i may not know much about dark shadows but what i do know is that when victoria winters shows up on my dash, she will look tormented 9 times out of 10 and i love it

victoria winters in summary tbh

💿.

send me a 💿 and i’ll shuffle my music and write a starter based on the first song i get!

Alley Rose by Conan Gray

The days have been long and dark, filled with booming noises above and then eerie silence. The redhead can't be sure how long she's been down below, saved for another Gamemaker's cruel tricks. The games had ended too quickly for her to be used for her own tributes, but "For the Quell" had been whispered many times as she and the others like her had been caged away. Was it time? Had the Quarter Quell arrived? Had three years passed?

No. . .No something else was afoot. Guns and bright lights found them cowering below. But their trick was too good, the second the cage was opened, the poor soul who'd set foot inside was eviscerated. Childish faces covered in gore and set with fangs. So, to Thirteen they were shipped in their cage, separated out only once there were cells strong enough to hold them in the bunker. A metallic voice called overhead, Johanna Barker. Wild blue eyes sobered from the place the former tribute of the 72nd Games sat hunkered in the corner. "J-Jo?" Her voice was tinny, stuttered from lack of use, "Jo, where are you?"

hello, pioneer! @cannotfly "what do you mean you don't celebrate halloween?" she sits cross-legged with a bag of early loot on her lap. this is supposed to be for the trick-or-treaters, but daddy should know better than buying their lot so early. this must be for the dikrats children.

"haven't you ever been trick-r-treating?"

@cannotfly (JOHANNA)

" Don't touch me." He said darkly, quietly. " Got figure out how to do it without you. Ain't like your gone a be here." It's the most he's said in the last several hours. Now he'd met this Anthony. Like she said he was damn near perfect.

He was, in her own words, terribly good. It was hard to hate someone who only had the best intentions and a limitless pool of patience. Even Riff's most standoffish nature ( he couldn't rightly bark at that man, as much as he wanted to, without upsetting Johanna) he seemed perfectly amiable and oblivious to anything but Johanna. Even Riff could tell that the love Johanna seemed to emanate with joy were mutual.

They had so much of their lives together...Riff never expected that to change. He expected life's struggle to go on. If she was beside him then it wasn't all bad. He wanted to keep kissing her good morning and come home to her at the end of a long day. He wanted to stay under the same rented roof with her. He wanted things to progress in the slow and peaceful manner they had been. Linking fingers to holding hands, sleeping side by side, ... he felt the same joy she showed now whenever they kissed, even if it was only ever her cheek. He couldn't blame her for such a pace. They'd both come from the worst of circumstances. He'd seen girls like her before. At least Johanna was still here to talk about it.

The first time he told her he loved her was late at night, hidden and tucked away together when they shouldn't have been. She could sleep and he was keeping her nightmares away. The second time was when she begged him to never jump again. When she had come down to the ward they'd put him in when he hadn't died. He'd promised her...but what good was a promise if she was breaking her own? It never occurred to him that the feeling wasn't mutual. Forever, as that was what was promised, was a lie. he'd said it again when she first told him how she felt for Anthony.

He had so many questions swirling around in his head. He had so many reasons she should stay. They might not be married the way she wanted with Anthony... but he'd always thought she was his wife. That they had stayed together through it all for that very reason.

"Married on Monday." He said in that same hollow tone. " then a week after that you'll both be in fuckin' France. " he'd get up on his own. He had to. He was losing her. She'd promised that he wouldn't.

She'd been there when he'd jumped. When they took Joe from him. When Saorise left.

Now she was leaving too. He could scream. He could run her through. he could throw a fist in Anthony's face. He could grab a hold of her skirts and beg to fix whatever wrong he had done that she should wish to leave him alone in the world. He'd told her three times before that he'd loved her. Would a fourth make a difference?

It was a difficult process with several tries to make himself stand. He'd rather feel the pain in his back than the pain in his chest at the thought of all of this.

" Someone's got to let the landlord know we...that this place is gone a be vacant in a week." What did it matter? What could it matter? Married on Monday. lost on Monday. What was the point? She'd be gone come Monday.

@cannotfly sent from this - 😢 - for my muse to be caught crying .

she looks like she had been crying. and really all he has to do is walk on, right? her mentor will take care of that. she always has high praise for art. like he would scoop her up and out of the arena once the games happened. maybe he was that good of a guy. mat wouldn't know. shame for him if he is, being sucked into this all over again. but unfortunately just then no one's around. she looks like she'd be crying. he pauses then, stopping to give her a look. his eyes move over her and then he lets out a regretful sigh before he goes to sit next to her.

"hey…." he says as he moves to sit net to her. he reaches his hand out to settle it on her back. it feels a little awkward doing that. he hardly knows the girl. "…you know it's not so bad here. i mean, not until the arena." he never said he was any good at this sort of thing. he withdraws his head. looking away from her and at the hall, where no one was passing. well, he should've just walked on. eventually someone would've come and he could've spared himself the time.

@cannotfly ( continued from here. )

HE DOESN’T WANT TO PUT HER DOWN, BUT HE KNOWS HE NEEDS TO. HER INTERVIEW IS SOON AND SHE STILL needs to get ready for it. So, reluctantly, Art sets Johanna gently back down on the ground. He keeps his arms around her though. He doesn’t want to let go of her just yet. He rests his forehead against hers, laughing softly. “Well, I didn’t die, so there’s no need to be upset with me.” He doesn’t like thinking about her being dead. Her request of making sure her guardian didn’t get her body still keeps him up at night. “You don’t have to haunt me.” He kisses her forehead softly. “You’re not dead. And neither am I.” They’re both alive. They’re both alive and they’re going to go back to Four after this is all over. And they’re going to be fine.

continued from here.

UNFORTUNATELY FOR HER, CONNOR DOESN’T CARE ABOUT GETTING IN TROUBLE. HE SIGHS. IT’S A LONG, drawn out sigh. He hopes it tells her that he doesn’t want to talk to her. He’s never been the most social of people, but being stuck in a psych ward for months on end will do wonders to your social battery. Now he really isn’t a social person. He prefers to just stare at the wall and pick at spots on his clothes. And he glares at anyone that tries to talk to him. It’s worked so far.

The fact that it’s not working on her is starting to annoy him. “Well, fuck them, then.” He glances over to the nurses. They’re staring back at him and Connor rolls his eyes. “Go away.” His head hits the wall behind him and he groans. “No.” He takes a deep breath. “Fine. It’s Connor. Can you go away now?”

I’ll just be in the other room. / mac

Mac's breathing is raspy, and she's exhausted. Anthony already had to carry her from the couch to her bed. What had started as some sniffles and a headache on Tuesday morning had blossomed into a full array of flu symptoms by Thursday noon. Despite her better judgement she had trudge through her classes, taken her organic chemistry exam, and sat through her nursing classes. But enough was enough. She had already emailed her professors for tomorrow and found coverage for her shift on Saturday.

Mac needed to rest.

She didn't even make it to dinner time before falling asleep on the couch. Johanna had been playing with her hair, her cool fingers against her hot forehead soothing her to sleep. The next thing she knew, Anthony was carrying her to her bed and Johanna was covering her with her blanket. "'m sorry 'm so much trouble," she mumbled, a bit disoriented. "Should have listened and stayed home."

@cannotfly liked for a one(ish)-liner. ♡

" no, jo, it was bad. you should laugh. i would laugh at me. " if he wasn't.. him, he'd probably be halfway to the floor about it already. but failed dates had become commonplace months ago, and thus had long since lost their bitter charm. " you would think i had never spoken to a woman. or— a person. christ. "

“What are you doing up? ” // hmmm thg au?

Parties are happening in the streets down below. From their balcony, it's impossible not to hear them. She tried blocking them out by closing the door, drawing the thick curtains over them, but still the raucous noise below lilted up to the tribute lingering a mere five stories above them. Since she can't beat them, she's taken to joining them. A stupid move on her part, really. The bubbly liquor their Capitol escort insists upon having on hand always leaves her with a dull headache the next day. But, as those down below know all too well, tonight is her last night to indulge, and so she does.

Johanna's voice from behind her startles her a little. Guilt paints the redhead's blue eyes as she peers over her shoulder to her Mentor. Johanna deserves a better tribute to mentor, Jessica has long since decided. She was among the few families who didn't take the Games seriously therefore she'd passed on attending the Career Academy and opted for attending school and working the docks with her uncle in the evenings. She wasn't as hopeless as some of the younger children were, but how was she supposed to look those children in the eyes when she had almost six years of life experience over the youngest of them?

"Celebrating, I suppose." She held the bottle that she nursed up toward her mentor, offering it in contrition for her poor judgment call in seeking out the liquor in the first place. "They kept chanting the tributes' names and I couldn't get it out of my head to sleep. I figured since I'm the one facing down death, I might as well join those who are already celebrating my inevitable loss."

@cannotfly liked for a starter

——— ❛ I NEVER SAID i don't wish to be a lady, ❜ darling girl sulked. her arms crossed. ❛ i want to be a lady and an adventurer. you can do both. or you should be able to do both. ❜

top five top fives

TOP FIVE ANYTHING !

edit i definitely misread this question but i enjoyed doing this too much to change it

1. the dave clark five

2. the firehouse five plus two

3. and, the firefly five plus lou

4. the count five.

5. dolly parton's acclaimed single "9 to 5" released november 3, 1980

🧽 - to wipe / clean blood off your muse .

it was just a small cut really during training. and really he didn't have to deal with it. why would he? he could do whatever he wanted. his own tribute hadn't hurt themselves. but he found himself floundering between all these kids. they seemed like kids to him even though they weren't much younger. but he felt aged. aged and awful lately. so when he takes the towel to wipe the small cut on her hand, just a nick really. not much else.

"you have to watch out or you'll lose a hand." he's sure that she's been taught all about safety and how to handle the knives. it seems crazy, doesn't it? he can't fit her with learning any of this. "but hey, you might get more sponsors." with a dry humorless laugh. - @cannotfly

@cannotfly (JOHANNA)

"Don't." he snapped, the sound echoing throughout the empty church. He had pulled his forearm away, the spot where she bit him on the his wrist a few weeks before still red. The scabs that had formed around each little tooth mark hadn't healed over yet.

He was like a mad dog licking at infected wounds. All that he ever could be was afraid. She'd hurt him already ( and he'd retaliated by cutting part of her hair. it was now neatly braided into a little charm. Anthony wouldn't have wanted him to sell it or throw it away, despite its small size. It was because of Anthony and the promise he had made that he even bothered to come back for her at all after that.).

He simply didn't trust her. The rose colored picture Anthony had painted was nothing like the reality. He worried that maybe Anthony had been mislead-- but even then, Anthony's naivety had gotten him killed, but it also had made him stubborn enough to befriend Riff.

Riff wasn't going to let a dead man's last memory be a lie. if she was everything bright and beautiful in the world as he had said, then she simply was that.

Feral teeth marks and all

"I ain't touched you and you ain't near about to touch me." the only time they had touched since they arrived at the church was to place the little silver spoon ring on her finger. he'd pulled his arm closer to himself in the pew that he sat in. "I gave you my coat , ain't that enough? I'll find you something better in the morning."

would you like me to stay? / mac

Mac is curled up on their soft couch in the apartment. She came home from work after one of the worst shifts she thinks she's ever worked. Loss is a part of life when it comes to working in the medical field. She knows that. But it doesn't make it any easier when it does happen. She's a full nurse now, no longer a student or a CNA. It's by no means the first code she's been on, nor the first where things had turned for the worst. But some losses will always hurt more than others, especially in her line of work. But thing after thing after thing had happened on her shift tonight only for it to end with that.

She's been staring at the wall for hours, not sleeping despite the utter exhaustion that comes with her night shifts. She must have dozed at some point- there's a blanket on her that she doesn't remember putting on. The sun is lower now in the early afternoon. Johanna must be home from work now. She doesn't know how long Johanna has been there, how long she had been staring at the wall, tired and numb. But when Johanna asks, Mac nods her head. She doesn't want to be alone any more. All she says is:

"I'm sorry."

hello, pioneer! @cannotfly she is but a stranger in a strange land ... doesn't that come from the bible? emily never paid attention in church, she was too occupied making faces at her brother, or staring at her grandfather as he slept — wondering if the silence was building up to an amusing snore, or if the good lord had come for his soul. she wonders if grandpa is still alive, or her father, or anyone else among her kin.

emily has never been on her own before — she's always leaned on her mother for guidance, clutching at sue's skirts even as teenage rebellion raged its course. now, there is no mama, not even mr. mcdoon or cletus jones, as wretched company as they were. just emily and one lonely question: how is she going to find her family again?

"you know something, johanna?" she lifts her chin; glassy eyes lock with the other teen's. "i used to know, but i'm not sure what i was made for."