The trek along the road was, for the most part, uneventful. Turns out, most people did avoid it, making for a smooth journey. Yet as with all things, luck eventually runs out. You heard it long before you saw it, the blaring of an engine. It meant someone was coming down the road and you were left with an issue: were contestants even allowed on these trails? Hell, did you somehow already wonder outside of the game area? This could be bad.
Quickly, you move to hide in the brush only to have your zapper gun get snatched by one of the branches. Only a minute too late did you realize your mistake and you'd just attempted to hide in a thorn bush.
"Shit!" You curse loudly as you try to pull yourself out as the Jeep not only approached, but came to stop as well. Before you knew it, you several new, plastic hands were upon you, pulling you out of the brush while yet another was set about removing the thorns from your clothing.
"Oh, dear! Are you all right?"
"Let us help you!"
Both confused and panicked, you decided if all else failed you could play dumb if thing went South. The two dolls, a blue male otter and a
female red panda (that was yellow?) that had come to your aid were now smiling brightly as they looked you up and down.
"You must have fallen off one of the transports!" the otter informed you. Wait, transports? Just what the hell were they transporting in the middle of a game? "We can help you get back there in no time!"
"Yep yep yep! You wouldn't want to be outside in all the craziness, Sir!" the panda chimed in sweetly, "It would be pretty bad if you got shot out here by the contestants thinking you were one of them!"
"I should know, it happened to me last year!" the otter laughed with glee. Again, you pondered if this happiness was truly real or not as the two helped you into a Jeep. "So, have you already placed your bets this year or were you just coming in?"
"Just coming in, actually," you said with a half shrug, "My flight was delayed and, well... I showed up later than expected."
"Oh, that happens all the time! We're expecting at least seven more people before the end of the day," the panda replied going on to add, "Ever since Hera started to request people come in to place bets, we've been seeing all sorts of normal people these days!"
A question on your tongue slipped, "Wait, but I thought no one could leave the island except the winner..."
"Well, there is a pretty easy way around that, silly! If you own anything here, you're not really completing!" The panda said before her eyes seemed to spark with life, "Wait, are you a first time buyer?! Oh, oh! Please consider purchasing me if you get a chance! I would love to see the outside world!"
"You know the rules about pressuring new buyers, Amber! But, uh... If you did consider that, please look into my price as well since I like working with her," the otter added in.
Huh, so they did retain some personality to them, even if it was only surface level. Still, it meant there was still some humanity in them, so maybe... No, no wasn't the time to think about that. Get your answers first about Lilly, then figure out if these 'dolls' could be considered truly human still.
"I'll consider it," you say with a half smile as the two giggle with glee. You managed to bluff your way into a free ride, but to where? Well, with any luck, they'll take you straight to this 'Hera' and you be able to get out of this with your mind in tacked... Of course, the issue of what to do once you do get your answers comes up. Do you give up and let them turn you into a doll or a statue or whatever? Do you fight your way through like some sort of action movie star? All those those thoughts would have to come later. Right now, you needed to stay in the moment.
Smile and play the part of a 'rich first time buyer.' Keep your head low and maybe, just maybe... things will work out all right.