「 ✦ 1. Fabulous ✦ 」 Jazz Noir buzzed excitedly around Kismet, stringing a final piece of silver jewelry over his back. ``There you go, darling. /Now/ you look good. Well... good enough.`` Kismet almost let out a snort of amusement and surprise. Good enough? His stylist's comment was both funny and oddly insulting. Still, Kismet had better things to worry about, such as the upcoming interview. ``Thanks, I guess?`` They responded, shifting uncomfortably under the black fabric that served as their outfit for the evening. It was almost like a dress, yet more elegant. Jazz had said it made Kismet look beautifully dangerous. Kismet thought it painfully resembled the bird he had executed earlier. Jazz Noir let out a small tutting noise. ``Stop talking like you're unsure of everything. It makes you sound idiotic.`` Now Kismet was certain Jazz was purposely picking on him, and he narrowed his eyes in mild annoyance. ``Yep. Right.`` He muttered, to which Jazz just rolled his eyes. ``This is supposed to be fun, Kismet. Live a little, eh? You're in the capital, and you've been given a once-in-a-lifetime chance, literally. Don't you agree?`` ``Uh... no, not really?`` Jazz raised his eyebrows. ``I mean, no, not really.`` Kismet tried again, shifting its tone. ``There you go. You'll be fine. Oh, look, you're up next. Bye, darling.`` Jazz Noir whisked away just in time for Kismet to notice he was /literally/ up next, which made its heart stop beating. 「 ✦ 2. Au naturel ✦ 」 Kismet padded down the hallway, its surroundings growing brighter and brighter until it couldn't see for a moment. After blinking rapidly, their vision finally cleared to reveal a large door. Here goes... everything. He pushed open the door to reveal—woah, this place was beautiful. Their first thought was, 'If I die in the Games, this is where I want to end up.' But then Kismet realized how /stupid/ that thought was and immediately pushed it out of his head. As it padded further through the garden, he noticed the surroundings began to shift. The large, rocky outcroppings that developed the forest began to shift inwards, creating some sort of an alleyway-like structure. Mimosa Pudica lined the walls and shrunk away as Kismet brushed up against it. Lamprocapnos hung delicately, its pink, heart-shaped flowers swaying gently from their stems. White, phantasmic flowers known as Ghost Pipes were tucked away into crevasse in the rock. The fabric-like leaves of Lamb’s Ear grew just out of reach. Lianas draped off of the ravine's sides, and a few times, Kismet's paws got snared in them. Then Kismet noticed the animals. A treefrog was scaling the rocks, trying to reach the top. A pine martin dashed through the foliage and disappeared. Several geckos scampered across his path. A squirrel with russet fur chirped something he'd never be able to understand. A capuchin monkey climbed along a higher path on the rocks, joining him for some of its journey. He was glad to have a companion. And then there was a familiar black bird. The sicklebill. Just like the one in the Gamemakers. And there was a small, white rabbit. It reminded Kismet of his sister. And just as the ravine ended, the one creature it thought it'd never see was just around the corner. A lynx. Kismet stared at it with a mixture of emotions—loathing, panic, confusion. This /beast/ had killed his sister. Why was it here? Was the Capitol this cruel to put such a thing in here with Kismet? He waited for it to sink familiarly its claws into his fur. But it never did. It just slunk away into the shadows. 「 ✦ 3. Reflection ✦ 」 Kismet took a good moment to recover before observing the new environment. It was some sort of... garden? Calming, certainly. And there was some sort of animal—a lion, probably— in the center, surrounded by a pond. Kismet glanced into the water. It was mostly still, rippling slightly, and his own reflection stared back at him. But then it began to shift. Its own figure grew distorted. A small, white shape whizzed past but didn't linger long enough for Kismet to see what it was. Two more glowing shapes stood on either side of him, but they were fuzzy and wavering. And then slowly, the water shifted to blood-red, swallowing everything but himself. A shadow replaced his own reflection. The Lynx. Kismet stumbled backwards with a small yelp. Was the beast back? But as he glanced around, it was nowhere in sight. Before it could figure it out, the stone it was standing on lurched forward. Fog shrouded Kismet, blocking his reflection and oddly calming his panic. And then, ``Welcome, Kryvo Mellotiko of District 8.`` (Continued in Notes and Credits)
「 ✦ 4. That's... not terrifying at all. Heh. ✦ 」 Kismet couldn't see anything anymore, but that didn't mean the audience couldn't. He tried to compose itself before answering, ``uh, thank you. Pleased to be here.`` Not really the truth, but oh well. So the lion was the interviewer. At least, that's what Kismet assumed. The booming voice matched what he would've imagined the statue would've sounded like. ``So, Kryvo, otherwise known as 'Kismet'. Means 'fate'. Do you think it's your 'fate' to survive the arena?`` The first question threw Kismet off guard. ``Honestly, I don't know if fate really determines it. I mean, I've made it this far, right? I’m not just some helpless kid.`` They sure felt like it, but it was better to stretch the truth. ``I’m not gonna just sit back and let it all end like—like some bad story. I’m smarter than that. And I’m faster, too. In the end, it’s about what I’m willing to do to stay alive. So, yeah... I’ll survive. It’s not fate. It’s just... me. I’m going to make it. For my sister." 'Appear confident. Don't hesitate. Don't let them see who you truly are.' That's what he told himself. ``A sister, huh? I bet she waiting back for you in District 8, with the rest of your family. How do you think they're dealing with all of this?`` The second question. ``Well, Papa and Father are back in 8.`` He didn't want to mention their names. ``But my sister... is not. She's up in the sunsets. At least, that's where we say she is. But I hope she's watching over me and rooting for me. And my dads are probably staying strong. They raised me well. And I want to get back to them.`` Hopefully that tugged the right heartstrings without making Kismet seem too tragic. ``Rightfully so. Well, Kismet, I have one final question for you. Is there a price you’re willing to pay for survival?`` ... what? What kind of question was that? But the answer spilled from Kismet's mouth before he even realized he was speaking. ``No.`` ``It'll all be worth it if—I mean, /when/ I get out of here. And I've already paid my price when my sister died. But if you’re asking if I’ll pay more... then yes, I will. I’ll do whatever it takes. I’ve seen what happens to those who hesitate. I hesitated before. It cost everything. I won't let that happen again. The ones who try to be too kind, or too soft, they don’t make it. So if I have to bury whatever’s left of the kid I used to be, I’ll do it. I’m not here to be a victim, or to play by anyone else's rules. I’m here to win. And if that means I have to hurt someone, or make them think I’ve got no heart left, then so be it. I'm getting home. That's final.`` ``Kryvo "Kismet" Mellotiko everyone!`` And as the fog began to disappear, Kismet couldn't help but feel... scared. He didn't hesitate on that last answer. It just happened. Without the normal overthinking. It felt... natural. And that's what scared him: this detached, merciless part of itself that's willing to do whatever's necessary, no matter how terrible. It's just like the Lynx. 「 - Characters - 」 ✦ Kryvo - he/they/it ('Kismet') ( Featuring the Lion and the Lynx. With mentions of Papa Father, Kismet's sister, and several other animals that I do not feel like writing out) 「 - Credits - 」 ✦ Roleplay - The Hunger Games RP
