invincible

if i were to go t e l l me would you notice me? cecil faust. 21. district 12.

[cecilfaust]

LAUNCH DAY - pt. 2

last day on earth by beabadoobee

You made it It's your last day on Earth Oh, you made it For what it's worth

Cecil blinked his eyes open and came to his senses as the light hit his pod. The back of his head was still tender, his hand coming to touch the spot where they had knocked him out. He doesn’t remember much of what happened, not even how he’d gotten into his bulky suit or how he’d made it down the catacombs, but he was still alive. 

Leave it to Cecil to be shit at dying. 

It was quite a stunt, just one of many he’d pulled in the Capitol thus far, but it wasn’t any worse than, say, killing a Capitolite. A part of him was proud that he managed to pull it off despite it being one of the stupidest things he’d ever done. But, he wouldn’t dare speak too soon. He was sure that he’d do something reckless and impulsive in the following days. Hours, even.  

The countdown was set to start at any minute now. His head was still spinning, but he had bigger things to worry about. 

Out of sheer frustration, Cecil pounded on the walls. Was it asking too much to want to get it all over with? The previous Games lasted a few days and he could only hope they would be generous enough to do the same. He waited for the voice counting down what might be his final moments, but none came.

Could he have just stayed in there? What was the worst that could happen? He wanted no part in the Games. They could come and collect his body to be buried next to the rest of the unwanted in Twelve. Cecil had survived, against all odds, out of spite. They called him a cockroach—that no matter how many times they tried to kill him, he’d only come back.  When everyone told him he’d be better off dead, he lived just to piss those people off. 

But, as he squeezed his eyes shut and silently begged for it to be over, Cecil Faust almost believed that they were right.

It was his instincts that told him to move. He knew better than to listen to it knowing that it had only gotten him into trouble before, but he jumped anyways. 

He should have died a long time ago, it was a miracle that he didn’t, and now he’d made it that far just to die in the Games? The air around him made it feel like he was cutting through sludge and the others moved just as slowly. The sky was dark, darker than he’d ever seen before. When his feet landed on the platform, people were already fighting. Cecil, on the other hand, was in awe. The Gamemakers had built a convincing model of space. At least, he had to think as much so he wouldn’t lose his nerve. 

The edge was right behind him. All he had to do was push off. Instead, he pulled back as he spotted the items littering the cornucopia. 

Cecil would have laughed if he wasn’t so panicked. Because above all else, he would survive. He didn’t know anything else.

[cecilfaust]

rheassurance​:

Rhea walked and walked, lighter after removing her space suit, and exposed, and grateful to be alive. Her own steps took her down a tunnel, seemingly never-ending. A couple of right turns later, there she was, somewhere loosely resembling what she knew best. It was dumb not to stick around.

When a voice broke through her frozen meditation, she turned around with panic. It didn’t relax her significantly to see Cecil, even though they’d talked about allying. They did, but now Rhea almost died. Still, a gasp of relief exited her lips. Then, he offered thread, and she wanted to argue that she didn’t need any, but her hands were already stretched out, taking any help she could get. Howsoever, thread wasn’t useful for now. All she could feel was that her wrist was probably splintered, courtesy of her encounter with Summer. Thread didn’t help, but emotional support did. With her hands stretched, she squeezed Cecil’s hand. The move hurt.

“I did not look in the drawers. I keep worrying a monster– a mutt is going to come off. How are you feeling? Are you ready?”

.

As much as he wanted to offer a comforting squeeze back, Cecil didn’t think he had it in him after what he’d seen during the bloodbath. These people weren’t his friends. They’d sooner stick a knife in his back. Could he say the same about Rhea? As nice as she was, he didn’t trust her any more than the others. Cecil pulled his hand back slowly, offering her a curt nod instead. Though he was never the trusting type, it was near torture having to be so wary of people he was supposed to consider allies.

“Do you think they’d do that? Throw some green, big-eyed freak in here to fuck with us? I don’t like it—this.” he said, gesturing around the room. “Is any of this even real? Are we actually, you know, floating a million miles above Panem?”

[cecilfaust]

LAUNCH DAY - pt. 1

last day on earth by beabadoobee

The world's about to end so I'm gonna have to finish I guess if it were nicer, we'd be better off innit? Haven't got a plan, so I'm think I'm gonna wing it

Of all the ways they would try to kill him, going out on his terms would be the biggest middle finger to the Capitol’s face. Cecil could give himself that, at the very least. They would get no pleasure watching him bleed out to death for a cheap laugh. Neither seen nor heard—just like he’d always preferred.

Cecil woke up in the early morning, though he could still hear people celebrating the first day of the Hunger Games on the street. He’d never had a birthday party. It seemed only fitting that he get one marking his death instead. The thought of it made him smile, maybe his last, as he left the Twelfth floor that night. Though he considered saying his goodbyes to Moxie and Sera, Cecil wouldn’t be able to stand looking at them dead in the eye and telling them his plan. Not after everything. A disappointing training score, an interview held spent groveling to Calix Crystal, and now he was backing out before he even had a chance. It wasn’t like he ever did anyways

So, yeah, maybe they better off if he could be just another tribute worth forgetting.

There’d be Peacekeepers everywhere, but Cecil knew better than to draw attention. He took to the dining area, practically deserted that late in the night. All he would have to do is sneak into the kitchen. One last hurrah, so to speak. It was simple enough: gorge himself on all the food they’d been keeping in the kitchen before slitting his wrists. Spending his all of his life on an empty stomach, Cecil believed he was more than entitled to his dues.

He waited patiently, something he was used to by then. The double doors were locked securely and he could see the lights peering out from underneath. The sound of dishes being cleared told him that someone was still in there. Fine, it wasn’t like Cecil had anywhere better to be. After an hour or two, the lights had shut off and the lone kitchen worker made her way out. She was already across the dining area when Cecil snuck his way in after her. Fumbling for the light switch, his jaw dropped when he saw everything they’d prepared for the following day.

He smiled, it certainly wasn’t his last of the night, as he ransacked the kitchen. 

Hours passed by, but Cecil ate as if he was in no rush. He really wasn’t, if he thought about it. If this was to be his last meal, he would take every moment to savour it all.

“What the fuck?”

Whipping his head around, Cecil came face to face with what looked to be the morning staff. He couldn’t say how long he was there for, but he’d made sure to make a mess before he had to leave. Dishes smashed, pots and pans scattered, glasses broken, and food thrown just about everywhere. It was a sight to behold, but it was clear that he wasted too much time. Panic rose in his throat and with it, the entire cake he’d just eaten moments prior. 

As they began to come to their senses, Cecil ran out the door and began sprinting down the hall. He was fucked, but what was new? They should have known better than to bring him into the city. Heavy feet trailed him as he sprinted to the nearest exit. 

His fingertips grazed the handle, freedom just within reach. 

Then, a fade to black.

[cecilfaust]

“Where the hell am I?”

Cecil had spoken aloud only to find a robotic voice answer from a speaker system above him. After having escaped the bloodbath in one piece and shedding his heavy suit, the ship was eerily quiet now that he was by himself. He whipped his head around expecting a hologram, a robot, a mutt—anything. The disembodied voice only made him feel that much lonelier. He knew that they would be watching, listening, but it annoyed him that he couldn’t even be alone with his own thoughts. Worse was that someone else might hear it too, like a homing beacon telling everyone within earshot where he was. Well, shit.

Ducking into the quarters lined with workstations and monitors, Cecil waited as if the robotic voice would provide him further instructions. When nothing followed, he decided to take his chances on another question. 

“Where’s Rhea? The tribute from the Capitol?”

Silence. No, that would have been too easy. He would have to find her himself, probably scoping out one of the areas she would be most familiar with.

“Is there a medical center here or some kind of hospital wing? Can you tell me how to get there?”

The directions came quickly and Cecil had to move fast to keep up. Eventually, he reached the med-bay only to find that the first floor was empty. He’d be shit out of luck if he didn’t manage to meet with Rhea at the one place he thought she would be. Climbing up the stairs to the second floor, Cecil let out a sigh of relief as he spotted her and approached with his hands up as if to say that he was unarmed. 

“It’s just me. I have some thread from the cornucopia. It might be of better use to you, though. Did you find anything useful up here?”

@rheassurance​

[cecilfaust]

Cecil didn’t want to fight Knox. He would even go as far as to say that he even liked the tribute, might have even wanted her as an ally. The way he stared down at her as they both went for the thread made it clear that he had abandoned the idea altogether. It wasn’t the smartest idea, Cecil could admit that much, but his hands were tied. Never mind that Knox had a fairly high training score, no, she still had Thirteen on her side. If they were willing to go to war over nothing at all, who was to say that they wouldn’t do the same for Knox and Konner? Still, he couldn’t stand the thought of bowing down to any more people. He’d done it in Twelve, in the Capitol, but he’d be damned if he did it in the arena. It was his life on the line, after all.

“It’s fine, Knox. We can share it, if you want,” he lied, having every intention of making a break for it as soon as possible.

@knoxxcarbon​

[cecilfaust]

TASK 012. ARENA AND SUPPORT PLANS

Do you plan on forming any alliances?

Yes. I’m not going in there blind.

If so, with whom? Why?

Rhea, since she asked so nicely. And I like Hazel, but she needs to get rid of the dead weight.

Do you plan on trying to grab something during the bloodbath?

I don’t see myself surviving very long without something from the cornucopia. I just don’t want to get into any trouble with those Careers.

If so, what?

Something small, light. I don’t want to be too greedy.

Do you plan on hunting out other tributes in the arena?

No. I don’t have a death wish.

What would you consider your greatest strength?

I’ve been told I’m unassuming. I’ll try to stay out of people’s way, but no promises.

What would you consider your greatest weakness?

My survival skills? The fact that I don’t know how to fight? Maybe it’s that you can crack me in half like a twig? I don’t know, take your pick.

Who do you think is your biggest competition?

Those tributes from Thirteen. Hazel, too. Everyone else is background noise. 

If you don’t win, who would you want to win?

Why would I answer that? Fuck off.

[cecilfaust]

TASK 009. THE INTERVIEW

Cecil Faust for the 130th Tribute Interviews

[cecilfaust]

TASK 003. TRIBUTE PARADE

Cecil Faust for the 130th Tribute Parade

[cecilfaust]

TASK 005. THE APPLE DOESN’T FALL FAR FROM THE TREE

The Fausts don’t exist—at least not any more. With nobody but Cecil around to remember them, it’s as if they never lived at all. His mother died just after he was born and his father soon followed. They left their son behind to be raised by the people of Twelve, but Cecil likes to say that he raised himself. Aunts, uncles, cousins that live just a few miles out had practically abandoned him, leaving Cecil to the bureaucrats and Peacekeepers. The Fausts are ghosts and Cecil might soon join them if he doesn’t manage to make it out of the Games. 

[cecilfaust]

slateskylar​:

The kiss did not take him by surprise; the tension between them had been growing, he’d only hoped that Cecil felt it too, and so he did not hesitate to seize the opportunity when it came, back pressed against the wall. He pulled Cecil in closer, clutching at his shirt to do so, then sliding his hands up beneath the shirt, the kiss just as deep and desperate from him as it was from Cecil. The tribute—

—but don’t think like that.

It was bodies, just bodies, two bodies wanting each other in the dark while blocks away sirens sounded. The danger of it turned him on all the more and he was sure Cecil could feel it.

What was another mistake to make on one of his last nights? He deepened the kiss, his hands trailing down to Slate’s waist. Before he knew it, he was on his knees with jewelry piled around their feet. Cecil knew that it might not mean anything when the morning comes but after having been ignored and passed over for all of his life, it was nice to finally be seen even if only for a little while. Sure, he might have everyone’s eyes on him when the Games start but there was something about the way Slate looked him just then that made Cecil all too eager in their time together. 

[cecilfaust]

ruleandinterviews​:

Calix nodded solemnly, his face grave and sensible (to take death of a working man seriously, as one should) until his mouth tweaked into a small smile, one that radiated confidence and faith in the tribute in front of him, the same way he appreciated everybody else, too. “Well, Cecil, it’s touching to see such a humble, strong and intelligent young man. Now, if I may, since we got this close in our short time together, I can’t help but ask… How are you planning on becoming victor? Just between you and me, what’s the ace up your sleeve?”

.

Cecil met Calix’s smile with his own, trying to keep the contempt out of it as he did so. What a shit show. Even if it was bound to come out eventually, Cecil never imagined having to explain himself in front of all of Panem. He couldn’t tell if anything he’d said played well with the crowd, but he couldn’t dare to look at any of them with the shame and guilt so clearly drawn on his face. If he managed to get out of the interview with his reputation still in tact, maybe he still might stand to gain a few sponsors. “I’m willing to do anything to win, Calix. I mean it,” he said as confidently as he could.  “I’ve had to watch my own back my entire life and I know myself better than anyone.”

Then, he glanced off-stage. Cecil breathed a sigh when he couldn’t find Hestia or Moxie or even Sera waiting in the wings. It would make what he would say next a whole lot easier if he didn’t have to see the look on their faces. “Since I’ve been here, I’ve been pulled in a million different directions. It’s been hard. I was even almost convinced that the Capitol is wrong. That this is all bad and that it shouldn’t exist. But, I just don’t agree, Calix. How am I supposed to believe that? You’ve welcomed me with open arms. I know myself and this is where I want to be,” he lied, trying to come off as sincere as possible. 

Cecil was used to screwing people over and it was one of the many reasons why everyone had it out for him in Twelve. And even though he hadn’t named Slate or Moxie, a part of him felt sorry for throwing them under the bus. The feeling wouldn’t pass even when he looked at Calix with his answer.

“And I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that happens.”

[cecilfaust]

TASK 008. PRIOR & LEARNED SKILLS

Prior Skills

Hand to Hand - Basic. Cecil is no stranger to getting into fights and knows how to hold his own in hand to hand combat. 

Endurance - Great. Having lived on little to nothing for most of his life, he’s able to survive on practically nothing if necessary. 

Scavenging - Excellent. No matter how small or useless something may seem, Cecil knows how to put just about anything to good use. 

Learned Skills

Edibility - Basic. Trained with Sera to identify what is and isn’t safe to eat in the wild.

[cecilfaust]

knoxxcarbon​:

“Creative?” Knox asked him curiously. What was the point in getting creative? Why worry about the arena being so advanced when the tributes would just worry about the killing? “So not only do you have to worry about twenty-seven other people killing you, the arena could kill you, too?” She asked him, shocked. She figured someone had probably already warned her of this but it was really now hitting her. “A message? What do you suppose the message could be?” Knox asked him, not fully understanding what the message to Thorn could be or mean. “Let’s just hope we aren’t apart of a message.”

.

Cecil’s mouth formed a hard line, failing to find the right answers to her questions. He thought to ask the Gamemakers the very same questions, but after twenty-one years of living with the Games Cecil begrudgingly already knew the answer. Knox might have been spared the gory details, but even Cecil had to admit that watching the Games play out on screen was equal parts gruesome and entertaining. “It’s prime time television. The arena kills are always more interesting. Anything to keep the Capitol entertained,” Cecil answered, his voice lacking any real humour. “Do you think your Sovereign is going to be watching? I bet she has something to say about all of this.”

[cecilfaust]

TASK 011. A TIME AND A PLACE

1960s

You're a hippie at heart, and you would have thrived in the 1960s. Just think about living in the days of JFK, rocking out to Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin at Woodstock, strutting your stuff in bell-bottom jeans and love beads, and listening to the radio as the first man walked on the moon.

[cecilfaust]

hazel-sawyer​:

Hazel wished she could’ve willed away the fully crooked grin plastered across her face, but she couldn’t. To be able to be lauded any variety of heroic was bound to give her an edge, right? That’s at least how she viewed it all. She sucked in a heavy breath through her nose and joined Cecil where he stood.

“Oh, definitely,” Hazel commented through a mumble. She fumbled to reach to squeeze his hand, mostly out of excitement – and well, she definitely felt the need to find an ounce of support. “This is insane – you’re insane – we’re fuckin’ insane,” Hazel joked hiding behind a laugh.

Cecil couldn’t help but join in with a small chuckle. As much as he wanted to say that he hated it all, he could feel something swell in his chest. He tried to fight against it, but the shy smile on his face suddenly grew into a wide grin as the chariot continued down the track. 

“We don’t make a bad team, Hazel,” he said as he waved at the crowd. She could come to her own conclusions about the suggestion of a possible alliance between them. They worked well up to that point, but he let it hang in the air. They might come to blows later but for now, they could enjoy the screaming Capitolites they passed by on their chariot.

[cecilfaust]

slateskylar​:

He really wasn’t in the best of shape, which became clear as he ran, gasping for breath. If he were ever running for his life, he’d be done for — which, it occurred to him a bit late, as Cecil slowed down, he sort of was. It wasn’t like he had committed zero crimes in his life. Aiding and abetting a tribute in what probably looked like a textbook escape plot could land him tongueless or dead. Which was worse?

Slate was about to take it, a bit surprised to have it offered to him but not going to second-guess, when Cecil got down on one knee. He snorted an amused laugh at that. “Things are moving very quickly,” he said, but took the bracelet nonetheless and clasped it around his wrist, fingers fumbling slightly with the delicate metal. “Here, I’m not trying to owe your ass.” He pulled a necklace from his pocket, a longer but very simple gold chain, and held it out to Cecil. What was he doing, what were they doing, what was this?

It only seemed right that he go and get himself into trouble on one of his last days of freedom. If the victor from Six could go and murder a Capitolite, then what did he really have to lose? Cecil didn’t care—if they were going to kill him, a little keepsake for the road was the least they could have given him. That and a night out with a cute guy. Maybe now he actually had something to come back to that didn’t involve shoving his victory in everyone’s faces back in Twelve.

Cecil locked the chain around his neck, careful to tuck it into his shirt. With everything taken away from him (especially considering that he didn’t have much to begin with), he couldn’t help but cherish it that much more. Cecil looked at Slate just then, staring into his eyes before lingering down at his lips. Before he knew it, he pressed Slate against the alley wall and leaned into an all-too desperate kiss.

[cecilfaust]

seraphinahilt​:

Sera rolled her eyes, not caring if he or anyone else saw. “No, it was just a blackberry, but what if it wasn’t?” Hopefully he wouldn’t jump straight to swallowing the damn things in the arena. “They don’t have any that’ll kill you out on the tables anyways because of tributes just like you that’ll just swallow it without a second thought.” 

.

Crossing his arms, Cecil abandoned the idea of training altogether. It might all be for nothing if the Gamemakers dropped them into an arena without any greenery to speak of. “Go on, you can say it. Tell me I’m hopeless then we can be on our way. No use wasting our time here if you have somewhere better to be.”