thieves and snitches. — [hermes/finnagan]

[Deleted]

you do what you can to survive

When he chose that home to rob that day, he had no clue who lived there. If he had known who lived there, he never would have robbed it. He would have picked a different house instead. The resident, Finnagan, had a reputation in the district, much like Hermes. Hermes had a reputation ranging from simply being a trouble kid to a troublemaker to a thief. On the other hand, Finnagan was a known snitch. He was a capitol ass kisser and peacekeeper wannabe. He was also a coward in Hermes mind. He was a traitor to his own damn district. Most of the people who did crime that Hermes knew did it survive. But instead of helping them, Finnagan chose to side with the oppressors. The capitol and the peacekeepers. Why did they deserve to starve and freeze because they happened to be born in district twelve? How could Finnagan see people drop dead in the streets from illness and hunger then blame those who stole to survive? He was lower than scum, in Hermes mind.

But, he didn't know that Finnagan lived there. In fact, he assumed that the owners weren't currently there. It was a nice house. Maybe it belonged to someone with connections. Someone who spent time between multiple houses. He had staked out the house for most of the day and hadn't noticed a lot of movement. Either the person was sick or not there, or too rich to need to work seven days a week. Some people could afford that luxury and only work five or six days. But he took a risk. A calculated risk. But boy is he bad at math.

He was wearing a heavy oversized coat and had a dirty leather backpack across his back. The coat made him harder to identify if he fled and the pockets were large which meant more carrying capacity. The backpack itself could carry his supplies as well as anything he stole. He could drop it off somewhere if he was being chased to retrieve later once the heat was off of him. He took off the backpack and took out a small cloth bag and took out his homemade lockpicking supplies. A surprising amount of household items can be made into lockpicks. Steak knives, metal rulers, and even bra underwire would work.

Then he got to work. It took a little time, this was a pretty high quality locks. Most of the locks in the district seemed to be half broken. But not this one. As he opened the door a tiny crack he had a little confident smirk. He got into one of the nicer houses without anyone noticing and without breaking or even bending any of his lockpicks. He put them back into the bag and the bag back in the backpack. He got up and put his backpack back on. And when he opened the front door the rest of the way and stepped in he found himself face to face with the owner of the house. Finnagan Davies.

Fuck.

hermes beck
district 12
age 16

by sixsmith.

[Tom]

Finnagan Davies

Bloodied knuckles always felt great when the sun was out. Purpled bruises glittering along his skin wrapped in the white bandages that don't quite fit perfectly. The high of coming home from a fight with more cash than anyone else could have made from the crime bust he did. A nice way to start a boring day. Give him a moment, he still ahs to count it all by hand on his living room couch. Bill after bill as the green fills his vision. The bliss of a good day setting over him knowing there's nothing left for his day. Alone, in the home that he got to call his.

One by one, he could feel the sins wash over him. The knowledge of being apart of a bigger world and tearing down the insidious with his own hands. Traitor is what they always screamed. Fists, knives, guns, and bats all pointed at him as if he didn't plan out the whole bust. White roses descending onto a scene of violence. Every time, he walks out with green, pricked by the roses he clung to for stability. Traitor. A simple word to describe him in Twelve. The bliss of the bust is ruined when the sound of a lock turning slightly fills his ears. Eyes staring through the hall to the door leading to the outside. Never, in his life, has he had anyone try to follow him home. Especially after most know he's got the white roses on call twenty four seven.

What idiot would even dare to trample on the Davies' Home?

Carefully, opening the closet next to the hall, he grabs the one item stored there for safety. A gun was too messy. A knife was too violent. His fists weren't always enough to keep people away. The metal is cool against the palm of his hand as he lifts the weapon to his shoulder, gripping the bottom of it with ease. Metal glittering in the sunlight of the day. His eyes follow the lock with tiny clicks. Once, twice, thrice. Time slowing down around him as Finn can feel his own hair stand on end. Bruised and battered from earlier, he wasn't in the mood for much else other than to count his cold hard earned cash and to sleep for the rest of the day. If whoever the crazy person trying to break into his house had planned ahead, they would have gotten in without him noticing, but he's not like most regular citizens of Twelve. The day was when he was home. Night would have been better to break in.

A gentleness flows free past the door where the warm air of the day starts to blow in carefully. The form of the dumbass who dared to step foot onto his property fills his eyes for a moment. A click finally sets in as he can see the one and only Hermes Beck. Bona fide dumbass of the year. Just sneaking right in to the Davies home. A laugh leaves his throat as he sneers with a venomous look. Poor kid didn't know what he was getting into. Finn guessed he'd have to show the kid.

"Looks like you've got a death wish, dumbass. No we can do this the easy way or the hard way."

It's great being himself.

"Which is it going to be, kid?"

[Deleted]

you do what you can to survive

"Looks like you've got a death wish, dumbass."

Yeah yeah not the first time he's heard that before.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way."

Could you be any more cliche, really?

"Which is it?"

Wow he gets to choose, how exciting!

Hermes wasn't expecting to end up face to face with Finnagan when he opened up that door. And as soon as he saw who it was? His heart dropped. He's been caught before, and sometimes people felt pity for the starving kid and tossed him a loaf of bred or gave him a few bucks and told him not to try that shit again. Or they let him off with a warning and told him next time they'd be calling the Peacekeepers. Finnagan? He was pretty sure Finnagan had no room in his heart for pity or mercy, it was too full of greed.

Hermes swallowed when he saw the cold metal baseball bat and wished that Bear was there. He was definitely the brains of the duo. Whenever they got in trouble for being out too late or wandering too close to the fence, Bear was always able to talk his way out of trouble for them. That was how Bear pretty much had a clean criminal record and Hermes had a decent sized file in the Justice Building. Part of him feared it would be added to today, but there was also the thought that they can't add to the file of a dead man. He needed to think of something and quick.

"Hey, Finnagan! Thanks for letting me choose, I really appreciate it pal. It's a real tough choice between Option A and Option B. Because of that I think I'm going to have to go with.... secret Option C! In secret Option C it's neither!"

Hermes had no clue what the hell he was saying or talking about, he was just saying whatever thought popped into his mind. He was stalling, trying desperately to buy time. And that's when he got an idea. Admittedly a very bad idea, but hey, he didn't have a lot of time - nor brain power - to work with. He wasn't exactly Bear. His defense whenever he thought of these stupid ideas was lack of food made it harder to think, but he was still dumb on a full stomach. Well, as full of a stomach as a kid from the Seam can get.

"You see, I'm actually supposed to be here, I'm an invited guest! Your family hired me as a housekeeper. They even got an extra key made for me so I can come in and clean, I just forgot it. Today was supposed to be my first day though and I didn't want to be late so I thought I'd let myself in. They said you'd have some cash for me too, as payment for all of my hardwork. But, I don't work without getting paid. Plus, you wouldn't want to hurt my pretty face, would you?"

As he spoke he walked in and shut the door behind him, trying to act casual, act like he belonged. In his experience, confidence was a big aspect as to whether or not his plans actually worked. He just had to pretend like he was supposed to be there, and it would work, right? He thought about just running, but that wouldn't work. It would be too easy for Finnagan to catch up. Plus, he got a good look at his face. And due to his criminal record, if Finnagan got ahold of some of his Peacekeeper buddies it would take just a few minutes for them to find his address. He still wasn't sure of the plan, but he had to buy time. If some of Finnagan's buddies showed up at his house, he wasn't sure if they'd leave his parents or sister alone.

hermes beck
district 12
age 16

by sixsmith.