double-knotted-shoelace-blog

[double-knotted-shoelace-blog]

It was her exhale that broke his trance of the passing scenery. Peeta’s head snapped up towards the doorway and found Katniss standing there. A strange mix of emotions always flooded him these days when he saw her. The happiness and relief was the instant feelings, but quickly they faded and were replaced with guilt, agitation, and unease. He shifted uncomfortably under her harsh gaze. She didn’t want to be here any more than he did.

Still, for the sake of this trip and all the future ones they would have to make together, Peeta did his best. He put on his smile, returning whatever it was that Katniss had offered and nodded his head to her question. “Right, It’s all I’ve been trying to do,” he answered her, before looking back out the window.

As usual, the words felt sour in his mouth, tasting like bile more than anything. It may have been the truth, but that didn’t make it any easier to say. Peeta kicked himself for letting even that much of the truth out. Instead, he tried to do what he always did. Redirect. 

“Don’t worry too much about diner. I probably had it coming for something anyway. Just for now, let’s worry about our tributes, okay? They need us more than we need to fight.”

Freedom at a Price [closed RP w/ flightlessmxckingjay & double-knotted-shoelace]

Katniss’ flat apology and angry insinuation definitely hit hard. Even if it was wrong, it still hurt. However, it was better this way. If that was what she thought - that Peeta was in this only for the attention and the spotlight - then that was fine with him. As long as she didn’t know the truth, that was absolutely fine with him. The truth was much worse than than any lie he could tell at this point.

Still, Peeta’s eyes wandered just barely over to Katniss, just a hint of that pain in his eyes, before he quickly redirected himself. It was times like this that Peeta could understand perfectly why Haymitch drank so much. For the time being, he simply stabbed at the food on his plate, allowing her the power to end all conversation. It was only after a few beats, that Peeta managed to turn his attention to the two tributes who looked rather lost. 

Doing his best for them, Peeta offered a small smiled their way. “If either of you have questions or you need advice, don’t hesitate to ask. For now though, I’m sure you’d like to focus more on your food. We can begin after dinner or even tomorrow. It’s a long ride to the Capitol after all,” he said, encouraging them as much as possible. After all, they were going to need at least one mentor. 

Dinner passed by painfully slow. Sitting next to Katniss, feeling her unhappiness, the nerves of the two tributes, Haymitch’s drinking, Effie’s own growing displeasure, and of course, Peeta’s ever growing heaviness, it all was the perfect storm for a sour dinner. All the odds truly were stacked against them. It didn’t take long after the last bits of food were taking away by the avoxes for everyone to separate. Effie followed after Haymitch, badgering him about his drinking, the two tributes were whisked off by a pair of avoxes to be readied for bed, and Peeta himself, he wanted as far away from the dining area as possible.

It wasn’t until later that night when as usual, sleep evaded him that he went to his usual hideout during the long train rides. Seated by the window, he watched the world just pass on by, wishing that the mountains weren’t so distant anymore. 

[double-knotted-shoelace-blog]

For a moment everything feels as though it should be.  The soft quiet between them and the gentle bumping of hips or elbows, working together to finish what was started; but at the end of the night another void of sadness opened up.  Out on the porch light and under the stars Katniss looks back to the man in front of her; the torn and mixed emotions that so easily plaster his face.  Once they were inseparable and then they were torn apart, but in this light and his thumb against her skin it feels that everything can be fine.  She’s left though with a chill across her skin when the night hair dances around her skin, and even in bed at night it doesn’t feel right.  She holds close to the pearl and lets it roll against her fingers as her mind wanders to if Peeta was asleep yet.  Sleep comes with effort and thoughts that tomorrow can be better.

Keep Reading 

How was he holding up. Originally, Peeta had been in a bit of a daze, more fascinated in following Katniss as she set the table.However, that question and his mother’s grinding tone as she answered Effie with “It’s District twelve, who could ever like this place,” it all brought him right back to reality. But for the sake of everyone who mattered to him, Peeta did what he did best. Lied and put on a good face. “I made it here,” he offered to Katniss, offering her a somewhat stilted smile. 

“What is this?” His mother’s disdainful and judgmental voice came floating in from the kitchen. The harsh woman leaned in over a simmering pot, looking in at what Effie was cooking. Effie however was too chipper and too focused on being a good hostess as usual to notice the sourness in Cordelia’s tone.

“Oh! Well, I wanted to make this a proper welcome home dinner, but I wasn’t quite sure what you would like, so I just decided to make a little bit of everyone else’s favorites. That is the sauce to go with Peeta’s ratatouille. Then there’s Katniss’ rosemary lamb which is cooling and for dessert, strawberry rhubarb pie, Haymitch’s favorite,” Effie said, showing off the rather impressive spread she had managed to put together.

“And all without burning the house down” Haymitch added with a slight tease and chuckle. Effie immediately gasped and pushed Haymitch from where he leaned against the counter. He smirked until he noticed Cordelia leaning over the bot and taking a taste test without asking. 

“You did it wrong,” she said simply, glancing back at the two. 

From the dining room, Peeta already could feel the problems starting and quickly stepped forward to the dining room into the kitchen. “Its probably just not done yet, Mom. Effie probably just needs some more time,” he suggested, trying to be diplomatic about the whole thing. 

“Then you come taste it,” she answered back almost too easily. 

For a moment, it was a battle of wills, another smaller, milder fight, but a fight nonetheless. She egged him on, poking and prodding, while Peeta tried his hardest to defuse the situation and make things better. In the end, frustrated and with no other choice, Peeta did as his mother said, taking a test with an apologetic look on his face for Effie. Of course, it wasn’t that bad. It wasn’t mind blowing like what he had the first time in the Capitol, but it wasn’t bad either. However, his mother wasn’t going to be satisfied until she had made him look bad. In the end, Peeta made and excuse to slip away, leaving Effie with a simple, needs more basil.

As dinner neared, things didn’t get any better. Cordelia poked here and there at him, calling out his inabilities, insulting the others under her breath so only he could hear, and lamenting about how much a waste of time this whole thing was. Finally, when the food was set out on the table and everyone gathered around, it felt like it was all coming to a head. Peeta just had to hang his head, keep biting his tongue, and hope things ended soon and without any incident.

“And viola! Dinner is served,” Effie announced as she walked out with the tray of lamb shanks. She began to plate them as Haymitch set down the hot plate of colorful vegetables down on the table. “It looks good, Effie,” Peeta said as he sat beside Katniss without really too much thought. 

“Oh, thank you, Peeta sweetie,” she said, waving him off. “Those few cooking classes I took back in the Capitol seemed to have paid off.”

The sarcastic laugh seemed to be right on queue. Eyes turned towards Cordelia with nothing short of contempt. She pulled out a chair on the other side of Peeta and took her place at the table. “My son gives out his compliments a little too easily. You haven’t even tasted it yet, Peeta. How do you know it’s actually good or just looks good?” With a glance, it was obvious just who Cordelia’s comment was pointed at, as she eyed Effie.

“Mom, enough. Let’s just eat, okay?” he asked, as he focused on the plate being handed his way. He set down his mother’s dressed plate and handed his own of to Effie, before reaching for the bread to  slice. More and more, he was growing desperate to get out of this situation. His only saving grace was knowing that now, he had Katniss once again at his side. She was his only saving grace.

Remaining - [Closed RP]

[double-knotted-shoelace-blog]

The people and Clara leaving didn’t make things much better. His chest was still tight and his throat knotted from her earlier attack, pushing him against the wall. Not to mention, he was certain not that he thought about it that he looked like absolute shit. He hadn’t shaved in a few days, not finding the energy to do it, had been locked in his room avoiding all people and mirrors, and he was sure his hair was getting shaggy since he hadn’t cut it since the honorable discharge. Yet, she had come here to face him down. She had. Katniss herself.

But... how did that make sense? He hadn’t meant for this to get out, but now that it had, he had thought that Katniss’ fiance would be the one pummeling his face in, not Katniss herself. She was the one who came to face him, which could only mean one of two things. She really didn’t see him as anything more than a nuisance, no threat to her and thus meant nothing, or perhaps...

No. Having hope was bad right now. He couldn’t afford that. So, for the time being, he kept his hopes buried and faced Katniss’ one repeated question. Why her? Slumped in his chair, Peeta wished it was an easy answer, but the fact was any easy, simple answer he gave... it wasn’t enough.

“Honestly? I really don’t think you’re going to like any of the answers I could give you,” he replied. Fiddling with his beat up crutch, Peeta’s eyes fixated on the floor that needed to be swept. For a moment, he chewed on the inside of his lip, before sighing and eventually looking back up at her, barely meeting her eye. “You were the first person I saw when I got home. Did you know that? Not my father, not my brother. You. I... I watched you, every day. You went from bed to bed, helping poor guys who were either too gone to care or worse... too effected to think straight. But you were still there. Every day, like clockwork.”

Shaking his head slightly, Peeta lost his nerve to keep eye contract with her. Admitting this much was okay, but the more he thought about it, the harder it became to keep his nerve. It was slipping from him second by second. “You were just... so strong. Stronger than me, stronger than most of us guys, and we were all the ones holding guns. Then again... you’ve always been strong.” 

His voice quickly drifted off towards the end of his last statement as he realized just what he had implied. He hadn’t wanted that much to slip and yet it hard. Groaning quietly, he rubbed his forehead and hung his head again. “Look,the paintings, I’ll throw them away, burn them, whatever you want. You have your fiance and I know you better than to get between two people like that. So, can we just end it here and forget this whole thing happened? Please?”

Painted Feathers [ Closed RP w/ flightlessmxckingjay & double-knotted-shoelace ]

@flightlessmxckingjay

Hers was the first face he had seen since arriving back on familiar soil. It had been years since he had seen that face anyway. It took him back to that small town he had grown up in, back to before the war and the draft, before the small apartment, living on his own, before college and being disowned by his mother. Back to when things were simple, when all he had to do was daydream. However, Peeta never thought he would see that face again. And certainly not like this.

Not that she would have recognized him, or even cared. He knew what type of person she was from back then and from the look in her eye, that determination, it hadn’t changed too much. She was focused on what was important, surviving, family. Some guy who had left town one night and had never really spoken to. Of course she had no reason to remember him. 

Keep reading

[double-knotted-shoelace-blog]

The first hit was just as hard, if not harder than Peeta remembered. Then again, it wasn’t all too surprising. After the hell of a morning Peeta had put Cato through, he was getting his anger out and on the direct source too. A second and third hit came quick and swift, jolting Peeta all the way up to his shoulder. However, as much as it hurt, it meant only good things now. A potential champion.

“It’s a good thing I didn’t ask that,” Peeta answered. “Judging through from the lack of bruises, you did pretty good. I expect that out of you though. Left, right, left, duck,” Peeta instructed. In perfect formation, Cato did exactly that. Hit with a left, a right, a left, and Peeta mock swung at him, which Cato dodged perfectly. The pair were perfectly squared off. 

“So, I did a little research. Next guy is Darius, huh? I knew him. We used to wrestle together. Right, right, duck, left, duck.” On queue, Cato was on top of it. But Peeta was watching, searching for any flaw. “He’s pretty good. Pretty fast too. Left, left, right, body.” Each hit thrown, each punch, each move was textbook, with deadly precision. Little to nothing was left open and each hit struck their targets. Though perhaps body was a bad choice. The moment Cato it the pad, it went back and smacked Peeta’s stomach, enough to knock the air out of him, that old familiar feeling he had had plenty of times at the hands of the brute before him. 

After rubbing his stomach a bit, Peeta put the pads back up again. “What do you plan to do against him?”

Ready for the Fight [Closed RP w/ mcnstreous & double-knotted-shoelace]

Lunges were for wimps, huh? That little sentiment definitely was amusing to Peeta. Crossing his arms over his chest, Peeta just gave a simple shrug to Cato’s pain and effort, before suggestion something new. “How about both then? Since lunges are so easy. Get on the bar, hm, 30 or so pull ups, both hands, left hand, right hand, each of course, then we’ll work on some lunges. Mountain climbers. What do you say? Sounds like fun, huh?”

It was hard to not tease Cato, throw some of the stupid backtalk right back at him. He was so confident, so sure he could master everything Peeta threw at him, but their day was just beginning. Before long, Peeta had him up on the bar, pullup after pullup, going up and down. After the weighted plank, Peeta could only imagine how much Cato’s arms were screaming with pain. Not that it mattered to Peeta much. With the pullups done and Cato back on the ground, the lunges started, hands on the ground and running his legs in place, hopping back and forth to work his leg muscles to their extremes.

At the same time, Peeta circled Cato, much like the blond brute had done to Peeta all those years ago in the ring. All the while, as he took stock of the sweat, the strain, and the muscles that were working, he began to strap on his training gloves, large padded gloves that were meant to be the targets for the fighters to hit. Once the last velcro trap was tightened down, Peeta faced Cato again, standing in front of him. 

“So, how was your last match? Did you get hit at all?” Peeta asked casually enough. “Or did you just… fly under the wire?” 

[double-knotted-shoelace-blog]

A flip of the page and even more information was presented before the good doctor. And with that new page, he hoped to silence all the doubt between the two boys. “How about your families?”

Peeta’s glare broke down to one that was nothing less than pure hatred in an instant. He had told him, over and over and over, session after session after session, that he didn’t want to talk about his parents or family at all. He had only ever mentioned them once, but the files were all too easy to find since he had been in the games. His whole life had been written down after all. And now it was on that paper in front of Aurelius for him to read like a book.

“Both of you were the youngest in your families, making up for what the others before you couldn’t do. For Peeta, it was running a business. For you, Cato, it was becoming a victor. Both of you had a lot of pressure you, didn’t you boys? That’s not easy. But your parents... specifically one parent... they made that extra hard for you.”

“Enough!” Peeta’s hands slapped down on the arms of his chair before standing up and quickly pacing the floor away from him, away from everything. “I told you. I told you! I don’t want to talk about them! Okay? So, can I just go back to my room now?”

“No, you may not,” Aurelius answered back immediately. “You don’t want to talk about it, I understand, but you may have someone who understands exactly what you went through sitting right here.” There was a pause before the doctor looked back at the blonde brute. “Cato, maybe you’d like to talk? Your siblings, your mother? Your father?” he asked, hoping to see some kind of progress. 

Recovery Ward [Closed RP w/ mcnsterous & double-knotted-shoelace]

That goddamn grin. If he had to keep staring at it, Peeta was sure he would snap again, and he was trying so desperately to hold on. He was not going to go back to being locked up and monitored. He refused that much. So when Cato looked his way, Peeta simply just crossed his arms and gripped his sleeves. He was a statue. 

Aurelius however was not pleased with their reactions. He flipped open both of their files on his desk, until their lives were spread out in front of him. “Both of you were in the Games together, were you not? And both of you have nearly died on several occasions. Even pronounced dead at one point or another. Both of you were held by the Capitol and were experimented on both physically and mentally. You have both been through horrific things and you’re still only just now becoming adults. And those are only the obvious things,” he insisted. 

Of course, when it was put that way, it made a little bit of sense. Peeta himself could see the similarities, but that by no means meant they were on the same wave length. Cato was the guy who thought winning was all that mattered. Peeta didn’t follow that thinking at all. Sinking down into his chair a few more inches, the look on Peeta’s face was anything, but pleasant. And he was determined to hold his tongue through this whole ordeal.

[double-knotted-shoelace-blog]

Formal, but not formal? Business, but not that business? What the hell was that supposed to mean? How did any of that make sense and why did baby showers have to be so confusing? In the end, Peeta supposed it didn’t really matter. All that mattered was that he went back up quickly and changed before they left. However, Katniss had other plans in mind. With her order, they were out in the taxi before Peeta knew it and on their way. 

Of course, the taxi ride wasn’t a very pleasant one. It was hard not to notice the increasing distance between himself and Katniss. The way she sat, legs and arms crossed, eyes diverted out the window, it was clear that these new, colder boundaries were staying firmly in place with her. As if to cement them even more, Katniss adds to it. Making her final stand. 

“This has to stop. The… staying over.  Breaking rules.  We can’t do that anymore.  You understand, don’t you?  Why we can’t do this anymore?”  

If Peeta was being completely honest with himself and her, he would have said no. No, he really didn’t understand why they had to be this way. It was obvious from everything, the way they had been, the kisses, actually sleeping together, that there was more to this. They very clearly felt something and if given the opportunity, Peeta would have gladly wanted to explore it. 

However, they weren’t playing a game of honesty and keeping close to Katniss was much more important than getting everything he wanted. So, with his head bowed slightly and his hat resting in his lap, Peeta nodded slightly. “Yes,” her murmured. “I understand. I’ll... I’ll be more respectful of the rules in the future.” The words tasted sour on his lips and felt like a nail driven right into his chest.

Their small moment however was cut off when Haymitch glanced back their way. With a sly grin on his face, the teasing began. “If I had known a baby shower was call for more formal attire, I would have worn my own Greens. But I guess you Marines are more up to date on when to break out that fancy uniform, huh?”

Sighing, Peeta rubbed his forehead with a gloved hand. “I didn’t have anything else to wear.”

“Uh-huh. Whatever you say, Semper Fi,” Haymitch said, turning forward. Effie tried to make him feel a little better, complimenting Peeta on looking so dapper, and it sort of worked, but he still felt like the obvious sore thumb of the group. Perhaps he could find a store close by. 

Pulling up to the building and seeing the people heading inside, Peeta’d desperation for a clothes store, a Walgreens, anything became more and more apparent. He got out and immediately eyes turned to him. It was the one thing he didn’t like about this uniform. The stares. Suddenly, everyone became a little too nice to him, just because of the clothes, the fake salutes, shaking his hand to thank him. It was always too much, too... embarrassing. However, Katniss seemed quite pleased with it. Or at least, he assumed so when he caught her from the corner of his eye, staring him up and down as well. Hat firmly in place on his head and jacket straightened and flattened out, they head inside, going to a large ball room filled with tables. 

They were greeted by Finnick and Annie, both of which gave him an odd look for at least a second. It wasn’t until Peeta saw them though that something clicked in his mind. Strictly business. When that phrase had been said back in Finnick’s office, his hands had been all over Annie, before she had snapped him back to order. As they walked away to find a seat and Peeta noticed the hand on her waist, he quickly realized just what Annie had meant. No monkeying around. They knew? They knew about Katniss and himself? But how? They hadn’t done anything remotely close to what the pair of them had been doing, yet they knew? 

That realization definitely made Peeta’s embarrassment that much more intense, a steady blush creeping across his face, which only persisted with every caught glance made by undoubtedly one of Annie’s friends. It was only once they were at their table that Peeta dared to bring it up to Katniss, voice hushed low. “Hey, that... business thing that Finnick and Annie mentioned. Do... do they know something?” he asked, feeling more and more color flood his face by the second. This day was setting up to be hell for him if that was the case. 

Under Contract [Closed RP]

If it could have been any other way, any other person, Katniss would have been out that door without a second glance back. But something about Peeta keeps her in the doorway of his apartment where they broke some rules, and even as her eyes fix on the sad puppy dog expression she can still feel the way her lips are swollen from their kisses.  The first time he says please her lips close to keep the sound from her throat at bay and her heart drops in the depths of her chest. She can’t leave him alone, not after that – not when he looks like the world is being ripped away from him.

It actually dawns on her just then that if their situation was any different, she may have loved him.

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The relief is almost instant. The sound of the door closing started it, but the feeling of her arms slipping around him had flooded him with the feeling. Of course, he couldn’t possibly let it show just how much this effected  him. If Katniss saw how happy and content this made him, he would definitely lose the chance at this ever again, even though in reality, he knew this was probably the last time this would happen in the foreseeable future. 

Keep reading

[double-knotted-shoelace-blog]

Katniss’ flat apology and angry insinuation definitely hit hard. Even if it was wrong, it still hurt. However, it was better this way. If that was what she thought - that Peeta was in this only for the attention and the spotlight - then that was fine with him. As long as she didn’t know the truth, that was absolutely fine with him. The truth was much worse than than any lie he could tell at this point.

Still, Peeta’s eyes wandered just barely over to Katniss, just a hint of that pain in his eyes, before he quickly redirected himself. It was times like this that Peeta could understand perfectly why Haymitch drank so much. For the time being, he simply stabbed at the food on his plate, allowing her the power to end all conversation. It was only after a few beats, that Peeta managed to turn his attention to the two tributes who looked rather lost. 

Doing his best for them, Peeta offered a small smiled their way. “If either of you have questions or you need advice, don’t hesitate to ask. For now though, I’m sure you’d like to focus more on your food. We can begin after dinner or even tomorrow. It’s a long ride to the Capitol after all,” he said, encouraging them as much as possible. After all, they were going to need at least one mentor. 

Dinner passed by painfully slow. Sitting next to Katniss, feeling her unhappiness, the nerves of the two tributes, Haymitch’s drinking, Effie’s own growing displeasure, and of course, Peeta’s ever growing heaviness, it all was the perfect storm for a sour dinner. All the odds truly were stacked against them. It didn’t take long after the last bits of food were taking away by the avoxes for everyone to separate. Effie followed after Haymitch, badgering him about his drinking, the two tributes were whisked off by a pair of avoxes to be readied for bed, and Peeta himself, he wanted as far away from the dining area as possible.

It wasn’t until later that night when as usual, sleep evaded him that he went to his usual hideout during the long train rides. Seated by the window, he watched the world just pass on by, wishing that the mountains weren’t so distant anymore. 

Freedom at a Price [closed RP w/ flightlessmxckingjay & double-knotted-shoelace]

“Nothing much, thus far,” Peeta answered her, keeping his eyes down on his plate. And Peeta was convinced nothing much would, because the moment the plates were set in front of their tributes and they were allowed to eat, the two poor kids were concerned with one thing only, eating as much as they could. Effie looked on disapprovingly, but Peeta wasn’t one to stop the starving pair. And to think, just a year ago, it had been he and Katniss sitting on the other side of the table. Now, Peeta could barely bring himself to look at her without feeling guilty and dirty.

Thankfully, Effie was looking for a distraction just as much as Peeta was and spoke up first. “We will, erhm, be arriving in the Capitol sometime late tomorrow. So, I hope the two of you are ready to put on your best faces!” She paused for a moment, before looking over at Peeta. “Peeta dear, I hope you will be more available while in the Capitol.”

Peeta’s head perked up between bites and glanced over at Effie, before offering her his best smile and glancing past Katniss. “Well, I made sure to clear out my schedule for our Tributes and guests over the next few days and hopefully, it’ll stay open afterwards. Of course, you know how demanding some people can be,” he offerred, as if it were all one big joke. If only. 

[double-knotted-shoelace-blog]

Send me ◄ for a starter where my muse is a child

Or send me  ► for YOUR muse to be the child

[double-knotted-shoelace-blog]

THE HUNGER GAMES PICSPAM: the fight to the death

“The questions are just beginning. The arenas have been completely destroyed, the memorials built, there are no more Hunger Games. But they teach about them at school, and the girl knows we played a role in them. The boy will know in a few years. How can I tell them about that world without frightening them to death?” 

[double-knotted-shoelace-blog]

Peeta, always so powerful and now fueled by tracker jacker insanity.

[double-knotted-shoelace-blog]

[double-knotted-shoelace-blog]

UNDERTALE starters

“…But nobody came.”

“I… I’ve changed my mind about all this. This isn’t a good idea anymore.”

“YOU! You’re standing in the way of everybody’s hopes and dreams!”

“I don’t want to break their hearts all over again. It’s better if they never see me.”    

“Despite everything, it’s still you.”

“Ah, the cactus. Truly the most tsundere of plants.”

“Go ahead. Prepare however you want. But when you step forward… I will KILL you.”

“It’s me, [name].”

“Wow! We haven’t even had our first date and I’m in the friendzone!”

“It pains me to say this, but… you should probably never come back here.”

“Maybe looking at this nice lamp will help you.”

“There is nothing left for us here. Let us erase this pointless world, and move on to the next.”

“They thought that he had killed the child.”

“Quit looking at me with that stupid expression. You’re pissing me off.”

“We’re all counting on you, kid. Good luck.”

“Nice day today, huh? Birds are singing, flowers are blooming… Perfect weather for a game of catch.”

“You can certainly find better than an old man/woman like me.” 

“I do not know if this is pathetic or endearing.”

“Oh. My god. I didn’t expect you to show up so soon! I haven’t showered, I’m barely dressed, it’s all messy, and…”

“You’re way better at dating than I am.”

“Get dunked on!”

“This is the power that the humans feared.”

“They must be here, playing a joke on me. I’ll just wait until one of them admits it…”

“…You really like hot animals, don’t you?”

“It was nice to meet you. …Goodbye.”

“On days like this, kids like you should be burning in Hell.”

“Remember. DON’T kill anyone. …I can’t believe this is a REAL thing I have to remind you.”

“…Why are you still here? Are you trying to keep me company?”

“You should be smiling, too. Aren’t you excited? Aren’t you happy?” 

“Don’t worry, my little monarch, my plan isn’t regicide. This is SO much more interesting.”

“What makes you think you’re in control?”

“Never come back here. You are not welcome.”

“Why does someone as great as me have to do so much to get recognition?!”

“You made your choice long ago.”

“Don’t you realize that being nice just makes you get hurt?”

“So you finally made it. The end of your journey is at hand.”

“I didn’t cry! I just… caught something in my eye!”

“You know what would be more valuable to everyone? IF YOU WERE DEAD!”

“Look. [Name] didn’t come to the meeting today. Say what you want about him/her/them. H/She’s/They’re weird, naive, self-absorbed. But [name] has NEVER missed a meeting. And no matter what time you call him/her/them on the phone… Night, day, afternoon, morning… He/she/they ALWAYS answers within the first two rings.”

“Anything you want to do is important enough. Even something as small as reading a book, or taking a walk… Please take your time.“

“[Name] hated humanity. Why they did, they never talked about it. But they felt very strongly about that.”

“WELL? Are you CHERISHING?! CHERISH HARDER!”

"If you… If you think I’m gonna give up hope, you’re wrong. ‘Cause I’ve got my friends behind me.”

“Perhaps we can reach a compromise. You still have something that I want.”

“Always wondered why people never use their strongest attack first.”

“No matter the struggles or hardships you faced… you strived to do the right thing. You refused to hurt anyone.”

“This is why I never make promises.”

“ …Why? Why are you being… so nice to me? I can’t understand. I can’t understand! I just can’t understand… “

“Honestly, fighting you IS pretty fun… So even if you ARE a sicko, I’ll take it!”

“Maybe you’d be better… at not killing anyone? Crazy idea, huh? Let me know how that one goes.” 

“Did I ever tell you about the time [name] flirted with me?”

“STOP PETTING THE ENEMY!”

“Now, I understand acting in self-defense. You were thrown into those situations against your will.”

“You’d better watch yourself, kid. Things are lookin’ real bad for you.”

“Are you ready? If you are not, I understand. I’m not ready either…”

“Oh my God! Will you two just smooch already?”

“Don’t you get it? There’s no such thing as happy endings. This is all that’s left…!”

“The internet! I’m quite popular there!”

“Do you think even the worst person can change…? That everyone can be a good person if they just try?”

“Don’t worry about it. Most of us have tried to kill [name] at one time or another.”

“Wowie! You did it! You didn’t do a violence!”

“Not everything can be resolved by being nice.”

“Don’t kill, and don’t be killed, alright? That’s the best you can strive for.” 

“Oh no! You’re meeting all of my standards!”

“Anime is real, RIGHT?!”

“Maybe you’re wondering if I ever get tired of winning… Wanna see my answer?”

“Sorry, I do not have much to say. It was nice to hear your voice, though.”

“This is all just a bad dream… and you’re NEVER waking up!”

“Down here, it’s kill or be killed!”

“I can’t come back. I just can’t, OK?”

“I so badly want to say, ‘would you like a cup of tea?’ But… You know how it is.”

“Would you smooch a ghost?”

“The truth is… [Name] wasn’t really the greatest person.” 

“Well, if I were you, I would have thrown in the towel by now. But you didn’t get this far by giving up, did you?” 

“You’re not really human, are you? No. You’re empty inside. Just like me.”

“Are you bored? I should have given a book to you. My apologies. Why not use your imagination to divert yourself?”

“I’ll hold victory in front of you, just within your reach… and then tear it away just before you grasp it.”

“Come on! Step forward and let’s end this!”

“Don’t you get it? This is all just a GAME.”

“Are those two robots…?”

“If you have some sort of special power… isn’t it your responsibility to do the right thing?”

“Stop plaguing my life with incidental music!”

“Self-defense? Please. You didn’t kill them because you had to. You killed them because it was easy for you. Because it was fun for you. Do you think it was fun when I found out…? Do you think it’s fun when people’s family members never come home? Is that fun? No. “

“I wish I had eight legs… so I could wear FOUR pairs of hot pants!”

“The more you kill, the easier it becomes to distance yourself. The more you distance yourself, the less you will hurt. The more easily you can bring yourself to hurt others.”

“RUN. INTO. THE BULLETS.”

“I can’t go to Hell. I’m all out of vacation days.”

“They just sort of showed up one day and…asserted themselves. The town’s gotten a lot more interesting since then.”

“Our king is really bad at names.”

“If it weren’t for you, I would’ve never gotten past him. But now, with your help, he’s DEAD.”

“Then why’d you kill my brother/sister?”

“I’ve done everything this world has to offer. I’ve read every book. I’ve burned every book. I’ve won every game. I’ve lost every game. I’ve appeased everyone. I’ve killed everyone.”

“What did you do to him? …What did you DO to him?!”

“…I don’t have the heart to tell her what you did. Do you know how she’d react?”

“You didn’t even need my help, which is great, ‘cause I love doing absolutely nothing.”

“I’m smiling and I hate it!”

“Do you wanna have a bad time? 'Cause if you take another step forward… you are REALLY not going to like what happens next.”

“If we’re really friends… you won’t come back.”

“Did you really think I was gonna be satisfied… killing you only ONE time?”

“I remember when I first woke up here, in the garden. I was so scared. I couldn’t feel my arms or my legs…”

“Even after all this time, you’re still the only one that understands me.”

“Why do I always get the freaks?”

“It’s possible that you may have a problem.”

“What a terrible creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth…”

“I’m nineteen years old and I’ve already wasted my entire life.”

“If you’re so scared, why do you keep winking?”

“Don’t you have anything better to do?”

[double-knotted-shoelace-blog]

That little comment, even if it was made as a joke, definitely shut Peeta up quickly. There had always been and probably always would be a big difference between the Victors of Two and Twelve, nowhere more evident than the Village. He could only imagine, having never really been there, but Peeta almost knew without a doubt that their Village was nothing like the lonely lane of mostly empty houses like here. Almost every house there had probably been full. Now, he was sitting across from the only Victor from Two. That kind of loss, especially if that fellow Victor camaraderie was there, it effected a person greatly. Living in a ghost town wasn’t easy when you knew the dead.

Then there was the other fact of the matter. One of those very neighbors to Enobaria had died at Peeta’s hand. Brutus. Peeta could still see in his mind the whole thing happening. One of the memories that hadn’t been tampered with. The spear was jutting out of Chaff’s chest, buried deep within him, enough that the shining tip came out of his back. Of course, it was an exact hit and before Peeta’s eyes, he fell to the ground in a heap. In Chaff’s place though was Brutus. The canon sounded overhead as if it was a starter bell for a wrestling bout.

Groaning and rubbing a hand over his face, Peeta shook his head head, trying to stop the constant replay. In the end, he just hung his head and mumbled down to the counter. “I’m sorry.” He didn’t even attempt to explain away what he was apologizing for. There was too much, after all. 

With a sigh that did nothing to alleviate the weight on his shoulders, Peeta glanced towards the window, looking outside. The sun was fully up now, just over the line of trees, and despite the contrast of what was on the ground, the light was fresh and clean and new. A soft fog hung over the grass. It was actually rather pretty. For a moment, his eyes lingered over it, before he eventually glanced back at Enobaria again. By now, she was probably working up a good buzz and Peeta himself was a bit out of it from lack of sleep, so perhaps it wasn’t the best idea, but the words still slipped out of his mouth all the same. “Did you still want to see Twelve?”

That had certainly not been the kind of answer Peeta had expected from Enobaria. Perhaps some of the words would have been the same, but he had expected an underlying tone, one that said the right words, but clearly showed that she didn’t believe them. However, the sincerity and blunt honesty written on the fellow Victor’s face, it was surprising to say the least. Sighing slightly, Peeta sat back and let out a small, humorless laugh.

“Guess I wasn’t expecting that answer,” he admitted quietly. Rubbing the back of his neck, he shook his head a bit and let out a heavy sigh that only seemed to increase the weight on his shoulders. “It’s nothing against you personally. It’s just… well, it’s hard to believe any Career Victor has anything, but contempt for us in the lower districts. Growing up and watching people I knew be killed off first, as if they were all just in the way, you tend to get that idea planted into your brain pretty easy.”

With a soft scuff, Peeta glanced out the window, seeing the sunrise a little bit more complete. “Then again, I was in the arena with Cato, so… I guess I don’t have a fair assumption of the people of Two.”

Two. It was almost Twelve’s twin at this point, Peeta imagined. Maybe a bit bigger, but their main center, their very heart had been crushed much like Twelve’s had. It definitely wasn’t easy to see his own home like this, but to have the same thing somewhere else, worse even with the magnitude of people who had probably died when the Nut had been cut off and the few escaped on the train, Peeta didn’t even want to imagine it. 

“How is Two, by the way? They’re rebuilding there too, I assume? I… I don’t watch the news much these days.”

[double-knotted-shoelace-blog]

“True. I don’t think sorting out different squash would be fun, but then again, I kind of knew what I was getting into when I walked over here,” he answered her with a chuckle. Without wasting a step, Peeta picked one of the crates up for himself, taking it a little further down the way to start putting out fresh cabbages onto the racks. 

Shortly in, he paused for a moment, before looking back up at her again. “Oh, and surprise! My name isn’t New Team Member. Disappointing, I know. I’m actually Peeta. Though, now that I think about it, maybe New Team Member is a step up in the name game.”

double-knotted-shoelace:

“I should be asking you that,” Peeta replied to her. With a small nod and pulling on the pin on his apron, he showed her just what it said. HELLO! My Name is NEW TEAM MEMBER. Peeta offered a small smile, before glancing at the vegetables she had been setting out. “Though I can tell, you seem to be hanging with a pretty exciting crowd.” Chuckling slightly, he stepped over to the boxes to peek inside. “So, would you like me to help or do you want me to just study the technique of zucchini placement?”

❝ What better company to  have than inanimate objects? ❞

Katniss held up the vegetable that sat in her hand, referencing to it as she spoke. She’d never exactly had to help any of the newbies and that was mostly because they all knew she wasn’t really personable. For the most part she would smile, direct the customers, then go right back to her straight face that warded off any of her co-workers. That was until THIS GUY.

❝ You really don’t have to do either… Produce isn’t the most INTERESTING section to help out in. ❞

[double-knotted-shoelace-blog]

So, this is my apology to everyone who follows me or that I have a plot going with right now. Between this account, @ofchocolateandfur and @brothersmellark, I’ve been keeping a good amount of plots going, but this past weekend, I completely fell off. Probably longer for some of you. 

I wish I could tell you I have some kind of good excuse, but honestly, I don’t. I’ve just been fried. It’s a little worrying in fact, everything that I love to do, I’m not finding interest in anymore. Thankfully, I have therapy this week, so I’ll save that for then. 

This is just to let you guys all know that I’m still alive and very much interested in our plots as long as you are. If not, and I tagged you below, just let me know or maybe suggest a different plot? I’m always open. I can’t gaurantee that I’ll get better, but I’m going to try. I was doing so good, but I’m going to try to get back on the horse again. So here’s hoping I hear from you guys soon or I managed to finally get some replies out!

@flightlessmxckingjay, @clumsyxtonks, @mcnstreous, @seventhaxe, @cruentiia, @edward-r-lupin, @getoffmysketchpad, @burningwhiteroses, @winglessxmockingjay, @magic-fool, @greenfxnch, @libri-e-amore, @harlykinns, & anyone else out there that I may have forgotten.

[double-knotted-shoelace-blog]

“Well, lord knows that boy could use some more paints and canvases. You should see some of the things he’s been creating. He’s getting really good. Those art lessons are paying off,” Cinna replied to Portia as he walked beside her. His hand lingered on her waist as they looked through the windows of the many shops. “Unless, were you thinking of something bigger?”

Paid in Full [ RP w/ getoffmysketchpad & double-knotted-shoelace ]

[double-knotted-shoelace-blog]

Well, its been a while. Shame on me! 

But I have another one coming up soon :)