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( act i. district nine )

...punches thrown

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             — EVERY DAY THAT PASSED
seemed to blur more and more for Fallon. The teenage girl raked her hands through her dark locks, turning on the faucet to splash some water on her face.

Fallon glanced up into the mirror, her eyes wandering to the dark bags decorating her under eyes with a dim look caressing her gaze. She barely recognized the person staring back at her, a complete stranger to her younger self.

The girl ripped her eyes away from the reflection, grabbing a towel to dry her face before quickly scurrying down the stairs. Fallon looked around the corner to see Evren laying back on her couch with his eyes glued to the tv.

"You couldn't knock?" The brunette raised a curious brow at him to which she was met with a shrug, "It wasn't locked."

Fallon let out a heavy sigh, "Kou." she muttered under her breath, already knowing he must've forgotten to lock the front door. Which wouldn't be a first for the fifteen year old.

The Mintz girl walked into the kitchen to reach for a bottle of water when Evren leaned against the doorway before speaking, "Your tour is in three months."

Fallon clenched her jaw slightly, her body tensing at the mere mention of the very thing she was dreading. "Did you have to remind me?"

"You need to be aware." Evren responded while crossing his arms over his chest. Fallon's gaze hardened before snapping at him, "No, I fucking don't." The girl blinked after realizing her tone had come out much harsher then she'd intended to. She took a deep breath before slouching her posture slightly, "Sorry."

Her mentor tipped his head to the side while watching her sullen expression, "You have a lot of pent up anger, Fal." The brunette weakly hummed, "I guess that tends to happen."

Evren fell silent for a moment before pushing himself off the wall, his eyes glimmering as if an idea had gone off in his head, "Why don't we practice your hand to hand combat? It has been almost a year."

Fallon licked her lips, an unsure glint visible in her gaze, "I don't see why I need to." Evren tucked his hands into his pockets, "I think it could be a good way to release stress, and seeing as you don't want to open up to anyone— which is more than fine— at least this way you can release some of the tension in yourself."

Fallon unconsciously began picking at the skin around her nails while looking deep in thought, "Evren..." she trailed off before the male continued pressing, "You have to do something to help yourself."

The brunette forced her hands to her sides before closing her eyes. It wouldn't hurt to help herself in some way she supposed. "Alright." she breathed when her eyes opened to land on her mentor's figure just a few feet ahead.

Evren smiled widely, an easy feeling settling in his chest after hearing she accepted his offer.

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FALLON FLEXED HER hands, watching Evren who tossed his jacket onto the ground a few feet away from him. The two were outside, the sun hidden behind the gloomy clouds scattered across the sky.

Fallon stood in her sage green cargo pants with a white tank top, rolling her shoulders back as she knew Evren was never one to announce when they were starting.

Her mentor flashed her a grin before he swung his arm at her. Fallon just barely missed the hit as she side stepped him, taking hold of his wrist before attempting to twist his arm around by the man was quick to break out of her hold.

Evren aimed to hit her abdomen and did as Fallon was not as quick as she could be. The man quirked up a brow at her while she grunted in slight pain, "You're faster than that, c'mon kid."

Fallon grit her teeth before leaning down to the ground to kick her leg out, tripping her mentor onto his back before he quickly got back up. A punch was thrown at her and she ducked under before twisting his arm back to hold it there.

The brunette parted her lips to speak before Evren jutted his head backwards, colliding with Fallon's mouth which sent her tumbling back slightly.

The male turned to face his victor as she raised her thumb to wipe the blood seeping from the corner of her lips. Fallon licked the injury before huffing slightly in amusement, "All right then."

Riling Fallon up was the only way to get her to actually try, something Evren had taken note those few days he had prepared her for the games. The brunette rolled her shoulders back before moving quickly on her feet, ducking under an arm that swung at her before stepping right into Evren's side.

The male was met with a strong elbow to the back causing him to trip forwards, barely catching himself from tumbling onto the ground.

Fallon spun on her heel, giving Evren's ribs a blow with a high kick. The teenage girl watched her mentor begin to straighten himself out when her vision blurred, and it was no longer Evren standing before her.

The brunette inhaled sharply before stagger backwards, her balance leaving her as she watched the boy from One stare at her, eyes blown wide and dead. The same dagger she used to kill him penetrating his chest. Fallon felt her knees grow weak, her mind grappling for reality but it seemed too far from reach.

Evren noticed the victor's entire demeanor shift from one moment to the next, her lips quivering with her hands trembling at her sides. Worry flushed through the man's features before taking a tentative step towards the girl who flinched at the movement, "No, get out of my head."

Evren raised his hands slightly to show her he wasn't going to cause her any harm, "Fallon, it's me. It's Evren."

The brunette's chest heaved as she struggled to keep herself upright, "Stop! Don't— please stop." Evren frowned deeply at this, immediately knowing she was hallucinating something that haunted her, "Fallon, I need you to breathe. Whatever you're seeing kiddo, it isn't real."

The seventeen year old wasn't listening though— her stance was defensive, her eyes crumbling at what she was seeing, "Stop fucking with my head."

Evren knew he couldn't approach her, Fallon hated being touched when she was in this state, the only one who could sometimes manage was Kou. "Fallon, I need you to snap out of it." his voice was now desperate, wishing there was more he could do to help the young girl.

Fallon blinked rapidly, wishing herself out of the torment her mind was making her see. Her knees finally gave out, hitting the hard ground with a thud while she kept her eyes trained on the floor beneath her.

Evren carefully inched closer towards her, before his pace picked up. The male crouched down in front of her, placing a careful yet gentle hand on her shoulder. Fallon flinched back before beginning to spur out, "Stop! No!" she scrambled away from her mentors touch, eyes lifting to see him holding his hands up in surrender, "It's me, Fal. It's just me."

Fallon's rigid body relaxed slightly, a broken sigh falling out of her parted lips. A single tear ran down the girls face before she quickly wiped it away with her fisted hand.

Evren's gaze softened, he hated seeing the after effects of the games in his victor. Somehow this felt worse then when he himself went through it the first year of his win. Yes, she was his first tribute to come back, but at what cost?

Evren placed a cautious hand on her forearm, watching as this time she didn't flinch away but instead welcomed the touch. "I'm sorry." she whispered out, feeling as if she had to apologize for how she snapped so abruptly.

Evren shook his head, "This is beyond your control, kid. You have nothing to apologize for, you hear me?" When the brunette stayed silent the male tried again, "Fal, hey."

Fallon raised her honey eyes to look into his, swallowing thickly at the look he was giving her. She knew he wouldn't back down until she responded, "I know." she croaked out.

The teen took a second to recompose herself, inhaling and exhaling as she did so. Fallon swallowed audibly, her stoic expression returning to her prominent features before she began to stand with Evren's help.

"I'm fine now." she firmly spoke, unsure whether she was assuring herself or her mentor. Evren held an unsure glint in his dark eyes, "Fallon."

The girl shook her head, her hands clasped behind her back, "Really. I just... lost it there for a second."

Yet, her mentor didn't look even slightly convinced, "It's okay to not be fine. No one expects you to be." but Fallon was stubborn, and hardheaded, "I know, but I'm okay. I'm gonna take a walk."

Evren went to stop her but the brunette was already walking far from his reach. Fallon held her hands before her, hiding the way they shook violently.

I'm fine, it had become mantra Fallon constantly found herself repeating in hopes to distract herself from the hard truth.

She was far from being okay.

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      — AUTHORS NOTE,
idk how long this act will last im ngl