LET THE GAMES BEGIN

[opening_act]

Who: Hunger Games Participants
Where: The Game Tower
When: To be Determined

[ You walk through a door. Or maybe you walk down the street, only to have it fall away between one step and the next. You blink and you're one place, then the next with a lurching sensation of falling, and land somewhere else.

This… is probably the game tower, and the new way they've been summoning you, but it's not the Game Tower as you've seen it before.

On your cellphone, you hear Exael's voice, and if you look at it you can see her too. She's dressed up today on a couch with a microphone she's taking back from someone else — they must have just finished answering her as you get the chance to tune in. She nods, face and voice all cheer as she takes the mic back.

"So there you have it, everyone! The celestial plan behind this iteration of the Hunger Games! Lend everyone your thoughts and prayers, because it sounds like they're going to need it!"

The rules-- well, goals, more like-- then dominate your cellphone screen. ]

Comments

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[SCOOT YOUR ASS OVER. Intensity is taking the spot next to him]

[rollwithdisadvantage]

[Hmmm. Interesting. He does. Have even half the couch. His generosity is endless.]

What the fuck happened to you? You were with the hero boys when I left.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Finishing a fight with Yugi. He grabbed me by the collar and then---

[Trying really hard to recall what happened. This isn't like him. Fuck]

Nope. Nothing.

You?

[rollwithdisadvantage]

That isn't like you, CEO, but it does look like someone did get the surprise on you, so probably not a surprise.

[Shruggo.]

Sunshine and I were going to have a nice fight to the death, but I got tired of dying so I figured I'd leave when it got really bad.

He chased me down practically rabid and then didn't remember it.

Something is very, very wrong with him.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Really? He once ran of at the mouth at me about something else inside him or something similar bullshit. And how he needed people he can trust to reign him in.

Looks like you found whatever that was. Congratulations.

[rollwithdisadvantage]

WHAT!? Why the fuck don't people ever tell me these things?

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

You didn't know? I thought picking hopeless fights was your MO for that game.

[rollwithdisadvantage]

Shut it. They [motioning at the room] managed to do ten times worse than I could even attempt to try. Things I would consider too below the belt.

So what does that make us as a whole, CEO?

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Why don't you tell me what you think it makes us since you obviously have an opinion?

[rollwithdisadvantage]

A lost cause. As a whole.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

. . .

[SHIT!]

Are you changing your end game to your Plan B?

[rollwithdisadvantage]

Don't worry, CEO, I'm not that desperate yet.

I'm just going to have to be more selective on who enters paradise.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Worry about getting the keys to paradise first before how you're going to gatekeep it.

[rollwithdisadvantage]

Ha! Not like that at all, CEO. I'm trimming my numbers to ensure success.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

And here I thought you were going for numbers to make an army.

[rollwithdisadvantage]

If I made an army out of idols here, I might as well paint a target on my back. Send myself to Lilith gift wrapped.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Then wouldn't send you to Lilith for that. But you probably would be targeted by other players.

[rollwithdisadvantage]

You've got a target, too, you know. A huge one.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Thank you, Captain Obvious.

[rollwithdisadvantage]

Just checking if you knew. Sometimes you lack skills I would expect you to have.

Self preservation being one.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

You're the last fucking person I want to hear that from.

[rollwithdisadvantage]

Just outside of games, CEO. No need to be testy. And I'm not going to stop you or even dissuade you.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Good. Now are you actually going to point out a specific instance or are you going to be vague so you can continue to lord it over me?

[rollwithdisadvantage]

The golf cart.

And forgive me if I don't want to see you die.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Limited options lead to limited strategies. If my opponent doesn't pull their punches, then I certainly can't afford to pull mine.