Survivor - Coriolanus Snow [1]

5

Coriolanus sighed as he sat with his lunch later that same day still thinking about his tribute but also the class he had just gotten out of. He had been given a demerit for his stunt with Soteria and ending up in the cage but he had also convinced Gaul that his idea of giving food and betting on the tributes was a good idea.

At lunch, he sat with Sejanus Plinth his best friend, and put half of a sandwich in his pocket for Soteria when he went to see her. Sejanus stared at him and sighed "what, are you just going to fatten her up for them."

Coryo rolled his eyes and looked at his friend "you think they'll give those kids a scrap of food if we don't them a reason to do it? How do you think your tribute will have a chance if he can't eat?"

Sejanus sighed and sat down "he was my classmate back in 2."

"It's not your fault, he's here." Coryo nodded and tried to reassure him.

"I know," Sejanus spoke seriously. "I'm so blameless, I'm choking on it. My father bought him for me, you know, at the Reaping, just so he could show me that I could never go back to 2." Coryo knew how horrible it must have felt to never be able to go home. Sejanus spoke again "but being Capital and not caring is going to kill me."

Coriolanus knew exactly how his friend was feeling. Being a capital person was like sucking your soul out of your body and watching all human emotion disappear. Coryo grabbed another half of the sandwich before pushing the plate to Sejanus "so do something about it."

************

Together the two mentors walked to the zoo where the tributes were being held. Both of them shuddered at the fact that these kids were being surrounded and gawked at like animals. They split up as Sejanus headed to the bars closest to Marcus and Coryo headed to the bars closest to Soteria.

Soteria saw Coryo first before moving to the bars to meet him. Jessup her district partner stayed seated but watched them. Coryo handed her the sandwich halves. Soteria took them gratefully before walking over and handing one of them to Jessup. She walked back to Coryo "the first night on the train, Jessup didn't sleep at all because he was watching over me."

They looked over and noticed that a girl was taunting the girl from District 10 with food. Soteria shook her head "that's a dumb idea."

Coryo was confused "what's a dumb idea?"

"What your friend is doing over there," Soteria nodded to where Arachne Crane was taunting Brandy the girl from 10. "One thing I learned in 12 is that hunger is a weapon."

Coriolanus had a feeling that he knew exactly what she was talking about. He had been hungry ever since his father had died and he was hiding his wealth status. A lot of the time, he was starving and had to pray that none of the others noticed. "She is not my friend," he chuckled a bit as he stared at her. "She is poison with perfect teeth."

************

It was quiet for a moment as the two commiserated their situations. Coryo finally spoke again "are you going to share everything I give you with Jessup?"

"Why?" Soteria spoke calmly. "So I can keep my strength up and strangle them in the arena. Not exactly going to be the best idea for me."

"No," he spoke exasperated but still quietly enough that none of the others could hear him. "I might be able to make suggestions to the game makers. I might even be able to get the audience to send you gifts in the arena." Soteria looked at him stunned that he was willing to do that for her. "Food and water to keep you going. You just have to put on a show like you did at your reaping to win people over."

Coryo could tell that she was thinking about it and was about to say something else when Soteria surprised him "you want some." She handed him part of her half of the sandwich. He kneeled down and took it from her. As they ate he studied her but was brought back when she looked at him "I'm scared. There is nowhere to hide in that arena for anyone it's going to be over in a day and it's going to be a bloodbath."

Soteria resisted the urge to reach for the fans in her sleeves not wanting to reveal them yet. Coryo and Soteria just stood there talking when they heard shouting. They both turned to see Brandy the girl from 10 holding Arachne by the collar. She grabbed a glass bottle and smashed it against the bars before stabbing Arachne in the neck.

************

After the death of Arachne, Coryo blamed himself as he was the one who suggested that they get closer to the tributes. That night as he sat next to Tigris and across from his grandmother, his grandmother spoke "this is how it begins, the war." Coryo looked at her as she continued "you're lucky your bird didn't peck your eyes out."

"She's not a rebel grandma," Tigris started. "She's just a girl." Coriolanus sighed at the argument. He could understand both sides and he himself was leaning more towards Tigris's argument that Soteria was just a girl who had confessed to him earlier today that she was terrified. Some power-hungry part of him also realized that Soteria herself had said that she and her sister had gotten trapped in twelve during the war. She wasn't technically a district girl.

Author's Note:

So, Coryo is getting the more conflicting sides of him now. He likes Soteria but he doesn't fully want to betray the capital.