────── #two
word count: 3.2k
❝ caroline winters ❞
POV: CARIAD
7 ATT
Cariad Landas and Caroline Winters were two entities sharing one vessel. Caroline was her alter-ego when playing a round of Capitol Girls with Chassis back in Six, but utilized to fit in when she moved. Now that she integrated herself into their territory, there were days when she was more Caroline than Cariad.
Caroline Winters prided herself in the wealth that brought her family to the Capitol, Cariad Landas felt intense vexation course through her body every time she put on a piece of gold jewelry. Caroline was clueless and self-centered; Cariad was hidden beneath the mask, absorbing every detail that could be used for later. Caroline received secrets, and Cariad? Well... Who needs to know that?
But one thing this vessel showed in both Caroline and Cariad was a love for photography.
She looked through the newly printed pictures that she set on her library's table, quietly boasting her improving skills as a photographer. A few were of her new Capitol friends, Clemensia and Lysistrata, during an impromptu photoshoot at the Corso. One was of Sejanus in an empty classroom, reading over a monologue just before literature class. Three were of her acquaintances; they were shot on a whim, usually when she had a vision that she direly needed to execute (and they were the only subjects around). This was so common in school, they coined the term vision victim to address anyone who found themselves posing for her camera.
Most were of her boyfriend, Dolion Vespertine, during a picnic date they had the past weekend. She loved the way she captured his soft green eyes and luscious brown locks in the warm light of a sunset.
Her most favorite one was taken by her father, Samson, during a phone call with Chassis where they both smiled at the lens -- Chassis from the grainy screen and Cariad from her cushioned velvet chair. It was slightly blurred, off center, and in poor lighting; but it was taken by her favorite parent, and with her favorite person. She grinned at it before placing it back in the safety of her folder.
She, Sejanus, and Coriolanus were all supposed to work on a history presentation together. Cariad rarely spoke with the latter before, only hearing good things from her fellow district-born. Coriolanus usually partnered with Clemensia or Io for school projects, but due to Clemensia's absence and Io abandoning him for her crush, he settled for the only pair without a third person. With the way his jaw tightened when the professor said Cariad's name (which he quickly replaced with a smile when their eyes met), she couldn't help but feel the slightest bit of offense by his presence.
But did she show it? No. Of course not. Cariad Landas was suspicious, yes, but Caroline Winters trusted wholeheartedly.
While tapping her pen on the table, a pair of hands clasp over her eyes. She lets out a squeal, but the librarian at the front desk hushed her. "Guess who," a voice like honey whispered.
"Hmm, Highbottom?" Cariad giggled.
The boy laughed melodically before removing his hands from her eyes. Dolion. She admired the curvature of his jawline as he placed his chin on her shoulder. "I think I'm a few inches taller," he joked, turning her eyes into crescents as she smiled. Dolion wrapped his strong arms around her and his lips found hers, soon traveling down to her chin, jaw, and neck. "What are you doing?" He rests his chin on her shoulder.
"Ohh, I'm just laying them out," Cariad answered, "admiring them."
"You're admiring Fling and Plinth?" Dolion scoffed while taking a picture of Dennis raising a glass of posca as he made a toast in the opera house. "Whatever do you need this for? He's not even your friend."
Cariad reached up to take it from him, but he extended his hand upward. "Dolly, I was admiring the shots," she explained sternly. "With Sejanus, I procrastinated on an assignment, and needed one more picture. He was right there. Remember when I kept asking you to be my subject, but you said you were too busy?" Dolion looked down in embarrassment, ears turning red. "For this one, Dennis and I were partnered for photography class. It's my best picture to date. Look how cinematic it is! The light from behind him creates a dramatic outline of his silhouette, and the shadow--"
"It's good," Dolion interrupted, his arm lowered. "But you took better ones. Like this one." He slid another picture in front of her, one of Lysistrata standing over the edge of the Corso's fountain, her arms spread out as she smiled with her eyes closed. Cariad poked her cheek with her tongue as she made another move to grab the picture of Dennis Fling, but he pulled his arm back again with a teasing smile.
"Give it back." He raised a brow. "Dolion, It's going into my portfolio or I won't get a grade. Give it back." The use of his first name and her assertiveness stunned him into place, allowing her to take the picture from his hand. Cariad quickly stacked the photographs in a neat pile, then put them aside at the corner of the desk.
"I'm sorry, beautiful. You should've said that, I would've understood." He buried his face further into the crook of her neck, and she let him while her hands found his hair, playing with the strands. "Lemme make it up to you. You have plans for the weekend? I was thinking of going out to Laurent's," he mumbled against her skin.
Cariad twiddled with the pen between her fingers. "I told you, I'm going to a birthday gala. You remember the Rings, right?" she reminded him, and had been since receiving the invitation. A playful pout formed on Dolion's lips, and she quickly placed a hand over his. "You're so forgetful! If you really don't want me to leave your side, why don't you join me as my plus one? They said I could bring one," she suggested. Lysistrata and Clemensia have pestered her about meeting Dolion, only seeing the older boy in passing when he dropped Cariad off to class.
"The only upperclassman in a room with a bunch of underclassmen?" Dolion asked rhetorically while taking the seat beside her. "No, thank you. But you go have fun, alright?"
"Why does it matter if they're underclassmen?" Cariad muttered. He wore his seniority like a badge of honor, and often held a distaste for those in the years younger than him. She was the exception. "You all have a lot of common."
"Pretty girl, they're childish," Dolion cooed as if it were obvious, twirling a strand of his hair between his fingers.
Cariad furrowed her brows. "I'm their age, Dolly." She rolled her eyes playfully, "And stop calling me that."
"You're different. And I love pet names," Dolion hummed quietly. When she kept silent, he resumed. "Take Harrington, for example. I mean, his nickname's Pup, and he's very umm... Well, he doesn't have table manners, don't you think?" She didn't respond. There was truth in his statement, but it felt wrong speaking ill of him when he had been civil with her so far. "You've all got a lot to learn. That Jasper girl's a know-it-all, Canville is a ticking time bomb, Plinth is too passionate of a district-born unlike you--"
"What do you mean by that?" she mumbled, retreating her hand to return it to her lap. Dolion leaned in to kiss her again, but she placed a firm hand on his chest. "Dolly, I'm serious. What'd you mean by that?" she asked again. "I mean, I'm passionate too, right?"
Cariad wasn't as vocal of her hatred for the Games as Sejanus, but she made up for it in the way she doted on its beauty. Beautiful people, beautiful homes, beautiful hearts, all housed within a beautiful community that took care of one another. She knew she was looking at Six through rose-tinted glasses as a former resident of Peregrine Court, but the district folk had more integrity in their pinky than majority of the Capitol. She spoke so fondly of Chassis, her adventures in the eastern districts, and their phone calls together. Cariad recollected memories of Six, pleasant ones too, with the understanding that Dolion saw humanity in the districts.
Was she not doing enough to represent her home? Should she do more? But if she did more, how would they treat her?
Sweet, sweet Cariad Landas lived a life untainted by the war and thought a district was better than the Capitol? They'd think she went mad.
"Baby, I just mean that... He directs all his anger on the wrong people," Dolion replied quickly while stroking her hair. "Sejanus gets angry at the kids, not at the people who made the darn Games. You know me, darling, I'd never..."
Her speechlessness allowed him to plant a deep kiss on her lips in an attempt to melt her concerns away. Cariad had been so graceful with these Capitol kids, so understanding... Why not give her boyfriend the same grace? She did care for him! Truly. She might've even went as far as to say that she had fallen in love! She adores him.
She adores him.
She adores him.
She adores him.
Behind her, someone cleared his throat, and Cariad jumped away from Dolion's reach. She looked up to see a tired look on her friend's face. "Ohh, Sejanus!" she gasped, standing up to give him a quick hug. "I didn't see you there! My Dolly was just too excited to see me, but I swear I didn't forget the presentation." As she sat down, Sejanus sent her a forgiving smile, which dropped once his eyes were on Dolion.
"We were busy," muttered her boyfriend, sending him a glare.
"This is a library," Sejanus replied dully, far too used to Dolion's quips. He dragged a chair closer to Cariad's and sat on it, bringing out his own notebook and pencils to sprawl out on the desk. "Coryo will be here shortly. He's just asking the professor something," he whispered.
"Of course," Cariad responded understandingly.
Sejanus leaned forward to take a look at Dolion. "Will you be staying here?" She could hear the hopefulness in his voice. Please don't stay here. That's what he really meant. Cariad had waited weeks for them to get along; Chassis was over the moon, Clemensia and Lysistrata were eager to meet him, but Sejanus always avoided the topic whenever she asked for his honest thoughts on Dolion. She saw glimpses of the truth with each interaction.
He and Sejanus rarely got along, and she couldn't tell why. Festus Creed made advances once in their (unbeknownst to him) first few days of dating, but he didn't bat an eye. One of his friends, which she honestly forgot the name of, asked if they could 'swap' girlfriends, and he waved him off dismissively. But when Sejanus, a family friend she knew longer than she'd known Dolion, asked what time the reservation was for their families' gathering, she saw his fists balled up under the table.
"I have to meet up with a few of the guys," he answered. Sejanus looked like he was resisting the urge to pump his fist in the air, but gave a curt nod instead.
Dolion stood up from his chair when a tall, blonde boy arrived at the table, likely deeming the library too crowded for his tastes. He gave the side of her head a kiss, mumbling a goodbye, then left. Coriolanus sat down in the seat beside Sejanus, "Sorry I'm late, I had to clarify a few things."
"That's alright," spoke Sejanus.
"Ahh, you're the famous Coriolanus Snow," said Cariad. He only scoffed in response. "You're the best friend his parents always talk about. I think they like you more than they like their son."
"I'm sorry for being a good friend, really am," he replied sarcastically, then turned to Sejanus. "No hard feelings."
Unaware of the earlier commotion, Coriolanus rambled about the stupidity of the project, which was a deep dive into the industry of a district of choice, as he took out his own set of papers and pencils. Their district was Seven. Two and Six were taken; you'd think the students would be more gracious to let those be vacant.
"And Cariad's drawing the infographic, right?" he asked once his rant finished, meeting eyes with her.
"Would we be okay with glitter on it, or is it too feminine for you boys?" Cariad questioned, her hand resting on her chin. Sejanus snickered quietly and gave her an approving nod. "And you, Coryo-- ohh, can I call you that? What do we think about a little pizzazz on the poster?" Coriolanus stared at her, as if to study her intentions, but she maintained steady eye contact and a sickeningly sweet smile that almost unsettled him. After a beat, the blonde huffed.
"You can call me Coryo," he voiced plainly, then mustered up a chuckle. "And sure, add glitter."
The trio worked diligently and finished preparations for their presentation at exactly five in the afternoon. Cariad offered Coriolanus a ride to his apartment, which he strictly rejected. He claimed that his driver would pick him up since he was on his way, and would meet him at the front.
Corwin arrived in the family's boxy black car and gave Coriolanus a wave. Sejanus entered the backseat while Cariad hopped into the passenger's side, where she was greeted with a kiss on her head from her brother. As he drove out, Cariad turned around to check on her new acquaintance one last time, only to see him walking across the lawn of the Academy. No car. No driver. Just him. Cariad's brows knitted together at the sight.
Does Coriolanus Snow have an invisible car and driver, or what?
"Invisible people don't exist, right?" Cariad asked Corwin after they dropped Sejanus off at his place. She could've worded that differently, but she just needed proof she wasn't going mad.
He deadpanned at her while pulling out of the driveway. "Did we put you through all that Capitol education just for you to come out dumb?"
A classic Corwin response. That was the proof she was looking for.
⋆
On the day of the gala, Corwin brought her to the Rings' large mansion. She wore a custom dress from the one and only Fabricia Whatnot; an off-the-shoulders dress made of pale blue silk, the flowing skirt reaching just past her knees. Her brooch included forget-me-not flowers and a silver locomotive charm that reminded her of home. In her diamond studded purse, her camera.
She had found the twins and placed their gifts in the pile at the corner of the humongous conference room. They wore dark green velvets with gold accents; Apollo in a cape that draped over his shoulders, and Diana wore a floor-length gown that trailed behind her. She gathered the twins together and took a picture with the intention of handing it to them once they got together for class.
It was far too grand for commemorating fifteen years of living. What was so important about the age, anyway? The mirrorball at the center stage was encrusted with emeralds. A pyramid of drinking glasses filled with posca and sparkling cider were stacked at the entrance on a circular table. The tall Grecian pillars in the room were wrapped with vines and daisies. Cariad swore she saw yellow diamonds in the centers of the flowers. When they saw Cariad's confounded face at the size of their party, they laughed similarly. Diana explained to her that their birthdays grew more extravagant each year, starting at the age of ten. By their twentieth, they would have more control over their celebrations.
She searched for more familiar faces as the twins spoke to another adult she presumed to be their mother, taking pictures of the venue as she strolled about. Cariad had hoped to find Sejanus, Lysistrata, or Clemensia, but the group she found was rather manageable: Coriolanus Snow, Arachne Crane, Dennis Fling, Persephone Price, and Pliny "Pup" Harrington were huddled near the food table... Which was surprising to her. Coriolanus avoided Persephone like the plague, but she supposed boredom overrode fear at times. This was one of those times. Cariad never understood it, Persephone was actually nice. Dennis, as far as she knew, was kind too. Vipsania she was civil with, but rarely talked to. Arachne, she didn't want to talk to.
She made her steps quiet as she approached them as Coriolanus spoke up. "I don't know why he can't be more like Cariad," he said with a laugh. He was talking about Sejanus. Even in a party celebrating the Ring twins, they couldn't keep his name out of their mouth or stop comparing him to her. It seemed the others were quiet, merely listening in on rant. "He's tolerable, but I suppose we can all agree that Landas is more... Assimilated."
This was the boy that prided himself in being Sejanus' closest friend?
"It's that Vespertine upperclassman she's making out with all the time," Arachne, who stood beside him, snarked. The conversation was between them, but the others listened in. "Guess they share both ideologies and saliva." Pup choked on his strawberry tart at the comment.
Time to intervene.
"Ohh, allow me!" Cariad exclaimed while patting Pup's back. The group took a step back as she moved closer to assist Pup, who looked up with her with gratitude once his dilemma had been settled and the tart swiftly moved down his esophagus. Pup mumbled a weak greeting, which she reciprocated with an embrace.
Dennis greeted her enthusiastically. "Cariad Landas! Always a pleasure to see you." Cariad grinned and gave him a bear hug, offering one to each person as she went down the line: Persephone, Arachne (who almost recoiled), and finally Coriolanus.
"You all look so lovely," she gushed while pulling away from his stiffened body, like her hugs were something to shy away from.
"We were discussing our outfits! Coryo's suit is stunning," Persephone chimed in quickly, probably to keep Arachne from spewing more anti-district nonsense. Coriolanus widened his eyes as he glanced at Persephone. "Where did you get it again?"
He cleared his throat. "Just got it today at Quintessa. I was feeling impulsive." The conversation continued as more of friends started to filter in: Clemensia first, Lysistrata next, and Sejanus last. The room started to fill up with other elites in their grade. The initial group sent each other knowing glances before the topic moved on to the height of the two birthday cakes. It was large, almost Apollo's height if he were to stand on the table.
Cariad swirled the cider in her glass as she glanced at the blood red three-piece suit on Coriolanus' body. He didn't get it today, nor did he get it at Quintessa. He got it tailored by his cousin, Tigris, at Fabricia Whatnot's shop that Friday. She saw Tigris behind the counter patching up the sleeves of a blood red suit. She asked if she knew her cousin after recognizing the horrendous uniform on the Landas, and Cariad replied that they were working together on a project. When Fabricia demanded for a coffee, Tigris stuffed the suit under a pile of fabrics and ran to the nearest coffee shop.
No car. No driver. No true friendship. No suit from Quintessa. Just a pile of lies, and a Snow on top of it all.
How... Interesting.
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Hello! I hope you enjoyed this one
over here! Don't know how you
guys feel about Dolion, but let's
just say it was a pain to write his
kissing scenes with Cariad! I've
never written so much in one
chapter... It gets exhausting.
Don't mind Cariad being a teensy
bit stupid with love. She's a funsy
little teenager trying to make it in
the Capitol, and teenagers can be
a little dense sometimes. Let's give
her a bit of grace!
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