Choices (And the hardships they apply)

[Espi]

((Riley Parker's story continues from Race to the Finish))

Riley began to wonder if this was a good idea.

The local theatre often played reruns of SOTF episodes from the best seasons. She never attended, since she never had money and you had to pay and this theatre was pretty expensive, but it'd always appealed to her. The best show on air, but on the big screen? With snacks and stuff and reclining chairs? Sign her up!

But a lucky break had occurred. Riley had managed to snag a job babysitting a neighbor's kid, which had led to her watching "Parker" and then some Season 1 highlights with him and eating a bag of popcorn and getting paid to do it. It wasn't a whole lot, but five bucks an hour for like 4 hours of something she'd gladly do at home. So she figured she'd treat herself to the theatre, since she'd never done it before and her favorite season was airing on it tonight.

But now, she was worried. As she waited in line, she wondered if it'd be worth it. A ticket was ten bucks, and five to ten more for various snacks and such, but should she really? Was it worth the precious cash? She might've been way too eager to try something new without figuring the actual cost-benefit analysis.

God she was such a miser sometimes.

Riley tapped her foot as the line shuffled forward, anxious.

[Latin For Dragula]

((Gabriel Munez Continued from Risk of Rain))

It was one of those days where everything seemed to be going right.

Uncle Frank and Aunt Anna were taking his mother out today. He hadn't paid a large amount of attention to their plans, he was busy making his own for once. With no mother to take care of, no pressing projects to do, and no volunteer activities scheduled, he had a free day.

Time for some SotF.

He bobbed his head to the music in his ears. It was classic shit, real indie even when it dropped back in the early 2000s. He'd been turned onto it by the Rhymesayers hold-outs. Crazy die-hards like that always hoarded the best tracks. He'd found the link to this set hiding in his inbox this morning.

~A prince in practice moans for the attention that he wants
but most of this town won't even dignify his ignorance with a response~

Goddamn it was a good day.

The line was moving slow, but he didn't even mind. He was gonna get his ticket, grab popcorn tub bigger than his head, and zone out. He wasn't even gonna take injury and treatment notes while he watched. This was a theater. This was pure entertainment.

This was one of those rare moments when his smile was one hundred percent genuine.

[Laurels]

((Taylor DeVasher continued from Artists and Critics))

Taylor stood in line, bouncing in place. He was thrilled that the theater was showing old seasons of SOTF. Watching old seasons was something he found really fun to do, especially since it meant he'd watch as an ordinary teenager suddenly rose to greatness and walked away a celebrity. It was quite thrilling to watch.

He couldn't believe there would be a line outside the theater for this. He didn't know SOTF showings were that popular here. Still, he could handle waiting in line. He could spend the time listening to music on his iPod or searching websites on his phone. Anything that could make the wait not so tedious.

Taylor pulled out his phone and opened his web browser. He could at least refresh his memory on this season before he went to watch it.

[Espi]

Riley really liked season 50. It had a lot of really smart and cool players who did really clever things, and the non-players were generally pretty fun to watch; moral without being melodramatic. Riley hated the angsty sob-fests people became sometimes. She'd read an article by Karen Ruiz that summed up her thoughts; when on the island, find something you want to do and just do it.

Riley tried to not think about what that meant for her, admittedly. It made her nervous.

So it was lucky that she'd gotten the chance to check out Season 50 on big screen. Riley was still concerned that she would be wasting money, but she wasn't going to stress too much. That kind of ruined the point if she was too anxious to enjoy the show so she wasted her money by being worried about wasting money.

That would be stupid.

Still, it might help to get a second opinion on if it was worth the cash. Riley turned around to ask the person behind her if they'd been here before. She vaguely recognized him from school, but she didn't really know them. Or their name. Still, might as well.

"Hey, you come here a lot? I've never been, is it any good?" She whispered.

[Latin For Dragula]

Someone was whispering to him. He could just barely make that they were asking about whether the theater was any good. Most days, he probably would have been annoyed and just ignored them.

Today, though? Fuck it. He was feelin' fine and willing to spread the love. He popped the earbuds out, and nodded to the girl in front of him with a grin.

"Oh yeah, I stop by here every few weeks. Way worth the price of admission, man. It's crazy the little details you pick up on that you can't see on a computer screen or something. Like, y'know season 34, with that one part where the dude flips out because his girl got shot and he starts hunting those four chicks through the log flume? Intense shit. But what you don't see unless you look a little closer is that when he's charging that last chick, the one who won, Lily? Dewey, that creepy little dude with the mustache and the pez dispenser, is creepin' all up in the background, and he peeks around the corner just as the other dude gets shot in the shoulder. He nopes right the fuck out of there, man. It's great."

He realized he was kinda gushing now. He couldn't hold it. He felt crazy excited for this day, and he couldn't help but share it.

"So yeah. It's fantastic. Trust me, you won't regret it at all if you're into SotF."

[Laurels]

Taylor looked at the web browser on his phone as he waited for Wikipedia to load. It was a good time to look up any details about Season 50 before he went into the theater, and Wikipedia was sure to have a plethora of information on the season.

As he waited for the page to load, he noticed that the people in front of him were talking about the show. The guy mentioned Season 34, specifically how Lily Harper managed to overtake Ethan Wallace after her friends were killed. This was a conversation Taylor could get involved in.

"Yeah, 34 was a good season," Taylor said, putting his phone in is pocket. "I actually really liked Lily's story, being the only survivor of a massacre and then going on to survive the ordeals. That's the kind of arc I enjoy, although I think I was gunning for a Lana Robertson win that season. I am kind of upset Lily drifted out of the spotlight to become a teacher, but maybe being crippled hindered that in some way."

"But, uh, 50 is a cool season too," he added.

[Espi]

Riley nodded. "I think I heard about that, yeah. I checked it out online, it made me laugh." She chuckled, remembering the terrified expression on the guy. She wasn't sure how he died, she thought someone strangled him but maybe she was thinking of someone else? Eh, not a big deal either way.

"And yeah, SOTF is the best. Love it." As she turned back and started to walk forward with the line, she heard another voice start talking. She didn't recognize the other guy either, but he knew his stuff.

He was kind of right, too. Well, in Riley's opinion. She turned again and started talking past Earbud guy.

"I kind of agree." She almost sounded surprised. "Lily was bland until then in my mind, but she did some decent stuff after that."

She shrugged. "Not the best winner, but pretty solid."

[Latin For Dragula]

There was a new guy chiming in behind him. He recognized him from school, Tyler or something like that. He seemed to know his shit though. Gabriel nodded to him and turned over his shoulder.

"Yeah, right on. I dug the whole scheme Lily and her group had goin' on, but it was boring as shit to watch at first because nobody ever came in there after 'em. I mean, who would besides some crazy bastard? After that, she picked way up. She got hard without losing her shit."

He glanced up at the Season Fifty sign above the theater. "I'm not actually real good with this season. Haven't watched much of it yet, and I don't remember a lot. Should be fun though, they always grab the best stuff, none of that weak Season Ten bullshit. Talk about a disappointment with that one, right?"

[Laurels]

Taylor then realized that the two before him were people he'd seen around school. They didn't look like people Taylor would have hung out with, but it was cool that they were into SOTF like him. The chick was fond of Lily Harper as well, and the guy was right that Lily was able to toughen up without losing herself. Taylor hated winners who completely devolved into insanity. They didn't have the best possible post-game careers as a result. It was the same if they were too hurt to do anything about it. There was that girl last year who fell into a coma after winning, something that really bummed Taylor out since it meant he wasn't able to see any TV appearances she might have had or buy any of her merchandise.

The guy with the earbuds hoped the Season 50 show would be interesting and nothing like Season 10.

"Ugh, Season 10 sucked ass," Taylor mentioned. "The class was too small, and Gerald and Danika's standoff lasted much longer than it needed to. I think the lousy reception is why no one hears much from Gerald O'Neal."

"I'm sure Season 50's winner turned out better than him."

[Espi]

Riley was glad these two weren't morons. Trying to talk to morons with terrible opinions was the worst, but whoever they were they seemed fairly lucid. "Ugh, Season 10 is the worst. Stat tracking and stuff was a nightmare when I tried it. I like the concept but it didn't work at all in practice. I think it'd have worked if the arena was bigger, though, we might've gotten some legit cool stuff if it had like a maze of boxes or something."

Then, Riley's eyes lit up as the blond guy mentioned Season 50. Finally, a chance to talk about the best season in SOTF! "Oh my god you have no clue how much I love Season 50's winner. I don't want to spoil anything, but trust me, you'll love her. Or him." Riley nodded sagely.

"But yeah, Season 50 is great, my personal favorite. It's got some really smart players throughout, and some real badasses in it." Riley turned and moved with the line briefly before looking back. "The end is a little boring, but I like it a lot anyways. And the winner is amazing."

"But hey, enough rambling. What are your favorite seasons, guys?"

[Latin For Dragula]

Hmm. His favorite season. That was gonna take some effort. He tapped his chin thoughtfully for a moment, and then snapped his fingers.

"Gotta go with a classic: Season 3. It's old as hell, but Kenny? That guy's a real champ. Nobody really tops him as winner to me. I mean, he tricked the most crazy, paranoid bitch on the island into buddying up with him only to shoot her in the back the first chance he got. And then there's all the crazy team play, plus the badass that was Sam Allen. Killing a dude with your broken leg? That's hardcore shit, man."

He glanced back at the other buff behind him. "What about you, man? Got a favorite?"

[Laurels]

Ooooh, favorite season. Damn, that's always a hard question. Let me think. Who do I like? 34 was good, but we've talked that one to death. Lessee...

The guy in front of him mentioned Season 3 as a favorite. Taylor nodded in agreement. Kenny Yamana's season was great. It had a ton of good action, plenty of drama, and one hell of a winner. Who doesn't have it good after being on SOTF if you get a movie career?

"Yeah, 3 is one of my favorites as well," Taylor said. "One of my favorites was Season 37. I mean, I often think a season really works if the winner is awesome, and Jared just fucking rocked. Like, using a grenade to earn a majority of his kills, tearing someone's throat out with his teeth? That's so badass."

"Plus, he's got a really cool post-game career. He was probably my favorite of the Season 65 mentors."

[Espi]

Riley nodded, pleased with the given answers. "Yeah, those were both good. Personally, Season 3 got a little over-the-top for me at times, a little crazy, you know what I mean? It's still one of the best, it just has a couple of those crazy moments."

With a shrug, she continued. "37 was pretty solid, and I think Jared was a bitching winner. And his return in 65? So good. Best mentor all season."

The line shifted again, and Riley moved forward. Almost to the front, and Riley was excited now. Her doubts about the whole thing seemed unfounded, and now sounded pretty silly. It was SOTF! Season 50, one of the best, on big screen! How could it possibly go wrong?

She figured she oughta keep talking to the other two, since they were fairly nice. She turned back to them. "But yeah, those are both great. 3 actually had one of my favorite players, Alejandra. Remember her decoy trick? That was really clever."

[Latin For Dragula]

37. Shit. Don't know much about that one.

His ignorance didn't appear to be a shared trait this time, so he just scratched his chin and nodded. The line was moving along pretty steadily now, so it wouldn't be long before he could kick back and relax with some new entertainment.

The mention of the decoy trick caused his ears to perk up again. He really liked that highlight. It was kinda funny with how well it represented both sides of the spectrum, with someone who pretty clearly didn't have a goddamn clue how to play the game, and someone who knew exactly what it took to get ahead.

"Yeeeaaah, that was a real good trick. Up there in my top 5 moments of the season, easily. That crazy chick who fell for it was trying way too hard, who just blazes up a window like that? There's like a billion things that coulda gone wrong there. She earned getting offed with that attitude."

[Laurels]

Taylor nodded as the two in front of him talked about Alejandra from Season 3. He liked her strategy of hiding, although she probably wouldn't have been such an exciting winner.

"Yeah, that was neat. I also like Reilly's final move on Kenny. Might as well fuck with your killer before taking him down."

This is fun, but man I hope the show starts soon. I'm getting so excited. Just can't hide it.