𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗶𝗮 ♛ ꜱᴇᴊᴀɴᴜꜱ ᴘʟɪɴᴛʜ

♛𝘀𝗶𝘅♛

The morning the tributes arrived, Aurelia awoke on roughly forty minutes of sleep.  The night was full of fitful tossing and turning, her mind being unable to put itself at ease.

This is really happening.

Maybe she had just processed that she had her tribute, and his life was now partially in her hands.  If she messed this up, her life was over, and needless to say his was too.  Perhaps in two different ways, but the ending of a life all the same.

The girl entered the kitchen to see her cousin, Tigris, eating alone at the table.  The older girl turned her eyes towards the younger and offered her a small smile before continuing her meal.  Aurelia slid into the seat across from her, returning the gesture, before asking, "Where's Cori?"

"He's at the train station, waiting for the tributes," Tigris muttered through a mouthful of breakfast.  "Thought it would be a good idea for him to go and see his, make her acquaintance.  He brought her one of Grandma'am's roses as well."

"He didn't tell me he was going there," Aurelia replied, slightly hurt that he didn't even ask her to come with him. 

"Huh.  He just wanted a head start I guess."

"A head start even over his twin?"

"You never really know with Coryo, do you?"

"Suppose not."

Tigris offered a sympathetic smile.  "I'm sure he didn't mean to offend you, or hurt you, or whatever you feel.  You know how he gets when he's competitive.  He shuts thoughts of everyone and everything out, except for those that have to do with him coming out on top."

Her cousin had a point.  Coriolanus had always had a horribly competitive side to him, and unfortunately it was one of the things that the twins had always shared.  Being a Snow was about winning, no matter the cost.  It was the principle they had grown up with, and the principle that they continued to live by every day.  It was the only thing that mattered, especially now with lives, futures, and dreams at stake.

It didn't matter how Coriolanus, or Tigris, or anyone else felt anymore.  Aurelia wanted to win this time, if only this time and never again.

♛

Aurelia was winning the race on the playground.  Twice around the swings, back and touch the wall, first one to sit down on the bench won.  She was small, even compared to the other nine year olds, but that meant she was fast.  Coriolanus, with his longer legs, was right behind her.  On the final stretch to the bench, he pushed her.  She could only get up fast enough to see him sitting down at the final checkpoint.

It wasn't a big deal, but the way her brother was laughing didn't feel right.  It wasn't a joyful laugh of a small victory, but a malicious one, like he loved the fact that he won by taking it away from his sister.  He wouldn't even meet her gaze, didn't think to help her up.

Aurelia wouldn't let herself cry, not in front of the other kids who might never let her live it down.  But since the Capitol children had short memories, Aurelia was more scared of what her grandmother would say to her showing weakness in front of others.

As she watched her twin collect congratulations - congratulations that should have been hers - the small blonde girl realized just what her brother could do, would do, just to win.

While she was lost in though, a hand grabbed hers and pulled her up, right up to face the brown eyes she only ever wanted to trust.  

"I saw what your brother did," Sejanus whispered.  "Why would he do that?"

"I don't know," Aurelia replied.  "I guess he wanted to win."

"Winning shouldn't be seeing someone you care about lose."

♛

After over three hours with no word from her brother, Aurelia decided to go see where he was.  Surely he wasn't still waiting for the train?  Did Peacekeepers take him away?  Before her mind spiraled any more, she left the apartment, looking for any sign of the tributes or her brother.

She must have traveled for ages before she received any leads.  As she made her way along the Corso, she saw a boy on the other side of the street.  Sejanus Plinth, along with a backpack that appeared full, was walking with his head down, parallel to the girl.  After checking that there was nothing in her way, Aurelia crossed the street and began walking next to him.  He looked up and smiled at her, the blonde returning it.

"What's with the backpack?  You do know school's not in session today, right?"

"Very funny, Lia.  I'd be terribly late if it was anyway.  I'm actually going to the zoo."

"The zoo?" the girl queried, confused. "Why are you going to the zoo, of all places?"

"Haven't you seen?" Sejanus asked.  At the still bewildered look on Aurelia's face, Sejanus seemed to realize something, his skin draining of all hints of color.  "You haven't seen where they put them."

"Put who?" Aurelia exclaimed, still unable to process what was going on.

"Come with me," Sejanus muttered, grabbing her hand and turning to walk quickly the opposite way.  Even as they were moving, he didn't drop her hand.

Just over a minute later, they arrived at an apartment building, climbing the stairs swiftly before entering a flat on the third floor.

"Sejanus?  What are you doing back here so soon?" Aurelia heard someone cry from one of the other rooms.

"Just a minute, Ma," the boy called back, still pulling the blonde along into another room.  He dropped her hand only to turn on the television screen, which was already airing live footage of the tributes.  

The tributes that were in the monkey house at the zoo.

Suddenly, the video cut to two people standing inside the cage.  One, a girl with curly dark hair down to her waist, still wearing the rainbow ruffles from the reaping.  

The other, a blonde boy that was known to most as Coriolanus Snow.

Her brother was with the tributes in the cage.

Aurelia locked eyes with the boy standing next to her.  He raised an eyebrow as if to say, now, do you see?

"What- why- how?" The girl stuttered, unable to form a complete sentence after witnessing the scene in front of her.

"I don't know," Sejanus replied, offering his hand to her once again.  "Let's find out, shall we?"

♛

shut up this chapter was so eventful and yet so freaking cute???? the flashback i was dying

guys i'm officially in love with sejanus mf plinth (as if i wasn't already)

just wanted to thank you all for 600 reads, it doesn't sound like a lot but sejanus is a lesser known character than lots of other people and its a lot for a story about someone of his popularity!!!

sorry for going completely dark for like three weeks but at least we have a new chapter now right?  i'm really busy right now but i graduate on june 9, so i'll write a LOT more after that!!

QOTC: whats your favorite book in the hunger games trilogy?  i personally LOVE catching fire because the katniss + peeta moments we get are so cute (the rooftop scene HELLO?? we were so robbed of this in the movies) and suzanne, our goddess, managed to do the same thing as the first book and still make it amazing to read.  (thank you for coming to my ted talk)

remember to eat, drink water and take care of yourself because if you don't i will track you down and make sure you do :D !!

-jess <3