#idk if it’s the catholic upbringing rearing its head whenever i consider villains but i can never ignore their humanity

[villetteulogy]

There's no rule that says Coriolanus Snow can't be a romantic and a gentleman to his girlfriend while at the same time as being an evil dictator villian with the blood of millions of teens and children on his hands. He can be both. It makes him more intriguing that he can be both. That he has empathy for a certain number of people, but can't spare more than that(I headcanon that he was a good grandfather to his grandchildren)

PREACH!

If things had gone slightly different in canon, I’m convinced Snow would’ve had a loving marriage while still becoming the villain we know in THG. After all, his decision to forsake romantic love after the events of TBOSAS is in itself a testament to the depth of his feelings for Lucy Gray.

Love doesn’t equal redemption or goodness, and the fact that he’s a fundamentally selfish person in a position of power doesn’t mean Snow isn’t also capable of human emotions and attachment. Especially when the prequel makes the opposite argument. I agree with you that in canon he seemed like a loving grandfather even as he reached unheard of levels of cruelty as President.

His innate possessiveness would on the contrary make him a very doting and protective husband (to the right woman, sorry Livia). Whether the relationship would have stood the test of time (and of his thirst for power) is another matter entirely. Most AUs where Coryo and Lucy Gray go back to the Capitol and he goes into government have her betraying him in the end, and I also think that would the most likely outcome. Theirs is a monstrous love, etc etc

#he doesn’t stop loving lucy gray even for a second —he just makes a point of (unsuccessfully) banishing all thoughts of her #i love being able to enjoy characters that embody contradictions without feeling guilty!!!! #nuance is my friend #to think that only ‘good’ characters are capable of love is to have a very infantile vision of it #idk if it’s the catholic upbringing rearing its head whenever i consider villains but i can never ignore their humanity #it’s the most fascinating thing about them #their being monstrously cruel despite the lingering empathy #snowbaird #coriolanus snow #lucy gray baird #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #tbosas #the hunger games #thg