As soon as Dr. Gaul closed the door behind her, the classroom began to fill with shouts from students looking for partners for the project. "Persephone!" "Andromache!" Casca heard more than a few students yell Crassus' name, and a knot began forming in his stomach. Crassus was his best friend, but he was also Dr. Gaul's star pupil and eager to maintain that status. What if Crassus chose someone in their professor's better graces who he knew wouldn't drag him down? No one else would want to work with him – he wasn't exactly popular – and then he'd be stuck working with… well, he didn't want to think about it. He glanced at the desk next to his and realized Crassus had already pulled out a sheet of lined paper and written in loopy calligraphy across the top "Governance Final Project Notes: Crassus & Casca"
Casca felt the knot disappear, but he tried not to look too relieved. "Is this your way of asking me if I would be so kind as to do you the incredible honor of being your partner for this project?" he asked, laying a hand on the paper.
"This is my way of informing you that I am so kindly doing you the honor of being your partner on this project," Crassus replied.
"Well, I'm hoping that also means that you're so kindly doing me the honor of inviting me over to your place for some of Ellie's pie," Casca said. Ellie was the Snows' cook, and she made the most wonderful fruit pies Casca had ever tasted. Originally from District 11, she had been permitted to move to the Capitol as part of a special program designed to address a domestic labor shortage 30 years ago. Generally, District residents were not permitted to leave their district's borders, though Capitol residents could travel freely through Panem.
"Absolutely!" Crassus said. "Why don't you come over at 5? I'll text my mom and ask her to have Ellie get started on one. Blackberry good?"
"That's my favorite! Okay, I have a ton of work to do so I am headed to the library." Casca gathered his things into his satchel, slung it over his shoulder, and left Dr Gaul's classroom behind him.
Around 4:00, Casca packed up his books and started toward Crassus' apartment. It was only a 10 minute trolley ride from the University, but Casca decided to walk instead. It was December and the air was cold, but the sky was clear and he always kept an extra sweater, a vest, a long wool coat, a hat, and a pair of gloves in a locker he rented by the library.
As Casca made his way through the narrow city streets, he tried to think of ideas for the final project. He didn't think Crassus would be particularly eager to put too much time into the project tonight, but he wanted to be prepared just in case. Throw them in one of Dr. Gaul's cages and call it a day he thought. Better yet, just make them take her class.
Eventually, Casca made his way to the Corso, the wide street that ran through the city center. About 5 blocks in length, it was home to the city's fanciest stores and most opulent apartment buildings, as well as the president's mansion. The Snow family had built a massive fortune in munitions in District 13, and Crassus lived with his mother and his brother, Aeolus – and his father, when he was home – in the penthouse of the most luxurious apartment building in all of Panem. Casca stopped in front of the marble structure, and even though he had seen it hundreds of times before, he couldn't keep his jaw from dropping. It was built in a chateau style, with its first story featuring a Corinthian-order colonnade across the entire facade. The roofline featured carvings of mythical creatures like griffins, hydras, satyrs, and unicorns, as well as cornucopias filled with apples, grapes, figs, plums, and berries. Though much of the roof was flat on top, its pitch was gilded and shone so brightly that it hurt Casca's eyes.
He always felt somewhat out of place entering the building's lobby; his family was definitely well off, but their wealth was certainly not comparable to the people who lived in even the cheapest apartments in this building. Nonetheless, the doorman greeted him with a salute as made his way to the elevator. He pressed the button for the top floor, entered the security code Crassus had given him, and zoomed upward past twenty other floors of apartments. Because the Snows lived in the penthouse, the elevator doors opened directly into their foyer.
When Casca stepped out of the elevator, he saw that Crassus was waiting for him. He had swapped his stiff button down and khakis for a long-sleeved t-shirt and jeans, but Casca could tell from the logo stitched in the corner that Crassus' t-shirt probably cost about as much as Casca's own best suit jacket.
"Did the heater break on the trolley? You look freezing," Crassus said. Casca had been too preoccupied with other things to notice the cold, but now he realized he was shivering.
"I decided to walk," he replied. "It's cold, but it's dry and clear. I have extra layers." He took off his coat and was looking around for a place to put it when Ellie came out of the kitchen donning an apron. She was in her mid-50s with olive skin and dark hair and eyes, typical of people from District 11, and her soft features reminded Casca a bit of his nursery school teacher.
"The pie is ready, Master Snow." Her eyes landed on Casca's jacket. "Let me take that for you, Master Highbottom." Casca was caught off guard by the new honorific. He had known the Snows for years and she had never called him anything but his first name. Nor had anyone, for that matter. Well, except Dr. Gaul, but he was pretty sure that was meant to be derogatory.
"Casca's fine." Crassus shot him a look. "Uh never mind, I mean, thank you, Ellie. You have no idea how excited I am for your pie. Blackberry is my favorite."
"It's my favorite too. I used to make it with my mama all the time, Master Highbottom," Ellie said, and this time he didn't correct her.
"What was that about?" Casca asked Crassus when Ellie was out of earshot. "Master Highbottom?"
"My parents feel that since Aeolus and I are now adults, we should be treated as full adult members of the household. She never calls my parents by their first names and so she shouldn't call us by ours either. You're my friend and my peer so that extends to you as well."
Casca couldn't help but think that it was a bit strange for a 50 year old to be calling an 18-year-old "Master." He tried to appear unbothered but he couldn't help a slightly skeptical look from creeping onto his face.
"Look, at least she's not calling us full-blown 'Misters' yet."
"Is Master not even weirder? It has such a harsh connotation."
Crassus chuckled. "Don't worry, it's just an honorific for a younger man. It's okay, though; most people don't know that. My dad's a bit of an etiquette nut. Come on, we can go work in the dining room."
They made their way to the marble dining table, again carved with intricate designs. These ones were different from the one on the building though; flowers and leaves rimmed the top while vines crept down the tables two wide legs on either end. Each of the 10 chairs around the table was carved of mahogany and had a soft velvet cushion tied onto it. The room also had a buffet table, also marble, running along one of its long walls below a massive window that looked out over the Corso. A gigantic helping of blackberry pie had been set out for each of them.
"This looks incredible," Casca said as he sat down. He took a bite of the pie. "Oh, wow, I think this is the best one yet."
Crassus grabbed his satchel from the buffet table, sat down in front of the other plate, and pulled out his project notes sheet. "Any ideas?"
"Make them intern for Dr. Gaul," Casca said. "Imagine having to work with all those creepy mutts. Or throw them into the wilderness for a few weeks. Bears, snakes, no food in sight except for what they kill, that would be an experience they would never forget. What about you? Any ideas?"
"Some kind of torture that leaves a permanent mark. Maybe you could give them some kind of super painful tattoo or something," Crassus suggested. "Ooh, what if you put it on their genitals?"
"Oh, grow up," said a voice behind Casca. He turned around and realized that without their noticing, Aeolus had come into the dining room, carrying what appeared to be a large box covered in fabric. A few years older than Crassus, he was studying biology at the university and was often there at odd hours so Casca rarely saw him. "Hello Aeolus, how are you on this fine afternoon?"
"Oh, I'm doing well. It's lovely to see you, as always," Aeolus replied, putting the box down. "By the way Crassus, these are going to hang out in the dining room for a few days. School stuff. I don't want them in my room and mom gets crazy about living room clutter."
"What are 'these' exactly?" asked Casca.
"I'm glad you asked," said Aeolus. He removed the fabric revealing a wire cage underneath. Casca stared at it for a few seconds as he realized, to his horror, that Aeolus had brought home several of Dr. Gaul's carnivorous rats.