The Power of Gamemakers

What Are the Hunger Games For?

Kallista circled her first name to emphasize its strict use. She was sitting down now, "Can anyone tell me why it's important to weed out radicals?"

This was something I came to know well in my time in twelve. Others raised their hands, and Kallista's eyebrow raised at them. She asked us not to do that. We are capable of speaking in turns. I took the opportunity to speak, identifying my presence in the room, "Because they lead to rebellion. Rebellion leads to war, and war lead to the Hunger games to weed them out and keep them down." A nod, a nod was all I got from a higher up of the hierarchy in Gaul's laboratories.

I locked eyes with her, green like half dried grass in autumn. Despite being thin, her face was square, and her cheeks were too full. She used darker contour to hide it, but it had mostly worn off. Likely residue from not bothering to wash it off, nor reapplying after activity or what Livia educationed me on being over blended.

My mind wondered as Kallista started walking around the room. Clearly heading to stand closer to me. Holding back the cringe at the thought of my... girlfriend was no easy task. The woman was far too bubbly and talked about anything. She was a puppy that other men would have begged to cuddle only to smother her to death. Dogs can live with minimal affection and a being focused on a job. Despite her as I do, I pride myself on saving her from those men and providing a task in exchange for a good home, food, and any money to sustain her shopping routine.

It was clear she was coming around to stand closer to me. I turned around enough to meet her stare when she was close enough. Did this woman ever blink? "And why, Coriolanus Snow, is it important to make sure no one like that is in this room? They were now rebels. This is not war..."

She knew who I was. Did she know who we all are and just not want to hear about it twice? The other students acknowledge me as the winning mentor for the Hunger Games. One or two even mentioned I was c my fathers son. However, this was not as much recognition as I would have hoped for. "Not yet. The test led to uprising. Causing students to make a mistake."

"What kind of mistake?"

"Forgetting their place. Misreading your actions. Anger. Impatience..."

She cut me off, "No, those were the results. What was the mistake?"

I took a moment to look at where the empty chair mainly came from. The front rows, those caring too much. But if they really cared, they wouldn't have risked their positions here. I re-analyzed the actions of Cyprus. The entitlement he felt he had did some of the others. A result of... of what? Kallista asked again. Entitlement leads to caring, no feeling too deeply, leading to anger, and so on. Entitled to what? Eductions, a job, money? During the games, I felt entitled to win the prize and have it all, which caused me to make the mistake of caring too much about Lucy Grey.

A voice snapped me from my thoughts, "It's interesting to me. Seeing the cogs turn in your brain. The focus in your eyes. Do you consider yourself an over thinker? Or a careful analyers?" The triumph smile on her face revealing she knew I caught her hint. Maybe not another Highbottom, after all.

"They thought too much or too little about your actions. Leading to conclusions that this was a waste of time. This enraged some of them because the felt entitled to be educated, caring too much about learning, or the money the spent to be here and their new shoes they selected for the for the occasion ," a added a joke which made some laugh and others touch their feet a little more under their desks.

Again, there was only a nod as she walked back to the front. Sitting on the chair once more, hands folded on the desk. "I need you to think to observe. Most noticed I was looking at the door and assumed someone else was coming. I'm not thinking very hard at all. Those of you who observed noticed my finger tapping and grabbed papers to write down the code, saying, 'This is a test. Be patient and don't tell the others,' despite my twisting the chair. Others didn't fully catch on like Coriolanus that I saluted the security camera to request the tests end. Coriolanus also mentioned a sense of entitlement, or lack or respect. Many of you, though, didn't trust me, respectfully inquired or waited rather than causing a stir.'

'The districts feel entitled to better. They lack respect for the Capitol and our president. This leads to anger. To radical behaviour, which, when combined, results in..." she waited for us to answer. A bunch in unison stated, "rebellion." She nodded, standing up and passing around in the front. Clearly, she can't sit still long. "Yes, rebellion. We stop rebellion to prevent war by weeding out these radicals. How?" Kallista stopped and faced the room looking for answers. Some gave the Hunger Games as their anwser. "Yep, but what is the Hunger Games for? What does it do to curb such feelings of entitlement?"

I knew the answer to this. Learned it well in twelve. I felt it wasn't fair to answer until the others had a turn. No one gave a satisfactory answer. Hyacinth even gave killing them as a anwser earning a scowl from Kallista. "Before Kallista represented Ms. Hyacinth, I gave my anwser, "If it was about killing them, we'd just do it. It's about control through enducing fear. By remindering them they may feel entitled to better, but we didn't have to give them what they already have now. Reminding them we can take it away just as quickly as we gave it. Take their money, their homes, their children, even their very lives. Not just through the Hunger Games, but public executions, beatings, raids..."

Clapping ranges through the room. She was clapping this time, but slowly in a mocking manner, "I see why you're Volumia's apprentice. Perfectly rounded and polished... like a snowball. Man, I'd hate to be the poor, unfortunate soul to get in your way. All those cold calculations aimed right at face," I was familiar with people using my a play on my last name. However, it almost sounded like respect mixed with a threat coming from this woman. How hard it was to discern if I should be weary of her like Gaul, hate her like most people, or if I could actually respect the person as an equal. "Remember, fear gives you just as much control as trust. At least over those who can't and will not trust you. You are all dismissed."