Pandora's Box || Coriolanus Snow

Chapter 6 - Ulterior Motives

Coriolanus

In the past hour, Coriolanus had discovered that the best way to get Pandora to warm up to him was to disclose information about himself that made him appear more gentle than he actually was. Everything he said had been the whole truth surprisingly. Maroon clothing made his eyes pop, and a pit filled his stomach when he remembered that he'd never be comforted by the rosey scent of his mother's powder again. The trick, he found, was to get personal, but only as deep as she herself was willing to go.

    If he was certain of one thing, it was that he had no desire to go any farther than the basics. He hated when she mentioned her brother. For the most part, his name had fallen into obscurity. People either found it too painful to speak his name, or truthfully didn't care all that much. Not Pandora though. She refused to move on.

    Seeing her in front of him now—in his coat, with the necklace Sejanus bought her hanging from her neck, felt almost metaphorical. He didn't like it. He didn't like what the golden chain symbolized. He didn't like how the star charm reminded him of Lucy Gray and the Covey's strange belief in celestial bodies. What he did like though, was the dark red covering it all up, like a blanket of snow falling over a bed of frozen grass.

    He opened the door for her with a grin. She was still giggling about something he had said about Festus, although her demeanor had changed slightly. It was evident that she didn't like the positive reaction he had gaged from her. Stubborn, just as her father had said.

    When they walked in, Tigris and the Plinths were just past the foyer. Of course, his cousin being her usual self, ran up to give the both of them a hug. As expected however, her focus was more on Pandora. It made sense. Their relationship hadn't been the same since he got home.

    "Oh, Pandora you look absolutely perfect!" She beamed in typical Tigris fashion. She looked over the girl's outfit carefully, "That skirt fits you like a dream."

    It was hard not to agree. He should've known that it was her who had made it considering how he had taken special notice to it before they left for the Citadel. Pandora thanked his cousin with a shy grin, something that he had observed the previous times he had seen the two interact. Clearly the girl looked up to her.

    Tigris took notice to the burgundy draped over her shoulders and shot Coriolanus a look. It was more confused than malicious, but still a look nonetheless. He thought back to their phone call and her overt disapproval. He couldn't tell if the exchange caught Pandora's attention , but she did take it off and hang it up. At this point, Ma had approached them as well. The environment was utterly suffocating.

"Andie, what did I tell you about dressing for the weather?" Her reaction was opposite to his cousin's which made sense. He had become familiar with the sounds of Ma doting on her just as much as he had with those of Strabo lecturing her.

    He had found that Pandora never seemed to get mad at the woman. She'd let out a sigh or a huff but it was always followed by a sweet smile, "I know Ma, I'm sorry. It slipped my mind."

    And he was thankful that it did. By some miracle, their driver hadn't shown up. If that wasn't already lucky enough, she had given him the perfect opportunity to play 'nice guy' when she chose her outfit that day. When they first left the house he hadn't noticed the potential, although he had seen what she was wearing. He always did—because somehow each and every morning she found a way to find something that suited her to near perfection.