𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍, coriolanus snow ¹

i. here we go

HEAVENSBEE HALL IS FLOODED WITH PEOPLE. Everyone close to the Academy is here to watch the reaping of the tenth annual hunger games, or more so to see which of the twenty-four senior students get awarded the Plinth Prize.

The prestigious prize is all anyone can talk about. Groups of children and adults crowding around to whisper their bets on who is the most worthy. Quiet glances are thrown towards each of the candidates before they retract back into their assigned group.

Yet, none of them seem to care. All eyes are on them, and they're just standing there as if it's nothing. Some of them even go as far as throwing bored glances over their shoulders at those younger than them.

Clemensia Dovecote was among those as she crashed into the side of Reign Klark.

"Don't just stand there, Klarkie." Clemensia smirked at the young girl as she stood in fright. The senior girl's loud voice garnered a few people's attention within the hall. Reign could deal with a few people, but with every second, more and more eyes were being put on them. "You're in the way. Why are you even here?"

More people, more eyes, more attention, more panic.

Clemensia raised her eyebrows as she waited for an answer, taking a glass of posca off a nearby Avox's tray. Reign's gaze flickered between Clemensia and her newly acquired glass as she thought of something to say, but whatever she was deciding upon, she needed to say it quickly.

Reign took a step towards the girl in a, hopefully, calm manner and reached out her hand for the glass that she had just picked up. "I'm here to see you lose the Plinth Prize, Clemmie." The younger girl smiled as she looked up to the Dovecote girl who began to lose her happy facade. "Oh, I'm sorry." Reign's expression turned into a fake frown. "I mean, I'm here to see your sister win the prize that you lost last year too."

And with that, the Klark girl turned around to walk away until she was faced with a group of seniors all staring back at her.

Arachne Crane, Felix Ravinstill, Sejanus Plinth, and Coriolanus Snow all stood surrounding Reign. Her eyes scanned over all four of them as they did the same to her.

"Remind me why we allow district-looking children to attend this school." Arachne commented as her head tilted to the side. "I swear they multiply every day and run around us like rats-"

Just as Arachne rolled her eyes to look towards Felix for his support, Reign spoke up, "Remind me why we let you be so boisterous all the time. I swear your voice gives me a headache whenever you talk."

Arachne scoffed and looked between Sejanus and Felix for some sort of shared disgust, only to find the two holding in laughter over the younger girls' words. Reign looked between the two as well, but her eyes then drifted over to the blonde boy who had been quiet since she arrived.

Reign had never been this close to the Snow boy before. Of course, she had seen him around the Academy and sometimes when she went to visit Indira at the Dovecote's home. Never before had she been so close to notice the way that pure white hair was scattered throughout his blonde hair. How those same hair strands all worked together to curl at exactly the right place out of his face. The way that his bright blue eyes contrasted the rest of him - his skin, his hair, his clothes - so fiercely, like a wave crashing beautifully on a quiet beach shore. And never before had she seen him looking straight back at her.

"Reign!" Indira was calling out to her, and it stripped her attention off the Snow boy stood in front of her. As she looked over the shoulder of Sejanus,  Indira Dovecote stood waving her hands at the Klark girl.

Reign went to run towards the girl in excitement. After all, they hadn't seen each other in weeks, but she stopped when she remembered who was still looking down at her. The younger girl looked up to Coriolanus once again and began to form some sort of apology for staring.