#victor holloway

[sinnaea]

Welcome to my cozy place

The name Sinnaea is a pseudonym that I like to use for all my written work. Writing is something I do for fun and it's comforting. I actually have quite the following outside of this name. I'm a YouTuber of 10+ years and a Twitch streamer of 3+ years. As you can imagine, it can be overwhelming. So, I come here to feel safe and write about the fandoms and characters I enjoy. And I welcome like-minded people to my cozy place. I don't currently take requests, but feel free to ask me anything and I'll provide a brief.

Fandoms & characters I write about: Resident Evil Albert Wesker, Jill Valentine, Rebecca Chambers, Billy Coen, Alcina Dimitrescu, the Dimitrescu daughters, Lord Heisenberg, Donna Beneviento. Lust From Beyond Victor Holloway, Amanda Moon, Mabel, Rhea.

I also have a couple of OCs that will be in both fandoms. More will definitely be added to the list, but this is what I have so far. Most of my current works are rated Mature or higher. Although the more explicit bits won't be shared here, I will always link the full work with each post. I also like to do audio recordings for previous works and teasers for upcoming chapters. So, you can expect a few of those here.

Links below if you'd like to take a peek. And, as always, thank you for reading 💜

AO3 Works Twitter

#fanfic #writers #ao3 writer #ao3 fanfic #archive of our own #resident evil #albert wesker #rebecca chambers #jill valentine #billy coen #alcina dimitrescu #lord heisenberg #donna beneviento #lust from beyond #about my writing #about myself #victor holloway #amanda moon #mabel

[0aurelion-sol0]

They're all copying my boy and y'all don't want to admit it...

#will byers #william byers #william jacob byers #will the wise #will byers has powers #jonathan byers #jim hopper #james hopper #billy hargrove #max mayfield #maxine mayfield #william hargrove #stranger things #joyce byers #heather holloway #victor creel #the creel family #lonnie byers #vecna #vecna's curse #the mindflayer #the mind flayer #the shadow monster #the upside down #the demogorgon #el hopper #el byers #jane hopper #jane byers #hawkins indiana

[whats-in-a-sentence]

Victor acted with Brighton Repertory Company and joined the cricket club as 'Captain Barker', but he left Elfreda in 1926. He joined the National Fascisti movement, and lived at its headquarters in London, training recruits and boasting of his past: street-fighting with 'reds'. He named himself as 'Colonel' in 1928, opening a café with his new partner, an actress.

When the café went bankrupt he was prosecuted for fraud and this led to his discovery as a woman in Brixton Prison. He was convicted of perjury – false information on the marriage certificate – and sentenced to nine months in the women's prison at Holloway. After his release, he lived as a manservant and was later prosecuted for theft.

"Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History" - Philippa Gregory

#book quotes #normal women #philippa gregory #nonfiction #lillias barker #victor barker #brighton theatre company #brighton repertory company #acting #cricket team #20s #1920s #20th century #national fascisti movement #london #training #recruits #boasting #street fighting #cafe #actress #bankrupt #fraud #brixton prison #perjury #holloway #manservant #career change #theft

[allisluv]

COMING CLEAN

Chapter Three — knock on effect

word count: 5.3k

finnick odair x fem!oc

content warnings: finnick odair (yes he’s a warning in himself) flirting, dissociation, finnick likes his women a little mean, stylists freaking out, dahlia doesn’t like physical touch. lmk if there’s anything i missed!

previous chapter — next chapter

Dahlia had always been a light sleeper, which was why it came as no surprise that she stirred when her prep team burst their way into her hotel room the next morning.

She yanked the covers over her head and gripped the linen duvet, trying to block out the sunlight for as long as possible.

Bloom's unintelligible screeching, on the other hand, was harder to ignore.

With sleep still settled deep in her bones, she pushed herself onto her elbows and covered her eyes with her hands. Even through the drawn curtains, it was bright enough to make her head pound (but she suspected that had more to do with the glasses of white wine she had necked after her meeting with Finnick last night)

"Dahlia! Are you listening to me?" Bloom shrieked, throwing her arms helplessly in the air. "Is she even listening to me?" she hissed, spinning the question around to Malaki as if he could somehow crack open Dahlia's skull and peer in at her thoughts

Unfortunately, he wasn't a mind reader, which left him with the job of consoling her hysterics.

He took quick strides towards the stylist and put an abrupt end to her pacing by grabbing hold of her shoulders. "Relax, Bloom, the world isn't ending," he soothed. "Just sit down and have a gin."

He ushered her towards a leather armchair by the windowsill and grabbed a bottle of pink gin from the mini-fridge.

The clock had barely struck noon but no one seemed inclined to lecture Bloom for her drinking habits. Plus, she was a pretty nice drunk, so it wasn't as if she would push anyone off the balcony or anything.

Dahlia hugged her knees to her chest and scrunched up her eyes, trying to adjust to the lighting change. She didn't know what was sending her stylist into an alcohol-induced frenzy this early in the morning and quite frankly, she didn't plan on asking.

She had fallen prey to that old trick during the early days of her victory tour and, as a result, been forced to suffer through an hour spiel on why the district one stylist was a quote-on-quote "spineless hag who wouldn't know fashion if it slapped her in the face."

She mentally cursed herself for inheriting her mom's nosiness. "Are you gonna tell me what's got you this worked up or do I have to guess?" If she kept caving every time Bloom had something to complain about (which was more often than not ten times a day), she would never catch a break or learn her lesson.

Bloom huffed out something between a scoff and a sigh, pulling an old-fashioned newspaper from her knock-off handbag and chucking it across the room.

It nearly hit Dahlia in the head, which was probably what she was aiming for in the first place.

Malaki sprawled out on the double bed, the mattress dipping at the sudden shift in weight. He dug the pads of his fingers into his eyes.

Reluctantly, she picked the newspaper up from the foot of the bed and Bloom returned to nursing the bottle of gin. She flipped the newspaper around in her hands until the front page stared back at her.

A headline printed in bold letters. Two pictures; one of her heading back to her hotel room last night and one of Finnick doing the same.

"HEARTTHROBS OR HEARTACHE?

"Dahlia Holloway and Finnick O'Dair— both are known for their string of lovers in the Capitol, but things might just be heating up."

"According to an anonymous source, our darlings were seen getting up close and personal at last night's gala. We've been told that the victors were seen in a compromised position yesterday evening yet the details remain to be confirmed."

"Could it be possible that our golden boy and angel could be ready to settle down? Or is this another of their flings destined to end in heartache?"

Kissing Finnick at a Capitol party was bound to stir up rumours— that was the whole point! She and Finnick understood what they were getting themselves into. They had to throw Snow off their trail.

Still, it didnt make it any less humiliating.

"Well?" Bloom threw her hands in the air, clutching the gin bottle between her hot pink nails as the tips of her ears burned red. "Do you have anything to say for yourself, young lady?"

Dahlia blinked down at the newspaper in her lap, stifling down a laugh that threatened to bubble out of her chest.

The situation was far from funny but it was hard to keep a straight face. Bloom was akin to a baby deer and she simply wasn't cut out for acting like the big bad wolf.

"We left you alone for an hour!" she took another swig of gin and wiped the dregs from around her mouth. "An hour!" she cried out, jabbing the bottle in her direction.

Malaki sat up wearily and took the newspaper from Dahlia's hands. If given the chance, she'd launch it at the woman. He had spent years getting to know her, which was enough time to pick up signs of when she was getting stressed.

She was like a violent dog, for lack of a better term. When she felt threatened, she lashed out. It was a go-to, a reflex, an impulse. If she felt cornered, like she had nowhere to run, she snapped.

He wondered if it was a safety thing— push people away before they could leave. He had never endured the horrors of the games, though, so he didn't think he had the right to say whether that was where it stemmed from or not.

"Look, why don't we all take a breather and calm down," he reasoned, trying to keep two tempers in check at once.

Bloom leaned forward in the armchair, eyes almost popping out of their sockets. "Calm down? Calm down?" she hissed, slamming the gin bottle onto the table.

"What do you think will happen when people start asking questions, Malaki? What's he gonna do to us when he realises that people don't buy another star-crossed lovers tale?" she seethed, gesturing wildly at the front cover of the newspaper. "If any of us put so much as a toe out of line, we're all dead and buried."

She hadn't thought her heart could sink any further yet time and time again, she was proven wrong. Dread was wrapping its way around her lungs and squeezing tight.

It would have been easier if Snow had found out the truth and hung them for treason. At least then they wouldn't have been dragging anyone else down with them.

"I spoke to President Snow this morning," Malaki kept his voice steady, doing a far better job than his counterpart at maintaining his composure.

"He wants us to play into it, doesn't he?" There was an unevenness in her tone and she wished it would go away.

A pair of frantic blue eyes bore into his soul, and it was almost as if she was trying to predict what was going to come out of his mouth next.

"He thinks this might be a good thing," he explained gently, running a hand through his dark hair. "He thinks some good news may be a valuable thing for people to have in such a stressful time."

She could read between the lines without missing a beat; Snow was doing this purely for his own gain.

Having two of his most influential victors standing by his side would not only serve as a distraction but also shine a positive light on the victors as a whole community.

If the districts saw her and Finnick, who were referred to as Capitol sweethearts, together, it would be a perfect piece of propaganda. What better way to extinguish the spark of a rebellion than to showcase their loving relationship to the whole of Panem?

Presenting the districts with another star-crossed lovers tale would work in the president's favour if he could control these two. And he could— they still had people they cared about.

Perhaps the rebellious Girl on Fire and the charming Baker's Boy would be forgotten. Maybe Finnick and Dahlia could show how grateful they were for all the opportunities that winning the games had given them.

He wanted them to stomp out the rebel's spirit before it had a chance to spread any further.

Talk about killing two birds with one stone.

"Fine. We'll sneak around, pull each other into hotel rooms, whatever he wants us to do. Finnick and I are far better actors than Peeta and Katniss, anyway," she nodded earnestly, trying to convince herself that they could pull this off.

"I spoke with district four's escort this morning and she agreed that we need to be on the same page. We can't afford any mistakes, darling," he murmured, trying to explain the severity of the situation without sending her into another episode.

He vividly remembered the knock-on effect after her games. She was in and out of catatonic states for months and when she did come to, a trigger, no matter how small, sent her into full-blown hysterics.

Despite frequent episodes in which she couldn't tell what was real, it hadn't gotten that bad in months.

The last thing anyone needed was Dahlia spiralling, so if he could somehow shoulder part of that burden, he would do it in a heartbeat.

"You and Finnick have a date tonight," he saw the flash of panic on her face and quickly backtracked.

"All the details are sorted, it's okay. You'll be going to a quiet restaurant. All you have to do is show up. The paparazzi have been given an anonymous tip-off and they'll snap a few shots of you both coming back to the hotel. You can go to your separate rooms, for tonight at least."

Dahlia opened her mouth to protest but a choked sound escaped instead. She wondered if this was how avoxes felt; strangled and suffocated, paralyzed, as if someone had cut open their windpipe and left them to choke on their blood.

"How long do we have to keep this up for?" Her voice cracked and she willed herself to pull it together. "Because I can tell you this much for free, I am not being glued to Finnick O'Dair's hip for the rest of my life," she retorted, digging her blunt nails into the skin at the back of her neck.

Maybe she was being impetuous, but she had never been one to mince her words. Besides, she didn't think Finnick would be thrilled with his life being turned upside down, either.

Bloom hiccuped and managed to pull herself away from the gin bottle long enough to supply her with an answer. "Unfortunately, you love birds are stuck feeding the vultures until the next big thing comes along, darling."

As if someone had flipped a switch, she guzzled the dregs at the bottom of the bottle and tossed it to the side, kicking into autopilot mode.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, she pulled up the thin spaghetti straps of her top. "I know this is a lot but what's done is done. Dwelling on it isn't going to do us any good, is it?" she pulled a sketchbook from her bag and wobbled onto her high heels.

The gin had taken the edge off her anger and seeing how shaken up Dahlia was was enough to make the rest ebb off naturally. "Everything's going to be fine, darling. You could've done worse—he's a looker," she shrugged halfheartedly in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Don't fret, darling. You've got the best stylist in the business. If Finnick isn't in love with you now, he will be by the time I'm finished with you."

˚＊✿❀༓❀✿＊˚

Nausea rolled over Dahlia in waves as she fiddled with the hem of her dress in the backseat of a taxi. The motion wasn't helping but Malaki had assured her that they were nearly there.

Bloom had spent forty minutes whipping up an outfit this morning and it had only confirmed Dahlia's theory that she had left the womb with a sewing kit.

It was well into the early hours of the evening before she was declared camera-ready and ushered into a private car.

After five failed attempts to keep the conversation alive, Malaki had taken the hint and allowed them to lapse into silence.

The taxi was unventilated and cracking open a window wasn't an option; they were blacked out for a reason, to stop the paparazzi tracking her every move.

She wondered if Snow had given up on the game plan and had simply resorted to suffocating her. Not likely. He would want to watch the life drain from her eyes, she reckoned.

As the car rolled to a stop in front of a restaurant, she started to really consider the fact that she might be sick. Malaki opened her door and the gust of wind fanned the side of her face.

"I don't think I can do this," she declared, clutching the fabric of her dress between her fingers. Real.

He leaned against the car door, not bothered about his jacket getting wet in the rain. "Yes, you can. I know you can because you've faced ten times worse than a date with Finnick, " he retorted. "Come on, I'll walk you in."

Dahlia closed her eyes, trying to trick herself into thinking that she was safe, even if that was far from the truth.

This wasn't about her. This was about June and Wyatt, Ivy and River, Malaki and Bloom, all the people she had dragged into this mess.

Wobbling unsteadily onto her feet, she repeated the list of names in her head like a mantra, a reminder that too many people's lives hung in the balance for her to screw this up.

She let Malaki lead the way into the restaurant and deal with the hostess while she tried to soak in the atmosphere and keep herself from drifting into the hazy other world. From the looks of things, it was pretty vacant.

It must be one of the places that Snow sent his favourable friends to. Toned-down colours and classy booths offered a bit of privacy from the rest of the diners. On the bright side, she didnt have to worry about hidden devices watching or listening. This was definitely a place that specialized in under-the-table deals —— no matter how stupid Snow was, he wouldn't risk secrets getting spilt to the public.

Once the last-minute details were finalized, Malaki pulled her to the side for a quick word. "I have to go. Just remember to breathe, it's going to be fine," he tried his best to instil some confidence in her but the truth is that it would have been easier to jump off a height and expect to grow wings.

She tried to tell him how sorry she was for getting him involved in this but the roof of her mouth had been superglued shut. She settled for a smile, hoping he wouldn't see through her. By the time she found her voice, he was almost out the door. "Thanks," she croaked, running her fingers through the ends of her hair.

He grinned reassuringly before stepping outside and being swallowed up by the fog.

"I can show you to your table if you're ready."

Dahlia nodded politely at the hostess, following her into the back of the restaurant where the lights began to dim, only to be replaced with candlesticks.

The walls were coated with ruby red paint and specks of gold were decorated around the outskirts of the booths. The place was practically empty apart from the occasional straggling couples picking away at dishes or gulping down glasses of wine. Everybody thankfully seemed to be too absorbed in their own conversations to pay attention to anything else.

Finnick quickly jumped to his feet as the two women approached the booth in the far corner of the restaurant. "Hi," he kissed Dahlia's cheek and gestured for her to sit down.

She gnawed on her bottom lip, wary of tearing a hole through the skin and having to endure a lecture from her stylist. She slid into the opposite side of the booth and folded her hands neatly in her lap, trying not to let herself slip away.

"Can I get you anything to drink? Some cocktails perhaps?"

"I'll have a pina colada and whatever the lady would like," he grinned lopsidedly, switching on the charm like a faucet.

It took an unbelievable amount of restraint not to kick him under the table. He hadn't done anything but being in his presence was more than enough to piss her off. In less than a day, he had managed to get under her skin like a fucking splinter. There was no way she was getting through tonight without something alcoholic. "Strawberry daiquiri please."

Once the hostess was out of earshot, Finnick wasted no time in voicing his amusement. "You realize we're meant to be head over heels in love, right? Glaring daggers at me isn't helping our case, honey."

Admitting that he was right was a tough pill to swallow and it left a sour taste in her mouth. "I never took you for a cocktail drinker," she easily redirected his attention elsewhere. Finnick raised a challenging brow, silently telling her to go on.

"Well, on first impressions, I had you down as a whiskey or margarita kinda guy — drinks with that bitter, kinda sharp taste, you know?"

The words were tumbling from her lips and she wished he would just reach across the table and slap a hand over her mouth before she made a fool of herself.

"I mean, it kinda makes sense, I guess. District four is mostly ocean, so it's understandable that people would want something sweet and light rather than something heavy.”

As she ran out of things to say, she made a mental note to spend more time with Ivy. It was obvious that Juniper's rambling was starting to rub off on her. If a sinkhole suddenly opened up beneath her feet, she would welcome it with open arms.

Finnick toyed with the collar of his black button-up and pretended not to notice the rosy blush dusting across her cheeks. "I can't stand that tangy taste of whiskey. Makes me feel sick. 'S why I prefer sweeter drinks."

Dahlia pulled her gaze away from her blunt nails to look at him. She had been so sure he was going to laugh in her face. She scanned his features, trying to find a cruel glint in his eyes or a condescending smirk, but came up empty-handed.

He lifted his shoulder into a shrug and swallowed down a laugh. "Can't say I was surprised by your order, though. Daiquiri drinkers are headstrong, adventurous, bold," he paused and sucked his teeth. "As far as first impressions go, you tick all three boxes."

She bit down on her tongue and ducked her head, trying to stop herself from smiling. He still caught sight of the twitch at the corners of her mouth. "You look beautiful, by the way, honey." His smile was cheeky, almost boyish, and she couldn't help but notice how young he genuinely was.

Absentmindedly smoothing out the creases in her emerald green dress, she teasingly tilted her head to the side. Finnick rested his chin in his palm, eyes twinkling with mischief, which could hardly indicate anything positive.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Finnick," she mocked sweetly, subconsciously mirroring his body language.

Their drinks arrived moments later and once they placed their orders for food, the hostess left them in peace again.

She reached across the table for her cocktail, fingers just barely closing around the cold glass before her hands started trembling. The liquid sloshed about and she could see him watching her out of the corner of his eye.

He had a feeling that she didn't often depend on people and the last thing he wanted to do was overstep, but after watching her struggle with the glass for longer than necessary, he couldn't sit still.

He skillfully snatched it from her grasp, knowing damn well that she wouldn't have passed it over even if he had asked her to, and set it carefully in front of her.

She folded her arms over her chest and clenched her hands into fists to stop them from shaking. He bit back a remark on how she looked like a stroppy toddler— all she needed was the pout and nobody would be able to tell the difference.

"I didn't need your help, you know."

"'You're welcome," he scoffed at her stubbornness and sipped his pina colada through a straw. He supposed that was the closest he would get to a thank you. "So, tell me about yourself."

A laugh burst out of Dahlia's mouth before she had a chance to stop it. "You know, your pickup lines could do with some work," she snorted, twisting her mother's wedding ring around on her index finger. It eased her nerves knowing that a piece of her mom was with her.

"You wound me," he shook his head and clutched at his heart teasingly. "Seriously though, I have a feeling we're going to be quizzed about each other; at the very least we should know the basics," he pointed out. He was acting as if it was totally normal to fake being in a relationship with someone you first talked to less than twenty-four hours ago.

Admitting defeat twice in one night was bruising her ego but she would agree to disagree if it meant a quiet life. "Fine. What do you wanna know?" she asked, chipping away at her nail polish without realizing.

Finnick cleared his throat and clasped his hands behind his head as he thought. "Alright, I've got one. What are you made of?" he straightened up in his seat and she could practically see the excitement preventing him from sitting still. Anticipating her sarcastic response, he kept talking. "And don't say water or some other bull," he warned teasingly.

The waitress returned to the table with two steaming dishes before she had a chance to ask him what he meant.

She set down a bowl of pasta in front of Dahlia and slid a plate of salmon across to Finnick.

"Are you gonna tell me what you're made of or not?" she picked at her food once the waitress returned to the front of house. Hopefully the distraction would help her tremors subside. "Cause you'll have to go first —— I haven't got a clue what you're talking about," she admitted.

He chuckled under his breath and began sawing his knife through the fish as he thought. "It's basically a question that allows you to say what you are. Not what people say or think. Just you," he shrugged. "Like, I'm sunsets and footprints in the sand and... sea glass. I'm late-night swims and ginger cats. I'm Mags and knitted cardigans, lemonade and scribbled notes at one in the morning."

Dahlia smiled softly, mostly to herself than anyone else. It was sweet, she thought — the way he viewed himself. It seemed more accurate than the Capitol's persona of him, anyway.

"Alright. I'm.." she paused to think and her tongue darted out to wet her lips. "...hardback novels. I'm black coffee, knitting needles and complex female characters." He hummed in agreement. "I'm black boots and my mother's anger. I'm Alara," she smiled sadly and pushed through the ache in her chest. He didn't say anything. He knew it hurt. "I'm Juniper and I'm Ivy and I'm poetry."

She reached out with trembling hands and sipped her drink through a straw (which was a lot easier than holding the glass).

"Complex female characters. I like that," he broke off into a laugh and she buried her face in her hands, shoulders shuddering as she laughed. "What about your family?" he asked warily, approaching the topic with tact.

She nodded and offered a half-hearted shrug, dragging a piece of pasta through the sauce. "I have a sister and a brother. Ivy and River — well, and June. She isn't actually my sister but I count her as one, do you know what I mean?" she explained, covering her mouth with her hand as she chewed.

"Ivy's seventeen," she spooned pasta into her mouth between sentences. "She's the baby of the family. She keeps to herself a lot of the time but she's a good kid, you know? Moody and quiet but I don't think that's unusual for teenagers."

"River's the eldest. He works long hours harvesting, so between looking after the girls and visiting the Capitol, I don't see him all that much either," she brushed a few fly-away strands of hair behind her shoulders and hesitated before deciding that she didn't want to talk about her parents.

"What about you?" she asked, voice losing its usual bluntness. "Tell me about Mags."

Dahlia vaguely knew that Mags was a victor from district four, but she figured it would be easier for him to open up if she gave him a lifeline to latch onto. He had already brought up Mags, so she figured it was a safe topic, too.

She tucked her legs underneath her as he started to talk about his family.

"Mags was my mentor for the Hunger Games," he explained, taking a particularly large bite of salmon. "She's more like a mother," he ran his hands through his golden-blonde locks and tugged, something she had noticed he did when he was anxious or unable to sit still. A way of getting rid of nervous energy, she supposed.

"I don't think I remember a time when she wasn't there for me," he admitted. "She used to knit me a wardrobe of cardigans when I was younger — she still does," he rolled his eyes fondly. "I don't know where I'd be without her. She saved my life."

Dahlia ran the fabric of her dress between her thumb and forefinger. "She sounds like a lovely lady," she answered honestly, ignoring the way her heart ached for her own mother.

She had never been the best at small talk so she was grateful that Finnick knew how to keep a conversation flowing at a steady pace —— even his horrendous attempts at flirting were a lifesaver.

It helped the remainder of the evening go smoothly and before she knew it, they were out in the rain and throwing themselves into a taxi before it had fully stopped.

The chit-chat started to die out as exhaustion crept in and it was almost impossible not to fall asleep with the motion of the taxi speeding along the roads.

Dahlia focused on the sound of rain pattering against the tinted windows. She could feel her mind starting to slip as all the leftover sparks of energy fizzled out. Leaning her head against the side of the car, she feebly traced patterns into the condensation, drawing things to keep her tied to the real world.

Finnick watched her curiously out of the corner of his eye, head tilted to the side like a dog that didn't understand what was happening. He kept quiet as he tried to work out what was going on in her head. By the time they pulled up outside of the hotel, he was no closer to finding out.

The engine went flat and she finally looked up, peering through the window at the paparazzi spying on them through the overgrown bushes. In all seriousness, they might as well have been stood right outside of the car, because their attempts at hiding were pathetic.

"You ready?" Finnick asked gently, angling his head until she met his eye. She nodded and dug her nails into her palms to keep herself from slipping away. "I'm gonna hold your hand when we get out, alright? They're looking for a show," he said, failing to mask his distaste for the camera crews lying in wait.

Dahlia scrunched her toes in her heels and rolled her shoulders back, willing herself to at the very least appear confident, even if she didn't feel it. "Well, let's give them exactly what they're looking for," she smiled weakly and clambered out of the taxi, bunching the skirt of her dress into her hands and hoping the hem wouldn't get soaked.

Finnick shoved a wad of cash into the driver's hands before making his way to the opposite side of the taxi.

"Here," he pulled his jacket off, draping it over her shoulders. "Let's go."

Before she had time to second guess herself, she took his hand in her own, intertwining their fingers. His touch still burnt away at her nerve endings but it was easier to cope with when she was the one initiating contact.

"Thanks," she choked out. "For the jacket," she clarified. Their shoulders knocked together as they bustled towards the hotel across the street. It took every ounce of self-control she possessed not to squirm away from him.

"Don't worry, honey, the jacket was an added bonus — my company was the real prize," he smirked and she scrunched her nose and rolled her eyes.

Squeezing her hand as a pre-warning, he kissed her cheek as they stepped under the patio. They could hear the cameras clicking as they pushed into the hotel reception.

Security guards locked the doors when they were inside and once she was sure they were out of view, she quickly untangled their hands. He didn't take it personally.

"C'mon, I'll walk you to your room," he leant against the wall as they waited on the elevator. Panic flashed across her face and he felt his heart constrict as he realized the deeper meaning his words probably had. "Don't worry, that wasn't an invitation. Just don't want the paparazzi climbing up the drainpipes to see you," he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

She chuckled under her breath as the elevator arrived on the ground floor.

Once the elevator stopped, she kicked off her heels and looped the straps around her wrists. Bloom needed to find an alternative because breaking her ankles every night was not going to work.

She slid the jacket off her shoulders as her hotel room came into sight. She pulled her key from her purse and held the jacket out for him to take it. "Thanks again. I had fun tonight," she admitted, a small smile pulling at the corners of her lips.

"Me too," he grinned and it lit up his face. "Keep the jacket, I wouldn't want you getting withdrawal symptoms from me," he backed up down the hallway towards his room, his grin infectious. "Night!"

Dahlia tongued the inside of her cheek and shook her head fondly. "Goodnight."

#grace talks🐚🌷 #the hunger games #thg #headcanons #finnick odair #finnick odair x reader #thg x reader #finnick odair fluff #finnick odair x you #finnick odair x oc #finnick odair angst #finnick odair smut #coming clean #dahlia holloway

[st-rarepairbang]

Before I Bury You

Author: justyrae / @astorytotellyourfriends Artist: @starboygrove Beta readers: @romantiquesnouvelles and @cyraclove Characters: Andy, Argyle, Murray Bauman, Fred Benson, Robin Buckley, Jonathan Byers, Joyce Byers, Will Byers, Jason Carver, Henry Creel, Victor Creel, Chrissy Cunningham, Benny Hammond, Billy Hargrove, Steve Harrington, Dustin Henderson, Heather Holloway, Jane Hopper, Jim Hopper, Max Mayfield, Patrick McKinney, Eddie Munson, Erica Sinclair, Lucas Sinclair, Tammy Thompson, Vickie, Mike Wheeler, Nancy Wheeler Relationships: Chrissy Cunningham/Eddie Munson, Jason Carver/Chrissy Cunningham (minor), Joyce Byers/Jim Hopper (minor), Billy Hargrove/Heather Holloway (minor), Jonathan Byers/Nancy Wheeler (minor), Max Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair (minor), Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler (minor), Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington (implied) Rating: Explicit Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, No Vecna, Angst, Blood and Gore, Character Death, Flirting, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Sexual Content, Murder, Recreational Drug Use, Revenge, Survival Horror, Violence Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death Word count: 43,516

Summary:

When two counselors turn up dead at Camp Hawk and the camp leaders are forced to leave to get help from police, it’s up to the remaining counselors to try and keep both the campers and themselves alive.

Art Masterpost

#stranger things #stranger things rare pair big bang #strpbb: completed works #hellcheer #eddissy #chrissy cunningham #eddie munson

[forevertrueblue]

The Hatchetfield livestream was definitely better planned/paced than last week's retrospective one but I still think they could/should have ironed out a few more things in advance. Namely, how the winners were determined.

If the goal is to raise the most money possible (tbh I think they've left some money on the table multiple times with their various crowdfunding endeavors but that's another topic) they shouldn't be putting people in a position where they're telling others not to donate or even rescinding their own pledges (hopefully as just a temporary thing, but still). But that's what happened with the way they set up the Death Match "voting". So here's what I would have done:

Have them set up the scenario of the fight like they did, and give the fans a set amount of time to reach a certain goal. If they reach it in time, create a poll in the YouTube chat so the audience gets to vote for who moves on. If they don't, StarKid decides (and they don't tell us their choice of victor until the time limit to reach the goal is up).

Besides that it was a pretty good livestream. I really enjoyed the new Hatchetfield content, especially the last scene of Miss Holloween. I'm just worried they're never going to actually get around to making NMT3 and we'll never get the end of these stories. (Same goes for the Miss Holloway musical and whatever the end of the series they said they have in mind is.)

On that note, I'm also kind of torn as to who I think the Lords in Black should be played by in this story and future projects. Besides Jon as Wiggly, each character has multiple actors. Seems like they were going with the NPMD actors for the most part (I guess since they're the most well-known versions to the overall StarKid audience) but on a more permanent level I would probably give it to whoever has less prominence in Hatchetfield overall. That said, I'm glad Lauren was Blinky today since James had a big part in the Bottle Imps scene.

#starkid #hatchetfield #nightmare time #nightmare time 3 #bottle imps #miss holloween #cinderella's castle #kickstarter #the lands that are #lauren lopez

[blackrosesandwhump]

Original Character List

I was thinking about my various whump OCs and thought I'd make a list for reference.

Asa, half-vampire lab rat

Victor, half-fae lab rat

Eli Ward, former circus performer turned human experiment

Ciaran, immortal and cursed

Bram Ashworth, immortal and also a circus performer

Gathin Holloway, half-human hybrid (he's still figuring out the hybrid part)

Those are the main ones. Guess I need to create some more...

And yes, there are a few themes that keep appearing 😆

#my ocs #oc stuff #original characters #character list #my characters #whump ocs #oc whump #writeblr #whumpblr #whump writer

[serialadoptersbracket]

Round 1 Polls:

(Projected length: 7 days)

(Results: Here)

Day 1:

1. Tom Houston vs. Thomas O’Malley

2. Flynn Carsen and Eve Baird vs. Keishin Ukai

Day 2:

3. Artie Nielsen vs. Roberto De Niro

4. Doctor Carmilla vs. Ms. Holloway

Day 3:

5. Byleth vs. Soundwave

6. Ash Ketchum vs. Mukuhara Kazui

Day 4:

7. Yondu Udonta vs. Tiergan Alenefar

8. Gavroche vs. Terra Branford

Day 5:

9. Victor and Rosa Velasquez vs. Optimus Prime

10. Phil Coulson and Melinda May vs. QSMP Philza

Day 6:

11. The Dragonborn vs. Daud

12. Naruto vs. Oliver Queen

Day 7:

13. Christopher Herrmann vs. Otose

14. Yukari Yakumo vs. Cassius au Bellona

#if mod drops dead on day 5 just know that both her favs lost #or maybe it was the covid. idk #mod speaks #serial adopters bracket #round 1 #tumblr tournament #tumblr polls

[starcanwrecked-sexyman-bracket]

Trans Swag Tournament Round 3 Matchups

Sweet Tooth Vs The Riddler

Draco Malfoy Vs Quirrell

Joey Richter Vs Jacob Marley

Grunt Vs Taz

Specs Vs Bug

Esther Vs Camille Fitzgerald

Benji Scragtowski Vs Cole Wilson

Spencer Lang Vs Donny Meadows

Sybilus Silver ii Vs Crispin Lynch

The Mayor Vs Paul Schue-Horyn

Ruth Fleming Vs Desmond Connor

Aubrey Dockweiler Vs Ziggs

Paul Matthews Vs Nibbly

Steph Lauter Vs Miss Holloway

Lex Foster Vs Pete Spankoffski

Richie Lipschitz Vs Madison Reynolds

Henry Edwards Vs Dash Gunfire

George Eliot Vs Matilda Bishop

Lex Punchwhistle Vs Victor Walton

Malfalia Vs H.G. Wells

#starkid #tin can bros #shipwrecked comedy #holy musical b@man #avpm #a very potter musical #firebringer #starship #hatchetfield #solve it squad #the solve it squad returns #the wayward guide for the untrained eye #wayward guide #edgar allan poe's murder mystery dinner party #poe party #headless a sleepy hollow story #headless series #gilded lily #the case of the gilded lily #greater gatsby #the case of the greater gatsby #muzzled the musical #doppelgänger

[inkflourish]

— WRITEBLR REINTRODUCTION hello! My name's Theodore Novak, or just Theo. It's been quite a while (three years?) since I've been on my writeblr, and I'm so glad to be coming back. I'm 32 years old, non-binary, genderfluid, bisexual, and ace/arospec, and my pronouns are they/them or he/him. I have chronic pain and anxiety, and I'm also autistic/have adhd. Oh, and as of this semester, I'm a undergrad student majoring in english.

I write mostly queer romance, but I may branch out into other genres as time goes on. I usually focus on trans men or non-binary protagonists, but again, I'm open to writing characters of any gender and sexuality. I have a preference for darker fiction, I think, but how dark? We'll find out together!

Please be over eighteen to follow/interact. My fiction is not appropriate for minors, and some posts on this blog may be nsfw.

— FIND ME ELSEWHERE twitter // wattpad // spotify

— WORKS IN PROGRESS

requiem — victor kirkland was raised to hunt vampires, a family tradition going back centuries. but a year ago, the vampiric community came out of the proverbial coffin, revealing themselves to humanity at large. now, victor is turning twenty, the traditional age of the first vampire hunt. but vampires are legally people, now, if not human, and hunting one is murder. victor is reluctantly trying to move on with his life when he's attacked by a group of vampires in revenge for his family's legacy. fearing that he isn't going to make it through the night, his life is saved by their leader - who claims to be his mate.

desperate & demonic — oliver sinclair is something of an outcast in his senior year of high school. not bullied, but something he hates just as much - ignored. not to mention his father just lost his job, and he and his mother are going through a bitter divorce. after coming out as trans to disastrous results, oliver summons a demon to make a deal. at first, he thinks it doesn't work, but then a new student transfers to his school, and slowly oliver realizes that he is the demon he summoned.

feral blood — on his wedding night, kieran holloway committed the worst crime known to werewolves - he's an omega who murdered his alpha in cold blood. to kieran, though, it was a righteous kill. still, he is convicted of murder, and banished from his pack forever. life for a rogue is hard, the risk of going feral is high, and chicago is a dangerous city for an omega without a pack. but kieran would rather be feral than chained to an alpha. but when he meets a mismatch pack in the city, he'll learn that there's more to being an omega than he ever knew, and that he has more power than he ever thought.

#writeblr #writeblr intro #writeblr introduction #writeblr community #writerscommunity #writers on tumblr #writing community #wip intro #wip introduction #myintro #mywip #mine.

[writer-in-theory]

Billy Hargrove Bingo 2022

Prompts: "You can stay at my place." Reunion Flinching Pillow Fight Breakfast Club AU Jim Hopper as Billy's Dad Hidden Injuries Secretly Royal

Read on Ao3

A1 — Swiping Right (9.3k)

Prompt: "You can stay at my place" Summary: Steve helps his roommate, Robin, land a Tinder date and maybe finds some romance of his own along the way. Pairing: Steve Harrington x Billy Hargrove // Robin Buckley x Heather Holloway Rating: M Type: Oneshot

A2 — California Dreamin' (10.7k) 18+ ONLY

Prompt: Reunion Summary: When Steve finally goes on his cross-country trip, he never imagined he'd find an old ghost from Hawkins. Pairing: Steve Harrington x Billy Hargrove Rating: E Type: Oneshot

A3 — Planting a Memory Garden (1.9k)

Prompt: Flinching Summary: All couples eventually have their first argument. Steve never expected it to go like this. Pairing: Steve Harrington x Billy Hargrove Rating: T Type: Oneshot

B1 — Everywhere You Look (There's A Heart) (Coming Soon)

Prompt: Pillow Fight Summary: Billy never thought he'd be a single father, but he knows he wouldn't give his daughters up for anything. Pairing: Steve Harrington/Billy Hargrove/Eddie Munson, Billy Hargrove & Daughter!OC Rating: T Type: Multichapter

B2 — The Best Thing (That's Ever Been Mine) (4k)

Prompt: Free Space Summary: When Steve and Billy run away from Hawkins together, they find out the story doesn't end at happily ever after. Pairing: Steve Harrington x Billy Hargrove Rating: M Type: Oneshot

B3 — Don't You (Forget About Me) (Coming Soon)

Prompt: Breakfast Club AU Summary: Five people who’ve never had a reason to interact much before now have detention together. What could go wrong? Pairing: Steve Harrington x Billy Hargrove x Eddie Munson, Nancy Wheeler x Robin Buckley Rating: T Type: Oneshot

C1— Piece by Piece (3.3k)

Prompt: Jim Hopper as Billy's Dad Summary: When Max calls for Hopper’s help one night, everything changes. Pairing: Platonic Billy Hargrove & Jim Hopper, Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington Rating: T Type: Oneshot

C2 — All This and Heaven Too (6.2k)

Prompt: Hidden Injuries Summary: When Billy is forced into a contract with the devil after becoming a Victor of the Hunger Games, Steve is there, always. Pairing: Steve Harrington x Billy Hargrove Rating: M Type: Oneshot

C3 — One and the Same (Coming Soon)

Prompt: Secretly Royal Summary: Eddie Munson's life is turned upside down when his Uncle Wayne brings Prince William Hargrove to their home in Hawkins, Indiana as part of the Prince Protection Program. Pairing: Eddie Munson x Billy Hargrove Rating: T Type: Oneshot

#billy hargrove #harringrove #steve harrington #dad jim hopper #billy & el #billy bingo #jay writes in theory

[sinnaea]

Lust From Beyond fanfic in the works

I started writing an outline for a Lust From Beyond fic. I would love to retell the story with an OC. Sexual themes aside, I really loved the game and the universe. There's so much lore within the world of Lusst'ghaa. Mabel is such a cutie, Rhea is downright hot. And I think Victor is charming and goofy at the same time. There are so many characters to play around with and so much to explore and add to the tale with various twists and turns. I just know when I write this, it's going to be another longform work and I wish I can just write out all the things I want 24/7 😔

Summary Seeking to live an independent life away from her drug-addicted mother, Valentina Monti secretly moves out to work and reside at a mix-use antique shop run by the charming Victor Holloway. But the start of her simple and peaceful life is quickly disturbed when lucid nightmares plague her sleep and she begins to experience strange encounters with customers at the shop. With almost no one to turn to for explanation, she starts to explore and study her dreams and eventually dives too far beyond human comprehension. Mysterious cults and strange gods of an abhorrent dimension seek an untouched power that Valentina inadvertently possesses.

#lust from beyond #lust from darkness #fanfic #ao3 fanfic #ao3 writer

[findyourrp]

__The Family: Stranger Things mafia AU__ 🕵‍♂️

*Blood is thicker than water or is it loyalty above all else....the choice is yours.*

A Stranger Things AU that's based around the mafia, see Hawkins like you've never experienced before. A small Midwest town that's turned into a battlefield of blood, corruption, money, power. On one side is the Hargrove's and on the other the Harrington's so choose wisely for you never know which family will be the victor.

***This is a darker RP plot so trigger warnings. ***

- 18+ (no exceptions) both characters and members

- Tupperbot mandatory

- Literate to Advanced Roleplay, multi paragraph, no one liners. Writing sample will be required.

- 2 canon and 1 oc allowed per member

Characters needed:

The Party ::

Will Byers, Mike Wheeler, Dustin Henderson, Lucas Sinclair, Erica Sinclair

The Teens ::

Robin Buckley, Jonathan Byers, Nancy Wheeler, Heather Holloway, Jason Carver, Gareth Emerson, Carol Perkins

The Adults ::

Henry Creel, Jim Hopper, Murray Bauman

✎

#rp finder #18+ rp #fandom rp #fandom roleplay #st rp #stranger things rp #au rp #roleplay

[findroleplay]

__The Family: Stranger Things mafia AU__

*Blood is thicker than water or is it loyalty above all else....the choice is yours.*

A Stranger Things AU that's based around the mafia, see Hawkins like you've never experienced before. A small Midwest town that's turned into a battlefield of blood, corruption, money, power. On one side is the Hargrove's and on the other the Harrington's so choose wisely for you never know which family will be the victor.

***This is a darker RP plot so trigger warnings. ***

- 18+ (no exceptions) both characters and members

- Tupperbot mandatory

- Literate to Advanced Roleplay, multi paragraph, no one liners. Writing sample will be required.

- 2 canon and 1 oc allowed per member

Characters needed:

The Party ::

Will Byers, Mike Wheeler, Dustin Henderson, Lucas Sinclair, Erica Sinclair

The Teens ::

Robin Buckley, Jonathan Byers, Nancy Wheeler, Heather Holloway, Jason Carver, Gareth Emerson, Carol Perkins

The Adults ::

Henry Creel, Jim Hopper, Murray Bauman

(React if interested)

-

#stranger things rp #roleplay #rp #group rp #oc rp

[allisluv]

COMING CLEAN

Chapter one: Thumper

WC: 5.5k

Finnick O’Dair x OC

Dahlia Holloway sat quietly on her porch as morning dawn approached over the horizon. The events of the 67th Hunger Games had followed her back to district nine and almost a decade later, it continued hanging over her head like a black cloud.

Over the years, she had tried every trick in the book to stop the constant buzz of thoughts; writing down what she felt, walking aimlessly through the fields of wheat, having the shower turned up so hot that skin peeled off of her bones. Out of all the things she had tried, knitting was the only hobby that worked.

Every morning, when she had grown tired of staring at her ceiling when it was so apparent that sleep was not coming, she would creep downstairs and slip out onto the patio. It was peaceful and the one place that she could knit without the fear of someone intruding.

It was a neat little way to make money too; while her district was more commonly known for grain, cotton had become another popular crop over the years. Her brother often came home with baskets full of it and she would use it to make clothes.

It failed in comparison to the clothes that the Capitol citizens wore daily but the residents of district nine had more important things to worry about than attaching gems to their cloaks. So long as they had something warm for the winter, they weren't fussy.

Sunlight was beginning to creep up through fields of wheat and grain. Mockingjays had begun to wake up and whistled melodies back and forth while squirrels scurried up tree branches.

"You're determined, huh?"

Dahlia involuntarily flinched before casting a glance over her shoulder, fingers picking up their pace with the needle again. "One of us has got to bring money into the house," she teased lightly, the tension in her shoulders dissolving.

Her eldest brother, River, had always been light on his feet and he shot her a lopsided apologetic smile. A part of him forgot that she would never completely recover from her time in the games. Nowadays, they had to announce their presence rather than sneaking up on her. He had learnt that the hard way and had a broken nose to show for it. "Couldn't sleep?" he leant against the wooden bannister of the porch. She pursed her lips and shook her head. "Me either."

Dahlia silently continued working on her patchwork, refusing to meet his gaze. She felt as though it would burn a hole through her soon enough. Ever since she could remember, River had always been the one who wriggled answers out of her.

It wasn't intentional but he had these intense, prying eyes and sometimes, it felt like he could look straight through her soul. He would undoubtedly be met with the darkness in her chest and thirteen names carved into her heart but she tried not to think about that too often.

Most mornings started like this. Dahlia rocked back and forth in her chair, basking in the sunlight until River eventually graced her with his presence. Those were the mornings where everything felt quiet and she didn't feel so alone anymore.

Dahlia huffed out a sigh and ran a hand through her chocolate curls, flexing out the muscles in her legs. "I better check on the others. I swear to gods, if any one of them has kicked the bucket, I'll lose it," she failed to hide the bluntness in her tone but her brother had become more than accustomed to it.

Pushing through the back door, she slipped inside the house and busied herself with getting everything ready. Grabbing two wicker baskets from under the sink, she began stuffing day-old loaves of bread into them. River had to duck to fit through the doorframe and he grumbled under his breath, disappearing into his bedroom.

For once, she was grateful she had stopped growing before hitting the six-foot mark.

Dahlia crammed strawberries and blackberries into two jars, making sure there was enough to keep her fellow victors going for a little while. Just as she was wrapping up the goat's cheese and containers of fresh water, River shuffled out of his room.

"Here," he held out a packet of frosted cookies and slowly inched them closer to her. She blinked up at him, waiting for an explanation. "I got them from the bakery. Cost me five squirrels. Just leave one for Ivy and split the rest," he explained, running his tongue over his bottom lip impatiently. "I'm trying to be nice so... take it or leave it."

The corners of her lips quirked upwards and she dug her bony elbow into his stomach. "Aw, don't worry, I can take the credit. We wouldn't want you losing that reputation you worked so hard for," she stood on her tip-toes to lightly smack the side of his face, cackling like a mad woman.

He scowled down at her but she could see the hint of a smile trying to break through. Shoving his sister off of him, he narrowed his eyes jokingly. "I thought you were meant to be making sure our neighbours are still with us?" he arched a brow and shooed her out of the house, shoving another loaf of bread into her already overflowing arms.

The door slammed in her face before she had time to spew back a witty comment. He underestimated how soundproof the door was because she could still hear him laughing on the other side. "Bastard," she hissed.

It took some manoeuvring and wobbling on one foot but Dahlia somehow managed to loop the handles of the wicker baskets through her wrists. With a loaf of bread under one arm and a piece of (shoddy) needlework under the other, she trekked towards the other victors in their village.

She passed Juniper Sinclair's house, deciding that it would be easier to bypass it for the moment. Juniper was more than capable of taking care of herself for an hour or so.

Wyatt Riley on the other hand... well, he hadn't been doing too well lately—— and by lately, she meant the last ten years.

Despite her desperate attempts to return some of the light and joy to his house, it never stayed around for very long. His patio was littered with rotten, maggot-infested apples and Dahlia swore that the damn tree had some personal vendetta against her. They'd have to be dealt with later.

Rapping her knuckles against the front door, she didn't bother waiting for an answer. No one else ever visited and this had become a daily routine, so Wyatt wouldn't be caught off guard. Pushing her way inside of the run-down house, the floorboards creaked in a form of protest. "It's just me!"

Another broken mirror lay at the bottom of the staircase and splinters of glass crunched underneath her leather boots as she ventured further inside. It was safe to say he would not be receiving any more mirror-shaped presents from her at this rate; that one had only lasted a week.

She waded her way through rubbish and glass before forcing her way into the kitchen. It was almost pitch-black but there was nothing new there. Fumbling her way around furniture, she easily found the table and set her wicker baskets down. Now was the hard part; finding Wyatt.

Sometimes, the twenty-seven-year-old would be spread out on the floor and other times, he would be tucked behind the fridge. She supposed that he found relief in knowing that no one would find him in his hiding spaces. It was strange but acting oddly came hand in hand with surviving the games. She knew that better than anyone.

Dahlia wasn't in the mood to hunt for him and she let out a sigh of relief when she found him buried in blankets on the sofa. Flicking on the light switch and arming herself with a fire poker, she stood a short distance from the sofa. "Wyatt," she gently prodded him with the poker and waited for an answer. "Wyatt." He snored obnoxiously. "Wyatt!" she groaned, jabbing his ribcage with the poker.

Wyatt jumped out of the sofa with a gasp, wielding a kitchen knife in his hands and blindly flinging it into the air. Dahlia ducked and the knife lodged itself in a cupboard behind her head (and this was why the fire poker was part of their morning routine).

She clutched the fire poker in both hands and held it out in front of her, waiting for the adrenaline high to wear off. After a second, he seemed to get a grip on his surroundings. "It's just me. Are we good?" she arched a brow and brushed stray strands of hair out of her eyes, slowly lowering the weapon.

Wyatt nodded sheepishly, his adam's apple bobbing as he took deep breaths. Running his shaking hands down his face, he quietly muttered reassuring words to himself. Purple bruises were beginning to blossom on the olive skin of his knuckles. Dahlia guessed that was where the broken glass in the hallway had come from. Her heart constricted in her chest and she had to bite down hard on her cheek.

Sometimes, she wondered why she burdened all this extra responsibility on herself. Hell, sometimes she'd much rather let Wyatt rot in his house than deal with him. But then, there were moments like this, when he would mutter into his hands and she knew giving up on him wasn't an option.

Wyatt Riley was the victor of the 66th Hunger Games at eighteen years old. Dahlia remembered the day of his reaping—— she had stood with a crowd of other fifteen-year-old girls, each of them waiting with their hearts stuck in their throats, hoping and praying that they'd make it through another year.

Jasper Riley had been called and suddenly, someone from the crowd was screaming that they volunteered as tribute. The utter desperation in Wyatt's voice had been enough for people to allow him to pass through and then, he was stumbling onto the stage, clutching his chest as though it was going to give out on him.

He had volunteered for his younger brother who had been fourteen when his name was called. Jasper and Wyatt Riley were strangers to Dahlia at the time but she did know that they were kind people— until the games, that was. Wyatt smiled for the cameras when he returned home but there was something different. Something missing.

He used to radiate sunlight. His smile used to reach his eyes and laughter had come as easy as breathing to that boy. But that boy had died in the games. Hollow eyes and frown lines were all he was left with.

She had seen his light return once. Only once; after the games, when he got to reunite with his family. It was a fleeting moment but it was there. Dahlia saw it in his eyes——he had spun his wife, Violet, around in a circle, laughing and giggling as he captured her lips in a kiss. When the newlyweds finally parted, Wyatt had scanned the crowd and practically bolted toward his daughter. Every camera panned in on ten-month-old Isla and her father as he held her close and cried into his wife's shoulder.

She had never seen the light in his eyes again.

When Dahlia was reaped the following year, she was sure she would die in that arena, just like he had. The only living mentor for district nine was a man three years older than her. A half-dead man.

But even with her doubt and her scepticism, he had pulled through. He gave her pointers on appealing to the crowd and an angle to work with. He convinced the sponsors to root for the underdog. He gave her hope. No matter how difficult she made his job, he refused to give up on her.

And she wouldn't give up on him. Not now, not ever.

"I brought you some stuff," she cleared her throat and dug through the first wicker basket she laid eyes on. Kicking her foot at one of the wooden chairs, he obediently sat, a tired look in his honey-brown eyes. Berries, loaves of bread, goat's cheese, water, fresh eggs and cookies were unpacked from the basket. "I'll find some meat later. Swing by if you run out of food."

Wyatt nodded quietly, eyes surveying the mountain of food on his kitchen table. "Thank you," he tugged on his dark curls anxiously, keeping his eyes trained on a broken floorboard beneath his feet. To say that he was grateful for Dahlia Holloway would be a huge understatement. On mornings when exhaustion left him tied to the bed and grief seeped from deep in his bones, she never let him go hungry. And how did he repay her? By aiming a knife at her head.

Dahlia didn't seem to mind, though. She hummed a tune under her breath as she buzzed about his kitchen. Small talk had never been their strong suit and they opted to sit in silence instead. The knife hit the chopping board as she carved the bread into thin slices. Finding a jar of gooseberry jam in the fridge, she slathered it on two of the slices and slid it across the table to him.

"Eat," she ordered, tongue quickly running over the excess jam from the knife. She was sure he would happily starve if she didn't force-feed him.

Wyatt gingerly took the bread, muttering a soft word of thanks. In the time it took for Dahlia to sweep and restore a bit of order to his house, he had finished off another two slices of bread. He got to his feet to help but Dahlia glared over her shoulder and he sunk into the chair again. He was older but he also knew better than to argue with her— talking to a brick wall would be easier.

Pushing herself onto a countertop, she leant forward and cracked open a window to let fresh air in. Dahlia hopped down and wiped her palms in her dark jeans, spinning around to look for Wyatt. He had reclaimed his place on the sofa, curling into the far corner with a baby blanket clutched in his grasp.

She softly padded her way towards him and perched on the edge of the sofa, gently ruffling his dark curls. "It's okay," she whispered, the pad of her thumb running over his bruised knuckles. "It's all okay," she soothed.

They sat like that for the better half of an hour until Wyatt's breathing evened out and he fell asleep. She draped a fluffy blanket over the exposed skin that his baggy sweatshirts didn't manage to cover and started gathering up her belongings.

Balancing the lighter load in her arms, she managed to slip out of the front door without much noise. She kicked the rotten apples off the porch and hoped that the birds would take them off her plate.

Dahlia retraced her steps, trekking towards her final destination of the morning. Pale pink tulips bloomed in the flowerbeds outside of Juniper Sinclair's house, brightening up the young girls' front lawn. Before she could even knock, the door swung wide open and she was almost flattened as Juniper tightly hugged her.

"You're late today," Juniper pointed out, rocking on the balls of her feet as she grabbed Dahlia's hand and pulled her inside the house. A fond smile tugged at Dahlia's lips as she kicked the door closed behind her and followed the bubbly blonde into the kitchen. "Do you want me to take Ivy scavenging today—"

"What the hell is that?" Dahlia cut in, dark eyebrows almost disappearing into her hairline as she stopped in her tracks. Hastily throwing the basket down, she chewed on a fingernail and watched with reproachful eyes.

Juniper squealed excitedly as she bundled the rabbit into her arms, stroking its black and white fur with a gentleness that resembled a mother holding her newborn baby for the first time. "It's a rabbit! My rabbit. His name is Thumper," she explained proudly, wisps of sleek blonde hair framing her face.

Dahlia resisted the urge to roll her eyes—— the last thing she wanted to do was upset the seventeen-year-old. If she had learnt one thing about Juniper, it was that the victor was easily upset. At the start, it got on her nerves but she grew more sympathetic when she realized that it wasn't an act—— it was simply part of who Juniper Sinclair was.

Instead, she folded her arms across her chest, eyeing the rabbit suspiciously as if it would launch itself out of Juniper's arms and start attacking. "Alright, cliché name aside, whats it doing in here?" she asked flatly, waving a dismissive hand about. "Please don't tell me you wanna keep it, June," she groaned, digging her fingers into her temples.

Juniper wrinkled her nose in confusion and the freckles dotted across her cheeks dipped. "Well... I've named him now," she frowned, taking her bottom lip between her teeth. "I'm keeping him," she paused as if she was hesitating on speaking. "I get lonely in this house. It just reminds me that I'm alone, I guess," she admitted, ducking her head to hide her flaming cheeks.

Dahlia's stomach was doing flips and bile burned the back of her throat. Memories raced through her head at the speed of light; kneeling on the grass outside of Victors Village as Juniper buried her face in Dahlia's jacket, sobbing and screaming.

Now, a year and a half later, she felt crescent moons forming in the skin of her palms as she tried to stay tied to the present. She couldn't dwell on it. Falling apart wasn't an option at this point.

Regardless of whether they kept it together or not, it wouldn't bring back their loved ones. Wyatt wouldn't get back his wife or his daughter. While Juniper may have managed to escape the clutches of the repulsive Capitol men, she was still an orphan.

Dahlia, on the other hand, had refused to sell herself to snobby Capitol citizens and in turn, traumatized her younger sister when she watched their parents be slaughtered. The final nail in the coffin, really, was that Snow had still managed to keep her under his thumb.

All he had to do was flaunt the threat of harming Ivy or River and before she knew it, she was being pulled back to her hotel room by a man who left bills on the dresser instead of saying goodbye.

Rolling her shoulders back, she clenched her toes in her boots and cleared her throat. "Alright. So long as you look after it, I don't mind, June," she shrugged a shoulder and turned her back but not before Juniper pumped her fist in the air excitedly. "What's a rabbit meant to eat anyway?" she mused, rummaging about inside of the wicker baskets.

Juniper placed the newest member of her admittedly non-existent family into a cardboard box and slid up onto the countertop beside the baskets. "Haven't got a clue," Juniper yanked her cream-coloured cardigan up over her slender shoulders. She rested her chin in the palm of her hand and Dahlia shot a pointed look her way. "I'll figure it out! He might like ice cream or bread or something!"

Dahlia's mouth fell agape and she had to fight back a laugh—— Juniper may have been cunning and a fighter, but god she lacked common sense at times. "June, if you want that rabbit to stick around, you don't feed it ice cream," she started searching the cupboards and checking expiry dates. "I think they eat grass and lettuce."

"Are you sure you're not trying to kill him?" June raised an eyebrow and tapped her fingers against her kneecaps as Dahlia chucked a gone-off banana out of the window for the birds. "Five minutes ago, you told me to get rid of him and now you're telling me about his dietary restrictions."

Dahlia snorted at the comment and playfully swatted her in the face with a tea towel. "I'm not trying to kill him, you idiot."

There was never a dull moment in Juniper's presence and today was no exception. As Dahlia restocked the pantry, she rambled on about every thought entering that little head of hers. Every so often, she would ask if she should stop talking and every time, the woman insisted that it was fine. She couldn't begin to imagine how isolated June felt at times.

Despite her bubbly personality, Juniper lacked in the friend department. She was the victor of the 73rd Hunger Games but, unfortunately, it didn't win her any brownie points with teenagers her age. Most of them claimed she was too much, too exhausting to be around, and her friendships usually fizzled out after six months.

Ivy was the only exception——Dahlia's younger sister and Juniper were like two peas in a pod. Both Dahlia and River had been slightly worried that it might end in tears but so far, they had been best friends for two and a half years (despite the two being polar opposites).

Once the cupboards were stuffed full of juicy berries, gooey pastries and tins of ripe tomatoes, Dahlia eyed up the rabbit once more, trying to make up her mind on it. So long as she didn't have to take care of it, she supposed it didn't matter. She didnt have a say in the matter, technically speaking, yet June nearly always ran things by her anyway.

Maybe it was because Dahlia had been her mentor in the games. In the last two years, she had grown fond of the younger girl, to tell the truth. Or maybe it was because Dahlia was the closest thing to a mother that she had left. Either way, she wouldn't tell her what to do unless it was something irrevocably stupid—- and a rabbit didn't exactly fall into that category.

She dragged her attention away from the rabbit and back to the girl, who was too quiet for Dahlia's liking. "What's wrong with you?" she interrogated, hands on her hips. "Come on June, spit it out," she impatiently dug her fingers into her hipbone.

June hesitated, slowly starting to rock back and forth on the counter. "Do you think our tributes will stand a chance this year?" she murmured, green eyes staring blankly ahead. There was no answer and she cracked her knuckles to fill the silence. "I mean, it's a quarter quell, isn't it? What do you think the catch is gonna be?" she shuffled back on the countertop until her spine hit the wall.

"I don't know," she muttered truthfully. Her answer did little to soothe the blonde's nerves. She didn't have all the answers but she backtracked all the same. "Well, it's four months away. I haven't thought about it, really."

She leaned against the oven, close enough to feel the lumpy dials digging into her pelvis. "Hey, at least it's not us," she teased, draping an arm around the girl's shoulders. "We're gonna do what we do best—- we'll teach them how to fight and we'll work our pretty little asses off to win them sponsors. That's all we can do. Got it?"

She chastely kissed the crown of Juniper's head and squeezed her shoulders before struggling to her feet. "Now, are you walking me out or do I have to do that on my own and all?" she raised a dark brow jokingly.

If Juniper was still upset, it didn't show. She hopped her way to the front door, dragging her feet along the tiles and grabbing hold of Dahlia's bicep when she remembered something she so desperately forgot to tell her.

Dahlia knew what she was doing—— it was obvious that she didn't want to be left on her own for the rest of the day (and, let's be honest, subtle was not in that girl's vocabulary). Nevertheless, she hummed when it fit the context and nodded without missing a beat.

If the years she had spent socializing with the people in the Capitol had taught her anything, it was how to fake a conversation she had absolutely no interest in. After an agonizing ten minutes, she stepped onto the porch and into the warm stream of sunlight before a shadow got in her way.

"Hello, hello, hello my darlings!"

District nines escort, Malaki, traipsed his way down the driveway, flashing the girls a dazzling smile as he approached. Once he was close enough, he grabbed a hold of Juniper's hands, squeezing them gently. "My god. You need to stop growing, Juney," he tutted. There was no malice in his voice—— there never was, not when it came to Malaki.

He turned on Dahlia next, picking up a few limp and loose strands of hair. "Bloom's gonna kill you, y'know that right?" he frowned, letting his hands drop to his hips once more.

As if on cue, a blood-curdling scream came from the woman behind him, followed by the frenzied clack of eight-inch heels.

Bloom clutched at her chest and Malaki had to slip a hand around her waist to keep her steady. "Oh my god, I need a drink already," she murmured between heavy breaths.

Within a split second, she was manhandling Dahlia, angling her head and prodding her cheekbones. "You need to give me something to work with, darling. It's the same every month," she complained, rubbing the crease between her brows.

Bloom began ordering about her gaggle of assistants, hysterically screeching that they were at least twelve hours behind schedule now. Dahlia chanced a glance at Malaki and it took every ounce of self-control that she possessed to not burst into laughter. That would certainly send her stylist into a breakdown.

Bloom's entourage of assistants were drenched with sweat from hauling bulky suitcases from the train. Admittedly, the train couldn't be any closer to Victors Village, but Bloom couldn't fathom the concept of packing light and it showed.

With aching arms and forceful pants of exasperation, the assistants began carrying the supplies up the hill leading to the Holloway house. Dahlia's house wasn't far— less than a minute away from June's, to be exact— and it was more a slope than a hill but with the amount of equipment her stylist had packed, she wasn't surprised by their lack of enthusiasm.

"Don't tell me you forgot about today," Malaki raised an accusing brow in her direction but she brushed him off with a roll of her eyes. "You're lucky Bloom hasn't caught on yet," he continued, checking his golden watch to double-check how long they had to pack. "You may be able to fool our little redheaded friend, but not me, my darling. I know everything."

Dahlia suppressed a smile by clamping her lips shut. He was right. He nearly always was. She had forgotten and Bloom would lose it if she found out.

Malaki always knew people better than they knew themselves.

If Bloom was fretting over a new outfit, he knew how to put her mind at rest. When Dahlia was searching for an escape route out of a particularly painful and uncomfortable conversation, he would glide onto the scene and sweep her away without anyone batting an eyelid.

Malaki wasn't scared of calling people out when they were in the wrong. He knew what to say and when to say it.

"How long does the Capitol need me to stay for?" she couldn't hide the bitterness in her tone as she kicked a pebble into the air. She narrowly missed hitting the back of Bloom's shins and made a mental note to keep her anger at bay before her stylist tripped in her ridiculous heels and broke an ankle— or worse, a nail.

"A week," Malaki replied, choosing to bite the bullet rather than sugar-coating the truth. He didn't scold her for her tone, not when her anger was directed in exactly the right place. "Since our star-crossed lovers won the games, there's been parties in the Capitol all night, every night."

He paused, fingers moving to toy with his lip ring. If he wanted to approach the subject, he needed to take precautions. What she was forced to do on her visits to the Capitol was a sour and sensitive topic and one that she didn't talk about. "I know it's not gonna be a lot of comfort, my darling, but at least you somehow managed to escape some of the parties until now."

She didn't answer for fear of what would come out of her mouth. She knew that he was trying to make her feel better but the reality was that nothing was going to ever make this better.

She sucked in a steadying breath and tried to remain focused as her house grew closer with each step that she took. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks," she choked out the words, offering him a tight-lipped smile.

Malaki gave her a curt nod. He didn't push her for a further answer and chose to walk in silence while the pair caught up with Bloom and her assistants.

Dahlia worked her way through the miniature sea of people gathering at her front door, each one of them slightly skittish. She couldn't blame them— Ivy and River had a history of being... hostile when it came to her prep team.

She debated asking them to wait outside but decided against it. Hopefully, she could gather her things and leave as quickly as possible. Ushering the group into the warmth of her hallway, she racked her brain for a plausible excuse that would satisfy her brother.

"What the hell are they doing here?"

Looked like she was out of time to think. Closing the door behind her, she let out a sigh and turned to face her brother's temper. "Dial it down, for gods sake," she huffed under her breath, returning his glare with just as much discontentment. Shoving her brother out of the back door and onto the patio, she left her team to their own devices in the living room.

River's eyes were blazing with anger but she knew it wasn't directed at her. No, it was aimed at the people who were associated with the Capitol, a group of rich and selfish people who had stolen his parents from him. His jaw was clenched so tightly that it ached. "How long are they here for this time?" he snapped, knuckles white from holding onto his bicep.

"Not long. I have to go to the Capitol for a week," she folded her arms over her chest shamefully. "I can tell Ivy that I have to do planning for the quarter quell or something," she pinched the bridge of her nose, head throbbing with pain.

While River knew about her... arrangement with the president, Ivy was unaware of why she was called back to the Capitol every month.

Ivy was seventeen and her older siblings had agreed that there was no need for her to know. She was still so young. She had a couple of childhood years left—and Dahlia was damn certain that the Capitol didn't get to take those, not when they had robbed her family of so much already.

River's eyes softened ever so slightly and he sighed through parted lips. "I'll come up with an excuse for Ivy. I'll look after Wyatt and Juniper, too, there's no need to worry about them," he said softly, rubbing at the crease between his brows.

"Just—— be careful, yeah?" he dragged a hand down the length of his face. He moved a bit too quickly for Dahlia's liking and she flinched without thinking. He muttered an apology under his breath, taking a step out of her space. "You better bring me back those scones I like, alright?" he teased, trying to break cut up the tension in the air. He lay a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

His touch began to burn and she wriggled out of his grasp, grinding her teeth. He didn't take it personally; between the Hunger Games and the men in the Capitol, she couldn't stand being touched.

Dahlia endured the physical contact whenever it was asked of her but if she could avoid it, she did. Ivy and River had witnessed one too many of her episodes to bother being offended at this point.

She wrung her hands together anxiously and craned her neck to peer through the glass panel in the back door.

Malaki ran his fingers over a painting that hung on the wall while Bloom hastily dashed about, scolding her assistants for messing with precious valuables.

Dahlia pulled her sleeves over her hands and turned her attention away from her prep team. "I should get going before Bloom pops a blood vessel." She made a start for the door but paused. "River?"

"Yeah?"

"Please don't let June feed that rabbit ice cream."

#grace talks🐚🌷 #the hunger games #wlw #thg #finnick odair x reader #finnick odair x oc #finnick odair fluff #finnick odair smut #catching fire #mockingjay #coming clean #dahlia holloway

[strangerthingsrpdiscord]

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐝𝐬

Will Byers ➔

Mike Wheeler ➔

Dustin Henderson ➔

Lucas Sinclair ➔

Max Mayfield ➔

Jane "Eleven" Hopper ➔

Erica Sinclair ➔

Suzie Bingham ➔

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬

Billy Hargrove ➔ @thebillyhargrove

Eddie Munson ➔ @the-vampire-of-hawkins

Nancy Wheeler ➔ @nancy-wheeler86

Steve Harrington ➔ @eddiemunsonbrxinrot

Robin Buckley ➔

Jonathan Byers ➔

Chrissy Cunningham ➔

Jason Carver ➔

Patrick McKinney ➔

Argyle ➔

Eden Bingham ➔

Barbara "Barb" Holland ➔ @stevessundae

Vickie ➔

Kali Prasad ➔

Heather Holloway ➔

Keith ➔

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬

Joyce Byers ➔

Jim Hopper ➔

Murray Bauman ➔

Alexei ➔

Dimitri/Enzo ➔

Martin Brenner ➔

Sam Owens ➔

Karen Wheeler ➔

Ted Wheeler ➔

Peter Ballard/Henry Creel/001/Vecna ➔

Victor Creel ➔

Yuri Ismaylov ➔

Bob Newby ➔

Ms. Kelley ➔

Scott Clark ➔

Larry Cline ➔

Phil Callahan ➔

Calvin Powell ➔

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐂𝐬

Camilla ➔ @goldenlilium-ocs

Emilie Walker ➔ @queennefertiti

Aurora McDermott ➔ @thewitchofhawkins

paint brush post divider by @twisted-lies

#;character list