#& INTERACTIONS ʷⁱᵗʰ ˡᵒᵛᵉᵈ ᵒⁿᵉˢ

[sirendrowns]

              something was off. the energy was weird — not quite alive, but certainly not some cinematic record floating around unhinged. that shouldn’t be able to happen. drifting towards the source of this off putting energy, her footfalls remain nearly silent. and then ...

“ HEY ! ” 

              as it had been since childhood, her voice was plagued with a perpetual whine when raised. for some reason, she found it much less cute when she was not adorned in her old 19th century gowns and pigtails. “ what’s your deal, miss ? i can’t quite put my finger on why, but you’re definitely not alive. ”

@missgwendolyne​

[sirendrowns]

              “ i think blue is a lovely color. very regal, ” she mused with a grin. of course, lizzy was the closest to regality on a legal sense, but that wasn’t to be mentioned. however, at the mention of a gold, she thinks it would be an alright compromise.

              a nod, and she faced the ceiling as well, hands folded thoughtfully over her stomach. “ golden, huh ? i can live with that. like that old story from japan, where a golden thread ties soulmates together, even when they don’t know each other yet, ” a pause.

“ i think we’ll get our own fairytale one day, don’t you ? ”

cont | @beautyminded​

[sirendrowns]

              “ i haven’t put all my hopes into anything, it’s you that’s being childish by being closed minded, ” cashmere decided plainly. she didn’t fancy herself an adult most days, but there was something about being insulted by a teenager that brought out some maturity in the twenty-six year old, even if she often found herself as just the same fifteen year old self as she was before her win.

              more than anything, she thought clove was being silly. “ i trust people who know about this stuff. real grown ups, not even just victors. you’ve got to trust in me, i know secrets about some people in charge that’d get them killed in an instant, more people believe in this type of cause than will let on. ”

cont | @beautyminded​

[sirendrowns]

@lacuen​ said . . .  

 "It's been a while, Lizzy." --R!Ciel (welcome back dear!! ^^)

              wide eyed, going warm in the face. being away from home was so unbearably cold, and yet some unidentified feeling brought truly uncomfortable heat to her cheeks. she might’ve teared up had she not felt so numb to the world. the little girl so rarely left speechless was stuck with her mouth agape. several long seconds passed before her whispered name,  “ ciel. ”

[sirendrowns]

@beautyminded said …  

"in my defence, i have none" ( from Athena for Annie or Cashmere cause I'm back on my bs now)

              giggling. she was giggling like a schoolgirl for the first time in— well, she couldn’t remember how long, not that it really mattered anymore. messes often made her extraordinarily uncomfortable, and yet this one had her tomato faced with glee. flour and cocoa powder covered annie’s kitchen, along with the two women standing in it, the air still slightly hazy from the floating particles.

              they had been baking ( athena was baking, annie was reading instructions and stealing bites of whatever she could reach ), and athena had thrown what was deemed to be a warning handful of the dry ingredients at annie. and so in turn annie had reached in and thrown one back. one thing led to another, and they were pushed back into a happier world without all their troubles.

              “ yeah ? ” she challenged, raising an eyebrow. “ then i have none for this ! ” annie exclaimed, arm outstretched to snatch an egg from the counter top, bringing it down on top of her friend’s head with yet another triumphant laugh.

[sirendrowns]

              josie had been among the very first to know when the countess’ monthlies had stopped. before ciel, though she’d never admit it. the scary process was made only worse by the confinement of her final trimester, a period where she’d been unallowed to leave the manor, all visitors barred aside from her mother, husband, servants, and medical staff to ensure a safer journey. for a social being such as elizabeth, the isolation was unbearable.

              a creature of habit, her lover’s dwellings are her first stop after another long six weeks locked away after the birth. her figure came back as though it never left, tucked away neatly in a corset, a stark contrast to the baby in an ornately decorated pram. still, to facilitate the meeting she would first need to

knock.

              at the appearance of a servant, she is escorted inside to wait in the sitting room, where she coos and taps at the bundle in her arms until she heard footsteps. the child is laid down as she stood, glee written all over her face. “ my darling !  ” she exclaimed, bright and sunny as ever, and sped to give the woman as tight of a hug as she could muster. “ oh, my sweet girl, i’ve missed you so !  ”

@florablooms​

[sirendrowns]

              lizzy was just as used to the horror that was a tabloid paper, given that she had taken to american schooling just to avoid being seen daily by british papers that reported almost solely on the happenings of the royal family and their associations across the united kingdom. “ want me to beat her up ? ” she’s only half teasing, flashing a devilish smirk her way. she would never— that would risk a sparkly clean reputation— but it was not unknown to friends that she had a long laundry list of contacts to do any dirty work she could ever need.

              “ as long as you know it’s just silly and she only wants to bring you down, ” she began, “ if it was true though, you know i’d get him, too. right through the tummy with my epée. ”

cont | @missgwendolyne​

[sirendrowns]

              as it turned out, defiance was as easy a way as any to be thrown into an asylum when parents were rich, careless, and influential. she pouted, sat in the corner of the day room where those with decent behavior were allowed to sit out. it was easier to keep an eye on a group rather than traveling room to room, she supposed. more importantly, it was easier to keep them all quiet when they weren’t wailing to be let out.               it had only been a couple days for the blonde, but she was sure her father was bluffing. he would come back . . . right ? the sanitarium given clothes were itchy on her milky skin, only previously used to the softest of textiles. naturally, she learns to gravitate towards one of the only other people near her age. “ my name is elizabeth. lizzy, ” a british accent. more specifically, the queen’s english. something prim and proper.  “ what’s yours ? ”

@timidstrcngth​

[sirendrowns]

tag dump whoops

[sirendrowns]

              when the time allowed for it, annie preferred to just lay around in bed. it was pretty much always an option for her, she wasn’t given much to do. finnick, however, seemed to always be in some training session or in a command meeting, which was eternally frustrating. could they not be allowed just a bit of peace ? for now though, she would cling to him until he tore himself free.               currently, her head rested on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. hand found his, holding onto the last shreds of the morning before they’d have to go to breakfast. “ it’s all my fault, ” she said after a while. “ so many people died because of me, finn, you know that ? i helped my parents for years. i killed people with my bare hands. i’m a monster, ” words are whispered in the near silence of their room, filled with grief and a heavy conscience. “ how can you love someone so awful ? ”

@finicky-finnick | plotted

[sirendrowns]

              on a very small scale, wedding preparations had begun. hell, elizabeth had a journal of wedding plans prepared since her early childhood, shaped over the years as she grew and changed ( and gained the maturity to take her partner’s tastes into account ). currently, a dress was in the makes as she neared her eighteenth birthday. no ceremony would take place until both parties were of age, but she was desperate to begin planning, as parties were certainly in her forte. little did she know how likely it was that her gown might not ever see the light of day. today, though, she has set up camp at the phantomhive manor, sitting in the office with a practiced quietness, though patience was running thin.                to keep herself occupied, she kept ahold of a half-finished handkerchief, stitching away on a design as she waited for his work to be finished. “ might i stay the night ? ” lizzy requested suddenly, eyes drawn to the window, admiring the first streaks of color on the horizon as evening drew near. “ i fear by the time you’ve finished, it’ll be too late to travel safely, and i would hate to have come all this way and not have caught any of your leisure time. ”

@starlight-and-skies | plotted

[sirendrowns]

               time passed before she could speak again, words caught up in her throat. she was suffocating, surely, with her chest tight and fighting so desperately to keep back shaky breaths. finally, “ i do, ” she admitted, as though it pained her. because it did. to have been lied to, so much so that she’d been using a false name, was a blow to her already damaged heart. still, the fondness was entirely directed at his person. an affection formed for the softer, introspective boy with whom she felt they’d gained a sort of mutual respect. still, she was hurt, and that would take healing. “ did you ever have a fondness for me ? or was that all a lie too ? ” not accusatory, just questioning, prying so gently into his mind.

@starlight-and-skies | cont

[sirendrowns]

               she was in the capitol. finnick was in the capitol. she was pregnant and finally dressed in something other than the ill-fitting jumpsuits of thirteen. a million different emotions have run through her mind by this point. fear, elation, relief, and most importantly, pure unadulterated anger. she’s running towards the room number she’d been given, speeding as fast as her legs were willing to take her. she had to get to him. even before she could see him ( but she could see the door signs leading up to his number, so he must be within yelling distance ) she’s yelled out, “ finnick ! ”               someone looks on in awe, but she hardly notices them. they wouldn’t like this, even if her tone felt oh so similar to their previous reunion. however, this was by choice. he had left her by choice. “ finnick ! ” annie could see him now out in the hallway, and she was going faster. her legs hurt, she hadn’t run in months. hands reach up to grip the collar of his hospital gown, pulling him down for a kiss. she can taste salt— it reminds her of home— but it must have just been that she’d started crying during her run.               just after the long, desperate kiss she’s pulled away and slapped him loudly enough that she almost wanted to apologize, but she doesn’t. “ how dare you ? what could possess you to leave me after we just got each other back ? you could’ve died and i didn’t even get to tell you goodbye, ” there were the first words, tears readily streaming down her cheeks, pale from being tucked away inside thirteen. she’s hurt, not caring who might be around to see her screaming at him. she had her reasons.               nausea had struck her so badly that someone else had gone to the doctors to announce that annie had stopped eating. that they were worried about her, and that maybe she was trying to starve herself to death. ( poor little annie must be so helpless without finnick. ) first, a mental health questionnaire; she was stable enough, just nauseous. second, several tests for viral sicknesses; she was in no danger of spreading anything around. third, ‘ are you pregnant ? ’   ;   ‘ no. ’    ‘ can we check ? ’. sure enough, that was it, and her emotions had raised in intensity with the hormones. he deserved this.

@finicky-finnick | plotted

[sirendrowns]

              the night was cold, especially for the victor in whore’s clothing. she had her own apartment, but that seemed so lonely. finnick wouldn’t be back from his client, he’d been rented for the entire night. everyone else seems too rough, but the young girl from three seemed to have a kind soul. cashmere had once helped her, so perhaps the door would be open.  knock knock knock.               “ please, gwen, let me in ? ” she requests quietly from outside the door, voice weak compared to the strong persona she so regularly held out. “ it’s me, cashmere, ” on her form is a dress that once must have been beautiful. long, sheer, dazzling under the right lighting. here, though, it’s been ripped enough that there was surely no salvaging it. brown eyes leak helplessly, smearing her once impeccable makeup and leaving streaks down her face.

@missgwendolyne | sc !

[sirendrowns]

              “ it’s unfair that you refuse to dance. ” pouting, this is what it’s come to. it wasn’t as if all eyes were on them, but they’d both been invited to the party of another marquess, and she wanted to dance. the issue: it would be impolite to dance with anyone other than her betrothed. “ i’ve gotten all dressed up for nothing, all i wanted was to enjoy the ball, which it seems you’ve already decided is not on your agenda. ”

@starlight-and-skies

[sirendrowns]

              if it weren’t for her eventual need to be able to lay claim to the phantomhive properties, she would have left just then. for nearly a year, she had been herself. bright, vibrant, trusted with a sword rather than left to her needlepoint. and now, she was stuffing herself back into the cage she spent the majority of her life in. meek, docile, apologetic to all. she thinks that her dearest uncle vincent would be disappointed to see how she was spoken to. “ you’re right. ” all of her energy goes into not making her voice sound resentful. “ i just wanted to try and do my part to protect you. ”

cont @starlight-and-skies