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danyllura · 5 months

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Despite Snows focus being on Katniss, I would argue Peeta played a far more of a rebellious role in his part of the “star crossed lover” during their first games than her. From the moment Cinna gets them to hold hands during the opening ceremony their pairing is shrouded in a “touch of rebellion” - we know alliances among district partners is normal/expected but it is also clear that the terms of agreement are temporary and built upon the goal of their individual survival. Peeta is the one that breaches that agreement, by pushing their relationship beyond district partners to that of “star crossed lovers” with the admittance of his crush on Katniss. It is the intent behind why he chooses what to share that is shrouded in rebellion. Early on Peeta is aware of Katniss’ potential as a tribute and beyond that he recognizes that “spark” that can make her “desirable” to others. Yes, he genuinely loves her. But he shares so not to be honest, or to make himself a sympathetic character for the capitol, but to hopefully benefit her in the arena. He pushes this further by his continuous reiterating of his feelings to the audience, during his time with the careers, alone, and then eventually with Katniss. Time and time again he displays that her survival is his ultimate goal in the games, willing to prioritize her victory over his own life. And while yes, Peeta does this because he does truly love and care about Katniss, he is intentional with his actions. He broadcasts his feelings because it benefits her. And every aspect of that goes against what the games are meant to do to people; divide them.

Comparatively, in regards to the “star crossed lovers” Katniss is much more obedient to the rules of the games. She doesn’t initially portray herself to return Peetas feelings. She plays as a solo player, and Katniss quite literally states she appears “heartless” because of this when they watch back over their time in the arena. When it’s only one promised victor and she believes Peeta to be allied with the careers, she drops a nest of tracker jackets over where Peeta is sleeping and showing she views him as any other competitor. Katniss only reciprocates the role of “star crossed lovers” when the capitol has allowed that type of alliance to work within the games. And if anything her later trick with the berries, is a scene of the capitols own making. It is a final act of desperation. Katniss’ knows Peeta is on the brink of death and it’s even a possibility for the Mutts that had just killed Cato to reappear. When she’s handing the berries to Peeta and as she spills them into her mouth, Katniss is not thinking of the significance of her choice or the potential consequences it may illicit. It’s an emotional decision, not a calculated one. In comparison, laying Rue to rest in a bed of flowers was a far more calculated act of rebellion from Katniss.

But despite all this, President Snow almost solely blames Katniss for the oncoming rebellion. And while Katniss does do many things that help initiate that spark, such as volunteering for Prim, singing to Rue, risking her life for Peeta at the feast- it isn’t that he blames, but rather her lying about loving Peeta back. Because Snow is stuck in the past with his belief that Lucy Gray tricked him into loving her. And Katniss, with her singing and her Mockinjays, is such an obvious parallel of Lucy Grays ghost- he misses the fact that Peeta has been a far more calculated player that has actively rebelled from everything the games are meant to turn you into from the moment he was reaped.

#I could keep going about this topic and expand on it but I’m tired lol #the hunger games #katniss everdeen #peeta mellark #everlark #coriolanus snow #lucy gray baird #the hunger games analysis #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #tbosbas

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cogentranting · 5 months

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The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes also works as a subversion of those kind of "captivity to romance" stories.

A girl is taken prisoner by the evil Capitol and a boy is assigned to make sure she puts on a good show before she dies. But he's not quite like the others because secretly he's poor and an orphan and traumatized by the war. And she reminds him of his mother who was sweet and kind. So he does some shady things, and maybe they're not exactly right, but they're for her. To save her. And he does save her and then is thrown out of the Capitol and follows her to her town where they start to fall in love. When there starts to be conflict between rebels and the Capitol he has to make some more tough choices-- questionable choices-- to protect her and then eventually they run away together.

Does that not sound like a typical (kinda questionable) YA romance?

Except here, you don't forget that he's on the side of her captors, and there's a distinct emphasis on the possessiveness he feels.. And we see the underside of those choices he makes, and they might look like they're for her but actually they're all self-serving. And those questionable choices don't stop right at the line of what we'll excuse, they keep getting worse as he justifies each one and lets himself do worse and worse things. And she doesn't change him so that he can see the beauty of her world, he sticks with his prejudices and hates her world, only tolerating it as long as he wants her. And in the end he doesn't give it all up for her. He betrays her and goes right back to his old world.

And where normally a subversion like that would have to sort of pull the rug out from under readers in order to make the story work, here the framing of the novel as a prequel about a character we KNOW to be a villain lets them play the romance fairly straight without pulling the wool over readers' eyes, so there's no breach of trust. Instead that knowledge of who Coriolanus becomes let's you see the relationship without the rose-tinted romance glasses, and the red flags stand out for what they are.

#tbosas #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #the hunger games #thg: tbosas

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eveningnetwork · 2 years

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Proud Boys Led Major Breaches of Capitol on Jan. 6, Video Investigation Finds

Proud Boys has been at the center of criminal and parliamentary investigations into violent attacks on the Capitol last year for almost 18 months. More than 40 members of the far-right group Proud Boys have been charged in connection with the assault. Facing the crime of incendiary conspiracy..The organization was also conspicuous Featured at the first hearing of the House Committee on January…

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#Boys #Breaches #Capitol #Finds #Investigation #Jan #Led #Major #Proud #Video

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myangelgarden · 5 months

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Nancy behind the Jan 6 21 Capitol Breach 😠🇺🇲

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toaster-boi · 2 months

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i only recently found out about it, but the Lancer ttrpg sounds like a riot, based on the weapons alone.

you have the Apocalypse Rail, a capitol ship-grade railgun designed to crack open anything smaller than a dwarf planet at interstellar distances, scaled down to fit the largest mech a single operator can handle yet still firing shells so fast they experience time dilation,

the Mimic Gun, a writhing, ever-shifting mass of programmable matter imbued with the metaphysical concept of "gun" which counts as every ranged weapon class at once, capable of re-rolling its entire statblock at once for no more than one action,

the Omnigun, a gun that doesn't and cannot exist, firing projectiles that aren't real, but the damage they cause ontologically cannot be stopped, avoided, nor mitigated,

and the Decksweeper: a weapon whose most deliberately dramatic, technobabble-y description would include terms like "case-telescoping canister shells," "point-blank tactical engineering," "themopneumatic cycling automation," and "arrayed blunt kinetic impactors."

in layman's terms, mech-sized and cannon-caliber (but otherwise completely normal) automatic breaching shotgun.

#toaster thoughts #shitpost #lancer rpg #lancer ttrpg #lancerrpg #god damn i gotta play this sometime

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mrs5sn0w · 5 months

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Serenade of Shadows

I : A Dance of Shadows -> II : Whisper of Deceit -> A Symphony of Heartbreak-> IV : Fractured Reflections -> V : Shadows of Allegiance -> VI : Echoes of Decent

Series Masterlist

Young!Coriolanus Snow x Fem!reader

warnings: Arranged marriage, MILD ANGST, unrequited love, friends to enemies, enemies to lovers

Reader's surname : Flare

Time frame : Before, during and after tbosbas

synopsis: In the events of Panem's political dynamics and the 10th annual Hunger Games, Coriolanus Snow and her find themselves entwined. Standing at the brink of an enforced union, 6 years later, their mutual trust unravels amidst a damaging misinterpretation, prompting Coriolanus to believe the wrong. As the glacial barriers guarding his emotions begin to melt, a revelation of profound feelings unfolds, initiating a sprint against time for redemption.

The grandeur of the Capitol unfolded like a tapestry of opulence on the day Coriolanus Snow and her were bound in matrimony. The air was heavy with the scent of roses, and the opulent venue shimmered in the soft glow of chandeliers. The Capitol's elite had gathered to witness the union of the President of Panem and the Flare family, one of the most prestigious families in the whole Panem, their wedding was a spectacle that rivaled the most extravagant of royal weddings.

As she walked down the aisle in her resplendent gown, a vision of ethereal beauty, the weight of the ornate veil seemed to mirror the heavy burden on her heart. Coriolanus, standing at the altar in a meticulously tailored suit, wore a mask of composure that hid the turbulent emotions within.

He did not want to be there. He does not want to marry her.

The ceremony unfolded like a symphony of obligations, the vows echoing through the grand hall as if scripted by Capitol decree. Her eyes, shimmering with unshed tears, met with his cold and indifferent eyes. The congregation, unaware of the loveless undertones, erupted in applause as the Capitol celebrated the union of the two.

As the reception commenced, Snow and her navigated the intricate dance of social formalities. In front of the Capitol's watchful eyes, they exchanged pleasantries and smiled for the cameras, their every move orchestrated like pieces on a strategic board.

In a quiet corner, away from the prying eyes, she summoned a smile that barely concealed the turmoil within.

"Corio-"

"It's Snow." He reminded her not to call him by what she called him years ago.

"Snow, we are the talk of the Capitol today," she remarked, her voice carrying a hint of wistfulness.

He nodded curtly, his gaze fixed on the swirling dancers. "It's expected. our union of significance, a merging of legacies."

A fragile smile played on her lips while Coriolanus' eyes remained impassive, a fortress against the vulnerability she tried to breach.

"Sentimentality has no place in our world. Our duty is to uphold the Capitol's ideals. I'm just doing my duty by marrying you."

He then continued

"Don't get ahead of yourself if you think you can have a chance. Everyone may have forgotten what you did, but not me."

"Cor- Snow, I did what I had to do, to protect you-"

"protect me ?" He scoffed

"The only protection you did was throw my future away"

"But you're here now" she argued

"You still did it to me. It will never change." he demanded

He still believes that she did it.

but until this very day, he did not know the whole truth of what she did.

As the night wore on, the facade of marital bliss cracked in the shadows. She resplendent in her gown, felt the weight of isolation. She approached Coriolanus with a delicate grace, her eyes seeking a connection amidst the artifice.

The reception continued, a lavish display of decadence, but in the hidden recesses of their shared existence, the echoes of unspoken pain reverberated. She was once Coriolanus Snow's closest classmates, and she found herself as a stranger in his indifferent world.

"Snow," she began, her voice tinged with both sadness and defiance,

"do you ever wonder what our lives could have been if things were different?"

He looked at her, the coldness in his eyes softened by the moon's gentle caress. "Wondering is a futile endeavor. Our reality is the only truth we know."

"The only thing i wished to be different is that I didn't have to marry someone like you"

"Anyone but you"

Before she could respond, the distant strains of music heralded their return to the festivities. The grandeur of their wedding, an illusion of splendor, concealed the fractured emotions beneath the surface.

As the night waned and the Capitol reveled in the spectacle, Coriolanus Snow and his wife danced through the shadows of their union, a poignant duet of obligation and unspoken regret.

Snow's wife would always remember this day as the day she gave her life up to be stuck in a loveless marriage.

It didn't matter to her, as long as she was married to the person she loves even when he hates her with every beat of his heart.

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novemberrage · 1 year

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i love love all the representation of Katniss and Snow being foils of each other throughout the series and one of my favorites is the difference in how they interact with nature.

You can see all the conflicts of classic literature in Suzanne’s incredible writing and Katniss and Snow’s conflict represents man (Snow) vs nature (Katniss) An addition to this is how a element of nature, snow can be deadly to plants

Snow’s symbol for his character is his white rose and Katniss’s is her aquatic plant namesake (as well as the mockingjay obviously but im skipping over that)

Flowers and plants are natural signs of nature but Snow’s white roses are genetically manufactured, pruned and grown in a greenhouse hidden away from the air whereas the katniss plant grows freely in nature and can nourish/feed humanity when needed as Katniss’s father said “as long as you can find yourself, you’ll never starve”

Snow has fences built blocking the people in the districts from reaching what the earth naturally provides, closing them off from nature. Katniss breaches that barrier in order to feed her family and it is nature she turns to again and again for food, to seek refuge in, for flowers to decorate Rue’s body, etc

Every year, he has gigantic arenas mimicking nature manufactured for children to pretend to be gladiators and fight to the death. Katniss defends herself when necessary in the arena but it is her skills to live with the earth and her knowledge of nature that allows her to survive it.

Finally coming back to the mockingjay, nature fighting back and being able to adapt to the world the Capitol and a sign of victory on the part of nature in this conflict

#the hunger games analysis #the hunger games #katniss everdeen #coriolanus snow #president snow #catching fire

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socialjusticeinamerica · 2 months

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Republican Jan 6th traitors.

👏

#never trump #republican hypocrisy #republican assholes #traitor trump #crooked donald #Jan 6th #Jan 6th insurrection #maga terrorists #republican terrorists

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sadisticsongbird · 2 months

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playing god's game ~ coriolanus snow

one

warnings: mention of death, that's it i think

word count: 2.5k

a/n: sorry I disappeared for a while guys. i had some personal things to take care of and had to take some time away. but im back again and ready to continue posting if the tbosas fandom is still alive!

series masterlist

You woke up to the sound of screaming coming from down the hall. Your mother’s no doubt. You had barely been asleep for an hour before she managed to awaken again. Leaping out of bed, you gathered what conscience you had and made your way toward your mother’s room. It wasn’t unusual for her to have these nightmares. She had them at least twice a night, but this week was worse than most. Between the stress of your final week at the Academy and the anniversary of your father’s death coming up, the Stillwater household had been nothing short of a mess. Nothing you couldn’t keep hidden from the outside world. Your father was a general during the war, liked by most of the soldiers. When news of his death reached the capitol, your mother lost it. She had barely lived her life without your father, growing up together and getting married right out of the Academy. But one day amidst the war, the both of you sitting patiently in the sitting room received a letter from the Capitol explaining your father’s death. The news left your five-year old self curled up in your mother’s chest, crying for what felt like hours. She didn’t once embrace you, still numb from hearing the loss of her husband. Ever since then, her life has been plagued by nightmares and hallucinations that your father was there or that he had died all over again.

“Mama!” you whisper-yelled as you made your way to her side of the bed. She was thrashing around in the bed sheets, the post hitting the wall over and over again. Chanks of the wallpaper were tattered or missing altogether from the countless restless nights. You were just thankful that you two lived in the corner of the complex. The pounding on the wall would have gathered plenty of complaints by now.

“No, no, NO! He can’t be. He’s not dead, he was just home, he was just here! Phillip! PHILLIP!” my mother cried.

“SHHH!” you hushed her, placing your hands on her shoulders. “Mama, you have to be quiet! It’s the middle of the night!” But she made no change. Her cries circled the room, screams piercing your ears. Hesitantly, you moved your right arm from her arm to cover her mouth. She tried to push you off of her, but it wasn’t any use. You were stronger than her food-deprived body and, although tired, had gotten more rejuvenating rest than her.

Her muffled cries covered your hand in spit and tears while you laid her back against her pillow. “Breathe, mama. Just breathe.”

She laid down against the pillows, her screams quieted against your palm and you released your hand from her mouth. Mama pulled herself away from you and cuddled herself into a ball, shaking hands brought up to her face. You sighed, looking at your broken mother. How you made it this far on your own, you had no idea. Taking the comforter that had been shuffled to the end of the bed, you pulled it back up and over your mama’s form. You stayed for a few moments until her breathing slowed and the sniffling seemed to stop. You always did, just to be sure she was sleeping before you attempted to return to rest yourself.

It was breaching four in the morning before you fell back asleep, and by then you knew you needed to be getting ready soon. Tomorrow was going to be one of the biggest days of your entire life. It would solidify your future and give you the chance to pay for University. The Plinth Prize, awarded to the top student of the graduating class that was going to be selected tomorrow. You needed that money. While the slight compensation of your father’s death kept you going for the first five years, you and your mother have been struggling to make ends meet on the rent. Your uncle sends some money every few months from inside the Presidential Palace, but not every time. Not only that, there was no way your mother’s measly income would cover rent and your University tuition. Staring at your red uniform hanging up on the wall, you finally let yourself rest, relax and eventually, sleep found you.

Coriolanus stared up at the sky from his place in his grandmother’s rose garden. The sky was clear tonight, the moon creating the only light. He knew he should be sleeping, but his nerves were getting the best of him. He had attempted to sleep already, rolling around for at least an hour, before he convinced himself to get out of bed. Tomorrow the Plinth Prize winner would be announced, the moment he had been waiting for forever. He would finally be able to put his family’s disgrace behind him, finally pay up on the rent, maybe find someplace nicer that him, his cousin, and his grandmother could stay. The growing mold in the kitchen wasn’t good for any one of their health.

“Please,” he whispered up towards the sky. To no one in particular, but he always imagined that his mother could hear him. “I need this.” He let himself relax on the edge of the stone ledge, letting the cool wash over his bare torso as his gaze stayed up at the stars.

Your morning was extremely rushed and it was your fault. You had woken up on time, as usual, but convinced yourself to take a few extra minutes in bed after the events of last night. But when you opened your eyes again, you knew that too much time had passed and that you were probably going to be late. You almost flew through the house, thankful that your mother was still sleeping even though you seemed to be making a lot of noise. During the school day, your mother woke up around lunch which allowed enough time for you to run home and prepare her a meal before you had to return for classes. With the money tight in your household, you could afford for someone to take care of her while you were gone, but at the same time, maybe that was best. While you wouldn’t mind the help, you knew that your mother would want you to keep your family name intact instead of announcing to others about her mental illness.

Grabbing everything that your hands could carry, you walked out of your apartment, too concerned with making it to school on time to care about your disheveled state. The walk to school wasn’t far, but you needed to get there early, at least enough for you to be able to slip a few pieces of food into your bag without bringing suspicion. Food was far and few at your house, so you were thankful that the tables at the Academy provided extra snacks in the morning. You only had to be careful not to attract any attention to the matter. Approaching the front stairs of the Academy, you found Sejanus waiting for you. Running towards your best friend, you wove through the crowd of students gathering on the stairs.

“Hurry,” he yelled towards you. “Sickle is asking students to find their seats. She has an announcement for us before the prize winner is announced!”

When you finally made your way to the top, he held his hand out for you to grab. Reaching out, you put your sweaty hand in his as he practically dragged you into the building. The assembly hall was practically right at the front of the school, just past the hall filled with food for the students to enjoy in the morning. Your eyes were glued to the tables as you felt the emptiness of your stomach. Noticing where your gaze was directed, Sejanus reached into his bag, pulling out a delicacy you only wished you could enjoy every day. On the days you were running late, your best friend brought along some of his Ma’s sweet buns for the two of you to enjoy during the morning. His family may have been from the districts, but man could his mother cook.

You had looked past the fact that his family was from the districts almost immediately. Arachne and some others warned you that you’d contract disease or worse, lose credibility to your name, something you knew that your mother would have warned you of too if she could meet any of your friends. But it didn’t matter to you. Adjusting to a new type of life was not unknown to you, so when the ten year old boy showed up at school with no idea how life worked in the Capitol, you were more than willing to help, regardless of the dirty looks people would give the two of you.

“Ew,” Sejanus joked, shaking your sweaty hand from his. “You’re not nervous are you?” he asked, as you began to nibble on the roll.

You scoffed, hoping he wouldn’t notice your unsteadiness. “Why would I be nervous?”

“Because you don’t stand a chance to win.” A voice rang out from behind you and Sejanus. The both of you turned to see Coriolanus Snow with Clemensia Dovecote glued to his side.

“Look what Daddy’s money dragged in. If it isn’t Stillwater and her little district pet.” Clemensia Dovecote. The one person you could rely on to make a sneer comment.

“Good morning to you too, Clemensia,” your best friend muttered beside you. “And you’re wrong, Coriolanus. Y/N has just as good of a shot as you do.”

“I’m not wrong,” the blonde boy stated, directing his attention to you. “District boy has nothing to worry. His father could provide him with a whole other prize. You, on the other hand,” Coriolanus walked forward, his blue eyes piercing into yours, “don’t stand a chance.”

You didn’t know where Coriolanus Snow grew his conceitedness from. His cousin was so different from him. You had only met Tigris a few times whenever she’d stop by at the Academy or you saw her at some of the stores in the area where you two lived. She seemed to have such a kind heart, her smile sending warmth through you. She was very different from her cousin, who was nothing but ice cold.

“That’s enough, Corio,” Clemensia brushed her hand down his arm to calm him down. There was something sensual about the way she reacted toward him, but he almost didn’t seem to notice, too focused on staring you down.

You grasped onto Sejanus’s arm, whispering to him that you wanted to go. Snow still hadn’t looked away from you, waiting until you had turned away yourself and making your way down to the hall. Professor Sickle stood at the podium, an envelope in her hands. It was the name of the winner, no doubt, but seeing it in her hands just made you more anxious as you and Sejanus found a spot towards the side of the room.

“Please, please! Find your seats, students.”

As you finished your breakfast, you could feel your heart pounding in your chest. Although Sejanus had told you that there was no reason to worry, it didn’t stop you from having doubts circling your mind. What if you WEREN’T qualified enough to win? What would you do after the Academy? There was no way you were going to be able to afford University and then the secret of your family’s misfortune would be out and would officially bring you into ruin.

Finding a seat next to another one of your classmates, Sejanus sat in the empty seat next to you, awaiting Sickle to give her announcement. It couldn’t be any more important than announcing the winner of the Plinth Prize. You sat on your sweaty hands as your professor tapped the microphone in front of her, sending feedback through the entire auditorium and unintentionally silencing the students.

“Ooh!” Sickle exclaimed, briefly taking a step back before walking back up to the podium. “Students, as you know, the Pinth Prize is a prestigious award given to the top contender of the graduating class, provided by none other than Strabo Plinth.” A light applause circled the room. “This has always been determined by stewardship, character, and most importantly, the grades to prove you have what it takes to move onto University. This year, however, things will be different.”

A murmur filled the room as students turned to one another, trying to figure out why things were all of a sudden changing. You turned to your best friend to see if he had any explanation, but he was seemingly as clueless as the rest of the class.

“We have been asked to let our top 24 contenders compete for the prize with one final test, beginning tomorrow. In my hand, I hold the 24 names. If you are called, please file up to the front and the rest will be dismissed to class.”

Professor Sickle began to fiddle with the golden seal on the envelope to take out the slip of paper that was the only thing standing between you and the prize right now. There was nothing to be scared of, yet as you felt your heart pound in your ears and the heat fill your chest, you began to doubt yourself. The room was silent as everyone waited for their name to be called.

“Livia Cardew.” A head from the front of the auditorium popped up from the crowd and you rolled your eyes at the sound of the clicking of her heels. She was as prestigious and annoying as they come.

“Festus Creed.” Another person down.

“Clemensia Dovecote.” You watched as her slim form rose, herself looking down at a familiar head of blonde curls with a smirk on her face.

“Coriolanus Snow.” He stood up immediately after Clemensia, holding his arm out for her to grab. As they walked up together, every ounce of you wanted to throw knives at the back of their heads.

“Sejanus Plinth.” You looked to your side, his jaw tense and his eyes filled with confidence. You could hear snickers surrounding the two of you and Festus whispered a joke over to Livia, making them both crack up on stage. Daddy’s money. Just trying to prove he’s something he’s not. District boy. You’ll never fit in here. You wanted to grab ahold of his hand to reassure him, but he shot up too quickly, only briefly glancing down at you before hurrying up to the front, not wanting to listen to the comments of his peers.

Sickle continued to read off names until it was down to the final three. Your name was yet to be called, but you couldn’t help but wonder if you even made the cut. But that was probably just Coriolanus getting in your head.

Three. “Felix Ravinstill.” The president's son. No surprise there.

Two. “Pup Harrington.” You couldn’t NOT be on the list. You had the grades, the service hours, the professionalism. You had to be the last name.

One.

“Lysistrata Vickers.”

Your name wasn’t called.

You weren’t getting the prize.

Your life is over. Yet, in all of your disappointment, the only thing you could pay attention to was the piercing blue eyes digging into yours from the front of the room, telling you one thing. I told you so.

#coriolanus snow #coriolanus snow x reader #coriolanus snow x you #coriolanus snow fluff #coriolanus snow angst #coriolanus snow smut #tom blyth #tom blyth x reader #tom blyth x you #tom blyth fluff #tom blyth angst #tom blyth smut #coriolanus snow imagine #tom blyth imagine

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republicansaredomesticterrorists · 3 months

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#republican assholes #traitor trump #crooked donald #Jan 6th insurrection #maga traitors

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ef-1 · 1 year

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#i am joking except i am not and all of these options are plausible to me #f1 #2023 season >:)#THE WORD LIMIY IS TOO SHORT

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on-my-vigilante-sht · 1 year

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Capitol Punishment IX

Haymitch x Reader

Summary: The Capitol continues to torture it’s victors no matter how long ago they won through punishment, exploitation, and worst of all; their relationships.

A story in which Haymitch’s lover is a plaything for the Capitol.

Warnings: Canon level violence, rape (though never explicit), alcohol, murder, systemic poverty, exploitation, rebellion (?), more reliance on movie than book, suicidal thoughts, swearing, illness, pregnancy, miscarriage

Word Count: 3.3K

Part VIII | Masterlist | Part X

A/N Guys I have to have spreadsheets just to keep all the tributes straight

The next morning didn’t even feel like morning, you were too nervous about the games to sleep. So was Haymitch as you both whispered assurances in each others ears. Neither of you were stupid. While you were confident in Plutarch’s plan there was still a very real possibility that one or both of you would be killed by another tribute or the game makers. But you both suppressed those feelings, each reveling in their spouse’s touch.

But as the sun officially rose over the Capitol, you were torn from each other. Of course you each promised to find and protect the other.

You were flown to the arena with Katniss and Cinna. No one spoke a word except for a Capitol woman as she injected the tracker into you. It was just as painful as the first time eight years ago.

Once you landed you went to your tube first. “Your suit has no thermal. It’s thin and waterproof, I suspect a tropical climate,” Cinna explained to the both of you before becoming serious. “Y/N, it was an honor to work with such an iconic Victor. I’ll see you on the other side,” he said ambiguously. You knew he knew about the plan given all the designs he had shown you for Katniss in the future.

You gave him a tight lipped smile, stepping into the tube. The glass slid down encasing you while they went to Katniss’ tube.

You tried to calm yourself down, telling yourself that everything would be alright once you found Haymitch.

An automated voice informed you that there were 30 seconds until the timer as your platform was lifted. You were blinded by the simulated sun at you approached the top. The smell of seawater flooding your nose as you realized in horror you were surrounded by water. And you highly doubt they put you at the shallow end, you’d have to swim. Once you were fully settled on your platform and your eyes had adjusted, you scanned the arena. You were surrounded by water with rock runways leading to the center where the cornucopia sat. Behind you was beach with jungle laying just past that. You scanned the other tributes, horrified to realize that you couldn’t see Haymitch. Of course they’d put him where you couldn’t see him. But Annie was also stood on the next platform over. She looked like she was about to have a breakdown on her platform.

“Annie!” you called. She looked over at you, chest still heaving although you were glad to see relief wash over her features as she recognized you. “I can’t swim. Will you help me if I find Finnick for you?”

She nodded. 15 seconds left on the clock as you prepared. 10 seconds… 5 seconds… 3… 2… 1. The timer went off and you could see the other tributes dive into the water, many of whom also didn’t know how to swim.

Annie dove towards you, swimming surprisingly fast for such a small thing. Once she was only a couple feet away you slipped into the water, your head going under almost immediately. The water was so cold as you struggled to reach the surface, flailing your limbs desperately. A small hand grabbed one of your arms, tugging you up. Annie is too small to actually pull you out of the water but her touch managed to ground you enough to give you the sense to breach the surface. You took a large gulp of air as Annie helped support you. Together you doggie paddled your way to the rock runway which you desperately climbed up.

As you pulled yourself up onto the rocks you took a second, coughing and sputtering up the water you accidentally swallowed. As you were trying to regain your breath Annie started shaking your arm. You looked up to see one of the District 2 male tributes running at you with a sword and a determined look. But before you could even react he fell with an axe in his back. Johanna ran up, pulling the axe from his back, hitting him with it again before kicking his body back into the sea. “Run!” she yelled as she approached you. With her was one of her district partners, Blight, as well as Wiress and Beetee who was lugging a coil of wire.

She and Blight helped you up while also escorting Annie into the jungle. “Wait!” you called after a minute of running. “I need Haymitch and I promised Annie I’d help her find Finnick.”

“Trust me, we'll find them,” Johanna promised. “But right now we need to put as much distance as possible between ourselves and the others.”

As Haymitch stood on the platform he looked for his wife desperately. Seeing no sign of her he knew he’d have to find her at the cornucopia. As the clock was counting down he looked over, finding Finnick in one of the other wedges. They sent each other a nod of understanding. As the timer hit zero, Haymitch dove into the cold water, determined to get to you before another tribute could.

While Haymitch had never been swimming he understood the mechanics of it. After a couple seconds of mostly just flailing, he found a rhythm and made his way to the rocks. He managed to quickly pull himself up, running to the cornucopia. He reached it just in time as Katniss was about to put an arrow through Finnick. “Wait!” he called. He reached them both, stepping in between the pair. “He’s our ally.”

Before Katniss could protest Finnick spoke. “You find Annie, I’ll find Peeta,” he said, already running off.

“Hay-” Katniss started to shout angrily as her mentor grabbed a sword.

“Trust me, you want him as your ally. Keep your friends close and enemies closer and all that jazz.”

Katniss couldn’t get another word in, too quickly interrupted by Finnick calling that he found Peeta. They both ran towards his voice, finding Finnick handing off his trident to Mags before diving in. Peeta was desperately trying to crawl up back into his platform as one of the male tributes from 1 was trying to drown him. They both went under, a body floating up as Haymitch began to worry that it was Peeta who lost. But when blond hair breached the surface he and Katniss let out relieved breaths. As Finnick was helping Peeta onto the rocks he scanned the arena, unable to find you. Had you drowned? Had another tribute killed you? Or did you just run off into the jungle. Haymitch hoped it was the last one as Katniss started dragging the five of them towards the jungle.

“I can’t leave without Annie,” Finnick insisted. Haymitch felt the same about his wife.

“We’ll find her, she won’t be anyone’s target. Right now we need to get off this island,” Katniss insisted, running off with Peeta. Given that she needed to be protected the most, the two hopelessly in love men followed after her, praying that their lives were safe.

After a couple minutes of running Johanna had finally deemed the group “safe” and you were allowed to stop. “Y/N we have to find Finnick,” Annie almost immediately insisted.

“Not right now,” Johanna interrupted. We have no clue where they are and right now everyone is scattered. We’ll wait until everyone has settled for the night.

Annie looked reluctant but complied, settling down with Wiress.

“We have to find fresh water,” Blight said from beside you. Suddenly the canons started going off. You counted 16 deaths.

Once the canons were done you spoke. “Were there any supplies at the cornucopia?” you hadn’t even been able to get a good look of what was in it. It looked like mostly weapons.

“No, just weapons,” Beetee explained, messing with the wire despite the blood you noticed seeping across his shoulder.

“What happened?” you asked.

“Nuts over there just had to have the wire. Took a knife in the back to get it,” Johanna explained angrily.

“Okay so no supplies. They want this over quickly,” you scoffed. “They’re just trying to execute the victors without actually executing the victors.”

“We need to watch for others also searching for water in the jungle,” Beetee explained.

“We may also have to head back to the cornucopia. I don’t have any weapons,” you observed the others. Blight and Johanna both had axes, Beetee had his wire, Wiress was holding a small knife, rocking back and forth, and you knew that Annie would never pick up a weapon. “We can try to go when-” but you were interrupted by a beeping parachute. Everyone looked up with faces of confusion and surprise at a sponsor so soon in the games.

“God I hope it’s water” Blight wished as the parachute landed, getting tangled in some vines. Fortunately it was still withing reach as you plucked it from the flora.

You opened the box spotting a belt with various knives sheathed inside along with a note,

I look forward to seeing you after the games, Y/N. - Your clients

You had a sick feeling in your stomach, different from your usual nausea, knowing that this came from multiple people. But nevertheless you slung the belt onto your hips.

“Seriously? Already?” Johanna asked with disgust.

“It doesn’t come without it’s price,” you muttered. “Might as well get some use out of it rather than someone else.”

A look of respect crossed over her face. You surveyed the others, finding Wiress and Annie sharing what looked like chestnuts. “Woah wait, do you know for certain what those are?” you asked.

“Yeah, they grow in Victors Village in 4,” Annie explained.

You let out a sigh of relief, moving to sit by them. Annie held one out for you which you took. You were starving. You hadn’t been able to eat that morning and even if you were able to eat you’re sure you would’ve thrown it up anyway. Fortunately the fetus, maybe also starving, didn’t cause you to throw up the chestnuts and you were finally able to keep something down.

As you are you tried to talk with Wiress but she never responded and when she did it was nonsensical. Unsure of what was going on you instead turned your attention to the others.

You carried on for a little while after that but soon enough night fell and along with that were the fallen tributes in the sky. You were relieved you didn’t see Haymitch or anyone else you cared about but your heart broke for all of them. They all fought so hard however many years ago to survive in the hopes of living the rest of their lives in peace. Only for that life to be ripped away and for them to die cruel, terrifying deaths back in the arena. If only they could’ve lived just another day or two, maybe Plutarch could’ve gotten them out.

Meanwhile Haymitch and the others were all watching the fallen tributes in the sky, everyone relieved to not see yours or Annie’s faces.

As night settled over both groups, you and Johanna both decided to take watch. You too a seat next to her, leaning up against the tree she was also leaned on. “Do you miss him?” she suddenly asked.

“Yeah, I do. But he wasn’t in the sky so we can find him and Finnick tomorrow.” You looked at Annie who was curled into a little ball a couple feet from you.

“I can’t believe they put her back in here,” Johanna scoffed. “Any of us but her especially.”

“I’m convinced the word ‘cruel’ doesn’t exist in the Capitol. They’re so desensitized they don’t even know what it means. And Snow knows, he just doesn’t care. All he cares about is making sure people know that you can’t ‘overcome the power of the Capitol,’” you mocked his words.

Johanna hummed in agreement. “I’m sorry about what happened to you.”

“I’m sorry about what happened to *you,” you returned, referring to the fact that Snow killed everyone she loved for her refusal to become like you.

Your heart to heart was then interrupted by what sounded like the ringing of a very heavy bell with a menacing sound. 12 chimes. It woke the others up just in time for them to watch a large tree be struck by lightning a few times. “What the hell?” you murmured.

“Tik tok,” Wiress then suddenly muttered. “Hickory dickory dock, the mouse ran up the clock. The clock struck one, the mouse went down, hickory dickory dock.”

“Wiress? Are you okay?” Annie asked. But Wiress just continued on with the nursery rhyme.

“I think she may be in shock. Dehydration isn’t helping either,” Beetee explained.

“You think you could bat your eyelashes and get us some water?” Johanna asked you sarcastically.

“Beetee makes all their gadgets for them, make him do it,” you protested.

“Do you think the thundercloud that made the lightning will also rain?” Annie asked from her position still sat on the ground.

“It’s not raining now, doubt it will. The game makers a probably only made the lightning strike,” Johanna dismissed.

“Tiktoktiktoktiktok,” Wiress’ repetitions got louder, catching everyone’s attention. She was looking up at the sky so all of your gazes followed, spotting a heavy looking cloud crawling over your spot. Almost immediately after you all noticed it, rain started pouring from the sky.

You and the others initially eagerly reveled in the cooling drops on your skin but you all came to the quick and horrifying conclusion that it was blood. Blood was pouring from the sky so thick and so fast it was becoming blinding. While you were still able to open you eyes all you could see was red. You had managed to stumble underneath a tree which gave you temporary relief but soon enough the leaves were saturated and pouring blood on you as well. You were still able to see enough when Blight stumbled away from the rest of you, trying to find cover when he was suddenly electrocuted, flying back five feet.

You couldn’t tell who else witnessed it but the second you opened your mouth to shout for him, it filled with blood. You’ve had your fair share of injuries that resulted in bleeding in the mouth and you were no stranger to the horrible taste of blood but now you were gagging on it. It was so bad you felt tears well in your eyes as you continued to choke on the thick, hot, blood for god knows how long.

It eventually lightened up enough for the group to collect themselves. “We have to get to the beach,” you said, blood still finding its way into your mouth. The rain was still very much there except now you could all see. So you all headed out of the jungle, passing Blight’s blood soaked and charred body.

As you got closer to the beach, you heard a scream come from what sounded like across the arena. “Anyone recognize that voice?” you asked. The others shook their heads.

“Good, someone we don’t have to care about,” Johanna dismissed bitterly, continuing on. By now you were withing sight of the beach, just in time to see a giant wave crest over it’s wedge in the sea. It stopped once it reached the cornucopia, the wave forming a 90° angle once it reached the cornucopia. Annie, spotting the wave, clutched your arm, stumbling back a little. There was pure terror in her eyes. You remembered that’s how she won her games, she witnessed the drownings of the last handful of kids in her arena. She had somehow miraculously survived.

“Hey, it’s okay. It stopped, it’s gone” you tried to soothe. “Besides, you’re District 4. You and Finnick can handle a few waves, yeah? You’re okay, it’s not coming back,” you promised.

Annie nodded hesitantly as she allowed you to continue to lead her to the beach. You all stumbled out onto the sand, having to coax Wiress out into the open.

“Annie?!” a shout called, causing you all to turn.

You recognized that voice. And so did Annie. “Finnick!” she called back, running towards him.

Haymitch was half frozen in place staring at his wife covered in blood. He wanted to cry he was so relieved to see you but so worried seeing your blood covered state. You spotted him first, running towards him. He met you, opening his arms to catch you in a tight hug. “I was so scared one of those canons was you,” Haymitch whispered against your hair.

“Me too,” you muttered back.

“Are you... both okay?” he whispered hesitantly, trying not to clue anyone else in, both Capitol and tributes.

“Yeah, I think so,” you nodded.

“Good. Now what happened?” he asked, pulling back a little to observe all the blood.

“It’s not mine,” you clarified. By now all the others had joined you. “It was raining blood in the jungle.”

“Hot, thick blood. It was choking us. We were stumbling around gagging on it, blind,” Johanna practically screamed angrily. “That’s when Blight hit the forcefield.” She took a deep breath. “He wasn’t much but he was from home.”

Wiress then came over, muttering “Tik tok.”

“What’s wrong with her?” Katniss asked.

“She’s in shock. Dehydration isn’t helping. Do you have any water?” Beetee asked.

“We can get some,” Katniss answered. She then looked at you. “Glad you’re still alive.”

“Same to you,” you replied to the emotionally stunted girl. “Hey Peeta,” you smiled, welcoming his incoming hug.

By now Wiress and Johanna were struggling as the woman from District 3 was frantically trying to communicate with her. “Hey, get off her!” Katniss yelled, defensive of Wiress already. She pushed Johanna into the water, forcing Finnick and Haymitch to separate them.

“Stop it!” Haymitch yelled. “You’re allies now.”

“I got them out for you!” Johanna shrieked as Finnick pulled her away.

“For me? What does that mean?” Katniss asked, confused.

“She knew that’s what it’d take to get you as an ally,” you tried to explain. “C’mon, Wiress and I need help cleaning up,” you changed the subject. “You all should clean up too,” you suggested, gesturing to the people you hugged who now had blood smeared across their clothing. You, Katniss, Peeta, Wiress, and Haymitch all waded into the ocean, trying to rid yourselves of the blood.

Haymitch tried to help you scrub the blood out of your hair but it never seemed to fully come out so you gave in, tying it back with blood still faintly trailing your neck and chest. “C’mon,” Haymitch suggested gently, bringing you back to the beach. You sat down on the sand with Finnick, Annie, and Beetee.

“Hey, Y/N,” Finnick caught your attention. “Thanks for looking out for Annie.” She smiled at you from her position by his side.

“I’d still be stranded on that platform if it weren’t for her,” you explained.

“I think this stuff is too friendly for the Capitol,” Haymitch remarked sarcastically.

You laughed, stroking his hair from his eyes. “How’s sobriety? Real, cold-turkey sobriety?” you clarified

“Awful,” he muttered.

Your nice peace circle was then suddenly interrupted by Katniss running up to you all. “Guys it’s a clock!”

Part VIII | Masterlist | Part X

#haymitch #haymitch x reader #haymitch abernathy #haymitch abernathy x reader #thg #the hunger games #the hunger games x reader

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