"It was perhaps a lost virtue kindness, for something so pure it seems it had been moulded and reshaped to be commodified in a means of one's benefit—, in fact, they should just change the definition of it as we speak. My mother was one of kindness, though my father commodified it I chose to honour my mother through showing it selectively,"
— Drusilla von Tougaard

Genuine kindness was rarer than a red diamond to find from a person part of the elite milieu of the Capitol. Something that Tigris had terribly missed especially since upon her cousin's return to the Capitol. Yet somehow for someone who easily flipped the atmosphere in the studio so cold there was something about her that was so warm and calming. 

There was a select few of people who could stand against people like Livia Cardew who was the daughter of the owner of the biggest banks in the Capitol, yet even then there was something alluring about how Drusilla spoke, how she carried herself and spoke.

She was a pretty figure Tigris thought to herself, she admired her rich dark brown hair that was styled in relaxed curls and onyx-coloured eyes. 

"Well since that's settled, I just need to double-check the gown I'm wearing," Drusilla chimed.

"Oh yes! What was your name that you put?" Tigris questioned.

"Oh, it's under my aunt's name, hold on let me just double check if it's under her maiden name— oh yes it is. Esmerelda Trinket?" she answered.

"Esmerelda is your aunt?" Tigris' eyes shot up in suprise.

"Yes," Drusilla chuckled.

"What's that like? What is she like?"

"Eh well recently she's been non-stop setting me on blind dates," she sighs.

"You don't sound happy about that," Tigris smiles.

"Believe me I never knew how someone can gather the most obnoxious people into one list. You won't believe the people she has set me up with, the last one was so bad that I escaped through a storage room window." Tigris flicks through the racks and picks out the listed dress covered in a white clothing cover bag.

"You're kidding," Tigris's jaw drops completely invested in Drusilla's recount.

"Yep," Drusilla sighs as she receives the gown. "But you know what I'm starting my job soon so she can't pester me to go on daily blind dates."

"Oh, where did you get offered?" Tigris quips.

"A position at the university— speaking of which I'm running late for my lunch with Dr Gaul. It was very nice meeting you Tigris," Drusilla says.

"Oh please the pleasure was all mine, in fact, would you perhaps in the near future hang out for a coffee or tea?" she offers.

"I would love to Tigris, I'm free next week on Monday actually."

"That's perfect, I'm free in the morning," she jubilantly smiles.

"See you," Drusilla waves.

"Bye!"

⎯⎯⎯

Dr Volumnia Gaul had always believed Drusilla was a fearsome creature to behold and was quick to praise the young lady for her achievements. She recalled the first time she met her, back when she was ten at an interrogation facility in District Four. A curious thing she was, sitting there on the other side of the window in her little pastel dress as she watched the supposed rebel sitting on the table looking at the man talking to her father.

How she sat there, swinging her legs back and forth in a synchronised manner as she watched the man like he was a character on a show.

'Who might you be?' Dr Gaul asks with an unsettling smile as she slightly bends down.

'Drusilla,' she replies looking to her unfazed and turning back to her attention to the interrogation room.

'May I sit here Drusilla?' The girl nods as the scientist takes a seat. 'What do you think? What do you think about what's going on?'

'Looks like the man is telling a story, a good one,' she tilts her head. 'Maybe about his kids or friends, or something funny. It seems he's a very good liar, he replies quite fluently. He's balancing his nervousness with stable lies. Papa seems to be playing along with it.'

'Oh I see,' Dr Gaul smiles brightly at the young child with fascination as if she had discovered a new groundbreaking revelation.

'Is that your papa?' she points to her father and nods. 'Do you enjoy watching your Papa doing his job?'

Drusilla shrugs as her eyes look down at the man's throat and slightly gulps. Her father grins getting up as he signals to the window to the peacekeepers behind the two and enters the interrogation room. As her father walks out Drusilla watches the guards begin to beat up the district man slightly fazed by the sudden violence. 

The Cierco von Tougaard is a tall figure with a frightful gaze from his monolid onyx eyes and his raven hair slicked back covers his child's eyes and turns his child's body to face the other direction.

'Papa, am I going to have lunch now with mummy?' she asks looking up.

'Lunch with your mother has been moved, I want you to meet an old teacher and now colleague of mine,' he says gesturing his daughter to look at Dr Gaul. 'Dru dear this is Dr Gaul. Greet her.'

'It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance,' she says just as she had rehearsed. 

'If I only knew how brilliant this young child was I would have come here sooner, how curious she reads people like a book! Fascinating young mind! Unlike your other boorish children.'

'No experiments on her' he tuts as she puts her hand on her chest dramatically.

'But of course not! What am I? Do you take for me as a monster?'

"Ah! Dru dear!" Dr Gaul exclaimed flinging her drink far back the champagne had spilled all over the poor professor.

"Dr Gaul," she smiles still slightly concerned about the professor who attempts to dry his dress shirt with a napkin.

"Oh don't worry about him, he doesn't care right Professor Kousarg?" she turns as the man forcibly nods. "See? Excellent! Now take your seat dear I must introduce our new star professor! Everyone! This is Professor Drusilla von Tougaard who will be exclusively teaching our brand new elite honours class of our new program of political warfare. She is a dear student of mine so I expect all of you to welcome her properly."

Drusilla watches as the tension rises in the room, enough for a knife to just cut. Taking her seat she nods as an Avox pushes her seat and pours her a drink. Everyone had heard rumours about Cierco's prized daughter who had sat down over hundreds of interrogations and cracked down some of the most wanted and 'notorious' rebels. She was the second to earn her father's last name after her eldest brother who directly worked under her father. Moreover, there was more speculation about her father who was rumoured to have discarded his children whom he believed were incompetent. No one wanted to cross him better yet if word had gotten back to him, his own daughter. 

"So what made you change your mind to decide to teach instead?" a slender woman whose hair was beehived heavily on her head made Drusilla wonder how exactly heavy it was for her neck to not snap yet across the table chimed curiously.

"Well Dr Gaul has been asking me for the past two years but after some thought, I wanted a change of scenery, especially since well I never really spent my entire life permanently moving between districts. I enjoy the luxury the capitol has to offer," she explained with ease. It was the truth, just not the entire one. Truths naturally come out right because there is simply nothing wrong with it. 

Drusilla admires the chalice, intricately cut with golden snakes that spiral around the stem of the class and hold ruby gems as eyes, something she suspects that were made from District 1. She then looks at the table, the divide between those who come from the upper class and commoners from the capitol who were able to work themselves up into a high position such as this. She could distinctly tell with the clothing, on her side sat elaborate half-like ballgowns, kilts and coats whilst the others had managed to dress themselves in their best blazers and dresses they seemed they had scrambled to find.

"So what are you going to be teaching?" the brunette returns.

"I'm taking over the law department," she replies with a proud smile. "So your brother has been on the news lately, is he the older one correct?"

"Yes, Augustus," she smiles warmly. Out of her many siblings she had been closest to him despite having a ten-year age gap. He had raised her more like a father than her own ever did. 

"Oh yes!" Dr Gaul pipes in a jubilant manner "Single-handedly press down that small uprising in district eight. Marvellous boy your brother is your brother's strategy that he used a few years ago is being taught to my students!"

"Yes, he has an eye for military strategy," she grins when she sees the law professor's jaw tighten.

"I heard about your brother's new wife," the law professor cuts in making everyone in the room pipe up.

"Oh?" Drusilla raised a brow, her tone slightly cautious.

"Tell me I never thought a von Tougaard would marry some district whore," she snides with a grin she attempts to hide. Everyone including the sound of the musicians falls silent. Dr Gaul grins maliciously with intrigue, leaning slightly forward in the direction of Drusilla who slowly looks up and halts from slicing her slice of steak.

It was true her brother had married someone who was originally born in District One, her family who originally came from the Capitol had fallen on hard times and moved when an opportunity arose to rebuild their family business. She was kind and had the most compassion she had ever seen and saw her intentions were true. Drusilla had taken her brother's side and supported the marriage; convincing her father to see that she would make a good trophy wife for someone like her brother.

Drusilla puts her cutlery down and rests her elbow on the table and her chin on her knuckles. She allows a sardonic chuckle to escape her lips, "I think that's quite rich coming from you."

"Excuse me?"

"Well, your husband will be quite appalled to find your district lover on the side."

"Oooo the fun begins!" Dr Gaul giddily whispers to the person beside her.

"I even bet you saw him last night right? You usually wear pink or red right but you chose green today so it would match the colour corrector you used under the concealer on your neck and your hair is more elaborate because you thought it would hide the messy hair from what I assume is all the hair pulling— maybe you liked him because he's a rough lover right? But anyway, back to the hair you think the bed hair would work with the beehive but darling it's not—, should I keep going I don't want to keep everyone here any longer than it needs to be."

"H-how?"

"Well my mother was a model so I have a knack for knowing some fashion, but if you asked how I know about him well I tend to also know who goes in and out of the Capitol a lot," she explains in an obvious tone. "But what hurts most is you not only questioning my father's decision and integrity who overlooks everything concerning the von Tougaard name but Dr Gaul's," she pouts tilting her head.

"W-what?" she says slowly turning to Dr Gaul.

"I mean you doubt my brother's decision? It was a political decision to stabilise the Capitol's defence system," Drusilla twists the narrative. "And such tactics were influenced by Dr Gaul who personally taught him so I beg to question are you doubting Dr Gaul's teaching?"

"I-I would never!"

"You don't sound too confident about that," Dr Gaul adds.

"N-no Dr Gaul I would never—"

"And by extension, I believe you are questioning Panem's government because Dr Gaul is the head of the military department, furthermore my brother is a key player in our military."

"You're taking this too far!" she defends.

"I'm only doing my job and following my training to ensure the best of Panem's future, you're not going to question my training too right? Wouldn't want to... worsen your predicament correct?" she raises a brow watching her fall silent. The room fell silent, every single one of the guests had their heads down not wanting to make the slightest movement in hopes she wouldn't somehow twist the situation in her favour.

Dr Gaul stared in admiration at her. This one was a full-bred winner she sang in her mind. This was what the future of Panem needed. It didn't matter what she was given, she could win with whatever card she held. Dr Gaul then turned her head and signalled a peacekeeper who was standing at the door to come over.

"Please escort Professor Helcave out please," she ordered causing the ex-law professor to shoot her head up in pure horror.

⎯⎯⎯

"Well if it isn't the married man himself!" Florus Friend laughs looking at the burly figure, Festus Creed, once amongst one of the Capitol's most eligible bachelors now walks through the entrance of the elite capitol's gentlemen's club's lounge a married man to his long-time childhood friend Clemensia Dovecote—, well Clemensia Creed now.

It was both a marriage of calculation and mutuality. Festus had always had his eye on her throughout the academy, she was considered the prettiest girl at the academy and was a top-performing student. Her family status didn't rival his own but was born of high pedigree.

Coriolanus Snow, who sat poised on the edge of the couch flicking his cigar in his ashtray thought it was a good match. He needed someone like Festus by his side and though the Creed boy was known for his irrationality that triumphed over his logicality at times, Clemensia could always calm him down.

"Well at least I'm married," he sticks up his married finger mockingly causing the room to snicker. Festus slumps down next to Coriolanus, the two growing closer in their university years. 

"How was the honeymoon?" the blonde asks as his friend lights his cigar.

"Brilliant," he hums. Well brilliant for him, on their first night while he was having the time of his life leading Clemensia, the poor thing, was left unsatisfied at the end; Festus only lasting no more than seven minutes before he blacked out. However, towards the end of the honeymoon, Clemensia grew anxious and took the lead. 

"Where's your wife now?" Androcles Anderson inquires.

"She's back at her mother's," he answers with a huff causing Coriolanus to raise a brow.

"Trouble in paradise?" he smirks.

"We had a little dispute towards the end of our trip—, have you ever heard about a push present?"

"Push present?"

"Exactly my point," Festus puts down his cigar. "I mentioned starting a family early, you know so when we both exceed in our fields the kids are old enough to take care of themselves. She said she wants presents for you knowing pushing the present out. I told her it was absurd because she was going to buy herself stuff with my money every other day— any way she's mad at me. Took out on the last night. But enough about me," he turns to Coriolanus "when is Mr-most eligible bachelor going to get married?"

"Damn it you read that blasted news article," he chuckles remembering him reading a news article about it this morning.

"Heard Livia Cardew has been scaring the flock of women," Festus adds. Ever since Coriolanus had entered the university he had been simultaneously with his studies climbing the political ladder at an alarming rate. There was speculation about him becoming the next president with Ravinstill's health declining lately.

"Wait, Livia? Didn't she bully you for being an orphan?" Urban Canville was brought up.

"Who cares she's rich?" Festus scoffed.

Coriolanus knew well about Livia's sudden interest in him in his second year at the university, it was no lie that he had thought about the idea of it. The economic and social backing he would receive. Now that he was out of university he had gone with the idea of marrying since he already established a suitable social and political backing.

"Oh Festus, Lyssie has been meaning to ask Clemensia lately," Hilarius Heavensbee referred to his wife, "She's been wondering about that friend of hers. Drusy she mentioned?"

"Oh that one, Drusilla," Festus answers.

"Who?" Coriolanus quips.

"Oh Clemensia goes on about her, she was her childhood friend. Never permanently lived in the capitol. She visits back and forth. Her father is a big military person for the capitol. Didn't get their last name. She was actually supposed to be the maid of honour till Clemensia said that there was some trouble in the districts that she had to handle," he explains. "She's been wanting me to meet her lately. Heard she's visiting."

"Clemesnia usually doesn't speak high about anybody so she must be good or something special about her right?" Hilarius shrugs.

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

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