A Game of Loyalties || Coriolanus Snow

Chapter 2

Valyria POV

The lab is bustling with activity this morning. The tributes were currently minutes away from arriving in the Capitol aboard a grain and stock train. It was Gaul's idea to keep the tributes in the Capitol Zoo this year. It's times like these where Valyria just nods and goes along with whatever ridiculous thing Dr. Gaul is suggesting.

The television in the lab was on the weather forecast, brought enthusiastically to the viewers by Lucky Flickerman.

Valyria sits on a step stool tending to the rows of caged Jabberjays, supplying them with a bit of birdseed for now. They are here temporarily to have their recordings reset before they are moved to a permanent atrium.

The Jabberjays are a special project to Valyria. It was one of her first tasks when she first started working for Dr. Gaul. Now, Gaul has commissioned her to spearhead the project. It wasn't much work; most of the real work is happening in the districts where they were rounding the birds up.

Dr. Gaul is currently in communication with peacekeepers keeping her updated on the whereabouts of the tributes. Every now and then she'll ask, "Status?" To which the officer on duty will contact his superiors and reply, but never swiftly enough for Gaul's liking.

Valyria was zoning out, jotting down the tracking numbers of the jays when she heard Dr. Gaul. "They're in the armored truck now. You— change the channel!" She shouted at one of the lab technicians.

Valyria stands up from her seat and makes her way over to the television, crossing her arms as she stands beside Dr. Gaul who is watching intently. Lucky Flickerman appears yet again on screen, however, now he's in a new location.

"Ouch. Well, we'll give them a chance to stand up and catch their breath. I'm jealous of that entrance." Lucky Flickerman comments as the footage shows a heap of disoriented tributes who have just been dumped a height of at least fifteen feet from the armored vehicle.

Lucky Flickerman keeps talking, doing his whole signature coin trick and disclosing his location, but the only thing Valyria can focus on is the vibrant swash of scarlet in the enclosure with them. "Who is that?" She says pointing to the screen.

Dr. Gaul, who has already noticed it as well, stares directly at the screen, not missing a thing. Her eyebrow seems to quirk just a fraction. "That's a student..." She says quietly, impressed.

Flickerman seems to finally notice what is going on behind him and turns around. "What in the Gem of Panem? You see, that's the Academy rouge, no?"

The student, who Valyria now recognizes as he stands up, adjusts his blazer. The camera zooms in. He's all disheveled, his perfect hair askew and his expression tense. He's with his tribute, the singing girl, from District 12. Valyria could not have imagined a more bizarre arrival.

She watches, her brows knitted together as Coriolanus snaps the stem of a rose and places it behind his tribute's ear. Then, the two join hands and make their way to the edge of the enclosure. Valyria thought that maybe her impression of him yesterday, was wrong. Perhaps he really was just a fool. A fool for jumping into a cage with two dozen angry, Capitol-hating tributes.

But deep down, she knew better. He didn't end up on national television by accident.

"Hi. How do you do? My name is Coriolanus Snow. And this is my tribute, Lucy Gray Baird, from District 12." He spoke with surprising composure, smiling brightly to the spectators outside of the bars. Valyria realized it was the first time she'd heard his voice. It was polite, as she expected. She'd expected more arrogance though.