that’s why we see Harry making urgent plans to see Charles. This isn’t a knock against Harry; I missed seeing my own grandfather before he passed, the only cousin/grandchild who did, and the woulda/coulda/shoulda is very real so I completely understand. I do, however, side-eye his claims that he wasn’t told, because the signs were very, very obvious in both situations.)

#ask #brf #in this essay i will

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koffeewife · 7 months

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SHURI X JAMAICAN READER

Summary: A night out at the club takes a bit of a turn when y/n’s favorite song comes on and she starts drunkenly singing it to shuri , it’s the songs unique lyrics that takes shuri over the edge…

Warnings: tipsy reader, high reader, high shuri, implies smut (I’m too scared I’ll ruin it if I write smut lol)

(A/N: post writing this I am just gonna say hats off to all the writers on this platform because it is so fucking hard to translate an idea into a flowing story and I think this is the first and last time I try to do so 😭)

Soooo I’ve been on tumblr for a while reading and interacting but I never dared to write anything..but THIS scenario played out so nice while I was driving and smoking. This song was playing and it started from there you can listen to it but idk if it’ll actually go with the story so the choice is yours. If this is shit tell me immediately I’ll take it down and stfu forever 😭🫶🏾

I don’t plan on translating the patois in the dialog but if it’s necessary pls lmk and I’ll add it !

…here we go🫣 *inhales*

1:00AM at the club was your favorite time because the normal DJ switched out for a Jamaican one. Who so happens to be your favorite cousin.

You and Shuri decided to go out together to get some drinks in a more social environment rather than staying in like you had for the last year. Getting tired of hearing the complaints that “ Y/N put a spell on our Queen” or better yet “The Queen is pussy whipped” This was the perfect place to show face and vibe discreetly.

You made the final lick to seal your third blunt of the night. The bass in the club going hard to ‘The Harder They Fall’ by Koffee.

“Perfect song to spark the blunt to.” Shuri your girlfriend of 3 years chuckled.

The first pull was harsh but the second was sweet. That’s how you earned the name sour patch from your stoner friends.

“Here baby” you passed the blunt over. When your eyes locked so did your knees, it was a good thing you were sitting.

“You know you look really good when you’re high.” You boldly said. Shuri chuckled in reply and took a hit.

“If you think I look good so good sthandwa , dance with me”

She abruptly got up and put the blunt out, which forced you as well since you rested on her chest . As you two made your way towards the dance floor you locked eyes with your cousin.

When you saw that dumbass look on her face from the DJ booth you knew she was about to troll you in some way. The previous song seamlessly began blending into an intro you knew too well.

(start playing song here)

*Flash Back*

“Y/N long time mi nuh see yuh up weh mi spin yuh kno!” Your cousin said over wine at her place.

“It haad fi lef yuh yaad when it hold suh much luv .” You chuckled. Shuri was by no means keeping you from going out. It was more so you kept each other inside.

“Suh it guh when yuh get a gyal wid a ten outta ten ehhhhh!” You couldn’t help but bust out at the song reference she made.

“Gyal yuh nuh easy!” You laughed .

*Flash Back Over*

As soon as the bass dropped in the song you turned your back to Shuri to whine your waist.

Gyal , your pussy good mi gi’ you

10 outta 10

Up inna mi bed mi want you spread out again

“Careful, this same waistline is how you got stuck in the house for a year.” Shuri whispered in your ear, her waist keeping up with yours as she caught everything you threw.

What a body good , like you mek

outta gem

Hot inna your clothes when you

Step out again

“I’m just showing appreciation for the song choice it’s a tribute to you My Queen.” It came out a lot more breathless than you would have liked but truth be told her waistline was now leading and it was making you dizzy.

A just 10 outta 10 outta 10

Outta 10

Open up your book and mek

Mi tek out mi pen

You turned around to sing the chorus directly to her and the more words you said the darker her eyes sets.

“Slow whine gyal, your so fine

Pussy mek mi cum in no time” you sang.

Even under the club lights you could see the desire swimming in her eyes at the vulgar words you sang to her in your native tongue.

Without you even noticing her hand slide up to house your throat . “ nkosazana uyayazi ukuba indenza ntoni?” (Princess, do you have any idea what that does to me ?) Shuri rasped in your ear over the music.

You couldn’t do anything but stare at her like she hung the stars in the sky herself. The same effect that patois had on her, Xhosa had on you.

It was an instant panty soaker.

“masigoduke ndizokwazi ukubuyisa imbeko sithandwa sam” (let’s go home so I can return the tribute my love.) she ghosted over your lips.

Eyes heavy from the blunts , drinks , and Shuri’s goal to have cum untouched by her voice alone . You closed the gap between you two . The kiss was slow and deep but by no means was it romantic.

Her tongue danced with yours aiming to fuck you in the filthiest reaches of your mind. You knew if you didn’t leave now you would absolutely let her take you where you stood and no one would dare to try and stop the Black Panther .

You reluctantly broke the kiss with a gasp “yes.home.now.come” you spoke all at once and out of order.

You heard her laughing behind you as you practically dragged her off the floor.

“So you think I’m a 10 out of 10 ehhh” she teased . You tried to keep a straight face but failed thinking you both knew that you were both the 10’ s that made up the highest score.

*nervous chuckle*😅

#Spotify #shuri smut #shuri udaku #riri smut #koffee #shuri fluff #shuri x reader #shuri fanfiction #shuri fic #koffeewife

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sea-owl · 4 months

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Ok I've thought about which spouse came from what districts.

All notes come from the personal file of Victor Danbury when asked which victors could be trusted to bring into the rebellion.

Simon: Simon is a career tribute from District 1. He volunteered for his games at 18, thinking this was the only way his life was ever supposed to go due to his father demanding Simon bring honor to the Basset name. His mentor, even when he was still training, was Victor Agatha Danbury. He quickly became disillusioned during the games after his first kill but knew he had to kill or be killed, and he had unfinished businesses with his father. So he powered through, trying to make the other tributes deaths as quickly as possible. After he vowed to bring as many tributes back alive as he could and regularly joined Victor Danbury as a mentor.

Kate: Kate's from District 8. She volunteered for her games at 18, thinking either she'll get her family help by winning or they'll have one less mouth to feed if she didn't. Her weaving skills really helped in the arena with setting traps, and as the capitol liked to say, Kate was too stubborn to die. Kate was pissed when she learned the new set of rules she had to play lest she risk her family. For years, Kate played the perfect victor in public. It relaxed a little when Edwina turned 19 and no longer eligible for the games, but by then, Kate didn't really know how to act otherwise.

Sophie: Sophie is from District 6. Due to everything being transported through District 6, there is a high presence of peacekeepers there. Sophie's father was a high-ranking peace keeper and her mother from the districts. Her father did kind of take her in but would never dare to claim her. Any peace keepers would never say the words outloud when they have district kids. Her stepmother wanted to turn Sophie into an Avox but had to settle into forcing Sophie to take out so much tesserae it was only a matter of time before she was reaped at 17. Sophie actually got a lot of sponsors during her games because she looked so much like a Capitol child they couldn't bear to let her die in the games. This greatly helped her outlast the other tributes. One of the items she got, that she managed to sneak out had the initials PR on them and a note that said for my sister.

Penelope: Penelope is also a career from District 4, but you would never guess she was. In my personal headcanon, while District 4 is a career district, they don't actively try to volunteer for the games like Districts 1 and 2 with a few exceptions. Penelope is not one of those exceptions and was reaped at 16. She won her games by using her ability to go unnoticed to collect information on other tributes in the training center and in the arena. Using that information, she would leave messages that would leave alliances in shambles and other tributes paranoid while she hid. She's handy with a knife, particularly a diver's knife, and when she had to use it to off other tributes while she distracted them with the information she gathered.

Phillip: Phillip is from District 7 and repeaedat 16. He had actually lost his older brother, George, who died in the blood bath during Michael's games. The Capitol liked to say Phillip was George's ghost come back to finish business. As a boy, Phillip spent a lot of time in the woods to hide from his father, and he got to know the plants very well. He knew which were safe and which were poisoned. This played into his games when the gamemakers left a bunch of poisonous plants in the arena and never told any of the tributes. Phillip used these plants to poison other tributes water and coat his weapon with them.

Michael: Michael is a career from District 2. He was from one of the more well-off families in two, taken in by his uncle after his father's death. Realistically, he and his cousin John had the lowest chances of being reaped. But at 18, Michael volunteered for the games when his 17 year old cousin John was reaped. Michael played it off that it was his role as a spare relative, and it's not like this hasn't happened before among the wealthy families in the districts. Michael played into his charm during the games. Often charming other tributes into alliances and then killing them.

Gareth: Gareth is also a career from District 1 and at 17 he "volunteered" for his games. In reality he was forced and it was more of a punishment and a reminder towards Victor Danbury that even her precious grandson can be put into the arena. Simon was now Gareth's mentor. The Capitol ate up the legacy tribute bit Gareth played. Grandson to a beloved victor and the student to another, instant fan favorite.

Lucy: District 8 and repeaed at 16. Lucy is trying to make the best of her situation said well she either dies in that arena or she makes it out and is no longer under her uncles control. Kate is Lucy's mentor and came up with the strategy to have Lucy appear helpless and then secretly take down other tributes in the arena. It was an easy thing for Lucy to do, she's been playing helpless most of her life.

In the order the tributes won their games, Simon, Kate, Michael, Phillip, Sophie Penelope, Gareth, and Lucy. Simon won his games, and 5 years later, Kate won her's. Three years after Kate, Michael won his games. 4 years later Phillip, Sophie, and Penelope won back to back games. Eight years after Penelope's Gareth won his games followed by Lucy's games the next year.

#i had to check my math to make sure i didnt accidentally put some of them in the same games #bridgerton #simon basset #kate sharma #kate sheffield #sophie beckett #penelope featherington #michael stirling #phillip crane #lucy abernathy #gareth st clair #bridgerton spouses #victor spouses #hunger games au

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coriolanussnowslover · 4 months

Text

The Ballad of Snakes, Songbirds, and Sorrow.

A Coriolanus Snow x Fem!Reader FanFiction.

He saw everything in her, so why is he so intrigued by her.

Word Count: 3,621.

*Reader is from a prestigious family in the capital. They have been best friends their whole lives and dating for years now. Cearo means Sorrow. Follows the film loosely, but as canon as possible.

*Warnings: Genral Hunger Games Canon Warnings. Death. Etc. Some Suggestive Themes. Possessive Behavior. Not Proof Read.

Masterlist

Part Two.

The Night after the Reaping

(Y/N) sat with Tirgirs and Grandma’am at the table while Coriolanus paced the dining room in front of her. She tapped her fingers against the table, the tips of them wrapped in gauze from Tirgirs when she arrived with the bloody raw skin picked off around her nails. She knew Coriolanus was having a meltdown about his tribute, sure most everyone was, but all she could think about was Wovey. She looked so small and sweet, reminding her so much of Wilby. She had already cried to Coryo in the back room of the academy while nervously snacked on whatever he grabbed off the buffet on their way out.

“You saw her. She's underfed, unstable.” “The dean said it's not just about winning.” “Everything is about winning! If not the games then the crowd!”

(Y/N) was tuning them out at this point, she knew Coryo needed to win this for their future. She was not about to let him lose everything he fought so desperately for to Highbottom’s distaste for his last name. They needed a spectacle. The capital loves anything showy and daring, and that they could work with. “I wouldn't sing a note for you if I was her.Imagine it was your name they pulled and you were ripped from your home! I’d just wanna know somebody still cared about me.” “She's district, Tigers. She knows we hate her, and she wants us dead.” “Don’t discount her just because she's district, Coryo. You might have more in common with her than you think.” (Y/N) watched the cousins discuss Lucy in front of her.

“Why don't we go meet them tomorrow at the train station Coryo?” They both turned to her, eyes the size of pancakes at her suggestion. “They get here tomorrow, why don't we go there, meet Lucy and Wovey. The Dean said we have to help them win over the capitol hearts, but so do we. What if we show the capital how caring and dedicated to our tributes we are. If we show them we feel something for them, they will too, boosting their incentive to watch the games. Plus we can show them we care about them, like Tirgris said. All I’d want is a friend.”

Coryo walked over to (Y/N) and planted a long kiss on her lips, his smile contagious. “You’re Brilliant (Y/N/N). That's my first lady of Panem.” He pulled her up and dragged her back to his bedroom, grin on his face. She loved when he called her his.

—

They waited hand in hand at the train station, both taking turns squeezing the other's hand in reassurance. Coriolanus had picked her up that morning, both clade in their academy uniforms. She had brought Wovey a scone and a small juice box wrapped in one of the many handkerchiefs her mom had given her years ago. He had a rose pinned to his coat, as did she, and one in his hand for Lucy, a peace offering.

They stood and watched as the tributes were taken off the train one by one, waiting to see their tributes. (Y/N) watched for Wovey as Coriolanus spotted Lucy, dragging (Y/N) by the hand over to her.

“Welcome to the Capitol.” Coryo extended his hand with the rose out to her, his eyes locked on Lucy Grey’s.

“When I was little my mother used to bathe me in buttermilk and rose petals.” (Y/N) watched as Lucy Grey plucked a petal from the rose and ate it. Eyes never breaking contact with Corilanus.

“Tastes like bedtime.” Her thick accent made her seem so kind. Even with the bizarre actions. “You two look like you shouldn't be here.” Lucy snickered a bit. We shouldn't be, (Y/N) thought.

Then (Y/N) spotted Wovey. Breaking her hold on Coriolanus’ hand to walk over to her.

“Hi Wovey!” (Y/N) knew her voice went up an octave, it always did around Wilby. “Welcome to the Capitol! I’m (Y/N) Cearo, your mentor!” Wovey looked at her inquisitively.

“Hello….” (Y/N) smiled at her even wider. She was smaller than Wilby height wise, big eyes looking up at (Y/N) with so much fear.

“Here, I brought this for you.” She crouched down to her height and held out the small package for Wovey, her eyes lighting up immediately at the colorful gift.

“What is it?” She looked between her and the package. “It's a snack, I know you probably haven't had anything since the reaping and so I packed you one of my brother’s favorites! And my boyfriend’s, the other boy in the red over there but don't tell him I said nothing.” She winked at the small girl as she took the little gift from her with a small laugh.

“I promise I won't.” Wovey clutched the snack to her chest, the older boy from eight nudging her along to the truck meant to take them to tribute holding. As Wovey and Lucy got into the truck (Y/N) saw Coriolanus trying to ask the peacekeepers if they could escort their tributes when all the sudden one of the boys ran off.

“Come on.” Coryo grabbed her hand and dragged her onto the back of the truck, both staying turned away from the guards.

“What’s a matter pretty boy, you in the wrong cage?” one of the male tributes taunted. Coryo instinctively pushed me behind him as he turned to look at the tribute addressing him.

“No, this cage is delightful.” Coriolanus tried to sound kind, she assumed, but if anyone didn't know him they might find it condescending, as the other boy did.

She heard the other boy yell and was knocked to the ground as Coriolanus was shoved against the back wall by Reaper.

“Ill kill you right now!” Shouted the boy, Reaper she heard someone call him. “He’ll do it too, Reaper killed a peacekeeper back in eleven.” “Quiet Dill!” “I say we kill him! Her too.” “I’m in.”

(Y/N) sat on the ground looking at the people around her nervously as they plotted her and her boyfriend;s “Are you okay?” (Y/N) looked up and saw Wovey sitting with her gift on her lap above her and next to her she saw Lucy, who was looking at her shoes, when she suddenly spoke up.

“Y’all got family back home? They’ll kill them if you hurt either of them. Then you.” She locked eyes with (Y/N) for a brief moment, then looked up at Reaper and Coriolanus.

“Besides, he's my mentor. I might need him.” The short red headed girl leaned over Lucy’s lap to get in her face.

“How come you get a mender?” She practically spat in her face.

“Mentor.” (Y/N) spoke up. “You all get one. I’m Wovey’s mentor.” She said from the ground still.

“Oh, and we’ll just trust you, right?” the girl replied back sarcastically.

“We’re just here to help you guys.” Coryo spoke up this time. As he looked between Lucy, her, and the redhead, Coral if (Y/N) remembers correctly from reaping day.

“Why aren't our menders here?” Coral asked, looking also between the four other kids.

“Just not inspired I guess.” Lucy smiled as she looked back down at (Y/N) on the floor, suddenly she felt a little insecure under the gaze of the girl who, even on her way to her death, looked so put together. (Y/N) stood up and dusted herself off, looking at Coryo then down again to Wovey’s toothy grin at her.

Suddenly the truck started to rattle and shake as it tilted upwards.

“Alright, hold on!” Coriolanus grabbed the bar in front of him as he reached for Lucy. (Y/N) reached out and grabbed Wovey along with the district eight boy and then grabbed the seat. (Y/N) was practically clutching Wovey in her lap as the eight boys held her legs,the younger still clutching the gift still to her chest, as they started to slip.

‘Coriolanus!” (Y/N) looked up at him as she screamed. Feeling the boy slip and fall as she still held Wovey. When suddenly the truck reached peak height and all four of them started to fall, all three tumbled down the rocks into the zoo exhibit.

(Y/N) landed first, still holding Wovey surprisingly, then was immediately crashed into by Lucy and Coriolanus.

“Ow…” She held her head as she sat up. “Are you okay?” she looked at Wovey.

“Mmmhmm, so is my gift!” Wovey smiled at the girl, she stood up and tried to offer (Y/N) a hand in getting up.

“(Y/N)! Are you okay!” Coriolanus had pulled himself and lucy up and wiped the dirt off himself. He immediately ran over and picked (Y/N) up off the ground by her armpits and started dusting her off, she felt like a child.

“I’m fine, just a few scratches. Are you two okay.” They locked eyes for a minute as they checked each other over.

“Excuse me! Hello Sir! Hello Ma’am!” (Y/N) and Coriolanus turned towards the voice neither of them could miss from outside the cage bars. Lucky Flickerman. Coriolanus’ neighbor and dear friend of (Y/N)’s family. Great, she thought, more people to tell her dad she was out here. He’s gonna love this one. “Yes you two, in the red! Who are you! And why are you in there with them! We’re live, the capital is watching!”

“Oh great, live television coverage. My dad will love this.” (Y/N) rolled her eyes, sweeping off the dust from her outfit. Even Coriolanus looked shaky with the knowledge the capital was watching their performance.. (Y/N) took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze.

“Own it.” Lucy said to the two of them, though with the look she was giving him, (Y/N) felt it was more towards Coriolanus then her. Coriolanus locked eyes with her, a smile on his face.

“May I introduce you to my neighbors?” If his grin wasn't enough, the second Coriolanus dropped (Y/N)’s hand in exchange for putting the rose he bought in Lucy’s hair, she felt extremely uncomfortable. The way they looked at each other was interesting for two people who just met, at least in (Y/N)’s opinion. When he proceeded to take Lucy’s hand in his was when (Y/N) started to feel like maybe she was third wheeling her own boyfriend.

“Maybe you can introduce Wovey as well, (Y/N).” Coriolanus looked back at her as he started to walk Lucy over to the cameras. Leaving (Y/N) standing alone. Well with Wovey, but without her boyfriend. Maybe (Y/N) would have thought more about it if it wasn't for the small girl next to her.

“Well, that's something you don't see everyday! They're holding hands! Who are you sir, what are you doing in the cage here?” (Y/N) heard Lucy say as she turned her attention to Wovey, she had almost forgotten her job here.

“Wovey, would you like to say hello to the capital?” (Y/N) crouched down to the small girl’s height. Wovey looked at the cameras and then back to (Y/N).

“Can I open my snack first?” Wovey looked up at her with the biggest eyes.

“Of course, would you like help?” Wovey nodded and (Y/N) gently unwrapped the small package. She handed the scone to Wovey and opened the juice box for her. Wovey looked at the snack and then shoved about half of it into her mouth.

“Don’t choke now!” (Y/N) laughed at the face she was making, cheeks stuffed and face smeared with blueberries. (Y/N) pulled a, less extravagant, handkerchief out of her bag and whipped the girl’s face. “Here, you keep this one for later.” (Y/N) took Wovey’s arm and tied the handkerchief around her wrist in a bow.

“Now isn't that pretty, all the capital will be copying this soon. You’ll be a trendsetter!” Wovey raised her arm to inspect the bracelet as she ate the last of her scone, taking a large sip from her juice box with a smile.

“That was the best thing I have ever eaten. Thank you Miss. (Y/N).” Her toothy grin made (Y/N)’s heart melt.

“Well, are you ready to say hi!” (Y/N) tried not to dwell on the fact this poor girl was probably going to die after she just ate her first scone. She’d have to bring her another one. At the very least. Maybe too. Wovey nodded and took her hand as they walked over to Lucky, Coriolanus, and Lucy.

“(Y/N)! (Y/N) Cearo! How are you? Does your dad know you're in here?” Lucky recognized her right off the bat, she knew he would, they have dinner at the same restaurant every weekend.

“If he didn't before he does now!” She laughed along, playing up a smile as the cameras rolled. “To be fair, no one said I couldn't be here though! Plus I wanted to make sure my tribute, this beautiful young lady here, got the introduction she deserved!” (Y/N) crouched down again to Wovey’s heigh, taking both her hands in her own.

“And who might this be?” Lucky also crouched down and pointed the mic towards them both.

“My name is Wovey and I’m 12 years old.” Wovey spoke shyly, earning aws all around.

“Well Wovey, aren't you just the sweetest thing? And what district are you from?”

“Eight.” Wovey nervously shifted a bit in place with the spotlight on her.

“Well, that's great. For the record I think you both are about to be whisked away.” (Y/N) turned to see the peacekeepers coming to get her and Coriolanus. She turned back towards Wovey as she stood up. She could hear Lucy talking to Coriolanus.

“Be safe, I will bring you some more food soon. I promise.” Wovey nodded and ran over to Bobbin as (Y/N) and Coriolanus were dragged out of the Zoo by the peacekeepers. (Y/N) could hear Lucky closing out his show. Her dad was gonna kill her. — They both got a slap on the wrist for what happened and told to get back to the academy as soon as possible. What was worse punishment was the walk back to the academy. He held her hand, the same one he held hers with. Which was fine, she gets it, or at least she guesses she does. Their future relies on making sure the capital thinks he cares about Lucy, but he didn't have to be so convincing. Although she herself couldn't help but care for Wovey. So she guess she got it, in some way. What she couldn't stand was the smile on his face. He looked so. Happy. Like meeting Lucy Grey Baird was the best thing that's happened to him yet. Did he smile like that with her? Has he smiled at her like that? Of course he has you've talked of marriage and kids. Just last night he held you in his arms, not her. He loves you.

Or at least, that's what (Y/N) was telling herself to feel better.

As they walked into class to take their seats Dean Highbottom spoke up. “You two’s little excursion was in violation of about five different Academy rules, Mr. Snow and Miss. Cearo. Chief amongst them endangering Capital Students.” Coriolanus looked between the class and Dean Higbottom, his face reading one of shock.

“What? Who?” (Y/N) looked down at her shoes. She couldn't think of a single time either of them had been in trouble in class. Especially herself.

“Yourselves. I'm moving for the gamemakers to disqualify you both as mentors.” (Y/N)’s head shot up at that. Wovey.

“That’s not fair!” Her voice spoke before her brain caught up.

“You said we had to get our tributes to perform, not that we had to stay away!” Coriolanus fought back as well.

“I’ll add insubordination as well.” Dean Highbottom added, still not looking at either of them.

“Holding their hands, introducing them to people, guys. You make them look as if we’re one in the same.” Clemmie spoke up next, (Y/N) shooting a look at her from her seat.

“They both didn't show those people anything they didn't already know!” Serjanus spoke up next. The anger in his voice as a previous member of the districts. (Y/N) felt bad for what was happening now.

“I don't need your help, Serjanus.” Coriolanus’ voice sounded angry too. This was all getting out of hand, but he went wrong.

“That the tributes are human beings, just like us.” Serjanus continued even though Coriolanus told him to stop.

“We just wanted to make sure our tributes knew we were there for them.” (Y/N) spoke up now, she knew this fighting was unnecessary but she was in this now too. At least for Wovey’s sake.

“It's because people know, deep down, that winning a war ten years ago doesn't justify starving people’s children, taking away their freedoms, their rights!” Serjanus’ voice was rocky at the end, his feelings on the matter strong. They knew the games were wrong. No one wanted to admit it but him.

“Snow fell down in the cage. It fell down in the cage but it landed.” Dr. Gauls' voice silenced the whole class. “On Stage.” She stepped down to the bleachers to look at the class.

“You're good at Games, Mr. Snow. You too Miss. Cearo.” She smiled at them and (Y/N) felt a shiver down her spine. “Maybe one day you'll be a gamemaker, like me.” (Y/N) knew she should take the praise as an honor, but she felt uneasy in the woman's presence.

“If the games continue at all.” Dean Highbottom replied to her, tapping mindlessly at his paper.

“Oh, they’ll continue. With performances like young Mr. Snow and Miss. Cearo in that zoo.” She stepped down a bit more, turning her attention to Corilanus and (Y/N). “and I came here to ask your star mentors a question.” The class around them started to mummer.

“What are the Hunger Games for?” Dr. Gaul may have said she asked you both, but her stare locked on Coriolanus. Which (Y/N) felt relief for.

“They are to punish the district for their uprising, to commemorate the end of the war.” Coriolansu answered.

“Commemorate the… dull dull dull.” Dr. Gual started. “Punishment can take many forms. Why not drop bombs! Cancel food shipments. Stage executions? Why Games?” She looked around the class now, waiting for an answer from Coriolanus.

“Shouldn't we be asking ourselves whether or not the games are right?” Serjanus spoke up again now. (Y/N) looked at him. He was right, but that's not what the games are for.

“You don't like my games?” Dr. Gaul now turned to Serjanus, eyes wide with interest. “Some of those kids were two years old when the war ended, the oldest of them only eight. The capitol is supposed to be everybody’s government now. It's supposed to protect us all. I don't see how making children fight against each other is protecting anyone!” “That sort of Sympathy may interfere with your mentoring assignment.” “Perhaps the Capital students are ill-suited to be mentoring tributes. Perhaps the game's times have passed.”

“The Hunger Games are a performative way to instill fear.” (Y/N) spoke up now. “After 13 was destroyed they were instilled as a reminder that the people, the rebels, who turn against the capital are against Panem in whole, and the capital will do what it takes to protect Panem.” (Y/N) looked up at Dr. Gaul, waiting for a reaction.

‘Now that's a different take Miss. Cearo. A strong one.” Dr. Gaul’s stare made (Y/N) uncomfortable to say the least, but all eyes were on her now.

“I say performative because theyre a show, you want us to have our tributes perform, you want people to be invested in the games. We were simply trying to push our tribute's popularity ratings by showing the capital who they're watching.”

“Dean Highbottom is wrong.” Now Coriolanus was speaking up. “My classmates too. Serjanus may be onto something though. Maybe we should be viewing those tributes as human beings. I mean you saw those kids at the zoo. They just wanted to get to know Lucy Grey. If we need people, we should be letting them get closer to the tributes before the games. To make the stakes personal. Who will watch the games if they care what happens to the tributes.” (Y/N) was proud of Coriolanus, he would make a great public relations specialist if not president.

“Everyone.” (Y/N) replied. “Everyone loves a good competition. Sports were popular in the old world, and maybe people chose and rooted for specific teams from each sport. Everyone wants someone to root for.”

“Especially if they thought the tribute they cared about had a chance of winning. We need people to invest.” (Y/N) was liking this side of Coriolanus, even if she knew it was just for the Plinth prize.

“Look, I know Lucy Grey may not win in the arena but if you give her a chance, I would bet the Plinth Prize she can win people’s attention.”

“I’d like you to write up a proposal of these thoughts tonight, Mr. Snow.” Dr. Gaul was gleaming at Coriolanus. Yeah, (Y/N) had spoken up too but she was okay with not having Dr. Gaul’s attention on her.

“Wait.” (Y/N) turned to Clems as she now stood up. “You mean you might actually use his ideas?” Now she was just feeling ignored.

“If it helps the ratings, why not.” Dr. Gaul replied with a eerily cheerful tone.

“Coriolanus and I are class partners, Dr. Gaul. We do all our assignments together.” (Y/N) watched as Dr. Gaul laughed at her friend.

“It'll be an interesting test.” She said as she began to walk out of the class.

This will be an interesting experience indeed, (Y/N) thought to herself.

#coriolanus snow #coriolanus x reader #coriolanus x lucy gray #coriolanus x you #tbosas #hunger games tbosas #president snow #corionalus snow #tbosbas #ballad of songbirds and snakes #hunger games

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evita-shelby · 20 days

Text

They didn't know we were seeds

Chapter 7

Cw: infidelity, mentions of incest, sex trafficking

@emotionalcadaver @justrainandcoffee @peakyswritings @call-sign-shark

They are in the Justice Hall in his district, laughing and sneaking around like real lovers. They hide in an attic, disheveled and spent as they lay together in a dirty rug. Done in secret because they could die if Changretta knew.

Snow didn’t give a shit what went on as long as it didn’t bring any disruptions in his government. Two victors fucking provided good gossip in the Capitol and at most ideas in those who solicited sex from them, no one in the districts cared about that when they are busy trying to survive.

They began as allies and now they were friends and something a little more than just that. It was just comfort in having sex because you want to with someone who you can be yourself with. Eva was the only one Jack felt truly comfortable being this vulnerable with even if he was pretty adept at the whole sex without feelings shit too.

Despite what she did, Jack cannot help himself like her. He supposed it was because no one could truly understand what he was going through unless they were stuck in the same hell as him.

“I hate her you know, Tigris.” She says when he brings up her winning strategy. “Said it was the strategy the first District 12 victor used to win.”

They hardly talk about Laurie, or the Capitol or anything relating to the games. But he’d noticed her penchant of wearing black ---her new favorite color--- and asked about her former stylist who’s faded into obscurity as a fur underwear designer.

“You hate her because it worked.” He holds her hand as if it wasn’t his brother who died because of it and for her sake doesn’t continue this conversation. “I suppose if Lucy Gray could fall for her mentor and he for her, two tributes could do the same.”

“I didn’t know that; it was back when mentors were Capitol students wasn’t it?” Eva asks and turns to her side with her undivided attention.

“Lucy Gray won because Coriolanus Snow fell in love with her.” Jack then begins a tale so strange she has to wonder if he drank more than he should have at dinner.

The President was Tigris cousin, they were poor, he was Lucy Gray’s mentor at the tenth games, he was best friends with Sejanus Plinth who hailed from 2 from the exact village Jack’s family is from. Lucy Gray had a rainbow dress just like hers and Snow a suit just like Dustin’s at the interview when they won. Snow was made a Peacekeeper as punishment while all records of the games were destroyed because the Head Gamemaker caught him cheating.

Only no one expected for Servilla Plinth to tell her little sister in her encrypted letters home and for said sister to tell her grandson when he confided in her about his plan to kill Eva after the president’s visit.

Snow and Sejanus were stationed in 12th where the latter was tried for treason and Lucy Gray murdered by the Mayor when Snow was pardoned and returned to the Capitol. Snow didn’t want anyone to even remind him of that nor the possibility that he killed his best friend.

It explains why Snow wanted Eva dead, come to think of it. Tigris had reminded him of how he got there, something only people ashamed of their past hated.

And now he shares that secret with her in this dank attic where only the rats and insects can hear and see them.

She is not angry at him for agreeing to kill her, said she would’ve done the same for her brothers and then kissed him like she loved him. Like she kissed Laurie before her failed murder-suicide.

“We should go, they’ll be looking for us.” He says before things spiral out of control.

Eva returns to the Capitol to find her protector dead.

In his place stands the leader of the Peaky Blinders, Thomas Shelby.

Unlike Luca he did not stick to the business world for his cover, Tommy Shelby had bought himself a minor post in the government along with a wife who knew all the right people.

Eva found her grating, like nails on a chalkboard. Her ignorance could be forgiven, but there was just something about Grace Burgess that she just flat out disliked. Maybe her phoniness put her off.

“I do not suppose you will be taking up the arrangement your predecessor and I had before you did away with him?” the victor has no idea what to expect from him. While it was obvious his marriage was as cold as his eyes, not all men liked the idea of sticking to one mistress. The rumors of him and the secretary were true given her boyfriend was found murdered recently and his wife was also known for having her own secrets.

No one was sure who the son belonged to, both men had identical coloring and high cheekbones.

“He protected you from the rest of them, didn’t he?” Shelby lights a cigarette and does this thing where he rubs it against his lower lip that she finds interesting. Sexy even.

Jack wouldn’t like that, but Jack hates most men around her anyways.

“Yes, for the price of not fucking anyone else, I got everything I wanted and some more.” As far as these arrangements went, hers with Luca was perfect. If they had met in better circumstances, they would’ve made a great couple.

“A good thing he never learned about your affair with Jack Nelson.” His lips hide the smirk very well, but his eyes don’t. Speaks more with those eyes of his than his lips.

“Ah, so it was your work that night?” the security footage hadn’t been given to Luca so no one could prove what happened after Jack tore her diamond collar in the balcony. As far as Luca knew, Jack hated her for killing Laurie and was only nice when people were around. “I should thank you.”

“Thank me after you show me who would benefit most from a protector.” He suggests with contempt for the practice in every word.

“Cashmere, some pay for her and her brother and force them together.” Eva let her venom through. No one was supposed to know as incest was still as illegal as pedophilia, but all victors knew the sort of hell the siblings from 1 got. “Would you like for me to make the introduction, or do you think you can pretend this conversation never happened?”

Snow hated when victors meddled and tried to make it less awful for each other. Inspires rebellion, Luca told her once, if the districts knew we can all work together, Snow would fall from his throne.

That day cannot come soon enough.

“I can handle that, but I do have a favor to ask you.” He drinks his whiskey betraying nothing as he hands her his business card.

“Ask away.” These favors don’t work out for her, it’s how she ended up smuggling contraband for Luca in exchange for keeping her off the roster their first year together. But she finds herself trusting this stranger.

“Arrange a meeting with Gamemaker Heavensbee, your stylist and myself.” He doesn’t mean the current one, he means Tigris Snow.

It won’t be that difficult, Fulvia Cardew was a friend of Clemens and he must know how to reach Tigris. In fact, by the time Matty’s traumatic stress appears during fireworks show later that evening, its already scheduled.

Tommy Shelby doesn’t pay her back with flowers, clothing nor jewels, he pays her for the service with a deed to a small farm on the northern border of her district.

So close she could reach district 2 or even 11 by completely bypassing the guard towers along the border. If the fence wasn’t on, nothing would stop her from going or someone going out.

The question is: why?

#evacore #they didn't know we were seeds #jack x eva #jack nelson x oc #hunger games au

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ghastlybin · 10 months

Text

Lost within myself - Dami

HOWDY HOWDY HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATIE (@panda-writes-kpop) I LOVE YOUUUUU THANK YOU FOR BEING MY FRIEND AND ALSO A FELLOW CLOWN, we love to see it. As you can tell by the AU,,, lol,,, Inspired by our past convos regarding the hunger games. I wanted to switch it up a little… Kinda. I hope you enjoy and that this didn't turn out bad^^ HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶💜💜💜💜

Also added Taehyun because I needed another tribute since reader is a mentor. Also cause I love him and think he fits the concept somehow.

▾

▾Hunger games! AU ▾ Angst but also some fluff?? If you squint▾ Language & Violence ▾ Death implications ▾Tribute! Dami X Mentor! Reader▾ Y’all know the drill, also Dami has plot armor ▾ FT. Twice Tzuyu & TXT Taehyun. ▾ Taehyun has plot armor too ▾ Tzuyu has plot armor by default ▾ Yes, you are Haymitch. /J ▾ Ending is up for interpretation ▾

▾

W.C▾ 2.8K

pic credit to pinterest.

Everyone feared you.

Whether you wanted them to or not, they feared you. They hated you, even. You killed someone’s child after all. Their sibling, cousin, friend, crush, significant other— Someone who had younger people looking up to them.

You killed a person. People, for that matter.

It was just a game, right?

Games are supposed to be fun. No one was supposed to get hurt in a game.

It wasn’t fun knowing you were taking someone’s life.

It wasn’t fun knowing you were hurting more than one person each time you defended yourself, even if it were you or them.

They had the same goals you did, but only one of you could reach them.

You were the victor in the end.

Another victor with blood on your hands. But hey, you win.

Right?

▾

The ride to the Capitol was unbearably long. You remembered how it felt to ride in the train for the first time after the reaping. How you volunteered for your friend that you don’t see much anymore. The last time you felt alive and not like some monster that ruined other people’s lives.

You were the Capitol’s favorite though.

“Don’t mope around. We have guests.” Tzuyu nudged you. You sat up straight, rolling your shoulders back.

Your expression didn’t change, but you weren’t zoned out and staring outside.

“Do you want me to be happy for them?”

Tzuyu smiled at the tributes before giving you a threatening glare.

“Next car. Now.” She said through gritted teeth.

You got up without a word and followed her into the next car.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to come off as rude.” You apologized right away when the door closed.

“You did. They are already scared, the least you can do is smile for them and help them become more comfortable. Would it really kill you to try?” Tzuyu kept her tone low enough to where you could hear but the tributes couldn’t.

“You’re their mentor now! No body ever survives with a pessimistic mentor.”

“No body survives with an optimistic one either.” You retorted. Tzuyu sighed, shaking her head.

“Please, just try. For them? They need your help more than ever. No body asks for this.”

“Careers.” You mumbled, earning another glare.

Tzuyu glanced through the window of the door, seeing the two tributes sitting and actively avoiding each other. You remembered how you were when you were in their shoes.

Avoiding the other tribute, knowing it would come down to you or them in the end. Even though you had long forgotten the name of the other person you were reaped with, it still wrenched your heart to remember there had been another person with you.

“Tzuyu. Only one of them can survive.” You reminded. Tzuyu acknowledged with a frown.

“I will try my best. Can’t believe they are making me raise murderers.” You mumbled the last bit, walking back into the other car with the tributes.

They both looked at you and Tzuyu. You smiled for them, even if it was forced.

“I apologize for being rude. How are you two holding up?” You asked them, trying to sound as sincere as possible. Tzuyu furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

“Why do you sound like that?” She asked.

“What?”

“Like a… Servant— You sound very fake.”

“No I don’t.” You defended yourself with a scoff, glancing at the two tributes.

“Yes. Yes, you do.”

“Do I sound fake?” You asked the two tributes. They seemed confused on whether they wanted to nod or shake their heads.

Yubin stood up, avoiding your question all together and held her hand up for you to shake.

“I’m Yubin.”

There was something about her that interested you. It wasn't just how gorgeous she was either.

At the Capitol, you couldn't focus on much. All you could think about was Yubin.

A silly little crush, some might say.

It even went as far as forgetting you were the mentor. Not Tzuyu, who at times had to speak for you after so many tries of getting you to focus.

It was your first year as a mentor, after all. You were still the Capitol’s favorite shell of a person.

“What if the Career’s try to recruit you? What would you do?” Tzuyu asked the tributes. You realized you never got the other tribute’s name.

It was only Yubin. Yubin. Yubin.

It was already too late to ask for the other tribute’s name.

Too awkward.

You put your drink down.

“Don’t get close to anyone. You’ll only feel betrayed.”

Tzuyu cleared her throat, “hate to admit it, but it’s true. There will only be one survivor. If it’s not one of you, it’ll be a career you trusted.”

▾

“Anything you want to say to them before they go into training?” Tzuyu asked, crossing her arms. You smiled at them.

“Good luck.”

Tzuyu lightly slapped your arms. You sighed.

“Work on what you know you’re good at. Don’t bother learning new stuff until you’ve perfected what you know.” You advised more seriously.

“Yubin, you’re smart. If I were you, I’d focus on your familiarity with plants, the terrain, survival skills. The difference between a mound and a mine.”

You looked at the other tribute, who seemed surprised you were actually being a mentor.

“And you… Er…” You admit, you felt bad for never learning his name.

“Taehyun.” Tzuyu whispered to you. You awkwardly smiled.

“Taehyun. You’re good with knives. Focus on that.”

“Ah, so you do know something about me.” Taehyun joked. You crossed your arms.

“You are forgetting something though.” He added. You raised your eyebrows, waiting for him to continue.

“I’m good at being invisible.”

You weren't sure if he was just joking to make fun of you for only focusing on Yubin or if he was serious.

“Taehyun, I'm so sorry. I don't usually—”

“I'm serious. I’ve won every game of hide and seek I’ve played.” Taehyun proudly stated.

“Knives and camouflage. Good. Awesome. You two know what to focus on now.” You looked at the two, feeling a sense of pride for getting stuck with the smart tributes and not the reckless ones.

When they left you and Tzuyu waited.

More waiting.

“You did good. Sort of.”

“Sort of?” You questioned, slightly offended. Tzuyu put her hand on your shoulder.

“I’m disappointed that you only remembered one of their names.”

You groaned, sitting down, “do you want me to write Taehyun’s name five hundred times to make sure I remember it next time?”

“That’s not a bad idea.” Tzuyu sat beside you. You threw your head back, staring at the ceiling above you.

“Do you like Yubin?”

“What do you mean?”

Tzuyu narrowed her eyes at you, “you know what I mean. I see the way you look at her when she’s talking or doing anything. I saw the way you froze when she shook your hand. I have never seen you exhibit this kind of behavior before.”

“Is it really out of character to have a crush?” You closed your eyes. Tzuyu smiled a little.

“It’s… How do I put this… Unrequited.”

You opened your eyes again, still staring at the ceiling in such a neck breaking position.

Unrequited seemed to fit. Yubin was a tribute.

She had a one out of twenty-four chance of survival. Even after, a kind-hearted person like Yubin wouldn’t be the same after if she won.

You sure as hell weren’t.

▾

You, Yubin, Taehyun, and Tzuyu sat around the TV waiting for their scores. You pretty much tuned out every other tributes scores from other districts, knowing they’d most likely be average or poor while the careers had the highest.

It was always like that.

You were in the poor range, as hard as it was the believe. A score of three.

So how did you manage to survive?

You were just a person, killing to survive. Dying to live.

“Oh! Pay attention!” Tzuyu excitedly smacked your arm. Yubin chuckled, inching her hand towards yours as Taehyun’s score were first.

You absentmindedly curled your fingers around Yubin’s hand.

Nine.

“Holy shit.”

“Language.” Tzuyu scolded, although she was impressed. Taehyun even seemed surprised.

“Good job, er… What is your name again?” You joked. Taehyun threw a grape at you.

“Very funny.” Taehyun looked back at the screen as Yubin came up.

You were now consciously aware that Yubin was holding your hand. Whether she intended it or not, she squeezed your hand in anticipation.

Eleven.

“Holy shit.” Tzuyu muttered under her breath.

“Sorry.” She immediately apologized. You grinned, “did I hear you correctly?”

“Quiet.”

Yubin’s eyes were glued to the TV in shock, wondering how her smarts got that high of a score.

“You got an eleven. Do you know who the last person to get an eleven was?” You asked Yubin, placing your other hand over hers.

“No, was it you?” Yubin asked while her score registered.

“Absolutely… not.” You had a huge smile on your face. “I got a three.”

Yubin scoffed at your response.

“I got a nine.” Taehyun reminded. You gave him a thumbs up.

“I can hack into the system and make it higher—”

“Hey!” Tzuyu slapped your arm. “Don’t say that out loud. Are you trying to get us raided by peacekeepers?”

You cleared your throat and looked at Taehyun again, whispering this time.

“I can hack into the system and make it higher.”

▾

It was the night before the games and your chest felt heavy, knowing your new friends— as well as your budding romance with Yubin— would be coming to an end sooner than you were ready.

You almost forgot that you were raising murderers despite the countless times Tzuyu reminded you.

“Well, I’m headed off to sleep. Goodnight.” Taehyun was the first to leave for the night. Assuming he just wanted to get it all over with.

Tzuyu was next, although she seemed on edge about how tomorrow would turn out.

Then there were two. You and Yubin.

Yubin stood on the balcony, overlooking the Capitol.

“Hey there, eleven.”

Yubin smiled, already knowing who you were without looking back.

“Hey, three.”

You couldn’t help but laugh, “okay, well this three still survived.”

Yubin laughed half-heartedly and you could tell something was wrong.

Probably the fact she’ll need to fight for her life in an arena of other tributes doing the same.

“What was it like for you? In your games?”

Your smile faded slowly and the pain you’ve held inside became more prominent. You tried so hard to push the memories away despite them being everywhere.

“Full story or a summary?” You slowly joined her, leaning against the railing of the balcony with her,

“You pick.”

You took a deep breath, forcing yourself to recall the memories for Yubin’s sake.

“My name wasn’t called during the reaping. My friend was supposed to be there. But she panicked when she had to go up on stage and I volunteered on a whim.”

Yubin listened to everything you said, admiring your bravery.

“So you do care about people.” Yubin slightly smirked. You lightly nudged her.

“Of course I do. I wasn’t good with most skills others possessed. That’s why I got a three. In the arena, I was terrified and even… I don’t know. I wish I could go back and tell myself to not be so reckless.” You frowned.

“You lived because you were reckless. If I live, it’s because I was the opposite.” Yubin rubbed her hands together. You thought about what she said.

Would you have died if you were more cautious?

“I’m not afraid of dying,” Yubin turned to face you. She grabbed your shoulders to force you to face her as well.

“I’m afraid of losing who I am.”

She smiled at you, but it was sympathetic.

“It’s not too late to find yourself. I loved the moments when I could see the real you coming out. I hope you can learn to forgive yourself for something you were forced to do.”

With that sentence leaving you in a state of shock that gutted you, you stood there, silent as the tears welled up in your eyes.

“I know you’re rooting for me. I’m rooting for you too.” Yubin whispered, kissing your cheek before walking away.

“Goodnight.”

▾

You were coming to terms with everything. Your past and what Yubin said to you that night.

You watched the cornucopia on a screen with Tzuyu.

When everyone ran off of their podiums, Taehyun and Yubin ran their separate ways in the chaos.

Yubin was immediately chased by a group of four careers.

The careers sought her out, knowing they would be unable to recruit her before the games. She knew her score was too high as she ran through the forests. You knew her score was too high.

If they didn’t recruit her, they’d have to target her first.

“Don’t get close to anyone. You’ll only feel betrayed.”

Yubin slid down a slope and into a river, screaming before she was submerged under the water.

You watched, some how determined that she would survive.

And she did, quickly getting up and splashing to the other side as the careers watched her from the slope she slid down.

You smiled a genuine smile knowing they hadn’t got her yet.

Yubin hid on higher ground, using her wits to guide her. Luckily, no one found her or even came to that part of the arena.

She had to be careful about the borders too, knowing what to watch out for.

Yubin spent her first night alone, exhausted and watching each picture of the fallen tributes in the sky.

None of whom she’s met before.

As the days went by, Yubin was alone. No sign of other tributes— Other than the fallen ones that appeared in the sky after the cannon shots.

There were four tributes left, including Yubin.

You watched the screen carefully, supplying her with a parachute that contained food so she wouldn’t have to risk running into one of the other tributes.

Yubin watched as the parachute made it’s way to her, catching it. Yubin looked up at the sky, mouthing a desperate ‘thank you.’

That night, only one tribute died.

It was now Yubin, Taehyun, and a career from District 2.

The next day, the cornucopia was announced to be replenished with food, water, weapons— The essentials.

You knew it was the gamemaker’s way of getting the three together. The ones left knew where the cornucopia was and that they may need the supplies.

Yubin knew how to forage for food. She knew how to purify the water.

But it was growing difficult to find food that wouldn’t kill her or poison her.

It was difficult purifying water she didn’t have the tools for.

So Yubin made her way back to the cornucopia.

So did Taehyun and so did the career from District 2.

You and Tzuyu anxiously watched, although glad someone from your district made it this far— Let alone both of them.

That just made it all the more harder to watch.

The three tributes standing stared at each other, eyeing each other’s movements.

Yubin didn’t want to fight. She was probably the only tribute that hadn’t killed anyone.

Taehyun lost every knife he had over the past few days.

The career seemed the most ready to fight than the other two.

The standoff dragged out for an unnecessarily long time.

“Fuck.” You muttered. Tzuyu glanced at you with curiosity.

In an attempt to help out, you sent the one thing you saved as an absolute last resort. Your secret.

Watching the small parachute floating down towards Yubin, Taehyun, and the career didn’t make it any less tense.

“I don't want to die.” Yubin declared, all of her fear and sorrow building up inside of her.

The parachute landed in between them, and on instinct, Yubin stepped backwards. Taehyun glanced at Yubin, taking a step back also as the career stepped closer to the parachute.

“I don’t want to die.” She repeated with tears welling into her eyes.

She was telling the truth in the words she spoke. You’ve seen it all before because you were there once too. You didn’t want to die when you were in the arena. Why else would you have fought that hard?

“I’m not afraid of dying.”

The truth hurts.

“I’m afraid of losing who I am.”

But secrets kill.

#dreamcatcher imagines #dreamcatcher au #dreamcatcher x reader #dreamcatcher fics #dreamcatcher angst #dreamcatcher dami imagine #dreamcatcher dami x reader #dreamcatcher fanfic #Happy birthday katie!!!!!!!!

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visd3stele · 5 months

Text

just saw "The ballad of songbirds and snakes" today and I have thoughts!

!!!spoilers below!!!

i PROMISED myself i won't feel bad for young!Snow, i SWORE to myself i won't sympathize with him one bit, but DAMN! the act was acting indeed... man was so convincing

i mean, a young man who's been traumatized by his past and made to feel infetior to others grows the need to snatch whatever power he can, no matter what

he's smart, he's good looking, he's observant, he understands people and what drives them, he's good with words and conversations... he's such a delightful villain!

man got emotions, but they are subjected to his deeper desires: landing on top, so he learns/teaches himseld to supress them until all he's left with is the cold determination and calculated moves we know from the original trilogy

THE ROSES backstory

THE NOSTALGIA (with katniss and mockingjays and those birds that repeat sound i have no idea how to spell, even the mutants in Gaul's lab)

like, maybe nostalgia isn't the right word here, but those tiny bridges to the original trilogy that snaped into place... argh!!!!

LUCY GRAY'S ARENA SNAKE SONG!!!! it's one of the best, most powerful acting moments i have seen. it was so beautiful, so filled with intent and feeling!! chilling

the moment Lucy Gray realize she can't trust Snow, Rachel's acting, that realization setling in her eyes, the small, almost invisible change in her eyes and features: PURE CINEMATIC GOLD!!!

the posters in District 12 gave me the image of old comunist poster wich in turn made me see the Peace Keepers like a form of Secret Police/Security more than ever

getting to see the Games from before slowly turning into what i knew them as from the original trilogy and seeing similarities (like how the Peace Keepers would shot them if they leave their places instead of having them blown when they touch the arena)

the differences in this Flickerman (uninterested in the tributes, distant, only commenting) vs the original trilogy Flickerman (who was looking to make a good show, viewing tributes as stars and means to his performance and trying to make them look good on camera)

THE HANGING TREE SONG!!! (it's backstory, the part it played in the plot and it's meaning - so much stronger/clearer/meaningful now)

the Covey seemed rroma coded/inspired

sejeanus' story: i have mixed feelings about him. he's a character who's from the districts and gets to the Capitol, an outsider who got rich overnight and cannot find joy in it knowing it hurts his people (for his people are still the districts). he feels guilty and all the injustice he's experiencing in his new life turns it into anger. righteous anger that drives him to oppose the Capitol and its ideas and makes him wanna help people in the district. not just by talking in their defence, but also by making moves in that direction (sneaking into the arena, helping the district 12 rebels). but he's still innocent and naive (he really thought no one would get hurt by even a small rebellion in a society like Panem). and when he was to face the consequences of his actions, he still cried for help, from Snow, his ma and his rich father who could help him by buying the right people. which is normal in such a situation, of course, but it still shows he's more capitol than he likes to admit (not expecting real consequences, wanting to get away with his father's money)

kinda made me think of privilleged activists if you know what i mean

TIGRIS, sweet, sweet tigris who had so much faith in her cousin, who did everything for him and her wretched grandma and was still treated horribly :((

circe et panem at its finest

the socio-politic commentary of how the mediatization can impact a society's view on something horrific; the enviorment of a society built on war, hate, revenge and money+power centered can only be navigated and ruled by such people

the end Lucy Gray deserved: a mistery, but free (of Snow, of Panem, of everything that ever hurt her), free to be herself and do what she wants, what she likes, just like lucy gray in her song :))

reaper's respect to the dead bodies (getting them together and covered with the flag, yelling in the camera) kinda mirroring katniss' funeral for rue (silent rage/rebellion with the sign and the flower bed)

snow's dominance in the last scene matched his character we know from the original trilogy so well, it felt like his arc ended and president snow snaped in place

"i was just sending water" <3<3<3

the way snow's face fell when tigriss told him he looked like his father

#movie talk #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #the ballad of songbirds and snakes spoiler #hunger games #hunger games spoilers

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welldonebeca · 1 year

Text

The Christmas War (Epilogue)

If you like my work, consider buying me a coffee or subscribing to my Patreon. It’s just $2 a month and helps a lot while I go through these hard times.

Masterlist

Harwin wasn't part of the talk between Daemon, Rhaenyra and the kids, but they had asked him to watch Viserys as they did, and he could see the change in the children as they all left the library after it happened.

They had told them about Visenya..

The morning after that was very quiet, and he could see the older four just being absolutely protective of their parents, never leaving them alone, and the house was very quiet for the day.

When the sun was setting, he was invited for the little moment they had in their garden, where Visenya's remains were buried, and the four oldest kids planted flowers around it as tribute.

"Thanks, pa," Jace spoke, stopping by his side.

Pa.

Not Harwin.

Pa.

He tried not to smile too much as it, knowing the moment wasn't one for such a thing.

"Anytime, kid."

New Years came and Harwin even got to meet Rhaenyra's much cited 'Cousin Rhaegar', who had come from Essos to pay them a visit. His younger siblings were also in Valyria, but had other plans.

And then came the day he had to leave, and this time, he wasn't just leaving alone.

Jace was coming with him, and bringing his cat - Vermax - along.

It was not a surprise that Rhaenyra had been crying since the moment they started loading up the car and preparing to leave.

This time, thankfully, Caraxes wasn't going to ride with them.

"Call us when you land," Rhaena squeezed Jace. "And send loads of pictures. And text everyday."

He smiled, kissing her cheek, and Harwin could see how she looked very hurt that he was leaving.

"If you don't call us and text us every morning I'll show up there to remind you myself," Baela scolded him when she reached him. "And take care of your hair. You bleached it already, you don't want to look like you don't take care of yourself."

Jace scoffed.

"I'll miss you bugging me too, Baela," he wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her.

The girl pouted a little, rolling her eyes, but squeezed him back very tightly.

She mumbled something in Valyrian, and whatever it was, it made Jace smile and kiss her cheek.

He had said goodbye to their little ones the night before, which was why Aegon had taken especially long to fall asleep because Jace would be gone when they woke up.

Joffrey was coming with them to the airport, still in his pyjamas, and everyone was ready for a long crying session as he said goodbye to everyone.

The twins left to give space to Rhaenyra, who was already crying again as they said goodbye to their uncle Joffrey, who looked like he was about to fall asleep on his feet, not too different from his little counterpart, who was fast asleep on his seat.

"Oh, let me look at you," she grabbed his face, as if she wasn't going to be the one driving him to the airport. "I'm going to miss you so much!"

"I know, mum."

Rhaenyra kissed his face again, squeezing him close, and Harwin looked at his side when Laenor touched his back.

"Hey," he called softly. "Can I have a word real quick?"

"Sure."

He followed him out of the garage under a shade, and Laenor shifted on his feet nervously.

"I want to apologise," he pushed his hands into his pockets. "About the tantrum I threw that other day. About Jace going to live with you."

Harwin breathed in.

Oh. That.

"I get it," he assured him. "I know... I know it's always been hard for you, especially at the start. And seeing the boys so little too… I get it."

He remembered the day Rhaenyra approached him, the first time. They had been hooking up for a while, always with condoms because she had a husband and they didn't want an accident.

They had never even thought about babies until she told him what the doctors had said about Laenor, and about how much they wanted one.

And he obliged, because he was very young and didn't think of the consequences of having a child of his passing as someone else's.

Laenor always cared so much because he wanted a kid just as much as Rhaenyra did, and he couldn't have one.

"It was hard! But it was just as hard for you," Laenor looked at him. "You made a huge sacrifice for us, and all you wanted was to be around the boys wheneber you could. And I haven't been very nice about sharing them because I thought in my mind that if I wasn't the world's best and most present father, then I was no father at all because I shared no blood with them."

His dark purple eyes filled with tears, and there was no attempt of blinking them away as he shook his head, smiling sadly.

"I just... you know, Daemon is married to Rhaenyra now," he pointed out. "And... well, I guess he replaced me as her best friend when he became her husband. And I'm alright with that because she deserves a husband. A real one, not a paper one."

"She does," Harwin agreed.

Laenor sighed.

"I guess I never thought of him as replacing me until I heard the kids calling him dad," he told him. "And that triggered my fears again. Of not being a father enough, especially living so far away!"

Harwin nodded along.

"And the kids call him dad, and... well, he is their step dad, he does a lot. I'm always afraid of being replaced by him, and then with Jace going with you..."

He looked at Harwin, and he could see all that pain on his face.

"I was afraid you were trying to take what little place I had in my mind with my sons," he confessed, at last. "You've done a lot for our family and I think I forgot that you are also a part of it, that you are also their dad and you also want to spend time with them."

Harwin shook his head, chuckling a bit.

"We both got a little jealous," he assured him. "The boys love you, Laenor. You are their father, but they have more than one father!"

Laenor laughed, drying his tears.

"Oh, yes, they have four of them,” he pointed out. "Joffrey just had to step into Valyria and he was promoted! Just like that!"

Harwin laughed along, and patted him on the back.

"Hey... all is forgiven," he assured him. "I’ll never try to replace in their lives, nor any of the other two. And you know... at least we are not Daemon."

His friend laughed.

"Yeah, that one has a lot to learn about apologies and sharing."

"I let him go with you, that's enough for apologies and sharing," Daemon gruffed from inside the garage. "Are you two done?"

Laenor shook his head.

"Yeah," he decided.

But Rhaenyra was the only one even moving to get into the car, shoving her things onto the passenger seat.

Daemon was in a corner with Jace, his arms crossed as he leaned close to speak to him in Valyrian, very soft, as if he didn't want anyone to hear.

Harwin thought he had seen his lower lip trembling for the shortest bit of time before he pursed his lips, and Daemon blinked a little too quickly as he hugged Jace close, sniffing for a moment.

He pressed his lips to his temple for a long moment, saying something to him and patting him on the back.

Daemon turned back, jerking his head to the side, and his posture changed when the door to the garage opened.

"Look who is awake," Luke announced, carrying Viserys and with Aegon right on his feet, they both looking very messy. "They begged me to come say goodbye."

Harwin expected the boys to both go over to Laenor but he was surprised to find Aegon right on his leg, extending his arms to him.

He picked him up, and smiled when the boy pressed a very wet kiss to his cheek.

"Geros ilas," he spoke, squeezing him, and when he turned to Laenor, he was squeezing and kissing Viserys' chubby face.

"Geros ilas, zaldriztsos," Laenor smiled.

Geros ilas... maybe it meant goodbye?

"Geros ilas," he kissed Aegon's cheek.

The boy threw himself at Laenor just as Viserys tried to get to him, and Harwin quickly got another big smooch on his face.

"Geros ilas," he spoke to the little one.

"Ge-laaaas," he babbled back.

He chuckled.

"Yeah, Valyrian is hard for me too," he laughed. "Goodbye."

But his attention was quickly taken away when the boy saw Jace, squirming to get to his brother, and Harwin was quick to put him down, seeing him running to squeeze Jace.

When he looked at Daemon he didn't look very happy. He was absolutely jealous.

Well... he didn't need to share those two, at least.

"Ñuho zaldriztsos," Daemon called them.

He rushed to them, picking the two up, and his little dragons squealed and giggled in response to being carried off.

"Hey, if kepa's not going, can I go?" Luke asked quickly. "I'm even dressed up."

Rhaenyra turned to look at him with a bit of a sigh, but smiled.

"Yeah, we can get a nice breakfast and ice cream on the way back," she decided.

"It'll be like the little dates you two had when Jace was at school," Laenor walked to the car.

Jace looked at them, looking annoyed as he sat on the driver's seat.

"How come we never had dates like that?"

"We did, baby," she told him. "Remember when we went to the park that day your father took Luke to see that doctor because of his nose?"

Luke gasped.

"You didn't go with me because you were taking Jace to the park?"

Harwin laughed as he buckled his seatbelt, and he could see Jace checking if everyone had done the same before starting the car, and the sun was just rising slowly as they hit the road.

"Your brother needed a little bit of attention, honey," she reminded him. "And your father wanted to be the one to take you there."

"What happened to your nose?" Harwin asked.

The whole car felt tense for a moment.

"Well... I have to start this story by saying I was trying to protect Jace," Luke told him. "And by the end of it, a lot of people ended up going to the hospital."

Harwin frowned.

"Alright?" he agreed.

"It's messy," Rhaenyra added.

"Come on, mum. We have four dads," Jace pointed out. "That is not our messiest story."

That made him laugh again.

Yes. This was his messy family.

"So... you know how my uncle Aemond only has one eye?"

…

“The Christmas War” was posted on my Patreon two weeks before it came to Tumblr and AO3 and is just one of the many stories in the "Keeping Up With the Targaryens" series! To have early access to all of my works, subscribe to my page! It’s just $2 a month!

…

Forever Tags: @emoryhemsworth @amythyststorm33 @shaelyn102 @yknott81 @maximofftrash @kgbrenner @thefridgeismybestie @magpiegirl80 @mogaruke @shadowhuntersseries @musicalcoffeebean @megasimpleplan4ever @deemoriarty @05spn18 @malindacath @kdcollinsauthor @random-fandom-fangirl2112 @widowsfics @frozenhuntress67 @averyrogers83 @notyourtypicalrose @nerdypinupcrystal @giruvega

#The Christmas War (HOtD) series #rhaenyra targaryen fanfiction #rhaenyra x daemon #rhaenyra targaryen #daemon x rhaenyra #daemon targaryen fic #rhaenyra targaryen x daemon targaryen fanfiction #daemon targaryen #harwin strong #harwin strong fluff #harwin strong fanfic #ser harwin strong #harwin strong fanfiction #harwin strong fic #harwin strong imagine

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bishiglomper · 6 months

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You know, the whole time nephew has been 9, we've been bringing up the fact that its time for a new baby.

Mom and aunt are about 10 years apart. Sister and I are 8.5. Niece and nephew are 9.

So like. We were feelin it. No one TRIES for that, it just happens. Its a good gap though, the siblings usually get along real good.

I mean, two of the cousins had babies but they dont live near us so they dont count lmao. I voted that the elder cousin (25m) (the only one without a kid who still lives here) should be offerred as tribute.

Because otherwise the only other fertile person would be the niece.

Oof.

Why did you have to follow tradition!? The curse(?) got passed. 😩

It's still not a great situation. Some of us are hoping nature kind of. Takes care of things on its own. 👀

I'm just the aunt. I'm not her mother who feels so responsible and caught up in it. And niece is pretty independnt, shes not going to let herself get too trapped or dependant with baby daddy. She's smart and can take care of herself. She'll be alright.

The other day at the punpkin patch i kind of wheedled my way into starting a casual dialogue with her. She actually sounds like she has a plan. I was not expecting her to.

I told her i was so so worried about her weight and eating. She said shes already gained 3lbs and doing good. Taking her vitamins. Baby daddy is encouraging her to eat. Shes going to appointments.

And before any of this talk, she told us how baby daddy had a sister whos about to move out of her place, and wants niece to take up the lease. Rent is manageable if she needs to take it up on her own. Its 2 bedroom. And baby daddy will move in when his halfway house thing is up..

He wont let her pay rent. She says she'll probably be saving for a new car instead. I hope she'll be smart enough to put aside some too.

So... Like... I feel so much better about it. 👀

Also because of the 9 year gap with nephew, I'm hoping he'll get close to the kid like a little sibling. He could use that. He's not real close with his sister since she left. I think he would be a good big brother. And im hoping a little being around will help him control his mouth.

Sigh. Probably not though.

#just rambling

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aquamoonchaii · 3 years

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CHEERS TO US >> JUYEON

⍣ genre: fluff; slice of life; comfort!au

⍣ warnings: none

⍣ pairing: juyeon x reader

⍣ word count: 2.7k

⍣ collab: This is for the collab Summer Love - The Boyz from lovie @bangchan-fairy

⍣ charlie’s notes: juyeon is here! i did a comfort au so you guys can read it to feel better always uwu, this lovely banner was made by the precious @halliney

⍣ summary: juyeon needs to talk to someone, you appear with a glass of wine ready to make his life a little better.

This was his second night in this bar, he would never have expected himself to be alone in a small town drinking beer with snacks on a friday night. But he was desperate and he had to do something, his mind needed to relax.

He has a beer in his hand as he smiles back at the pretty ladies that pass by his table and look at him with desire and interest. JuYeon likes the attention but turns down any invitation to go to another table or even to hotel rooms, he already has a target and is not interested in anyone else.

At least tonight.

Because his target is special, he wouldn't be able to talk about this to the other girls.

Usually summer vacations are all about relaxing after the hard work of a whole year, thinking about all the goals he has reached and the new goals he wants to set for himself. But not this time, he gulps down all the beer and sighs.

JuYeon feels trapped in some kind of existential crisis thinking about if what he is doing is correct and if his life is turning out the way he wanted. Usual stuff that makes young people think a lot.

He is just here waiting for the girl that said would be here around the same time as yesterday, where she literally just came to take care of a drunk friend who was heartbroken. He wasn’t heartbroken but her words certainly had some healing effect on him and he seemed really anxious to talk to her or...

...to anyone really. He is used to being the one who is reliable and the man all his friends go to have some type of advice or comforting words. And being him the friend in need? Hell no.

The irony on him not being able to ask for help or even having the strenght to let out all his weak thoughts is stupid and makes him smile bitterly against his beer. He wonders what the hell he is actually doing here, maybe he is desperate for some comforting words coming from a wise stranger.

“Are you really drowning in alcohol for a woman that cheated on you, idiot?” It was late and the only thing he could hear was the voice of the girl that just entered the bar, she waved at the bartender and he finally noticed the loud sobbing of the wasted man that was two tables apart from him, his whining was part of the whole mood of the bar so JuYeon didn’t even pay attention to the scandal, his own problems were loud enough in his head. He turned his attention to them when the crazy wasted man hiccups and finally shuts up, not even the bartender or the other drunken friends of his could do it. The scene was pretty unforgettable: a tall strong drunk man that was pretty aggressive when someone asked him to lower his voice while sitting down holding a glass of vodka is now hugging the waist of the woman that just called him an idiot. But your next words made his mind explode, he wonders if he is as drunk as the crying guy there.

“If you want to scream, do it to let go, cheer yourself up and move on, don’t just drink and act like an asshole with people.”

Random but effective words. He expects her to mock the man there, instead she hugs him back and pets his hair and talks with a gentle voice but it also sounded strong. JuYeon found her words weird and comforting even if they weren't directed to him or even to anyone to hear he was just close to them and it was pretty late so there was little noise and he could eavesdrop. “Let’s go, you can cry at my house. I won’t look, I promise~ Then we will be sober, you are going to write down all your happy feelings, smile at them and that’s it. The other paper with all the bad feelings is going to be burnt and we are going to kick ass, ok?”

She didn’t make a fuss of it, the woman just petted his friend’s hair until he calmed down and probably passed out when the bartender came to her. “Y/N! You are the drunk whisperer, that was awesome! Why don’t we put him to bed, he can stay the night up in my room and you have some snacks here? I haven’t seen you in weeks!”

“I would love to have a snack from my favorite bartender but the taxi is waiting for me to let my drunk one at home, I promise I will come tomorrow at this exact time. I’ll eat like crazy I promise!”

JuYeon came here at the exact same hour.

He isn’t sure why he came because he didn’t know anyone or had planned anything really, he just hopes you read his mind and approach him to talk about your weird speech that made him feel good for no reason. Or something like that at least.

So when you appear, he notices something.

He is completely sober tonight and doesn’t know what to do to approach you. You are a pretty woman indeed but you intimidate him for some awkward reason. He feels like an idiot but it feels like you are going to read him like a book after looking him in the eyes. So JuYeon stands up and goes to the restroom to gain courage, he will do what he knows best: being a charming perfect boy.

A bit of flirting, maybe a date. That’s all he needs to have a little conversation with you.

"Jacob, can you please stop staring at the random guy? Is he that good looking? Your eyes are glued to him." You laugh as you eat the snacks your friend put on the bar for you to eat as you chat about a whole month of not seeing each other.

"Dude, this guy comes and kills all the ladies. But he is looking at your way too much, I own this place~ He wants something and I will not offer you as a tribute." Jacob follows the tall man's steps with his gaze, he stops when he sees his figure disappear in the restroom. His face is recognizable because well, he is quite handsome for the girls that asked a lot for him that came only yesterday and Jacob just said he is a regular to gain a few more female clients. Actually, he never saw him before and it's a big no for you to even look at his direction.

"Ok but stop staring and what makes you think I'll agree to something? I just want to have this awesome glass of wine as I talk to you about our Sunwoo and his broken heart." He laughs as he wipes the glasses that were recently washed. "I want to slap some sense back to him."

"He needs some time. Let's just be patient with his wailing at least this week, he needs to let it all out." There is this untold secret that only Jacob knows too: your feelings for the guy you took home drunk last night were strong and you decided to let Sunwoo go so your heart was also healing, it was a slow and silent process that was shut by a glass of bitter wine. You would always drink a glass of wine when your feelings were out of control as Sunwoo falls hard and easily and suffers too because of girls.

"Is this your last glass of wine?"

"Of the bitter one, yes. My heart and my liver are all good now, I'll take sweeter things this time." Jacob smiles and nods, he understands and pats your head. A client comes in and he excuses himself to go attend them.

"Is this seat taken?" JuYeon asks and when you look at him, he shows his biggest smile. You pat the seat next to him. "My ego usually needs an extra seat but I guess you can take it." He seems taken aback for the quick answer but he quickly smirks triumphantly and sits next to you. You've met him before but apparently he doesn't remember you.

"May I offer you a drink?"

"No, because this is my last glass of alcohol but we can share snacks as you seem lonely." JuYeon must feel like a champ because he sticks his tongue out sexily and nods, grabbing a toothpick that holds a little cube of cheese on your plate and eats it. "You don't remember me?"

"Is that a pick up line? Because I'm trying to think of one that will make you swoon."

"So you don't." You see JuYeon’s mind wandering at your smirk and trying to read something in your eyes.

It was indeed unexpected a target to flirt back or to be this mysterious because- Wait.

Holy crap.

You caress SunWoo's hair as he blacks out completely on his bed. Of course you feel bad for him, you treasure him a lot but your heart is finally at peace, you’ll be there to pick up the pieces of his oftenly broken heart but yours who used to suffer in silence is okay now. You let him go just as you kept your crush on him. In a blissful secret.

"I'll be right here for you. And I'm voicing out this because it's over and you are half-dead. I liked you so much it's crazy how I could keep it to myself. My crush on you is over and it was beautiful for me and our friendship stays strong as always." You smile at his passed out figure and make him company until his cousin appears to take care of him and calls a taxi for you. The taxi will wait for you in the convenience store as you wanted to buy some things, it’s pretty late but this small town is safe, or at least this neighborhood is.

"I'll have these cereal boxes and these snacks please."

"Is SunWoo still sad for that bad ex- girlfriend? He used to come here and buy her favorite snacks all happily until yesterday when he just bought beers with swollen eyes. We talked for a bit as his first question was why women were so unfaithful."

"Oh really? He came crying? Oh dear, this guy… Yeah, he is a sad single person now. Hopefully, he will cheer up quickly as always. He is now half-dead so he won’t feel any pain." The old lady who attends there knows you because you hang out a lot with Sunwoo and Jacob who lives nearby too. She nods and laughs until he stares over your shoulder.

"Me! Me! I want snacks too! I'm lonely, we can share them!" A man behind you makes you startle with his loud voice as you are paying your stuff, you turn around and find the cute man you saw at Jacob's bar. He is more than tipsy, his cheeks are red and he has droopy eyelids. "I heard you talk to the crybaby~ Talk to me too!"

"Young man, you are drunk. Go to your house!" The lady explains she saw him coming with luggage and he is staying at the house in front of your sad friend. He is pretty quiet and always arrives at the store early with hangovers asking for ramen, she points out he is indeed a gentleman and he must be here for summer vacations so party nights must be his thing or something.

"I'm not a young man, I'm JuYeon sweet lady. I wonder where my money went, my whole wallet disappeared just like my motivation to do stuff." He huffs and you laugh sharing one of your snacks. “Is this for me? You are so sweet, can you be my life mentor? I’ll treat you well I swear!” The store lady laughs at the cute behavior the drunk handsome man has and hushes you as she sees your taxi at the entry. “Wait! Don’t go, I’m trying to propose, drunk whisperer!”

JuYeon’s seductive mood dissipates with the beer foam in his glass. He wonders how the blackout and don’t remembering a single thing after getting drunk should have its negative side. Like this moment, he feels so embarrassed but of course, his stoic face remains the same.

“Oh God, this is so embarrassing. I can’t even pretend I don’t remember stealing your snack, can I?” You shake your head and clink your glass of wine with his glass of beer. “Well, I guess I should use my drunk self to start a conversation.”

And he did, JuYeon initially tried to start a casual little conversation to ask about you and stuff but he ended up spilling about why he is in a small town searching for some peace but apparently it’s his mind the chaotic one instead of the city and its loudness. When he started speaking about it, there’s this feeling of a really heavy load slowly leaving his shoulders and maybe he understands now the american movies that use this plot about talking about your problems with a stranger. He felt relieved, JuYeon is the kind of guy that seems impassive at everything around him and he is praised a lot because of his drive and his determination of not give a single fuck.

But he cares. He notices everything around him. And feeling like he could appear vulnerable sounds awful, just thinking about it makes him regret even approaching you. JuYeon suddenly falls silent, half studying your reactions and half awkwardly shutting up because this was too much information.

"Sometimes a lot of thoughts just turn in a big skein. It's okay to feel weird about it too." You said emphatically (or at least that's his conclusion as you don't mock or roll your eyes), he can't help but stare at you. He was right all these hours thinking about you and your words, his drunk self was right too. You can be a life mentor. The conversation ends when Jacob introduces himself and says he is going to close the bar and that if JuYeon is even trying to talk more with you, he needs to promise he will let Jacob chop his head off if he does something inappropriate.

"Date me."

“No?”

“No, why would I?” This is the fourth night of a long conversation about life and deep topics he thought no one would want to talk about, JuYeon forgot about seduction tips after the second night of just one beer and lots of good talking. He feels comfortable and his mind thinks less of his apparent poor self worth and he now feels encouraged. “If you feel happy singing and being a performer, why are you doubting?”

Good question.

He wants to date you.

It’s kind of impulsive coming from him and basically you two are already hanging out meeting in Jacob’s bar every night. He wasn’t expecting you to say no that easily, it’s shocking and honestly sexy, his ego feels slapped too.

“What?”

“Yeah, we clearly have a mental connection and yes, you are pretty attractive” You say like it's pretty obvious. "But why would I date you?"

"Because… I don't want to eat alone?"

"...and?"

"And I am kind of attracted to you and your amazing brain?"

"...and?"

"Because I feel like you are pretty as fuck and also a friend I will treasure a lot and I will probably scream because I don't know if Jacob is your friend or your boyfriend?"

"What?" You laugh at his sudden confession and at his reaction that seems pretty surprised at his own words. "Well, that kind of convinced me."

"You always make me talk, it's embarrassing and really interesting. How am I supposed to meet another person like you- Wait, I convinced you?" You nod and feel your cheeks heating up as he stares at you and laughs happily.

You can be a life mentor and he will protect you from everything. Maybe you could be a couple.

taglist:

@halliney @bangchan-fairy @kpopsnowball @melonmochimoon @prettyjaems @soleilsuhh @haifengg @purplepsycho03

#the boyz fic #juyeon fic #juyeon fluff #juyeon scenario #summer love collab #tbz scenario #tbz fic #tbz fluff #lee juyeon

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poodlejoonas · 3 years

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Dad!BC AU - before and after

Because I’m feeling so soft tonight, I wanna share my thoughts on the guys before and after they become dads. Everyone knows that kids change people, but sometimes the change is nice and wholesome.

I blame Joel and his sentimental edgy ass for that post on Instagram earlier.

(Under the read-more for length)

As the first dad of the group, Joonas was terrified of what the change would bring for him and Kirsten. He knew he would make his mistakes and he dreaded the day they would come. He was afraid that he was too immature to be a father - he read the comments online about him as a punk, about his Danish girlfriend who could barely read the hate comments written about her, and about their baby and how so many people “wished the poor girl luck” in dealing with a childish father like him. On top of that, Kirsten’s parents were begging her to leave Finland and him so they could help raise Sohvi because they thought they could do a better job than him. He was motivated to become the best dad he could be to prove them all wrong, but also to give his daughter the best life she deserved. He admits to his mistakes in the early days of fatherhood - he knows he should have been kinder to Kirsten when she was struggling mentally as a new mom.

Years later, with their third child on the way, the first two are a little bit older and they adore the hell out of their dad. Sohvi loves music like him and unapologetically stands her ground on the things she believes in. Lukas is a cannonball of a personality who loves the ice and playing hockey as much as his cousin Enkka. And the youngest of the Porkos, Jakob (aka “Jaska”) grows up to enjoy the softer things in life - reading, baking, knitting, and cuddling on a lazy day. Even through his busy schedule, he makes time to make memories with each of them in a way that matters to them - jamming out with Sohvi, skating with Lukas, and reading bedtime stories to Jaska. They all take his punk attitude, the very thing that many people used to discount his abilities to raise one child, let alone three. His family is perfect, and he realizes now that he had nothing to fear when he held his daughter for the first time.

Joel had never given the thought of a family of his own much consideration. He was too busy being a rock star and conquering the world, and he was afraid of what the change after having a kid would look like for him. He wanted to be happy for Joonas when he told the group in Rotterdam that he was going to be a dad, but he was afraid of losing his best friend to an uncertain future. He grew to love his niece, after some time and a little bit of effort on his part, but he still thought they just weren’t for him.

When he went out on a blind date with Emilia Peltonen months later, he wasn’t expecting it to go anywhere from there. But she gave him a second chance, and a third, and so on, until they were finally living together. Milli finally asked him what he thought of the idea of having kids, and he thought he needed “some time” to think on it. It took him all of about 12 hours to make up his mind, but they waited almost a full year before they were finally successful. In that time, he asked her to marry him, regardless of whether a baby would even come along. Still, he had his doubts about his own abilities to give his son a happy life - he was impatient and snappy, his mental health would fall apart some days, he was never the most affectionate person. And yet, none of that matters to little Viktor; Joel is his idol and, in his mind, he’s the coolest guy on Earth and he wants to be just like him someday. He teaches Enkka to skate and fosters his love for hockey and music. When Enkka needs a hug, either when he’s sleepy or he just woke up from a bad dream, he knows his dad will be there to catch him. So many people love to see that he went from being a dark edgelord online with a pessimistic sense of humor, to being the best dad and husband of their group whose public presence is covered with the signs of his pride in his family. Joel’s transformation surprised so many people, but the change was a welcome sight.

(TW: mention of miscarriage)

Niko wanted to be a dad from the beginning. When he dated Jenna in high school, the hopeless romantic in him dreamed of their little family and the future they would build together. He was devastated when they went their separate ways, thanks to their very different paths in life. He gave up on his dream of their little ones, until they crossed paths again. He knew he would be a fool to give up his second chance. He was overjoyed to learn that Jenna was pregnant with their first child; unlike the first two dads, he had no fears in the back of his mind that he would be a good one. As soon as he stepped into his house, he turned off the rock star Niko the world sees, and became Leevi’s dad and Jenna’s husband with every ounce of his being.

They made a promise to each other: when Leevi says his first word, it’s time for baby number two. Blissfully unaware of his parents’ plan to give him a sibling, Leevi watched Rommi walk by and blurted out his first word: kissa! Within two months, they were expecting their daughter to round out their little family. Lahja Rose was born the next February, two weeks past her original due date. Her father was a little heartbroken - she was supposed to be born on his birthday, hence the name Lahja (“gift”). But he was happy to finally have his little Rose to pay tribute to his favorite film (even if people made their fair share of jokes about it). They hit their first real snag as a family when, between 6 and 11 months, Lahja lived with on/off inner ear infections. Her parents did everything they could to help relieve her pain, eventually opting for surgery to fix it. Niko was a wreck for the full five months, refusing to leave his family’s side and being more than willing to fight anyone who disrespected his decision to have privacy with his family. Niko helped Jenna through the painful process of losing what would have been their third child. They mourned, they healed, and they decided that they were at peace just having their two.

Olli wanted to be a dad, but he was terrified when he learned he had two on the way. Kaarina wanted to laugh at his adorkable response to the news - “count them again” - but she knew his fears were valid. She’d known this man since they were children, and his response to the news was typical of him as an anxious mess under his cool and seemingly collected personality. Her fears were the same; after all, she had no idea what changes were to come for her health. But both girls had a hold on his heart long before they were even born. Olli was willing to do anything to make Riina and the twins feel comfortable until their arrival a week before Christmas. The moment Elina was placed in his arms and he saw the way Elisabet fit in Riina’s, he wondered where those fears even belonged now.

Well... just a little more than three months later, when he was convinced he’d gotten his wife pregnant again, Olli was rightfully scared shitless. He loved his girls, but he couldn’t have three kids before the first two even celebrated their first birthday. Having narrowly dodged that nightmare, he took all the next steps to ensure that it never happened again. He was happy with his two, and so was Riina. The Matelas spend their summers at their beach home, the twins developing as much of a love for the ocean as him. They wear the best coordinated outfits - but not matching though, Olli and Riina want them to maintain their own personality outside of being twins. He’s more than happy to let them put a tiara on him and invite him to their “garden tea party” in their shared room. It was tough at first, but he soon became a master of carrying one in each arm while they felt tall and safe with him. But he can be a bit strict with them sometimes; he loves them, but he doesn’t want them to follow in his footsteps as a rock star. He knows it can be difficult and fun, but he doesn’t want his daughters to fall victim to the lifestyle. And yet, Elisabet was determined to forge her own path in music, while Elina took to the ice like Lukas and Enkka as a figure skater. There was no use in trying to stifle their dreams. Olli’s proud of his girls, and he’s always wanted them to be happy.

Tommi’s family came pre-started. He was introduced to Marja Oksanen, a single mom to a young son who escaped a dangerous relationship with the father of her child. She was afraid that learning about her son would drive him away, that he wouldn’t bother with a single mom if she couldn’t put their relationship first. But Tommi loved this woman already, and someday he was sure he would love her son. He had his reasons to be wary around the boy since he’d never had a father figure in his life (outside of his Uncle Niko for the year or so that Marja and Miikka lived with him and Jenna). He let Miikka accept him first, and he waited for his cue before he grew into his role as his step-dad.

He readily agreed when Marja asked him if he wanted a baby with her (or “another cub” to fit the bear theme they adopted for their family). Tommi would have been happy to have several cubs with her. But when her pregnancy with Anna left her on constant bed rest and their daughter was born a month earlier than she should have, he couldn’t put her through that stress again. Marja’s health mattered more than the thought of a large family. Besides, he was more than happy with “Baby Bear” (Miikka) and “Cub” (Anna), because despite the fact that Miikka was not his son by birth, he was his son by love. And he was willing to defend that from anyone who dares to insult their family dynamic. Tommi is a master of being a dad; his energy calms both kids down when they’re stressed or in need of some love and understanding. It’s not an uncommon sight to see him with one on either side of him as the three of them relax in his recliner. So many people know Tommi as a man with a tough exterior, who doesn’t let his emotions show, doesn’t talk much, and doesn’t garner much attention in a room. But Tommi with his children is a different person altogether. He shares a side of him that belongs to his family.

As the last to become a dad, Aleksi had a wealth of experience to rely on when he needed help with his son. He made the difficult decision to voluntarily become a single dad when his ex-girlfriend Laila expressed zero desire to become a mother. He endured so much stress and heartache in the process, from Laila dragging him in the media over his decision to announce the pregnancy to being banned from Noah’s birth altogether. He first laid eyes on Noah when he was just under an hour old, having only been held by the nurses who prepared him to meet his father. He spared no expense in spending two nights in the hospital with him in a suite, even when Laila had long checked out and left without saying goodbye to either of them.

He felt a twinge of shame when he accepted help from Joonas in taking care of his son. He wanted to do it by himself and prove that he could be a good dad alone. But having a village of friends behind him helped ease him into everything that fatherhood would throw at him. When Noah is diagnosed on the autism spectrum when he’s three, Aleksi immediately learns everything he can to understand his son better. He becomes his biggest defender when people try to push him out of his comfort zone, telling him that they can respect his decision to wear his noise-cancelling headphones when he needs them or they can leave both of them alone. He learns sign language to communicate with Noah whenever he goes mute and he shows solidarity when Noah stims in public. He stays out of the dating scene for years to stop a revolving door of strangers from coming around his son who is shy around new people and lives with separation anxiety from losing his mother at a young age. But Hanna Laaksonen was the perfect exception, as a child psychologist with a Master’s degree in early childhood development. The rest of his friends watched as Aleksi fell in love with her and as Noah began to call her Mom. Still, Aleksi always put Noah first, the same as he always had, and Hanna respected that fact.

#blind channel #dad!blind channel #dad!joonas #dad!joel #dad!niko #dad!olli #dad!tommi #dad!aleksi #yes i hacked this all out in one sitting #yes it's 11 pm and i should go to sleep

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palimpsessed · 3 years

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Writerly Ephemera

I was tagged by @amywaterwings @mostlymaudlin @tea-brigade @effing-numpties @captain-aralias @bloodiedpixie . This is so cool, so thanks for sharing yours! ❤️

Per Amy: We add little bits of ourselves to our writing, scattering memories and places and phrases and things into our stories. The game is to find five examples of this, of YOU, in your writing and show everyone.

I don’t really feel like I put much of my own experiences into my fic, probably because I don’t feel like I have a lot of experiences to pull from. (That’s not me being self-deprecating; that’s me never going anywhere or doing anything.) So, let’s see what we come up with!

Going to tag here. I feel like I’ve gotten to this late so I’m not sure who has been tagged. Anyway. No pressure, loves. Just saying hi. 🥰 @theflyingpeach @bazzybelle @otherworldsivelivedin @unseelieseelie @wetheformidables @caitybug @nightimedreamersworld @foolofabookwyrm @stillmadaboutpetra

1. I have put the most of myself into A Man of Letters. I have my degree in English Lit and when I was in college, I was at the height of my Jane Austen obsession. So I sort of built my degree around the development of the English novel. My senior thesis was on a book called Evelina by Frances Burney, who was one of Austen’s greatest literary influences. Evelina is an epistolary novel—told entirely in letters. I love the epistolary form, for the same reason I love dialogue and texting fics. It’s such a fun narrative technique and can reveal so much about individual characters. It’s actually a bit like the way Rainbow Rowell uses multi POV in her books. Anyway, my love of the epistle was on full display in this fic, which is ofc told in letters. —Do I share a passage? That’s like...the whole fic 😅 So, idk. Here’s Simon being a disaster as he meditates on letter writing:

Dear Penny,

As I start this letter, I already know I'm not going to post it. I know I won't be able to bring myself to do it, because of what I have to say to you. I do feel bad. It's not that I don't want to tell you. And you know I'm so much better at writing things down than saying them out loud. It's only that I feel like this would all sound better coming from me in person. I just don't think I'll be able to make you understand in a letter. I'm still trying to understand myself. And writing all of this down helps me with that. Even if I'm only pretending to write to you, it makes me feel better, to think of you on the other end. I promise I really will tell you everything as soon as we're together again.

2. Also for A Man of Letters, my fascination with Regency fashions, in particular the dandy, was a major factor. I did an art book about this, comparing how fashion has changed over time, especially in regard to gender. (I also did an art book based on Evelina, since I’m on the subject. I minored in book art. 😁) I always fancied the look of a Regency dandy, so that was my gift to Baz.

Whoever has been working their magic on Salisbury should in fact be the person to whom I offer my eternal devotion. Alas, I am left to flounder under the burden of lusting after a man who is incapable of dressing himself.

The utter and unmitigated shame.

Salisbury wore a forest green wool frock coat that set off the golden highlights in his brown locks. This was accented with a green and aubergine striped silk waistcoat that was trimmed in white piping and felt much too daring a pattern for the man. (I don't care if he was a soldier; it takes a hardier man than him by half to choose a stripe like that.) His charcoal trousers were enticingly snug, but not so much to prove lethal. His cravat and points left much to be desired, though that likely reflected poorly on his ability to keep himself in order, rather than the ability of his valet. (Good God, maybe the man doesn't even have a valet!)

3. When it came to my countdown fic, To the Manor Borne, I had Shep make a reference to Cluedo, because Pitch Manor would be perfect for a real life game. Behind that, is the fact that my family played a lot of Clue and I watched the movie a whole bunch growing up, to the point where my sister and I used to quote it to each other. This was a way to pay homage to that. He also talks about playing the game Murder in the Dark, which was one I played at Halloween as a kid. One of my cousins was dressed as a ghoul with glow in the dark face paint and we were in my grandma’s creepy upstairs. Perfect vibes.

I’ve seen the kitchen and the dining room and the library and the study and the parlor. Walking through this house is like playing Clue. (They call it Cluedo on this side of the pond, because they like to be difficult.) (That was a whole thing. Do not get me started.)

I keep thinking Colonel Mustard’s going to pop up out of nowhere and brain me with a lead pipe.

And:

What kind of games do you play with magickal friends who don't have magic? Twister? Not with the wings and tail. Cards? Baz and Penny would cheat. Or accuse everyone else of cheating if they didn't win. Murder in the dark? With these people, in this house, I knew it would turn literal fast, and also it was like ten in the morning. Hide and seek? Simon and I would hide and everyone else would ditch. Snowball fight? World War III.

4. I’ve referenced Mozart in my fics a couple of times because when I was first getting into classical music, I was listening to a lot of Mozart. My sister had a CD of some of his early symphonies, and my local classical station does “Mozart in the Mornings” which happened to fit in the exact time slot between two morning classes I had my first year in college. I’d go sit in my car with a cup of tea, and just vibe with Mozart as my soundtrack. I’ve name dropped him in both A Man of Letters and To the Manor Borne. Also, Mozart wrote 12 variations on the melody shared by Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, which is a lovely tie in. (I also had the gang sing/cast The Holly and the Ivy, which is one of my favorite Christmas carols, and by strange coincidence was playing on the radio at the same time I wrote that scene. 🥰)

"It's a songbook," I tell him, like he can't figure that out for himself. "Did you know that Mozart wrote twelve different versions of the same song?"

He's laughing. "Mozart did not write Twinkle, twinkle, little star, Simon."

"You know what I mean."

"He composed twelve variations for solo piano on the French folk melody Ah! Vous dirai-je, maman."

"Sure. Anyway, this is for the violin. For you to play."

He's still laughing, and I'm trying to figure out what's so funny, but then he kisses me again, on the lips this time, so I figure maybe I'm still doing okay.

Only one more to go! What will it be? 👀

5. Therapy! Eheheh...😅 Look, it’s no secret the gang needs it. And tbh, so do I. Haven’t actually managed to get myself to go yet, and I think that’s where a lot of my “send them to therapy” happy endings come from. I did it in Use Your Words and To the Manor Borne. I started Chamber by Chamber with SnowBaz already in therapy, and then structured the whole thing around therapy that they give to each other and to themselves. It didn’t really fit in A Man of Letters, but if it had, I absolutely would have done it. I’ve only shared from two fics so far, and since it could kind of spoil the ending to Use Your Words (tho saying this may be spoiler anyway...), here are two snippets from It’s a Kind of Magic, Part I of Chamber by Chamber.

I've been working on articulating my needs. We both have. Ordinarily, I'd be afraid of pushing him away by making demands when he's on the verge of a spiral, but my therapist insists that I can't go on treating Simon with kid gloves. If I never ask him for anything, he'll think he doesn't have anything to give.

And

When I told that to my therapist, she said that I needed to talk it out of me and she'd help me find ways to work through it all. She said I needed to talk it out with Baz, too, so that he'd know how to help me when things got bad again—that was something else she said, that things would get bad again, and that I'd need to be prepared for that. That I couldn't expect things to be easy, and just go away.

6. BONUS! I think the biggest way I include bits of myself is in the AUs I’ve chosen to write. I have three I’m planning that say a lot about me, so I’m going to talk a bit about them here. There is ofc my Scooby Doo AU, inspired in large part by the fact that I watched it all the time growing up and also, my sister continues to be obsessed with it. When we were young, my parents were doing a lot of work on their house and we’d take family trips to the hardware store. My sister and I hated it, so we’d wait in the car with my mom and she would entertain us with “Scooby Doo stories”. Other AUs I’m planning? Troop Beverly Hills—please tell me someone else out there loved this movie the way I did when I was 5. It was very influential to baby me and I remember wishing for nothing more than being able to dress like Shelley Long. So, I’m going to let Baz do it, because I think he deserves it. 🥰 Lastly, tho it will probably be the first I write, is my Cupid and Psyche AU, from when I was heavy into mythology and religion. Since these are all forthcoming projects, I don’t really have a snippet. Instead, here’s Baz comparing Simon to Eros, which is what started my brain on that particular AU.

I am lost. I barely know anything about Salisbury, but I can't help being drawn in. At one time, I could have comforted myself that I was only so smitten with him because he looks like he was sculpted by Praxiteles. That excuse grows weaker with every encounter. He's the furthest thing from a lifeless tribute to beauty in marble as one can be. There is something deep and dark and feral inside of him and I want to claw it out. I want to see it, to let it free. To taste his wildness and his pain.

#tag game #writerly ephemera

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boredout305 · 3 years

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Kid Congo Powers Interview

Kid Congo Powers was a founding member of the Gun Club. He also played with The Cramps and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Powers currently fronts Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds and recently completed a memoir, Some New Kind of Kick.

The following interview focuses on Some New Kind of Kick. In the book Powers recounts growing up in La Puente—a working-class, largely Latino city in Los Angeles County—in the 1960s, as well as his familial, professional and personal relationships. He describes the LA glam-rock scene (Powers was a frequenter of Rodney Bingenheimer’s English Disco), the interim period between glam and punk embodied by the Capitol Records swap meet, as well as LA’s first-wave, late-1970s punk scene.

Well written, edited and awash with amazing photos, Some New Kind of Kick will appeal to fans of underground music as well as those interested in 1960-1980s Los Angeles (think Claude Bessy and Mike Davis). The book will be available from In the Red Records, their first venture into book publishing, soon.

Interview by Ryan Leach

Kid Congo with the Pink Monkey Birds.

Ryan: Some New Kind of Kick reminded me of the New York Night Train oral histories you had compiled about 15 years ago. Was that the genesis of your book?

Kid: That was the genesis. You pinpointed it. Those pieces were done with Jonathan Toubin. It was a very early podcast. Jonathan wanted to do an audio version of my story for his website, New York Night Train. We did that back in the early 2000s. After we had completed those I left New York and moved to Washington D.C. I thought, “I have the outline for a book here.” Jonathan had created a discography and a timeline. I figured, “It’ll be great and really easy. We’ll just fill in some of the blanks and it’ll be done.” Here we are 15 years later.

Ryan: It was well worth it. It reads well. And I love the photographs. The photo of you as a kid with Frankenstein is amazing.

Kid: I’m glad you liked it. You’re the first person not involved in it that I’ve spoken with.

Ryan: As someone from Los Angeles I enjoyed reading about your father’s life and work as a union welder in the 1960s. My grandfather was a union truck driver and my father is a cabinetmaker. My dad’s cousins worked at the General Motors Van Nuys Assembly plant. In a way you captured an old industrial blue-collar working class that’s nowhere near as robust as it once was in Los Angeles. It reminded of Mike Davis’ writings on the subject.

Kid: I haven’t lived in LA for so long that I didn’t realize it doesn’t exist anymore. I felt the times. It was a reflection on my experiences and my family’s experiences. It was very working class. My dad was proud to be a union member. It served him very well. He and my mother were set up for the rest of their lives. I grew up with a sense that he earned an honest living. My parents always told me not to be embarrassed by what you did for work. People would ask me, “What’s your book about? What’s the thrust of it?” As I was writing it, I was like, “I don’t know. I’ll find out when it’s done.” What you mentioned was an aspect of that.

When I started the book and all throughout the writing I had gone to different writers’ workshops. We’d review each other’s work. It was a bunch of people who didn’t know me, didn’t know about music—at least the music I make. I just wanted to see if there was a story there. People were relating to what I was writing, which gave me the confidence to keep going.

Ryan: Some New Kind of Kick is different from Jeffrey Lee Pierce’s autobiography, Go Tell the Mountain. Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but think of Pierce’s work as I read yours. Was Go Tell the Mountain on your mind as you were writing?

Kid: When I was writing about Jeffrey—it was my version of the story. It was about my relationship with him. I wasn’t thinking about his autobiography much at all. His autobiography is very different than mine. Nevertheless, there are some similarities. But his book flew off into flights of prose and fantasy. I tried to stay away from the stories that were already out there. The thing that’s interesting about Jeffrey is that everyone has a completely different story to tell about him. Everyone’s relationship with him was different.

Ryan: It’s a spectrum that’s completely filled in.

Kid: Exactly. One of the most significant relationships I’ve had in my life was with Jeffrey. Meeting him changed my life. It was an enduring relationship. It was important for me to tell my story of Jeffrey.

Ryan: The early part of your book covers growing up in La Puente and having older sisters who caught the El Monte Legion Stadium scene—groups like Thee Midniters. You told me years ago that you and Jeffrey were thinking about those days during the writing and recording of Mother Juno (1987).

Kid: That’s definitely true. Growing up in that area is another thing Jeffrey and I bonded over. We were music hounds at a young age. We talked a lot about La Puente, El Monte and San Gabriel Valley’s culture. We were able to pinpoint sounds we heard growing up there—music playing out of cars and oldies mixed in with Jimi Hendrix and Santana. That was the sound of San Gabriel Valley. It wasn’t all lowrider music. We were drawn to that mix of things. I remember “Yellow Eyes” off Mother Juno was our tribute to the San Gabriel Valley sound.

Ryan: You describe the Capitol Records Swap Meet in Some New Kind of Kick. In the pre-punk/Back Door Man days that was an important meet-up spot whose significance remains underappreciated.

Kid: The Capitol Records Swap Meet was a once-a-month event and hangout. It was a congregation of record collectors and music fans. You’d see the same people there over and over again. It was a community. Somehow everyone who was a diehard music fan knew about it. You could find bootlegs there. It went from glam to more of a Back Door Man-influenced vibe which was the harder-edged Detroit stuff—The Stooges and the MC5. You went there looking for oddities and rare records. I was barely a record collector back then. It’s where I discovered a lot of music. You had to be a pretty dedicated music fan to get up at 6 AM to go there, especially if you were a teenager.

Ryan: I enjoyed reading about your experiences as a young gay man in the 1970s. You’d frequent Rodney’s English Disco; I didn’t know you were so close to The Screamers. While not downplaying the prejudices gay men faced in the 1970s, it seemed fortuitous that these places and people existed for you in that post-Stonewall period.

Kid: Yeah. I was obviously drawn to The Screamers for a variety of reasons. It was a funny time. People didn’t really discuss being gay. People knew we were gay. I knew you were gay; you knew I was gay. But the fact that we never openly discussed it was very strange. Part of that was protection. It also had to do with the punk ethos of labels being taboo. I don’t think that The Screamers were very politicized back then and neither was I. We were just going wild. I was super young and still discovering things. I had that glam-rock door to go through. It was much more of a fantasy world than anything based in reality. But it allowed queerness. It struck a chord with me and it was a tribe. However, I did discover later on that glam rock was more of a pose than a sexual revolution.

With some people in the punk scene like The Screamers and Gorilla Rose—they came from a background in drag and cabaret. I didn’t even know that when I met them. I found it out later on. They were already very experienced. They had an amazing camp aesthetic. I learned a lot about films and music through them. They were so advanced. It was all very serendipitous. I think my whole life has been serendipitous, floating from one thing to another.

Ryan: You were in West Berlin when the Berlin Wall was breached in November 1989. “Here’s another historical event. I’m sure Kid Congo is on the scene.”

Kid: I know! The FBI must have a dossier on me. I was in New York on 9/11 too.

Ryan: A person who appears frequently in your book is your cousin Theresa who was tragically murdered. I take it her death remains a cold case.

Kid: Cold case. Her death changed my entire life. It was all very innocent before she died. That stopped everything. It was a real source of trauma. All progress up until that point went on hold until I got jolted out of it. I eventually decided to experience everything I could because life is short. That trauma fueled a lot of bad things, a lot of self-destructive impulses. It was my main demon that chased me throughout my early adult life. It was good to write about it. It’s still there and that’s probably because her murder remains unsolved. I have no resolution with it. I was hoping the book would give me some closure. We’ll see if it does.

Ryan: Theresa was an important person in your life that you wanted people to know about. You champion her.

Kid: I wanted to pay tribute to her. She changed my life. I had her confidence. I was at a crossroads at that point in my life, dealing with my sexuality. I wanted people to know about Theresa beyond my family. My editor Chris Campion really pulled that one out of me. It was a story that I told, but he said, “There’s so much more to this.” I replied, “No! Don’t make me do it.” I had a lot of stories, but it was great having Chris there to pull them together to create one big story. My original concept for the book was a coming-of-age story. Although it still is, I was originally going to stop before I even joined the Gun Club (in 1979). It was probably because I didn’t want to look at some of the things that happened afterwards. It was very good for my music. Every time I got uncomfortable, I’d go, “Oh, I’ve got to make a record and go on tour for a year and not think about this.” A lot of it was too scary to even think about. But the more I did it, the less scary it became and the more a story emerged. I had a very different book in mind than the one I completed. I’m glad I was pushed in that direction and that I was willing to be pushed. I wanted to tell these stories, but it was difficult.

Ryan: Of course, there are lighter parts in your book. There are wonderful, infamous characters like Bradly Field who make appearances.

Kid: Bradly Field was also a queer punker. He was the partner of Kristian Hoffman of The Mumps. I met Kristian in Los Angeles. We all knew Lance Loud of The Mumps because he had starred in An American Life (1973) which was the first reality TV show. It aired on PBS. I was a fan of The Mumps. Bradly came out to LA with Kristian for an elongated stay during a Mumps recording session. Of course, Bradly and I hit it off when we met. Bradly was a drummer—he played a single drum and a cracked symbol—in Teenage Jesus and the Jerks. Bradly was a real character. He was kind of a Peter Lorre, misanthropic miscreant. Bradly was charming while abrasively horrible at the same time. We were friends and I always remained on Bradly’s good side so there was never a problem.

Bradly had invited me and some punkers to New York. He said that if we ever made it out there that we could stay with him. He probably had no idea we’d show up a month later. Bradly Field was an important person for me to know—an unashamedly gay, crazy person. He was a madman. I had very little interest in living a typical life. That includes a typical gay life. Bradly was just a great gay artist I met in New York when I was super young. He was also the tour manager of The Cramps at one point. You can imagine what that was like. Out of Lux and Ivy’s perverse nature they unleashed him on people.

Ryan: He was the right guy to have in your corner if the club didn’t pay you.

Kid: Exactly. Who was going to say “no” to Bradly?

Ryan: You mention an early Gun Club track called “Body and Soul” that I’m unfamiliar with. I know you have a rehearsal tape of the original Creeping Ritual/Gun Club lineup (Kid Congo Powers, Don Snowden, Brad Dunning and Jeffrey Lee Pierce). Are any of these unreleased tracks on that tape?

Kid: No. Although I do have tapes, there’s no Creeping Ritual material on them. I spoke with Brad (Dunning) and he has tapes too. We both agreed that they’re unlistenable. They’re so terrible. Nevertheless, I’m going to have them digitized and I’ll take another listen to them. “Body and Soul” is an early Creeping Ritual song. At the time we thought, “Oh, this sounds like a Mink DeVille song.” At least in our minds it did. To the best of my ability I did record an approximation of “Body and Soul” on the Congo Norvell record Abnormals Anonymous (1997). I sort of reimagined it. That song was the beginning of things for me with Jeffrey. It wasn’t a clear path when we started The Gun Club. We didn’t say, “Oh, we’re going to be a blues-mixed-with-punk band.” It was a lot of toying around. It had to do with finding a style. Jeffrey had a lot of ideas. We also had musical limitations to consider. We were trying to turn it into something cohesive. There was a lot of reggae influence at the beginning. Jeffrey was a visionary who wanted to make the Gun Club work. Of course, to us he was a really advanced musician. We thought (bassist) Don Snowden was the greatest too. What’s funny is that I saw Don in Valencia, Spain, where he lives now. He came to one of our (Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds) shows a few years ago. He said, “Oh, I didn’t know how to play!”

Ryan: “I knew scales.”

Kid: Exactly. It was all perception. But we were ambitious and tenacious. We were certain we could make something really good out of what we had. That was it. We knew we had good taste in music. That was enough for us to continue on.

Ryan: I knew about The Cramps’ struggles with IRS Records and Miles Copeland. However, it took on a new meaning reading your book. Joining The Cramps started with a real high for you, recording Psychedelic Jungle (1981), and then stagnation occurred due to contractual conflicts.

Kid: There was excitement, success and activity for about a year or two. And then absolutely nothing. As I discuss in my book—and you can ask anyone who was in The Cramps—communication was not a big priority for Lux and Ivy. I was left to my own devices for a while. We were building, building, building and then it stopped. I wasn’t privy to what was going on. I knew they were depressed about it. The mood shifted. It was great recording Psychedelic Jungle and touring the world. The crowds were great everywhere we went. It was at that point that I started getting heavy into drugs. The time off left me with a lot of time to get into trouble. It was my first taste of any kind of success or notoriety. I’m not embarrassed to say that I fell into that trip: “Oh, you know who I am and I have all these musician friends now.” It was the gilded ‘80s. Things were quite decadent then. There was a lot of hard drug use. It wasn’t highly frowned upon to abuse those types of drugs in our circle. What was the reputation of The Gun Club? The drunkest, drug-addled band around. So there was a lot of support to go in that direction. Who knew it was going to go so downhill? We weren’t paying attention to consequences. Consequences be damned. So the drugs sapped a lot of energy out of it too.

I recorded the one studio album (Psychedelic Jungle) with The Cramps and a live album (Smell of Female). The live record was good and fun, but it was a means to an end. It was recorded to get out of a contract. The Cramps were always going to do it their way. Lux and Ivy weren’t going to follow anyone’s rules. I don’t know why people expected them to. To this day, I wonder why people want more. I mean, they gave you everything. People ask me, “When is Ivy going to play again?” I tell them, “She’s done enough. She paid her dues. The music was great.”

Ryan: I think after 30-something years of touring, she’s earned her union card.

Kid: Exactly. She’s done her union work.

Ryan: In your book you discuss West Berlin in the late 1980s. That was a strange period of extreme highs and lows. During that time you were playing with the Bad Seeds, working with people like Wim Wenders (in Wings of Desire) and witnessed the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the GDR. Nevertheless, it was a very dark period marred by substance abuse. Luckily, you came out of it unscathed. As you recount, some people didn’t.

Kid: It was a period of extremes. In my mind, for years, I rewrote that scene. I would say, “Berlin was great”—and it was, that part was true—and then I’d read interviews with Nick Cave and Mick Harvey and they’d say, “Oh, the Tender Prey (1988) period was just the worst. It’s hard to even talk about it.” And I was like, “It was great! What are you talking about?” Then when I started writing about it, I was like, “Oh, fuck! It really wasn’t the best time.” I had been so focused on the good things and not the bad things. Prior to writing my book, I really hadn’t thought about how incredibly dark it was. That was a good thing for me to work out. Some very bad things happened to people around me. But while that was happening, it was a real peak for me as a musician. Some of the greatest work I was involved with was being done then. And yet I still chose to self-destruct. It was a case of right place, right time. But it was not necessarily what I thought it was.

Ryan: Digressing back a bit, when we would chat years back I would ask you where you were at with this project. You seemed to be warming up to it as time went on. And I finally found a copy of the group’s album in Sydney, Australia, a year ago. I’m talking about Fur Bible (1985).

Kid: Oh, you got it?

Ryan: I did.

Kid: In Australia?

Ryan: Yes. It was part of my carry-on luggage.

Kid: I’m sure I can pinpoint the person who sold it to you.

Ryan: Are you coming around to that material now? I like the record.

Kid: Oh, yeah. I hated it for so long. People would say to me, “Oh, the Fur Bible record is great.” I’d respond, “No. It can’t possibly be great. I’m not going to listen to it again, so don’t even try me.” Eventually, I did listen to it and I thought, “Oh, this is pretty good.” I came around to it. I like it.

Ryan: You’ve made the transition!

Kid: I feel warmly about it. I like all of the people involved with it. That was kind of a bad time too. It was that post-Gun Club period. I felt like I had tried something unsuccessful with Fur Bible. I had a little bit of shame about that. Everything else I had been involved with had been successful, in my eyes. People liked everything else and people didn’t really like Fur Bible. It was a sleeper.

Ryan: It is.

Kid: There’s nothing wrong with it. It was the first time I had put my voice on a record and it just irritated the hell out of me. It was a first step for me.

Ryan: You close your book with a heartfelt tribute to Jeffrey Lee Pierce. You wonder how your life would’ve turned out had you not met Jeffrey outside of that Pere Ubu show in 1979. Excluding family, I don’t know if I’ve ever met anyone who’s had that sort of impact on my life.

Kid: As I was getting near the end of the book I was trying to figure out what it was about. A lot of it was about Jeffrey. Everything that moved me into becoming a musician and the life I lived after that was because of him. It was all because he said, “Here’s a guitar. You’re going to learn how to play it.” He had that confidence that I could do it. It was a mentorship. He would say, “You’re going to do this and you’re going to be great at it.” I was like, “Okay.” Jeffrey was the closest thing I had to a brother. We could have our arguments and disagreements, but in the end it didn’t matter. What mattered was our bond. Writing it down made it all clearer to me. His death sent me into a tailspin. I was entering the unknown. Jeffrey was like a cord that I had been hanging onto for so long and it was gone. I was more interested in writing about my relationship with him than about the music of the Gun Club. A lot of people loved Jeffrey. But there were others who said they loved him with disclaimers. I wanted to write something about Jeffrey without the disclaimers. That seemed like an important task—to honor him in a truthful manner.

Ryan: I’m glad that you did that. Jeffrey has his detractors, but they all seem to say something along the lines of “the guy still had the most indefatigable spirit and drive of any person I’ve ever known.”

Kid: That’s what drove everyone crazy!

Ryan: This book took you 15 years to finish. Completing it has to feel cathartic.

Kid: I don’t know. Maybe it will when I see the printed book. When I was living in New York there was no time for reflection. I started it after I left New York, but it was at such a slow pace. It was done piecemeal. I wanted to give up at times. I had a lot of self-doubt. And like I said, I’d just go on tour for a year and take a long break. The pandemic made me finally put it to bed. I couldn’t jump up and go away on tour anymore. It feels great to have it done. When I read it through after the final edit I was actually shocked. I was moved by it. It was a feeling of accomplishment. It’s a different feeling than what you get with music. Looking at it as one story has been an eye-opener for me. I thought to myself, “How did I do all of that?”

I see the book as the story of a music fan. I think most musicians start out as fans. Why would you do it otherwise? I never stopped being a fan. All of the opportunities that came my way were because I was a fan.

#kidcongopowers #interviews #gunclub #jeffreyleepierce #cramps #Badseeds

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