gamesarena | Round 1 - Preparation Stage

Introduction
There was a drum roll and as you entered into this world. You are surrounded by cheering crowds, bright lights and cameras. You have just been announced as a tribute for a specific district and this begins your adventure into the Games Arena.

There is a lot to do before the Arena opens. The audience must be informed of all your vital stats so they can place their bets. Are you going to win because you're the strongest? Are you going to win because you're sneaky and smart? You won't see any of that however. The next few weeks are going to be filled with the following:

[Please thread below in any or all of the locations. It would help if the subject of the top level comment could list where the tribute is just so it makes it easier for other characters to tag in.]

Training Arena
There is everything that you could ever need in the training area. There are teachers around 24/7 who will be more than happy to teach you the skills needed in the Arena.

Such as: hunting, wilderness survival, tying knots, camouflage, botany, weapons use, general fitness experts and anything else you believe may be required.

It might save your life to go to at least one of these tutorials. There are also gyms and equipment which will help you focus on specific skills such as climbing, swimming and anything you may think of.

In this Training Arena, you will have access to any weapons your character may have back home in canon. They will only be available in the training arena so you must leave them behind when you leave here and when you make your way to the arena.

There are also public and private training facilities so you can choose whether you want to show everyone your skills or hide everything until the arena stage.

Rule: Any tributes that physically attack each other before entering the arena will be punished upon the games beginning. This is announced to the tributes as they are released to their own devices.

Publicity Shoots
It is up to your prep team to make sure the public love you. That's what they get paid for. As Battle Royale is school themed, you will be taking lots of school based photo shoots in the following uniform:

Look familiar? Well, in this game it doesn't matter whether you're in the white or black uniform so take your pick at whatever you think will look nicer. These will be the uniforms that you enter the arena in. This may be your last chance to look pretty and your last chance to be remembered.

Private Dorms
At the end of each day, you have your own room to retire back to. Each district has an entire floor to themselves and each floor has two giant dorm rooms.

There is room service for each dorm room and you can order whatever you want. Really, anything. You're about to go to your death so you might as well enjoy the remainder of your life. You are free to go to each other's rooms if you want to visit. Make friends, make enemies, or scout out your competition.

These rooms are state of the art. You have a large shower where it feels like the water is coming from multiple directions and a range of fancy soaps, shampoos etc. You can even choose to have a bubble bath if you want. The bed is large and covered with the blankets and sheets your character most adores. There is also a giant wardrobe with any outfit you would like to wear available at a touch of a button.

Each tribute will also have 2 avoxes following them around when they are in the private dorm area to get them whatever they need and clean up after them.

Private Social Area
There is a living space with games, other hobbies and an eatery for people who don't want to eat in the solitude of their dorms. ~~But why aren't you in the training hall trying to make sure you stay alive in the arena?~~ This is where you'll find out the gossip of where you are, what's going on. You can speak to your prep team to learn about why you're here, what your role is and the fact that you're probably going to be dead in a month. And probably at the hands of the person eating at the next table and smiling innocently at you.

Other
You are welcome to create anywhere else you want to be. Want to watch a movie? Go ahead. Want to visit a library? Yeah sure. The Game Creation team have designed a little city for you to play in before you enter the Arena so if you are certain that an extra day in the training facility won't make you live much longer anyway? Might as well go out and enjoy yourself. It's on me.

Note: Wherever you are or whatever you're doing, there is a chance that your actions will probably get broadcasted to the public on TV.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[she doesn't blame him. it's a reasonable reaction to have to any other tribute, given the circumstances. she remains collected as she responds to him, a keen eye trying to discern the mood he's putting up.]

She's my district partner; she's a nice girl. [she pauses, observing him in kind. with a raised eyebrow, she continues:] I'm guessing you two are going to be allies in the arena.

She is.

[He lets out a breath. This girl... she could be dangerous. But so can he.]

And we are. She's going to make it out of here.

[He smiles a thin smile. No matter what, Mai will live. Even if he sacrifices himself... she's from an earlier time and she has things she needs to do. He doesn't.]

Good answer. Alliances are key, I've heard.

[she may not always be the best at reading people, but she can at least tell that he's being genuine with his words. ulterior motives are a thing, yes, but... she'd rather not think about that for now. plus, she can respect his dedication to her safety over his.]

What would you say to forming one with me? I've made friends with Mai... [she stops for a second after that.] Well, as much of a friend as you can be in a place like this. But still, the more heads, the better, right? I can trust a friend of a friend.

["tentatively" goes unsaid. not in a bad way, but she can't 100% trust anyone; not here, not anywhere. blind trust has bitten her many times before.]

... It depends. Why do you think it's a good idea?

[It's a test - well. Partly. She needs to have sense to survive here, but also...]

And what sort of skills do you think you'd bring to an alliance? If you don't have anything useful, you'll just slow us down.

[Mai's skills aren't... great. He doesn't need to be protecting two people, especially not one he doesn't know or care about.]

I've got a good aim, and I know how to get around without being seen. This isn't the first time I've fought for my life.

[... which is a little depressing to think about. she tries not to consider the thought any more than she already has; even if she doesn't tell him everything she can do... well, she hopes it's enough.

but enough about herself. she turns to give him a very serious look.]

You want to protect her, don't you? I can help. I obviously don't know her as well as you, and neither of you know me, but... she's a good person who doesn't deserve to be in this.

[she looks him right in the eye. she means it. Mai's reluctance to fight, her determination to find some way out of this, her hope that they can all survive and make it back to their worlds... it's a refreshing outlook, different from the begrudging acceptance that basically the rest of them had come to.]

She doesn't deserve this. And it's not the first time I've fought for my life, either. Or for her.

[He doesn't want to be like this. He doesn't want to slip into those old habits again, the ones that fit him too perfectly like a suit tailored just for him. He doesn't want to say these things, but he has to, because Mai has to make it out of here. Not because he wants her to love him - no. There's no way that'll happen now. But because she's a person who still has things she needs to do, and because she doesn't deserve this.]

... Fine. For now. Though if it comes down to you or her, I'll shoot you. If you turn on us, I'll shoot you. If you even think about trying to hurt her, I'll shoot you. As long as that's understood, I don't think there will be a problem.

[He smiles mildly, as if he were discussing the weather rather than shooting her.]

[the directness of his intentions doesn't faze her, and inwardly, she's a little surprised by that particular reaction of hers. she knew the things she'd gone through back in her world had hardened her, yes, but she'd never expected it to have gotten to a point like this. perhaps it was for the best, though, given the nature of their being here.]

You have my word. [with a curt smile, she extends her hand to him, inviting him to shake on it.] And don't think I wouldn't hesitate to do the same to you.

Good.

[He reaches out to shake her hand. It's a bit of a relief to know that there would be someone watching him. If he did something that wasn't good for Mai... he wouldn't want it to continue.]

My name is Micchy. ... Or Mitsuzane Kureshima, I think they're using both names in broadcast, but Mai knows me as Micchy.

[her smile grows a little bigger—but not too much—as he returns the handshake, before dropping her arm to her side again.]

I'm Elizabeth—it's the only name I have. I would say nice to meet you, but... well. You know the hand we've been dealt. [she looks away briefly, an almost melancholic hint in her eyes, before she turns her attention back to him.] Maybe in another lifetime, I would've been able to say that and mean it.

Right. It's... well. Nothing about this is okay, even if I want to say 'okay' to that.

... Mai has to get back home. I'm from... further along than she is, somehow. She's more important than she can know, and while it'll put her through a lot of pain, she... needs to be there. Otherwise... things will go badly.

[He doesn't want to put her through it. He wishes she didn't have to, but she has to be the one who has the Forbidden Fruit so she can give it to Kouta.]

[huh. that's an interesting little tidbit to keep in mind. Elizabeth raises her eyebrow at that, genuinely curious.]

You're from different points in your timeline, you mean?

[she says that like she's intrigued, but not confused. sort of like... it's something she's familiar with, something she's able to talk about as casually as the weather.]

That's right. She's from... well. Somewhere between eight months to a year behind me. And a lot changed.

Hm... interesting.

[cryptic, yes; she's gotten pretty good at that in recent times. hopefully her next statement won't make that feeling worse... it'd be hard for it not to, though. she can't help that her perception of reality isn't like most other people's.]

Have you considered the possibility that you two are from different universes, too?

[Has he? ... Not really. Still.]

... Possibly. Either way, it doesn't change the fact that she needs to be helped in this fight. She's not a fighter by nature. I don't know that she could ever bring herself to kill someone.

It doesn't change that, you're right. And I don't want to see her die. But...

[and for this, she hesitates. she realizes a lot of what she's about to say is probably going to sound like crazy talk to him, and that it'll most likely sound a little insensitive. but it may just be true...]

... Just because this version of Mai may die here doesn't mean that her other selves will. Your universe may remain intact.

[He takes a deep breath and swallows his first reaction to that, which is to tell her to shut up. That's not going to help anything.]

Even if that's true, it doesn't change how I feel. I'm still going to go on as if that weren't true, because she needs to stay alive. And even if she's another world's Mai, that world still needs her.

Round 1 - Preparation Stage

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