Active Scenes on RPG

The red haze crawled over the desert, blanketing everything as another sandstorm swept across the Wastes, devouring all in its grainy clouds. Scout sat at the edge of the bed, hunched over, watching. By now, Boqin surely would have raced across the desert to meet them, had he been victorious.

But Scout knew better.

Her ears pulled back in annoyance, her tail laying still on the bed behind her. Their room was otherwise silent, the tension in the air palpable. Slowly, she rose, the ache in her body easy to mask.

"C'mon," Scout gestured to Ljilja. "I'm tired of sitting around."

Ljilja could not help but hope that he would return in time. He said he would. It was as good as a promise to her. So she did her best to maintain that hope. Still, there was an ember of fear inside of her, scorching her mind a little at a time whenever she allowed it to linger.

So she would not let it linger. Instead they would enjoy this time as they waited. She scurried over to Scout, looking healthier than she had since they began this journey; Ljilja had taken full advantage of the virtually limitless water in the showers, soaking in it for far longer than any of the other competitors would likely have done.

"You should be resting, no...?" Ljilja inquired, though her body language indicated she was eager to get up to something with Scout.

"I feel fine," Scout lied. It was evident by her complexion, which had become ashen in the last handful of days. "Sittin' here 's gonna kill me faster," she grumbled half-jokingly, setting off for the door. "’Sides, ‘s better to do something than wait here, it's boring and I haven't gotten to leave the room yet," exploring would help them pass the time and take their minds off of the noticeable absence in their trio.

In her rush to leave the room, Scout had forgotten to put her boots on. The carpet beneath her feet was plush and luxurious, a dark color to hide the dirt the competitors tracked in. "This is fancy," Scout gave a low whistle, looking at the expensive light fixtures in the hallway.

Ljilja at least remembered to put her gear back on before she left, though the Longjacks remained in the room to charge. Scout was enough of a weapon for the both of them.

The little aquatic mutant was used to the people around her occasionally having nice things; a mining colony had certain benefits, even if you were technically all property of the corporation until you worked off your debt. "Mm-hmm, they have lots of goodies, too!" Ljilja explained, wiggling as she walked alongside Scout.

Scout led the way, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her shorts. Had Ljilja changed them while she was passed out? Or had her clothes magically been cleaned? Scout wasn't sure. Unlike the little fish, Scout was not used to being surrounded by luxury, even now. This hotel seemed out of place among the bloodshed. She suddenly leaned against the wall, momentarily dizzy.

"What kind of goodies?" Scout asked, wondering if Ljilja meant food, or something else. Even now, when she could barely tolerate it, Scout wanted to eat; there was a perpetual gnawing in the pit of her stomach. "There's an elevator?" Scout at least knew what those looked like, she had ridden in them on her way to prison and they had them in some of the Dead Cities, although not all of them worked.

"How many floors are there?"

"Three!" Ljilja announced, pointing at the symbol on the elevator's display. Is that what that meant? That squiggly line that looked like a butt-print in the sand? "And they have cookies and ice cream and hot chocolate and strudel and princes krafne and everything! Whatever you want!"

Ljilja was probably holding back from exploring too much until Scout came to - for as much as Boqin's well-being weighed on Ljilja's mind, Scout's had come quite deeply into question as well.

"Three," Scout repeated, her nose wrinkling. The humans would let this entire building rot once these Games were over. The elevator pinged, the doors opening on their own to reveal its sleek interior with tiled flooring. "Sounds good to me," her mouth watered, even if her stomach kicked in rebellion.

Scout took a short whiff in the air, the elevator having a strange scent to it, one she had only gotten to smell a few times in her life. "Flowers," it was the smell of perfume wafting underneath her nose. The other camps had been exposed to the elements, but this one was closed enough to retain certain scents.

The door pinged again, announcing their arrival to the first floor. Scout stepped off, greeted by an ornate lobby with opulent decorations, chaise lounge chairs, and chandeliers. There were corners to tuck yourself into and get lost in and racks with holo tabloids. A holo vision was mounted on the wall, playing a recap of the Games thus far. Scout turned away from it, blocking Ljilja's view.

"Let's go that way," Scout decided.

The excess of humanity's noblest was at its most abhorrent whenever it fell into mutant hands, for it only occurred in the case of vicious Games, slavery, or disposal. The end of all human luxuries was to be discarded once they had served their use; only after the humans were done with their toys and hedonistic goods were mutants able to pick through the scraps of what remained, the exception of course being when said mutants were their toys.

The wolf and the fish were no different. Ljilja followed Scout's lead as the two made their way into the lobby. She tried to get a look at the screens, but was unable. She was curious why Scout would direct her away from it, then remembered that the experience of most teams was probably far less pleasant than theirs. It had not been an easy ride through the desert, but save for some close calls and that final encounter, Ljilja had been spared the brunt of the fighting. That fact was probably something Scout could take pride in, if nothing else.

She had to walk quickly to keep up with Scout. Her hand reached out to try and take hers, that she would not get left behind.

An odd pair, they made. A tall, lanky, wolf, and a small, happy, fish. Scout hardly felt Ljilja's hand slip into her own, but she didn't reject it. Instead, the wolf slowed a bit, recalling that Ljilja could not walk as fast as she. Here; the hallway changed again. Signs began to pop up, pointing in the direction of the highlights of this building.

At one end, there was a pool, in another, a gym, and a third, the dining hall. There were signs for a supply room, a medical room, and an outfitter. All of it was for the use of the contestants, who were allowed to spend as much time as they wanted in any of these areas. At least until the clock struck midnight on the deadline. Then this hotel would be emptied, a pitiful shell of its once shining interior.

Even now, the floor, which had been switched to tile, was kept in immaculate condition, perhaps laid for this occasion. "I can smell it," her senses never lied. They arrived at the dining room with ease. This one almost resembled the one in the mutant housing onboard the ship.

There were real tables and chairs, not folding ones. There was silverware, and even a drink dispenser. Most importantly, however, was the selection of goodies just for them.

Ljilja hopped in place at the sight, gripping firmly to Scout's hand with her little palm. "See? I told you there were many things!" she exclaimed, turning her head this way and that.

Scout nodded, licking her lips. Which side should they start on? Her tail had begun to pick up, wagging in a way it rarely ever did. "Let's go this way," Scout decided. She was still holding onto Ljilja's hand. With the other, Scout picked up a tray. Would it be too much to get a little bit of everything? Scout wanted to try it all.

Ljilja had already eaten some while she was waiting for Scout to come to. She picked up a bowl of crunchy sea snacks and added it to her tray along with some cold tea. Eventually she had to let go of Scout's hand for practicality, but stuck close to her side nonetheless.

Scout was determined, she was juggling three plates by the time she was satisfied and found a table for them to sit at. It was in the corner, far away from anyone else who might enter. She picked some sort of brown drink to wash it all down with, the label too complex for her to read. "I think I got everything," Scout nodded with satisfaction. She set the plates down, looking over her bounty with a strange sense of pride.

Six months ago, she never would have believed that she would get to eat all of this.

A mutant moved nervously towards them, not wearing the uniforms of the contestants. He appeared out of place, what with his strange white bib that read VOLUNTEER across the front and his hat. The mutant was not part of the Game, but that meant little to the others, who would strike faster than they could think. His tail hung between his legs and he swallowed a nervous gulp, approaching the table where two contestants had just sat down. "'Scuse me," he tugged on the collar of his shirt. "There's a package for your team at the front desk, says it's time sensitive on the front. It's a sponsor gift," he looked between them, then quickly scurried off.

Scout glanced at Ljilja, figuring it was probably for the fish. She was popular with the humans and it was no wonder, what with her bright face and persistent hope. "Should we go see what it is?"
Ljilja munched on her crunchy seafood snacks, picking up her bowl and shuffling out of her seat. "Maybe it is a present," she surmised, excitedly hopping to her feet. "Let us see!" Her experience with the sponsor drops thus far had been only positive; even now, her endless flask of water was one of her most prized possessions.

Scout rose, too, having waited for the fish to finish. "They've been generous," Scout admitted. There was not a speck of jealousy in her voice, she knew she was unlikable. She wasn't even sure why Ljilja continued to hang around her. Scout raised her arms above her head, feeling a bit better after getting out of the room. The wolf made certain to keep pace with her partner, not wanting Ljilja to fall behind because of her wide stride. It was easy to find their way back to the front desk, since they had passed the lobby on their way to the dining room.

At the desk was a stack of tubes, similar to the ones launched in the middle of the desert. Each had a different name written on them, but they were left unattended. "You think one of these is it?" She asked, unable to read the contestant names written on the front.

Ljilja followed along with a skip to her step. Perhaps Scout had raised her arms because she knew that, if they were closer to Ljilja's level, she would immediately grab hold of one of her hands. The wolf was plenty likable as far as she was concerned, not that her or anyone else's efforts to convince her of that had borne any fruit.

Once they arrived at the desk, Ljilja looked through for anything labeled Scout, Boqin, or Ljilja, and took it. The rest she left behind on principle; Ljilja was no thief, unguarded goods or not!

"This one says it's yours," Ljilja answered, holding out a tube to her.

"For me?" There was genuine surprise written across her face. She took the offered tube, tapping her bracelet against it. The small door on the container popped open, an even smaller box inside, along with a bottle of water that had the same letters as the one on the tube. "There's a note," Scout raised it, squinting at the letters as though she could make sense of them this way. With a slight blush, she held the note out to Ljilja. "... Can you... read it?" She asked, avoiding her gaze in embarrassment.

"Yes!" Ljilja excitedly proclaimed, taking the note and unfurling it, her bright blue eyes skimming over its surface. "It says it is treatment...medicine to help you feel better...and it is signed from 'B'. Who is 'B'?" she asked, tilting her head curiously before handing the note back to Scout.

Scout stuffed the note in her pocket, "Bea," the wolf opened the smaller box inside, revealing a pill packet similar to the one she had taken while still on the ship. "She said she makes experimental medicine for Ori," was that nervousness or excitement in Scout's voice? Could there be a small part of her that still wanted to live?

Ljilja wiggled in place, squinting at the packet Scout revealed. "Good news, then!" she concluded, hopping once, then twice. "Maybe you will feel better!"

Scout nodded, ”I'll take the first one now," her tail swished a bit, her ears perked upright. She popped the pill into her mouth, chasing it down with water. Hope was such a sweet, but cruel thing.

Like an affectionate cat, Ljilja moved beside Scout and nestled in close against her. The occupation of her hands may have kept Scout from having one of them taken, but it did not shield her from the limitless clinginess of the small aquatic.