#to have Octavia visit her weekends?

[goetiiaprince]

I am mobile, so bear with me;

I want to make something clear in terms of the family dynamic and my hc for it, specifically when it comes to Stella in particular. Now, this narrative can change depending on the verse and the hc present with Stella role player(s). I will never override someone's individual thoughts, ideas, or theories unless we mutually agree on it for the sake of an interaction.

That being said: I personally do not think of Stella as a bad mother. I think, at most, she might be an absent parent at times, and maybe a little cold. But I think, in privacy, with her own interactions with Octavia, she is doting to some extent and genuinely loves her. Her resentment is for Stolas, and while Octavia is the product of their consummation, it was not her specific choice to be in this world.

It is also mentioned that Octavia spends time with her mother on the weekends (if memory serves correct, this is during the process of the divorce). Even prior to being kicked out, and if/when Stella, say, visits her own family — I like to believe she extends the invitation for Octavia to join her.

Stolas and Stella are terrible marital partners and occasionally absent parents, but the one thing they share is their love for Octavia. We just see it more openly from Stolas.

NOTE: This does not excuse either of their vast collection of actions or faults, and I am not saying this to make Stella "redeemable." I am clarifying how I feel and view the dynamics.

ADDING: If Stolas felt any sort of threat towards Octavia's safety, he would NOT have allowed her to leave and spend time with Stella. He is fiercely protective of her.

[verosikastrikerstellaexcuser]

Wish we knew anything about Stella’s relationship with Octavia because we can barely make any conclusion about it based on inconsistent information. Honestly, I wish we got any insight into how Stolas and Stella parented Octavia at all, because most of it so far has just been told to us, and the details left out haven’t been expanded upon whatsoever. Is the portrait with her, Stolas and Octavia at LooLooLand when she was young any indication of anything? Does the show just want me to ignore it completely? Stolas seems to have no issue with Octavia visiting Stella on weekends, and Octavia only comments on Stolas ruining her home life in S1Ep2. But also Stella’s apparently been screaming at him for literal years, so not entirely sure what home life Octavia had beforehand.

All in all I’m hoping their relationship at the very least complicated, something that’ll give Stella any amount of depth

Feel the same! We should be given much more information on so many of the female characters and their relationships with each other. The ignoring of them feels damn criminal. I crave Stella Octavia interaction every day I s2g 😭 such good female characters consistently wasted!

[showtoonzfan]

I love how most of the reactions of the fandom towards Stolas snapping back at Stella for this episode was mainly “LOL YES KING”, or “GOOD FOR HIM HE’S STANDING UP FOR HIMSELF”- “THIS IS SO FUNNY GET HER LOL”- mainly people just stroking his cock oh- I mean supporting him pissed me off because it just goes to show how the fandom and writers don’t give a damn about Octavia, or realize how serious her situation is.

It also doesn’t help that the story’s pacing is lazily sloppy as well, the writers want you to feel bad for Octavia since Stolas is occupied and can’t take her to her special event, but at the same TIME want you to laugh at her parents bickering at eachother, even though the show itself introduced this concept in a depressing light back in Loo Loo Land. Again, it just goes to show that writers don’t really care enough about Octavia. How are you going to introduce a serious topic about divorce and parents arguing around a child who grew up with them and loves them, yet later play it all for laughs? This isn’t really the first time the show did this, they did the same at the end of episode 5, where Octavia was sitting with her parents at the dinner table, listening to music while Stella was just screaming about plotting to kill her husband and Stolas couldn’t hear because plot. The show really just contradicts itself, I said it once and I’ll say it again, Octavia is done so dirty. The writers try to act like they care about her and how she’s upset with all the trauma she’s endured living a toxic household, but not only do they invalidate her feelings and push it to the side so we can have more Stolitz content and “funny” Stella and Stolas scenes, but Viv is SO afraid to fully call out Stolas on his actions. She can’t even fully make him a flawed character without excusing him, pulling the “he’s trying” card in the recent episode, even though Stolas has done the bare minimum as a father from what we’ve SEEN, emphasis on SEEN not HEARD. It’s all bullshit, but let me get back to what I said in the beginning.

For starters, I really don’t understand why fans are patting Stolas on the back in this scene for simply bickering back at Stella, because this isn’t the right moment nor the situation to be doing that. Octavia woke up happy and excited because it was a day that her father promised to take her to, to see this meteor shower. She then goes out and sees that Stolas is busy with packing Stella’s things out of the house, (which btw, doesn’t make any sense because Stolas established in episode 7 that Octavia would “visit her mother” on certain weekends implying that Stella already had her own place but then again I doubt the crew rereads their scripts) but yeah Octavia rightfully so gets worried and upset, asking Stolas if this will be done before he can still take her. Stolas then practically brushes her concern off, and continues to bicker with Stella, this scene once again painting ONLY HER as the one in the wrong, which is another thing that pisses me off because I wish Viv would stop painting this relationship as one sided. Anyway, we see Stolas irritated, shooting back at Stella, which the fans were happy to see, expect this isn’t the moment to cheer?? First of all, all Stolas is doing is being petty back, he’s not acting professional at all, acting like a child as well. If he would have said something like “I’m not taking your abuse any longer, and don’t you dare treat Via the same way or endorse her to this”- THEN I’d understand, but he’s just selfishly slashing back at his wife while his daughter is RIGHT THERE, the same daughter that clearly expressed to him how upset she is about her parents fighting. Like the fans are really saying “I’m so happy for Stolas” while Octavia is right there, endorsing something that isn’t healthy, and yet the show wants you to laugh here. Like the writers really don’t give a shit about Octavia, (saying she should just acknowledge that her father is “trying” when she had every right to be pissed) nor do the fans. They all just care about fucking Stolas, a character that hadn’t done anything to deserve sympathy. Saying he cares about Octavia is the bare minimum, he needs to actually change and put her before his dick, and thanks to the shows awful storytelling, we haven’t seen any of him trying for his daughter, except Loo Loo Land, which is a bad (and the only) example.

The sad thing is that…don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the lesson of “This character isn’t perfect, they’ll make mistakes and you need to acknowledge that” because in general it is a good lesson for people to learn, however it just doesn’t fit in this scenario, nor for a character such as Stolas. He’s still a horrible dad and I stand by that. It doesn’t matter if he genuinely loves her and is more kind to her compared to Stella, that doesn’t excuse any of his actions, and saying “he’s trying” doesn’t cut it because he’s really not. If he were, he would have talked to her about what he’s going through, or Stella and the divorce, and would have just…BEEN there for her. Instead he’s mostly emotionally neglectful, and never thinking about how she might feel. I’m honestly just…done with the fandom and the writers sucking him off all the time just because he’s in a sad uwu marriage. He’s just an awful character and Octavia deserves better in every way.

[gritsandbrits]

Thinking about my Narnia OCs. Spoilers for Narnia, the last battle

Octavia loves to solve mysteries but the one mystery she refuses yo touch is the one about Aunt Girdy. Cold, aloof, possibly bakes children in her oven Aunt Girdy. Rarely seen at family outings and when there is one it's a funeral.

When Octavia's parents drop her off to spend the weekend with the old bat, Octavia thinks it must be divine punishment for forgetting to thaw the turkey last week. While Girdy proves to not bake children in ovens, she has proven to be cold and strict.

That night Octavia sneaks into the attic and finds a box full of trinkets. She uncovers some interesting things: a dagger, an arrow broken at the tip. A vintage tin of Turkish Delights - the hell are Turkish Delights, Octavia asks herself - and an old b&w photo of a young woman with a young (white) man.

Octavia hears some noises and is about to leave but suddenly she finds herself outside in the middle of broad daylight when it's supposed to be nighttime. The grass a brighter shade of green brighter than humanly possible, the sky azure blue, musty odor replaced by frangipanni. And more unnerving Octavia realizes there is no door for her to return to.

On the other side Girdy wakes up and see that Octavia isn't in bed. She panics, she hate the police and doesn't want them at her house but doesn't want to get charged either. In the eye of tve hurrcane she spots thw attic door open and heads inside she finds evidence of Octavia messing in her trunk. At first Girdy is angry but it dawns on her she may have travelled to the place Girdy herself once visited-Narnia. Suddenly Girdy is digging around in books and the boxy clunker of a computer to find ways of travelling worlds. And then she spits another clue: the book Octavia brought with her to read was written by a Susan Pevensie.

Octavia is taken to the court of the Summer King, Salamann. He beguiles her with tales of the narnian race, of the defeat of the winter witch at the hands of the Four Kings and Queens. He talks of the Last Battle, and of the missing Flower Queen Gertrude. Octavia says she has an aunt named Gertrude but she isn't fit to be queen, more like a tyrant. Salamann tells her that in his domain fun is free and nobody has to work. Well almost nobody, he puts criminals to work as punishment. He plans to expand his world of fun to all Narnia, perhaps someday he might even cheer up the real world too. Salamann believes that the prophesied return of the Flower Queen, he could have the power to make things right.

It turns out Salamann's plan for a peaceful world is causing suffering. On his whims to built amusements he disrupts important monuments and nesting places for the animals and creatures. He puts "unfunny people" to work as punishment. In reality the unfunny people are political dissidents and critics, or people just having a bad day. Soon Octavia learns the truth from a young mouse whose home was destroyed by the construction of Salamann's park. She says in order to stop him they must find the Four Kings and Queens, who are currently in hiding.

Girdy is desperate to find Octavia but nothing she does works. Finally she brings herself to read Susan Penvensie's book.

In Girdy's youth she had lived with the old man, when four English children move in. Girdy was a shy girl, partly due to the bullying she experienced as a mixed race girl. She suspected the Pevensie kids to be tbe same to her relief they aren't. She accompanied them to Narnia, and learning of her powers over plants and nature, became the Flower Queen. As she got older she lost her ability to travel to narnia but never lost her penchant for plants. When the war was over, she and Peter - whom developed a romance with - decided to get married. Getrude had wanted to open a flower shop.

Gertrude was visiting family in Canada when she found out that the Pevensies as well as several of their extended family passed in a train accident. Susan wasnt there, making her the only survivor. In the aftermath, and with her dreams of a happy life shattered Girdy became bitter and lost contact with Susan. They hadn't spoken in years. But Girdy did keep a lot of things to remember them by. It was all she had.

Wait Susan can help her! Girdy finds the number and calls her expecting and answer. An unfamiliar voice answers and it is one of Susan's kids. They tell her that Susan passed away a few years ago. Before her death she wrote a book based on her experiences in Narnia. At this new info Girdy becomes ashamed. How had she been so foolish? To let so many years go by without a single hello or how are you? It was too late for reconciliation. All she could hope now is for Octavia to make it through.

Octavia journeys through the land avoiding Salamann's forces and befriending narnians along the way. Girdy continues to read Susan's book and feels a weight lifting off her, she goes back to the attic and uncovers the dagger the arrow the tin of turkish delights everything she kept of her friends. Now she truly cherished them. It was all she had.

Once she steps out again she finds herself on the same meadow of frangipanni, the sweet summer breeze in her now imperfect coils. The frangipanni whisper to her of the young girl and the soldiers in red and orange and gold. Of the king who rule the domain with dreams and eternal laughter.

Girdy hears it all and asks the frangipanni which direction she needs to take. She and Octavia eventually reunite but they are caught by Salamann, who asks Octavia why have she left their game. Girdy attempts to shield her niece but what can an old woman do? Suddenly an arrow comes their away distracting Salamann enough for the heroes to get away. A mystery figure guides them away, through a hidden pathway until they reach a boat. One the boat the figure unveils their hood - a servant of Caspian. Girdy reveals she once visited Narnia but told no one in their family. Having met Caspian before she trusts his servant to bring them to safety.

As Octavia learns more of her family history, Girdy and Susan have a long overdue conversation. Girdy apologizes for not talking to Susan while she was alive, that she did keep her letters but afraid to write back. Susan replies she also was too anxious to write anything back and was sidetracked by her boo and personal life. But even all this time never lost hope that Girdy would find her happiness again. Girdy and Peter meet again, Girdy is still an old woman at this point, she hasn't fully regain her joy but Peter tells her he still loves her no matter what. He had been disappointed that she seemed to forget about him and his siblings but promise to help her break free of her demons.

Caspian's Servant takes Octavia and Girdy to a castle ground far away from Salamann's cluthes. There in all their sparkling glory are the Four Kings and Queens. To Octavia's surprise one of them is her favorite author - Susan Pevensie!

Susan reveals that after she died she was reborn into her queen form, to finally rejoin her siblings. Octavia says her aunt has been to Narnia before, She mentions Salamaan spoke of the Flower Queen having the same name. The royals reveal that Gertrude IS the Flower Queen. Octavia is shocked but Girdy admits they are telling the truth. She tells Octavia that in their world Peter was her childhood sweetheart and that they had planned to marry after the war. When she lost him & their family, she lost a part of her soul. Only until Girdy regains her spark she can use her powers. Realizing all this makes Octavia feel guilty for judging her own aunt. She had no idea that underneath all that coldhearted resentment, was very deep pain.

At the end, Girdy and Octavia returns to the human world, the older lady having finally accepted that she can live again. Peter promises he'll wait for her like always. Edward gifts Octavia a tin of turkish delights. Susan gives Octavia her blessing to continue the chronicles.

Salamann plans to use Girdy's magic to rid the world of all sorrow and pain. He had seen portraits of her and fell in love. But he needs all elements: he already has water, ice and of course his own fire magic. He needed earth, spring. In a night he ambushes the royal place and kidnaps her. Salamann tries to seduce Girdy but she refuses. While the idea of changing her past seems tempting she didn't want to destroy her beloved Narnia or the real world to do it.

Octavia, The Four Kings and Queens and their allies launch a rescue operation; on the battle Girdy reclaims her joy and her power. Girdy reminds Salamann that pain and sorrow are just as valid as happiness and joy and to run away from negative emotions is just as bas as letting them consume you. Salamann doesn't listen and in a jealous rage tries to kill Peter. Girdy summons a spell and Salamann is swallowed into the earth, never to be seen again.

The story ends with Octavia and Girdy not even being gone that whole weekend, just as Octavia's parents arrive to pick her up. They're shocked to see Girdy in a better mood. They never seen her so...joyful. Perhaps she's thankful to get the brat put of her hair bur she tells them Octavia has been a good girl and open to visit her anytime. A week later Girdy and Octavia go to an ice cream shop in town to talk about Octavia's Susan Pevensie collection.

[grace--fallen]

STARTER FOR @a-hell-of-a-time // STARTER CALL

TRUTH BE TOLD , octavia &&. her mother didn't get along well . stella was obsessed with reputation &&. appearances &&. insisted on wearing those loud , froo-froo dresses everywhere she went . she nearly shat her skirt when octavia tricked convinced her to go to HORROR FEST one weekend &&. told her with no small amount of condescension that she would be picking the activities for their weekends together from that point onward .

at least her dad tried to humour her MACABRE INTERESTS &&. didn't make her feel ashamed . then again , at least her mum spent time with her , even if octavia wanted to stick a fish hook in her eye &&. reel her brains out of her skull the whole time .

the goetia family was . . . complicated , to say the least .

&&. then there was her uncle , andrealphus . they hadn't spent enough MEANINGFUL TIME TOGETHER for her to have developed an a solid opinion on him just yet . he was stella's brother , though , so she still kept her guard up when she left octavia in his care for the afternoon while she ran off to do satan knew what with her ❝ friends ❞ whose RANCID DESPERATION could be smelled for miles .

( she had to wonder if stella knew that they only tolerated her because she was married into the main branch . octavia didn't have the heart to ask . )

octavia stood in the middle of the uncomfortably sterile foyer of andrealphus's CREEPY FROZEN CASTLE , staring at her uncle with her bag hanging over her shoulder &&. a severely underwhelmed look on her face . she always felt so out of sorts here ⎯⎯⎯ like the whole place could shatter apart at any moment .

❝ hey , ❞ she greeted with her usual boundless enthusiasm . she would leave the ball in her uncle's court to see what his next move would be , like a test of courage .

passing meant earning her respect &&. a fairly uneventful visit . failing meant slapping an open invitation in her hands to RUIN HIS LIFE in the span of an afternoon . her parents had taught her a few things about TOXICITY &&. MANIPULATION &&. she wasn't afraid to use the arsenal of psychological warfare at her disposal .

[hippieishsims]

So.....obviously a lot has happened in this save that I "mostly use for builds":-D. Doguk was kickin' it and Woohooing a celebrity, Octavia Moon. At first, it was no strings attached, but he decided to open his heart to the possibility of romance and he fell in love with Octavia! All that love led to an extramarital pregnancy, and Octavia's husband, Thorne Bailey, discovered his wife's infidelity. They tried to work it out, but quickly realized they were no longer compatible. They divorced, with Thorne retaining custody of the couples' two sons and Octavia asking Doguk to move in with her at her new ranch house in Del Sol Valley. Doguk agreed, and brought his young daughter he recently learned he fathered (and obtained custody of) along with him. So....Doguk no longer lives in the city. The daughter he and Octavia had when she was still married to Thorne also lives with them.

In the photos I have shared, they are expecting twins. Soon they will have a house full of 4 children. On the weekends, Octavia's boys visit.. Sometimes her first child with Doguk visits Thorne, since he is who was first raising her and they share a bond.

Doguk and Octavia remain in a committed romantic relationship (Boyfriend & Girlfriend). Neither of them has brought up marriage; however, they are both open to the possibility of it. Right now, they just want to maintain a safe and loving household for the children to grow up in.

[flovey-dovey]

So Stella and her pride weren’t hurt at all by Stolas’ infidelity? Okay, I guess so. She doesn’t ever really say that to him when it’d be the most appropriate to do so, and I mean, hiring an assassin is just something everybody does once in a while am I right?

[katzenkinderr]

Stellas relationship with Octavia

I’m a little confused about the relationship Stella has with her daughter cause she acts like she doesn’t care about her nor Stolas. She said that she just laid an egg to stop having s3x with Stolas and she didn’t help Octavia with her bad dream.

But Octavia still goes on the weekends to her mothers house….who made the decision that Octavia visits in the weekends? Was it Stolas? Does he need breaks from her? He seems so lonely the whole time,so probably not. Was it Octavia herself? Does she wanna visit Stella? Or is it Stella’s wish to see Octavia?

Idk it was a shower thought but still……maybe Stella is nicer than we think she is?

[sassymajesty]

I am really excited about the new chapter for only if for a night. I can’t wait to read what is next for them !!

it'll pick up right from where we left, a couple days later, and i'm so happy to know you're liking it!! i don't have much at all for it yet, but here's a lil sneak peek

She’s had a fantastic weekend — the best one in recent memory.

The Van Gogh exhibition was everything her soul needed to be full of life again, each expressive brushstroke cleaning the cobwebs and dusty corners of her heart. Niylah indulged her rants about what state of mind each painting showed and how much yellow there was in them for a few hours, and let her keep talking all the way to the bar. 

Promises of free beer were probably half the reason why Niylah agreed to go at all. And as late afternoon turned into evening, their friends joined them in their drinking. Raven dragged Octavia away from the kitchen for one beer around the same time Monty and Jasper snuck into it to make loaded fries that left everyone groaning with overeating and, when Clarke walked home arm in arm with her roommate, she couldn’t stop smiling.

Of course, a museum visit and drinking with friends is a fun weekend. But not quite enough to explain how giddy Clarke is.

Getting railed on Friday evening deserves all the credit for that.

Her back muscles still ache from the friction against the desk, but she doesn’t mind it. It’s a constant reminder of long fingers thrusting in and out, hips moving with them to match the hunger and need within her. And so are the hickies peppered from her collarbone down to her stomach, the majority of them in a cluster around her breasts. Lexa is a boobs girl, no fucking doubt about it.

Whenever she thought about Lexa fucking her in her office, on her desk, unapologetically marking her as she curled and pumped her fingers, Clarke found herself locking her bedroom door, lying down in bed, sliding her hand inside her shorts. Her fingers aren’t as long and her own hand kneading her breast didn’t have the same effect of Lexa’s mouth. But the mere memory of Lexa, her shirt open, pupils blown wide, knuckle deep inside her, was enough to have her coming within minutes.

[t100fic-for-blm]

OUR BELLARKE FICS

part four

31. UNOFFICIALLY MANDATORY

author: @bellarkestitchdelena

general | modern au | established relationship | family dinners | fluff

A family dinner with the delinquents.

32. ONCE AGAIN

author: @bellamy-wanheda

explicit | modern au | exes to lovers | smut

Clarke is stuck in a remote cabin, during a blizzard, with her ex-boyfriend Bellamy. Fluff and smut ensue.

33. FIGHT FOR THE FAIRY TALE, FACE YOUR DEMONS

author: @excuseyouclarke

mature | fantasy au | mutual pining | bed sharing

In Clarkes defence, strange poems in old books shouldn't lead to a magical land. Bellamy didn't have to follow her there, either. Now she's got them both stuck with only one way out - face your demons or be stuck here forever. The road home is filled with horrors that make them question everything they once thought they knew about fairy tales, and foes determined to take their souls.

They must work together if they both want to make it out in one piece - which is easier said than done when they're both in denial about their feelings for each other.

34. MY SKY’S NOT BLUE, IT’S VIOLENT RAIN

author: @animmortalist

mature | modern au | spies & assassins au | enemies to friends to lovers | mutual pining

Bellamy's a spy for Mt. Weather, damning his soul in exchange for keeping Octavia alive. Then his latest assignment to infiltrate Griffin's Laboratories and get close to one Clarke Griffin changes everything. Suddenly, he doesn't have just one person he'd do anything to protect. If only she didn't hate him once she discovers the truth about him. To his utmost surprise though, she agrees to work with him to save his sister and bring down Mt. Weather.

Betrayal might keep Bellamy and Clarke apart, but regardless of the lies and whirlwind of emotions, if they're going to succeed, they're in this together.

35. IN DADS WE TRUST

author: @queenemori

general | modern au | kid fic

Bellamy and Murphy run a successful Youtube channel geared at stay-at-home and single dads. Josephine Lightbourne, a popular mommy blogger, threatens their empire. Shenanigans ensue.

36. (CAUSE I KNOW THAT IT’S) DELICATE

author: @chronictonsillitis

teen | modern au | fluff

She’s not used to this. After so many years of being wanted for her connections, for her name, she’s not had many opportunities for this kind of casual intimacy. She hasn’t trusted anyone enough for it.

But here’s Bellamy, and he’s known her for years. There’s nothing that she has that he could want. All of the things she’s classically been used for, the things that draw people to her, are the things that initially drove them apart. And yet, he’s here, walking her home and—she catches his eyes on her, soft and sweet—looking at her like that.

Clarke has a bad reputation but Bellamy likes her anyways.

37. STUDY NOW DATE LATER

author: @bellarkestitchdelena

moodboard: @sparklyfairymira

general | modern au | established relationship

Clarke studies for the bar and Bellamy is there for her.

38. HELLO, BEAUTIFUL

author: @carrieeve

moodboard: @broashwhat

general | modern au | friends to lovers | kid fic

On the first day of a new school year, Clarke meets one of Madi's teachers. Well, "meets" is a strong word. Mostly, she just develops a massive crush on him--the guy whose name she doesn't even know. Yet.

39. BUT IF THIS MAN CAME UP TO ME

author: @stealing-jasons-job

teen | modern au | social media au | friends to lovers | roommates

The one where Clarke and Bellamy accidentally go viral on TikTok. And maybe kinda sorta fall in love in the process.

40. I NEVER WANTED ANYTHING SO MUCH THAN TO DROWN IN YOUR LOVE

author: @sparklyfairymira

explicit | modern au | love wedding repeat au | light angst

Bellamy and Clarke met one weekend when they were both visiting Octavia in Polis. They hit it off, but the timing is off. Fast forward three years to Octavia’s wedding and it’s the first time they’ve seen each other since then. An ex of Octavia’s shows up and sets a course of actions in place that lead to hijinks and disasters.

[cantgetoutofmyheda]

Falling in Love in a Quarantine: Part 9.5

OP | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9

—

PART 9.5: DAY 20

After Lexa’s somewhat of a confession, she simply hopped out of bed as if nothing had happened and exited the room. Clarke, still totally unsure of what had transcended—and certainly unsure of how to navigate the rest of the day—stayed put in her spot.

Almost fifteen minutes later, Lexa called from downstairs, “Clarke,” a pause. “C’mon, breakfast is almost ready!”

Clarke scrunched her face. That’s where Lexa fled off to, because, of course.

She took her time—changed into another set of comfortable clothes, brushed her teeth, tried to salvage the mess of bedhead, and finally made her way down to the kitchen.

“What’s all this?” Clarke’s brow was raised—pancakes and eggs were set on the small table.

Lexa sat down at her normal seat, “I figured if we were going to have somewhat of an awkward conversation, pancakes would help us ease into it.”

“Do we have to do this right now?” Clarke sighed.

“We don’t,” Lexa shrugged. “But figured it would be better to, rather than us be home all day pretending like nothing happened.”

“Fine,” Clarke rolled her eyes, begrudgingly taking her seat as she watched Lexa put food onto her plate. “Thanks.”

“So,” they both started at the same time, both gave an awkward laugh, before Clarke finally spoke up again.

“Sorry,” she smiled. “You first?”

“Sure,” Lexa nodded. “I know you said you were mortified,” she started, her inquisitive eyes finding Clarke’s. “But I really want you to know you have no reason to be. I woke up and realized what was happening, and I just…”

She paused—perhaps the conversation she wanted to have with Clarke would be harder than she initially thought.

“You what?” Clarke finally asked, breaking the silence.

“I just wanted it, too,” Lexa confessed. “I’ve been trying to wrap my head around a few things, and Anya has been saying–”

“Anya?” Clarke immediately turned her attention from the hot cake on her fork back up to Lexa. “What has Anya been saying?”

“Nothing, really,” Lexa shrugged. “I mean, she’s been asking me if something’s been going on between us, and I keep telling her that nothing has—that we’ve been the same as usual, but I suppose our ‘same as usual’ has always raised eyebrows in the past anyway.”

“I’m going to kill Raven,” Clarke shook her head.

“Raven?” Lexa tilted her head in thought. “What does Raven have to do with this?”

“She probably fucking told Anya everything,” Clarke let out. “I’m seriously going to kill her.”

“Everything?” Lexa set her fork down—her eyes were keenly focused on Clarke’s. “I don’t think Raven’s said anything to her. What do you mean by ‘everything?’”

“What has Anya been saying?” Clarke asked again.

Lexa scrunched her face, “I already told you. What are you talking about with Raven, though?”

“I’ve just been talking to Raven, too,” Clarke exhaled. Her train of thought drifted far away from the breakfast on her plate. Perhaps Lexa was right—pancakes serving as an early-morning icebreaker. “She’s been wondering if something’s been going on with us, also. And has been very vocal that she thinks something should be.”

Lexa nodded in understanding, “Have you said anything to her to make her push for that?”

“Yes,” Clarke admitted. “Yeah, I have.”

Lexa raised a brow, “I see.”

“Is that okay?” Clarke asked.

“Clarke,” Lexa softened her expression. “Of course it is. That’s why we’re sitting here talking about it. I mean, after this morning,” she looked up to meet Clarke’s eyes again. “I think it’s pretty clear that we’re both seeing our relationship differently.”

“When did you first think about it?” Clarke finally asked. She needed to know.

Lexa shrugged, “I think it may have always been in the back of my mind. I’m not sure. You?”

“Sophomore year,” Clarke stated. “I’ve thought about it since sophomore year.”

Lexa’s eyes nearly jumped out of their sockets, “Why didn’t you say something?”

“I’m saying something now,” Clarke tiredly sighed.

“But back then?” Lexa started. “Why didn’t you say something back then?”

“I tried to, once,” Clarke shook her head. “But we were nineteen, and you were—are—my best friend, and that was just the most terrifying thought.”

“What?” Lexa blinked. “When?”

“Remember sophomore year when you planned that road trip for me, you, Rae, and O to go visit Anya at school?” Clarke smiled at the thought. “Right around that time.”

“I do,” Lexa recalled. “Since then, huh?”

It was a shotty plan, at best, but Lexa was still proud of it. The four friends were to take the holiday weekend, a Friday and Monday off of class, and drive Raven’s old Lesabre on an eight-hour drive to visit Lexa’s childhood best friend. She had met the group a bunch of times, and thankfully, they got along famously—but it was now Lexa’s turn to go visit her, and she wanted to bring everyone else along. The route was easy—Raven was in charge of that. Clarke and Octavia were in charge of road snacks and games, and Lexa was in charge of the playlist for there and back.

It was the Thursday night before they were set to leave, and Lexa barged into Clarke’s dorm room—Clarke and the other two were sitting on the floor discussing food choices and different places to stop for gas and snack-refuels. The look of excitement and happiness on Lexa’s face caught Clarke’s attention—in the two years they had been friends, she had never seen Lexa look so proud, and that’s when she knew.

Lexa held her phone in the air, boastful about the two playlists she created. Beamed at the fact that she sprung for a Spotify premium account so that no ads would interrupt her music flow. Said it was going to be like a symphony of sounds in the car the whole way there and back, and made sure to let everyone know that “no skipping” was allowed.

The smile on Clarke’s face said it all, and though Lexa didn’t catch on, Raven and Octavia most certainly did.

“Was there a particular moment? Did something happen?” Lexa questioned. Her mind was trying to sift through all the memories the pair had shared, trying to pinpoint a place in time that would lead Clarke to feel the way she did all that time ago.

“The look on your face when you came into my room the night before we left,” Clarke sighed again. “You looked so happy, so proud. And my heart dropped into my stomach and I guess I just realized it. I don’t know.”

“That was a killer playlist,” Lexa smiled.

“Debatable,” Clarke raised a brow. “There was too much Kenny Chesney.”

“Clarke,” Lexa started. “I literally crafted that playlist to the scenery I knew we’d be driving through. It was perfect.”

Clarke rolled her eyes, recalling the drive from Nashville to New Orleans, “I wanted to gouge my fucking eyes out.”

“Glad you didn’t,” Lexa smiled. “They’re too pretty.”

Clarke immediately softened, offering Lexa a smile, “Wow, I would have done that sooner had I known it would have meant you’d start being nicer to me.”

“Please,” Lexa scoffed. “I’m always nice to you. It’s probably why everyone always thought something was going on with us.”

“Everyone?” Clarke asked, but was just met with a shrug from Lexa.

“When did you try to tell me?” Lexa asked, changing the subject.

Clarke looked towards the window, then back to Lexa, “A week or so after we got back from Anya’s. Raven and O had been pestering me to finally come clean, and I had some liquid courage, so I figured I might as well.”

“But you didn’t,” Lexa was confused. “I mean, you never told me.”

“Correct,” Clarke gave her a sad smile—it showed in her eyes. “We were in my room—Monty had dropped off a jug of his ‘Murder Sangria’ and we were just drinking it and watching a movie,” Clarke recalled. “I don’t even remember what it was, but something happened and I was the only one that laughed. I couldn’t believe they didn’t think the scene was funny and made a comment about how you would have.”

“We do have a weird sense of humor,” Lexa chuckled. “I’m sure whatever it was, wasn’t actually funny, Clarke.”

“Semantics,” Clarke rolled her eyes. “Anyway, they both started egging me on, teasing me about how I was crushing on you and finally got me up and had me marching towards your dorm room to tell you.”

“But you didn’t,” Lexa repeated, still confused as to why Clarke never said a thing to her. “What happened?”

Clarke, tipsy on sangria and drunk off of a mad crush, sauntered over from her dorm room to Lexa’s. Two and a half weeks’ worth of teasing from her other two friends finally drove her to do it. Lexa had opted to skip out on movie night—second semester finals were around the corner, and she was hellbent on maintaining that shining GPA of hers.

A knock at Lexa’s door brought her out of her zone, and once she opened it, she found Clarke with a certain glow to her. Lexa smiled immediately, excited to see her best friend. To Clarke, the smile was the same one that gutted her heart right out of her chest from a few Thursday night’s ago.

“I have to tell you something,” they said in unison—both girls wound up laughing, but Clarke’s anxiety got the best of her. As ready as she was to tell Lexa what she wanted to, she figured another minute wouldn’t hurt her cause.

“You first,” Clarke offered.

“You’ll never guess,” Lexa beamed, her smile was growing even wider, and Clarke’s chest swelled even more at the sight.

Clarke raised a brow, “Then I guess you’ll have to just tell me whatever is it that’s gotten you so riled up, Lex.”

“Costia asked me out,” the look in Lexa’s eyes matched the smile on her face. She was happy—no, she was ecstatic. She was ecstatic and elated and beautiful and everything in between, and Clarke tried to pretend to be the same for the other, but the fake smile on her face was barely enough to mask her devastation.

“Oh, wow, Lex,” Clarke offered.

Lexa nodded, not realizing Clarke’s reply was nowhere near sincere, “You remember, right? That girl I told you about from my poli-sci class?”

“Yeah, wow,” Clarke couldn’t find the words. The combination of the Murder Sangria and Lexa’s news was starting to make her sick, “Lexa that’s awesome. Really exciting. Really happy for you.”

“Thanks!” Lexa beamed. “I think we’re going to try to do something after our poli-sci final this week. I’ll keep you posted. I’m going to need your help with what to wear and all that stuff.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Clarke nodded. “Of course.”

“What’d you have to tell me?” Lexa tilted her head. “Sorry, you came here for something and I totally hijacked the conversation.”

Clarke shook her head, “No, it was stupid.” She closed her eyes, “Uh, we were watching a movie and something funny happened and I wanted to tell you, but I don’t even remember. Your news was much more exciting.”

“Oh, okay,” Lexa smiled. “I’m glad you came by, though.”

“Yeah,” Clarke nodded again. “Me too. Night, Lex.”

“I showed up to your room to tell you,” Clarke nearly winced at the thought. “And then you told me about Costia.”

Lexa immediately felt her stomach drop, “Clarke.”

Clarked nodded, “Yeah.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me?” Lexa asked—Costia was new, but Clarke was a constant. Surely, had Clarke said something, they would have been able to navigate it together all those years ago.

“I’d known you for two years at that point, Lex,” Clarke offered. “I thought you finishing your stupid playlist was the happiest I had seen you, and I guess it was. Until that exact moment.”

“But–”

“No,” Clarke sighed. “You had been talking about her all semester, Lexa. You had a wild crush on her and wouldn’t stop blabbing about it. She finally asked you out, and I wasn’t going to take that away from you.”

“But–”

“No buts, Lex,” Clarke shook her head. “It’s in the past, okay?”

“But it was so new with Cos, Clarke,” Lexa tried. “If you told me, then maybe we could have figured this all out back then.”

“I wasn’t going to get in the way of you and Costia, Lexa,” Clarke started. “And look—it lasted six years with you guys, so it clearly meant something.”

Lexa rolled her eyes, “It’s not like we ended up together.”

“Six years, though,” Clarke pointed out. “It meant something.”

Lexa nodded, “Okay, so have you always felt this way? Since then?”

“I don’t know,” Clarke shrugged. “I really don’t. After all that, I kind of brushed everything to the side. You’ve been my best friend since we met and it was more so me just coming to terms with the fact that that’s all you’d ever be to me. Maybe I kept it in the back of my mind, but since then, I’ve just looked at you as my best friend.”

“Okay,” Lexa nodded. “I get it. So what do we do now?”

“I mean,” Clarke finally broke a smile. “I guess we see where things go? I’d say we take it slow—and this is new territory, so I do want to do that—but considering this morning…”

“We can take things slow and see where things are going, Clarke,” Lexa nodded.

“Can we refrain from telling Raven and Anya and everyone else about this morning, though?” Clarke winced at the thought of the endless teasing that would come her way.

“How about,” Lexa leaned in, grabbing Clarke’s hand with her own. “We keep this between us right now. We’ll see where things go, and if we decide we’re on the right track, we can let those idiots in on it.”

“I like that,” Clarke nodded. “Just me and you?”

Lexa smiled, before releasing her hold on Clarke’s hand. She stood up and made her way towards the blonde, leaning over her seat to brush a stray golden lock behind her ear, “Just me and you.”

Clarke’s expression softened. Her heart was beating out of her chest.

“I’m going to kiss you now, Clarke,” Lexa smiled, looking into her eyes to gauge her reaction.

“Fucking finall–”

Clarke was cut off by the feeling of Lexa’s lips against her own. To her, the kiss was ten years in the making—but the softness of Lexa’s touch, the look she had just given her, the hand that was now caressing her neck—that made it all worth the wait.

[kriscme]

One Life to Live

Hi, so now we come to the end.  The final two chapters.  Thanks to everyone who’s been following this story.  It can be read on AO3 too.  My name is Kris22 there.  As always, thanks to Ronja for allowing me to write fanfic of her Hunger Games fanfic “The Chance You Didn’t Take” available on AO3 and Fanfiction.  And thanks to Loueze for her encouragement and support.  Chapter 37 By the time the television crew was due to arrive, Peeta and I were as convincingly in love as two people could possibly be.  Of course, it was helped a great deal by the fact that we actually were.  Even so, we were hardly looking forward to our private lives becoming public again and cameras following us around as we went about our daily routine.  We worried about how intrusive it might be. Cressida had promised it would be tasteful, but the Capitol idea of tasteful can be very different from the districts.  I was afraid that it might be like that show I once saw on television about a houseful of people under constant surveillance.  They couldn’t even shower in privacy.  Would it be like that for Peeta and me?  Would they follow us into the bedroom?  Expect us to perform?  Our one consolation was that we’d be left alone once filming had ended and we vowed to ourselves that we’d do nothing newsworthy for the rest of our lives.   The day came. The house had been cleaned and tidied.  Everything was where it was supposed to be to reflect a couple who lived together as romantic partners.  Buttercup was bathed and freshly groomed.  I had the scratches to prove it.  Peeta, always considerate, had baked an assortment of breads for the crew, although I told him he shouldn’t bother.  At 7 am everything was in readiness.  10 am came and went.   And then 11 am.   At 2 pm we were still waiting.   At 4 pm we wondered if we’d got our dates wrong.   It was 6 pm when Haymitch finally got around to telling us.  They weren’t coming.  At all.   The video Remus took had violated victor media protection.  I had been filmed without my consent, wasn’t engaged in illegal activity and hadn’t voided my own protection by taking on a public role or seeking publicity.  Plutarch knew this but gambled that in our ignorance, we could be coerced into co-operating.  And once filming had started, our media protection was automatically revoked, since we had clearly consented to it.   It took only one phone call from Haymitch to President Paylor to have it sorted.   I suppose it’s of some consolation that Plutarch was severely reprimanded and threatened with dismissal.  And that he was also out of pocket for the purchase of the video and pre-production costs. As for Haymitch, I couldn’t decide whether to thank him or kill him.  He had certainly saved us from our lives being turned into a media circus for a second time but he’d let us have the worry of it for a whole week.  Peeta calmed me down and reminded me that it had brought us together.  Haymitch’s defense was that he was sick to death of our crap and wanted an end to it. He thought that a week of living together would get us sort out our differences and he was proven right.   I argued that it would have happened anyway, although I had to concede probably not as quickly.  With that in mind, I decided to let him live.   The year rolls around.  Peeta doesn’t move back into his house. It was never discussed; it was simply taken for granted.  We keep busy.  Peeta still works at the bakery as a specialist cake decorator.  He’s a partner now.  The sign above the new premises reads “Carter and Mellark Bakery and Patisserie.”  I teach at the school and on weekends I hunt. Marcus wrote to ask if I was interested in culling pest species such as wild dog and feral pig.  I jumped at it.  It seems you can be a hunter and a conservationist.   Haymitch works at the council and raises geese, which he does a pretty good job of considering he’s inebriated most of the time. We attend two weddings and one toasting.   Arthur and Lace don’t wait long before they tie the knot, or to be more accurate, thread the needle. Predictably, it was the source of much hilarity for Max, who was also invited.  At least he refrained from making jokes until after the ceremony.  I enjoyed catching up with Sateen and her husband Roy. They have a little boy.  They called him Felt.   Poor kid.   The second wedding was Octavia and Thom’s. Octavia made a beautiful bride with her rich auburn hair and fresh complexion.  Venia’s fear that their past as prep team to the Games would jeopardize their position in 12 proved needless.  Everyone knew who they were.  They’d seen them on television.  Flavius’s bright orange hair and Venia’s facial tattoos made them easily recognizable. But people had moved on.  They were tired of holding onto resentments – especially for three harmless beauty therapists whose former “victim” still willingly availed herself of their services.   The toasting was ours.  One day, we just did it.  There was no planning, no prior understanding that we’d have one.  It was the middle of winter.  We were snowed in and confined to the house.  Peeta got a roaring fire going and we picnicked in front of it using odds and ends from the pantry.  We had some stale bread to use up and toasted it by the fire.  He’d hold the toasting fork with a piece of bread to the flames and offer it to me when it was done.  The significance of it entered our heads at the very same moment. It was just a look followed by a kiss. Nothing needed to be said.  One day we might make it official, but for us we’re more married than any piece of paper or big party could make us.   Johanna won the election for District 7 mayor. She’s kept very busy but we talk on the telephone regularly.  She’s coming to visit 12 for a few days next month.   Doubtless she’ll be as disruptive as ever.  But sometimes we can use a little stirring up.  That’s what Johanna says anyway.  She takes full credit for getting Peeta and me back together and I can’t say she’s entirely wrong.   And we had a visit from my mother!  I had her possessions shipped to her home in District 4 and it seemed to have jolted something inside her, because soon after she was making plans to travel here.   It was a short visit.  She was nervous about coming here, of the memories it could evoke.  But aside from the Village, there’s nothing left of the old Twelve.  The debris from the bombs has long since been cleared away, new buildings have replaced the old, and the grass grows long and thick over the meadow.   We had a long talk about her reasons for not joining me in Twelve after I’d been released from the Capitol.  She feared being pulled down into a depression along with me.   I understood.  When you’re in the grip of it, you can see no way out.  My mother, having recovered once, was deathly afraid that she wouldn’t recover a second time.  And since misery feeds on misery, she would likely have only made mine worse.   Peeta is somewhere in the house repairing the painting of the primrose he did for me.  I don’t visit Prim in her room anymore except for that one time I when I wanted to tell her about my toasting with Peeta.   She wasn’t there.  She hasn’t been for a long time.  It was then I realized that Prim doesn’t reside in any particular place.  She’s with me every time I think of her.  I took down the primrose painting from the top of the dresser.  It belongs somewhere where I will see it every day.   I had an idea for a book, similar to my family’s plant book.   It’s to preserve the happy memories of the people we’ve lost.   Lady licking Prim’s cheek, what Cinna could do with a length of silk.  In my best handwriting, I carefully record all the details it would be a crime to forget and accompany it with a photo if we have one, or a sketch or painting by Peeta. There are photos of Finnick strewn across the dining table as I try to make my mind up on which one to use - a publicity shot that shows off Finnick’s sea-green eyes or a photo taken of himself and Annie at their wedding.   “Katniss, I was looking for some kind of adhesive tape to fix the painting and I found this letter in one of the drawers in the study.  It was addressed to me, so I opened it.” I look up, wondering what Peeta’s talking about.  He holds the painting in one hand and a sheet of paper in the other.  He leans the painting up against a wall and then pulls out one of the dining room chairs to sit across from me.  He lays the letter down in front of him.  I immediately recognize the handwriting on it as my own.  It’s the first letter I wrote to him after the mayor’s party before I thought better of it and wrote a second.  But not before putting it in an envelope and stuffing it in a drawer.  I’d forgotten all about it.   I try to snatch the letter away but he swiftly puts it out of my reach.  “Dear Peeta,” he reads. “I’m writing to you because – ““You don’t have to read it.  I know what’s in it,” I say.  “Give it back.”  I make another grab for it but he’s too fast. “. . . because I’m sure to get it wrong, or miss something important if I do this face to face.” He stops reading and hands me the letter.  I take it from him, refold it, and slip it beneath the memory book, hoping against hope, that this will prevent any more mention of it. “Did you really want to break off all contact with me?” he asks, frowning.  “I didn’t think it ever got that bad.  When?  Why?” I sigh. Why didn’t I throw the damn letter out? “It was after the mayor’s party.  I was very upset when I wrote it.  And then I had second thoughts and wrote you another. That’s the one I slipped under your door.  I’d forgotten about this one.” He gives his head a shake. “I don’t understand. Nothing happened that night.  Not between us, anyway.  Did someone say something?  Was it Max?”  His lips thin in anger.  “That – “ “No,” I say quickly.  “It was nothing Max did.” I let out a breath, and plough forward. “It was something you did.  You and Lace.  It was when you sneaked off to have sex.” There’s a moment of stunned silence.  “What?” “You know what I mean.  I saw it all.  Well, not all, but I did see the two of disappear through those swinging double doors only the staff used.   And when you came back, Lace’s hair was all mussed. And if you didn’t have sex exactly, it was something close.  That was really tacky, Peeta.  Civilized people have more decorum than to do that.  Civilized people wait until they get home.  Civilized people – “ “Katniss, we didn’t sneak off for sex. Cass invited me to see the kitchens once the dessert course was over.  That’s where we went.”   Oh.  I guess that’s a reasonable explanation.  But that dream had been so vivid.  “Then why was Lace’s hair messed up?” “Was it?  I don’t know.  I don’t remember anything different about her.  We went to see the kitchen, Cass showed us around, and then we came out. Nothing else happened.”   “But it was sticking out,” I insist.  I know what I saw.   The scene plays again in my head.  I was at the bar with Haymitch and Max, sampling shots of whisky and getting drunker and more agitated by the minute.  Agonizing over what they could be doing.  Kissing, fondling each other, maybe even fucking. “And then you didn’t even look to see if I was still there when you came back,” I add in a small pitiful voice.  It sounds so pathetic, saying it aloud.  It’s a trivial reason for cutting someone out of your life. Just because they didn’t look for you when they came into a room.   But after everything, that’s what tipped it over for me.  What finally made me give up hope and decide to end it. He reaches across the table to take one of my hands.  “Katniss, look at me.” I turn my face away, and he gives my hand a tug.  I reluctantly meet his gaze.  His eyes look earnestly into mine.  “I can’t explain the hair, okay?  But I can tell you what I do remember about that night.” He pauses, as if waiting for my approval before he proceeds.  I shrug.   “Go ahead.” He closes his eyes for a few seconds.  “You, looking so beautiful in your Cinna dress.  And me, assailed by memories of other entrances and other gowns.  Being dragged around by Lace from one boring conversation to another, unable to resist looking around to see what you were doing.  And Max, who didn’t leave your side for a minute unless it was to get you another drink. I was jealous of him without knowing why but attributed it to a fear of losing your friendship.” He pauses and adds, “At the time, you didn’t seem very happy with me.”I feel a twinge of remorse.  He’s right.  I was often moody and distant with him.  The tape viewings weren’t going as I wanted and I’d recently learned of a pattern book he was making for Lace, similar to my family’s plant book.  “You seemed to be having such a good time together, at dinner and on the dance floor. So, when we came back into the ballroom, I just didn’t want to be reminded of it.  I kept my head down and headed for the nearest group of people.  And then I did my best not to think about you.  I’m sorry.   I hurt you and used Lace to hide from my feelings.  But that’s the truth, awful as it is.”   But not nearly as awful as what I’d convinced myself of.   I don’t know what to say.  I feel so foolish.  So much anger and pain for something that existed only in my imagination.   And I’d also assumed that Peeta’s willingness to help me with the Marcus thing was due, in some part, to either empathy or guilt for having being in a similar situation himself. “No, I’m the awful one for jumping to conclusions.  I thought the worst.  You’d never be so crass as to do something like that.  I owe you an apology.  I should never – “ “You don’t owe me anything,” he says, interrupting me before I can go further.   “In fact, the opposite is true.  You wouldn’t have thought it if I hadn’t given you reason to.” He reaches across for the memory book and flips through the pages we’ve done so far.  My father. Peeta’s father.  Boggs.  It stops on Rue.  Peeta has drawn her poised on her toes, arms slightly extended, like a bird about to take flight.  There’s a reason why I asked him to portray her like this.  It’s how I want to remember her.  You can’t change the past, but you can bring the best of it into the future.   “Let’s make a deal.  Only good memories for us from now on.  Like this book you’re working on.”   He walks over to where I’m sitting to pull me out of my chair.  “Now come show me where you want this painting hung.”  I take him into the living room.  It’s the room we use most and where I’ll see it every day.   As I decide where to place it exactly, Peeta comes to stand at my back to hug me from behind.  I lean back against his broad chest and luxuriate in the strong arms that encircle me.   My dandelion in the spring.  The lullaby that Prim liked as a baby comes to mind.   Here it’s safe, here it’s warmHere the daisies guard you from every harmHere your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them trueHere is the place where I love you. “I was thinking over the mantle?  Or maybe on the far wall . . .”    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 38 Lace’s story: what happened on the night of the mayor’s party.   It wasn’t fair!  This was supposed to have been her night.   She had been looking forward to it for weeks ever since Peeta casually mentioned it on one of their date nights.  The mayor’s inauguration party was to be the biggest social event in District 12 in living memory.  All the important and influential people in the district would be there.  For ambitious Lace, it was invaluable in terms of creating contacts and securing the kind of clientele that could afford to buy her evening wear, a design niche she wanted to develop.   Besides, she dearly loved a party and she hadn’t been to one in ages.  The last one had been the district party where she had met Peeta for the first time.   He didn’t remember it though.   That was fortunate since she had come to District 12 for a new life and a new identity and didn’t want her past in District 8 compromising it in any way.   Since she was to be her best advertisement, she put a great deal of thought and effort into her gown.  She hadn’t much money saved but she splurged the lot on pale yellow satin and then spent many hours making it up.   The final touch was a trip to the salon to have her hair colored and styled.  It was an extravagance, keeping up the hair color.  But she loved it and it formed something of a disguise as it was subtly different from the typical ash brown of the natives of her home district.   As she entered the ballroom, Lace felt she was at the beginning of an exciting new phase.  After a slow start, her business had gained momentum and she was making a steady income.   A few family members had also made the move to 12 which added to her sense of security.  But best of all, was the man on whose arm she clung.  How did she get so lucky?  Peeta Mellark!  Her teenage crush.  The romantic heartthrob whose posters had adorned her bedroom wall.  The boy she had married in her dreams every night.  What a fortuitus twist of fate it had been that day when he came into her shop to have a coat made.  A flirtation had led to a date at a restaurant and then another, until she could now, without exaggeration, call him her boyfriend! True, he wasn’t quite what she had expected.  He seemed a bit aimless, and he liked activities she had outgrown, like hanging out at the ice-cream parlor and the swimming pool, but he was Peeta Mellark!   And he really was so sweet and considerate with his little romantic gestures and compliments to her beauty.  He told her she was a wonder.  And the more she kissed and flattered and stroked, the more wonderful she became.  It was a mutual admiration society that she was more than happy to live in.  The one blot on her happiness was Katniss Everdeen.  Lace had mixed feelings about meeting her. Katniss was intimidating.  Her reputation as romantic heroine, fearless symbol of the Rebellion, skillful warrior and (privately thought by most of the populace) savior from another Snow, preceded her.  But most intimidating of all was her relationship with Peeta.  He talked about her all the time. Not in a romantic sense, it was true, but it was clear she occupied a great deal of his thoughts.  The Games had been mandatory viewing and Lace, like everyone in Panem, had watched Peeta gaze at Katniss with love in his eyes.  But Peeta had an explanation for that.  It had been an illusion.  He thought he had been in love with her, but it turned out that he was in love with his idea of her, rather than who she really is.  But now he thought of her as very good friend with whom he shared an unbreakable bond.  As for Katniss, well, she had never loved him.  It had all been an act on her part. That should have been reassuring.  And it was.  Sort of.  But Peeta had lost many of his memories and what was left was distorted, so how could he be certain? But what gave her most pause wasn’t Peeta.  It was Katniss.  It was clear at the first meeting that Katniss didn’t like her.  Katniss wasn’t rude, but she was cool, even giving her the once over when they were first introduced.  And when Lace and Peeta discussed a housewarming gift from the two of them for Lace’s brother, a shadow passed over Katniss’s face.  It was subtle but unmistakable.  Katniss wasn’t as disinterested in Peeta as Peeta made out. That’s why Lace gatecrashed the tape viewings.  If there was anything going on, she wanted to know about it.  She didn’t trust Katniss one inch.  Unfortunately, the second of the tapes triggered the memory of a traumatic incident for Lace and she reacted hysterically.  Peeta asked her not to attend anymore and she had no choice but to do as he said.   However, despite Peeta watching video tape of hugs and kisses and romantic slow dancing at Capitol parties, nothing changed between herself and Peeta.  If Peeta had ever loved Katniss, it appeared that he no longer did.   Even Leevy’s revelations in the salon that day didn’t worry her for long.  So what if the star-crossed lovers had been real?  It still aligned with Peeta’s version.  What had happened in the Games and during the tours was before Peeta had realized his true feelings for Katniss.  And she’d already guessed that Katniss was in love with him.   The party was everything Lace had dreamed of. So elegant. The women in evening gowns, the men in dinner suits.  Waiters with silver trays laden with flutes of sparkling champagne. The tables resplendent with starched white tablecloths and napkins and gleaming cutlery.  She turned to Peeta to kiss his cheek. “Thank you so much for bringing me,” she said. “You really are the best boyfriend.”  He brushed her lips with his and gave her a fond smile.  “Only because I have the best girlfriend,” he replied.   She beamed and squeezed his arm.  She could hardly recall a happier moment.   And then Katniss Everdeen arrived.  Lace’s practiced eye immediately recognized her gown as haute couture.  Cinna, probably.  Deep blue, the bodice studded thickly with diamonds – were they real? – with a strapless sweetheart neckline and more diamonds scattered on the skirt.  It dazzled and Katniss dazzled with it.  Luxuriant dark hair cascading down her back in loose curls.  Smooth olive skin, fine features and those surprising eyes.  Silvery gray, the colour of storm clouds.  She had a man for each arm.  The school teacher Max Matson, who all the girls agreed was very good looking if you could get past his personality, and – it couldn’t be – Arthur!  Lace’s friend who adored her since they were children together.  She knew he was coming tonight but not with her!  She felt the arm beneath her fingers stiffen and her glance swiftly turned to his face.  Peeta appeared stunned, his mouth gaping slightly.  There was admiration, certainly, but also something darker and more sinister.  Recognition. A memory, perhaps several, had resurfaced.   Lace’s happiness dimmed as if a cloud had passed across the sun.  But she rallied, pulling Peeta quickly along to greet the new mayor and his wife who were momentarily on their own.  Lace was in her element.  She was a natural networker.  She loved to interact with people and was always searching for opportunities.  Peeta seemed a little distracted though. Looking around, not quite keeping up with the conversation.   She followed his gaze, and it led directly to Katniss Everdeen, who, no surprise, was looking directly at him.  They both looked quickly away, but that was of no comfort.  It was clear that they were on each other’s mind. Meanwhile, she was pleased to observe, Arthur had detached himself from Katniss and was busy working the room too.  Now there was a man with get-up-and-go.  He didn’t let his natural reserve get in the way of achieving his ambitions.  Lace waved him over and he changed direction to come to her side.  Soon they were talking business, a fascinating subject for them both. She didn’t notice how restless Peeta was during the exchange. Dinner was announced and everyone made their way to their allocated seats.  Unfortunately, theirs was a dull table and not even Lace’s pearly laugh could liven it up. A burst of laughter from nearby grabbed her attention.  Arthur and Haymitch seemed to be at the center of it.  It caught Peeta’s attention too.  He seemed envious, it appeared to Lace.  But whether it was over the entertaining company or because Katniss was seated there too, she couldn’t tell. After the food had been served, people resumed their mingling, moving from table to table. Peeta wanted to talk to Katniss.  Ordinarily, Lace wouldn’t feel particularly threatened by this.  Over the preceding weeks, Peeta had confided to her that Katniss seemed uninterested in spending time with him unless it was watching the tapes.  And even then, she often seemed angry with him. Lace immediately guessed the situation. Katniss had grown frustrated with Peeta. He hadn’t responded as she’d hoped and she was distancing herself as a form of self-protection.  As long as this status quo was maintained, Lace felt safe. But after tonight, she wasn’t sure of anything.   Lace demurred.  Perhaps it wasn’t a good idea.  Katniss appeared occupied and hadn’t he told her that she didn’t seem keen on his company lately?  It was best to leave her alone.  But Peeta said that they should, that it would look odd if they didn’t.  So, when Max headed off in the direction of the bar, leaving Katniss on her own, Lace reluctantly let Peeta lead her to where Katniss sat.   It was an awkward conversation.  Lace embarrassed herself with her ignorance on what it meant to be a victor at the district parties and having to face the families of the dead tributes.  Worse, she let it slip that she had been to a district party.  Her story was that she’d been a factory worker in 8. Factory workers weren’t allowed to attend district parties.  Fortunately, Peeta didn’t pick up on it, but Katniss appeared to sense that something was amiss.   There was an awkward pause.  Peeta broke the silence.  “Are you going to let me talk to Katniss?” he said to Lace, pretending to be annoyed.  She had intended to stay at Peeta’s side, but perhaps it would be better to leave before she dug herself a deeper hole. “Okay, okay,” she said, in mock surrender.  “I know when I’m not wanted.  I need to go to the ladies’ room anyway.  Just stay out of trouble and don’t bug Katniss.” There, that would show Katniss who’s really in charge and hopefully plant a seed that Peeta wasn’t exactly happy in her company either.  She stroked his hand and kissed his cheek, enjoying her Svengali-like effect, knowing that his eyes would follow her as she walked away. She went to the ladies’ room as she said she would and did the usual things women do there.  She wanted to get the timing right and was gratified to see Peeta waiting for her at their table when she returned.   The dancing started up soon after and Lace pulled Peeta to his feet.  She loved to dance.  Peeta didn’t. His prosthetic leg made it a chore rather than a pleasure and he had faint memories of dancing at Capitol parties. But he wanted to be a good boyfriend, so up he got, and shuffled dutifully around the dancefloor with her. But then Katniss and Max came into view. Max had Katniss pulled tightly against him and he swung her around in a series of fancy turns, almost lifting her off her feet.  They were making fools of themselves, thought Lace.  That’s no way to behave at a formal event. So undignified!  So tasteless!  She turned to Peeta, expecting him to be as unimpressed as she, but his face was hard, giving away nothing.  Suddenly, he put his head close to hers and whispered words in her ear.   She nodded and followed him through the double swinging doors the staff used to bring food from the kitchen.  It had been pre-arranged.  Peeta had told her about it.  Cass from the bakery was to show Peeta around the kitchens. He had never seen a commercial kitchen before.   While he marveled at the long row of ovens, the walk-in freezer, the huge storage room, Lace could barely stifle her yawns.  So boring, and it was fricking cold in there after the warmth of the ballroom. But she stuck a smile on her face and did her best to appear interested but she was hardly in the mood to hear about the merits of blast chillers when her heart was breaking.  Somehow, she had to widen the gulf between Katniss and Peeta. She had to ensure that any fledgling signs of a possible reunion between them was snuffed out before it could begin. And then she had an idea. Just as they were about to re-enter the ballroom, Lace ruffled her carefully styled hair and swiped the back of her hand across her mouth to wipe away some of the lipstick, smearing it a little. Let Katniss believe that she and Peeta had snuck away for some canoodling in a dark corner.  Isn’t that what Peeta and Katniss did as star-crossed lovers?  Sneaking off to be alone when they were at fancy events? It was in a fan magazine she’d read, anyway.  With a bit of luck, Katniss’s mind would go straight there.   She scanned the room and saw Katniss by the bar with Max and Haymitch.  The hour was growing late and the crowd had thinned but there was a group of merry young people standing around nearby.  She started to lead Peeta in their direction, but he seemed to have the same idea and led her.  And when his arm went around her waist and he pressed a fond kiss to the crown of her head, relief flooded through her.  Everything was as it should be.  She turned in his arms slightly to look over his shoulder and managed to catch a glimpse of Katniss’s stricken but resolute face, just before her hasty exit with a startled Max close behind her.   Satisfied, she leaned her head against Peeta’s shoulder and he squeezed her waist.  She had worried over nothing.  It was inevitable that as Peeta regained his memories they’d be focused on Katniss. They were, after all, the memories that Snow had meddled with.  It didn’t mean that Peeta was wrong when he said his feelings for her had been an illusion. The real proof of who he loved was in who he chose to be with.  And that was her, Lace Bomul from District 8.  

[snow-pitch-grimm]

A little Crush

Summary: Baz’s little sister has a bit of a crush on Simon.

BAZ

Simon takes my hand as we walk up to my parents' house. We're supposed to spend the weekend here.

"Remember the first time we spent the weekend here?" says Simon

I grin, "Oh yeah, we were both so nervous,"

"It turned out great, didn't it?"

"Yeah," I say

"I can't wait to see you, siblings, I haven't seen them since last Christmas,"

It was true. We had always taken the time to come up when we had been students, but after graduation, the visits had lessened. I had spent the most recent Christmas with my family while Simon hs spent it with the Salisbury family, wanting to get to know his mother's family.

And then a lightbulb goes off in my head.

"Speaking of my siblings, I should probably warn you about Octavia," I tell him, "She has a bit of a crush on you. She might be a little too much,"

The twins are ten now, and Octavia has chosen my boyfriend to be her first 'admiration' crush.

It would be annoying if it weren't so adorable.

"It's probably not as a bad as you're making it sound," he says

I shrug, remembering the self-made poster of the Chosen One in her room, "You'll see,"

SIMON

The family greets us all usually, Daphne with hugs, Malcolm with shoulder squeezes and handshakes. Baz's siblings hang around and ask a million questions while their mother tells them to at least let s come inside.

So it's normal.

Until Octavia presents me with a bouquet.

It's not professional or anything. She probably picked out the overgrown ones from the garden, but still, I'm so surprised all I can do is stare.

Baz is snickering. Bastard.

"Um-are those uh- are those for us?"

"No silly, just for you," she says happily

"Oh well, uh thank you," I say, taking them from her, "They're very pretty,"

"Just like you," she says, with all the seriousness a ten-year-old can muster.

Baz lets out a snort. Mordelia looks like she's about to die of second-hand embarrassment. Malcolm and Daphne just shake their heads, looking amused.

Okay, so maybe it is as bad as Baz made it sound.

xxx

Octavia insists on sitting by me when we eat dinner. She shows me her sketches, some of which include me. I'm about to be very concerned when I remember the pictures that went around once the Mage was defeated. She probably just recreated one of those.

She also wants to take me for a walk through the gardens, but her father somehow convinces her not to.

Thank God.

She does, however, take me to her room and show me her poster.

It's big. I'm surrounded by light. And I have my wings and tail. Something I got rid of some time ago.

xxx

"You didn't tell me there was a poster," I screech

Baz is laughing,

"I thought it would be more fun of you found it yourself,"

I huff, "Your sister is obsessed with me,"

"Just a bit," he says, putting his arms around my waist, "What can I say. You have that effect on members of this family,"

I grumble bet let him kiss me.

"You're lucky I love you,"

xxx

"Hi Simon," says Octavia from behind me, making me jump at least a foot in the air.

"Oh, hey," I say, "You startled me,"

She giggles, "Oops. Sorry. Do you want to see the garden now?"

I shrug. Why not? I've been humouring her since yesterday.

I follow her through the garden to the back.

"This way," she says, gesturing to an alcove of trees.

As I step through, I nearly lose my balance.

There's a picnic.

Not a great one, but it's still there. There are some sandwiches and juice along with brownies from yesterday.

"A picnic," I say, "How nice,"

She nods and leads me to it.

We sit down, and she keeps talking about where hse got the sandwiches from and how she thought it would be nice to in his weather.

Okay. Something needs to be done.

"This is all very lovely Octavia," I say, "But can you tell me why you're doing this,"

"Because I like you," she says, "And we're supposed to do nice things for the people we like,"

And that sends a tendril of dread through me.

"Uh, where did you learn that?"

"Father and Mum and do it for each other. Mum made him a garden picnic for their anniversary because they were too busy to go out,"

Well, that's a relief.

"Look, Octavia," I say, "I'm glad you like me, and I like you too,"

She lights up at that

"But you understand that the way I like you is different than the way I like your brother. Or the way your parents like each other, right?"

She dims a little at that but nods.

"I just wanted to make you happy. That's what people do, right?"

Oh. This precious child.

"Well, yes," I say, "But again, maybe we can do different things. Next time maybe you could plan a family board game night with everyone. It always makes me happy to be around all of you. You and your siblings are all so fun,"

She looks thoughtful for a moment but then nods.

"Okay,"

I'm kinda proud of how I handled this.

xxx

Octavia does end planning a board game for our last night there.

It's fun. I hadn't lied when I told her that being surrounded by her family was great.

Eventually, the children are sent to sleep, leaving me, Baz and his parents.

"Well, Octavia seems to have calmed down," says Daphne

"Yeah," I say, "I talked to her,"

Daphne smiles and nods, "We're sorry. We tried to talk to her, but it didn't work. We figured that phase would pass,"

"And if it makes you feel better, it could be much worse," says Malcolm

"How?" I ask

"Well, the first time I stayed over at the Pitches, Fiona set my hair on fire,"

"No," I gasp out

"She did," he says, "Twice,"

"Oh, wow,"

"Yes," says Malcolm, "And Daphne's brothers always turn my shirts some unorthodox colour. The first few times it happened, they were still young, and I figured it was just a harmless prank. Except that we've been married for fifteen years and they still do it,"

"You could just put a defence spell on the shirts," says Baz

"Honestly," says Malcolm, "I'm too afraid of what else they would come up with. At least right now its just shirts,"

Daphne smiles, "Oh, come now. My brothers aren't that bad,"

Malcolm raises his eyebrows at her, and she sighs.

"Okay. Maybe they are,"

There are few small chuckles around the room before the tea is brought in,

As we're served, I feel Baz squeezing my hand. When I look, he's smiling at me.

It makes my heart feel heavy with joy.

xxx

Before we leave, Octavia gives me a big hug and a picture.

I'm a little scared as I look at it, but once I see it, tears come to my eyes.

She's drawn her family. Malcolm and Daphne are in the centre. The twins are sitting on the ground with their little brother. Mordelia is beside Daphne and Baz is standing beside Malcolm. Holding Baz's hand is me, complete with my wings and tail.

"It's wonderful," I tell her, "I love it,"

She smiles at me brightly. Like Mordelia, she might not have a dark enough personality to look like Baz's sister, but her smile certainly makes me feel warm.

[bellarkewrites]

Songs Like This

by bookwormforalways

After a rough day, Bellamy visits Miller's bar. While it's honestly the last place he wants to be - he quickly changes his mind once he sees the girl on stage.

Or, Clarke and her friends have a country cover band, and they play at Miller's bar each weekend. Clarke quickly captures Bellamy's attention with her sass on stage and her talent for writing songs about douchebags who cheat on her.

Words: 5631, Chapters: 1/4, Language: English

Fandoms: The 100 (TV)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: Bellamy Blake, Clarke Griffin, Nathan Miller, John Murphy (The 100), Octavia Blake, Monty Green, Jasper Jordan, Harper McIntyre, Maya Vie, Fox (The 100), Lincoln (The 100)

Relationships: Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Song fic, Band Fic, bar setting, Singer!Clarke, The Delinquents, Sassy Clarke, bellamy watches and pines, Friends to Lovers, Teasing and Banter, basically they talk a lot, and sometimes about their feelings, there's lots of cute fluff too, i just need them to be happy, mild swearing, some unwanted male attention, Bellarke

Read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/2V2Yb8O

[serena-jacobs]

👫 for both Bryce and Ollie

Bryce

1. He comes to visit her often when she works at Members Only. Whenever he comes to visit with some of the other guys from the football team, she always goes home with at least two grand — him being one of her biggest tippers. After she puts on her show and sees whoever wants to see her, she typically brings Bryce to the exclusive vip area (or the bathroom, depending on whether or not her boss is there), where the two would then typically hookup. This happens about every other weekend, if not every weekend.

2. He’s the only one that’s ever been to her apartment, ever. And, he’s 1/3 people at Monarch who’s met her brother, outside of Noah and Ollie. She typically keeps people away from the area since she’s been having to take care of her brother more and more as her grandparents are beginning to get older. Considering that she doesn’t live in the best area, she’ll typically call him if she heard that there was a shooting and/or acts of violence that happened not too far away from where she lived. That, and she’ll call him to come stay with her whenever she gets creeped out about her landlord trying to hit on her. He typically spends the evenings with her and Matty, and his presence automatically makes her feel safer. If he sleeps over and Matty’s there, he will typically sleep on the couch, no questions asked.

3. With everything that has been happening at Fort Hood and the recent news of all of the deaths, on top of what the military hides from the public, Serena has found herself genuinely being scared of the thought of Bryce ever having to go back to training. Granted, Fort Hood is the U.S Army’s base, but even Serena knows that the U.S military is notorious for hiding shit, and that those who serve often have hidden trauma as a result, despite the branch. She could see the fire in Bryce’s eyes, and how short tempered the man can be on top of how reckless he is at times. The girl hasn’t known him for long, but she suspects that more happened to him during his time in active duty, more than he’s been letting on. The thought of losing someone who has recently become one of her closest friends is absolutely terrifying for her. Bryce has the potential of being someone Serena calls family, which is something that is extremely rare — and she doesn’t want to lose him before that even happens. Serena isn’t religious by any means, but even she finds herself saying a quiet prayer for Bryce’s safety.

4. On the weekends that she is free and doesn’t have to care for her brother, her and Bryce typically break into the school’s planetarium. Here they typically put out a blanket and just drink, talk about all of the constellations, the fact that one of their best friends (Ollie) is literally studying rocket science and how he could probably get them to the moon one day, conspiracy theories, upon other topics. This is where they also bond over their shitty fathers; the fact that her dad was physically abusive to her whenever he wasn’t in jail, and the fact that Bryce’s father was emotionally abusive to him and Allison. Oh…and they typically fuck on these nights…but that honestly shouldn’t surprise anyone. These are the nights Serena feels more relaxed, and more at peace with life.

Ollie

1. Ever since Ollie watched her brother that one time, Matty has not been able to shut up about the guy. Turns out, the two did more than just play football and video games. Matty raved about how Ollie took him to one of those vintage toy stores that hasn’t been closed down yet, and how the two spent hours searching through the pick out the perfect toy airplane. He then went on to rave about how the two spent almost all afternoon building it and testing it out. The toy airplane was then destroyed when they tested it out and Matty ultimately crashed it into the bleachers on the football field, thus the two having to throw out the damn thing. Ollie had failed to tell Serena about this activity, and she hasn’t mentioned the fact that her brother had told her about the topic, knowing how personal the topic was for Ollie. She remembers Ollie telling her about how him and his father used to build very advance toy airplanes together, and how those were some of Ollie’s most peaceful moments/days — so with that, she’s decided to just let that be sacred between him and her brother. However, ever since hearing that from that moment on, Ollie officially became one of the best people she’s ever known.

2. Ollie has opened up to her about the knee injuries, but more importantly, the back injuries he’s been suffering from for years. He’s opened up to her about his past prescription drug use, his failed attempts at trying to fix the problem, his struggles with getting state health insurance, everything. Because he works so damn much, he simply makes “too much” to get state insurance, but not enough to afford the good insurance that will give him quality care. Because of this, and although it is very much illegal and puts everything on the line for Serena, she finds herself sometimes clocking in using Ollie’s employee ID when working at Octavia. She started this when she caught Dean doing it, explaining to her that Ollie was constantly always on the go that he never checks his time sheets, and that with how much he works there was no way in hell that their manager would suspect a thing. Even though Dean’s gone now, she continues to do this — hoping that the man’s been saving the extra over time money he’s been receiving, and hopefully putting that money away to go see a physical therapist, possibly even a surgeon. No ifs, ands, or buts, this girl would kill for this man. The two constantly joke around at work about how much they can’t stand each other, but in reality he’s one of her best and dearest friends.

3. Considering that she is probably the girliest town boy EVER, her and the male really bond over one thing, sports. The go out to the local sports bars on game days, which are typically on Sunday’s, and just rave and go crazy over the games. The two like opposing teams for almost every sport besides baseball; him liking the New York Giants for football and her liking the Seattle Seahawks, him liking the Los Angeles Lakers and her liking the Oklahoma City Thunder for basketball, and the two liking the New York Yankees for baseball. This leads to the two having a lot of drunken debates on the matter.

4. Her little brother practically aspires to be like Ollie. He has now watched Matty a couple of times, and now her brother has been begging her to enroll him in flag football. He even wants to visit the school’s engineering building as he hopes to “work on planes and possibly even go to space, just like your friend Ollie, SeSe!!”

[mylifeiskara]

Thanks to @imunbreakabledude for tagging me, since she knows how much I like to talk about all the tv I watch!

rules: pick 5 shows, then answer the following questions, don’t cheat. tag 10 (or however many) people.

1. The 100 2. The Magicians 3. Single Parents 4. Schitt’s Creek 5. Gossip Girl

who is your favorite character in 2? Eliot Waugh has my whole entire heart. So everyone on this show is ridiculously smart, but I love how quiet Eliot is about being smart. Like he’s so extra in every other aspect of life, but his intelligence is the one thing he doesn’t really flaunt. I also relate to how guarded he is, and all I want for him is happiness. 

who is your least favorite character in 1? I feel like with a bunch of characters on The 100 I’m pretty indifferent to them, but I think this is a tie for me between Finn and Jaha. I pretty much found Finn annoying right off the bat. And I think I was pretty indifferent to Jaha before the whole City of Light mess? But then I was like, mmm nope.

what is your favorite episode of 4? WOWEE this is very tough for me, because I feel like I say a lot of episodes of Schitt’s Creek are my favorite. For this I’m picking 3x13 “Grad Night” because it has so many sweet moments between different characters. I love how Ted comes to Alexis’ graduation, and then Moira surprises her with the Jazzagals performance. And of course Patrick asking David out to dinner thinking it’s a date, but then David invites Stevie not realizing that. Ugh, the whole thing is just so great.

what is your favorite season of 5? So Gossip Girl does get a bit crazy (even though it was already crazy) when they go to college, so I think season 2 is my favorite, though I almost picked season 3 because it has the best Thanksgiving episode (The Treasures of Serena Madre for anyone interested). I really like watching Chuck and Blair’s dynamic throughout s2, so I think that’s a big part of it for me. 

who is your favorite couple in 3? Um, they’re not together yet, but Angie and Will? I absolutely love their dynamic, and it’s the perfect set up for good slow burn, which has been really fun to watch so far.

who is your favorite couple in 2? Quentin and Eliot. They’re just so soft with each other, and I think about the Mosaic Timeline at least once a day, tbh. Don’t mind me, I’m making myself sad haha.

what is your favorite episode of 1? 4x07 “Gimme Shelter”. Emori is my favorite character, and this is such a good episode for her. Every moment she thinks she’s safe, she has this realization that just because she’s with Murphy doesn’t mean that people will necessarily accept her or treat her as one of them? And like Murphy says, she made a survivor’s move because she’s spent her whole life working to stay alive. I also think it’s a very good Bellamy episode, because he has to wrestle with the not being able to save everybody thing and all the guilt he carries. Good episode for my two faves.

what is your favorite episode of 5? 2x18 “The Age of Dissonance”. Because oh my goodness, I love when characters participate in the school play. There’s so much drama surrounding their real lives and college acceptances which is very real omg. And as a theater person, I really feel so bad for that poor stage manager because the whole production just went terribly wrong.

what is your favorite season of 2? Season 3! It has my two favorite episodes (A Life in the Day and All That Josh). And I think just seeing them all on this quest throughout the season is a really good way to connect all the events. It was definitely the most fun. And there was a lot of singing? All around great time.

how long have you watched 1? I started watching The 100 in the summer of 2017. Me and a friend binge watched the first two seasons when I was visiting her one weekend. I started s3 myself but only got a couple episodes in before someone (it might have been Octavia at the time?) was getting on my nerves so I put it down. I didn’t pick it back up again until last January, and by then I had forgotten so much of what happened in the first couple seasons that I watched the rest and then watched s1 and s2 again just to remember what happened. But then I got to watch s6 live! So truly, I haven’t watched it for that long, but it feels like it’s taken over my life.

how did you become interested in 3? I missed having Leighton Meester in my life, since I haven’t seen her in anything since Gossip Girl. So I said, well guess I’ll watch this.

who is your favorite actor in 4? Catherine O’Hara. But Annie Murphy comes in close second.

which do you prefer, 1, 2, or 5? Gossip Girl will always hold a special place in my heart, so if I had to choose, it would be that one for sure.

which show have you seen more episodes of, 1 or 3? The 100, since it has more episodes.

if you could be anyone from 4, who would you be? I would be Alexis, definitely. Her outfits are my aspirational style goals (I also already kind of dress like her?), and I was her for Halloween. Also now the executive director where I work told me that whenever he watches Schitt’s Creek now he just thinks of me when Alexis makes her hand gestures, because I do a lot of those. 

would a crossover between 3 and 4 work? I could kind of see a Single Parents and Schitt’s Creek crossover being funny? Like I think that all the characters are pretty ridiculous, so it would be fun to see them interact. But would it make sense? Probably not.

pair two characters in 1 who would make an unlikely but strangely okay couple? I’m actually very into Niytavia? I just think Niylah is such a calming presence and person, and Octavia needs that. They would have a really chill relationship. Also if someone told me they hooked up in the bunker, I would believe it.

overall, which show has the better storyline, 3 or 5? It’s kind of hard to compare Single Parents to Gossip Girl since they are so wildly different. But I’m gonna say Single Parents, only because I find it to be more realistic.

which has the better theme music, 2 or 4? I really love the horns in the Schitt’s Creek theme, like it’s super distinct.

Well this took up a very long time but it was so fun to think about! Also ask me about tv anytime, I love to talk about it, I want to write it for a living.

Tagging: @mobi-on-a-mission @katsbakers @shaeheda @catastrophic-chloe @captainwilldameron and whoever else wants to do it, because I am always v curious about the other shows people watch!