When the Hammer Falls // Cato

[charade]

KATELYN PERSIMMON

There were too many familiar names in the training center and it bothered her. Especially the ones that matched the names tattooed on her skin. She’d been debating talking to them for a while, watching Torka spar and strut around like he owned the place. Eventually, she got up from her table and stalked over to the station he was at, crossing her arms and inclining her head to get his attention. “Hey. You. Hammerfell.” Sorry about your brothers. I talked with both of them a few times. I had pity for Mason and a crush on Orion, she wanted to say. But that didn’t seem right.

“I had a lot of respect for Orion and Mason. They did your family proud.” She got out. Was that the right thing to say? From what she’d seen of him in the reaping recap when he volunteered, he seemed a lot closer to Mason’s temperament than Orion’s. If that was the case, he’d be a force to be reckoned with in the arena. Most careers were, she reminded herself. Most careers were like Mason, like Julian, like Berretta. Opal was one of a kind. And Justice wasn’t as bad as most people made him out to be. Even if he couldn’t keep it in his pants. If anything, Torka was probably reveling in the chance to snuff out a couple lives on his way to the crown.

But she’d give him a chance. One chance. And if he proved the rule, then she’d have to advise Drake and Desi to steer clear of him. “You volunteered.” She said simply.“Any particular reason why?” He didn’t have to respond to her. She half expected he wouldn’t. However, she also knew that careers were almost never afraid of victors. While some of the other tributes might be worried if another district’s victor was paying attention to them, the careers either idolized or despised victors in general.

He'd probably be looking for a challenge.

"I'm a realist, and an optimist,

but I swear to you, I'm not getting over this."



table coding (c) ghosty

[Noah Vau - D2 (Cato)]

[googlefont="Indie Flower:400"]

Torka Hammerfell

Nothing is going on today. It's just like I expected. Tributes scattered throughout the facility, and I'm just standing here throwing some punches at the punching bag. Fighting is my way of life. Hand to hand is easier, and if someone charges at me with a dull weapon at least I can do something about it. But the odds of anyone harming me is slim to none. I punch the bag a few more times. One hand after another. All I'm doing is imagining it being a tributes head. Can't wait to get the blood on my hands. I hear the words. At first, I think it's another tribute wanting to talk. One glance up and I know now that I'm staring at one Katelyn Persimmon. The darling victor from eleven. Several thoughts run through my head. Is she here because she knew both of my brothers? Trying to get information for her tributes? A simple hello? Only when I hear that she has respect for my brothers do I grasp the reason she is here. The reason I believe she might be that is. Mason or Orion must have been a friend or as close as you can get to being friends with fellow tributes. Of course, I could be completely way off the mark here. Might be a quick conversation where she might tell me some of my brothers last words or something. I never did get the chance to see them standing in district two alive after they both left. She does ask why I volunteered. I have several reasons. My own personal reason is to restore some honor to the family name. Bring pride back to district two. I could lie to her, yet she'd probably pick up on the bull and call me out. No, I suspect she has an inkling of why. "I'm sure you know why. You knew both of my brothers. One I'm more alike." That'll be Katelyn's answer. I wouldn't doubt she walks away now. She knows who and what I am.

[charade]

KATELYN PERSIMMON

Katelyn rolled her eyes. So that’s how it was going to be. Fine. She’d dealt with worse. She nodded slowly in Torka’s direction.“Mason told me that fighting was what he was good at. That he found it difficult to make distinctions between people and punching bags.” Katelyn shrugged.“That’s all well and good, but it’ll only take you so far.” Torka had a glint in his eye that she’d seen in a couple other tributes before. He was a fighter. But even the best fighters, for all their training, didn’t know what it was like to end a life. To feel their blood splashing across your face, to listen to their last words as the breath left their bodies; to watch the light leaving their eyes.

Torka Hammerfell had no idea what he was in for. If she was feeling a bit more charitable she would have warned him about what it could do to your mental state. How it could break your heart. She wasn’t feeling that nice. “Orion was a nice guy. You could learn a few things from him. But if you’re intent on following Mason’s footsteps, you should know, he respected me. I turned down his offer of alliance and he decided to stay away from me anyhow.” Everyone had a little good in them, even if it was buried deep. Except maybe for people like Charles Tinselton and Glamour Kincade.

“ So I’m willing to extend a courtesy to you because of your brothers. Maybe even some help.” And that was all she was willing to do. A debt repaid to the living. A small one perhaps. But she’d pay it. “Anything can happen in the arena. I understand if you wind up killing one of my tributes. It’s a possibility.” A good possibility. The Capitol didn’t want either of them to come back, lest they look like fools for a fourth time.

“But if you make them suffer, if you show disrespect to their bodies, if you torture them and then have the gall to come back alive…” She trailed off, closing the distance between their faces and whispering in his ear.“I’ll cut your goddam balls off and feed them to you. And then I’ll find a way to really hurt you.” She leaned back and regarded him icily.


“Do you understand me? My respect for your family only goes so far.“

"I'm a realist, and an optimist,

but I swear to you, I'm not getting over this."



table coding (c) ghosty

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[Noah Vau - D2 (Cato)]

[googlefont="Indie Flower:400"]

Torka Hammerfell

More words reach my ears, and I'm taking them in. Listening to them. Mason was a fighter. A strong, brave man. But it wasn't enough in the games. He fell, and knowing he died only crushed me on the inside, but on the outside it made me stronger. Maybe Kate is right. Maybe turning people into punching bags isn't all it's made out for. Just wait until I can get a hold of them with weapons. A cocky grin twists across my face, but soon it's gone as she speaks about Orion. Orion was nice. He was a genuine guy. Someone I'll never be. Don't want to be him, and they both respected her. And she wants to help me. Like I need help. I almost laugh, but I hold it down cause she's trying to be nice. Katelyn won the games. She came home alive, so she did something right. She talks about how I could kill one of her own tributes, and that's always a possibility since Kirito is mentoring them. He did kill Orion. To top it off she talks about torturing, and threatening me if I disrespect them. Why would I prolong a death? The only person I ever did that to was the stupid peacekeeper back in two. I'm more a quick kill guy. Make the suffering end. Make it clean because messy kills take away from the skills. "I'll cut your goddam balls off and feed them to you. And then I’ll find a way to really hurt you.” My eyes widen as she leaned back. "Do you understand me? My respect for your family only goes so far.“ This isn't a laughing matter, but I can't help the smile spreading from ear to ear. I would never torture anyone as much as I love fighting and killing. But would she really cut off my balls? The thought makes me cringe. Maybe I'll respect her because I'm not willing to destroy something that makes me a man. "Tell you what. Your threat did its job. Let me warn you in return. I've been to the detention center for burning a peacekeeper alive. I'll give your mentees a quick death if I happen to run into them. Tell me something. If you're just handing out threats like they're candy..... Why not actually do something. I don't have long until I'm off to the arena. Don't threaten me or I'll kick your ass."

[charade]

KATELYN PERSIMMON

He smiled thinly and started talking, spinning some tale about how he’s spent time in jail for killing a peacekeeper. How that didn’t get him avoxed she’d never know, but she supposed he’d gotten the death sentence anyway. Torka mocked her a little, comparing her threats to candy and encouraging her to actually do something, unless she was all talk instead. “Don’t threaten me, or I’ll kick your ass.” Katelyn laughed, spying the glint of fear in his eyes. He hadn’t been expecting her to say any of that. To be honest, she hadn’t expected herself to threaten him either.

But he was there, and he was a career, and he wanted to fight and she couldn’t threaten the people she really wanted to without bringing the Capitol’s attention back to the Rhodes and the Miristiomas.She turned and walked away from him, making a beeline for the hand to hand instructor and tapping him on the shoulder, explaining what she wanted to do. The man seemed surprised. “This is well, highly irregular, but I don’t think you’re breaking any rules. I'm going to watch closely tomake sure you don't damage him before the arena. Are you sure about this?” “Oh, I’m sure.” Katelyn replied fervently.

When was she going to get a chance to let some of her pent-up aggression out on something other than a wall? She started wrapping her hands with the boxing tape, suddenly feeling serene, calm almost. She was really doing this. She was sparring with a career tribute. She was going to punch him in his stupid face and pretend he was Tinselton. The President. The faceless masses of the Capitol. Herself. Katelyn grinned in spite of the tangle of emotions she was feeling and held one taped hand out to him, motioning to herself with her fingers.

“Bring it, bitch."

"I'm a realist, and an optimist,

but I swear to you, I'm not getting over this."



table coding (c) ghosty

[Noah Vau - D2 (Cato)]

[googlefont="Indie Flower:400"]

Torka Hammerfell

I see Katelyn walk away from me and I assume our encounter is over. Only when I notice her talking to the hand to hand instructor do I raise an eyebrow. My curiosity is piqued. Only when she motions to me with her fingers does it click in my head. A maniacal laugh escapes my lips. She actually wants to follow through on her threat. The instructor is letting her fight. Good. I'll fight her. I'll win. She'll regret the fight once I'm through with her. I eagerly walk to the instructor and begin preparing myself to fight. Wrapping my hands in boxing tape like Katelyn must have. "We're really doing this aren't we?" More of a statement than a question. While I always welcome a fight, I never expected Katelyn to want to fight. So why now all of a sudden am I hesitating to fight? It doesn't feel right. I'm torn over this. If I don't fight, She'll question why I made a threat to her in return. I take up a stance opposite of Katelyn. But she did call me a bitch, and I have to prove that I am not one. She insulted me, and if I don't fight her, it's going to only get worse. But what can I do? I was raised to not hit a girl, and I definitely respect that. I definitely underestimated her. Maybe it's because she had a relationship with my brothers. Mason and Orion. Yeah, that's got to be it. But I still need to fight her. I am strong. I am the best there is, but something has changed. Why am I suddenly like this. I get in my stance, and I throw my hands up into the proper fighting position, but when it's time to swing I don't. Instead I wait for her to throw the first punch. I'll fight if I have to.