I Havent Ready A Good Elippo Fuc In A While, Can You Work Your Magic If You Have The Time 💖💖

Katniss is like Lucy Gray this, Katniss is like Sejanus that, and yes find that's all good and true and lovely but Katniss Everdeen is also a direct parallel to Coriolanus Snow and people NEED to start talking about this because it's driving me crazy.

Think about it: they both grew up poor and deeply vulnerable, losing parents at a very young age, with a matriarchal adult (Katniss' mother and Coriolanus' Grandma'am) who fails to provide for them emotionally and physically. They intimately understand the threat of starvation, even developing with stunted growth because of it, and their narrations in the books share a fixation on food. Throughout their childhoods, both experienced constant fear and suffered a fundamental lack of control over their circumstances. Because of this, they're inherently suspicious of the people around them. They resent feeling indebted to others, especially those who have saved their lives. They're motivated almost entirely by family and deeply connected to their communities. Both are used and manipulated by the Capitol, both are forced to perform to survive and despise every inch of it, both are thrown into the Arena and made to kill. Both have a self-sacrificial, genuinely sweet sister figure acting as their conscience. Peeta and Lucy Gray - performers and love interests with a fundamental kindness and sense of hope about them - fulfill markedly similar roles in their narrative. Both contribute to the development of the future Hunger Games, Snow throughout tbosas and Katniss towards the end of Mockingjay.

It's easy to ignore these similarities because, as mirrors of each other, they are exact opposites. Katniss is from District 12, viewed and treated as less than human; Snow is the cream of the Capitol crop, given the privilege of a name with social weight, an ancestral home, and the opportunity of the Academy despite having no more money than a miner from 12. Katniss has no agency over her life, and responds by being kind whenever she's able, while Snow justifies horrendous evils in order to continue his quest for complete control. Katniss does everything she can to protect her family; Snow does everything he can to protect his family's image as an extension of his own ego. Katniss loves her District and connects with its inhabitants on a meaningful level, but Snow is indifferent at best to his peers - the apparent "superior people" - and only engages with his community for personal gain. Katniss emerges from the Arena horrified at herself and the system, but Snow takes his trauma and turns it into an excuse to perpetuate the violence with himself at the top. Katniss cares for Prim until her death and then snaps at the loss of her little sister, while Snow survives on Tigris' blood, sweat, and tears and then torments and abandons her, presumably because she calls him out on his insanity. Snow actively adds to and popularizes the Hunger Games because of his vendetta against the Districts following his childhood wartime trauma - Katniss briefly agrees to a new Hunger Games in the pursuit of vengeance, but later stops them from happening by killing Coin and choosing a life of peace and privacy. Snow is obsessed with revenge, but Katniss empathizes with the Capitolites and does what she can to keep them from suffering. He exists in a cruel system and selfishly upholds it; she exists in a cruel system and works to dismantle it for the good of her family and community, at great personal cost. And Peeta and Lucy Gray are incredibly similar, but Katniss and Peeta forge a relationship of genuine love and understanding that shines in comparison to Coriolanus' obsessive projection onto Lucy Gray.

So, yeah, Katniss is Lucy Gray haunting Coriolanus. But I bet you anything that eighty-something year old President Snow looks at her, the girl on fire, bright and young and brilliant, emerging from a childhood of starvation with a relentless hunger for success, a talented and charming performer helping her win the Games, and he sees the ghost of his own past. And that's why he's so afraid of her! Because if he sees himself in her, then he's up against his own cunning, his own talent for manipulation, his own charisma, his own genius. He's up against the version of himself that he once wished to be, with the nightmare army of his childhood at her back and her star-crossed lover at her side, spewing Sejanus' truths in his own voice. This isn't to say that Katniss ever achieved the level of power and agency that Coriolanus did during her time with the rebellion, but it is to say that Snow was taken down by what truly terrified him - his own morality, come to finish the job.

OK Mr. Tomlinson I see you 👀

OK I'm half way through TBOSAS and since I knew about the the basic plot points beforehand. I can't stop thinking, do you think current or even middle-aged Snow ever thinks about Lucy? Or Sejanus? The first people he truly committed evil deeds too? I'm not even suggesting in a fond way and not through even Katniss and Peeta mirroring Lucy and Sejanus. Like in his lifetime, I've been dwelling on this for too long.

At night, Elia dreams of Filippo.

It’s weird, because he’s been obsessed with girls before, absolutely, so it’s not like infatuation is a new thing for him. But never has Elia dreamt with such vivid clarity and an undertone of such desperate want, longing, for someone before.

He dreams of lean abs painted like a statue of ancient Rome. He dreams of corded muscles tensing and relaxing as long fingers flick the end of a cigarette. He dreams of bleached curls and dark eye lashes; of freckles like constellations on smooth tan skin. 

He dreams of gasps and moans and whispers of “please” and “more” and “god don’t stop.” He dreams of soothing touches and bruise-educing grips; of laughter and the morning sunlight gleaming off of espresso eyes still hazy from a night of pleasure and sleep.

But Elia doesn’t dream reality. 

He doesn’t dream the careful way in which his eyes never fail to look out for Filippo across a rooftop party composed of mutual friends. He doesn’t dream of their eyes meeting and holding for an eternity, only for Filippo’s to eventually trail away when the disappointment that Elia can’t quite bring himself to make the first move after their night together weeks ago sets in. He doesn’t dream of Marti’s considering looks, or Gio’s pursed lips, or the way Luca seems oblivious to it all. 

(It’s not the boy thing, guys, it’s not that. I’m not ashamed, it’s just complicated.)

He doesn’t dream of his father slamming a Bible down at the dinner table in front of him, repeating over and over that the Santini family are good Catholics, great ones, and that good Catholic boys marry good Catholic girls and that there are no exceptions. 

It wouldn’t be hard to be a good Catholic boy. Elia likes girls without trying; he likes curves and giggles and the smell of perfume. 

But more than he likes girls right now, Elia likes Filippo.

Elia wants Filippo.

And Elia is nothing if not selfish.

So he looks up at the dark ceiling, watching the way shadows flicker as cars pass by. Then he glances towards his bedside table.

02:43

To Filippo Sava: can I come over?

Filippo: Are you ashamed of me?

Eleonora: A little bit.

“You text too much,” Filippo murmured, head tilting back for Elia’s mouth on his neck, working his way down, Elia’s hand sliding under the collar of his shirt.

The corner they’d chosen was dark, a table shoved in a back of the bar for this specific purpose as glasses clinked around them and people laughed at things Filippo couldn’t hear.

“Since when?” Elia asked, not sounding too concerned. His fingers slid over Filippo’s chest and if Filippo had seen any other couple doing this, he might have rolled his eyes. That was the thing about Elia, though. He didn’t mind shit like this when it was Elia.

“Since Eleonora is getting suspicious.”

“You text more than I do,” Elia argued, mouthing among Filippo’s jaw. “You sent seven texts in a row the other day.”

“I was trying to pick a shirt and you were absolutely no help at all.”

It was Elia’s fault anyway, that he was sending so many texts, keeping him ‘glued to the phone’ as Eleonora had said. Filippo had left Eleonora at the flat after Elia’s text had popped up on his screen, her suspicious gaze following him out the door, her parting, “If I didn’t know you, I might think you were in love,” echoing in his head all the way down the stairs. He knew his sister and she wasn’t stupid–she’d figure it out eventually. He wouldn’t be able to brush her off forever, especially not to meet up with Elia at a gay bar and makeout in the corner.

Elia pulled back to look at him, his eyes dark and warm as he smiled at Filippo, his hand that wasn’t down Filippo’s shirt pushing through the short hairs at the back of his neck.

“I told you you look good in everything.”

It was a bald-faced lie and Filippo rolled his eyes. “Even the mesh shirt?”

“Especially the mesh shirt,” Elia replied, pulling Filippo’s mouth to his for a long, lingering kiss that almost made Filippo groan, hands grasping Elia’s waist.

It just wasn’t fair what Elia could get him to do, without even asking. Elia has simply appeared one day, tumbled into Filippo’s life and stayed there. And now he had Eleonora asking about boys and saying shit about being in love.

An unexpected thrill ran through Filippo’s stomach when Elia pulled back, his mouth curved into a smile, something warmer and softer between them as they sat too close in the back booth. He’d told Eleonora that there were plenty of guys, but the truth was, there was just one, and he was leaning into Filippo right now, as though all he wanted to do was kiss him.

It had been like this for weeks, Filippo giving in to Elia’s easy charm, them meeting up in secret places they knew their friends wouldn’t be, late-night phone conversations about everything and nothing at the same time. He hated to think that Eleonora was right, but maybe, maybe it was love.

Filippo shook that thought from his head as Elia pressed a kiss to his chin, hand sliding to Filippo’s neck. It was way too soon to be thinking about things like love, especially with Elia, no matter how cute he was, how much Filippo liked being around him. That was crazy.

But maybe there was something else they could think about.

“Elia,” he said after a minute, laying a hand against his throat, gentle, holding him back from pressing more kisses to his jaw. “How about we go to my place?”

Elia’s eyebrows went up as his gaze moved from Filippo’s mouth to his eyes. “Isn’t Eleonora home?”

Filippo shrugged, as though he didn’t know what he was implying, as though they hadn’t spent the last few weeks diligently avoiding arousing suspicion with their family and friends.

“So?” he asked, and Elia stared at him for a moment, big eyes rounded before a smile spread over his face.

“So,” he said finally, shrugging, pulling Filippo’s mouth to his, slow and warm, tugging on his lip piercing. “Let’s go.”

Grinning, Filippo didn’t get up, instead pulling Elia closer, kissing him easily. They’d go in a minute.

My contribution for ElippoWeek Day 4, Canon Compliant. It was supposed to be for Day 2, Photography or Art, but then I’ve got an idea for a fic for that day, so I decided it can be as well for today.

I’m not good with graphics, but I had this idea in my head and I decided it’d be cool and I think it came out pretty good, so I decided to post it. After all, the more content we have the better! Moreover, I’ve spend a lot of time doing it and I really wanted to share it.

+ bonus

Chapter 8: Blue Dream

Summary:

Ok I’m serious, this is the part we all have been waiting for!!!!

Romance ✅

Hot Tub ✅

Family Moments ✅

Important Conversations ✅

SPICE 🌶✅

It’s all here!

***

If you’ve stuck with me this long you know what this is about! Thank you all so much for kudos, likes, comments, reblogs, and encouraging words throughout this process. It has been magical to say the least. Just a little Valentine from me to you because I 💜 you all! Sadly our time in Bora Bora must come to an end, but its only the beginning for our beloved DK! Let me know all the thoughts, feelings, scream at me, scream with me, and most importantly laugh with me! I promise to return soon babes!

-C

Tags: @escapism-through-imagination @meetmeunderthestarrynight @jonskory @not-so-mundane-after-all-97 @wonderbatwayne @graysonfamfan2021 @selinascatnip @ambelle @withlovee-a