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MY LITTLE DOVE.

(chapter five, but the tears said otherwise)

the academy / capitol zoo / the citadel, 2248.

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AS THEY FILED INTO the lab, Dorothy sighed at the sight of Dean Highbottom standing behind the professor's table, collecting the questionnaires. He ignored the twins and everyone else as he left the talking to Dr Gaul, who was poking at the muttation rabbit until the class had settled in. 

"Hippity, hoppity, how did you fare? Did they greet you like friends or just sit there and stare?" Dr Gaul greeted them as all the students shot each other confused glances. "For those of you who don't know, I'm Dr Gaul, the Head Gamemaker, and I will be mentoring your mentorships. Let's see what I have to work with, shall we?" She flipped through the papers, frowning until she pulled out two papers, holding them up for the class to see. "This is what you were asked to do. Thank you, Mr and Miss Snow. Now, what happened to the rest of you?"

"I had good luck with my tribute. She's a talker. But most of the kids wouldn't communicate. And even my girl can't see the point of making an effort at the interview," Coriolanus spoke up, supporting his classmates whilst Dorothy stayed silent.

"Why should they? What does it get them?" Sejanus said as he turned to Coriolanus. "No matter what they do, they'll be thrown into the arena and left to fend for themselves."

"You're the boy with the sandwiches. Why did you do it?" Dr Gaul asked.

"They were starving. We're going to kill them. Do we have to torture them ahead of time as well?"

"Huh." Dr Gaul huffed. "A rebel sympathiser."

"Hardly rebels. Some of them were two-years-old when the war ended. The oldest were eight. And now that the war's over, they're just citizens of Panem, aren't they?" Sejanus didn't look up from his notebook. "Same as us? Isn't that what the anthem says the Capitol does? 'You give us light. You reunite'? It's supposed to be everyone's government, right?"

"That's the general idea." Dr Gaul nodded. "Go on."

"Well, then it should protect everyone," said Sejanus. Dorothy prayed that he would shut up soon before he did damage he couldn't undo. "That's its number-one job! And I don't see how making them fight to the death achieves that."

"Obviously, you don't approve of the Hunger Games," said Dr Gaul. "That must be hard for a mentor. That must interfere with your assignment."

"Perhaps you should replace me and assign someone more worthy."

Dorothy cursed Sejanus horribly in her head. Of course, it was Sejanus Plinth that would throw a mentorship back in Dr Gaul's face. Anyone would have taken that chance up with glee, but not Sejanus. No, Sejanus didn't even want the mentorship. And that was the difference between Dorothy Snow and Sejanus Plinth. She was quiet about her dislike of the Games whilst he was open about it. 

"Not on your life, boy." Dr Gaul chuckled. "Compassion is the key to the Games. Empathy, the thing we lack. Right, Casca?" He did not say anything. "Now, wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone in the audience felt as passionately about the tributes as thing young man here? That should be our goal."

"No," said Dean Highbottom.

"Yes! For them to really get involved!" Dr Gaul said as she slapped her forehead. "You've given me a marvellous idea. A way to let people personally affect the outcome of the Games. Suppose we let the audience send the tributes food in the arena? Feed them, like your friend here did in the zoo. Would they feel more involved?"

"I would if I could bet on the one I was feeding!" Festus nodded. "Just this morning, Coriolanus said maybe we should give odds on the tributes. And Dorothy had this idea of a parade—"

"A parade?" Dr Gaul's interest was perked as she walked over to Dorothy. "Explain."

"Well..." Dorothy mumbled as she narrowed her eyes at Festus, who gave her a thumbs up. "It was just a suggestion, but maybe we could hold a parade, a chariot ride if you will, of all the tributes. They could be dressed up real nice and it would get the citizens excited and passionate about the tributes. It could tie in with Coriolanus's betting idea and your idea, Dr Gaul, about letting the audience send tributes food. In the audience of the parade, there could be scouts... or... sponsors."

"And what would these sponsors do?"

"They would send food to the tributes in the arena," Dorothy told her, posture straight. "They could see what tributes fit their requirements, along with the odds on the tributes and see who is most likely to win and could sponsor them. And not only will this get people excited about the tributes, it would benefit the Capitol with new jobs. Stylists, prep teams, even escorts."

"That's a good idea, Miss Snow. I'll keep that in mind." Dr Gaul nodded approvingly at Dorothy. "All right then, you all put your heads together and figure it out. Write me a proposal on how this could work and my team will consider it."

"Consider it?" Livia asked. She was scowling at Dorothy. "You mean you might actually use our ideas?"

"Why not? If they have merit," Dr Gaul said. "What young brains lack in experience they sometimes make up for in idealism. Nothing seems impossible to them. Old Casca over there came up with the concept for the Hunger Games when he was my student at the University, just a few years older than you are now."

"It was just theoretical," Dean Highbottom mumbled.

"And so is this, unless it proves useful," Dr Gaul said. "I'll expect it on my desk tomorrow morning."

The class voted on a committee of three mentors to draw the thing up. Dorothy, Coriolanus, and Clemensia were chosen to write the proposal. They were to convene that evening, but since they all wanted to visit their tributes first, they agreed to meet at eight o'clock at the zoo before later going to the library to start writing.

Pride and happiness filled Dorothy as she and Coriolanus walked to the zoo, so much that she was practically skipping. Dr Gaul had said that she would keep Dorothy's idea in mind and it had her optimistic, her hopes up. It got even better when she got to the monkey cage, Sabyn coming right up to her. Coriolanus went in the corner, talking to Diana and Apollo Ring, the two other set of the twins.

"Have you brought anything for me?" Sabyn asked with a smirk once Dorothy sat down on a rock in a secluded corner. 

"I have actually." Dorothy smiled as she reached into her pocket and brought out a bowl. Tigris had poured some cabbage soup and red beans into it with a sprinkle of fresh herbs from the roof garden. "Cabbage soup and red beans."

"Ooo, I like red beans." Sabyn took the bowl greedily, scoffing down the soup and beans. 

"Have you gotten anything else today?"

"Me and some of the others fought over some bread a man threw in." Sabyn nodded. "I won."

This surprised Dorothy, for when she first saw Sabyn, she never would have expected her to be a fighter. She was such a small, skinny thing and she looked nothing like the other kids. But somehow, she had managed to win a fight. That had Dorothy's happiness flying through the roof.

"That's good, Sabyn, really." Dorothy smiled at her as Sabyn handed her the bowl back. "Has anything else happened?"

"Nah, not really." Sabyn shook her head. "What about you, rich girl? Anything happened in your life?"

"Not really." Dorothy smiled. She really was getting somewhere with Sabyn. "I have to run soon, though. Me and two other mentors have to write a proposal."

"I keep forgetting you're a student in school," the district girl said. "What's the proposal about?"

"You're not going to like it."

"Try me."

"It's a proposal about how to make the audience more interested with the Games," Dorothy murmured. "We've already come up with some."

"Like what?"

"Well..." Dorothy swallowed a lump in her throat. "Sponsors, chariot rides, betting, odds."

"God, you're such a Capitol person, aren't you?" Sabyn laughed. "You guys want to bet on tributes?"

"It wasn't my idea," Dorothy told her. "And anyway, I have you know I hate the Hunger Games. I just act like I do because I want to study at the University. It's all a mask, really."

"Well, I don't know how you act with your Capitol friends." Sabyn smirked. "And I don't want to."

Some commotion was happening behind Sabyn. The hungry tributes began to compete for attention, for food. The little girl from District Nine did a back handspring after she received a bread roll. The boy from Seven made a good show of juggling three walnuts. The audience rewarded them for more food. But soon, Sejanus arrived with bags of hard-boiled eggs and wedges of bread and all the tributes except Marcus ran up to him.

But then, a large applause came from the Ring twins as their tributes from Six began a funny dance and soon, everyone was clapping along in a rhythm. And then things became more festive, Dorothy and Sabyn laughing along. 

"Who's she?" Sabyn was pointing to a girl who was by the bars, surrounded by a fresh loaf of bread, a block of cheese, and grapes.

"Arachne Crane," Dorothy told her. 

"Are you friends with her?"

"Mm, sort of," Dorothy murmured. "She's loud and everything one would hate, but she's a good enough friend sometimes."

"Well, she doesn't look good with what she's doing." Sabyn pointed to what Arachne was doing. 

She was slicing the cheese with a mother-of-pearl-handled knife, her tribute, the girl from Ten, squatting in-front of her as she eagerly leaned into the bars. Arachne made a thick sandwich, but didn't hand it right over. She was teasing the poor girl, who reached through the bars. But Arachne withdrew the sandwich as the audience laughed. She gave them a grin as she shook her finger at her tribute before taking a bite of the sandwich for herself.

And the girl from Ten's face was darkening, muscles tightening as her grasp around the bars became tight. And it happened so fast, what happened next, but for Dorothy, it happened in slow motion. The girl's fingers sliding down the bars, darting out, grabbing the knife. And the moment Dorothy stood up to yell a warning to Arachne, the district girl had yanked her forward, slitting her throat with the knife. 

"Arachne!" Dorothy cried as shrieks came from the audience, Arachne's face draining of colour as she dropped the sandwich, clawing at her neck. Blood poured as she got shoved by her tribute. Arachne stepped back, looking for help before she fell to her knees. 

Dorothy was the first to reach Arachne, Coriolanus not far behind her. Arachne was making a choking sound as Dorothy got on her knees, picking her up into her lap. Arachne clutched her blouse, staining it with blood as Dorothy pressed her hand over her wound to slow the blood.

"Medic!" Dorothy cried as she cradled Arachne's head. "Please! Someone!"

"Someone get a medic!" Coriolanus screamed at the crowd. Dorothy faintly heard bullets pierce someone, looking over to see the tribute lying dead on the floor. So much was happening, but all Dorothy focused on was Arachne, who was making more choking sounds. She was so focused on the dying girl that she didn't even register the stray bullets that whizzed by.

"You're going to be okay," she tried to assure her, but the tears that dropped down onto her cheek said otherwise. "We're going to get you help, okay, Arachne?"

Festus had crouched down beside Dorothy, hand on her shoulder as Arachne's lips made soundless words before her breathing stopped suddenly. And whilst Coriolanus was trying to get her to stand up before they got trampled by the surging crowd, Dorothy couldn't. She couldn't let Arachne go for some reason.

"Dottie!" Coriolanus begged. "The medics are here. Hand her over."

Dorothy looked up, vision blurry as she made out the faint figures of the medics. Stepping back from Arachne, Dorothy flinched at the sight of her blood stained blouse and hands. Sabyn was crouched down in a corner, arms covering herself as she stared at Dorothy.

The medics lifted Arachne on a stretcher whilst others assessed those who had been wounded by stray bullets or stomped on by the feet of the crowd. But Dorothy had wiped away her tears, trying to get the medic in-front of her to leave as she tried to look around. 

The tributes were being ordered to line along the back of the cage with their hands on-top of their heads whilst soldiers marched the audience out. Coriolanus was having a hard time breathing as he clenched his hands. Memories, Dorothy figured. Festus was still beside her, eyes following Arachne. And Sejanus was kneeling near the dead tribute as he sprinkled a handful of something white over the body, mumbling some words before he got pulled back by Peacekeepers. 

As Dorothy, Coriolanus, and Festus got pushed out towards the exit, the girl tried to scrape Arachne's blood off her, stopping at a water fountain to wash it off. None of them knew what to say. Dorothy couldn't help but think what she had said to Sabyn. Arachne was loud and everything one should hate, but she had been in Dorothy's life since they were babies. They played as babies, been at parties together, attended nearly every class together. Arachne was the first person to go up to Dorothy on the day of the Reaping. And when it was the Snow's mother's funeral, Arachne was dressed head to toe in black lace. And Dorothy had cheered her brother's graduation only last year. 

"I couldn't... I couldn't do anything," Dorothy muttered as the last remnants of Arachne's blood washed off. It would not get off her blouse, however. "I was useless."

"You tried, Dorothy," Festus consoled her. "That's all that matters."

"No-one could have done anything," Coriolanus agreed and as he said this, Clemensia found them, her whole body shaking. Silently, the two girls embraced each other before making their way out of the zoo.

"Come to my place," Festus said, but when they reached his apartment, he broke down sobbing. They saw him into the elevator and said goodnight. But of course, it wouldn't be. And it wasn't until Coriolanus and Dorothy were walking Clemensia home that they remembered the assignment Dr Gaul had given them.

"Surely, she won't still expect it," Clemensia said. "I couldn't do it tonight. I couldn't possibly think about it. You know, with what happened."

The twins had agreed, but they soon realised that Dr Gaul was not the type to be sympathetic. She would penalise them for missing a deadline regardless of what had happened. The Snow twins decided it would be safer to write something just in case.

When they had managed to climb the flights of stairs to their apartment in silence, Coriolanus stayed behind to calm down Tigris and the Grandma'am, who had gone in hysterics seeing the blood on Dorothy's blouse. But she waved them off and went to her bedroom, stripping her bloody uniform, and heading to her bathroom where she scrubbed the rest of Arachne's blood from her body. And whilst Arachne Crane wasn't really Dorothy's friend, the Snow girl still cried over her death in the shower. 

But then, she had to rub her tears away as she joined Coriolanus to write the proposal. He too looked sorrowful, deep violet bags residing under his eyes. They barely spoke when they wrote, mumbling some things to the other, crossing words out, or rewriting some paragraphs. Coriolanus always hated working with someone, but with Dorothy, they always thought the same thing. And they managed to write a simple yet effective proposal.

Basing it off the discussion that the class had with Dr Gaul, they wrote a proposal about sponsors. The so called sponsors would be able to buy items like a piece of bread or a chunk of cheese and deliver it by drone to a specific tribute. A panel would be established to review the nature and value of each item. The twins also decided that the sponsors would have to be a good standing Capitol citizen that had no ties related to the Games, meaning that Gamemakers, mentors, and Peacekeepers were not allowed. And then it came to Coriolanus's idea of betting where they suggested a second panel to create a venue that would allow citizens to officially wage on the Victor, establish the odds, and oversee the payments to the winers. And then there was Dorothy's idea about the parade which was tied in with the betting and sponsors. It, theoretically, would be chariot rides down the centre of the Capitol where the tributes could make an impression on the citizens of the Capitol, attracting potential sponsors which would be crucial to the tributes' survival in the arena. It would also give the citizens a chance to see the tributes in a new light, being all dressed up and promising rather than starved and dull in a zoo cage. It would give the citizens a chance to see possible winners and bet at the venue that Coriolanus had suggested.

They worked until Friday morning and when the sun rose, the two twins rushed to get dressed in clean uniforms, Coriolanus tucking the proposal under his arm, and leaving the apartment as quiet as possible so they wouldn't disturb Tigris and the Grandma'am.

Dr Gaul had numerous desks between her research, academic, and military duties, but since this was Hunger Games business, the twins headed to something called the Citadel, which housed the War Department. Peacekeepers would not let them pass since it was high-security, but assured them that the papers would be on her desk. 

And the rest of the day was a blur. Screens continuously showed Arachne's death, the news repeatedly showing the tribute slicing her throat, to Dorothy trying to help Arachne as Coriolanus yelled for help, to the murder of the tribute. But as Dorothy watched it, she felt empty and numb. She had let out all her emotion in the shower yesterday and now, she just felt hollow, detached even.

When they reached home after a dull day at the Academy, everyone at the apartment had calmed down, but since Dorothy didn't see Tigris or the Grandma'am, they embraced her softly, checking if she was all right. And whilst she was, there was some sort of hole. Arachne had died in her arms. 

And that hole continued to be felt the next day as the Academy was holding a school-wide assembly. Dorothy, who was known to be Arachne's friend and tried saviour, received many condolences and praises for her actions whilst Coriolanus got soft smiles and pats on the shoulder. And of course, there was the odd rumour that the Snow twins cared for Arachne like a sister, but of course, this was not true. Either way, they let it slide.

For the assembly, Dean Highbottom should have been the one to lead it since he was dean of the Academy, but he did not show and so it was Satyria Click who spoke of Arachne, highlighting her humour, her outspokenness, her dedication. All things were made to sound like Arachne was a decent human being, but the memory of the girl teasing her starving tribute with food replayed in Dorothy's mind as she sniffled into her handkerchief. Arachne Crane was not a decent human being, but whilst she was a cruel one, she did not deserve to die. And then, Professor Sickle took the mic and commended Dorothy for her tries to save Arachne even though death had already taken her. She also praised Coriolanus and Festus for their response. Hippocrata Lunt, the school counsellor, then invited anyone with grief issues to visit her office. And finally, Satyria came back and announced that Arachne's offical funeral would be the following day and that the entire student body would attend. It would be aired live to all of Panem.

After the assembly, the mentors were scheduled to meet with Professor Demigloss again and whilst no-one felt like going, they had to. And as Dorothy entered, he gave her a soft smile and a pat on the shoulder as he handed out a mentor sheet, updated with the tributes' names, saying, "This should facilitate keeping track of your progress in the Games."

It had the districts one-to-twelve with all the tributes' names with who was mentoring them. Dorothy made note to cross out Arachne's name and the girl from Ten. But as Dorothy's pencil hovered over Arachne's name, a note arrived from the office instructing her, Coriolanus, and Clemensia to leave class and to report to the Citadel. Dr Gaul probably had seen their proposal.

"I can't believe you two wrote up some proposal while Arachne's body was still warm!" Clemensia said. "I cried all night long!"

"You know Dr Gaul would not excuse that." Dorothy sighed. "It was better to be safe than sorry."

"True." Clemensia nodded. "So, what's in this thing I supposedly cowrote?"

Coriolanus gave her a quick summary and whilst Clemensia nodded, she looked annoyed.

"I'm sorry, I meant to tell you. It's pretty basic stuff and some of it we already discussed as a group," Coriolanus told her. "Look, I already got one demerit this week. I can't afford to let my grades take a hit too."

"Did you two at least put my name on it?" Clemensia glanced between the two twins. "I don't want it to seem like I was too feeble to pull my weight."

"We didn't put anyone's name on," Dorothy told her. "We figured it was more of a class project than anything. She might not even like it, she is a complicated woman."

At the Peacekeeper station when they reached the Citadel, their retinas were scanned and checked against the Capitol files. Their book bags were taken and a guard escorted them down a long corridor and onto an elevator that plunged down. It was very far underground and when the elevator doors opened, it showed a gigantic laboratory that had numerous research tables, machines, and cases.

"Oh, what are they?" Dorothy winced when she pointed to a wall of glass cases that held different animals that were so altered, there was no knowing what they used to be. They had oversized fangs, claws and flippers, swiping at them as the three passed.

"I hate this place." Clemensia shuddered.

A man in a lab coat intercepted them, leading them to a section of reptile cases. They found Dr Gaul there, peering into a large cage filled with snakes. They were bright with their skin painted in neon pink, yellow, and blue. They were small and very thin, causing Dorothy to clench her jaw. 

"Ah, here you are." Dr Gaul beamed at them. "Say hello to my new babies." Coriolanus went up to the glass as the two girls stayed behind.

"Is there a point to the colour?" Clemensia asked.

"There is a point to everything or nothing at all, depending on your worldview," Dr Gaul said. "Which brings me to your proposal. I liked it. Did you three all write it together or one of you? Were you too plagued with the death of your friend?"

"The whole class discussed it as a group." Clemensia pressed her lips together.

"And we wrote it after what happened with Arachne." Dorothy nodded. "To calm the nerves."

"Is that so?"

"Yes." Clemensia nodded. "We wrote it up at the library and I printed it out at my apartment last night. Then I gave it to Dottie and Coriolanus so they could drop it off this morning. As assigned."

"Is that how it happened?" Dr Gaul turned to Coriolanus.

"Me and Dottie did drop it off this morning, yes," Coriolanus told her. "Well, just to the Peacekeepers on guard. We weren't allowed in. Was that a problem?"

"I just wanted to make sure you all had your hands on it," Dr Gaul muttered.

"We can show you the parts the group discussed and how they were developed in the proposal," Coriolanus offered.

"Yes. Do that," Dr Gaul said. "Did you bring a copy?"

"No, we didn't," Dorothy told her, Clemensia looking at her expectantly.

"They took our book bags." Clemensia nodded. "Perhaps we could use the copy we gave you?"

"Well, we could." Dr Gaul chuckled, making Dorothy wince slightly. "But my assistant lined this very case with it while I was having my lunch."

Dorothy bit her lip as she peered into the cage of snakes and Dr Gaul was right. The Snow girl could see the sheets of their proposal lying amongst the massive mass of wriggling snakes. 

"Suppose you three could retrieve it?" Dr Gaul suggested, nudging her head in the direction of the cage and then Dorothy realised. This was some awful test of Dr Gaul's, but whether it had any meaning, she did not know.

"Of course." Clemensia forced a smile. "Do we just reach in through the trapdoor on the top?"

"Oh, no." Dr Gaul shook her head as she removed the entire cover. "Let's give you some room. Mr Snow? Why don't you start?"

Coriolanus reached in slowly, Dr Gaul nodding her head as she gave some instructions and soon, he managed to slide a sheet of paper from underneath the snakes.

"Miss Snow?" Dr Gaul gestured. "Your turn."

Dorothy swallowed a lump in her throat as she slowly walked to the cage. Her heart was in her mouth as she slowly extended her hand, the warmth of the heated air fanning onto her skin. Her mouth went dry as her shaking hand reached into the cage, but the snakes didn't react, letting Dorothy slide a sheet of paper from underneath them.

"Well, that was easy." Dorothy forced a smile at Clemensia. "It'll be fine, they barely noticed."

"Here I go then," Clemensia said as she reached into the tank, looking green. 

"They can't see too well and they hear even less," Dr Gaul explained. "But they must know you're there. Snakes can smell you using their tongues, these mutts here more than others."

Clemensia managed to hook a sheet with her fingers, lifting it up as the snakes stirred.

"If you're familiar, if they have pleasant associations with your scent — a warm tank, for instant — they'll ignore you. A new scent, something foreign, that would be a threat." Dr Gaul smirked. "You'd be on your own, little girl."

Clemensia looked grimly at Dorothy as a sense of alarm washed over her face, Dorothy feeling faint as she realised what kind of trick this was about. Clemensia yanked her hand from the tank, but before she did, a half dozen snakes sunk into her skin.