Schoolgirl 𓆸 Coriolanus Snow

Eight.

"Alright," she says, feeling quite assured of Reaper's capability to overcome Lucy Gray. She pondered whether Coriolanus might have a fondness for losing, as otherwise, he wouldn't risk betting on such unfavorable odds. "I agree. What shall we wager? Surely, you're not in a suitable condition to be gambling your money?"

Coriolanus swiftly scans the surroundings, making sure that her snide remark went unnoticed. His eyes widen as he realizes that nobody has paid any heed to their conversation. When he looks back at Tempest, he notices that she is trying to conceal her laughter. "Not money," he concurs. "But rather, favors."

"What favors?" She is curious by now.

He casually shrugs and says, "There's no rush to make a decision right now. It'll simply turn into a situation where the loser owes the winner, you know?"

Tempest doesn't spend time pondering the potential consequences of losing. She is confident in her abilities and doesn't think she will lose. "Maybe you could help me organize my closet by color! Or, I could have you kneel before me and use you as a footstool!" She playfully jokes as they make their way to the lab.

Coriolanus finds himself unable to resist rolling his eyes in humor. However, deep down he understands that if she were to emerge victorious, she would never stoop so low. A small part of him is intrigued by the idea—what would she do if she had complete control over him? Yet, he swiftly dismisses such thoughts, for he is determined to emerge triumphant.

Upon entering the laboratory, Dr. Gaul and Dean Highbottom were positioned behind the professors' table, collecting the questionnaires. Tempest confidently presented hers to the Dean, exuding a self-assured smile and maintaining a straightened spine. Coriolanus couldn't help but observe a subtle trace of admiration in the Dean's face as he accepted the questionnaire.

As Dean Highbottom walked away to speak with Dr. Gaul, he realized that the jealousy he once felt towards Tempest's success had transformed into a new emotion. He was now filled with a sense of awe.

Dr. Gaul poked at the muttation rabbit until the class had settled in, then greeted them with, "Hippity, hoppity, how did you fare? Did they greet you like friends or just sit there and stare?"

As she retrieved the questionnaires, the students looked at each other with confusion. "I'm Dr. Gaul, the Head Gamemaker, and I'll be mentoring your mentorships," she informed them. "Let's take a look at what we have here, shall we?" She scanned through the papers, frowned, and plucked two from the pile, displaying them to the class.

"This is what you were asked to do. Thank you, Mr. Snow and Ms. Galdur. Now, what happened to the rest of you?"

Coriolanus felt a surge of excitement as Tempest directed a playful wink towards him, causing a delightful flutter in his stomach. Although he was filled with joy inside, he managed to keep a calm and composed demeanor.

She couldn't help but scoff as Coriolanus moved to support his classmates. She would have taken the moment to gloat her own success. After a long pause, he spoke up. "I had good luck with my tribute. She's a talker. But most of the kids wouldn't communicate. And even the girl can't see the point of making an effort at the interview."

"Right," Dr. Gaul hummed at this. "And you, Ms. Galdur?"

Tempest sighed in exasperation, refusing to please her classmates like Coriolanus did. She had no concern for who she blamed, stating, "I merely followed the given instructions." All heads turned to her in surprise. "I fulfilled my responsibilities, just as everyone else should have."

Tempest Galdur felt the weight of the disapproving stares directed towards her as Dr. Gaul chuckled. "My dear Tempest," she said with a hint of sarcasm, "you always were so modest, weren't you?" It must have been difficult for Tempest to endure such a condescending remark, but she remained composed nonetheless.

"Humility is unnecessary," Tempest disagrees. "Not with my numerous accomplishments."

After a brief moment of observation, Dr. Gaul tilts her head back and forth before breaking into a smile. "Take note, Coriolanus," she tells the boy. "This girl is going places."

Livia laughs, as if she finds it hard to fathom that Tempest is being commended despite throwing her entire class to the wolves.

"Something funny?" Dr Gaul asks her.

"Yes!" Livia exclaims, voice thick with envy. "You're actually praising the girl who proposed that we place bets on the tributes earlier today!"

Dr. Gaul seem intrigued as she rubs her chin in contemplation. "Hmm, is this true?"

Tempest turns her gaze towards Coriolanus, who is nodding fervently, as if urging her to take credit for the idea. She almost does, but the words escape her before she can even think them through. "Well, not exactly," she confesses. "I only proposed adding stakes to the games. It was Coriolanus who suggested wagering."

Coriolanus straightens up as the Head Gamemaker's gaze falls on him. The silence is so profound that it seems to stretch on for miles. It's impossible to tell whether it's been an hour or just a few seconds before Dr. Gaul finally whispers, "What a brilliant idea."

Coriolanus clears his throat before speaking, "Tempest had this idea of utilizing the money people bet to provide food and water for the tributes in the arena. It's a unique way for individuals to have a personal impact on the game's outcomes."

The girl gazes at him, her eyes wide with astonishment. It's hard for her to fathom that he is actually praising one of her ideas, even if she was the one who initially sparked the inspiration. A faint smile tugs at the corner of his lips, barely noticeable, before Dr. Gaul focuses her attention on both of them.

"All right, then, you will both put your heads together and figure it out. Write me a proposal on how this could work, and my team will consider it'll," she says.

"Consider it?" Clemensia cuts in now. "You mean you might actually use their ideas?"

"Why not? If they have merit," Dr. Gaul tossed the sack of questionnaires onto the table. "What young brains lack in experience they sometimes make up for in idealism. Nothing seems impossible to them."

"Oh, Coriolanus and I are always a team for all our projects," Clemensia declares, hoping to get some recognition. Dr. Gaul finds her eagerness amusing.

"I'll expect it on my desk tomorrow morning."