#celeste snow

[slaymitchabernathy]

Cotton Tails & Bunny Trails

| @evilmenarehot , this one’s for you!!! happy easter, y’all <3

Coriolanus Snow is rudely woken up from his slumber when he feels two tiny bodies land on top of his large one. He groans, no one ever talks about this part of being a parent, the unwanted wake-up calls.

"Daddy! Daddy, wake up! It's Easter!"

Coriolanus groans again, it's also Sunday, which means sleeping in. He rolls over to his side, wrapping his arms around his wife's waist, pressing his nose against the soft skin of her back. "Darling, your children have come to bother us."

The girls giggle, continuing to jump on the bed and on him. "Before sunrise, they're your children," Soarynn mumbles back.

"We belong to both of you, Mommy! C'mon, we've gotta go find the Easter Bunny eggs!"

Sometimes, Coriolanus wishes Soarynn weren't such a wonderful mother who loves to celebrate every single holiday with the children. Between Santa, the Leprechaun, and the Easter Bunny, he can't keep track!

Soarynn sighs, it's pointless to fight against the girls and their wishes. Once they're up, they're up. Coriolanus cracks one eye open and spots his youngest daughter, Celeste, poking Soarynn's cheek. "Mommy," she whispers, "Mommy, did you die?"

Soarynn laughs, sitting up despite Coriolanus and his whine from the loss of contact. "No, my sweet girl," Soarynn says, kissing Celeste's forehead, "I did not die." Coriolanus rolls onto his back again, hoping to get a few more minutes of sleep. "Why are you always sleeping, Daddy?"

His eyes shoot open at his eldest daughter's accusatory question. Ceraphina has always humbled him. Sure enough, she's looking down at him with her hands on her hips. Her wild waves have come loose from the braid Soarynn put them in last night, giving her a nasty case of bedhead.

"I am not always sleeping," he defends himself, feeling as though he's being attacked. "I'm a working man, I deserve to rest. It's also Sunday, which means sleeping in and having a nice breakfast." If it weren't for this blasted holiday, Coriolanus would still be sound asleep with Soarynn in his arms. Maybe he'd wake her up with a nice back rub that would lead to other things being rubbed.

"Today is Easter," Ceraphina tells him matter-of-factly. "We need to go find the eggs! Let's go!"

Soarynn slips out of bed with the girls, all three of them padding into the bathroom so Soarynn can put on a robe and brush her hair before their egg hunt begins. That's why he's so tired in the first place, the fucking eggs.

Two days ago, Soarynn boiled some eggs and had the girls dye them with her. Caspian, their youngest, was not too impressed with the colorful dyes, but the girls loved it. Last night, Soarynn had him hide the dyed eggs, along with plastic ones filled with candies and treats. It was more difficult than he anticipated, with Petunia trying to bite his hand every five seconds.

Having children is exhausting.

"Coriolanus, darling," Soarynn calls from the bathroom over little giggles from the girls, "could you please go wake up Caspian? I know he's still asleep." Coriolanus grumbles, still groggy from being woken up so suddenly. "Yes, darling," he sighs, resigning himself to another busy day. At least Caspian has the decency to stay in bed until someone comes to get him.

He swings his feet over the bed, barely dodging the white paw that swipes out from under the bed, determined to slice through his heel.

Coriolanus stands up and stretches, he always moves around in his sleep, and Soarynn does too, which often leads to them waking up in very odd positions. Petunia crawls out from under the bed like the psychopath she is and hisses at him. It's not even eight in the morning yet.

"Don't test me," he says to the cat, ignoring the extra hiss she throws his way.

Coriolanus makes his way out of the bedroom and down the hall to the children's rooms. Celeste and Ceraphina have their own rooms, which are connected by a door on the inside, but they always insist on sleeping together. Caspian, however, doesn't like to share with anyone, so he sleeps by himself in his own bedroom.

Coriolanus quietly opens the doors to his son's bedroom, peeking into the dark room. Traces of sunlight can be seen from behind the blue curtains that hang in front of the windows. A streak of light illuminates Caspian's pale face, with his blonde hair. He approaches the small toddler's bed, bigger than he needs, but Soarynn insisted that he'd grow into it.

She had been so emotional when they got rid of his crib. She had mentioned keeping it "just in case another one comes along," but Coriolanus quickly put an end to that. Soarynn already got her birth control implant put back in, and it's for the better. They have three perfect children; no need to ruin their luck with a fourth.

"Caspian," he whispers, kneeling down to gently rub the small boy's back. Caspian's dark red pajamas are hanging on for dear life. His shirt has ridden up his back, and his pants, well, his pants are on the other end of the bed. "Come on, Cas, we have to get up," he says, pulling back the covers.

Caspian whines, rolling over to the other side, "No."

That might be his favorite word.

Coriolanus chuckles, glad to see that he's not the only one who was so opposed to the early morning. "It's Easter," he reminds his son, "the Easter Bunny came and left you some eggs to find."

"I want Momma."

Everyone wants Soarynn.

"She's already awake, so are your sisters. Now come along, it's time to join the rest of the world. Let's get your pajamas back on."

Coriolanus stands back up and goes to open the curtains, letting the natural light shine into the room. Caspian pulls the covers over his head, "No!"

Coriolanus always thought girls would be difficult, but Caspian proves him wrong every day. "Yes," he tells his son, "we need to face the day. Now come out from under the covers so we can get dressed, please."

"Momma!"

Coriolanus rolls his eyes, that boy is a momma's boy through and through, and it's gonna bite them in the ass one of these days. He doesn't even want to witness Caspian being dropped off at school for the first time.

"Fine," he mumbles, too tired to deal with attitudes this early, "I'll go get your mother."

Coriolanus finds that the girls have already begun their egg hunt, armed with pink baskets. Celeste runs past him, plastic eggs bouncing in the basket. "Excuse me, Daddy!" She's rounding the corner before he can say anything. At least she used her manners. Soarynn comes into view, dressed more appropriately with her robe, slippers, and a cup of tea.

"Where's Caspain?" She asks, noticing his empty arms. He shakes his head, "He wants you. Not me."

"Mommy! Ceraphina is taking all the eggs!"

Soarynn sips her tea, she handles the chaos of their children surprisingly well for someone so senstitve. "I'll get Caspian, you handle the girls."

"Deal," he quickly agrees. They go their separate ways, and sure enough, the girls are fighting over a yellow egg in the living room. It was delicately nestled in the bouquet of roses that sat on the coffee table in the middle of the room. A fine-looking centerpiece.

Now, it's in Ceraphina's hands while she holds it above her head, keeping it out of her little sister's reach. "Stop! Stop it, Ceraphina!" Celeste cries, jumping up and down with all her might.

Coriolanus quickly solves the problem by snatching the egg from Ceraphina's hand. Her reaction is immediate and loud as she stomps her foot. "Daddy!"

"Ceraphina," he mocks in the same tone, "stop stealing from your sister. There's plenty of eggs to go around."

Celeste clings to his leg, giving her sister a look. "Mhm. Stop stealing from me like Daddy said."

Ceraphina gives both her father and sister a glare but reluctantly goes to the kitchen. "Thank you, Daddy," Celeste says sweetly, batting her eyelashes. Celeste is his little angel, always running to him for defense. "Of course, sweetheart. You've already found so many eggs, look at you!" He drops the stolen egg into her basket, filled with pinks, blues, and greens.

He caught a glimpse of Ceraphina's basket, and she wasn't doing too shabby either. The girls keep collecting eggs while Coriolanus trails behind them in case they start fighting again. "Look, Caspian," Soarynn's voice fills the room, "the Easter Bunny came last night!"

Caspian clings to her hip while holding his prized possession, his stuffed lion named Lenny. Soarynn managed to get Caspian dressed, and his hair has been brushed. "Mommy! Mommy, look at all of my eggs!" Ceraphina runs up to her mother, proudly showing off her bounty.

Soarynn gasps, crouching down so Caspian can see better. "Oh my goodness! Look at all those eggs! Do you want to look for eggs too, Caspian?" Caspian peers into his big sister's basket and shakes his head. "No."

Ceraphina shrugs, used to his indifference. "More for me!"

Coriolanus goes over to his wife, trusting the girls to behave themselves now that Soarynn is here. "I see you managed to wrangle this wild child," he muses, resting a hand on her hip. Soarynn chuckles when Caspian scrunches his nose, "Oh, he's not so wild. Are you, sweet boy? He's just not a morning person."

"Is anyone a morning person?" Coriolanus wonders out loud.

The girls continue to fill their baskets, and Coriolanus is sure that they'll be finding eggs six months from now filled with stale candy. "Are you excited for the party this afternoon?"

The Heavensbees are throwing a huge tea party at their mansion to celebrate Easter, and all the most important Capitol families have been invited, including the Snows. Soarynn is good friends with Livia Heavensbee, formerly Livia Cardew, before she married Hilarius and came into unthinkable wealth.

"I am," Soarynn says, "we'll need to leave by noon at the latest if we don't want to miss the egg hunt." Of course, there will be more than one egg hunt today. Heaven help the children who will be going up against Ceraphina, who's known for her competitiveness.

Soarynn says she got that specific trait from him.

He does not see any similarities.

"Alright. I'll tackle breakfast and Caspian if you handle the girl's hair."

Coriolanus has learned many things since becoming a father, and one of those things is to not mess with little girls and their hair. Soarynn can handle that front. "Sounds like a plan. Now, why don't we go see what the Easter Bunny left for you?" Soarynn asks Caspian, who is already falling back asleep.

Along with the eggs, Soarynn also put together Easter Baskets for the children filled with more candy, some stuffed animals, and even a bunny ear headband.

Coriolanus goes into the kitchen, where the only eggs he will be using are the real ones. He decides to make pancakes today, something simple. The girls run in and out, opening drawers and cabinets to see if there are any more eggs hidden in here. He assures them that there are not, but that doesn't stop them from looking.

Petunia strolls in eventually, sitting on the windowsill that overlooks the Corso, watching him and the people below them. "Breakfast is ready," he calls once the pancakes are done. He also made bacon, sausage, and fresh orange juice. They have a cook six days a week, but Soarynn says that Sundays are for family.

The girls come running in wearing their bunny ears from the baskets they got. "Daddy, we got bunny ears!" Coriolanus chuckles at the sweet sight, they really are adorable. "My little cotton tails, hmm? Does this mean you'll start eating your carrots now?"

They both look at each other and frown. "Um...I don't think that's gonna happen, Daddy."

"Oh, but you will eat your vegetables today at the Heavensbee's party," Soarynn says as she walks in, Caspian running right behind her. The girls slouch, they've never really liked vegetables. They love their fruits, but who doesn't?

"Do we have to?" Ceraphina whines, throwing her head back for dramatic effect. "They make their vegetables so yucky, Mommy," Celeste complains, which gets her sharp looks from both her parents. The Snows pride themselves on raising polite, well-mannered children who do not insult other people's cooking.

"You will eat your vegetables, and you will not repeat that, young lady," Coriolanus tells her sternly, "the Heavensbees are so graciously hosting us in their home, and we will be grateful."

"Grateful," Caspian repeats, pulling himself onto a chair. "Yes, I expect the best behavior from your girls, or we will be going home early," Soarynn adds.

Her threat is not lost on the girls who silently slide into their seats at the table, looking glum now that they have to eat their vegetables later on. Coriolanus serves everyone at the table, making sure Caspian gets whipped cream and that Ceraphian gets syrup on only half of her pancake.

"Can Petunia come?"

Coriolanus looks over his shoulder at Petunia, who's still watching them from the windowsill, her tail flipping back and forth. "I don't think so, sweetheart."

"Will Diamond be there?"

Diamond Vickers is the daughter of Lysistrata and Clemensia Vickers, and she's also Ceraphina's best friend. "Yes, the Vickers confirmed that they'd be attending," Soarynn answers while cutting up Caspian's pancakes.

"Why does Diamond have two mommies, but we only have one?" Celeste asks, causing Soarynn and Coriolanus to pause. Coriolanus clears his throat. Conversations like this are important yet, uncomfortable.

"Sometimes people will have two mommies or two daddies," he gently explains, "it doesn't make them any different than you and your siblings."

Soarynn hums in agreement. "Exactly, sometimes mommies marry other mommies, and daddies marry other daddies. What matters is that their children are loved and well taken care of. Just like you three."

Coriolanus perks up at the mention of parents. "My parents will also be in attendance. Do not convince your grandmother to buy you anything today." Coriolanus loves his mother dearly, but his girls have got her wrapped around their little fingers. If they want a horse, she'll buy them a horse.

Ceraphina smiles, too sweet to be true. "We will be on our best behavior, Daddy," she promises, a mischievous glint in her stormy blue eyes. Coriolanus raises an eyebrow, not entirely trusting his oldest child, who's been known to get into trouble.

"After this, we need to start getting dressed, girls," Soarynn reminds them, "and don't think that just because it's Easter that you don't have to clean your rooms."

The girls groan, but it's pointless. Every Sunday, Soarynn has them clean their rooms, which is really just putting toys away. It's a good habit for them to develop. So they obviously hate it.

A smile grows across his lips, as tiring as it can be to manage three children, he wouldn't trade this for the world.

꧁ ꧂

"Persephone is furious with me because I got her pregnant again," Festus whispers to Coriolanus while they chase their toddlers around the Heavensbee's backyard. The easter egg hunt has begun, and Livia had the bright idea to divide the hunt by age groups. This way, the toddlers won't get trampled by the five-year-olds.

Coriolanus nearly trips after hearing those words. Persephone is arguably Soarynn's bestest friend; the two of them have been inseparable since their Academy days. But unlike Soarynn, Persephone has been very insistent on only having one child.

Cecil Creed is a spitting image of his father, the same way Caspian is. The two of them get along just fine, and Coriolanus was convinced that he would forever be an only child. Apparently not.

"How did that even happen?" Coriolanus asks, looking across the yard where the ladies are talking. Soarynn stands with her back to him, hands clasped behind her back, while Persephone talks with a lot of hand gestures. "She never got the implant put back in," Festus groans, tugging at his curls, "I'm doomed. I have a pregnant wife who's mad at me. What could be worse?"

Coriolanus chuckles at his friend's disposition. It's funny how Soarynn would love to have another child, whereas Persephone despises the idea. Opposites really do attract. They're both wonderful mothers, but Soarynn enjoyed being pregnant whereas Persephone tolerated it.

"You could have twins," he throws out. Festus scoops Cecil away from a rose bush covered in thorns. The last thing he needs is a crying child. "We already have a perfectly good son," Festus grits out, "we have our heir? What more could we need?"

Coriolanus looks over at his girls, who are collecting eggs with their friends, crouched down by the swing set Hilarius had built for his two children about a year ago. "Nothing, I suppose," he murmurs, remembering how worried he had been when they found out Celeste would be a girl.

He loves his girls dearly, but having about boy means securing the future, the legacy. Thankfully, Caspian came along and all was well.

"Egg," Caspian says, holding up a shiny blue egg. Coriolanus places his hands on his hips, "What a find. You should go show your mother." Caspian perks up when Soarynn is mentioned and runs over to her, tugging on her dress.

Soarynn Snow is a woman who values fashion, and holidays are no exception. She dressed the girls in matching Easter dresses, purple with flowers on the bottom of the skirts. Caspian was dressed in a dark blue suit and brown leather shoes. Soarynn dressed herself in a beautiful yellow dress with embroidered detailing on the front.

She looks down, smiling when she sees Caspian holding out an egg. She picks him up, which leads to all the women fawning over him like they always do. "Quite the ladies man," Festus jokes, "he's got Soarynn in the palm of his hand." Coriolanus can't even deny that.

The moment Caspian was born, Soarynn was enamored by him. The boy is spoiled beyond reason, and Coriolannus can't even get mad, not when he spoils the girls just as equally.

"I am the only man in her life," Coriolanus reminds him, watching Caspian kiss Soarynn's cheek. He's started doing that recently, and Soarynn loves it. Sure enough, all the women gasp adoringly at the little gesture.

"Doesn't look like it from here," Festus cheekily replies. Cecil toddles over with his own egg, looking unsure on how to proceed. "Looks like you found yourself an egg there, Cecil," Coriolanus says to the boy. Cecil looks up at him, then back down at his egg. "He doesn't really get the point of this holiday," Festus admits, "Persephone just likes to use it as an excuse to get together."

Coriolanus doesn't really know the point of Easter either if he's being completely honest. He knows that before the fires and floods, it was somewhat of a religious celebration. Now, it's just an excuse for the elite to flaunt their wealth. Candies for the children, dresses for the women, and drinks for the men.

Sounds like a good time to him.

Coriolanus spots his parents coming through the back doors, dressed in their Sunday best. "There are my parents. I ought to go say hello."

Coriolanus goes over to greet his mother and father, who are both fanning themselves. "You'd think they'd hold the festivities indoors," mother says, kissing him on the cheek, "I expect that Soarynn's birthday will be inside this year, right darling?"

Soarynn's birthday is the next big celebration on their calendar, and last year she threw a party outside. This did not blow over well with mother, who despises sweat, bugs, and humidity. All three were present that day.

"Yes, mother," Coriolanus assures her, "we can't risk you melting again." Mother swats at his arm, and he grins. She has a tendency to be a little overdramatic sometimes. Coriolanus greets his father with a firm handshake because men do not hug. "I'm sure Soarynn will plan something tasteful," father concludes.

Mother adores Soarynn, whereas father remains neutral in his feelings towards his daughter-in-law. Coriolanus knows that the man cares for Soarynn and the grandchildren she's given him. But it's simply the way he is.

Coriolanus won't kill himself trying to change his father.

"Grandmother! Grandmother, come look at our eggs!" The girls run up to their grandparents and almost run into Coriolanus. "No running girls," he corrects them. Celeste pouts, her curls fall into her face, which makes it hard to remain so stern. "But we're outside, Daddy, we're allowed to run outside." She has a point. "Not when other adults are around," he explains, "it's bad manners."

Ceraphina doesn't see the point in arguing, she just grabs mother's hand and pulls her along, "C'mon, we found rainbow eggs!"

Coriolanus watches mother follow the girls over to one of the tables set up under a tent. The Heavensbees tented a majority of their backyard for today. Some tents have tables for eating, while others have refreshments and food. There are a few tents with activities for the children, such as coloring and face painting. Coriolanus already shut down the face painting.

"I see Caspian hasn't left Soarynn's side," father comments, his cold gaze on Soarynn. Coriolanus does his best to remain calm. He can't let his father get to him, not on Easter, at least. "He was looking for eggs with me a few minutes ago," he tells his father, "he's only three."

Father scoffs, and it triggers something inside Coriolanus. "When you were his age-"

"When I was his age, you weren't around," Coriolanus cuts him off, leaving no room for his son's behavior to be criticized. "You were always working and wanted nothing to do with me until I turned thirteen, so don't act like you were the parent of the year."

Father says nothing as Soarynn approaches them, oblivious to the brewing argument between the father and son.

"Crassus," Soarynn cuts through the tension like a knife, "how wonderful to see you again." Father tears his gaze away from Coriolanus long enough to press a kiss to Soarynn's cheek and give Caspian a pat on the head. "Yes, my dear, so wonderful to see you so soon. How are you and the children?"

"Oh, we're just fine. Coriolanus sees to that," she says brightly, resting a hand on her husband's shoulder. Coriolanus nods, glad to have some backup even though she missed their entire argument.

"Duck," Caspian points to the animals swimming in the small pond that the Heavensbees have. Sure enough, there are a few ducks swimming in the water. "Aren't you so clever?" Soarynn coos, "You know, Crassus, I think Caspian is going to take after you where personality is concerned."

Coriolanus covers up his laugh with a cough. Soarynn doesn't realize how backhanded her comment was, and father's eye twitches. "Is he now?" Soarynn hums, completely oblivious to the growing tension that's started up again. "Yes, he'll be the strong and silent type. Just like his father."

Coriolanus smiles, she has such a way with words. "Well, it's easy to see where I get it from," he jokes. Father doesn't smile, but he never smiles. "The girls want to go pet the animals, and I promised you'd come with us, Coryo."

It's the perfect escape.

"Fatherly duties," Coriolanus says to his father, "you know how that goes."

"Enjoy the animals," father replies coldly.

Soarynn lets Coriolanus lead them away from his frigid father, looking over her shoulder just once at the older man. "He seemed a bit upset, didn't he? Did your parents get into an argument before they arrived?" Coriolanus kisses her temple, she's too sweet for this world.

"No, darling. That's just who he is, you said it yourself, strong and silent."

"Still," she mumbles, "he doesn't look too pleased with us. Did the girls say something?"

Coriolanus shakes his head, the girls might give him attitude, but they'd never try anything with their grandfather. "He's just mad that he didn't get a visit from the Easter Bunny," he replies, tickling her side to make her laugh. Soarynn giggles, leaning into his touch. "I just don't ever want to have a strained relationship with him."

Too late, Coriolanus thinks bitterly to himself.

The girls are already standing by the small pen with what he presumes to be animals inside it. Livia and Hilarius truly spared no expense for the festivities today. Their eyes grow bigger when they see that their parents have arrived. "Mommy, there's a bunny rabbit inside," Ceraphina whispers excitedly.

"But we can’t go in without adults,” Celeste adds. Ah, well that explains why the girls are so happy to see them. Looks like mother has run off to the beverage tent, he’s never known her to be without a glass of wine.

“Do you want to see the rabbits, Cas?” Soarynn asks their son who actually perks up at her question. He had to leave his beloved stuffed lion at home and he was not happy about it.

Soarynn is far more gracious with Lenny than Coriolanus is. He knows that when he’s at work, she’ll often let Lenny tag along with her and Caspian when running errands. Coriolanus tries to be firm with his decision to keep all stuffed animals at home, but even he cracks every once in a while.

“Yes,” Caspian says with confidence. Coriolanus gives Soarynn a grin, “Can’t argue with that.”

Coriolanus steps over the short fence that’s been set up to keep the animals contained, making sure he doesn’t squish a rabbit. There are rabbits and baby chicks inside of the pen, most of them chew on the grass. He helps the girls by picking them up and swinging them over the fence.

“Wheee!” Celeste says, kicking her feet before he gently sets her down. “Daddy, can we go flying someday?” Coriolanus has never flown a day in his life but a new type of air travel is in the works. Hovercrafts will soon be the fastest way to travel in Panem.

“I’ll work on that, sweetheart,” he promises her.

He offers Soarynn a hand as she carefully swings one leg over the fence, which is a bit more difficult while wearing a dress and carrying a toddler.

“Down, Momma.”

“Alright, darling,” Soarynn says, bending down so Caspian can go explore. A few chicks waddle over to him and Caspian smiles, looking up at his parents, “Bird!”

“That’s not a bird! That’s a baby chicken,” Ceraphina says to him, hands on her hips. Caspian doesn’t pay her any mind, “Baby birds!”

He’s close enough.

There’s a lone attendant working in the animal pen who explains that the girls will have to sit down if they want to hold the bunnies. Thankfully, a chair has been provided because Coriolanus knows how much Soarynn despises the girls getting their dresses dirty. And these are brand new.

Celeste gets to go first which is a treat since she’s used to being second next to her big sister.

“Now, gently place a hand on his back,” the attendant guides her through it as he places a brown bunny onto Celeste’s lap. She gasps softly, placing a hand on its soft fur.

“It’s so soft, Mommy.”

Soarynn smiles, smoothing down a few stray curls that have come loose from the headband she put in Celeste’s hair this morning. “Look at his little nose twitching.”

Even Coriolanus has to admit that these bunnies are quite cute. Much cuter than Petunia. Ceraphina tried to put her bunny ear headband on Petunia’s head after breakfast which nearly led to a cat fight.

“Be gentle, Celeste,” Coriolanus reminds her when she goes to touch the bunnies ears.

None of these rabbits seem to be energetic, in fact, he sees one sleeping by a bowl of water.

“Do lots of people own rabbits as pets?” Soarynn asks the attendant, causing Coriolanus to internally wince. The last thing they need is a rabbit in their apartment. Soarynn loves animals, she always wants to help them, to feed them, and save them.

Perhaps this whole animal experience is a scheme to trick unsuspecting parents into buying their children rabbits.

“Many do, but rabbits are a lot of work,” the attendant explains, “they can be very emotional animals.”

“We already have an emotional animal at home,” Coriolanus reminds her. Soarynn scoffs, shaking her head. “Petunia isn’t emotional. She’s a little lady.”

“That cat is no lady,” he mumbles, loud enough so only she can hear. The girls eventually switch places and Ceraphina gets to hold the bunny. “Look how big his ears are, Daddy!”

“Those are the biggest ears I’ve ever seen, darling.”

“You two are welcome to hold one as well. The children just need to be assisted,” the attendant says to them. Coriolanus politely declines, he doesn’t do rabbits. But Soarynn jumps at the opportunity and carefully picks up a little white one with a pink nose.

“White as snow,” she says to Coriolanus, swaying back and forth with the bunny in her arms. Coriolanus gingerly reaches out to pet the bunny who’s already fallen asleep in Soarynn’s arms.

He remembers how quickly Ceraphina would fall asleep in her arms when she was baby. Soarynn would sing lullabies about gumdrops and meadows, nearly lulling him to sleep as well.

Coriolanus looks over at Caspian who made himself at home with the chicks. He’ll run from one side of the pen to the other and all the chicks will follow after him, chirping as they try to keep up.

“Bird! Bird!”

“Can I pet your bunny, Mommy?”

Soarynn bends down so that Celeste can see the small rabbit in her arms. “You certainly may. Thank you for asking so politely, darling.”

One thing Coriolanus prides himself in is how well-behaved all their children are. Soarynn grew up a good Capitol girl who always knew her manners and he expects his girls to grow up the same way. Since Soarynn spends a majority of the day with the children, she’s been tasked with making sure they grow to be polite Capitol citizens.

Rarely do they ever act out in public. They use their best manners, talk respectfully to adults, and never whine. This doesn’t mean they act the same way at home, of course, but he’s more than pleased with his children’s behavior.

Especially compared to some of their other friend’s children.

Cecil Creed is a cute child but Persephone spoils him to death and Festus doesn’t have a backbone when it comes to raising his son.

“My, my, my, it looks like you all have found the Easter Bunny.” Mother’s voice comes from the other side of the pen and she is, of course, holding a glass of wine.

“It’s not the Easter Bunny, Grandmother! He already came to our house!” Celeste tells her, running over to the short fence. Mother chuckles, resting a gloved hand on Celeste’s cheek. “Aren’t you clever darling? And look at those curls! You know, your father had curls just like yours when he was little. Did I ever show you the pictures?”

“Yes,” they all answer. Who could forget mother cracking out the photo albums every time a new Snow baby was born?

“Oh. Well, I guess we’ll have to wait and see what Caspian ends up having. Curls or waves.”

Ceraphina inherited Soarynn’s wavy hair, causing her to look like her mother’s twin. Celeste got his curls and his bright blue eyes. Caspian can really go either way.

“Look at me, Grandmother! I’m holding a bunny rabbit!”

Mother fawns over Ceraphina and her rabbit while Soarynn puts hers down to go check on Caspian who’s resorted to walking now that running is too tiring.

Coriolanus looks across the yard and finds his father watching him and his family. He may not be as successful as his father when it comes to money, but he’s richer than he’ll ever be when it comes to love.

Coriolanus breaks the eye contact he held with his father, deciding to look at the one person who single-handedly gave him this life. And there she is, holding Caspian in her arms once again, smiling as she spins them around.

Coriolanus doesn’t know who he’d be without Soarynn, without her patience and kindness. She’s taught him to enjoy the little things in life, the eggs, the giggles, the drawings. She gave him three beautiful children without him even having to ask.

What could be better than that?

Soarynn catches him staring and blushes, she’s always been the shy one in their relationship. Caspian wiggles out of her arms, catching his second wind from the looks of it.

Coriolanus holds his hand out to her and Soarynn walks back over to him without saying a word. They’ve gotten to the point where words aren’t needed in their relationship anymore.

One look into her stormy gray eyes and he knows exactly what she’s thinking and feeling.

Her hand slips into his, “Is everything alright, Coryo?”

Coriolanus leans down, gently pecking her lips. He’s not one for excessive affection in public, but he’ll steal a kiss every now and then. Soarynn eagerly responds to the kiss, deepening it for a moment before pulling away.

“More than perfect,” he breathes, wrapping his arm around her. “Today has been perfect.”

Soarynn sighs contentedly, he knows how deeply she longed for a life like this. The sudden death of her father came right before Ceraphina was born, devastating Soarynn, and leaving her as the sole living member of the Nightingales.

Starting a family with Coriolanus was so important to her. This is the life she’s wanted since she was a little girl. He’s glad he could give it to her.

“It really had been perfect,” she agrees, resting her head on his shoulder, “although I do think a pet rabbit would make our family complete.”

Coriolanus chuckles, she’s persistent, he’ll give her that.

“Not a chance, darling.”

Soarynn looks up at him and grins. “It was worth a try.”

| tumblr oneshot/drabble |

| taglist: @lovelylove268 @kickmybark @iswearicanfixhim @wonderlandbound111 @melodyoflovee @thevoicesinmyprettylittlehead @erensrealgf @evilmenarehot @cervvsq @snowgirl12 @matcha-muses @anisangeldust @snowsgames @wakdjenwowj |

[coolthingsguyslike]

[capturing-earths-beauty]

A lovely cow roaming in the magical snow. Taken October 28, 2019 in Wyoming if I remember correctly.

[gears2gnomes]

SGDQ 2024 - Celeste 64: Fragments of the Mountain

"Climbing the Mountain. Now in 3D!"

[sodapop--stims]

Celeste

for anon

X - X - X

X - X - X

X - X - X

x

[random-autie-fangirl]

Daily drawings until Deltarune is released: Day 60 of 63- 🎵4 lightners gaming🎶

(Susie and Noelle have matching bracelets! They both have a Christmas charm bracelet and a spiked bracelet! They're dating now!)

Berdly goes by Celeste now (it's been a while post canon now and of course she'd name herself after a video game character) and she's getting annoyed at Kris for cheating again

Kris found themself a new, bigger horned headband! (They've also gone back to calling themself a goat or a monster again. Even if they technically look like a human, this just...fits better)

[flags-planes-and-fire]

(Video Credit Here)

Dr. Roberto Canessa talking to Tom Holland regarding the new Netflix film - Society of the Snow.

[sirenspells]

8 and 11 for the pmd ask game :3c (though you already talked bout Snow's past, not sure bout Celeste's tho cuz I've been on and off tumblr but I wanna know more :D)

8. What was your hero like before getting turned into a pokemon? What was their life like?

Since she's the pmd2 hero, Celeste was a human who was born in the paralyzed future. Her only family was her mother, with the two of them living in hiding and Celeste's mother doing everything she could to care for her daughter. Around when Celeste is 12 or 13 years old, her mother just disappears, not returning for several days, and when Celeste finally goes out to try and look for her, she finds her cloak torn and laying on blood-stained grass, and instantly realizes what happened to her (yes this is the same cloak I always draw Celeste wearing)

It's very soon after this that she meets Grovyle (Treecko at the time) while defending him from a Gabite (this is where she got the huge scar across her face and some on her arm that I've yet to show). The two of them become close after Treecko tries to heal her and then just continues to stay with her. He soon confides in her about what he's learned of the planet, how it used to be a much better place before falling into ruin, and Celeste resolves to help him investigate what happened to it, and potentially find a way to restore it

Needless to say that Celeste's life as a human was not great JFNFJFN but then again anyone in the paralyzed future's gonna have a rough time. Celeste, as a human, is pretty rough around the edges compared to her as a pokemon, but she still has her lighthearted moments around Grovyle and later Celebi, the two of them being a source of comfort within the paralyzed world and able to bring out Celeste's softer side

Also small headcanon that Celeste was the one who taught Grovyle how to read Unown script, as it was something that her mother taught her growing up

11. What was the partner characters past like?

So I have made hints of Snow's past before, but I've never actually gone into too much detail. Her backstory is kinda involved lol

As I've said before, she used to be a Unovan Zorua named Shade, born in a pack of Zoroark living in Midnight Forest. Ever since she was young, she's dreamed of being an explorer, inspired by some of her mother's stories of when she herself was an explorer. However, her mother doesn't actually want her to become an explorer, as she had a very negative experience that she's terrified of Shade also going through

When Shade is older, her and her mom get into an argument about this, and Shade foolishly decides that she wants to do something to prove to her mother that she can be a competent explorer. She'd heard of the great explorer Scizor and how he disappeared while exploring Blizzard Island, so she decides to travel there and find out what happened to him herself

And of course that does not go well. After leaving, her mom also leaves to go after her after realizing she's missing, and her mom finally catches up with Shade to find her having died from Blizzard Island's harsh environment. Her mother's grief and regret, blaming herself for her daughter's fate, causes her to be reborn as her Hisuian counterpart after her death

The same happens to Shade, though it happens a little later, after her mother had already left. She wakes up where she died, confused and panicked, and while wandering the mountain, she ends up running into a rescue team who bring her back to their base where she recovers. She doesn't remember anything of her past life as Shade, or even the knowledge that she even died. What she does remember, however, is her dream of being an explorer

With some help from this rescue team, she sets off to Treasure Town, giving herself the name Snow after the first thing she saw upon waking up. On her journey there, she quickly realizes that many pokemon give her weird looks. Pokemon are not only largely iffy about Zorua due to their illusion powers, but Snow in particular looks very strange to them as they wouldn't be familiar with the Hisuian forms. Snow eventually takes to hiding herself around other pokemon, either using her illusion powers to turn invisible or disguise herself as other pokemon. She also shamefully uses these powers to steal food and other items on her journey

It is also on this journey that she finds the mysterious rock that she takes to calling the Relic Fragment...

I'm gonna stop here as like I said, her backstory is kind of a lot JGFJFNFJ

[sophieinwonderland]

My favorite genre of plurals in fiction are the ones that have genuinely evil alters but the evil alters aren't demonized (hyper specific I know :P)

What do you mean by genuinely evil?

I'm trying to think of something that would fit with this but am drawing blanks. There's stories like Celeste's that spring to mind where you have Badeline appearing to be an evil headmate, but is more complex than that despite some harmful tendencies.

Besides that, um... maybe Killer Frost in the Flash TV shows, since she did start out as genuinely evil before her redemption.

[slaymitchabernathy]

The Nanny

On a quiet morning, when spring and warmer weather were finally on the cusp of the Capitol, Soarynn was stumped by a question that caused her fingers to stop their memorized pattern of braiding Ceraphina's hair.

"Soarynn, how do you know when you're in love?"

Soarynn blinks once, twice, three times. She's never really thought about that before. Of course, she's thought about love, being in love, falling in love. But truly, how does one know when they're in love?

"I...I don't know darling," she admits, grabbing another blonde curl and tucking it into the braid, "I suppose you just wake up one morning and know that you're with the right person."

"Okay, but how?"

Clearly, Soarynn's answer is insufficient for the young girl who's getting to that age where everything is "so romantic." Soarynn remembers being that way when she was little, thinking it was so wonderful how every adult around her was in love. Watching adults hold hands while crossing busy streets and share warm drinks on cold nights was the ultimate tribute to being in love in her eyes.

It also didn't help that she had grown up without witnessing her own parent's love due to the unfortunate death of her mother. She's sure that Ceraphina had experienced a bit of that as well, even though she knew her mother before she passed away.

But Coriolanus and Livia were never in love.

He's admitted to that countless times since they started courting, talked about how Livia made him feel as if he were stuck in the middle of a business arrangement. It often leads Soarynn to wonder how many other couples are simply together for all the wrong reasons and if she and Coriolanus are together for the wrong ones as well.

Not that there's anything wrong with them. After that little hallway incident, he's been nothing but sweet, showering her with words of adoration, tokens of his affection, and sweet gestures that go above and beyond. He's certainly a charmer.

But sometimes she wonders about how they met, how strange it is that a nanny ended up with her employer and then she just ends up feeling strange and icky.

At least she didn't break up their marriage. That's something she constantly reminds herself of. Their marriage was broken long before she came to the Snow family.

"It's this feeling you get inside of you," Soarynn says, placing a hand over her heart, "this feeling that you simply can't live without this person and you want to do everything with them, no matter how mundane or uncomfortable. With the love of your life, everything makes sense."

Ceraphina tilts her head, "Are you in love with Daddy?"

Soarynn already knows how she feels about Coriolanus, but she doesn't always know how he feels about her.

"I care very deeply about your father," she smoothly answers, giving Ceraphina a tight-lipped smile through the mirror's reflection. Ceraphina returns it with one of her own and kicks her feet as they dangle off the vanity stool, "Is Daddy your best friend?" Soarynn raises her eyebrows, she has friends, but a best friend is something she hasn't considered.

But the more she thinks about it, the more it seems plausible. They see each other every day, they spend lots of time together, they joke and laugh with one another, he makes her happy, she feels as though she can tell him anything. They're honest with each other.

Isn't that what a best friend is?

"He is," she confirms with a more genuine smile this time, "spending time with your father makes me very happy." Ceraphina giggles and cranes her neck back so that she's looking up at Soarynn, "Good! Because I asked him last night and he said that you were his best friend!"

Soarynn's eyes widen in surprise, she's forgotten how involved the girls can get with her relationship with their father. At first, she had worried there might be jealousy. They were the only girls in his life and now there was another woman but that wasn't the case. No, the girls were elated to have Soarynn and their father together, a little too elated sometimes since they were constantly hinting at marriage.

Which sometimes worried Soarynn because she didn't want to get her own hopes up let alone the children's. Coriolanus hadn't really ever talked about getting married again and it's not like she could blame him when his last marriage had a bit of a traumatic ending.

"Well, I'm glad that we're on the same page," she says, tying up Ceraphina's hair with a ribbon, "and you look so pretty darling, this is the perfect look for the museum today." Ceraphina smiles at her reflection, admiring Soarynn's handiwork with her hair, "Thank you!"

Soarynn presses a kiss to the top of her head before Ceraphina hops off of the stool and runs out into her bedroom, leaving Soarynn alone in the bathroom with a looming question.

Does Coriolanus see her as a potential wife?

꧁ ꧂

After contemplating her relationship in the bathroom for a good five minutes, Soarynn gathered herself and her thoughts before making her way out into the girls' room and instructing them to put on their shoes so they could depart for the museum.

"I'll go get your brother's shoes on and meet you in the hallway," she tells them, waiting for nods of confirmation so she can actually trust them to do what she said. Once both girls dutifully bob their heads up and down, Soarynn slips out into the hallway and heads toward Caspian's room. But then she stops when she sees several Avoxes walking in and out of the one room that is practically off-limits.

The master bedroom. Where she sleeps almost every night.

The Avoxes appear to be carrying lots of boxes in and out of the room which puzzles Soarynn. Just this morning she woke up in the arms of her lover and he hadn't mentioned any new furniture being moved into the room. Perhaps it's something that Eudora planned out and Coriolanus simply forgot about it.

Soarynn shrugs it off and gently opens the doors to Caspian's room, finding him right where she left him, on his new bed. Caspian has slept in a crib since the day she started working for the Snows but just last week he got a brand-new bed.

A "big-boy bed."

He's been very pleased with himself and his new bed, constantly climbing in and out of it for the fun of it. Coriolanus had worried that he might try to slip out of his room in the middle of the night but Soarynn reminded him of Caspian's inability to reach the door handles and that calmed him down.

It certainly is adorable to see him so excited about his new bed and the best thing about it is that he can now fit more stuffed animals on it compared to his crib where his space was more limited.

"Lenny go museum," he says the moment he lays eyes on Soarynn. The two-year-old boy has become more and more determined to bring Lenny everywhere and Soarynn has become more and more discouraged to argue with him since it'll often end in a tantrum. And for Caspian, a tantrum is him sitting facing the wall and not talking to anyone for at least two hours.

Which is the best tantrum she's ever seen but it's still a tantrum nonetheless.

"Lenny can come to the museum darling," she reassures him, "but we've got to get your shoes on first." His eyes scan his bedroom floor and Soarynn does the same thing because she swears that she laid out his shoes earlier this morning. Unless a certain toddler moved them and can't remember where he put them.

"You wouldn't happen to know where they are, would you Cas?"

He averts his gaze, staring up at the ceiling instead and Soarynn laughs, "I'll take that as a no." That's okay, he has more shoes than he'll ever need so she just goes into the closet to find another pair. She dressed him in khaki-colored pants, a little white shirt, and a red coat to go overtop for when they're outside. Soarynn grabs a small pair of brown leather shoes, humming to herself as she undoes the tiny laces. The thing she loves about children is how cute their clothes are.

She wonders how tiny baby clothes can get.

Does Coriolanus want another baby if they get married?

She really needs to get a grip on her thoughts because this is getting out of hand. Right now, all she needs to focus on is the children.

She has to be the nanny.

꧁ ꧂

There are days when Soarynn only sees Coriolanus once. Breakfast is a promised meeting time for the entire family no matter what the day holds and Soarynn looks forward to it immensely. The girls get to talk to Coriolanus until his ears fall off and Caspian gets to be near his father which is more than enough for him. Breakfast isn't really the time for Soarynn to butt in and talk, not when she often spends the nights with Coriolanus, wrapped up in his sheets.

But today is not one of those days. Because there are days when a person keeps running into the same person over and over again, as if the universe wants them to be together. Even if Soarynn has mixed feelings about that person right now because she doesn't know if he wants to get married and have more children with her.

Which is so utterly ridiculous and she knows that but it doesn't stop her heart from beating faster and faster whenever she thinks of him. Get it together, she tells herself while carrying a sleepy Caspian on her hip, you can talk to him about it tonight. The museum had been wonderful today, a new exhibit about the ocean opened up and the girls loved every second of it. The exhibit mostly focused on different marine life and even had a real whale skeleton.

Needless to say, they were at the museum for a long time.

Caspian was already falling asleep in the car but Soarynn tried to keep him awake until they got back home so she could put him down for a proper nap. "Bed," he mumbles while nuzzling his head against her neck. Soarynn hums, brushing some of his hair out of his face, "I know sweet boy, we'll get you down for a nap."

They ran into Eudora when they got back home and she took the girls to get a snack so Soarynn could put Caspian down for a nap. Soarynn starts walking up the back staircase, her head down as she focuses on the steps when she notices a pair of black leather shoes pass by her going in the opposite direction. She immediately looks up when the scent of roses washes over her and comes face to face with a grinning Coriolanus.

Her heart might beat out of her chest, she doesn't know why she's suddenly so nervous around him, it's probably got something to do with her stupid thoughts about the future and what it holds for them.

"Well isn't this a pleasant surprise?" He says, resting a hand on her arm. Soarynn forces a smile onto her face and nods, "Yes, yes it is. We just got back from the museum." A wave of recognition washes over his porcelain face, "Ah yes, I remember you mentioned it this morning at breakfast."

Soarynn hums but doesn't say anything else which is ironic since she's usually thrilled to run into Coriolanus in the middle of the day. He rarely ever leaves his study if he's working from home.

He furrows his eyebrows, looking her up and down in a concerned manner, "Are you feeling alright darling?"

"Mhm."

Caspian lifts his head after hearing his father's voice, "Lenny go nap."

Coriolanus gives Caspian a gentle squeeze, fixing the collar of his little coat, "Lenny isn't the only one who needs a nap." Soarynn chuckles softly, Caspian often projects his needs and wants onto Lenny, "What were you doing upstairs?" She asks, her curiosity getting the best of her. Coriolanus is a man who values routine and the only time he ever comes upstairs is if he needs to change his clothes but he appears to be wearing the same outfit he wore to breakfast this morning.

He coughs into his fist, looking down at the floor, "Just needed to grab something."

Now they're both lying.

"Alright. Well...I'll see you later then," she says softly, taking another step up. Coriolanus gives her a grunt of approval, "Yes, I was thinking we could have dinner tonight." She doesn't know if she can survive dinner with him tonight, not with her own thoughts running wild but she doesn't want to be rude or ungrateful, "That sounds wonderful," she lies.

He smiles although it doesn't reach his eyes the way a genuine smile does and leans forward to press a kiss to her cheek, "I'll see you tonight then darling."

Soarynn nods and turns to go up the rest of the stairs but she stops herself midway, unable to stop herself from asking the question that's been burning in her mind since doing Ceraphina's hair this morning, "Actually I," Coriolanus stops in his tracks, looking up at her from the first landing of steps, "Yes?"

Soarynn feels a rush of embarrassment wash over her. What a stupid thing to ask him right now, "Never mind," she says, going up the rest of the steps before he can stop her.

Soarynn scolds herself for acting so...so stupid! This morning she felt perfectly normal around Coriolanus, giddy even but now she can barely look the man in the eyes without wanting to ask him if they're ever going to get married or have children.

At least she has until tonight to get her thoughts and her act together.

Soarynn pads into Caspian's room, changing him into pajamas before tucking him into his new bed. She kisses his forehead and sings his favorite song, the meadow song, watching him drift off to sleep with Lenny in his grip. Soarynn watches him sleep for a while, enamored by the sweet boy who calls her his mother despite having no blood relation.

If Caspian considers her his mother then why should she even worry about Coriolanus wanting more children? Ceraphina, Celeste, and Caspian are more than perfect. If anything, Soarynn is selfish for wanting more children.

There, problem solved.

꧁ ꧂

"Soarynn dear, could you run this over to Coriolanus?"

Problem not solved.

Soarynn might throw up.

She just got downstairs after putting Caspian down for his nap and she was feeling much better before Eudora asked her that question. She thought she just solved her problem but just hearing his name made her feel nervous. She brushes her hair behind her ears, looking around the room to make sure that Eudora is talking to her and not someone else named Soarynn.

"Don't you want to do it?" She asks, doing her best to sound casual while stepping into the dining room. Eudora and the girls are all sitting at the table, cookies and tea in front of them although it looks like the girls are drinking apple juice from the tea cups instead of actual tea.

Eudora waves her off as if she's doing Soarynn a grand favor, "You'll be fine, just hand him this file. He asked me to go over it this morning for the upcoming Hunger Games."

Ah yes, the Hunger Games that Coriolanus has to keep running because apparently, his father created them. The night that Coriolanus told Soarynn about Lucy Gray, he also told her more about the origin of the Hunger Games and how his father and Casca Highbottom created them. It was apparently a drunk joke that was made but it turned into something much more sinister once it was written onto paper and turned in as an assignment to Dr. Gaul, one of the Head Gamemakers.

It had honestly horrified Soarynn to know that the reasoning behind twenty-four children being forced to fight to the death was due to a drunk joke but she kept those thoughts to herself. It's not like she could stop them now. Coriolanus didn't seem ecstatic about them either but as President of Panem, it was his job to see to it that they continued this pageantry.

Lucky him.

Soarynn slowly takes the file from Eudora, holding it at arm's length like it's a ticking time bomb, "I'll go give it to him," she finally says, accepting her fate. Eudora gives her a questionable look but nods, "We'll be right here dear."

"Tell Daddy we said hi," Celeste tells Soarynn who swallows and turns to walk back out of the dining room, a dark cloud looming over her once more.

She all but drags her feet down the long hallway that leads to his study, a hallway she normally skips down because it means getting to see Coriolanus. But not today.

She stops once she reaches the doors that lead to his study when she notices that they're not all the way closed. She can hear two muffled voices, male voices, one belongs to Coriolanus, and the other she can't quite place. It's terribly rude to eavesdrop but Soarynn can't help but lean in a little closer to peer inside of his study.

She can see Coriolanus sitting on the sofa by the fireplace, a glass of whiskey in his hand while he talks. She looks over at the other man and finds that it's Quintus Heavensbee, his most trusted advisor. It doesn't sound like they're talking about anything truly important, in fact, they're talking about women.

"...Perlina said it would be a nice trip but after what happened to you in Four, I just don't trust the Districts," Quintus says with a shake of his head, his back towards the doors. Coriolanus lets out a dry laugh, "I never trusted them to begin with. But after Four, the children will never go again." Soarynn agrees with him on that, the attack in District Four could've ended so badly for them. For her.

"They're leeches, filthy leeches that are desperate to get their hands on what matters most to you," Quintus tells him, "speaking of which, how are things with Soarynn?"

Her breath gets caught in her throat and she has to remind herself to breathe again while Coriolanus takes a sip of his drink, "Good, she's good, things are good. I'm taking her to dinner tonight."

Quintus nods and leans back in his chair, "I must say she looks nearly identical to Ceraphina, she could easily pass for her mother if I didn't know any better." Soarynn has to agree with that as well, she and Ceraphina share the same eye color and hair color, leading them to look like a mother-daughter duo. She certainly sees Ceraphina as her daughter, even if she shouldn't.

"Well she's more of a mother to her than Livia ever was," Coriolanus says, bitterness evident in his tone of voice, "and a better partner as well." Her heart flutters from the compliment, Soarynn has never been in a relationship before and she often wonders if she's doing enough. Coriolanus has always been one for words of praise but he could always just lie and be polite to protect her feelings.

"Could you see yourself marrying her?" Quintus asks and Soarynn nearly blacks out. It's as if the heavens above have answered her question! Now she just needs Coriolanus to answer the question and Coriolanus is the master at avoiding things he doesn't want to answer. He's an expert, in fact, diverting the topic by giving an answer completely unrelated to the question. Soarynn has called him out on it before and he's always grinned and claimed that it's a skill only the President can possess.

Coriolanus goes quiet, too quiet for her liking. Soarynn watches him think long and hard about that question, "Not tomorrow," Quintus adds, picking up on the lingering silence, "no one would blame you if you didn't want to remarry."

Coriolanus shakes his head, a determined look now on his face, "I could see myself marrying Soarynn," he answers confidently, "sooner rather than later if I'm being honest. Losing Livia taught me a valuable lesson, many lessons actually but it taught me that nothing is promised. If something were to happen to Soarynn and I missed my chance then I'd never forgive myself."

Soarynn turns around and lets out a silent scream of excitement before collecting herself and taking a few steps back as if she hasn't been listening to the conversation for the past five minutes. She raises her fist to knock on the doors and makes her presence known this time, "Coriolanus? I have something to give you from Eudora."

She listens to their conversation come to a halt and hears someone get up and shuffle towards the doors. Quintus is the one who opens them, greeting her with a kind smile, "Hello Soarynn, how are you today?" She returns his smile with one of her own, genuine this time now that she doesn't have that nagging thought in her head, "Hello Quintus, I'm absolutely wonderful."

He steps to the side so she can walk inside and she's met with a skeptical look from Coriolanus who remains seated on the sofa, "Really? Because when I saw you on the staircase you looked like you were about to be sick." Soarynn waves him off, crossing the room to hand him the file, "I'm perfectly fine," she tells him, "you shouldn't worry about me, darling." The random use of the petname brings a blush to his cheeks and Quintus chuckles, "It's the President's job to worry, isn't it Coriolanus?"

Coriolanus still seems to be in a confused daze but he quickly shakes it off, taking the file from her and adopting the more stern look she's used to seeing from him, "Yes, quite right. Thank you for bringing me the file Soarynn."

Soarynn nods and she can't help but keep going now that she doesn't have any existential dread weighing her down, "What were you two just talking about a moment ago?"

Both men answer her at the same time.

"Taxes."

"Trains."

Soarynn raises her eyebrows, looking back and forth as they clear their throats in an effort to look less guilty, "Taxes and trains? What a thrilling topic." Coriolanus quickly rises to his feet, setting down his glass and the file, both long forgotten, "Yes, it's riveting stuff darling but I think I hear the children calling for you and I have much to do before tonight." He rests a hand on her back and gently guides her past Quintus towards the doors.

Soarynn innocently looks up at him from over his shoulder, "I didn't hear the children."

"You might need to get your ears checked then. I'll see you tonight," he says, kissing her temple before he gently pushes her out into the hall and shuts the doors in her face.

Soarynn crosses her arms, getting her ears checked, please.

Why can't men ever just come out and say what they mean? And they say women are complicated creatures.

꧁ ꧂

Later that day, Soarynn finds herself wondering about something else, something less important.

What is she going to wear tonight?

No matter where they go or what they do, Coriolanus and Soarynn always dress up for the occasion. Soarynn has always enjoyed dressing up for herself and no one else but now that she's in a relationship, it's an added bonus to have a grown man drooling over her.

"Would you two like to help me choose my outfit for tonight?" She asks the girls while they have an early dinner. The girls both gasp, eager to participate in the adult activity of preparing for date night. If they had their way, they'd come with Soarynn and Coriolanus but he's remained very firm that going out on dates is a two-person job.

But that doesn't stop the girls from asking to come. So Soarynn has found that them helping her get ready makes their separation much easier. And although she'd never admit it, easier for her as well.

"Yes!" Ceraphina says, bouncing in her seat, "Can we put on your makeup too?" Makeup is a bit more risky since Soarynn has found out that the girls love to use a heavy hand when applying things such as blush. "Oh, I was thinking you two might help me pick out a bag too," she adds, earning her more excited gasps. Caspian who's sitting in her lap, rests a hand on her arm, "Momma stay."

Her smile falters at his request, maybe she should stay, she and Coriolanus just went out to dinner a few nights ago. But Eudora is quick to intervene, "I thought we might watch one of your favorite films tonight children." Caspian perks up when he hears that, he loves to watch films, especially ones that feature animals. Coriolanus is pretty strict about how much television the children can watch and only permits a certain amount of time per week that they can spend in front of the large screen.

A film is a special treat.

He looks back up at Soarynn, a change of heart, "Momma go."

Soarynn and Eudora laugh at the sudden switch and Soarynn presses a kiss to his head, "Eager to get rid of me hmm?"

"Eudora, can I ask you a question?" Ceraphina asks sweetly, batting her eyelashes which causes Eudora to raise an eyebrow. Ceraphina has a habit of asking the craziest questions at the worst times, it's truly a gift. "Yes, you may dear."

"Have you ever been in love?"

Eudora lets out another laugh, a dismissive one at that, and shakes her head, "I don't believe in relationships dear, they're far too complicated for a woman of my age and status to concern herself with."

Ceraphina frowns, slouching in her seat, "You never fell in love? Ever? Not even once?"

Eudora shakes her head, sighing, "No, well...there was that one time," she mumbles the last part. Soarynn and the children lean in, eager to hear about Eudora Trinket's one love. "Who was he?" Celeste asks, "Or she?"

Eudora looks up at the ceiling dramatically, as if reliving her last moments with her lover, "We were too different," she exclaims, "I was in love with schedules, planning, telling people what to do. And he..." She looks back down at the table, grabbing her napkin and dabbing at her eyes, "He was in love with the weather."

It takes them a full ten seconds to realize who she's talking about.

"Lucky?!" Soarynn asks, unable to believe that Eudora and Lucky have ever shared a single interest let alone a conversation. The girls look as surprised as she is, even Caspian seems to be in denial. Eudora shrugs, "I like a man with a mustache, what can I say? But we were too different, we had different passions and when two people are in love, that means that they must sometimes give up their passions for one another."

She has a valid point.

Coriolanus is passionate about being President, being a leader, a beacon of stability.

But what is Soarynn passionate about?

꧁ ꧂

Soarynn pokes at her pasta, pushing it around on the plate. It's quiet in the restaurant but that's because Coriolanus bought out the entire room so they could dine privately. A man of grand gestures.

"Are you not hungry?"

She looks up from her plate, finding Coriolanus eyeing her plate of pasta, "I am," she tells him, "I just can't stop thinking about what Eudora said earlier when we were all having dinner together."

Coriolanus takes a sip of his wine before asking, "What did she say at dinner?"

Soarynn sighs, she's sure he's already aware that Eudora was in love with Lucky Flickerman at one point so she chooses to leave that part out, "She was talking about passions and now I can't stop thinking about what my passion is." She pokes at her pasta some more before setting down her fork, "My pasta is probably cold anyway," she grumbles.

Coriolanus gives her a knowing look and waves over their waiter who appears at their table within seconds, "Could you reheat this for her please?" Coriolanus asks, handing over Soarynn's plate to the eager waiter who promises to bring back an entire new plate for her.

She bites her lip, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to act ungrateful. I just can't stop thinking about it." Coriolanus reaches his hand across the table and Soarynn takes it, watching his long fingers intertwine with her shorter ones. "I'd say you're acting preoccupied, not ungrateful," he argues, squeezing her hand, "and I think it's rather obvious what your passions are darling."

She looks up at him confusedly, "It is?"

He chuckles, "Yes, it is. You're so clearly passionate about helping others. You love to lift other people up, you love to connect with those around you, making them feel at ease."

Was it that obvious?

The waiter comes back with a steaming plate of pasta and Soarynn must admit, it looks much tastier when it hasn't been sitting in front of her for ten minutes, "Thank you," she says to the man.

"Of course, Ms. Nightingale."

Soarynn catches Coriolanus staring at her empty ring finger for only a moment before he lets go of her hand, "How did you even get on the topic of passions? Are the children already diving into these deep topics at such a young age?" Soarynn softly laughs and picks up her fork again, appetite regained, "No, Ceraphina asked Eudora if she's ever been in love before."

Coriolanus leans in, already hooked, "Has she?"

Soarynn nods, wrapping several strings of pasta around her fork, "She has."

"With who?"

Soarynn takes her time bringing the pasta to her mouth, watching Coriolanus eagerly await her answer while she slowly chews and swallows, "Lucky Flickerman," she finally says once her mouth isn't full and Coriolanus is taking another sip of his wine. He almost chokes on it, covering his mouth with his own napkin while he recovers and Soarynn giggles, "We didn't believe her either," Soarynn tells him, "but apparently, she has a thing for men with mustaches."

Coriolanus laughs, a real laugh, not a practiced one that he pulls out when they're in public. A laugh that she has been given the privilege of hearing. "I don't believe it," he says, shaking his head, "Eudora has never mentioned her and Lucky before and that's not something that just slips past me." Soarynn shrugs, she's sure that quite a few things manage to slip past Coriolanus unbeknownst to him and someone's dating history certainly qualifies.

"Would it have mattered?" She asks, curious as to how Eudora was even hired in the first place. Did Eudora work for the former President? Or do Presidents hire out their own staff once they're in office?

Coriolanus gives her a confused look and she elaborates, "If you knew that she and Lucky had a former relationship would it have affected you hiring her? I know you can see everyone's files but I highly doubt that past relationships are listed."

"It wouldn't have mattered," he answers, setting down his glass of wine, "and the only information I can see about past relationships is if someone has been divorced or not." Her eyes grow bigger at the mention of divorce, something that's practically unheard of in the elite circles. Divorce is a one-way ticket to being shunned by high society. Unless there's a case of abuse or infidelity, couples stay together, happy or not.

Or your spouse can succumb to a sudden deadly illness like Livia and then you'll end up like Coriolanus.

Those thoughts bring her back to the idea of marriage and children and she just can't help herself from asking the next question, "Do you want children?"

Coriolanus freezes, the room feels much quieter now, much colder and Soarynn's worried that she's truly crossed the line this time. He clears his throat, "I would argue that I already have three perfect children," he tells her slowly. Soarynn must look crazy but she has to know if he wants children with her.

"I meant...I meant with me," she says exasperatedly, grabbing her napkin and twisting it in her hands, "if we were to get married tomorrow then would you want to have children with me?"

His face remains neutral, emotionless which means he's thinking hard about her question. Soarynn has gotten better at reading his facial expressions but he's always been so good at guarding them.

"I think it's expected for any wife to bear the children her husband gifts her," he says, scratching the back of his neck, "as for you, I would expect no less. Children are our legacy, you are your family's legacy and I am mine."

He's right, she's the last Nightingale which is a bit of a terrifying thought if she's being completely honest. She's all alone in this world, no wonder people have lots of children. "I don't mean to be so prying," she tells him, brushing her hair behind her ears nervously, "I just started thinking about it and now I can't stop."

His face softens, showing his true colors and how much he cares for her, "Darling, you could've avoided all of this if you just asked me sooner, it's not a prying thing to ask the man you're courting."

He's right. Soarynn didn't know why she was so worried when it was that easy. She nods, "I know, I just don't want to be another thing for you to worry about." Coriolanus chuckles softly, reaching back across the table and Soarynn gladly takes his hand in hers, "I worry about you regardless," he tells her, "and should we get married and have more children, I'll worry about them as well."

So he does want to marry her!

Hearing it directly instead of eavesdropping feels like a weight has been lifted off of her chest. Soarynn gives him a smile, as genuine as it gets, and squeezes his hand, "I'll hold you to that."

꧁ ꧂

꧁ Three Months Later ꧂

"And what is this for again?" Soarynn asks, looking down at an ornate vision board for an event Eudora is putting together. The older woman waves her off as if this whole thing is insignificant despite how much she's been stressing over it, "It's for after the Hunger Games dear, Corioalnus wants to throw a little party to celebrate."

Soarynn frowns, the Snows have been throwing more parties since she started working for them but this seems...odd. "Aren't we already throwing a party the day of the Reaping?"

Eudora shrugs, flipping through more pages of her binder, "The more the merrier dear, now which tablecloths do you like, the cream or the pearl?" Soarynn compares the two swatches of white fabric, nearly identical and yet too different to the trained eye. Coriolanus would simply pick the first one and move on from there but being a woman means that Soarynn actually appreciates these things.

She has a good eye for decorations and notices the smallest details.

"That's why I have you darling," he'd say whenever she'd point something out that he would've never noticed.

"This seems like a lot of white for a party celebrating the Hunger Games," she murmurs, feeling that the colors should be blood-red, not pretty white shades. "Nonsense, it's a clean slate," Eudora insists, holding up the swatches to the light, "white represents becoming new. We'll have a new Victor on our hands won't we?"

"I suppose," Soarynn replies, pointing at the cream-colored swatch, "and I like the cream one the best."

"I was thinking the same thing."

Both women smile at each other, Soarynn has found a good friend in Eudora Trinket, as well as some sort of a mother figure as well. Eudora is a beacon of reassurance, as long as she's around, they can't mess anything up.

Celeste comes running into the sitting room a second later, entirely out of breath and in a rush as she slowly comes to a stop. Soarynn and Eudora give her a glance before turning back to their work, looking at different centerpieces now that the tablecloths have been selected. Celeste tugs on Soarynn's dress and she looks down at the child, "Yes sweetheart?"

"The painting is gone," Celeste says, her blue eyes filled with vigor and conviction.

Soarynn frowns, glancing at Eudora who looks as lost as she is, "The painting?" She repeats, hoping for some clarification. Celeste nods, swaying back and forth on her heels, "Mhm, it's gone."

Without any further explanation, she runs back out of the room, leaving Soarynn and Eudora very confused as to what all of that was about. "Children are always so vague," Eudora says, clearly not as bothered by Celeste's strange behavior as Soarynn is, "Yes, yes they are," Soarynn agrees.

Forty-five minutes later, a party has been planned and a color scheme decided on. Soarynn and Eudora go their separate ways, Soarynn to the front of the house to get the children from Ceraphina's piano lesson, and Eudora to the kitchen to prepare the kitchen staff for the upcoming parties and their menus.

As Soarynn walks through the great hall, she notices something out of the corner of her eye.

Something missing.

The painting.

It's pretty fucking hard to miss too. What used to be a giant painting of the entire Snow family is now gone, with only a bare wall to show that there was once a large object taking up its space. Soarynn stops dead in her tracks, looking around to see if perhaps it was taken down for cleaning purposes but she finds no trace of it anywhere. It's pretty much impossible to hide something of that size but she's hoping it might be hiding under a rug or a table.

It was a beautiful painting in Soarynn's opinion. The children were much younger than they are now, and Livia was well and alive. But now it's gone. And it's left a sinking feeling in her stomach.

Why would Coriolanus have it removed?

Soarynn shakes her head in an effort to shake away those thoughts, she can no longer hear the incorrect piano keys being played so that means Ceraphina's lesson has come to a close. She'll have to ask Coriolanus about it later.

꧁ ꧂

Soarynn drags her fingers along the bathwater's surface, popping a few bubbles in the process.

Bathtime is often when she hits a mental wall, she's tired and ready for the day to end even if the children insist that they can easily stay up for another six hours.

She watches Celeste play with her designated "bath time mermaids" which are really just dolls that she plays with in the tub, and a soft smile graces her lips. She loves this little girl so much.

"The painting is gone," she says, catching Celeste off guard but she quickly recovers and her eyes are as wide as they've ever been, "you were right."

Celeste quickly nods, grabbing the edge of the tub, "You saw it?" She asks, her voice barely a whisper even though it's just the two of them in the bathroom right now. Soarynn hums, reaching out to brush her curls off of her forehead, "I did. Although I don't know why it was removed." She can only imagine why, nothing was wrong with the painting and how the hallway just looks empty without it.

Celeste smiles, nearly bouncing out of the tub which causes some water to splash onto the floor, "It means something's gonna happen Soarynn!"

Soarynn does not share Celeste's enthusiasm, "Like what?"

Celeste shrugs, settling back down in the tub, "I don't know," she admits, still grinning ear to ear, "but it's gotta mean something right?"

Soarnyn purses her lips while she thinks about the possibilities and a very specific one crosses her mind but she doesn't dare speak it into existence.

"I suppose it does," is all she replies with, grabbing the shampoo, "now let's wash your hair darling."

꧁ ꧂

After putting all three children to bed, Soarynn finds herself strolling the halls of the President's Mansion. She knows the place like the back of her hand now that she lives here although the children always know the best places to hide when they play hide-and-seek. She passes the massive doors that lead to the ballroom and sees several Avoxes mopping and floors, preparing for the parties they'll be hosting for the upcoming Hunger Games.

She's almost been here for a year and yet it feels like ten.

Soarynn sighs, she ought to take a walk outside since Coriolanus won't be getting home until late since he's at dinner. She'll go upstairs and get her coat.

She quietly climbs up the stairs and comes across Petunia lying in the middle of the hallway, her tail flicking back and forth while she watches Soarynn approach her, "Hello Petunia," she greets the feline who purrs in response and rolls onto her back. Soarynn chuckles, crouching down to rub her soft belly, "Have any more paintings gone missing or am I slowly losing it?" She asks, more to herself than to the cat.

Coriolanus had that painting removed on purpose. To send a message.

But what message is he trying to convey?

Soarynn stands back up, Petunia following her to the bedroom that is now as good as hers ever since Coriolanus had her move in with him. On the same day that Soarynn was spiraling about having children with Coriolanus, she had witnessed several boxes being moved in and out of his bedroom. She hadn't really paid it any mind since her mind was very preoccupied at the moment but after they returned home from dinner that night, she discovered that he had removed all of Livia's clothing and brought in Soarynn's.

It had rendered her speechless. She was more than used to going to her room whenever she was in need of clothes so to have him remove his late wife's clothing without her even mentioning it left her feeling slightly perturbed. Sure it was a sign of moving forward from her death but it was still quite a shock.

Now she fully lived in his room. She got dressed in his room, showered in his room, and slept in his room. Things were very official.

But she would be lying if she said that having a 'his and hers' closet didn't make her a little bit giddy. His side was filled with expensive tailored suits whereas her side was filled with dresses, skirts, blouses, pants, and lots of shoes. Coriolanus often liked to surprise her with a new handbag or pair of shoes. He'd leave it on the large table they had in the middle of the walk-in closet, next to the vase of fresh roses that always sat in the center.

But as she walks into the bedroom, she feels as if the pieces are slowly falling together.

The closet, the painting, the all-white color scheme for this Hunger Games party suddenly popping up on the schedule, the schedule that Eudora briefed her on at the beginning of June that she swore would not change.

Coriolanus is going to propose to her.

Soarynn feels as if the floor has been pulled out from under her.

She needs to get out, go for a walk, clear her head.

She hurries into the closet and snatches the first coat she sees and throws it on, striding out into the bedroom once again, feeling hot and flushed. Petunia meows for her attention but Soarynn's mind is so, so far away from here right now. "I'll be back soon," she mutters, pulling open the doors and slipping into the hallway. She makes her way downstairs and towards the sitting room that Eudora frequents the most. Sure enough, she's sitting at the coffee table with several folders spread out in front of her.

Soarynn clears her throat, causing Eudora to jump, "Oh! Soarynn, I thought you'd be in bed by now." Soarynn shook her head, she couldn't sleep right now if she tried. "I um, I need to run a quick errand," she tells Eudora, her voice low and hushed even though they're the only ones in the room right now, "I'll be back soon."

Eudora looks at her current attire and Soarynn can see a few questions popping up in her head right now but she asks none, "Alright dear, I'll listen out for the children." Soarynn forces a polite smile onto her lips, "Thank you, I shouldn't be too long."

Soarynn goes to the side entrance of the house where a car with a driver is always waiting, "The Capitol Cemetary please," she says to the driver as she slips into the car.

The drive is short but her mind is buzzing the entire time.

When will he propose? Do the children know?

Eudora certainly does if she's planning the damn thing. Or at least some sort of party to celebrate their engagement.

She wonders what Coriolanus is doing right now, if he's thinking of her the way she's thinking of him. She thinks of him constantly now that they're officially together but she often wonders if he does the same thing. He says he does, and he also says that the dinners he attends are very boring, filled with old men who have great influence in Panem. He says he'll introduce her to them at the Reaping party.

She can't wait.

The car slowly rolls up to the gates of the cemetery and she begins to worry when she sees that they're closed. Which is perfectly understandable considering the time of day. Ten o'clock at night.

A Peacekeeper standing by the gates approaches the car and Soaeynn can only hear a muffled conversation between him and her driver. The Peacekeeper walks to her window, peering through the tinted glass and Soarynn rolls it down, flashing him her prettiest smile, "I'm so sorry for the inconvenience," she says sweetly, "it'll only be a moment." The Peacekeeper, a man who looks to be about the same age as her swallows down a lump in his throat, "Of course ma'am."

That's all it takes for her to gain entry.

The driver rolls the partition down, looking at her through the rearview mirror, "Where to Ms. Nightingale?"

She supposes it would look less suspicious if she went to her own parent's graves, "The West Side please." It's a short drive to that side of the Cemetery and Soarynn can feel her heart pounding. If this is all going to happen, then she has to make peace with her conscious, and those who came before her.

The driver opens the door, offering her a gloved hand as she steps out, "Thank you," she says to the man, "I won't be long."

He eyes her warily, "I could accompany you if you'd like Ms. Nightingale." That just won't do. She knows he means well but Soarynn has a plan and she's sticking to it. "No need to worry about me," she assures him, "I'll be back soon." The driver doesn't look too convinced but he doesn't push it and gets back into the car. Soarynn disappears down the tree-lined path toward the other side of the Cemetery, walking past her parent's graves at a swift pace.

She'll pay them a visit later.

She finally sets her sights on what she came here for.

Livia Snow's grave.

It's just her luck that the groundskeeper is walking out of the mausoleum. Coriolanus told her that he had people clean it every week to keep it in perfect condition. Although they never truly loved each other, Livia was the mother of his children, and he'd be a fool to disrespect the dead.

Soarynn quietly approaches the large stone building, watching the groundskeeper sweep the pathway leading up to the doors that she's never entered. He perks up when he notices her, wrapped in her coat, probably a manic look in her eyes as well. "Good...good evening Ms. Nightingale," the older man says, bowing his head. Ever since she started courting Coriolanus, Soarynn's name has become well-known in the Capitol.

She's reached celebrity status and she doesn't always know how to feel about it. But tonight, she'll use it to her advantage.

"Good evening," she replies, "I don't mean to be a bother, but I was hoping to maybe have a moment alone," she nods towards the mausoleum and his eyes follow her gaze. "Oh, oh I see. The Snows are quite particular about who's allowed inside ma'am," he tells her, "only immediate family is allowed."

Soarynn wants to tell him that the entire reason she's here in the first place is because she's about to become immediate family but she withholds that information, "I understand, I'll let Coriolanus know that I wasn't allowed inside," she says with a feigned disappointed sigh. The man quickly perks up at the mention of the President, "Well you might as well go in," he says, digging into his pockets and pulling out a ring of keys, "I wouldn't want to let President Snow down."

Neither would I, she thinks to herself while he unlocks the doors that open with a heavy groan. She slowly steps inside, it's quite dark except for the small lantern above her. Soarynn sets her eyes on the casket at the very back of the building, made of dark wood with roses engraved into it. Her breaths grow shaky as she walks further inside, looking around at all the things that have been left inside as tribute.

There's a vase of roses, and she also sees several cards with children's handwriting and even a stuffed bear sitting against the steps leading up to Livia's casket. Soarynn stops when her heels touch the first step and she crouches down to pick up one of the cards. From what she can tell, it's Ceraphina's handwriting. There's a drawing on the front of the card of the entire family, it's so sweet and heartbreaking at the same time. Soarynn opens the card and her eyes immediately fill with tears.

'I miss you Mommy'

Soarynn carefully sets the card back down and makes her way up the three marble steps, resting her hand on the smooth wooden top of the casket. If she were to push it off, she'd come face-to-face with Livia Snow. Windows let in the pale moonlight and Soarynn notices a framed photograph on the windowsill directly in front of the casket, a photograph of Livia and Coriolanus on their wedding day. Neither of them is smiling but it reminds Soarynn why she came here in the first place.

"I came here...I came here to talk to you," she says quietly, "I've been taking care of your children for quite some time now and there's not a day that goes by where they don't think of you."

Soarynn tries to blink away the tears but it's no use and they spill down her cheeks, "I love Coriolanus, I love him very much and I think he's going to ask me to marry him but I couldn't in good consciousness accept his proposal without coming to you first and telling you that I'll take care of your children. I'll love them like my own and protect them with my every being. And I'll...I'll make a good man out of him, out of Coriolanus. He's trying to be better, I can see it in the way he treats those around him, how he is with the children."

Is Livia Snow scowling down at her? Does she think of Soarynn as some lovesick fool? Or does she want Coriolanus to be happy again?

"I'll make him happy," she whispers, "and make sure that your children remain happy. No harm will befall them as long as I'm around, I promise."

Soarynn stands there for a few more minutes, sniffling while feeling sorry for herself. She highly doubts that Livia ever cried about an upcoming proposal but she lived such a different life than Soarynn, she married an entirely different man.

Soarynn finally gathers herself, wiping her tears and regaining her composure. "We will always keep you in our memories," she whispers before turning to walk down the steps.

Her heels echo on the marble floors and she feels a wave of relief wash over her when she steps out into the summer night. The groundskeeper gives her a curious look, "All is well Ms. Nightingale?"

Soarynn nods, already feeling much better now that she did what needed to be done, "All is well. Thank you for letting me visit."

꧁ ꧂

Soarynn stops at her parent's graves before leaving. Even in death, they're still together, and that brings her comfort knowing that not even death can keep love apart.

"It's been a while," she says, dusting off any leaves from the tops of their tombstones, "but so much has happened. I met someone, he makes me happy. He has three children, they're as sweet as can be. I think I'm going to marry him."

Saying those words out loud makes it feel very real all of a sudden.

After her father died, Soarynn learned that acceptance was the hardest part of grief. Accepting that nothing could be done differently was a hard thing to do, but it was all one could do.

"When I come back I'll bring my children," she tells her parents, kissing the tips of her fingers and touching both of their tombstones.

She means it too. She'll be back.

꧁ ꧂

The President's Mansion is silent when Soarynn returns.

Another car was already parked at the side entrance which means Coriolanus is already home. Soarynn makes her way upstairs, peeking into the children's bedrooms once more to make sure they're asleep. Caspian is curled up in his bed, Lenny wrapped in a tight grip as if he might try to slip away. The girls are both sound asleep under the canopy bed, their new nightlight shining stars onto the ceiling for them while they dream sweet dreams.

Soarynn quietly closes the doors with a soft smile on her face, a day will come when they don't sleep in the same room anymore or require bedtime stories and she's not sure that she's ready for that day yet.

When Soarynn walks into her own bedroom she finds Petunia sitting at the foot of the bed, a black sock in her mouth which means she stole it from Coriolanus. He hadn't been exactly thrilled when Petunia started sleeping in their room but Soarynn argued that if the cat couldn't stay, then neither could she.

The two had since grown a small rivalry between each other. Petunia would steal his socks and neckties and Coriolanus would steal Soarynn and her attention that was usually given to Petunia.

Heaven forbid they get a dog.

Soarynn chuckles softly as she approaches Petunia and gently reaches out to pull the sock from her mouth, “You have more toys than you know what to do with and yet you insist on taking Coryo’s socks,” Soarynn says with a shake of her head.

Petunia doesn’t seem bothered by this issue that has constantly been brought up since she was moved to this bedroom but she does let go of the sock which is progress. Sometimes it’s a bit of a battle to get her to release the socks and it often ends in both parties feeling very offended.

Soarynn doesn’t hear the shower running which means Coriolanus is probably finishing up, ready for bed which sounds wonderful right now. All she wants to do is curl up in bed with the man she's been falling in love with over the past few months.

What could be better than that?

She expects to find him hunched over the sink when she walks into the bathroom, brushing his teeth or washing his face. Although Coriolanus is as masculine as they come, he's quite rigorous with his nightly routines, ensuring that his skin is properly taken care of.

But the bathroom is empty.

The closet doors are open and Soarynn slowly approaches them, slightly stunned to find Coriolanus sitting on the bench they have in the closet right in front of the of the table. It's usually used for Soarynn to sit on when she puts her shoes on in the morning but today it's being used by Coriolanus who's holding a single white rose in his hand. Soarynn glances at the table and finds a whole bouquet sitting there for her accompanied by a card.

She didn't even notice the gift when she came to get her coat.

Coriolanus has already shed his outer layers, leaving him in a white button-up shirt and black pants which he manages to look like peak fashion. He finally looks up at her and Soarynn feels caught even though she's done nothing wrong. He looks tired, he looks like he expected her to be waiting for him when he got back and she usually is.

But not tonight. The roles have been reversed.

"Hi," she says softly, "how was dinner?"

From what Coriolanus has told her, the dinners he attends are often business-related and very boring. She still asks about them even though he rarely goes into detail about what was discussed. He gives her a look, a condescending, sharp look as if she's greatly disappointed him, "Dinner was good," he answers curtly, twisting the rose in between his fingers, "I kept thinking about coming home to you, so imagine my surprise when Eudora said that you stepped out."

Soarynn feels frozen, she feels caught, like she's done something wrong even though she hasn't. If only he knew what it's been like to live in her mind the past few hours.

"I just had to go do something," she starts but he holds his hand up, stopping her, silencing her, "You just had to go do something at ten o'clock at night?" He stands up slowly, letting the rose fall onto the floor and he takes a step towards her, Soarynn has always admired how big Coriolanus is but right now he's damn near frightening. He looms over her and looks down at her, his jaw tightening and his muscles tense, "Tell me Soarynn, do you take me for a fool?"

Soarynn is speechless. He hasn't even heard her out and he's already acting accusatory, "I don't take you for much of anything right now," she answers truthfully and it does nothing but upset him further but they can both be upset together as far as she's concerned.

"I don't speak about Livia often but she'd nev-"

Soarynn is turning on her heel before he can even finish that sentence before he can finish comparing her to his dead wife, "Well I'm not Livia," she calls back from the bathroom, "and I'm not running around behind your back being unfaithful either even though you certainly seem to have made up your mind already as to what I was doing before I got back." She watches him emerge from the closet through the mirror's reflection, he looks upset that she left him and more upset that he came home and she wasn't here to greet him.

But Soarynn is more than upset. She's pissed.

She finally turns back around to face him, some fire has been lit inside of her since visiting Livia's grave and it's about time she set some rules around here if she's going to marry this man who drives her mad. "And I will not tolerate you walking all over me," she tells him matter-of-factly, taking slow steps towards him, "I will not allow you to accuse me of being unfaithful when I have been nothing of the sort. Or do you want to revisit the last time you accused me of such things?" She asks, tilting her head up at him while they both remember how he fired her without so much as hearing her out after Festus came onto her.

A painful memory for both of them but for very different reasons.

Coriolanus is on the losing side of this battle and he's slowly realizing it but he's stubborn and arrogant at times so he won't just back down. He's not built like that, wasn't raised like that.

"Then where were you?" He asks, his hand coming up to grip her jaw, forcing her to maintain eye contact with him. Soarynn gives him a defiant look, "I was paying my respects," she tells him, "at the Cemetery." A confused look washes over his face, she's sure that he imagined the worst, her tangled up in bed with another man. Not running around the Cemetery in the middle of the night.

"The Cemetery," he repeats but this time there's no bitterness in his tone, no venom or malice. Just confusion. Soarynn nods to the best of her ability with him holding her face in his large hand, "It was long overdue and I needed to make peace with some things before I..." Her voice trails off because she can't tell him that she knows, that she's put the pieces together, "Before I fully committed myself to you," she finishes.

There, that wasn't so hard.

Coriolanus still looks confused, vexed by her wording and Soarynn places a hand on his chest, "You can ask my driver if you want," she says slowly, "he'll tell you the same thing I did."

That jolts Coriolanus out of his confusion and he clears his throat, quickly shaking his head and releasing her jaw, "I believe you," he tells her, "and you're right, you're nothing like Livia and I would do well to remember that."

Soarynn hums in agreement, she knows it'll take him some time to unlearn old habits but she's more than willing to be a patient teacher, "Yes you would. I much prefer us when we don't argue." Coriolanus lets out a breathy laugh, carding his fingers through his messy curls, unruly after a long day of work, "I do as well," he admits, "I was just, I expected you to be here when I got back so when you weren't I..."

"You thought the worst," Soarynn finishes for him, slipping her hand into his, intertwining their fingers, "and I understand why you would start to worry but in the future, talk to me before accusing me alright?"

A remorseful look grows across his handsome features, he looks so very sorry for how he just treated her, "I will, and I'm sorry," he tells her, bringing their intertwined hands up to his mouth so he can kiss the back of her hand, "I trust you Soarynn. I don't want you to think that I don't."

Soarynn could always chew him out just a little longer, just for the fun of it but she's not a masochist. And she doesn't enjoy seeing others at their lowest. "I trust you too," she says, pushing herself to her toes to press a kiss to his cheek which feels a bit rough, "and I think you need to shave."

They both laugh at her comment, Coriolanus always shaves his face at night and Soarynn appreciates a clean-shaven face compared to a rough one. The girls do as well, whenever they give Coriolanus a kiss on the cheek they make sure to let him know if he needs to grab a fresh razor blade.

"Then why don't you help me," he offers, pulling them towards the counter.

Soarynn can't hide her look of surprise, she's seen him shave before but she's never helped him do it, only watched while she did her own thing. "Are you sure?" She asks while he pulls open one of the drawers on his side of the counter, she wouldn't want to accidentally cut his handsome face.

"Of course," he says, brandishing a razor along with a bottle of what must be shaving cream, "I trust you."

Soarynn's not sure that she trusts herself with a job like this but she still shrugs off her coat and slips out of her heels, leaving her in the dress she wore today.

She leans against the counter, admiring their shared bathroom space. Before she moved in with him, this bathroom was sparse. The countertops had nothing on them aside from a bottle of cologne or a box of tissues. Now that Soarynn lives here, there are lots of feminine products for her face and hair. She has a small makeup organizer that sits on top of the counter, it has roses painted on the side of it and it holds her favorite makeup products. There's also a photo of Soarynn with the children from one of their many visits to the museum.

She likes to look at it while she does her hair. The bathroom is huge to put it plainly and Soarynn has more than enough to fill it up. There's also a built-in vanity by the shower where she often does her makeup if she doesn't feel like standing at the counter. A small vase of roses sits on the vanity counter, always fresh from Coriolanus who insists that she's as pretty as a rose.

"If I nick you then you'll only have yourself to blame," she tells him as he comes over to her side of the counter with his tools in hand. Coriolanus shrugs, "That's a risk I'm willing to take if it means you'll kiss me on the cheek more often, now hop onto the counter darling."

Soarynn eyes the counter warily, she's never sat on it before and she doesn't doubt its ability to hold her up but she does doubt her ability to keep her dress from getting shaving cream on it. "Let me take my dress off first," she murmurs, reaching behind her to pull down the zipper. She slips out of her dress without even thinking about how sensual it might look to Coriolanus who is a man who often thinks with what's between his legs rather than his head.

In only her bralette and underwear, Soarynn hops onto the counter, her legs dangling off the edge, "Where do I start?" She asks, ignoring Coriolanus and his slacked jaw while he shamelessly eyes her almost naked body, "I don't think you're finished," he teases, going to pull the strap to her bralette off of her shoulder but Soarynn slaps his hand away, "Behave yourself," she chides, "and hand me the razor."

Coriolanus does as he's told but begins unbuttoning his shirt, baring his chest to her which does unspeakable things to the mind that Soarynn desperately tries to keep pure. He smirks at how he's affected her by simply taking off his shirt and leans down to press a kiss to her lips, "Now we're even," he murmurs while kissing her. Soarynn sighs into the kiss, shaving long forgotten once his hands wrap around her waist, pulling her flush against him. Even on the counter she's still shorter than him but she doesn't mind, especially when his hands slide down to her ass, making her whimper, "We need to focus," she says between kisses.

Coriolanus groans when her own hands come to rest on his belt, tugging at the buckle, "Focus on what?" Soarynn giggles into the kiss, over the past few months they've gotten to know every inch of each other, including their most intimate areas. Coriolanus is a man who gets off on watching his partner being pleasured which is great for Soarynn who loves when he goes down on her. He'll often wake her up by slipping under the covers and prying her legs open, pleasuring her until she cums.

"On shaving," she reminds him, finally getting his belt unbuckled and tossing it onto the floor. When it comes to shaving, both of them run a tight ship. Soarynn has always preferred to be as hairless as possible but she was pleasantly surprised when she found that Coriolanus felt the same way about himself. There was just something about a man who wasn't afraid to shave.

Her hand slips under the waistband of his pants and her fingers graze over the growing boner straining in his boxers, feeling his shudder against his touch, "You know," she says, "it's a shame that we're so traditional, waiting for marriage and all that." She palms him with her hand and he gasps into the kiss, "Yes," he grits out, "it's a real shame."

Soarynn would be lying if she said that she hadn't thought about it before, thought about Coriolanus fully taking her and making her his. But all good things come to those who wait. And Soarynn can be very patient.

꧁ ꧂

It amazes Soarynn how two people can go from being super sexual to tenderly intimate within a matter of minutes.

With the warm shower water running over her skin, she feels perfectly content with his large hands on her hips, his lips gently kissing up and down her neck while they shower off their sexual encounter from minutes before. She lets out a content sigh when his hand lays flat against her stomach and imagines what it would be like to carry a child for him, to have a baby bump and feel their child kicking against his hand.

"What're you thinking about?"

Soarynn opens her eyes, remembering where she is and who she's with, a man who is not yet her husband. "The future," she says, not entirely a lie. She's been thinking about the future a lot lately, what it holds for her, for the family that might be hers someday.

Coriolanus kisses the back of her shoulder before gently spinning her around so that the warm water runs down her back now, "The future hmm? What about the future?" Her breath catches in her throat, it makes her nervous to speak it out loud because then it might not come true.

"I just feel as though something wonderful might happen," she says, lifting her feet off the ground when he wraps his arms around her waist, spinning them around because he knows how much she loves it. His eyes twinkle with amusement and adoration, "Would it be so bad if something wonderful did happen?"

Soarynn wonders if Coriolanus can feel how fast her heart is beating from his question. They're literally chest to chest tight now, nothing between them, "No," she answers softly, "I'd like it very much for something wonderful to happen to us."

He smiles at her use of the word 'us' something she's been doing more often whether she realizes it or not. It's hard not to when she already sees them as an inseparable pair, especially with the children being so on board with their relationship.

"Me too."

She bites her bottom lip, debating on whether or not she should utter those three words that she's never said before in this context.

But after today, after their honesty and her visit to the Cemetery, she feels brave enough to say it.

"I love you."

Coriolanus goes through a range of emotions in about five seconds. From surprise to bewilderment to realization and back to adoration all within the blink of an eye. She wonders if she said it too soon, if she should quickly add that she was joking, just testing the waters.

One of his hands comes up to gently hold her face, holding her as if she's made of priceless glass, so fragile and easy to break. She used to be like that, but not anymore. She's stronger now, better, more determined.

"I love you too."

Soarynn breaks into the biggest smile she's ever worn. She's never felt this way about someone before and she doesn't think Coriolanus has either. They're still learning, still growing as people, as individuals. But she's happy to grow with him, safely by his side, loved and cherished.

Soarynn knows a lot of things but she knows one thing for absolute certain.

She's going to marry this man.

| Part 11. |

| tumblr oneshot/drabble |

{ Part 12. }

꧁|taglist:

@lovelylove268 @strawberriicakes @kickmybark @villiansarehottest @wonderlandbound111 @melodyoflovee @thevoicesinmyprettylittlehead

|꧂

[justashamwithwastedpotential]

Farmer Picrew Dump

Stole this from @studentinpursuitofclouds's post Decided to make all my farmers so here they are in order from which one I created first.

Skylar

Kyrie

Casey

Niko

Finn

Wyatt

(Changed up from this post)

Remi

Celeste

[capturing-earths-beauty]

Michigan snow. Taken February 8, 2020.

[gears2gnomes]

AGDQ 2024 - Celeste

"The summit."

[lilmaymayy]

HE IS SUCH A SASSY MAN DIDBKSNS this was so good oml

having to be quiet while modern!coryo is fucking you because your visiting your family for the holidays PLEASE

when picking rooms for the stay, you failed to remember that the bed in your designated room for the next two weeks was known for knocking against the wall with any harsh movement. unfortunately, every movement you were currently making was harsh.

you're facing the opposite direction, a hand held steadily onto the end of the wooden sleigh bed, but there's still an obnoxious knock! knock! with each thrust from coriolanus, your own body almost collapsing against the flannel sheet from the intensity of his hips knocking against yours.

you wince each time, the sound melding with your moans that you're struggling to stifle, and every time you try to speak you interrupt yourself.

"coryo, the — mm — the fucking, ah, right there..." eventually, you resort to looking over your shoulder, praying that coriolanus would understand what you're trying to communicate with just a look. and he does. unfortunately, he just doesn't care. at least not enough to stop fucking you to fix it.

he's determined, eyebrows pinched together, core tightened with the effort he's putting in, skin glistening along his clavicles and shoulders, a bit along his hairline, sticking the grown out, short, blond hair to his forehead. you almost get lost in staring at him, completely enamored with how glorious he looks.

but then he angles one thrust to the right spot and you can't help but gasp entirely too loud.

"please, coryo. the headboard." it takes all of your effort to get it out, the same way it takes all of coriolanus' effort to pull out of your cunt. he's grumbling something under his breath while he grabs a pillow and lodges it behind one side of the headboard, doing the same with the other.

"happy?" he asks when he's done, far too much attitude woven into his words. maybe you would get on him about it if you weren't feeling incredibly empty right now.

you hum appreciatively, wiggling your hips to gather his attention. he gives it to you in the form of a slap against your left ass cheek, grinning to himself as he realigns his cock.

as just as he enters, he says, "don't know why you're so worried about the fucking bed when you make twice as much noise."

[nxuvillette]

hope your guys day was wonderful !!

[snvxiii]

My drawing for @creatingblackcharacters' CBC Black HIstory Month Challenge. Thank you for the opportunity to participate!

Since the flood of chaos 500 years ago, Sazh Katzroy fixes an ancient camera, developing a centuries-long passion for photography. He travels all over Nova Chrysalia, capturing day-to-day scenes to showcase the flow of life in a world where time is broken.

To my Black viewers: you deserve to be centered and considered. You deserve lovingly depicted Black characters and representation, with the goal of seeing your joy. I hope you always ask for more, more, and better.

With that statement in mind, I drew my version of Sazh leading the life I wrote he'd have in my canon of Lightning Returns. Close-ups of the three lined arts + head canons are under the cut.

Tagging @fangsded if you want to join in!

Sazh is often bombarded with too much food by the people he helps and their neighbors. He, Dajh, and Celeste still work out in the shell of an airship, but has a small place in the nearby village. It acts as a gallery and storage space for all of their art.

Sazh's favorite area to take photos of is the Wildlands. He especially likes to track the day-night cycle of the local flora, and makes projects of visiting the same spots to log any changes. It's interesting how one can capture change in a world that's stopped changing.

Sazh visits his old friends regularly, as much as he's able. He catches up with Fang every time he goes to the Dead Dunes, taking a much deserved drink. He tries to catch Noel and Snow when he finds them – as hard as that is nowadays – and short meetings with Vanille when able. He gives Lumina letters to sneak to Vanille. (Strangely, none of the photos he takes of Lumina have her appear in them.)