II. What The Heart Wants

Yet still inside, I felt alone
For reasons unknown to me
But if you send for me, you know I'll come
And if you call for me, you know I'll run

Livia Cardew. 33.
Capitol Socialite.

Before she died, Livia's mother always told her, "If you want something, fight for it."

Hasana Cardew was likely speaking about academic or career success when she said it time and time again, but that's not the context in which her daughter interpreted it. No, when her mother told her to fight for what she wanted, Livia assumed she was talking about men. Or rather, one man in particular.

Livia Cardew's been hopelessly in love with Coriolanus Snow from the moment she understood what those words meant. She knows it's pathetic of her, pining after somebody for nearly two decades, but she can't help it either. At this point, Livia's liked him for so long, she isn't even sure why. Perhaps, she's idealized him too much in her head, and that's why she's afraid to enter a relationship with him. But, at the same time, Livia sure as hell wouldn't dare romance anybody else.

The people who know of her fixation always ask her, "Why him? Why after so long, is your heart so set on him?"

(She's always been an outcast.

The people at school call Livia every name in the book. They mock her for being too chipper, scold her for being eccentric and having a high-pitched voice which she can't control.

At fourteen, Livia wishes that she could be more secure in her status as a pariah, but that goes directly against her deepest desire in life, to be loved.

Her father's busy at work and her mother's bedridden with cancer. Neither of them have much love to give to their daughter and all her idiosyncrasies. Livia's starting to believe that they don't care to either.

It's another day roaming the school hallways. Another day being ridiculed as she makes her way to class.

"Why's she skipping?"

"Is she high?"

"What's her problem?"

"Livia Cardew's a freak! Don't pay attention to her."

She's learned not to give them a reaction, but lord is that hard. Livia wants to tell them off so damn badly, but she knows that'll just give them more reasons to hate her. Livia really doesn't want to be despised.

A girl who's name Livia doesn't know brushes against her shoulder as she walks to the classroom for her course on Panem's History.

"I'm sorry!" Livia quickly apologizes to her, her voice trembling. "I didn't mean to run into you."

"Sure you didn't, slut!" Her fellow student jeers.

Livia doesn't understand. Why me? What did I ever do wrong?

"I promise, I didn't mean to."

Maybe she wasn't looking which way she was going, but that's an honest mistake. Livia didn't mean to be aggressive. She didn't mean to hurt anybody.

"Whatever." That's the last thing the girl says before locking her hands to Livia's shoulders and pushing her to the ground.

The girl points down at Livia's crumpled figure and laughs. "Stay down there. It'll be good for you."

Her head is spinning and she's not sure what's happening. Livia's already not looking forward to whatever nasty bruise her thighs hitting the linoleum floor will lead to.

After sitting for a minute, her body curled in on itself, she hears a male voice from above her. "Do you need any help?"

"I'm fine," Livia lies.

The boy doesn't believe her for a second. "I saw that girl push you. You're not fine."

"You're right. I'm not." And then, Livia looks up to see him. He's got blonde hair that brushes against his shoulders and bright blue eyes she could drown in. He's… handsome.

Is it wrong for her to think that?

"I'm sorry that happened to you," he says, his voice sincere. "Kids can be real assholes, you know that?"

"I'm well aware," Livia replies. She's not quite paying attention to what he's saying though. Instead, she's studying his face, because oh what a face that is.

"I'm Coriolanus, by the way," he introduces himself. "Coriolanus Snow. You can call me Coryo if you'd like, instead."

"I'm—"

"Livia Cardew. I know." Coryo cuts her off. "We had a class together last year."

She's shell shocked. She doesn't know what to say to him. All she knows is that he's gorgeous. All Livia knows is that she wants him. Coryo's the first person this whole year who's actually shown her an ounce of empathy, and now she's utterly hooked on him.

"Well, I've got to go." Coryo extends his hand to her. "I'll help pull you up first!"

As their fingers touch, a shiver creeps down Livia's spine. She isn't sure what she's feeling but she thinks she likes it.

Once she's standing up again, Coryo ruffles her hair and gives her a wave. Livia blinks, and then he's gone.

That day, Livia fell in more than one way.)

She's never had an answer for them. Instead, she just shrugs and says, "He's smart, and he's nice to me, too."

The latter statement is far from the truth. Really, all Coriolanus does is ignore Livia; she isn't sure why. In her youth, she definitely did come on too strongly towards him, but as an only child, Livia was raised to be aggressive. She was raised to be a fighter, and it's not her fault Coriolanus' fickle heart couldn't handle it.

(To be a woman in the Capitol is to be a flower. Like a flower, the women of the Capitol only have a limited lifespan before their petals fall to the ground and they're replaced with something prettier. Livia refuses to let that happen to her.)

Livia's father Denarius often tells her, "Coriolanus is a sleaze for not falling for you by now. You're running out of time, Livia. Maybe you should pursue somebody else."

She always tells him that she can't. She doesn't know why, but she can't imagine herself spending eternity with anybody else.

Coriolanus Snow is the only thing Livia's been able to commit to in her entire life. Over the years, she's had a myriad of jobs, from Gamemaking assistant to escort to teacher. Yet, none of them have ever thrilled her the way Coriolanus does when he offers her a slight smile.

It's pathetic. She's pathetic.

And now she faces a problem.

Two months ago, Livia's father gave her an ultimatum. "You have a year to make a stable income or marry into one before I cut you off."

At the time, she complained, even if Denarius was right in implying that a woman in her thirties really shouldn't be relying on her father for money. Still, it's not her fault that no job could ever possibly fulfill her.

(It's her fault. It's so her fucking fault.)

But, who's to say that Livia can't have it all? Who's to say that Livia can't have her money and the extravagant parties that come with it, and the man of her dreams at the same time?

She knows that Coriolanus' has always been laser-focused on his career. It's always been his excuse when Livia asks him to dinner, "Gamemaking this, Gamemaking that."

If she wants to get to his heart, she'll have to line his pockets first.

He finally agreed to meet her for dinner at a hip Capitol bar called "Rieslings." It's safe to say that Livia's incredibly nervous, not just for this meeting, but for what it could lead to if she plays her cards right.

"Livia?"

She shakes when she feels a tap on her shoulder. "Yes?"

Livia turns around to see Coriolanus standing behind her. "Oh my stars! Hello; I'm so sorry for dozing off. I was just—"

"You didn't expect me to actually come." Coriolanus fills in the blanks for her. "Understandable, being as I've bailed on you quite a few times."

"That's fine," Livia assures him. "I know you're busy."

He sighs. "I am, which is why we've got to make this dinner quick. I've got a meeting with Clemensia and Lysistrata in ninety minutes that I'd hate to be tardy to."

"Understandable!" Livia nods, then gestures to the bar's hostess. "Livia Cardew, table for two?"

"Yes, ma'am." The older woman smiles, grabbing two menus from a sleeve. "Follow me. I'll take you to your table."

She leads Livia and Coriolanus through a dimly lit room with golden floorboards and metallic black tables. It's a bit gauche, but Livia doesn't mind. Capitolites enjoy extravagant things, after all. Hopefully, Coriolanus enjoys this. It's the next best thing to him enjoying her.

"You'll be sitting here, and your waiter will be here shortly." The hostess points at a tall table in the back corner and pulls back the two stools so that Livia and Coriolanus can sit. "Enjoy your meal!"

She puts the two menus on the table and walks away.

Livia reads the restaurant's beverage options, a bit embarrassed to be the first person to say something. After the longest thirty seconds of her life, Coriolanus taps her on the shoulder and sighs.

"Well, what did you want to meet with me about?" He asks in an urgent tone.

Livia takes a deep breath. Her whole life's boiled down to this moment.

"I wanted to talk about your career, for starters," she begins, noticing the smile on Coriolanus' face. "You've been Head Gamemaker for quite some time, you know. After the Quell, do you have any idea what you'll do? Whatever you've got planned for this year, I imagine it'll be hard to top it."

He nods. "That is, admittedly, something I've been worried about. I guess, I just have to get through the Quell first before I get worried."

"Don't you want more?" Livia asks him. "As in, don't you want more than being Head Gamemaker. You're incredibly smart and talented, you know."

"What are you getting at?" Coriolanus inquires, raising his left brow.

"Have you ever considered being president?" She smirks. "Ravenstill's getting old, you know. Being President would be the most sensical move for your career, you know."

That, and it'd mean Livia would be both Coriolanus' wife and first lady. She told her father that however she chooses to make a living, it's going to be worth the wait. It'd be impossible for him to be disappointed if she becomes the most important woman in Panem.

(Nobody particularly likes Ravenstill anyway. He was impressive back in his time, but now he's regarded as senile and deluded. If Livia were him, she'd have stepped down by now. However, it seems that much like everyone else in the Capitol, Ravenstill's too prideful for such a thing. Perhaps, he'll have to go another way…)

"Do you really think so?" Coriolanus asks. "I won't lie and say I haven't considered the presidency, but I'm simply unsure if it's the job for me. It's a lot of pressure, you know."

"And so is being Gamemaker, but you've handled that brilliantly." Livia gets the feeling that he's fishing for compliments, but she's still happy to give into him. There's no way in hell Coriolanus hasn't personally considered becoming the president. At the very least, Livia can't have been the first person to suggest it to him.

"Please Livia," he coos, and oh is that red in his cheeks?

She glances down at her menu, looking over the names of all the fancy drinks. She tries not to pay too much attention to him in what very well may be a moment of weakness. Livia's more than happy to indulge in preserving the dignity Coriolanus clearly values highly.

After a silence long enough to have its presence felt, Coriolanus speaks once again.

"I have considered the presidency a lot, I'll have you know." His voice is soft and low, unlike anything Livia's previously heard from him. "There's just so many unknowns. Panem's never had to choose a new president, and Ravenstill is very much alive at the moment. I think we both know his days are numbered, but when he does finally drop, who's to say I'll be best fitted to fill his shoes."

"Well you can always prepare yourself now," Livia says with a smile. "That's why I wanted to meet with you. I have an idea, so to speak."

"And what's that?" Coriolanus leans forward.

Before Livia can answer him, a waitress comes over to the table with a notebook and a pen. She asks them, "Could I get either of you two started with a drink?"

"We'll both have whisky on the rocks," Coriolanus blurts out. He gives the waitress a hurried wave until she flees their vicinity, then sighs. "What an unfortunate interruption. What were you saying, Livia?"

Is this what it's like when Coriolanus Snow is genuinely interested in what you have to say? Livia hopes her face isn't completely flush.

"Well first, I'd like to ask you a question," she begins, her palms sweating. "What's the public's biggest apprehension about Ravenstill?"

Livia knows his answer before he says it.

"He's single and always has been. They wonder, if he can't commit to a partner, how is he to commit to making good choices for our country."

"Very good," Livia replies. "Do you know what that means for you? Assuming you're not—"

"I'm not…" Coriolanus mumbles. It takes every ounce of self-control that Livia Cardew's ever had to not smile in fulfillment. "I'm not seeing anybody right now. Does that mean I'm screwed?"

"Of course not," she answers him. "I know somebody who'd be more than willing to marry you. Not even out of love, just because she thinks you both would be able to benefit."

"And who would that be?" He teases her. Livia wishes he sounded a bit more enthusiastic, but she's learned to take what she can get with him.

She presses her lips into a firm line. "Don't play dumb. You know the answer."

"I don't, please tell me." Coriolanus chuckles. It's the most lighthearted state Livia's ever seen him in and she quite likes it. His smile's exquisite; she wishes she could see it more often. "Who wants to marry me, and what would they get out of it?"

"Well, she'd get her freedom. I hear she's desperate for a stable income, and being first lady would give her just that. She's very agreeable, and would let you do whatever you wanted. Hell, I hear she doesn't even need to sleep in the same room as you. She's willing to give you a reason the people trust you so long as you're willing to get her name out there." Livia explains, trying her damndest not to tear up. "I know because well… she's me."

"You don't say?" He bursts out into laughter. It nearly seems out of character for him to be so expressive. Luckily, Coriolanus returns to his naturally aloof demeanor before Livia can make an embarrassing comment. "I'm well… flattered, to say the very least."

Now what's that supposed to mean?

She nearly puts her heart out on her sleeve for him, and this is how he responds? Livia doesn't expect him to instantly fall for her, but some consideration would be nice. How fooling of her to get her hopes up.

"Well…"

"It'll be a pleasure doing business with you," Coriolanus drawls. "…Mrs. Snow."

(This very well may be the biggest mistake Livia Cardew ever makes, but as far as she's concerned, she's golden.)

Old Money - Lana Del Rey

An odd second prologue? Yes, but an important one too. Last prologue focused on Coriolanus' professional life prior to the events of the fic, so I decided it would be fitting to turn our attention to his personal life. Those of you who've read later on in my verse definitely have drastic opinions on Livia, so I'm curious to see if this has changed anything. If you hate her even more, I completely understand, because lowkey same. I did in fact cringe several times while writing this. But hey, at least now she's not randomly the District Six Escort, and she didn't conspire with Snow in the middle of the Games.

I'll shut up now, because I know you're all waiting for the cast list. I received about twice as many fabulous submissions than slots available and had to make some difficult choices in order to finalize this cast. So many in fact, I wound up taking more than twelve. If I didn't accept your Tribute, know that it doesn't mean anything regarding how I feel about you, as there really, truly, were so many impeccable submissions. I cannot emphasize enough how insanely hard you all went off. If your child wasn't one of the few that I could take and you want to talk about what led me to this decision and how you can improve in the future, you know where to find me. For a lot of these kids, they'd function great in another story, but I needed a very specific cast here if I wanted to tell the story that I do wish to tell.

But yeah, as always, there is a blog for the story, which can be found at wtp2 . weebly . com. The fifteen POV Tributes as well as the 9 non-POV fillers I conjured with my mind can be found under the Tributes tab, but I do recommend exploring the whole blog, because I have never worked so hard on a blog in my entire time on this website. So what I'm saying, is that I sort of popped the fuck off. I know people don't really do blog reviews these days, but if you feel like it, I will actually be in love with you and bear your children. Thank you Erik for gassing up the blog every thirty seconds and being the witness to all of my madness. Everyone, be like Erik.

This time around, not all of the introduction chapters will take place before the Reapings. There'll be two sets of Pre-Reapings, two featuring the Reaping ceremony, and one which occurs on the train. Each chapter will introduce us to three of our lovely (or not so lovely, depending on your judgment) Tributes.

Thank you once again for so many incredible submissions, and for the most impeccable cast I've ever had the absolute privilege of writing for. These fifteen kids are absolutely phenomenal and I already love them with everything I have. I hope they blow you all away the same way they did when I read their forms. Alright; that's all for now. I'll see you on Monday the 30th with our first introduction chapter, but until then, I wish you all the best.

Fuck this shit, I'm out,
Linds