#hunger games prequel

[vivicendium]

i think something that elevates the hunger games franchise is not just the quality of writing but the integrity of it. tbosas isn’t just a cash-grab by suzanne collins in the age of sequels and reboots (though i won’t pretend that didn’t play a part), it’s a character study of the main antagonist with a different structure than the main trilogy. and importantly, it doesn’t just re-hash the same old themes and beats the main trilogy had, it expands on not just the world of the hunger games but the themes as well, it actually has something new to say about the trilogy’s themes about class, capitalism, power, and control, in a way that couldn’t be explored with the main story because the protagonist of that story simply did not have access to the world that’s being explored in tbosas.

i understand the people who call for books/movies to be made about haymitch, finnick, johanna, different years of the games — we love those characters and want to see more of them! i’d kill for a novella on finnick’s days mentoring tributes, or katniss’s parents falling in love. but at the end of the day we probably wouldn’t be very satisfied with those stories being fleshed out if they had absolutely nothing new to say about the world, they’d be enjoyable, but not as interesting and engaging as tbosas has been.

#the hunger games #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #thg #tbosas #lucy gray baird #coriolanus snow #finnick odair #johanna mason #haymitch abernathy #thg series #thg meta #hunger games prequel #been thinking about this since i read tbosas tbh #rachel zegler #tom blyth #josh andres rivera #movie industry

[two-white-butterflies]

silver spring | coriolanus snow

Description: Coriolanus Snow knows that he shouldn't have ended up this way. He knows that he was destined to be something better. The woman sleeping beside him is a testament of his reckoning, Lucy Gray is a ghost that he tries to forget. (Snow and Reader's marriage told through the cold beliefs of Coriolanus.)

Pairing: young-president!coriolanus snow/wife!reader

Warning: childbirth, major character death, angst, snow is haunted by lucy gray's memory.

"Time cast a spell on you But you won't forget me." - Fleetwood Mac.

[...] He was glad about the erasure. It was just another way to eliminate Lucy Gray from the world. The Capitol would forget her, the districts barely knew her, and District 12 had never accepted her as their own. In a few years, there would be a vague memory that a girl had once sung in the arena. And then that would be forgotten too. Goodbye Lucy Gray, we hardly knew you.

"Are you alright?" you cleared your throat seeing him in deep thought. There was always something mysterious inside the man that you married - he was always deep in thought. "You came to visit?" he seemed disinterested in what you had to say. "I-they told me that you didn't eat dinner yet," you managed to choke out.

He was very clear and precise. He told you that he couldn't stand you - that he hated you, and it was the very reason that you were wed.

An amused chuckle exits his mouth. "Aren't there more important things to have your attention?" he raised an eyebrow, staring at you up and down with that incredulous stare.

You seemed to amuse him - to some extent.

"- like running our household or gossiping with your friends." he mused, returning back to his paperwork. His statement made you feel awry, you were never the one to listen to gossip - the suggestion that you should do that only cemented the fact that he didn't know you - didn't bother enough to know you. "I was worried that you'd starve without dinner." you took another step forward.

He shakes his head.

"I will not die without dinner." he scoffed - dismissing you.

It was late at night when Coriolanus stumbled inside your room. By then, he could hardly make out the outline of your body on the bed.

He couldn't believe that the woman he hated - had finally become his wife. "Coriolanus," you mumbled - eyes trying to adjust with the dim light. "Did I wake you?" he removed his jacket, surprised at his tone. "N-No," you stuttered. A meek prey against him.

You moved slightly, leaving him enough space to lay beside you.

Coriolanus was surprised that you slept that quick - though, perhaps he was also thankful. He didn't want to create a reason for small talk. Your purpose in his life wasn't to be loved - it was to create children, and to strengthen his political prowess.

The moment he set his eyes on you - he vowed to never love or care for you. He couldn't afford to love again. He knows what love feels like - Lucy Gray manipulated him, both body and soul. Until now he doesn't know if she is truly dead. He wishes that she is.

He is snapped away from his thoughts again.

This time, you wrap your arms around him. His eyes widen in surprise, he opens his mouth to speak but he relents seeing your sleeping figure.

He may hate you, but it does not stop him from finding you beautiful.

It was a few months later when he sees you again - this time with good news. "They tell me that our child is the size of a small ball." you smiled, reaching for his hand and placing it on your stomach. This was one of the few moments where he showed his love. You were sat on his lap, almost inhaling his scent at the proximity.

It was all for show, you thought. He had guests in the courtyard, and they could see you from the window.

"I've thought of names, but I wanted you to choose too." you continued, licking your pink lips. Oh, Coriolanus wanted nothing than to kiss those lips right now - but alas, his ambition ruled him. "What are they?" he continued rubbing your belly.

"Brutus, if it is a boy and Lucy-"

"No, not Lucy. Something else." he demanded, interrupting you. "Josephine," you quickly replace and he nods.

"- but if there are other names that you prefer, you may choose." you stared deep into his eyes. "You bleed, you decide." he whispered, his hands trailing up to your neck. "Kiss me," he suddenly demanded.

"What?" your eyebrows merged into each other.

"There's people watching, kiss me."

And you obeyed him.

"As pure as the driven snow," you mumble while soothing the pain in your stomach. "What did you say?" Coriolanus raised an eyebrow. "Our child is as pure as the driven snow," you repeated - almost seeing his face in a dream. "Where did you come up with that?" he chuckled, slowly used to your company.

"You mumbled it in your sleep." you responded, continuing to write on your journal. "Well, I can't remember saying that anymore." he shrugged, feeling paranoia gnaw at his bones.

Lucy Gray, let me live.

"It sounds familiar, it's from that tribute - I watched her then, but its been so long I can't even remember." you chuckled, Lucy Gray Baird, the songbird from District 12.

You were enamored by her - intrigued by her voice. Your husband seems to be the same. "Is that why you wanted to name our child Lucy?" he questioned, her name tasted bitter on his tongue. "No, of course not - you'd never approve." you scoffed.

"Why wouldn't I? I don't know Lucy Gray personally." he lied once more, maintaining his narrative. "You told me that the Games were created to remind the Districts of what they are - animals." you remembered, not fully believing his speech. "You would hate me if I named our child after an ... well, someone that you hate."

"Good, and don't mention Lucy Gray ever again." his eyes narrowed.

part two >>

#coriolanus snow x reader #coriolanus snow #coriolanus snow x you #coriolanus snow x lucy gray #angst #hunger games prequel

[itskeisy]

The Hunger Games Arenas

The 10th Hunger Games

The 74th Hunger Games

The 75th Hunger Games

#the hunger games #thg #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #ballad of songbirds and snakes #tbosas #hunger games prequel #hunger games arena

[http-finnick]

𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 - 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐬.𝐬

coriolanus snow x fem!reader

summary: you and coryo run into the meadow for a picnic date

cw: fluff, kissing, coryo is not evil.

the weeds tickle your ankles as you giggle through the hills, the sun warming your blood as your dress flows with your running

"can you hurry up?" you yelp as he rolls his eyes, head freshly buzzed and tank top just washed, he speeds up.

you smile when he's finally in reach, grabbing his shoulders before staring in his blue eyes

"well, is this the spot?" he asks, breaking you from your trance as you quickly nod. he swings the basket on the grass and lets the wind unfold the blanket before placing it at your feet

as you relax under the sun he passes you bread and berries. your teeth sink into the blackberry as he snaps a piece of hearty bread.

you move to lay on your stomach when you notice a lonely ladybug crawling on your blanket, letting her crawl on your fingertips as you feel a light tickle on the loose strands of your hair.

in a few minutes, you look back to see your hair decorated with wildflowers and grin to see Coryo trying to look oblivious. As you let the ladybug crawl off your finger you move towards him.

his lips are plump and redden from the strawberries and you lean to kiss them. he smiles into the kiss, moving on top of you so you lay relaxed into his love. when your sweet kiss is finished he hovers over you with an arm resting above you, studying your face like it's the first time he's seen it.

you blush under his gaze and try to look back into the meadow but his hand guides you back to him before laying another kiss on you.

an: hiii guys! i'm so happy to be posting for coryo! I hope you guys enjoy it! <333

#coriolanus snow x reader #coriolanus snow #coryo snow #tbosbas #tbosas #bosbas #thg headcanons #thg fanfiction #thg x reader #the hunger games #the hunger games fanfiction #the hunger games fic #the hunger games rp #hunger games prequel #thg #hunger games fanfiction #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #the ballad of songbirds and snakes fic #tbosbas fic #tbosbas fanfiction #tbosbas imagine #coriolanus snow fanfiction #coriolanus snow fic #coriolanus snow imagine #president snow #coriolanus x reader

[poetic-gays]

The moment Snow got his curls shaved off is when he became evil

#coriolanus snow #president snow #coryo snow #the hunger games #hunger games #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #ballad of songbirds and snakes #tbosas #suzanne collins #hunger games prequel #thg #tbosas movie #panem

[chupenguin]

btw we know that in thg games the victory tour goes from 12 to 1 and finaly the Capitol and I love how stupid the roadtrip is like What is this, I know that it makes some kind of sense going in district order but the route looks so funny

the 5 to 6 to 7 part is my favorite like what the fuck

#coriolanus snow #president snow #the hunger games #hunger games #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #coryo snow #ballad of songbirds and snakes #panem #tbosas movie #hunger games prequel #suzanne collins #tbosas #thg #katniss everdeen #the hunger games peeta #peeta mellark #everlark

[myfandomprompts]

"Quite the rebel."

Coriolanus Snow in Hunger Games - The Ballad of the Songbirds and Snake (2023)

#i'm sorry I had to #coriolanus snow #hunger games #coryo snow #coryo #hunger games prequel #gifedit #usermyfandomprompts #hunger games the ballad of songbirds and snakes #hunger games ballad of songbirds and snakes #hgtbss

[plasma-studios]

ok but Suzanne Collins made the right choice setting the prequel in/from the Capitol's perspective. Aside from giving Snow his villain origin story (i personallly think he's always had villainous traits, but if the idea of control hadn't been instilled in him by Dr Gaul, he might not have grown into a fully fledged villain) it really expands on the perspective of Capitol citizens.

It's so easy to think of such a group of characters in dystopian settings as a mere plot point to 1) back up the main big bad 2) show a contrast against the suffering of the "common people" (i.e. the districts). However, it's really easy for this to become a black and white comparison, esp since a lot of dystopian books fail to capture the nuance of THG and see dystopian setting as aesthetic backdrops, not as a way to criticise and point out real world issues as THG did.

The issue with the black and white comparison is that it often doesnt delve into the actual reasoning and factors behind how and why the Capitol became what they were in Katniss' time, and as we know, history almost repeated itself with Coin.

I'm not saying the Capitol was justifed in their actions, I'm saying TBOSAS showed how it got that far. By Katniss' time, the Capitol had become so powerful they held the "big bad" role of the villains in most dystopian worlds, but that naturally resulted in a pov that couldn't explicitly flesh out the factors behind the Capitol's moral degradation. Although by the end of Mockingjay, seeing the same things pop up in the rebellion and Coin definitely called it into question (and with enough reading comprehension one also wouldve extrapolated it from the og trilogy anyway). Whether or not there was light in the Capitol's darkness, whether or not there were those who fought against the Hunger Games, in the end their darkness still swallowed the light.

i get that people (by people i mean me) want installments of characters that we already know (e.g. Finnick, Johanna, Haymitch, etc) or even new characters with a perspective that we're used to (e.g. maybe a victor from another district, but still from the districts), but I truly think that the impact would not be as powerful as either the original trilogy or TBOSAS because, we already know the districts are suffering. It's made abundantly clear, the cruelty and exploitation. It's so cruel that one thinks, how did things get to this point?

Then you look at TBOSAS and think,

oh, thats how.

#finnick odair #johanna mason #katniss everdeen #the hunger games #spoilers #the hunger games spoilers #tbosas spoilers #tbosas #coriolanus snow #president snow #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #ballad of songbirds and snakes #bosas #bosas spoilers #hunger games prequel #hunger games #thg #suzanne collins

[popsatasteofriverdalepodcast]

Riverdale Hunger Games?

#riverdale #archie andrews #jughead jones #veronica lodge #betty cooper #don't forget to chime in in the tags! #and if you like this poll check out the podcast! we're fun i promise #hunger games #the hunger games #hunger games prequel

[aviawrites]

may the sun dawn on panem (tbosas)

𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴: 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥!𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥!𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘰���𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘴

𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘺: 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘢 𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘰𝘮’𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘊𝘰𝘻𝘢𝘩, 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘸 𝘶𝘱 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘛𝘪𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘴 𝘚𝘯𝘰𝘸. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘊𝘰𝘻𝘢𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘳, 𝘊𝘰𝘻𝘢𝘩 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯. 𝘌𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘚𝘯𝘰𝘸. (2.6𝘬)

𝘢/𝘯: 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘪 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴, 𝘪 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴. 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘈 𝘉𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘥 𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩! 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘪𝘮 𝘳𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘺/𝘯 𝘳𝘯😎 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘪𝘭𝘺<3

𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺, 𝘺𝘯 𝘪𝘴: 𝘤𝘰𝘻𝘢𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘰𝘮 (𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘦-𝘶𝘩)

Your eyes, wide and tear filled, are glued to the screen. Lucy Gray looks down at your tribute, stroking his face as foam continues to flow from his lips. All of your naive hope is lost as Jessup’s face is replaced with the Hunger Games title card and Lucky’s eccentric voice breaks you out of your trance.

“Annndddd that is it for Jessup Diggs and mentor Cozah Highbottom, a hard sight to see indeed but not hard enough for you to turn off your televisions, am I right?” He delightfully laughs, his artificial smile being a stark contrast to the knot that’s tied itself in your stomach.

You slowly look over to Coriolanus, the man who’s supposed to be your partner. His eyes are just as wide as yours as he stares back at you. He begins to speak, placing a hand on yours. There’s no time for him to get in a word before you shove him off of you and storm out of the hall, throwing your Academy pin on the marble floor. 

The fresh air outside of the school does little to calm you, an angry snarl plastered on your face as your walk begins to turn into a jog. You were stupid to ever think you could trust Corio. The boy you grew up with has changed. The games changed him, Lucy Gray Baird changed him. He’s turned into a Capitol elitist who will clearly stop at nothing to make sure Lucy Gray wins. Not even murder was below him.

The footsteps running up behind you are ones you recognize, though, they don’t make you turn around. If anything, they make you walk faster. Nevertheless, they quickly catch up to you and expectantly, a hand pulls on your shoulder. 

“Cozah-“

You snap around, unable to keep your composure at his touch. 

“I should’ve never sent that water. I should’ve never trusted you.” You sneer, your unique and oddity of a District 12 accent growing thicker the more emotional you become.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think that he’d-“

“You knew exactly what would happen but you let me send it anyway.”

“What- No! I meant for it to scare him not to…” He trails off.

You step closer, staring up into his saxe eyes; though you’re only seeing red. 

“I know you, Corio.” You assure him, “I should’ve known better.”

His brows furrow, his frosty hair softly blowing in the cool front. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“‘Snow lands ontop,’ Right?”

He rolls his eyes as the silly phrase he says suddenly becomes fuel for fire.

“Come on-“

“You knew about the drones. You knew I hadn’t seen when Pliny sent his and you knew I thought they functioned perfectly fine. You wanted Jessup to die so your little Songbird can win and you’ll get your stupid money.”

He shakes his head, “How can you say that? I would never do that it’s- That’s not who I am.”

You shake yours, unsurprised that he hasn’t seen how he’s differed yet. 

“You’ve changed, Corio. ‘Cause now that’s exactly who you are.” 

➵ ➵ ➵

You sit beside the rest of the shunned mentors at the back of the hall as Dr.Gaul’s snakes slowly glide across every part of Lucy Gray’s body. She continues to fearfully sing as the reflective serpents continue to slither, but never bite.

“It must be her singing!” Corio stares at the screen. 

The mentors have all risen to their feet, looking intently as the seemingly docile snakes seem to sway around her. 

“Get her out!” Tigris shouts, the rest of your class agreeing with her in a loud chant.

Dr.Gaul finally gives the order. The crowd erupts in applause and smiles as a helicopter is sent to her. You only stare at the live feed, stone faced as you reminisce on all of the innocent children that lost their lives. But that’s not the only thing that takes your attention. 

When Clemensia disappeared, reportedly to the flu, you and Tigris were the first people Coriolanus ran to to tell the full truth. And with that truth came some knowledge on Volumnia’s snakes. You’ve only seen them once or twice in your life when you were allowed into Gaul’s office. But from those few visits you were positive those slippery things weren’t going to bow down to just any old girl. Especially not because they want to gather around and listen to her song. There’s only one way those snakes wouldn’t be biting Lucy Gray. 

Coriolanus holds Tigris close, laughing as the cheers slowly die out and the hall clears. Soon after, it’s only you and them left. Though, you’re not sure they notice you after their big win.

You take a breath, aware of the flood gates you’re preparing  to open.

“How’d you do it?” You ask, your voice echoing through the bare command center. 

Both Tigris and Coriolanus jerk their heads around, startled. 

“Coze.” He smiles, not hearing your question. 

You don’t smile.

“First, you deceive me. Then, you kill my tribute. And now you cheat so that his ally can win the games for you.” You lay it all out, looking down at them from the stands. “That’s low, Coriolanus.”

The cousins look at each other before looking back to you.

“Wh- What are you talking about?” He inquires.

“You know, your father died to this same poisonous power. These games are a goddamn virus. They’re serpents who have already slithered their way around you.” You scorn, finally being able to say what you need to say. “Those snakes don’t calm easy, Coriolanus.”

He stares, warily tilting his head at you. “…It was her singing.”

“And snow falls beneath grass.” You highlight his ridiculous and impossible implication with your own. “Singing wouldn’t work worth a damn and you know it. We all know it.”

“He didn’t cheat, she’s calmed a snake before.” Tigris defends, holding onto his arm.

“You haven’t seen ‘em, not how they really are. Theres only one way they’d allow her to live-“

“Coze-“

“And it’d be a damn shame if my father connected the dots and they led back to his own student.” You stare dead in his face, his glance faltering. 

“He didn’t cheat.” Tigris claims once again.

“They only keep from biting if they know your scent. Do you really think Lucy Gray has been within 10 miles of them in her life, Tigris?”

She stops, doubt now in her eyes as she stares from you to Coriolanus, who can’t stop staring at you. You can’t tell if it’s fear or hate in his eyes but it seems to be burning him from the inside and seething onto you. 

“Who have you become, Cozah? You’d never do this before the games.” He deflects in an angry whisper.

“I didn’t know you were a cancer before the games. Now you kill kids for money.” You coldly reply.

He says nothing. You can almost see him physically accept his fate as he looks at you once more before walking out. Knowing what he wants, you begin walking down from the stands, you and Tigris following behind him. 

The silent walk seems to last hours before the three of you are walking past the old zoo, and  Coriolanus finally decides to speak up. 

He walks toward the bars, softly running his fingers along them.

“This is where I first properly saw Lucy Gray. From the moment I met her I knew she was worth meeting. Worth saving.” He nods as if he’s reliving the memories for  himself. 

He turns to you, “I had her equipped and prepared to win fairly. It wasn’t until Dr.Gaul aired her announcement that my plan changed.”

Both you and Tigris listen intently. She has an expression of confusion while you have one of knowing. A blue bird chirps, landing above the bars.

“The night of the bombs I visited her here. I did all I could but she was so scared…” He reminisces, slightly snapping out of it as you wait for the part you want to hear. “I wiped her tears. It was a cloth my father gave me. When I found out it was the snakes I just…” He shrugs, knowing that both of you knew what came next. 

“It had her scent.” You finish for him, wanting him to admit it a little more concretely. 

“It had her scent.” He nodded, his head down. 

You sigh, “It was a good move. Better than what I could’ve thought of. Though of course, I had no such chance as to devise a plan to save my tribute. He was dead the second Lucy Gray was in danger.”

“Coze, Jessup would’ve never made it-“

“Think hard about what you’ll say before you speak his name again.” You advise him.

He backs down, both him and yourself momentarily looking over at Tigris. Her pale hand is covering her mouth as tears fill her eyes.

“Oh, Tigris…” Coriolanus whispers sympathetically, grabbing her free hand and holding it tight.

“They’ll kill you, Corio. They’ll hang her and then you just to show what happens.” Her voice trembles. 

He rubs his lips together, knowing she couldn’t be far off. He looks over to you, knowing his life is now in your hands.

“Do you want me to hang?”

You pause, for the first time in your life genuinely contemplating if you want your best friend dead.

“You won’t hang, Coriolanus.” 

He badly hides his sigh of relief before nodding in what he thinks is a mutual agreement. You do the same, though you know he is far from out of the woods.

➵ ➵ ➵

“They’ll kill you, Corio, They’ll hang her and then you just to show what happens.”

“Do you want me to hang?”

“…You won’t hang, Coriolanus.” 

You stop the Jabberjay tape, having shown your father all he needs to see.

You sit across from him, tightly squeezed on the other side of his desk in the middle of the lecture hall. 

“What will you do?” You ask him. 

“Well, we could never hang them. Lucy Gray has already won over the Districts.”

“And Corio’s in the 24, it’d be too bad of a look.”

He twiddles his thumbs, examining the situation.

“What would you have done?”

“Me?”

“Well, yes.” He nods, “You got the crime, you had to have something in mind for the punishment.” 

You think for a moment, unsure of what the appropriate consequence is for cheating a government issued activity.

“I just want him to pay.” You shrug, “One way or another he has to pay for what he’s done. Not just for Jessup but for everything. Lying to me, incentivizing the games, all of it. He has to know that it’s wrong and he can’t get away with it.”

“Well…” Your father begins, “The Plinth money he’s meant to be rewarded for his victor hasn’t been issued yet. That’s all he really wants. But with this evidence, he won’t see a dime.”

You don’t even have to think on it before you agree to the punishment. Taking away what one never had is much more telling than taking away what they’ve already enjoyed.

➵ ➵ ➵

Your father confronted Coriolanus last night and you can’t help but think about it. It’s not exactly worry, certainly not guilt; you know what a man like him can turn into. It’s more an eerie feeling of him once being the closest friend you had and now being an enemy.

Attempting to distract yourself, you aimlessly walk through the Capitol. You’ve ended up in the penthouses, the ones you and the Snow’s used to run through the halls of all those years ago. 

You’re passing their very door when you notice a white and red slip on it. 

‘EVICTION.’ 

You stare, a highway of thoughts racing through your mind. The core emotion of feeling like you’ve lost some of your morale creeps in. Indirectly taking their home from them. But you quickly push the thoughts from your head, remembering that what you did was right. You continue walking, only making it a few feet before you see a familiar face resting on the wall of the wide hallway.

Tigris, face and hair as bland as you’ve ever seen it, waits for you to come near her. You keep your distance.

“You told.” She states. 

You only look at her. 

“We can’t pay it off, now” She points to the slip on her door. “You know, they’re sending him away because of what you did.” 

Your brows furrow, “What I did? Your cousin killed people.” You remind her. “He cheated the games.” 

“Games that your father made!” Tigris snaps, truly raising her voice at you for the first time. “How could you really be angry at him for doing what he could to win? It’s win or die, that’s how it always is.”

“My father may have made the games,” You keep your voice low and calm, “But Coriolanus is who turned them into what they are. They would’ve fizzled out and became a thing of the history books had he left them be, Tigris. But now…” You pause, “Every single death for decades to come is no longer on my father’s hands. They’re on Snow’s.”

She shakes her head, “You know he’s not a monster, Coze.”

“If you really believe that you’re more ill than I thought.”

“God, we used to be friends, Cozah! Not even a month ago!” She urges, attempting to keep her voice as leveled as possible. “Since we were children it was me, you, and Corio. We played in this same penthouse, we made board games in the dirt during the dark days. When we lost our parents we went through it together. Does that mean anything to you?"

Contemplation absorbs your mind, but nothing she’s saying is something you haven’t thought about before. The last few days have been a few of your hardest, no matter what it seems like. But you, unlike many, know how to put morals and what’s right above money and power and the godforsaken games.

You step toward Tigris. The gloss in her eyes chips a part of your heart away. Through all of it, she was innocent. You didn’t want to hurt her. 

“See, that was before, Tigris.” You begin. “But you and I know Coriolanus more than anyone does. And you know I'm right when I say he's different. You can follow him into madness if you'd like but I won't do it. The snow will melt one day and all that'll be left is the ashes of the fire. I won't go down with him and I don't want you to either, I really don't. Time is running out and I've made my choice. Now, you can fight with snow and ice, sure. But when the sun finally dawns on Panem, your choice will have already been made.”

She gawks at you, her mouth hung open but no words escaping.

“I know Corio; But I also know you, Tigris. You’re good. The most good I’ve ever seen in my life.” You admit. “So for the sake of yourself, Panem, your brother, and me…choose good. Choose to tell Corio he was wrong and uproot his corruption before it’s too late.” You grab both of her hands, kissing her knuckles, “You’re the only one who can.”

Gently releasing her hands, you exhale in relief. Now you’ve truly said all you can say, it’s up to the Snow’s what history they want to write. You place a sympathizing hand on her arm before walking away, having faith that your words got through to her. 

All you have now is the hope that Coriolanus stops himself from his free fall and Tigris be his net. If not, the chips will fall where they may. You just pray that the odds are in your favor. 

#hunger games imagine #hunger games #a ballad of songbirds and snakes #coriolanus snow #coriolanus x reader #tigris snow #abosas #hunger games prequel #hunger games fanfiction #lucy gray baird #hunger games spoilers #president snow #tbosas #tbosas imagine #the ballad of songbirds and snakes

[theysaidhush]

Tricky or sorry ?

Pairing: Young!Peacekeeper!Coriolanus Snow x Peacekeeper!Reader

Résumé: Fluff ? It takes a ballad into the woods for Coriolanus to realise that he absolutely despise how much he likes you.

A part of a story I miiiight post one day ??? I kinda understand why people says he’s crazy but still I think it’s more complicated than that ? Please feedback is appreciated !

“I don’t think we should be here.”

“It’ll be fine. No one know about this place.”

“Still!” you cried, clinging to his strong arm as you eyed the path you’ve just taken, trees closing behind your two form. “It can be dangerous, I don’t really like it.”

“What do you even like?” His question, which wasn’t aiming for an answer, was said so condescendingly that you frown, glancing at the unwavering look on his face which was looking forward.

You pinched his arm and let go of it, halting and crossing your arms with a pout. Still looking at the path before you, Coriolanus rolled his eyes at your antics before facing you. His lips twitched. It shouldn’t be charming, in fact he should be very annoyed, take your arm and force you to walk next to him until you’ve reached your destination. So why was he not submerged by this dark force who kept on telling him to crush everyone who would disobey him? It was there, the thoughts were there. But his fingers were itching for a different reason. How he wished he could simply wipe that expression out of your face by making you kneel before him.

“I’m sorry, okay?” 

He wasn’t. He was just amused and was having a hard time hiding it. He was very well known among his squad for being ‘Poker face’. But now, even you could tell he was almost making fun of you and your actions.

“Don’t apologize if you don’t mean it, I feel pitiful…” you frowned, offended at his poor choice of words and obvious lie.

“Look – can we just, walk?”

It wasn’t in his habits. It may very well have been the first time he stumbled upon his choice of words. Or not. He did talked to you before, it might have been the third or fourth time. He did not like it. Did not like how you were making him feel so childish, just like you were. Did not like seeing your eyebrows furrowed because of his doubtful and careless courses of actions.

Silent, you joined him and walked beside him, blindly following him wherever he was taking you. He should have been content to have you walk by him again, but he wasn’t, not entirely. Why weren’t you taking his arms, just like you did before. It was problematic.

Coming to a halt, you following suit, he gazed at you, seemingly lost in his thoughts. What should he do? Someone else would have been confronted, belittled or classified as ‘threat’. And you were classified as a threat. But the blond couldn’t help himself. He appreciated every hours and every minutes spent with you. You both were nothing more than Peacekeeper, and yet, with you, it seems like those days spent here were less annoying and painful, like they were before he met you. So the blond could not just act on his impulse and slam your head in a tree, like he imagined doing so many times before, when his feelings towards you were more confusing than enticing.

“You good?”

It was sickening. The way you still worried about him despite being the one who was hurt. And maybe that’s why he liked you so much. Because he knew that even if he dragged you along the ground, you would still look up at him and ask him if it his not hurting.

The mockingjays whistled high in the trees, their eyes turned toward your intertwined silhouettes. You stood still with red cheeks wide eyes and let out a shaky breath at the warmth which was engulfing you.

“I’m sorry.”

It was nothing more than a whisper, you almost missed it and only felt his hot breath in the crook of your neck. But like an echo, the mockingjays repeated it in the silent forest. It was haunting: the noise, the setting… Yet, you still welcomed him in your arms, hugging him back. He was genuine.

Or he tricked you into thinking that he was.

Or he tricked himself into thinking that he tricked you.

#coriolanus x reader #coriolanus snow #coriolanus x you #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #hunger games prequel #ballad of songbirds and snakes #coriolanus fanfiction #coriolanus snow x reader #coriolanus snow imagine

[lvstcd]

no time to die ⟶ finnick odair & oc [part 1]

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 | part 7 |

A/N: this is for my pookie ookie bear rese &lt;;3 happy birthday bbg

WARNINGS: swearing, mentions of death, mentions of torture, mentions of sex trafficking, weapons, trauma, smoking, pretty much all hunger games shit :)

SUMMARY: rhys marley was the youngest victor of hunger games, winning at the age of 12. 9 years later, she watches as her little cousin from district 12 tours around panem, a rebellion starting, and soon, chaos as the quarter quell comes to its beginning.

GENRE: angst, dystopian, fluff, slow burn, friends to enemies to lovers

WORD COUNT: 1.1k

oc - original character(s)

EDITED BUT THERE COULD STILL BE MISTAKES :0

lower case intended

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RHYS marley. the youngest victor of the hunger games. she won at the ripe age of twelve years old. nine years later, at the age of twenty-one years old, she sat in the victor village of district four, watching her little cousin from district twleve, zephyr marley, tour around panem with her fellow victor and lover, peeta mellark. she chews on a granola bar, watching intently, her long platinum blonde here tangled and thrown into a low messy bun as she had her black boyfriend framed glasses resting gently on the bridge of her nose, sliding down every couple of minutes, causing her to push them back up. she watched her cousin plaster on a fake smile as she read the words from the card that was given to her, some of the people in the districts yelling in anger and confusion.

she turns the tv down as she hears giggling outside of her mansion, the voices of finnick odair and annie cresta being heard. she stands up, walking over to her window and peaks out from behind the curtain, watching the pair laugh as they're wrapped up in each others arms. she steps away from the window, shuffling off to her bedroom, laying on her bed and staring at the wall, the sounds of birds chirping and wind banging against her window.

flashback

"finnick!" rhys yells, tears brimming her eyes as she watches her best-friend get reaped for the hunger games, her heart dropping to her stomach. she watches the reaping from outside, as she was only eleven years old, and not old enough to be reaped. her mother brushes her hair, holding her against her body tightly, "rhys, please." her mother whispers, tearing up as finnicks mother sobs next to them, gripping onto his fathers arm. rhys watches him get dragged inside the building while watching the other kids of district four leave, hugging their family and friends, grateful it wasn't them.

rhys looks at finnicks mother, sobbing, "please tell him to be careful. tell him to survive. he needs to survive." tears are streaming down her cheeks uncontrollably, her heart breaking inside of her chest.

weeks later, finnick arrives home, winning the hunger games. rhys waits outside of her house, fiddling with the hem of her skirt as she waits for finnick to arrive home. she stares at the ground, waiting, when she hears her name being called. looking up, she sees her bestfriend, his eyes scared and tired as he jogs towards her, his arms wide open. rhys stands up, "finnick!" she cries, running towards him and wrapping her arms tightly around his waist, sobbing into his chest. "you did it." she whispers into him, hearing him sniffle above her. "i did." he whispers back, hugging her tightly.

rhys blinks, zoning back into reality as she realizes it's past dusk. standing up, she grabs her bathroom essentials and walks to the bathroom, turning on the water to scalding hot and climbing in, letting the water beat against her skin, turning her red. "rhys?" her mother calls from outside the door, "are you in the shower?" she asks, listening in. rhys hums, "yes, mother. i just got in. do you need something?" she asks softly, rubbing her hands over her face. her mother tells her no and walks away, her footsteps gradually getting quieter on the other side of the door.

rhys finishes her shower, stepping out and wrapping the towel around her body. she dries her hair and brushes it, the platinum blonde strands hanging down to her lower back. she wipes the mirror off with her arm, looking at her reflection in the mirror, her baby blue eyes staring right back at her as she tries to recognize herself, the old image of herself no where to be found. she changes into pajamas and walks out of the bathroom and into her room, climbing into her bed and staring at the ceiling. eventually, her eyes close as she drifts asleep, the sound of crickets buzzing outside of her window.

flashback

"the female tribute of district four.." silence, no one dares to speak. "rhys marley." rhys' eyes widen as she looks around her, her heart sinking to her stomach as everyones eyes turn to her, watching her slowly make her way up the stairs and stand in front of everyone. she watches finnick from afar, his eyes widened and scared as he shakes.

rhys waits in the room, looking out the window as her family walks in, rushing to hug her as they let out a few tears. "you can do this, baby. i believe in you. do whatever it takes to survive." her mother whispers, hugging her tightly and kissing the top of her head as she brushes a few strands of rhys' hair out of her face, her thumbs caressing her cheeks. "mom." she whispers softly, "i love you. if i don't make it out of there, please tell finnick he's the bestest friend i ever had. please. dont forget me." her mother nods, letting out a sob as she grips onto her tightly, brushing her hair.

a couple weeks later, rhys arrives back home, her eyes widened and tired, the images of peoples bodies, blood, and chaos forever burned and engraved into her mind. she slowly walks into victors village, her mother running to her, sobbing and immediately wrapping her arms around her daughter, grateful she's alive. finnick runs out of his mansion, "rhys!" he yells, running as fast as he can to her, instantly wrapping his arms around her as he sheds a tear. "thank god." he whispers into her hair, holding onto her tightly as she silently stands there, emotionless and exhausted, her innocence forever destroyed.

rhys sits up, sweating and out of breath as another nightmare fogged her brain. she gasps for air, her eyes wide as she panics and looks around her dark room, slowly becoming aware of her surroundings. her mother shuffles in, rubbing her eyes. "you okay, baby?" her mother asks her quietly, climbing into bed with her. "it's okay, mama. i'm okay. just another nightmare." rhys whispers, rubbing her eyes and wiping the couple tears off of her cheeks. her mother ignores her, lying down next to her under the covers, wrapping her arms around rhys' body and brushing her hair. "it's okay, baby. i'm here. get some sleep." her mother whispers into her hair, humming softly as rhys nods and lays down, feeling at ease with her mothers presence. "thank you." rhys whispers, her eyes closing as she listens to her mothers peaceful humming, falling back asleep.

a few days later, rhys sits in the living room, her legs crossed and her hair thrown into a pony tail as she watches the tv, waiting for the news about the quarter quell, her mother and her father sitting beside her, watching as well. she watches president snow come up on the screen, her eyebrows furrowing as she stares at him, her hands shaking in anger.

"the male and female tributes are to be reaped from the existing pool of victors in each district."

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#the hunger games #hunger games #mockingjay #peeta mellark #finnick odair #hunger games oc #hunger games catching fire #hunger games mockingjay #finnick odair x oc #peeta mellark x oc #the hunger games trilogy #the hunger games the ballad of songbirds & snakes #thg series #hunger games prequel #hunger games fanfiction #hunger games peeta mellark #finnick odair fanfic #catching fire #hunger games angst #thg finnick #finnick x you #finnick x reader #finnick imagine #hunger games finnick #finnick x y/n #peeta x reader #peeta my beloved #peeta supremacy #peeta mellark x reader #peeta mellark imagine

[mistarover]

can't believe the same year that pjo gets a proper show, fuckin DAN HOWELL uploads a video. the hunger games is apparently getting a prequel. dude is the 2010's coming back

#dan howell #pjo #percy jackson #hunger games #rick riordan #dan and phil #danisnotonfire #the hunger games #hunger games movie #hunger games prequel #daniel howell #pjo disney+ #pjo show #pjo series #pjo tv series #deyjah talking

[itskeisy]

The rise and fall of Coriolanus Snow

#thg #the hunger games #hunger games prequel #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #ballad of songbirds and snakes #tbosas #coriolanus snow #tom blyth #lucy gray baird #rachel zegler #katniss everdeen #jennifer lawrence #peeta mellark #josh hutcherson #johanna mason #jena malone

[lyaksevna]

You look like your father, Coriolanus

#the hunger games #hunger games the ballad of songbirds and snakes #tbosas #coriolanus snow #corio snow #coriolanus snow fanart #hunger games art #hunger games fanart #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #art #artists on tumblr #illustration #fanart #president snow #hunger games prequel

[vivid-ink]

A Turn of Tables

Pairing: Coriolanus Snow x Lucy Gray Baird

Summary: It always seemed to come down to this dichotomy between them, his need to be in control and her desire to be free. She shrugged and narrowed her eyes at him with a pout, “You call it uncertainty. I say it’s spontaneity. There’s fun in being wild.” “Wildness is dangerous.” He replied. Immediately, her mood turned coquettish and she smirked at him, her dark eyes teasing, “Do you think I’m dangerous, Coriolanus Snow?” She disliked his constant need to be in control, but she relished the challenge of unravelling him, even if just for a short while. Lucy Gray was no stranger to the drives of men. She lived by her charms and spread kisses like honey to charm her audience. Men were all the same. She knew exactly how to unpick her beautiful Capitol boy. She knew how to drive him wild.

Warnings: Mature content, sexual content, MDNI. Content: Power dynamics, Lucy Gray's internal dialogue, handjob/blowjob. Word count: 2,999

Author's Note: I've officially ventured into the Hunger Games: TBoSaS fandom! Absolutely loving the ride so far. The original novel is great & the movie was absolutely brilliant too. Here's a little drabble that I couldn't shake and just had to put on paper. It is set within the events of the original novel so is canon compliant. I hope you enjoy it!

Tagging: @iluliluu @neteluvr @luvteyams

There it was again, that glazed and faraway look in his eyes. Those baby blues once so innocent and unguarded, now distant and cold; calculating. A deep knit was etched between his fair brows, pulling them low as he dwelled upon his ruminations.

Coriolanus Snow had changed.

Apart from the obvious loss of his flaxen curls, which had been shorn down to a scant prickle of blonde over his scalp, the changes had been subtle. However, Lucy Gray perceived the shift in him nonetheless. The naïve and warm boy who’d first greeted her at the train station, who’d mentored her and kept her alive in the Capitol arena, was gone. He’d evolved and been replaced by a young man with storm clouds brewing in his eyes, whose keen taste for order and control made him all at once her polar opposite and her most dangerous fascination.

The lilting hum of her latest melody dissolved in her throat and Lucy Gray sighed quietly. She was reclined with her head pillowed in his lap whilst he sat upright against a tree in the meadow. He was present with her, his body warm and real against hers, and yet he wasn’t here with her, not truly. Not when he was thinking so loudly, his consciousness so far afield wherever his thoughts had taken him.

The sudden absence of her tuneful humming caught his attention though, and Coriolanus dropped his piercing gaze to survey her with a raised brow, “Don’t stop. That was a nice one. Is it new?”

The worn gingham picnic blanket scratched at her elbows as she manoeuvred herself upright beside him. She scoffed and shot him a wry smile, “Why, I’m surprised you heard it at all, what with you being away with the fairies. But yes, it’s part of my newest composition.”

“Sorry, there’s a lot on my mind.” He turned to face her and she caught a glimmer of genuine contrition in his eyes.

A rather fat and stubborn gnat was flitting about his temple and Lucy Gray swatted at it to send it on its way. She took some time then to appreciate his face. He was handsome, had always been. His face was all pointy planes and harsh angles, but no longer sharp and drawn in the way it’d been back in the Capitol. Evidently the consistency of regular meals at the Peacekeepers’ base had filled his frame and face out to a more healthful appearance.

She smiled a small smile and ran a dainty finger down the side of his face before caressing his cheek with her knuckles, “It’s alright, I expect a Peacekeepers’ life is as gruelling mentally as it is physically. What’re you thinking ‘bout?”

Coriolanus leant into her touch, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply through his nose, “About the Mockingjays and how they’re an unnatural byproduct, unintended by nature, repeating songs of what they hear. About why people make stupid decisions that could implicate others who want nothing to do with their foolhardy plans.” He paused then, even though she sensed that he could’ve carried on, and his eyes fluttered open to disarm her once again, “But enough about all that. I want to think about you now.” He caught hold of her hand against his face and pulled it back gently so he could press several kisses to her knuckles and her wrist.

Lucy Gray couldn’t help the blushing smile that tugged at the corners of her lips at his actions. He could be sweet, her Coriolanus, and he’d always been gentle with her. But she knew deep down that he was at odds with this new life of his in District 12. Capitol-born and proud of his heritage, despite the hardship she knew he and his family had been plagued with growing up, he struggled with the modest existence of a Peacekeeper. She could see it in the brief flickers of disdain that sometimes made it past his carefully guarded expression; disdain for the mundane; disdain for the wild and unrestrained.

“You think too much.” She remarked nonchalantly, smoothing vibrant frills of her dress over her folded knees, “The present is a gift for us Covey. Enjoying life in the moment and appreciating the freedom to live as we please is wonderful. You should try it sometime, turning off all those thoughts in your head. Just be free.”

“But freedom comes at a price, doesn’t it? Without any routine, without organisation, it’s all unknown. Uncertain. Uncontrollable.”

Irritation rippled through her at his response. It always seemed to come down to this dichotomy between them, his need to be in control and her desire to be free. He didn’t understand, couldn’t understand the life she lived. She shrugged and narrowed her eyes at him with a pout, “You call it uncertainty. I say it’s spontaneity. There’s fun in being wild.”

“Wildness is dangerous.”

Immediately, her mood turned coquettish and she smirked at him, her dark eyes teasing, “Do you think I’m dangerous, Coriolanus Snow?”

His only response was a rough and deep chuckle that rumbled appealingly in his chest. His gaze clashed with her own dark chocolate orbs and she could see he was focused on her now, embers of something hot sparking alight in the depths of his blue eyes.

She repositioned herself so she was facing him better and cocked her head at him. She disliked his constant need to be in control, but she relished the challenge of unravelling him, even if just for a short while. Lucy Gray was no stranger to the drives of men and she knew exactly how to unpick her beautiful Capitol boy. She lived by her charms and spread kisses like honey to charm her audience. She’d done what she needed to in the past to keep the Covey alive.

Men were all the same. She knew how to drive him wild.

She saw him lick his lips and begin to lean towards her, and she knew what was coming. The kiss seared when their mouths met, the rose petal softness of his lips contrasting with the hot and blazing dominance of tongue. It was frightening how quickly he could render her breathless and stoke wicked desire throughout her body, but she reminded herself that she wanted to be in control today. She wanted him to relinquish his control and surrender to his surroundings and to her.

Long and strong arms wrapped about her frame as Coriolanus pulled her into his lap to straddle him. She decided she would allow him this initial bout of control. After all, she was rather enjoying the hard jut of his body’s visceral arousal between her thighs. She rolled her hips deliberately and her action earned her a ragged groan from him against the meld of their lips, his hands flying to clutch at her hips to press her harder against him.

He broke away to gasp into the crook of her neck, “I want you, Lucy Gray.”

“Shh, the Covey aren’t far.” She placated in a whisper, though she traced a daring lick against the shell of his ear nevertheless, making him shudder.

She knew her comment was an excuse. The Covey would give them their privacy, she knew that, but he wouldn’t have her today, no. She had other plans for him. She wanted to be the sole puppeteer today and he would be her marionette.

With a light push against his chest, she swung a thigh over him to unseat herself and she patted the blanket next to her, “Lie back.”

“Alright,” The look he gave her was curious and full of anticipation. He grasped the hem of his shirt and pulled the white cotton over his head, his dog tags clinking. He placed it on the grass beside him before lying back as he’d been told.

A sassy quip about having not given him permission to un-shirt himself was poised on the tip of Lucy Gray’s tongue, but she held it. She’d be a liar if she said she didn’t appreciate his bulkier physique now. The daily Peacekeeper drills along with consistent meals had laden his previously thin frame with a lean layer of defined muscle. He was quite the sight for sore eyes.

He reached for the linen ties of her dress where they closed the ruffles over her chest and he tugged one of them loose, wanting to see more of her. She swatted his hand away. No, she would be the one to decide if and when she wanted to afford him a view of her breasts. She chastised him with a reproving stare that was only half-hearted.

She bit her lip and smoothed a hand up his chest, applying a mild pressure to impose authority, “Behave. You might get what you want yet if you’re good.”

The grin Coriolanus graced her with was roguish, “Ok, we’ll play your little game.”

A pang of bother squeezed in her gut, but she ignored it. A little game. That’s all this was to him. He’d relinquish his control, allow what he perceived as a reversal in power, but only for a little while. Part of her pondered if he even saw her as his equal, as a free individual with her own thoughts and wishes, or if she was just a prize to be possessed, just the winning tribute to his triumphant mentor.

She struck up a hum of an old folk melody in her repertoire, from a song that spoke of new love in spring, of fresh flower fields that bloomed in springtime meadows. The tune was bright and flirty to begin with and it seemed appropriate for the occasion. She didn’t sing the words, opting instead to occupy her lips with kisses to the side of his face, his neck, his shoulder, and then his ribs and his navel. She delighted in the hushed whimpers that she elicited from him as she went about her charms, the fingers and palm of one of her hands caressing down his toned abdominals ever closer to where he was straining most for her touch.

An impatient grunt sounded from him and his hands moved to his belt. She smacked at his wrists again and he dropped them to his sides.

“Do you want me to beg?” Coriolanus’ voice was gravelly and thick with desire.

Lucy Gray toyed with the buckle of his belt at the waistband of his blue fatigue bottoms, “I don’t want you to beg darlin’. I just want you to enjoy the moment.”

“I’d enjoy it more if you actually touched me.” Came his tetchy response.

She giggled and hushed him with a languid kiss against his lips, “Shh, I don’t need a mentor here. You’re in my world now. My arena.”

She deftly undid his belt, pulling it free of the loops just enough to get to the button and zipper of his fatigues. The pop of the button came next, followed by the smooth slide of the zip. Her tantalising fingers slipped beneath the elastic of his white boxers and he gave a sharp hiss as the cool skin of her palm enveloped his hot erection. She gently pulled him free of his underwear, his hips raising slightly to help her pull his clothing down to his thighs.

It appeared Coriolanus had been holding his breath as his next exhale punched out of him in a throaty moan while she stroked him. Her name spilled breathily from him like an unbidden prayer, “Lucy Gray.”

She resumed her humming of the folk tune, the lyrics swirling absently in her head of hot summers and tender lovers. She relished in how his breaths were deepening, how his torso rose and fell with each one, and how the flat plane of his belly tensed and contracted to display the outline of his abdominals while he writhed under her ministrations. The long, blonde wisps of his eyelashes brushed the tops of his cheeks as his eyes fluttered, half-open and delirious in his pleasure.

Oh, how she thrilled at doing this to him, at having him like putty in her hands, even for this short time before he brought his guard up again. Mind you, the feel of him in her hand was anything but like putty. She grinned to herself, glancing down to where his length slipped hot and rigid in and out of her grasp. He was as imposing there as he was everywhere else. She supposed his height should’ve told her as much, that he’d be proportionate here too.

She felt the fingers of one of his hands snake around the wrist of her arm she was propping herself upright with. She turned her head to regard him again and found his eyes watching her intently, his lips parted and still moist with saliva from her earlier kiss. Deciding to excite him even further, she released his erection from her grasp to undo the ties of her dress. She briefly saw him about to verbally protest the loss of stimulation when he cottoned on to what she was about to do.

One at a time, Lucy Gray tugged free the linen strings at the front of her dress. The frilly neckline was fairly elastic, which allowed her to tug and stretch it down to rest below her bosom, framing her pert breasts. Coriolanus emitted a quiet whimper at the sight of her exposed to him and she almost laughed when she realised his hands had curled into tight fists at his sides. He was trying so hard to be good. He was singularly focused on her now.

She returned her attention to his cock, finding it even harder now that it’d already been. Squeezing and stroking at a consistent pace, she lapped up every single whine and groan that she proceeded to wring from him. A light sheen of perspiration was beading along his hairline and a flush was creeping its way down the fair skin of his neck and chest. She could feel he was close from the way his muscles contracted, the way his hips twitched, and his breaths hitched.

From their past encounters, he would’ve climaxed by now. A sliver of doubt began to creep within her about whether she was pleasuring him as well as she had before. She leant down over him a little more, allowing him to nose and kiss at her breasts. She whispered a husky question to him, “Does this feel good?”

His answer was tight with his pleasure, “Yeah.”

“Let go for me, Coriolanus.” She breathed throatily.

She resettled herself more upright again, continuing her stroking rhythm and making sure to run the pad of her index finger over the underside of the swollen head of him, where she knew he enjoyed it. He continued to watch her through his half-lidded gaze, and then Lucy Gray saw it.

A slight quirk of one corner of his lips and an almost imperceptible spark of impertinence in his eyes. He was challenging her, holding out on her intentionally!

Oh, she wasn’t having that. She was the self-declared head gamemaker in this arena and he would bend to her will when she wanted him to. She knew what card she would play. She’d have to stop humming her tune again, but no matter. She would listen to the music of him losing his control in wild abandon instead.

Bending forward to dip her head towards her working hand, she proceeded to enclose the head of his cock and as much of the rest of him as she could manage into the moist confines of her mouth. The effect was immediate when she gave a tight upward bob and suck over him. His thigh muscles flexed, driving his pelvis upward towards her, and the cry that escaped him was choked.

She smirked to herself. Coriolanus Snow loved control, but this was the one game they played where she would always be the victor.

A string of curses tumbled from his lips as his chest began to heave with rapid breaths, signalling his imminent orgasm. All it took was a handful more skilful bobs of Lucy Gray’s head when she heard him suck in a harsh breath. His entire body seized in the next moment before an almost injured-sounding groan ground out from him on his exhale as his orgasm consumed him. She thrilled at the whimpers he was trying and failing to stifle as the familiar tang and texture of his cum coated the back of her throat. She instinctively swallowed.

Drawing off him carefully, she tucked herself back into her dress and re-tied the linen strings at her front. She dabbed at her mouth with the back of one hand and stretched out alongside him, feeling very pleased with her efforts. She listened to the sound of his body attempting to regulate itself again afterward, his breaths slowing one by one.

His head lolled to face hers and Lucy Gray was fleetingly struck by the piercing sky-blue clarity in his eyes, free and unburdened by storms. He craned his neck towards her to leave a lingering kiss on her lips, “You will be my undoing, Lucy Gray.”

Lucy Gray smiled at him, tucking herself against the bare skin of his side, her cheek flush against his shoulder. She knew his hunger for control would return; she knew he would be hungry between her thighs too when he returned the favour later. She resolved to simply enjoy the serenity of the present, where it was just her and him at peace. She recommenced her humming of the last part of the old folk tune. The melody wilted to a more sombre note in the last two verses.

The lyrics continued their swirl about her mind, telling of waning love and the falling leaves of orange autumn; of fragile hearts made brittle with the eventual return of winter’s chill; of barren ground, lifeless and loveless, smothered under a blanket of heavy white snow.

***~~~***

Author's note: Thanks for reading this piece & I hope you enjoyed it. I don't know why, but the more I think about Lucy Gray & Coryo's relationship, the more I'm convinced that Lucy Gray isn't as innocent as we think, or as the film makes her out to be. My impression is that she can be wily and that she's clever, cunning too. Her own survival was as important to her as self-preservation was to Snow. I don't doubt that they both loved each other somewhat, but who knows, maybe she played him too in some ways?

Leave me a comment if this work touched you in any way or if you have any other thoughts to share. I love hearing from readers and I'm happy to field any questions too. Comments are the lifeblood of all fanfiction authors and you truly don't know how much it makes our day when you leave us a line. 💜Reblogs & likes are always much appreciated too!

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