Dr. Augustine Bethlem | District Six | fin

[Kire]

aut viam inveniam aut faciam
^{I will either find a way or make one}

When Dr. Frederick Arocratus^[1] vanished in the year of the 60th Games^[2], I became the leading expert in psychology and neurobiology. Being only twenty-seven at the time, I wasn't viewed as experienced enough to take control of the experiments he left unfinished^[3]. The bastard had spent an untold fortune on building an Institute of Psychology in District six and setting up a complicated experiment before simply disappearing in the middle of it all. After he had failed to show up for his supervising duties for a number of days, the project was disbanded. All of the subjects and assistants were sent home with no proper evidence collected. Nothing came from all of that money. It was a pathetic waste of every resource.

After eleven years - the man had been declared dead four years ago as protocol states^[4] - I have finally gotten my hands on the paperwork for the structure and can begin to use the institute as my own. The building might now be used for what it was intended, and I might finally be recognized for my high intelligence, and the efficiency and accuracy of my findings. The building has been mine for a number of months now, but I had to replace all of the outdated technology and have the place cleaned and fixed up. Eleven years of no maintenance is hard on a structure, though at least Arocratus had had the thing built well.

Originally I had come from the Capitol. My parents were wealthy and influential people. If Snow had ever had a son - or at least had one that he might declare, I might have been that boy's companion. Of course, the man would never admit to fathering a child, he wanted control of everything and that included who might possibly be his heir - not that Snow planned on dying, and with the experiments I was hoping to do, the possibility of false-immortality was certainly there. Now, instead of being friends with the President's son, I was charged with learning all that I can about life and the taking of it. Of course, I have my own research to do on the side, but surely I can claim any study I do as concerning life. Snow is a fool if he thinks I can't find a way out of his binding words. I am a psychologist; loopholes are only exploited more by lawyers.

[Kire]

lex non distinguitur nos non distinguere debemus
^{The law does not distinguish and so we ought not distinguish}

I,  Augustine Bethlem , will hereby take over the experiment first presented to this committee by Dr. Frederick Arocratus in the year of the 60th Games.

Having a doctorate in both Psychology and Neruobiology, my credentials validate me as the best person to fill the place of the missing Dr. Arocratus in search of the answers he had wanted to find. As well, I have spent the eleven years of experience since the time of his disappearance researching on similar topics to this. You can see in my list of achievements that I founded the Capitol-based experiments of limit testing on Avoxes^[5]. At thirty-eight years of age I am no longer "too young" for this position like you first claimed. I am a well respected scientist and have received direction from President Snow to begin detailed investigations into the properties of life and the taking of it. Any objections to my undertaking of this experiment can be explained to the President.

They accepted me, as they had to in order to keep their positions, even when I detailed the changes I would be applying the to good Dr. Arocratus' initial experiment. I had no idea what he thought he might get out of only one subject for each test when the subjects were so very different. To start I would conform to his initial test, but then I would end up cycling through more subjects once the initial batch wore thin. It is a shame that I wasn't able to use avoxes for this experiment, but it was strictly against the law to bring Avoxes that hadn't been pardoned into the Districts and so I was out of luck in that department.

[Kire]

exitus acta probat
^{The result validates the deeds}

I find it incredibly easy to attract volunteers for my research. At first everyone expects an old man with receding gray hair and a stern expression. When they see me, younger and dark-haired with a smile - faked although they would not know that for a while - they become much more interested. I am someone who likes to be pleased, and people sense that very quickly. The sooner they sense it, the more likely I am to select them. I enjoy working with the intelligent, whatever problems they may pose later on. Challenges can be quite entertaining, and I do not mind breaking someone's spirit. In fact, I very much enjoy it.

Everything I do is out of curiosity, and perhaps a bit of spite. Even so, I perform all experiments while closely following all guidelines and lines of logic. I am the more accurate and efficient scientist, and I never fault in anything. Anyone who claims otherwise can demonstrate to me where I went wrong, and when they look like the fool I will be the one laughing. The last laugh is always mine, my friends. I take great pride in my work, but I take greater pride in knowing that no one is my equal. Snow may be my superior in terms of the hierarchy, but he is not my superior in any other way. Still, I know that without appeasing him I would not have the chance to breathe much longer, let alone perform what experiments I wish. I am not a fool.

Now it is only a matter of time before I have my volunteer subjects. Then I can begin the Great Experiment again and this time I will be the one getting credited for the most impressive study in the history of Panem. Dr. Arocratus is either a living fool or a dead one. Still, I thank him for giving up his authority to me, however it happened. He will make me one of the most famous men in all of Panem. As for me, well, I will make twelve individuals disappear. Call me a magician, for all that magic doesn't exist.

[Kire]

auctoris notes
^{Author's Notes}

[1] Dr. Frederick Arocratus is a character written by the member Nasrid.
[2] Nasrid was last online April of 2012, while the 60th Games was occurring. As such, at least In Character, any characters relating to Nasrid would be considered missing from that time.
[3] Nasrid had created a plot called The Great Experiment that was discontinued due to Nasrid's absence from the site.
[4] In many places, a person is declared legally dead after being missing for seven years.
[5] I created a plot called In Love and War in the Capitol that uses Avoxes as test subjects for seeing what a human being can suffer before breaking - either physically or mentally.

[maverick hale 🌧️ d5 [nyte]]

very nice accepted ^^