Laurens Date: Part 1

Levi Summers

Silence stretched between the two teenagers for an uncomfortably long moment. Levi from nervousness, and Lauren from disgust.

"Nice shirt," Lauren managed. She then looked over his shoulder to a live score counter on the opposite wall, expecting to be rewarded for rudimentary politeness. Her VP did not budge.

"Uh, thanks," Levi replied, her half-assed compliment still the nicest thing she had ever said to him. "I like your…"

"Let's get something straight!" Lauren interrupted, pointing a finger into his face. "I'm only here because my sister **** me to. So don't go and get a big head about it.

"Oh," Levi said, it all making sense. 'Of course, Kaitlyn signed her up'

"Hmph, well, are you going to show me in? Haven't you ever been a host before?!" She followed up with a laugh. "What am I saying? Of course, you haven't."

"Oh, right." Levi stepped aside and outstretched an arm invitingly. Lauren marched past him, taking in the vast surroundings of his tower's living spaces.

"So they gave you decent living quarters. They're making us sleep in two bedrooms like some kind of..." Lauren snapped her fingers a few times as she wracked her brain to find the words to express her disgust. "… three star hotel. As if we were peasants."

"I'm sorry?" Levi replied, not sure if she was joking.

She glanced over to an empty table. "Where's the wine?"

"What?"

"A host should prepare wine for their guests?" She explained as if it were common knowledge. Her eyes narrowed. "Surely even you knew that."

"We're not 21," Levi replied without thinking.

Lauren slapped her forehead. "Oh, for god sake!"

"I…"

"Fine, tea then! At the very least, you should be capable of that!"

"I'll go make some," Levi answered quickly, eager for any reason to get out of her scornful gaze.

He ran up the spiral staircase into the kitchen. Upon arriving, he realized he had no idea where anything was, having never used it. However, upon randomly opening the first of many cupboards, he found everything he needed already arranged on a tray for him. Even the kettle was hot. It was if the kitchen had prepared it in advance—which, he reminded himself, was probably the case.

He carried the tea tray down the stairs, careful not to let any of the expensive-looking items fall. Sitting in one of his sofas, Lauren looked up in mild surprise.

"That was fast."

Levi smiled as he set the tray down. "I think the room knew I wanted it, so it made it for me."

Lauren clucked her tongue. "Oh, how convenient. The wondrous master has all his needs met."

Levi's new smile vanished instantly. "Sorry, I didn't mean…"

"Whatever," she muttered, rolling her eyes. Another long pause followed, finally broken by Lauren. "Well, aren't you going to prepare it?"

"Oh, I thought you would want to make your own…"

"Are you not the host?" she groaned. "Don't you have any manners at all?!"

"Oh, okay," he responded, embarrassed. "Uh, do you want cream, by the way?" He asked, gesturing to the saucer.

Lauren was about to reply with her usual tact, but the moment she looked at the milk and imagined it flowing, she was struck by a sudden and inexplicable panic.

"AAAHHHH!!!" She screamed as if the dairy had awakened the remnants of a long-forgotten nightmare.

"What's wrong?!" Levi asked in alarm.

"I… I…” Lauren stammered in confusion. As sudden as it had manifested, the fear had already vanished, though her heart was still pumping quickly from the shock. She looked at the milk saucer; it no longer filled her with terror.

'What the hell was that?' she asked herself. 'Why did I…'

She cleared her throat and got to her feet. "No! No cream for me."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I said I'm fine!" she spat. "Just make my stupid drink!"

Levi was still not convinced but knew better than to argue. He began pouring tea for Lauren, his hand slightly shaky and nearly missing the cup. Lauren, trained in proper decorum, couldn't help but be appalled at his sloppiness.

"Please tell me you're not planning on cooking, too?" she asked.

"Uh, no. Last time, the dining room just turned into a restaurant." Levi explained. "So I'm assuming it will happen again."

Lauren's eyes widened and then narrowed. "Show me."

---

Tomoko Nakaya

Tomoko exited their dormitory, the late afternoon light casting a warm glow on the hallway. Clad in pajamas, she started walking towards the dining hall for dinner. Turning the corner, she spotted Ji-Woo dressed casually for the evening meal.

“Oh, hey, roomie!” Tomoko exclaimed, her voice expressing relief at finally catching up with her roommate.

Ji-Woo turned, slightly surprised to see Tomoko in her pajamas. “Oh, hello there, Ms Nakaya. You seem in a rush. Is everything okay?”

Before answering, Tomoko pulled her roommate into a playful hug. “Yeah, was takin’ a nap after swimmin’. Nearly slept through dinner.”

“I see,” Ji-Woo answered, uncomfortably hugging back. After breaking from it, she asked, "are you sure you wouldn't rather change first?"

"Nah, it makes it feel like a sleepover. More fun, ya know?"

'God, it must be so relaxing in that carefree head of hers,' Ji-Woo thought, slightly envious. She then gestured to the dining room entrance. “Well, shall we then?”

Tomoko nodded and swung the door open.

Most of the other contestants were already seated and looking over a menu, which replaced the buffet from the previous night. Kaitlyn, Elena, and Sophia sat together while Olivia sat alone with half a table separating her. The latter looked up at the new arrivals with a pissed-off expression as if daring them to come over.

Ji-Woo observed the enormous screen on the far wall from before, still counting down toward the first challenge. Less than eighteen hours remained. Katelyn was also staring at the screen, though more focused on the score, monitoring Lauren’s unchanging score with anxiety.

Back at the table, Elena noticed Ji-Woo. The girl’s face broke out into the biggest smile Ji-Woo had ever seen. Moving effortlessly in her silver heels, Elena ran up to Ji-Woo. Ji-Woo was pulled into another hug for the second time in just a few minutes. But unlike Tomoko’s, which was simple friendliness, Elena's was filled with love and appreciation.

“It’s so great to see you again,” Elena cheered as if it had been years since they last parted rather than mere hours.

“It’s… good to see you, too,” Ji-Woo replied halfheartedly.

“Ooh, can I get one of them?” Tomoko asked, opening her arms for a hug as well.

Elena took a moment to look at Tomoko, as if just now realizing she was there. “Oh, uh… okay…” Elena said awkwardly before giving her a perfunctory pat on the back. She then grabbed Ji-Woo’s hand and guided her to an empty seat the princess had been saving for her.

“Are any of you ready to order?” Alison asked, materializing out of nowhere and causing half her guests to jump in surprise.

“Hey! Ji-Woo just got here!” Elena yelled at Alison, offended on behalf of her darling. “Stop bothering her and give her a moment to read the menu!”

Alison bowed her head. “Whatever the young mistress says.” The maid stared off into the distance, unmovingly, like a mannequin.

“Actually, Alison, I meant to ask something,” Sophia said. “Who’s making the food? Is there a chef, or is it all magic?”

“Yes,” Alison replied cryptically.

“Very funny,” Sophia said, unimpressed.

Kaitlyn sighed. “If there is a chef, I’d like to meet them.” She smiled nostalgically, “I always liked talking to the ones we have back home.”

“Wait, you got your own chef?” Tomoko asked, impressed. “You guys own a restaurant or somethin’?”

“Uh, no. My parents hire them,” Kaitlyn explained.

“Wait, how rich are you guys?” Sophia asked.

“Oh, we’re multi-millionaires,” Kaitlyn answered nonchalantly. “My dad helped finance Blockbuster Video. Plus, he does pharmaceutical stuff.”

Tomoko whistled. “Wow, you don’t act like a millionaire.”

Kaitlyn chuckled. “And how exactly should a millionaire act?”

“Like your sister,” Olivia joked, finally talking to the group if it meant getting to diss her roommate.

While the others laughed, Kaitlyn’s smile vanished as she looked back at Lauren’s score, worried.

---

Levi Summers

"Oh my god!" Lauren and Levi exclaimed in unison as they walked into the tower's dining room and saw what it had become. The restaurant's sleek design exuded elegance with carefully arranged seating and soft ambient lighting. The intricate wooden accents added sophistication, while a long sushi bar near the front showcased fresh seafood on polished wood.

"Do you know what this is?" Lauren asked, smiling wide and sounding excited for the first time since she got here. It's the Masa in New York!"

"Huh?!"

Lauren's smile faded as her usual attitude returned. "What am I saying? Of course, someone like you wouldn't have heard of it." She then bragged, "It's the most expensive restaurant in America."

"Oh"

Lauren scratched the back of her head. "At least that's what Forbes says, but I find that hard to believe. The last time we were there, it was only $600 a person."

"Only?!" Levi asked incredulously.

"Of course, it's probably just a cheap knockoff," Lauren complained. "I mean, you're supposed to see them make it for you. No one is even here!"

"Last time, the food just... appeared when we ordered it," Levi explained.

She rolled her eyes. "Boring. You'd better hope your fairy godmother is covering you. Because I don't do handouts."

---

Azure

Azure slumped over her desk, the exhaustion from the day finally catching up to her, but not enough to keep her from doing her job. She had reverted to her 'natural' body type, wearing her favorite black suit.

In front of her were two monitors, which she watched closely. On the left was a live feed of Lauren's date, showing the two finding a seat in the empty restaurant. On the right was the dining hall, where the rest of the contestants had gathered.

Azure's primary attention was on the former, but she kept tabs on the latter, especially when the contestant's conversation shifted to speculation on Lauren's date.

"Honestly, I'm surprised she hasn't nosedived by now," the on-screen Olivia laughed. "Maybe she finally learned to keep her bitch mouth shut."

"What the FUCK?!" Kaitlyn yelled.

"Show some compassion!" Tomoko reprimanded.

"It was a compliment," Olivia chuckled. I said she was capable of learning her place."

"Place?!" Ji-Woo asked, appalled. "Surely you're not buying into Azures' place bullshit."

Olivia leaned back in her chair, happy to vent her frustrations by pissing someone off. "Of course not. Except when it's Lauren. She needs to be taken down a peg."

Watching from her office, Azure laughed at the sight of them arguing, momentarily taking her focus away from the date to watch them fight.

Kaitlyn got to her feet. "Cut the crap, Olivia! You know what's at stake here!"

"You mean elimination?" Tomoko asked

"No shit! What else would I be talking about?" Kaitlyn chided more rudely than she anticipated.

Tomoko took the outburst in stride and patted Kaitlyn's hand reassuringly. "I'm sure she'll be fine."

"Easy for you to say," Kaitlyn snapped. "You guys are already safe!"

"Not necessarily," Sophia observed without taking her eyes off the menu. There was a pause following this as Sophia realized people were looking at her now, expecting her to follow that up. Sighing, she continued. "None of you are necessarily safe. We don't know how much tomorrow's challenge is worth."

Azure grinned. 'That's right. Don't get too cocky, my lovelies.'

"I mean, no way she'd make 'em lose 20 points," Tomoko said.

"Don't be so sure," Kaitlyn replied bitterly. "Nothing about this makes sense."

"Yeah, 'especially when our host's a psycho bitch," Tomoko nodded.

Azure grinned, taking no offense at the accusation. In fact, she found it quite flattering. It meant she was getting to them.

Sophia sighed. "It is difficult when we don't know how our actions are being rated. The gains and losses are all over the place."

"Exactly," Ji-Woo agreed. "We all spent hours at a party, and the best any of us got were 8 VP. Meanwhile, I made a minor slip of the tongue this morning and lost the same amount. It's utter nonsense."

"That's horrible!" Elena yelled, outraged on Ji-Woo's behalf.

"Maybe she just scores it however she feels," Tomoko pondered.

Azure felt slightly irritated at the suggestion that her brilliantly produced system was mere improv. "Such small-minded creatures," she chuckled.

Sophia wasn't convinced. "I don't think she would just make up the points. This is a reality show, after all."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Ji-Woo asked.

"Yeah, what does that have to do with anything," Elena added, blindly repeating whatever Ji-Woo said.

Kaitlyn's eyes widened as it clicked in place. "Oh, you mean the audience wouldn't watch unless the game was fair."

"You guys haven't watched enough shitty reality shows," Tomoko joked. "They're always messing with people."

Sophia shrugged. "Okay, maybe 'fair' isn't the right word. But at the very least, the game probably follows some sort of system. It's just been too complex for us to understand."

Azure smiled smugly as she took a sip from her mug. 'Finally. These idiots are starting to get it.'

"Wow, great deduction," Olivia said sarcastically. "Okay, here's a better explanation. Azure's just a shitty game designer.

Azure almost choked on her drink.

Sophia adjusted her glasses. "At the very least, she's a bad Game Master. Throwing your players into instant **** traps without explaining anything is just… well…"

"Incompetent?" Kaitlyn offered.

"That's more polite than I would put it," Ji-Woo muttered.

"You're absolutely right!" Elena enthusiastically agreed.

Azure gripped the side of her desk to steady her hand, shaking in rage. "Be professional. They're not breaking any rules. Let the contestants complain," Azure reminded herself.

Olivia laughed. "You guys are giving her too much credit. She doesn't have a clue what she's doing."

"I spent decades planning this, you freak!" Azure seethed.

Tomoko nodded. "Yeah, that's why she doesn't explain. She's makin' it up as she goes."

"I bet there isn't even a show," Kaitlyn accused. "Or if there is, she's just using it to be a sadist."

"Precisely," Ji-Woo nodded. "Even if this show is real, she probably doesn't care if anyone watches."

"Yeah! Who'd want to watch her crappy show!" Elena laughed.

The side of Azure's desk snapped off under her grip. Without missing a beat, she slammed a finger onto her comm and connected to her editor.

"Yes, ma'am?" Azures thrall asked.

"Please keep all footage on the master and Laurens date," Azure ordered through gritted teeth. "Do not cut to the dining hall!"

"Understood," the editor replied.

Back in the dining hall, Kaitlyn leaned back in her seat. "But that's not all. Azure is…"

But whatever the Peterson girl was going to call Azure was lost as the words died in her throat, and her mouth and eyes widened. The other contestants shared her change in expression.

Right in front of them all was Azure. Her left eye twitched, and her mouth in an upsettingly **** smile.

"Go on, finish. What exactly am I?" Azure asked, her voice chipper but laced with venom.

---

Levi Summers

Levi licked his lips as he used his chopsticks to bring the sushi to eye level. The two had found a table near the bar, which continued to populate with food. They had gone through tea, soup, and appetizers without words, which only ratcheted up the tension between them as if they were waiting for the other to trip a land mine.

Taking a bite of his seafood, Levi felt both impressed and disappointed. It was undoubtedly the best sushi he'd ever had, but nowhere near what he'd expect from the country's most expensive restaurant.

"Hmm," he mumbled absentmindedly.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Lauren snapped, breaking the silence.

"What?"

"That stupid noise you just made. What, is the food of mere mortals not good enough for the master?"

"I just said 'hmm,'" Levi said defensively.

"And another thing, who the hell taught you table manners?! You're supposed to rest your chopsticks on the hashi-oki, not on the plate! Are you trying to embarrass me?"

"It's not that big of a…"

"EXCUSE ME!?! You think you're better than me now?!" She let out a hollow laugh. "Wow, I guess all those etiquette classes were a waste then. Clearly, our lord and savior Levi knows all about it." She sarcastically lowered her head in a mock bow. "Go ahead, master! Teach me your ways."

"I'm sorry!" Levi shouted, his voice waving slightly. "Can we just forget about this?"

She laughed once more. "Oh, sure. Run away again. Sounds beautiful." She looked away from him in revulsion. "FUCK!" she shouted to no one in particular.

A long and painful silence followed as a pit in Levi's stomach grew. "Why do you hate me?" he mumbled before he could stop himself.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!"

"Nothing," Levi backtracked.

"Don't give me that! Just say how you feel, damn it!"

"I said, why do you hate me!" Levi screamed.

Lauren pounded the table. "Because you got me stuck in this freakshow!"

"No, I mean… before that." Levi looked down. "You know, back at school."

Lauren rolled her eyes. "Oh, get over yourself. I didn't hate you."

Levi glanced up in surprise. "You didn't?"

She waved her hand dismissively. "I never thought about you at all."

Whatever Levi expected her to say, it certainly wasn't that. "Huh?"

"Such ego," Lauren grumbled in disdain. "You think I had some kind of vendetta against you?! That I cared enough? You were just another…" She stopped herself from saying 'loser' and replaced it with "… nobody."

Levi furrowed his brow as anger welled up inside him. "But, you started those rumors about me. Why would you do that to me if you didn't care?"

Lauren raised an eyebrow. "Which ones?"

"What?"

"Do you think I keep track of everything I've ever said? I'm not a computer."

Levi's rage burned hotter. "You told everyone about me being held back a grade—and my therapist, and my parents. Plus, about a hundred things that weren't true."

"So?" Lauren asked, clearly finding his sob story boring beyond comprehension.

"So? SO?!" Levi repeated in enraged disbelief. "You seriously had no idea how much those hurt me?"

"Oh, I don't doubt it," Lauren shrugged. "I've probably ruined at least a dozen lives at that school. It's not like I singled you out or anything."

Levi stared at her, his anger giving way to incredulity. She talked about her bullying with the nonchalance of someone discussing the weather.

"But that's… bad. You realize that's bad, right?" Levi explained, as if trying to define immorality to a child.

Lauren rubbed her thumb and index finger together in the world's smallest violin gesture. "High School is a zero-sum game. You can't become popular without stepping on people. It's not my fault you make such an easy target."

"You! You're… You're!" Levi stammered, trying to find the words. “A b… a b…ad person!”

Lauren giggled in amusement. "Wow, great comeback. You seriously can't even say bitch? My god, you're spineless."

Called Master Cowardly: -3 VP

Levi bit his lip. Despite having all the power in this situation, he still couldn't get over his fear of her.

Lauren took advantage of his speechlessness to massage her temples. "Actually, I take that back. You're not spineless. At least not as spineless as I thought."

Immediate Take Back?: +2 VP

"I'm not?" Levi asked, unsure how to react to Lauren backtracking.

"Yeah. A true coward would never have gone and gotten **** like you did. It's always the quiet ones who are the sadists, huh?"

Levi clenched his fist. "I did no such thing!"

Lauren gestured to her surroundings. "Then what the hell is all this then? Rounding up everyone who pissed you off and torturing us into liking you."

"Azure's the one who did that!" Levi proclaimed. "I never wanted any of it to happen."

Lauren groaned. "Oh, stop acting like a martyr. You know you love this."

"I don't!" Levi repeated, a hint of pleading for her to understand in his voice.

Lauren crossed her arms. "Really? Tell me, how many tears have you shed for Jezebel?"

Levi blinked several times. "Huh?"

Lauren tapped her food impatiently under the table. "Do you even care that one of your classmates is gone forever? No, of course not. It must have been so empowering to get back for all the pain she caused you."

Levi opened his mouth, expecting an immediate response, but nothing came out.

The truth was, he had barely thought about John at all since his elimination. Sure, he still felt deeply disturbed by the sight of his transformation and the constant reminder of it when he saw Jezebel. Yet, never once had he thought about John himself. How he had been twisted into a braindead caricature, which Azure herself had said was irreversible.

Levi focused on Johns fate, expecting to feel some empathy. But as he did so, memories of John breaking his jaw, along with the excruciating pain that it entailed, came flooding back, overshadowing his attempts.

"I didn't tell Azure to do that to John," Levi finally managed, sidestepping the issue entirely.

Lauren raised an eyebrow once again. "How convenient. You get your vengeance while keeping your hands clean." She leaned in and smirked. "Admit it. You think it feels good, right?"

"I don't like seeing people suffer," he said softly, with a hint of unsureness.

"Oh? So it's just a coincidence that the people who hurt you most are in the red?" Lauren asked, totally accepting herself as part of that category.

Levi lowered his head. "I'm not trying to make you lose." He added more confidently, "I want to help, but you've been avoiding me all day."

Lauren ignored this last part and continued her accusations. "Meanwhile, you can **** others to like you. You realize that no woman would want to breathe the same air as you if there wasn't an axe over their head.

Told Master he's Undesirable: -3 VP

Levi opened his mouth, but he was once again speechless.

"Even my sister was losing until she got too scared and sucked up to you," she said, an unmistakable sound of pain in her voice. She then channeled that bitterness and spat, "I bet you loved using her to hurt me."

"She's trying to save you. I'm trying to save you!" Levi desperately argued.

"Like you're saving Ji-Woo? She told me how you're avoiding her. Admit it, you're creaming yourself thinking about her being eliminated!"

"That's not…" Levi began, but Lauren raised her hands defensively.

"Oh, don't worry. I get it. If some whore stole my dad away, I'd make sure that bitch suffered. Honestly, it would be pathetic if you didn't try to screw her over." Lauren lowered her hands and clenched them into fists. "But just don't act like you're some selfless savior. Hypocrites piss me off."

Repeatedly Insulted Master: -6 VP

Unremorseful: -6 VP

At Least She’s Honest about Being a Bad Person: +1 VP

Encouraged Masters ****: +8 VP

Bonus: First to Encourage Masters ****: +3

For the third time, Levi had no words. However, Lauren seemed to be done as well, as she silently returned to her sushi, as if Levi were no longer there.

'She... she's wrong about me,' Levi thought. 'Surely, I'd never want to hurt anybody. No matter what they did to me. They don't deserve it.'

'I... I'm not enjoying this.'

'...'

'Right?'

---

Bonus Image

Number Nineteen, the witch of the woods