' i come as a blade, a sacred guardian
so you keep me sharp and test my worth
IN BLOOD '
DIVINE VIOLENCE
THE HUNGER GAMES, ALTERNATE UNIVERSE
clato | standalone
IT IS A WELL KNOWN FACT THROUGHOUT THE NATION OF PANEM that citizens of District 2 possess a penchant for violence that seems to run vein-deep. Perhaps even carved into their very souls from birth, those who hail from the mountainous regions of the country's masonry centre are hardwired for destruction. Clove Kentwell is no exception.
Dubbed The Red Maiden after her brutal Games and untimely Victory at only fifteen years old, nearly a decade later she remains haunted by her brush with death. Callous, moody and constantly chasing distractions, Clove's one saving grace from the life she has been abandoned to is her job at her District's prestigious training Academy, where she teaches future careers in the art of the knife. It had once been the perfect vice, until he came along.
Amongst a District of princes and young kings, Cato Hadley is a god. After his dangerous mix of golden charm and deadly swordplay not only carried him to the crown during the 75th Hunger Games, but also won the heart of all Panem, the devastatingly handsome Victor became an instant icon. Even amongst others of his status, the pedestal occupied by Cato Hadley soars beyond the clouds. Practically worshipped by a collective of adoring fans, his life appears to be divine. But even gods can become playthings to those who know their secrets.
Despite the differences in their worlds, their shared hatred for one another, forces seemingly beyond their control continue to draw them together - passionately, magnetically, in ways they cannot explain. And their no-strings-attached arrangement has worked well enough until recent. But when the reaping rolls around and Clove finds herself with no choice but to accompany Cato to the Capitol as one of this year's mentors - something she's managed to avoid, and quite happily so, to this day - the potential for chaos is unfathomable. For the Capitol's dark and secretive nightlife is far wilder than she feared.
But perhaps with a little help from a friend she too can learn to play god in this city.
It could save them both from ruin.
And it might even turn out to be fun.
AUTHOR'S NOTE - hello and welcome to divine violence. if you have not already been here then i invite you into the madness that is this story idea. if you have already been here then i'm sorry i keep taking this book up and down like a yoyo but the formatting and style kept annoying me. however i think it's perfect now so here we go again.
i would like to start by letting you all know that this is probably my favourite idea i have ever come up with. it's dark and gritty and definitely not for a younger audience, however i believe there are people here amongst my usual readers who will get as much of a kick out of this book as i do.
some info you may need to know before proceeding: divine violence is centred around an alternate panem in which katniss and peeta were never part of the 74th hunger games. the rebellion never occurred and so the games are still continuing many years later. we pick up the story on a much older clove and cato, who are 23/24 and have previously won games in their youth. they are, like most victors, pretty fucked up.
as a warning i would also like to express that this story explores themes touched upon during the original trilogy, centring around the treatment of victors by the capitol - namely a forced prostitution situation reminiscent of finnick odair's. if you are not comfortable with themes of this nature then i suggest proceed with caution into this book.
moving on from the serious stuff i would like to dedicate this book to my bestie @SuggletsAndMalfoys who continues to listen to my ridiculous rants about this book whilst i do no writing at all and procrastinate over my chapters (it has taken me about twenty tries to get the opening paragraph for this book right i wanted to stab myself in the eyes by the end). thank you for always being here a supportive even though my ideas are mildly psychotic sometimes <3
as always many thanks for clicking on this chaos and i hope you enjoy it. it will be different to anything you've read of mine and i'm excited to see what you all think. much love,
vee xx
DISCLAIMER - I do not claim any part of the original Hunger Games trilogy, or any accompanying work by Suzanne Collins. This is her property as the author. However much of my version of District 2 has been piled together from snippets and things we know about the District, its customs and culture. Of course I have no issue with anybody taking inspiration from my version of 2, but I will appreciate if credit is given as I am very proud of my headcanon 2 and what it has become over the years. This also goes for Cato and Clove's families and any other side characters not featured in the original series.
CONTENT WARNING - Please be aware before reading Divine Violence, of the following mature/potentially triggering themes. Substance abuse, mentions of sexual assault, graphic violence, blood and gore, graphic sex, kink (knifeplay, bloodplay, restraint etc.), strong language and trauma. Please enquire if you would like to know specific content warnings at the beginning of each chapter.
STATUS AND RECS -
start: march 2023
completed: tba
recommended settings, georgia second smallest
' oh hadley...
.....i thought we were done underestimating each other '
VEENYXX 2023