[ Horologium , District 9 ] “Horologium.” The name rung out like a bell in the waiting area before the gamemakers. Oro froze for a second before scrambling to get up from where they had been sitting down. The once full room had emptied out, one by one by one by one and so on until Oro couldn’t pay attention anymore and shifted xir gaze to the floor. And now it was their turn. They walked to the door and moved to open it. They had started pushing on the door when it suddenly began moving on its own, causing xem to have to catch themself on the floor. It was significantly colder than the already freezing waiting room. Xe quickly hurried inside, only to be met with gusts of wind and flashes of a light that hung above xem. “Hello!” Oro announced, xir voice cracking right in the middle. Oh god, forget dying in the arena, they were going to exit this world right then and there. “What I mean to say is, hello. Hi. Uh…” Well at least their voice went back to normal. “I’m Horologium, like the constellation! You can’t really see it in district 9, but it exists. I don’t know if you guys have heard of it.. wait have you heard of it?” Xe paused, and were met with a beat of awkward silence before pushing through the awkwardness. Maybe if they just kept talking, they could get this introduction back on track. “Well, yeah… uh. As I had kinda mentioned but also kinda forgot to state directly, I’m from district 9. I’m just going to talk about the gamemaker related things now!” This was not going like xe had hoped. “Now I’m assuming from all this,” they waved their hamd around at the darkness surrounding them. “that the arena is most likely going to be pretty cold. So a fire is definitely necessary, but lucky for you all, it’s quite easy to start one with a sheet of ice. Alas, this… can't really be demonstrated, as I really don’t think you all want to watch me as I watch water freeze in here. So onto my second little… thing. There’s got to be a better word for it. Talent? Ehh, well there’s a word somewhere!” Oro let out a nervous laugh that quickly devolved into a coughing fit. Yep. This really was going to be the death of them. Public speaking had never been xir strong suit, though it was so much easier at the parade. They weren’t being judged, and instead, were encouraged by those below. With the gamemakers, they were offered nothing but taciturn judges and unflinching stares. Oro quickly moved large objects around the room, setting them up at various angles and allowing for just enough room for them to slip in between. “So as you may or may not be able to see, I’ve just set up some obstacles around the room. One thing that I believe will be beneficial in the arena is my memory. I mean- I’ve got all the constellations and a majority of the herbs and other plants memorized, but I’m sure that you all do not want to hear a list. It must get really tiring up in there, like you are just watching and taking notes and stuff. So! I have set up this course! No I did not practice beforehand, and the only way I know where these objects are is by memory. To be entirely honest, those lights don’t do anything. Like I can’t see anything that isn’t a centimeter in front of my face. Maybe you need to check on that. Or maybe that’s how it’s supposed to be! But either way, I’m still going to tie this random cloth around my head as a blindfold.” Xe turned, took a deep breath, and then wrapped the cloth around their eyes. Then, xe began to move under, over, around, and on one occasion, through all the obstacles present, occasionally doubling back through. Not a sound could be heard, except for the faint tapping of their paws on the ground. “As you can see,” they said while removing the blindfold, “being able to move about in locations that one is somewhat familiar with is quite important in an arena. And just in case you were wondering if I had set it up so it wouldn’t fall if I touched it, you would be wrong.” Xe walked over and gave one of the supports a light tap. It crumbled to the ground with a loud thud. “So, this concludes all the things I have for you all, and I hope you’re willing to consider me for a good score. “Praise to be Imperium!” [ ] Oh god sorry about another last minute submission. Yes, I will be updating the thumbnail art eventually, and I apologize for the extremely rushed writing! I really need sleep because my past day has just been the John Mulaney bit about Delta airlines come true :’D ♫ Resting Grounds from Hollow Knight
