As Snow Observes Lucy Gray Run From A Crazed Jessup, He Notes How They Create A Strange Tableau. One

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. 

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.

No worries! I also love your Coral works cuz she's also one of my favs! Anon's are kinda people who are anonymous but have like a name in a way so you know who you are talking to without you knowing their acc and etc :) - N

thank you for letting me know!! also, i love coral too, she’s gotta be one of my fav tributes

“Seven, boy, Vipsania Sickle. Girl: Pup Harrington.”

Not an ask but just wanted to say your coral works are actually the best thing I’ve ever read, you’re fuelling my coral addiction atm 🫶🏻🧡

that is such a huge compliment 🥹 thank you so so much, i really appreciate the feedback 🫶🏼

hey! i was wondering if u would ever consider write a platonic fic for mizzen? totally fine if not 🫶

pinky promise → mizzen

platonic!mizzen x reader

notes → in which mizzen changes your outlook on the district kids. mentor!reader & gender neutral reader (no pronouns mentioned). 500+ words

warnings → it’s short, sorry about that! not edited & uploaded via iphone.

     “mizzen?” you called out, hands brushing the rough metal bars as you circled the monkey house in search of the tribute you had been assigned. your lips were pressed together in a thin line, quite concerned for the little boy. he was district, you knew that, but something about his eyes made you feel for him. the eyes that should’ve held childlike wonder and curiosity had been overcome with bitterness and fear, things that a boy his age should know nothing of. if you had been assigned to one of the older tributes, you probably wouldn’t have thought twice about whether they lived or died, more concerned with winning the plinth prize. upon reevaluation, the whole ordeal made you realize that none of those kids were old enough to be rebels, and they were obligated to pay the price for lives they never took. it was unfair the panem’s youth to have to learn of war and pain. “mizzen!” you called again, louder and more sure of yourself this time. he stood near his district partner, coral. the boy swung his head towards you, then turned to coral for confirmation. coral looked warily at you, but shrugged, gesturing for him to go see what you wanted. slowly but surely, mizzen ambled over to you with a cautious glare. 

     “hi there, mizzen, my name is y/n. i’ll be your mentor for the games.” you introduced yourself with a smile, trying to appear as friendly and welcoming as possible.

     “why weren’t you at the train station like the rainbow girl’s mentor?” mizzen questioned innocently, catching you off guard. oh, coriolanus. you sly, cheating son of a gun. you tried to remain calm while you thought of an answer that didn’t make you seem like a total ass.

     “well, my classmate, coriolanus, sort of bent the rules to be there. i’m real sorry i couldn’t make it, but look,” you slung your backpack over your shoulder, unzipping it to show mizzen the contents, “i brought you some food and water. you must be hungry, huh? the trip here was a long one, i bet.” mizzen nodded hesitantly as he scanned the arrangement of food and drink stuffed into your backpack. “take whatever you want. and bring some to coral as well!” you suggested, peering over mizzen’s shoulder at the girl. mizzen reached his hands into the bag with force, accepting your invitation eagerly as he grabbed many handfuls of what you had brought. if this were any other tribute, the sight would have likely unsettled you, but all you felt for the boy was sympathy. mizzen’s face adorned an ecstatic, genuine smile. quickly, he thanked you, running back with his new goods and excitedly showing them off to coral. the girl whispered something to mizzen that you couldn’t make out, and he turned towards you again, making his way over to you once more.

     “will you come back tomorrow?” he asked, his hope hidden under the mask of interrogation. you beamed, glad that he had come back to you after previously running off.

     “of course, mizzen. i promise to visit you anytime i can.” you carefully stuck your hand through the bars, holding out your pinky to him. mizzen’s face sported a toothy grin as he hooked his smaller pinky around yours, shaking it slightly to solidify the promise.