HEART OF GOLD | CORIOLANUS SNOW

𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 5

Computers. That was Olympia's true interest—beauty products aside. She delighted in everything from designing software to assembling drones. As the most junior Heavensbee of her generation, and with two elder brothers, one would imagine her parents wouldn't interfere with what she studied. Well, her parents didn't—her father did.

Perseus Heavensbee was the youngest and, so happened, least remarkable amongst three brothers. What validation he'd failed to attain as a youth he now sought through his children, and he was hellbent on earning his father's approval. Hermes Heavensbee—General Gramps to Olympia and the trio—had been military, but unlike her brothers, who'd caved and enlisted in the armed and air forces respectively, Olympia's concession ended at a double major in computer and military science. If there was one thing she loved more than cosmetics and electronics, it was defying her father's will.

Lilith, on the other hand, never even wanted to attend university—her passion lay in fashion, for which no formal tertiary training existed—but had resigned herself to it. Once the sole heiress to the Gold empire, she had the responsibility of carrying on the family business. While her five-year-old half-brother had relieved her of this burden, she'd struck a deal with her father to finish her education, essentially fulfilling his dreams, before chasing her own.

At the end of the day, heiress or not, Lilith still belonged to an exclusive, privileged, elite club and, somehow, the notion that a member of one of the wealthiest and most prominent families in the city not having a degree was unthinkable. Besides, she'd promised her mother: "Give him what he wants..."

Free from the pressure and constraints of becoming a phenomenal businesswoman, and with her extraordinary intellect, Lilith had her pick of the lot. Her decision had been simple—she just went along with whatever Athena and Olympia chose. If she was going to university, she might as well do it with her best friends.

Military science was the natural choice. Lilith harbored no particular hate nor love for it, and considered herself neutral towards the Hunger Games. The only thing she didn't quite like about them was that they stirred up memories of her mother's last days, but that was more of an unlucky coincidence in terms of timing rather than by any fault of the Games themselves.

Consequently, she had no difficulties embarking on their assignment. Actually, her fondness for a subject had never been a factor in determining whether or not she tackled her homework; perhaps the sequence in which she did, but never the quality of the final product. It had been her mother's teaching that one ought to pour their utmost into everything they did, because only then could they live with themselves—with a clear conscience.

"Keep your head down, do your best, and you'll have no regrets."

The same could not be further from the truth for Olympia. Queen of the bare minimum, she had it down to a science. Conversely, if—and only if—it was something she felt strongly about, she would invest more than even a hundred percent. Things like their friendship, her precious drones, dolling up her face, and disobeying her father had the honor of being in this category. So, as Olympia typed away on her PhiBook Air, Lilith didn't even have to look to be assured she was not working on her Gamemaking essay, like they were supposed to.

It was the following Monday night, after a weekend that had been spent reveling in summer's fading act and gushing over being invited to another adult party—as an equal too! Even Olympia was excited, because she had one more excuse to dress up to the nines and not even her father could object. As they returned to the reality of school, Athena had suggested—fine, dictated—that they started on their papers proper. The trio had gathered at Lilith's, which had been their regular study haunt since their days at the Academy. They'd tried out the school's library initially, but the librarian, Madam Enola Supersad, was a miserable middle-aged spinster who was as bitchy as Olympia. Only, she had the added authority of throwing them out.