#isarnicole

[everlarkficquestions]

I’m trying to remember a fic where Peeta was a Capitol escort (like Finnick) and Katniss was his client but she was in disguise because her whole family had up and escaped to district 1 or 2 and so she had a fake District 1 or 2 name and Peeta kept thinking she was familiar. It’s driving me crazy thank you

Hi there,

The story you're look for is "Something I'm Not" by Isarnicole.

Enjoy :)

[toastbaby]

Summary: Peeta finally gets a chance to talk with his childhood crush when she shows up at his door to sell some ingredients for his pastries.

for @isarnicole

a/n: A little something I wrote for @thgseasonofhope holiday gift exchange! Hope you enjoy! (Ps. this is my first - but hopefully not last - Everlark fic, so I'd love to know what you think! But please be gentle since English is not my first language!)

words: 3900+

Rated: T

Read on AO3

...

“Peeta!”

The 20-year-old baker pulled his attention away from the dough he had been preparing, turning his head towards the source of the voice. His dad was standing in the doorway, his face glistening with sweat because of the rush hour at the bakery.

“Yes, dad?”

“Someone’s coming to sell some herbs and other things we could use in our pastries. Could you please take care of it? My hands are a bit full right now,” the older man huffed, gesturing towards the busy cafe area.

“Sure. Not a problem.”

As Peeta had gotten older, his dad had gradually started giving him more responsibilities at the bakery, intending to leave it to him one day. Peeta’s older brothers weren’t interested in running the place, and Peeta knew he was a better baker than them anyway, thanks to excessive training he had done since he was a kid. Despite that, sometimes the voice of his mother nagged in his head, calling him useless, but the signs of confidence his father showed towards him helped him to ignore it.

He continued kneading the dough once his dad left, but about five minutes later there was a knock at the backdoor of the bakery.

“Just a minute!” Peeta yelled before quickly pulling his hands from the dough and rinsing them under the sink. In his rush he didn’t realize that he had a bit of flour all over his body, including his hair, from carrying a huge bag earlier.

The smile he was wearing on his face when he opened the door froze when he saw a short young woman with a sleek, black braid, olive skin and piercing, gray eyes standing right in front of him. The very same woman who had been a part of his dreams for longer than he could remember: Katniss Everdeen.

“H-hi!” he stuttered, just standing there dumbly as she was taking his floury frame in.

“Uh, hello?” Her greeting sounded almost like a question. When he didn’t move for a moment, she asked: “Can I come in? It’s kind of cold out here.”

That made Peeta finally snap out of his daze.

“Yeah, of course.” He backed up into the kitchen. “Sorry, I was just… surprised, I guess. When my dad told me I was going to have a business meeting with someone, I didn’t realize it was going to be you.”

Katniss gave him a strange look.

“Well, your dad seemed to think that my herbs and vegetables are what he’s looking for, so here I am.”

“Right. Um, listen… Could we start this over? I swear I’m not usually like this.” When Katniss gave him an expectant look, he extended his hand to her, like he would with any guest. “It’s good to see you, Katniss. What did you bring with you?”

Katniss’ mouth twitched ever so slightly at Peeta’s attempt to fix the situation, a sight that made Peeta happier than he thought was normal, but she did take his hand and gave it a firm, warm squeeze. After that she went straight into business mode and marched to the baking counter where she could display her products.

“Some dill, mint leaves, rosemary, basil, oregano, peppers, tomatoes, even a piece of the goat cheese made of the milk of Prim’s goat… Well, Lady’s the only goat we have so our cheese supply is limited right now but you could have whatever we can sell.”

Peeta looked in awe at the impressive collection of herbs and vegetables. The smell of the herbs was truly quite delicious and he could see that they were well taken care of. However, focusing on his actual task of buying Katniss’ products was a bit challenging when she was standing so close to him. Even with the herbs right in front of him he swore he could sense a whiff of pine trees coming from her hair.

“Would you like to taste the cheese?” Katniss asked, unwrapping the foil the cheese was kept in.

“Sure. I’ll get a knife so I can cut it.”

Peeta had been prepared to lie in case he wouldn't have liked the cheese, but turned out it really was worth all the praise he could give. It seemed that Katniss was far prouder for her sister’s achievements than her own, so she accepted the compliments he gave her sister happily. After that the talk moved to the herbs.

“The rosemary could go well with the cheese buns, and mint is good in some sweet things… Smoothie? Mousse? A chocolate cake?” He started listing ideas that came to his head as he tried to keep his focus on the things Katniss had brought. He didn’t miss the way Katniss’ eyes lit with interest when he mentioned the chocolate cake. “Hey, as controversial as this opinion may be, I’ve always liked mint chocolate. Maybe you should sell some of this to my brother; he runs a small chocolate factory nearby.”

“You think he’d buy it?” Katniss asked, a little shyly.

“Oh, absolutely! He’s always on the lookout for new products that make his business stand out. What’s better than combining the chocolate with fresh, local ingredients grown with love?”

“I do love chocolate as well,” Katniss admitted. “I guess you’re going to have to give me his contact info.”

Peeta wasn’t quite sure what got to him when he raised his eyebrow playfully and asked: “What about me? Would you like to have my contact info too?”

For a moment Katniss looked utterly confused.

“But I already know where this bakery is, and I already have its phone number…”

“That’s not quite what I meant…” Peeta shook his head, scratching the back of his head. “Um, never mind that. So, about the price. My dad left some suggestions here,” he dug out a paper where his father had written down what the usual price for specific herbs was, “But he said that he trusts us so if you think that these are too little, we can still change them…”

Katniss’ eyes moved rapidly as she took in the numbers, her frown deepening with each word.

“Peeta… I can’t accept this much. This is way more than what I get when I sell my herbs at the market.”

Peeta stopped her before she could resist even further. “See, that’s the thing, Katniss. Both my father and I agree that for all the hard work that you do on your own you deserve a hell of a lot more than what you get. I don’t think you even understand how much people appreciate local, freshly picked products these days. So, this is the least we can do to both support other local entrepreneurs and also boost our own image! Please, just accept the offer.”

Katniss bit her lip for a moment, her frown still visible. “Fine,” she said finally. “But you’ll have to let me do something in return for you.”

Peeta grinned mischievously, already feeling a lot more relaxed than in the beginning of this meeting. “Well, I would appreciate it if you remembered to mention to your customers that Mellark’s bakery makes the best cheese buns in the entire country.” He winked and Katniss’ cheeks got some extra color. “I’m just kidding. You don’t have to do that. Not saying that I would complain about free advertisements, but really, we would be happy to simply get to use your products.”

He stopped for a moment, gathering the nerve to say what he had been itching to say for a while. “Oh, and I might also be in need of a test taster. Can’t sell products without even knowing if they’re any good, right? My dad has probably never said a critical word in his life so he isn’t the right person for that job.”

Whatever Peeta had expected Katniss to answer to his request, it was not this: “I’ve eaten your cheese buns. And cinnamon rolls. And if those are any indication of what you can create, I highly doubt that you are capable of making anything that tastes bad.”

Did she really just compliment my baking? was all that Peeta could think of, and it took him a while to realize that she was probably expecting him to say something back. The small, shy smile on her face wasn’t really helping him to come up with anything coherent enough.

“I… You would be surprised to know how much trial and error really goes into making new recipes. You should have seen that one time when I thought it’d be a good idea to mix black pepper into a red velvet cake batter. What was worse, my brother accidentally used the peppery layer in a cake that had been ordered for a wedding. The bride wasn’t very happy about it!”

Now Katniss was actually laughing, and it softened the blow of him remembering that his mother’s reaction afterwards had been far from funny. Her voice was soft and bright and it made Peeta’s heart skip a beat.

“Poor thing,” Katniss chuckled. “That must have been quite a surprise.”

“Yep,” Peeta cringed at the memory. “We did luckily have an extra cake in the freezer that only needed to be decorated so they did get a better cake in the end, but the damage was already done. I learned my lesson, though: do not mix black pepper with anything sweet.”

Katniss rested her hand on Peeta’s shoulder for a moment, and that alone made him forget about all the unpleasant thoughts he had had earlier.

“How old were you when that happened?” she asked, more seriously, almost as if she had sensed the negative undertones the story had had despite his attempt to keep his appearance cheerful.

“I think maybe 12-13. I know it sounds young but I had already made plenty of cakes and done decorating at that point.” He shrugged.

“You decorated cookies too,” Katniss said, more of a statement than a question. Peeta wondered if she was thinking about the same thing he was, a memory from years ago.

“I did,” he nodded. Her eyes didn’t leave him for quite a while and it looked like she was about to say something, but then thought better of it.

“So, a test taster?'' She returned to the original topic. “And you think I’d be suitable for that job?”

“Absolutely. I need someone who isn’t afraid to say what they think, and I mean that in the best way possible. Your opinion does mean a lot to me, Katniss.” He gave her a reassuring smile, and she finally relented.

“Alright. Just tell me when you want me to be here.”

…

The next weekend Peeta was bouncing on his heels in the backroom of the bakery as he was waiting for 6 pm, the time Katniss was set to arrive. Since it was almost time for the holidays, he was dressed in a green sweater instead of his usual work attire, and he had also picked one of his nicer pairs of pants and even tried to tame his curly hair a bit beforehand. His brothers had given him a lot of shit for his not so subtle attempt at trying to impress his guest, but he knew that they were actually happy that he was finally taking the chance that he should have taken years ago. Happy enough that Rye had even helped Peeta with some last minute preparations and left the bakery with a wink, promising to stay out of his way. Peeta’s dad was also aware of the test tasting plans and he had only patted encouragingly on his son’s shoulder before closing the door behind him.

Finally, Peeta heard a quiet tap at the backdoor and he got there embarrassingly fast. Behind the door he found a heavily glad Katniss, who seemed to be wearing multiple sweaters under the big leather jacket he was used to seeing on her. Her shoulders were covered in a thin layer of snow from the snowfall outside and her cheeks had gotten some extra color from the cool winter air, so she managed to look even more adorable than usual in Peeta’s eyes as she was standing there in front of him.

“Hi,” she greeted him first.

“Hi. C’mon in. I’m glad you could make it.”

He moved to let Katniss into the bakery, and when she was removing her jacket, the first thing he noticed was that the sweater underneath it was soft orange.

“What? Is something wrong?” Katniss asked when he wouldn’t stop staring.

Peeta shook his head, his lips tugging upwards. “Nothing. I just like the color of your sweater. It reminds me of the sunset.”

Katniss looked down at her sweater and after that took in his outfit. “I guess it kind of does. And I like the green of your sweater. It makes me think of a forest.”

Peeta tried to not look too happy about his successful sweater choice. “Or the plants you grow.”

Once Katniss had left her outdoor clothes on the coat rack, he led her to the big dining table in the middle of the kitchen. “Um, here we have some things for you to taste. I haven't had time to test them myself, but I do promise you that none of them have black pepper in them.”

“Good to know,” Katniss smiled at him, and his heart did something weird again. “I would say that’s a great start.

“So, I thought you could first try the rosemary cheese buns. Sorry, I may have gone a bit overboard with these…” He gestured in the direction of the huge pile of pastries.

“They smell incredible!” Katniss exclaimed, her eyes wide, as she hovered over the freshly made cheese buns. She took one into her small hand and buried her nose into it for a second before taking a small bite. “Oh my god, Peeta! These…” she searched for the right words for a moment, “somehow these are even better than the regular cheese buns!”

Something melted in Peeta’s heart when he saw the contentment on Katniss’ face. “I guess I need to make a note to have cheese buns ready whenever you’re about to visit.” He grinned. “As the creator of the recipe it makes me really happy to hear that you like them”

“Like them? I think I could eat 10 of these at once and not regret it a single bit.” she mumbled while still eating, not even caring there were cheese bun grumps on her sweater. That just made her more endearing in Peeta’s eyes, somehow.

“Good thing you know someone who can make them, then,” he said, entirely incapable of keeping his face straight as he saw her enthusiasm.

They kept chatting while Katniss ate. At first the talk was about more mundane things, such as their old school days, new recipes Peeta still wanted to try and his plans to improve the bakery in the near future. But after Peeta had told Katniss he enjoyed working at the bakery because it allowed him to be creative, she shyly told Peeta about what had originally inspired her to start her own business. When she had been little, both her parents had enjoyed growing their own garden and they had encouraged their daughters to do the same. Her mother had been particularly interested in the medical properties of various herbs and she had been selling them before the accident that took her father’s life changed everything for the Everdeen family. But gardening brought Katniss memories of happier times and she had a natural love for all kinds of plants from being out in the woods so much as a kid, so continuing the work had felt like the right decision after finishing high school. Maybe one day she would manage to save enough money to continue her studies, but for now, she was happy the way she was.

“That makes sense,” Peeta commented. “My mother would have wanted me to become a doctor or a lawyer or something like that, but really, I was never that into studying – my favorite subjects were English and arts so those were the only things I could have imagined studying further. I think I knew from pretty early on this is what I wanted to do, and when my mom left a few years ago, that kind of sealed the deal for me… I had nothing stopping me from staying.”

“So you were happy your mom left?” Katniss asked hesitantly.

Peeta nodded. “I think you already have an idea about what kind of person she is. My dad stood her much longer than he should have. What she did… It was more verbal than physical abuse, constant reminders of things I couldn’t do… But sometimes she’d hit us too.”

Katniss’ gaze turned to the gingerbread cookies that were laid on a plate near Peeta. It seemed to be drawn to a very specific cookie: a round one, with a dandelion frosting

“I remember wondering why you had a red cheek once when we were eleven… Did she do that?” She asked, surprising Peeta by stepping closer to him and cradling his cheeks between her hands.

“Yeah,” he said quietly, unable to look into her eyes. He remembered that particular occasion Katniss was referring to all too well.

Instead of saying something like “I’m so sorry”, which was what Peeta usually got when people discovered the real reason for his mother leaving her family behind, Katniss took an entirely different approach. Her voice was quiet and her eyes shone with unshed tears when she said:

“You know… a very kind boy once left me dandelion cookies very similar to those right next to you… Although admittedly, the frosting was a little sloppier, but still, definitely recognizable. It happened during a time when I was this close to just giving up on everything. But that small act of kindness reminded me that there was hope. That no matter how dark things seemed, there was someone who cared. Even if the giver himself didn’t think of his deed as anything huge, it meant a world to me. One time I caught him by my locker, sneaking those cookies in from the small gap on the top, but he left before I had a chance to say anything. I always wished I could thank him for his kindness, but I never seemed to find the right words. But I guess this is as good an opportunity as any, so: thank you. Sincerely.”

“I… I’m glad I could help. But to be honest, I often felt like I should have done more, should have actually talked to you, but I always chickened out… Looks like our thoughts were pretty similar back then.”

“I guess so.” Katniss shrugged, her hand still lingering on his cheek.

“But I suppose it’s never too late to fix our past mistakes,” Peeta whispered.

There was a weird kind of tension in the air between them. Peeta wished he could close the gap between them and just kiss her, but that would certainly just freak her out, and that was the last thing he wanted to do. And so, mainly to stop himself from doing something he’d regret, he put some distance between them, cleared his throat and noted: “You haven’t tried the chocolate cake yet. I saved the best for last!”

“Oh?” Katniss cocked her eyebrow playfully. “Be careful of what you promise. You should know that after the cheese buns my expectations are impossibly high.”

Peeta snorted. “You really liked my buns, huh?” Katniss rolled her eyes at the double entendre. “Sorry, don’t mind me. Would you like something to drink with the cake? Tea? Hot chocolate? Juice?”

“Maybe some tea, please, since the cake already has chocolate in it.”

The pair cut small slices from the cake and Peeta poured them some tea before they sat down to eat. However, Katniss had barely tasted the piece when she started coughing and took a napkin to spit the rest of it out. “Peeta, what’s this?”

Peeta tasted his piece carefully and immediately understood what had happened.

“The frosting… tastes like garlic? Is that on purpose?” Katniss asked.

“I swear I didn’t know about this!” Peeta raised his hands in the air. “I think my lovely brother Rye just paid back for that time when he had to take the blame for the pepper cake. He knew you were coming here and he was helping me before you arrived…”

“What do I have to do with this?” Katniss questioned.

“Nothing,” Peeta rushed to answer before he had to explain to Katniss that his brothers knew about his longtime crush. “Ugh, I really am sorry. I promise I will bake you another cake in the near future and make sure no brothers are nearby to mix the wrong ingredients into it… That is, if you allow it.”

He must have looked miserable because Katniss’ scowl melted into a smile.

“I’ll allow it.”

And suddenly, both of them were laughing so hard that Katniss had to lean against Peeta’s shoulder, and they didn’t stop for several minutes.

“When I said it was going to taste even better than the cheese buns this definitely wasn’t what I had in my mind,” he finally said while swiping the tears of laughter from his cheeks.

“I bet you didn’t,” Katniss grinned, and the weight dropped from Peeta’s heart.

“Here,” he threw her a chocolate ball from a bag Rye had left behind and she caught it. “Something to take the garlic taste from your mouth. I tasted these myself before you arrived so I know they are fine.”

“These are really good,” Katniss commented after popping the chocolate into her mouth. “Tell Rye I might forgive him for the garlic trick if I get a bag of these for free.”

“I will let him know,” Peeta smirked.

The two of them kept eating the chocolate balls, occasionally throwing them into each other’s mouths. Just when Peeta was about to voice a question that had been bothering him the whole night, his dad entered the room. It was only then that Peeta realized how close he was still standing to Katniss.

“Peeta, I wouldn’t interrupt you if it wasn’t important but it seems there’s been some mix up with an order and I need you to check it quickly.”

“Alright,” Peeta sighed. “I’ll be back soon,” he told Katniss before following his dad out of the kitchen.

When he came back, he found Katniss loading their dishes into the dishwasher and humming a Christmas song quietly. When she noticed him, she seemed a bit startled, as if she had been caught doing something wrong, but when Peeta reassured her he had liked her humming, she soon calmed down.

“Actually…” He nervously shifted his weight from one foot to another as he debated if he should really say what he wanted to say next. “I remember you singing in front of our class when we were five. That was the first moment when I really noticed you. Your voice was the prettiest thing I had ever heard… and still is.”

Katniss was quiet for a moment. “Peeta… When you gave me those cookies, why did you do it?”

“Why do you think I did?”

He didn’t have a chance to say anything else when her lips were on his, causing his brain to malfunction entirely. Somehow he still managed to respond to the kiss, not quite able to believe that it was actually happening. The moment was over too soon for his liking, but the feeling of her soft lips still lingered on his when he asked:

“Do you think… there is a chance you would be willing to go out with me some time? And not just for test tasting?

“Yeah. I think I might,” she smiled shyly, and kissed him again.

[sohypothetically]

Writing Patterns - Opening Lines

I was tagged by @katnissdoesnotfollowback and @pookieh thank you both!

Rules: list the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern!

I think I know my pattern already, but let's see if it's true. The order I'm looking at is the published order on FF.net. I'm also going to include originals because I'm curious if the pattern holds.

And what did I learn? The last time I did this, I was all dialogue. I like that I'm branching out a bit and it's a mix of dialogue, description, and action. Maybe I'm growing! (The publishing order here is: Originals, Snow Day, Love Letters, The Lake House. Everything else was written before 2017.)

Snow Day

“Are you sure she’ll come today? Weather’s nasty. Doubt anyone will be out.”

Love Letters

Dear Thom, We're writing letters to service men as part of a project for the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

The Lake House

The first time is an accident. 

Kindergarten

"Katniss!" Peeta's voice held a note of utter panic as it drifted up to her from the first floor.

Welcome to Sr. Fromage's!

"Ah, there you are!" A woman with bright pink lipstick and glitter mascara greets me in the game area. 

The Talk

Effie Trinket nimbly maneuvers her way through the colorful Capitol crowd.

Laundry

This is much better, Madge thought, pushing through the doors of the all-night Laundromat down the street from her apartment..  

Hit Me With Your Best Shot

Gale Hawthorne was almost past the door to the gym, working on auto-pilot, when he heard it.  

Honky Tonk

"This is a bad idea." Katniss Everdeen eyes the outside of Haymitch's Honky Tonk and Tavern with equal parts dread and disgust.

Raked Leaves

Peeta Mellark loves fall: the crisp, burnt smell in the air, the colors bursting on the trees before the leaves fall slowly to earth, the taste of pumpkin and apples and cranberries.  

Originals:

Worth The Wait -- “Will someone check her makeup?” A strikingly handsome man—he’d introduced himself as Steve without making eye contact—asks loudly, with obvious annoyance.

Game On! -- “You’ve got to be kidding me.” I stop short, tugging on my roommate’s hand. “‘Mai, you didn’t tell me they’d be here.” 

The Ring -- My hands throb.

Two Princes -- Tick. Tick. Tick.

Love and Latkes -- I stopped for a minute outside the pharmacy that was part of my routine.

Please participate, even if you don't have 10! It's really neat to see who has a certain style when they write and over the course of how long.

Tagging the following and anyone else who would like to play! @norbertsmom, @mollywog, @mega-aulover, @littlerosette, @katnissmellarkkk, @shesasurvivor, @hutchabelle, @isarnicole, @albinokittens300, @bodyelectric77

[mega-aulover]

Reading List Game

I was tagged by the amazing @katnissdoesnotfollowback. Thank you for the tag.

What are your recent, current, and future reads?

Recent:

The Christmas Waltz @mtk4fun

Baking Cookies by @norbertsmom

Reunion by @mollywog 

Everdeen Scrooge Y @norbertsmom

Current:

Roses & Pearls by @thesweetnessofspring

A Christmas Mellark by @wendywobbles

Future:

Cheese Buns and Garlic Cakes by @isarnicole

Wild Flowers by LilyMaid

The Magic of Ordinary Days by @professionalfangrrl

Taste of Strawberries by @hayffiebird

So this is the best I could come up with, on the fly. LOL I didn't sleep last night and now I am exhausted lol

[dandelionlovesyou]

Just finished re-reading The Lottery by @isarnicole ❤️❤️❤️

Such a beautiful story where Everlark blossoms without the games. I loved that Finnick gets to have his best life too in this fic. What a great bonus.

[ao3feed-everlark]

An Unexpected Life

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/NctluY6

by Isarnicole

Edit and Rewrite of a story I posted years ago.

When up-and-coming chef Peeta Mellark walks back into Katniss's life, a teenage crush is reignited. But when unexpected consequences force them on a path neither is ready for, they have to work together to overcome the emotional and physical scars of life-altering tragedies and unfortunate mistakes in order to grow individually and together.

Words: 7204, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, The Hunger Games (Movies), The Hunger Games (Movies) RPF

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: Multi

Characters: Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mellark, Haymitch Abernathy, Gale Hawthorne, Madge Undersee, Johanna Mason, Marvel (Hunger Games), Cato (Hunger Games), Primrose Everdeen, Mrs. Mellark (Hunger Games), Peeta Mellark's Brothers

Relationships: Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark, Gale Hawthorne/Madge Undersee, Johanna Mason & Original Character(s), Annie Cresta/Finnick Odair

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, One Night Stands, Chef Peeta Mellark, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Survivor Guilt, Loss of Parent(s), Romance, Angst and Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Living Together, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Peeta Mellark & Finnick Odair Friendship, Katniss Everdeen & Johanna Mason Friendship

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/NctluY6

[isarnicole]

Chapter 2 is available on AO3.

It’s February, eight months after Katniss and Peeta met and Katniss’s plan to set up Madge with Peeta is beginning to show cracks.

[sparklingdust4612]

Reviewing "The lottery" by @isarnicole

An amazing everlark fanfic with just the perfect tinge of AU, wrapped in a ribbon of smut. The developing relationship between Katniss and Peeta was so heart-warming and Prim, amazing as always! Sad to hear of Mrs Everdeen but at least she died in a better way then by being depressed and useless.

Loved Haymitch and Cinna in this and lets not forget Finnick!! Such supportive and understanding characters.

I loved everyone's close bonds and bantering and definitely loved the 'lottery' aspect of the story.

Favourite quotes/parts from the story:

1- "Speaking of, should you be out in the woods killing cute, little furry things?"

2- "So, are you pregnant yet?" Rory asks. Prim gapes at him, backhanding his arm.

"I just signed the paperwork yesterday. I'm pretty sure it doesn't happen that quick," I say with a laugh. "If you think it does, then your mama needs to have a talk with you."

3- I have to repress a moan on the first bite. Prim has no problem letting her pleasure be known. She's making so much noise that Peeta and I share a laugh, and her face turns red.

4- "They may have good intentions now, but the road to hell is paved with those…or at least that’s what people say.”

5- "If you go, there's no life at all for me here. You're my whole life. You always have been. I would never be happy again."

6- "Everything alright, Sweetheart? You've been looking at that boy like you're dying of thirst, and he is the only drink of water for miles."

I scowl at him, which only makes me laugh harder.

“Come to think of it, the boy looked like he was starving. I wonder how he worked up such an appetite?”

7- "To me, you have the comfort of the night as it blankets the world inside you.” He points to the dark blue bodice. “But, there’s a fire there too, scorching just below the surface. Bright and brilliant and burning, but beautiful all the same.”

8- “Haymitch! I hardly recognized you without your piss-stained clothes and a bottle in your hand.”

9- "That shit stain that calls herself his mother...”

10- “I was worried you were going to walk out of that bathroom naked and scare me to death. I’ve already been through accidentally seeing you naked once. Don’t know if I’ll make it through that again."

11- "I'm telling you this because even knowing what I know now, knowing that she would be taken from me, I wouldn't trade a day I spent with her. Losing is hard. I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. But loving and being loved, there's nothing better than that. It's worth all the pain."

“It’s not fair what his mother said about you or what anyone who doesn’t really know you says about you. But if you love him, then let yourself love him. Life is far too short. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. Don’t allow doubt about what could happen shadow what you can experience with him if you allow it.”

12- “Well, look who finally decided to grace us with her presence,” he drawls.

“I see someone’s finally conscious enough to actually join us on one of these tours,” I retort.

“What can I say?” he smirks. “I’ve got a thing for cows.”

13- "It said that love isn't always about the things that make a day or a life perfect. You'll have those things, but real love, lasting love, is about finding someone whose broken pieces fit with yours.

14- "The trees have missed you, my love," he continues. "Though I doubt the animals have."

15- "When I first saw you as a child, I thought I knew what love was. I was sure I loved you then," he whispers. I gasp and smile against his cheek as he recites the vows we spoke to each other when we toasted our bread. "As we grew older, my love for you changed from a childhood crush to something more. I was sure I loved you then. But I was a fool. I had no idea what love was until you walked through the Justice Building door and into my life. My love for you continues to grow and change. You challenge me and make me laugh. You love with your whole heart. You're selfless without knowing it. You've never looked at me with pity. You've changed my life. I'm so in love with you. I can't imagine loving you anymore than I do. But I know I'll wake up in the morning and love you just a little bit more than I do today. And I'll continue to wake up loving you. Always."

16- "You are everything I never knew I wanted. You're a painter. You're a baker. You like to sleep with the windows open. You never take sugar in your tea. And you always double-knot your shoelaces. You gave me life, and you continue to show me what it means to live. I want to spend the rest of my days with you. I want to go to sleep and wake up in your arms. I want to fill your life with joy and watch you smile. I want to sit with you and watch the sunset. I want to wake up early and watch the sunrise. I can't promise that things will be easy, but I promise that we'll get through all the hard times together. I love you, Peeta. Always."

Really looking forward to reading more from you :D

[little-lynx]

Fic recs! This ask is just for you so you can answer it if you want or just take the links and leave it lol, its up to you 😉 ALL are complete and HEA. If I put a * it has smut...

The mating games* by ktface3 (heard this is very good, but havent read it. Peeta POV)

A simple favour* by @jlalafics (fake date for wedding that fall for each other, AU)

A simple plan* (sequel to 'a simple favour' but has some pregnancy, babies and ofc toastbabies, AU)

The language that lives between words* by @titaniasfics (language difference, a bit hurt/comfort, has minor pregnancy and toastbaby at ending, AU)

One need in the night* by msdisdain (mutt!Peeta smut, rough sex, PWP)

Stacked odds* by sponsormusings (mentor!katniss, tribute!Peeta, in-Panem)

Love in twelve nights* by @mega-aulover (shakespeare play based, minor pregnancy and babies at end, a little angsty, AU)

In season by seamaree (farmer!Katniss, baker!Peeta, AU)

the twelve months: a midwinter's tale by @ghtlovesthg (I know you said no fantasy but this is so so so so SOOOOOO AMAZING!! december!Peeta, immortal!Peeta, mortal!Katniss, AU)

P.R.I.M: Pranks resulting in matrimony by @ghtlovesthg (in-panem, prankster!prim, matchmaker!Prim, fluff and humour)

The lottery* by @isarnicole (arranged marriage, in-panem, a lil bit of angst, toastbaby and pregnancy towards the ending chapters but not too much)

Three names* by girl_aflame (in-panem, Katniss is the one with a crush)

At the peak* by maddmaddworld (snowboard instructor!Peeta, insecure!Peeta, badass!Katniss, AU, Peeta is simply adorable)

Le cirque de feu* by purplehedgehogskies (circus AU, performer!Katniss, awkward!Peeta)

Magic Mellark* by prisspanem (magician!Peeta, assistant!Katniss, AU)

Have your cake and eat it too* by c_r_roberts (overweight!Peeta (wont stay like that), AU)

tumblr User singingmockingjay by @katnissdoesnotfollowback (fluffy, AU)

Inked* by Jenye (tattoo artist!Peeta, AU)

The coffee shop series by @jlalafics (barista!Katniss, fluffy, AU)

By the moonlight side* series (i know you didnt want fantasy but Peeta in this is so damn adorable and its pretty funny too, werewolf!Peeta, jealous!Peeta, jealous!Katniss, AU)

Sacrifice* by zury (goddess of hunt!Katniss, sacrifice!Peeta, AU)

Just close your eyes, you'll be alright by @alliswell21 (soulmates AU, in-panem, has child abuse though, more than canon)

Third to speak by jakobamy (princess!Katniss sort of arranged marriage, AU)

Cheese by ahungryhungryhippo (soulmates AU)

More than gold by savvylark (olympics!Everlark, ex-legend!Peeta, minor angst, AU)

A muse by savvylark (writer!Katniss, artist!Peeta, fluffy, AU)

Train tracks by annieoakley1 (role-reversal, seam!Peeta, merchant!Katniss, in-panem, minor child abuse)

Love is...* by annieoakley1 (best friends to lovers, AU)

Something red* by @taylerwrites (PWP, tattood!Peeta, humour, AU)

Drill and fill* by everhutcher (dentist!Peeta, patient!Katniss, AU)

Drabble away* by oakfarmer (drabbles)

Dream come true* by HPfanonezillion (older!Katniss, AU)

Cheese buns and bad puns* by HPfanonezillion (vloggers!Everlark, AU)

Someday my prince will come by merciki (prince!Peeta, princess!Katniss, arranged marriage sort of, AU)

The need for speed* by @peetabreadgirl (race car driver!Peeta, AU)

Oh, dear! You are amazing! Of course I need to share this with the others! I’m sure it will be useful!

I already read some of this fics (I read everything from c_r_roberts I think lol 😅, also P.R.I.M. (soooo fun!), this perfect one from @katnissdoesnotfollowback (this kind of fics always made me want MORE, that’s why I prefer long fics), Train tracks too (very good!)).

Also I’m very intrigued by the “twelve months” one, because “twelve months” is Russian (slavic?) fairy tale and one of my favorite from childhood. And I actually had plans to draw some Everlark based on this fairy tale (veeeeeeery loosely based), I even searched for references some time ago ;) wow. I need to check this fic.

So many fantasy/fairy tale fics, that are your favorite? ;)

[jhsgf82]

WIPs, WIPs, WIPs everywhere!

Thanks for the tag, @mega-aulover, @daydreamsandcaffeine and @katnissmellarkkk

Rules: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have wips. I have deemed that this isn’t just for writing either. Sketch titles? Comics? DnD campaigns? If you have an unfinished project, it counts!!

I’m a bit fuzzy on the rules. Are we meaning WIPs on AO3 or unpublished in my docs? Technically both categories are in my docs! From what others are doing, I’m taking it’s both, so here we go.  

Y’all are about to see just how crazy I am... Don’t judge me.  

On AO3 

A Taste of Rebellion 

All for the Cause? 

A Mouse Tail: Warm Hearts and Nose Kisses

The Orange Drink 

Fall-ing In Love

Where’s the Fire? 

Kelp 

Dandelions and Daisies

Kissed an Elf (And Liked It) 

Hit Me 

Falling Slowly

The Principal 

On the Other Side of the Fence 

Pinnacle

You and Me and Quarantine

Shirtless Selfie Guy

Jeg Elsker Deg (I Love You) 

Sunscreen

What Is Real Remains

I Do Solemnly Swear

A Lovely Winter Wedding

G.O.A.T (Greatest of All Time) 

Mommy Used to Date Santa

A District 12 Christmas Carol 

Frigid

Today’s Forecast...Ice With a Chance of Heat

All that Glitters is Gold

Will Ski for Love

Kilty Pleasures

Sweet Tooth

Come What May (collab with @alwayseverlark, @alliswell21, and @mega-aulover) 

Bound TwoGether

Untapped

On the Edge of Beyond (collab with @always-andshewrites) 

There’s No Crying in Baseball 

Fool Me Once

Oh, How I Loathe (Love) Thee

Whew! In my defense, over half of these are within 1-3 chapters of being finished (with the majority of said chapters partially written) 

*** Now, for the boys (er, unpublished) *in Effie voice*    -Some of you might know some of these from Seasons of Everlark 

1. Geothermal 2. From Zoom to Groom 3. Love Forged in Deception 4. Burn Index 5. Wherever You Will Go (working title)  6.  Heart and Soul 7. Streaming Love  8. Secret Admirer (working title)  9. Abandoned Baby fic (no title yet)  10. Katniss and Peeta soldiers (untitled) 11. The Baker, the Merchant, and the Miner (crappy working title)  12. Scandal Fic  13. Untitled Fire Goddess Katniss fic 14. Untitled Canon-Divergent Katniss is Captured in CF   15. Untitled My Best Friend’s Wedding fic 16. Untitled Miss Congeniality fic  17. Untitled Everlark Farm AU  18. Fake Wedding Royalty Drabble  19. Olympians!Everlark drabbles (featuring divers!Peeta and Finnick)  20. Car wash jock!lark 21. Find Me in the Garden 22. Everlark Sleepy Hollow  23. Twister Everlark 24. Vamp Katniss 25. Modern dancers Everlark 26. Cupid Katniss (continuation of Shot Through the Heart) 27. Keeping the Peace 28. Zumba Peeta 29. Softball coach Peeta 30. Little Giants Everlark  CRAZY, right?! Man, that’s embarrassing! Lol. Can’t say how many of those will actually see the light of day, lol. 

I’m not tagging as many people as I have WIPS because I don’t know that many people, nor do I have that many followers. Haha, I lie. I’m just lazy. I’ll tag, mmm...   and anyone else who wants to do it, please jump in, seriously! 

@absnow, @lemonluvgirl87, @pookieh, @alwayseverlark, @always-andshewrites, @ellanainthetardis, @rosegardeninwinter, @dandelionlovesyou, @isarnicole, @mtk4fun, @everlarkism, @broken-everlark, @hutchhitched, @shesasurvivor, @the-sun-and-the-sea, @bethpeaches123, @andretries, @ombradellaluna, @little-lynx, @alliswell21, @jlalafics

[everlarkficquestions]

Do you happen to remember a fic, potentially on AO3, were everlark happens due to a matching system similar to the one used in the Selection series/catalog book. And Peeta believes she entered the system for true love but she did it for the money for her sister. I cannot for the life of me remember the name 😭😭😭

This sounds a lot like The Lottery by Isarnicole          

edit: @eggplant8  just reminded me about For the Crown by Court81981, which is based on the Selection series.

[bethpeaches123]

Hey! I’ve logged into my old hunger games blog after years, since I’m falling back into that obsession again lol. I’m wondering if you have some suggestions of good thg blogs that are still active after all these years? Thanks!

Hey there anon! Welcome back to your blog!! I'm excited that you've come back around, this is a great little community!!

I'm relatively new here, I joined around April 2020, but I've met lots of new and older members since then who've made me feel really welcome. I love it here. 😊

Here are just some of the folks that I follow that are active, and are either newer blogs or some you might've already known from back in the day:

@mrspeetamellark

@endlessnightlock

@rosegardeninwinter

@sunsetsrmydreams

@mega-aulover

@jlalafics

@awhiskeyriver

@arbyeatscheesebuns

@hutchhitched

@wendywobbles

@lovely-tothe-bone

@ashyblondwaves

@isarnicole

@jhsgf82

@ombradellaluna

@pitualba2015

@winegirl65

@infinitegraces

@peetasbunmyoven

@taylerwrites

@awkwardeverlark

@jroseley

@southsidestory

@rosenacree

@norbertsmom

@starsmahogany

@paintedpeeta

@little-lynx

@ladynephthyss

@softlikethesunset12

@sparklingdust4612

@b-boop5

@loganmarssss

@everlarkedalways

@katnissdoesnotfollowback

@everlurked

@creamytinydays

@everlarkficquestions - lifesavers when you can't find a fic!

I know I'm forgetting people and I feel really bad about that, (I hate forgetting people - I'm often forgotten so I know how crappy it is, so my apologies, folks) so please, anyone else add to this list! These are just some of the blogs that pop up frequently on my feed and I interact with. And though you're anonymous, feel free to send me a message/ask/whatever if you ever want to chat! I'm quite chatty. 😄

Have a great day!!

[ouateverlark]

Fallen

By @isarnicole

Based on City of Angels

He could use her help. She should go to him, take his pain, at least for the moment, and give him the reassurance he needs. The small, round recessed light in the ceiling above cast a halo of light upon him, making his golden hair shine like the sun she had just watched rise. His presence called to her in much the same way. He released a long breath just as she stepped out from the shadows. His red-rimmed eyes popped open, the depthless blue behind his closed lids pivoting to the end of the aisle and staring straight at her.

READ MORE

[ao3feed-hayffie]

Spark

by Isarnicole

Katniss Everdeen is a circus performer who must navigate through a world ravaged by a mysterious illness that left a portion of the population, including herself, with the power to conjure and control the four elements.

Feared and loathed, this group, known as Arche, are hunted and made to battle to the death as entertainment for those the illness left unchanged.

For years, Katniss is able to stay hidden and safe until she meets Peeta Mellark, the circus’s newest magician and someone to whom she is inexplicably drawn.

When Peeta and Katniss are forced to perform together, her power is inadvertently exposed, resulting in her capture. She is then forced to use that power against other Arche in order to survive and keep her family safe, ultimately becoming an undefeated battle champion.

Yet, as she longs for escape from the life of blood and death she finds herself in, she is pitted against the last person she expects: Peeta Mellark. Now she must kill someone she has a profound and unexplainable connection to – not knowing that he has a plan of his own.

Dark Fantasy/Post-Apocalyptic/Canon-Divergent - AU

Everlark Endgame!

Words: 3086, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: The Hunger Games (Movies), The Hunger Games (Movies) RPF, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, Hunger Games Series - All Media Types

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: Multi

Characters: Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mellark, Gale Hawthorne, Hazelle Hawthorne, Haymitch Abernathy, Effie Trinket, Finnick Odair, Annie Cresta, Johanna Mason, Madge Undersee, Delly Cartwright, Primrose Everdeen, Coriolanus Snow

Relationships: Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark, Gale Hawthorne/Madge Undersee, Gale Hawthorne/Johanna Mason, Delly Cartwright/Peeta Mellark, Haymitch Abernathy/Effie Trinket

Additional Tags: Dark Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, everlark, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Elemental Magic, Alternate Universe - Circus, Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Sexual Tension

Read this story on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/d7gQPX3

[mrspeetamellark]

Fanfic End of the Year Asks Games!

Hi! I don't know if anyone's asked you these questions yet but I'm gonna try my luck! If you've already answered don't worry!

4, 12, 23, 25, & 26

Here you go! Thanks for the Ask!

4) Total number of words you wrote this year:

410,215 since May…and counting…which is why I’m currently on a short writing hiatus…I need a break lol 😴

12) Favorite character to write about this year:

Delly in Katniss’ Grown-Up Christmas List! She was a lot of fun 💁🏼‍♀️

23) Fics you wanted to write but didn’t

I can honestly say I wrote everything I wanted to, but I do have plans already for 2022 😉

25) A fic you read this year you would recommend everyone read

There are so many good ones out there but I’ll choose just one because I don’t think this writer gets enough credit: Something I’m Not by @isarnicole was PHENOMENAL 👏🏼

26) Number of favorites/bookmarks you made this year

I’ll be honest- I don’t use bookmarks or favorites on AO3 🙊

[jedimandy]

FanFic End of the Year Asks game

24, 25, 27, & 30.

Thank you @lemonluvgirl87 for including me 🤩 I’m a technical/journal/scientific writer but I don’t do creative writing. I just hang out with y’all and cheer happily from the sidelines! But if anyone ever wants to bounce around ideas or needs a beta I’d be happy to help :)

24) favorite fic you read this year

Gosh I only came back around to fics this year but I’ve already gone through so many! But I think To Love an Enemy by @safeinpeetasarms captured my Tudor-loving heart the most!

25) a fic you read this year you would recommend everyone read

I thought The Lottery by @isarnicole was incredible! Sometimes I have a hard time getting into an AU that has almost nothing related to canon as the main idea but I soooo got lost in this one.

27) favorite fanfic author of the year

There’s no way I can pick! All of you (and anyone else that I can’t find on tumblr) have done so much for me this year. I’m out on disability and on my second surgery in five months. Being able to have a constant source of entertainment and make new friends without leaving my house has been a lifesaver 😘😘😘

30) favorite fandom to read fic from this year

I’m in a couple different fandoms but, hands down, it’s the Hunger Games fambam 😊