September Author of the Month: Miss Scarlet 05

Hey everyone! This is cindella204 with September's Author of the Month. I'm sorry it's late, the odds have not been in my favor lately with school. Anyway, the author of the month is...

...Miss Scarlet 05! *cheers* She's actually gotten a decent amount of attention from us because both Grow Together and Pants have been reviewed on this site (See them here and here). I want to focus on some of her other work though.

Firstly, Kissing Lessons With Finnick. If you haven't read my other AotM posts, I love Finnick. He's so...cheeky, for lack of better words, in this story and it's amazing. It's an alternate take on Katniss' Tour stop in D4, technically A/U I guess since it says in Catching Fire that she had never met Finnick.

"Putting on a show?" he whispers in my ear. "Why would you ever do a thing like that? A ruthless victor like you...Couldn't you have anyone you wanted?" 

He knows very well that I will forever be one half of the star-crossed lovers from District 12 and Snow's threat weighs heavily on me. If Finnick's not convinced, I've failed. My face falls in defeat. It takes me a second to recover the death stare I've been giving this Casanova. 

"Don't worry, kitten. Finnick will help you out." He puts his hands on each side of my head by some magic maneuver my stylists' headache-inducing creation falls out like it was held in place with a sleek ribbon instead of 100 bobby pins. 

He puts his forehead on mine and fluffs my hair over our faces. "Now, people think we're kissing." I almost smile at the trick until he pokes my nose. Is Finnick Odair mentoring me? 

Although Finnick's a bit OOC; he's obnoxious, but not as bad as she has him later in this story, I don't mean that as an insult. It's a tad crack-y in a hilarious, amazing way that make this one of my favorite stories. Also Katniss' weird mix of confusion, panic, disgust, and a little bit of gratitude is really well done.

"One for the road?" he begs. 

I bite at him. 

"Please," he coos. "I do so love a biter." 

"I'll be sure to let Enobaria know," I push at him to get out. 

He turns back toward me and sticks his bottom lip out, staring at me with intent sea green eyes. Finnick Odair is pouting. I'm not sure anyone's ever resisted him before. This makes me practically giddy as I move my mouth towards his, stopping millimeter away and putting my hand over his lips. "I don't think so," I simper. He picks this second to lick my hand with all the moisture in his mouth. 

Disgusted I pull away. I should have never given Finnick that much of a reaction. My penance is a large wet tongue curled sloppily up my cheek. 

If I had my bow, he'd be a dead man. But all I have is a bobby pin so I pitch that at him as hard as I can. He catches it easily, puts it in his mouth like a toothpick. He then playfully pops me with a rubber band. "Wait a few minutes and then come out," Finnick instructs me as he eases out the door.

There's one of the more obnoxious parts. Anyway, the dialogue she creates between them?
Effortless and awesome.

Now to another one, Christmas Behind Closed Doors. First of all, I kind of like the concept of Katniss and Peeta trying to get their alone time each year on Christmas Eve. It seems like a very...normal thing for a couple to do, which is nice for a Post-Mockingjay fic. 

That scowl used to intimidate me, but now I'm not sure it's possible to love it any more than I do. Katniss hums quietly to herself as she watches our oldest daughter dot frosting scruff on his Haymitch's gingerbread chin. Just the sound of her humming makes my heart flutter the same way it did the first time. Two children and over two decades later and I still can't believe that all of this is real. I am such a lucky man. 

Her figure is still as trim as ever and when her braid slips off her shoulder, I catch sight of her ever so subtly scarred neck—one of my favorite spots to kiss. 

Does she know how much I need her? How lost I'd be without her? How much I can't wait to get her alone like I do every Christmas Eve? 

When the children are suitably distracted by all the sugar, she slips out without a sound. I wait a few minutes and go to leave.

Also, her portrayal of their family is really sweet.

She watches as the children decorate holiday cookies. Occasionally she twitches her mouth, offers a hand, but for the most part she lets them decorate pink haired and purple-lipped gingerbread people without a word. 

There's more frosting in our boy's face than on the cookie, but his smile is so big even Katniss couldn't scowl. She just looks on with a bemused twinkle in her eye and winks at me when he isn't looking. 

He bites the leg off a gingerbread man and holds it up for all to see. "Look mama, I made dad!" 

She takes one look at the maimed, yellow-haired, blue-eyed creation and spits out her cocoa and shakes her head. 

"Not funny," I try my sternest voice, but end up laughing anyway. 

Katniss recovers and hands the boy a piece of red and white striped candy. "A cane," she suggests. 

He attaches the candy cane to the cookie. "Like Uncle Haymitch?" he asks.
Katniss nods and gives him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 

"Ooh, I'm going to make Uncle Haymitch," the girl announces. She immediately picks up a frosting bag and sets to work. She scrunches up her mouth in intense concentration. Her scowl looks like a mini version of her mother's.

Yeah, it's sweet :) This story's a fun little piece like Kissing Lessons With Finnick, but it's extremely well written. Pants and Grow Together are also phenomenal but those have already reviewed here, see the link above.

Again, I apologize that this is late, and please go check out Miss Scarlet 05's work here.