#alma writes

[alma-draws]

What can go through the green glass door?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43344478

Imprisoned and stripped of his power, Morred finds himself tormented and taunted by the very dreams he once controlled.

Genre: genfic, horror

Warnings: drowning, psychological horror, graphic body horror, self-harm

[asoftepiloguemylove]

THERE'S ALWAYS MORE // ON HEALING

Mandy Hale // 小年的你 Better Days (2019) dir. Derek Tsang // Molly McCully Brown "Poetry, Patience, and Prayer" from Places I've Taken My Body // B.N Pressman Stories of My Childhood // Karin Hadadan Little Moments of Joy That are Actually Big Things // Aftersun (2022) dir. Charlotte Wells // unknown // Patrick Ness More Than This // unknown // Honey Boy (2019) dir. Alma Har'el

[deerspherestudios]

Hi!

Question about Alma, what was they favorite food? Or they favorite flavors when she was still alive, I would like to know

(✿︡❛ ᵜ❛︠) bye~

I've answered before they're a major snack food junkie, so they pretty much go for anything sweet and salty. I think their most favorite would be popcorn and chocolate-dipped churros! Especially if it's homemade.

[mournfulroses]

Linda Gregg, from a poem titled "Alma In All Seasons," featured in Too Bright to See: Poems

[theriverdraws]

I know this movie is recent-ish, but the lack of an Encanto series is still crazy to me.

Like, it doesn't even need crazy magical lore, it can be episodic, it's so simple:

Family dynamics not seen in the movie

Why doesn't Mirabel have a gift (theory of her being the next matriarch being the most obvious one)

Seeing the other rooms

Bruno's new interactions with the townspeople and the family

FERAL ISABELA!!!

Dolores and Mariano

Unexplored trauma with Dolores and Camilo, GET THEM THEIR SOLO SONGS!!!!

The dads' sides of the family

Abuela Alma trying to do better

Childhoods of the triplets

On that same note, how the couples met each other.

More on Alma and Pedro. Etc

And if you wanted new stuff, HAVE THEM OPEN THE ENCANTO TO LET MORE PEOPLE IN, new technology that Encanto doesn't have access to, new ideas and cultures - it can even bring drama if the new people try to do bad things and the family goes all x-men on them.

It's so many possibilities that if they never do it it's a damn shame.

[nomazee]

hiii! congrats on 1k! may i pls have alma from gokurakugai w friends, amusement park n 22:22?

this was so cute i loved this prompt. THANK YOU SO MUCH!! hope u enjoy :*

my 1k event!

—°+..｡ﾟ｡ﾟ+.*.｡.—

Alma's hand is warm, almost too warm against yours. His fingers are intertwined with yours, scratchy and calloused. The summer heat has gotten to the both of you, and you hope that the sweat collecting in your palm doesn't bother him as he drags you around the park.

It's late, and the sun went down a few hours ago, but the heat of it still lingers on your skin. Your feet are aching and you think if you walk around for any longer, your legs will crumple underneath you like paper. But Alma's so—warm, and kind, and he looks back at you with this stupid beaming smile as he leads you around all the corny games and rides. Your stomach is still swirling from the last rollercoaster you went on, and your pockets are very light from the sheer volume of money you’ve lost to ball-toss games. 

"There's— oh! They're selling takoyaki over there," he points out, attention moving rapidly from you to the food stands to the crowds of people around you. "You know, we tried making takoyaki ourselves once, at the agency with everyone, and it was pretty good! I wish you were there for that."

Wish. He wishes you were there. There's a stirring in your chest at the thought of being wanted by a friend.

Unfortunately, the sight of the long, winding line in front of the takoyaki stand mixed with the darkening sky reminds you that you do have responsibilities. Like the math homework due tomorrow that you've neglected for the whole week, and the dreadful bus that you have to catch at seven tomorrow in order to even make it to school on time.

"Alma," you call for him, and he whips his head back to look at you. His smile falters. Your expression must give you away, then—the guilt, the frustration, the ache.

"I have school tomorrow," you explain with nothing short of dismay in your voice, "It's— it's pretty late right now. I have to go. I'm so sorry, it was really fun, seriously—"

"Hey!" he cuts in, already grinning again and pulling you close to him with the hand still wrapped in yours. "It’s seriously fine! I did keep you out pretty late, huh. I didn't even notice."

And he looks around—at the people still walking and wandering and having fun, and your heart sinks. You're a buzzkill, and you know that, but you're already failing a class and you can't risk missing any more days of school. Alma—you don't think he really gets it, and that makes it worse. In the grand scheme of things, you don't know too much about Alma—how he works—but you know that he doesn't go to school the way that you do. Every time you've hung out on a weekday, it's been cut short by a call from home or your own consciousness screaming at you to get back and do your work before you flunk out.

"I really am sorry," your hand squeezes around him, breath stuttering in anticipation as you mentally beg him to squeeze back, just to signal that he's not so upset about this. "I would— I would stay out for longer, but… Alma, really. I’m sorry.”

“You apologize way too much,” he says, earnest and honest and still smiling the way he always does at you, with something warm between his lips. “Hey, um, can we go on one last ride? I’ll pay for your ticket. The— the ferris wheel?” 

He’s so stupid, and it’s corny and cheesy and ridiculous, but you see the heat of hope on the apples of his cheeks and his eyes dart around from yours to the flickering lights behind you. Your lungs squeeze, and so does your hand around his. You’re a weak person, too weak against Alma and the fond feeling in your chest. You relent easily. 

“Okay,” you agree, lips curling in giddiness and wonder. Alma laughs a little bit, breathy and relieved, and promises to take you home after this one last ride, and you can’t find it in yourself to feel guilty when you get home late, math homework untouched, responsibilities replaced by the fluttering in your stomach.

—°+..｡ﾟ｡ﾟ+.*.｡.—

fill out my event taglist (pinned) to be tagged in works for this event!

[tooweirdtobehuman]

Decidiste irte en mi momento más vulnerable, es aquí dónde no se suelta, no se abandona y aún así ¿Por qué te extraño tanto?

[socialprawn]

Just rly happy w these two weirdos its been so much fun writing and drawing for them 😔🙏

[rebouks]

She knew-.. Robin was sure of it.

Despite her warmth, he’d always been slightly unnerved by aunt Alma’s presence; there was something odd about her that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Some people were harder to read than others, like Alex, but it was still possible.

Alma’s mind was like an impenetrable vault in comparison. Any attempts to feel or hear anything she did were met with a metaphorical brick wall, leaving him reeling as though he’d collided with it head first-.. but not tonight. Tonight, Alma was like an open book, and Robin was convinced she was doing it on purpose.

She’d told him all about her struggles as a child; how she didn’t fit in, how people teased her for being too sensitive, how hard it was to figure out who she was amongst the clamour of everyone else’s inner most image of themselves-.. all the while allowing him unlimited access to those very memories, like a handpicked blooper reel, just for him. Of course, that wasn’t the case though.. was it?

Alma had stopped talking now, but Robin still wasn’t sure how to react. He sat in silence instead, staring at nothing in particular for far longer than what could be considered normal.

“Can you hear me?” he thought, deciding to try a little experiment.

Nothing. Okay, so she couldn’t read his mind-.. then what the heck was she getting at? How had she so succinctly summed up his entire existence in less than fifteen minutes?

“I would’ve liked somewhere as quiet as this when I was young, it’s a shame we didn’t have an attic…” Alma offered, clearly trying to relate to Robin’s situation in any way she could. He still wasn’t entirely sure why, but she clearly wanted to help, and Robin didn’t know anyone else who understood him as well as she did, so perhaps he ought to let her try. He finally abandoned his switch and cautiously joined her atop his favourite, motheaten couch.

“What’re you getting at?” he said bluntly, curiosity getting the better of his manners. Alma chuckled softly, “You’re just like your father.” “It’s genetics, apparently…” Robin let loose a brief grin, glad to be compared to Oscar.

“I don’t know how exactly, but you’re different, Robin-.. and I thought it high time you knew you weren’t alone, and that we can’t let these things get the best of us.” Alma smiled softly as she spoke, but Robin was still too wary to be completely transparent. “We?” he asked, dubiously. “We’re few and far between, but you’re certainly not the only one who’s a little.. special, shall we say? That’s better than different, maybe?” Alma suggested.

Robin hummed thoughtfully, shaking his head, “Special is just another word for different, or weird.” Alma scoffed playfully, “And what’s wrong with being weird? I’m weird-.. we’re all a bit weird!”

“How’re you weird?” Robin asked, squinting at Alma accusingly. “Well, I can sense things I certainly shouldn’t be able to.” Alma started, excited to be getting somewhere. “Emotions radiate from people like a space heater-.. they’re not always pleasant, of course, but I can soak them up if I want to.”

Robin blinked, “Only if you want to..?” “Uh-huh.” Alma nodded. “You can block it out?!” Robin spluttered, suddenly and completely forgetting to maintain his ignorance before swiftly correcting himself. “I mean-.. it sounds like you can pick and choose, right?”

Alma nodded once more, “It wasn’t easy, but I spent a lot of years practicing.” “Years?” Robin sounded crestfallen. “I didn’t have a mentor…” Alma winked.

Robin allowed himself to smirk, figuring he might as well drop at least part of the act at this point. He was still a little nervous about being approached about such things so brazenly, but at least he knew why Alma perturbed him so much now, she was blocking him out on purpose-.. and she couldn’t read his mind either, which was always a plus.

The last thing he wanted was for anyone to know that he possessed that particular ability. Who’d want to hang out with someone who could access their inner most thoughts, the one’s they’d never dream of saying out loud? He shuddered involuntarily, hoping he’d never meet anyone that could read his.

Clementine finally nudged Robin, dragging him back to the present with her ghostly touch. “She looked right at me just then-.. she smiled! Did you see?” Robin spun around, realising that Alma had almost begun her descent. He must’ve missed her goodbye. “Wait!”

Alma paused expectantly, causing Robin to second guess himself and retreat into silence. “I won’t be far, sweetheart-.. whenever you’re ready.” Robin shivered as Clementine poked him again, “She can definitely see me…” “Can you, uh-…”

“See the ghost poking you?” Alma giggled, sounding far younger than she was. The vault doors had snapped shut again by now, but Robin got the impression that aunt Alma was just as excited as he was to find someone else who was weird. “Can you hear her?”

“Maybe-.. though I’m quite sure she hasn’t said anything yet.” Alma peered at Clementine expectantly. “Hey!” Clementine exclaimed as Robin tried to shove her into action, his hand ending up halfway through her waist instead.

“What? It’s not like you can feel it.” Robin snorted. Alma laughed heartily, thoroughly amused. “Well, I heard that-.. you two are good friends, huh?”

Robin nodded slightly, releasing a breath he hadn’t realised he was holding. “I thought I was the only one who could see her-.. that maybe I was going insane…” “Far from it, honey! You hit me up whenever you feel like it, okay?”

Previous // Next

[cerise-on-top]

I was the one to ask for the mortician ask and I loved it! I’m in school to become one and I just thought it would be fun since the job isn’t talked about much! So I have another request, how do you think Valeria, Laswell, Rudy, Alejandro whould act when they get jealous and/or their s/o is getting hit on? Thanks!!!!

-🍒

Hello! I'm glad you liked it! Becoming a mortician definitely sounds like a lot of work, but I'm wishing you lots of luck! May your future job be very fulfilling for you! Thank you for another request, this one was also pretty fun to do, but then again, I'm just glad I get to write for the characters people don't always write for! Especially the girls!

Alejandro, Rodolfo, Valeria and Laswell When Jealous

Alejandro: Although he knows you’re loyal and would never cheat on him, something does make his blood boil as soon as he sees someone else getting a bit too friendly with you. You’re his and his only, that’s something just about anyone crossing him will come to understand eventually. While he does not want the whole world to know you’re together, he thinks there’s nothing wrong with showing people such when he feels potentially threatened. Walks up to you, uses the most embarrassing nicknames on you and slings an arm around you. Although he usually gets over it fairly quickly, forgetting about the perpetrator as soon as they leave you alone, from time to time, when he’s had a rough day, he might hold a grudge for just a tad bit longer. Even when you’re home, he’ll be a bit more clingy than usual, always has his hands on you whenever he can. The only real reason he can think of where he doesn’t need to feel your attention on him might be when you’re using the bathroom, but other than that, you’re gonna have to deal with him. If you don’t like being touched then he’ll just be standing next to you. Any excuse to spend as much time with you as possible. You’ll get a lot more I love yous out of him, and he does want you to say them back. Alejandro is by no means an insecure person, especially not when it comes to your relationship, but it’s still nice to hear that your loved one won’t leave you for some douchebag you met in the boondocks. Reassure him still, even without being prompted to, and he’ll calm down eventually, releasing you from his grasp. You can tease him about being jealous, but, in the heat of the moment, he might be a little bit mean. He won’t lash out, but might raise his voice for a word or two before lowering it again. Give him some calming touches and spend some time with him alone and he’ll go back to being his usual self in no time, though.

Rodolfo: As soon as he sees someone flirting with you, it can go either of two ways: He’ll either stand next to you and join the conversation, making it quietly known that you’re taken, or he’ll watch for a moment, giving the perpetrator mean glares where they can see him until he thinks the conversation is taking a turn for the worse and will tell the person off. He may not be the tallest, most intimidating man if we go by looks alone, but he’s a sergeant major, he can hold his own and be scary if he needs to be. Rudy gets a bit broody once he’s properly jealous and will stay that way for some time. He gets over it on his own too, don’t worry, but it will take significantly longer if you leave him alone. He won’t mind, but he will appreciate it if you actually approach him, maybe have a chat with him about something while you’re at it. He goes quiet, fully aware he’s jealous and the fact that it’s over essentially nothing. Like Alejandro, he trusts you enough to know you’d never even consider someone that wasn’t him as long as you were together, but still. Sometimes he avoids you because he’s being childish, other times he’ll just stand next to you and try to garner your attention that way. Once you’re alone, he just wants you for himself and will try to strike up a conversation with you about anything he can think of. The more effort you put into trying to keep that conversation going, the quicker he’ll recover. Rudy isn’t a very physically affectionate person normally, but he’ll hint at how you should give him a hug and maybe a kiss too. Since he loves physical affection from the ones he’s close with, it’s a surefire way to calm him down more quickly. Put his face in between your hands, put your foreheads together, tell him how much you love him and how he’s the only one for you and you’ll get yourself a smiley, softer guy. Works like a charm.

Valeria: Not at all one for PDA, but not above telling someone to fuck off either in her usual way. Will also make death threats at the person flirting with you. If she sees you’re uncomfortable with the unwanted attention then she’ll send their remains to their family in a cardboard box. If Valeria wasn’t so scary when mad, it would be kind of funny how pissy she gets when jealous. While she knows very well that you won’t leave her, she absolutely loathes any and all competition there might be. Yes, she won’t sling her arm around you in public, yes, she will shoot anyone who looks at you a certain way for longer than two seconds. As mentioned before, she becomes cranky when jealous, but will also just seek you out. Your attention is for her to enjoy, and you’ll give it to her. If she sees you’re scared she’ll try to tone it down a little bit, but her discomfort will be made known to you. What do you even think of such lowlife? Disgusting creatures that are worth nothing, Valeria is a much better match for you in any regard. Can and absolutely will talk your ear off. Not very insecure either, but insects should stay away from you, in her humble and honest opinion. Behind closed doors you can be a bit more physically affectionate with her, drape yourself over her and use her lap like a throne, singing her praise. This is among the few times where she won’t mind too much physical affection. The more the better, the more you adore her the more easily she’ll return to being her usual, mocking self. When she’s jealous she won’t mock you, she’ll mock whoever made her jealous and be so incredibly mean about it, it’s honestly a bit concerning. However, you get to hear her use more Spanish words to better articulate what she means. Just smile and nod, even if you don’t exactly know what she’s talking about, she appreciates you listening. Agreeing with her is also a good way of calming her down, as well as ensuring that person might live to see another day.

Laswell: Although she’s not a big fan of PDA either, when she can feel the anger bubble up inside of her, she’ll actually put a hand on your shoulder or grab your wrist. Just small gestures that show you’re close with her. Might drag you away if she genuinely does not like that person. But if she’s just jealous because you’re not talking to her, which, granted, barely ever happens, then she’ll just watch the conversation unfold for a bit before butting in. If you weren’t enjoying yourself in the first place, you can count on her to get you away from the creep. If you were having fun, then you can just talk it out like adults, she prefers it that way too, actually. When she’s properly jealous she’ll withdraw herself. While she might not actively avoid you, she tries not to get in your way. Being jealous over essentially nothing is childish, and she’s an older woman, so she really has no reason to act that way. Might become a bit more passive aggressive towards you, but she really means nothing by it. But for that to happen she needs to be extremely ticked off and jealous, otherwise she’ll just keep her usual cool. In her case, since she, in general, isn’t a big fan of too much physical affection, being overly physically affectionate with her might just annoy her some more. Show her your affection through the smaller things, such as baking her a pie or just trying to engage in conversation with her. Even though she’ll love it when you simply sit next to her in silence as well. You want to spend time with her instead of other people, she can recognise that. Laswell appreciates that tremendously. You can also just give her some chocolate if you want to make her feel better. Doesn’t even need to be anything big or fancy, but some pralines definitely wouldn’t hurt. Overall she’s just glad you’d rather spend time with her than some stranger who could never treat you as well as she treats you. You both recognise that, you can both work from there, and you can both be calmer and happier knowing that.

[alma-fragmentada]

Y si mi corazón sigue siendo tuyo.

¿A quien se lo doy?

si a quien le pertenece ya no está.

[hashimablog]

La importancia.

[stayevildarling]

American Horror Story Masterlist:

Multiple Characters/Poly Relationships:

Cordelia Goode x Wilhemina Venable x Billie Dean Howard x Reader:

Slurred Secrets

Basement Blues

Crimson Shadows

Someday I‘ll get it ✩

As the gods will

Born to die

Closure

In the name of Love

A silence so loud

Confessions in the dark ✩ Part 2

It's not like the movies ✩

Exile

Arms of an angel ✩

All is well ✩

Let her go ✩

Glimpse of us

Our years together

Tag you're it ✩

Breathe Sweetheart ✩

Do I wanna know? ✩

Falling ✩

Black Friday ✩

Everything works out in the end ✩

Cordelia Goode x Billie Dean Howard x Reader:

Angels like you ✩

Cordelia Goode x Wilhemina Venable x Reader:

Echos of Pain

Never alone

I miss you, I'm sorry

Hold on ✩

Tender

Calm after the storm (without reader)

Wilhemina Venable x Sally McKenna x Reader:

A little help - Pt 1, Pt 2, Pt 3, Pt 4, Pt 5, Pt 6, Pt7, Pt 8 ✩

other fandoms:

You're gonna go far Wanda Maximoff x Cordelia x Reader ✩

I'll crawl home to them Zelda Spellman x Cordelia x Reader

One too many secrets Natasha Romanoff x Wanda Maximoff x Cordelia x Reader

It all fell down Natasha Romanoff x Wanda Maximoff x Cordelia x Reader

Burying our memories x Wilhemina x Regina Mills Part 2

A common matter x Cordelia x Zelda Spellmann x Alma Peregrine x Reader

Sick x Mildred Ratched x Gwendolyn Briggs x Reader

Dragon meets purple x Wilhemina x Miranda Priestly x Reader- Pt1, Pt2, Pt3, Pt4, Pt5, Pt6

✩ = mental health, ✾ = smut, ❆ = no happy ending

[scherzokinn]

Btw I'm serious when I say Sarek has a human fetish. This is how those with a fetish for a certain group of people act. Sarek being disgusted by Spock's human side while also marrying human wives is 100% because of a fetish. Sarek is just the Star Trek version of Alma Mahler.

[friendship-ditch]

Katniss x reader where r is coins daughter?

Anywhere

(Katniss Everdeen x Fem Reader) ❀

Summary: Being the daughter of President Coin herself, you have a bit more freedom than others to do what you want. And after meeting District 13's newcomer, Katniss Everdeen, you use that freedom to make her feel at home.

Warnings/Notes: None! Also, I loved this request, thanks for sending it!

Word Count: 3240

  “Then you should’ve saved Peeta.”

  You heard the unfamiliar, angry voice from far down the hall, echoing off the metallic walls.  It was cut off by someone else speaking, and then the sound of a door slamming open.

  Right when you reached the end of the hall, you collided with her.

  She smacked into you and then jumped back, clearly just as startled as you were.  She wasn’t from around here, that was for sure.  

  Her District 13 attire was new and hung loosely from her thin, underfed body.  Her dark hair was borderline out of control and she had this distinct smell of forests and nature that you’d never known below ground. 

  She stared at you through eyes that were a grayish blue, teary, and hollow in a way, then she stalked off in the direction of the elevator.  Boggs hurried out of the room on her trail seconds afterward.

  Once they’d both disappeared down the hallway, you waited a moment and then stepped into the meeting room.  

  You saw Beetee off to the side, thinking over his own problems in his intelligent mind, and on the other side of the table were the man you’d come to know as Plutarch, and President Coin, who you would usually just call ‘Mom.’

  “Who was that?”  You asked, casting a side glance to the doorway and reimagining that girl.  

  “That–that was Katniss Everdeen.”  Plutarch responded as he stood up.  “Our Mockingjay.”

  “She is not fit to be the Mockingjay,” snapped Coin as she turned in her chair to face you.  She gave you a soft smile that didn’t meet her eyes and then looked over her shoulder at Plutarch.  “That girl is broken.  She does not feel at home here.  She has nobody.  She’s been destroyed by the games.”

  You watched the two converse quietly.  This had happened a lot in the past few days, you hadn’t seen this much activity down here in ages.  Your mother, of course, denied letting you help, but Plutarch seemed to notice your willingness as he suddenly looked at you.

  “Then let's make her feel at home.”  He said, meeting your eyes with a smile.  “Y/n?”

  You blinked in surprise.  “You want me to be her friend?”

  “No.”  Coin interrupted before any sort of plan could be made.  “Y/n, I appreciate your willingness to help, but it’s not necessary.  Katniss Everdeen, as brave as she may have been before, is a fire burnt out.  We will find somebody capable to take the job.”

  You scowled.  

  There were two sides to your mother; the kind, caring and gentle one that you’d come to know best as had the District, and the super controlling one that grew bitter when things spiraled in a direction that was not hers.  You were the only thing that could roam wild without much more than a sigh, and you used that to your advantage, often.

  “She’s my age.”  You sat on the edge of the table.  “I could be her friend, then maybe she’d trust us more.”  You’d heard of Katniss, heard of what she’d done, and seen her multiple times on the TV, you just couldn’t recognize her now.  But now that the idea was in your head… you wanted to get to know her.  “You can’t just give up on her.”

  “Your daughter is right, Madam President.”  Plutarch flashed you a quick smile.  “Katniss has built too many walls and her fire has no oxygen, we just need somebody to break them down, then we can reignite her.”

  You silently rolled your eyes at the amount of analogies being used but turned to your mother with insistent eyes, silently begging her to agree.  You could use a new friend, and it sure looked like Katniss could too.

  Coin looked between the two of you with narrowed eyes, and then she heaved that heavy sigh that usually meant she had no choice but to agree.  

  “Okay.”  She said slowly, reaching to grab your hand.  “You’ll only have a few days, at least to convince her to work with us.  We’re running out of time.”

  “Don’t worry about it.”  You assured her with a big grin.  “How hard could it be?”

  Coin just squeezed your hand and nodded with a tentative expression.

  You found out a few hours later that it was much harder than you thought, even just to find this Katniss.  She was elusive, as if she didn’t exist at all.  

  You eventually resorted to finding Primrose, her sister, who told you where she’d be: her living quarters.  She hardly ever left them unless dragged out.

  “Hello?”  You peered into the room, scanning for some sort of dark shape, a body sunken into rough gray clothing, a face hidden behind untamed hair.  When you finally saw her sitting in the corner, it was as if your heart skipped a beat.

  Katniss stared at you like a cornered stray, nose wrinkled and eyes narrowed.  She didn’t speak or move, almost like a rock.

  “I’m uh, I’m Y/n.”  You stammered.  Had this been a mistake?  You were too far in to back down now.  “You’re Katniss, right?”

  The rock of a girl stared back at you.  “What does it matter?”  Her voice was grave, grumpy.  Adjusting to District 13 wasn’t very easy for anyone from the surface but she was clearly struggling harder than most.

  “I’m your…” you bit your lip, thinking of something to say, “tour guide.  Yeah, your tour guide, of District 13.  Formally sent by President Coin herself.”

  The lie, as stupid as it was, seemed to intrigue her ever so slightly as she sat up a little straighter.

  “What?”

  Okay, maybe she wasn’t that accepting of the idea yet.

  “They figured that if you got to know the place a little bit better, you could maybe feel more at home here.”  You explained, finally stepping fully into the room.  “Boggs was going to do it, but they thought maybe if I, someone your age, did, you’d feel better.”

  “Nothing will make me feel better.  And nothing will make this feel like home.”  Katniss muttered with a heavy sigh.  

  She seemed to regret the bitterness of her words though as she turned to look at you once more, her tone softer.  “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s alright.”  You shrugged.  Back still pressed into the wall, you took a step closer to her.  “I’d.. probably be the same way if I was in your situation.  I understand that District 13 is not the coziest place in the world, but once you get used to it, it’s not too bad.”

  “Do you ever see the sun?”  Katniss stiffly stood up as if her body really was made of rocks.

  You paused.  “I do, a lot more than the others do.”  

  Sneaking up to the surface was a forbidden practice but you’d found a way up and didn’t tell anyone else.  It’s not like your mother would care anyway, she was often too busy to inflict any punishments on you.

  “But sometimes we go up in big groups, when the weather is nice.”  You add.  “We’re not complete cave dwellers.  Of course, there are some that are scared of the surface, but it’s not taboo.”

  Katniss slowly approached you now.  She towered over you by a few inches but her stature was uneasy.  “They seem very strict down here.”

  “They are.”  You shrugged and opened the door for her.  “But, you’re special, so that doesn’t matter.”

  “Special?”  She followed you into the hallway.  “I’m not special… if anything, I'm taking up more space.”

  This drew a spurt of laughter from your lips and a surprised expression on her face.

  “You’re like a legend down here.”  You chuckled.  “Most citizens will probably ignore you, but everybody knows who you are.  And then there are people like Plutarch and my mom who you’re really important to, even if they won’t admit it.”

  “Your mom?”  Katniss seemed surprised by this.  “Who’s your mom?”

  “That’s not important.”

  She scrunched her nose.  “Come on, tell me.”  

  The banter brought a small smile to your face.  You were breaking through to her, slowly, but surely.  

  “I’ll give you a hint.  You know her.”

  “I know a lot of people.”

  “But not a lot of people down here.”

  Katniss groaned.  She followed you into the elevator and leaned into the wall.  “I hardly know anybody down here.”

  You shrugged, smirking a little at her sudden annoyance.  Once the two of you landed on the floor you wanted, you showed her the cafeteria, and then took a left down another seemingly endless hallway in this metallic maze.

  “Think through the people you do know.”

  “Are you sure I know her?”

  “Very.  She told me she met you.”  Guiding her up a staircase tucked away to the side, you showed her some of the meeting rooms and offices in the government wing.

  Katniss bit her lip and studied you, looking at your features intently and trying to piece it together.  You didn’t look like anybody…

  “One more hint.”

  “The grayest person you’ve ever seen.”

  Bingo.  Katniss stopped and stared.

  “President Coin?”

  You grinned and whirled to face her.  “No, I’m y/n Coin.”

  If Katniss’s jaw wasn’t attached to her head, it would’ve fallen off.  She stared at you for a few moments, then shook off the shock.  She’d been friends with the Mayor's daughter back home, this wasn’t any different.  But still…

  “You seem shocked.”  You observed teasingly.

  Katniss’s pale face flushed a little and she quietly followed you down the hall once more.  “Sorry.  I just.. I don’t know, she doesn’t seem like the type of person to have children.  At least… not ones around my age.”

  You laughed softly.  “Well, I’m not her..  biological daughter.  She had one that was a few years older than me, but she died a little while back in an epidemic, so did my Dad.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.”  Katniss’s shock softened into sympathy.  “I couldn’t imagine losing my sister…”

  “It’s alright.  She was kind of an asshole.”  You smiled weakly.  “It hit my mother much harder than it hit me, though.” 

  Katniss solemnly nodded and the two of you walked in a gentle silence before she spoke again.  “I lost my dad too.”

  “It sucks, doesn’t it?”

  “Yeah.”  

  The two of you exchanged a knowing glance, both silently acknowledging the quiet bond that was forming between you.  It was something both of you had been lacking for a while, but it felt good.

  Maybe she could be your friend.

  You just smiled gently at her and continued to walk.  “Well, we’re still here.”

  “Yeah…”  Katniss’s voice trailed off as she nodded once more.  She fiddled with a small black pearl as the two of you walked through the empty hall.  “Where… are we going anyway?”

  “Somewhere cool.”

  “I don’t really like surprises.”

  “You’ll like this one.”  You assured her, approaching an old door.  The lock had been busted years ago and was covered in rust.  You flashed Katniss a grin and then nudged the door open and entered.

  Inside was a huge, abandoned control room.  There were rows of platforms and forgotten machines left behind.  Half of the lights didn’t work but you’d been repairing them slowly, making them warmer, homier.

  The room looked as if it went on forever through the darkness around the edges.

  A few personal items were scattered around too, some cushions off to one side, some no-light flowers growing in some pots and some other little knick-knacks you preferred to hide rather than keep in your living quarters.  

  Katniss looked around in awe, her eyes chasing up the metal walls to the tall ceiling.  District 13 was impressive in itself, but this was even better.  This was a place that had been inhabited by humans, not the militaristic machines that roamed these halls.

  “What is this place?”  Her voice echoed through the quiet air.

  “It was an old mission control room.  The old president had most things run here, but after my mom took over, they moved closer to the center of the bunker.”  You explained, turning on a few more scattered lights you’d set around to keep out the shadows.  “But now, it’s my hideout.”

  Katniss looked at you with the warmest smile you’d seen on her cold stone face yet, and you knew you were making progress.

  The two of you spent hours in this hideout, talking, laughing, and seemingly forgetting about everything else that lay outside these walls.  It was something you’d both desperately needed and when you left, you felt like real friends.

  Even President Coin and Plutarch were surprised by the changes in Katniss.  She was still a little uneasy about being the Mockingjay, but you’d convinced her and supported her through it.

  After Katniss and her team went to District 12, you bid her goodbye and were going to work when your mother called you aside.

  She looked at you, her gray eyes studying your face as if searching for an answer to a question nobody had ever asked, until she finally spoke.

  “Katniss seems a lot happier.”

  “Yeah, she does.”  You smiled, sitting across from her.  “I’m glad she is.  She’s been through so much, and I know she misses Peeta, but–”

  “You seem happier too.”

  “I do?”

  Coin nodded, leaning towards you a little.  Her hand clasped yours gently and she tilted her head, long, perfect hair falling into her face a little.

  “I haven’t seen you this happy in ages.”  A rare smile softly spread across her lips.  “I know I haven’t been around a lot for you either, but… I haven’t seen you this happy since your father died.  It’s really nice.”   She never said his name, nor the name of your sister, the words were too painful for her, made her feel weak.  You would’ve yelled at her for that in the past but now it didn’t really matter.  You understood in a way, you couldn’t imagine losing…

  “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”  Coin finally said after a long pause.  “We don’t know how long this rebellion is going to last, how long she’s going to be here, what will happen after–”

  “What are you talking about?”  You frowned in confusion.  

  “I know you care about Katniss, a lot,” she said in a lower voice, “maybe you even love her…”

  Love her?  You hadn’t thought about it like that before…  You didn’t love Katniss, you couldn’t.

  But yet you thought about it anyway; how she’d sneak out past curfew and into your room after a nightmare so you could cuddle and lull her back to sleep, how during her propaganda filmings you were always right there and supporting her, how she told you everything, how dearly she missed her friend Peeta, stories from District 12, even the things she’d never spoken before… and you’d done the same.

  Your mother watched the realization dawn on your expression with a calm face.  She squeezed your hand gently and then reached to nudge hair out of your face.

  “You knew?  For… for how long?”  You stammered.

  She chuckled softly.  “Of course I knew.  I knew since you first agreed to be her friend.” 

  You blushed a little and looked away, embarrassed your mother had figured this out before you, but she gently turned your face back in her direction.

  “I’m okay with it, if it makes you happy.”  Coin whispered softly.  “But I really don’t want you to get hurt.  You have to understand that.  I’ll do everything I can to make you happy, but… I don’t know, I’m just worried.”

  Your heart swelled in your chest and you leaned into her hand with a smile.  “I know.  I know you’ll always worry about me… but I think it will be okay.”

  “I do too.”

  “Thank you.”  You whispered softly.  “Really, thank you.”

  The stark president, and your loving mother, chuckled softly again and nodded.  “Of course, y/n.”  She murmured, then glanced at the clock on the wall.  “I believe the team will have returned by now, if you want to talk to her.”

  You were about to run off, then stopped.  “Actually, I have an idea.”

  Later that night, once the sun had set, you’d convinced Plutarch to send Katniss to the surface for… some sort of reason, you’d left that up to him.

  And when Katniss arrived back in the soft dirt of the forest, she found a trail of your flowers.  She picked each one up and followed the trail until she finally found the second surprise she’d ever love.

  You’d set up a small little area in the middle of the forest; lights were strung from tree to tree, flowers were practically everywhere, and there was some actual edible looking food set out on a blanket for the both of you.

  You were sitting at the edge of the shadows, watching softly.

  When Katniss saw you, her new bouquet in her hands, she just stared at you.  Her gray eyes were dark in the night but they were on you, waiting for you to say something.

  “Hi.”  You stuttered, meeting her in the middle of the clearing.  “I uhm… I would’ve invited you here myself, but I was busy setting up and–”

  “How did you do this?”  Katniss looked around in awe, just as she had at your hideout.  You kept pleasantly surprising her and she was more enthralled every time.  “And… why..?”

  “I’m the President's daughter, I can get away with a lot.”  You grinned, fighting the stampede in your chest.  “And because… I don’t know how long you’re going to be here, or how long this is going to last, so I have to say it now.”  You took a shaky breath.  “I love you, Katniss..  I really do.  I know I sound insane and all but–”

  Katniss cut you off with a soft kiss.

  When she pulled away, she was smiling, and crying.  Hot tears dribbled down her face and the hand not holding the bouquet was trying to wipe them away but it was futile.  

  “I love you too.”  Katniss whispered softly, voice breaking.  She’d never said those words before, not like this, but she wanted to say them forever and ever now.

  And you would listen to every single one.  You smiled and cupped her face gently.  

  “You’ve made me feel safe here, feel like… I’m not alone.”  Katniss whispered through her tears.  She smiled pathetically at her emotions and tried to wipe them away again.  “I-I never thought anything would make me trust District 13, but you’re here and… and I love you, so much.”

  “I don’t care where you are, or what you’re doing, I’m always going to love you too.”  You whispered with the same teary smile.  You pulled her into a tight hug, that once rock of a girl now human, and yours.  She buried her face into your neck, gently dropping the flowers so she didn’t squish them.

  “I don’t know what will happen after the war, but I want to be with you.”  You continued softly into her ear, feeling her squeeze you tightly.  “I’ll go anywhere with you.” 

  “I’d be… anywhere that you are.”

  “Really..?”

  “Of course.”

  Katniss lifted her head back up, face red and streaked with salty tears, but her smile was beaming now.  She looked into your loving eyes and then kissed you once more.

[alexanderpearce]

some conspicuously not-in-pieces but very sexy hippolyti - joseph-désiré court, jean-baptiste lemoyne, peter paul rubens, and lawrence alma-tadema, and seneca’s phaedra 1085-1087 trans. myself.