#everyone thinks its unfair he wins BOTH but....no one can say that he doesn't deserve it 😔

[syrupsyche]

Combeferre, Joly, and misc. Les Mis characters as modern AU teachers! From my gift fic to River:

What heist is Combeferre and Joly scheming? Why do exR look so sickeningly in love? And what has made Javert so annoyed? Find out more in the fic!! 😈😈

(heads up that everyone but Combeferre and Joly have MAYBE 1-2 spoken lines. The focus is on FerreJoly friendship, after all 💗)

[nrth-wind-a]

Okay folks strap in. Sejanus Plinth is not naïve, and he does not blindly trust Coryo. He does understand what he's saying when he speaks out against the games.

I have a few reasons for thinking this way.

One: Sejanus is a smart kid. He not only grasps the situations that he's put into, but he also shows very clearly that he can extrapolate important information from them, and then use it to think critically of the systems in place. Just about everyone recognizes that killing kids is wrong. Many of the people of the capitol themselves in this era recognize that it's a morally incorrect action to take. However. They are also willing to put that morality aside in favor of what they believe is a justification which makes it right. They are taught-- especially Sejanus's class-- that it is a necessary punishment in order to restore fairness after a period of uncertainty, danger, and unfairness (after all, it is unfair that citizens suffered from a war enacted by a small few in power). In addition, many of Sejanus's classmates were, like him, eight or younger when the war ended. The only thing they remember from the war was how it affected them, and reasonably so, given that they were children. They were then taught, from early development, that they were wronged. And they have no reason to doubt that; after all, the war did hurt them.

Unlike the other children in his class, however, Sejanus recognizes the one fact that he has a particular proclivity, being district-born, to recognize: The war was not fought by the district children like him, like Marcus. It was fought by the adults who, conveniently, are left out of the reach of the games. He draws on the things that he has learned, especially as someone with a foot in both the districts and the capitol, in order to come to a conclusion about what is happening in front of them, to them, and to the people around them.

Sejanus's perspective is never revealed to us, given the point of view of the book, and so, for an outsider, like Snow-- someone solely capitol-born and severely indoctrinated-- all he and others believe is that Sejanus is upset that children are being killed. And that's part of it. But Sejanus is also upset because he recognizes the bigger picture, and he calls it out: “You've no right to starve people, to punish them for no reason. No right to take away their life and freedom. Those are things everyone is born with, and they're not yours for the taking. Winning a war doesn't give you that right. Having more weapons doesn't give you that right. Being from the Capitol doesn't give you that right. Nothing does.”

Notice that he isn't just talking about the games, there. He is talking about the bigger picture: that the victor of a war is enacting its power post-war in a way that compromises the freedom and rights that every individual is not only deserving of, but entitled to.

Keep track of this belief of Sejanus's-- it's going to come into play a lot here. The most important thing to remember is that with this belief, it follows that Sejanus would also believe that we, human being to human being, have a right to secure these rights not just for ourselves, but for everyone around us, too. Simply put: Sejanus believes that we have a duty to help each other. This is seen when he brings food to Marcus, then asks Snow to help him, expecting that Snow will help Lucy Gray, who will help the other tributes, which could inspire others to help the tributes as well, and so on, and so forth. A duty to each other.

Two: I touched on it a bit above, but I want to re-iterate it here. Everything that we read in TBOSAS is from Coriolanus Snow's point of view.

And sure, this is obvious, but it's a very important thing to keep in mind when thinking about characters from this book, as well as the story events that take place. We can reasonably assume that Suzanne Collins didn't feed us complete lies about the story, of course, but what we should note always is that everything in the story is told through a filter, and that filter has proven itself to be an unreliable narrator.

We aren't supposed to believe Snow at face value: and neither does Sejanus.

This is most clear in two spots: first, when Sejanus recognizes correctly that Snow is a calculating individual who watches others before interacting with them (for his own gain), and second, when Sejanus lies to Snow (something that is not a one-time occurrence).

Sejanus understands that Coryo cannot always be trusted. The reason that he does, in the end, is that he is still an optimist: he believes that if he provides Snow with enough chances to do the right thing, that eventually, he will. (A duty to each other).

This is because of one overarching point that the book as a whole makes: the book shows us, the readers, the sheer volume of choices that Snow was given that could have kept him from going down the path that he did. He was given countless second chances to do something for the benefit of someone else. He was given countless second chances to not take control over another person's life. He was given countless second chances to care about the people around him.

And he didn't take a single one.

Sejanus's mistake was not trusting Snow. It was not believing that someone selfish could do something selfless. In fact, it wasn't even Sejanus's mistake. He did exactly what he was supposed to do according to his own world view: he didn't try to control Snow's choices for him, and instead, he kept extending mercy after mercy, in the hopes that Coryo would realize that everyone deserves agency, freedom, life, food, and love. (A duty to each other).

It was Coriolanus Snow who continued to choose the wrong choice every time.

(A small addition: there is not a doubt in my mind that Sejanus knows that Snow sold him out).

Three: Speaking of Sejanus being sold out-- let's discuss that pesky thing called consequences.

Sejanus has been given a reputation of being too stupid and naïve to understand that speaking out against the capitol might have consequences.

I disagree-- to an extent.

I think the truth of the matter is far more nuanced. The trouble is, we can't know what Sejanus was thinking, due to the issue raised in point two: that we only see Sej through Snow's eyes.

But now I want to circle back to point one: Sejanus is a critical thinker. We know he is smart. And as addressed in point two: he didn't blindly trust Snow. He hoped, of course, that another person would choose to do the right thing, but that doesn't necessarily correlate with stupidity or an inability to recognize that other people disagree with what he says, and that there might be consequences for that.

However, since I do believe that there is one explanation that could provide some insight into why Sejanus decided to act out, even with all the risks of doing so (aside from the character trait: Good Person TM), I'd like to point it out here:

Sejanus is affluent. Even in 2, it can be assumed that his life was comfortable. He shows marks of someone who's lived comfortably for at least most of their life: a constant supply of food, to the point that there's excess, squirreled away money, the likes of which even Snow is shocked by, and a good education, which the book informs us was paid for at a hefty fee.

Perhaps Sejanus isn't spoiled or ungrateful-- but one thing we can recognize, as a fact, is that he doesn't often face consequences for his actions (his father pays them away). This is covered in the trilogy, when Katniss herself recognizes that the people in twelve cannot afford the luxury of speaking out against the capitol, as they are barely surviving, much less able to fight. She recognizes something that is even true for America today: it would take all of us, at once, to rise up together, or we will be beaten back down by the inability to eat, to rest, to learn. To save up money to fall back on in times of strike.

Sejanus is lucky enough that he is in a position where he can speak out-- and he does. I'm not saying that he has any less of a valid point due to his wealth. It was largely luck that he ended up that way-- the same way that it was random (bad) luck that Snow's fortune was lost.

But we are supposed to think of Sejanus and Coryo as foils. Sejanus is everything that Snow is not: both rich (something that Snow wants to be) and kind (something that Sejanus wants Snow to be).

At the end of the day, the fact is: Sejanus has had a safety net for most of life. And whether he's using it for good or bad intentions, it doesn't take a detective to figure out that he's got it-- which means that I think he knows he has it, for a time. Sejanus knows that whatever trouble he might get into, it probably won't cost him his life. He is using his position of power and affluence in exactly the right way-- until he goes too far and walks over a line that steals the net out from under him. Because, at the end of the day, the more he escalates, the more the capitol must also. The bigger waves that he makes, the harder the retaliation has to be.

The problem is: Sejanus has to make bigger moves, or else nothing will change.

Sejanus likely knew that eventually, the net would go away. He just didn't know when. And he couldn't have known. There are some things that an eighteen-year-old just will not see coming, safety net or not, intelligent or not, determined or not.

The story of a character who is reduced to someone who speaks out against what's wrong in a book simply because we as the audience know that it's wrong is just a morality lesson in disguise. And pardon me for saying so, but I don't think that's what Suzanne Collins had in mind.

However, the story of a boy who knew that he was playing with fire, but decided to purposefully hope ("a lot of hope is dangerous") that everyone else around him would do the right thing in the end (a duty to each other)... That story? That is a story that I buy would come from the same pen that wrote about an uprising which stemmed from that very same belief system.

--

Bonus:

One extra note that I want to make: I can't control whether someone finds Sejanus annoying or not. Everyone is entitled to their feelings on the matter regardless of what I think about it. That said, I would encourage anyone who feels that way to consider why he comes across as one-dimensional, foolish, or annoying at times. Consider what would happen if we got THG from Snow's point of view: do you think that Katniss would not have been given the exact same treatment? A young rebel who doesn't know what game she's playing and so seems childish and reckless? The book is a skewed bias, and that's what makes the story so compelling to me. That's what makes Sejanus so compelling to me. Coryo sees him as stupid, idealistic, and doomed to get himself killed.

It is significant to me, then, that Coriolanus Snow makes that happen by his own hand.

I ask: Was Sejanus doomed to die for his beliefs, or was Coriolanus doomed to kill Sejanus for his?

[erensproudsimp]

Rivalry

Jean kirstein x Eren Jeager x reader

⚠ Sexual Content Ahead ⚠

Summary: Threesome with Eren and Jean in the middle of a party? Hell yeah.

Word count: 2.4k

"So, how do I look?" coming from the bathroom you asked your roommate about your outfit.

"YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY STUNNING Y/N!This little black dress really brings out your curves, " Hitch squealed.

"Aww Thank you bestie! When are you getting dressed?" you questioned looking for your black heels.

"I was just about to, I bet this party is going to be the best ever organized this year," Hitch excitedly said.

"Right? Heard that almost all students are going, I feel like it's going to be crazy and moreover it's organized by Jean,"you added while wearing your jewelries.

Hitch came out in a sexy red sleeveless dress which suited her perfectly.

" Oh. my. god. Marry me right now, what did I do to deserve such a pretty best friend, "you flattered her wiping fake tears from your eye.

" Says the girl who's going to take all the boys' breaths and by boys I specifically mean Eren and Jean, "she replied eyeing you from head to toe.

"Sheesh Hitch, you know that I'm not interested in them right?" you said arms crossed.

"I don't know y/n, that little blush is saying something else. So who are you going to choose among them?" Hitch teased.

"I'm pretty both of them asked me out due to their rivalry with each other but I have no interest in helping either win," you said with a sigh.

"I mean you may never know that they actually do have feelings for you, I remember seeing Jean stare at you during class," she explained wearing her makeup. Smacking her lips to spread the lipstick, she turned to look at you, "At least give one of them a chance? Like two of the hottest guys on the campus asked you out, think about it y/n," she suggested.

"They were already my best friends but maybe until tonight I'll try to make a decision but for now let's go enjoy okay?" you beamed.

"Let's go impress some bitches, have some liquor, spit on our haters and have the best night of our life," flicking your hair back you left the dorm with Hitch agreeing with you.

Parking your car, you got out to admire the grandiose building belonging to Jean in sight. Muffled music could be heard through the walls.

"Maybe I should give Jean the chance," you said.

"Haha yes girl get that bag," Hitch giggled dragging you inside.

Laughter, people making out on the dancefloor, a background scent of sweat mixed with booze, you finally saw your friends near the bar counter. Conversations stopped the second everyone noticed me and Hitch's entry.

" All eyes on me in the centre of the ring just like a circus," you sang in her ear as she smirked.

Walking proudly to radiate your confidence, both of you went to the bar, the crowd going back to their initial interaction.

"Hey guys!" you shouted throwing yourself on Sasha.

"Welo," Connie replied with a drink in his hand.

"Where are the others?" Hitch asked them.

"Mikasa, Armin and Eren haven't arrived yet and Jean is ensuring everything is in control," Ymir answered hugging Historia close to her.

Ordering a glass of wine from the bartender, you sipped said drink while chatting with your friends. Right at that moment the trio entered through the door.

" Look they came,"Historia pointed at them.

" Hello everyone, where's Jean? "Armin asked.

You looked at Eren taking in how he was looking so attractive in an all black outfit. However, he did not once glance in your direction making you assume it was because you haven't yet given him an answer.

" There he is,"Mikasa said as the man in question neared the group.

" Is everyone having fun? "Jean enquired leaning on the counter.

His stance screamed dominance but in such a subtle way it was sensual. You tried to meet his eye but he didn't acknowledge your presence too. Well, it was what you were supposing to be as in in contrary both of them were enraptured with your appearance they couldn't bring themselves to look at you.

"I'm going to the dancefloor," you announced frustrated by the lack of attention you got from the two men after finishing your third drink.

Pushing your way in, moving to the music you tried to take off your mind off having to choose someone between them. A stranger came up to you to ask if they could dance with you. With no hesitation noticing how handsome he was, you let him hold you in his arms as a distraction.

"Not gonna lie, I'm gonna be shocked if she doesn't hook up with someone tonight, like look at her man," Hitch commented hoping to push either Eren or Jean to approach you.

"Right? She honestly looks so hot," Sasha added understanding what she was trying to do.

Like they hoped, the tactic worked as both men stood up together. They looked in each other's eye as though communicating telepathically passing one message and it was to not let anyone come near to you.

Heading into the crowd to find you, Hitch and Sasha high fived leaving everyone else in the unknown.

Searching all round, they at last found you dancing with a random guy, your body all over him. There was a cold fury in their eyes and Eren pursued his lips in anger. He went up to the guy and gave him a death stare. The stranger felt his blood drain from his face into his gut as he abruptly left you.

At first you were puzzled at why the guy just disappeared until you saw Jean and Eren and understood the situation.

"Mind if I dance with you?" Eren asked holding his hand out.

"May I too?" Jean rushed in not to let Eren take the sole lead.

Taking both hands smilingly you replied, "Yes, you both may."

Jean twisted you in his arms pressing your ass against his hips as Eren held your waist in his hands your chest against his, both guys grinding on you.

Eren leaned in and hid his face in the crook of your neck. You tilted your head to give him more access to the area as he licked his tongue over your so sensitive skin.

Jean feeling a bit left out took a glass of wine from a passing waiter grabbed your soft flocks in his hand and pulled it slowly to not hurt you. Your head was placed on his shoulder as Eren continued to nibble on your neck.

"Open your mouth," Jean ordered you his lips brushing your ear and you obeyed without arguing.

He then poured the wine from the glass into your mouth. Moaning through the process, the liquid coursed from your throat into your stomach spreading its warmth all over. Jean still grinding on you pushed his hips forward for you to feel his growing bulge.

Rhythmically swaying your body to the beats of the music playing, you brushed your ass to Jean's bulge and hips against Eren's. Being sandwiched between them was like a dream come true.

Eren's hands slid up and down your arms, head intact on your neck. Jean was not doing any lesser either as he bent over to reach the other side of your neck, his hot breath ruffling and began showering it with kisses.

Grabbing your chin to lift it up, Eren pressed his soft lips on yours tasting the alcohol from your mouth.

"Hey- that's not fair," Jean snatched you from Eren, threw your body on his shoulder and slapped your ass to carry you away. Shortly Eren followed, "Give her back to me!"

Jean made you sit on a bed gently, kissed you lightly on your cheek then went to close the door of the room but Eren busted in right before he could.

"Oh you're not having her all to you, not until I'm still alive," Eren stated.

"Fuck you Eren, I'm not going to let you have her either you know," Jean cursed him.

At this point you didn't know what to say as anticipation filled your being so you just allowed everything happen by itself.

Before Jean could do anything, Eren rushed to you, pulled you in his arms made out with you in front of him to make him jealous which of course worked.

" Jeager!" Jean shouted approaching you both.

Eren's tongue was roaming in all corners of your mouth to explore them, a small moan leaving your throat.

Both guys froze hearing that.

"Eren, move I want to be the one to make her create those cute sounds," Jean pushed Eren to replace his mouth on you.

Jean was more passionate than Eren, probably because of the jealousy he was feeling.

"How about we hear what y/n has to say?" Eren suggested.

"Yeah y/n, make a decision, it's either Eren or me," Jean continued.

"I-, guys trust me I've been thinking about this and honestly speaking, for me it's either both of you or no one. Don't get me wrong you're both equally amazing and handsome so choosing one is just unfair. I love you both but I'm not going to choose one I'm sorry. Moreover, I don't want to fuel the rivalry between you two," looking at the floor you replied. You thought that this would make them feel disappointed but in reality it was the contrary

" Y/n..,"Jean hugged you so did Eren from the back.

" I'm glad you didn't choose to reject one of us, "Eren whispered in your ear.

" Yeah I'm so pleased too, "Jean agreed lifting your chin to kiss the bottom of your neck.

" And don't appogise y/n, you're not at fault here, we are for asking you out because of our competition so let us make up for it, "Eren's voice holding the promise of sex.

His hands unzipped your dress pealing it off you to leave you in your black lace underwear. Both Jean and Eren's face went scarlet red on seeing you in this state.

From the back Eren's big, warm hands reached out to cup your boobs while nibbling on your shoulder. In front Jean knelt down on you to kiss you on your stomach as his hands were caressing your curves.

Taking Eren's face in one hand, you stroked his face with your thumb, the other hand in Jean's hair playing with it.

"Can I?" Jean asked indicating to the removal of your undergarment.

"By all means, do whatever you wish," you gave both consent.

Seizing this opportunity Eren unhooked your bra and let it fall to the ground.

"You're so beautiful y/n," Jean gasped.

Your body chose that moment to shiver.

Not being able to control it anymore Eren lifted you in bridal style dropping you lightly on the bed. Ripping his shirt of his toned body, your eyes were locked on his abbs. Jean lost no time in taking his off too.

You were mesmerised. Those men were built like fantasies, their chest sculptured with the honed muscles of a god.

"Come here."

To your astonishment they obeyed sitting on each of your sides.

"What do you want us to do angel?" Jean asked with such adoration in his eyes.

"Tell us your deepest desires, we will make it a reality," placing his hand over your thighs Eren encouraged you.

"Use me as your plaything."

This one simple request was enough to send them off the edge.

"As you wish m'lady," Jean replied before kneeling in front of you.

More kisses along your neck by Eren while Jean split your legs to bury his face in between. You sucked in a deep breath.

Trailing his tongue on your inner thighs up to your soaked folds, Jean teased you.

Taking your mouth into a fiery kiss, sucking on your lower lip, Eren fondled your boobs. Sticking your tongue out to ask for permission he took it in without a second thought.

"Hmmm ah-," you panted on his mouth as Jean kissed your core, giving it a tender lick. Grabbing your hips to forbid you to move, he inserted his tongue in and out of you while rubbing your clit with his fingers. Pure heaven.

"You like that huh?"

You threw your head back at his words humming a yes, Eren proceeding to move from your neck to your collarbones to mark himself on your skin. A slight pain overcoming with pleasure sent chills down your spine.

"Jeaaann- ah- Ereenn," you screamed their names turning them on more.

Shortly after your stomach clenched as you came on Jean's face.

"You taste so good y/n," he said licking his lips.

"Now's my turn," Eren declared unbuckling his pants topping you.

"You okay with this right?" he asked concernedly caressing your cheek. You nodded and looked over to Jean signaling him to come over your head.

Slowly penetrating his dick into your cunt, you stifled a moan as you were helping Jean take off his trousers, his hardened member sprung free from its trap.

As Eren was thrusting his hips in you moaning your name, you were jerking Jean off with your hand, him panting loudly.

"Y/n go faster please," Jean whined.

Spreading his precum oozing from the tip, your fingers stroked it down the shaft.

"Forgive me for what im about to do y/n," the unbearable thirst pushed Jean to shove his swollen dick into your mouth. You muffled a moan at his action willingly taking it. Moving your wet muscle inside your mouth, you sucked him.

"Fuck y/n you feel so good tightly wrapped around me," Eren breathed picking up speed. Your breath stuck in your lungs, your eyes rolled back.

Two handsome men fucking you senselessly, you couldn't be in any more bliss.

"Good girl," Jean petted your hair as you swallowed every drop of him. Collapsing next to you, he was gradually grasping his breath.

On the other hand, Eren was still going pushing and pulling into you and from you.

"Go ahead, cum for me y/n."

Your legs were practically shaking as you came a second time over him. Realising he was reaching his limit, he pulled out and released his hot fluid on your belly.

Out of breath, he fell onto you as you hugged him. Ruffling Jean's hair you tried to wake him up.

"Jean we have a party remember? now wake up, you don't want people thrashing your house. You too Eren, Mikasa must be worried sick by now with your absence," you advised both only for your words to fall on deaf ears.

Sighing you stayed still to enjoy their warmth a little more.

Just a little more.

End.

Thank you for reading this. :)