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snowsonlylove · 2 months

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hii!! i commented about making a fic of coryo w or about the song haunted by beyonce, i was thinking maybe something smut if ur comfortable! if not its okay but the fic could be academy!coriolanus x academy!reader and theyre school rivals both working hard to beat each other and theyre obsessed with each other but they hide it with the fact they wanna win but they j wanna fuck (or get together) maybe theyre both possessive and jealous or coryo is the one thats really extra with it,, the story could go rlly slow too and then theres just a part where the facade and tension goes away and theyre needing each other so badly at that moment rushing everything, just like how the song goes idk if i made any sense :o im so excited to see the result!! this song just gives me coriolanus vibes

You Must Be Haunting Me..

a/n note: hii!! yes, i loved your idea and i mostly stayed with your vision, only changing some minor things so the situation makes sense and dw i managed to deliver 🫡 hopefully you like it!! tysm for your idea and i look forward to seeing if there are some things you want to expand on (maybe with little blurbs on this dynamic bc i absolutely LOVE this trope!) & i'm totally comfortable with smut so dw about sending me kinky asks or requests. i totally accept them!!

Pairing: Academy!Coriolanus Snow x AcademyRival!Reader

Summary: Y/N Y/L/N and Coriolanus Snow have been academic rivals ever since the beginning of their journey in the Academy. It’s no secret that both Y/N and Coriolanus are the two top students of the Academy, both of them only being able to beat each other, the rest are just no competition for them. However, they genuinely have no idea why they're doing this constant battle against each other. Little did they know, both of them always think about each other behind closed doors and are obsessed with each other, each equally impressed at the other at how intelligent they are. One day, things just boil over with how Coriolanus constantly riles Y/N up and they explode in a huge fight which results in a turmoil of deep, rough and passionate sex.

Fic Type: Smut (NSFW) 18+, Enemies to Lovers trope, dramatic behaviour from both of them, a wee bit of angst (mostly derived from the name-calling but in my head this is more funny than it is angsty 😭😭😭)

Warnings: unprotected sex (don’t do this guys, use a condom. reader is on birth control), rough pushing, harsh words used from both Y/N and Coriolanus, degradation (use of whore), cunnilingus (female receiving), squirting, lmk if i missed anything else

Word Count: 2k

I do not own Coriolanus Snow or Y/N Y/L/N (cuz it’s you, boo). All credits go to Suzanne Collins and her team. Song credits also go to Beyonce and her team.

I do not allow my works to be republished or translated under any circumstances. Any instances of this happening and YOU WILL BE BLOCKEDDD.

Also, ageless and empty blogs will be BLOCKED as this is a 18+ fic. Report my fics and you’re blocked cuz if u don’t like it, LEAVEEEE.

Y/N Y/L/N and Coriolanus Snow began this disastrous journey from the age of 11-12. Both students entered the Academy with an air of poise and elitism about them as they knew what it took to defeat the competition in the Academy, most students not even being a possible candidate to them. It was all fine and well, until one year, Y/N and Coriolanus were put in the same class for the year, and the rivalry then started..

The first assignment of that year was an individual project on what each student thought the Capitol looked like during its earliest times. Each student was tasked with coming up with a drawing with their thoughts on said topic. This was their chance to go up against each other. Both Y/N and Coriolanus would stay up in the library after school and collect piles of books and do their research and by the time the task was due, Y/N and Coriolanus obviously submitted the best sketches.

After acknowledging this, the professor asked the class to vote for who’s sketch was the best. Small pieces of paper were given out to write either Y/N’s and Coriolanus’s names and as the professor then collected the papers, making both students anxious. As the professor counted the votes, Y/N’s heart was beating out of her chest, Coriolanus’s as well. It was then announced that Y/N won, which made Coriolanus furious as he spewed a full speech on how much he hated her. “You’d never be as good as what they say you are. You’re just dirt under my feet. God! You’re such a bitch!” He screamed as the professor and the class started at him in astonishment as they’ve never seen him lash out before.

Y/N was heartbroken when she heard this as sometimes when Coriolanus wasn’t looking, Y/N would sneak glances towards him and she started to be enamoured by him. Their time together after hours in the library would usually end up in them having conversations about their day and this time together helped them bond better. With this in mind, Y/N truly thought Coriolanus was at least civil enough to be respectful towards her. Y/N felt tears well up in her eyes as she ran out of the classroom, the professor telling her to wait.

Coriolanus, still blind with rage, kept on screaming and yelling obscenities about Y/N as he stormed off to his seat, his face red and his whole demeanour fueling with rage. Unfortunately, this fateful day was what started the vicious rivalry between Y/N and Coriolanus as the two would fight over who got the better grades, which teacher favoured which student more, the differences in their scores in each assignment every single day.

As of current, both Y/N and Coriolanus are 18 and in the midst of graduating. One of their last assignments was unfortunately a pair assignment. Dr Gaul once scoped out the Academy and witnessed one of the fights between Y/N and Coriolanus and she noticed how by getting them near each other, she could make them into the power couple of Panem and have them continue the Hunger Games, which inspired her to whisper in the ear of Dean Highbottom to get them to be in the same class and for them to share a table together until they graduated. Both Y/N and Coriolanus were very unhappy about this, both choosing to ignore each other while they were in their seats.

With both of them getting older, both Y/N and Coriolanus started noticing certain things about them. Coriolanus noticed how Y/N’s facial features were more prominent, how her ass got bigger, her breasts more plump, making him unable to control a certain urge at times which led him to mastrubate thinking about her sometimes. Y/N also noticed a few things about Coriolanus. How he started to grow muscles, how they cling to his academy uniform whenever he took off his academy jacket, how his jaw was sharper, how his nose was becoming more emphasised, how he lost his baby fat. She can honestly go forever and forever about how attractive he is.

That being said, there was one particular day where everything just blew over the water. Y/N and Coriolanus were taking notes during Dean Highbottom’s lecture when Y/N felt Coriolanus’s elbow dig into her arms whenever they got to writing. This obviously made Y/N frustrated as she harshly whispered to Coriolanus to stop a few times, which led to a hushed debate between the two before it grew louder and louder until they were screaming at each other, making the whole class look at them and Dean Highbottom staring at them in shock before yelling for them to stop and stay after class for detention.

Both Y/N and Coriolanus felt embarrassed as they were lectured by Dean Highbottom after class before an assistant of Dean Highbottom requested him to join Dr Gaul for a meeting about the Hunger Games. Dean Highbottom sighed as he looked at the two young teenagers, “Look.. I feel that you two are now old enough to know what is acceptable behaviour in class. I’ll be back soon, do not kill each other while I’m gone.” As Highbottom left the classroom, the tense atmosphere began to build as the door closed behind him.

Almost immediately after he left, Y/N and Coriolanus stared at each other with the most hateful expression ever. Y/N menacingly glared at him while saying with gritted teeth, “See, Coriolanus! If you’re long ass elbow didn’t fucking dig in my arm every single time, that old fart wouldn’t lecture us for one fucking hour! My god, you’re truly dumb!” Coriolanus glared at her before stating, “It’s not my fucking fault that happened with you were taking over the whole goddamn table with your arms everywhere! Geez, Y/N! I thought you’d be more modest!”

Y/N looked at him, shocked, “ME?!! You’re blaming ME for something YOU did! That is so fucking misogynistic coming from you, a man! I swear to god, this is discrimination towards women at its core! Grow the fuck up, Coriolanus! We’re not children anymore! God! I’d be spending my time with Sejanus right now if it weren’t for your stubborn ass!” Y/N huffed while rolling her eyes. Coriolanus stared at her, his face full of jealousy before gritting out, “Sejanus? What the fuck are you doing with Sejanus?! You’re such a fucking whore! Ugh, you’re such a bitch!” Y/N looked at him, offended, “Bitch, weren’t you just fucking Clemensia a few weeks ago? Yeah, I heard about that! Everyone was practically talking about it! Don’t pretend to be so innocent, Coriolanus!”

Coriolanus looked at her, his expression turned dark as he stalked towards her, her taking a step back until her back had hit the wall. Coriolanus leaned towards her, lifting one of his arms to go above her, bringing the other hand towards her chin and lifting it. At this point, the height difference became very apparent as her head was tipped far back, her still glaring at him. “Are you baiting me, Y/N? You talk so much for someone who just fucked Felix Ravinstill of all people a few days ago..” Y/N continued to glare up at him, “At least I had the decency to keep it in my pants longer than you! God, I hate you!” Coriolanus looked taken aback as he muttered while leaning in to cup her cheeks, her face wiggling to be let out of his grip, “Well, I hate you too, sweetheart…”

Coriolanus leaned in as he captured Y/N’s lips with his, their mouths fighting for dominance as they kissed each other as if they needed each other to breathe. The previous tension broke into a more sensual type of tension as Coriolanus wrapped his hands around her hair ravenously while Y/N’s hand made friends with the back of his neck. One of Coriolanus’s hands found its way to Y/N’s waist as he dragged her away from the wall, pushing her towards a nearby desk before propping her up on the desk and spreading her legs, allowing him to be closer to her, not once breaking their kiss. Y/N broke their kiss as she moved her lips to Coriolanus’s neck and trailed them down his Adam’s apple while taking off his blazer and unbuttoning his shirt, Coriolanus doing the same to her.

As they undressed each other, they continued to slide their tongues against each other, the sound echoing around the classroom. They managed to undress each other down to them both only wearing underwear before Coriolanus kneeled down so that he was face to face with the apex of her thighs. Coriolanus leaned in and captured his teeth to her underwear as he slowly pulled it down, revealing her aching, dripping pussy. Coriolanus licked his lips as he roughly shoved two fingers in her cavern as he curled his fingers in and out her folds, creating a beautiful sensation as he found her G-spot with no difficulty.

Y/N moaned as she threw her head back and slid her hands down to Coriolanus’s hair and tugged on it while pulling him closer to her heat. “Oh my gosh.. Coryo, it feels so good…” As he kept pumping his fingers in and out of her, he suddenly attached his lips onto her clit as he sucked on her clit and pumped his fingers harder, each movement feeling more and more intense for Y/N. He kept on going as he curled his fingers one final time, which made Y/N yell out as she squirted and covered his fingers with her wetness.

Y/N sighed in satisfaction as she helped Coriolanus up and gave him a deep, passionate kiss while tugging down his underwear and hooking her legs on the bottom of his back, Coriolanus leaned in closer as he aligned his erection with her heat, tapping his dick on her clit a few times before pushing his hardness in her heat. He only pushed in half of it when Y/N suddenly exclaimed, “Coryo, it’s too much! I can’t take all of it!”

Coriolanus leaned down so his forehead was laying against hers before whispering in a comforting tone, “It will fit, Y/N. Trust me, trust me..” He closed his eyes as he leaned in to capture her lips with his as he pushed in slower this time, now being able to fill her pussy with his cock to the point where their hips were against each other. Coriolanus groaned as he slowly pulled out before thrusting in again, “Fuck, Y/N… You’re so good. Such a good girl..”

Y/N moaned at hearing him praise her as he started to thrust his dick in faster, each time harder and rougher than the last. The room started to echo with the sound of her moaning, his groaning and the sound of skin slapping. Y/N closed her eyes as she moaned, her mouth forming an “O” shape as she threw her head back once more and arched her back, needing to feel closer to him. Coriolanus wrapped his arms around her waist as he pulled her in closer and kissed his way all around her neck, leaving furious red hickeys which would soon turn purple.

The pace in which he was fucking her got rougher each time he would thrust his aching hard dick into her dripping pussy, the slapping sound really turning them on and his balls slapped to her ass, their moans becoming louder and louder each time. The furious force in which he was fucking her started to reach a boiling point as Coriolanus moaned, “Ugh.. I’m fucking cumming, Y/N. Oh.. You’re such a good girl. Such a tight and wet pussy..”

“Ohh.. Coriolanus… So good, so deep… I’m gonna come, gonna come.. OH MY GODD!!” Y/N screamed as she came. Coriolanus groaned as he came inside her, sighing as he tried to bask in the afterglow of his orgasm, holding Y/N tight against his chest in the process. Y/N left kisses and hickeys around his neck as she looked up at him with a dazed but satisfied expression and kissed his lips however, this time the kiss shared between them wasn’t one full of hate, it was one full of love.

As they pulled away from each other and started to get dressed, Coriolanus faced Y/N and said, “You know, if you wanted to fuck me, you could’ve said so.” He said with a smirk. Y/N turned to look at him, acting shocked as she huffed in feign frustration, “Oh shut up, Coriolanus!” She smacked his chest as both of them gave each other a silly grin before hurling in laughter.

#academy!coriolanus snow #coriolanus snow #tbosas fanfiction #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #hunger games #coriolanus x reader #coriolanus snow x reader #snow x reader #coriolanus snow smut #coriolanus snow angst

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shadowtraveled · 11 days

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would love to know your thoughts on rinsha dunmeshi. or on rin and kabru :-)

OH!! i love rin honestly lightning damage and unaffiliated spellcasters will get me every time.

i would have loved to see more of her, but i do really enjoy kui's style of storytelling where she gives us the information about a character that will tell us exactly what she wants us to know. it reminds me of the way someone described suzanne collins' writing as surgically precise—she has more information about characters and the world, but she included what would get her story across most effectively. kui gives off a similar impression, and i think rin is a good example of that.

sorry readmore because that was getting long already.

rin's backstory is really interesting to me because it helps us to extrapolate so much more about the world and the other characters in it.

for what it's worth, i don't think it's terribly likely that her parents were practicing ancient magic. they were immigrants of a visibly different ethnicity, though, and they were magic users, which othered them doubly in the northern continent, and that otherness cost them their lives. this is sort of a running theme in dungeon meshi overall ofc, but i think a lot of discussion surrounding dungeon meshi discrimination focuses on the elves. which is fair, since they seem to be the most significant world power and they're weird race elitists as elves in fantasy frequently are, but the story does not want us to forget that discrimination is complex and so is otherness. tallmen may not be respected by long-lived races, but in communities where they do have power, they're still perfectly capable of leveraging it against others. they seem to have a particular bias against magic, but really anything people deem weird or creepy is enough to land you in trouble: laios faced constant rejection and, in some cases, severe harassment just for being autistic; kabru's eye color was enough to push his mother to the fringes of society and get her accused of witchcraft, suggesting that "weird or creepy" is regularly conflated with "magic" in tallman societies; and falin's affinity for magic led to her isolation and ostracism as her mother frantically tried to suppress it. rin's parents, meanwhile, were outright executed. the nature of these reactions to anything unfamiliar or non-standard are definitely meant to convey something about tallman societies in the world, but i think rin and kabru's situations specifically lend some explanation as to why falin is so forgiving of her parents. they didn't really know what to do with her, and some of the things they did to her were harmful, but she seems to see them as trying their best to protect her, perhaps because she knows the emergence of her magic could have put her in immediate physical danger but didn't.

with that being said, i'm surprised rin doesn't have more of an aversion to tallmen, but maybe kabru made enough of an impression on her that she developed some hope for them.

her dislike of elves, meanwhile, is entirely understandable—her interactions with them seem to be framed as emblematic of how they treat short-lived races in a way we don't really see with the others. milsiril objectifies short-lived races but does seem to... kind of care, otta fetishizes them but seems to... kind of care, mithrun's squad only get to be patronizing for a bit before it becomes apparent they bit off way more than they could chew, and mithrun isn't invested in these designations anymore. but the elves that found rin treated her like evidence, then like a toy, and then they got bored and ignored her, and then she was evidence again, and then she got adopted out to elves who kept her like they would a pet. miserable fucking experience, and a very thorough and efficient way of expressing just how little the elves are socialized to consider the humanity of the other races.

as for her relationship with kabru... i'm glad they had each other around. it's impossible to be surprised that she latched onto him in her circumstances, and i think it's sweet that she was the one he stuck with (despite the implication that milsiril was raising other children alongside him that he ostensibly would have spent more time with).

i also love how apparent their closeness is! rin gravitates to kabru, and if i'm remembering right, most of the time she speaks it's to him. that immediately established to me that she is uniquely comfortable with him, and interestingly it goes both ways! it's less apparent with kabru, because he's a lot more social than she is, but vitally, he lets the mask slip with her. she's the only character he goes out of his way to tease, and sometimes he takes it a little bit into "alright that was kind of mean" territory, which sucks of him but is kind of the point. kabru's interactions with rin are the earliest ones where we see him fuck up or be a little bit of an asshole, and that's almost certainly because she is a person he feels comfortable enough with to not try to game every conversation. kabru being a little bit of a bitch is the first time we see him not trying to be charismatic. and she gives it RIGHT BACK lmfao it really conveys the feeling that these two are kind of "safe people" for each other, even if they're bantering a little meanly. very charming, top-tier childhood friend dynamic, no notes.

editing to add:

^ YEAH THIS IS IT thank you @gerrykeay i think this really captures the spirit of her revulsion with regard to things like magic school (and its graduates), etc... she seems to think of magic school as this sort of lofty opportunity only people with a certain level of social standing are able to access (which seems to hold a level of truth) and reject it on the basis that something like that is fundamentally incompatible with who she is as a person, and that's probably the same reason she remains unaffiliated despite knowing practicing magic without organization ties is potentially dangerous for her. these systems rejected and failed her family and her, so she rejects them in kind.... god i'm so obsessed with the way practically every character has a main character backstory and motivations this really is like a ttrpg lol

#anon #ask #rinsha fana #kabru #dungeon meshi #dungeon meshi spoilers #thank you this was fun to think about #severe problems

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averagewriter-inthedark · 3 months

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The Old Therebefore 🐍🕊️ | A Six of Crows Imagine

Takes place after the events of S&B S2

My masterlists

Characters & Pairings: gang leader!reader x Crows (platonic). Kaz Brekker x reader (slight tension)

content warnings: profanity, mentions of violence and death, typical SOC themes. | female!reader (she/her) | wc: 4k

Premise: it’s not often Kaz Brekker needs assistance to a job involving anyone other than his Crows. Yet, there is always a first. When a job comes involving not only a high cash prize but also chances of coming out alive slim, Kaz accepts it is out of his skill level. So, what does he do? Take a risk by recruiting his top rival since Pekka Rollins was run out of town….she’s got the charm of a snake with a voice of a songbird.

Note: so as you can tell by the title of the imagine and song linked, I saw the new hunger games movie (back in November) and literally could not stop thinking about this song/scene. Then of course my hyperfixations like to collide and wallah: here is the end result.

Disclaimer as always: the song and lyrics belong to Suzanne collins and all the SOC characters belong to Leigh Bardugo

---------

“You know, Kaz, I know better than to question you on most things,” Jesper scanned his surroundings, voice low with slight concern. “But I can’t help but wonder why you’ve decided to drag us to the ‘Snake Pit’ tonight.” The sharpshooter sipped his glass of rum after a close inspection, “mind telling us.”

Seated around him, Inej, Nina, and Wylan expressions bore the same unease. All on high alert the moment Kaz led them through the doors and down the spiral staircase into the Barrel’s infamous Snake Pit.

Located deep on the opposite side of the Crow Club, the Snake Pit was an underground bar/club. Home of the legendary crime gang, the Blood Serpents. They’d been around since Kaz was 15, their leader to have been the same age as him. Yet the public knew very little of the notorious boss. Only by their code name.

The Snake Charmer

Of course, this information made Kaz lose his mind at times. Unable to identify his anonymous rival who’s bested him on multiple occasions. If the opportunity arose, Kaz would pay any amount of kruge to find out who the Snake Charmer was. It’d been well over a decade. His patience was running thin.

Finally, the wait would pay off in the form of a messenger boy.

Knowing Inej was too recognizable, Kaz sent a young member of the Dregs--who was under the radar to the other gangs--to infiltrate the Snake Pit the week prior. The boy returned hours later to relay a crucial piece of information. Now, Kaz was to test that theory.

Clutching his cane, the crime boss did not spare a glance to his fellow Crows the second they entered the Pit. Even when they took claim to a rounded booth in a far corner by the bar. His attention was occupied. Analyzing the club and its features. Mentally noting the Blood Serpent members, who were identifiable by their red snake tattoos on their hands.

One of which was the bartender that served them drinks. A young woman about their age, she wore a maroon pin-stripped 5 piece suit although the blazer was forgone. The tattoo was on full display. Kaz assessed her lingering on him when she pushed the tray of drinks toward Jesper. Likely recognizing him and by default the rest of the Crows. The bartender didn’t say anything after, only giving a nod before moving to the next customer.

To the other Crows, they thought Kaz’s intense stare on the bartender was either because he thought she was attractive or making note she was just another member of the Serpents. But, what they did not know was Kaz figuring out if she was the Snake Charmer.

“A woman?” he questioned the boy, narrowing his eyes. “You are telling me the Snake Charmer--leader of the Blood Serpents--is a woman and works under the guise of an employee at the Snake Pit. Are you positive?”

The boy nodded profusely, “Yes, Mr. Brekker. I can assure you it was no man singing that song. She sounded like a siren if I must say. She calmed the snakes like it was nothing-- I see why they call her Snake Charmer.”

So a woman was responsible for a lot of Kaz’s failures. Not to mention winning the territory he’d hoped to gain when Pekka was defeated. They’d come to a settled agreement through a middle man. An action that annoyed Kaz. But he knew better than to wage war with the Snake Charmer.

So far the women in the gang he’s managed to identify besides the bartender were two serving girls, a door bouncer, and two poker dealers. A total of six. Of the men, most of them were standing on the walls and mingling along the floor.

Bet she didn’t expect him to enter her den.

The Snake Pit was exactly like what the boy described. Dark wood floors and walls up to the high ceilings. Dangling chandeliers, poker tables, two bars on either side. Booths aligned the walls. The most notable and unique trait, however, was the glass snake enclosure right smack in the middle of the floor. It was cylinder shaped at the bottom, lining the floor to the ceiling where it branched out on either side to resemble a tree. Plants and dirt filled it.

As did ten serpents. Ranging from tiny garden snakes to a python.

Jesper cringed when his eyes landed on it. Wylan looked deathly afraid. Nina found it amusing. Inej thought it was fitting. Kaz was pleased to see it. To him, that was ammunition.

Kaz answered Jesper with one word that told the whole story, “Business.”

“What business could you possibly have with the Snake Charmer?” Inej questioned, hand on her side close to her knives. “Don’t you think we should be discussing the plan?”

“And we are,” Kaz rebutted, leaning into the booth with his gaze set on the enclosure. “We’re here to flush out the Snake Charmer.”

Jesper choked on his drink, meanwhile Nina and Inej looked at Kaz like he was crazy. “You’re fooling us aren’t you?” “Boss, jokes aren’t really your thing--.” “You’re insane, Kaz, if you believe that’ll happen.”

“You see that enclosure?” He cut off their rambling. All responded with a look of, ‘Of course we see the ginormous Snake habitat in the middle of the club full of our enemies.’ Kaz nodded to it, “we need to destroy it.”

Once again, Jesper choked. This time on his saliva. “You’ve lost it,” he ignored the glare from his boss, “Did going through the fold change you, Kaz? Clearly you’re not actually thinking we let loose a dozen snakes,” he leans forward to whisper, “we don’t even know if they’re venomous. If their bites don’t kill us, surely their owner will.”

Analyzing Kaz, Inej lowered her tone, “what are you not telling us, Kaz?”

Giving one last scan of his surroundings, Kaz addressed his Crows with the truth of why he brought them to the Snake Pit. “I have a lead on who the owner of this establishment is.” Their reactions were immediate, Kaz continued. “A week ago I sent a young messenger boy here to scout out the place--find anything that could help identify the Serpents boss. During closing he snuck into one of their storage closets,” Kaz attempted to locate said closet, somewhere behind one of the bars.

Kaz paid close attention to the bartender and the poker dealers. “At some point in the night, one of the snakes got loose. Or,” he turned to Jesper and Inej, “my theory is they use those snakes as a means to get information on people.”

“Great,” Nina sighs, “you want us to free the Serpent's torture method. Well done, Brekker. Excellent plan if I must say.” The heartrender received a glare, but Kaz did not entertain it further.

“As I was saying,” his tone was stern, making the others hold onto any additional comments. “The boy overheard the panic of one of the Serpents. Turns out, the Snake Charmer doesn’t take kindly to her pets being mishandled.”

“I can see why,” Jesper mutters, glancing at the enclosure.

Kaz gripped his cane, watching the female bouncer approach the bartender and exchange words. “He then heard a woman’s voice. Singing.”

Wylan raised a brow, “Singing?”

“Whatever it was, it calmed the snake. Allowed her to return the animal back to its case. The boy said he heard arguing between a couple members who hoped to clean up their mistake before the boss discovered it.” Kaz shifted in his seat, “didn’t end well for them.”

“Did you get a look at her face?” Kaz peered out his office window, facing the direction of the Snake Pit’s location. Moonlight shining down, almost as though the Saints wanted him to see the building. Behind him, he heard the boy clear his throat.

“No, Sir.” He stuttered, tensing at the sight of Kaz lowering his head. “The door didn’t have any cracks or holes I could see through. I tried looking underneath, but only got a glimpse of their shoes.”

Kaz pinched the bridge of his nose, deep in thought. “What happened after she finished singing? How’d you get out?”

“Once the snake was handled, she ordered them to her office. She sounded….calm, but you know how you just know when someone is masking their anger. That’s how it was when she addressed them.” Kaz hummed, indicating he understood the boy’s implication. Considering he was guilty of such.

“And then?”

“I waited a few minutes until I was sure they were gone. The direction they went sounded like it was the far left of the club--opposite side of the spiral staircase that’s both the entrance and exit. I think there's a secret back entrance where they were because when I came out it was completely empty.”

Kaz found the secret back entrance. Camouflaged as a bookcase. He was able to spot the hinges carefully placed to where the light made it difficult to see them. But Kaz Brekker knew the art of illusion in the back of his hand.

“This is what’s going to happen,” he became serious. The Crows lean in to hear him while maintaining their alert. “We need to expose those snakes from their enclosure. They’ll be our bait. From there we wait. If my theory is correct, those snakes only answer to their master. Or charmer in this case.” Kaz paused to locate the female workers in the club. “Her act as an employee is a ruse.”

Jesper followed his gaze, once again becoming riddled with unease. “You’re implying the Snake Charmer is either the bouncer who let us in, the gal who served our drinks, the serving girls working the floor or one of the poker dealers?”

“That’s exactly what I’m implying, Jesper.”

“Why would she do that?”

Nina snorted, sipping at her whiskey, “Isn’t it obvious?” she didn’t wait for an answer, “no one would pay a second glance to a worker. They are either too drunk or too naive to assume the pretty bartender or serving girl is the boss of one of Ketterdam’s deadly gangs.” She gestured to the serving girl closest to her. “My money’s on her being the Charmer.”

Jesper scoffed, “no way. To be a ghost and retain anonymity all these years you have to have a great poker face.” He states the obvious, “it’s one of the dealers.”

Inej rolled her eyes, “are you seriously making this a competition?”

“You don’t think it could be the bouncer?” Wylan asked, scratching the back of his neck to relax the tension he felt.

“No,” Jesper replied with a wave of a hand, “that would be obvious, don’t you think? Although….,” he rubs his chin, “considering they let us in -- and we know how much you and the Snake Charmer have been rivals so to speak all these years, boss -- you don’t think by letting us through that we walked into some sort of trap?”

Inej immediately straightened, “Jes has a point.” Nina stopped munching on her calamari, waiting for Kaz. She too realized the potential threat.

Kaz, however, remained relaxed. “It’s not the bouncer, but I know the Charmer has already been notified of our presence.” Wylan’s worry intensified.

“What makes you think that?”

“As we’ve been talking I noticed all the women working the club have interacted at some point. Some making it obvious to point us out,” He was referring to the bouncer nodding her head to the one serving girl. “Others are more discreet.” That was to the poker dealer and bartender.

“And yet,” Jesper groans. “You still want us to make a scene. We are literally in a place crawling with snakes--pun not really intended.” the table rolled his eyes at him, save for Wylan who found the joke amusing. “Point is….you want to unleash the Snake Charmer’s serpents into a club full of innocent people--.”

“Innocent,” Nina scoffed under her breath.

“What if one of us gets bitten?” Jesper kept his gaze on Kaz with mild concern. “I don’t believe for a second the Snake Charmer will kindly hand over the antidote to save our lives. She’ll take pleasure in watching us suffer a horrible death.” Picturing the scene, the sharpshooter downs the rest of his drink, cringing in the process. “Saints, this is not how I pictured I’d die.”

Kaz rolled his eyes, “No one’s dying today. No mourners.” Everyone glanced at each other.

“No funerals.”

“Right then,” It was time to work. “Here’s what we’ll do….”

A prayer slipped past his lips before Jesper inhaled deeply and let the bullet fly. The sound caused gasps from around him, though he was quick to hide the weapon in its holster before one noticed.

“Who did that?!” came a shout from the bouncer. Patrons were already making their way toward the exit. Not wanting to get caught in a crossfire.

Jesper occupied himself with his rum, glancing over his shoulder to Inej, who signaled to him the bullet did not penetrate the glass completely. Sighing, he downed the contents, waited until it was clear, and shot again.

The second bullet hit the glass with a loud clunk. Once again alerting the occupants of the Snake Pit. Many searched themselves for any sign of blood for fear they were shot by an unknown assailant.

“C’mon,” Jesper whispered, peering at the enclosure. He saw the evidence of his bullet, a chip in the glass near the bottom. If he could time it right, without someone getting in the way, he’d hit the mark.

Meanwhile employees of the club were trying to calm the crowd, “everyone please remain--.” Another shot rang out, more shouts echoing. Kaz’s patience was running thin. Their door to escape started to close as he noticed the security begin to close in on the Crows. No doubt suspecting they were to blame for the chaos.

Kaz Brekker coming to the Snake Pit with his most trusted advisors for only a drink? Yeah right.

Then, almost in slow motion, the sound best described as ice cracking filled his ears. All eyes turned to the enclosure. Fear surfacing as they witnessed spiderwebs painting the glass. Then all hell broke loose when the glass gave way, allowing the beasts freedom from their isolation.

Screams ensued. People climbing from the floors onto tables and chairs. Hissing from the snakes intensified the hysteria. Kaz even found himself moving when the python pivoted in his direction. Jesper of course found himself on top of a chair the moment the glass shattered. Inej was high up on a balcony on the opposite side of the club. How did she get up there? No one knew. Wyalan was close to Jesper. He too found safety on a stool. Nina meanwhile was listening to the heartbeats around here. The number decreased each time a patron made it up the staircase and out the door.

Seconds passed and no sight of the Snake Charmer. Kaz was getting worried. Fearing the plan was a failure. His worry increased when he found himself scurrying on top of a poker table. Distracted with trying to find the workers he suspected of being the Snake Charmer to realize the cobra had got close to him. Had he not acted fast, the man’s leg would’ve fallen victim to its fangs. Catching Jesper’s eye, they shared the concern evident in their expressions. Wondering just how the fuck they were going to escape the situation.

Suddenly his prayers were answered in the form of an angelic voice. Causing the screams to disappear…..

“You’re heading for heaven,

The sweet old hereafter,

And I’ve got one foot in the door.

But before I can fly up,

I’ve loose ends to tie up,

Right here in The Old Therebefore.”

Heads turned, facing the direction of the sound. Their expressions turned into pure shock. Kaz may have had his suspicions, but it still came as a shock to discover he was right all along.

Ketterdam’s notorious crime boss, leader of the Blood Serpents….was the Snake Pit’s bartender.

Walking around the bar, crunching against the glass of broken bottles on the floor from the hysteria of customers fleeing to get away from the snakes, the woman kept her gaze on slithering animals. The hissing continued as she inched closer, however she did not seem fazed at all. Her singing continued.

“I’ll be along,

When I’ve finished my song,

When I’ve shut down the band,

When I’ve played out my hand,

When I’ve paid all my debts,

When I have no regrets,

Right here in The Old Therebefore.

When nothing is left anymore.”

The hissing got quieter. The animals turning so they were in line with the woman. Slithering slowly but surely toward her. Confirming to everyone she was their master. Their charmer.

Off to the side, a few of the Blood Serpents rushed in with crates. Pushing people aside. Meanwhile the woman got to her knees, leveling down to the snakes who were now moving toward her. Eyes locked, face serious. The Snake Charmer was obviously trying to keep herself together. But Kaz felt the rage seep off of her.

“I’ll catch you up,

When I’ve emptied my cup,

When I’ve worn out my friends,

When I’ve burned out both ends,

When I’ve cried all my tears,

When I’ve conquered my fears,

Right here in The Old Therebefore.

When nothing is left anymore.”

The snakes smaller in size slithered up her outstretched arms. Covering both limbs in a tangle of scales. One slithering up to encase her neck, almost like a necklace. The Cobra took claim to her waist. The python circled her, almost like it contemplated joining its fellow serpents.

Around Kaz, he made out the faint gasps of customers who had yet to depart. Glancing around, he witnessed them all in states of shock and awe. Even his Crows were at a loss of words.

As was he.

The Snake Charmer’s voice turned strong. Echoing through the entire club as she belted out the next verse. Bringing chills to everyone’s arms.

“I’ll bring the news,

When I’ve danced off my shoes,

When my body’s closed down,

When my boat’s run around,

When I’ve tallied the score,

And I’m flat on the floor,

Right here in The Old Therebefore.

When nothing is left anymore.”

Rising from the ground, she was covered by the creatures. Her python has wrapped itself around her leg. Its tail was on the floor while its head perched by where the cobra had secured itself on her belt. From the neck down the Snake Charmer was a sight to behold. Revealing why the nickname was not only because she was the leader of a gang filled with snakes.

It was because she was gifted with the talent of charming their namesake.

Moving toward her subordinates holding crates, no doubt to keep the animals contained, the woman passionately sang the final verse. Giving it all she had.

“When I’m pure like a dove,

When I’ve learned how to love.”

Tone dropping, she leaned to lower the snakes into the crates. Gently as though they were newborn babies. Kaz caught her stoke the pythons head, her singing so low it was good the place was dead quiet.

Right here in The Old Therebefore.

When nothing is left anymore.”

Finally, after what felt like forever, the snakes were safely stored in the crates. Lids dropping shut with the gang members hurrying from the floor to transport them to another room. No one moved. Any and all eyes focused on the woman in the pinstripe suit. Back turned to the Crows and other patrons, but from the fearful look of her door bouncers, everyone silently prayed they’d make it to the morning.

Moving her neck in a circle, a low crack from the joints that had been stiff, she slowly turned to face the audience. A clenched jaw and fury in her eyes made it clear what was going through her mind. Especially to Kaz, who was fighting to not look away when she instantly met his gaze.

Oh, she knew alright.

“Well…” the Charmer’s tone sent chills along the Crows' bodies. “You’ve certainly got my attention, Mr. Brekker.” Her spite was evident. Complete rage. Likely planning every means of torture she wished to bestow on her rival and his comrades.

It was so quiet. So thrilling. Nobody dared to move a muscle. Patrons watching the stare down between the King, and now the unmasked Queen, of the Barrel. It was captivating yet terrifying. Wondering who would make the first move, and if it will end in a blood bath.

Then she snapped, “Everyone out!!” The floor cleared in seconds. Leaving only Serpents and Crows. They knew better than to attempt an escape. Plus the moment their boss addressed Kaz, the Serpents had circled them to prevent any sudden attack.

Kaz remained composed. Watching closely as the Snake Charmer moved to the bar to pour herself a drink. “Before I kill you, Kaz Brekker, and your little birds too,” she did not look at him, paying attention to the liquid filling the glass. He tightened his jaw. “I want to hear you explain to me why you brought yourselves to my club,” bringing the glass to her lips, she downed half the alcohol in one gulp. Drawing her eyes up to make contact with him, “And destroyed my babies' home.”

Her footsteps echoed, walking toward the center of the floor where Kaz stood. “You’re a smart man.” She took another sip, this time slower. “Not only did you manage to draw me into the light, but you knew exactly how to do so.” A smirk plastered on Kaz’s face. A bold move considering the threat lingering at displaying his smugness to the Serpent Queen. Her lips were in a thin line, “What brings you to my den?”

Straightening his posture, Kaz stepped closer. Their distance is only a mere foot from one another. Making everyone--Crows and Serpents alike--suffocating from the tension between the two.

“You won’t be killing us tonight, Charmer.” If only he knew her real name. Only having her title felt like she had some reign on him. Superior in a sense. The whole Barrel knew him as Dirtyhands, but Kaz Brekker had his own reputation. For her, people can now put a face to the name Snake Charmer. A beautiful woman with the voice of an angel. So powerful it made snakes bend to her will.

Also, people would be shaken by the fact the deadly gang leader served them drinks during their visits to the Snake Pit. Hidden in plain sight. Listening to them spill their drunken secrets.

Kaz leaned closer, the scent of her perfume hitting his nostrils. Jasmine. A flower known to attract snakes. He understood why she wore it. The smell was alluring. As was her presence, but Kaz dismissed the thought as quick as it came. “Doing so will result in you losing an important job I’m willing to negotiate your assistance on. Believe me, the reward is more than generous--enough for the both of us to share.” Now he got her attention, confirmed by the way her head slightly tilted, brow raised.

“Humor me, Brekker.”

“Have you ever heard of jurda parem?”

#kaz brekker x reader #kaz brekker imagine #kaz brekker #kaz brekker x y/n #six of crows #six of crows imagine #six of crows fanfic #kaz brekker fanfic #shadow and bone #shadow and bone fanfiction #shadow and bone imagine #Spotify

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licorice-lips · 5 months

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In the past few days, I've seen an increasing amount of comments about how Suzanne Collins pushed a narrative in The Hunger Games about "both sides being equally bad" because of her representation of Coin and Snow being the same, someone going as far as saying Katniss was being manipulated by Coin, therefore, making her words against the Capital less true. And that really bothered me.

I strongly disagree with those people but I can see where they're coming from and that point of view has two reasons to be so widely spread:

The first of them is Snow and Coin being "different sides of the same coin" (pun intended). Both are driven by the same thing, which is the hunger for power and it's true that Coin tries to manipulate Katniss. However, just like Snow, she's unable to, that's the reason why Coin is so set on killing Katniss in the second film (and the book, but it's less obvious there).

But that's the thing: Katniss (just like Lucy Gray) won't be contained because her compassion for the struggling people under the oppression of the Capital and her hatred against this oppression shines through every time someone - even herself - tries to contain those traits.

Katniss is a representation of what the people from the districts really are - people both compassionate and filled with hatred against the oppressive system that shackles them to fear. Her own existence validates that the district's fight is a fair one, one that means the freedom of all Panem, as they claim. The fact that Coin is a part of the revolution does not make it less valid, it just comes to show that we have to be careful about choosing our leaders and that they, alone, don't mean anything:

It's really important to understand that the people responsible for the dismantling of the Capital were not Coin and District 13, but all of the Districts organized together, people who didn't have the exact same values or vision of what a freed Panem would look like but know the Capital cannot continue to oppress them. THEY are the revolution, THEY are the ones who killed Snow, THEY are the ones who did the fighting, THEY are the ones who took the Capital, and to me, it's insulting to resume their fight and their hopes for a better Panem on Coin and her own selfish goals.

Especially not when they are the reason why Coin dies at the end: once she tries to show her hands, she is immediately shot down (pun intended) because Katniss - as do others, like Plutarch - recognizes they're trading six for half a dozen (and I don't know if that's an English expression, but I think its meaning is obvious) if they allow Coin to spread her wings. The revolution didn't happen because of Coin, it happened because people saw in Katniss a symbol of hope, driving them into action, and the fact that District 13 - and Coin - appeared months after the beginning of it doesn't invalidate their fight in any way.

The second point is closely tied to the first and it's the strong anti-violence and anti-war narrative in both the books and the films. And I'll have to be very careful treading this one because I don't want you to think I condone war or violence but it's a really fine thread I'm going to walk by right now:

It's undeniable that the war itself is treated in the books as something terrible, both sides (first point) use violence as a means to an end, this end being the victory of their own side. But that's inevitable in war: there will be violence, and there will be unspeakable things done to "the other side", and there will be war crimes being committed. And we are so culturally infected by the idea of resolving anything by "love" and of a unique hero who will free us all, that talking about violence as a valid response to oppression is quickly rejected.

Again: I do not think violence should be the immediate answer to political problems, of course not. But when we talk about the oppression that's been committed continuously against a group of people through a large period of time, especially when their diplomacy and cries aren't being heard, why shouldn't violence be the answer? What other response there is? Go quietly into the good night? I don't think any of us would want that, not for ourselves and not for the ones we love, and not for the ones who make our communities.

There's a really good book - The Wretched of the Earth, by Frantz Fanon - that explores violence as more than a valid response to oppression, but a necessary one. Although I do think diplomacy should be tried and other resources should be exhausted before violence and war, I also think they are a valid response to oppression, especially because the oppressors are so vicious.

But returning to the books, even when violence and war are valid, like in the revolution, they are still extremely ugly and traumatizing, especially when we need - as the oppressed ones - to keep our humanity so we don't end up becoming the oppressors. So it's natural that the violence narrated in Collin's books, especially the violence committed by the revolution, seems like it passes the message that both sides are just as bad - something like the narrative, you lose your reasoning when your response is violence.

However, what makes Katniss's and the District's fight for freedom from the Capital's oppressive regime valid is not their lack of violence or their integrity (it's war, and it's not likely that, as a soldier, you maintain it), but the very fact that they are the oppressed ones. Victims should not and are not perfect, they never will be - children being as close to it as we can go. But that doesn't make their fight less valid.

Of course, there is a limit, and that's perfectly captured by Gale: hatred without compassion, blind rage, and dehumanizing of your enemy. That's when violence is no longer valid in fighting oppression, not because of its lack of morals but because of the danger it represents to the innocent they're trying to free.

And yes, I thought a lot about Palestine writing this.

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agentem · 10 months

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The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

I'm very worried Lionsgate will play up the "romance" between Lucy Gray and Snow for the marketing of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. (Although I also saw some people complaining the actor, Tom Blythe, is too old for the role. He is. He's 28 playing a teenager. But in my dreams they did that on purpose to make him seem like a creeper. That is probably giving them too much credit.)

And then there is a whole segment of the fandom that is like "I hate this book. I wanted a Haymitch prequel. This book isn't fun." (I get it; I wanted a Mags book.)

No, it's not the book people wanted. It's the book people needed.

Suzanne Collins sat down and was like, "Girls, here are the kind of motherfuckers you gotta stay away from." He's narcissistic and controlling from the jump and the book is about how he becomes a tyrant and melomaniac.

Yes, he's the "star." But he's the star like the Predator is the star. Or Jason Vorhees.

Lucy is doing her best to be the 'final girl'. And she's doing. great. GREAT!

I don't know why people thought Suzanne Collins was going to give us a fun fan service novel after she ended the trilogy with "Mockingjay". My girl is so hardcore. We don't deserve her.

#the ballad of songbirds and snakes #the hunger games #coriolanus snow #lucy gray baird #rachel zegler #tom blyth #haymitch abernathy #mockingjay #suzanne collins #ya literature

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suburbandadclub · 1 year

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What sets The Hunger Games novels so far apart from other stories, especially YA ones, and also from the films they were adapted into, is that we, the audience, get to experience the varied responses to trauma through the eyes of someone who doesn’t know life without it.

I first read the trilogy as a 12-year-old, and it was wonderful to me then. Katniss seemed so mature and grown-up, and I saw in her this savior that I dreamed of saving me too, like she saved her sister. I think that’s why a lot of the end of the series was confusing to me. I loved it, but there was so much that I couldn’t figure out about her motivations.

I began listening to the audiobooks recently, at a time in my life when I was finally able to come to terms with the abuse I’d experienced my entire childhood and adolescence. Outside of any of that, I now saw Katniss for what she is: a child. It blew me away how similar I felt to her in what she goes through. When you have known suffering all your life, you have no idea the depth of its impact. I always knew how upset and angry I felt about what was being done to me. But I never considered it was out of the ordinary. I knew other kids didn’t experience it like I did, but why would I have any reason to think it was wrong? It was just my life. I must have deserved it.

Katniss takes on so much blame in an effort to make sense of her circumstances. She takes on guilt to try to punish herself for the egregious things happening to the people she loves. She doesn’t see herself as a person worthy of life and love, and yet she sees herself as selfish for not always thinking of the greater good. So much of her response to trauma stands out to me now as obvious, even as I struggle to see it in myself.

And as readers, we can’t see further than her own paranoid, traumatized logic. This is obviously somewhat lessened now that the movies are such a widely-known phenomenon, but events and actions of other characters come completely out of the blue and surprise us because Katniss convinces herself (and us) that the world works a certain way because it’s always worked that way for her, and we believe her!

Truly the most subversive of unreliable narrators.

I don’t know how Suzanne Collins perfectly captured the mind of a deeply traumatized child, which leads me to conclusions that I dearly hope are not true, because you always hope that these things don’t happen even when you know they do. But I am immensely grateful that she chose to write what she did, not only for what her writing has done for the globe in terms of war, and politics, and humanity, but for kids like me, who maybe will see a little better that even in stories filled with hurt and tragedy and suffering, there is more than enough beauty to be found just by choosing to keep fighting.

#thg #thg meta #the hunger games #catching fire #mockingjay #suzanne collins #katniss #katniss everdeen #trauma #ptsd

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tepkunset · 6 months

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The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Film Review

(This review contains spoilers!)

I consider The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes book to be a masterpiece that sets a standard of what YA Fiction can be; something that any young adult upwards can enjoy. Suzanne Collins does such an amazing job of pulling you into the world and characters she’s created, and doesn’t shy away from the truly grotesque things that make a dystopia feel impactful. I am glad to say that, for the most part, this film lives up to that standard.

Before anything else, I do want to get a few minor complaints out of the way. Keep in mind they did not ruin the film for me, but I feel they are worthy of pointing out.

Sejanus Plinth is my favourite character in the book, and while for the most part he is very accurate, there is one thing that really disappointed me: In the book, Sejanus knew damn well what he was doing with the rebels; he deliberately supplied them with weapons. But in the film, he has the line “I didn’t know there would be guns”, discovering for the first time that they used his money to arm themselves. This really feels like de-clawing his character to me.

It would’ve been nice to have at least a brief mention that Barb Azure is gay. I can understand why they had to cut out Pluribus Bell for time, but because the also cut him out, that means there’s no mention at all of the book’s queer characters in the film.

The relationship between Coriolanus and Sejanus has a much more bitter feeling in the film than in the book, and after sleeping on it, I think I know why: Because we don’t get to hear Coriolanus’s thoughts in the film, the film I think overcompensates by making him much more verbal about his snobbery towards Sejanus. Subsequently, it’s harder to believe why Sejanus sees Coriolanus as his best friend.

Okay now, onto the praises!

The story is extremely loyal to the book. In fact, there is a lot of dialogue that is ripped right of the page, and it all made me really happy to hear. I am especially glad they kept in this pinnacle Lucy Gray quote: “I think there’s a natural goodness built into human beings. You know when you’ve stepped across the line into evil, and it’s your life’s challenge to try and stay on the right side of that line.” Because this, of course, directly enforces the core message I took from the book: Good and evil is a choice. The choices that Coriolanus made are his to hold responsibility to, and as much as you can point at Dr. Gaul for introducing him to the path he takes, ultimately, he chose to walk it. Most of the changes were understandable cuts for time without any sacrifices being too detrimental. The things they added were all, in my opinion, enhancements to the story by expanding on what only happens on the peripheral of Coriolanus’s point of view in the book. For example, the things he only watches on screen in the arena are delved further into by shifting to Lucy Gray directly a few times. They also added a bit to Coral’s character at her time of death, which I liked because it made her out to be less of a cardboard antagonist and instead reminded the audience that she, too, is a victim of the system.

All the actors did a phenomenal job, from both the main and supporting cast. Tom Blyth does a great job at showing Coriolanus Snow’s progression down the path of a young villain in the making. Rachel Zegler does a great job at capturing Lucy Gray’s charm and free spirit. Josh Andrés Rivera does a great job at selling the weight Sejanus carries around with him, and has some of the best line deliveries in the film in my opinion. (My favourite being “I’m so blameless I’m choking”.) And I especially have praise for Viola Davis as Dr. Volumnia Gaul, who does an amazing job at bringing the unhinged character from the book onto the screen. She’s properly intimidating and strange at the same time. Dimitri Abold as Reaper was also a scene-stealer, in that he captures what I absorbed from the book really well; the western societal expectation that a young Black man is a danger that is then turned on its head. Not only does he not kill a single person, he has a very emotional moment of mourning for the tributes, collecting their bodies as he does in the book, and covering them with the Panem flag – something that outrages the audience more than the actual death of the children.

The scenery is very loyal to the descriptions provided in the book; I swear they stole it straight from my own personal imagination while reading.

The music… I don’t even know how to put to words my satisfaction in how the film adapts the music written out in the book, into an actual song. My personal favourite is “Nothing You Can Take From Me”. Rachel Zegler has a great voice, for sure.

The costume design is great. The Capitol’s eccentricities we know from the core trilogy haven’t evolved yet, but there’s still a certain flavour carried with characters like Tigris and Dr. Gaul for example, that tell a story of where the fashion will eventually end up. On the other hand, we see that things haven’t changed very much for District Twelve at all, which showcases how society’s change is stilted in poverty.

The colour palette of the film is mostly just a little desaturated, with one exception: whenever Lucy Gray takes Coriolanus outside of District Twelve. The meadow, the lake, and the forest are all noticeably more colourful, which I interpreted as representing the freedom these locations offer to the characters.

All in all, I think the film was fantastic. It is easily the most loyal Hunger Games adaptation, and I don’t think that’s coincidental in its quality.

#tbosas #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #thg #hunger games #movie thoughts

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wolfnesta · 10 months

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I’ve sort of stopped posting rant peices because meh I feel like everything that’s needed to be said has been said but I just kind of caught myself analyzing SJM’s writing after my reread of the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and it led me to a comparison that somewhat allowed me to pin point why I just couldn’t really get into Feyre’s character. This is not anti Feyre before people get carried away but I do suggest you ignore this post if you’re a diehard fan even if it’s mostly an SJM critique.

For context during my first read of acotar I was a hardcore Hunger Games fan (the books because I loathe the movies). I’m talking obsessed since even before Mockingjay, the book, came out. And so Feyre somewhat gave me Katniss vibes with the whole bow and arrow/hunting theme but I say somewhat because the whole theme was ditched after the first few pages of acotar. Which isn’t a problem I mean they’re two different characters, two different stories, two different genres. (Note: absolutely no one can compare to Katniss. Additionally, Sarah can’t compare to Suzanne. But that’s just me) So the reason I still chose to do this comparison is because it sort of helped me understand why I could obsess over one character but reject the other when they hold similar traits. I think the best way I could describe it is from the beginning Suzanne Collins created a distinction between the protagonist and the situation which is so important because this allows the reader to understand details of characters surrounding Katniss and her demise while also understanding the responses she has to them as her own character. Maybe a bit confusing so let me give an example. It is explained why certain characters play a hand in Katniss’s demise like her mother, the tributes, her mentors etc very clearly, as in, we can grasp all the tragedies of their own while also understanding Katniss’s response to them separate than the readers eg. Katniss never being able to forgive her mother’s neglect at the same time that the reader understands the mother had untreated depression, the Careers trying to kill her with malicious intent but also understanding they’re basically puppets of the Capitol, Haymitch being a detoriating alcoholic she finds culpable for the lack of District winners but also knowing it’s his only way to cope with his ptsd. Anything about those characters after that is character development from what was already clearly established, more examples: the reveal of Finnick Odair’s promiscuity then learning he was being sold for sex, realizing Johanna’s lack of self preservation is because everyone she loved was murdered, and basically the whole entire book for President Snow’s character in The Balllad of Songbirds and Snakes which wasn’t even a redemption story it was just— 🤌

Whereas Sarah decides to bring up things at random when readers are suppose to have already made up their minds about Feyre’s demise. Cue in Tamlin going from having decent qualities to sudden complete douche, Nesta’s spiteful comments to suddenly she’ll save her, Lucien being a friend to suddenly he’s in debted to her, heck even —no especially Rhys’s ‘did bad things but turns out they were all for the greater good’ characterization throughout the books and everything he does is fine because of it. Because SJM uses Feyre as a way to make the readers believe how bad/good so and so is vs Suzanne who uses Katniss to provide to readers how Katniss believe’s so and so is. Then the way Sarah throws vague cryptic things to make characters seem traumatized which I’d go as far as to say is cringe borderline disrespectful the way they seem to be presented just for ‘aesthetic’ purposes instead of the very real things those topics entail (I’m looking at you Nesta’s SA plus others) but that’s another topic, I’m derailing.

Which is why I will definitely always say that from the very beginning of acotar the whole Elain and Nesta constituting Feyre’s wicked family trope fell extremely flat to me. Like I was completely unbothered— I couldn’t even bring myself to dislike them because it felt almost too obvious the way they were written plus the lack of explanation as to why?? There is this disconnection because sjm doesn’t clearly explain their behavior until way later which results in just a weird retcon type situation. Not only that but she goes on to build from it giving the sisters more importance in the series.

But whatever, that’s just my opinion. Which I’m sure has been said before in different terms.

Yet still I enjoyed Feyre book 1, although, as I made myself complete the series it seems by acosf she’s almost entirely different except for her self sacrificing qualities that tend to remain in all MC’s. I mean I really don’t think Feyre book 1 or maybe even book 2 would’ve let Rhys get away with that horrid pregnancy trope thing going on but 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’m not the owner of any of these characters so. In the end she’s an okay character to me, she’s a determined, loving person, but I just wouldn’t consider her a fave of mine.

#sjm critical #anti feyre #I want to like feyre I do but I couldn’t bring myself to love and obsess over her like my dumb ass does #tagging anti because some of her fans are insufferable

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just-dandelion-thoughts · 1 year

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so turns out Suzanne Collins did the whole symbolism-with-dandelions shit with The Hunger Games. i read those books and watched those movies. how did i forget about that.

and yet, it must've had a significant impact on me for it to stick with me for this long.

on the other hand, why didn't we all lose our collective minds about this? why did we stop talking about it? i feel like the state of being a hunger games fan is so common that we just don't talk about it anymore (with the exception of particularly devoted fans). we should! Collins did so much for us and we should be talking about that!

idk. i'm way too tired to properly talk about this, but. god, she did so much for us. and it feels like she's rarely talked about anymore. is it, like, because the ya dystopia genre got so utterly fucked-up and milked dry and we're embarrassed to admit that the book that started it all was actually really fucking good, despite being the beginning of the end for the genre?

are we afraid that she's gonna pull a jk rowling and turn out to be a shitty person? are we worried that we're going to find some fatal flaw in the story?

i don't get it. there's so much to talk about! and her other series, Gregor The Overlander aka The Underland Chronicles! nobody fucking talks about them, because nobody has heard of them! they're so fucking good! an incredible fantasy premise, many of the same themes as THG, and a well-developed romance! do you know how difficult it is to find a well-developed romance these days? and if you're not really one for romance, don't worry - it's a subplot that really only begins to matter in the last book!

come on, people, where is the love for Collins?

#dandelion #dandelions #dandelionthoughts #justdandelionthoughts #thg #the hunger games #tuc #the underland chronicles #gregor the overlander #gto #suzanne collins #it feels like a fever dream at this point!#if it wasn't for the fandom posting in the dandelions tag you could've told me that thg was all just a fever dream #and i'd have to check before i believed myself that it wasn't!#what is this some kind of fucking psyop /j

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mexicancat-girl · 4 months

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I saw some of your takes abt tbosas (and it was refreshing seeing someone with media literacy talking abt it), but as a fellow latin-american person, I wanted to ask you a question: did you also feel extremely disturbed about the way coriolanus talked and thought about D2, its people and its customs? the way he talked and mocked them made me think so much about the way gringos talk about latam that made my skin crawl, but idk, maybe it was just me, so I wanted to know the opinion of another person who's latine too ☠️

Coriolanus is incredibly xenophobic throughout the novel. It made me feel disgusted every time he disparages the people of the Districts, and the Plinths specifically.

As someone who's parents immigrated to the US many years ago, I could see the Plinth's story heavily mirroring that of immigrants. Leaving behind one's homeland and attempting to assimilate, to play the good citizen. But no matter what you do, you're not "American" enough to fit in America. You are ostracized and isolated by white folk. But you're not wanted where you came from, either, because you've picked up too many of the new customs and scrubbed away your identity to fit in.

Sejanus even admits that he doesn't feel like he fits anywhere, that he still feels like he's part of District 2, he's still District, even all the years of living in Capitol. That people only tolerate him and his father because of their money. The way he was isolated since he was a child--to the point that the only friend he feels he has is Coriolanus, just because the other boy didn't outright mock him--says a lot.

Sejanus being played by a Puerto Rican actor also adds to the immigration themes, especially mirroring the current situation with the US colonizing Puerto Rico.

The fact Lucy Gray is played by a latine actress, and Coriolanus goes out of his way to insist she isn't fully District to both himself and the people of the Capitol to help her win, just shows that she is treated as 'one of the good ones' and a model minority. She didn't 'take away' anyone else's status in the Capitol like the Plinths did with their arms dealing--which is partially why Sejanus and the Plinths are so despised by the elite of the Capitol--so she's given much more leeway as an underdog.

Overall, yes, the way Coriolanus spoke of Sejanus and his family made my skin crawl. It reminded me a lot of my own experiences as Latine in the US.

Coriolanus goes out of his way to mock Sejanus' empathy for the poor and downtrodden, his closeness to his mother, and the way they gift those close to them food/dishes from their homeland. And yet Coriolanus takes their charity, takes advantage of their kindness and empathy, and even adores how nice the cooking tastes from Ma Plinth, despite his inner monologue insulting all of it.

Suzanne Collins really did well with showing how much of an entitled, miserable racist little piece of shit he is. I just wish white fans could see his flaws for what they are instead of being dazzled by his actor's good looks.

#fandom racism #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #sejanus plinth #sejanus deserved better #tbosas #the hunger games #the hunger games meta #coriolanus snow #mexicat asks

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snowsonlylove · 2 months

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Delicate (Inspired by Taylor Swift)

Pairing: Academy!Coryo x Gf!Reader

Summary: Coriolanus commemorates his first public appearance with his girlfriend, Y/N Y/L/N. As Coriolanus feels Y/N’s head on his chest, he realizes how comforting it is to be loved as Y/N shows Coriolanus how safe she feels with him as she falls asleep before him. Coriolanus acknowledges this and he starts thinking of their future. This is the point of no return, the story of the beginning of Coriolanus Snow’s rise to power as the future President of Panem, with his darling future wife and First Lady, Y/N Y/L/N, by his side, being his pillar and supporting him on his journey to power.

Fic Type: Fluff (SFW), a little arguement in the middle though so a lil angst

Warnings: arguments, subtle manipulation in the beginning,lots of kissing, coryo being a lil delulu

Word Count: 1.6k

I do not own Coriolanus Snow or Y/N Y/L/N (cuz it’s you, boo). All credits go to Suzanne Collins and her team. Song credits also go to Taylor Swift and her team.

I do not allow my works to be republished or translated under any circumstances. Any instances of this happening and YOU WILL BE BLOCKEDDD.

This ain’t for the best

My reputation’s never been worse, so

You must like me for me

“You are just adorable, sweetheart.” Coriolanus said while stroking his girlfriend’s cheek. Of all the words used to describe Coriolanus Snow, sweet or adorable never came to mind. Coriolanus was charming, of course, but he could never be so vulnerable. That would stain his prestige of perfection. However, the same cannot be said for his girlfriend (aka future wife) Y/N Y/L/N. A young woman who walked through the halls of the Academy with the biggest, brightest smile on her face, always respectful in greeting her friends and teachers, the epitome of elegance and grace.

We can’t make

Any promises now, can we, babe?

But you can make me a drink

Snow’s reputation does not perceed him, of course, yet he sometimes wonders… Why did Y/N choose him? Did she see him as a gentleman he never truly was? Did she like his sense of poise and sophistication? Or was she just sorry for him, given the circumstances of his family? Those are questions that are yet to be answered.

Dive bar on the East Side, where you at?

Phone lights up my nightstand in the black

Come here, you can meet me in the back

Their first appearance as boyfriend and girlfriend started during the reaping ceremony of the 10th annual Hunger Games. “Hey Y/N, where’s your boy toy? A little lost perhaps?” Arachne sneered while her goons silently snickered behind her back. “No, and he’s not my boy toy. You’d know all about boy toys, wouldn’t you Arachne? Considering the fact that you’ve successfully fucked more than half the boys in the Academy, attracting STDs left and right.” Y/N clapped back, hearing a male chuckle behind her as Arachne’s face turned furiously red and walked away.

Dark jeans and your Nikes, look at you

Oh damn, never seen that colour blue

Just think of the fun things we could do

Y/N turned back to face her boyfriend, running towards him with a hug so strong, it made him stumble forward. “Hi” Y/N whispered silently while looking at her boyfriend with a lovestruck smile. “Hey” He replied while examining her face with his piercing, blue eyes. They were living in their own world and they were perfectly content on keeping it that way. The pair leaned down to give each other a kiss, looking at each other as if time was just a construct. As they broke apart from their kiss, a familiar sound was voiced around the room and they were about to announce the start of the reaping ceremony.

This ain't for the best

My reputation's never been worse, so

You must like me for me

(Yeah, I want you)

Both Y/N and Coriolanus walked to their respective seats with their hands locked together. Dean Highbottom was giving Coriolanus a deathly stare a few feet away, looking as if he was thinking of something to sabotage him with, then walking away to his seat with an eerily smirk, giving Coriolanus the chills. Coriolanus quickly snapped out of it, looking at Y/N with a small but reassuring smile on his face while giving her a final, deep kiss before the start of the ceremony, making their friends behind them release wolf whistles, leaving the couple with their cheeks pink.

We can't make

Any promises now, can we, babe?

But you can make me a drink

“There has been a change this year,” said Dean Highbottom while looking around the room. “The Plinth prize will no longer depend on whoever has the best grades, rather it will depend on whoever is the best mentor, leading their tribute to victory” Coriolanus looked shocked as Y/N held his hand and rubbed her thumb over his fingers delicately in a reassuring manner. The couple exchanged glances as if to say something, then looking away with a determined expression, eager to support one another along the way.

Is it cool that I said all that?

Is it chill that you're in my head?

'Cause I know that it's delicate (delicate)

“District 8, Girl, belongs to Y/N Y/L/N. District 10, Girl, Arachne Crane” Dean Highbottom droned on with the assignments. Coriolanus looked around the room with an anxious look on his face, eagerly anticipating his assignment. The Plinth prize meant a lot to him, as the prize contained the money he needed to keep supporting his family, to be able to pay the bills, food, everything. Of course, Y/N knows about his condition, having visited his home and becoming great friends with Tigris and conversing with Grandma’am over their mutual love of roses. Coriolanus appreciates his girlfriend’s gestures towards his family, however he is in no position to accept money out of pity. That wouldn’t be a good look for him, and she knew that, so they kept this out of the equation in their relationship. “Oh you’ll like this one, Ms. Crane, the runt girl, District 12, belongs to Coriolanus Snow…” Coriolanus’s face turned from one of anxiousness to hidden rage as he glared at the Dean as if looks could kill. Y/N noticed how tense he was and knowing his situation, she held his hand tighter as she tried to comfort him.

Is it cool that I said all that?

Is it too soon to do this yet?

'Cause I know that it's delicate

As the hall dispersed after the ceremony, Y/N followed Coriolanus outside the Academy as he furiously walked away from the hall. “Wait up, Coryo!” Y/N said, exasperated from following his big steps. Coriolanus’s head whipped towards her as he exclaimed “How could I not, Y/N?! He knew how much that prize meant to me and he still did that! And for what, as a means to take me down, as a way to destroy my future?!” He looked utterly exhausted as he vented his feelings out towards his girlfriend. Y/N didn’t speak, choosing to walk towards him and engulf him in a comforting hug and stroking the back of his neck in a comforting manner. Coriolanus heaved a big sigh and his eyes started to tear up from the pressure he was feeling.

Isn't it, isn't it, isn't it?

Isn't it?

Isn't it, isn't it, isn't it?

Isn't it delicate?

Coriolanus buried his head deep in Y/N’s neck as he wept from his unfortunate chance of winning the only prize he needed to help his family. After a while, his cries subsided as he looked up at Y/N with a grateful smile before leaning and capturing her lips in a mind searing kiss, making Y/N surprised by his actions as she tried to keep up with his ministrations. They stayed like that for a while, basking in each other’s love and kissing each other like the other was their lifeline before they pulled away, breathless.

Sometimes I wonder when you sleep

Are you ever dreaming of me?

That night, Coriolanus and Y/N stayed together in her lavish, pink room as she layed her head on his chest in a comforting manner. Coriolanus looked at his girlfriend, half asleep and as somber as she could ever be in his presence. It brought him great comfort and pride to know that she was comfortable in his embrace and not afraid of him despite his flaws. Coriolanus kissed the top of Y/N’s head softly as he observed her sleeping form. He wonders sometimes… Does Y/N ever dream of him? What would their relationship look like if they were away from all this chaos in the Capitol? What if they found a way to get out of the Hunger Games and lived happily ever after somewhere else, with enough money and a house full of their children? Maybe somewhere on the countryside? No… No.. That would be too far fetched, especially considering his desire to rule Panem and finally take revenge on those rebels who destroyed his home and killed his father in the mines. He would also take revenge on those who wronged him, who thought of him as nothing without his fortune.

Since he was a little kid running around the Snow penthouse, he never imagined he would want a future where he would be even close to a girl and producing heirs, now here he was, thinking what his and Y/N’s children would be like in a place far, far away from all this chaos. Would they inherit his eyes? Maybe have her hair? He doesn’t know, yet he’s excited to discover that with his lovely girlfriend.

Sometimes when I look into your eyes

I pretend your mine all the damn time…

Coriolanus never planned this, falling in love was beyond him and yet, it brought him serenity to know that once he ruled Panem, he would have his darling wife, the First Lady Y/N Y/L/N, by his side, supporting him the whole way. Her undying loyalty serves as one of the biggest motivations for him to win the Hunger Games, to prove Dean Highbottom wrong about his assumptions of the Snows. He would soon grow hungry for it, power… After all, it’s hunger that drives people desperate in this cruel, relentless world. As Coriolanus looked at his girlfriend’s relaxed face, he knew what he had to do to accomplish his dreams. He has to use Lucy Gray as much as she is using him. Use her, get rid of her, and continue on your way to the top of the food chain, with his darling girlfriend by his side, always siding with him and encouraging him on his journey to becoming the future President of Panem.

#coriolanus snow #tbosas fanfiction #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #hunger games #coriolanus x reader #coriolanus snow x reader #Spotify

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petruchio · 11 days

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LEAVING ASIDE the nonsense that was the marketing for these films, how do you feel about the songs Taylor released on the THG soundtrack?

oh i love them!! i actually think eyes open is the superior hunger games song of the two and i think it's a brilliant interpolation of taylor's own relationship with fame projected onto katniss in a way that i think highlights just how incisive the commentary of THG is -- like "everybody's waiting for you to break down/everybody's watching to see the fall out" could easily be on a track like the lucky one and it clearly reflects a lot of taylor's own anxieties about fame and celebrity -- but the fact that it maps so perfectly onto katniss is just like MWAH! perfection. and it's just proof that suzanne collins tapped into a VERY real set of feelings and ideas about fame and living under intense scrutiny. and the hunger games-y lyrics are SO GOOD bc they feel natural but also are so specific and cool: i love "keep your aim locked the night grows dark" like YES LOVE IT.

to expand on that honestly... i think that line eyes open in particular is proof to me that a lot of great songwriting comes out of using stories that are not your own. i think another great example of this is olivia rodrigo. like don't get me wrong: i LOVE deja vu. i think it's a pretty perfect pop song honestly. but "can't catch me now" is SUCH A GOOD SONG. it has imo a some of her best songwriting on it, because i feel like it gave her new metaphors to explore and made the lyrics and the music feel fresh -- like "there's snow falling over the city, you thought that it would wash away the bitter taste of my fury and all of the messes you made" is a BRILLIANT line! like to me, it's leagues above "i used to think i was smart but you made me look so naive" (i could write an essay on my feelings on vampire honestly but that's just one example) (like i really genuinely enjoyed guts a LOT -- but it did start to get repeptitive, only being about heartbreak and insecurity. yeah those feelings are rich and layered! but i also like the song about falling in love with a future fascist dictator and then disappearing into the woods a la wordsworth and exiting in a perpetual state of unreality for the rest of time. like that one was really good too! (another side note is that she has that one unreleased song on her instagram inspired by twilight -- and it's also like, wonderfully written. like yes olivia, free yourself from the need to be a diaristic songwriter and just write insane fandom songs. PLEASE.)) (i felt the same way about "what was i made for?" -- like that song is PERFECTION in the way it maps so perfectly onto the metaphors and images of the barbie movie and yet it stands alone as a great song as well. low key i wished wwimf and ccmn had been released in two dif years because i wanted them both to get the best original song oscar. just incredible work by our gen z pop girlies.)

and to go on and on MORE... all of this is why i think the taylor swift effect in pop music has been like... honestly a net negative for a lot of artists honestly. like music doesn't NEED to be about gossipy personal details to be good! don't get me wrong, i love the way we get to dive into "taylor's diary" and i think it's the reason i still love so many of her personal songs -- bc they feel like various entries into the experience of growing up as a lonely little girl and trying to understand your place in the world. and exploring the evolution of her personal relationships over the years is really cool and makes for a fascinating body of work to dive into and analyze. but also... sometimes songs are still good even when they're NOT intrinsically tied to the personal life of the singer! like nobody cares if "toxic" is about justin timberlake or kevin federline or whatever -- it's just a great fucking song and it doesn't matter that it's britney singing it, except in that her vocal delivery and performance style lends itself to that banger of a track! (AND THIS IS TRUE FOR TAYLOR TOO! i've said often she does her best work when she's fantasizing -- "you belong with me" is inspired by a phone call. "august" is a completely pretend story. "death by a thousand cuts" is about a movie. like those are some of her best songs!! and it's at least in part because they feel expansive and fresh because they're NOT ABOUT HER!)

anyway my point is not to say that diaristic songwriting is bad or that i don't like it -- because i really DO, i love looking at the connections between taylor songs across albums and eras and analyzing how she ties certain images or phrases to certain muses and tracking the evolution of her relationship to life and love over the years. but i also just think she's a good songwriter -- so when she writes songs about other stuff... it's interesting and cool. i wish she'd do more of it haha

#answered #anonymous #taylor swift #probably not what you expected me to say on this topic #buuuuut of course i over explained. what else do we do on petruchio.tumblr.com if not expand far beyond what the original ask was saying

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thelakesogversion-blog · 2 months

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Me rn: Hun, I tried explaining in a respectful matter why you’re Gale takes are weird interpretations but even agreed with you at times. You’ve basically just said the same shit for 3 separate posts, all of which I counteracted. Lmao Gale is the entitled nice guy? I don’t think he was the one who ghosted Katniss and threw statues at her when she kissed someone else (But wait, remember who DID that 🤗) And I really don’t get why you’ve brought up the beach kiss? That doesn’t make any sense. You’re really skewing the narrative and hold Gale to far different standards to Peeta.

no I do not hold double standard because the difference is Peeta realizes he was wrong and apologizes and changes his behavior Gale doesn't. if Peeta continue to act the way Gale was I would not be on either team. also he didn't throw the statue because of the kiss he was mad because Katniss and Haymitch because they didn't tell him about Snow's visit and because of that innocent people got killed because he gave money to rue and Thresh family like seriously didn't you read the books.

(And as for your other ask, you brought up what Liam Hemsworth said? I love Liam but Idgaf what his take is on Katniss and Gale bc he and I can have different interpretations! I don’t agree or really care what he thinks of it lol. You clearly just want the last word, have at it. It’s weird as hell that Peeta manipulating Katniss into a relationship, stalking her, ghosting her, and making her extremely uncomfortable at times is sweet and romantic, yet Gale stopping Katniss from kissing him makes him the devil. Goodbye)

this is a quote from Peeta catching Fire( He takes a deep breath. "Look, Katniss, I've been wanting to talk to you about the way I acted on the train. I mean, the last train. The one that brought us home. I knew you had something with Gale. I was jealous of him before I even officially met you. And it wasn't fair to hold you to anything that happened in the Games. I'm sorry."

There's nothing for you to be sorry about. You were just keeping us alive. But I don't want us to go on like this, ignoring each other in real life and falling into the snow every time there's a camera around. So I thought if I stopped being so, you know, wounded, we could take a shot at just being friends," he says.) Peeta was also very upset about the engagement as well he didn't want to get married like that because he knew Katniss didn't want it and he respected her boundaries. he also got her a locket with gale inside it and was basically telling her I know you love him and I want you to create a life with him and I want you to be happy even if it's not with me. does that sound like he's being manipulative does that's sound like he's being a nice guy does that sound like he's trying to force a relationship on her. No so I have no clue how you got that idea but it really just goes to show you weren't really paying attention. but you know who was actually being pushy with a romantic relationship with Katniss Gale and here's proof.

("Tell me about it," I say. "If I could've just hated him in the arena, we all wouldn't be in this mess now. He'd be dead, and I'd be a happy little victor all by myself."

"And where would we be, Katniss?" asks Gale.)

and mind you this happened right after katniss told him she can't be even think about a relationship right now because she's scared of getting killed and her family getting killed and mind you this also happened right after the quarter quells was announced. so maybe it's Gale who's actually pushing for a relationship not Peeta. also Peeta wasn't stalking again I have no idea how you even got that seriously the boy just had a crush.

and as for the Liam Hemsworth thing the reason I even included because his interpretation is actually correct but you know what don't take my word for it take the words of the author Susan Collins herself.

(Suzanne Collins, who authored “The Hunger Games” series, seemed to echo Hemsworth’s sentiments. In an interview with The New York Times, she shared that Gale and Peeta function “less as two points on a love triangle, more as two perspectives in the just-war debate.” Collins continued on to share what the characters represent. “Gale, because of his experiences and temperament, tends toward violent remedies. Peeta’s natural inclination is toward diplomacy. Katniss isn’t just deciding on a partner; she’s figuring out her worldview.”) so I think you get my point and it's not that she's trying to say you shouldn't fight or anything but it's important to not cross that line in times of war and that's what Gale did and that's why they don't end up together. so I really think you should just go ahead reread the books because it's obvious you weren't paying attention .

Okay, you do realize throwing a statue at someone is pretty weird right? No offense but that is legit a warning sign for abusive behavior. Sure, Peeta apologizes, but A) He only did it when he was forced to interact with Katniss on the train. If he didn’t, he still would’ve been refusing to interact with her. B) Peeta does say this after finding about Katniss and Gale’s kiss.

“Was that the only time you kissed Gale”. After Katniss told Peeta she was personally threatened by Snow, Peeta’s biggest concern is that if she only kissed Gale one time. He also seemed pretty threatened about Gale in the 1st book, getting mad at Katniss when finding out Gale wasn’t related to her and he also gruffly says “She’s just worried about her boyfriend (Gale)” when talking about the love act.

Gale does try to help Peeta as well. Remember when he told Katniss he was still keeping her alive after the 1st interview? Or when he helped trained him for the games and told her he was pretty likable? And again, how he risked his life to save Peeta, played ‘real or not real’ to help with his hijacking, and he gave him the nightlock pill, which almost put Gale in the same fate as Peeta.

Also, the “Where would we be quote” again, doesn’t mean a romantic relationship, that is just interpretation. Considering that Gale doesn’t even talk about it afterwards, he likely was thinking about how Katniss wouldn’t have to be in the games again.

Also babes, Suzanne Collings legit blamed Gale for justifiable actions in a war (Taking over the Nut) and a decision that wasn’t his orders (The Capital Plaza) I’ve read these books numerous times, thank you very much. People are allowed to have opinions, if you can’t handle that maybe you should lock yourself in your room and cry about it. Or touch grass, or get a job, you clearly need it. Also, you harassing me with Peeta has genuinely only made me ship Everthorne more and hate Peeta more too 🫶

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goldrushenthusiast · 1 year

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Analysis on Sejanus, and a bit his relationship with Coriolanus, as requested by @mym00nagedaydr3am

First off- Sejanus. Sejanus is (in my opinion) one of the most unpredictable characters in the book, because he doesn’t know what matters to him (at a personal level), and he truly has no real sense of self.

One easy assumption about him would be that he is loyal, but is he? Sejanus calls him and Coriolanus brothers, even going as far as to use a childhood nickname on him, then correlates with the enemy and plans against the capitol. There is so much to unpack just there.

I believe Sejanus definitely did care about Coriolanus. When Coriolanus told him he saw him as a brother, I think Sejanus believed that and felt at least a bit the same level of closeness. But Sejanus is more surface level than puppy dog eyes.

One part that sticks out to me is Sejanus calling Coriolanus “Coryo” after nearly getting him killed in the arena. The exact quote is; “’I’m so sorry Coryo.’ said Sejanus. ‘So sorry.’

Coryo was a nickname for old friends. For family. For people Coriolanus loved. And this was the moment Sejanus decided to try it out?”

I don’t think Sejanus used this accidentally, but I also don’t think Sejanus understood Coriolanus well enough to understand how he’d react to that. Remember, Sejanus sees Coriolanus as the boy who gave him gumdrops when everyone else made fun of him. Coriolanus was the boy saving him seats during class, and deflecting negative attention from him. Sejanus does not see the manipulative and regretful of that side of Coriolanus.

This side of Coriolanus is shown in the next part of that quote, saying “If Coriolanus had the energy, he would have reached over and strangled him.” That is who Coriolanus is. Sejanus can’t see that.

Sejanus also has no personal loyalties. He is most definitely not loyal to the capitol, though Coriolanus describes him as having his loyalties still lying in district two. But Sejanus moved to the capitol as a kid. Nearly everyone treated him badly. Why would he like that? But a place where his family lived, (even if they all cut him off) sounds so appealing to him because he never had any family but Ma. He creates a loyalty for himself, not because of personal connection, but out of an urge to find something about him that is not not understandable. I think he also created it, in the beginning, to get back at his father for bringing him to the capitol in the first place.

Sejanus also finds rebels within the first month of being in district 12. Even Coriolanus doesn’t know how he does it- because Sejanus lied to him. His “brother,” and the person he felt close enough with to call him Coryo. That’s something to consider.

That’s on what matters to him, and a bit about how he makes up his own self.

How does this make him unpredictable? Because we already know he is. This is an explanation as to why he is, not a justification or a theory. Surprise!

Sejanus constantly preaches peace. He doesn’t want the Hunger Games, he doesn’t want what would happen without them, and he doesn’t want any violence or fighting at all. He detests Dr. Gaul for this reason.

But what does Sejanus also do? He supports, helps, and participates in schemes with the same rebels who killed 3 innocent people. All to stop the capitol, no? But he still does. And he does nothing when Coriolanus kills Mayfair, nor when he himself is mixed up in that crowd.

He looks into buying HIMSELF, and other rebels guns, despite not wanting to use them. There is no other purpose to guns than violence. He makes himself seem bad with guns, then to turn around and do this?

Sejanus is classified by much of the fandom, and even a bit by Coriolanus and Suzanne Collins as an honest, slightly goofy boy who just wants what is right, and is a bit misguided. Sejanus is so much more layered. He isn’t even honest.

He certainly does make you think so, though. He knows the dangers of speaking against the capitol, he knows what it all means, yet continuously opposes the Hunger Games, in front of very important people. He acts and speaks “without thinking” but he does think. He thinks of his going into the arena as an act of rebellion, and he shares that with Coriolanus. He thinks of his buying guns as supporting the rebels as yet another act of rebellion, and considers himself good at covering it up. He helps Billy Taupe, knowing he is the enemy of Coriolanus (further reinforcing how he didn’t really see him as a brother, or on the same level as one) and the police. He has nowhere near the same family values as other characters, so how would he realize how in danger he puts everyone close to him in?

Not to mention, he brought thousands of dollars to District 12. We don’t know why, but it’s easy to assume a rebel cause. He definitely thought of that! And when talking about money with his bunk mates, he agrees that there is not a penny between them. This is what makes even Coriolanus suspicious.

Now, I did not write this to make everyone hate him, nor do I think of Sejanus as cold and calculated. I truly do believe he wanted the (objectively) right things. But I do think he is more surface level than what the fandom typically portrays him as. I think that he thinks more than we think he does, and that he is very smart.

I came off a bit more harsh and accusing in this than I wanted to, but sides could still be argued for both extremes of him. Something I didn’t bring up was Sejanus mouthing “Coryo” before dying, and screaming Ma when he did. I think Sejanus realized his faults and was asking Ma for forgiveness and apologizing to her then, and that the Coryo thing was a question. Not an accusation, but a question. That, or a warning. This could honestly be evidence for both sides of him, but I don’t think there is enough context to decide.

In conclusion, I don’t think we give Sejanus enough credit. But I also don’t think we should give him more. He is quite unpredictable, and for the above reasons. He would not have made it far into adulthood, and if he did, I think Coriolanus would have made sure it wasn’t for long.

#sejanus plinth #bosas #ballad of songbirds and snakes #coriolanus snow #district 12 #bosas analysis

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