Slipping Through My Fingers Coral

slipping through my fingers → coral

coral!tbosas x reader

a/n → so much for a break LMAO

notes → in which you grieve over the loss of your soulmate. gender neutral reader (not sure if pronouns came up, although they might’ve. if they did, then feminine intended reader)

warnings → canon character deaths, description of coral’s body after death, angsty kind of. not edited & uploaded via iphone

     coral was an angry girl, always had been. angry at the treatment of the districts after the rebellion, angry at the capital, angry at the universe for allowing it all to happen. her anger only intensified when she had been reaped to participate in the hunger games. she had been so close to escaping the system, but life had never been kind to her, why would anything be different now?

     despite her aggressive demeanor, she was a protector at heart. with mizzen as her district partner, you knew she never stood a chance. coral would die for the boy if she had to. if it had came down to mizzen and coral, you were sure she’d get herself killed one way or another so he could survive. all of her anger had been focused into formulating a plan. not to save herself, but to save mizzen. coral really did try her best to allow mizzen to win, tricking the boy from ten into helping them take out other tributes, then killing him. unfortunately, her demise came from the snakes that the gamemakers released into the arena; a rather horrid way to die when you realize that coral had had her fair share of dealing with snakes during her work on the harbor. it was truly unfair to her, it wasn’t her fault that some snobby capitol kid had died, why should she have to pay the price? but alas, it was all apart of the capital’s plan to reduce the districts to mere laborers. that’s really what the hunger games were for; to strip away any power or dignity the districts had left after the war.

     when they shipped coral and mizzen’s bodies back to district four, you couldn’t bare to look at her. standing amidst the families of the pair, you were surrounded by the anguished cries of their loved ones. it was enough to bring you to tears. coral’s mother invited you to attend her burial, and swore to give you some of her possessions when they went through her room. but for now, it was too overwhelming for her parents to step in there.

     it was tragic, really, how you and coral had only been official since a few months prior to the reaping ceremony. only a few months worth of shamelessly showing her off and holding her hand as the two of you wandered town. of course, you had been “friends“ prior to your relationship, but you had to keep the two of you a secret, meeting only in the late hours of the night, when the sun had not yet risen. she had finally posed the question to you in late april, asking you if you wanted to make it official. you recalled grinning, smashing your lips against hers, extremely giddy. 

     “so that’s a yes?” she had teased, tucking a stray stand of hair behind your ear.

     “yes, you big idiot!” you laughed, as you tackled her to the floor, holding her close.

     coral’s burial took place on the twenty-sixth of july, two days after her snake-bite ridden body had arrived in district four. her father’s desperate attempt to hold it together was unsuccessful, and in all the years you knew the uptight, reserved older man, he was sobbing with a fervor you hadn’t seen in anyone before. you released a shaky breath you didn’t realize you had been holding as dirt began to cover the dingy, wooden coffin the capital had sent her back in.  grief had you by the throat, silencing your sobs as they gargled in the back of your throat. you wanted to be strong, especially in front of her parents and sibling. if her death hurt you to this extreme, you couldn’t imagine how devastated her family was. memories of her flooded into your brain, all the aspects and cherished times; how sweet she had been behind closed doors, the scars that littered her body, which she had earned from her work, how soft her wild red hair was when you tangled your fingers in it, the botched stick and poke on her wrist you gave her that she absolutely adored. 

     it seemed like everywhere you went, a little piece of coral could be found. from the shoreline, where you watched as she dived into the shallow water, fishing out trinkets for you, to the alleyway behind your work, where she had you playfully pinned up against the cold brick, whispering sweet nothings into your ear. your home, too, held many memories of her. the accessories she found while diving cluttered your dresser, a photograph of the two of you taken on her birthday was pinned above your bed, and the promise ring she gifted you was tucked away somewhere safe. occasionally, you dug it out from beneath your bed, pressing the icy metal against your chest as you mourned. your parents’ attempts to comfort you were to no avail, coral was the only one who knew how to calm you down. she knew you like she knew the back of her hand. the two of you had been hopelessly devoted to each other, and you were certain that she was your soulmate. you didn’t know if anyone could replace her, and you knew for sure no one in district four could. she was much too was special, incomparable. maybe you just had to cope with that fact, and move on with your life, her promise ring forever adorning your finger. in another life, the two of you got to have your happy ending. you could only imagine what it would be like to grow old with coral, to see her fully develop into the strong woman she was bound to become.

      the capital knew her solely as a vicious killer, cold to the core, but she was so much more to you. of course, the capital always did its best to dehumanize the district people, painting them as rabid beasts, but your coral was far from that. she yearned for love, although she rarely admitted it, she cared for her family more than anything, she was ambitious, determined, dependable, the list was endless. you just wished people got to see the humane side of her before her untimely death.

as snow observes lucy gray run from a crazed jessup, he notes how they create a strange tableau. one of a rabid boy, a trapped girl, and a bombed-out building (tbosas, 260). a tale that could only end in tragedy. star-crossed lovers meeting their fate. a war saga that took no prisoners (tbosas, 261). 

and what perfect foreshadowing this is for snow's relationship with lucy gray. one of a boy whose thirst for power made him rabid with paranoia against those who could threaten his standing (tbosas, 505). and a trapped girl whose only vice was seeing through her lover's charismatic facade too early (tbosas, 500). and a relationship between two star-crossed lovers that could have never really worked out, right (tbosas, 518)? 

yet, it could've worked out. 

because, huddled in the bombed-out tunnels under a war-torn capitol, was a boy who was failing to resist slipping back into insanity (mj, 267). and there was his lover, making a decision (mj, 267). one that she believes could be considered suicide. because she is gambling her safety and survival for her lover's life (mj, 268). because she can't let him die. and she would rather die herself than live in a world without him.

and it was the same predicament that snow found himself in. what do you choose? self-preservation, or self-less love? 

and snow always chose himself. every single time. and was convinced that was what everyone else would choose too. it was only the natural conclusion.

until the berries. until the quell. and up until his final moments. when he saw them both. his perfectly curated rabid boy. and a girl trapped as a figurehead of a rebellion. still standing. still protecting. still loving.

and, to me, that is probably the biggest reason why snow was haunted by katniss and peeta. it is less likely that he saw peeta and katniss as carbon copies of lucy gray and sejanus.

but more so, that he saw them as the antithesis to his life experiences. becuase coriolanus snow has spent a lifetime cutting people out of his life (through death or other means) in order to maintain control and power. and protect himself. because he thought that was the only natural conclusion to such a war saga.

and here were two children. demonstrating over and over again that the miserable life that snow created for himself was not the only path. that it didn't have to end that way. that he could have been happy.

and that was what snow was running from the entire trilogy. 

☆ ~ you can buy my love but you don’t want it

pairing: treech x gn!reader summary: you rent a boyfriend to experience what it’s like to be in a relationship (and to spice up your summer), despite not being big on them. in the end it wasn’t you who caught feelings. warnings: modern au, second person, fluff to angst?, treech acts like a bf cause that’s what rent a boyfriend’s do (but he kinda quickly falls for the reader), one of the longest i’ve ever written

summer break contained warm temperatures and frizzy hair from the humidity. it also turns out, that boredom is something that’s stretched through the days of the long summer. and to perish that boredom you wanted to do something exciting, and if it wasn’t exploring new countries and hanging out with friends, it’ll be something that is out of the ordinary.

after finalizing the decision, you clicked that button that sealed your fate. feeling a rush of adrenaline rush through your veins. tomorrow is the day, and you’d made sure to pick your best looking outfit for this occasion. but not for the man that’s going to be stuck by your side, but for you.

-

the wind blew warm air onto your face as you stepped out the door, taking a second to admire the beautiful view; the sky a bold blue with clouds lounging in the sky, the ultimate laughter coming from the families and friends, and the beautiful greenery swaying and shining with healthy limbs.

your feet created a rhythm against the pavement soon after as you began to make your way to the meeting place - which was only 10-15 minutes away - with your tote bag hanging on your shoulder. only when you’d finally arrived, did you see him, standing infront of the restaurant looking as gorgeous as he had in the picture.

his head shot up at the sound of your footsteps, pausing for a bit before a smile plastered itself on his face. “hey, (name) right,” he held his hand out in a polite handshake after you nodded, clasping your hands together after shaking it, “my name’s treech if you’d forgotten already.”

you smiled, his warm attitude and welcoming smile killing your nervousness and causing you to relax, “it would be a shame if i’d forgotten the name of someone as captivating as you. plus i would say it’s pretty unique, you don’t really see a lot of people with that name.”

a laugh left his lips at your teasing, before hitting you with one of his own remarks, “and it would’ve been a shame if you’d arrived just a few minutes later. the food looked a little too good that it almost made me forget who i was here for.”

fondness was the only thing present on your face despite you rolling your eyes, “well now that i’m here you won’t forget, cause today will be the best day (date) of your life.” watching the smile not once disappearing as he shook his head, before using his free hand to grasp the handle of the door, holding it open so you could go first, “well then we better get to it then, shall we?”

-

the restaurant was fancy, pristine hardwood floors and flawless white walls boxing in the squared tables and chairs made of mahogany. as he talked to the hostess you scanned your eyes to every corner, eyes shining with facination, not even realizing that you were now being led to the table if it wasn’t for the grip on your hand.

the table was against the window, allowing the sun to beat down onto the people inside. it was also dressed in a white tablecloth, protecting the tabletop from dirtiness and stains. treech paused, making sure to pull out your chair for you to sit down before taking a seat in his own.

“so what do you want to do after we’re done eating,” his attention was wholly on you as he asked, leaving you abit startled yet you quickly shook it off.

“i was hoping that we could buy some ice cream at the truck near by and walk on the beach together,” you hands busied themselves with unraveled the silverware from the napkin. placing them on the table, before spreading the napkin over on your lap to make sure you wouldn’t dirty your clothes while eating. “then we could stroll the shopping strip nearby.”

you looked back over at him, surprised at seeing that the whole time he never once took his eyes off of you.

-

the lunch was filling - making you convinced you might not even have room for such ice cream you’d mentioned before - and delicious, the aroma wafting out of the door as you both walked out. as he strode back up to your side he gently removed the tote you were carrying onto his own shoulder, before reattaching your hands together, both of you walking in silence.

you led him to the ice cream truck that was just a few blocks over, turning to him to ask him what he wanted as you ordered. only having to wait a few minutes before one of the employees came back with your order in hand. once the ice cream cones were secured, you carefully handed his to him, setting a slow pace as you walked the direction that would lead you to the beach.

it didn’t take that long to get there, but the both of you were almost done with your ice cream. nonetheless even with the cone in hand, you made sure your shoes were off, holding the insides of it with just the tips of your fingers. no chatter being created between the two of you, just the sounds of the waves crashing against shore and the seagulls that flew overhead accompanying you two.

eventually as the trail of footprints on shore grew longer, the remainder of the ice cream became shorter; nothing but crumbs harboring its place on your fingertips.

so you looked towards the horizon, the sun shining like a lightbulb in the sky as you admired the beauty of it. and noticing your focus was averted away from him he quickly pulled out his phone, aiming the camera towards you before quickly snapping a few pictures.

a grin lighting up his face, knowing that the sun could never compare to the beauty he saw in you.

-

the sand was stubborn, sticking onto your feet like a second skin. and when relief was finally found, more crawled up and held their place leaving you frustrated. and noticing this treech abandoned his effort of doing the same to come to your rescue; picking you up in bridal style even though you loudly verbalized your protests.

“what’re you doing,” you held onto his shoulders as you laughed. “doing what a boyfriend would do, obviously,” he smiled down at you with such a genuine smile it made your stomach fill with butterflies, a pink hue beginning to spread across your face.

luckily, his long strides across the sand let you arrive to the dry cement faster. him gently setting you down on the bench before taking the spot next to you to dust his sand covered feet.

your eyes were trained on his figure for a good few minutes before you hid your face in your shoulder, not wanting him to see the effect he left on you after what he just did.

-

the next stop was the shopping strip like you’d promised, the streets not full but not bare either. neither of you decided to stop and browse through the stores, choosing that this would be a great time to just aimlessly walk together hand in hand.

but time went by quickly, the sky now a dark purple - soon going to fade into a black - with stars beginning to pop out of their hiding places. and just as time trickled away the strength in your feet did the same; the soles throbbing from the journey you’d had. so, you stopped at one of the benches that were along the path, resting for a bit. only for a few moments later treech announcing he was going to pick something that he’d saw on the way.

you nodded, too tired to object to what he’d plan to do. so while he was gone you observed the people around you, trying to distract yourself. when he’d returned you noticed he held something behind his back, heart rate speeding up in what you didn’t know was adrenaline or excitement.

“since the day will end soon, i wanted to give you one last gift,” your attention was caught, tiredness leaving your body for a blissful minute. he pulled the mysterious gift from behind his back and presented it to you; a perfectly wrapped bouquet of faded pink tulips in his hands.

“treech, you didn’t have to,” you shook your head as you looked at him but a thankful spark was in your eyes. “i wanted to,” he sat down next to you before handing you the bouquet, watching you for a moment, “you were probably the best fake partner i ever had.”

you chuckled before leaning in to hug him, “thank you treech, it means a lot that you even put the effort in doing this last minute.” his hand gently soothed your back, rubbing circles into it before pulling away, “well as much as i enjoyed the day it’s probably time to get you home.” you looked at him for one last moment before nodding, gathering your stuff.

-

when you arrived at your place you felt disappointed. spending time with him probably being one of the most memorable things that would happen all summer. but you knew that what you had was only temporary. you knowing that even though you loved it, you couldn’t love it forever since both of you were in different places in your lives - you not focused on wanting a relationship.

you turned towards him as you stood infront of your front door, ready to say your goodbyes. “i’m glad i chose you,” your shining eyes focused on his own, “if it was someone else i probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much as i had.”

he nodded before stepping closer to you, one of his hands cupping the back of your neck. and recognizing what he’d planned to do, you gently placed your hand on his chest, “i didn’t pay for a kiss?”

“you don’t need to,” he shook his head before pausing, waiting for you to consent first. and once the smile popped on your face and you began to lean in, he took the opportunity, kissing you like it would be the last time.

and once you pulled away, he let you go. watching as you strode up the steps. the last thing he saw before you disappeared was your beautiful smile that you shot over your shoulder.

-

a/n: i wrote this in just a few hours because i wanted to post it before it was 2024. so i wanted to say Happy New Year’s Eve or Happy New Year’s, depending where you are!

— lamina icons | the ballad of songbirds and snakes

no credit needed :-)

If she has 1000 fans, I am one of them

If she has 10 fans, I am one of them

If she has one fan, it is me

If she has no fans, I am dead. Gone. Deceased.

days spent in the sun → treech

a/n → making coral’s moodboard sent me into a spiral and now i have moodboards for every district 😭 is it worth it to post?

notes → in which nature is the perfect place for treech to show his love for you. feminine intended reader (though not sure pronouns are mentioned)

warnings → not edited & upload via iphone

     your hands were wrapped around treech’s arm as he carefully lifted his axe up to the tree, beginning to carve the shape of a heart. he was prudent in his work, meticulously shaving the bark off of the tree from inside the shape he had formed. you watched him silently, in awe of his handiwork. the result was a perfect heart shaped carving, permanently engraved on the tree. beaming, you pressed a quick peck to the boy’s cheek, then pulled him along with you as you walked atop a tree trunk bridge back to the lake. currently, the two of you were clad only in your undergarments, having gone out with the intention of swimming for the whole day. your clothes were strewn over the branch of a fallen oak, basking in the sun. the water was freezing, a stark contrast to the midsummer heat that lingered in the air. treech held your hand as you stepped in, prepared to catch you if you accidentally slipped. at first, you sunk into the shallow water leisurely, but as the water reached your hips, you let go of treech’s hand, completely submerging yourself in order to get used to the temperature. as you arose, your teeth chattered, but a grin was still plastered on your face.

     “get in, the water’s great!” you invited treech to join you with a sarcastic remark as he stood to the side, opting to just watch you. you could tell he contemplated it, but he denied, shaking his head. “where’s the fun in that?” you whined.

     “i’ve gotta do something first.” he simply replied, a roguish glint in his eyes. you were suspicious, but let him do his own thing as you bathed in the water and sunshine. the gravelly sand that covered the bottom of the pond indented the skin on the underside of your legs, adding a soothing pressure as you sat down, letting the water ripple around you. many minutes passed, and you grew restless the more time you spent alone in the water. venturing further into the pond, schools of minnows could be found darting rapidly. they brushed past your skin, maneuvering around your moving form. all was quiet aside from the waves of the water as you forded through. a rustle in the bushes from behind you startled you, causing you to jump and turn around quickly. treech had come back, his hands behind his back.

     “whatcha got there?” you queried, swimming over to him as he kneeled by the water. he just smiled, pulling out a bouquet of colorful wildflowers from behind him. vibrant pink poppies, orange lilies, mauve colored petunias, a few orchids scattered here and there, and yellow wallflowers galore all seemed to bloom from his hand. you were in complete and utter astonishment at the bundle of flowers and the work he had gone through to pick them for you. they were tied together with a loose stem, and you delicately took them from his hand. mother nature’s sweet scent wafted from the stunning plants, instantly soothing you. “these are beautiful, treech,” he grinned, eyes lighting up with pride. his smile always made you melt, and the way his hazel eyes, speckled with green and honey tones, glowed golden in the sun made him seem ethereal. laying the flowers down gently on the grass beside treech, you draped your arms around his neck, placing a tender kiss on his lips. treech gradually joined you in the water, but not before you plucked the sole, pale blue morning glory from the bouquet and tucked it behind his ear, brushing his curls out of his eyes. he took your hand as you guided him further into the pond. the two of you splashed around, laughing for hours until your fingers pruned.

     treech had to drag you out of the water as the sun got lower and lower, the sky growing a burnt orange. you groaned playfully, but shook the water out of your hair anyway, allowing it to drip on the grass below you. the earth felt cool and damp under your bare feet, and the wind blew against your body, making you shiver. quickly, you slipped your shirt over your head, and tied your skirt around your waist, hoping to gain some warmth from the items of clothing that had been strewn out in the sun all day. it seemed to work, but your arms were still bare and the wind was picking up. treech noticed the goosebumps that had formed all along your forearms, and he helped you into his wool coat. smiling, you thanked him, grateful for the extra source of heat. gracefully, you picked up your dainty bouquet of flowers. intertwining your fingers with his, treech led you out of the familiar woods, taking you down the roads of district seven, back to your home. like the gentleman he was, treech walked you to your door, waiting to make sure you got inside safely before leaving. he was just about to leave as you slipped through the front door, but you called his name before he could go any further. he raised his eyebrows, urging you to go on.

     “i love you,” you professed, coyly.

     “i love you more,” treech declared with a smile, before promptly turning and bidding you goodnight, the flower still adorning his hair.