Luck Is For Amateurs
~xXx~
It was amusing really; they thought that he would need fifteen minutes to show his worth. The very thought made him scoff, fifteen minutes was reserved for those that were weak and struggled to show that they wouldn't be killed (eventhoughtheywould). Cato only needed ten minutes and even that was more than needed.
"Begin when you're ready District Two." Seneca Crane drawled lazily, as if he didn't have hungry eyes watching Cato, anticipating the show that was about to start.
Cato gave a mocking bow in return, ignoring the disapproving tuts and titters and whispers of belligerence, as he made his way towards the swords rack and caressed the two-handed broadsword with a loving caress. He'd refrained from using it during training, instead choosing to use the scimitar and simple one handed swords to not give away the small advantage (alovingsuprise) he had over Katniss. As he began his ministrations on the dummy he imagined it was her, imagined the moans of pain (maybeevenpleasure) and the creative ways she would strike back.
They dismissed him at the seven minute mark.
~xXx~
Katniss almost wished that she had been able to see Cato again before heading in to her session.
Almost.
She had performed spectacularly though (inhermind) she may have misses the cut-out, but she hit her intended mark and showed them just how easy it would have been to kill them. Just a shift to the left and the arrow wouldn't have pierced the apple; it would have skewered a Gamesmakers.
It made her wish she had shifts her aim to the left. What would they have been Able to do? She was already in a living hell (paradise).
Now as she sat waiting for the results Katniss couldn't help but see the others expressions. Effie's of horror, Cinna's expression of exasperated acceptance, Peeta's of fear (goodshewasnthisfriend) and Haymitch's of pride. She didn't understand (like) how his expression was the one that made her glow inside, that made her feel meaningful and as the number eleven flashed across the screen she felt smug knowing that was all her, but the feeling was blown completely out of the water as Haymitch uttered,
"Good job sweetheart."
Three simple words that made her feel complete in a way she hasn't since her father had died (beenmurdered) and it scared her. Her mentor was becoming to close and she couldn't (wouldn't) do anything to stop it.
~xXx~
"How did she manage to get higher?" Clove shrieked as she threw vase after vase across the room. "What did the whore do, sleep around with the Gamesmakers? There's no other way she could have gotten a score that high!"
Cato felt murder itch its way across his skin at the implication of other hands than his touching her body, but couldn't deny the idea of such a smart power play. Monsters like them didn't have standards or morals; they did whatever was needed to get the job done. Cato couldn't help but give a snort at the thought; they would've been the most valuable hit men if they had been born during the Dark Ages. "I told you she wasn't weak Clove," he drawled out from the plush couch where he had sprawled, "but did you listen to me? Nope."
"Shut it Cato." Clove snarled in anger as she flipped the table that held various trinkets the Capitol deemed useful.
"Shut it?" Cato's voice was quiet and made clove pause. "Did you just day to me what I think you said?"
Her eyes widened so quickly it was almost comical as she exclaimed with placating hand gestures, "of course not Cato."
He rose from his sprawl and stalked over towards her. "Remember who I am Clove." He threatened through clenched teeth. "Remember what I can do to you. When were in that arena I can either be with you, or against you, or know that if I'm against you than I'll be with her." Cato pointed a finger towards the paused screen with Katniss' face and the flashing number eleven. "So don't you dare disrespect me like that again. Clear?"
"Like crystal."
~xXx~
"There is no way in hell I am going to act like a giggling bimbo." Katniss said in a flat voice.
"Well sweetheart, you don't have much else going for you." Haymitch snarled, "You don't have the curves for seduction. You're incapable of gushing, you're sense of humour is a bit to macabre for the Capitol, you're the surliest person I've met but to small to pull it off. I'm running out of options here."
"What about blood-thirsty or intimidation?" She asked desperately, "Anything to get out of giggling."
Haymitch snorted into his bottle of alcohol and proceeded to choke on his laughter, "You blood-thirsty? You're way to tiny for intimidation and I haven't felt an ounce of blood-lust leak from you the entire time you've been here. Sweetheart, I think you've cracked."
She let the desperation drop from her face and thought about the hungry look Cato had given her, thought about her rage at the Gamesmakers earlier that week, the thrill of the hunt and all those forbidden hours spent in the forest. "Are you sure about that mentor dearest (mylatestprey)." Katniss purred with hardened (crazy) eyes making Haymitch still. "You think I've cracked?" She rose from her seat and slunk over towards him picking up one of the dinner knives set out on the table. His eyes widened and he tried to leave his seat only to have her push him roughly back down into the red cushions (redlikehisblood) with a flinch as Katniss drove the knife into the arms of the plush chair. "You'd have to be whole in the first place to crack." She whispered quietly with a toothy animalistic grin.
"Intimidation and blood-thirsty it is." Haymitch said in a shaky voice as he attempted to calm his breathing and stop the tremor that persisted in his hands.
He didn't succeed.
~xXx~
"Remember Cato-"
"Ya, ya, ya," Cato cut Brutus off, "Not too much intimidation, humanize myself, blah, blah, blah."
"I'm serious Cato." Brutus said in a sharp voice. "If you want sponsors you have to give them something to relate to. A sense of humour, some sap story, say you have a girlfriend or something! They're not going to know the difference."
Katniss' face appeared in his mind and he gave a smirk. Or something it is.
~xXx~
"Oh Cinna," Katniss said in a rare breathy voice of astonishment mixed with pleasure, "It's beautiful."
"You look beautiful." He corrected her as he placed jewels over her arms in a swirling design of flames. "Remember to not pick at the jewels, they're hiding the bruising over your arms and using the … coloured variation of them to create flames."
Katniss felt a blush creep across her face at the reminder of that night with Cato. "I really am sorry Cinna, I didn't mean for any of that to happen." Her voice was filled with apology making Cinna's eyebrows rise into his hairline.
"I didn't think I would ever see the day that you apologized for something Katniss." He chuckled as he made a twirling motion with his hand to inspect her. "I must say it's quite a shock to hear."
"I really am sorry though, you had to change the design of the dress because of me."
He gave her a small smile, "I like the dress better this way."
As she looked in the mirror at herself Katniss could only marvel at the miracles that Cinna could perform. She had seen the original dress design with its bare shoulders and back and slit up the side to allow movement. It had been beautiful all passion and anger with its fiery red colour; she had been mesmerized by it when he had shown her the design.
This dress though, it stole her breath away.
It was charcoal black with slits in the material that allowed hints of reds, oranges, and yellows to peek through whenever she moved. Its one shoulder strap reached from across her left breast over to her right shoulder covering the worst bruises across her chest. It fell to the floor with more precious jewels lining it as it draped giving the illusion of fire and flame as she moved. Katniss gave a twirl for Cinna and it looked as though she was being engulfed in a raging fire, the illusion completed with the gems that studded her arms and wrapped around the left side of her neck, covering the love mark that Cato had given her. She looked empowered, the black giving her just the edge she needed to not lose her nerve in front of the audience.
Katniss wrapped her arms around Cinna and held him close and tight, trying to convey the emotion she felt that her words couldn't express.
"You're welcome." He whispered into her hair making her heart swell and break with gratitude.
~xXx~
Cato's expression when he saw her made wearing the dress all worthwhile.
"You clean up nice Twelve." He purred into her ear as his hand caressed the silky material.
"Same goes for you." Katniss ran her eyes over his body and, appreciatively, took in the red suit jacket that emphasized his broad shoulders and the power within them, the gold shirt with its top two buttons undone to leave his collar bone and a hint of his chest open for all of Panem to see, to finally the black pants with their crisp lines and stark contrast o the silver. "We match a bit too much for my liking."
He gave a shrug. "My stylist has a roman motif going on,"
"To match your name."
Cato gave her a toothy smile causing Peeta beside her to stiffen even more, "Exactly. Apparently the Roman's were fond of red and gold."
"So the black is just to give you a hint of intimidation then isn't it." Katniss said with a nod.
A hungry glint appeared in Cato's eyes to go with the grin, "Correct again." He leaned in close to whisper into her ear, "You're such a tease Katniss, making me all excited (hungrybloodthirstyhighstrung ) in that outfit and attitude of yours."
Capitol people were yelling at them to go to their seats now, cutting of any other conversation that could've happened between them before the interviews. He cast her lazy grin over his shoulder as he was ushered into place and Katniss gave into the girlish (sounlikeher) desire to return his grin with a flirty finger wave.
She didn't see the cameras that had already begun rolling.
~xXx~
"What the hell is she doing?!" Haymitch swore, and this time no one could reprimand him for it.
Effie gave a huff as she opened her fan to wave in fluster, "That kind of flirtatious behaviour is unbecoming of a tribute!"
"She's going to completely destroy the boy's plan!" Haymitch struggled to keep his voice in the angry whisper it was in instead of the scream he whished it to be.
Cinna just sat there, his mouth soundlessly opening and closing before finally managing to splutter out, "Did anyone know she could pull of flirtatious and seductive?"
Silence met his question.
~xXx~
"My, what a firm and strong handshake you have Cato!" Caesar declared loudly, his blue lidded eyes wide in shock.
"I'm sorry Caesar, didn't hurt you did I?" Cato asked with a roguish grin knowing Caesar's answer already.
"Not at all my boy," Cato's hands clenched hard at the word, he was anything but a boy, "I was just merely surprised, although from those shoulders of yours and your training score I shouldn't have been!"
"You flatter me Caesar." He replied with a laugh.
Caesar gave a loud laugh that unsettled Cato ever so slightly, it was to fake for his liking, "A handsome boy," a harder clench this time, almost hard enough to draw blood, "like you must be used to flattery, especially from the ladies. You must have a girlfriend or something of the like." Caesar gave a strange eyebrow roll that got the audience laughing.
That monster doesn't know how to love, only how to cause pain. He's such a freak. Stay away from him. You'll only get hurt. I tried to kiss him and he bit my lip so hard it bled!
"I'd go with "or something" Caesar." Cato replied with a sly grin.
"Oh you dog you!" He replied giving Cato a slap on the shoulder. Cato's hand twitched with the urge to snap the mans arm, but he saw Brutus' warning eyes and his hand gesture to continue along Caesar's train of thought. "Quite the ladies man then, even in The Hunger Games!"
Confusion marred Cato's face at the comment, "I'm sorry Caesar, I'm afraid I don't understand."
"Why Miss Everdeen of course!" he replied in exasperation "We all saw your little exchange before! The grin, the wave back, we caught it all on camera!"
Cato's head whipped around to Katniss and he suppressed a flinch at the look of murderous rage and embarrassment on her face. "Oh Katniss!" He said in a slow halting voice, "Yes, she's quite the little firecracker, no pun intended."
Caesar's eyebrows rose into his hairline, "Now Cato, what do you mean by fire-" his question was cut off however by the buzzer indicating that Cato's time was up and he let out a sigh of relief, they had started to go into dangerous waters that he hadn't understood. "Darn and there goes our time! How unfortunate! Cato from District two everyone!"
~xXx~
"See what's happened?" Peeta hissed, "You should never have started talking to him."
"He began talking to me first Peeta." She hissed back. "I never intended for any of this to happen.
"Well it did!" he whispered angrily at her, "Now you're in this strange romance and one of you has to die in the end!"
Katniss was stunned and taken aback, she had known all of this already, had been looking forward to it in fact, the grand end battle, so why did his comment hurt so much? "What does it even matter to you Peeta? You're not the one in this twisted parody of a relationship."
Peeta's mouth shut so quickly Katniss could have sworn shed heard the lick of teeth. He turned away and wouldn't look at her anymore. She gave a huff of anger and stared forward and watched the other tributes being interviewed taking note of the different angles that were being played. As she saw the more heavily built boys play the intimidation role her confidence faltered, how could she exude the same level of intimidation and blood-thirst as these boys when she was half their size?
As it was her turn to be in the spotlight she wiped her sweaty palms against the dress, wishing it was made of more absorbent material and stared at the flashing lights and then at Caesar noticing he had an expectant look on his face. "Did you say something?" Laughter erupted from the audience and her cheeks flushed crimson, this was not intimidating. She needed intimidating, not clueless and stupid!
"I was just merely wondering how you managed to get the e-le-ven in training, the highest any tribute had!" He asked in a good natured way.
She felt a coy smile fix its way onto her face. "That would be telling Caesar, and as much as I don't need to advantage here I'm not about to give away the surprise."
"Ho, don't need the advantage?" He boomed "You seem rather confident in yourself." Caesar said it in a cautionary tone, as though telling her not to be to prideful.
Like she would listen to him if she wasn't going to listen to Haymitch.
"Very confident (certain)." She replied letting more teeth show in her smile n the way she knew made her look like a predator, "You said it yourself Caesar, I achieved the highest score."
"Right." He replied in a slightly shaky voice; she has scared him (good), "Your score isn't the only stir you've caused though is it, you're the first volunteer from District Twelve in, well as long as I've been hosting these Games, possibly even longer! What exactly prompted you to volunteer? Glory? Fame?"
Katniss' entire being softened slightly, "My sister."
"You volunteered for your sister?" His tone was one of astonishment. The idea of caring for family to such an extent seemed beyond him.
"I practically raised Prim myself, I was not about to allow her into the Games when she is only twelve." She snapped at him, all traces of softness gone from her demeanour.
"You're a protector then." He said with an understanding nod.
"For those that I love I am." Katniss held her head high and looked into the audience to see Cinna give her a proud smile.
"Does Cato fall under that category?"
She whipped her head back to facing Caesar and wasn't fooled by the innocent look on his expression, he was purposely asking her a loaded question knowing full well the consequences it would have. "And why would you need to know Caesar?" She replied in a voice laced with danger and promised of pain.
"I myself don't need to know." He replied with a hand placed upon his chest, "but I'm certain those viewing at home, and Cato himself are dying to know."
"Cato can ask me himself if he's curious." Katniss replied in a flat tone. "It would hardly matter though, I swore to my sister that I would win and nothing is going to stop me from fulfilling that oath." Katniss noted the fear that began to take root in Caesar's eyes as she spoke in low voice smooth as velvet and sharp and deadly as the very knives that had been allowed to play with while in training. "Nothing."
The buzzer sounded and Caesar gave her a nod before standing her up and exclaiming, "Katniss Everdeen "The Girl on Fire" from District twelve everyone!"
Katniss turned sharply as she walked back to her seat, relishing in the gasps of astonishment that came from the audience as they beheld Cinna's magic at work.
The dress had been exactly what she needed.
~xXx~
