EVERMORE ⎯⎯⎯⎯ CORIOLANUS SNOW

vi. cruel suggestions

-ˋˏ [     EVERMORE,    ] ˎˊ-
𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐗  ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
❛ CRUEL SUGGESTIONS. ❜

     THE DOORS TO THE ROOM SWUNG OPEN WITH FULL FORCE. Selah's head, along with all of the other mentors, snapped up from looking down at her notebook and landed her gaze on Coriolanus Snow. He kept his eyes trained to the ground as he made his way to his assigned seat next to Clemensia and Sejanus.

Dean Highbottom had been the only one in the room who hadn't bothered to look up. His focus was set entirely on the papers in front of him, but his mind whirled with anger at the Snow boys action. "Your little excursion is in violation of about 5 different academy rules, Mr.Snow. Amongst them, endangering a Capital student."

"What? Who?" He fired back, looking down at the man. As far as he knew, no one was endangered and no one had gotten hurt. Aside from the purple bruise on his back from tumbling out of the truck and onto a rock.

"You. I'm moving for the Gamemakers to disqualify you as mentor immediately." Selah's eyebrows pinched together in worry. If Coriolanus was no longer a mentor, everything she had planned would come tumbling down. She could kiss the Plinth Prize goodbye, for sure.

"You said we had to get our tributes to perform, not that we had to stay away," Coriolanus fought back, leaning onto the table in front of him. Selah shifted in her seat, trying to ignore the way his muscles flexed out of anger.

"Holding her hand, Coryo?" Arachne spoke up. "Introducing her to people. You make it look as if we're one in the same as those animals." Selah exhaled harshly through her nostrils, though resisted the urge to say something to the pigtail wearing bitch.

"Coriolanus didn't show those people anything they didn't already know." Everyone's attention now shifted over to Sejanus, who had far enough with the degrading and unfair treatment the Districts were given.

"I don't need your help, Sejanus."

"That the tributes are human beings. Just like us. That's why nobody wants to watch the games, because people know, deep down, that winning a war ten years ago doesn't justify starving peoples children and taking away their freedoms, their rights."

"You fell down in the cage." Selah's whole body jumped at the sound of Volumnia Gaul's voice suddenly echoing throughout the room. "Down in the cage, but you landed..."

"On stage," Coriolanus finished.

"You're good at this. Maybe one day you'll be a Gamemaker like me." Selah clenched her teeth. All he did was fall into a cage and introduce his tribute to a few kids. Why was he getting praise from Volumnia herself?

"That's if the Games continue at all," Dean Highbottom said, clearly not fond of the idea that they would continue to happen. The Games constantly ate at him. A reminder that it was all his fault. Something he started, yet, could no longer control.

     "Oh, they'll continue. With performances like young Mr.Snows in that zoo," She gestures towards Coriolanus, who only looked away, appearing to be uncomfortable in the woman's spotlight. He could hear the scoff come from behind him. It was quiet, but menacing, and he could tell Selah wasn't enjoying the conversation. "And I came here to ask your star mentor, in question," There was long pause as everyone looked at each other. "What are the Hunger Games for?"