cain-gunn - Tumblr blog

[cain-gunn]

"You can't-" Cain started to ask, but he caught himself before he let any frustration show. He was used to working with careers. Even Cat had been ready to throw down in training with him, but Abel just wasn't like that. "Yeah, right. Okay, heard," he breathed, regrouping his thoughts. "Okay, okay, okay... I'm gonna come at you again," he decided. "And the goal here is always to redirect my energy. You don't have to be stronger than me, you just have to know how to control the situation. You're gonna use me against me, right?" He checked in, making sure Abel was following his train of thought.

Cain moved in closer, standing in front of Abel instead of across the mat. "So, when I come at you this time, you're gonna practice grabbing my wrist and pulling me off to the side. Don't fight it. Move out of the way as you pull me forward to get me off balance, okay? We'll do it slow."

Abel dusted himself off, past embarrassment at this stage, but just hoped nobody important had been paying attention because he'd really looked absolutely terrible just there.

He nodded, happy Cain was beginning to understand just how useless Abel really was. He stood as ready as he possibly could be, arms up, legs spread, and then Cain switched it up and suddenly he wasn't ready at all.

"I can't come for you man, I only know how to run away"

[cain-gunn]

"You and Monty?" Cain repeated, his face lighting up but a hint of bewilderment remained. "I didn't even know you guys were like... friends," he admitted, but he also was oblivious to most things over the last few months, too wrapped up in his own shit to notice what was going on with anyone else. It hurt a little to see someone-- anyone-- be happy with someone else without the threat of tragedy ready to snatch it away. Cain was still angry that he didn't get that with Mack. They'd never have what he thought they deserved, but he was happy for Sheen. Sheen was a good guy who deserved some happiness of his own. "That's awesome, really. I'm happy for you guys," Cain told him. "What're you cooking him for the dinner?"

"That's all we can do yeah? Let them do their own thing when they're that confident. Let it fall on them if they win or lose." He sighed, he wanted to get a winner, he really did, but he felt like it was becoming harder and harder. "I'm in the same boat though, I have a Victor who knows what they're doing, so it gives me more time to work with Mars. He's not like most Careers, I don't get a sense of bloodlust from him." He chuckled, "He, no he doesn't. He was offended I even said to him that I was glad he wasn't going in."

Chewing his lip, "You're one of my best friends, Cain, so I should to tell you before you hear from someone else. Me and Monty sorta became a thing? The first day back after the reapings. We have a date planned, I'm going to make us dinner. Only took him almost going back into the arena to make me relax, I liked him like that."

[cain-gunn]

"Oh, yeah, I know," Cain shrugged. Technically, Mars was the competition, but Cain didn't really look at it that way. He tried his best to treat every tribute with respect and help the ones who needed it. For the other careers, that wasn't usually much, but he'd give the advice that seemed relevant. His focus was Two, and he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize them, but he didn't mind helping out others from time to time. "It's no big deal. It's not like some crazy insider info or anything. Besides, if you guys all manage to throw an actual career pack together, I don't need you slowing my tributes down," he joked.

"nice to meet ya," mars replies, reaching out and shaking his hand. "you can say that again," he chuckles. maybe the career tribute shouldn't be going as hard as he is, but he can't help himself. sure, he was trained in the academy for this exact scenario but at the same time, he's going out against several people who have won these things before. it's hard not to feel slightly worried about that.

"huh.. i never thought of that," he laughs again, smirking at the man in front of him. "i'll definitely give it a try when i get back to my room. might as well use all the capitol facilities while i got 'em, right?" his smile never fades. "thanks for that, by the way. i'm not your tribute, so you really didn't have to."

[cain-gunn]

“Right. Shit, sorry, man,” Cain apologized, offering out a hand to help Abel the rest of the way up off the mat. He’d thought he’d gone easy enough for Abel to manage, but Cain forgot sometimes what the baseline was like for a lot of non-careers, even when they were victors. “Let’s go again,” he agreed. “I’ll go slower, and I’ll give you a heads up about what I’m doing. Sort of teach as I go, okay?” So it’d be less of a spar and more of a lesson, and hopefully he wouldn’t accidentally crush every bone in Abel’s body in the process. “Reset,” he told him as he moved back to his own spot on the mat, “and this time you come for me, okay?”

Slow. Abel could do slow. Or so he thought, until Cain asked if he was ready and he’d barely nodded his head before he was knocked backwards, stumbling for an absurdly long time before he finally hit the mat, back first.

He coughed, and started up at Cain as if to ask him what the fuck just happened, when he realised Cain hadn’t even pushed that hard, he really just was so unbelievably unfit and weak. “Maybe a little slower?” He tried, as he huffed and pulled himself up.

[cain-gunn]

"You listening to Sheen's new stuff?" Cain asked, catching Denver humming a tune he recognized easily. "It's not bad, huh?" The album wasn't really Cain's style, but then, he wasn't sure it was Sheen's either. It wasn't exactly hard to tell that the music was very Capitol and mostly good for getting Capitolites to focus on something fun instead of whatever the hell was happening out in the districts. At least Sheen himself was actually pretty talented. "Is it at least giving you something to do other than totally lose your mind?" Cain asked, going for a joke. Denver had to be bored as hell being stuck here. He felt bad for her, honestly.

Denver was listening to Sheen's album, humming along to the now familiar tracks as she stared out the windows at the setting sun. She wasn't sure what the future would hold, which was very strange for her. She wasn't used to uncertainty. Damn rebels. And she wanted to go home, to see her neon yellow goldfish and sleep in her own bed. Denver took a deep breath, trying to focus on the lyrics and letting her friend's music at least attempt to take the bad mood away.

@cain-gunn

[cain-gunn]

“Cain Gunn, District Two,” he introduced himself, extending his hand for Mars to shake. “Yeah, training is a lot,” he agreed. It was a packed schedule in maybe Panem’s nicest facility. He remembered that starry eyed feeling of wanting to get the most out of every minute in the training center. “It’s tempting to overdo it,” he admitted. In Cain’s opinion, there wasn’t really any point to a career going all out in training. People were already intimidated by them, and there wasn’t anything that they’d learn in three days that they hadn’t already been training forever for, but he understood the want— the almost child-like desire to use the training center like a personal playground. “Ice baths after training, I swear by them,” Cain continued with unsolicited advice. “They’re a life saver, for real.”

mars scans his memory for the man in front of him. does he know him? should he know him? he's definitely not one of the tributes, that's for sure. he's made it his business to at least know who each of them are, for the sake of knowing his competition. so this must be.. a trainer? mentor, maybe?

whatever.. doesn't really matter, right? talk, mars. "yeah, that's right," he nods. "name's mars." he wants to be known as more than just the guy from district one. "it's uh.. not bad. went pretty hard today i guess, if you can't tell by all this," he waves his hand around to the sweat currently dripping from his hair, and laughs.

[cain-gunn]

"All good, all good," Cain assured the tribute, smoothing down the front of his shirt as he regained his balance. Training was always a whirlwind of exhaustion, and it seemed like everyone was in a daze by the end of the day's packed schedule. "You're, uh, One's, right?" He asked, recognizing the tribute. Cain didn't always learn their names, but he made an effort to review whatever info he could find on all the tributes going in. "How's training going?"

it had been a long day of training. the young man spent most of his time between the throwing knives and the swords, making sure to spend a good amount of time at each. though, he even spent a little time making sure he knows exactly how to start a fire most efficiently. all that fighting would do him no good if he didn't know how to care for himself out there by staying warm and cooking his food.

he's on his way out of the training room, tired and sweaty, when he runs into another. mars is in such a hurry to get out of there and get back to his room to shower that he nearly sends the other person toppling over. "shit!" he exclaims. "that's my bad.. you alright?" he asks, putting his hands out to try and help steady them.

[cain-gunn]

"Okay, okay, you're not wrong," Cain conceded with a chuckle. They were practically halfway to an all victors Arena already. "Yeah, it's sort of annoying, but honestly I'm just letting her do her thing," he rubbed the back of his neck. Early on in his time as a mentor no one took him seriously-- he was a kid-- so Cain had learned to let it go. "If she wants my advice I'll give it to her, but she's been through it before so I'm not that hung up about whether she comes to me for strategy. It frees me up to hustle for Maverick, so it's all good." Cain laughed at Sheen's comment about saving Monty from himself. "Yeah, I don't know if Monty sees it that way, but... hard to tell with him."

He shook his head, raising his hands in defense. "Hey, hey I know it sounds absurd, but more absurd things have happened in the history of Panem. One wrong cough can be completely mistaken for me volunteering, and I'm sure they would jump at the idea of more Victors going back into the arena, to you know, boost the ratings or something." Sheen nodded his head, one of his own tributes was also already a past Victor. "We have a prior Victor too. They don't think they need my wisdom, so I won't bother sharing it with them." He smiled a little at the mention of the volunteer, "Ah yes, the one I owe a little bit of gratitude to, for saving Monty from himself for me. It's know I know, but I am grateful to him for volunteering and taking Monty's spot."

[cain-gunn]

"Wouldn't dream of it," Cain laughed, venturing to the far end of the sparring mat and waiting for Abel to get in his own spot. "Nah, we'll go slow," he assured Abel, because he was right. Making him look weak in front of the others would only hurt him in the Arena. It was better to use the opportunity to teach him.

"Ready?" Cain asked, bouncing once on his feet. He didn't wait for confirmation before starting across the mat at a measured pace. He lunged, aiming for Abel's lower stomach to knock him backwards.

Abel smiled and nodded. They’d told him to warm up alright, but he’d taken that as having two cigarettes in quick succession and a quick jog on the spot until he felt ready to collapse.

“Let’s hit the mat then— but take it easy on me, I know you’re like a superstar and all— don’t make me look bad” he hummed, his eyes flickering over to a few of the careers.

[cain-gunn]

"You got it, man," Cain agreed easily, extending a hand out to Mav for a handshake. Whatever feelings Cain had about Maverick leaving the team and dropping off for the last few years, Cain still considered Mav a friend. He'd do whatever he could to help him out. "I don't think they're gonna shut you out," Cain added. Sure, they were probably pissed for whatever reason, but he didn't think either of them would really abandon Maverick. But no matter what, Cain would do his best. "But I'll have your back either way."

"Yeah, well... that's the idea, right?" Maverick tried for a smile, but it came across a bit nervous, as things already weren't quite going to plan. "We have a reputation to keep up, after all. I'm just not sure if I'm gonna have full Cannon support, so I gotta count on you, right?"

[cain-gunn]

Cain was almost surprised that the reaping went as smoothly as it had. He'd half expected punches to be thrown as people were trying to get their hands up, everyone competing to be the first. "Well, good news is you'll be an easy sell," Cain pointed out. "Trainer turned tribute-- it makes for a good story." They could sell Mav as a loyalist too, probably, although Cain wasn't really sure where Maverick officially stood on that. "This is Two's comeback Games, yeah?" Cain, at least, was all in on getting Maverick through the Arena.

"Yeah, I mean, they were telling everyone the stakes are higher, that if the students wanted to volunteer they'd have to work harder than usual... but I think everyone sort of understood that this time around it would be a free-for-all. Whoever volunteered first would get the spot." He shrugged. "I think most of the stuff about it being the last chance was coming from my own head. And my parents, of course."

[cain-gunn]

"Yeah, sure," he waved a goodbye absentmindedly through the air. "You too. Good luck with Seven this Games," Cain offered, even though Linden wasn't a mentor. He figured with it being her first time on this side of it and Alder going into the Arena, she'd need some extra good vibes.

Sushi. the idea of fish, admittedly, had Linden cringing internally. After her victory tour, her perspective on fish had been a little skewed. but maybe raw fish was different than cooked fish. if cain liked it so much, it was worth trying. at least, Ellie would like it. She was a happy camper as long as it wasn't tesserae. "We'll have to check it out. Maybe they'll be able to get some into the tower." It wasn't like they could leave. "Thanks for the recommendation, cain. I... I think it might be time for little miss to go down for a bit, so we've probably got to head upstairs. but it's nice seeing you!"

[cain-gunn]

"Sure, shoot," he nodded, half expecting something serious with the way she'd lined the question up. He braced himself for something about the reaping or the rebellion, or some other off the cuff question, but then Linden continued. "My favorite food around here?" Cain pondered with a chuckle. "Uh, probably sushi," he answered. "The fish comes in fresh from Four, and they make all kinds of crazy stuff with it." It probably wasn't that hard to get right now-- fish from Four, rice from Nine-- but the lockdown made it pretty much impossible to go out for anything.

"Cake in the winter." Linden agreed, already picturing that kind of plan. last winter, she'd been eating cake with Fulvia, sure she was going to die. next winter, maybe the three of them could celebrate fulvia's birthday together. a truly happy occasion. "that's the hope."

"Can I ask you something?" she asked, looking around, down at the child between them, and then back up at him. "What's your favorite food around here?" He was a career, maybe that was a bad question. career districts were richer, maybe he'd grown up with all this food. "Or, what was the best new thing?"

[cain-gunn]

ASK HERE:

CAIN | GREER

details about ocs!

send an emoji/description of emoji to learn more about a writer's oc! many of these are taken from my munday asks meme, because i thought it would be fun to make a version for characters too! the prompts are categorized by emoji type and given descriptions in case anyone can't see the symbols. can be used for roleplayers and any general writers alike! for roleplayers, these can also be used for your interpretations of canon characters if you so desire as well!

𝐎𝐁𝐉𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐒. 💭 THOUGHT BALLOON — what is your oc's MBTI, enneagram, and/or other personality aspects (if known/interested in)? 🚗 CAR — does your oc have a driver's license? can they drive/operate any automobiles/machinery besides cars? ✈️ AIRPLANE — does your oc like traveling, or do they consider themselves a more homey person? 🎮 VIDEO GAME CONTROLLER — what are three of your oc's favorite hobbies? 💍 RING — does your oc have any piercings? do they want any (more) piercings? 🖊️ BALLPOINT PEN — does your oc have any tattoos? do they want any (more) tattoos? 📚 BOOKS — what level of education has your oc most recently completed/is currently in (GED, undergraduate, grad school, phd, etc)? 🎻 VIOLIN — does your oc play any instruments? what is their skill level (beginner/intermediate/advanced/virtuoso/etc)? 🩹 ADHESIVE BANDAGE — does your oc have any physical and/or mental disabilities? 🩸 DROP OF BLOOD — what is your oc's blood type?

𝐒𝐘𝐌𝐁𝐎𝐋𝐒. 🎶 MUSICAL NOTES — what type of music does your oc like? do they listen to music very often? 💯 HUNDRED POINTS SYMBOL — share three random facts about your oc that others may not know. 💤 SLEEPING SIGN — is your oc a light sleeper or a heavy sleeper? how are their sleeping habits? 🔱 TRIDENT EMBLEM — can your oc swim? do they enjoy swimming? 🔺 RED TRIANGLE POINTED UP — does your oc know how to use any weapons? 🔶 LARGE ORANGE DIAMOND — does your oc know cpr? do they have any other medical expertise? 🚫 PROHIBITED — does your oc drink/smoke? do they do it regularly, or is it more on occasion or for special events?

𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄. 🌈 RAINBOW — what is your oc's sexual orientation/gender identity? what pronouns do they use? 🎄 CHRISTMAS TREE — what is your oc's favorite holiday? 🐶 DOG FACE — does your oc have any pets? 🐈 CAT — does your oc prefer a wide circle of friends or a few close friends? 🐷 PIG FACE — what is your oc's favorite animal? 🐉 DRAGON — what is your oc's favorite mythical creature? 🍃 LEAVES FLUTTERING IN WIND — what is/was your oc's favorite subject in school? 🌴 PALM TREE — does your oc have a green thumb? do they enjoy gardening? 🍎 RED APPLE — where was your oc born? do they still live in/around their place of birth or do they live somewhere else? how do they feel about their birthplace?

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒. ❤️ RED HEART — what are three of your oc's positive traits? 🤍 WHITE HEART — what are three of your oc's neutral/questionable traits? 💔 BROKEN HEART — what are three of your oc's negative traits? 💘 HEART WITH ARROW — what and/or who do(es) your oc consider the most important to them? 🧡 ORANGE HEART — does your oc tend to prioritize family or friends? 💛 YELLOW HEART — how many languages does your oc speak? what language(s) are they learning, if any? 💚 GREEN HEART — does your oc prefer being inside or outside? 💙 BLUE HEART — does your oc have any cool/special powers and/or abilities? how are they with magic, if it exists in their world? 💜 PURPLE HEART — what is your oc's ancestry/genetic background? 🖤 BLACK HEART — has your oc killed or seriously wounded anyone before? have they broken someone's heart and/or broken someone's trust?

𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐒. 🎂 BIRTHDAY CAKE — when is your oc's birthday? how old are they? what are their sun, moon, & rising signs (if known)? what about their tarot card, ruling planet, & ruling number (if known)? do they fit the typical traits of these sun, moon, & rising signs? 🍝 SPAGHETTI — what is/are your oc's favorite food(s)? 🍰 SHORTCAKE — what is/are your oc's favorite sweet(s)/dessert(s)? 🍦 SOFT ICE CREAM — what is/are your oc's favorite ice cream flavor(s)? 🍔 HAMBURGER — is your oc good at cooking? are they good at baking? which one do they prefer? 🥯 BAGEL — what does your oc's typical breakfast look like? do they usually eat breakfast? 🥪 SANDWICH — what does your oc's typical lunch look like? do they usually eat lunch? 🍛 CURRY AND RICE — what does your oc's typical dinner look like? do they usually eat dinner? 🍸 COCKTAIL GLASS — what is your oc's favorite alcoholic drink, if they can drink? ☕️ HOT BEVERAGE — does your oc prefer coffee, tea, hot chocolate, milk, water, or some other drink? how do they like to take this drink (ex. coffee with milk, hot chocolate with whipped cream, a specific kind of tea, etc)?

𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄. 😊 SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES — what are your oc's career/general life desires? what do they want to get the most out of life? 😖 CONFOUNDED FACE — is your oc an introvert, an extrovert, or an ambivert? do they let people in easily, or are they more reserved? 🤔 THINKING FACE — what are some of your oc's quirks/mannerisms? 🧐 FACE WITH MONOCLE — is your oc more logical or emotional? 🤓 SMILING FACE WITH GLASSES — is your oc chatty or quiet? are they at ease in social situations, or are they more shy? 🤩 FACE WITH STARRY EYES — is your oc a planner, or are they more spontaneous in their actions? 😥 SAD BUT RELIEVED FACE — is your oc prone to getting stressed out, or is it easy for them to keep their cool? 😓 DOWNCAST FACE WITH SWEAT — is your oc open-minded or stubborn? are they inquisitive or do they prefer to keep to their bubble of knowledge? 😞 DISAPPOINTED FACE — does your oc attract others, or do they tend to be left alone? 🤒 FACE WITH THERMOMETER — does your oc get sick easily? 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 FAMILY WITH MOTHER, FATHER, SON AND DAUGHTER — how many people are in your oc's immediate family? how many people are in your oc's extended family? do they have aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc? who in their family are they closest with? are they close with their birth family, or do they have a found family?

[cain-gunn]

Cain nodded. He was beginning to understand that feeling. He'd achieved his dream, but every day it felt a little less like it had ever been worth it. For Maverick, it was too late to back out now, so Cain didn't pile on. "I can't remember the last time I was even back at the Academy," Cain admitted. He'd moved up to the Capitol, which had been a good excuse, but he hadn't been by in a while even before that. With every year since his win, it felt a little less like he belonged there. “Were they all in your ear about it being your last chance? Or a second chance at your last chance, or whatever.”

"I... I mean, yeah, it... it felt like the dream up until just a little while ago," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, closing his eyes. "But I guess that's how it is. Spent the past couple years at the Academy, guess I was still getting, you know... the propaganda." He didn't mean it quite like that, or maybe he did; he didn't intend to sound like a rebel, but he also understood -- in theory -- that the Academy was propaganda.

[cain-gunn]

Cain nodded, finishing out the order and distributing their drinks once the bartender had handed them over. "I dunno," he shrugged, but the answer was honest. Cain wasn't sure who he could talk to about it all, who his questions were safe with, and so, every thought had to come out sounding at least a little vague. Even as he took a seat in a booth across from Coral, feeling like he trusted her enough to be honest, he wondered who else might be listening in. "Our old trainer is back as a tribute, and it's kinda weird-- harder than I thought it'd be, I guess." Maverick was his friend, Abel was his friend, Nano, Alder, and Mahlon were also... people he knew. "Don't really know how I feel about the age thing and all the rereaped victors... it feels--" Cain trailed off, letting the thought die. "What about you? What kind of tributes do you have?"

"Coconut water." Perhaps it was cliche due to how popular that was in District Four, but she still had the same favorites she had from before she had won the Games. "How are you holding up.. considering all this?"

[cain-gunn]

"What? Just like hand-to-hand stuff?" Cain asked, making sure they were on the same page. "Okay," he agreed. It was a good skill to have, especially for Abel who didn't have much muscle on him right now. Cain could try and teach him a few tricks that could take down an opponent, even if they were strong-- weak points and defensive stuff. "Did the trainers have you warm up a little? I don't want you pulling a muscle," he added, because there wasn't a ton the med staff could do for something like that. Cain didn't want Abel going in to the Arena at a disadvantage. "If you're ready, we can hit the mat."

Abel had to hold in his wince as Cain clapped him on the back, because he really was just skin and bones at this point-- not a good start. "I'm good with a knife" he shrugged, it was the only skill he ever managed, back in nine when there was no alcohol or drugs, he'd worked hard enough to become quite talented with that particular weapon.

"Teach me how to fight-- like combat, I'm shit at that"