Whispers of Snake and Rose - Coriolanus Snow x Reader

Prologue

Coriolanus Snow stared at the ceiling of the office. It was small. Quiet. Different from what he was used to. His life had been a whirlwind ever since he returned to the Capitol, and the smooth ticking of the clock, along with the calm presence across the room, was a change of pace he was not expecting.

Rosie, that was her name. Some would call her a plain looking girl, a brunette that would be difficult to pick out in a bustling capitol crowd. But Snow enjoyed her, at least for the moment. Her presence was almost melancholic in its tranquility, but there was no doubt that she was a pure flower. Coriolanus thought to himself that she reminded him of his Grandma'am's rose, isolated from the breezy meadow it found itself in.

==

Coryo looked up at you. You've heard the rumors about the young man, one of your first clients. Currently your classmate at the Capitol's university, you know he has returned from the districts, one of the very few who has made his way back to the Capitol at all. Before you can continue your thoughts, he speaks his first words.

"I want to forget all the pain, Rosie. Can you help me?"

Snow's voice was very soft, like snow falling from the sky. You had heard him speak at the university, and the confident commanding tone seemed like a faraway dream. You can sense his calmness. His urge to come to terms with his fate in your office has sapped any sense of brashness or power from his voice.

"Of course," you hear yourself say.

Without another word, you begin. The pendulum begins to sway, and with it, the piercing blue eyes of Coriolanus Snow sway in harmony. The melodious tune engulfs the young man in its warmth, and he slowly drifts off to a state of peace. He gradually loses his consciousness, until he is no more than a mere vessel. The mighty Coriolanus Snow, the star of the university, one of the few who has returned from the districts, now lays bare before you. The man, no, a boy now, begins to speak about his past.

His words fill you with the images that you are so used to seeing, now taking the form of a beautiful blue lake. A storm has taken hold, and Coriolanus starts to shrink into his chair. The source of his discomfort becomes clear. He begins to describe the true cause of his unease, not the storm, nor the vast wilderness that surrounds him. Her olive skin, alluring voice, and wide smile all paint a picture of beauty, one who could ensnare any young man she laid her sights on. But Corio struggles to speak, almost afraid to continue, as the girl's illuminating smile transforms into a distrusting scowl. The boy's eyes completely glaze over, and it's almost as if you are watching a play unfold on stage.

Lucy Gray is this boy's nightmare.

A flood comes in, all at once. The boy cannot stop the torrent of words as he illustrates his whirlwind with Lucy Gray, the songbird. An avalanche of rainbow snakes sends the boy into a spasm, you feel as though he is almost conflicted, as if he wanted them to end everyone in that arena. A Mockingbird, high above the boy's head, singing a song of betrayal.

Coriolanus awakes from his slumber in a cold sweat. He can feel the dampness of his undershirt as he slowly lifts himself from his chair. A pang of embarrassment hits him as he stares at the bewildered yet soft expression of the girl before him. He struggles to remember exactly what he revealed, but he knows that much of his affair in District 12 has been exposed to this girl. Judging by her expression, he can tell that he revealed nothing that could trouble his future in the capitol, and a naive girl such as this would never be able to hide her shock at such a revelation.

==

You watch as the man arises from his trance, and slowly composes himself now that he is once again in control. You now know what Snow cannot admit without the procedure. Snow would not admit that the reason why he became like this was because of this girl, as sweet as sugar. His Songbird. If it weren't for the fatal blow that day in the forest, Snow would not have a single regret.