THE GOLDEN AGE, sejanus plinth

002. meeting sol

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CHAPTER TWO
MEETING SOL
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ARACHNE WAS, OF course, muttering some nonsense. It was two days later and Aurora had risen with the birds, like usually, while her cousin had slept until it had been almost noon.

The Reaping Day had been an unusual occurrence for both of them, but now they seemed to be back to normality. The girls were glued to the television in the Cranes' living room. Arachne's father was off to work and her mother and brother were probably out in the city.

Aurora was munching on some fresh grapes, sighing every time her cousin would block her view of the television. The tributes were to arrive every moment.

"Arachne," Aurora scolded her younger cousin, now getting impatient at her restlessness.

The word almost echoed in the room, that could actually function as a small hall. The marble floor was laced with gold, Aurora's favorite color, and nothing about the furniture spoke about the brief time the Cranes had spent without a fortune.

Aurora still got the compensation for losing her father, a high ranking soldier, during the war, but that would end after her graduation. And her uncle had always been clever about how to cement his fortune, even after the travel industry had taken a hit.

"It's almost time," she replied, inches away from the screen. The impatience was practically jumping off her onto the marble ground and made its way over to the girl seated on the chaise lounge.

"I can't believe I got the girl from Ten," she scoffed, now tapping on the screen. The special broadcast hadn't started yet, there was just the casual news being presented by an elderly lady.

"You don't even know her yet. Maybe she'll surprise you," Aurora replied while eating another grape.

During the war they had survived on one stale loaf of bread. Six people, for two weeks, back when Aurora's mother Vesta had still been alive.

Maybe that had been the moment in which her taste for bread had died.

"You want one or...," she trailed off as she saw the broadcast being interrupted by live footage from the zoo.

Lucky Flickerman, the weather reporter, stood before the camera with the monkey house in the background. It wasn't quite possible, but Arachne crept even closer to the screen.

"Oh, come on, Arachne," Aurora let out again, but the other just waved her off. And in that moment, she jumped up herself and joined her cousin in front of the tv screen.

"What on earth is he doing there?" She looked at her younger cousin, confusion written on her face, not noticing the squashed grape between her fingers.

Coriolanus Snow, from right across the Corso, her oldest friend, was standing in the monkey house, right next to his tribute.

"Is this even allowed?" Arachne asked her, but she could only shrug her shoulders. They hadn't gotten any kind of instructions, she had thought they would follow once the tributes would arrive.

"Did your teachers tell you to be here, Coriolanus?" Lucky asked him in right this moment.

He put on a soft smile, obviously trying to charm the audience before he replied, "They didn't tell me not to."

Aurora had to admit — that had been a genius move from her friend. He had acted quicker than everybody else and was now on his way to present his tribute to the Capitol. Like she wasn't already the one everyone was talking about.