round 05 [video]

[districttwo]

[Post this, Cato has finally emerged from the common room. and he is...full of unease but playing it cool. Oh so cool]

Are there mutts here?

[he hesitates] Is that part of the rehabilitation process? If inmates get...out of line are they fed or forced to square off against muttations?

[The saddest part about this, barge, is that he is beyond serious. Don't expect anything beyond nods and okays as far as responses go however.]


[Private to Dylan]

...There was...a thing. I thought it was a small mutt but it was just a regular dog I think but...

[and he lets that hang. Because. Dogs. He can't handle it.]

Comments

[Private]

[hunt4commonwealth]

[Cato's file means that Dylan knows how Cato died. And can guess how badly Cato might react to dogs.]

A few people keep dogs here as pets, but there aren't any mutts. And I promise you that I will never let you be fed to anything.

Re: [Private]

[districttwo]

[Cato is shaking. Shaking bad.]

...My dad kept dogs. We used them for searches. I don't know why he...

I kicked at him trying to get him to go away but he chased me.

[He just, wraps his arms around his shoulders eyes closed]

...Swear. Swear.

[Private]

[hunt4commonwealth]

Stay right where you are, I'm going to come get you and bring you back to my place for a while. [And not leave him alone while he's going through what are probably flashbacks of trauma.]

Re: [Private]

[districttwo]

I'm not weak. Or useless. They're dangerous

[He's pretty far gone] Why?

...Is something coming?

[Private]

[hunt4commonwealth]

I never said you were weak. You aren't. But you just went though something that must have brought up some bad memories. Even the strongest, toughest people aren't made out of stone. And sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself when something is bothering you, the thing that can help you stay strong, is to talk it out with someone.

Re: [Private]

[districttwo]

[Cato opens his mouth, and closes it and wraps his arms tighter around himself.]

...don't tell anybody.

Please don't. I can't stand being laughed at. Being some hopeless...stoner kid. [The stoners, the lower class of District 2 society and a derogatory term for those who don't conform.] having people make fun of you.

Keeper's kids don't do that. How can you protect somebody if you're scared?

[Private]

[hunt4commonwealth]

I won't tell anyone. I promise.

But you know what? I've been in the military for over twenty years now, and I've been scared lots of times. But I never failed in my objectives because of it. Fear can keep you sharp. Fear is just survival instinct and your survival instinct can help you stay alive when things get dangerous. The secret isn't to stop being afraid but to just keep on doing what you've got to do anyway and learn not to let it control your actions.

[Private]

[districttwo]

...My uncle used to say that fear is a sign of human weakness. That we should be better then other people because we had the public trust to take care of.

[Private]

[hunt4commonwealth]

Warriors are still human. We need to eat and sleep, too. Those are also human weaknesses. But as soldiers we don't deal with those weaknesses by trying to never eat or sleep.

[Private]

[districttwo]

...I just...I saw it and it...and...

[He just shakes his head] I kept seeing...teeth and then Twelve...twelve put her arrow through my neck.

[Private]

[hunt4commonwealth]

[Dylan is on his way there so he can be comforting in person.]

I know. But you're safe now. And you're strong.

[Private]

[districttwo]

[His lips press together] ...Why'd they do that? The capitol made those things, if they wanted people to be STRONG, why make things...that make people weak?