songbirdreaped

[songbirdreaped]

❝ sure it doesn't make you mad. whatever helps you sleep at night, darlin'. ❞ lucy gray pursed her lips together as she looked at him, eyes narrowing. as he brought up the idea of having other lovers besides her, the brunette couldn't help but laugh. ❝ have fun with that. maybe it'll get you to leave me alone. ❞ lucy gray said as she rolled her eyes. she didn't care because surely he knew that she wasn't going to be with him anymore after the baby was born. ❝ you know what's actually twisted ? you killing somebody and then lying about it. ❞ she shot back. to her, keeping her baby from a monster was the opposite of twisted. ❝ but see, the difference between you and my baby is that they'll have their mother around to keep them on the path of kindness and what's right. ❞

“That doesn’t make me mad,” he scoffs, acting like she’s ludicrous for having theories such as that. “Why would you even think so?” Coryo questions, brows pulling into a confused crease. Actually, an offended one. Steaming because how DOES she know that? He never uttered a word of it, so how? He can’t stand that it’s so easy to guess about him… that he does hate any men who came before him. “How about I seek new lovers then? So there’ll be a handful of women who come after you.” he suggests calmly, keeping his face stoic even if he is relishing in the idea to let her see how it feels. “And it seems a little twisted of you. Turning up pregnant, planning to keep the child from me. Bringing up your exes to upset me. It is twisted.” Pointing out to make himself feel better by guilting her. Going quiet as she gives her theories on which parent he wanted to be like, the silence is telling… that she’s right in a way. He just doesn’t want to admit it. That at one point he strived to be like his mother, but the world continued to grow cruel so he took the other path. “I’m my own person, Lucy Gray.” he snaps, claiming defensively. “You don’t know. Perhaps they will be entirely like me.” A smile twitches at his lips. “My father, even before he was killed, never spent time at all at home. With me. But since you say I am him— that means there’s a chance they will still be like me even if you try your absolute best to ‘keep them away’ from me.” Pointing out, giving a shrug.

[songbirdreaped]

🐝  *  ―  𝑷𝑰𝑵𝑰𝑵𝑮 / 𝒀𝑬𝑨𝑹𝑵𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑺𝑬𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑵𝑪𝑬 𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑹𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑺.

❛  i can't stop thinking about you even when i try.  ❜ ❛  every time i see you, it's like my heart skips a beat.  ❜ ❛  i never realized how much i needed you until you weren't there.  ❜ ❛  do you ever feel like there's something missing ... like a piece of your heart is somewhere else?  ❜ ❛  i wish i had the courage to tell you how i feel.  ❜ ❛  if only you knew how much you truly mean to me.  ❜ ❛  do you ever wonder what it would be like if things were different between us?  ❜ ❛  sometimes i wonder if you ever think about me the way i think about you.  ❜ ❛  i had a lot of dreams about you recently.  ❜ ❛  somehow, you're always on my mind.  ❜ ❛  i think i've been in love with you since the day we met - scratch that, i know i've been in love with you since the day we met.  ❜ ❛  my biggest wish is to hold you close and never let you go.  ❜ ❛  all my life i've felt like a part of me was missing, but with you i've finally found it.  ❜ ❛  you deserve better than who i am right now, but i'm gonna keep trying to become someone you do deserve.  ❜ ❛  every time you smile at me, i get this flutter in my chest.  ❜ ❛  do you think i'll ever be worthy of your love?  ❜ ❛  i want to be the person to make you happy. the one person you can always come to with whatever you need.  ❜ ❛  will we ever get another chance together?  ❜ ❛  you were the best thing that's ever happened to me.  ❜ ❛  my biggest regret is ever letting you go.  ❜ ❛  i'm still in love with you ... and i honestly never stopped.  ❜ ❛  when i wake up in the morning, you're the first person i want to see.  ❜ ❛  every time i wake up, i check if you wrote me another message.  ❜ ❛  i wish i could be as important to you as you are to me.  ❜ ❛  it hurts when you don't talk to me like you used to.  ❜ ❛  i miss everything about you, your touch, your laugh, your smile. i wish i could have that back.  ❜ ❛  i want to fall asleep wrapped in your arms.  ❜ ❛  hold me closer; i always feel safer when you're with me.  ❜ ❛  there's so much i wish i was able to tell you.  ❜ ❛  i know things aren't easy right now, but i want to remain a fixture in your life. after all, you're one in mine.  ❜ ❛  i miss the way you always made me smile.  ❜ ❛  you're the reason i keep holding on.  ❜ ❛  maybe we're supposed so to remain a case of 'right person, wrong time' forever.  ❜ ❛  if only you knew how i feel about you.  ❜ ❛  i'm yearning to hold your hand in mine.  ❜ ❛  i think you are the one for me, and i hope one day i'll be the one for you, too.  ❜ ❛  do you think i'll ever become more than a friend to you?  ❜ ❛  my heart belongs to you, always and forever.  ❜ ❛  my first instinct is to protect you, no matter the cost.  ❜ ❛  i've been thinking about us a lot lately.  ❜

[songbirdreaped]

test post from the app because tumblr won’t let me log in via browser rip. 😭

[songbirdreaped]

RACHEL ZEGLER as LAURA Y2K (2024) dir. Kyle Mooney

[songbirdreaped]

Snowbaird + Height Difference

[songbirdreaped]

"you seem like a good man, coriolanus snow".

[songbirdreaped]

You're safe.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) dir. Francis Lawrence

[songbirdreaped]

THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES (2023) dir. Francis Lawrence

[songbirdreaped]

this has been sitting in my drafts forever now lol i keep forgetting to share it.

[songbirdreaped]

❝ nothin' to flaunt, but i know the idea of me havin' someone else before you makes you mad. ❞ lucy gray shrugged, glaring at him as he once again reminded her of yet another low point in her life. ignoring his next comment about billy taupe, she bit the inside of her cheeks, fuming as he continued to insist that he was going to be around for the baby. ❝ i think he did corrupt you. i think you wanted so desperately to be like your mother but fell flat, so you turned into your father instead. well news flash, this baby is going to be like me and i won't let you corrupt them. ❞ she was going to get away from him the first chance she got. there was no way he could take their her baby from her if she managed to escape him. lucy gray was determined to escape, to disappear without a trace to where he wouldn't be able to find her or her baby. she couldn't be with him while he was a peacekeeper, so her chances to escape were more likely during those moments. although, he wielded power as a peacekeeper, so he probably could get her arrested.

Listening to her next response, his jaw almost sets, hearing she's poking fun at him for being a virgin. And then the reminder, serves to cloud his mind with an anger he hated... thinking of her with other men. So of course he quickly thinks of what he can retaliate with, "And did any of them manage to get you pregnant? No," he answers for her, "I can imagine why. Because your ex lovers you gave yourself to were so old, it would have took them a few times and they still wouldn't manage to." Ignoring her trying to push him away, he hugs her a moment longer before standing back up only because he can't risk being caught still being in uniform and showing any sign they're together when that's against law as a peacekeeper. "Why? Because you admit it. You just did. That you agree we shouldn't be having a child when we're homeless, foodless and moneyless." he puts words into her mouth to make himself feel satisfaction at proving a point. For a second, no, he didn't want anything to do with this child. And he may again, change his mind once again once it's closer to being born, but for now he isn't letting her get away with taking it from him either. "Then, you should have thought about that before having unprotected intimacy with me. But it's too late for that now, you can't just keep it from me, Lucy Gray." he scoffs, "It's mine as much as it is yours. It's OURS."

[songbirdreaped]

lucy gray's jaw clenched as she tried to refrain from going off on him right there. him mentioning the older men was low, even for him. ❝ i was more talkin' about how i've been with billy taupe before you, but thanks for remindin' me of the lowest point in my life, ❞ words dripping in sarcasm, lucy gray glared at the taller, hand balling into a fist. she'd swing at him if she were certain she wouldn't get into any trouble. coriolanus tended to bring out the violent bits in her that she'd been certain she didn't have. ❝ no, that's not what i'm saying. stop puttin' words in my mouth i swear. ❞ he was provoking her, but all she could do was argue back. punching him here wasn't wise. punching him at all wasn't wise, really. ❝ you don't want them, so the baby is mine. i don't want you near it to corrupt it just like your father corrupted you. ❞

Listening to her next response, his jaw almost sets, hearing she's poking fun at him for being a virgin. And then the reminder, serves to cloud his mind with an anger he hated... thinking of her with other men. So of course he quickly thinks of what he can retaliate with, "And did any of them manage to get you pregnant? No," he answers for her, "I can imagine why. Because your ex lovers you gave yourself to were so old, it would have took them a few times and they still wouldn't manage to." Ignoring her trying to push him away, he hugs her a moment longer before standing back up only because he can't risk being caught still being in uniform and showing any sign they're together when that's against law as a peacekeeper. "Why? Because you admit it. You just did. That you agree we shouldn't be having a child when we're homeless, foodless and moneyless." he puts words into her mouth to make himself feel satisfaction at proving a point. For a second, no, he didn't want anything to do with this child. And he may again, change his mind once again once it's closer to being born, but for now he isn't letting her get away with taking it from him either. "Then, you should have thought about that before having unprotected intimacy with me. But it's too late for that now, you can't just keep it from me, Lucy Gray." he scoffs, "It's mine as much as it is yours. It's OURS."

[songbirdreaped]

❝ it usually doesn't work that way. it's usually safe. or should i remind you that i'd been with others before being with you. ❞ she wasn't proud of it by any means, but she wanted to jab at coriolanus as much as possible. she wanted to get under his skin in any way that she could. ❝ well you should have let me. then maybe we wouldn't be in this situation ! ❞ she exclaimed as she glared at him. as he put his arm around her and pressed his cheek to her stomach, lucy gray tried to get him away from her. ❝ you being anywhere near me already makes it bad for me. my baby and i don't need you. if you think that this isn't a good thing, then you can leave and like i said, i will raise my child. ❞ selfish as it may have been, the brunette didn't want coriolanus around her baby. even if he did force his way into the picture, she'd make sure that she'd be there every single moment to protect the baby from him. lucy gray didn't trust him.

“Not right now, though. You got it wrong.” he corrects and stands in frustration how illogical and too care free Lucy Gray lives like. “You are sort of that, for being so careless about it. Saying repeatedly it wouldn’t happen. And I was right…it did.” That’s another thing that has him infuriated— how he was truly trying to BE smart about it. And she got him off on the wrong track, turning his life upside down, in the same ways Sejanus almost did. Anger dancing in his icy hues, listening to her words, he could act upon this… say something reckless in retaliation OR he could act like the better one. “I didn’t want you to die, Lucy Gray.” he retorts, correcting her for the second time, still holding onto her forearms when he crouches down on one knee, “I wanted you to come home with me. I wanted you to then, I want you to now.” Arms curling around her, pressing his cheek to her stomach, pulling her small body towards him in a hug. Maybe, he didn’t even have to act. He was feeling affectionate after nearly losing her forever from his own hand. “You can attempt to make it bad for me all you’d like, Lucy Gray. I’ll attempt to make it good for you.” Arms squeeze her, gently smiling, cheek nuzzling against her.

[songbirdreaped]

lucy gray shrugged as she looked at him, ❝ some people just aren't as perceptive as others. you are though, huh ? you give off the impression that you're good at readin' people, ❞ she told him in a low voice. maybe it was a thing that came with being in the army, she thought. ❝ hey, if you're up for some fun tomorrow, some of the covey and i are plannin' to go out to the lake to swim and stuff. i'm sure they wouldn't mind gettin' to know ya'. ❞

the invitation extended was more just the brunette wanting to see him again. she thought that it would be nice, away from public eyes to talk. she was almost certain there was more to him than what he was telling her now. she was pretty good at reading people, at least she liked to believe so. ❝ my cousin maude ivory is the sweetest little thing, the second i go home and tell her about you i just know she's gonna bake some sweets for me to give to you. she just loves makin' new friends. ❞

" i don't think it does at all. we're just people who have seen hell. " bucky didn't want to make assumptions about anybody, but he was quite sure that he was right about this, if so that made her even stronger than he first though. it made him understand a little more why steve liked such strong women. but if he wasn't being judged for wanting bad people to have karma come their way, then he was happy.

bucky was happier still when he saw the expression on lucy gray's face, he even grinned, maybe he wasn't a shell of a man entirely. " it's nice to know i can still do that. " not that he wanted to go out and start meeting new people, bucky was quite happy to sit here talking to her.

" well, lucy gray, people are clearly stupid for thinking that. not that i'm surprised, a lot of people miss what's right in front of them. " he was too used to living in fight or flight mode to miss anything these days.

[songbirdreaped]

❝ at the time, i didn't mind the idea of starting a family with you and you know you felt the same. i will take care of my baby because unlike you, i'd do everything in my power to provide for them. ❞ lucy gray huffed angrily. how dare he act like she was in the wrong here. she could handle this child on her own if he didn't think they could do it at all. she would prove to him that she could be a good parent with or without him. hopefully without. ❝ don't go actin' like i'm some kind of villain for wanting to bring us pleasure. even though i don't like you right now, i don't regret what we did. ❞ lucy gray informed him, clenching her jaw. she did sort of regret getting pregnant, but she wasn't going to let him know that.

the words rang in her ears, nausea hitting her as she truly thought about what he was saying. stuck with him. lucy gray could try to get away, try to run and hope to never be found, but she knew now he wasn't going to let that happen. ❝ fine, just know that i'm going to spend every day of the rest of our lives together making you wish you didn't force me to stay with you. you think i'm bad now, coriolanus snow, just you wait. ❞ she leaned in closer to him, standing on her tip toes to whisper in his ear as best as she could. ❝ i'll make you wish that you never met me. that you'd let me die in the arena. ❞

❝ there wasn't any reason to worry about protection because i didn't care what happened at the time. that was before i knew how much of a monster you were. ❞ lucy gray informed him, glaring as he tried to blame her for the whole thing. ❝ plus, it takes two to make a baby, so don't go just placin' the blame all on me, coriolanus. ❞ the brunette rolled her eyes at how dramatic he was acting. ❝ you aren't going to be in their life. you go on to wherever you're going, and i'll go back to the cabin and raise my baby however i see fit. i just hope they look like me and not you. ❞ she'd changed her tune about the baby's looks, wanting a copy of herself and not him like she'd originally said. she'd love them just the same, but she was praying for a child with dark brown hair, brown eyes, and features that matched her own now.

[songbirdreaped]

❝ there wasn't any reason to worry about protection because i didn't care what happened at the time. that was before i knew how much of a monster you were. ❞ lucy gray informed him, glaring as he tried to blame her for the whole thing. ❝ plus, it takes two to make a baby, so don't go just placin' the blame all on me, coriolanus. ❞ the brunette rolled her eyes at how dramatic he was acting. ❝ you aren't going to be in their life. you go on to wherever you're going, and i'll go back to the cabin and raise my baby however i see fit. i just hope they look like me and not you. ❞ she'd changed her tune about the baby's looks, wanting a copy of herself and not him like she'd originally said. she'd love them just the same, but she was praying for a child with dark brown hair, brown eyes, and features that matched her own now.

Ignoring her words, he quickly turns and pushes his way back into the doctor's office like she suggested. There's two minutes gone by before he steps back out with an unreadable expression, other than terrible panic swirling in blues. A father?! He cannot BE a father. This is like a sick trick on making his life even more of a DISASTER than it already is. What is he supposed to do with a newborn that grows into a toddler that grows into a child and into a full human being that he's entirely responsible for? How does he even begin to build a career with a child in the way? The heels of his hands are pressed into his eyebrows for a long minute, wishing he'd wake from this nightmare. Having a silent mental breakdown as he groans. Tossing his hands away, long arms falling to his sides, he now redirects an angry glare towards the brunette before stepping closer to her, "I thought you said there was no reason to worry about protection, Lucy Gray. Hm?" he angrily reminds how careless she acted that night, how she said there was NO WAY of it happening and here it is... happening. The memory burning deep in his mind more than ever now, "Now look what you've done. We're going to rot to our deaths."

[songbirdreaped]

RACHEL ZEGLER as LUCY GRAY BAIRD THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES (2023) Costume Design by Trish Summerville

[songbirdreaped]

lucy gray made a mental note to herself to continue giving small compliments to the man here and there since he informed her that it had been a long time since he was called sweet and such. ❝ i do too. does that make us bad people ? ❞ she tilted her head to the side, contemplating whether or not it did. no, they just wanted to see justice brought to those who were actually bad, she decided after a moment of thought.

just the ones i like, the thought caused her to blush deeper than before, surely redding her face to a bright and painfully obvious shade. ❝ i have to admit, darlin', you got a way of talkin' that makes a person feel rather special. ❞

being called strong was something that only happened once right after her family passed. ❝ lucy gray, ❞ she corrected lightly, before adding on, ❝ and i haven't been called strong in years. it's not a word most people associate with me. i think they underestimate me and what i've been through. ❞ lucy gray shrugged.

" i haven't been called that in a very long time either. " he chuckled, thinking about it only briefly. it was a wonder that word hadn't gotten out about him in his youth ( despite only appearing in his mind twenties now ) that he had more than gotten around town in a desperate bid for affection, but society certainly was a lot kinder to men in those days. if not now still. " good. i like seeing people like that get what they deserve. " more and more bucky was understanding why steve would never back down from a fight.

he loved and hated that little gremlin.

" not all the girls and boys. just the ones i like. " he wasn't teasing at all when he said that, but bucky did offer a bright grin, perhaps the old him wasn't entirely dead. if he said that didn't offer him a little hope about the future then he would be lying, bucky just dreaded that he would be dragged into another fight. maybe he had the right idea about running off to a farm in the middle of nowhere.

bucky had been told he needed to get out more, to have a life, he wasn't dead after all. for the first time in decades he was going to listen to that advice. " i would like that very much. " for one night he hoped to forget all that he had been through. it sounded as though there was more to lucy's story and he wanted to ask but decided not to press it, just gave her a small smile. " you're a strong person, lucy. "