archive-birchpembrooke-blog

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oakleydressel‌:

For a split second, it felt like the world wasn’t moving.  Oakley looked up at him and she could practically feel her heart swelling with love but she couldn’t do anything about it.  Instead she just threw away the towels and took a step back so she wouldn’t be tempted.  He had too much on the line for her to be selfish.  She couldn’t risk his friendship on a whim that could cost him everything.

“Well, I��m always ready to give you lessons,” Oakley explained as he washed his hands more thoroughly.  She picked up the bowl of eggs and poured the contents into the cupcake batter to begin mixing all the ingredients together.  She stirred absentmindedly with one hand, holding the bowl steady with her other.  “That’s much better.”

“Do you want to put the cupcake papers in the pan?” Oakley asked, deciding that maybe it was a simpler and less messy job that hopefully wouldn’t result in another disaster.  Though she decided then and there that she didn’t care if there were always disasters.  She wanted to be there with him, doing these simple things, everyday.  It was an impossible dream she couldn’t achieve, but there was no harm in wanting it.  At least as long as she didn’t act on it.

Birch picked up a hand towel and dried his hands, leaning against the sink while Oakley started to fold the mixture together. Somehow, it wasn’t completely ruined by his interventions with the cocoa and sugar and eggs. It looked good and even though he knew he shouldn’t, he very much wanted to drip a finger in and try the batter. “At least one of us knows what they’re doing,” he replied, watching her mix the bowl. 

It felt like he was constantly stealing glances at Oakley. He wanted the little snippets of what life would be like if he hadn’t blown up in front of reporters and if his District hadn’t silently rioted. Watching her mix the batter was so calming and she was so beautiful, even with a couple of flecks of flour still on her face. 

Her words shook him out of his thoughts and staring and he nodded, going under the cupboards and looking for a cupcake pan. “Saving me from making any more messes I see,” he teased as he dumped the pan and the different coloured wrappers on the kitchen counter. “What colour wrappers do you want? I’m choosing green, because that’s my favourite colour. What’s your choice?” he asked, as he pulled apart the green wrappers and placed them in the pan.

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cambricthevictor‌:

Cambric had to laugh at their banter. It was a nice change from the hushed conversation and serious overtones in District Eight. “Only a couple a minutes?” He made a face. “I thought our friendship was worth at least five minutes of your time.” Cambric joked with a laugh. “Besides if you ask nicely, perhaps I’ll even fight off the flock of women. You know what they say, you want what you can’t have and you’re already spoken for.”

He made a face in Birch’s direction. “Well, least I know my dogs will be well taken care of.” That was all he could ask for if one day something did happen to him. Not that he was planning on going somewhere anytime soon. “Yes, but I don’t want to be the bachelor. It’s a gig you can keep to yourself. I imagine it wasn’t very fun? I mean do you even want to marry that girl?”

“How bout this, Cambric: a whole ten minutes out on the streets of the Capitol. However, you must buy me the strongest drink you can afterwards,” he jested. Birch shook his head at Cambric, chuckling a little. “I think you underestimate the crowds. They’re a lot more powerful than you think. I don’t even think you could fend them all off for me.” He nodded, knowing the feeling. Of course, his feelings for Oakley had come up after he knew that he had an obligation to marry Lael and protect his family. 

Birch placed his hand over his chest. “I would be the best caretakers of your dogs, Cambric. They could meet Naiah and George and they would all be the best of friends: horses and dogs together forever.” He really wanted to get a dog, but having his horses was already taking up a lot of his love. Maybe someday he would find a dog that would come with him and Naiah on rides through the hills. 

“I’m not the bachelor anymore. I’m taken now, engaged even,” he said, holding up his hand to show his own small silver band that he wore to show that he was engaged. “I didn’t even know they made rings for men, but those producers said it would be good to show that I was totally committed.” He sighed, rubbing his hand against his neck and picking at the implant there. “Some of the girls were fun, we became friends, more than dating each other. Hanging out with Lael was fun. But most of the girls really wanted to be picked and it was exhausting. And even though, Lael is one of my closest friends now, I don’t really want to marry her. But, unless something happens where Snow doesn’t care anymore, I’m kind of stuck.”

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oakleydressel‌:

It was so comfortable being there with him.  She laughed at his jokes, a smile genuinely spreading across her features.  She felt comfortable and happy in a way she didn’t think possible before Birch.  But she couldn’t keep that.  The urge to wrap her arms around him was so strong.  Oakley knew she couldn’t risk it.  She couldn’t gamble on their friendship or his family’s safety, even if his relationship with Lael was a sham.

Every time he touched her it felt like a shock to her system she couldn’t get enough of.  “Well,” she chuckled, “as long as you know to live with those choices.”  Her tone was light and playful as she watched him get the eggs.  Once she did, she started adding in the remaining ingredients to the bowl.  However, when the last egg practically exploded in his hands she soon joined him in a fit of laughter.

“Gentle,” she told him through her fit of giggles.  She stepped towards the sink then, dampening a paper towel to help clean him up.  “I thought you said you knew eggs, huh?” Oakley teased him, reaching out for his hand to instinctively wipe the mess from them.  He’d still need to wash his hands but at least he wouldn’t drip yolk everywhere.  Besides, it gave her an excuse to hold his hands as she wiped the mess away.

Lifting her gaze from his hands to his eyes, Oakley smiled softly.  “You know this means we need to give you a few more baking lessons.”

Birch just stood there with the egg dripping off of his hands for a moment, laughing and also frozen at the thing he had just done. It was embarrassing but also hilarious. "I do know eggs, but apparently Capitol eggs are weaker than Ten ones," he explained, trying to salvage his pride a little.

Birch let Oakley take his hands and wipe the egg off of them. Part of him wanted to take her hands as they moved to throw out the paper towels. Part of him wanted to run from the room so he wouldn't be tempted to hug her and tell her how he felt. And part of him wanted to give her a kiss for cleaning him up.

But, he didn't do any of the things that he wanted to do, instead he held her gaze a smile on his lips. "It seems that my mother's and brother's talent didn't rub off on me. But, I will gladly take any lesson you offer Oaks." Birch wanted to spend as much time as he could with her.

He moved to the sink and washed off the excess egg and dried his hands before sheepishly pulling out another egg. He cracked it perfectly this time, flashing a grin at Oakley. "Better I think."

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oakleydressel‌:

“Birch!” she protested with a laugh when he added extra chocolate to the mix.  Honestly, Oakley didn’t care how the cupcakes turned out anymore.  All she wanted was to spend time with him.  When they were together everything felt a little better.  She didn’t want to give that up.

“I don’t know though.  I mean, you’re sweet enough,” she teased him with a smile.  He touched her and she practically held her breath, looking up into his eyes when he wiped the flour away.  “Thanks,” she murmured softly.  What else could she say?  Nothing that wouldn’t ruin what they had.

Her gaze tracked him as he moved to get the eggs before measuring out the baking powder and the baking soda.  She added those to the bowl and watched him.  “I hope these cupcakes aren’t too sweet or too chocolate for you,” she teased.  “But I can make you some new ones if they are.”

He grinned at her protest, chuckling at the look she gave him. Birch didn’t know what more sugar and more cocoa would do to the cupcakes, but it was worth the genuine joy he felt bubble in his chest and he hope was in Oakley too even if the look she gave him was a little more scandalized than joyful. 

“You don’t think I could use a little more sweetness? Or maybe I’m too sweet, I need to add a little bit of sour to me. I’d be lime-ing if I said that it would be easy to add to the Birch recipe.” He sounded so corny, but Birch didn’t care at the moment. It was fun teasing and talking to Oakley while they made a questionable batch of cupcakes. His finger lingered on her forehead a second too long and he withdrew his hand. Birch couldn’t do that. He pushed his hand in his pocket for a minute as if to punish it. 

He put the carton of eggs on the counter, pulling a small bowel close so he could crack the eggs into it. Birch hit the first one and opened it pretty easily, one egg added to the growing list of ingredients that they were pooling together. “I’ll live with my choices Oaks, I will eat all of these cupcakes or at least pawn them off on people before we make another batch.”

Birch cracked a couple more eggs, but on the fourth one, he hit it a little too hard on the counter and it sort of exploded. Egg yolk and the whites coated part of the counter and a little got on his button-down. He stood there surprised for a second making eye contact with Oakley before breaking down into a fit of laughter. 

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oakleydressel‌:

“You wouldn’t poison it,” Oakley protested with a laugh.  Even if he screwed up the recipe she knew he wouldn’t poison it.  He’d never do something like that to her.  That was something she could take on faith.  He wouldn’t betray her like that, even if it was an accident.

While he got everything out she asked for, Oakley measured out the flour into the bowl, laughing when he added the extra sugar.  “You aren’t wrong, but they’re sweet enough without the extra sugar,” she laughed, playfully nudging him with her elbow.  Oakley stepped away then to grab the cocoa powder before returning to her spot at his side.  She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling as she opened the cocoa powder.

“So if you like chocolate and have a sweet tooth we can do something about that.”  She measured out the cocoa powder and added it to the bowl of sugar and flour.  “Don’t tell me we need to add extra of this too,” she laughed.  Lifting her hand to brush a lock of hair back from her face, she got a little flour on her forehead.  “So do you want to measure out the baking powder and baking soda or get the eggs?”

Birch nudged her back with his elbow, meeting her playful gaze. It was easy with Oakley. Easy to be around her and talk about anything that came to mind. Whether it be the sweetness levels of cupcakes or their deepest fears, Birch didn’t feel like he had to hide anything - except the one thing that he had to keep close to his chest or people he loved would get hurt, Oakley included. 

“Nothing is ever sweet enough,” he stated, even though he very well knew how sickly sweet lemonade could get if June got a hold of the sugar. “Well, maybe not nothing, but most things could do with a little bit more sweetness.” 

He chuckled, tipping the bag just a little bit more so a little bit extra cocoa could get in the mixing bowl. “You didn’t see that,” he teased, retracting his prosthetic. Birch chuckled a little bit more as he noticed the tuft of flour on Oakley’s forehead. “And I thought I was going to be the messy one,” he said, lifting his finger to swipe away the flour and dust it off his finger. “I can do eggs for sure, I know eggs,” he replied, moving to the fridge and pulling out the eggs. 

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sable-oswald‌:

@ttwstarters

“You see that,” Sable leaned close to her tribute, pointing out the district one tribute currently sparring on the mats. “All brute. No speed.”

She was no trained fighter but twenty years in the capitol meant she’d learned a thing or two about going up against a trained killer. No one was without a weakness, and that meant opportunity. “If you find yourself in his sights just don’t stop moving. You can run a lot faster than he can swing.”

“You should listen to her, she knows what she’s talking about,” Birch interjected, as he found Sable and their tribute watching the competition sparring. He was so grateful that he had Sable and Vesper to do the fighting part of training. He was pretty useless with anything besides a sword - and he wasn’t even that good with a sword. If they could call a lasso a weapon, he’d be good at that too. 

He tried to suss out any details, looking at the way the Career fought. “Remember too, you can outlast that guy. He needs so much food to keep his energy up. If you can cut him off from the food, you’ll have the advantage.” 

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oakleydressel‌:

It was impossible for Oakley not to laugh.  There was just something about Birch that made her happy like that.  It brought a smile to her lips and she felt so at ease with him.  Maybe it was wrong to even think that way.  “Well you can lick the bowl and taste test if you want, but first we’ve got to make something worth tasting.”

“Do you want to measure out the sugar while I measure the flour?”  Even if he was more prone to making a mess, Oakley couldn’t bring herself to care.  She wanted to be there with Birch while they figured this out together.  She wanted to spend time with him even when it made her heart ache because at the end of the day, Oakley wanted to keep their friendship and protect his family, even if it meant suffering silently.

She started measuring out the flour into a bowl.  “You do like chocolate, right?”

At Oakley’s laugh, Birch found his smile growing even more. She had a beautiful laugh. One he wanted to make sure he heard everyday. Oakley seemed to like his jokes and sense of humour, so it wouldn’t be too tough, but it would be something he would strive for, even to just make up for his heart not being able to be whole without being with Oakley. “I’m sure whatever we make will be delicious because you’ll be directing me. If you let me go off on my own, I might have to make sure I didn’t poison it.” 

“Yes, chef!” he called, moving to the cupboard to pull down the sugar and grabbing a measuring cup from the little army that Oakley had pulled together. Birch looked down at the recipe card on the table and measured out the amount of sugar, adding a little more than necessary. “Cupcakes should be sweet, like us,” he added, laughing. 

Birch set aside his bowl of sugar, looking at Oakley for more instructions (and maybe just to admire a little more). “I love chocolate. I’ve got such a sweet tooth. If I could have dessert with every meal, I would.” 

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oakleydressel‌:

The fact that he sought her out just so they could hang out both thrilled her and twisted her heart in knots.  Oakley knew she had to pretend everything was normal, like she wasn’t in love with him.  But how could she do that?  Maybe knowing Birch didn’t see her as anything more than a friend would make that easier.  Besides, she couldn’t deny how comfortable she felt around him.  It didn’t matter how much it made her heart ache.

“It’s not a disappointment,” Oakley explained with a reassuring smile.  “You could never disappoint me.”  She meant it.  Birch was one of the few people who had always been there for her, always helping her, always making her feel special.  He got the flour down for her and she smiled.  “Well, I was making cupcakes.  You’re welcome to help me if you want.”

It was harmless, really.  If she could make it through this then she could make it through anything.  “How much do you know about baking?” she asked while getting the measuring cups out to start measuring flour into a bowl.

He grinned at her answer, his heart lighter that she had said that. Birch couldn’t disappoint her and he never wanted to. He hoped that nothing he had done had made her feel like she wasn’t his best friend, one of the most important people in his life - if not the most. He knew that he had let her down the past fall when he was on the Birchelor, but he was happy that she had been so kind to forgive him. 

“Cupcakes?! I am so in. Although, I might make more of a mess than you would like in this kitchen,” he admitted, closing the cupboard behind him. “Barely anything. I’ve watched my brother Ember and my mom bake several different times, mostly relegated to licker of the bowls and taste-tester.” 

He flashed a grin at her and watched her measure out the flour into a bowl. “What can I do? I’ll tell you I might mess it up, but I will do it with a smile on my face.” 

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cambricthevictor‌:

Cambric had to chuckle at Birch’s statement. “Well, technically you can do anything you want.” He pointed out because it was a truth. “Come on now man, you’re breaking my heart. I am going to have to go sit in the corner with a thing of ice cream and cry my heart out.” He made a frowning face at Birch. “You’re going to have to live with that knowledge for the rest of your life. My death due to a broken heart will truly be on your shoulders.”

He shrugged his shoulder. “Truth, I give you that. You however underestimate my teaching abilities. I could teach them a thing or two.” Or just pay them enough. Cambric was good at it, but he had found most women could be experts at it if they were motivated to do so. “You’re the hottest commodity in the Capitol. You should have flocks of women around you. Then you can send the second best option my way.”

Cambric put his hand over his heart. “First you tear my heart out and now you wound my pride. Whatever should I do?” He gently fell into the wall. “You’ve killed me. You better leave me here to die. Make sure you take care of my dogs, got it?”

Birch wished he could do whatever he wanted. He wished there weren’t’ people looking at him every moment of the day waiting for him t screw up so he could be front page news. He wished if he stepped out of line his family wouldn’t be in danger. But, he knew Cambric didn’t mean it that way. And he laughed at the statement. “You’ll have to get in line Cambric. There were twenty-one women who more or less have the same thoughts as you. But, I will share some ice cream with you,” he added with a laugh. 

He was very glad there were not flocks of women around him. That was never his scene, even as a new Victor many years ago. “Why do you think I make sure I stay in this Tower? I don’t think I can deal with flocks of women. But, if you are looking for a date, I can endure for a couple of minutes,” he replied, cocking an eyebrow. 

“Maybe I should have wounded your pride years ago. I’ve always wanted dogs,” he joked. “You’re so very dramatic, Cam. You would have made a better bachelor than I ever could.” 

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oakleydressel‌:

@birchpembrooke

Her return to the Capitol had her mind rushing in circles.  She couldn’t calm down and couldn’t help but keep thinking about Birch.  She loved him.  That realization hurt more than just about everything she’d ever thought possible.  After her Games, she assumed it would all go back to normal and she could live her life.  She was wrong.

So while her tributes had gone to the training center, Oakley set to work in the kitchen on the eighth floor.  Cupcakes.  Baking and cooking were calming and in the Capitol she had far more ingredients than she had access to back in District Eight.

Everly was napping in the corner while Oakley moved around the kitchen to get out the ingredients and the bowls.  When she heard the elevator, she was reaching for the flour off one of the shelves and stopped.  “Cambric come help me with this,” she asked.  “Please.”

What she didn’t expect was to turn and come face to face with Birch.  Her heart ached and she tried to mask it with a smile.  “You’re not Cambric.  What brought you here?”

Something possessed Birch to walk down the couple flights of stairs to the Eighth floor. He wished he was comfortable just sitting on the Tenth floor and going over Reapings or sponsor paperwork, but it still felt like there were ghosts on his floor. Sometimes they would leave him alone and let him be, but other times they would come for his memories and drag them to the surface. 

Birch needed someone to talk to and the first person to pop into his mind was Oakley. He didn’t know whether being close to Oakley whenever he could would help him deal with the feelings that he had been uncovering the past few months. He was assuming not and that it would just make his feelings stronger. But, he couldn’t fight the want to see her and talk to her like everything was normal. 

When he reached the Eighth floor he walked in to find Oakley bustling around the kitchen making something. And then she called him Cambric and he laughed, moving to the kitchen island to lean on. “I’m sorry to disappoint,” he teased. “I wanted some company and thought we could hang out. Sable and Vesper have the tributes for the afternoon and I want to procrastinate the things I have to do.” 

He walked over to the cupboard that Oakley was at and reached up to take the flour off the shelf. “Making something? Do you mind if I help?” he asked, handing her the flour.

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cambricthevictor‌:

Cambric had to grin as he saw his friend getting ready to leave the training center. Surely he needed to be a good friend and pass the love along via teasing. That was what friends did for each other! As a good friend, Cambric had watched every episode of the Birchelor and taken notes.

“If I confessed to you I was madly in love with you, would you agree to marry me?” Cambric asked with a laugh as he walked up to his friend. “I have been so lonely just sitting in my house pining away for our latest celebrity. I am cute, you can’t deny it?”

“Pretty please?” Cambric joked as he gave Birch his best puppy dog eyes look. “You know since the whole crowd of girls I was going to pay to come heckle you backed out at the last moment.”

@birchpembrooke​

The day at the Training Centre hadn’t been a total bust. One of his tributes had come to him on their own asking a few questions of advice before scurrying off to train with Ves and Sable. He didn’t blame him, particularly because he was already at the least entertaining station: knot-tying. So, he spent the last few hours of the day helping any tribute that had stumbled to his corner of the Training Centre. He was particularly good at tying slipknots and lassos, while also trying out some new ones that were at the back of the instruction booklet. 

He called it a day before most of the other mentors, gathering himself up off the floor and heading to the exit. Birch saw Cambric approaching and prepared himself for the onslaught of teasing he was inevitably going to get. He was sure Cambric had been holding on to this for months and months. 

“Cambric, I am an engaged man, I couldn’t possibly leave Lael for you even if you were in love with me,” he teased back, smiling. There were only a few people who could get away with teasing him about the Birchelor. The top of that list was his sister June and just under it was Cambric. “I cannot deny your cuteness, but I can deny you.”

He laughed, but also shuddered at the idea of a group of girls coming to surround him. “I don’t think those girls could heckle as well as you, Cambric. You’ve got that down to a science. Sadly, those puppy-dog eyes could use some work.”

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oakleydressel‌:

Every word he spoke felt like a knife to her heart.  He’d always be there making up for the universe at her side, granting her wishes.  Oakley felt sick knowing he would always be so close, just out of reach, but she could never compromise his family for something so selfish.  It was wrong.  Instead she would have to be content with his friendship, knowing he would always be there for her in at least one way.

Her vision blurred with tears but she blinked them away.  “I don’t know what I did to make myself worthy of all that,” she admitted.  She loved him.  Everything he did made her realize that over and over in hundreds of tiny ways.  He was the person she wanted to talk to when something went wrong and the person she wanted to share her good news with.  He was the person she wanted to hold her when she was sad and laugh with her on the good days.  Oakley knew she wanted him there with her always and if this was the only way she could live with that.

But he admitted his wish and Oakley smiled.  He was so kind, so sincere.  She was lucky to have him in her life.  “You want to help people with your wish….I knew there was a reason you were such a good person,” she told him.  “You truly are the most amazing man I’ve ever known, Birch….”

Despite knowing he shouldn’t, Birch scooted a little bit closer to Oakley and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. He wanted to place a kiss on her head to know that he was there for her, but Birch had to stop somewhere. Besides, he didn’t know if Oakley shared the same feelings, all he knew was the he didn’t want her to think that she wasn’t worth it. He wanted her to know that she was amazing, the best person he knew. 

“You’re you. That’s why you’re worthy of all of the good things in the world,” he said into her shoulder, hoping she heard the sincerity and truth in the words that he said. It wasn’t a single thing that Oakley did. It was everything that she was. Kind, creative, funny, protective, patient, beautiful. It was her taking the time to call him and taking the time to paint him a work of art that hung in Ten’s suite. She was worth everything, even if he could never love her the way he wanted to. 

He tilted his head a little, a look that was both happy and sad gracing his features. Birch’s true wish was much more selfish. The one he had in his heart was just so he could hold Oakley and have her be in his life everyday without fail. “I’m sure there are people who are infinitely better than me,” he said, looking at Oakley. “And you’re one of them. I think you’ve just rubbed off on me Oaks.”

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lael-lu‌:

Lael laughed lightly as she pulled out the bag of cheddar popcorn from the back of the cabinet, behind a set of files that just so happened to be hiding the snack from view. “Maybe you need to stop eating all the caramel, then.”

She fell back down onto the couch and popped a few kernels into her mouth before handing the bag off to Birch and picking up the remote. Lael flipped through a few channels before two familiar faces lit up her screen. 

“Oh. Oh yes. Our first date,” Lael laughed as it zoomed into the two of them strapped together on top of a Capitol building, getting ready to bungee jump. “This really was ridiculous, wasn’t it?”

She turned her head to look at Birch and smiled a bit. “Still is ridiculous, I guess. And I absolutely will be taking you up on that offer.”

“I seem to remember that every time I open a bag of caramel popcorn, a wild Lael appears. You’re not innocent in this either,” he teased, laughing a little bit. Lael and him had become extremely close and he was grateful that she didn’t want to fall in love or try or anything like that. They had just become roommates under the weirdest circumstances in the world. Roommates that had to hold hands and kiss and act, but there wasn’t many other people he could ask to do this with him. 

He moved so that he was sitting normally on the couch again, happily taking the bag of popcorn from Lael and grabbing a handful to stuff into his mouth. It was delicious and Birch watched with interest as Lael tried to find them something fun to watch rather than Games stuff. When she landed on a re-run of The Birchelor, he let out a little chuckle. 

Watching the re-runs with Lael had been fun. She filled him in on all the drama he didn’t see and he filled her in on all the crazy things some of the women told him on their dates. “I can’t believe they managed to actually coax me up to the top of that building,” he said, shaking his head. “If I remember correctly, you were the one that had to pull me off the building because they was no way in hell I was stepping off willingly.”

Birch nodded at Lael. “Still ridiculous. Just let me know when so I can make sure Sable knows that you’re coming up. Sometimes Oakley or Dorian visits too, but there’s a very slim chance you’ll run into them there.”

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dorian-hawthorne‌:

News of the more frequent Quells had alarmed Dorian. Had uprisings gotten worse in the Districts? The only thing he had heard was the raids in District Three and Eight– was there more? “Just saying, The Capitol’s kind of got a short attention span. Last year they were all about the new Victor. This year will bring a new one and they’ll dote all over them. This’ll blow over, Birch.” 

“It wasn’t a huge ceremony, something small at the courthouse. We’d been stepping around it for so long and after that fight last year, we just needed to make it happen.” They had tried to hire a wedding planner, but of course, they were all about extravagance and not about the heart of the matter: two people in love getting married, taking that big step in their lives. 

Dorian nodded, “She’s from Three, yeah. Lost her parents when she was really young. We all live in the Victor’s Village in Three, but we still have our place in The Capitol if we ever have to come here between Games. This was her first train ride to The Capitol– apparently she’s crazy about trains.” he chuckled.

“I hope it blows over Dorian, but the part I’m scared about is not what the citizens will pay attention to, it’s what Snow will pay attention to. I hope he releases me from this commitment, but I don’t know.” He sighed, rubbing his hands on his face. “He came to my house, all the way to Ten. That makes me think it’s going to be a little longer than the normal Capitol news cycle.”

He smiled at Dorian’s wedding. Birch didn’t mind the small kinds of ceremonies. He would just want his wedding outside, but that wasn’t a deal breaker in an ideal world. “I mean, as long as you’re expressing your love, does it really matter where it is?” 

Birch grinned, imagining a little girl’s excitement at the train. “I mean, what’s not to love about trains? They’re fast and pretty and make lots of fun sounds. Your daughter has good taste, Dorian. But, I’m sure if you introduce her to horses, she will like them too. She sounds like her taste extends to that too.”

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sable-oswald‌:

She nodded at Birch’s words, bringing her hands together in front of her and interlacing her fingers. Her grip was tight and her nails bitten down. The stylist would have another one of her rants about that bad habit of hers once she reported to her. She’d developed a thick skin out of necessity. She wouldn’t have survived the 37 losses otherwise, much less been able to stand in front of the grieving families. 

“I know, I know. It’s just hard. This is my last year before Leo’s in that reaping bowl.” Her voice was paper thin and barely above a whisper. “Twenty years and I’m still not a good enough mentor. We have so many houses empty in our village, so many chances that I couldn’t pull through on.”

There was something so comforting in someone expressing the same feelings as him. Birch didn’t want Sable to feel that way. He had won during the few years where she was in a rough place, but he didn’t hold that against her, not now. When she was ready to be his mentor, she came and helped him through a lot. He appreciated everything that she’s done and he couldn’t imagine life without her as his neighbour and close friend. 

A pained look migrated across Birch’s face at the thought of Leo’s name in the Reaping Bowl. He shook his head slightly, looking up at Sable. “There’s such a slim chance that Leo will come up next year. But, we can do whatever you think is right for him. You’re not going to go through this by yourself.”

He met Sable’s eyes, his voice lowering as well. “You are an excellent mentor, Sable. You have helped me so much since I won. You’ve become a confidante and like a sister to me. Don’t put yourself through that. The odds are against us. They always have been for our District. If anything, I’m not a good enough mentor. This is the eleventh year since I won and no one’s been that close. It hurts every year, more and more.”

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Jackson frowned and looked to Birch as he got up to help him. He felt bad that so many people were concerned over him, especially Marina. She didn’t need this from him coming in from Twelve, but given his track record of usually staying quiet, this wasn’t exactly a common occurrence. He knew what happened in Twelve when anybody took a step too far out of line. His only protection was that he was a Victor. 

He reached his hand up and scratched an itch at his temple before he listened to the sound of Birch getting something pulled together. When he came back over, there was a bag wrapped in a paper towel and he nodded and started to reach for it before he spoke again.

“I can try,” Jackson said as he slowly sat up, gritting his teeth before he bent over to start pulling up his pant leg. It was starting to get a little tight around his calf but eventually got it up and over his knee where the purple and blue bruise spread from the right side of his left knee and a little down his calf. It looked like it was swollen a little bit, too.

“Well, that looks terrible. You’re going to kneed some ice on that.” He raised his eyebrows and smiled at Jackson for a moment, before placing the ice on the swollen part of his knee. “So, you should put your leg up on the coffee table and put the ice on. I think elevation is a part of helping body parts heal.”

Birch backed off, letting Jackson settle himself with the ice. He sat on the edge of the coffee table facing his friend. “Besides this most recent blip, it’s been a good few months right? You’ve been back and forth from the Capitol like me, right?”

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Aspen gave him a small smile, but she wondered if Birch was being nice or if he didn’t think she was capable of helping. Her tributes had seemed to take a page out of that book too, but it was okay. Tributes were allowed to want someone that was more experienced than a new Victor. All Aspen had to go on was what had made her feel better and what she had wished people had told her or said to her.

“Oh, is it you she talks to all the time?” Aspen inquired. “You two much be great friends then.” Though she had to remind herself to keep smiling as she listened. Right, she was always the student. “Then I hope she teaches me all her secrets. I’ve never gotten a chance to use watercolors before. We could never afford them.”

Aspen nodded. “You’ll be the first person I send a picture to, I promise.” It was something to look forward to about going home. “Then again, you’ll have to teach me all the things I need to take care of you. You know if I decide to get her.”

“Maybe or a just a medic.” It was hard to be a doctor in District Nine. Doctors were what they had in the Capitol. There wasn’t much in the way of technology available back home. Herbs and the few medicines the Peacekeepers brought in were common. “I was looking for something to do and it was just what felt right.” Being a Victor meant she had plenty of money, food, and time to pursue her interests. It wasn’t like she would be whisked off to work in the fields with all the other eighteen year olds in District Nine. “Time will tell if it’s the right fit. You know because sometimes you just need things to feel right.”

He chuckled a little bit at her question. Birch didn’t really realize that him and Oakley talked all the time. He just did what made him happy and that was as close as he was going to get right now. “She’s one of my closest friends. I don’t think I’d quite be me without her.” He smiled at her, running his prosthetic through his hair. “I’m sure if you ask nicely, she will teach you her secrets. She’s incredible with watercolours.”

Birch gently nudge Aspen out of the way of a Capitolite as they made their way to the café. He looked to her and grinned. “Good. I can’t wait to see her. You can always call me Aspen for advice on horses. That is like the one thing I can call myself an expert on. That and cattle ranching, but I don’t think you’re going to do much of that in Nine.”

He nodded as she spoke, knowing that Aspen had a good head on her shoulder. She would have her tough times, but Birch saw a good life in front of her and that the people in her District would appreciate her more than she knew. “And you have plenty of time to figure out your calling. I think you’re headed in the right direction. You seem to want to help people.”

Birch directed Aspen to the cashier of the café and smiled at the barista. “Two hot chocolates, please. Do you want anything else Aspen?”