Ablaze [Gale Hawthorne]

Facades

"Pleasure meeting you in person, Miss Snow." A woman greeted while entering her room. She was a bit aged, maybe in her senile sixties though she didn't look senile. The parchment-like skin near her brows and lips wrinkled as she smiled to reveal her insignificant jowls. It would take a genius like Cassandra, who had lived among permuting facades basically all her life, to figure out it was fake.

"Pleasure's all mine, President Coin." Cassandra grinned back in a more humble way, her Capitol warmth, though when she caught Coin's gaze, they radiated something very vicious that it made Cassandra uncomfortable as soon as she looked into them. This was the very first impression of Alma Coin on Cassandra, she couldn't bring herself to trust this lady. She was still unconvinced for the was the President acted around her, as if she's a threat to 13 right away. To sum it all up, she didn't quite like Coin. Oh, if she likes anyone in 13. 

"I am well-aware that you have been funding 13, but, that doesn't give you the authority to destroy the district's property." Coin nodded at the remote in Cassandra's grasp.

Shit your authority and your property. 

"Oh, this?" Cassandra inquired at the remote, sweetly, "I have no intentions of destroying anything. I was just turning off the television. It's quite informative, really." She lied through her teeth when she had an urge to crack open Coin's skull no matter how lavish her hair might be. But, she contained it by using her raised arm to turn of the T.V. to prove her innocence, "Ti-ding, see?" She rolled her eyes demurely at the screen which was now blank, the screen she so badly wanted to shatter.

"Glad to know that." Coin stated with a ghost of a smile, making Cassandra snicker internally, "So, now that you have arrived at 13 and have officially become it's citizen, there are certain rules and regulation you have to follow to live here without any occlusions." After seeing the look on Cassandra's face that showcased negligence, she raised her tone, crisp to the ear, "They are obligatory. Should you not follow, we would have you stripped from that post you earned by funding us so will our gratitude towards you will cease." 

Cassandra groaned loudly just to annoy Coin, she definitely wasn't the one to go by the rules. She's a Snow, for shouting out loud and not being able to play by her directives was as if claiming the sun isn't the center of the solar system. It was partially smarmy of Coin to address her like that. Honestly, it felt like Coin was threatening Cassandra. Which she, basically, was. Alma's features hardened a bit at her reaction and caused Cassandra to applaud herself for achieving her deliberate aim, "Do I look like the one to follow the rules, President Coin?"

"Plutarch warned me about that. But, he did ensure me if I give you three hours of training sessions everyday, you would rather bare with us."

Now we're talking, Cassandra thought. Atleast, she wouldn't have to sweep the floors during the kitchen duties or try not to fall asleep while they taught her the importance of family planning. Hosting the Hunger Games each year had its perks. Being from the family that overlooked the undertaking and preparations of the Games, she had access to all the weapons that came from District 2 as well as the trainers who'd find it amusing to see a Capitol girl, to be precise, President Snow's very own granddaughter, try to wield a knife. She had won them over with her basic skills and they would train her with every weapon that ever existed. From a dagger to a rifle, she had learnt to use each of them in 20 different ways. This perceptual passion for martial arts and arms came from the blood she carried. Her noble mother's judgments and her brave father's fighting instincts.

"But...." Alma raised her palm, sounding like a malfunctioned drone,"We will have a trainer appointed to you."  

This just can't get any worse,  Cassandra thought to herself, what will the trainers teach me? How to spoon-feed the veteran trainers from the Capitol? She straightened her back against the turgidity of the pillows to tell Coin she was more competent than that, "If Plutarch informed you everything that is to know about me, he'd have definitely brought your attention to how well I am in that field."