#and maybe gaul

[princess-from-another-galaxy]

It seemed (at least to me and my friend) that Sejanus was aware that the Snows weren't as well off as they were pretending to be. I don't think he was aware of the full extent of it, but it seemed like he knew something. Especially in the scene where he tells Coriolanus that the plinth prize won't be given, the solemn and somber way that he delivers the news to Coriolanus definitely made it seem like he knew Coriolanus depended on that prize money for his future.

[mmelolabelle]

I am a ‘Snow 100% murdered Dr Gaul the instant he didn’t need her anymore’ truther. I will hear no different.

Firstly because Gaul is a sadistic murderous sociopath who knows entirely too much about Snow - Gaul knew about Lucy Gray, about the way Snow had once been weak for a girl from Twelve - there is no way Snow would ever be able to feel safe or like he actually held absolute power and had complete control while she was alive. Infamously, Snow isn’t wasteful, so he would keep her around until he was sure there was no further political, social, or scientific advantage he could get from her, but Gaul would never not be a threat to him (or anyone else unfortunate enough to exist in her general vicinity), and that’s true even before you factor in that Snow is deeply, irrationally paranoid. The same day Dr Gaul stops being useful? Poisoned with extreme prejudice.

Secondly because I love the narrative justice of it. Gaul makes monsters. She engineers them to do as much damage and to cause as much pain and suffering as possible. Coriolanus Snow, President of Panem, Dictator For Life, Official ‘Worst Dude Ever’ is as much her creation as any of the muttations she made in her lab. The man Snow becomes by the end of tbosas is far and away the worst thing she inflicts on the people of Panem.

What does any good literary monster do when it’s strong enough? It turns on its creator. Volumnia Gaul makes a bigger, more dangerous predator and him killing her would serve her right.

(Snow killing Gaul would also be a nice prelude to his role in Coin’s downfall. You know the “if I had a nickel for every time this objectively terrible human being took down someone even worse albeit for his own purposes…I’d only have two nickels, but it’s weird that it happened twice” of it all)

[balladofmyramblings]

I’ve seen my fair share of…interesting BOSAS takes (Tigris and Snow’s relationship doesn’t make sense, Sejanus wasn’t important to Coriolanus/Coriolanus’ character, Dean Highbottom was inconsistent, people just called Lucy Gray Lucy instead of LG or something, etc) but never has one irked me as much as people saying the ending was rushed or out of character or didn’t make sense.

The ending is a representation of their whole relationship. Yeah, it’s rushed, because it lasted 3 months and they were prepared to spend their life together after that. No, it was completely in character. Yes, it made total sense, because what else would have convinced Coriolanus to go back, if not the idea that he was safe?

First off, elaborating on the rushed point, be so fr. 1, the book was getting a bit long anyways, and 2, it couldn’t have been long and drawn out. How quick their relationship crumbled and we were shown Coriolanus’ true loyalties shows so much I can’t even begin to explain it, but I’ll try.

It shows how Lucy Gray valued family and trust. She’d already talked about how much trust mattered to her, and she’d been hurt so badly before she needed it. She needs trust, and she doesn’t just need it for herself. She needs to be able to trust him, and she needs him to be able to trust her. When Coriolanus obviously lied about the third person he killed, Lucy Gray realized that neither of those things were there.

It shows how Coriolanus valued himself and the capitol above all else. He was going to, and tried to, kill Lucy Gray. The person who, just 10 minutes ago he was prepared to spend the rest of his life with. He did that because he couldn’t be guaranteed loyalty, and because he realized she definitely didn’t belong to him. Coriolanus’ view of Lucy Gray- that she’s a pet, or something just for him, is entirely effed up and he can’t see that, so he clings to it. He clings to that idea of her being his and when it’s proven false, he can’t let go of it.

Lucy Gray was there when Coriolanus lied to her about the killing, and there was only one person he could have also killed. She was wary of him then, what he was capable of, but she didn’t know for sure where his loyalty truly laid until she saw the look on his face with the guns. She knew then that the Coriolanus standing before her she couldn’t trust, and she knew what that meant, and Coriolanus knew she knew what that meant and he couldn’t deal with the fact she wasn’t completely infatuated with him.

It’s also worthy to mention how easily Coriolanus started to see Lucy Gray differently. He justified his killing of her to himself, as we see in the whole “she’s a victor, maybe Billy taupe was right, etc” page. He thinks that it may have been an act all along, and can’t deal with the fact he fell in love with someone who could turn on him so easily. So he justifies it and makes stuff up and uses all he can to convince himself of the devilish nature of Lucy Gray.

Coriolanus’ deep, unwavering faith in the capitol is shown here so clearly I feel like it’s bleeding into my eyes. He was so ready to leave her (also how he thought she’d be ok with it also proves how he sees her as completely loyal) when he realized he was basically innocent. He is only ever scared of the capitol when it could harm him.

Their whole relationship was a whirlwind, and could never have had a breakup 3 chapters long. It needed to be quick and easy, all ties cut. The fate of Lucy Gray also needed to be a mystery, because nothing else in his life is. The constant worrying of if she’d ever tell, if she’s alive or not, blah blah blah unsettles him just like he deserves it to. We don’t get an answer to if Lucy Gray came back (probably not though), we don’t even get an answer if she’s alive.

In conclusion, the end of BOSAS was very fitting, and though unpredictable and fast, it was right.

[messangerforthestars]

I love how quickly fellow switched to his foul side after seeing some of the boys already transforming. They were starting to freak out and slightly hoping that fellow would be able to help him. But he just called them brats for so easily falling for his trap.

I also love how he got on the intercom just to spite them. God he’s so scummy I want him so bad

[felixravinstills]

The announcement of Felix Ravinstill's death

—The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023)

[fairyhagmother]

I’ll b posting abt my tbosas law school AU from the nuclear fallout bunker

[brionysea]

this man is pissing me off

[loomiskiller]

vampire vibes…..

[carrotcakecrumble]

not to be the cuntiest being on this app but I do literally have a top hat on rn guys💅💅

[thatthingilovewith]

Nero Price core

[robindrake93]

So did Dr. Gaul just not want any winner for the 10th Hunger Games and that’s why she released her snakes into the arena, knowing they’d kill everything with an “unfriendly” scent or was that another test for Coriolanus. If it was a test and he failed, what was her plan for the Hunger Games winner?

[separatist-apologist]

Ancient Rome Lucien ask anon here:

AHHHHH OKAY IM SO EXCITED FOR THIS!! ANCIENT ROME ROMANCE STORIES HAVE ME BY THE NECK, BY THE HEART, BY THE SOUL LINK. I think I had one in a past life maybe. I think about Ancient Rome every day. Anyway I can't wait to read about this!! SO. EXCITED. !!!! Thank you!

What stories are you reading???

[somecrocanadian]

A Tale as Old as Panem

A/N

Me: Has an exam tomorrow. Also me: Writes fanfiction

Well, here we go again. I hope you enjoy!

A Tale as Old as Panem

“Do you know why I sent you to the districts Mr. Snow?” Dr. Gaul asked from across the room. Coriolanus had just walked into her laboratory after his class.

“Dean Highbottom said it was to punish me for cheating in the Hunger Games.” It had been months since Coriolanus had returned from district 12, why was she bringing this up now?

“Well yes, but why the districts? He could have had you publicly executed or turned you into an avox and sent you deep underground. Why make you a Peacekeeper in the districts?”

“I assumed it was because he wanted me out of the Capitol and wanted to show me why it was pointless to help Lucy Gray win.”

Dr. Gaul hummed, walking behind her desk, “Have a seat. Your reasoning isn’t wrong, Mr. Snow, but it’s not the whole story. You see, I gave Highbottom the idea to send you to the districts.”

A flare of anger shot through Coriolanus, but he made sure not to let it show. He wasn’t that easily riled.

“I gave him the reasons you just gave me, but I had another. I wanted you to see how easy it was for the people to choose to rebel and how important it is to snip a rebellion in the bud.”

Coriolanus couldn’t stop his mind from flashing to Sejanuses dead body hanging from the tree along with the other rebels that were planning an escape. He did what had to be done, traitors do not belong in Panem.

“The Hunger Games were created to make sure the districts never forgot what they did to the Capitol. When the Games are messed with, even in the slightest way, that can lead to waves of rebellion. We can’t have that.”

“No, we cannot.” Coriolanus wanted to make sure that would never be thought of as a rebel. Someone had once accused him of it in one of his lectures but he was quick to shut it down by saying he was the reason a rebelion didn’t start in 12. A stretch of the truth, sure, but he did stop some rebels.

“You are probably wondering why I bring this up now. During the War, not only did we defeat the districts but we also put an end to the organization known as the Table. Every few years I like to pay a visit to the members locked up deep below the Capitol. They claim that their organization existed long before Panem ever did and that it reached far beyond Panem’s borders.”

Coriolanus was impressed, very little had survived from before Panem, and even more of it was lost in the uprising. He could see why Dr. Gaul would want to pay them a visit.

“During my most recent visit one of them told me the story of how their organization was almost brought to the ground by one man; the Boogeyman they called him, his skills were unparalleled. But then he left the organization, a feat not easily accomplished,and he was free from his duties until a mobster angered him to such a degree that he personally took out a large chunk of the mob, killing nearly 100 men.”

Coriolanus kept his face neutral, but he couldn’t help being impressed by the talent and anger it takes to kill 100 men.

“His story could have ended there, if he was left alone, but he was not. Another man wanted to claim a debt owed. And after some harsh convincing the boogeyman agreed to kill for the man. But this man ended up backstabbing the boogeyman, and after fighting through another 100 men the boogeyman ended up killing his employer on sacred grounds. That was one of the biggest rules of the Table and so he was hunted down, but seemingly nothing could stop him. People still helped the boogeyman even when they knew their lives would be forfeit. Then he died after freeing himself again in a duel with a high ranking Table member.

“The story of the Boogeyman, even if fake, shows how easy it is to break a system as fragile as ours.”

Coriolanus thought for a moment, all systems are fragile; there just has to be a way to stop people from uprising. And that is one of the reasons for the Hunger Games. The Table would just kill people, but when faced with an unkillable man, they could do nothing. He needed to come up with a plan in case the Hunger Games failed or someone tried to take advantage of it like he had.

“I can see the gears turning in your head, Mr. Snow. Best get to work.”

Coriolanus stood up and went to his desk in the adjoining room.

“Remember Mr. Snow, the rules are the only thing that separate us from the animals,” Dr. Gaul said.

Those were the only words Coriolanus could think about as he heard Dr. Gaul laughing from the other room.

A/N

What did you think? I know it is a bit rushed but I really wanted to write somethin with Dr. Gaul in it. (I also don't want to study, so it's a win-win)

Please let me know what you think!

[desperatepleasures]

aww fuck got another order right after I scheduled the package pickup lmaoooo

[blueskittlesart]

if by "galaxy brained" you mean "clinically insane" so true. anyways here

I watched the movie version of ABOSAS last night after absolutely loving the book and i thought it was largely a good adaptation, but there's one change I'm getting stuck on because I don't really understand why the choice was made to change it at all. Much of the changes from book to film can be rationalized either by the need to keep a pg-13 rating or by the need to not sensationalize/make a spectacle of violence, such as the changes made to arachne's death and the removal of the funeral procession scene. What I can't rationalize as easily, though, is how the movie seems to take a looser approach to snow's complacency/agency in the tragedies that occur. In the book, Snow is our POV character, and we see not only his actions but his inner thoughts and rationalizations for said actions. Because of this, I think it's a lot easier to make him recognizably morally gray, because every time we see him do something awful we also bear witness to his internal rationalizations for it. I think that the movie, in trying to walk that same line without the crutch of Snow's internal monologue, made choices that somewhat absolve snow of guilt in certain scenarios.

Specifically the scene that really irked me was the incident with Clemencia and the snakes. In the movie, Clemencia is framed as a kind of bitchy overachiever who deliberately attempts to take credit for snow's work, and snow as an outside observer to her downfall. The plotline is introduced when she, unprompted, interrupts snow in the middle of class and tries to one-up him. She then strong-arms both snow and dr. gaul into letting her partner with snow on an assignment which pretty clearly should have been snow's alone, since it's based off his original ideas. Later, when snow writes the entire project on his own and Dr. gaul asks who wrote it, Clemencia insists, unprompted, that it was mostly her work, and when called out on her lie decides she would rather try her luck with Dr. Gaul's snakes than admit her wrongdoing. Throughout all of this, snow is at best an enabler of clemencia's lies and at worst a completely silent observer, but he's never actually directly involved in clemencia's downfall.

In contrast, in the book version of these events, snow and clemencia are assigned to a collaborative project by dr. gaul herself, and while the assignment is based on snow's ideas, it's never implied that clemencia is imposing on snow here. In fact, the reason she's involved is specifically because the gamemakers feel like snow's ideas could benefit from being refined collaboratively. The reason that Clemencia doesn't end up actually working with snow on the assignment is because the night it's due, they both witness the violent murder of their classmate and childhood friend, Arachne. Clemencia, an 18-year-old girl, is understandably shaken by this, AS IS SNOW, and they BOTH leave the zoo after arachne's death without giving any thought whatsoever to the project they were supposed to be working on together. It's only later that night, in an attempt to distract himself from his grief, that snow decides to write the project completely alone and simply add clemencia's name to it. He turns it in the next morning with clemencia's name on it WITHOUT TALKING TO HER FIRST, assuming that he's doing her a favor. When she finds out he did this, she's even a bit upset at him, but she knows that they'll both be in bigger trouble if she admits it was a lie, so she has him give her the sparknotes before dr. gaul calls them in so that neither of them will be caught in a lie in front of one of the most powerful, dangerous, obviously unhinged women in the world. when brought in to talk to dr. gaul, clemencia falls into the trap BEFORE she and snow realize what's happening--she watches snow retrieve a page from the snake tank unharmed, and assumes she'll be able to do the same, since gaul neglects to explain what the snakes are capable of. Her hand is already in the tank when gaul reveals that she knows clemencia didn't write the proposal. it's not a case of clemencia being too stubborn to admit that she lied, it's a case of gaul inflicting the punishment before clemencia was even aware she was in danger.

the difference here is very obviously in the way that clemencia and snow are respectively framed in reference to this assignment. in the movie, clemencia is a stubborn liar who deliberately stole snow's work and refused to admit to it even in the face of death, and snow is the poor blameless witness to her downfall. In the book, however, snow and clemencia are childhood friends, eighteen-year-old students, given a difficult assignment with a difficult teacher after they've both been freshly traumatized. Snow is not at all blameless in clemencia's suffering--he chose to write the proposal alone, and he chose to give her credit for it, and he never asked her if she was okay with either of those things. His actions led to clemencia being put in dr. gaul's line of fire against her will--dr. gaul, a notoriously unstable and dangerous woman who snow still chose to deliberately lie to. And because we get the benefit of snow's inner monologue within the book, we get his rationalization after the fact--the way he chooses to cope with the incident is by telling himself, "well, clemencia could have told gaul that she lied. instead she was willing to take credit for my work." he avoids her attempts to contact him, refuses to visit her in the hospital, and as time goes on and she returns to school, his descriptions of her become more and more bad-faith, all in an attempt to distance himself from what happened to her, to insist that it wasn't his fault. this incident is fundamental in characterizing snow because it showcases the way in which he dodges accountability--nothing he does is his fault. guilt is always placed on the other party, no matter the circumstances. the movie's version of these events removes that characterization, because it WASN'T his fault. there's no accountability to dodge, because snow was really just a silent observer to clemencia's own bad choices.

Again, I can ALMOST see the thought process here. it seems like a lot of clemencia's later scenes had to be cut for time, and without snow's later interactions with her it's even more difficult to properly characterize the two of them irt this incident. If I assume good faith, i'd have to chalk this up to the aforementioned difficulty of walking the line of moral greyness without the crutch of snow's internal monologue--without his own internal rationalization, the book's version of events places a lot more blame obviously on his shoulders, which the movie's writers may have wanted to avoid. But it's really kind of hard to ignore that clemencia, arguably the most major female character in the story aside from Lucy Gray (and the only character played by an east asian actress), somehow went from a well-rounded, sympathetic, genuine childhood friend of snow's to a one-dimensional liar who deliberately stole snow's work in an attempt to gain academic favor, and that she's really the only major character in the movie to undergo such a drastic change.

uh oh sisters. hunger games hyperfixation

[felixravinstills]

i don't think i could ever write a self-insert tbosas fic because it would be too worrying and draining, but that doesn't stop me from having visions of it.

the deaths i could be dying in another life... the way i'm just a piece in max and volumnia's game, but there's a tenderness to the way they kill me...