Jet was irritated by the knock on his door, he waited for whoever was on the other side to leave. If it was that important then they could just shout it out or something.

The knocking didn't stop. He sighed and got off his bed really irritated. The door was flung open to reveal no one on the other side, but the sound of footsteps quickly scurrying away.

Jet didn't see who it was, his irritation grew and just before he could slam the door shut, he noticed something on the floor.

It was a book whose cover seemed to be covered in children's drawings. Jet picked it up to inspect it. It was definitely cartoons.

Jet would have put it back and shut the door if it weren't for the piece of paper sticking out of it.

'i thought i would but i still lack the courage to talk to you but here's one of my favorites, you can read it when you are bored. i'm pretty sure you'll like it'

I'm pretty sure I won't, Jet thought, despite walking back inside with the book and plopping down on the bed with it.

His hand supported the back of his head as he studied it more closely. How did people read this? He flicked the pages in high speed. Yeah I don't think I'm getting the hang of this any time soon.

He was tempted to read it, at the same time he decided he wouldn't. The chiming from his phone was a good excuse to put the book away.

He picked it up and stared at the screen.

༻༺
________________________________
Game:
Bring The Ace Home
Teams:
•:Linder and Pierre:•
•:Zel and Mason:•
•:Jet and Riley:•

Each team has been given two tags, your goal is to acquire as many tags as you can by the end of it.

You can not force, or hurt another member to get their tag.
You can however, sabotage, trick or steal. You can convince them too, if you're that good.

You are allowed to hide your tags anywhere you like.

At the last hour of the game, two weeks from now, you will bring your tags to a clearing in the woods. Don't worry, you'll find it.
Do not forget that during this hour, your tags can still be taken from you. You are only safe when you reach the clearing

Rewards by the end:

All tags(very unlikely but oh well): Rules will be suspended for 24 hours, 50 points will be added to your total score

5 tags: Rules will be suspended for 12 hours, 25 points will be added to your total score

4 tags: Rules will be suspended for 2 hours, 20 points will be added to your total score

3-2 tags: 10 points will be added to your total score

1-0 tags: 5 points will be taken away from your total score
•

There has been a different tag, given randomly to a single competitor, this tag is twice a regular one. The ace tag.

Good luck
_________________________________
༻༺

Pairs?!

And Riley seriously? He didn't want it. Why couldn't he just be paired with someone like Pierre? Or just him would be fine.

He sighed like all the energy had been drained from his body.

Jet wondered what he would do if the rules were suspended. If he'd won and the prize was his for the taking. He'd probably masturbate until all his sheets were sticky and disgusting.

He wouldn't go out, he had no interest whatsoever in that. The house was like a safe space for him. He would call the Master all the names he'd been saving up, then text him several letters.

Jet took a two second brain check. Why the fuck did every thought about him winning revolve around the Master? Particularly annoying him.

Fuck is wrong with me...

After a lot of sighing, Jet took it as a sign to go out to what he had now coined as his most comfortable spot.

It was at the back of the house just a little way inside the maze. He dragged himself until he'd settled down, relaxing.

It was always so quiet, so perfect.

Jet thought long and hard about a lot of things. Where did he go from here? Sure it was too soon to think about that but so what? He might as well think it while it couldn't leave his head.

It was moments like this when the loneliness hit a little too hard for his liking.

And yet somehow, the quiet gave him a calm nobody could.

Until he heard the padding of footsteps getting closer.

No one ever came to the maze, at least not this side of it. He knew that because he was always there, he'd know. The sounds kept getting closer.

"I saw you come in here, I knew you couldn't be far."

The big mass that was Riley stood before him. Of course he had to be the one to ruin his peace.

"So you decided to follow me?" Jet asked, more than a little irritated.

"Yep. You don't have to be so grumpy about it," Riley invited himself to sit down. "What are you doing?"

Was he serious?

"If you must know, I'm trying to fish but I can't seem to catch anything."

"Okay that's fair." Riley sat facing him, supported by a wall of leaves.

Jet thought about the last time he was in the Master's room, there was a huge portrait hung on one side of it. "Did you take the winning picture?"

The picture had something about it, it was a portrait of the Master. In it, he looked like he had been caught unawares and yet at the same time not. It brought out so much of him but Jet didn't know how to say it.

"I did," he said. "It was sort of last minute, I wasn't even planning to take it. Was it any good?"

"It was so ugly the Master decided to hang it up."

"We'd get along pretty well if I had met you out of here," replied Riley.

"No we wouldn't," Jet was firm as he made his point. "I wouldn't have let it get to that."

"No," Riley smiled. "You just don't know how annoying I am."

Jet didn't say anything to that, so they sat in silence for a while. A silence that couldn't decide whether it wanted to be awkward or not.

"So we're paired together," said Riley all of a sudden, breaking the silence between them.

"I know, I got the memo."

"So, six tags... at least you're going to try to win this right?"

"What are you trying to say? We're going to win, I thought that was obvious." Jet's earring glinted in the mild sunshine.

"Okay I can work with that. Do you have the ace tag?" Riley asked.

"No I don't," Jet shook his head while he said it.

"Neither do I, so we have to get the other tags but the ace tag is top priority," said Riley.

Jet shook his head again and Riley was confused. That was obviously the good plan.

"Exactly. That's what everyone will expect. They'll know we don't have it if we make it our top priority. But that's what we'll use against them. We don't know who has the tags either right? So we'll just have to act like we've got them. Don't act desperate, leave a few hints here and there. That's all it will take. Our top priority are the other two tags, the ones no one will be looking for. The ace tag is the equivalent of two tags, getting it would mean we have four instead of three. When we get the other two tags it's still the same thing, so we're picking the easier option. Once they're convinced we have the ace tags, everyone will be after ours, and then we'll actually get to work. There will be one team on our tail," Jet shrugged. "What better way to know that they don't have it either? That's our top priority. Once we secure those tags- "

"Hold it right there Einstein, do you work for a spy organisation or something?"

"You need brains to survive the outside world."

"Show off," said Riley.

Jet was surprised at that. It was clear he didn't really expect the response coming from the man.

"Didn't think I'd ever see you smile to be honest," Riley's hand squeezed his knee.

Jet didn't notice the small smile had crept up his face, he ignored it like he didn't hear anything.

"So for the tags, once we secure the two tags, then we go for the ace, high chances are, when our victims have lost theirs, they'll do either one of two things, trying to get them back goes without saying but what they are more likely to do is try to find the ace, just to secure some semblance to a victory."

"If you keep talking, I'm going to get turned on. Don't make me break the rules, but keep talking," Riley said rather boldly.

In his opinion Riley was smart. Smarter than what he let on. Jet just didn't understand why he acted like he wasn't. He was so obvious to him; acting like all he cared about was flirting and anything without the word serious in it.

But Jet heard the sincerity in his attempt at flattery. There was no joke in his voice, and looking at Riley, he'd really break the rules as he said. Again, he ignored it.

"This isn't just a game of us against four other people, it's a game of us against Linder. Don't underestimate that big head between his shoulders, he's one of the smartest people I know, at least that I observed. Just be careful with him," Riley seemed to think a little. "Let's give the other teams code names or whatever they are called."

"Oh I'm good at this!" Riley said as he made small movements where he sat. "We'll call them..." he seemed to put a little thought into it. "Linderre and... maybe Mazel. You know, because that's how the teams are formed."

Jet was more irked by the look on his face. "You are so proud of yourself right now huh?"

"Course I am, like who else could come up with such perfect titles?"

"Fine so, I've considered all the options if Linderre... has the ace tag. We might just have to let it go."

Riley raised his brow in question.

"That's the no failure option, we have to acquire that tag," he carried on. "Another option is if we decide to try to acquire it either way, then we're going to need a big distraction, a very persuasive tongue and enough acting skills but that should be the last resort if they have the card. I really hope they don't because that would make everything way easier. If Mazel has the ace, then we have to acquire it before the other team does and once we get it, we're taking whole other measures to guard it."

"You really hold Linder in high regard don't you?"

"I don't know how you don't see how smart he is. To me, he looks like he's always scheming."

Riley chuckled. "Sure, sure."

"So we'll start with hiding our tags," said Jet.

"Where did you have in mind?"

Jet sat and thought for a while. "You can figure it out."

Riley was already shaking his head before Jet could properly convince him. "With everything I just heard you say, I'm not sabotaging our chances of victory by hiding those tags, I'm leaving that to you. If you need acting or being persuasive then I'm your guy but for anything else, no thanks. You're going to have to leave me and my dumbass brain alone."

Jet didn't know what to say.

"I've got an idea though," Riley got his attention. "The rules say nothing against it. What do you think about making exact replicas of our tags? Especially for Linderre's sake?"

Jet didn't give it much thought. "That's actually brilliant. And after we hide our real tags we have to guard the fake ones with everything we've got. Or someone is going to find out something is up."

Jet had not thought anything about it but having duplicate tags? That was the game changer, it answered almost everything, covered all the loopholes. They'd figure out how to do it.

"I think I'll hide the tags-"

Riley interrupted, "No. Don't say it, I trust you."

Yet again, Jet didn't show his surprise.

Riley got up and held out his hand for Jet. "You come too, we've got work to do."

"No need to rush, we're winning this remember?"

"If you say so genius," said Riley. "I'd go play basketball, but it's getting addictive again so I won't. I'll just use this time to jerk off instead."

Jet's eyes widened in shock. Because of me?! Jet was inwardly shocked. Riley wasn't even smiling as usual, he was dead serious.

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Hey my people! I'm sorry about such an uneventful update after so long. Here's some fries 🍟 🍟 🍟

I love y'all though okay?🥺

I'll be back with an update... bye✨