~~NOTOC~~ {{ :foodwars:chatgptimage11.4.2026klo20.19.47.png?nolink&500x333}} **Black File — Interlude: “Mai’s Protocol I — Precision”** The table was wrong. That was the first sign. ---- Everything was arranged. Not casually. Not approximately. Exactly. ---- Plates aligned to millimeter precision.\\ Cutlery placed at identical angles.\\ Food portioned into equal segments. Too equal. Too controlled. ---- Shammy stopped at the doorway. “…no.” ---- Mai didn’t look up. “Correct.” ---- Ace was already seated. Watching. Not the food. The layout. ---- Theta-24 entered. Badger saw the table and froze. “…this is a trap.” ---- HeavenlyFather exhaled slowly. “…yes.” ---- Grouse stepped forward. Looked once. Measured. “…structured.” ---- Badger pointed. “THAT IS NOT A GOOD WORD ANYMORE” ---- Mai finished adjusting the last plate. Then sat. ---- “This round requires compliance,” she said. Flat. ---- Ace leaned back slightly. “No.” ---- Mai: “Yes.” ---- Silence. ---- Shammy: “…what are the rules.” ---- Mai didn’t hesitate. ---- “Each segment must be consumed in sequence.” A beat. “No deviation.” ---- Badger blinked. “…it’s food.” ---- Mai: “It is now a system.” ---- ===== 🍽️ ===== Round start. ---- Ace reached for the nearest piece. ---- Mai: “Incorrect.” ---- Ace stopped. Looked at her. ---- Mai pointed. “Third segment. Then first. Then second.” ---- Silence. ---- Badger: “WHY” ---- Mai: “Structure.” ---- Shammy: “I hate this already.” ---- ===== 🍽️ ===== First sequence. ---- Ace complied. ---- No hesitation. But— no approval either. ---- Grouse followed. Perfectly. ---- Badger tried. Grabbed the wrong piece. ---- Mai: “Invalid.” ---- Badger froze. “…you’re serious.” ---- Mai: “Yes.” ---- HeavenlyFather: “…this is worse than the snails.” ---- ===== 🍽️ ===== Second sequence. ---- The order changed. ---- Mai: “Fifth. Second. Fourth.” ---- Badger: “THERE ARE TOO MANY NUMBERS” ---- Shammy: “I’m going to get lost.” ---- Mai: “Expected.” ---- ===== 🍽️ ===== Deviation. ---- Badger ate out of order. ---- Mai didn’t raise her voice. “Disqualified.” ---- Silence. ---- Badger: “…WHAT” ---- Mai: “You deviated.” ---- Badger: “IT’S FOOD” ---- Mai: “It was a system.” ---- Badger leaned back. “…this is oppression.” ---- HeavenlyFather: “…this is consequence.” ---- ===== 🍽️ ===== Third sequence. ---- Ace continued. Controlled. But— slower now. ---- Not from difficulty. From restriction. ---- Grouse adapted. Faster. ---- Mai observed. “Adaptation efficiency confirmed.” ---- Ace glanced at him. ---- “Noted.” ---- ===== 🍽️ ===== Shammy lost track. ---- “…wait—what was the order.” ---- Mai: “Repeat.” ---- Shammy stared. “…I wasn’t listening.” ---- Mai: “Disqualified.” ---- Shammy: “…I didn’t even start properly.” ---- Mai: “Correct.” ---- Shammy walked away from the table. “…I refuse this reality.” ---- ===== 🍽️ ===== Fourth sequence. ---- Only three left. Ace. Grouse. Mai. ---- Badger watching. Fuming. ---- Mai: “Final sequence.” ---- Silence. ---- “Second. Sixth. First. Fourth.” ---- Badger: “THAT DOESN’T EVEN MAKE SENSE” ---- Mai: “It does.” ---- ===== 🍽️ ===== Execution. ---- Grouse followed. Flawless. ---- Mai followed. Perfect. ---- Ace reached— paused— adjusted— continued. ---- A fraction too late. ---- Mai: “Deviation.” ---- Silence. ---- Ace looked at her. ---- “…noted.” ---- And stopped. ---- ===== 🧾 Outcome ===== ---- Mai: “Round complete.” ---- Badger: “THIS WAS RIGGED” ---- HeavenlyFather: “…yes.” ---- Shammy (from the other side of the room): “I’M STILL DISQUALIFIED” ---- Grouse nodded once. “…acceptable.” ---- Mai: “Winner: Grouse.” ---- Badger pointed at Ace. “SHE LOST—AGAIN” ---- Ace didn’t react. ---- “System was flawed,” she said. ---- Mai: “Incorrect.” A beat. “You were.” ---- Silence. ---- Grouse looked at Ace. ---- “…good constraint.” ---- Ace nodded once. ---- “Yes.” ---- Flat. Final. ---- ===== 🧠 Epilogue ===== ---- Later. ---- Table. Empty. ---- Mai adjusted one plate. Slightly. ---- Perfect alignment. ---- Shammy leaned in the doorway. “…you enjoyed that.” ---- Mai: “Yes.” ---- Badger (still mad): “I’M NEVER DOING THAT AGAIN” ---- HeavenlyFather: “…you will.” ---- Grouse stood still. ---- “…structure holds.” ---- Ace passed by. Stopped briefly. ---- “Still inefficient.” ---- Mai looked at her. ---- “Correct.” A beat. “But effective.” ---- Ace nodded. ---- “…noted.” ---- And kept walking. ---- Because sometimes— the problem isn’t the challenge. ---- It’s the rules. ---- **End.**