❝ It annoyed me that I could act like such a carefree child, and it made me want to lash out at the weeds, who knew nothing but to grow taller. I wanted to try to be a good girl.
coriolanus snow x fem!oc
academic rivals to lovers
If I pass a mirror, I turn away. I do not want to look at her, and she does not want to be seen.
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During the morning seminar, Professor Crispus Demigloss led the twenty-four mentors in brainstorming ideas to increase viewership of the Hunger Games. "Show me I haven't been wasting my time with you for four years," the professor said with a chuckle. "If history teaches you anything, it's how to make the unwilling comply."
Sejanus raised his hand to question the morality. "Shouldn't we first consider whether watching is the right thing to do, before discussing how to make people watch?" he asked.
"Let's stay on topic please," Professor Demigloss interrupted. Looking around the room, he hoped for a more productive response. "How do we get people to watch?" he asked.
Festus Creed, known for his size and strength, and being part of Coriolanus's inner circle since birth, raised his hand. Coming from a wealthy family with ties to District 7 timber, their fortune had suffered during the war but had since recovered during the reconstruction. His pairing with the District 4 girl accurately reflected his status—- it was good, not exceptional.
"Enlighten us, Festus," Professor Demigloss requested.
Festus responded confidently, "Simple. We go straight to the punitive," Festus answered. "Instead of suggesting people watch, we make it law."
"What happens if you don't watch?" asked Clemensia, not bothering to raise her hand or even look up from her notes. She was popular with both students and faculty, and her niceness excused a lot.
"In the districts, we execute you. In the Capitol, we make you move to the districts, and if you mess up again next year, then we execute you," Festus said cheerfully.
Though this garnered some laughter from the class, Tempest rolled her eyes, her hand lazily raising—- as if she was bored by the conversation. "Yes, Tempest," Professor Demigloss brightened at the prospect of her input. Surely she had something brilliant to add.
"We're asking the wrong question," she posed. Her voice was nearly devoid of emotion, as if she couldn't be bothered to feign interest. "We should not be asking 'how do we attract viewers,' but rather 'why are people uninterested in watching?'"
"Because it's sickening!" Clemensia immediately returns, making Tempest lull off in boredom once again.
Sejanus jumped in. "Of course it is! Who wants to watch a group of children kill each other? Only a vicious, twisted person. Human beings may not be perfect, but we're better than that."
"No we are not," Tempest cuts off. Everyone snaps their heads to her, where she is staring Sejamus right in the eyes. An awkward quiet dawns over them.
"What do you mean, Tempest?" Demigloss urges her to continue.
"Despite the belief that humans are inherently good, we fail to prove that to be true over and over again," Tempest says. "The Games are nothing but repulsive, for they reflect our true nature. Each one of us, when faced with the choice of survival or demise, transforms into a beast. We become savages. If we desire an audience for the games, let them witness their own reflection in every tribute. It serves as a reminder that we all possess the capacity for any form of evil."
"How do we get people to identify with tributes?" Demigloss is fairly on the edge of his seat at Tempests solemn monologue. Even Sejanus is left speechless.
Tempest sits for a moment, and when she is about to speak, Coriolanus is quick to beat her—- "we give them something to root for," he answers for her. "Excuse me for interrupting Tempest, because I do agree with your statement. But I have a thought. If we have stakes, odds to the tributes, maybe more people would care to watch what happens."
As she whips to look at him, he is already looking at her. Leave it to Coriolanus to claim her idea for his own. "Betting on them?" Her face twitches into a thoughtful expression.
"Yes," he answers. "If they have something to lose, money of course being the key here, then they will be more interested in viewing."
"What would we use the money for?" Clemensia questions, eyebrow quirked. "Would we keep it?"
Tempest is still looking at Coriolanus when she says, "we could use it in the games." He is almost smiling, as she is now bettering his idea. She is speaking to him, directly to his soul. Her gaze doesn't waver even as she continues—- "To supply food and water, to keep the tributes going. No one's gonna be entertained if they starve to death in the arena."
"Precisely," Coriolanus almost whispers, deadlocked on Tempest as well. His eyes get lost in the swirls of color around her irises, it is like they are seeing each other for the first time.
Throughout their time knowing each other, he had always held a strong dislike for her. Just her presence alone would irritate him, and he would constantly find fault in everything she said or did.
However, something had changed now. It was as if he had suddenly gained a new perspective on her.
A veil had been lifted from his eyes, allowing him to see her in a completely different way. The animosity that had consumed him was slowly fading away, replaced by a newfound curiosity and understanding.
He found himself observing her with fresh eyes, noticing the subtle aspects of her character that he had previously overlooked.
Her words, which used to grate his ears, now held a certain charm and intelligence that he couldn't deny. Her actions, once infuriating, now seemed to carry a hidden depth and purpose.
It was as if he had been blind to her true essence all this time, and now, he was finally starting to see her for who she truly was.
The walls of prejudice and disdain that he had built were crumbling, replaced by a growing sense of admiration and respect. He couldn't quite explain this sudden change of heart, but he knew it was genuine and profound. Perhaps it was her determination to prove herself.
Whatever the reason, he was grateful for this new perspective, as it had opened his eyes to a world of possibilities. No longer burdened by his preconceived notions, he was now able to appreciate her as a unique individual, flaws and all.
And as he continued to observe her, he couldn't help but wonder what other surprises she had in store for him, and how their relationship would evolve from this point forward.
