all information for my projects in one place including fanfictions, oc content, xreader content, oneshots and character study essays.
fandoms include the walking dead, the hunger games, criminal minds, greys anatomy and others.
requests are open.
ἍáĄ. follow me on wattpad, ao3, twitter
ἍáĄ. send me gimmicks on strawpage
ἍáĄ. please request in my inbox, rules here
âYou can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.â
The Walking Dead
the following category is a list of fanfictions, oc content, xreaders, oneshots and character essays i have written for the walking dead. characters i write for are glenn rhee and glaggie.
please feel free to request something from any category from my ask page
ἍáĄ. Doomsday - Glenn Rhee
ongoing, glenn rhee x oc. follows the show from season 1-6 with a sequel book planned from season 7-11. currently chapters up to and including season 6 have been published on wattpad with a slight delay on ao3.
introduction to iris grimes can be found here
find doomsday on wattpad, ao3
ἍáĄ. Erase Me - Glenn Rhee
ongoing, glenn rhee x oc. follows season one of the walking dead with one chapter currently published on wattpad and ao3.
introduction to delilah dixon can be found here.
introduction to protect me can be found here. (currently under construction)
find erase me on wattpad, ao3
ἍáĄ. Other OC Content
any other oc content i make for the walking dead will be listed under here when applicable
autumn dawson introduction (currently in the works)
ἍáĄ. Glenn Rhee x Reader
below are links to all of the glenn x reader works i have written, feel free to request some
glenn rhee boyfriend headcanons
glenn comforting reader headcanons
hurt!glenn x reader headcanons
glenn x hurt!reader headcanons
if glenn was your boyfriend he would:
ἍáĄ. Character Essays
glenn x reader on her period
glenn x shy!reader
the following are links to twitter threads, tumblr posts to character essays and analysis that i have done for characters in the walking dead.
glenn rhee and the way he loves - tumblr, twitter
glenn rhee and his worries - tumblr, twitter
glenn rhee and his childhood - tumblr, twitter
glenn rhee as a symbol of hope - tumblr, twitter
ἍáĄ. Glaggie Oneshots
until one is - ao3, tumblr
â glenn thinks about the past and the future during their first night at the prison.
we'll work it out together - ao3, tumblr
â after she told him 'I love you' for the first time, glenn pushes maggie away in fear. hershel convinces his daughter to give him time to come to his senses.
a good father (if he gets the chance) - ao3, tumblr
â glenn and maggie are expecting a baby, they couldn't be any happier as they prepare for the arrival of the newest member of their family. however, nicholas, in a blind rage, has other plans for glenn. for whumptober 2024.
an invisible string - ao3, tumblr
â glenn and maggie are "invisible string" by taylor swift coded and maggie can't resist getting closer to glenn.
changes happen, all the time - ao3, tumblr
â glenn and maggie do a supply run two months after leaving the farm.
it takes a village - ao3, tumblr
â glenn and maggie take care of the little ass kicker after the loss of lori.
still afternoons - ao3, tumblr
â after a long day, glenn finds comfort in maggie.
The Hunger Games
the following category is a list of fanfictions, oc content, xreaders, oneshots and character essays i have written for the hunger games. characters i write for are lenore dove baird, haymitch abernathy and haydove, and covey ocs.
feel free to request something from any category on my ask page
ἍáĄ. Born To Die - Haydove
ongoing, haymitch abernathy x lenore dove baird. follows a series of moments that haymitch saw lenore dove's ghost until the day he finally felt forgiven
find born to die on wattpad, ao3, tumblr (in the works )
ἍáĄ. Haydove Babies OCs
below are links to several of my ocs in my haydove babies universe, which currently i do not have published anywhere.
jude ivory baird abernathy - character profile (in progress)
willow blanche baird abernathy - character profile (in progress)
marigold wellberry - character profile (in progress)
ἍáĄ. Other OC Content
any other oc content i make for the hunger games will be listed under here when applicable
briar rose clade introduction - tumblr (in progress)
ἍáĄ. Character Essays
the following are links to twitter threads, tumblr posts to character essays and analysis that i have done for characters in the hunger games.
lenore dove baird character study - tumblr, twitter
ἍáĄ. Haydove Oneshots
like all fire - ao3, tumblr
â haymitch visits lenore dove in the meadow.
the market - ao3, tumblr
â haymitch and lenore dove take their one year old daughter to the weekly market to trade jam and catch up with family.
hope is the thing with feathers - ao3, tumblr
â haymitch helps lenore dove out of a panic attack.
rare and radiant - ao3, tumblr
â at ten years old, haymitch knows how he feels about lenore dove.
take care of me? - ao3, tumblr
â lucy gray and barb azure take care of maude ivory, clerk carmine and tam amber take care of lenore dove.
deep in the meadow - ao3, tumblr
â a oneshot to celebrate the sunrise on the reaping teaser trailer
Other Fandoms
the following category is a list of fanfictions, oc content, xreaders, oneshots and character essays i have written for other fandoms
some of the fandoms i'm in are: criminal minds, greys anatomy, the naturals, buffy the vampire slayer, invincible
feel free to request anything from any category on my ask page
ἍáĄ. Buffy The Vampire Slayer
dawn summers essay - tumblr
ἍáĄ. Criminal Minds
alisa forrester oc introduction - tumblr
ἍáĄ. Nevermore
solace (plulalie oneshot) - pluto is the only one awake after eulalie has a nightmare about her past, and he comforts her. read on tumblr. ao3.
hi, this is my first time requesting anything and iâm not an avid tumblr user so please forgive me if iâm not going about this correctly, but i love how you write glenn and i wanted to ask for more glenn x reader content :) we know he likes strong women, but im curious to see your hcs on how he might be with a partner whoâs more shy/passive. ty!
Glenn Rhee x Shy!Reader
Fem Reader
Thank you so much for your kind words anon <3
Request your own here.
Glenn is incredibly gentle with you from the moment the two of you meet.
You don't adapt to the apocalypse like many other survivors, who become hardened. Despite the world around you, you stay soft and gentle, and Glenn falls in love with you because you refuse to let the world change you.
However, this apocalypse is overwhelming to you in ways it isn't for others. You feel things so deeply, and Glenn makes it his mission to make you feel more comfortable.
When he goes on runs, he always looks for your favourite things to bring back home. Gifts are his love language, and you can guarantee that he'll always find something to give you every time he returns.
Your favourite gift that he's ever brought you is a small teddy bear that you can hug while he's gone, and it becomes your most prized possession.
Glenn develops a sixth sense for your anxieties, and he always knows exactly how to make you feel better.
When you feel anxious about him going out on supply runs, Glenn will always bring you into the most gentle hug in the world, cradling you like you're the most precious thing in the world. Which to him, you are.
You lean on Glenn for physical comfort at all times. When you're in group settings with the others, you're always holding his hand or grazing your knee with his. Glenn loves being there to comfort you, and no matter what situation you're in, he will drop everything to take care of you.
Glenn will also encourage you to bring your confidence out over time, gently nudging you towards speaking out more and trusting in your own decisions. He never wants you to be vulnerable to the walkers, so he'll spend hours teaching you how to shoot and how to wield your knife.
Every night, Glenn will stroke your hair and cradle you to sleep, telling you stories about his day or about his childhood or even whispering sweet nothings in Korean, which even if you can't understand, you adore.
He spends time and effort to understand the things you love. He apologises every time you have to eat the animals you loved in the old life, even though it isn't his fault. He learns to value the softness in life, finding the beauty in everything just like you do.
When he kisses you, he can't contain his smile, making every moment feel sweet as sugar.
Glenn's voice naturally takes on a soft edge when he talks to you. He will never raise his voice or lose his temper because he knows that you are a sensitive soul who feels everything so deeply. Eventually, he starts to talk like that when you're not in the room, whenever he's thinking about you. Rick and Daryl tease him about it to no end.
The two of you laugh together. All the time. When life is difficult and things feel impossible, the two of you focus on the small things that can make you both smile.
No matter what, Glenn will always work to protect you, as you are the sweetest thing he will ever know in his life.
Can i ask for glaggie? (I just don't like people knowing who I am, so I do anonymous, but yeah)
But like just a quiet day after a really hard one. Obviously they might still have jobs to do wherever they are, but at the end of the day, it's just them in bed with cuddles, kisses and feelings and little declarations (I'm not good with wording) and a bit more (đ) if you're comfortable with that.
-đ¤
Still Afternoons
After a long day, Glenn finds comfort in Maggie.
oneshot. 1.1k words. also available on ao3.
Request your own here <3
Glenn sighs heavily as he stares at the walkers pushing against the prison fence, knowing that they stood no chance at getting through. He can hardly believe that keeping watch for walkers had become something of the mundane, a boring task that eats up the hours in his day. In the last year and a half that the apocalypse has taken over, the walkers have remained a clear and consistent threat, but the walls surrounding the prisonyard had done their job so well that they had become nothing but slight annoyances unless he was actually leaving this place to go on a run. His section of the fence has been relatively bare all day, the draw of walkers seems to have been slowly diminishing over time, though Glenn is sure that would be subject to change at any moment. Still, that doesnât make the right here, right now, any less boring. The council, which he is a proud member of, had spent several weeks planning and building long enough weapons so that they could kill walkers through the fence without having to step outside, and in doing so, assigned weekly watch shifts with anyone willing to step up and do it.
When Glenn wasnât out on a run, he was usually on the fence.
Everyone had jobs to do, and at least in this new reality of his, it really feels like that he does truly matters.
âCome on, itâs changeover.â
Glenn turns his head to see the familiar face of Daryl Dixon walking up beside him. His hair has grown longer in the months they have lived in this prison, practically covering his eyes at this point. He holds out a hand, beckoning towards the long wooden stick in Glennâs hand with a small, knowing smile.
âYou have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that.â Glenn sighs in relief, offering up his weapon without protest. âI was about to lose my mind just standing out here.â
âWell, youâre not built for standing in one place for very long.â Daryl replies, leaning against the wall with a smirk. âThatâs why we sent you off to the city in the first place, to stop you from bouncing off the walls.â
âYeah, youâre funny, I get it.â Glenn replies, giving Daryl a soft sigh of faked annoyance. âWell, I have things to do, so Iâve gotta get out of here.â
Daryl chuckles back at him. âMaggieâs waiting for you to get off, huh?â
Glenn doesnât look back as he walks away, giving Daryl the middle finger and ignoring the amused chuckles of the man that slowly filters away. With a little extra spring in his step, Glenn heads towards the cell blocks, wiping his sweat streaked hands against his pants. This is far from the hardest day he has lived in this new world, but something about being apart from Maggie now that he was finally living in peace made normality seem as hard as climbing a mountain. Since he was the one going on most of the runs, Glenn has picked up quite a few little bits for their shared cell block, including a curtain that gives them slightly more privacy than the thin walls have to offer.
He smiles to himself as he pulls it back, revealing the perfect silhouette of his wife laying softly on their bed. Glenn can practically feel his antsy energy draining from his body in place of sweet relief, his muscles relaxing with every step he takes.
âHi.â He grins, stretching out as he collapses onto the bed beside her.
Maggie laughs as Glenn flops down, instinctively reaching over to take him in her arms, planting soft kisses up and down his. âYou look tired.â
âI am tired.â Glenn replies, his voice slightly muffed from the pillow. He tilts his head, his hair flopping in front of his face as he looks up at her. âBut not so tired that we canât enjoy our evening together.â
âIs that so?â Maggie runs her fingers through his hair, her eyes softening as she smooths out the ends. âI missed you today.â
âI missed you more.â Glenn leans into her touch, finding comfort in the warmth of her fingertips. He sits up straight, resting his palm on her cheek before reaching in to capture her lips in a kiss. âI missed this.â
Maggie giggles into another kiss, the corners of her lips upturning. âYou saw me less than six hours ago.â
âSix hours too long.â Glenn fake pouts, pulling away from Maggie but still gently thumbing her cheekbones, unable to contain his smile. âI love you so much.â
Instead of replying, Maggie inches forward, kissing him deeper. Glenn closes his eyes, feeling her very soul intertwining with his own, and he kisses her back until they both fall back onto the bed, the sheets twisting around their bodies. She tastes like wild berries and morning dew, so perfectly sweet that it draws him in even more, calming his senses until all he can feel is utter peace. Maggie hums, gently pulling away to rest her head on his chest, playing absentmindedly with his fingers.
âI have to leave tomorrow.â The words leave his lips before he truly knows what he is saying, an air of hesitation on his tongue. âWe have a run planned. Not just staring at the walkers on the fence, but actually going out there. In the middle of it all.â
âI know. We donât have to think about that right now.â Maggie lifts her head to look at him, raising her hand to stroke his cheek with her warm fingers. âWe can just think about us. Right here, right now. The feeling of your hand in mine. Thereâs always going to be another tomorrow, but youâll never get today back again.â
âYouâre right.â Glenn rests his hand on hers, feeling the soft thump of her running pulse in her wrist. âI can worry about missing you tomorrow, huh? Well, what are we gonna do today, while we have it?â
âI can think of a few things.â Maggie raises a brow in amusement, sitting up from his lap, her hair falling over her shoulders.
Glenn smirks. âOh, yeah?â
âMhm.â Maggie hums, before she crashes into him, pressing her lips against his, her fingers running up and down his arms in a way that gives him goosebumps. Nothing would ever make him feel the way Maggie does. When he kisses her back, he does it with the force of every emotion she has ever made him feel, until his head feels numb from the force of his love for her. He can feel her warm breath against his own, her closeness to him seeming almost impossible. He has never felt so content in his life, then when he is with her.
Tomorrow would always come with more challenges, but so long as he had today, Glenn can learn to be at peace.
thank you so much for the two requests i currently have in my inbox! i just finished up a new chapter of doomsday and i will be working on these two requests next to please stay tuned <3
"He finds his eyes wandering away from the story of the little black cat towards Eulalie surrounded in the shadows of the night, her legs swinging over the arm of the chair, uncomfortably, in a way that had to hurt once she woke up in the morning."
oneshot. 1.5k words. also available on ao3.
Request more here <3
Pluto couldnât get to sleep.
The sound of soft, deep breathing of the others around him should have comforted him enough to slip into the realm of dreams, but no matter how long he sat there with his eyes closed, he couldnât nod off. Rather than torture himself any longer, he resigned himself to his sleepless fate, curling up in the corner of the room with one of the old dusty books he found along with the hideout. It was the safest place any of them could think of, now that everything had finally calmed down with the Wild Hunt. The dorms still felt cold and stiff, most students still reeling from the sudden loss of so many, and the six of them werenât particularly ready to let one another go. The hideout felt warmer, cozy with the amount of blankets Eulalie had dragged in from wherever she had found them, much safer than the dorms. Most students who had encountered the wrath of The Stag hadnât made it through the night, the halls still shrouded with blood and shattered glass, and Pluto didnât really fancy the reminder of how close he had come to dying at the hand of it. If it hadnât been for Dukeâs quick thinking, he isnât sure he would be here right at this moment.
The misfits are spread out across the hideout; Lenore and Duke dogpiled on top of one another on the large round table theyâd fashioned into a sort of makeshift sofa, Eulalie curled up with her favourite doll on the lone chair just opposite them, Berenice and Morella on the top balcony surrounded by an array of blankets and pillows. It is well into the night by now, the only light Pluto can find comes from the moon through the lone window, where he can just about make out the words on the pages in front of him. Despite his strained eyes, Pluto found it quite peaceful. It has been a long time since Pluto has felt at peace. Perhaps he never truly has. Not in life, and his death has been coupled with never-ending trials and tests that seem determined to steal away his promised rest.
Even if sleep never comes for him tonight, Pluto is content in the knowledge that all of his friends are safe and right in front of him.
He finds his eyes wandering away from the story of the little black cat towards Eulalie surrounded in the shadows of the night, her legs swinging over the arm of the chair, uncomfortably, in a way that had to hurt once she woke up in the morning. Her long, glossy hair falls over her shoulders like it has a mind of his own, covering her body like a blanket. The doll in her arms is propped upwards, staring at him with her one good eye, delicately cradled like she is the most precious possession known to man. Her eyes are closed, not too tightly to make her appear distressed, but enough to make her look entirely at peace. The sight makes him smile, distracting him enough that when his book falls lightly from his lap, he doesnât move to pick it up.
As he watches her, something in her expression melts from her sound sleep into something a little more distressing, her features twisting painfully like she is being haunted. Pluto sits up straighter, watching her carefully as she lets out a soft whimper, stirring from her slumber with a start.
âHey.â Pluto rises to his feet with caution, slowly walking towards Eulalie as not to scare her. âEulalie? Are you awake?â
Eulalie gasps softly, making Pluto pull backwards, his good eye widening. He looks around to see if anyone else has been woken up by the noise, but the others rest entirely undisturbed. Maybe if Berenice or Duke were awake, they would know what to do. But it is only him.
âItâs okay, itâs only me.â Pluto whispers, croning his neck to get a good look at Eulalieâs face. Her eyes are wide and vulnerable, staring into nothing, and her short breaths are frantic, like something was chasing her despite being rooted to her spot. At first, she gives him a horrified look, and Plutoâs heart sinks. âEulalie?â
âItâs warm, itâs too warm.â Eulalie whispers after a second, her eyes melting into recognition, covering into herself like a spooked kitten.
Pluto raises a nervous eyebrow, bouncing on his heels as he half reaches over to her. âDo- do you want those blankets put away? I- I can take them and-â
âNo.â Eulalie stops panting, her pretty purple eyes filling with an ocean of tears. She wraps her arms around her knees, hugging them close to her chest and allowing her long hair to fall over her shoulders. âItâs not the blankets. Itâs me. All the time.â
Her words are so much more somber than Pluto has ever heard her before, and it shatters his heart into a million pieces. âOkay. Itâs okay. Did- did you have a nightmare?â
âThe kids were so afraid.â Eulalie sniffles, wiping her tears from her eyes just as fast as they spill. âI tried to make them feel safe, even as the flames enclosed on us. But I couldnât save them in the end.â
âIâm sorry.â Pluto kneels down in front of her, albeit a little uncomfortable at his closeness with her â beautiful, smart, observant Eulalie who he could barely stutter out a sentence around. But his own feelings arenât important at this moment. Memories came and went in this place, often jumbled and confusing, especially memories so closely linked to death. He hasnât heard this story before, but from the sounds of it, neither had she. âYou did everything you could. You did all anyone could do.â
âWe were left inside.â Eulalie looks up to meet his gaze, her bottom lip quivering. Pluto doesnât shy away from it, knowing how desperately she must be seeking comfort. âThe fireman said he would be back for us. But after the fire reached the bottom of the door, I knew it was over. So I sang, until the smoke reached my lungs and I couldn't sing anymore. And I feel warm all the time and I never understood why until now.â
Pluto finds himself in utter awe at Eulalieâs strength, even if she couldnât see it on herself. He had always noticed that Eulalie had an aversion to being left behind, or to willingly leave anyone else behind, and guessed there was a much deeper reason for it. He never pried, knowing just what it feels like to hold onto something that feels so shameful and deeply personal. The look in her eyes makes his heart skip a beat no matter how hard he tries to push the feeling down, and suddenly he canât control his hand reaching to rest on her knee.
âItâs like what you said. Before, with me. Kitsingu.â Even though the words nearly get lost on his tongue as soon as Eulalieâs big eyes land on him, Pluto continues. âSome people in this world are nothing but cold. They donât feel, they donât empathise, they donât find the beauty in the unconventional. But not you. You find the beauty in everything. In this place, in that abandoned doll that no one even thought to want. In me. Sometimes I feel cold, numb and resentful like how I was after the water, but not you. Youâre the one who pulls people out from the cold.â
Eulalie sniffles, patting his hand softly before nodding her head. Then she does something completely unexpected. She slides from her chair, plopping herself on the floor beside him, and wraps her arms tightly around his neck. Pluto stiffens, his heart almost stopping in his chest as he feels her soft hair brushing against his cheek, before he reaches to hug her back. Her doll rests between them, its cracked eye facing up to the ceiling. Eulalie rests her head on his shoulder. She isnât wrong. Her heat radiates through his body, but it wasnât a suffocating one. When he accidentally revealed his scarred eye, his biggest shame in life and in death, Eulalie showed him what it felt like to have that kind of warmth in his life. It is the kind of warmth that becomes a solace to the bitterness of the cold, the single good thing to cling onto when all else is lost.
âThank you.â Eulalie whispers.
Pluto nods, still holding her closer than he could have ever dreamed, trying to swallow his nerves. âYou would have done it for me. You have done it for me.â
âYouâre cold, you know?â Eulalie pulls away, giving him a small smile. âNot in the unemotional way like the kind of people you were talking, just⌠in your own unique way. It makes you special. It feels nice to hug you.â
âIt- it feels nice to hug you too.â Pluto replies, hardly able to believe that the words were coming out of his mouth.
Eulalie sniffles one last time, gently pulling her hands away from his before settling back on her chair, curling back into a sleeping position. Just as he is about to walk away, he spots her doll still lying on the ground, discarded. He reaches down to pick it up, brushing his fingers over its cracked face before placing it back on her lap as carefully as he can.
Sejanus and Lenore Dove are two characters that are defined by a deeply rooted empathy, standing in contrast to a world thatâs adamant on diminishing it. Their presence and the way they view the world affects the main narrators of their stories in different ways.
Lenore Dove loved life, and she loved her people. Her rebellion was emotionally driven because she couldnât stand watching them suffer. She wanted change and dared to hope for a better future because she refused to accept that the world she knew was all her people would ever have.
âAnd thatâs part of our trouble. Thinking things are inevitable. Not believing change is possible.â
âBut Lenore Doveâs convinced there must be people outside of Panem, far to the north.â
Just like Lenore Dove, Sejanus spends the majority of the book wishing for a better world. He was desperately trying to find a way to help the Districts, and that is ultimately what Snow uses against him in the end, and what caused his demise.
âThey say there are people in the north, but even if there arenât, thereâs no Capitol.â Sejanus told him. âAnd thatâs the main thing for me, isnât it? living in a place where they canât control my life.â
They both want to be free, to live a life where they and their people arenât being controlled, and where the Capitol no longer exists. This is precisely why they want to believe there are people out there, far beyond the Capitolâs reach. They want to believe that freedom is possible, that it is within reach, and that their lives will not be spent in vain.
They both act on impulse, guided by their feelings and their hurt. For Sejanus, that despair leads him into the arena, convinced he has no other way to help, and so he chooses death as his final act of protest.
âCoriolanus pressed him. âThatâs it? Thatâs your only choice?ââItâs the only way I might possibly make a statement. Let the world see me die in protest,â Sejanus concluded.â
Lenore Dove reacts similarly when her boy gets a one in training. Sheâs overcome by the desperation and the fear of losing him, and her instinct drives her to sing those forbidden songs in front of the Justice Building, not only as an act of defiance, but also an attempt to follow him to what she thinks will be his death.
âYou? Itâs entirely my fault youâre there! And I know Iâm why you got that score. I as good as killed you, and thatâs not something I can live with.â And so sheâs doing what she can to get herself killed? Now Iâm mad.â
They both understood the power of words and used them to move people, weaponizing the Capitolâs own empty promises and propaganda into quiet acts of defiance.
âNO CAPITOL, NO HANGING TREE! Itâs a rebel play on the Capitolâs propaganda. NO CAPITOL, NO REAPING! Tucked away in this alley, a rallying cry beyond the Peacekeepersâ radar. This is Lenore Doveâs work. Her sign. Her message to me now. Her reminder that I must prevent another sunrise on the reaping.â
âAnd now that the warâs over, theyâre just citizens of Panem, arenât they? Same as us? Isnât that what the anthem says the Capitol does? âYou give us light. You reuniteâ? Itâs supposed to be everyoneâs government, right?â
Their difference lies in the way the narrators view them. While Lenore Doveâs words directly influence Haymitch to keep going and to find a way to stop the reaping, Sejanusâs words unsettle Coriolanus. He is so far beyond feeling any sense of empathy that he cannot relate to his despair, and instead sees him as foolish and naive.
They have similar beliefs, both believing that itâs up to humans to reject the Capitol ideals. The world doesnât have to be terrifying; cruelty is a choice, and so is compassion.
âBecause the world doesnât have to be so terrifying. Thatâs on people, not the world.â
âWho wants to watch a group of children kill each other? Only a vicious, twisted person. Human beings may not be perfect, but weâre better than that.â
âLenore Dove explained to me once that the common was land anyone could use. Sometimes the Peacekeepers chase her and the geese off the Meadow for no reason. She says thatâs just a teaspoon of trouble in a river of wrong.â
âYouâve no right to starve people, to punish them for no reason. No right to take away their life and freedom. Those are things everyone is born with, and theyâre not yours for the taking. Winning a war doesnât give you that right. Having more weapons doesnât give you that right. Being from the Capitol doesnât give you that right. Nothing does.â
Lenore Doveâs love for gumdrops served as an important reminder of her childlike innocence, of the fact that even after everything, she was only a child whose life was cut short so abruptly.
Snow decides to take her life with something he himself had associated with innocence and hope, with something familiar.
âAs Sejanus gets escorted to the hanging tree after Coriolanus betrays him, they lock eyes. The only vivid image he can see, is the eight-year-old boy on the playground, the bag of gumdrops clenched in his fist.â
Sejanus and Lenore Dove are two characters that are defined by a deeply rooted empathy, standing in contrast to a world thatâs adamant on diminishing it. Their presence and the way they view the world affects the main narrators of their stories in different ways.
Lenore Dove loved life, and she loved her people. Her rebellion was emotionally driven because she couldnât stand watching them suffer. She wanted change and dared to hope for a better future because she refused to accept that the world she knew was all her people would ever have.
âAnd thatâs part of our trouble. Thinking things are inevitable. Not believing change is possible.â
âBut Lenore Doveâs convinced there must be people outside of Panem, far to the north.â
Just like Lenore Dove, Sejanus spends the majority of the book wishing for a better world. He was desperately trying to find a way to help the Districts, and that is ultimately what Snow uses against him in the end, and what caused his demise.
âThey say there are people in the north, but even if there arenât, thereâs no Capitol.â Sejanus told him. âAnd thatâs the main thing for me, isnât it? living in a place where they canât control my life.â
They both want to be free, to live a life where they and their people arenât being controlled, and where the Capitol no longer exists. This is precisely why they want to believe there are people out there, far beyond the Capitolâs reach. They want to believe that freedom is possible, that it is within reach, and that their lives will not be spent in vain.
They both act on impulse, guided by their feelings and their hurt. For Sejanus, that despair leads him into the arena, convinced he has no other way to help, and so he chooses death as his final act of protest.
âCoriolanus pressed him. âThatâs it? Thatâs your only choice?ââItâs the only way I might possibly make a statement. Let the world see me die in protest,â Sejanus concluded.â
Lenore Dove reacts similarly when her boy gets a one in training. Sheâs overcome by the desperation and the fear of losing him, and her instinct drives her to sing those forbidden songs in front of the Justice Building, not only as an act of defiance, but also an attempt to follow him to what she thinks will be his death.
âYou? Itâs entirely my fault youâre there! And I know Iâm why you got that score. I as good as killed you, and thatâs not something I can live with.â And so sheâs doing what she can to get herself killed? Now Iâm mad.â
They both understood the power of words and used them to move people, weaponizing the Capitolâs own empty promises and propaganda into quiet acts of defiance.
âNO CAPITOL, NO HANGING TREE! Itâs a rebel play on the Capitolâs propaganda. NO CAPITOL, NO REAPING! Tucked away in this alley, a rallying cry beyond the Peacekeepersâ radar. This is Lenore Doveâs work. Her sign. Her message to me now. Her reminder that I must prevent another sunrise on the reaping.â
âAnd now that the warâs over, theyâre just citizens of Panem, arenât they? Same as us? Isnât that what the anthem says the Capitol does? âYou give us light. You reuniteâ? Itâs supposed to be everyoneâs government, right?â
Their difference lies in the way the narrators view them. While Lenore Doveâs words directly influence Haymitch to keep going and to find a way to stop the reaping, Sejanusâs words unsettle Coriolanus. He is so far beyond feeling any sense of empathy that he cannot relate to his despair, and instead sees him as foolish and naive.
They have similar beliefs, both believing that itâs up to humans to reject the Capitol ideals. The world doesnât have to be terrifying; cruelty is a choice, and so is compassion.
âBecause the world doesnât have to be so terrifying. Thatâs on people, not the world.â
âWho wants to watch a group of children kill each other? Only a vicious, twisted person. Human beings may not be perfect, but weâre better than that.â
âLenore Dove explained to me once that the common was land anyone could use. Sometimes the Peacekeepers chase her and the geese off the Meadow for no reason. She says thatâs just a teaspoon of trouble in a river of wrong.â
âYouâve no right to starve people, to punish them for no reason. No right to take away their life and freedom. Those are things everyone is born with, and theyâre not yours for the taking. Winning a war doesnât give you that right. Having more weapons doesnât give you that right. Being from the Capitol doesnât give you that right. Nothing does.â
Lenore Doveâs love for gumdrops served as an important reminder of her childlike innocence, of the fact that even after everything, she was only a child whose life was cut short so abruptly.
Snow decides to take her life with something he himself had associated with innocence and hope, with something familiar.
âAs Sejanus gets escorted to the hanging tree after Coriolanus betrays him, they lock eyes. The only vivid image he can see, is the eight-year-old boy on the playground, the bag of gumdrops clenched in his fist.â
a tie in with erase me (glenn rhee) on wattpad and ao3
âAct kindly, be gentle, go softly.â
Character
overview of delilah's character, including personality, appearance and past.
ἍáĄ. Overview
delilah rose dixon grew up in a trailer park close to the appalachian mountains, as the youngest and only daughter of will dixon and her mother, olivia caldwell, who she never met. she was the product of a very fast paced and quick to end relationship between her middle aged father and a very young waitress at a diner he was at during a bender. nine months later, will dixon was called to the hospital to pick up his daughter after olivia left her behind, and he took her home to her two half brothers, merle and daryl dixon. when she is twenty two years old, the apocalypse hits and she escapes atlanta with her brothers and finds a small camp near the quarry where she finally feels like she has found a home.
ἍáĄ. Appearance
delilah is played by american actress maude apatow
she has light brown and naturally straight, fine hair. as a child, her hair was a lighter blonde that eventually darkened despite her daily exposure to the sun. unlike her half-brothers, delilah has hazel eyes that often look both brown and green in different lights. they are similar to the sights of the woods she grew up in, flashes of brown and green like the trees she spent so much of her childhood running through. she is around average height, and her smile is so big that it lights up her entire face.
delilah has a few scars around her arms, torso and legs from the abuse she sustained from her father as a teenager. they are well hidden and she prefers to cover them up.
ἍáĄ. Personality
delilah is a kind and considerate girl, finding comfort in softness and the smallest joys in the world. as a small child, she would stay awake at night making gifts for her brothers with anything she could find. usually, she made bracelets and crowns with the flowers that she gathered from the woods, which they would accept when she was very young.
delilah is a free spirit who spends all of her free time in the woods surrounding the trailer park. she had next to no adult supervision, but she still didn't choose to stray far from home. she loves being in nature, finding flowers to take home and bonding with the wild bunnies, even trying to find deer to talk with. as she grew up and her dad's abuse started getting worse, it became delilah's solace.
ever since she was a baby, delilah has been sensitive. she is quick and easy to tears, something that comes as a disappointment to her father. when he would take her older brothers out hunting, delilah would cry for the animals that they killed and brought home, especially the bunnies that she loved so dearly. after an incident with their father where he punished delilah for crying, merle and daryl vowed to never hunt a bunny and bring it home again. daryl keeps this promise even years after the apocalypse broke out.
while delilah's trauma is different from her brothers, her father still abused her in many ways. when she was very young, it wasn't as bad, seeing as she was a toddler and the only girl of the family. once the novelty of her existence wore off, her father began to get angry at the smallest things she did, expecting her to be seen and not heard and wanting her to act like how he expected women to act. when she could not fulfill his expectations, he would get violent. this impacted delilah a lot and she became reserved and kept to herself, which only got worse once her brothers left and hardly found time to come back, leaving her alone in that house.
however, despite all of this, delilah has maintained a hopeful attitude. she never knew her mother, but still wrote letters to her every single week that she never found the courage to send. she would pray that her brothers - who despite their redneck appearances and attitude truly loved her - would come back for her and take her away. this is naive thinking, since delilah never considered that living alongside them, constantly moving from place to place and around dangerous people, would be just as bad for her as living with her father where she could at least roam free in the woods. delilah has always had hope that things would get better, counting on her vivid dreams of what her future could look like to get her by. in this way, she is a romantic.
delilah grew up lonely but always wished to experience love like the characters in the books she'd read in the library, always stuck daydreaming in her own head about a life where she is swept off her feet and will never have to remember the horrors of her childhood again.
ἍáĄ. Past
nine months before delilah was born, will dixon left home to go on a week long bender in atlanta. his oldest son merle was doing a stint in juvy, leaving his youngest son, daryl, alone. he met a young waitress named olivia caldwell and the two of them had an affair before he returned home to the trailer park, never to speak to her again.
on a sunny night in june, will dixon was called to the hospital where baby delilah was waiting for him. olivia had added his name to the birth certificate and left her behind, leaving will no choice but to take her home to his trailer, where her half-brothers live.
as she grows into toddlerhood, delilah became a smiley and happy child who idolises her older brothers. at the age of two, she hasn't quite realised the reality of her situation. she spends a lot of time trailing a seventeen year old daryl around the trailer park despite its dangers, and sometimes on very rare occassions, merle will give her piggyback rides all the way home. her first few years of life are spent a lot safer, untouched from her father's abuse and just seen as the small little girl she was.
she first ran into problems with her father when she turned six and began getting attached to the animals she spent hours with in the woods. she would cry for them when will, daryl and merle went out hunting and returned home with dinner, especially when they killed the bunnies she loves so dearly. the first time she did it, she wept openly and ended up getting hit for it. as she grows up, will expects her to keep her opinions to herself and take care of herself. however, daryl and begrudgingly merle vowed to never kill a rabbit again just for her.
when delilah started attending school, she was excited to finally meet some kids outside of the scary older kids who would taunt her around the trailer park. but the kids at school had already been warned by their parents to stay away from her because of her family, leading to her often eating lunch alone and doing her homework assignments in the library. she instead found solace in the small moments of happiness she could find, especially with her older brothers, who were getting louder and would struggle more often against their father. she spent the majority of her free time in the woods, but would occasionally walk to the market where the old ladies who ran the stalls would feel sorry for her and let her sit with them for a few hours.
when delilah was eight years old, merle and daryl left the trailer park for good. she didn't know it at the time, but they would move around from place to place, causing trouble and holing up wherever they could become it was better than staying at home. merle had already done this thousands of time in the past, but this time he took daryl with him and left delilah in the trailer with their father alone. they would be around if she ever needed to find them, but they hardly stepped foot in the trailer again. because of this, will dixon's anger and violence as a result of his drinking was purely focused on delilah, and her abuse got much worse. later on in life, daryl was never able to forgive himself for that.
when she could get him on a good day, delilah would ask her father questions about her mother and he would answer as honestly as he could, but nothing could ever quench delilah's curiousity and belief that if her mother had taken her home that night of her birth, her life would've been so much better. she starts to write letters to her mother that she never sends, dreaming of this reality.
delilah studies her way through elementary, middle and high school hoping to get herself into nursing school so that she can get out of the trailer park for good. she gets the best grades she can, staying late until the school librarian kicked her out to keep her grades up. she gets into nursing school but not on a scholarship, meaning she would have to defer for a couple of years to pay for the tuition herself. she finds herself a job at the florist in town and manages to finally move out of the trailer park at just nineteen, scraping her way through with the bare minimum just to escape her father.
Family and Friends
the people delilah is closest with. contains spoilers for chapters that are currently out and future chapters.
ἍáĄ. Glenn Rhee
glenn rhee is the first person delilah ever grew close to outside of her own family, the first person to ever accept her for who she is, and not for who her family is. delilah found solace in glenn from the day they met. when he would go on supply runs, glenn would look for things to make delilah happy, such as a little brown bunny plushie after she told him she's never had a stuffed animal before. they both fell in love hard and fast, developing a soft and gentle relationship that changed them both for the better. their love is young and simple, becoming exactly what delilah needed after a lifetime of abuse and abandonment from her father.
ἍáĄ. Daryl Dixon
daryl is closest to delilah out of everyone in her family. when she was a young child, he would give her piggybacks and allow delilah to follow him around the trailer park like a little duckling. when daryl grew older and decided to leave home with merle, he left delilah behind, something he will regret for the rest of his life. daryl sees delilah in everything soft; in the rabbits he won't kill because of her sensitivity, in the flowers that bloom even through the apocalypse, in people like beth greene who change him for life and become his second chance he never got to make things right with his baby sister.
ἍáĄ. Merle Dixon
merle has always loved delilah, but he was never able to show his love in any way she would understand. he left when she was very young, never seeing her in the woods the way daryl would, and even after the apocalypse, removed himself from ever bonding with her again. their relationship will always be complicated, especially once glenn became involved with delilah.
ἍáĄ. Amy Harrison
amy and delilah are the only girls relatively close in age in the quarry camp, so they became pretty close friends. delilah has never experienced friendship before, and finds herself drawn to amy's carefree personality. when amy loses her life in a walker attack, delilah is devastated.
ἍáĄ. Will Dixon
delilah's father never truly wanted her. he was left with her after her mother fled from the hospital following her birth, and didn't spend a lot of time trying to raise her. as she grew older, will grew tired of her, often taking out his anger on her because her brothers weren't home and she was the only one there. will cost delilah her childhood, something priceless that she will never get back.
Plot
a summary and recap of events that happen in delilah's life during the story. contains spoilers for chapters that are currently out and chapters coming in the future - do not read if you plan to read the fic.
ἍáĄ. Erase Me
delilah's story opens on her living her daily life as a twenty two year old woman living on the outskirts of atlanta. she is spending the evening in her apartment when she gets a call from the hospital that her father has taken a fall. she is kind and generous, and despite everything in her urging to hang up the phone, delilah leaves to pick him up and take him home. she does just that, leaving shortly after dropping him off with two broken legs from a night out drinking.
a couple of days later, the idea of her father unable to get out of the trailer plays desperately on her mind, and against her better judgement yet again, she drives to the store and picks up a couple of groceries for him. however, when she arrives at the trailer, far away from any other civilisation, she finds her father dead and turned into a monster that she can't explain. just as her father is about to lunge at her, an arrow shoots through the air and hits him right between the eyes. daryl and merle had come back to save her, explaining that there was some sort of epidemic going around.
the three of them travel through the cover of the woods, trying to figure out their next steps. within a day or two, they discover a camp set up nearby a large quarry, reclusive enough that walkers could be kept out. while merle and daryl were planning to wait it out and rob the place for all it had, delilah found herself drawn to the camp and the people living there.
delilah grows closest to two people at the camp. one of them is amy harrison, who becomes her best friend. the two of them exchange stories and bond over their struggles to adapt to life without society. the other is glenn rhee, who never fails to make delilah's stomach do flips in his presence.
delilah and glenn fall in love quickly, spending every day together. they would go on dates by the quarry, kiss under the water and have splash fights, hold hands over the fire at night. one time when glenn was on a supply run, he found her a stuffed brown bunny and brought it back as a gift, and she fell for him even harder. her brothers watched all this happen from a distance, finding it strange to see their baby sister so happy. however, merle was still convinced that they had to rob the place and get out.
merle never gets the chance. he goes missing on the rooftop and before delilah even has a chance to grieve, walkers attack the camp and kill amy right in front of her. she clings onto glenn for a day and a half following the attack, her eyes glimmering with tears everytime she thought about the loss of her friend.
the group don't leave the camp right away, and while delilah is staring at the site of graves, she decides that she wants to do something to help the group, which she has grown attached to. she begs glenn to let her go on a supply run with him, and after a lot of convincing, glenn agrees.
but something goes terribly wrong. they're both distracted, they don't notice a lone walker creeping up behind them. before either of them can make a move, it grabs delilah and bites her shoulder. glenn can do nothing but hold onto her as she dies, begging her to stay with him and listening to her final words as he sobs. he forces himself to take her out once she passes, picking her up and taking her home one last time.
when daryl realises his baby sister is dead, he is shattered, overwhelmed by regret and grief and horror. glenn is never the same, losing the girl he loves so violently and completely blaming himself. merle doesn't find out about delilah's death until he catches up with andrea, and he blames glenn and seeks out his revenge.
ἍáĄ. Protect Me - Delilah Lives Au
protect me is an au in the works where delilah doesn't die from a walker bite, and lives all the way through the show.
introduction to protect me (in the works)
ἍáĄ. Teenage Au
oneshot series exploring an au where glenn and delilah knew one another as teenagers, currently in the works
Resources
where you can find more about delilah and her story
peeta, lenore dove & their parallelsâa short thread °ââ.ŕłŕż*:ｼ
throughout sunrise on the reaping, lenore dove is repeatedly associated with the color orangeâand specifically the soft orange color of a sunrise.
her dying wish was to prevent another sunrise on the reaping, and she used orange graffiti to fight against the capitolâs propaganda.
âOrange paint on her fingernails. This is Lenore Doveâs work. Her sign. Her reminder that I must prevent another sunrise on the reaping.â
similarly, peetaâs connection to the color orange is so palpable from the moment he says his favorite color is orange like the sunset. he chooses something soft, something familiar, a color that feels safe and warm.
âAnd yours is orange."
"Orange?" He seems unconvinced.
"Not bright orange. But soft. Like the sunset,â
these two characters representing the sunrise and the sunset; the start and the end.
the promise starts with lenore dove.
she makes haymitch promise to stop the sun rising on a reaping, but it was with peetaâs and katnissâ help that he finally managed to fulfill his promise after years of suffering and drowning in guilt and pain.
peetaâs mural of rue can also be seen as a direct parallel to lenore doveâs graffitiâboth of them turning to their art in ways to express their grief, fear, and the unbearable unfairness of the games.
they chose to let their art speak because there werenât enough words that allowed them to truly be able to express how burdened theyâve been feeling.
they both also carry a strong temper, a fire they constantly try to tone down, not because it isnât justified, but because they donât want to endanger the people they love. they try to rebel in ways that they deem as safe, all to make sure their people never have to be in danger for their actions.
peeta and lenore dove are the love interests of the main characters throughout their respective stories, and their relationships draw direct parallels from each other.
the flint striker and the pearl, both gifts given by them to their loves, are both being used as motivation and symbols of hope by the main characters.
katniss uses the pearl to ground herself; it comforts and calms her fears, reminding her of peetaâs warm presence and everything sheâs fighting for.
when she thinks sheâs going to die, she makes sure to keep it close because she wants peeta to have it back after her death.
âI have the pearl, though, secured in a parachute with the spile and the medicine at my waist. I hope it makes it back to District 12. Surely my mother and Prim will know to return it to Peeta before they bury my body.â
in district 13, after she thought she lost peeta, the pearl is the only thing that stops her mind from spiraling. she uses it to talk to him, to mourn him and to comfort herself through the grief.
in the very same way way, haymitch uses the flint striker to comfort himself while heâs in the capitol.
in the arena, he constantly needs to touch it, reminding himself of her presence in order to soothe himself. he kisses and speaks to it, an attempt to reach her when he thinks heâs going to die.
he also wants the flint striker to be returned back to his love after his death.
âThe trembling of her hands allows me to ask a favor. Will you make sure my token gets home to my girl?â
katniss and haymitch constantly try to reach their loves through the pearl and the flint striker, both of these items symbolizing their undying love, a love that exists even beyond death.
âI pull the flint striker over my head and give it one long kiss. Oh, Lenore Dove. Oh, love of my life. I am with you before, now, and always. And I will find you. I will find you.â
âI canât reach Peeta. I canât even reach my pearl . My eyes strain to capture one last image of beauty to take with me.â
peeta and lenore dove both have hearts far too pure for the brutal world theyâre living in. theyâre two sides of the same coinâboth are loved fiercely and unconditionally by the main characters, giving their loves a reason to keep fighting.
both are gentle, drawn toward art as a way to make sense of the pain around them, and both are symbolically tied to the color orange.
both of their presences are extremely important to the story, and without them there would be no story like the one we know today.
a small oneshot to celebrate the new sunrise on the reaping teaser trailer
oneshot. 1.5k words. also available on ao3
Request more here <3
I finished up my chores early today.
There are always many errands to be done. Both working under Hattie trying to deliver liquor to the people who could pay for it and trying to help my ma with the housekeeping, because she always works herself to the bone during the day washing clothes, which takes her twice as long since Pa died in the mining accident. If she is being particularly stubborn, which some days she is, only because she insists that I'm only a child who shouldn't have to work this hard, I spend my time taking care of Sid and showing him the stars. And I can't forget the eight hours a day that I'm at school, which seems pointless to most, because most of the people of the Seam either end up dead or in the mines. Though the mines are typically a death sentence in it of itself. It is usually a rush to get everything done both after school and before Ma puts dinner on the table, which I always try my best to be there for because I know just how hard it is to get the ingredients and find the time to cook just as lovingly as my Ma does. I know I am luckier the most when it comes to my family, and I try not to take that for granted. Even if it means rushing around after school to earn a couple extra coins.
But today is special. When I made it to The Hob and found Hattie's familiar stool, the older woman was grinning at me with a mischievous look in her eyes. One I knew well. One that meant she had something up her sleeve. She had told me that there were no customers to serve, and to her credit, waved her arms around to the lack of people surrounding her stool. Summer was coming up meaning that the reaping was drawing nearer by the day, but it also meant that Peacekeepers were being watched like hawks. Technically none of them are allowed liquor on a job and when you're in District 12, Peacekeepers are always on the job.
She winked at me as she told me to run on home to my Ma or to do whatever it is I got up to these days. The people that I spent the most time with no just how much I yearn to spend as much time as I can with my girl, Lenore Dove. Burdock and Blair are sick of hearing me talk about her but I don't care. I could spend all day talking about Lenore Dove and her beauty. The way her hair has a red tint in the sunlight, the way her curls bounce off her shoulders like waves in the ocean, or how her dress moves with her like it has a mind of its own, flying wild in the wind just as free as she is. I grin right back at her. With nothing else to do, I am free to escape to my favourite place in the whole District. The meadow. Lenore Doveâs home.
As spring turns to summer, the flowers that have been preparing to bloom are at full brightness. They are wildflowers much like the Covey itself and nobody really knows when they got planted but like clockwork every single year they grow and they thrive. You can only see them here in the meadow as if they have a personality of themselves and a preference for my girl. The meadow is as far out as you can get in District 12 meaning that whenever I see Lenore Dove, we are free to be alone. It's the only place in the whole District where I feel free from the Capitolâs watchful eyes.
I hear the geese before I see them, a clear sign of Lenore Dove's whereabouts. Wherever she is, the geese follow. Lenore Dove exists within nature, oftentimes in the trees that sit around the house she grew up in. Today isn't any different. I can't help the blush that taints my cheeks and the smile that curls from my lips as I spot the top of her head in between the trees. Since that fateful day at the age of ten, Lenore Dove has made my stomach do flips.
A faint chuckle echoes through my body as I reach down to grab a handful of wildflowers, arranging them like a bouquet on my way to surprise her. She isn't expecting me, not today and certainly not this early. If I'm quiet, I might catch her singing or playing one of the many instruments that the Covey owns, passed down in their family for generations.
âCareful now, youâll all get a chance if you just wait your turn.â Her honeylike voice reaches my ears as I draw closer, making my heart thump in my chest like a bird flapping its wings. Her geese gather around her, squawking impatiently as she scatters piles of food on the ground. âThere's enough to go around for everyone.â
âWhat about me?â I ask with a knowing grin on my face, clutching the flowers in my hand like they were more precious than gold. For me, they are.
Lenore Dove holds her hand to her heart, her accordion balanced on her lap as she spins to greet me, her shocked expression melting into a radiant smile. âHaymitch, you're here!â
âI'm here.â I repeat, crouching down to her level and holding out the wild bouquet. âFor you.â
Lenore Dove smiles to herself. âI'll press them into my book so I can keep them forever and it'll always remind me of this day.â
âSounds like a perfect plan.â I murmur, planting a soft kiss directly on her cheek. The geese are being surprisingly patient with me today, they have made it clear that they dislike me just as much as Lenore Dove uncle Cleck Carmine, usually hissing at me as soon as I make my presence known. âI missed you.â
Lenore Dove rests her head on my shoulder, something that will make my heart flutter no matter how many times she does it. âI missed you too, darling.â
She fiddles with the flowers, rearranging them in a much better way than I did. Lenore Dove is great with colours, always knowing which ones go best with each other in order to make the prettiest pattern. Her people have a way with them, just as they do with song. I settle down beside her, not planning to do much else but sit with her in my arms until I have to leave, which wouldn't be long. The days are long but time seems to always be short, so I treasure what time I get to spend with her. When the world around us is hard, Lenore Dove is a breath of fresh air, and whenever I am without her, I almost feel like I am suffocating.
She takes my hand in hers, lacing our fingers together like they were always supposed to fit like a glove. âCan we stay like this forever?â
Her voice is dreamy and desperate at the same time, her hand squeezing mine like she is terrified to ever let go. I can read her faster than she can read her books, and without looking at her face, I can tell she is anxious about the upcoming season. Summer brings flowers and heat and the birds in the forest She loves so dearly, but it also brings the Reaping. Both of us are still eligible and will be for years to come, a fact neither of us can help, but when the days become long, so does time to think and to dread what would happen when the games roll around again. It looms over every single person in the district like a dark cloud. But today I don't want to think about the games. I just want to think about my girl and the feeling of her hair against my arms, the sound of her voice vibrating against my chest, and the clear, beautiful meadow stretched out in front of us.
âWe can.â I reply, my voice just as soft as hers. âWe don't ever have to leave this place. Itâll be you and me, and these flowers, forever.â
We both know that I'm wrong. but neither of us say anything. Sometimes, pretending that nothing outside of the two of us exists is the only comfort we need. That if we truly believe it, we can sit in this meadow together for the rest of time. I pull her even closer, kissing the top of her head gently. Lenore Dove doesn't say anything in reply, but she starts to hum a familiar tune, her flowers clutched in one hand, and the other playing absentmindedly with my fingers. The sun is blaring down on the both of us, but the trees give us enough coverage that we could sit here for hours, and if given the choice, we truly would.
As I listen to her hum the words of her favourite song, I caress the palm of her hand, lightly grazing my fingers over every line as if trying to commit her to memory. She grins at me, her speckled green eyes lighting up like she was staring at a thousand fireflies. Never have I felt so much peace. As long as she is my girl and I am her boy, nothing could ever tear us down.
one of my favorite things about haydove is that theyâve always been sure of their love, and neither of them ever doubted it was reciprocated.
their love has been a constant in their lives ever since they were young, and it only evolved with them overtime as they got more serious.
we know how much haymitch loves her and how deeply devoted he is to her, because weâre in his mindâwe get to see every single thought of his.
but it is very important for lenore doveâs character for us to also acknowledge how she loved him just as much.
even though we never get to see any of lenore doveâs inner thoughts, one very apparent reason why we can confidently say that this deep love of his is completely reciprocated, is because haymitch himself confirms it countless of times.
and because we get to see it firsthand, too.
for example, when snow tries to get in his head, it doesnât work.
because haymitch has NEVER doubted her love for him. he didnât need the constant reassurances because he was already confident of her love, unlike snow.
the flint-striker around his neck was enough proof.
he spends the whole book worried about hurting her, about his death staining her and his family to no return.
he knows that his death would ultimately lead to lenore doveâs demise tooâbecause he knows she wouldnât be able to survive losing him.
he tries to talk her out of acting recklessly, of throwing her life away for him. heâs desperate to keep her safe, even if it means she moves on without him.
âPromise?â She sounds a little more hopeful. âBecause if I could count on that, I think I could bear it. But what I canât bear is . . . what if weâre never together again?â
but lenore dove craves reassurance that sheâll get to see him again.
living a life without him feels so unfathomable to her that she canât even bring herself to imagine it. sheâd rather die, while clinging onto the hope of finding him again in their next lives.
lenore dove at this point in the book has already tried to sacrifice herself for him twice.
âHaymitch . . . I donât want to be on this earth without you.â
âSo now youâre trying to get them to hang you? You do, and I swear Iâll â Iâll ââ
âLenore Doveâs behind me, pleading. âDonât take him â it wasnât his fault! It was mine! Punish me!â
sheâd done it with no hesitation and no fear, the only thought in her head being the fear of losing him and never getting to see him again.
sheâd rather it be her than him, and she was willing to follow him anywhereâeven the afterlifeâjust in the hopes of getting to see him again.
sheâs a very nurturing character, it is in her nature to care that deeply for haymitch. she strives to protect his mind and his heart, not out of obligation, but because his safety and happiness means everything to her.
she doesnât rest until sheâs certain heâs contentâand her heart refuses to settle for anything less than his peace.
âLenore Dove says my dreams are like windows into my mind, too clear to need interpretation. Which is a nice way to say really obvious.â
sheâs so gentle with him, and has always been.
she would never condescend him, speak badly of him, or diminish his feelings in any way. she loves everything that makes him who he is.
âLenore Dove, I love you like all-fire. Thatâs for always.â
âI love you like all-fire, too. You and no one else. Just like my geese, I mate for life. And then some. Forever.â
she promises and vows to love him for as long as she lives. she knows sheâll never love anyone else againâand she doesnât want to, either.
lenore dove had the chance to experience one of the purest and rawest forms of love with her boy. she got to love, and be loved in return, in such a pure and vulnerable wayâand that feeling alone wouldâve been enough for the rest of her life.
Lenore Dove was always careful with Haymitchâs emotions; she always took care of his heart. She loved him for who he was, holding close everything that had made him the boy he used to be. They grew up side by side, she had seen him change through grief and through the weight of the world resting on his shoulders.
She had a sweet, quiet devotion to him. From the very first moment she saw him, she was mesmerized and eager to share her knowledge, her culture, her way of loving the world. She was always there to listen, to hear what he thought and how he felt, how he saw the world even when she disagreed.
The first time we meet her, sheâs scared and upset about the reaping, yet she sets that aside the moment she realizes itâs his birthday. She refuses to let the day be about fear or tension; she knows how important it is for him to stay grounded, to keep seeing the world with the same wonder. She often shared her thoughts and her way of seeing things with him, but always so gently, aware of how it could affect him. They were meant to grow together, and she never intended to change him.
She was willing to dim her own fire if it meant protecting the people she loved. She shielded Haymitch from the parts of herself that could ever put him in danger.
She wouldâve died for him without hesitation. Every time she had the chance, she offered her life for his. And when she realized she was going to lose him, she decided she couldnât bear to live with that pain.
The same happens during that phone call, she immediately refuses to let him take the blame. She disagrees, tries to comfort him, and does everything she can to help him go into the Games with a clear mind. Even when the thought of living without him feels unbearable, she agrees to keep going for him. For his peace. She doesnât even tell him sheâs still being held hostage.
The last promise she makes him is to live, to believe in something, no matter what because she loves him that deeply.
There is something so nurturing, so protective, about the way Lenore Dove loved Haymitch. She loved him like no one else ever could in the same way he loved her.
Haymitch wouldnât have let go of Lenore Dove if she had survived.
We know Haymitch was always afraid of losing people afraid of more blood on his hands. He drove everyone heâd ever known away, believing it was less painful to forget than to live with guilt and grief.
He would have still struggled with addiction, still been haunted by the faces of those he couldnât save. But instead of drinking to forget, he wouldâve drunk to cope, to quiet the voices screaming in the back of his mind.
His plan had always been to run away with Lenore Dove. He even allowed himself small pieces of wishful thinking, foolish dreams of living in the woods somewhere until the guilt crept in and reminded him it was selfish to want peace.
Losing Lenore Dove in such a cruel way, right there in his arms, taught him something he could never unlearn: that holding on to someone meant leading them to their death. Without that moment, without losing her, he would never have let go of the one thing that still made him himself.
The love he had for Lenore Dove is essential to who he is, to who he has always been. She is everything that reminds him he was once worth loving, that he was once someone capable of giving everything he had for the people he cared about.
Haymitch recoils at the thought of her moving on with someone else, even with him death, he loves that girl and wasn't willing to let her go even after death. He wouldâve never truly given up on her, no matter how much he tried to push her away. He might have even hurt her in the process just to keep her safe, just to make her stay away.
But that love itâs part of his very being. Itâs lived inside him since he was ten years old. Haymitch is selfish enough to preserve it, to keep alive the part of himself that still remembers how to love, and how to be loved.
Lenore Dove was all he had left. He needed her. Having her wouldnât have fixed himâhe still carried enough grief for a lifetimeâbut she would have been the hope he later replaced with a bottle.
He wouldâve tried to keep her away, but he was just a boy, and she was the only safety and comfort he had left. He would never have truly hurt her and she would never have given up on him. No matter what happened, they would have always found their way back to each other.
the take that haydove would eventually grow apart had lenore dove survived is so tone-deaf and has no ground itâs like people didnât even read the book.
if lenore dove was alive, the whole trilogy wouldâve changed.
thatâs the whole point. her survival wouldâve changed MANY things.
for a start, haymitch wouldnât had been able to keep away from her for long. he only starts pushing everyone away after she dies.
lenore dove wouldâve been the only person he had left. he wouldâve become dependent on her, on the reassurance that sheâs alive and breathing, right next to him.
he wouldâve craved her comfort and she wouldâve been the only one who could offer him a small sense of peace within all those ghosts and nightmares haunting his house.
haymitch was the man of the house. he was a caretaker, and ever since his pa died, all he thought about was how to protect his family. he knew people were depending on him for their survival.
he had never been on the other side of it.
lenore dove, on the other hand, had always been free to run as wild as the wind. no one depended on her for their livelihood.
with her suvrival, those roles wouldâve changed.
their love wouldâve caused both of them to be on the other side for the very first time.
haymitch would have to learn how to accept the help; how to let someone else take care of him for a change.
lenore dove wouldâve understood how important her life and survival is to haymitch, because she wouldâve seen a side of him sheâs never seen before.
she wouldâve seen his scarâthe reminder of everything he endured during his time in the capitolâand she wouldâve watched, year after year, as the capitol continued to break her boy down. she wouldâve known of what the capitol did to ma and sid.
this wouldâve changed lenore dove and the character that we know in many different ways. she wouldâve been shaped by the different experiences and new information that she had to process, all because someone she deeply loves was directly affected by the games.
haymitch had always been a rebel himself. he has been raised in a rebellious household, and the idea that he wouldnât be able to handle lenore doveâs rebellion is also very diminishing to both their characters.
lenore dove would NEVER get herself into danger while knowing that her boyâs peace of mind is hanging by the thread of her survival.
she wouldâve encouraged his willingness to participate in the revolution, and wouldâve involve herself too, offering help in whichever way she could.
i donât think they wouldâve had any children, not after everything theyâve gone through, but i do know with certainty they wouldâve been partners for life. their ideals and beliefs beautifully compliment each other and they wouldâve only developed and grown side-by-side, if she had survived.
she wouldâve undoubtedly been there, helping haymitch in ways no one else could, and she wouldâve played a critical part in the revolution too.
Haymitch and Katnissâs bond has always spoken in the language of love. She trusts nothing more than the love he carries for Peeta, the way it shapes every choice he makes. Itâs the certainty sheâs been chasing all her life, that fierce, unspoken devotion born from loss, that she finds in herself too. Their love is rooted in grief, in the fragments of childhood they both had to give up to protect the ones they couldnât bear to lose. Once, they were both just children with the same dreams of peace, hiding their pain beneath labor, carrying the weight of the world for loveâs sake. Katniss may not trust words, but like every good hunter, she trusts what she feels, what she sees and love is the one thing Haymitch has never been able to hide.
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