HEART OF GOLD | CORIOLANUS SNOW

𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 21

The Hunger Games division reminded Lilith of Gold Towers—or the Gold Pencil, a moniker influenced by its tall, pointed shape. Cubicles, like those she'd seen at the Triple G headquarters, were arranged neatly in the open area, occupied by Gamemakers who differed from the office workers at her father's company only in their dress.

It was much less formal here; she hadn't seen one male in a suit besides Snow himself. Separates were prevalent amongst the ladies as well, but mostly a blouse paired with slacks—even jeans. A sprinkling sported skirts, all neutral-coloured and mid-calf in length, including Gaia the secretary, who was nothing like what Lilith had imagined. The middle-aged woman had a bookish vibe about her and an orotund voice to match. Her smile was friendly enough, though, and it had been that which eased Lilith briefly.

In addition to all her distress, she had felt completely out of place even if she was just (to her) in a tweed above-the-knee dress. Granted, Mae had selected a piece from Friend, but she had done excellently to style it such that it wasn't fancy at all. At least that was Lilith's opinion, one that nobody on this floor seemed to share.

Room 1212 was situated at the end of the squarish space, so one had to cross the entire common office in order to reach the elevator. That didn't pose as much of a problem as it had before, for it had transformed dramatically in the time Lilith had been with Snow, even though it could only have been a matter of minutes.

With six o'clock had come the end of the workday, and the Gamemakers, who were ultimately civil servants, had emptied out for the most part. Now, the deserted desks and chairs had an eerie quality to them, augmented by the quiet clacking of a keyboard somewhere off to Lilith's right. She didn't look to check if it was a person causing the noise; she just wanted to get out of here.

Lilith hadn't given Gaia Penworth the chance to offer another dose of that comforting smile when she had collected her coat. Even if she had, she wasn't sure it would be supplied, for the waterworks had already started. The heels of her stiletto ankle boots dug into the carpet as she fought against her urge to run. There was hardly anyone around to see, but she had the feeling that Snow was still watching her, and even if he wasn't, that it would get back to him somehow, regardless. The thought unsettled and infuriated her all at once, and she refused to let him have that satisfaction.

At the lift lobby, where she was sure to be out of Snow's line of sight, Lilith finally dared to wipe her eyes and tried to look presentable again. She had made it here without encountering another soul, but there was no telling who might be in the elevator. No one, apparently, and she was lucky to have it all to herself until the doors dinged open on the ground level. But she wasn't yet safe.

Even here, amidst the columns of Citadel employees waiting to exit the building, Lilith felt incongruous. Dress codes at the other departments were ostensibly more conventional, but Mae's interpretation of business casual didn't conform to those either. Thankfully, people were more interested in moving up the queue than in her fashionable clothing, and Lilith didn't attract nearly as many stares as she had downstairs.

When it came her turn, she tapped her student ID at the gantry and proceeded mechanically through toward the security point. Her coat and bag were subjected to an X-ray scan while she had to walk through a metal detector. It went smoothly for her, and before long she was back on the plaza, where the skies appeared as bleak as she felt.

A storm was due tonight, and the air was already cooler. As Lilith soldiered her way toward the nearby city park, the long-sleeved turtleneck layered under her dress and her equally black leggings kept her warm while her trench coat shielded her from the winds, but it was only her willpower protecting her from falling apart, and that was shaky at best.