Cato (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
deadalready) wrote2014-04-01 10:53 am
deadalready) wrote2014-04-01 10:53 am
16th Swing - [Video/Action] Private from Clove
[Cato was just minding his business this morning - getting ready to go to the lake, as he had been for the last few months on a daily basis, without Clove. It was sort of a godsend that she hadn't been going out there much lately. But his good luck would run out soon, he knew it.
So it was sort of horrible that, as he was leaving, he saw Clove's journal. And...might have...peeked inside. And saw her latest post that way. The big snoop.
Which prompts this:]
Don't anybody tell her what I'm doing! [Oh god he's super serious. Also maybe your apartment isn't the best place to be giving this warning, Cato.]
It's suppose to be a surprise and I don't want any of you jerks to fuck it up, got it?
If you can't help yourself from telling her than just avoid her, if I find out she knows about it I'm going to kill whoever does it.
[It's kind of horrible that it's up in the air whether or not he's just saying that or if he actually means it. He does have his murder face on for emphasis but it sort of melts away to something a little less angry. A lot less angry, really.
But much more contrite.]
But it...it occurs to me that I might .... [siiiiiiiiiiigh. It hurts admitting this so he just speeds through the last of the sentence.] actually need some help on this?
[But! Once he admits it, it's less awful to continue.Marginally]
I don't really know what I'm doing or how to do it. And I know I've been... [irritating? pig-headed? muleish? an asshole?] stubborn with refusing help but I could actually use it.
[Say the magic word Cato.]
Please?
[It looks like that word leaves an extra bad taste in his mouth and Cato twists his face up like he just ate something sour before closing the journal so he could leave and get to work.
He'll be at the lake the rest of the day, digging out space for a foundation some ways from the actual lake itself.]
So it was sort of horrible that, as he was leaving, he saw Clove's journal. And...might have...peeked inside. And saw her latest post that way. The big snoop.
Which prompts this:]
Don't anybody tell her what I'm doing! [Oh god he's super serious. Also maybe your apartment isn't the best place to be giving this warning, Cato.]
It's suppose to be a surprise and I don't want any of you jerks to fuck it up, got it?
If you can't help yourself from telling her than just avoid her, if I find out she knows about it I'm going to kill whoever does it.
[It's kind of horrible that it's up in the air whether or not he's just saying that or if he actually means it. He does have his murder face on for emphasis but it sort of melts away to something a little less angry. A lot less angry, really.
But much more contrite.]
But it...it occurs to me that I might .... [siiiiiiiiiiigh. It hurts admitting this so he just speeds through the last of the sentence.] actually need some help on this?
[But! Once he admits it, it's less awful to continue.
I don't really know what I'm doing or how to do it. And I know I've been... [irritating? pig-headed? muleish? an asshole?] stubborn with refusing help but I could actually use it.
[Say the magic word Cato.]
Please?
[It looks like that word leaves an extra bad taste in his mouth and Cato twists his face up like he just ate something sour before closing the journal so he could leave and get to work.
He'll be at the lake the rest of the day, digging out space for a foundation some ways from the actual lake itself.]
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So, he gives a grin.]
Nah, a high school. Lots more crazy there. All unmedicated.
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...What's a high school?
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[Seriously.
He is so shocked that he cannot even be snarky right now. He's just staring at the journal, almost horrified.]
You know. Comes after middle school. Fifteen through seventeen... usually... teaches you all the things you need to know to go out into the world.
That high school?
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[The fact that this is - apparently - shocking Hikaru into normal talking is embarrassing enough for Cato to cease from elaborating.]
Never been.
[Not like that make it painfully clear he's never heard of 'school' itself before. At least, that's what he's thinking.]
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So. What. Were you too poor for school? That happens, right?
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No. I didn't go to high school because in my world there wasn't such a thing.
[Explaining this is turning into such a chore.]
It wasn't really allowed but I went to this Academy where me and a bunch of other kids trained for ...
[Killing each other? Yeah that's going to be such an easy reception.]
a tournament.
[He is not calling it a pageant.]
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[How could going to an academy not be allowed?]
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It was considered cheating. Not everyone in the game got to have years of training.
Most of the... [ Choosing a word...] contestants weren't so lucky.
[Because Cato can at least acknowledge that. District Two was blessed by the good graces of The Capitol.]
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Were you paying them or something?
[Because that sounds about how his world works, really. Money changes the rules, and he knows it.]
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Not really. I mean, we still had rules just like everyone else we were just...the favorites.
We were loyal. There was this [war, terrible war] war and my District was one of the only ones to stay on the Capitol's good side. I guess that's a good enough reason to look the other way or something like that.
[Cato doesn't really know how to explain it - he isn't skilled at painting a picture with his words - or so he thinks.]
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[Talk of war... Well. That's sobering enough that he doesn't really default back to sarcasm or general trolling.]
So you guys get to be ready and no one else does?
Guess that's cool for you, at least.
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Us and a few other Districts. Either we're important enough or we're obedient enough to win favors. After all - if we got sick of the pageant then everyone would think it's the best idea in the world.
[Lord he said the 'p' word. Also Cato thinks very highly of his District's influence on the rest of his country.]
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[Oh, Lord. Cato. Cato, Cato, Cato. You said the p-word.]
You've trained for a pageant?
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"In penance for their uprising, each district shall offer up a male and a female between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public "reaping". These tributes shall be delivered to the custody of the Capitol. And then transferred to a public arena, where they will fight to the death until a lone victor remains. Henceforth and forevermore this pageant shall be known as The Hunger Games."
[He gives it a second, seeing as he practically said it all in one breath.]
See? Pageant.
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There's silence. For a very, very long time.
Then, finally:]
THAT'S FUCKED UP!
I mean. Shit. Seriously? That's--
What the fuck?!
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no. seriously. what?
literally nobody has ever, ever reacted like this. Ever. The most that is gotten is a 'wow that's terrible! i'm so soooooo sorry.' but it's not exactly...as big as Hikaru is going. So he waits - just a little - before speaking.]
...Are you done?
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Man.
Seriously. Man, that's fucked up. What the fuck?!
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What the fuck?
How does anyone think that's a good idea?! How is that legal?! Why aren't there riots in the streets?!
I mean. Holy shit. Holy shit.
That's so fucked up, man.
...No wonder you've got problems.
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[Not even by the standards of the stupid proclamation, but just by the fact that they regulate everything as far as Cato knows. Who the hell would distribute food between the Districts? Who would give them jobs, homes, clothes? Yeah the other Districts were where these things were done but the Capitol distributed them.]
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Wow.
That's just really fucked up.
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Are you done now?