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For a long time it had seemed like it would be impossible. Success was always tempered by suffering, suffering in so much quantity that it seemed to tear at the ranks from the inside. Friends, family, lovers, all drowned in their own blood to never be seen again. In the human year 2034 Horsemen of the Apocalypse rode again through the world thinking that their time had come, that they had ascended to bring chaos and fear upon the world, but they were not prepared. Not prepared for the blinding flash of white in a wall that stood before them, brave warriors of Deus who stood with confidence and without fear.

They had learned to fully harness that which made the denizens of Amityville, of all Halloween, strong and terrifying. Turning their own FEAR against them it wasn't long until the white coats were everywhere. Somehow their ranks had swollen until they burst forth in a wave of runic light to cover every inch of their now-conquered territory.

Yet they could hardly stop there. Would hardly stop there! Five Houses, four Clans, nine factions to fight for the entertainment and study of the conquerors. Some tender hearts had likened it to the gladiators of Rome. The younger ones with a literary bent called themselves citizens of the Capitol in their new Hunger Games.

Denizens of Halloween could no longer sleep safely tucked in their beds at night. You never knew when a Deus Hunter would show up at your door and drag you out to the arena. No one was safe. Now, it was the monsters' turn to fear. To suffer. To lose. One of the most feared was the indomitable Game Mistress Mimsy with her red-tipped hair like blood, expression always faintly interested and utterly unemotional.

There's always a winner who gets away from the crowds, who is always said to be 'safe' and 'free' to live a life on an island specifically designed for these valiant winners. What no one but Deus knows, however, is that the island these winners are taken to is their island. The prize? Immortal life in a weapon's tablet to become part of a new generation, fighting forever against your own kind.

Guard Duty

Peyton might have outgrown the pink but Camille would never outgrow her fascination with color. Purple had been the original tint but now she had somehow inherited Peyton's ombre trademark. Of course hers was a more violent pink to not clash with the magenta of her natural hair, braided and coiled at the back of her head. A scar running along her temple, down her neck, marked where she'd learned that binding up her hair was better than getting pulled to the ground by it.

At least she stopped screaming with stress? Mostly.

"Mostly quiet. Lottery was today and there's a new group in Hell." Hell being what Cami (and others) called the Demon dorm which normally was one of the quieter buildings. "You get the usual bravado from one or two that they're gonna bust out, gonna escape." Fingers touched the arrow around her neck, feeling Kidana thrum in outrage at what the newbies were about to try. "Might see some action tonight." Hopefully.

Tributes Gather

Her heart was hammering in her chest, had been, since her name and picture had flashed up on that screen. A lottery, they called it, but Hadiyya did not feel like a winner. She felt cheated, helpless, utterly anxious. She felt as if her world was crumbling around her, because it was.

They dangled a prize in front of their faces to make it all seem less barbaric, like it wasn't a blood bath, a way to cull their masses, to control their numbers. They made it into a pageant. Fight, fight for your life, and if you win, sanctuary.

Sanctuary..

She didn't want to be here. Stuck in this place, waiting for the inevitable. She didn't want to play to their cameras, to be paraded around and judged.

It was a mockery. It was humiliating. It was horrifying.

She stood in the Winner's Circle. A ridiculous name for a series a suites. Suites, rewards, like a last meal. A little taste of privilege before.. Before.

Eyes wide and fearful, the marid stared up at the cameras she knew were peppered throughout the the compound, dark fingers rising to touch the collar that circled her neck.

She was the first to arrive, but the other's would join her.

Guard Duty

"I see they're not taking any chances this time around." Pey had seen the duty roster, it was twice the size it usually was. Increased security wasn't all that unusual on a reaping day, but this was a little crazy, even for them.

Lips pressed into a thin line, Peyton ran through the list of tributes again in her mind. "Hard to say on a winner, but I believe the games will be very interesting this time around. A lot of powerful players involved."

Guard Duty/Amphitheater

Pale eyes slammed shut in a sudden glare of the lights, and she squinted against it before adjusting, chuckling after Cami's comment. "Neither was I," she mused, though she was grinning. Peyton didn't really mind the little bit of chaos that inevitably occurred on a monthly biases. It gave the Suns and Moons something to do in this otherwise peaceful future.

"Speaking of ghosts, I hear one of the tributes is a scary ********." Dark skin, glowing eyes, pointed teeth, and claws. Yeah, scary about covered it. "Strong ghost in the games means the rest of the spooks will be restless."

As they got to the doors Pey slowed back to a walk, and slipped down the main aisle to take her place near the first balcony. Turning, she pot her back to the rail, waiting for Cami.