karma didn't necessarily have too much a problem with the hunger games. of course, he had a bit of an issue when he was old enough to understand the concept. but it automatically clicked when he realized that there was absolutely nothing, /nothing/ he could do about it, and rebellion was simply a naive concept for the delusional, grasping onto a false illusion of a dream that would never become reality. thus, why fuss over it? everyone dies at some point. death is just part of the cycle, and being reaped- or the urge to volunteer- was simply an event in your life. your story. no use crying over it. besides, he's... attempted to summon tributes from the past games every now and then. sometimes, it's worked- not that many believe him, but he knows what he saw, so who cares what others think? ouija boards, summoning rituals... they really were lovely! nevertheless, if you tried outrunning death, you're basically trying to outrun the wind. it's pointless! you might as well frolic and enjoy yourself- the hunger games was just... well, cutting short the inevitable. death was simply a part of the cycle. at least, that's what he told himself- eventually, if you lie to yourself enough, you'll start to believe it. just like any 'ol capitol cat! besides. he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy other's pain every now and then- which is something he didn't necessarily try to hide, so it wasn't something he falsified. maybe it just ran in his capitol veins or something. karma sighed as he shook his fur out, taking off his tie and sunglasses, placing them neatly on the graphite counter. the day of the reaping- hooray. he could see which tributes would be led to their death, like a lamb to the slaughter. again- nothing he could do about it, so he didn't bother trying to care. the tom polished his claws gingerly as he turned on his monitor, graciously provided to him by a wealthy friend. district 1's reaping! let's go! names were called. none familiar. a paw reached in, tearing open the envelope, as the escort's voice spread throughout the area, brought back to him through technology. "dives smokes." ... ...are you serious? ARE YOU SERIOUS?! clearly, there was another dives who coincidentally- OH MY GOSH IT'S HIM. IT'S ACTUALLY HIM. THERE'S NO MISTAKING THAT FACE. karma groaned internally, closing his eyes, blinking out his red contacts. the colored lenses dropped with a small clatter, his natural, yellow eyes blinking. he blankly watched as his co-worker slightly struggled against the peacekeepers grasp. "...it's pointless." karma whispered to the screen, his voice falling on deaf ears. a zoom in on his face. a few tears being shed. karma felt his ears instinctively flatten against his head. that was usually his /favorite/ expression. he didn't know why. pain, horror, suffering... whatever it was, usually, he loved it. this was the one time he didn't. ̶m̶a̶y̶b̶e̶ ̶j̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶a̶ ̶l̶i̶t̶t̶l̶e̶.̶ hoping that his co-worker would make it out alive would be stupid. the odds are so low, the chances are practically zero. whether he liked it or not. of course, karma wouldn't mind if dives came back... that would be highly preferred. but to be confident in it? that was just setting yourself up to be disappointed. ...he wasn't going to fuss too much over it. maybe a tad bit more than usual. karma forced a playful smile on his face, a small chuckle filling his abode. the chuckle turning into snickers. and the snickers spiraling into a series of manic, hysterical laughter. "well, well..." "...i might as well try my best to send you an interview question, dives. it's a shame i never got to say goodbye." he brought a paw up to his mouth, smirking grimly. he didn't plan on feeling any ill intent towards whoever the victor would be. they were just doing what they had to do. "nevertheless..." "you'll be sure to respond to my hails, won't you?" "a ritual, all to yourself..." karma flicked his ear, entertaining the thought. "oh, what am i saying? of /course/ you will." "no matter what you try-" "-we will meet again..." "...whether you like it or not." the games were indeed unjust. nearly everyone wanted imperium's head on a pike- which was an impossible task. if it's impossible, then you shouldn't care. it's likely that imperium will die naturally. not executed. not assassinated. justice will never be served for the entirely of his life. but once he's naught but a spirit, with nobody to protect him? or would felines like him even be a ghost? would he be sent straight to the deepest, burning pits of h3||? whatever. life won't bring him what he deserves. that's a fact. but trying to outrun his fate was useless. no, he wouldn't just be trying to outrun the wind. he'd be trying to outrun karma. song is outrunning karma by alec benjamin karma is owned by yours truly dives is owned by tsu if i got anything wrong please lmk :skull: