JAC sat on a chair next to a giant black wolf. The wolf had red go down her chin and onto the fur of her underbelly. She grinned. "This is Swillow, from Swillow the Slaughterhound."

A different, yellow and slender wolf was on his other side. She broke her repose by glancing one eye at the camera. "This is Citrus Snow from the same story."

Citrus took a step forward. "And this is Beast Games. The rules are that your characters and ours will be on Beast Island." She paced around the room. "We have one installment every two weeks. During which beasts will participate in a variety of games for the coveted throne."

Swillow said, "But... you may feel like joining a pack.."

JAC said, "These are the factions you can join. If you feel like joining Beast Games, you must meet three criteria to be eligible.

"First: The character must be a beast. As in an animal.

"Two: You have to be able to present some type of writing for the character.

"Three: You have to be accessible. I have to be able to converse with you about the character at least once a week. This is storyline based. More information after these messages from the factions."

He took out a remote and turned the screen off, changing the channel that way you could see the other options.

***

You're sitting down, and you realize how little you've done recently. It seems like you should have a purpose, a meaning in your existence, and yet you don't. Are you entirely worthless? Of course you're not, you're a good person. So you picked up the magazine that day, and noticed the advertisement of the faction.

"Join the Empire of Light." On the cover was a blue scaled dragon, with an almost goat like head and long horns. He was probably a juvenile considering his size -- maybe four feet tall? But he had a winning grin. Still, something gives you a chill.

You don't think too much about the ad until after you've had your coffee, gone to work, etc. You didn't do anything today, and so you wallow in your own self-pity.

Day two comes, and on your way to work, you notice a poster with the same dragon with the same words. Join the Empire of Light. In all of Beast Island there are four factions seeking power. But it's you who is the bastion of justice, and who wishes to pervade it. The name catches you, and you decide to look more into it.

"We fight for the rights of everybody, and to stop criminal activity before it starts, and to end it before it continues."

It's Day three, and you are in a hall that is almost purely white except for the alternating yellow and blue tapestries. The dragon himself appears, with several dragon guards. They all have blank expressions.

"My name is Athyn, and I am a warrior for peace and prosperity. Same as with all of you, I thought I couldn't change the world. But now I've discovered we can change the world once we have power over it. If you're disciplined, join us. If you take our town as sacred, join us. We are the major power in this land."

Then, he said the slogan: "Our sight is right."

The audience cheered and the mantra came out, "Sight is right, sight is right!" You feel it build up in your chest, and you didn't think you'd give in to peer pressure. But you did, and you chanted.

"Our sight is right, our sight is right, our sight is right."

Could the party get shut down soon? This had to be distruptive to everybody. But all you can do is sacrifice your thoughts...

"OUR SIGHT IS RIGHT!"

(The Empire of Light is the best faction you can join because it combines loyalty, tradition, and other matters into a movement to give individuals self purpose and a sense of identity and belonging.

It is the worst faction to join because it believes that it is right and never wavers in its conviction. It oppresses others who don't believe what they think is right. It is also rigid and promotes blind obedience towards the law.)

***

"We are the System Oversight, the S.O.S."

You hadn't expected for that link to pop up, but you clicked it, and saw the advertisement. It was an anthromorphic tiger. Navy blue drapes covered his well-muscled body. A scene played of him walking an empty alleyway.

"Us Anthros are even born that way. We're not beast, nor human."

In the background, a feral tiger and humanoid ran up to him and tackled him to the ground. "But for some of us, we're also not welcome in society."

The next scene had him on a hospital bed, covered in medical gauze, but soon as a doctor approached him, he pushed them away. "Why should we listen to a world that doesn't want us?"

Next scene spray painting the walls of a jailhouse with several friends. Some weren't anthro, some were feral beasts, a few were even dragons. "I'm talking to all of you undesirables, rejects of society."

Next scene had him working out with those same friends, but now, one dragon presented him a gift. He took it and opened it, only to find a mask. The mask would only cover half his face and make it resemble a skull with blood teardrops.

He put the mask on. "My name is ONE, and we can all fight for a better tomorrow for us."

Final scene, and he was sitting in front of a burning building. The camera zoomed in on the fact it read, "City Hall".

"Together, we can Break the Puppets."

(The SOS is the best faction you can join because it promoted sibling like love and has a supporting environment.

The SOS is the worst faction you can join because it weaponizes fear to gain political advantages, and fights against the system when said system won't work for them.)

***

Michelle, the giant penguin, performs while you watch. You notice Michelle is not necessarily anthromorphic. Perhaps a magical beast? Or perhaps a beast that was normal then blessed with magic? Regardless, she's over five feet tall.

She performs her magic tricks in the back alley of the highest rent district in the town, without the shady characters. No Ghosts, no System Oversight. Only threat here may have been the Order of Light.

She conjures up a mask, and the audience claps. But you realize that the mask is your face. It flies to you, and within seconds...

If you thought about having free choice when it came to the factions, you had something else coming. You have now become one of her puppets.

She takes you into her own lair, a castle with rich red tapestries on the outskirts of Beastown.

She takes off the mask, and you feel like running away. Until you see the calm tea party.

The guests sit at the chairs, laughing and talking. You never had a problem putting the mask on you realize. It only encourages you to be more honest.

You lift up a cup. Pinkie's up.

(Joining the Magician's Collection is the best thing you can do as it combines inner femininity along with discovery of magic. Also, it doesn't have a stupid slogan.

It is the worst faction you can join because it denies free will, and combines an amoral lack of empathy with a dangerous curiosity about magic.)

***

You only watched. Why is all I want to know. I mean, how can you do that? I guess you've finally figured out, there is a second one of us. I've been noticing your choices, I have to.

But the least you can tell me is why you did it. In case you forgot what you did, let me bring you back up to speed.

The jackal and fox traveled down the Dark Woods Zone, not aware of what was going on. Still they slunk around, not able to define the shadows defined any creatures. The laughter filled their ears, causing them to droop.

Two juveniles, simply walking back home from school. Maybe they were at work. I don't know, but you do.

The two began breaking down, and hid near a tree, until one of "Them" saw the two youngings. And then another them, and a third them. The snowy white Wild Dogs surrounded the two, and more than those two. Albino hyenas came too, and some wolves.

Then you came, blended in by the white paint you all put upon yourselves along with your individualistic markings when it came to hunting.

"Someone's been lurking in our territory," said one of the three main sisters leading the group. Codename: Slash.

"Looks like somebody is in trouble right now." The second sister snickered sinisterly. "You two should have stayed at home, shouldn't you."

"Back off, don't hurt us," the jackal said. "My dad is a member of the police, you know."

But then came out several anthromorphic animals as well, all colored in white, and dragons. The three main factions of ferals, anthros, and dragons.

"Someone's trying to threaten us," said the final sister.

Slash said, "Isn't that adorable to watch, Coconut and Marshmallow?"

Second sister, Marshmallow, said, "That's pretty mean to do. I guess they need some special treatment." It was a sing-song, taunting voice that almost turned into a melody.

The fox panicked and said, "Anything you three want, we'll give you, I swear."

The three sisters gave each other glances, and laughed. That's when they invited You over. The two panicked at the sight of you, but faster than they could react, you threw them up, and slammed both down into the ground. Brutalized two innocent children.

The laughter continued, and while they were unconscious, all of you dug your paws into buckets of white paint and smeared it over their furs, leaving them as victims to find.

No one knows who most of you are as you hide in the shadows. But I want to know, why do that? What is with you Ghosts?

You say, "Because this land is ours, and I will Haunt the Land."

(Ghosts are the best faction you can join because they eliminate choice and encourage individuals to work in their most comfortable environments. Away from any sunlight and in total darkness. You will suffer no fear.

Ghosts are the worst faction you can join because they're total maniacs.)

***

JAC cleared his throat. "Well, um, here are the submission guidelines (since all of you are only reading this because your Mary-Sue Self-Insert is in the book - kinda like tap dancing or ballet.) :

"The character has to be a beast. That means a literal animal. Anthromorphic is fine. A half-human half-animal is fine too. Or characters who can, at least, transform into animals. If unsure, feel free to talk to me in private, or in public. Chapter one will be attached to this post."