#[ 𓆝 ] the girl next door!

[shokiren]

chapter 2: someone's got a crush!

a/n: this is HORRIBLE but here <3 i wrote this in the middle of the night so pls cut me some slack lmaoao NOT PROOFREAD‼️‼️but idt theres any mistake since i js looked thru it real quick <3 but tell me if u find any

you swear you're gonna rip your ears off.

you're not able to sleep after a tiring day, all because of your neighbour. not exactly because of him-- his loud friends.

various loud voices ring throughout your quite apartment through the thin walls that seperate your house from isagi, your neighbour. you can only huff in silence as you sit up and groan.

you decide that you're gonna tell them to quiet down a bit.

you get out of your oh-so comfortable bed and slip on the fuzzy slippers your cousin had gifted you on your birthday, claiming they were the comfiest thing she had ever worn-- she's definitely right.

after wearing your slippers, you quietly make your way to the front door, unlock it and walk towards isagi's front door.

you raise your hand and,

you knock once, no answer.

twice, no answer.

thrice, no an–

the familiar face of your pretty neighbour greets you, his stature towering yours. his features are highlighted because of the warm lighting. he gives you a smile and asks,

"is something wrong?"

you break out of your train of thought and correct your posture, "oh-- no, no, i was just wondering if you guys could, you know, lower–", before you could continue, you hear a cheery voice from inside.

"guys! it's that pretty neighbour isagi was yapping 'bout!", a fairly tall man with purple hair tied back chimes in, not caring to lower his voice for his friend's own good.

when you look back at isagi, he looks like he'd just lost million dollars.

"i'm sorry, i don't know what he's talking about– i'll tell them to keep it down.", and with that, he shuts the door in your face.

you flinch a bit but then smile to yourself softly.

he talks about me?

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taglist: @celestair, @melanyy16, @kaitfae, @fabitheraven, @91ed0, @avid-idiot, @starglow-xx, @blissblossom, @anurst

[sonarspace]

jjk men taking care of you

a/n: very self indulgent..😭 thinking about making the sukuna one a proper fic/series. let me know what you guys think :) content: fluff ᡣ𐭩 wc: 1.2k

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

gojo

you're laying in bed wrapped in sheets, freezing when you hear a loud knock from the front door. you drag yourself to open the door. gojo stands in front of you. his smile vanishes when he sees your face, pale skin and red eyes.

he lets himself in. you groan, letting your head fall to his chest. "so tired, satoru". his hand pushes back the strands that cover your eyes, "oh baby" and he pouts at you.

he wraps his arms around you and pulls you in close as you lay back in bed. "you're going to get sick toru," you whisper as you nuzzle your head into his chest. "does this feel nice?" you nod a yes into his chest "worth it, then". you let out a sweet chuckle.

as expected he falls sick. a sick gojo is like a cat. purring as you scratch his scalp. although he could rct himself back to health, he doesn't...only so he can spend more time in your company. because as soon as he recovers he'll have to leave you and go back to work, so you let him cling to you like a needy and whiney cat. he pouts whenever you leave him for too long. he follows you into the kitchen his hands wrap around you, under your shirt. he nuzzles his head into your neck, humming contently at your warmth.

geto

he calls you in the early morning to ask you when you're going to get to this place. excited to take go on a weekend trip with your mutual friends. "yeah, i'll be there in a few hours" but your gruff voice suggests otherwise. "are you okay?" he asks concern lacing his voice. you hum into the phone, "just a sore throat, i'll have some ginger tea and i'll be fine". you fall asleep as soon as you hang up the phone. too tired to move out of bed.

a light shake of your body wakes you up. "hey," a voice whispers. your muscles feel heavy as you turn around to see the source of the voice. you slowly blink your eyes open to the night sky and a worried suguru standing over you. "suguru," you whisper quietly but your throat feel equivalent of when you scrape your knees on the ground. "come on baby, let's get you to the hospital." you groan as he slowly pulls you into a sitting position. too tired to walk, he ends up carrying you to his car. "it's okay i can walk," you protest. "the elevator isn't working and there's no way i'm letting you walk 15 floors of stairs like this." you blush and hide your face into his chest and whisper a "thank you".

the doctor diagnoses you with pharyngitis, a common infection and tells you, you should get fine within a week. so suguru stays by your side and nurses you. being close and keeping you warm when you feel too cold, cooking for you, carrying you to the bathroom, helping you gargle with saltwater to relieve the throat pain. "you don't have to do this," you tell him the first day. hating the fact that he's cancelling his plans to take care of you.

his eyebrows furrow as you continue, "you should go on that trip and have fun, yeah? you heard the doctor, i'll be fine in a few days." he exhales deeply. "i wouldn't have fun if you're not there. i would just be missing you the entire time. i'd much rather stay here with you sweet girl." he smile. "i'm sorry. i wish i wasn't sick," you pout. "heyy.. don't. i love taking care of you." he squeezes your hand. "thank you sugi, i'll make it up to you." you cuddle into his side. "i look forward to it," he winks causing you to giggle.

nanami

as soon as nanami finds out your sick he's on his way to your place, cancelling any and all meetings for the next few days. your laying on the couch in a fetal position watching a movie when he walks in with two bags of groceries.

you make an effort to get up and help him with the groceries. "i know where everything goes, just go back and lie down." he scolds you. thirty minutes later you can smell your comfort meal from the kitchen. you peak from the couch to see nanami preparing you a plate. "made you, your favorite" he smiles. tears quickly fill your eyes. worried your in pain nanami sets the plates on the coffee table and crouches down in front of you "are you okay? does it hurt somwhere?"

"i'm okay, it's just the niki udon," you sniffle. "what about it? do you not like it anymore?" he questions. "no no, i love it. it's just that you made it for me. thank you so much."

"oh baby, you scared me. i thought i did something wrong." he lets out a breathy laugh. you gasp "you could never. you're the most perfect boyfriend kento". you chirp.

sukuna

"who made this? where is she?" you can hear sukuna scold the servants from your room. sukuna's not fond of other people's cooking, except yours. so he's rightfully mad when his food is not served to him like usual. too much salt, too little spice in the dish. it was routine. you would cook for him. and he would come to your bedroom at night to tell you how much he liked the food. just an excuse to spend time with you.

you can hear heavy footsteps coming up the stairs and you prepare yourself for an angry sukuna. he lightly knocks on your door and calls out your name. unusual for him to do this with anyone else but you. it was something about the way you look at him and talk to him, even smile at him when everyone else cowers under his gaze. albeit he would never admit, but you made his heart beat weirdly. he was turning soft for you.

"come in". usually he would stand by the wall across from your bed, however this time he makes his way over to where you're laying. he gently lowers the back of his hand to your forehead. "you're hot," he whispers. "thanks," you giggle causing him to let out a chuckle.

"does it hurt anywhere?" he asks you, tenderly pushing your hair behind your ear. his palm lingers on your cheek, his thumb moving back and forth under your eye. "my body really hurts, and i have a headache and i'm sorry you didn't have a good meal tonight."

"hey..." he sits down on next to you. his hand on your cheek firm and comforting. "it's okay, it wasn't a bad meal just missed your cooking more." he smiles softly. he holds both your hands in his lower set of hands. "do you want me to take it away?" he asks you. "how..?" you're about to question when suddenly he leans closer. his lips warm, soft, and tender against your forehead. he pulls back and your head feels lighter. "how did you do that?" you ask him, mouth agape. "don't worry about it. where else does it hurt?" he lays you on your back and gets on top of you. and with each kiss, you feel better. his kiss holding some sort of power. "it's one of my techniques" he smirks. "and here i was thinking, you're some sort of cupid," you joke.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

© SONARSPACE 2023 | DO NOT COPY, TRANSLATE, OR REPOST MY WORK ON OTHER PLATFORMS!

[the-roo-too]

shooting stars -> akiyama kokona

-while mc’ing in music bank, you see what is possibly the prettiest girl on this planet, though it appears she doesn’t speak english. fortunately, you can bully a certain japanese member of yours into helping!

warnings: there’s a 99,9384838% chance the line in japanese is incorrect and i apologise for that 💔

genre: strangers to lovers

notes: i didn’t want to call it stranger! cocona so her last name is blueish

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

for quite a while now, you’ve had the pleasure of occasionally mc’ing on music bank with sullyoon. it was certainly an amazing experience, especially because you got along with the older girl so well.

you’re known as aespa’s youngest and you are one of the foreign members- an ’american’. you trained with yunjin (the american duo!), but you stayed to debut in the group when she left sm. you can safely say you’re both still besties, after all those years.

you just sat down in your chair, letting your stylist do her work with you, when sullyoon walked through the doors.

“yoona unnie!” you smiled at her happily. she waved at you softly, taking the unoccupied seat next to yours.

“are you excited, y/n-ah?” she cracked a smile when noticing how happy you looked. “i think it’s the first time we’ll be hosting xg, yes?”

“xg?” you hummed in thought, trying to look back at all the groups you hosted with the older girl. “i think i haven’t seen them ever.. what about you, unnie?”

“likewise. although i seem to remember kyujin mentioning something about them. i did listen to a couple songs though and i think they’re good!”

“really? i have to admit i only know left right because ning unnie was obsessed when it came out some time ago…” you laughed sheepishly. yoona smiled and rolled her eyes playfully.

she took out her phone and opened youtube. “let’s listen to the new songs then… they’ll be performing puppet show today i believe. would you like to watch the music video, y/n-ah?”

you denied her question with a soft shake of your head. “i’m good, unnie. i’ll have a surprise when i see them for the first time!”

sullyoon laughed along and played the song, letting stylist finish her work as you two were on in 10 minutes.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

when the group walked to you and sullyoon to get their introduction filmed, you thought your heart would burst out of your chest.

for a brief second, you locked eyes with one of xg’s members and you had to physically stop yourself from squealing. the mere second felt like the greatest moment of your life.

sensing your state, sullyoon leaned to whisper in your ear. “are you okay, yn-ah? we’re starting in a minute.”

“i’m okay, unnie! j-just-“ you felt your cheeks heating up, and you could only hope your makeup would hide the redness.

“okay, everyone get into position!” the director yelled from behind the camera and you instinctively straightened your back.

sullyoon gave you a small, playful wink, before she started the introduction.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

“gigi unnie!” you yelled, running into the dorms out of breath. during the whole transmission you were a little out of it and when you finally finished, you drove back to your group as fast as you could.

“what?” giselle peaked out from behind the counter where she seemed to be stirring herself some food.

“unnie!” you ran up to her and you had to lean on the table to catch your breath.

aeri giggled at your state and patted your head gently. “what’s up, y/nie? how was music bank with yoona?”

“good. great! not important. unnie, you speak japanese right?”

giselle stopped laughing and looked at you like you’ve grown a second head. “y/n, i am japanese.”

“perfect. hear me out, you know xg?”

“i think ning was obsessing over one of their songs a couple months ago… why?” she squinted at you when she noticed your eyes shining brightly in excitement. “what are you planning now?”

“so i was mc’ing with sullyoon unnie and theprettygirlscameandtheywereallprettybutilookedoneofthemintheeyesandshewassoprettyomgandshedidntspeakmuchonlyinjapaneseand-!”

“woah!” she interrupted your rant. “i don’t speak gibberish, y/nnie. can you repeats that, slower?”

“i was mc’ing! and xg came and omg!! and i caught eye contact with that pretty one and, and when we were recording she didn’t talk much, only in japanese! so i think she doesn’t speak korean or english all that much, and i don’t know japanese!”

“…and? you need me to teach you another language?”

“no! i need you to talk with her and set us up!” you made puppy eyes at the japanese member and pouted. “please?? pretty please??? with a cherry on top??”

giselle rolled her eyes halfheartedly but nodded her head. “whatever, i’ll talk to this girl i guess what’s her name?”

“what?”

“…y/n, the girls name? how am i supposed to talk to her?”

all colour drained from your face and aeri couldn’t hold herself from laughing. it turned out you had another barrier to overcome besides language.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

what can’t you do with a little bit of browsing through the internet, right? kprofiles may not be the greatest source of information but when you just needed to put a name to a face, it was enough.

then, your plan was in action. back when you and yunjin were sm trainees, she was rooming with winter chaehyun. digging more through the web (you might’ve at this point became one of the stan accounts with the research you’d done on twitter), you found one of kep1er’s members was training with the xg girls at some point.

she had to have the girls number, or any sort of contact for that matter.

you just had to bug yunjin into giving you chaehyun’s number and then somehow get her to give you the girl’s contact info without sounding creepy… simple enough, right?

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

yeah, not really.

you were now one step closer to getting the girls number. you were now one step closer to getting the girls number. getting a girl’s contact info from another girl whom you didn’t know was totally normal and not suspicious.

totally.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

giselle couldn’t stop laughing when you presented her all the information you acquired, and the things you had to do in order to complete your task.

“can’t believe you harassed a stranger to get this cocona’s number.” she chucked before typing the contact info into her phone.

you stood there, looking at her expectantly, making her quirk her brow. “what?”

“aren’t you going to call her, unnie?”

“no? i’m going to introduce myself and hope she doesn’t think it’s creepy.” seeing as she had a fair point, you deflated a little, a pout tugging at your lips.

“i hope she doesn’t think i’m creepy… i just think she’s very pretty…”

giselle’s gaze softened slightly at your words and she smiled at you. “i’m sure it’ll be fine… although i would find you creepy if you did that to me.”

“yah! unnie!”

“i’m joking! …no i’m not.”

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

clearly the gay gods were on your side because the pretty girl agreed to go out with you! (giselle couldn’t stop laughing when she said that, but you ignored her)

now, you were bugging your poor roommate winter with helping you choose a perfect outfit for the date. (no one else thinks it’s a date but they’re just haters.)

“for the third time, the blue sweater is fine, y/n.” the older girl rolled her eyes at your distressed state.

“you don’t understand, unnie! i need it to be perfect, not just fine!”

“y/n.” winter stood up to face you with a blank face. “i don’t think you can scare her off with clothes more than you already did with the stunt you pulled.”

“i did it for love!”

“y/n i am appointing you into a mental hospital.” she sat back down, going to scroll through tik tok. “i’ll get ning there while i’m at it.”

“you’re no help, unnie!” you huffed, glancing down a the pile of clothes spread on your floor. this was far more stressful than it should be.

“…the black pants will look nice with the sweater.” you heard winter mumble.

smiling brightly, you put on the outfit and threw yourself on the older girl, making her yelp. “yah!”

“thank you, unnie! you’re the best!”

“i know i am. now go away, i’m resting.”

you giggled softly at her, hugging her one last time before you left your shared room. you ran towards the doors, seeing giselle and karina chilling by tv.

“oh, good luck on your outing with cocona, y/nnie!” aeri yelled at you, gaining jimin’s attention.

“cocona? isn’t that the xg member?”

“yes! we’re having a date!” you replied proudly and karina would’ve bursted out there and then if it wasn’t for the japanese to hold her back.

“WHAT?”

“i mean, i haven’t told her it’s a date-“

“WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON THAT GIRL-“

“RUN, Y/N!”

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

cocona was supposed to be waiting for you at a nearby park, which would be hopefully empty at this hour.

from far away, you saw a figure standing there in a cosy hoodie. you ran up there, hoping it was the girl of your dreams.

“こんにちは！” you yelled out shyly in whatever broken japanese you could muster up and bowed to the girl. “私は y/n l/nです-“

“it’s cute that you got your japanese member to talk to me…” cocona spoke in english, shocking you visibly. “but i know my english quite well.”

she smiled at you and you couldn’t help but hide your face in your hands in embarrassment. all that for you to find out she can speak english…

“hey, don’t be embarrassed, cutie!” she laughed softly and wrapped her arms around you in a gentle hug. “i told you, i think it was cute.”

“…really?”

she nodded again and you smiled back at her.

“so.. how about that date?” she asked after a while. you couldn’t help but blush at the suggestion, nodding your head quickly.

“i-i would like to formally take you out on a date, cocona!”

“sure. only if i can pay tho.”

“hey!”

“don’t fight me on that. im paying you back for this whole situation~” she smirked cheekily and you had a feeling she wouldn’t forget that for quite a while.

but you didn’t really mind. if embarrassing yourself a little scored you a chance with a pretty girl, then so be it.

cocona took your hand gently in hers and started walking with you through the park. her eyes were shining as she looked at you with that soft smile on her face.

you knew this would blossom into something more. all of this, it was now worth it.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

[fizzyfizu]

Accursed in the Lake’s Depths

Chapter 5 : Trouble with the Caretaker

Harry J. Potter / reader

MASTERLIST : The Archives.. ⊲ previous ༄.˚₊ 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 ₊˚.༄ next ⊳

      After quietly shutting the door to Dumbledore’s office, you were now freshly reminded of just how boring meetings were; especially when it talks about academics.  But with that out of the way, everything is now sorted..–well..mostly!  For now you just want to familiarise yourself once more with Hogwarts.  Maybe starting with where the classes are would be a good idea—wait, no.  You need to start with freshening up, that's what!  You reek of the Black Lake, and needless to say that wasn't exactly the best thing in the world.  Far from desirable actually.  

      There has never been a mention of a house’s common room being relocated from what you remember, and they would never do that..yeah they wouldn't–else that would be dumb.  Very, very dumb..hey nobody knows this but you are actually pleading very passionately right now with whatever higher power there was–that nothing had changed, regarding the common rooms in the past few years.  They couldn't forsake you like this.  Surely Not.

      A wooden, circle shaped door stood in front of you, oddly resembling the top of a barrel somewhat.  This was the door that you had greeted every morning and every night back then, and now you would return to that routine.  You missed it, and it was calling your name.  To the side were stacks of wooden barrels, all containing vinegar–probably.  ‘Ok!  Right then so..the correct barrel would be the middle barrel, second from the bottom.  If I recall correctly that is..here's to hoping.’ The barrel in front of you looked oddly menacing as of now, for good reason though.  You’d rather not smell of dirty water and vinegar right now.  Thump, thump—thump thump thump (Hel-ga, Huf-fle-puff).  Your eyes were shut tightly as you stood there expecting either the sound of triumph (the sound of wood shuffling around) or the sound of defeat (vinegar straight into your face).  Ok..so..great news, nothing smells of vinegar just yet!  Taking a small peek at the door, you watched as it did absolutely nothing.

      Until it did.  And the sound of wood sliding against each other mixed with the creaking of the old wooden boards has never sounded better.  Quite the loud sigh you let out there huh.  Walking up to the now open door, you were greeted by woody and earthy scents.  You could feel a dumb smile form on your face, because of relief or nostalgia you weren't sure.  You were finally back to the place you fondly called home.  Nothing could beat the cosy atmosphere of the Hufflepuff common room, and you would bet your life savings on that.  

      Right, you were still filthy.  And so your eyes make a sudden beeline for the corridor that leads to the girls dormitories.  And we are off to the showers!  The elves work quick right?  Surely fitting another student into a dorm wouldn't be all too hard.  And right you were, after finding the 4th year dorms you searched the plaques beside each door for your name, quietly mumbling the names listed.  ‘Banks…Pittman…May…Fawley–Fawley!  Finally..thank Helga.’ 

      Slowly pushing open the door, sunlight spilled right out of the room–it was a strong golden colour, it must be mid afternoon then, around three to four maybe.  The dorm was very clearly lived in; two of the four beds had messy blankets and misplaced pillows.  The third bed looked clean and well kept, clearly whoever slept in it made their bed with care–evident by the complete lack of creases on the sheets.  Lastly, the fourth bed–your bed.  It was clean, but not in the same way as the third bed, more of the ‘unused’ way.  Other than the standard yellow blanket, and white sheets and pillows—it was very much bare.  And you were glad to change that.  But you can't dive head first into the clean sheets, not right now, no.  Not when you were akin to a rat in terms of hygiene.  You had no belongings with you anyways, so you could go straight to the showers!  Perks of losing absolutely everything you owned due to imprisonment.

      After a long and thorough shower:

      You felt..great.  The smell of strawberries flooded the bathroom that you just exited.  You felt like the cleanest person in the world.  Like you had just showered after the world’s most intense quidditch game.  Like showering after digging a whole burrow by hand.  The thought of a freshly bathed dog hit you and it was a perfect description.  Your hair felt so bouncy and full of life, your skin felt the smoothest its ever felt, the new uniform you had on felt and smelt so amazing (the elves do indeed work quick).

      The previous paragraph may have been a gross overstatement, an unreachable fantasy, but it felt like the truth okay–and that was all that mattered right now.  Straightening your tie, you got ready to tick off the next item in your mental bucket list: exploring Hogwarts.

      The great hall was your choice for the starting point, mostly because it’s the only place you strongly remember, but hush about that yeah?  You thought that to decide on a way to properly cover all locations without skipping over one would be fruitless considering the sheer side of Hogwarts, so you settled for wandering around aimlessly instead.  

      For Merlin's sake.  Who even is this guy?  Hasn’t even been that long and you're already in trouble, well done!  You couldn't even find the words to try and defend yourself due to this..you don't even know what his job is, actually.  Whatever the case is, this guy keeps raving on about how students nowadays are such great ‘headache inducers’, or whatnot.  Regardless, it entered one ear and out the other, and even if you did manage a word, you would probably still end up in this musty old room he calls an office anyways.  

      “Hufflepuff eh?  Pomona would be glad to hear about one of her students running amok..”

      Dear Helga..“Uh..excuse me sir but–”

      “Zip it!  No excuses can get you out of this one girl!”

      He didn't need to utter a word for you to know that he was mentally begging Merlin to work his magic or something. Work his magic so that you get a heavy punishment that is.  You could hear quiet mutterings from the man, who was currently hunched over his table writing a letter to Helga knows who.  You watched as a cat jumped to his side and grabbed the letter in its mouth, presumably to deliver it.  Oh dear..

A/N: I got writers block this early on pray for me

[motherphoebe]

The Parting Glass

Annie Cresta as a career in the 70th Hunger Games.

Chapter 2:

previous chapter / next chapter

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝

Now is absolutely not the time to panic, to let myself fall apart so quickly is simply not an option. But, I’ve never seen footage from the tribute's goodbyes, I have no reason to worry about how I’ll be seen, so I walk across the hard floors and sink deep into the blue couch with my knees to my chest. It’s made of a soft, plush material I’ve never seen before, one that seems far too warm and unreasonable for District 4. Suddenly the door opens and my family, absent my father, are my first visitors.

Muriel takes the lead into the room and immediately sweeps me into a huge, tearful hug. When I meet my mothers eyes the air feels like it's knocked out of my chest, like when the ocean traps you under the tide, I know no resolution for this feeling. My mother joins the hug, I know that cameras await me outside this room, but the tears escape my eyes unrelentingly. This cannot be the last time I embrace my mother and sister.

“I love you my Poppy, you need to come home to me.”

She manages those few words before she bursts into tears. Suddenly I realize the position my mother is in, her youngest daughter, her baby, is being sent away to the games to possibly never return. Who will she wake for school in the morning, make tea with cinnamon for, ask for opinions on her crochet?

“I’m sorry Mom. Don’t worry, I’ll come home, I promise. I’ll do everything I can to come home.”

My voice is shaky and muffled in my mothers shoulder. I use my palms to rid my face of tears, and face the rest of my family. I clear my voice to ensure my next statement is heard as clearly as possible.

“I need you all to know that I’m going to fight. But if I don’t come back, please, please promise me you will all be okay.”

My efforts to clear my face of tears are useless, because as soon as I’m finished pleading, they seem to roll down my cheeks in never ending streams. I have no doubts that I could win the Hunger Games, but there have been years where even the strongest tributes don’t make it to the end. If I die, I can only hope their promise can bring me peace in my final moments.

“I can’t promise Annie. There is no way we could survive without you, but we know you’ll be back. You have to come back, my children will need their aunt Annie to teach them how to swim. You’re the strongest fighter out of all of us, you prove it time and time again in training. You’re smart, use your wits and the skills you’re good at and win this.”

Skipper stares at me with such a steady look I feel my tears are now over dramatic. I’ve never seen him look so much like our father. My mother and sister are far too inconsolable to respond, so I don't bother begging for them to promise me. I begin to reply to Skipper, but the peacekeeper guarding my door barges in, announcing that it's time for them to go. I grasp on to all of them, unable to accept that my last few moments with my family could be over.

“We’ll see you soon Annie, I love you! Wear the necklace in-”

Muriel’s voice cracks as she's abruptly cut off by the slamming of the door, but I heard enough to assume she wants me to wear the seastar and pearl necklace she made me as a token.

I hear my father talking, and then the door opens to allow him to rush in. Suddenly he's hugging me the same way he did when I was hurt as a young child. He smells like the sail boat as he always does, although it's not pleasant it is comforting. He places his hands on my shoulders, forcing us to be face to face.

“Listen to me Annie Cresta, you are the strongest girl I know. Do you remember when I first took you on the boat? You were younger than Muriel and Skipper, and somehow caught more fish than the two of them combined. I asked you how you did it and you said-”

“They like me because they know I’m a mermaid, so they wanted to help me beat Muriel and Skip” I finish his sentance, the memory brings a genuine smile to my face. I was so excited to finally be old enough to join them on the boat, and also genuinely believed I was a mermaid with how much time I spent in the ocean.

“You are a winner Annie, you can do anything if you put your mind to it. You have eight years of training, you know what you’re good at, survive and come home to us. I love you so dearly, my sweet daughter. I believe you’ll do what it takes to win.”

His eyes become dangerously full of tears. I’m unable to think of what to do, I’d never put much thought into being in a situation where my father would cry in front of me. I bury my face in his chest so I avoid his tears and think about his words. Of course, what it takes to win means ensuring the deaths of those around me, including the death of my district partner, and life long friend Bodie. There can only be one victor. I’ve been given such little time to think about this, my initial shock is just now wearing off and the complexity of my situation leaves me winded.

“I promise I’ll do whatever it takes. I know I can win but, what do I do about Bodie? Dad I can’t-”

“And you won’t. Stay with him as long as you can. Annie, only one of you can come home, and it has to be you. I need you to know it has to be you. His mother wants to talk to you after this, I told her I’d ask you if that was fine.”

He chooses careful words, but the thought still causes effects deep within me. My body begins to shake uncontrollably. I decide now I won’t be anywhere near Bodie when the time comes. I think about Bodies mother, the kind and gentle woman who’d fed us crackers and jam after swims and watched us play on the beach and run from the shore. How could she want to visit me if my survival means her son's death? She must want to say goodbye, and I don’t want to deny her that. I nod my head quickly.

“Yes, please. Tell them she's the last one, I can’t talk to anyone else.”

He simply nods and holds me while we wait for the peacekeeper to say our time is up. I’ve always found I understand my father better than anyone else in my family, I believe it's because we think alike. We both stand here in a silent hug until the peacekeeper arrives again to collect my father.

“You’re strong, Annie Cresta.” The door opens and soon he's gone, and I’m alone. He says I'm strong like it's a fact, written in stone and one hundred percent true. I’m unsure, but I decide to believe him, I really have no other choice.

Mrs. Cormoran walks in shortly after, her auburn hair is tied up and her eyes are bloodshot, cheeks still wet with tears. She's just left her son's room, the only remaining person in her family, unsure if she’ll ever see him again, and now must bid farewell to her second daughter who shares the same fate. I lose my composure, hot tears run down my face once more.

“Come here sweetie.”

She holds me in a hug I can only describe as motherly. I have known her son Bodie my whole life. He’s always been there, they say we saw each other in the market one day and instantly became friends, playing with the rubber baits that hung off the fishing lines in the random shop above us. We’d beg everyday to play on the sand together, our houses close enough to one another to justify the walk. I haven’t seen him as much as I used to the past few years. His family couldn’t afford the extra fishing quota required to get Bodie eligible for training, which forced us to have a lot less time together. Our hangout time was reduced to our hours at school, the rest whatever I could squeeze in after training. When his father passed away in a fishing accident a few years ago, our time was cut even shorter than before. His mothers income couldn't afford to feed the two of them, so he started working any job he could, officially leaving school to become a fisherman. It’s an option a lot of the children in District 4 resolve to; there is always a need for fishermen and as long as you fit on a boat, you’re eligible. They say the age limit is 13, but I’ve seen kids as young as 10 walking to the docks in the morning.

Now I sit here with Bodie’s mother, knowing her son and I are headed into an arena where only one of us can return alive. The feeling of guilt weighs on me heavier than anything. How can I feel so comfortable saying I’ll win even though it ensures his death? Especially when his mother needs him, he’s all she has. I’ve already decided that I have to win, but if I can’t it has to be Bodie.

We simply stand here silently in our tearful hug until the door opens, and Mrs. Cormoran is being swiftly let out. I run to her and grab her hand before the peacekeepers begin to drag her out.

“I’ll do everything I can.”

They’re simple words that I hope will bring her the comfort she needs.

Now I stand here alone. I wipe my cheeks and take a few deep breaths while I stare out of the huge windows directly to the sea. Tonight my friends will be out there swimming, finally able to breathe knowing they are safe from one more year of the games. My sister will probably drag her husband to our family's house, and spend the night in our old shared bedroom. If it weren’t so hot out I'm sure all the windows would be closed shut, forcing the outside world to be as closed off as possible. My mother would be boiling mint on the broken down stove and preparing for a sleepless night.

What did I mean when I said I’d do everything I could? One of the first things they tell us in academy is that our actions on camera are extremely important. Once I heard that, I started to notice that the most well liked tribute every year is almost shaped into a character, someone that is relatable to the audience. What I don’t know is if that's something we decide now, or once we are with our mentors. I know without a doubt that I looked like a fool at the reaping, my lack of realization is surely going to make me look unaware to everyone who watches it. Is that something I can work with? I can’t remember if I’ve ever seen anyone play dumb before in the games I’ve studied. It doesn't matter because I didn't think to commit to it, I held my head high after and only faltered slightly when Bodies name was called.

I have never seen the tributes hug instead of shaking hands though, but that wasn’t part of my plan. I couldn’t do anything else once I saw the look in his eyes. That will definitely be on the replay, maybe even talked about by Caesar Flickerman and Claudius Templesmith for a while before moving onto District 5.

Although it’s a horrific thought, I might be able to use Bodie being my district partner to my advantage. It's disgusting, despicable even, but if I make it clear that I’m more prepared than Bodie, take him under my wing and train him, it would make both of us stand out, and show how capable I am. As much as it feels wrong, It’s not an awful plan. I’d be doing this all anyway, and I could get the two of us possible sponsor gifts while I’m at it. I hate the direction my thoughts have gone.

The heat in the room is becoming unbearable, the constant pacing I’m doing doesn’t help either, and after checking for the 3rd time, I’m completely sure these huge windows do not open. The walls feel like they're closing in on me. I think I’ve spent an eternity here, thinking about who I should be and how I will act, two things I’ve never put so much thought into, it usually comes to me easily. If I had been sat down last night and asked these questions, I might have been able to answer.

I’m Annie Cresta, the third child of Catriona and Kieran Cresta. I love my family and friends, helping people, watching my sister weave, my brother's wife and her piglets, being under the waves and hearing them crash above, diving deep and finding beautiful shells, my mothers face when I bring them home. I think I can be kind and outgoing, but I also like to be alone. My dad says I put a lot of effort into caring about the people around me. I know I do well in the literature parts of school, but poor in mathematics. This is true.

None of this seems important though, when I’m also trained to kill and survive the Hunger Games. Somehow I’ve overanalyzed and torn myself so far apart, I’m unsure how to put me back together. I spend a lot of time alone with my thoughts, but I’ve never been so destructive. I try to repeat the things I know about me in my head, but I don't have much time to decide what's true before I’m reminded that I’m in custody, and officially the property of the Capitol. I guess Annie will have to be a girl with a tear stained face and shy smile for now.

The peacekeeper opens the door and orders me to walk out, which I do gladly, the outside summer sun and heat seems infinitely better than the stuffy room that was slowly suffocating me. I’m led through a back exit, far from anywhere I’ve ever been before, and shuffled into a car. I’ve never been in one before, but I see them in footage from the Capitol all the time. I’ll admit, a car seems quite silly to me, one of my favorite things to do is walk around District 4, with the seagulls above and the waves crashing around me. I sit alone in the back for a few seconds until I’m joined by Bodie. His face is just as puffy and tear stricken as I imagine mine to be. His eyes are just as blue as they’ve always been, but he's no longer the 8 year old boy I imagine him as. He looks so tired and scared, and somehow, my heart aches more than it already was. I reach across the carseats, and pull him into a tight embrace, doing everything I can to comfort him.

“Annie.”

It's all he says but it's enough.

I can clearly hear the uncertainty in his voice, and it's like I can hear the thoughts plaguing his brain. His mother, how she’ll be all alone, if she’ll be able to afford life until he's back, if he comes back. The thought of Bodie never coming back reminds me he’s never trained, but no one could ever tell. He's got at least 7 inches of height on me, and although I’m not necessarily tall for a girl my age, he's one of the tallest people I know. Besides that, he's somewhat bulky, his years fishing have built up his muscle making his arms muscular and shoulders broad. He could easily pass as a training academy tribute, if we play that angle.

“I think we are headed to the train now, there's normally footage of this on the television right? Don’t cry Bodie, stand tall and strong, try and look tough when they’re filming us, trust me.”

I grab his hand and squeeze it firmly and make direct eye contact with him, something I’ve learned helps me get my way, although I’m sure he has no reason to object. He nods and I give him a pleased smile which makes him let out a breathy laugh.

“Did you forget that I know you quite well Annie? You don't need to intimidate me, I trust you.”

The car ride is short compared to the walk it would've been to get to the train station. Maybe a car would be nice for the treacherous hills that burn my calves. When we pull in, I can see the cameras and crew that await us at the entrance of our train, and squeeze Bodies hand one more time before plastering a smile on my face. Prisca emerges from the crowd and comes to collect us, her gloved hands lightly pushing my back. I'm glad I was already smiling, it makes it easier to hide the confusion I have for how she manages to wear the garments she chose in heat like this.

I act like I’m barely affected by the unusual amount of attention I’m getting, I even find myself waving and saying hello to people trying to get my attention. I wonder where they came from, and why they yell my name at me like that, but keep a pleasant smile on regardless. I think Bodie does great as well but I’m unsure, Prisca made him walk behind me, something about him covering me from the cameras on the left.

Once we enter the train, I’m immediately taken back by how luxurious the cart I’m in is. The floors are made of a deep blue plush carpet, much like the couch was in the justice building. Almost everything is accented in gold or silver, the walls are riddled with delicate swirls that look like a wave crashing. It takes a lot of effort to not let my mouth drop wide open, instead I keep my smile and look around. I’m very enthralled by the hanging lights that are somehow encased in crystal when Prisca pipes up, reminding me I’m not alone.

“You both may go to your rooms! I’ll call you for dinner, but if you’re feeling chatty before that we will all be in the second cart!”

She clasps her hands together and bounces away as she goes to speak to the crowd of people outside, not giving me enough time to ask how I’m supposed to know where my room is. I look at Bodie and almost begin laughing, until a Capitol attendant leads us both to our temporary rooms.

When we arrive at my room, I thank the man and he almost looks shocked. Once inside I examine what my small room holds: a large bed, dresser and closet, attached bathroom with a scary looking shower, and not much else. I decide that I should probably wash off, seeing as I’ve sweat more than enough today. Plus I’ve never used a real shower before. Back home we only have a bath, and the showers at the beach, but those hardly count, they only spray the cold seawater right back at you. I remove my dress and fold it, and then decide it should probably be hung, it’s nice enough to be reused or sold if it's returned to my family. I take the orange bow out of my hair and clip it on the neckline of the dress, but I keep my necklace around my neck. When Muriel sells her jewelry to the people at the market she always makes sure to include how they don't tarnish in water, unlike the beams of the peacekeeper towers that overlook the sea we fish in, as if anyone would look at her work and question its quality.

.

I press multiple wrong buttons on the shower before I finally figure out how to start the water. It's coming out of 4 spouts, and is almost freezing cold, but if I close my eyes I can pretend I’m standing in the showers on the beach. That is until I breathe in and smell the citrusy soap that I accidentally sprayed on the wall and acknowledge the lack of waves, but I still allow myself to live in the little fantasy for a while.

Once the freezing water begins to make my teeth chatter, I decide it's best I end my shower. The buttons and products are better labeled outside of the shower; I press one that instantly dries me off, and then use a balm that untangles my hair and makes it fully dry in under a minute. When I look in the mirror I’m actually quite impressed, my hair falls on my back silky smooth, the usual curl looking bouncier than normal.

The closet is full of brand new clothes, they all seem to be my size, but they are definitely not my style. I run my hands through the silky, freshly washed clothes and decide on a simple pair of pants and a shirt. There's no use in wearing anything cute, no cameras will see me until we arrive at the Capitol, and by then I should know what look I want to achieve. Maybe at dinner I’ll talk to my mentor about-

I didn't realize until right now that I completely spaced out when they announced this year's mentors. I think I was staring at the back of Eimears head wondering if she knew her hair band had broken. If I decide to play dumb, I really won't have to play at all. I roll my eyes at myself and consider going to Bodies room, or even the dining cart early, but ultimately I lay on the soft sheets of my bed and let them engulf me along with my thoughts.

Although I didn’t volunteer, maybe I can act like I was planning to since I’m already eighteen. It’ll make me look less scared, which will be of utmost importance when Bodie and I meet the tributes from Districts 1 and 2.

I know deep down I should keep strategizing, but my mind races quicker than the tide recedes, and I start to think about useless things to comfort myself. How many times could I press the buttons in the shower before the soap runs out? Where do they keep the laundry in a train like this? How will they get the sand from my shoes out of the thick carpet? I stare at the ceiling and drift away into my useless thoughts.

“Annie! It's Prisca!”

Her voice makes me jump halfway out of the bed. She knocks three times on my door, and then opens it immediately after before I’m able to let her in.

“Oh perfect you’ve showered! Dinner will be in ten minutes, I came early to tell you to change but it seems you already have! Goody!”

She claps her hands together and gawks at me like I’m a child just learning how to function, but it doesn't irk me, it only makes me giggle.

“Oh, you’re just precious! Don’t distract me with that smile Miss Cresta, I must inform Bodie of dinner as well!”

She bounces away and closes the door behind her, and I wonder why all her sentences sound like they're overly excited questions. I decide pretty quickly that while she’s unlike anyone I’ve met in 4, that doesn’t make me like her any less. Plus, I’m sincerely hoping her infatuation with me is because I’m interesting, not just the way she is with every tribute.

I sit down on the bed and braid and unbraid the longest strands of my hair until I decide just about ten minutes have passed. Somehow I make my way down the hall, through a few carts, and end up in the dining area. Bodie isn’t at the table yet, and Prisca is sitting down with only one of my two mentors. It’s Mags Flanagan, the oldest victor District 4 has.

“Hi, I’m Annie Cresta. I don’t think I’ve met you before, but my sister says you love her earrings she sells at the market.”

I extend my hand to shake hers, but she simply grabs mine and holds it gently in her aged palm. She’s one of the most respected people in District 4, I’ve heard she's the reason we bring home as many victors as we do.

“Mariel, right? With the blonde hair and big brown eyes and the tapestries?”

I can’t help but laugh at her mispronunciation of my sister's name, knowing that’s one of the things that drives her the most crazy.

“Muriel, yes! I barely have time to work at the stall with her, but I know she’s always buzzing with excitement on days she sees you.”

As I speak, a plate is placed in front of me, and then I allow myself to look at the array of food on the table. Different kinds of meat covered in colored sauces, fruits and vegetables I’ve never seen before, even drinks that have bubbles in them. I try to hide my shock, but sometimes I forget other people survive on a diet that's not mostly seafood.

“Oh! This is my favorite part! Annie, you can eat absolutely anything here! The Capitol has fine cuisine, you’ll see much more once we actually arrive. Believe it or not, this is the low quality stuff!”

She laughs, and I have to convince myself I’m not bothered at the way she's gawking at me, because I’m actually extremely excited to start trying all these foods. I just smile at her and begin with a piece of meat that's filled with a creamy purple sauce. It’s unlike anything I have ever eaten before, it has to be from a bird, but I’m having trouble figuring out which one. I’ve tried various meats besides fish before, and none of them were nearly as flavorful as this is.

Bodie joins us once I’ve tried most of the food, and I can't help but introduce him to it all, having second servings as I do. His reactions are just as entertaining to me as mine were to Prisca, and we both eat and laugh until we physically can't anymore. If the food weren’t so good, I could swear we were back home in District 4, I can see this in Bodies face as Priscas voice snaps us back to reality.

“Alright! They will be doing the replay of the reaping ceremonies in five minutes! Come come, let’s sit on the couch and watch! Leave your dishes!”

My stomach is as full as it’s ever been making the walk to the lounging area difficult. I sit on the couch next to Bodie while Prisca sits on an overly extravagant chair and turns up the volume of the television.

“There you are, I’ve made you a plate. Eat on the couch.”

I hear Mags behind me, and whip my head around to see Finnick Odair, only an hour late to dinner. The light circles forming under his eyes make him look tired, maybe he’d accidentally fallen asleep. It's perfect that he is our second mentor, he is the most recent victor and I know for a fact he’ll be able to help Bodie get all of the knowledge he needs about the games. When we make eye contact, his sea-green eyes look at me with recognition, and a slight smile that quickly turns into a smirk.

“I think I remember you, from training academy. Annie, right?”

“Well, that is the name they called me by at the reaping ceremony, isn’t it?”

My tone is playful, but Finnicks is one I can only describe as seductive. I can’t help but smile and hope the blush creeping onto my cheeks isn’t noticeable. Despite his demeanor, I know that he actually knows my name, and it actually feels like I'm joking with him the way we did as kids. I haven’t seen Finnick long enough to talk to him since his last days at the training academy. After his victory he obviously had no more need for it and when he moved to Victors Village he was no longer at the spots around town I’d always seen him at.

“Hmm. Suddenly Annie doesn't ring a bell. I’m sure you remember Finnick Odair though.”

Finnick ends his sentance with a wink and I figure his charming tone and newly signature smirk are something he’s adopted during his time as a victor. I roll my eyes at him and sit facing forward again, now facing towards the television. I’ve seen him like this on the television, maybe the women of the Capitol fall for it, but it does little for me, I prefer the fourteen year old boy I knew. Once the anthem of Panem begins, I take a deep breath while Bodie puts his hand on my knee to stop its bouncing.

Districts 1 and 2 produce their usual well fed, intimidating volunteer tributes. Particularly the boy from 1 is somewhat horrifying, not only does his size make him look years older than he actually is, his eagerness to be a tribute makes him seem especially bloodthirsty. The pair from 2 also seem to be acquainted, but not nearly as closely as Bodie and I. All together, the four of them seem to have their strategies down, I have not an ounce of doubt in their confidence and ability to win.

There's nothing special about the pair from 3, but when we get to 4 I hold my breath. I watch Prisca call my name and see my dumbfounded confusion. I don’t look as absentminded as I had thought, but anyone studying me will definitely notice. The hosts compliment the orange bow in my hair, saying that paired with the blue of the dress, it's sure to be the color palette of the summer. The bow just makes my heart ache as I think of my mother. I watch myself as I walk to the stage with my head high and my smile unwavering.

“You weren’t paying attention, were you?”

I jump at the volume of Finnick's voice, he’s now standing right next to me. He must have been extremely silent, I'm not sure how I was so unaware of his arrival. Was I even paying attention just now?

“If I’m being honest, I didn’t even know you were a mentor until you walked into this cart.”

I admit and shrug my shoulders. I don’t see the point in lying, if Finnick noticed my aloofness, I’m sure the other mentors and tributes have too. I’m sure they’ll keep track of how easily distracted I am and use it against me, and it won’t be hard considering how the back of a girl's head kept me entertained for half the reaping ceremony.

“Well you also didn't notice that I’ve been standing next to you for about five minutes.”

He shakes his head and laughs. I can’t argue with this, so I just shrug and continue watching the television. Maybe later on he’ll give me some tips on how to pay attention.

After the hosts are done talking about blue and orange, they show Prisca calling Bodies name. I can see his full reaction, and I’m relieved that he looks a lot more stoic than I originally thought. They cut to a shot of the two of us standing on stage, and I can’t lie, we look like an intimidating team, regardless of our emotional state. When they get to the end, they spend a while showing us hugging instead of shaking hands, discussing how it’s obvious District 4 has two tributes who know each other going in this year, and how they are just dying to see how this turns out. I turn to look at Bodie, he just stares at the television making a face I’ve never seen before.

It’s almost like when the children would tease him at school mixed with the face he made as he told me his father had died, but it’s not until his eyes meet mine that I am able to fully take in the disparity and disgust painting his face. Somehow seeing him like this hurts me more than what the hosts said.

“This is sick, I’m glad to know they’re dying to see our deaths.”

He scoffs, and although he says this under his breath, his words are venomous and laced with hatred. I figured one of his first thoughts would be how in the best scenario only one of us can make it out alive, but what I hadn’t realized was that he’d spent his time seething, not strategizing. I know that no words I say to him right now will put him at ease, so I pull him in a one sided hug and try to wipe my memory of the way he just looked at me before the feeling of dread swallows me whole.

By the time I'm watching the screen again, they are showing the tributes from District 7. I wasn’t fully paying attention until I saw the boy tribute can’t be any older than 13, and only has one hand. His partner is an older girl, and the way she looks at him makes me think she wants to protect him the same way I want to protect Bodie. I make a mental note to avoid them in the arena. The boy from 10 seems to have a chance but he trips on his way to the stage and the hosts laugh about that for a while. Districts 8,9,11, and 12 produce either young children, or kids that look as if they’ve never had a full meal in their lives.

Seeing these children with no chance is absolutely horrific, and knowing their odds against me feels even worse, but I will do whatever it takes for and I to survive, even if it ensures their deaths.

They never tell you at training that ‘quick’ and ‘logical’ thinking devoid of emotion will make you feel repulsed with yourself.

I’m able to let out a breath I wasn’t aware I was holding while Prisca shuts the television off and claps her hands together.

“Well! I think we will have a very entertaining game this year! We should arrive in the Capitol by tomorrow morning! I’ll be getting a good night's sleep, those cameras will still record you, even with bags under your eyes!”

She points to Finnick and then promptly exits the room. Bodie scoffs, but I can’t stop the giggle from escaping my lips, I’m starting to think she's always this bubbly and it's not just for the crowd. Mags bids us a goodnight as well, and soon it’s just me inbetween Finnick and Bodie, who’s looking at me with an eyebrow raised.

“I’m starting to think Prisca’s always that giddy no matter what. I know I've been bad at paying attention recently, but I honestly can't even imagine being as unaware as she is.”

This makes them laugh, and I see the ease slowly creep back into Bodies face. What I really want to ask is when do we start strategizing officially? I want to know how to act when we arrive tomorrow, and Finnick's opinion is one of the most important. But I refrain, not only for Bodies sake, but because there is no way for me to explain how I think we can work with the angle of how we know each other after his reaction to what the hosts said.

“Prisca is right! Wouldn’t want bags under our eyes on the way to the Hunger Games! Get some sleep Annie, you’re starting to look scary!”

Bodie attempts an impression of Prisca, and although hes being sarcastic it’s something I could imagine her saying. He gets up from the couch and tries to walk like her for a second before giving up and leaving the cart normally. It’s just Finnick and I in the cart now and once I’m sure Bodie is far enough away I ask what I’ve been wanting to the whole day.

“I know it seems like I wasn’t paying attention then, but I’ve been keeping track of everything. When do we start planning? Strategizing I mean, officially. I want to know how to act when we arrive tomorrow. I think we can really work with the angle of how we know each other. Because I want to be with Bodie the whole time, especially in the career pack, Bodie hasn't ever trained and-”

My voice cracks and I have to stop because tears are forming in my eyes. I quickly wipe them away, but when I look back in Finnicks green eyes, they are softer than I’ve ever seen them. He’s looking at me the way Muriel did when she said goodbye to me, like I’m a wounded and hopeless kitten, except it doesn’t make me feel that way. Somehow, I feel like he understands.

“How do I go into that arena with my best friend Finnick? I’m awful. I need him to be capable, not so he can win, so I dont have to die for him. He’s spent all day thinking about how awful this situation is and all I’ve done is think of how to make it work for us.”

I dont know what about Finnicks look made me trust him enough to say these things I barely even accepted I was feeling, but now my knees are to my chest and I’m sobbing. Maybe its because I know this conversation will stay between us, especially if I die within the next week. I go to stand up to leave the couch, embarrassed by my lack of composure, but Finnick places his hand on my shoulder and squeezes it. When I look at him again, he hesitates before he pulls me into a sidehug. Maybe my emotional spectrum is making him think I’ve gone mad since we last talked.

“You are not awful Annie. Don’t worry about any of that right now, you’re not evil for the way you’ve been feeling, and you’re right, the sooner we can strategize the better for you both. And about Bodie– You said he hasn’t trained before? He’s not as prepared for this emotionally as you are so of course he hasn’t started thinking from a players point of view yet. I think so far you’re doing great, and you have a point, the audience has already made notice of your friendship. He’ll benefit greatly from your expertise, and you will both benefit from being a team.”

I realize his voice lacks the charm he’d been speaking with earlier. These words come from the Finnick Odair I knew 5 years ago, the boy with a district 4 accent, not the Capitols darling who purrs just as posh as they do. It could be because we are alone, but I feel like he’s let his guard down with me. Even though he is one of my mentors, he did not have to genuinely comfort me, this is him treating me as a friend, not a tribute. By the way he continues to hug me like hes scared to touch me, I officially decide my random outburst has made him uncomfortable and try to fix it.

“I’m sorry. Thank you Finnick. I know you technically have to be helpful, but I appreciate it, even if I didn’t know you were my mentor until after dinner.”

He laughs and I can't help but notice his genuine smile, I decide I like it better then his smirk. I can’t help but blush at our proximity as I realize he truly has stayed just as sweet despite becoming quite handsome. Maybe this is how he gets all of his lovers in the Capitol, but that doesn’t seem right. They only show him as a smug man, who takes his lovers gifts and ditches them after one night, but the boy sitting in front of me seems too genuine for that. Half of District 4 would not believe me if I told them Finnick Odair held me as I cried, just out of the kindness of his heart, not for a lavish gift or an inexplicable amount of money.

“Technically, I just have to be here, I don’t really have to be helpful, but you’re lucky I like you Cresta. I have hope in you, especially if you can still throw knives like you did at thirteen years old.”

I feel the blush grow on my cheeks and feel silly. Although I used to be close friends with him, his statement of liking me gives me a feeling I can’t explain. Maybe it’s because of how genuine his words feel to me, like they are natural and take no effort for him to say, or because of how his sea green eyes stare into mine so thoughtfully, like he can see behind my eyes straight into my mind. I decide that if I win, I’ll put a lot of effort into making people see Finnick for who he really is. I’d also like to spend as much time looking into his eyes as possible, but nobody has to know that.

“I’d like to think I am. Maybe even a little bit more talented at throwing a spear, a couple of inches taller too. It’s weird because you look the same as you did at fourteen to me though?”

He gasps, feigning shock, then immediately stands and flexes his muscular arms and I can’t help but laugh. He throws on his smirk again, and shows off his growth in various ways, at one point even rubbing his hands over an obviously bare chin as if theres a beard.

“Go to bed boy, enough of that.”

Mags waddles into the cart, her bathrobe drags on the floor as she approaches the hot tea. Finnick puts his hand up to salute while her back is to us, but as soon as she turns he immediately puts his hand down.

“Yes ma'am! I mean Mags! We’ll go to bed now, sorry.”

His sentence starts with a cocky tone, but when she gives him an unamused face, he backs down. I try to contain my laughter at how he just acted, just like Muriel did when she’d try to get Skip in trouble not knowing my parents would just make them both do chores.

“She really put you in your place, huh?”

I whisper as we rush down to the cart where my bedroom is located. Finnick doesn't respond until we reach my door.

“Yeah she does that. She’s more like my mother than a colleague honestly.”

He wears a small smile, but I can see the pain he hides behind his eyes. I’d forgotten about his mothers passing, she was a lovely woman who raised Finnick on her own after her husband's death. Just like Bodies mom.

I walk into my room as he leans on the doorway. We just look at each other, and somehow it isn’t awkward, I feel like I’m examining him in a way I never have before, not recently at least. There is something so complex about him, the way he goes between his Capitol persona and real personality. I know it's important to act for sponsors, but this seems to go above and beyond that. I haven’t found an explanation for why he dates Capitol women, or acts so smug in front of Prisca, but it doesnt matter when he’s in front of me with guard down.

It’s like he snaps back to reality, he stands up straighter and takes his hand off the door frame.

“Sorry Annie, you should get to sleep. Prisca will wake you up for breakfast tomorrow. Goodnight.”

I barely have a chance to respond before he closes the door, leaving me alone. I’m glad Finnick is one of my mentors, I don’t think I could be in a better position. We’ll be able to come up with a way to get Bodie and I as far as possible.

As I begin to get ready for bed, the questions I’ve been ignoring become too loud to suppress. What would I do if it's Bodie and I in the final two? What would I do if Bodie tried to kill me? The worst thought is what would I do if I killed Bodie. I immediately hit my palm to my head hoping it will bring some sense to me.

I need to remain rational and composed, I can’t be thinking of these things now, not anytime before they happen. All I have to focus on is getting Bodie through training, into the career pack, and past the blood bath. We’ll have to separate at some point and there is no way for me to know when right now, when we haven't even arrived in the Capitol yet.

I’ve always been able to spend so much time caught up in my mind, especially on nights when sleep doesn't come to me easily. Normally the thoughts that keep me awake are harmless. If tomorrow will be hot, if they’ll continue the extended fishing quota, if my mother will make me run errands for her. I don't mind those thoughts, they don’t make me wish for silence. They’re nothing like my thoughts now about the inevitable death of my friend for my survival.

As I lay in the bed, I realize I’m starting to dislike being left alone. What comforted me just this morning suddenly leaves me spiraling and I’m horrified accept it, but, I think I have a new answer to my question from earlier in the justice building.

Who am I?

I’m Annie Cresta, a girl who would use her best friend being reaped to her advantage. This is true.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

thank you for reading!! i hope you guys enjoyed this long chapter, if you have any feedback/ thoughts message me or leave a comment because i’m open to ideas and criticisms!! i literally have no clue what im doing i just have an idea of annie as a career and a dream ngl. i also uploaded this on ao3, my user there is the same as here :)))

[shokiren]

chapter 1: my neighbour is kinda...

previous || masterlist || next

note: hi everyone <33 here i present to youuu, the first chapter of "the girl next door"!! i hope you like my poor attempt at being funny 😋 do tell me who your favourite character is!! i'd love to know <33 i personally like azra alot!!!! its not the best but it is my first smau so give me a pass here lmao, hopefully the next part will be a written portion!!

taglist: @celestair, @avid-idiot, @91ed0

[shokiren]

the girl next door DISCONTINUED.

summary: isagi yoichi, a new star in the making– moves into a humble apartment overlooking quite the scenery. he's quite satisfied with all the necessities and training grounds available within twenty minutes– and even more so because of you– his pretty neighbor.

genre: modern/college au, fluff, crack (kind of?? if i'm funny enough)

notes: hi loves <3 how are you? i'm so sorry for being so offline, just can't help it, i had my exams. buuuuttttttt i'm back <3 w/ this isagi series <3

introducing... the lovesick bitches their profiles || the supa strikas their profiles

✩ → TABLE OF CONTENTS

chapter 1: my neighbour is kinda... chapter 2: someone's got a crush!

[shokiren]

introducing.. the supa strikas!

bachira ! – 20 years old and an exercise science major. he is isagi’s best mate– and kind of the life of the party. isagi and bachira met in the first year of college while playing football on opposing teams, and they soon became best friends. bachira likes to make silly vlogs for his small channel– not for getting popular, just for the “memories”. he’s a sweetheart.

rin ! – 19 years old and an physiology major. he was kind of forced into the friend group– he seems to be bothered by it, but he isn’t– he would rather eat worms than admit this, but he likes being around his ‘friends’. rin’s only hobby is to play football– one other thing he likes is, horror movies. all his friends never let him choose a movie because they are never able to sleep after they watch it.

chigiri ! – 21 years old and psychology major. chigiri is the brutal friend– he has brutal opinions but they always prove useful. and he gives very good advice for relationships for a guy who's never been in one himself. he likes to be cliche and spend his time on the campus cafe– which was made by a bunch of students because they thought the cafeteria was super-duper expensive.

shido ! – 20 years old and a marketing major. shido is feral, no doubt– rin despises him and chigiri thinks shido is weird (affectionately), the only person who accepts shido as he is, is of course, bachira meguru. if you don’t have shido present at your party, i’m sorry to inform you– it’s a total fail and nobody likes it. shido does streaming on weekends just for fun and plays bad horror games and still somehow manages to scream like a six year old girl. he’s also quite the womanizer.

nagi ! – 19 years old and a business communications major. nagi might just’ve been the sane one in the group if he didn’t send memes to each and every message on the group. he also streams and collabs with shido alot– though he's not really fond of it because of shido's unnecessary screaming and rage. he just leaves the game and joins a chill open-world game and talks to his fans.

reo ! – 20 years old and a business major (you already guessed it). definitely not sane, gets mad when someone says something incorrect or just wrong and would fight them. he likes to sugarcoat his brutal opinions– but you'd be hurt by them either way. he likes to buy lunch for his friends but his red flag is that he will always get a better (and expensive) lunch than them, but they just stay quiet since they enjoy the free food.

taglist : @celestair

[shokiren]

introducing.. the lovesick bitches!

aster ! – 21 years old and a fashion studies major. she's been (y/n)'s friend for around two years– making them very close friends! she's been dev's model for his practice ever since (y/n) introduced the two of them to each other. she isn't afraid to voice her thoughts, and openly criticise you (though she will say, "affectionately bc no one can degrade you <3")

azra ! – 22 years old and an aerospace engineering major. he's been friends with (y/n) for an year and a half! he's the typical burnt-out college student but manages to get through– he has a meme account on instagram on which he has 10k followers! he's brutal with his opinions but they always come off as useful even if you wouldn't admit it.

dev ! – 19 years old and a fashion photography major. he's been friends with (y/n) and aster for 2 years– they all met in the over-expensive cafeteria of their college. he's doing an internship at a prestigious fashion company. he's usually quiet, but really energetic when it comes to parties and planning– also very brutally, states his opinion.

xyn ! – 21 years old and a cinematography major. she’s been friends with the group for one year and a half (same as azra)! she is an intern at a small but developing company. She’s quite busy almost all the time because of “work calls” and basketball. she’s like the mother of the group– but a chaotic mother. she does have a lot of relationship problems, by the way.

taglist : @celestair