The Power of Gamemakers

A Lesson in Authority

I never did attend Dean Highbottom's funeral. The brief thought of me being made to sing at yet another display of the Capitols' refusal to die made me wince. However, this death was not as important as that. True, the 'founder' of the Hunger Games passing was taken by more public eye than the death of a morphling deserved. Still, just as expected, Highbottom was easily forgotten.

~🌹~

Making the familiar walk to Gaul's laboratories, I was surprised at how few students walked this section of Panem's university. Letures were held in the Military Strategies room here at the university. Field work was later in the internship at the Citadel.  New students and apprentices gathered at the doors. Dr. Gaul herself stood watch over the scene as more advanced students and scientists took down attendance, handing out schedules. Her head twisted towards me in away almost unnatural.

"Ah, young Mr. Snow. I took the liberty to create a special scheduling program featuring some advanced class reserved for second and third year students. I trust you can handle that given your academic ambitions."

"I'm confident they will not hinder me," I stated without missing a beat.

"Good... " she handed me the paper. I took it from her. Briefly considering the possibility of her hand turning into a snake ready to bite. I winced as the reminder of the snake bite in twelve. Gaul noticed this but said nothing.

I quickly turned as one of the third years regarded us, "First years! I'll be escorting you to your first class. Walk with me, but don't talk to me. I don't care who you are, how much money you have, nor what important patrons are sponsoring your education. You are irrelevant to me until you pass the trial period. Got it?" Everyone nodded except me. I doibt it mattered. This woman was sour, or worse, calculated. I dreaded the idea of another Highbottom. This one won't be so easy to rid of.

I observed her as she turned to walk down the halls. This woman was the opposite of Lucy Gray. Black slacks andbutton-upp open three buttons down, nocolourfull clothes in sight. Oddly, she wore no shoes. I only noticed after hearing her bare feet falling on what I imagine is cold, hard tile. Nothing like the rainbow girl except her hair; a dark red at the roots, leaking to a light copper in the middle and blonde on the ends. Only the truely wealthy of Panem could afford such an elaborate dye job. It was a custom more popular with one's trying to hide their hair turning grey and made to look more natural. Not the case since she was likely only two years older than myself at most. True, it wasn't rainbow, but it stood out as differently as Lucy Gray had. She looked like fire, burning everything in its path, burning her. As for her face, I hadn't looked long enough to tell if she was beautiful. Not that it mattered to anyone.

The others murmured about her rude attitude. Loud enough I knew she could hear, considering I could at the back of the pack. Little more than twenty students followed through the corridors into a large classroom. Twenty four being my exact count. The number of tributes in the Games. "Take your seats. I don't particularly care where, just do it," her hand gestured to the rising chairs and desks as she herself sat in the instructor's chair.I managed to pick a seat in the middle in the row, on the side near the door. Front and center was for desperate teacher pleasing students. Back was for those who didn't care as much or lacked confidence. By the door on the very end was for those wanting a quick escape, while farthest away was for those over confident they'll stay.

The fire woman half spun her chair left to right waiting for everyone to sit. A student instructing other students means Fire Woman must be good at her job and highly favoured by Gaul. However, once everyone sat, she still spun herself looking at the door. Maybe she was just an escort. Caring to little to actually be our instructor.

Several minutes passed. Most were watching the door too now. Finally, a woman in her late twenties raised her hand. Fire woman stopped and adjusted to face her, "We are not in grade school, speak."

Slowly putting her hand down, "Is someone coming or are you going to teach us?"

"Oh, I'm not a teacher," Fire woman rolled her chair back and leaned forward. Folding her hands together, elbows on her knees, she rested her head on her hands with a smirk on her face staring the woman down. It became apparent to me that everyone under Gaul's employment is slightly deranged. Everyone waited for Fire Woman to continue. She didn't.

A man stood up from the second row far from the door, "Listen, this is a waste of time. If you are not here to teach us, go get whoever is." Fire woman tilted her head to look at him. Then she shook her head no. Leaning back, she looked back at the door, twisting her chair. This has to be a joke. Some kind of test.

"Who are you looking for?" someone else yelled. Students were now getting riled up. Murmuring, yelling, some stayed seated, some stood up, and others like myself observed with confusion. The man in the front row walked to the door, talking about how ridiculous this was. Apparently, he was going to look for someone in charge to clear up whatever was going on. Fire Woman stood up as soon as he left and shut the door, which, as a result, shut up the room. Locking it behind him, she started chuckling, trying to hide her laughter poorly.

The man turned around and started jiggling the handle as if by some miracle it would unlock that time. He started banging on the door, and when that didn't work, he kicked it. Fire woman made a salute to the ceiling, which I noticed had a camera before unlocking the door and stepping back. An angry man barreling in, "Is this some sick joke? Do you know who I am? My family paid good money to be here. What until Dr. Gaul finds out about this!"

"Oh, I'm well aware, Mr. Cyprus," Gaul's voice comes over an intercom. "Kal, I have seen more than enough." Fire woman, or Kal as Gaul called her, was laughing hysterically as she walked back to the chair and sat down. Gaul never called people by first names, but Kal is not a last name. It seemed likely to even be a nickname. Fire woman was clearly important if Gaul called her this.

"I find it advantageous to weed out a few undesirables with a test of patience and respect. Any radical behaviour is unacceptable, and many of you quickly became so under such a small inconvenience that you shouldn't be here. As for you, Mr. Cyprus, you can be the first to head to my office to discuss why you will not be participating in my program. As I call your names, you will all do the same."

Mr. Cyprus, in question, remark on the other woman being the first to speak out. Gaul sighed and replied with, "Ms. Hyacinth spoke up, showing concern for her education. She was not rude or defiant in her voice or but standing up as an act of superiority against her authority." Cyprus still fuming, stomped out the class, and Gaul started listing students. A total of five were removed, leaving nineteen.

"Well, now the blood bath is over with ultimately no blood spilt, time to start the lesson," Kal stood up and grabbed a piece of chalk. Writing her full name on the board, confirming my nickname theory.

Kallista Vesper Zephyrus

Ms. Hyacinth spoke, not putting up her hand as she was asked to, "You said you weren't our teacher, Ms. Zephyrus?" Well, all covered our ears and chalk scrapped it's way hard and slow across the board under the name written there. Hyacinth added a sorry.

Fire hair whipped around with her whole body, and Kallista lifted her heels and spun around. "Don't call me that. The first name is sufficient without unnecessary authoritizating pronouns." I'm not a teacher," a genuine looking smile appeared on her face, "I am a gamemaker."