know thy place [bf speech]

There is a silence at her centre that radiates outwards, like a black sun, reducing everything that it touches to a husk of what or who it was. Blessing Fenwick sees herself as above all of this. Campaigning is an act of ego, a desperation blooming out of cheap motel rooms from seeds planted by men and women who spend their days preening in front of their own personal hall of mirrors.

In reality, there's little that a council position could bring her that she wants, let alone needs. The Fenwick family has connections in very corner of the city, below it too, there's not many places that she cannot reach without an unnecessary title.

However, it would make her next project move a little faster. The last thing she needs is a council member making an attempt to block her next move due to some inflated sense of power and an entire district to use as her playground is appetising enough to make her agree to Zel's proposal that she take on the mantle next.

A speech is a simple thing for a Fenwick. Her family has spent decades honing the craft of careful manipulation through their words. Years of hosting gala fundraisers at her mother's side, of pretending so much to care, makes it easy for Blessing to give her speech with the slow build of emotion it requires.

Even as the shadow within only grows darker.



Since my great grandfather, Atticus Leopold Fenwick first rose to prominence at Snow’s side a century ago, my family has served you with great loyalty.

We were your soldiers, protecting your families during Panem’s darkest days. Even to this day, the Fenwick family fights for your continued safety. For every generation, there is always those of us who don a white uniform to keep Panem safe, even now, my youngest brothers are out in the districts, maintaining our peace there.

Then we helped to rebuild our fair city, our jewel, but not only structurally. We helped you smile again with the creation of our production studio. We helped you weep, get angry and celebrate our triumphs as a society through our films. Most importantly, we helped you remember the threat that the people of the districts are to our way of life.

Over the years, we have continued to serve you as game makers, playwrights, architects, lawyers, doctors and scientists. Azazel, my cherished cousin, has done an outstanding job as a leading voice within the council, but his time has come to pass the mantle on to me.

Those of you who are perhaps a little behind on the times, may be wondering just who I am. Let me catch you up to speed.

My name is Blessing Fenwick, yes, that Blessing Fenwick. I am the CEO of Nervalink technologies, a company I helped start near a decade ago. I began my career in neuroscience and worked as a prosthetics engineer for our lustrous victors before moving on to Nervalink, where I remain at its head to this day.

Since my time as CEO, I have done much for our fair city. A few years ago I built a teaching hospital out in Six, including a wing dedicated to the study of the Rose Plague. Our hospital takes only the best and brightest med students and from there, the top scorers in their classes are brought to NERVAlink, to become even greater.

With the building of the hospital, our understanding of the human body has grown in leaps and bounds. This is one key reason why it is now easier than ever to enhance our bodies through genetic modifications. You’re welcome.

Your next question must be, why now? Why you?

It seems that recently, some of our districts have come to believe that they deserve to be treated as equals. They believe that they have paid for their crimes in full, ha.

They have asked for concessions such as travel between districts, a mail system, and have even asked for telephones, a right only given to honour our victors. Our illustrious interim council has seen fit to grant them this.

However, that generosity has been seen as a weakness. They have been given too many freedoms and have grown too confident. It has been taken as an opportunity to reach for power, to rise above their place and come for what is rightfully ours.

No.

We remember still, those dark days, not so far in the past yet. We remember the suffering of our families, the losses we felt, that we still feel. We remember the hunger, the ruin, the rubble we were reduced to.

I understand it, I do. I like dogs as much as the next person but I would never give one a seat at my table. When you do foolish things such as that, soon enough you’ll wake up to their teeth at your throat. If we continue with these kindnesses, we might as well bare our necks to them now.

It is time to send a message, Panem, to the kennels past these walls. It is time to remind them of why we reap their children year after year. Time once again, that they understand their place in this world.

Vote me in as your council member and I assure you, I will see to it that these dogs of war are put down.

You will never hear their braying again.