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Game: 15 questions.
Difficulty: 4 of hearts.
Game rules: Each player will be asked 15 questions about themselves, each ranging in difficulty, getting harder as the game progresses . Players will be asked one question at a time, the game will move in a cycle between all three participating players. Failure to answer your given question truthfully will result in a penalty. Failure to answer your given question within the allocated time will also result in a penalty. Each player will be allowed 30 seconds to answer each question. All players will be given a minute break after each round. Players will now be given two minutes to decide your order. When you have decided, step onto the podium labelled with your number.
The games robotic voice rang out in the small room, a two minute timer appearing on the screen in front of the players. Chishiya wasn’t too worried about his own compliance with the game, it was quite an interesting concept, and luckily one that didn't require physical activity. Chishiya's favourite, well apart from a good diamonds game. However, it was likely the other two players might fail to answer at least one question, it was a four of hearts game after all, which meant tough questions.
Things that people would rather take to the grave, secrets are dangerous things to possess, after all.
The penalty mentioned would likely effect the whole group, including Chishiya, which he wasn’t looking forward to. The blonde haired man looked slowly around the small locked room that the game was being held in, he could see metal grates in the corner. Poisonous gas, maybe? Or smoke?
How exciting.
Standing alongside Chishiya, were Arisu and Usagi, the pair looking nervous at the idea of a hearts game, especially Arisu. Chishiya had been slightly annoyed to be paired with the boy as he was leaving the beach, as he was too kind for his own good, which didn’t usually help in heart games, which were specifically designed to toy with a players feelings, and destroy their hearts.
He was dressed in his usual beach clothes, a plain t shirt and shorts. Not that the doctor took note of what the boy normally wore. That was one perk of being a beach executive for Chishiya, the clothing rules were not as strongly enforced, and he could get away with wearing his white jacket. The concealment came in handy sometimes, especially the pockets.
He hadn’t had much of a chance to talk to the dark haired boy after the tag game they played together in, so this was a good opportunity to learn some of their secrets, he supposed.
Arisu was a good player (which he had shown as he saved them all in his and Chishiya's shared game) and his inside information would certainly be useful to the blonde. His brain intrigued him, the younger man had quite an unique perspective on the games, he must have done a lot of work involving strategies before the borderlands. What had he been, before the games? Maybe Chishiya would find out today.
“Er, I’ll be number one, I guess?” said Arisu as he hesitantly made his way towards the podium that was labelled with a large red number one. The timer was ticking on the games screen, one minute and thirty seconds left.
“Our order doesn’t matter that much, we will all get the same number of questions.” offered Usagi, walking to stand beside Arisu on the second podium. They were arranged in a way they would be in a sporting event, with the first podium being the highest and in the middle. It definitely didn’t do wonders for Chishiya’s height and he found himself wishing he had claimed the tallest podium before Arisu. Ah well, it wasn’t the end of the world.
“I guess I will be third then,” said Chishiya, a small, and seemingly unbothered, smirk on his face as he sauntered over to his place on the third podium, hands deeply rooted into his pockets.
“Remember, we can win if we are honest, so don’t try to lie. Lets just get over with this as soon as possible ok?” Arisu said to the players standing either side of him, a small amount of worry laced into his usually confident voice.
“Ten seconds remaining, players are not allowed to move from their podium until the game is cleared.”
The timer reached zero, and the game began to speak again.
“The game will now commence.”
Well, this was going to be fun.
“First question for player one. When is your birthday?”
Arisu answered the question quickly, confusion evident on his fair features. Their questions were obviously starting off easy, but Chishiya knew they would begin to get harder soon, more personal, more prying. The screen chimed cheerily, and a large green tick popped up.
“Player one answered correctly.”
“First question for player two. What is your father’s full name?”
Usagi paused slightly before she answered, slightly sadness in her voice. Huh, must be a touchy subject for her. This information wasn’t that helpful to the blonde, but it was a way to get into the climber's head, if he ever needed to.
He liked this game already.
“First question for player three. How old are you?”
Chishiya answered with a slight laugh in his voice, he had never disclosed his age to anyone in the borderlands before, not even to Kuina.
“I’m twenty.”
Another green check mark.
“Players will be given a one minute break before the next round begins.”
A one minute timer began to count down on the screen, and Arisu turned to Chishiya, with slight wonder in his dark eyes.
“Chishiya, you are way younger than I thought you were!I thought you were like, mid twenties” he said, and the shorter man looked at him, a teasing look falling across his usually cold face.
“Are you saying I’m old, Arisu?”
The screen chimed again, and Arisu’s next question was announced, another easy one. Chishiya noticed that Arisu looked quite relived that he didn’t answer him, a slight blush had blossomed on the taller man’s cheeks. His observation must have just slipped out, and he was embarrassed about it. Chishiya couldn’t blame the man for his assumption, most people over estimated his age. In a way it was a compliment. Usagi also looked a little surprised, but she didn’t say anything to the shorter man, answering her next question with ease.
The game continued with quite easy questions until the seventh round, where Arisu stumbled slightly with his answer.
“Seventh question for player one. What are your feelings towards your immediate family? Player must answer in over twenty words.”
The questions were getting harder, and Chishiya felt a small stab of pity towards his raven haired companion, as he looked upset, and torn between answering truthfully. The timer began, and Arisu faltered, before he spoke.
“...I hate them. My father thinks I’m a disappointment to the family name and my brother is ashamed of me. I wish-” he stopped, and closed his eyes with disgust at himself.
“I wish they were dead.”
Chishiya raised an eyebrow, Arisu clearly hadn’t inherited his kindness from his relatives. Maybe his mother. Arisu hadn’t mentioned her, she must not see him a lot. Or she was dead. Yes, that was the most likely explanation. Chishiya was almost jealous.
The screen jingled happily, and Arisu looked hatefully towards the green check. He must have never admitted that to anyone before, perhaps not even himself. The game moved onto Usagi, and Chishiya found himself tuning out her voice. He needed to talk to Kuina when he returned to the beach, which he was sure he would, Arisu and Usagi might be the people they were looking for to play apart in their plan. Arisu was too trusting, and Usagi would follow him anywhere. They were the perfect pawns.
“Seventh question for player three.”
Chishiya snapped to attention, focusing on the screen in front of him. His schemes would have to wait until has free of this game.
“What did you hate most about your previous profession?”
Dammit, he couldn’t risk looking weak in front of the pair. He needed them to trust him completely, should he be able to manipulate them with ease. And the thought of Arisu being disappointed in him brought a strange feeling to Chishiya’s gut, a sort of gnawing anxiety. That was unusual for him, maybe he was ill.
But still, he could think about that later. The timer was ticking, and Chishiya knew he needed to answer. Just make it seem like no big deal, he told himself. It wasn't really a big deal after all, in the grand scheme of things.
"How powerless I was."
Would the game accept that as an answer, or would he have to explain exactly why he felt that way. What his profession had been. Chishiya had done his best to cast that part of him aside since he arrived here. During the games, he felt truly alive, during the struggle for life and death. This was a feeling he had tried so hard to achieve in the real world, and never achieved. He had been chained into society, but here he was free. And it was wonderful, at least most of the time.
"Eighth question for player one."
Oops, Chishiya had zoned out a bit. Best to concentrate now, the questions were getting more interesting, more valuable. More painful.
"What game has affected you the most, either mentally or physically. Player must answer by describing the game's general rules, and the casualties sustained during. "
Along with the questions getting harder, the guidelines were also getting stricter. But it did make him curious, what had been Arisu's most impactful game? Perhaps the tag game, Arisu had been right next to the exploded tagger. Must have been quite traumatic, for someone as gentle as Arisu. If he was anyone else, he supposed he might find it sad.
Arisu froze as the machine spoke, and simply stared as the counter began to drop. Was he not going to speak? The idiot was going to get them killed.
"Arisu, you need to answer!" Usagi called from next to him, but he still remained still, looking like a deer in headlights. Oh come on, it can't be that hard! Chishiya gritted his teeth in annoyance, there was not enough time left for him to answer anyways. The timer reached zero, and a red light came over the previously brightly lit room.
Well, this was an interesting development. Now to see what the penalties would be.
As Chishiya had guessed, a concentrated amount of smoke began to seep through the floor grates, quickly filling the room. It wasn't at at dangerous level, but it made breathing harder. After a few more of these, it would be impossible to inhale oxygen, and they would suffocate. Lovely