someone's excited about catching fire.....and it's not katniss | voice testing

[athousandlifetimes]

You talk about how you think war is disgusting, how people are awful and need to be kinder to one another, and then you scream to your friends about how excited you are to see people suffer?

What does it matter that it's fictional? How is it any different than watching someone get hurt in your world? You're the disgusting ones.

You're worse than the people who live in the Capitol.

Comments

[brotherinarms]

That's the way the world works, darling. Sorry to say.

[athousandlifetimes]

[You kinda remind her of Haymitch. We'll see how this goes.]

All these different people come from all these different worlds, why does it seem like they're all the same?

And don't call me darling.

[brotherinarms]

No offense intended.

It's because they're all still full of people. And people are cruel and petty. It's like that everywhere. But it ain't all bad. There're a few diamonds in the rough. You just gotta be willing to look.

[athousandlifetimes]

What if the effort doesn't pay off?

[wolf_of_war]

It is often said that cruelty is part of human nature. Most humans delude themselves to believe the contrary, but the evidence concludes otherwise.

[athousandlifetimes]

[jesus h christ what IS THAT

but she definitely agrees with the sentiment.]

I guess delusion is a part of human life too.

[wolf_of_war]

[Don't mind Bladewolf. What he lacks in social graces, he makes up for in skill and intelligence.]

Indeed. In order for humans to cope with negative experiences, the capability to lie to oneself is essential. It is an unusual trait, but humans are an unusual species.

[athousandlifetimes]

I'll say.

[She looks him up and down, raising an eyebrow.]

What species are you?


[She's not so good at the social graces thing either, Bladewolf.]

[wolf_of_war]

[He sits on his haunches, his tail swinging absent-mindedly.]

As I learn more from my interactions with them, I find that humans will often follow illogical paths to a logical outcome. It is not the most efficient method, but it seems to have it's purpose.

[He looks up at Katniss, swinging his head back and forth.]

I am not a biological entity. I am K-9000 Bladewolf, an advanced neuro-AI in a canine-based exoskeleton. In simpler terms, I am a robot made in the image of a wolf.

[athousandlifetimes]

A robot wolf.

[Interesting.]

[wolf_of_war]

Affirmative. I was built as a prototype weapon meant to replace humans and cyborgs on the battlefield, but the project was scrapped, as I lack the brutality necessary for a soldier.

[athousandlifetimes]

I wish I could say the same.

[wolf_of_war]

You are a soldier, then? That would explain your views towards the trivialization of violence in the media.

It is said that the violent films and video games popular in most of the world fail to gain an audience in places that have recently seen war, due to there being no market for such "entertainment", as all it would serve to do is remind the people who have seen it firsthand of their experiences.

[athousandlifetimes]

I guess so.

What's a video game?

[wolf_of_war]

A video game is a form of interactive entertainment, controlled directly by the player via an input device of some kind. In the time I come from, most video games exist as virtual reality programs, making the player feel as though they are in the program itself, as opposed to viewing it through a screen, as was common when the technology was in it's infancy, and they require no physical input beyond the impulses of the brain.

They gained popularity among the different branches of the military, allowing them to train their soldiers for combat and other potentially life-threatening duties without directly putting them in danger until their training was complete. It is a practice that persists even in my time.

[athousandlifetimes]

Oh. Interesting. Thank you.

[She's not much of a talker.]

I apologize for Bladewolf. He's sort of a quadrapedal encyclopedia of everything XD

[wolf_of_war]

You are welcome.

Theory: You come from a time or place where personal entertainment is largely unheard of, or comes with a heavy price. Your demeanor towards entertainment seems to suggest that it is something unpleasant for those directly responsible for it.

haha, it's fine!

[athousandlifetimes]

You're pretty smart for a wolf. Robot wolf. [Whatever. Still, she's impressed.]

The only 'entertainment' my district is afforded is watching the Games every year.

Probably helps that his primary directive involves preserving and passing on knowledge XD

[wolf_of_war]

Thank you. My primary directive involves the preservation and transmission of knowledge. According to my creators, it was the one thing I excelled at before I was deactivated. My experience with humans has additionally supplemented my knowledge with regards to human behavior.

Tell me more of these "Games", if you are comfortable doing so.

[athousandlifetimes]

Deactivated? How were you reactivated, then?

[She pauses, clears her throat.]

I live in a place called Panem. It's separated into twelve districts, and each one is responsible for producing something for the good of Panem as a whole. Before I was born, there were thirteen districts, but then there was a great rebellion and district thirteen was destroyed. As a punishment, each year every district offers two tributes, a boy and a girl chosen at random, to participate in The Hunger Games. Names are drawn at random, but it's still skewed. I participated in those games.

[wolf_of_war]

I was reactivated at the behest of Sundowner of the Desperado Enforcement Private Military Company. He found amusement in the fact that I was a machine built for war, who showed more respect for human life than most humans do.

[He listens intently, calculating what exactly what the Hunger Games are, based on the language Katniss uses.]

Fascinating. In order to keep the people of your world pacified and subjugated, your government forces participation in these "Hunger Games". It is a clever, if cruel approach. Based on how you speak of conflict and war, I can only assume that the Hunger Games pit these "Tributes" against one another in a physical conflict.

[athousandlifetimes]

I see.

Yes, they do. Only one tribute can win, usually.

[tarblacksoul]

You must be a joy at social gatherings.

[athousandlifetimes]

I don't attend many of them.

[tarblacksoul]

I can see that.

Why the harsh tone with your... person?

[athousandlifetimes]

It's not harsh, it's honest. She needs to know she's no better than the rest of them.

[bitterberries]

They've probably never killed anyone, though.

[athousandlifetimes]

Probably not.

[electabuzzfan]

It's called fictional entertainment! The suffering involved might not be fun to watch, but the story around it is! Unless the suffering IS the story....

Anyhow, don't like it? Deal with it!

[athousandlifetimes]

Just because it's fictional to them doesn't mean it's fictional to me.

[electabuzzfan]

I get that, I guess. But your mun's enjoyment of something shouldn't affect you. Or will it, since supposedly you're in it and all?

[athousandlifetimes]

I guess I just don't understand why she feels the need to enjoy my suffering and then pull me out to relive it in other, awful situations.

[electabuzzfan]

'Cause that's what you were thought up for, I guess!

[Real tactful there, Casey.]

[takeswing]

People like that are how the Games became popular in the first place.

[athousandlifetimes]

You're right.

You'd think they'd change.