Aegis Harrow

26

~ Capitol / Head Gamemaker ~

The mid afternoon air was crisp, the chilly temperature signifying the end of summer as the climate began to shift into the fall months. It was the kind of weather that wouldn't leave you begging for the warmth of a fireplace, but was certainly enough to feel the chill run down your spine at a sudden gust of wind.

For Aegis, he didn't mind this kind of weather, it tended to reflect the numbness he felt inside, and often made him feel at peace. The cold was always a phenomenon he would embrace, it eased the pressure on appearing energetic since most people's exuberance dissipated away with the warmth. Others would show vulnerability at the unpleasant sensation of cool air nipping at their skin, but all things considered - Aegis saw no problem with getting to use the cold to avoid seeing other people. It was often a widely platonic feeling.

Today however, this was not the case. This was simply not a meeting that could go unvisited, but must go ahead at all costs. So as Aegis sat on the park bench, his newly gloved hands warming in his pockets, whilst his uncovered mouth exhaled the vapour cloud of warm carbon dioxide against the frosty air, he spent his time observing the architectural juggernaut before him; the Presidential Palace.

It had been a week since Aegis's role as the new Head Gamemaker had been unveiled, six days since the world had become privy to this information, and exactly four days since he had received his summons to the Presidential Palace in order to commence the initial planning for the Hunger Games of the coming year.

Aegis simply couldn't deny, that the past week had probably been the most eventful of his life. It's something that he had expected of course, he wouldn't have taken the steps to ensure that he secured the position if he didn't know what he was getting himself into. However, it certainly was a spectacle to him, one that he couldn't help but wonder if it was the most appropriate action to have taken.

No, he reassured himself. This was the most reliable pathway.

The result of the appointment of himself as Head Gamemaker hadn't dismayed him in any way, and although he was sure many would have already been under overwhelming pressure from the sudden rise to public prominence, as well as being under the direct eyes of the President himself - this was just another day to Aegis. He felt no more remarkable than he had as a Gamemaker, no more stressed than he had ever been in general; he was merely a man with a job to do, and a goal to achieve, with unwavering diligence to complete both.

Naturally, his peers didn't see this the same way, a wave of emotions having engulfed them in the days following Aegis's promotion. Some showed evident jealousy, although those few that did kept it close to their chests as to not appear scorned. The majority of the Gamemakers were surprisingly supportive of Aegis, after having gotten over their own disappointment with not being granted the role. They celebrated the man, congratulating him on his achievement and were seemingly thrilled it was an 'underdog' that reigned successful in the end.

Aegis suspected this was partially due to the fact that he had beaten out Gaia Ashbrook, the woman most of them begrudgingly predicted would get the role, and would run them ragged like an authoritative dictator as a result.

Gaia herself had been uncharacteristically quiet the past week, avoiding everyone from the team and refusing to show her face at any of their shared hotspots, as she came to terms with her loss. Clearly, she had taken the result to heart, and perceived this as both a defeat, and as a major hit to her ego. She still had not said a word to Aegis following the Gamemakers meeting with the President - that was until about four days ago.

Following the summons he had received, it was a matter of minutes before he had heard the buzz of a new notification play out on his phone. Mildly curious, Aegis had scanned the screen for the message, noting an unfamiliar number with an attached text message alongside it.

We've both received our summons by now.

Be outside of the Presidents residence no later than 2:00.

Don't be late, or I'll make you regret it.

- Gaia

"She's straight to the point at least," Aegis remembered sighing, before sending an affirmative response and setting the phone back down. Even whilst being his supposed "second-in-command", she still couldn't help herself from taking charge of the situation.

That was four nights ago, and now it was 2:30 pm on the day of the summons, with no Gaia Ashbrook in sight. A shred of hypocrisy now attaching itself to her in regard to threatening consequences for being late, if he did say so himself. He wasn't sure how she had attained his number, considering the woman had never spoken to him a day in his life, although he could surmise it was likely through Eirene's disposal. One thing was clear through the bluntness of the message however - she was still fuming about the turn of events that had taken place.

It was up in the air how much her mood had defused since that brief text exchange, although Aegis suspected her lack of punctuality for the time she had set certainly wouldn't put her in a chirpy demeanour. Fortunately for Gaia's sake, the meeting with President Thorne was not until 3:00, with the hour leeway she had suggested likely being for in the event of any obstructions. It was also possible that she wanted to discuss things with Aegis beforehand, he was sure she'd want to take as much control over the situation as she could before proceeding.

She'll be sorely mistaken if that's the case, Aegis thought to himself, continuing to admire the behemoth of a building that he would soon be entering. Soon enough, she'll be playing right into my hands.

The unfortunate reality was, Aegis needed to make good use of Gaia going forward. She was going to be an important tool in the future, a tool he would have to mould in a way which she would bend to his every will. It made him sound rather sinister to think that, albeit he didn't have any nefarious plans for Gaia. Aegis simply recognised that she could be useful, not to mention… it was going to be fun trying to crack someone as standoffish as her.

"Hmmph, so you're here," a petulant voice rang out not too far from Aegis's left, drawing his attention to the blue haired woman. Gaia stood glaring at him, a hand on her hip as she took a rather domineering stance, one he had seen her make on many occasions prior. He could tell she had taken the time to do up her appearance, her make-up a little more vibrant than usual, with her outfit being as eloquent as possible despite the cool weather. She wore dark grey dress pants, each leg consisting of a linear pattern that blended into the gloomy tone, with the fabric growing looser the further it got down her leg. Her feet donned jet black platform shoes, granting her a boost in her height that still did not come close to Aegis's taller than average figure. Her upper body was sheathed by a snowy white blouse, which was further encased by a tightly fitting black blazer left unbuttoned down by her stomach.

Aegis also noted the couple of unbuttoned holes at the top of her blouse, allowing an ample view of her usually concealed cleavage, although he didn't allow his eyes to linger for too long in order to avoid unwanted accusations. She had clearly dressed to impress, although he was certain he was not the intended recipient of said impressing.

The expression held on Gaia's face was one of a restrained mix of envy and resentment, a telling act of begrudging complicity if Aegis had to guess. He knew he had already made his debut onto her shit-list, it would take time to win Gaia over.

Time is something I have plenty of, Aegis assured himself, as he stood to his feet and began to make the distance between the two of them. Rome wasn't built in a day.

"Of course," he responded casually, taking slow steps towards the stubborn woman. "You said two o'clock."

"Yeah… I did," Gaia grumbled through gritted teeth, averting her gaze as her forehead creased. Aegis didn't respond immediately, observing the way in which the woman had reacted to his words. It was almost as if she was hoping he hadn't arrived before she had, in order for her to have a reason to berate him and push her authority. It wouldn't have worked either way, if these were the trivial mind games Gaia was intending to play in order to manipulate him, she was doomed to fail.

"I think we have gotten off on wrong terms," Aegis spoke up quietly, sticking out his hand to shake hers. "I'm Aegis, in case you didn't already know."

A slight mockery in reference to Gaia's previous questioning of who he was during last weeks meeting, although it wasn't received particularly well. Gaia's eyes flashed with frustration, slapping away his hand as she shot him a fiery glare.

"Don't insult me, of course I know who you are! How could I forget the one who-"

Gaia's words suddenly fell short, her angry green eyes turning into those of surprise, as they lowered down to fixate on Aegis's outstretched hand, having stayed in exactly the same spot after being swatted away. She blinked a couple of times, her face filled with both confusion and curiosity, not used to someone standing their ground against her anger.

After a few moments, she awkwardly looked to the side, before her soft hand took Aegis's own and proceeded to shake it rather amicably. It seemed as if she had accepted the offer of cordiality for now, although Aegis doubted her pride would remain that way for long.

It's a start, Aegis noted, as Gaia's cheeks seemingly flushed a little out of exasperation.

"U-um… Gaia," she relayed her name in the same fashion Aegis had done his own, a mutual understanding established that he was not there to submit to her every whim.

"Just so we're clear," Aegis said quietly, his eyes making direct contact with hers. "I'm not going to stifle you. I'm not your enemy, I consider you an equal partner in this endeavour. I don't want you to gather the wrong idea about me."

The words were mostly truthful, Aegis had no intention of this being a solo journey. Her cooperation would be imperative going forward, and until he felt Gaia was finally tamed, he'd allow her to think that this was being puppeteered by herself.

"Stifle me…" Gaia giggled, a rather condescending tone to her pitch. "Like you'd be able to anyway."

"Perhaps not," Aegis played along, shrugging casually as to not provoke her further. "My point remains, we're now a partnership. The Gamemakers have never had a second-in-charge before, I imagine President Thorne valued you and your work to the point that he still wanted you to be in some sort of leadership role."

"Of course he values me," Gaia scoffed, walking past Aegis before flashing him a side eye. "But what I can't figure out is why he would value you?"

"I wish I had an answer for you," Aegis quipped back as he feigned cluelessness, joining Gaia at her side as the two took a leisurely stroll towards the entrance to the Presidential Palace. "I'm normally a mere bystander among the likes of yourself and Flax."

"Pffft, Flax is useless, he's just loud enough to appear important. He never stood a chance, he can't compare to me no matter how hard he tries," Gaia cackled, a surprising lightheartedness detectable within the conversation. It was the most genuine Aegis had seen Gaia act with someone, other than Eirene. It appeared treating her with a level of indifference pushed her out of her element.

"Most of them are, as far as I'm concerned," she continued, her eyes trained on the floor whilst seemingly deep in thought. "The women think I'm a bitch, the men like to leer at me… what good are any of them?"

Gaia's voice had softened, a sliver of vulnerability beginning to shine through. It didn't last long however, as just before further layers to Gaia's standoffish persona began to peel back, she quickly shut that down, appearing to realise what she had started to say.

"Not you though, strangely enough. You always look so… apathetic, and plain," Gaia commented trying to poke more holes into Aegis's character. "No wonder you've never made an impression."

"Shall I begin to leer at you then?" Aegis inquired, the sarcasm in his tone barely distinctive to his usual indifference.

"You'd like that wouldn't you? I bet you're a closeted perv," Gaia mocked him, raising her nose in the air. "Silent people are always like that, they're always hiding something."

She wasn't wrong, Aegis had hidden a lot about himself, albeit not quite something as degenerative as being a pervert. Everyone had secrets, even Gaia herself he was sure.

"You're not my type," Aegis insisted, causing Gaia's eyes to widen momentarily with surprise, before she regained her composure. Aegis imagined she hadn't had much experience with rejection, even though he had not outwardly rejected the idea with a definitive 'no'. As far as Aegis was aware, he didn't have a type at all. Perhaps she was just used to most men falling to her appearance, and overlooking her rather insufferable attitude.

"Oh please, you'd be lucky to have me," Gaia snorted, dismissing any idea that Aegis wouldn't be interested in her if she wanted him to be.

"Sure, if that's what you'd like to believe," Aegis offered, his ambiguity appearing to have some sort of effect on Gaia as she huffed in frustration. People like Gaia, if there was one thing they loved, it was taunting people and getting a reaction out of them. Aegis had seen it many times before, it wasn't uncommon especially among those that were of higher intelligence. Those people tended to feel a sense of control and superiority by belittling others, and Gaia was no exception. She had likely always dominated her social circles by doing this, further building upon her ego with every verbal victory she won.

However, she had never ran into anyone like Aegis before, even through a brief one-on-one interaction, he could already tell that his lack of engagement to her insults, and complete disregard for her personality, both had already begun to eat away at her preconceived opinions of him. She couldn't figure him out, and that seemed to infuriate her.

"It's even bigger in person," Aegis commented, switching up the subject to ease her growing tension. Gaia paused for a moment, before following his gaze to the sky as the pair marvelled at the sight of the gigantic structure. The Presidential Palace, what once had been called a mansion, had only been further enhanced over the past century to the point that it was a behemoth of a castle.

The structure had rested at the far end of the Capitol, and could be seen from all reaches of the surrounding area. It was a landmark; the highest point of the city that reached for the skies with sharp points and complete and utter symmetry. There was no flaw in its architecture, mirrored on both sides to reflect the perfection that was meant to embody the truthfully corrupt governing body. Access to the grounds was naturally heavily restricted, the only opportunity Aegis having been granted to visit it being the Victory Tour celebrations that he had always vehemently refused to attend due to pure disinterest. As a result, Aegis's exposure to it had always been from afar. Standing at its base however, it was truly a sight to behold.

Even Gaia couldn't help but fail to mask her awe, her former distraction now dissipating in the face of the almighty building. Her arms had dropped to her side in an evident state of fascination, her focus clearly drawn from putting on her usual closed off behaviour. Gaia had likely attended the several Victory Tour celebrations since joining the Gamemakers team, however Aegis imagined she had never seen the place up close in broad daylight, the parties always being at night and concealing much of the structure through the darkness post-dusk. Additionally, much of the residence itself was still off-limits to party goers as far as he was aware, with only certain areas outlined for events being accessible. A mere Gamemaker grunt wouldn't be allowed VIP access to the more personal areas the two of them have been summoned to today.

"How does one family occupy a single building like this?" Gaia breathed, her eyes dropping to the grand entranceway with doors that parted automatically at their arrival. Aegis understood what she meant, despite the resounding numbers of workers that would also live within the building. It was still such a large space for a family of four to live.

Aegis had a somewhat satisfactory awareness about the Presidential family, although he had never cared much to look into them other than passing conversations based around them. He simply knew of them and whatever rumours were relevant at the time, and that was always enough - although he was sure that was certain to change considering how important he himself had become to the Capitol.

At the head of the family, there was of course the reigning President of Panem - Alexander Thorne, along with his wife, another prominent political figure. Aimilia Thorne - formerly Aimilia Snow - came from the prestigious Snow line, a few branches forward on the tree of the late Coriolanus Snow.

Then there were their two offspring, the older of the two being a boy name Atticus. Atticus was well-known to the Capitol public, a handsome man that reflected a younger version of his father in almost every way physically. He was a heartthrob to many of the women, although Aegis wouldn't be surprised if that was greatly enhanced due to his familial status. From what he had heard in higher circles, Atticus was a truly deplorable person to be around behind closed doors, making even someone like Gaia look like a saint in comparison.

The other child was Anastasia Thorne, a girl who was a few years younger than Aegis was. She too had her fair share of public clout, although Aegis knew far less about her as she kept to herself for the most part. Although she embodied the physical appearance of her mother far more, from what he had seen, Aegis recalled that her demeanour appeared much more similar to that of her fathers - calculated and discreet.

At least, that was the impression Aegis had gathered from her broadcasted appearances. She had given off that same energy that could suck the air out of the room, Aegis would be lying if Anastasia didn't somewhat pique his interest if she could hold a candle to her father.

"Come on, let's stop loitering," Gaia muttered, urging the pair along as they took the first steps into the grand entrance room to the building. Describing it as a mere 'room' would be paying a disservice to it, as it was large enough to fit an entire house or two within the confines of the space. Aegis even heard a small gasp of wonder emit from Gaia's mouth, her eyes hardly having concealed the awe oozing from them.

"Impressed?" Aegis inquired knowingly, causing Gaia's expression to shift to one of boredom.

"It's alright I suppose," Gaia lied, crossing her arms to show a level of disinterest.

"I'm glad to hear you think so highly of our home," a sharp voice interjected between the two, drawing their attention to the first landing of the stairwell. The voice belonged to an elegant girl, dolled up in a low hanging, tightly fitted black dress with a large v-shape cut from her shoulders down to her lower abdomen. Aegis had thought Gaia was showing a considerable amount of cleavage, but the visibility of hers paled in comparison to the tremendous side-boob the woman on the stairs displayed.

Her long white hair fell in waves equally on both sides of her head, her forehead shielded by a neatly groomed set of bangs that almost concealed her eyebrows. Her eyes were a stunning icy blue, further complimented by long white eyelashes that almost appeared as if they were decked in powdery snow. Matching the rest of her outfit, her lips matched the raven black colour of her dress and heels, and were held in a rather devilish smirk as she observed her two new guests.

She was a striking woman, one Aegis - and anyone for that matter - could recognise in an instant. Anastasia Thorne, the President's little princess. She had the type of gaze that simply screamed that anyone who stood before her was inferior to herself; an insignificant worm in the presence of her aura. It was hardly shocking considering the pampered life she must have lived, both her and her brother Atticus.

The true defining difference between the pair however, was that Anastasia was subtle. She was the type who could easily dismantle a person through words from what Aegis had heard, never needing to work too hard in order to get her way. And for that, she was dangerous.

I suppose that's what a life of living in an echo chamber where nobody could defy you does to you, Aegis considered, his unbothered eyes fixated on hers.

Gaia gulped apprehensively, seemingly just as aware as to how any misstep around Anastasia could backfire against her, despite her natural instinct to retort against the dangerous woman.

"It's a truly remarkable residence, Miss Thorne," Aegis spoke up monotonously, sensing Gaia's growing intention to fire back. The girl hated to be put in her place, and having been caught dismissing the greatness of the Thorne Family's abode had likely struck defensive mechanisms in Gaia.

"Oh? Miss Thorne? How formal of you," Anastasia purred, as she began to slowly slink down the steps towards them. "I like it when a man knows his place."

Anastasia's eyes looked Aegis up and down, assessing how he'd react to being spoken down to. Aegis did wonder what she had expected, although it was likely not the response she got - not a chink in his demeanour as he stared at her with vague disinterest. This appeared to somewhat disappoint Anastasia, although Aegis could recognise a slight spike in curiosity as her eyes washed over him intensely.

"Interesting… you're rather unwavering. Not many can meet my eye without shying away," Anastasia commented, with a hum of competitiveness.

"Apologies, I didn't see a reason to," Aegis responded quietly, bowing his head slightly.

"Oh really? You don't think I'm worthy of such beguiling treatment?" Anastasia prodded, her eyes slightly narrowed, with an almost distinct sense of both bewilderment and excitement.

"Would you like my honest answer?" Aegis questioned, before feeling a slight pinch on the back of his elbow. From the side of his vision, he could see Gaia staring daggers at him, warning him not to provoke Anastasia any further.

Anastasia smiled, this sense of defiance unfamiliar to her due to everyone else folding to her intense aura. It's almost as if she was challenging him, her war of words having never tasted defeat prior. Her eyes burned into him, as if daring him to give her a reason to stomp her heel into his temple.

Although Aegis felt no intimidation from the entitled woman, he never planned to get on her bad side from their very first interaction. It was likely that Anastasia had already gained a sense of the type of person he'd be, however for the time being… he would attempt to relent and keep himself in her good graces. Granted, the way she'd react could certainly be unpredictable.

"Go ahead," she taunted, waiting to hear his response.

"I figured someone such as yourself would prefer competency, rather than hollow worshipping," Aegis reasoned, his eyes trained on her intently as he scanned for how she would interpret his lie. Anastasia frowned, as Gaia appeared to hold her breath in anticipation for an outburst from the Presidents daughter.

"Hmph, competency is certainly a desired trait," Anastasia muttered, as she closed the distance between herself and Aegis, leaning closely into him so that he could hear her whisper. "But fools like you need to be taught who they're dealing with."

The slap came in fast, with Aegis sensing the sudden movements in Anastasia's muscles as she quickly rose her arm and sent her open palm flying towards his face. It all happened in a rush, as for a brief moment, Aegis caught a glimpse of Anastasia's carefully manicured hand heading towards his face.

A sudden slapping sound could be heard, a rather dull thud entwined within it whilst a small shriek had escaped Gaia's lips, her hands covering her mouth in a combination of shock and panic. Someone else looked just as surprised by what had happened, however it was not Aegis that did so.

Anastasia stared at the man in bewilderment, her eyes widened as she couldn't help but part her lips with a tremble. She choked out a gasp of astonishment, both fear and puzzlement evident in her eyes. She stood there, her palm mere inches away from Aegis's face, as the source of the dull slapping noise could be ascertained. Her hand had not reached his face, as his own one tightly clenched her pale white wrist, restricting it with a firm, but painless grip.

Her face, still rather close to his, searched his own for an answer as she tried to process how he not only had fast enough reflexes to casually catch her arm, but that he also had the audacity to stop her to begin with. Anastasia couldn't seem to believe it, all the while he had not even blinked at her, his gaze holding the same bland indifference he had possessed when he had first seen her.

"Now, now… Miss Thorne. I don't believe that's an entirely necessary conclusion to jump to," Aegis said softly, his tone lacking any vindictiveness despite her attempted assault on him. If Anastasia's usually petulant attitude hadn't already cracked under the actions of the collected man, it certainly had broken now, as her cheeks begun to flush heavily, a mix of anger and enthralment conflicting her internal woes.

"I see you've given our guests a rather entertaining welcome, Anna," a familiar voice commented with a sense of amusement, the source coming from further up the stairs that Anastasia had recently descended. All three of their heads turned to the voice, the looming figure of Alexander Thorne watching the events from a distance, with one hand rested on the bannister and the other in his pants pocket.

"D-daddy…?" Anastasia breathed, her inner childishness beginning to shine through, as the daddy's girl almost whimpered in the presence of her father.

"I must ask you please not to harm our guests, it doesn't give a very good impression of us now does it?" Thorne continued, his eyes having locked onto the clash between Aegis's clenched hand and Anastasia's slim wrist.

"B-but daddy he-"

"Did I stutter, Anna?" Thorne interrupted, cutting off Anastasia's protests, as Aegis loosened his grip on her wrist. Anastasia looked sheepish for a moment, before she threw a filthy glare at Aegis and ripped her arm back from his grasp.

"This isn't over," she huffed softly, before proceeding to storm off, stomping up the stairs and brushing past her father in passive defiance. Thorne watched her for a moment, before chuckling to himself and flashing an apologetic look towards Aegis and Gaia.

"She's a stubborn one that girl, very much like her mother. She always gets what she wants, it seems as if you knocked her down a peg, Mr Harrow," Thorne laughed, clearly amused by the whole situation.

"My apologies President Thorne," Aegis responded, unfazed by the turn of events. "It appears she wasn't satisfied with my attitude."

"Worry not, young Aegis," Thorne assured him, waving his hand dismissively. "We need a man with a little backbone, someone that won't be easily intimidated. My daughter was a perfect test - albeit unintended."

"You flatter me, Mr President," Aegis bowed his head slightly with acknowledgment. Thorne chortled, before his eyes drifted to that of Gaia.

"It's nice to see you again as well, Miss Ashbrook. I take it you have familiarised yourself with Aegis here?" Thorne spoke up, finally acknowledging his additional guest. Aegis felt Gaia tense up slightly, a justifiable response when being spoken to by the President directly. He recalled how she had been rather aloof with him prior to the reveal of who the Head Gamemaker would be, but it appeared her interaction with him had humbled her significantly. No more was she brashly stroking her own ego in his presence.

"Somewhat, Mr President," Gaia responded rather contently. "Full judgement can only be made once I see what he has come up with that seemed to enrapture you so heavily."

"I see, that's reasonable I suppose," Thorne nodded, his whole demeanour appearing far more relaxed within the confines of his own home. "Well let's not delay any further, shall we go somewhere more private to go over things?"

The President motioned for the two to follow him, with both Aegis and Gaia pursuing the man in sync. The journey to the room was a rather long one, whilst Thorne made idle chit chat and Aegis mostly listened, allowing Gaia to make up for his lack of conversational involvement. Instead, he mostly paid attention to his surroundings, taking in the long halls, the abundance of Avoxes, and the sheer distance they had to cover due to the magnitude of the building.

Eventually, Thorne led the pair to a rather large conference room, one that appeared quite homely as if the President had made his own personal touches to it. There was a bar, large screens that lined the walls, a series of fireplaces that added a much needed cozy aesthetic to the chilling Fall air of the outside.

Most notably, Aegis noticed the large, round oak table in the centre of the room, one that possessed a hologram display in the middle, that allowed for the occupants of the table to watch it as they wished from any point of the room. Although the hologram simply displayed what seemed like a temporary placeholder of a three-dimensional ocean floor full of swimming fish, Aegis imagined it had been used on numerous occasions to show arena plans, war strategies, and a plethora of additional confidential topics.

"Can I help either of you to a drink before we proceed?" Thorne inquired, stepping behind the bar in a surprising act of self-reliance.

Panem's very own President personally making us a drink when he could simply call an Avox to do it? Aegis noted, curious as to the true character behind the nations most powerful man. Gaia seemed skeptical of it as well, appearing to oppose the idea internally.

"I'll pass thank you, I'd rather not have my mind clouded by alcohol for this," Gaia rejected, putting up her hands honestly.

"I'll take a scotch and dry, on the rocks," Aegis accepted, allowing for Gaia to widen her eyes at him for his lack of please or thank you's.

"A man with good taste as well," Thorne admired, sliding the glass towards Aegis as he began to prepare his own. "I'm more of a gin guy myself, but I don't mind the occasional scotch."

"Oh… I like gin too," Gaia uttered under her breath, appearing disheartened at the fact that she missed the opportunity to impress the President.

"You also like gin?" Thorne acknowledged, flashing Gaia a warm smile that made her flush with embarrassment at being overheard. "Well… if you also have a similar taste to me, let's see how you like this."

With those words, Thorne grabbed set down his glass of gin and tonic before aiming his outstretched hand towards the table, and clenching his fingers suddenly, which led to the hologram in the middle of the table shifting to an entirely different display of augmented reality. Aegis recognised what materialised immediately, he had of course worked on it himself and was very familiar with the blueprints and 3D imagery of the designed build of the arena environment he had conceptualised.

Alongside it, displayed many floating tabs that had been labelled with specific components of the arena. 'MUTTATIONS. WEAPONS. TRAPS. OBJECTIVES. TWISTS,' among many other categories that Aegis could spend hours listing. It was one of the most comprehensive concepts he had ever worked on, one that was certain to lead to an entirely unforgettable games. It couldn't even be contained by the entire table, as many of the holograms overflowed into the open space exceeding the tables edge.

Aegis observed Gaia momentarily, who herself could not hide the pure wonder in her eyes, her mouth having dropped in awe as she took in everything. Her eyes were glimmering in amazement, reflecting the countless tabs that Aegis had put in there for the President to go over. She hadn't even opened any of them yet, and despite that, she was already fixated on the imagery of the arena itself.

"Y-you want to pull off something like this?" Gaia breathed, her head tilted in fascination as she took a few steps towards the central part of the hologram, using her hand to shift the arena around as the disembodied pixels responded to her tangible body. "Just how ambitious are you?'

"Incredible isn't it? I couldn't believe it myself when I first saw it, we've never done anything like this before," Thorne admired, scratching his chin as Gaia continued to observe the arena's layout. Aegis knew he should have felt proud, or some sort of vindication at Gaia's reaction, yet somehow he felt rather calm, the whole matter seeming rather trivial to him. Why these people were so astounded at something so mundane to him, he'd never understand.

"What is this tab?" Gaia questioned, before using her finger to select the 'TWIST' header. Doing so brought up a detailed explanation of what Aegis had planned for a specific twist to be in play during these games. Not every games had a twist, as it wasn't inherently a necessity. However, he had noted that in the history of the games, each of them that had a rather compelling twist, were always leagues more successful.

Gaia momentarily read the twist Aegis had planned, before her eyes found his once more, a level of shock and doubt hidden behind her dumbfounded gaze.

"This twist… I've never seen anything like it. Can we even pull this off?" Gaia inquired doubtfully, a distinctive excitement detectable within her tone.

"Of course. It couldn't be done a century ago, but I know with the technology we possess now, it would be achievable," Aegis replied monotonously, as if he were talking about something as trivial as what he ate for breakfast.

"You 'know'? Not speculate, but know?" Gaia challenged him, earning a curt nod in response.

"Yes, I've had it tested, confidentially of course," Aegis explained, only adding to Gaia's bewilderment. "The results were mostly successful, and they've only been improved upon since then."

"I can't believe this," she murmured, stepping away suddenly as she had to take in all of what she had seen. "No wonder my concept wasn't chosen… how could it compare to that!?"

Gaia was filled with a mix of envy and astonishment, appearing conflicted as to how she wanted to feel. Aegis continued to observe her, as she read back over the twist.

"But doesn't this seem more like a Quarter Quell twist?" Gaia pointed out, sudden doubt reappearing in her words.

"Quarter Quell twists are predetermined, they were all planned during the inception of the Hunger Games, with the limitations of our scientific prowess at the time in mind. They're usually pretty simple, and affect either the Reaping conditions, the eligibility of who can be Reaped, or they add some requirement that impacts the tribute during the games," Aegis explained with a rather bored tone, causing Gaia to bite her lower lip in consideration.

"In two games time for the 150th, that Quarter Quell condition will likely do the same. Meanwhile, this twist here is an additional element exclusive to the arena, not a twist that impacts the structure of the tributes nor the way in which they are chosen," Aegis continued, earning a nod of approval from Thorne.

"He is correct. This will mess with the tributes without question, but it will be a normal selection process, and remain a surprise for when they get to the arena," Thorne added, appearing to make a solid point in Gaia's eyes.

"I suppose that's true," Gaia sighed, as she continued to flick through some of the other tabs. "I guess we have our work cut out for us."

"That's right," Thorne chuckled, as he took a seat at the table.

"So shall we begin?"

Author's Note

Hello once again, and here we are with Prologue II! I had a lot of fun writing this one and continuing to expand upon our Capitol cast. We have learnt a little more about the Presidential family, and have also met Anastasia Thorne, who certainly seems like one to watch out for. This time around we also see a lot more of Aegis in action, with some interactions between him and everyone else that appeared in this chapter. Finally, we get some slight hints as to what might be in store for the tributes, although I made sure to give very little away for the time being. What could this twist be that is so intriguing? What I will say is it's an idea I've had floating around in my head for many years now, and I'm really excited to execute it! I would love to hear what your thoughts were on this chapter, and what might be in store for Prologue III.

So on to some updates involving submissions. I have gotten a few now which is very exciting, but we still have a long way to go before we fill this roster. As a friendly reminder, you can submit up to four tributes which would be a great help in meeting the quota. I've had a couple people submit a few which I am very appreciative of, so don't be afraid to keep them coming! One thing I wanted to mention is that I will be closing slots if they reach three submissions, as I need to encourage submissions to less popular slots and also lessen competition for when I do need to choose who fills a slot with multiple submissions. Naturally, the Career slots are very popular at this point, so I'd love to see some outer-district submissions! Again, if you're curious as to what slots have received submissions, the list is on my profile.

That pretty much wraps things up for now, Prologue III is next which once again I have written in advance, so there will be no delays in it's release. That chapter will be released on April 16th, 2024, which will likely be earlier depending on where you are in the world. Once again, thank you for reading and I hope to see you for the next chapter!

~Reign