No Parallels // Cato

[charade]

Katelyn Persimmon

"We don't want to survive... we want to l i v e."

It was Katelyn’s opinion that the first aid station was the safest place to be in the training center. That was a view that changed swiftly when the boy from district two thumped his way over to where she was trying to learn how to deal with various types of wounds. Kate immediately tensed up, trying not to look at him, but catching sight of his face anyway. A face that looked like it had just been slapped with the business end of a hammer. Or five. Not that it seemed to slow him down much.

In spite of being injured, (Which was pretty terrifying in of itself, because if someone could injure a career that big, how skilled were they?) if he wanted to, he could snap her arms like they were carrot sticks. Katelyn bit her lip in agitation. He looked like he needed help. However, he was also probably the career that was going to rack up the most kills.

So what was she supposed to do? Side-eying the brute as she tried to focus on the various implements in front of her, Kate sighed under her breath. Here she was,not even a week in the Capitol and she was already letting the fear change who she was. She had to be brave, and not deny someone aid, even if seemed like the kind of person who wouldn’t return it.

“You’ll want to try a cold compress for that.”she squeaked, grabbing an icepack and holding it out to him. Even if her help was unwelcome, she figured he wouldn’t be able to do anything unseemly since there were peacekeepers stationed just several feet away. “It should bring down the swelling. I doubt they’ll have these in the arena, but you never know.” If her mother was right, then even this guy had to have something in him that was good, and if her mother was wrong, then she’d probably be knocked out by one of his giant hands in the next few seconds.

[presto]

With splinters in our teeth,
we're driven from our parallels,
Our path a prison, bound to walk
where countless feet already fell

[/presto]

[googlefont="Montez:400"]

[Noah Vau - D2 (Cato)]

"Dialogue"
"Hearing"
Thoughts
Narration

Beads of sweat casually rolled down my forehead as I move away from the training towards a cooler holding water. Over the past bit, I've challenged myself. I've pushed myself further than I ever imagined, but I still have a way to go. It's only when I catch a glimpse of my reflection from the cooler, I notice the pain from my face. It's purple and black from the repeated blows towards it. My eyes are swollen and bloodshot, but the pain grows steadily as I realize how awful it looks. I look around the training center wondering if there's anything I can use to help. Anything to take away the pain quickly because I have to get back to training, and that's when my eyes rest on the first aid station. Surely they would have something to help.

I take one last drink from the bottle of water before heading over to the station. I can already here what the trainer for first aid will say. That I have to take it easy and let the bruising heal. No chance a break for me will happen. I need a quick fix before getting back to the combat stations. I enjoy the hand to hand combat here. Its definitely a challenge fighting new people. Learning different ways to attack. The things that can be done with a few combinations amazes me. A left hook followed by a right hand jab to the face is simple yet effective. Evne incorporating kicks from time to time can be rewarding. Letting loose a kick to the face when its not looked for can pay off. I could go on and on about the things I love about fighting without a weapon.

I've lost myself in my thoughts as I've arrived at the station looking for something simple. Maybe just an ice pack or something to cover my face for a bit before heading back. I already see one and extend a hand to take it when someone's voice addresses me. "You’ll want to try a cold compress for that. It should bring down the swelling. I doubt they’ll have these in the arena, but you never know." Looks like someone else has taken notice of how bad my face looks. What surprises me though that it's not the trainer's voice that address me, but the girl from eleven who I've turned around to get a good look at. I'm tempted to just blow off her comment, but seeing what she knows about first aid could come in handy. I know a decent amount, but everyone has different ways. I could learn something new. "Thank you. Didn't think of that really. I was looking for a quick fix like this ice pack here."

[charade]

Katelyn Persimmon

"We don't want to survive... we want to l i v e."

The blow never came; not that that stopped her heart from beating faster than a person could blow the seeds off of a dandelion. He was being polite? Not...mean or violent? In the back of her mind she could hear her father chastising her for judging a book by its cover;maybe she had been wrong to do so, but the book in question was half a foot taller than her and had muscles three times as thick. It was damn near impossible not to be intimidated.

Katelyn looked up at him as he took the offered item and forced herself to look at his beat up face, or the gloves that covered his hands. As no one else had gloves, she figured that it had to be his token, much as no one else had a bandanna like her. Despite his injuries, he seemed no worse for wear. Katelyn knew that if she had taken as many hits to the face as he did, she'd have been reduced to a crying wreck, and that was only if she was still conscious.

Katelyn stared wide eyed at him for a couple seconds."Y-you're welcome?"she finally murmured. Her mind raced as she tried to make his words make sense with who she knew he was."I..I didn't expect a career from two to be so...polite." she said quietly, ears and cheeks darkening red with embarrassment. She told herself that he was still a threat, still the one to watch out for, politeness notwithstanding. He was still a killer, and by all rights, she should take great pains to stay out of his way.

Turning back to the station, she examined the needle and thread that accompanied it, balking at the thought of sticking it into her skin, but knowing that it might be the only thing keeping her alive after a grievous wound. Katelyn glanced at the career again, but said nothing, waiting for him to keep the conversation going if he wanted to. If not, she was going to skedaddle post haste.

[presto]

There’s no more wind to be found in the sails
Hands full of fallen stars and comet tails

[/presto]

[Noah Vau - D2 (Cato)]

"Dialogue"
"Hearing"
Thoughts
Narration

I can tell from the way she's stammering over her words that she didn't expect a career let alone me to show any kindness. Can't say I'm truly surprised seeing as we've built a reputation for being bloody killers. Ruthless and without mercy. Its unsettling that of all people in the pool of tributes who could be nice that it would be me. I need to distance myself from these people. It would be much harder to kill people when you know them. I don't think I could kill any of my friends back home. I know them on a very personal level and to take them away from their families would kill me. I'm a monster. That much I know. There's nothing stopping me from slipping away. Even now I can feel my inner blood-thirst.

Evidently people must see some measurement of good inside me. Allyssa visited me during the allotted time allowed for visitors. She didn't say much. Kyanite who I've been on bad terms for a long time also visited me. Of all the people in the district, she was one of those who visited. I wouldn't say we're friends in the slightest. Far from it. Still she chose to visit me when I've done nothing but be a jerk. If only those two knew the inner darkness I harbor inside me. There's no coming back on the path I've led myself on. I wish it wasn't so. My gaze falls upon the gloves I wear. Hand stitched by my brother shortly before I left on the train ride. A project he was working on and finished as reaping day came. I clench my fists at the memory of him visiting me.

"Neither did I. I'm not usually this nice. You could ask the entire district of two and they wouldn't say I'm a kind person. Far from it." I grab a ice pack and hold it to my head. Instant relief once the ice is over the bruises. I'll try the girl's suggestion once I'm away from the station, but for now there is things to be said. I must have done something if someone is showing kindness. It usually happens that way. Try to distance myself and someone pulls be back from the dark. "Why help me though? Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for the help. Its just I didn't expect anyone to help me."

[charade]

Katelyn Persimmon

"We don't want to survive... we want to l i v e."

"Neither did I. I'm not usually this nice. You could ask the entire district of two and they wouldn't say I'm a kind person. Far from it." Alarm bells went off in her head, continuing to ring even as he finished speaking."Why help me though? Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for the help. Its just I didn't expect anyone to help me." Katelyn was flabbergasted, partly because he hadn't expected help, and partly because he had trust confirmed her earlier thought about her first impression of him.

She lapsed into silence, working a needle in and out of a practice arm that was at the table. How to explain her actions to him? Deep breaths. "In district eleven, its considered right to help those in need. Work gets done faster in the community if everyone contributes; and if someone needs your help, you give it. Regardless of who they are." Even if they don't reciprocate she added silently.

Katelyn shrugged. At the same time it was both harder and easier to talk to this boy than she thought it would be. She remembered watching his reaping on the train. No bloodthirsty careers had attempted to volunteer for him, and with good reason. He probably would have killed anyone daring to steal his spot; that was how it worked in the career districts they said, that volunteering there was because they wanted to compete, not to save the other person. Like the girl from his district. Or the tributes from four. Katelyn glanced at him again. What was his name? Jason? Carson?

Finishing her work on the arm, she sighed. Given her upbringing, it was hard not to see the rest of the tributes as people; they hadn't seen them do anything terrible yet, she could only wonder, but given how in past games tributes always turned on each other when it came down to it (judging by the ones she watched in her room at the end of each day after training), Katelyn was beginning to feel jaded about how far she could just people. Even the tributes that she was working with. And if more tributes thought like this career did, well it was a scary thought.

[presto]

With splinters in our teeth,
we're driven from our parallels,
Our path a prison, bound to walk
where countless feet already fell

[/presto]

[googlefont="Montez:400"]












[/font]

[Noah Vau - D2 (Cato)]

"Dialogue"
"Hearing"
Thoughts
Narration

Her words about what goes on in eleven give me pause. I don't want to be polite or kind only to turn around in the arena and kill. I want to keep up the presence I've built for myself. Cold and heartless. That's how people see me right? It's for that exact reason when I came over that I did not expect anything to be said to me. I don't how what to do here. I've already initiated conversation. Now we both stand here in silence working on the dummy and my bruises respectively. What's left to be said? She sees me as this heartless killer. I see myself as someone who will kill anyone in order to get home. My brother must love me if I got his hand-stitched gloves as a gift. I miss him so much and need to get home to make things right. Everyone has their reasons for getting home.

I can feel my eyes water a bit so to deflect attention away from that, I speak up. Her bandanna does intrigue me a bit. Must be her token of sorts. Kind of like the gloves are to me. Did she receive them as a gift like myself? I'll ask about that in a bit. "Back in two, its always day in and day out on who would want to volunteer for the games the most. I've spent every day training for this moment." So much of my life devoted to the games and for what? The opportunity to die in front of everyone. I've lost my brother because of my devotion to the career lifestyle. "I wish I could say there is kindness in me. There's only the blood-thirst. I'm sure you knew this yet you helped anyway. Is there something different about me? A few people saying goodbye back home thought so."

Which still puzzles me. I've treated people so wrong over the years and still get some goodbyes. The visits touched me even if I wont admit them to anyone. The only visit that wasn't surprise had been my family. So many words said without them being spoken. I could feel the unspoken words between my brother and I. Hopefully he understands what I've done. Devoting my life to for this moment. I don't want to die in the arena knowing he hates my guts. I can live with the thought of everyone in this world wanting me dead if I knew my brother has forgiven me. Not everyone here must hate me either. The woman next to me is evidence. She might be afraid yes, but willing to help me when she knows I could kill her in seconds? That warms what little there is of my heart.

[charade]

Katelyn Persimmon

"We don't want to survive... we want to l i v e."

He had spent years of his life training to be in the arena? Day in and day out, nothing but learning new ways to kill people. Worse still, he enjoyed it. Nathan sounded like a sad, sick, excuse for a human being if that was really how he viewed things, and quite frankly, life in district two sounded horrible. Not that she planned to tell him that his districts way of life was horrendous to his face, as that would have been extremely unhealthy. He was right about one thing though, she had guessed what he'd be like before she had started the conversation, yet she had deigned to offer him help in spite of her misgivings.


That in of itself appeared to confuse him, or at least make him question his worthiness for receiving it. Katelyn tried to explain in way that hopefully wouldn't insult him."My parents have always said that there is good in everyone. I've tried to see it in my fellow tributes this past week. Even you. I don't know if there's anything different about you, but helping people is who I am." It was tempting to just say screw it all and walk away from the station, but she needed to finish learning how to sew up wounds. "Your willingness to kill people is your own business." She said quietly. After threading another two rows, she realized that she hadn't bothered to introduce herself. Kate could almost hear her mother scolding her for the lack of etiquette, but she quashed that, telling herself that etiquette wouldn't matter soon enough anyway. Still..."I'm Katelyn by the way."  

[presto]

With splinters in our teeth,
we're driven from our parallels,
Our path a prison, bound to walk
where countless feet already fell

[/presto]

[googlefont="Montez:400"]

[Noah Vau - D2 (Cato)]

"Dialogue"
"Hearing"
Thoughts
Narration

What she says about seeing the good in everyone has me thinking back to my brother. He was similar to the woman standing in front of me. Always looking on the bright side. She wants to see good in me. I give a weak smile and open my mouth to speak but no words come out. I run my hand over my chest where my heart is. I have to disagree with her. I'm not a good person at all far from it. Her words seem sincere so I can't fault her one bit. This isn't some joke at all. She truly believes there might be good in me. Maybe she's right, but it would be buried under the many layers of darkness. I can not afford to be kind or nice when my entire life's goal is on stake. I'm here to win the games. To go home to a life of luxury and honor. That's what I've wanted for many years. Sacrificed friendships in order to get to where I am. If I could there would be less time to worry about the impending hour of death.

Killing is my own business. How right she is. To choose to take a life to actually want it is something still difficult for me to grasp. I want to win. Nothing will stop me. Not her, not Marc or anyone else here. So why do I feel guilty all of sudden? I don't want to feel this way. Very soon I will have to kill people. How can I do that when I know these people. Some of them I could be on friends with back. When she introduces herself as Katelyn, I feel obliged to response with my own name. "Name's Mason." Her good nature is infectious. Ten minutes or so of being around her and suddenly I feel guilty for wanting to kill. Being around her makes me feel so much different than a mindless drone bred for taking the lives of others.

I will need her to help keep me afloat. Need her to help keep the darkness at bay. "What do you say to an alliance? I could protect you in exchange for first aid. I could use someone like you Kate." The words slip out of my mouth before I know what's happening. She's from eleven though. They always seem to surprise in the games. Something tells me Kate will be memorable. Like Iago for what he did to that boy, or Crusader for being one of the most intimidating tributes in years. My gut tells me Kate will be memorable. I only hope I'm there with her.

[charade]

Katelyn Persimmon

"We don't want to survive... we want to l i v e."

When Mason offered to ally with her, she had yanked on the needle and thread so hard in surprise that the latter had broke, causing her to have to grab another spool. His words had caught her off guard, though she felt he meant them in his own way. Best to divest him of that before he came up with any other ideas. She hadn't meant for the conversation to take this turn when it had started with a simple ice pack. First off, while he seemed to appreciate that she wasn't treating him like the monster he purported to be, that didn't mean she approved of it. "I..." she began. "I said I was looking for the good in everyone. I didn't say I had found any yet."

 It came out a little more scathingly than she meant it to, but it was unavoidable. Use. That word stuck out to her more than a cornstalk would in a field of potatoes. His offer was sinister in a way, and she knew that if she agreed, he would use her to fix him up after every clash, before cutting her to pieces himself once he decided she was no longer useful."I'm sure you could, and I'm flattered."She said softly, thinking to herself that people like him were just that. Users of people."But not only do I already have allies, I don't want to enable you to kill tributes in the arena. The answer is no."

Those last four words took more courage to get out than Katelyn had realized she was capable of. The stitching on the dummy arm was completed, and she put the needle down, staring the taller boy in the eyes to show that she would not back down from her stance, even though internally she was terrified and it kind of showed.

[presto]

With splinters in our teeth,
we're driven from our parallels,
Our path a prison, bound to walk
where countless feet already fell

[/presto]

[googlefont="Montez:400"]

[Noah Vau - D2 (Cato)]

"Dialogue"
"Hearing"
Thoughts
Narration

"Not only do I already have allies, I don't want to enable you to kill tributes in the arena. The answer is no." Her words come off as an insult of sorts to me. If she isn't helping me to kill it'll be to help others to kill me. Maybe that's why she spoke up. Learn a few things about me. This is why I don't talk to anyone if I can help it. It always goes wrong. She looks terrified to have spoken the words. No hesitation on them either. I can feel my body shake slightly. The anger threatening to explode. Her words sting. "You say no huh. Don't want to help me kill. What about your allies huh! You think it makes a difference who you help! No it doesn't and don't say otherwise." Deep breathes. Need to cool down. Despite her saying no, I can respect her decision. She must not want to be associated with a cold-blooded career. Can't say I blame her.

I get an icepack for later. It'll be useless very shortly, but I want to keep a cool head. I'm kind of through with making enemies. I've never in my entire life been good at talking to people. Never had a reason to. I've rubbed people the wrong way. She reminds me too much of my brother. How can I want to kill someone who resembles my brother. I miss him so much. He's dealt with so much shit from me. I will not hold a grudge against her. If there was a way to change every bit of suffering I've caused him, I would take it. My brother is a good man. Full of life. Someone who deserves to live. Like Katelynn. I'm too far gone. That much is true. Katelynn? She doesn't deserve this. No one does I suppose. For Katelynn that holds true more than anything.

"I'm sorry. My brother always said I had troubles with my anger. You remind me a lot of him you know. Both always so nice. So pure. For what it's worth Kate, I can't kill someone like you. You're too good of a person to die." I don't know why I'm trying to keep things civil. In due time we may come face to face in the arena. I may not want to see her die, but ultimately I will not throw my life away for anyone here. I've been bred for one purpose. The hunger games. Anyone who's seen me here will know that. Everyone back home will be watching. I really wish I wasn't born in two. Hard to deny career training when that's what most If not the entire district wants people to do. "I'm not sure if there is good in me. Being from two will do that to a person."

[charade]

Katelyn Persimmon

"We don't want to survive... we want to l i v e."

When Mason exploded, Katelyn almost ran away, but she held her ground long enough to watch him cool down and make an attempt to apologize, though if possible, his apology skeezed her out more than his outburst had. She wasn't sure whether it was a good thing or not to be compared to his brother, especially since their definitions of good could have been widely different. Not a satisfying kill was probably closer to what he meant when he said he didn't think he had it in him to kill her, but good people died in the arena every year, so his words didn't have the effect he seemed to be going for.

She stared at him silently for a minute, trying to absorb what he had said and make it make the contradictions work with each other. After a few moments of tense silence, she quietly began an explanation. "The difference? If I and my allies have to kill someone, its because we need to survive, not because we want to for the glory of it. We didn't want to be here. None of us did."She almost went off into a tangent about how her allies were also a nurse, an orphan that took care of younger children and an addict that probably wasn't capable of hurting anyone, let alone knowing what was going on, but that seemed like a bit much.

Despite knowing what his intentions were, underneath it all, she could see a tinge of regret. Mason was a very strange, very dangerous young man. Perhaps this was the good he was capable of, which would mean she owed her parents an apology, if she ever got to see them again. Putting the first aid supplies down on the station, Katelyn turned away from the career and started to leave, looking back just once to offer an apology of her own."Thank you...For what its worth, if you really do mean what you just said...then I'm sorry for what your district has turned you into." With a last, small sad smile, Katelyn excused herself from the station and walked away at a brisk pace, brooding about the entire conversation and desperately hoping that she'd never run into Mason in the arena.

[presto]

With splinters in our teeth,
we're driven from our parallels,
Our path a prison, bound to walk
where countless feet already fell

[/presto]

[googlefont="Montez:400"]