Adessa: There's Nothing Worse Than People Using Words They Don't Understand.

Jude: Why isn't that statue smirking at me?

Cate: It isn't smirking at anyone, they are all imagining it.

Jude: Three of us saw it. How do you explain that?

Cate: *points at Cole* Sleep deprivation *points at Ruby* Paranoia * points at Vida* Delusional personality disorder.

Nero: *shining a flashlight under a dark bed* Are you ready to come out yet and socialize, darling?

Enobaria: *screeching*

Nero: Understandable, have a good day.

Shauna: i love you zeke

Zeke: i love you too shauna

*silence*

Shauna: we both love you as well, Four

Four: thanks. I was feeling left out

Random mentor-victor moments because I am ridiculously attached to them. Also this is extremely self-indulgent, just to warn you.

The victory trumpets were loud and sharp. Cutting through the air just like how she cut through tributes 9 years ago.

𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵, Iris thought. Not that she ever doubt about Adessa. However, years and years of loss tends to make you pessimistic.

After the Victory Announcement, Iris went to the aircraft to welcome their-her- newest Victor.

"She is still working on her last tribute ma'am" says the security guard, looking a bit uneasy. This does not make sense. Adessa won, she saw it, everyone saw how the last tribute got stabbed over and over, as if going through a surgery. Kind of.

"And you didn't done anything about it?"

"She refused, said she would call us back for clean towels."

So they waited.

When they got face to face for the first time after weeks, they are in a hospital.

"Well," Adessa starts as she sits up on the patient bed. "This was not how I expected things would turn out."

"What did you expect, then?" Iris asks, curious but not too curious, in a tone does not spread warmth nor coldness. The whole point of mentorship is making sure your victor is safe and sane, no attachment towards them.

𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯.

"I have always wondered how our bodies looked like under our skin. This was my only chance, but I could not see properly. There was too much blood, pretty but unnecessary. It was barely possible to see the innards in detail."

"But you have an idea about what does it look like, right?"

"Yes, I do. And it is not a problem to not see the details, I know the digestive system so I already had some guesses. It is just fascinating to see them in person and not in a textbook."

"I am sure it is." Iris said, she was unsure about how this conversation will end and it's impacts in future. She knew Adessa was smart and afraid that she would not respect her. So far Iris did well. "If you want we have a library and few places where you can explore and learn everything without making people with weak stomach upset."

Adessa grins, and it is bright as well as absolutely terrifying.

Maybe it won't be so bad after all.

___________________________________________

When she imagined her victory, she did not imagine it like this. Her victory was supposed to bring glory to her district. Make Two happy.

However, fate had different intentions for her.

All the things she did, going through Residental and volunteering for a 14-year-old girl, got ripped off from her as she decleared as a Victor.

One who won with default.

She failed.

Except she did not, that's what Brutus says. She is strong, kind and a winner like all of them are.

Emory finds it too hard to believe.

She wanted to watch the next games but her mentor would not let her. Saying that they have different plans.

Brutus packs nothing but knives and camp related things. He broughts them to a wooden house with a lake in front of it.

She turns her head to him and gives him a smile. Because he deserves it, he is a good mentor and deserved a better Victor than her-

No. These bad thoughts are a waste of time and brings nothing but misery.

"We will spend our summer here." says Brutus taking her attention back to him. "You know fresh air, swimmimg and stuff."

"Can you swim?" Emory asks and it's hilarious to imagine Brutus try to swim with all his bulk.

"No. Never tried to. But I remember you saying that you can."

She nods and recalls the days she went to lake near to her parents' house. How water every time managed to make her feel like flying.

She puts her foot in water, testing it's temperature. It's fresh and welcoming. Offering her to dive in and feel free.

First time in months, Emory feels alive.

___________________________________________

𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭.

As the blood trickled down from the cut she made, Callista admired it once more.

If her mentor was here, she would scowl at her and take the knife from her hands. Hera cares about her, how cute. She did not missed her Arena, hers was boring. No one was a real challenge. Not even the Pack. Everyone fell apart in Callista's hands, no scream, no movement and not even a spit.

But their bloods painted the floor. From bright red to maroon, dripping down from her machets. And she missed that. Oh, she missed it so much.

She puts the knife back into her sleeve to hide it. Very satisfied with herself.

"So, should I ask or will you answer me, Calli." And oh. Hera stands there tall and with a neutral face.

𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴, 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨?

"Not important." she shruggs, in a manner which people becomes impatient and explodes. She loves that.

"Really?" Hera's voice is measured and she looked intimidating for an outsider. Not to Callista. Never for Callista. " The scars on your wrists makes me thing otherwise."

"Your mind plays with you then, I did not expect you to be delusional."

"I think you are the one being delusional now. Calli," she says softly and well, she does not like that. Visible affection is disgusting. Hera walks towards her and sits down next to her, on the bathroom floor. Hera pulls Callista over her and runs her fingers through her hair, tilting her chin so that they can stare each other's eyes.

Something warm spreads in her body. "If something happens you don't need to hide from me. You're my Victor, and I don't care what everyone else thinks about you, you're precious to me."

"I know that." Callista snorts but still leans on her mentor. "You are precious to me too." When Hera smiles, she realizes something. "Don't tell this to anyone, I don't want anyone to think I'm a puppy."

"You are not. You are more like a cat." she tooks her hand and make her stand up.

"Shut up." Callista says, half-joking. Even though she does not understand Hera, she is one of the few people who can control her.

Make her feel more special than she already is.

Victors as Vines pt2

I had been procrastinating everything recently, and then I suddenly had an urge to be productive all of a sudden—which resulted in another wave of vines, all inspired from @lorata ‘s works. This one is way more inclusive than the first one so enjoy the rest of your day/noon/night!

This is inspired from @lorata's ficTake My Hand.

Starring bb Lyme, Adessa and the Awkwardest Teatime.

PS: This did not end up as angsty as I thought but considering the rise of my feelings, I might write more about it, so sorry Lyme.

Enjoy.

As the vapour from her teacup rise, Lyme felt the intenseness of the whole situation once again. Every time she blinks, she can see younger Adessa -covered in blood and hands shaking with bloodlust though her face remained as cold as the metal of her old man's belt.

Lyme purses her lips and just focuses on the damn tea which tastes better with sugar. One sip after another, she felt, well, worse than she already is. Her cuticles which were tarnished by her picking the skin up was obviously visible.

Adessa looks at her, once glance causing the same affect as thousand blades and Lyme doesn't have the time nor the calmness to think how could that happen when she is so close to lose the last pieces of her supposed sanity.

"You had not touched your scone, child." Her grandmentor says and Lyme wants to vanish like how the amount of sugar dissolved in her tea when she added it to her tea.

Lyme waits for the question; what's wrong little girl?, Nero would say with his overwhelming sincerity and probably make a move towards her to stop her from peeling her skin off because it is not healthy for you.

It never comes.

"Oh," she says instead, her nerves taking away her ability to say something and it is not like she can make a conversation without messing up. Advantages of being a new Victor. "Hadn't notice."

Adessa was expecting an apologies or sorry, I have no appetite or just the right measure of nod and smile and stab. Poor her, she won't get any of that bullshit from Lyme.

Apparently Adessa does not mind that either, she simply looks at Lyme who feels attacked by an army of vicious ants in the face. "Okay, I'll not force you to eat, dear. Though I recommend the ones with lavender, quite tasteful if you ask me-"

"Well, I don't." Lyme says in a tone not even near to polite but oh well, too late for that.

"What was that, dear?" Adessa raises an eyebrow and her voice makes Lyme feel like as if she is chewing on an iceberg if that's possible. She, however, does not back up because that's not how you survive from death; no matter how far you run, she will always catch you.

"You heard me." she snarls.

"Certainly," Adessa nods, not an inch of her anger showing and it makes Lyme more frustrated because why is she not caring!? "However, I'd like to ignore it, you are young and raw and most certainly lack the etiquette but I have not expected you to knew it considering this brute attitude."

"I-"

"Oh, I am not angry at you, how can I?" Adessa muses and Lyme tries to calm herself because she is not a science experiment to inspect by the hands of Adessa the Great. "Though, I firmly believe ignorance is worse than crudeness so it is my duty to teach you one day."

There are things way more important than knowing how to use the right spoon but the burning feeling inside her wanted to prove Adessa was wrong and she can learn how to -or pretend to- have manners.

"One day." Lyme says and bites her scone, the flavor of lavender makes her tongue feel funny.

Adessa wraps her elegant fingers delicately on the holder. "Perfect. Callista shall join us too for making the meeting of you two easier for my Nero."

Oh.

(Universe B)

Nero: I know you're deflecting by making jokes about how hot you are.

Callista: Its not a joke.

Callista: *sniffles*

Callista: I'm a legit snack.

Summary: Sun is shining, birds are chirping, and Misha keeps trying to reach Emory's nerves to see her explosion.

My attempt at Nero