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oftidheard · 6 months

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ok anon that asked what characters u take requests for: may i request a coral x fem! reader? maybe something before the games or in an au she isn’t reaped and the two both like each other but are kind of oblivious to it and they both confess ? it’s ok if not!

i love coral and i loved writing this so much!! (if anyone has more coral requests....) ♡ warnings for mentions of gore, blood, and typical hunger games poor conditions for tributes. reader is coral's district partner, but completely neutral (gender descriptors never came up)!

♆ as fresh as a daisy, and not a bit crazy ㅤ⠀coral x reader ㅤ⠀↳ 1.3k ↳ hurt/comfort ↳ gender neutral

everything hurts. you're sat on what might've once been a green patch of grass, but is now more aptly described as several rocks masquerading as a pile of dirt; the ground feels like it's jutting up to stab and attack you, as if not only the people around you but now the earth itself is trying to kill you.

behind you, is a mound that rises up until it reaches the gate that had opened to drop you all down into this cage. unsurprisingly, the rocks behind you also jab at your back unrelentingly; sitting still making you stiff and numbing your limbs, but even just shuffling slightly causing uncomfortable scrapes and tears in your clothes.

you half hope your clothes might tear — that your dress shirt might finally be ripped from your sticky skin and your too-tight pants finally set aflame — but they're the only thing about you that's still held itself together.

the thought draws a sob from you, dipping your head to hide between your knees that are drawn to your chest. you grip your legs so tight in the hopes that the sensation will relieve the potent stress running through you, or cut off the blood flow in your legs so badly the capitol will send you home.

you know that's never going to happen, though, and it only makes you cry harder.

your tears slip down your warm cheeks and down your legs, contributing to the nauseating second-skin of sweat coating your entire body. every heavy breath and slight readjustment of your hands rubs overheating skin against each-other, only making your body feel unbearably hotter.

you've been wishing for it to rain ever since you first faced the sun here. even if the rain were acid hot and made your skin hurt like hell, you'd still take it as a welcome relief from the sweat and tears.

but it hasn't rained, and with clear white clouds never leaving, you're sure it won't ever. so you instead consider ripping off your skin, pealing back the layers until you find muscle, until blood coats you instead of sweat.

you'd love to do that in front of all the capitol citizens watching you from the bars, especially the blonde girl who visits here in the hopes you'll finally just approach the bars near her so she can fulfil her role as your mentor, and who coral tells you is always joined by her own mentor — festus. but the most you've ever granted that girl is a bloodshot glare, as your mind is overridden with wonder about how this privileged girl would react to your body torn apart and skin drenched in the same colour of her obnoxious uniform. you'd like to see all these rich citizens who watch your fellow tributes like animals react to blood sprayed upon them.

but all of this remains fantasies; your breath too ragged and body too weak to even stand. so in a cage where there's nowhere to hide from prying eyes, you remain curled in on yourself protectively, trying to shield all you have left from the capitol; and wait 'till you die.

your head is still buried where you try to hide your tears, when you hear familiar footsteps returning; rough soles scuffing against against twigs and kicking up dirt with a swiftness that doesn't care for not leaving a mark.

you feel her land beside you a moment later when she nudges your shoulder, and you timidly raise your head to see coral.

she looks concerned, but her expression remains strong, almost appearing like an expression that would lead you to believe that she doesn't care — if it weren't for you knowing her better than that.

"take this," she says, and passes you half of the food that she's just retrieved from her mentor — who you swear you hear a scoff from. you don't lift your head high enough to catch her reaction, but as your shaky hands wrap around the apple and handful of biscuits she passed you, you catch the sound of her muttering something violent under her breath.

your teeth sink into the food immediately, easing your painful hunger, and making the throbbing in your head feel less like it's going to kill you.

beside you, coral eats all that she was given — just as hungry as you — but you force yourself not to eat more than just the apple and a biscuit. the rest, you tuck into the breast pocket of your dress shirt carefully; wary of the fact coral's mentor may stop bringing her food at any moment if she keeps sharing it with you.

even just with her sat beside you, you find that your chest doesn't shake as violently with every breath. you don't feel as on edge, you trust coral and you'll never forget the moment right after the two of you were reaped when she hurriedly whispered to you that she'd protect you.

she notices you've calmed down enough to hopefully make out a sentence without losing your breath, and leans as close as she can without touching you.

"are you okay?"

you smile bitterly — not directed at her, of course — and sigh, shaking your head in a mix of a nod and disagreement, "better...?"

she nods, the two of you lulling into a bit of a silence that draws your head from it's hiding place, so you can examine her face. she looks pensive; unsure if you had to guess — until she flashes you the smallest smile, and picks herself up to move towards you, her side now touching yours, and an arm curls around your waist to bring you closer.

the heat of her skin touching yours isn't what you'd usually call pleasant, as she rocks the two of you side to side playfully, "how about now?"

in a weird way this makes you feel better, but your first reaction is to groan and mutter, "you're sweaty," with a growing smile on your face you elect to pretend hasn't made its home on your face — but hers, her teeth starting to show and cheeks growing pink, is something you now can't look away from.

she leans closer and teases, "now you don't want anything to do with me?" but you catch the tiniest seed of genuineness hidden beneath her efforts to comfort you, and you stop trying to bite back your smile.

you mumble, "i always want anything to do with you," and lightly nudge her cheek with the top of your head with an affectionate grin, "but you're still sweaty."

coral gasps and rocks the two of you dramatically harder, and tightens her grip on you.

"too bad, i'm not going anywhere!"

for the first time since before the reaping — since before your life practically ended — you laugh. it's shaky, and you start coughing near the end of it, but for the few second it's there; bright and unapologetic. it reminds coral of sitting at the shore with you and just enjoying each other's presence, it reminds you of all the times you'd sneak out early with her to catch the sunrise.

but most of all; it reminds you of when the stars aligned for the two of you to meet all those years ago, and the way you felt something click into place. of the first time you held hands, how she'd dropped yours the moment you mentioned it, but still gravitated back a minute later wordlessly. of the all-encompassing warmth in your chest the moment you first kissed.

laughing as if you have all the time in the world to be happy; reminds you of coral — the girl who is going to fight to give you that chance at a life.

tears begin to drip down your cheeks again, and you feel a safe hand cupping the back of your head, as she protectively hides you in her chest — and says something so quiet you can't quite make it out, but strangely comforts you nonetheless.

a/n. i plan to probably write your other request in this ask (the au where they confess) because i love the idea ♡♡

#coral x reader #coral tbosas x reader #tbosas coral x reader #coral thg x reader #tbosas x reader #the ballad of songbirds and snakes x reader #the hunger games x reader #the hunger games x you #the hunger games x y/n #thg x reader #tbosbas x reader #❤︎ — the mockingjay sings

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mostofthingsmostofthetime · 27 days

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My thoughts on The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes movie

I don’t know if I liked it as much as the original films (maybe Mockingjay 1 & 2 as they are pretty emotionally draining), but I still enjoyed it.

I think where it fell a little flat for me is 1. The beginning was a bit slow (tbh I only really started getting interested when Lucy Gray stuck that snake down that girl’s dress & even then I enjoyed the story more when the setting changed from the Capitol to the district) 2. I knew Snow would survive 3. I’d already been spoiled online for a lot of stuff that happens & 4. while I know the director did his best to make Snow as “likeable” as he could for as long as possible, even before he started getting “a little too comfortable” with killing & snitching I didn’t find him as sympathetic as Katniss or Peeta (but that is probably again down to the fact that I know what he goes onto do & there’s no real way around that), this made engaging with him difficult for me.

The world is fascinating. Getting to see all the new locations we never had access to before as well as old locations now in a totally different light (for example district 12 which, while still clearly suffering, seemed like such a bustling industrial town compared to how it is in Katniss’s time). It might have a much more retro aesthetic but there's also just a more vibrant, natural, wild & lawless atmosphere to this movie compared to the others in the franchise. The whole scope of the film just felt more cinematic then I remember the others being yet also weirdly intimate. Maybe because it was one contained story & we knew the main character’s fate from the start. I also loved the title cards signifying the start of each section of the story like from the books & wished they'd done something similar for the other films. It just added a certain flair to the whole thing. Almost gave it the vibe of a tragic play.

The costuming was great. The bright red of the academy uniforms. Flickerman’s snazzy suits. Snow’s dapper black & white outfit. Both peace keeper uniforms (despite one of them giving very ‘1930’s Germany’ vibes) looked great. Grandma might have been a bigot, but at least she was well dressed. Everything Dr Gaul wore (except the top that looked like a used tampon, lol) was exquisite. The main ladies of fashion, Tigris & Lucy Gray slayed. Our Future Capitol stylist looked like some regal yet exotic bird & Miss Survivor was giving Bohemian, country girl realness the entire time she was on screen. Even the extras were serving (like that random couple Snow walked past on his way to the reaping ceremony).

The music was amazing. Every song that played was fantastic (shout out to Olivia for her end credit contribution). The lyrics & instrumentation were beautiful & my god does Rachel Zegler have pipes! Anyone who says the singing scenes are cringy is just stupid like I’m sorry you can’t appreciate art. Also, the words ‘ballad’ & ‘songbirds’ are literally in the title. Plus, Lucy Gray is from the poorest district, so what exactly do those people want her to do in her free time? She can’t exactly hop on an X-box for a few hours. Not too mention that (as the offspring of someone who’s musically inclined) I can tell you, it’s completely realistic for a musician to use their craft to help them deal with trauma & Lucy Gray clearly had more than her fair share of that.

The Grandma'am helped to paint a sadly very realistic background for Snow. As who among us hasn’t met at least one delusional old person who thinks that their/their group’s suffering (regardless of the severity of it or the reason behind their former/newer status in society) means that no one else are deserving of even the tiniest shred of humanity & there are some people who are unlucky enough to not only be related to these people but be raised by them.

Hunter schafer as Tigris is clearly the superior Snow when it comes to things like empathy & overall mental stability but I do kind of wish they’d been more for her to do. Credit where credit is due though her & Tom did actually look like they could be related & I did buy their familial bond (which makes her appearance in Mockingjay so much sadder in hindsight).

Peter Dinklage as Casca Highbottom was a bit of a mix for me just due to his purpose as a character & the limit of film as a form of media. Like sure the audience know that Snow’s going to become an irredeemable monster in the end but without a window into his mind it really does just seem like the Dean is just out to get him & even when we find out why it seems kind of unfair. Like sure his dad sucked but haven’t the Games shown that blaming children for violence caused by others is unjust (& like ok he hates Coriolanus & probably the grandma but Tigris hadn’t done anything to deserve living in poverty, as she can’t control who she’s related to)? Plus, it felt like he could have at least tried taking Snow under his wing at some point to try to hinder Dr Gual’s influence. Saying all of that, though, Peter Dinklage is great at playing an addict with depression & the idea that some drunken rambling could lead to such long-lasting suffering is terrifying. Also its pretty realistic that living with that kind of guilt & in such a cruel environment for that long would make most people jaded & bitter, even if they did have good intentions.

Omg we finally get a Mayor family on screen & they’re assholes! Madge would be so disappointed 😭. It was interesting to see how harsh & overall “boot licky” the mayor & his family seemed compared to decades later, which makes sense as the war wasn’t that long ago for them so the dad probably felt more incentive to align himself with the Capitol as well as not feeling very connected to the district people as 12’s decline probably didn’t fully set in until they really started running low on coal & Snow became president (oh I just know he wanted to blow that district off the map 😆). I also wouldn’t put it past Billy to come up with some sob story of how he really does love Mayfair but wicked Lucy Gray is somehow preventing them from being together. Still no excuse to try to send her to her death twice in one week, though. Definitely not a girl’s girl.

Ok, so a liar. Cheat. Drunk & someone who hits women. Is there anything good about Billy Taupe? Also, trying to get your ex back, while your current girlfriend is literally standing right next to you? Dude, have some god damn back bone! You made a choice, now stick to it. Also, fumbling Lucy Gray, for a girl like that? What’s it like having no brains or taste? Well, too bad, coz you’re stuck with her forever now, lol.

Viola Davies, the actress that you are. What else is there to say? Dr Gaul is almost comic book levels of insane. Like she is how the Right see women in STEM, on crack! I don’t know what she did to get into character, but whatever it was, it worked.

Jason Schwartzman as Lucretius Flickerman is a very interesting addition to the story despite playing such a small & seemingly insignificant role. He is strange in how unthreatening he is while also extremely blasé about the abhorrent violence he witnesses that it’s as funny as it is disturbing. Making him come across as more human yet harsher than his son, who at least pretends to care about the tributes (in a very Capitol way, obviously but still). There’s also a polish & confidence to Tucci’s performance that I think Schwartzman did a great job of avoiding copying (despite knowing what audiences were probably expecting) because not only are their characters in entirely different stages of their careers but the whole ethos of the Hunger Games is different in Snow’s youth than it is in Katniss’s. Caesar is a well established presenter & during his time, the games have always been a success (minus the year with the tundra) that the entire Capitol is invested in & seemingly in support of. On the other hand Lucretius had the unique task of not only coming into a job like this with zero experience (I mean imagine going from announcing the weather to presenting the fucking hunger games) but also there were no vibes to try to emulate let alone guidelines to follow because he truly was the first person to do this. On top of that, the "event" his presenting has been panned for years as both boring & unethical. Schwartzman brought a slightly awkward, experimental, yet try hard vibe (like a comedian who's desperate to get a laugh) that I think worked wonderfully for the character.

Tom Blyth's performance was great & he was visually perfect for a young Snow (the power of a good wig! Who knew lol). Even having the cool, analytical stare of Donald Sutherland, down pat. While his appearance was very Eminem during his peacekeeping days, his realisation in the cabin and subsequent breakdown in the woods were crazy. There was so much tension between him & Rachel in that scene that for a second, it literally felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. I could almost hear the record scratch for both of them, & all that building paranoia finally coming to a sudden crescendo in the way that it did? Pure cinema!

Josh Rivera, as Sejanus, was honestly a mix for me. Obviously, I agree with his morals, but his way of going about it did seem a little dumb. However I do think it’s pretty realistic that a teenager, especially a rich one, would be rather naive. Also I’ve heard that he’s smarter in the book & I think at times my frustration with him is more just down to the fact that I’m seeing him from Snow’s point of view. Meaning scenes that would be portrayed as noble in any other film instead come across as almost painfully inconvenient because the focus is always on how they affect Snow rather than the actual victims of the situation. Lastly, sorry, Snowjanus shippers, I just don’t see it (especially on Snow’s end), but whatever floats your boat.

Rachel Zegler played Lucy Gray with the perfect mix of natural charm & emotional vulnerability with clear pride in her culture & a refusal to let the world around her change who she is. Yet there was also an air of mystery & a subtle resilience to her that makes her potentially surviving out in the woods for years without being detected actually believable (though I don’t buy the theory that she went on to become president Coin). Definitely the highlight of the movie for me.

PS. I'd love to know what you think of my review in the comments/tags & am open to criticism (as long as it's respectful) just remember that I'm only talking about the movie so please don't reference anything spersific to the book.

#some other things i wanted to mention but didn’t seem significant to put in the review (+ it was getting rather long) are:#Clemensia you were so pretty & did not desserve to die #like who hasn't cheated on their homework a little #may my hair look as good as your's if i ever get bit by a snake #dill & wovey rest in peace my darlings #Lysistrata it wasn't your fault #Arachane you got what you deserved tbh #reaper you have my respect forever king #lumina really said kill um with kindness #no but sersiously i love you girl & your 1950's farm girl aesthetic #marcus you did not desserve that & sejanus is sorry & in my heart you guys meet up & become boyfriends in the afterlife #treech you didn't leave much of an impression but at least your hat was cool #bobbin my little germin looking boy #at least you gave Snow a good scare before your demise #coral looks gay like that's a lesbian right there #thg #the hunger games #the hunger games the ballad of songbirds and snakes #the ballad of songbirds and snakes review #thg tbosas #thg tbosbas #tbosas #tbosbas #tbosas review #tbosbas review #thg tbosas review #thg tbosbas review #the hunger games the ballad of songbirds and snakes review #southern gothic is my new fravriote genre #review

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cyberrgirlsblog · 14 days

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lamb to a slaugther

“Jupiter was suppose to be a star but failed”

“To say it failed would be to assume it was ever possible”

Reaper ash x reader

tw: death, classism, elitism, cuss words, religion and religous imagery play a big role in this series. erm idk what else, not proof read by anyone else besides me.

word count: 7.1k

part 1

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It was a hot 4th of july, sweat ran down my brow as i held onto Dill as we walked to the reaping site, she shook in my arms

“y/n i'm scared what if i get picked.”

She said her voice shaky and i could almost see tears about to fall out if her eyes

“Dill you wont get picked i know, i promised your parents no matter what you would be safe. There's only a few pieces of paper in there that have your name I promise.”

I said to her as I brought her closer to me, peacekeepers shoved people into neat lines. I shield her from any of the peace keepers arms.

“Hey dill after this reaping do you want to go to my house to play with my sister Hope, shes been wanting to go to pick flowers by the swamp” i said to dill as a way to calm her spirits, to let her know we would walk out of here fine. She smiled slightly and nodded her head,I was then pushed away by piece keepers to a different line. I was put next to alexa barnette. She was 15, a year younger than me, I knew her brother from school. On my left side was reaper Ash. He was 1 ½ years older than me,when we were younger we were friends but as we got older we just drifted apart both of us getting to busy to be able to hangout anymore. The only time i have gotten to talk to him was whenever he went to the infirmary for injuries he had sustained, he didn't go often but he also didn't go rarely, he went enough time to were i would find myself happy to see him so we could talk again. I turned my attention to the stage when I heard footsteps.

“Hello, hello, reaping day, a way for the districts to get forgiveness from the capital and for one of you to walk out a victor. I hope you're all excited, and may the odds ever be in your favor.”The mayor said his voice was filled with amusement and excitement, the exact opposite of what everyone else in the crowd was feeling.he was dressed in a nice suit that was only ever worn on reaping days, most likely to impress capital citizens. Everyone stayed silent, my eyes furrowed with an annoyed expression and I looked at Alexa who was looking forward at the stage, i then turned my head to reaper. When I looked at him I noticed his eyes were already looking at me but quickly turned to the stage once he noticed that I was looking at him.

“Hm, well ladies first” he stuck his hand in the reaping jar, i felt my hands start to shake as i clutched the cross necklaces in my pocket it was for my sister i was gonna give her after the reaping, my hand brushed some goz and ointment i had brought just incase i was called, from rumors i've heard from listening to peacekeepers from the capital, the capital does not provide the best medical assistance to the district tributes only a veterinarian. Another reason my grandma had been teaching me how to heal and take care of other people. I was wearing matching cross necklaces that were hidden under the layers of my clothes, silently praying that wouldn't be anyone I knew, I shut my eyes to try to pretend like all of this wasn't real.

There was a deafening silence, I could hear “the female tribute is…..Dill” my eyes shot open. I felt like everything around me had frozen, my heart was beating fast in my chest and my breathing became shallow. I tried to find dill with my eyes but they started to fill with tears making it hard to see. I saw movement in the crowd and saw her walk out of her line. My feet started to move before my brain could react

“Dill” i muttered i walked past reaper, he lightly grabbed my arm but I shook it out of his grasp.

“Dill” I said as I walked in the open area, I could see Dill look back at me but before i get get any closer, peacekeepers grabbed me. I struggled in the arms and punched one of them in the head even though it wasn't one of the strongest punches.

“No, Dill please, I'll go, I'll go '' I said i felt tears run down my face. I could see the mayor looking at me with an amused smirk from the corner of my eye.

“I volunteer as tribute, I will go in her place.” i said my voice was loud but shaky, the peacekeepers let me go and i ran towards dill pulling her into an embrace.

“y/n?” she asked if her voice was muffled and shaky as she clung to my form.

“I promised your parents, Dill please tell my sister I love her ok! Look after yourself ok!” I said crouching down slightly to whisper to her, I reached in the pocket of my dress and pulled out my cross necklaces and placed it in her hand.

“You're gonna be ok dill, i promise ok, give the necklaces to my little sister .ok, you promise.” I said to her, she weakly shook her head before she was taken back in line and I grabbed my peacekeepers and pushed up onto the stage. I felt tears well up in my eyes again this time because I realized that I had just signed myself up for a guaranteed death.

“District 11 first ever volunteer, what is your name” the mayor said into the mic, i didnt answer for a second my head was spinning with adrenaline

“(y/n),..(y/n) Lamb” i said with a shaky voice, i stepped away from the mic and lifted my head up to the sky as the mayor picked a name out of the boys box, ‘Lord help me’ i thought, before looking back ahead at the crowd of people

“And the male tribute is…. Reaper ash.” The mayor said, my eyes slightly widened as I looked at Reaper, me and him made eye contact as the peacekeepers grabbed him harshly, they moved him up the stage and he shook them off with an annoyed and upset look on his face. The mayor continued to talk but i couldn't make out what he was saying anymore since in my ears were ringing, it wasn't until i felt reaper grab my hand with his and lift it in the air, i looked at him with a dazed but confused look but all he did was just force a smile. Soon the peacekeepers came and ripped us apart and ushered us to district 11 train station.

They stood with us until the train came and pushed us into a train cart that smelt like animals were held in it at one point. The push from the peace Me and Reaper were silent until we heard the door shut and the whistle of the train once it started moving.

“Why would you do something like that, you've signed yourself up to be killed and you know made yourself a spectacle to the capitol.'' Reaper said his voice was filled with anger and annoyance. I looked down at the ground of the train car as I walked to one of the walls and slumped down and put my hands over my face.

“I know that, but I couldn't let her die. She's just a kid, she's too young to, innocent, she doesn't deserve to be put in these games, no one does.” I said, my voice was shaky but simultaneously confident.

Reaper stayed silent and walked over towards me and sat down besides me, i heard him sigh not out of annoyance but out of defeat.

“What about your sister, she needs you. Your grandma aint doing good either” i looked up from the ground and and looked at him with a confused look, i don't remember in any of the conversations ive had with him recently were i mentioned anything about my grandma’s health.

“How-”

“Word gets around the district y/n.” he said, turning to look at me, he had took of his cap and placed it in his lap.

“well dill's family promised if i ever got reaped they would look after her and our grandma is doing ok right know but… anyways she's 8 so i don't think she fully understands what's happening. I'm not saying it's gonna be any easier for her or dill but.." I trailed off, my eyes wandered around the cart, It was old and decrepit, smelled like animal shit to. There were some holes in the cart that allowed some light in.

“I'm sorry reaper, Can't imagine how you feel, you were almost free from these games.” I said to him as I continued to scan the train cart.

“Yea” was all he said, i didn't push the topic any further, i let the moving train car lull me to sleep. A part of me hoped I would wake up from this nightmare, the other part knew I would most likely die in it.

—---------------- after the long train ride

After a day or so, I honestly couldn't tell but all I knew is that i was starving,the train jolleted to a halt, making me jump up a bit. The cart doors opened and a stream of light poured in. if i hadn't known any better I would have thought I had died and made it to heaven and at this point that's all I had to look forward to.

Reaper jumped out of the car and reached out and help lift me down out of the cart even though I was capable of getting out myself but I appreciated the gesture, I smiled at him and said thank you. I was able to catch myself with the help of a reaper.

“You okay?” he asked

“Yeah, you?” I asked him, and he nodded his head as confirmation. I looked around the train station, it was a lot nicer than district 11, there was marbil everywhere and the trains were a lot fancier than the ones we were put in. i notice other tributes as well, a girl with very short red hair standing protectively next to a boy who couldn't have been more that 12 years old. There was also a boy with one eye open and beside him was a girl with blonde hair and a cloth covering over the top part of her head,tanner and brandy were the tributes names.

My eyes wandered over some of the other tributes that I could see until they stopped on one, from the looks of it he was staring at me before I realized it. When I looked in his directions he turned his eyes to the ground, he had short, dark, short cut hair and was wearing a blue shirt with vest along with some brown slacks, i think his names was marcus.

Before i could look around more peacekeepers started grabbing each of the tributes and placed them into a small car, one grabbed me harshly but was pushed of by reaper, i looked at reaper with eyes that said thank you as i got in the cart, i turned and reached out my hand for him to pull himself. I kept my hand in his as I moved to the back of the cart, I sat down next to a girl with a colorful dress her name was lucy grey, that name i was sure of. Her top had enterically sewn flowers and snakes? her skirt was a beautiful rainbow pattern. The train car doors closed but i noticed a flash of a bright vibrant red hop into the car. I looked at the new boy who clearly was a part of the district, he wore a bright red suit with a matching skirt. It was obnoxious. He had curly blonde hair and big bright blue eyes that nervously searched over the car. He was pretty, but something about him made me uneasy like he was a wolf in sheep's clothing. His looks only played more into the “innocent appearance” I glared at him.

“You in the wrong train, pretty boy?” I looked up at reaper after hearing him say that.

“No this car is lovely” the boy said, before i realized it i saw reaper storm towards him,

“Get him reaper” one of the other tributes said.

“Ill kill you right now” reaper said as he held the boy up giants the wall of the car.

“He’ll do it, he killed a peacekeeper back in 11, none knew it was him” i said looking at the boy.

“Shut up y/n” reaper said, i looked down then back up at the other tributes.

“Why don't we all kill him?” the tribute with red short hair said,her name was coral.

“We have nothing to lose now” said another as he started to get up and moved towards Reaper and the boy.

“You got any family back home, they'll kill them if you hurt Him. And besides he's my mentor ima need him to win.” the girl in the rainbow dress said.

Coral walked over to lucy and leaned down, her face inches away from the lucys. I watched with one eyebrow lifted in curiosity.

“And what makes you so special? Why do you get a mentor and we don't huh?”

Before the girl could answer the boy did

“Everyone gets a mentor to help you win.”

I laughed, turning everyone's attention to me.

“were yall like bribed to mentor us or some'” I said sarcastically and bitterly, there's no way in hell a capital citizen would want to help out the district. They saw us as scum, animals, not even animals, they would treat a rat better than they would treat us districts.

“Well there is a prize for the student.” he said sheepishly, i rolled my eyes and looked away from him and stared at the wall, i tuned out whatever else would be said by the others, that was until the train car stopped and tipped over, the doors opened and i felt myself tumble out of the car, the rocky wall of the zoo hitting me and bouncing me off the walls, i felt other tributes bodies hit me until i rolled on the ground and felt someone wrap their arms around my body protecting me from even more possible damage. When I opened my eyes and let out a groan and slowly propped myself up with my elbows as I felt the arms that protected me almost slither off of me. I turned my head over shoulder to see to my surprise I saw Marcus next to me, before I could thank him i felt someone grab me from under my shoulders and lift me up. I looked at Marcus one more time as he slowly got up, he made eye contact with me and I mouthed a thank you to him. I turned once my feet were firmly planted on the ground and turned around to find a reaper standing in front of me. Out of instinct from taking care of people I grabbed his jaw and turned his face side to side to make sure he wasn't bleeding or had any significant imminent injuries.

“Im fine y/n, don't worry about me ok” he said to try to reassure me, i let go of his jaw and looked down to wipe of any dirt from my dress, i felt my cheeks slightly warm. I slightly stepped back from reaper as i looked up and observed were we were. It was a caged in area with a rocky wall a tree and multiple rocks on the ground and pieces of wood. I noticed people starring at us and the other tributes from out side the cage.

“What the hell?” I said slightly as I shifted closer to reaper, not liking the eyes i could feel on me or on reaper.we stood 6ft away from the fence, a man with hair slick to the side of his hair wearing a grey suit came up to the other side of the cage talking into a microphone infront of a camera

“And here we have the volunteer from district 11” he announced, i looked at reaper confused and I felt him put a protective hand on my shoulder, i look at the man and he was staring at me, i pointed to myself in confusion since i was still in a daze.

“Yes you, not like there's any other volunteers here.” he said with a smirk.

“Who are you?” was all i could say my voice was laced with confusion. The man looked at me with an astonished and annoyed look on his face, the camera man laughed and he yelled at them to shut up, like a mother scolding her children. Instead of asking anymore questions he noticed lucy grey and the capital boy talking to some capital children through the fence and left to go interview them.

Me and Reaper quickly found a place to sit, it was a log next to one of the trees in the cage. My stomach grumbled, I almost forgot how hungry I was with all the chaos going on. I stared off into space as more people crowded to wear lucy was, soon enough capital guards came and took the boy out of the cage.

“I hate this.” i said, i dug my cross necklace out from under the shirt of my dress and fiddled with it, “you could've gotten out of this.” said reaper, he was right i didn't have to be hear unlike him my name wasn't drawn i chose to volunteer in place of dill, in the middle of some old abandoned zoo surrounded by capitalies gawking at me, at all of us like we're animal.

He noticed my necklace that I was fidgeting with, the chain was slightly rusted, it was a faded gold color and the ends of each side of the cross we pointed, in the middle there was a red gem. “How long have you had that?” Reaper ask, i looked down at my necklace,”I think since i was a kid, was my grandmas but she gave me it when i was young.” i said, slightly smiling at the memory, i looked back up at reaper my eyes traveling over him. I was scared, scared for me scared for him, scared for the other tributes, we were all paying for the “sins” that we didnt commit that we were to young to even understand

"You know it will be taken if they see it, right?" Reaper's voice carried a note of caution as he observed the religious symbol I clutched in my hand. My throat tightened, and I swallowed nervously.

"Yeah, I know," I replied, the words escaping in a hushed murmur. Religion in Panem had always been a source of controversy, especially to the Capitol. Remembering the stories my grandmother shared, I knew that after the rebellion against the Capitol, the ruling power took drastic measures to erase any trace of religious identity from the districts. In the wake of the uprising, the Capitol systematically targeted and destroyed religious places—churches, mosques, synagogues, Hindu temples, and other places of worship, it didn't matter what religion it was, if there was any physical symbol of it they destroyed it. Their campaign extended to burning holy books and eradicating religious symbols. While the Capitol didn't resort to killing individuals based on their religious beliefs, they forced practitioners into hiding. It was a subtle but effective method, a means to extinguish any flicker of hope that religion might offer. I always wondered about the Capitol's motives. It wasn't just about eradication; it was a calculated effort to control. By dismantling religious institutions and institutions out side of the capitol in general, the Capitol aimed to sever the ties that bound people together, denying them a source of collective strength. My grandmother had emphasized the Capitol's fear that if religion persisted or if some other form of hope came about, it could potentially unite the districts, fostering a shared sense of hope and unity between people and the district that would threaten loyalty to the Capitol. In the twisted logic of the Capitol, religion was a threat. While acknowledging the potential for radicalization, I couldn't ignore its power to bring people together, offering solace, guidance, and a sliver of hope outside the oppressive grasp of the Capitol. I believed the Capitol despised the notion that if religion prevailed, citizens might cease to see the Capitol and its citizens as godlike figures, and their “unquestioning” obedience could be disrupted.

(shout out to @luckyleftie on tiktok for making a whole vid on tiktok that ispired that inner dialogue.)

slowly people left and the day turned to night, my head started to fall from me drifting in and out of sleep. I looked at reaper who was still awake, slowly a moved off the log and laid down taking off my shall to use as a blanket. I patted the space next to me, under were reaper was sitting. He looked down at me

“You need to sleep. The last thing I want is you passing out on me.” I said with a worried look in my eyes. Slowly he got down on the ground and laid next to me. I decided to share my makeshift blanket with me, i had my skirt to warm myself with since i could curl my legs underneath it.

Morning

The next day came, I woke at sunrise, a habit I had picked up from working as a medic and having to do agricultural work early in the morning. I looked beside me and saw that reaper was still asleep, I studied his face. He looked at peace when he was asleep, his eyebrows weren't scrunched together and his face was softened. I understood why he was upset and standoffish, he never liked the capital, he didn't deserve to be stuck in a cage for people to gawk at. But right now in this moment it seemed that he didn't worry about that, he was in a peaceful sleep. I smiled knowing that he was at peace even if it was for a little. I decided to get up and walk around the zoo, being careful not to step on anyone who was sleeping.

“You an early bird to?” i heard someone say, i turned around and saw lucy gray siting on a rock close to her district companion jessup.

“Yea i guess so” i said lightly. I looked at Jessup and noticed how he seemed to almost shudder in his sleep.

“Is he ok?” I asked as I moved closer to them, her face dropped a bit.

“He’s been like this since we got here, he was bit by a bat on the train hes been shivering all night..” she said, looking at him with worry. I belt down by him

“Do you know where he was bitten?” I asked her while trying to look him over. The fact that he was bit by an animal worried me a bit. My mind immediately went to times where people came into the care room acting wild, their mouths all foamy and they also hated water, they were afraid of water. It was scary to see, I remember one lady who was always so sweet was bitten and she completely lost herself after she was bit, it wasn't immediate but it wasn't slow either. Back in 11 we called it lytta because of the madness it seemed to ensue in people. I felt myself shudder thinking of the memories. I would have to keep jessup in my prayers in hopes its not nothing bad.

“By his ear” she said, her thick appalachian accent coming throught. I realized it was the ear he was sleeping on so i had no chance to look at it right know. I decided to switch to a different topic

“Your from 12 right?” i asked, it wasnt much of a question, i knew the answer but still asked. She smirked at me.

“Yes and you’r from 11, correct” she said more as a statement than anything.

“Yea, whats it like, there in 12?” i asked her curiously.

“Well it depends were you go, if your in the heart of it, were reapin takes place. Its stuffy filled with smoke, but if you go out of there its beautiful its so green and we have lakes and mountains me and my cousin go swimming there along with the rest of the covey.” she said, i tilted my head in confusion

“The covey?” i asked curiously, she smiled with excitement

“Were or we were a nomad group before panem wasd a thing but after the rebellion we got stuck in 12, we sing a lot, my cousin mod ivory has this talent were she can hear one song once and she'll remember it for the rest of her life.” she said, for the first time i could hear excitement in her voice, i wanted to ask her more.

“How old is your cousin?’

“She's 10, a sweet little thing.” she seemed to pause for a moment.

“Who was that girl, that you volunteered for?” she asked me, i looked down and clutched my necklace.

“Her name is Dill, she's sweet, but she has tuberculosis. If she went here I doubt she would live through the train ride. But she's sweet, she's like a little sister to me, and plus her family has always looked after me and my sister.” i said, a fondness taking over my voice as I reminisced about all the memories I had. Before I could say more I felt eyes on me, I turned and looked back to see Reaper up and staring at me, a curious look on his face. I turned back to Lucy and smiled.

“Well i'll go now bye lucy” i said

“Bye y/n'' she said before turning to look through the bars of the zoo. I walked back to where Reaper was sitting and sat down by him. I rested my head on his shoulder, like I used to do when we were kids. Maybe it was a bold move since I felt his shoulder tense up before he relaxed. I closed my eyes and listened to his breathing. I tried to imagine I was a kid again, running through woodsies areas underneath the hot pulsing sun.

“How have you been?” i asked him

“What do you mean?” he asked me in return

“Like after we grew apart, how have you been?” I said to him, he seemed to stay quiet for a second, His mind seemed to be somewhere else.

“It's been… complicated, so much shit has happened since we were kids y/n. I've done some shit that if it got out… well it doesn't matter anymore.” he said, his voice had a vulnerability in it. I understood what he was talking about, I wanted to know more.

“Reaper, ill be honest. You were the one person to whom I knew I could trust when we were kids. When it came to talking about stuff that would get us killed if anyone heard.” I said to him sincerely, I felt his body shift which made my head fall off his shoulder before I brought it back up. He looked at me, his eyes soft. There was so much I wanted to catch up with him about.I wished I could see his thoughts through his eyes, eyes that held so much mystery yet familiarity.

“never knew you thought that.” he said, his face was unreadable.

“Hmm i guess i should make it known know rather than later, who knows how much longer I got.” i said looking at him, i slowly started to look around as i noticed more tributes were now up thought they were a bit dazed. He looked a bit confused by my statement but before he could say anything i continued to speak

“You know, we should try to make some alliances with some others, would be smart even if they lasted for a little bit” i said as i looked at the other tribute, i then looked at reaper a part was for approval the other part was to make sure he was still their and not just a figment of my imagination. He looked around then looked at me his face was hardened and thinking. He sighed for a moment.

“I don't think it would make a difference y/n, whether we made them or not.” he said to me.

“Well we should at least try to be on ok terms with the others, good enough for them to hesitate before they try anything you know.” i said to him, i think i was saying it more for myself rather than anything, reaper could handle himself if he needed to. I doubt anyone would go straight for him unless they were in a group. But I also doubt he would go straight for anyone either. He may have killed a peace keeper but reaper wasn't violent. people here would try to paint him as someone violent, but they don't know him. They don't know any of us.

—---------------------------- 2nd person

You stood up, reaper watched you as you did. Your yellowish cream dress had been dirtied from the dirt during the fall, it had embroidery of different flowers and herbs at the bottom of it, the colors were faded and faint due to how aged the dress was. Some of the embroidered plants were daisies, forget-me-nots, hyssop, pine and purple hyacinth. You turned and looked at Reaper, “what are you doing?” reaper asked, you looked at him and smiled slightly

“I don't know, i think ima walk around a bit, ill be back.” you said before walking away, he watched you intentionally, protectively. He didn't worry too much about the tributes here. But he did worry about the people of panem, he didn't like the way that man in front of the camera tried to make a spectitcal out of you, he didn't like how some of the boys when looking through the caged bars looked at you with eyes that held nothing good in them. He didn't like how Marcus had wrapped his arms around you during the fall. Reaper remembered how he would sometimes get into “accidents' ' when working so that would give him an excuse to go to the infirmary you would ‘work’ at just to see you, to see you worry about him like a lover would.

He continued to watch your figure but noticed that you were talking to someone on the other side of the fence, it was hard to make out if it was a male or female but reaper noticed that the person had the same obnoxious uniform that the boy on the train cart had. He decided to get up and walk over to you, as he got closer he noticed it was a boy with a buzzcut, he had eyes that were sloped down, and he had a sly smile on his face. Reaper walked close to you and was almost right behind, just slightly to the right. It seemed like the boy had noticed reaper and his face had dropped from a seemingly pleasant look on his face to a more annoyed face.

1st person, 10 minutes before—---------

As I got up and walked around I heard someone calling my name. I looked back at Reaper but it didn't seem to be him calling my name, nor was it lucy since she was talking to her mentor by now.

“No, Over here. Behind the fence.” i heard a boy yell, his voice sounded a little impatient but it sounded like he was trying to dull it down a bit. I looked past the caged bars and saw him, he had a buzzcut, he had sad eyes, a seemingly ‘friendly’ smile and was wearing the same loud, bright red uniform that the mentor of lucy was wearing.

“Hello” I said cautiously as I walked closer to the gate, I still was a good distance from him though.

“You are my tribute.” he said bluntly, he smiled a little more and looked at me like he was expecting me to reply.

“Um… what?” i asked him, looking at him with a confused gaze, he rolled his eyes slightly before sighing

“Im your mentor my names Urban.” he this time a little more inpatientally

“Oh, sorry, I didn't know they didnt tell us who are mentors were or that we were having ones. I only found out because of lucy grays mentor” i said to him with a genuine expression on my face. He seemed somewhat surprised by what i said.

“They didn't tell you all that you had mentors?” he asked.

“No they didn't but lucys told us we all had mentors, anyways what are you supposed to do as my mentor.”

“Im supposed to help you win, or at least make a good show. You winning would be the preferable option for both of us.” he said, his tone was undicerniable. I looked down and sighed before looking back up at him.

“Well I can't win if I'm fighting on an empty stomach and no water, Urban” I said looking at him, he seemed to understand what i was saying and smiled slightly. I hoped that he would bring enough food for me and reaper.

“I'll see what i can do-” he suddenly cut himself off and his face dropped to an annoyed look. I looked at him confused, I saw his eyes drift to behind me and I followed his gaze. As i turned i saw reaper standing behind me. Reaper was looking at him with suspicion.

“Hey Reaper this is Urban, he's my mentor. That means you got one too. Speaking of, where is his mentor? " I asked Urban. He sighed in frustration

“She got hospitalized, she should be better before we tour the arena.” he said, my face grew concerned, reaper raised a brow.

“How did she get hospitalized, what happened?” i asked

“I think she was bitten by some snakes, i'm not sure though.” he said, he sounded like he wanted to change the subject.

“Well i have to go to the academy” he said to me before promptly turning his back and walking off. I watched his figure move, it was in a stiff yet relaxed way. I felt a hand on my shoulder a looked at reaper.

“Be careful with him, who knows what the mentors really think.” he said, his tone was warning. I smiled at him.

“I will reaper, don't worry. Out of anyone here i'll listen to you.'' I said, he smiled slightly. He never smiled a lot anymore. When we were kids he used to smile a lot. But as we got older those smiles I loved so much as a kid faded away. I couldn't blame him though, everyone in district eleven had lost something about themselves once they reached the age of ten. I always feared when my sister would turn ten she would lose her love for animals, her love for being her.

“Reaper, I have a question,” I said to him as I sat down on a rock he followed not long after.

“Yea?”

“How come you never tried to be a healer at the infirmary?” I asked him curiously.

“What do you mean” he asked

“I mean, like, you've always cared about people from what I can remember. You always helped people out, you know. I guess it's just that I always saw you as someone who would be a healer.” i said to him, I looked at him and he stared at me, his face was unreadable.

“I didn't really get a choice in what I was put in. even you still had to work outside of the infirmary” he said to me softly. I looked at him and smiled.

“Yea i know, sorry it was a stupid question, i've just always wondered that '' i said, i cringed inwardly at my dialogue.

“Nah it's fine, we haven't gotten to talk much so i don't blame you for asking” he said calmly, he smiled again. We sat there in silence, a comfortable silence. I stared at him and smiled lightly, I didn't know how much time had passed nor did I care. For a moment I was content.

“y/n, im back” i heard Urban yell in a boarded tone, i slowly got up. I felt reaper grab my hand but I carefully removed his hand from mine and sent him a reassuring smile. I walked down to the bars of the zoo and saw Urban holding a small purple napkin. He handed me it along with water in a glass bottle. I opened the napkin and saw a small sandwich with some berries and bread. I looked up at urban and smiled gratefully.

“Thank you Urban, i swear me and Reaper were gonna die of starvation” i said, he seemed to get annoyed from my statement.

“I brought them for you not him.” he said, his eyebrows furrowed. I rolled my eyes and looked at him with a blank face. Instead of arguing with him i decided to play into the capitals game

“Urban, I need my district partner to be alive, you know, so I can win. So you can win that prize.'' I said, a part of me wanted to break the glass bottle the second I said that. Urban had nothing to lose if i lost, probably wouldn't even care if i died besides the fact he lost a cash prize or whatever it was. However Urban seemed to be pleased with my answer.

“Fine, whatever will make you win.” he said with a slight huff. I couldn't help but laugh a little. He looked at me confused.

“Sorry you remind me of my sister, always so impatient.” I said as I caught my breath. This only seemed to annoy him though

“You should be lucky i even brought you anything, that someone like me is even speaking to the likes of you.” he said with a tone ripped with condescension. I stared at him blankly for a second my fist almost clenching around the food.

“I dont even know why your upset and second if you keep saying comments like that to me, i might just kill myself the second i step in the ring. Just to know you would face the embarrassment of your mentie dying first and you not getting any money." I didn't fully mean it of course, but I just wanted him to shut up and take me seriously. At least give me and the others basic respect. Knowing the capital though it would take a lot more than that to be treated with basic dignity. Maybe If they wouldn't treat me like I was human, I could at least teach Urban to treat me like I was human.

Urban just stared at me, he turned and started to walk away. “Urban wait” i said loudly, he stopped and turned around which surprised me. “Thank you for the food and water. I appreciate it, "I said a little begrudgingly. Maybe I was imagining it but I swore I could have seen a faint smile cross his mouth before he shook it away and continued to walk away.

I turned and walked back to reaper who was eyeing me. I smiled and handed him a half of the sandwich. He refused it.

“Reaper you gotta eat, i'm not gonna eat that part so if you don't eat it. it's gonna go to waste. Plus I can hear your stomach rumbling and it worries me. So eat.” I said to him, he tried to protest but I forced the half into his hand. I also handed him the water bottle wich unlike the sandwich he accepted immediately. He took a few gulps of the water before handing it to me. I put the bottle to my lips and drank. I tried to preserve as much water as possible but it was hard. My thirst was almost unquenchable. Soon I put the water down and started to eat my half of the sandwich.

A piece of glass could be herd shattering and before long i heard screams. I looked up and saw a tribute with a broken glass bottle in her hand shoving it into her mentors neck. Soon capital guards started firing into the zoo at the tribute. A bullet nearly grazed me before reaper pulled me and him behind a tree. His arms were wrapped around me protectively while I held on to him like it was my last moments. Soon the bullets stop, I heard reaper mutter into my ear “It's ok”. I didn't know if he was saying that to calm me or himself. But it didn't really matter.

Soon we stepped out from the covering of the trees. The only thing i saw was brandy and her mentor lying on the ground. The people on the outside of the cage were huddled around the mentor. One boy had his hands on her neck as he screamed for help. Then there was brandy. Her body was riddled with bullets and one went straight through her head. Her body bled out on the ground. It took everything in me not to rush forward towards her body. But I was smarter than to risk my life right now.

I felt Reaper grab my hand, I looked at him slowly, tears starting to stream down my face as the full reality of the games sunk in.

------------------------

Im so sorry it took so long, and ill be real second part will prob take long to espichally since i got exams coming up. but trust i will be working on this story and the other story.

#reaper ash #x reader #sejanus plinth x reader #reaper ash x reader #coriolanus snow #coriolanus x reader #lucy gray baird #lucy gray x coriolanus #coral #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #tbosas x reader #tbosbas #tbosas

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