#katnip field

[tomoleary]

George Herriman “Krazy Kat” Sunday dated 7-8-17 (King Features Syndicate, 1917) Source

[pallweople]

The Weople are Pretty (gn) like...

Theres a trend on tiktok rn where it compares peoples beauty to items, seasons, weather etc! ITS SO WHOLESOME and I wanted to do that for the palls!!

( @arsonisticscholar ) Arsonator -> Old books

( @astral-catastrophe )Astral/Jay -> Star maps

( @baileyboo2016 ) Bailey -> Wild Flower Fields

( @cal-the-duende ) Cal -> Crescent Moon

( @hero-dualies-pog ) Zen -> Crepuscular rays

( @circusislife ) Circus -> Carnival lights

( @frostedshadow ) Frost -> Frosted roses

( @smolchildonmonster ) Ghost -> Fog

( @hyperfixatezz ) Hyper/Riju -> Campfire embers

( @fingerfuck-the-function ) Katnip -> Old technology

( @ladye-zelda ) Ladye -> Winter melting into spring

( @linksarehere ) Link -> Compasses

( @misc-me0707 ) -> Binary code

( @mushr0oms-and-m0ss ) Mushroom -> Autumns

( @is-apotato ) Potato -> Renaissance clothes

( @somebody-random-lol ) Random -> Lightsabers

( @skyward-shade ) Shade -> Swords

( @soupyboiiiii (aka. 6leafclover) Clover/SOOUP -> Baker's bread

( @xjgbhk ) -> Night sky

( @mossy-chai ) Z -> Childhood stuff animals

( @link-or-sherlock ) Sherlock -> Rusty Blackbirds

( @nancyheart11 ) Nancy -> sewing textiles

( @thorntopieces ) Gloom -> Raindrops on spiderwebs

( @ichangenameseveryfiveseconds ) -> Neon lights

[justmaghookit]

katnip-karnivore replied to your post: you stab me and confetti just comes pouring out of...

You stab me but its just intestines in there. I mean ALL intestines. Theres too much ‘testes in here. You pull them out of me infinitely like a clown’s endless handkerchief. But you are laughing hysterically at my cool trick so much so you’ve forgotten you’ve come here to murder me. I harvest your intestines and the cycle starts anew.

we went from japes straight to junji ito lads

[captainseaweedbrains]

The Dance of the Color Guard, Op.64 Chapter 1

Katniss and Peeta used to be best friends when they were kids, but now in high school, they're barely on speaking terms. It isn't until they are forced together as the titular star-crossed lovers for their marching band's field show that they will have to face their past mistakes and try to get along if they ever hope of defeating the notorious Capitol Height's Imperial Marching Crusaders in competition.

It's all about winning and if that means pretending to be in love with Peeta Mellark, so be it.

But a lot can happen in six months.

Tumblr: x

Ao3: x x

April—Six Months Earlier

“Don’t be so obvious,” her music stand partner Leevy whispered in amusement, “but Peeta Mellark is staring at you again.”

“What?” Katniss looked straight up, not even pretending to be subtle, and locked eyes with the first chair trumpet player sitting directly across the room from her. His eyes widened for a moment, probably assuming she wouldn’t catch his stare with the clarinet section in front of him, but instead of looking away like a normal person would after being caught, Peeta Mellark smiled at her, his right eyebrow raising suggestively in question. Katniss gripped her flute and pointedly turned back to her music, knowing her section would be criticized next on their sloppy runs.

He liked to do that every so often during rehearsal, look at her like she was some kind of joke that amused him. Get her all flustered with those stupid eyebrows and smiles. Leevy enjoyed pointing it out all the time, drawing kissy faces with their initials in hearts on their shared music that Katniss would then furiously erase because what if someone saw that? People in band were gossipy enough with who was dating whom and who broke up with whom.

She didn’t want anyone thinking she had a crush on Peeta Mellark.

Mr. Abernathy, their band director, stepped between them on his podium, breaking any eye contact Peeta could make on her, and tapped his baton on his stand to grab everyone’s attention. “Okay, listen up, ya mangy teens! A few announcements before you all age me once more with your apparent lack of practicing. First being, next season’s field show—”

“Oh, can I say it?” Miss Trinket, their assistant director, asked, already pushing Mr. Abernathy off the podium. Miss Trinket was a small wispy woman, her height mainly due to the massive heels she sported no matter the season, but despite her title and small stature, it was clear to anyone with eyes who was in charge of any decision making for the band program.

Miss Trinket cleared her throat, smiling brightly as the room waited with anticipation. 

Marching season was one of the biggest things they did in the school year. Everyone looked forward to it and a strong field show could finally mean getting Athens Ridge High’s Marching Gladiators to finals and beating the crap out of their arch rivals: the rich snooty Capitol Heights Academy’s Imperial Marching Crusaders.

Every year they always came so close to beating them, but Capitol Heights had the money for large expensive props and Athens Ridge did not. They were lucky enough to have been able to afford new marching uniforms a few years back, replacing the threadbare grey ones with sleek black and gold. Mr. Abernathy always reminded everyone that he didn’t care about winning, nor did he give a rat’s ass about Capitol Heights and all their achievements. All he cared about was that they performed to the best of their ability and marched off the field with pride, but Katniss wanted their band to be the best. Everyone in the Athens Ridge band did.

“Can I get a drumroll, please?” Miss Trinket asked, looking pointedly to Gale in the back.

Gale rolled his eyes, but started the roll on his snare drum.

“This year’s marching show is…” Another dramatic pause.

“Will you just tell them, woman? This ain’t the Oscars,” Mr. Abernathy snapped, sick of all her flairs and dramatics. “We’re doing Romeo & Juliet. There. Now get off my podium.”

Miss Trinket held her ground, her pale features brightening under her anger, making her purple-streaked hair stand out more than usual. “Haymitch—!”

Everyone watched, entertained by yet another round of the two directors going at it once more. Katniss turned to look back at Gale, the head keeper of the betting pool, and he signed another two months before their directors would go at it like rabbits. She shook her head, laughing quietly to herself, and turned back to watch as the directors duked it out.  

“I’ve heard the music to this field show,” Leevy said after practice, cleaning out her flute. “It’s really pretty. I can see why Miss Trinket picked it.”

Katniss carefully tucked her flute back in its case, giving it one final shine before locking it shut. “You think Miss Trinket picked it?”

Leevy laughed and threw a pointed look over to where Mr. Abernathy sat slunk in his chair, stained coffee mug in hand as he scowled at some piece of paper. “I highly doubt Mr. Abernathy would choose a show like Romeo & Juliet without some heavy outside persuasion.”

She had a point there.

As they waited by the door, ready to book it the second the bell rang, Katniss and Leevy rolled their eyes at the chaos in front of them. Thresh Armstrong, a tuba player known for sneaking in toys from home, had brought out a foam football and had tossed it over to Johanna Mason, one of the smart ass percussionists, who almost crashed into the chimes trying to catch it. She held the ball up in victory and the guys around her hooted and hollered in applause. With a dramatic bow, she tossed it to Gale behind her, who caught it and called out for his girlfriend Madge to catch. Madge squealed in shock when the ball hit her in the back of the head, throwing the ball back at him in protest. 

“You’d think Abernathy would put a stop to that,” Leevy commented, laughing despite herself when the ball nailed Marvel Baxter in the face. “People can get hurt.” 

“Maybe he wants to see assholes like Marvel get hit in the face, too,” Katniss snorted, glad she got to witness it. “Do you think we’ll get to see Cato get hit in the face?” she asked, eyeing the bulky blond in the far corner with interest. 

“Doubt it.” Cato Martin was that stereotypical asshole who thought he walked on water and expected everyone to treat him as thus. And the sickening part was that people did. The school’s star quarterback was praised constantly in their school paper for his dedication to both the school’s athletic department and music department, despite being last chair in Symphonic Band and always being hounded for how bad he played by Mr. Abernathy. Despite his assholery, though, he always had a gaggle of followers around him, probably praising him for breathing. 

Katniss hated him so much, and it wasn’t just because they were locker neighbors and she was constantly having to shove him and whatever girl he was making out with off her own locker to squeeze in. Or that, since the 7th grade, he’s only referred to her as “Katnips Everslip” after a very unfortunate wardrobe malfunction at the community pool. Or even that time he taped rubber baby bottle nipples all over her locker sophomore year and only received a slap on the wrist by their dean, Mr. Flickerman, because he didn’t realize how offensive it was and he was so so sorry. Yeah, Cato sucked and she hated him for all those things and more, but she hated him most because Cato Martin was that entitled ass who just expected things to be given to him. He never faced any consequences and those were the worst kind of people.

Laughing at Marvel and his botched up nose, her eyes briefly caught Peeta’s and the amusement she felt seeing Marvel get nailed in the face vanished instantly. Every bully had that one lackey who wasn’t really an asshole, but was kind of one by association because he just went along with anything the bully did. Yeah, that lackey was Peeta Mellark. Which somehow made it even worse. She knew Peeta. Used to be friends with him in elementary school, back when your neighborhood friends were your whole world and nothing could come between you. Now he was just one of Cato’s goons who blindly followed whatever Golden Ass commanded. 

“Are you auditioning for color guard again?” Leevy asked, snapping Katniss’s attention back to her friend.

“Huh?”

Leevy’s eyes followed where hers had been and Katniss pretended not to notice the knowing smirk on her friend’s face, picking at a loose thread on her sleeve instead. “Are you trying out for color guard this year?” she asked again.  

“Of course.” Katniss flushed at her sure answer, but she always did color guard. It was kind of her thing, especially since Miss Trinket had singled her out freshman year, snatching 14-year-old Katniss off the practice field where she had been marching with her fellow flute players. “You’ve got the perfect arms,” Miss Trinket had told her and she’d been part of color guard ever since. 

“I’m hoping for captain, actually,” Katniss admitted, looking down at her beat-up sneakers. She hadn’t told anyone but Prim that, afraid she’d jinx it by putting it out in the universe too much, but going into senior year next season, she’d be the most experienced one auditioning. The odds were definitely in her favor, but the universe also had a tendency of fucking things up when she least expected it and she didn’t want to chance it.

Leevy sighed. “I wish you’d stay with the flutes. Maybe then I wouldn’t have to deal with that”—she pointed at the giggly flute players who were now fawning over Cato like lovesick puppies—"all by myself.”

Katniss gave her friend a sympathetic pat on the arm. “I’d rather shoot myself in the eye than have to deal with Golden Ass’ fan club. Why don’t you try out? You’re small, like me. I bet Miss Trinket would love that.” Their assistant director would be beside herself with joy at having another petite person in guard she could have tossed around. Miss Trinket was always complaining how there were too many tall girls nowadays and that it limited her “vision.” 

Leevy shook her head. “Oh, no. No, I don’t think I could ever do what you all do. Who would trust me to throw something in the air and expect me to catch it? And the way you did those handsprings for last year’s show?” She shook her head again in amazement. “I can’t even balance on one foot without falling. I’m nowhere near as talented as you.” 

Katniss’ cheeks darkened again at Leevy’s appraisal. Those handsprings were a bitch to grasp, she remembered, and the only reason she was the one doing them wasn’t because Trinket saw her as some talented goddess. No, it was just because everyone else was too afraid of doing them without any type of mat underneath them and Katniss wasn’t. She was about to tell her friend this—that yeah, she was pretty good with a flag and rifle, but all that can be taught and Leevy’s lack of gymnastic talent shouldn’t stop her from auditioning—when the foam football smacked her hard on the side of her head.

“What the hell?” She scanned the chaotic room for the culprit, rubbing at the spot where the ball hit. “Who threw that?” 

The culprit in question raised his hand apologetically and jogged over to pick the blue ball off the ground. Her hands balled into fists.

Peeta Mellark.

Of course.

“My bad!” he apologized, smiling down at her in that totally non-assery way that just pissed her off more. “I was trying to throw the ball to Glimmer and—” he started to explain, casually pointing behind him with his thumb.

“Your aim sucks that much?” she fumed, interrupting him. Glimmer was clear across the room by the other French horn players, far from where she and Leevy stood. “That could have hit my eye!”

There was a time, long ago, when she was once taller than him. She used to jokingly lean on Peeta while they waited in lines at school or the grocery store, calling him squirt and messing up his curly blond hair like his dad did, laughing when he’d scowl and pull away, hating that nickname. He always vowed he’d reach his growth spurt someday soon, just like his brothers, and she’d be sorry she ever called him squirt. Peeta stood almost a foot taller than her now, but she stood her ground. Glaring up at him, she considered using the old nickname, just to see if it rattled him

There was no way his aim was that bad. They’d had the same gym class for almost six years now and she knew he wasn’t terrible. Peeta was one of those guys things just came naturally to, especially sports. For years she has watched as he made the winning pass in basketball, smacked a volleyball down to score like nobody’s business, swiped the puck in during hockey. She smelled bullshit. 

This was probably some stupid dare Cato or Marvel put him up to. She eyed Marvel off to the side, still rubbing his nose. He was probably pissed at her for laughing at him and thought it’d be funny watching her get nailed in the face, too. Let’s see how hard the ball can bounce off Katnips Everslip’s tiny head! she could hear the idiots snickering. Marvel always did have a small ego. And of course, like always, Peeta just went along with it because that’s what Peeta did. Just go along with anything his friends suggested, even if meant injuring an innocent bystander.

“So why’d you throw it at me?” she point-blank asked, crossing her arms. “Did Marvel put you up to it? Cato?” 

His face quickly went from apologetic smiles to annoyance, rolling his eyes at her sneer. “You know, Katniss, believe it or not, accidents do happen.”

“Accident? Please,” she scoffed. “I know you, Peeta. You don’t do accidents. Everything you do is strategically planned and executed with exact precision. So who dared you? It was Marvel, wasn’t it?”

He looked back at his buddies and laughed, shaking his head incredulously. “I’m touched that you think I’m so robotic, Katniss, truly, but believe whatever the fuck you want. I said it was an accident because it was an accident.” 

“Just answer the question.”

“I already did.” He leaned toward her, his dark blue eyes mocking, and tapped the football on her nose with a smug smile, walking back over to his friends. Some of the guys made kissy faces at his return, laughing when Peeta shoved them to quit it, but he was laughing along with them. 

Katniss’ nails dug into her palms as she watched them, briefly wondering if someone could be glared to death. God, they were the worst.

“Wow,” Leevy breathed, watching the trumpet players, too. “The sexual tension is strong today. Felt like I was in a movie just now.” 

She turned to her friend, incredulous. “Sexual tension? With Peeta Mellark?” She gagged at the thought. “Did you not just see him be a complete ass to me? He hit me with a football!”

“Yeah and apologized for it.” Katniss rolled her eyes at the low standard bar Leevy had for apologies. Peeta’s apology was obviously fake and what about that annoying ball tap to the nose? Did she not see how condescending that was? “You two are so going to bone by the end of this year.”

The bell rang before Katniss could choke out a rebuttal.

[blackkatmagic]

Nibenehwnaksbsbfhd, does this mean we can ask how many KatNips you have now? xD

Fields of them. xD

[warriorbookworm]

Memories, Jam, and turkeys

Summary: The whole of the hunger games is from Katniss eeverdeen's point of view. But after being to almost hell and back, what are his thoughts? Watch him as he grapples with sudden flashes of his time in the capitol, as well as his feelings.

________________________________________________________________

.The memories are hazy against the breeze. Sometimes, after my time in the capitol, I still forget things. Sometimes they are little things, like forgetting to set the table when Katniss gets home from hunting. Sometimes, they are bigger things, like names and places. Like the time I forgot Haymitch’s name and face. He came around, and my eyes went blank, eyebrows creasing. At other times, I remember too much. I remember the man in the white suit with the big syringe of shiny orange liquid. Anything can send me spiralling into this… this flashback. Like orange jam for instance. The bottle shattered against the floor.  I gripped the dough that I was kneading tightly. I got it in my nails, my hands smeared with oil. But hey, at least I remembered that I was at home. I am walking in the primrose field that we planted. When the memories began coming back. President snow’s garden. It had white roses, and katnips. Dead catnips, with the symbolism lost on nobody. I shook my head hard, and took a deep breath. My name is peeta mellark. I am in d. 12. I was hijacked by snow. But I recovered. Katniss has gone hunting, she is coming back at 4. I heard feet shuffling behind me. Katniss was home, and she was carrying a turkey. Still muttering reassurances to myself, I turned around. I saw that she was doing the same. Turkey in her hands, quiver across her shoulder, bow in the other hand, and small, imperceptible lip movements and incomprehensible words floating on the wind. I dropped the sleeve of my sweater that I was fiddling with, and then went up to the house. We were sitting on the steps of the house, when I absently started asking her, real or not real? She gripped my hand in hers and answered every question patiently. I blinked fast, she would have gotten angry if this were any other time. But she didn't, so there was only one thing left to be said. “You love me, real or not real?” She smiled the smile I had seen many times, the smile that showed that she was just a little girl underneath that hard exterior. “Real” she said, and we stared off into the distance, watching the sunset and the trees, the soft orange and dark green blending on the horizon.  

[plus-size-reader]

Caretaker pt. 2

Gale Hawthorne x Plus size!reader

Word Count: 1674 words

Warnings: none 

Summary: Peeta and Katniss are getting closer on the field, and the reader and Gale are also bonding more and more as the days go on. 

———————————————————————————————————

It had been two days since the last time you'd seen Peeta and today was the day they were going into the arena. You were more worried today than you had been since they entered the bus because you didn't want the two of them to get hurt on their first day, god forbid they got killed.

Aside from the hunger games events, you had been making dinner for Gale every night after he finished working in the mines. Ever since he'd declared that he was going to take care of you, you'd been staying in his home and spending all your time in his company. You were enjoying the attention he was giving you, and were more excited today because he was getting home early.

You had just finished cutting some potatoes when you heard the front door gently open. Normally you could hear his boots on the floor as he walked toward you, but he was suspiciously quiet today. "Gale?" you yelled, hoping that it was him because no one else should have been there.

All your stresses were relieved when he entered the room, looking as exhausted as ever and covered head to toe in coal dust and soot. "How was the mine?" you hummed, wetting a cloth in the sink before walking over to him.

It had only been two days, but you were already getting into a routine where you did this every time he entered the house. Gently, you dabbed the fabric on his cheek, cleaning away the black chalk that had built up there on his skin. Gale shrugged, looking a bit more tense than usual "The same as always" he allowed, instantly alarming you.

You knew what he had going on, it was the same thing that was bothering you. "Gale" your voice was quiet as you walked over to where he was sitting, to put your hands on his shoulders, using the touch as a way to get his attention. "They'll be fine" You sighed, giving up and turning to watch the screen.

Eventually you decided to sit down next to him, gripping his forearm nervously to give you something to help tether you to reality. "They'll be alright" you repeated, more for yourself than Gale this time.

After the broadcast ended Gale looked at you, with more pain in his eyes than you had ever seen there before. "Well" your tone was quiet...you had no idea what to say. Before you could say anything however, he moved closer to you on the couch, throwing his arm over your shoulders.

Almost out of habit at this point, you snuggled into his warm embrace, thinking back to what you two had seen on the screen.

Peeta and Katniss had been snuggled together in a cave, so she could nurse him back to health. You couldn't help but feel a little jealous at the attention she was giving him, even though you had never felt that way for Peeta. "You okay?" you asked, assuming Gale was thinking the same thing as you but he didn't answer you.

Instead he removed his arm from around you and got up, leaving the room to shower.

The kiss that Peeta and Katniss had shared was still very much on your mind but you knew you had to get some sleep. At least you could go to bed knowing that they were alive. As you drifted off to sleep, you couldn't help but wonder if Gale was still awake, and if he was thinking about you as much as you were him.

~

You woke up before Gale this morning and walked into his bedroom. You could tell that something had changed in him since the broadcast and you had to make sure that he was doing alright. "Gale?" you started, stopping only when you saw his shirtless state in the doorway, he was staring out the window-a distant look on his face.

"Are you okay?" you wondered, crossing the room slowly to check on him. When you reached him, you let your hand glide down his back lightly, causing him to turn to face you quickly. With little to no warning, he headed toward the door "I have to go"

There was nothing you could do to stop him, and Gale was a grown man, so you had to let him go. All you could do was wander around the house; cleaning, straightening, and cooking to try and keep your mind off the events of the night before.

You tried to stay at home, you really did but finally, you broke. Before you knew what was happening, you headed down to street toward the mine. You had to know what was going on with him, because you may have been able to help "Gale" you yelled, entering the mine, earning looks from men as you passed.

"What are you doing down here? it's dangerous" Gale wondered, gesturing to the door hurriedly. At any moment, there could be an accident that could kill you all and he didn't want you to be anywhere near it. "You should go home" he grumbled, pushing you to the point where you couldn't handle it anymore.

You threw your arms around his broad shoulders and pulled him down to your height, smashing your lips against his own quickly enough that he had no idea what was going on. Slowly, he melted into the kiss, and pulled you even closer to his body.

"Thank you for being there for me" you purred, resting your head against his shoulder when you pulled away. Gale was still a little shocked over what had happened but he still smiled "Always" without you noticing, he turned your toward the door. You could have been upset about him wanting you to leave but you understood. You two would talk about this later at home where it was safe.

Before you knew it, the day was long over and you were curled up in bed, Gale by your side. You two had decided that there was no use in sleeping in separate beds. "So-" you whispered, turning in bed to face the man at your side. "-They get back tomorrow" you finished, knowing that he shared the same thought you'd been having since you got there.

"Can you believe what they did?" You tried, referring to the stunt they pulled in the games. It may have been just a tactic to help them survive, but if it wasn't...Again, Gale said nothing. It wasn't that he didn't feel the need to answer you, he just had so much on his mind.

You couldn't help but sigh as you sat up against the headboard, exhaling all your air in a single breath. You couldn't handle the idea that something was bothering him and he wasn't going to share it with you. "Okay, what is it? Why aren't you talking to me?" you questioned, he shook his head, ignoring your curious eyes as best he could. "I just don't wanna lose you"

There was something in his voice that shocked you a little bit, this raw emotion that you'd never felt in your life. "I don't want to lose you either, but you know just as well as me that as soon as Katnip gets back, you'll forget about me and move on" You were trying not to sound bitter but failing miserably in the process.

You had a point, but it only served to frustrate Gale that much more. "She loves him, don't you see that?" he asked, his voice was horse, and sounded thick in his throat, as if he the very idea of it was enough to send him into a tailspin.

"Well, sometimes love isn't enough" it came out as a huff from you as you got out of the bed, throwing the blankets back. You made it halfway across the room toward the door before Gale finally stopped you, his hand closing in around your wrist. "Don't go" he begged, realizing that without you he wouldn't have anything else.

You couldn't help but roll your eyes at the tone in his voice, it was hard for you to believe that he could be so delusional. "It's going to change around here, Snow is mad at her for what she did and I wouldn't be surprised if this place is swarmed with peacekeepers by tomorrow" you said, making your way out of the room, slamming the door behind you.

Normally, Gale would have known better than to follow you but that part of him had been shipped off to the arena, and he didn't care right now. "I think you're right about the peacekeepers" He started, opening the door with little to no warning. You nodded, still clearly upset about what had happened earlier, though you understood.

But worrying about it tonight wasn't going to change anything, so you sighed, standing up from the chair you'd been pouting in before he arrived. "You should get some sleep" You weren't sure what he was going to say, Gale groaned. "I don't sleep very well" You nodded, the feeling was mutual, neither of you had gotten much rest since they shipped off.

Even so, the second you two crawled into bed, you were both knocked out cold.

Until the morning, when you heard that all too familiar sound of the industrial tires in the gravel. "Gale" You urged, trying your hardest to shake him awake. "What is it?" he groaned, trying to roll away from you slightly to continue sleeping. All you had to do was point out the window "They're here" that was all you needed to do, and he was sold.

"Katniss and Peeta?" he clarified, hoping that maybe they could be early. Unfortunately, their train was still on schedule and wouldn't  be back for quite some time. The truth was much, much more grim and dangerous. "The peacekeepers" the second the words left your lips, he sat up, wrapping your shoulders in the thin wool blanket and rushing out the door.

[ships-and-saints]

Pale Skin and Onyx Eyes [9]

Happy Easter! 4/16/17 

~katnip

[Throne of Glass] [Elide x Lorcan] [W.I.P.] Chapter Word Count: 2462 words

Summary: Set after Empire of Storms, Elide Lochan and Lorcan Salvaterre are traveling with Rowan and Gavriel in search of Queen Aelin. Will Elide ever be able to forgive Lorcan for betraying her and her Queen? Where will they go next?

Part I: The Search - Chs. 1-8 Part II: The Journey - Chs. 9-??? Part III: The Mission

Chapters: [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ] [ 8 ] [ 9 ] [ 10 ] [ 11 ] [ 12 ] [13 ] ... Read it on: [ fanfiction.net ] [ archive of our own ]

[Part II: The Journey]

Elide

Elide and Lorcan passed through the tolls uneventfully and rode hard north until they reached a sprawling plain, uninhabited by humans for miles around. She could barely make out the wide expanse of Oakwald forest in the distance, where she knew they would have to traverse again if they were to reach Morath.

They finally stopped near a winding stream with a patch of trees that offered some shade from the beating sun. Lorcan dismounted from his horse and Elide did so as well. She took a long drink from her canteen and loosened the hair from her tight bun, sighing in relief as the pressure on her head lessened. Elide had a headache, and her arms and back were sore after riding all morning. The sun had almost reached its highest point in the sky, and she was sweating. She stretched out her legs, her arms, and her back, hissing as her joints popped and her muscles extended.

"Now what?" She asked, hands on her hips. She was dusty and already wanted a bath.

Lorcan's lips twitched. "Run."

Elide wasn't sure she heard him right. "Excuse me?"

"Run until you can't run anymore." Lorcan shrugged his shoulders. "I never said training would be fun." Elide growled, and then yelped when she felt Lorcan's black flames lick at her backside.

"You-!" she screamed and launched herself at him.

He laughed darkly. "That's the spirit." He easily twisted on his heel and sprinted away. Elide snarled with frustration, but she had no choice but to follow. She had agreed to this unique form of torture, after all.

They ran for two miles before Elide collapsed on a small patch of grass and clovers. She was retching and panting hard, but at least she could run. She couldn't run far, since she had been chained for most of her rutting life. Even with Lorcan's magic, her ruined ankle still barked with pain from exertion. She hissed through her teeth as she massaged the mass of scar tissue with her hands.

Lorcan eyed her scarred ankle and then the other, as if he could see those pale, twin rings under her boots and socks, a constant reminder of the shackles Elide used to wear. His magic immediately chilled the air around them, but Elide shot him a tired glare, in no mood to deal with his bullshit. Lorcan focused on controlling himself; after his magic grew, it seemed to require noticeably more concentration to control.

"It's fine," she hissed, hating her stupid, ruined ankle and that it made her appear weak. "What's next?"

Lorcan had her hold pails of water with her arms stretched out to the side. He only smirked when she screamed in frustration as pain lanced down her arms the longer she held them up. Then jumping jacks, squats, push-ups, crunches, leg-ups – a full body workout.

Finally, he began teaching her the basics of self-defense, how to block, how to punch, how to predict where a punch was going, and the most effective areas, on a human at any rate, to aim for – eyes, nose, throat, gut, groin, and foot. Elide thought she was going to die from exhaustion.

"When are we stopping?" she whined, lying with her back flat on the dusty ground, her chest heaving. She was glad she had wrapped her breasts; it was much easier to move around without them bouncing around and getting in the way.

The sun was starting to set, painting the sky with hues of orange, gold, and purple. Wispy clouds lazed high above.

"Now seems like a good time to start magic training," he mused, staring at the pale, crescent moon that hung low in the sky. His dark eyes danced with amusement when Elide shot upright.

"What- what does that mean?" she asked, both curious and fearful.

"Meditation."

Elide sat up and just gaped at him, exasperated. "Meditation!?"

She was in no mood to joke around, but his immortal face was completely and utterly serious. Elide wondered if talking to the clever goddess counted as meditating.

"Close your eyes," he instructed. "Get comfortable. Focus on your breathing… Then think about what you desire most." He crossed his arms and stared authoritatively at Elide until she obeyed, crossing her legs and resting her hands on her knees. She shot Lorcan one last look of annoyance, but then her eyes fluttered shut.

Focus on what she desired most? Well, a hot meal for starters. And a bath. And sleep. Elide sighed; she was cranky from hunger and exhaustion, but she knew she had to take this seriously if he was being serious about it.

She focused on counting her breath to one-hundred with her eyes still screwed shut. She somehow felt that Lorcan had slipped away to give her some peace, right before she finished counting.

What do I desire most? Elide thought hard. Well... She wanted to protect herself and the people she cared about. That's why she was here training, after all. And right now, she wanted to kill her Uncle Vernon herself, with her own hands, with her own magic... She wondered what Lorcan would think of that.

Lorcan... Elide's brow furrowed. If she was being honest, she didn't mind having the Fae male around, sometimes. Liked it, even. She wondered how he felt about her now. Did he feel… obligated to be around her, because of everything that had happened? Did she want him? Elide decided to just push that question far, far out of her mind until she had the time and energy to sort any feelings out.

The ground was still warm from the sun, and she was so sleepy… The soreness was starting to set deep into her muscles and her aching back. After a few minutes, Elide laid down on her side and drifted off to sleep.

Peaceful darkness enveloped her conscious, until she began dreaming of the snowy mountains of Terrasen, and of the great lake and grassy lands near Perranth. She could feel the warmth of the sun, nearly smell the pine and snow, and she yearned to run through the grass and taste the spring air.

The vision entranced her and Elide reached out; she wanted to be in that field so badly, she needed to know what it felt like to be free in Terrasen, in Perranth. She felt such a deep yearning, such a consuming desire within her that something seemed to crack.

Suddenly, the sun seemed just a little too harsh and too bright. The wind had picked up, whipping her long hair around her face. Elide squinted and raised her hand to shield her eyes from the sun, but it only seemed to get brighter until she was forced to close her eyes against the blinding light.

When she felt the light's intensity lessen, Elide cautiously opened her eyes and to her astonishment, Lady Anneith, the Wise Goddess, gradually shimmered into view above the great lake. Elide noticed that the goddess's reflection did not appear in the water below.

Oh gods... it's the clever goddess herself! Elide gulped and pinched herself. She blinked a few times, and slapped her hands on her cheeks, but nothing changed. The goddess smiled and watched patiently while Elide just stared, wide-eyed. What now?

Lady Anneith lifted one arm up and beckoned Elide closer.

"Child," the voice rang out, undeterred by the wind. Elide recognized the voice that was both young and old; she had heard that voice whisper to her hundreds of times.

"Come."

And Elide stumbled forward, unsure of what was going on or how she was moving in a dream. The glorious figure pointed at something beneath her, and Elide's gaze just followed her finger.

She squinted and rubbed her eyes. Something glinted among the colorful rocks, and she continued to move towards it as if she were being tugged forward. She felt a warm light bathe her as she continued walk, gaining speed and strength. The lake was farther than it looked.

Finally, she stood before the goddess, breathing fast. She looked down at her feet and picked up what looked to be a shard of a mirror, perhaps once the corner piece of a larger mirror, since it had an iron-wrought border. There was an odd symbol intricately carved into the corner, and Elide turned it over to look at the back.

Nothing was inscribed on the back. Elide swore.

A broken mirror shard?! Elide stared at it, wondering what the goddess had thought was so special about it. She opened her mouth to ask, but when she looked up, Lady Anneith was nowhere to be seen.

"Fine," she snapped out loud at the air hovering over the lake. She sighed and used her sleeve to wipe the dirt and dust off of the mirror. Then she stared into it, willing it to activate or do whatever it was supposed to do. The goddess was obviously no fool; she had led her here for a reason. And evidently thought Elide was clever enough to figure it out on her own.

Elide sat down and continued looking into the mirror, not sure what else she was supposed to do. She looked tired, her hair was a mess, and there were bags under her eyes. But even still, her face reminded her faintly of… her mother. Of Marion Lochan, even though she hadn't seen her mother in years and years.

Absentmindedly, Elide pressed her fingers to the glass and found herself hurtling through space-time.

Just a memory, an ancient voice whispered comfortingly, and Elide clung to the thought as she was deposited into an ethereal body somewhere. Her eyes gradually adjusted as she struggled to make out anything familiar in the surrounding fog.

Slowly, the grey mists began to dissipate and Elide was stunned to realize that... she was home.

She was home in Perranth, and there was her mother sitting in the rocking chair in the master bedroom, looking as whole and young and alive as she was before she died. Elide turned to look behind her at what her mother was staring at and inhaled sharply when she recognized the mirror hanging over her mother's dresser, recognized the shard she had picked up. She turned back to look into her mother's warm, brown eyes, a mirror of her own.

"Mom?" Elide whispered, nearly falling to her knees at the sight. Her hands trembled as her eyes began to fill with tears of grief and longing.

"My Elide," Marion said fondly, staring at the mirror, staring through Elide who was standing on the ornate rug right in front of the mirror. "If you are watching this, if you can see me, then it must be because I've passed away and Terrasen has reached a dire state of conflict."

"I've infused this memory into the mirror with what's left of my power. You can hear me, but I'm sorry love, I can't hear or see you." Marion smiled sadly, and a strangled sob escaped from Elide's throat. "I don't have much time, so I'll get straight to the point."

"By now, you may have discovered that you have Ironteeth witch blood of the Blackbeak coven, passed down maternally through generations. I didn't tell you about being a witch because… well, it never seemed like the right time, since you were so young and I wanted you to grow up in peace, as a human girl. The Blackbeak lifestyle was not something I chose, but perhaps you may find yourself in need of your witch family one day, especially if I and your father are gone. Family can be a great blessing and a great burden..." Marion's soft eyes were unfocused as she trailed off, and tears rolled down Elide's face as she sobbed silently.

Just hearing her mother's voice again was such a gift, such a treasure, and Elide listened intently, memorizing every cadence, every rise and fall of her mother's voice. She would never forget her mother's voice again.

Marion looped a stray strand of dark hair over her ear and refocused on the mirror. She took a deep breath and continued.

"Your father and I love you very, very much Elide. We wish you all the happiness in the world. I'm sorry I cannot provide you anything more, just our love and this memory to awaken your blue blood should you ever decide to accept it." Marion's eyes seemed to flicker with gold for a moment, as she smiled affectionately at Elide. Marion blew Elide a kiss in the mirror and smiled while waving goodbye. "I love you, Elide. I pray the gods and goddesses bless you, protect you, and shelter you. Goodbye, my Elide."

Grey mists started to swirl around again, clouding the vision, but Elide was shouting, "Mom! No! No! Wait!" Wait... don't leave me again!

"Elide, Elide!" Someone was calling her name, but she didn't care, she had to get back to that room, had to get back to her mother –

"Mom! No! Wait!"

"Elide!" Lorcan was shaking Elide, who finally lurched upright, breathing hard. He swore he could see the inner rings of her eyes flicker with gold. Tears were streaming down her face, although she didn't seem to notice at first. She was looking through him, reaching out for something over his shoulder, but he quickly glanced over his shoulder and saw nothing.

When he refocused on Elide, her eyes had returned to their normal shade of brown, and she was hastily wiping away the tears on her face. He could scent the obvious grief and sadness, but... her witch blood also seemed more potent, somehow. Lorcan's brow creased in confusion.

"What happened, Elide?" Lorcan growled, struggling to keep his aggression towards the unknown threat in check. His body curved protectively around her small, shivering frame.

Elide just stared at him. "I- I- I'm not sure," she stammered out. Her teeth were chattering, and she glanced down at her trembling fingertips. She didn't feel cold, just… odd. "I saw my mother."

Lorcan understood why Elide was so emotional, remembered that she had lost her parents when she was very young. Had it been another nightmare? Perhaps he had pushed a bit too hard for the first day.

"It's a good time to take a meal break, anyway." His growl was like midnight, and he carefully scanned her for any sign of injury. "Can you walk?"

Elide just nodded. Lorcan reached out his hand and pulled her to her feet. "Come, I found a small cave nearby."

Elide followed him numbly, still thinking about the dream, about what it meant. Lorcan led them to a small cave by a rocky outcrop; there were some animal bones littered throughout the cave, but it was otherwise unoccupied.

[sungrcwn]

📱

( my muse’s five last sent texts yours )

( sent to ❝ kit-kat + vinny ❞ — 4:17 PM ) do u think lil dude would like it if i planted some nepeta cataria in the garden?? i know somethin like thirty to fifty percent of cats arent really into it thats why i ask because i dont want to get super excited about it just to have him look at me like

( sent to ❝ kit-kat + vinny ❞ — 4:18 PM ) what do u expect me to do w/ this??

( sent to ❝ kit-kat + vinny ❞ — 4:20 PM ) u know exactly which face im talking about too that cat can be so sassy when he wants to be its ridiculous but idk i just thought maybe he would like it and figured id ask u first bc i dunno if nepetalactone counts as a drug but hes ur kiddo

( sent to ❝ kit-kat + vinny ❞ — 5:13 PM ) i propose an impromptu field trip off campus for some froyo. i will chaperone and also buy said froyo but i just want something sweet and the kitchen pantry is lettin me down an i dont feel like making that trip alone so im recruiting u an vin

( sent to ❝ kit-kat + vinny ❞ — 5:19 PM ) as many toppings as ur wonderful heart desires. or yknow. as many as will fit into the bowl w/ minimum spillage. wouldnt gummy worms get hard tho because its so cold?? 

BONUS ( sent to ❝ kit-kat + vinny ❞ — 5:23 PM ) why dont u see if rory wants to come or something?? i feel like she could use some cheering up 

( my muse’s five last unsent texts yours )

( drafted — 2:17 PM )  is a bird landing in my hair with a mouthful of twigs a sign that im doing something right or that its time to get a haircut bc i genuinely cant tell

( drafted — 2:19 PM ) but it feels like im doing something right 

( drafted — 6:17 PM ) a student just came up to me and told me that ❝ as a member of the faculty and a grown ass man ❞ i shouldnt be singing disney songs in the gardens and i wasnt sure what to say bc first of all disney is classic and ur never too old to enjoy the soundtracks to their movies but also its not my fault that my flowers love colors of the wind?? its a beautiful song 

( drafted — 6:24 PM ) i went ahead and stopped anyway but just as like a side thought?? idk how u go through those classes year after year and stay so sweet and kind and genuinely caring because some of these kids are actually kinda really mean and basically what im saying is u are a ray of light on this school pls dont ever change u beautiful soul

( drafted — 7:30 PM ) you wanna come watch pocahontas? 

( my muse’s last snapchat to yours )

( x ) followed by a string of both crying and laughing emojis with the caption ❝ and vinny just tried to eat her ❞

( what my muse saved your number as )

❝ kit-kat + vinny ❞ although it should be mentioned that her nickname changes quite frequently in his phone because he’s come up with several over the years. ( before ❝ kit-kat ❞ it was ❝ katnip ❞ and before that ❝ kat + kitten ❞ and❝ my two favorite felines ❞ among other ridiculous — and usually cat-related — puns idk pls forgive him he can’t help it. ) 

( what contact photo my muse has set for yours )

( x ) from one of their walks through the orchard. it’s one of his favorite pictures??

( what ringtone my muse has set for yours )

okay look almost e v e r y o n e in his contacts has a specific ringtone he’s picked out with a birdsong he’s recorded somewhere on the property but kat?? is slightly different bc if you think for one minute he doesn’t have an audio clip of vinny’s precious lil kitten meow saved to his phone — you’re right. ( he actually has SEVERAL, most of which are taken from videos he’s sent to kat of him romping around in the garden while topher is babysitting. ) 

( how many times my muse has called your this week? )

a couple of times. usually it happens when vinny’s in the middle of doing something outrageously cute ( like chasing after butterflies or curling up in a bed of wildflowers for a nap ) and topher facetimes kat so she can enjoy how adorable it is too before realizing that the only reason he’s got vinny and  she’s NOT there to enjoy it with him is because she’s in class and he probably shouldn’t be calling her whOOPS

( how many calls has my muse missed from yours? )

none! unless, of course, he’s napping or something and doesn’t hear his phone ring.  they don’t call as often as they simply seek each other out for face-to-face communication, but when she does call, he doesn’t hesitate to answer in case it’s an emergency.