As the opening of the Game of Change came closer, many of the contestants were anxious to compete against each other for the grand prize. Some continued on with their lives normally, while others tried to train themselves physically and mentally, for the game they never knew would truly be the definition of life and death.
Ryan Catcher
"Just who the hell do you think I am?" Ryan laughed, thoroughly enjoying the episode of Gurren Lagan that was playing on his computer screen. "Damn, that's hilarious!" he thought. "I should have watched this years ago!" A friend had recommended the series at the last Club meeting and he had looked it up immediately. Granted, it was only a low quality video on a hosting site, but good Anime was good Anime. When the episode was over, he closed down the internet browser, and clicked on a folder marked "My Fanfics". He clicked on one of the files, stretched his arms, and set about writing the next chapter in his epic story. "Hey guys!" Tatsuki called from the armory, "Do any of you know how to get bratwurst out of a shotgun barrel?" Quincy's exercise wheel squeaked. "Is that a trick question?" Matsumoto wondered. "I think a better question is do we even want to know why you need to know that," Renji said, resting his feet on his desk. He was also trying to balance a pencil on his nose, (for whatever that's worth). "No," she said simply, "you don't." And with that the matter was dropped. Yep, just another normal day for the Karakura Police Department. KA-BOOM! Hang on a second…nope, still normal." He was about to save the document and shut the computer down when the curser suddenly froze on the screen. He shook the mouse frantically, but it had no effect. Finally, he hit the power button, and unplugged the machine from the wall. When he plugged it in and tuned it on again, the only thing that showed was a couple lines of code, and the message "OS not found". Ryan Catcher's computer had crashed; his entire body of work gone in an instant. In a rare fit of rage, he grabbed the tower, and hurled it across the room, giving no thought to whatever else was destroyed along with it. After letting loose a primal scream, that shook the aging walls of his two-bit, run down apartment he calmed down enough to take stock in the situation. After careful consideration, he grabbed a flyer for the Game of Change, off the scratched up coffee table, and headed off to enroll. And if he was lucky, he'd get $250,000 to help buy a better life with.
Scott Williams
"Aw man!" Scott moaned, standing in front of the door, which lead to the registration office for the Game of Change. He didn't want to come down here at all; his mother had made him get on the bus and ride down here. Said he "needed to socialize more" because he "spent too much time in front of that damn TV" and she "would never get any grandkids at this rate". So what if he was a bit overweight? At least he could still get around…when he wanted to. And so what if he enjoyed watching horror movies? To him they were far better than all the sideways, judgmental looks he got on the rare occasions he did go out in public, even if they did scare him shitless a lot of the time. But when his mother saw the flyer she grabbed him by the ear, dragged him to the bus stop, and all but thrown him on the bus and told him to win the $250,000 and come back with a girlfriend there wasn't really anything he could do about it. Screwing up what little courage he had he let out a sigh and reached for the door handle. "Man, I just know this is going to end badly…"
Consuela De La Cruz
It was a quiet, calm morning, around 7:15 AM, and Consuela De La Cruz was practicing her fencing movements with a friend. Upon finishing up, she removed her helmet and her friend Yvonne asked, "Did you check your mail for today? I just got a new issue of Star." Consuela shook her head before she responded with, "Well...honestly, yes. It's a scholarship contest of some sorts, and if I win, then maybe I can rally for gay rights, since my parents are such." She handed Yvonne a red poster and Yvonne exclaimed, "Wow! You're gonna do this for your parents? That's pretty cool!" Consuela nodded. "Yes, I will." She soon smiled as she looked up at the morning sun, hoping her parents would be proud of her if she won the scholarship.
Olga Idroveshenko
No longer in high school, Olga had just begun her college life, when she was informed by her classmates, about the red poster, promoting the Game of Change. "I don't know...but maybe I can use the money to help other people from my country." She told one of them in her broken English. A small smile appeared as they nodded her approval.
Alex McMullen
"250,000 dollars...So much money...I have to fight the urge to drool just thinking about it. But can you blame me? They say you can't buy happiness, and I'm sure they are right. But, it sure as hell can buy everything in the world, that can bring you happiness! I mean with all that cash, I could self-publish my books! I could move out and get my own place, far removed from my stupid older yet little brother; (Whom has tagged along much to my annoyance!) I can live in peace away from the rest of this world full of idiots! Word is we're going to some island or something, but other than that we're completely in the dark about it. Maybe it's going to be like survivor or Big Brother? Yay! Bikini-clad babes! But then again, I've never been one for social occasions. This whole competition might highlight my unsociable qualities, and I would be booted off first! But don't the quiet boring guys usually win? Oh no, it's the loud ones nowadays. The 'marketable' ones. Let's see: Surfer hairstyle: No, I have a mess of brown locks which looks like a dismembered mop-head. Sparkly blue eyes: No, hazel, and they don't even work properly (Hence the glasses). Undeserving ego the size of Australia: No, though I am still up myself a little bit. Pants that keep falling down: No, I'm magic. Easy-going, laid-back and friendly kind of guy: I'm a misanthrope, so no. Army of fangirls voting for me: No. Dammit! I'm fucked, aren't I?"
Leah Hurst
"Yes, I'm looking at it page right now…I know!...I know!...I KNOW!...$250,000!…And Momma, and Jean, and everyone!...I know! This could totally keep us from loosing our house!...I don't know, how many people do you think are doing it?...You're right; think about my family before my own problems…If I just keep telling myself 'it's for my family' I think I can do it…Oh, thank you for talking me into it!...Yeah, I'm gonna go sign up right now…Love you too…Bye!"
Kieran Adams
"Crickey, that's a lot of dough," Kieran marveled as he read to poster for the Game of Change on the community board on his college campus. Since moving here from The Land Down Under, he'd made many friend with his magnetic personality, and even headed a few movements himself. And as great as that was, he felt he could be doing more. "I'd best win this thing if I want to get the message across." As he headed to the Dean's office, he grinded to himself.
Lacey Brooks
"Lacey, come down from there!" He mother shouted at her. "But MOM!" she whined from her perch in the backyard tree, "I haven't finished practicing for the Game of Change yet!" "You don't even know anything about it; how do you know what you should be practicing for?" I don't know…this seemed like a good idea at the time. "Well at least come in and have some dinner, you've been out here all afternoon." "OK!"
Elijah Cohen
"Eli! Yo Eli!" a girl know to others as "Raven" called out over the pulsating beat of the techno music in the club. She was looking for a friend of hers to give them some very interesting news. "Eli, where the hell are-" "Would you just shut hell up, Raven?" Elijah Cohen suddenly said from behind her. "I would have started cutting myself if I had to listen to your voice any longer." "Nice to see you too, Eli," Raven said flatly. She'd know Eli since they were in grade school, and had since built up a tolerance to his somewhat dark sense of humor over the years. "I don't suppose you'd be interested in earning some quick cash, would you?" This got Eli's attention. "How much?" "A quarter mil?" "You're shitting me." "Think so? Take a look," she held out a flyer for the Game of Change out to him. After scanning the paper he said "What the hell", handed paper back to Raven, and went off to sign himself up.
Anya Arsov
"A quarter million dollar, eh?" Anya mused as she stared at a poster advertising the Game of Change at her college. She was here as part of a transfer program from Russia, and frankly, her minimum wage job wasn't really cutting it. "Whatever game is, I will win it." With determination she headed off to find somewhere to register for it. "Anyone who gets in my way, will wish they hadn't…"