Season Re: Pregame

[Exusiai]

This is labeled on the company's floor diagram as the "β-Test Room."  
It is dimly illuminated by fluorescent lights dangling from the ceiling.  Rows of tables in the room are accompanied by computers and bulky headgear.

- A male with a slanted posture is holding a set of lanyards.  The lanyards are tightened around the man's hands like cloth boxing wraps -


 "G-Good morning.  I'm a tester employed at Project Restart, but today, I'll be one of the supervisors for this session of beta testing.
I'm really not important otherwise.
Some of you m-may wonder why we are recruiting beta testers, since Project Restart already has some employed. 
To explain that, official testers are in charge of reporting any bugs or inconsistencies to the debugging team. 
A couple of people in the quality assurance department insisted on opening a limited test to gauge the how well the game will be received by the public, though.
S-So that's why we've asked all of you to participate as beta testers for this trial."

- The anxious tester takes a visible gulp before rummaging through his multi-colored folders.  He eventually produces what appears to be a script and begins to read over it -

"As stated by the contract, all beta testers will be rewarded $2000, in addition to a 25% discount when pre-ordering Restart: Wayward Hero. 
These incentives only hold under the conditions that the tester has registered for forty hours of playing and submits feedback in the proper format.
The template for the report will be provided later by another employee.
We are c-currently calibrating the conscience integration system, so until then, f-feel free to talk amongst yourselves.
We ask that you refrain from leaving the β-Test Room.  It'll be a b-burden for security to have to locate you if you get lost."


Starting Area

[Daiwa Scarlet]

*stares at lanyards*

[John Dark Souls]

- A young man sits back relaxed in a chair looking as if no problems in the world are related to him -

[placeholder for picture of Lechter relaxing sitting back in a chair]

"Yeaaah, I get the details and all that are important, but you're a bit too nervous, man. You're forgetting the most important thing you should be saying first. You know what I mean, right?"

[Daiwa Scarlet]

*runs around the room with lanyard in tow before going back to Mr. Really Not Important Otherwise*

"Onii-san, Izuna wants more lanyards... please?"

[King V]

"Ah, excellent. Forty hours is just enough time for me to make it. That being said, I've never tried one of these 'video games' before. Could someone elaborate on how this might work?"

[Exusiai]

- The tester shrinks back from the attention -

 "The m-most important thing?'

- The tester retreats further back into the room.  His eyes blink in realization before yanking the lanyard around his own neck upward.  The clutter of folders nested to his side slip to the floor -

"My name is Darren Mires, twenty-six years old."

- The rest of Darren's self-introduction is cut brief as he kneels down to collect the scattered files.  The tester continues to answer questions in his usual lack of confidence -

"I can't give you anymore lanyards, Izuna.  These lanyards are meant supposed to be given to everyone.
I-If there are any left at the end of the day, then you can have them.  O-Okay?
...
I would have thought that e-everyone has played a videogame before, or at least, that all the people who s-signed the contract would have?"

- Although his head is still directed towards the ground, Darren tilts his head to an aside -

"Why was I dragged into this?  You know I'm not good with public presentations, Roxane..."

- He breathes a sigh before returning his attention to the pile of documents and folders at his knees -

"Videogames are... time-passers, and they're a-also digital entertainment.  They're a b-bit difficult to describe.
F-For Restart, you put on one of the headsets over at the tables.  It's supposed to replicate the user's conscience into something like another world.
It's not like your brain is converted into 0's and 1's, but the p-people in charge of these—conscience integration system—advise against forcefully removing them from users.
They mentioned 'being left in a v-vegetable state, due to sudden disconnection.'
I shouldn't really be talking about this sort of stuff.
S-Someone from PR would b-be able to explain better." 

[John Dark Souls]

- Young man talks in a cheer voice without losing his smile even for a moment -
"Haha, there you go. Doesn't seem like remembering your name made you any less nervous though. Well, can't blame ya, your position is that of tester, yet your superiors go and grab a bunch of random people and make them participate in this so-called beta-test and make you supervise over them when its clearly not supposed to be your job. And worst part, if something goes wrong, you'll just be used as scapegoat and your head'll be first one to roll so to speak. And finally, just look around you, not only is the number of beta-testers to "gauge public interest" is extremely low, all the participants seem to have quite vivid personalities and quite likely might not be best representatives of the said public. Simply put, you have my condolences man, don't worry, losing your job isn't the end. Oh, right, almost forgot myself, I'm Lechter btw~ Pleased to meet ya."

[King V]

"Digital? Headsets? Conscience? Sorry, I don't quite understand. From my knowledge, a 'game' is a kind of horrific bloodsport where lots of people watch professional deathbringers murder one another... is that not what we signed up for?"

[John Dark Souls]

- Hears what the other person just said -
"Wait, is that what we signed up for? My only experience with games are mostly card games and mind games and the only 'video game' I tried was some, what did she call it, ah yes, falling block puzzle game... So I sort of imagined it would be something refreshing I could do while laid back and relaxed like fishing. But actually, that doesn't sound boring either, so I guess I'm fine either way~"

[Daiwa Scarlet]

"So Izuna can take everything left at the end~"

*Izuna hums to herself as she helps pick up some of the scattered folders*

"Clumsy onii-chan, you're really good at drawing~"

[John Dark Souls]

"You sure seem fond of those lanyards, girly. You can totally have mine too~"

[Daiwa Scarlet]

*Izuna's ears perk up and she waves her tail*

"Wah, thank you Lechter-san."

[King V]

"Card games, card games... is that a contest where people try to kill each other with cards? Seems a little silly if you ask me."

"And what are these 'lanyards' you keep talking about, little animal person? I'm intrigued."

[Daiwa Scarlet]

"Those things that onii-san is holding desu."

*Izuna waves the lanyard she had gotten earlier*

[John Dark Souls]

"Well, it is pretty silly, putting all your money which is your lifeline on just luck of a draw and maybe some cheating skills and 'try to kill each other' with cards. But I guess to some it might seem 'more intelligent' than stabbing each other with knives or shooting each other with guns or what have you?"