GAME TO WIN!

SYNOPSIS: After waking up in a grassy expanse surrounded by strangers in the same situation, Pen, a kind-hearted journal must find a way back home with the help of odd new friends, lest they all become victim’s of THE TOWER’s perilous competition.

[game2win]

THE TOWER: Why the long faces, ehh? It's all part of the show! The game! Game.. show!

Nobody speaks up, for what feels like an agonizingly long time. Beverly clings to your side.

BEVERLY: You just-- You just fucking KILLED someone!

THE TOWER: Nooo, no! No. I eliminated them. There's a difference! Besides-- I'll clean up the mess. There, see! All gone!

You look up, just for a moment. Where Tool had been standing is pristine again, like they'd never been here at all.

EMORY: What the hell are we supposed to do now..? Just, keep doing this stupid competition?

THE TOWER: That's the spirit! Point for Emory's team!

[game2win]

THE TOWER: Anyway! Let's get back on track... With the eliminations!

You look over at Emory's team worriedly. They all seem worried as well. The Tower never really elaborated on what elimination entailed, so you can't help but be concerned.

EMORY: Can you get on with it? I hate waiting on whatever creep shit you're getting up to.

THE TOWER: Fine, fine, fine! Well, counting up the tallies, it looks like the audience has put a hit on... Tool! Who has yet to show onscreen Well, let's make it fair, and keep the elimination offscreen, too!

Offscreen. The implication, you assume, being that this is being filmed in some way. You don't see any cameras, at least... But you, along with the rest of the objects around you, look over at Tool nervously.

TOOL: Wh-- Me? Why me?

They seem nervous. Everyone else does, too.

THE TOWER: Everyone say goodbye, Tool! Byeee!

There's a crack, a crunch, and... You can't look any longer. What the hell? What the actual hell? You feel sick. Why was there blood? You feel sick just thinking about it. You hear screams, maybe your own. You can't tell, at this point.

[game2win]

HEY THE TOWER WHATS THAT EYE BEHIND YOU?

THE TOWER: I'll, euh, ask the Boss about it.

[gr1evance]

the tower (@apotheoseity‘s oc) stimboard!

🃏 📺 🃏 | 📺 🃏 📺 | 🃏 📺 🃏

[archive-deactivated20260501]

It was a kaleidoscopic burst Of geometric matrix

[game2win]

Hello The Tower. Please to clarify. Elimination means what in this context? You did attempts to hang a man earlier when instead we wanted to do a fun word puzzle. Thank you. Mwah

[game2win]

BEVERLY MY FRIEND BEVERLY I THINK GHE WORD IS “CONDUIT”

BEVERLY: Conduit? What, like some sort of like, wizard shit?

THE TOWER: Wooowww! Lookie you! Guessing it soo quick! A little, uh, little quickie, there! That means you get a point!

You grin at the achievement, giving Beverly a high five (the best, and only one you've ever had) as the rest of your team cheers. The screen even shows a little shower of confetti.

THE TOWER: You know what that means, looosers!

EMORY: Uh. No? Why would we know that.

THE TOWER: It means someone from your team is on the ch-ch-chopping block! Audience, do weigh in on your opinions. Emory, Cathode, Polyphony, Tool, Tie, and Vita! One of these lovely objects is up to be eliminated!

The word choice makes your stomach drop. Do you even have a stomach? Not important. You're just not sure what "elimination" means, here. Emory's team looks nervous, too.

[game2win]

Okay Emory we are in it to win it. And by that I mean you should see if there's an I so we can narrow this shit down based on the information presented by I. No A or E really narrows things down a lot and T isn't a super common final letter, and while O could be good to continue vowel zone, I is a high risk high reward in that not as many words have it, and many of those that do have it in the second to last position, but if it DOES exist then we've got a really narrow playing field, okay? go

EMORY: Yeah, sure, whatever. I don't really have much stake in this, so... Sure. I, or whatever. Is that there?

They boredly toss the paper aside, not really in the spirit of the game.

THE TOWER: Wooooow! Lucky you, getting ahead in the world! A good eye, one could say!

EMORY: What? That's not even a good joke.

THE TOWER: Shut! Up. Anyway... Emory's team is in the lead!

[game2win]

heeeey emory I think it like for sure has a T or maybe a S one of those take your pick

Emory reads the note, a little tired from the effort of trying to get their group to pay attention, let alone get along.

EMORY: Yeah, sure, T or whatever? Is that there?

Much to your surprise, there is one, smack at the end of the word.

THE TOWER: Ding ding ding! Looks like Emory's team is in the lead!

The perk up, looking over at you and Beverly with a smug, self-satisfied grin.

[game2win]

*poking* coast you should try a vowel. or really just any common letter thats usually my strategy

You're a little disappointed nobody gave you a hint, but you're not sure what the point of getting points in the first place is. At least they're both on your team, right?

BEVERLY: Uh, A? I guess?

COAST: And E! Don't forget E!

The screen shows the pair's choice of letters... Under the gallows, rather than in the word. A head and body is drawn, representing their incorrect guesses. Beverly grimaces as she sees.

THE TOWER: Ohh, bad luck! Sorry, but you'll have to try a little harder than that!

[game2win]

For the Tower: how about a good old-fashioned game of hangman? ^_^

THE TOWER: Oh, yes! Hangman! Brilliant idea, hanging the contests would be--

The Tower pauses, listening into their headset for a moment.

THE TOWER: Ah, hm, seems I misunderstood the prompt a bit. But it's still doable! I'll pick a word, and you all guess! Whoever gets it right first gets a point!

A large screen shows up on the field, between the two groups. It displays a dashed line, each dash representing a letter, and the quintessential hangman gallows. The word seems to have 7 letters. You're not sure what it could be.

[game2win]

Dear Emory: how are you fairing in all of this. I'd imagine you're not taking this, uh, well? Best of luck to you! Don't die or something!

Sincerely, Audience Participant

Emory takes the note from the mailbox with a worried look, reading it over.

EMORY: Do I look like I'm taking it well? I hardly know what's going on right now...!

They huff, crumpling up the paper and tossing it aside.

EMORY: I just want to go home.

[game2win]

THE TOWER: Now, you might be thinking, “you seem unprepared!” And to that I say, I’m waiting! For my boss. To tell me what to do. … Okay, uh, oh. Oh, that’s fuuuun!

The Tower chuckles to themself before speaking again, seemingly leaning close to their microphone.

THE TOWER: Let’s let our viewers choose what the first challenge is, hm? Getting some good-old audience participation up in here! Send some letters to the contestants too, why not? Just don’t read each other’s mail! Or else!

Between the two teams, a mailbox sprouts from the ground. Normal, inanimate.

The ask box is now open. Please state which character the message is intended for!

[game2win]

BEVERLY: Urgh! Okay, you know what? As team leader, I’m f– I’m making a new rule, no being annoying. 

She crosses her arms, annoyed. You hold back from making a rude quip in response.

FLASH: Dang, breaking the first rule already, then?

Seems like someone beat you to it. You quietly scoot away from the group, looking over to Emory’s team to check up on them. And eavesdrop.

They seem a bit more hectic than over on your side. One of them, some sort of instrument(?) seems to be preaching, or something, and the others are aggressively ignoring them. Emory, particularly, looks like they might scream.

FRUIT GUMMY GUY: — and that’s when I said, y’know, do I look like the kind of guy who’d— 

You stop listening, immediately bored of eavesdropping. It didn’t seem like anyone else was listening, either. It’s great timing, for you, as The Tower speaks up again, voice crackling from the speakers. 

THE TOWER: Okay, that’s enough chit-chat. Nooow, uh, let’s.. Get to the game! Show. Uhhh……

There’s the sound of paper shuffling, and the creaks of a desk chair. They seem like they don’t have anything prepared.

[game2win]

BEVERLY: Urgh, this is stupid. Can’t we just go home? 

SWIFT: How, exactly…? I’m not sure how we all got here in the first place, let alone where we are at all. 

It’s true. The Tower hasn’t given much explanation about anything, aside from the brief, unclear mentions about this being some sort of “gameshow”. You squint up at The Tower’s… tower, as you listen to the others speak. 

BEVERLY: I don’t know-! I just hate this place. I want to go back to being human, thanks!

COAST: What’s a human?

FLASH: Pfft, it sounds like some sort of disease. 

You look back over. Somehow, it never occurred to you that not everyone here had come from somewhere that humans didn’t exist. It’s a bit amusing, seeing as you were never human yourself. 

[game2win]

PEN: … Right. Uh, So, maybe we should all introduce ourselves…? I’m—

THE TALL ONE: Yeah, we know who you are. Given the whole, y’know, spotlight thing? 

The tall one, who you don’t know the name of yet, is fairly gruff and rude. You try not to let it bother you.

THE TALL ONE FLASH: I’m Flash, by the way. Don’t wear it out, eh? 

You can already tell you won’t get along with this guy.

FLAMINGO INNER TUBE THING COAST: Oh, oh!! I’m Coast! Nice to meet you! I’m sooo excited to be here! 

BIRDHOUSE: Birdhouse. 

The last introduction makes you jump, slightly. They’re short enough that you forgot they were even there. 

[game2win]

I love the show so far, all the characters seem so interesting and im already hooked, so have some fanart! I may be bad at drawing pen but i tried.

AHH!! This is SO lovely and I'm glad you've been enjoying so far ^_^