idolpro | The Last Supper - avante en garde

The Last Supper - avante en garde

[ All things considered, the room looks fairly comfy. Dark mahogany walls are decorated with wine red velvet curtains, and chaise lounges and deep-cushioned chairs in matching upholstery arrange themselves in front of a large plasma TV screen that can receive input from any idol's smartphone, though it cannot be changed from the current screen.

A hallway attaches to the room, branching off into two hallways. In the inner hallway, there's a kitchenette—it holds no food in either the fridge or the cupboards, but perhaps as an insult the fridge door's inside shelf holds a gold-framed painting of split pomegranates with seeds artistically spilling onto the ground. At least it's not entirely useless as a room—there are any number of melee weapons in the cupboards and shelves, each weapon's handle furnished with decorative snakes in the unit's color.

Past the kitchen is a modest bathroom that nevertheless uses the majority of its space for its bath and shower, including various skin and hair care products (though no electric plugs, despite the presence of hair dryers), sparkly bath bombs, and a seemingly endless number of wine red towels and bathrobes. Across the bathroom is what seems to be a luxurious sleeping room, somehow large enough to hold as many beds as needed for the unit; the sheets are similarly wine red with what feels like a million thread count, and the mattresses and pillows might be made of the softest material in existence.

The outer hallway leads to the mud room, which leads toward the outside. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Mmm. I see. This is a game.

[ with an entirely different intonation ]

This is a game?

Is it not? Based on what I've been told, situations and challenges like these are called "games" here.

No, no—
There is never any doubt about them, even when their true nature is concealed from us.

But if this is to be some sort of bloodbath— [ a gesture at the extensive weapon racks ] —I dislike it paired with the kind of talk they were spewing.

I understand that sentiment, and I would not say that I disagree. However, I feel that it is good to know how such events are called by those who run this city. I would like to see how they separate "games" from everything else.

If nothing else, in games we can usually expect ourselves on even footing with the other units—though there have been a few notable exceptions for pure fighting tournaments.

So our strategy need account only for the nature of our situation, and not for the unique tricks available to those units whose abilities more favor the use of cunning.

[ ...so, you know. most of them. jock life. ]

In that case, how would you like to proceed?

Hm.

[ a pause, upon hearing her remark to Nemesis ]

—And of course this is your first game, isn't it. We were transferred together before you got a chance to experience any other. Gods, but I dislike this one's atmosphere.

Regardless, we have little choice: Nemesis and I will need to strike aggressively, for avante offers a dangerously narrow pool of targets to our opponents.

[Nods.]

I understand. Is there anything I can do to help you?

1/2

worthathousand - 2022-02-26 02:15 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

worthathousand - 2022-02-26 02:19 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

snowbirds - 2022-02-26 05:13 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

worthathousand - 2022-03-01 01:28 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

snowbirds - 2022-03-07 03:09 (UTC) - Expand

Where do you think we are? What else you expect from this place?

[ a soft snort ]

I prefer the games which are at least honest about their intent to be little more than formalized massacres. The fighting arena; the button-pressing tournament.

It never bodes well to be given a weapon and rules that don't explicitly invoke its use.

Yeah, well. Last time weapons didn't really come up.

[She folds her arms, curling her fingers in]

How you wanna do this, given we got people to protect.

...Last time.

[ a pause; a heavy sigh ]

Please. Tell me about last time.

...Cardinal and Ace did most the hunting. Didn't want me or Gold to have to deal with it. But that don't keep other people from hunting us down, and defending ain't an option.

If they get the Heart, pretty sure that's it for all of us. So the fastest way to end it would be to target whoever the Heart is, I guess. Not that we got any way to know who it is...

[ a small nod. of course Cardinal would take that stance. of course they would fight together, if they were still here. ]

Our numbers are small, and we may have only one chance to strike before other units are able to be entirely certain exactly where our roles fall.

If we truly wish to end this swiftly... we have little choice but to be brutal. But if such a tactic is unconscionable to you and Shirasagi, I will not force the matter. We both know there are worse things than death, here.

...It'll be bad either way. But the best thing we can do to protect her is to survive. Even if we weren't nobody's favorite, we'll be a target since there's less of us than other teams.

So--yeah, let's fight. Just waiting to get got don't save us...so.

Edited 2022-02-26 02:37 (UTC)

Re: ROUND 1 - MINGLE & DISCUSSION

worthathousand - 2022-02-26 02:42 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ROUND 1 - MINGLE & DISCUSSION

unbr8kable - 2022-02-26 02:44 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ROUND 1 - MINGLE & DISCUSSION

worthathousand - 2022-02-26 02:53 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ROUND 1 - MINGLE & DISCUSSION

unbr8kable - 2022-02-26 03:05 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ROUND 1 - MINGLE & DISCUSSION

worthathousand - 2022-02-26 03:10 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ROUND 1 - MINGLE & DISCUSSION

unbr8kable - 2022-02-26 03:18 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ROUND 1 - MINGLE & DISCUSSION

worthathousand - 2022-02-26 03:29 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ROUND 1 - MINGLE & DISCUSSION

unbr8kable - 2022-02-26 03:36 (UTC) - Expand

Re: ROUND 1 - MINGLE & DISCUSSION

worthathousand - 2022-03-01 01:33 (UTC) - Expand

Pretty much. You ain't really--

[She knows, but looks for the mark anyway]

[It was there briefly on the palm of her hand before it fades away.]

This is the first game I've been in, if that is what you're wondering.

Talk about trial by fire...

[Her frown deepens, and she crosses her arms over her middle]

This's a game--this's a bad game. They ain't run this one since the beginning. Figured maybe it was too much, even for this place. But...guess not.

[Watching quietly as she speaks.]

Will it be too much for you?

Shouldn't that be my line? This's all new to you...

How're you doing?

If I was truly honest, I'm not sure. I would say it is fairly surreal . . . potentially, we are being set up to fight, but there are rules given to us at the start that we must follow. Like an act or play.

Free-for-all slaughter ain't usually how this place runs. Otherwise they couldn't call it a 'game', I guess.

[A pause]

...You're the most important person here right now. So--there something you wanna--I dunno, say? Make sure of?

I would like to make sure that you and Miss Amaranth will be alright. If there is anything I can do to help steady any nerves, please let me know.