Synopsis: In the 74th Hunger Games, Clove wasn't picked as the tribute for District Two; instead, a local girl named Rylin was selected. Sharp, manipulative and dead set on winning, Rylin believes she has what it takes to beat anybody out-including fellow tribute Cato. But as she grows closer to the careers over their time in and out of the arena, will she be able to turn on them to win in the end?
This chapter rated T for language, CatoxOC, with future M themes.
A/N: Anything is possible when writing with chocolate milk and a peanut butter sandwich in hand :D Such as….two chapters out in one day! Thanks to KaraBear929 from Quizilla, because through an rp with her I gained most of my inspiration for this chapter. Sorry it's a little short, I have a lot to squeeze into the next chapter that can't be separated. Any reviews are appreciated, and I hope you enjoy it (:
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I had thought long and hard about it-but now by my own will.
After I had returned to the room and showered, I took the time to slather myself with enough salve to heal up every scratch I had suffered previously that day. In fact, I even spent additional time in the bathroom-drying my hair out, making sure my legs were smooth as silk. Normally I wouldn't have cared; there was nobody to impress around here. My only reason for doing so was that I knew my mentor had some tough words for me.
Apparently he had somehow become privy to the information I had turned down Cato's offer of an alliance. He was fuming when he came in, and told me the only reason he survived was due to the fact that he had been in an alliance with other careers, and had good timing. He reminded me that, alone, I wouldn't stand a chance against the pack of skilled fighters who were sure to take down any sort of threat to them first.
Oh, it didn't end there. He went on to recount a few times how the careers saved his ass, despite the fact they know they would all turn on each other in the end. And after it all, he asked me what I learned, as if I was some kid taking notes on a lesson in school-and not somebody about to go fight to the death in a few days.
Kelvin made sure I understood what I was giving up should I turn my back on the alliance. And while I was unhappy with him at the moment, I couldn't deny that in the end it might save my ass. I was still under the impression I could find an acceptable alternative to joining the careers, but at the same time I rationalized he wouldn't be making such a big deal out of it unless it held some serious weight on whether I made it out alive or not.
So unfortunately, with these thoughts in mind, I realized I had some severe sucking up to do to get back in Cato's good graces.
Although I had to admit-I wasn't really one to be a kiss ass. If anything, I would make up some stupid excuse and stick by it. Or I could tell him the true reason I didn't want to be in the alliance, and really work to justify it. To be honest, I would rather stay alone-but I was worried if I did so, Kelvin wouldn't be sending me any care packages, so I was best to stick with his instructions.
I scribbled a note down on a piece of paper and left it for Cato to find, our mentors already having gone out for the night-where, I didn't know. I pulled on a pair of sweats and a beater, slipping on a pair of flip flops before grabbing my key and stuffing it in my pocket. Heading out the door, I shut it behind me and figured I could get a bit of exploring done before the time I was supposed to meet up with Cato.
….. Cato's P.O.V. …..
She had to make it difficult, didn't she? We couldn't just talk in the room; no, we had to go somewhere else. Dropping the paper, I glanced at the clock-it was 9:20 now.
"This had better be worth my time," I growled, before standing and making my way towards the door. Turning out into the hallway, I made my way to the steps and took them two at a time. Eleven floors later, I was barely out of breath, and more than anything annoyed at the fact Rylin had made me come all this way for something I was willing to bet was hardly worth it.
I turned to head down the hall, and spotted her near the far window; I knew it was her due to the bright blonde hair that was tied lazily out of her face, her usual habit of her bangs hanging in her face not being any different. As I made my approach, she looked up, arms crossed firmly across her chest and a bit of a frown apparent on her face.
"You summoned me?" I asked, the sarcasm seeping deep into my voice. She didn't seem fazed, however; and she turned, leaning her back against the wall behind her. I had to give her credit, the girl had guts. Despite the fact I had nearly a foot in height on her, she stood steady with her chin inclined to better look me in the eye. While I expected some sort of nervous habit-lip biting, an avoidant gaze, or simple fidgeting-she displayed none of these. Either she was a really good actress, or she didn't know who she was messing with.
"Yeah, I did." Her tone was snappy, and I almost smiled in spite of myself. "It's about your…proposition."
"Finally realized you won't survive without us?"
"No!" Her eyes narrowed into a glare, and I could tell I'd hit a nerve. Rylin straightened up, taking a step towards me. "I don't need you guys, at all. I'm perfectly capable to survive on my own." She was silent for a moment, before taking a deep breath and continuing on. "But….I was thinking it over. And there's one thing I just don't understand."
"And what's that?" I questioned, curiosity rising now.
She looked as if she were struggling for the right words, and it took her a moment before she spoke. "You're trying to get me to join your alliance, and that'd help me out and all, but….why are you looking out for someone you'd eventually have to kill?"
So that's what this was all about-she was suspicious, thought we would immediately off her once the games began. I couldn't blame her-sometimes if somebody was too big of a threat, that did tend to happen. But she would be very useful-up until we split apart, of course. I figured I could keep her around up until we careers were about to split, then get rid of her…after all, having her out there hunting us down would be fairly dangerous. Especially considering what I had seen earlier today with the bow.
But I wasn't about to tell her that. Considering the fact she was nervous about being a victim, letting her know she would be the first one aimed for once we all went our separate ways was sure to drive her away. I had a bit of thinking to do here-how could I convince her to join the alliance, for however short of a time it was?
She was looking at me expectantly, and I knew I had to think fast. "Look, we're all here for a reason. Some of us want in on the action-like me. Some are forced into it. Some tributes are strong enough, others aren't. When you're forced into this, you're just looking to survive. But me-I'm looking for something that made all those years of training worth it. You, Marvel, and maybe even Thresh, you guys are all challenges. I want a challenge. I want to make sure the last person I go up against is going to be a real challenge, not someone I can kill easy. I'm not too sure about some of the others, but you….you have a lot of promise." I paused for a moment; it was apparent by the look in her eyes she was contemplating my words. I had gotten her half way in-I just really had to sell my point. "I've seen you train, Rylin. You have a lot of potential, and that's what I'm looking for. I want to win, you want to win."
Her eyes never left my face, but I could see the muscles in her jaw clench and unclench. "Judging by your words, I'm guessing there's more to the story than just wanting me in to take down the easy prey."
"Like I said, I want a challenge in the end. Not some District eight kid who can barely lift a sword, and not some little girl who's afraid to fight," I told her, hoping I was being convincing enough. "I know you'll be a good fight. And between you and me, I was thinking about making an…alliance within an alliance." I could tell my words had captured her attention; they were burning with a bright curiosity now. Time to sell her out on some sob story.
"I know I can't trust any of the other careers. They'll turn and stab me in the back the first opportunity that they get, because they don't think they stand a chance. But I can tell from how concerned you are about the same thing happening to you that you wouldn't do that. You're actually trustworthy. I need somebody to be on my side until we're the last two, and then the real fun begins. Can I trust you'd honor that sort of alliance?"
For the first time since I'd come to the floor, Rylin dropped her eyes to the floor. I could tell she was thinking hard, but not for long. The next thing I knew, she shot a quick retort back at me. "Yeah, you can trust me. But how do I know I can trust you? You're dead set on winning the games; I can see how much you want it. Like you'll go to any length, and that doesn't include honoring a commitment you made. So how do I know you won't turn on me before that point?"
I was prepared for this, honestly. She seemed suspicious as all hell, like she believed everybody had some sort of hidden agenda they moved on. I had to admire the fact she wanted every detail-the girl had a gut survival instinct she went by, and it was fairly accurate. Plus, there was something about her fiery temper and determination…she was almost like the female version of me, as strange as it sounded. Looking down into the untrusting, icy blue eyes that demanded answers, I had an idea.
I also had the faint cognition that Rylin was not, in fact, like any other girl. Most girls would do anything for me, I had found out at a young age. Ask for something, and I got it. They'd lie to their friends, their parents, or any sort of authority to get out if I told them to meet me somewhere. I didn't know if it was due to my looks, my reputation, or a mixture of the two; but girls found me fucking irresistible.
Except for this one. For some reason, she was holding out-it was like she was just out of my grasp. After being granted anything I'd ever wanted my entire life, whatever I couldn't have, I wanted ten times more. While this rule usually applied to objects, I had come to find that Rylin was no exception. I wanted her on my team, and as I assessed her figure, there were certain features that stuck out-the light freckles that spattered her face, the diamond stud in her nose that reflected the light, the crescent shaped scar just under her right collar bone.
Maybe she would be of more use to me just than an ally.
"I'm sure we could think of a way to seal the deal," I answered, a bit of a smirk crossing my features.
She might not like the ideas forming in my head, but I could think of some things that would mark us as allies…some requiring a bit more physical contact than others.
