#wormholxtreme

Regular Capitol dates, broadcasted with a few seconds of delay on the off chance something happens. Katniss looked in the mirror, anxiety swirling in her stomach. It had been a few months since the games, and instead of the scrawny teen she used to see in the mirror...Katniss is all too aware of the women staring back at her now. Haymitch had warned her, likely the dates are leading up to something bigger for the citizens. She doesn't want to think about what that might be, but at some point she'll have to ask Peeta about what his guess is.

She'd been plucked and waxed and washed until every unwanted hair was gone and every other hair in place. Katniss smoothes her hands over the skirt, noticing the abrupt end to the material at mid thigh. It's short, black and tight around her hips. She's not stupid, it's glaringly obvious her and Peeta are supposed to 'grow' up from the frilly dresses and baggy clothes. The top is at least long sleeves, but her shoulders are bare. It's off the shoulder, a dark forest green she does appreciate. It seems they've also learned about the heels, and while she has spent most of the day in tiny stiletto heels...at least tonight it's a thicker boot. Her feet hurt regardless, and she'll tough it out. She's been through worse. The Capitol camera crew spent the day following her around, shopping for her date tonight. What to wear, her anxiety over being perfect, her worry over being pretty enough for Peeta. Her cheeks burn at the thought, at her reflection. She couldn't help it, Katniss was curious what Peeta would think about all of this. There are small braids on either side of her face, framing, reminiscent of her games but everything else is lose in curls around her. She has zero clue what they've chosen this time, if they listen to any of Peeta's input or if he had any at all. They never seemed to listen anyway. Effie is fussing over the details of her outfit, a long coat in her hands.

"Katniss, dear, it's time to go"

How long had she CRAVED to be alone her entire life? It was one of those sentiments she felt naturally, this forever need to be succumbed by silence. The call to take care of her sister was one that had always pulled her back, out of the darkness of her own mind and into the world. Now, she envied what that peace used to feel like, so assured that to sit in that silence again would only conjure up WORST nightmares. Case and point, this EXACT moment before he had come in as some form of life boat.

Teeth sunk into the side of her cheek, a telltale sign that there was almost a bit of HESITATION and SHYNESS to come soon. There was something so subtle in her STOIC disposition that rarely showed the change of the tides, but now in her own sense of exhaustion, what walls could be continued to be built were put on hold until the sun would rise.

"Can you-" there's a hoarseness in her voice, one that comes from her own quietness and the drowsiness from the continued sleepless nights. "Don't go." It's almost spoken like a question, completely aware of the chances he COULD say no. "I just don't want to be alone right now." Katniss spoke the truth, something she hadn't seemingly done so openly in sometime. Those walls could be made up for later, she assumed her mind would NEED that comfort.

"Is this how you wooed Pep? A little scary security guard energy in public, a little sweet thoughtfulness in private? Because lemme tell ya, it's working." MJ informed Happy, gesturing at him for emphasis with the cup of iced coffee he'd handed her the moment she'd walked through the door. "Although, it does make me wonder why she'd willingly share these kinda privileges with a girlfriend. If I had Peter at my beck and call like this, he'd never be out of my sight. You ever wonder if she and Tony are up to something at Stark Industries behind your back and I'm the babysitter, not you?"

@wormholxtreme *innocent whistling*

She felt like she hadn’t breathed in days. Like there was a metal band wrapped tightly around her chest, squeezing all the air out of her. Now, straddling him, covered in his blood, tears trailing her cheeks—as she brought the knife down on him over and over and over again, her arms past the point of aching, Chase past the point of dead—she didn’t know if that feeling was any better or worse. Max still felt like she was choking on it all. All the memories and emotions and blood.

There was a voice nearby (not his, it would never be his again), low and urgent. But it sounded as though it was coming from underwater. She barely heard it, didn’t register any of the words said. She had to keep going, had to keep—

She couldn’t stop. Couldn’t—

He’d—

She couldn’t—

@wormholxtreme : welcome to the madhouse.

Johanna is hanging on by a fucking thread. The others are the only thing keeping her there, being strong for them, being the toughest person she can be. To see Peeta's humor persisting after all this time, after things being a literal nightmare for who knows how long, brings the slightest hint of a smile to her face.

"What, you don't like the bald head?" she says. "Can't say it was my ideal haircut, or that I've seen it, but it feels bald."

happy & mike on their way to locate her ass:

❝   katniss   ,   dear   ,   ❞   her   words   coo   with   affection   as   she   slowly   opens   the   door   .   it's   still   strange   ,   having   all   of   these   rooms   again   .she   carries   with   her   a   tray   with   breakfast   on   it   ,   piled   high   with   bits   of   cut   fruit   and   steaming   biscuits   dripping   with   gravy   .   she   wants   to   help   .   wants   to   do   better   ,   so   she   checks   in   .   prim   swears   she   hadn't   heard   of   any   plan   to   leave   for   the   morning   ,   so   she   must   be   sleeping   in   to have missed the meal.

There   is   a   mass   in   the   bed   ,   much   too   large   to   be   her   girl   .   her   mind   turns   and   twists   until   she   lands   on   the   final   answer   ,   ❝   peeta   !   oh   —   ❞   gaze   is   averted   ,   shy   and   embarrassed   ,   but   her   feet   are   planted   in   place   .   ❝   i'm   so   sorry   .   um   …   where's   katniss   ?  ❞

her   heart   glowed   for   him   ,   for   his   beauty   and   the   way   that   the   world   wouldn’t   get   a   chance   to   EXPLOIT   it   .   for   the   lack   of   fear   that   she   felt   as   his   twelfth   birthday   approached   .   even   for   the   way   that   he   cursed   like   a   sailor   under   his   breath   when   his   kite   fell   to   the   ground   .   her   boy   .   her   little   reminder   of   a   GREAT   LOVE   .

there   was   no   easy   way   to   say   it   .   with   katniss   at   home   and   peeta   entertaining   the   visiting   pair   ,   she   wanted   to   try   her   news   on   a   less   partial   audience   first   .   someone   who   had   been   HER   friend   over   finnick’s   ,   who   knew   his   wife   so   well   as   to   predict   the   future   .   “   i’m   getting   married   .   ”   annie   says   to   @wormholxtreme   .   dating   wasn’t   a   conversation   she   had   ever   brought   to   light   with   her   victor   friends   ,   with   whom   THE   LOSS   still   felt   so   great   .   certainly   no   hints   of   love   or   COMMITMENT   .   there   were   no   secrets   in   four   ,   but   with   this   piece   of   her   past   ,   she   could   live   in   a   sweet   fantasy   .   one   in   which   he   came   home   .

“   you   three   don’t   have   to   come   ,   but   i   thought   i   should   tell   you   before   the   invitations   are   sent   out   .   ”