HEART OF GOLD | CORIOLANUS SNOW

𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 14

By Tuesday, the storm had all but waned. The day was said to be overcast but dry, with south-westerly breezes picking up again in the evening. So, dressed in her selected outfit, Lilith additionally wrapped a scarf around her neck and donned a midweight trench coat to act as a wind breaker. She wouldn't have time to head home and change afterwards: Although her lessons were only in the afternoon, it was a schedule packed to the brim. Her last leadership seminar would end at half past five, granting Lilith only a thirty-minute break—her first since lunch—before her session with Snow.

Her saving grace was that everything was confined to the same building: the University Science Center. While she didn't have class in the morning, this time was instead dedicated to her thesis research, which she conducted in Professor Kay's lab in Basement 3. The Arena's interview hadn't derailed that, and after more than ten hours, the bouncy waves she'd curled into her chestnut tresses approximated the storm—practically subsided, destined not to survive those south-westerly draughts.

After a brief touch up of powder and the light pink lipstick that complimented her top, Lilith decided she looked sufficiently smart and risked brushing out the ends of her hair. Thankfully, her liberal application of mousse had allowed some retention of volume, and whatever slight undulations remaining lent her mane more life than if it were without. Olympia faced no such struggles: her bun was plump and immaculate, emulating the ballerina classic to a tee. With her crisp black jumpsuit and the neutral palette she opted for, she radiated professionalism.

Athena accompanied them to the fifth floor, where Mr. Dolittle had booked two small tutorial rooms for the proceedings. With just under fifteen minutes to spare for Lilith, they encountered fellow Gamestudier Longinus Deadcock in the hallway, appearing simultaneously wounded and furious, and had apparently just missed Jason in the Rhodium, which served as the waiting area. Students who'd finished were not allowed to return and mingle; likewise, those not lined up for the day were restricted entry. Athena thus bid them good luck and left for the library. They would reassemble there before going out for dinner together.

Instructed to sit anywhere they preferred within the interactive classroom, Lilith and Olympia settled into adjacent places at one of the hexagonal tables. Ptolemy, who was due between them, hadn't arrived. While Olympia whipped out her cordless, Lilith retrieved the stack of note cards she'd prepared for the presentation. Quite the opposite of Athena, Lilith was more persuasive with a pen. Building palaces out of paragraphs was second nature, but to convince others that the grandeur wasn't all just ink on paper, she performed best when rehearsed. As she mouthed her memorized speech, Olympia piped up.

"Shall we hear it, then?" She'd looked up, but her cordless was still wide open, the pull-out screen still lit with her paused game. Lilith smiled and shook her head.

"Thanks, but I think I'll be okay."

"Yeah, it's not like you're valedictorian or anything," Olympia quipped, and Lilith had to shudder.

"Don't remind me."

Being conferred the honour had been both the greatest source of pride as well as stress of Lilith's Academy career. She was glad the University had no such tradition of having the top student deliver the final address to their entire cohort at graduation, so there wasn't any headache of attempting to cede her position to someone else; she had absolutely no desire of reliving that experience again.

Today was child's play by comparison. Lilith's only objective was to do her best, and even if she did somehow embarrass herself, it would only be in front of one person—instead of four hundred, their parents, and their teachers.

Ptolemy came in then. Marking his attendance with Mr. Dolittle, he plopped down at the same table but not directly next to either of them. Upon nodding his hello, he replaced his headphones and gave his undivided attention to the video streaming on his cordless. Olympia followed suit, albeit punching her thumbs against the thin display as she presumably battled some mythical beast to fulfil her fictional quest.