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Post by flightlessicarus on Mar 3, 2020 0:04:44 GMT -8
With Dana's turn completed, the large screen re-emerges from the clouds.
"It is tiiiime for a mini-game!"
All the carapaces look over at the screen for a moment, and then they realize it's just the minigame call. one of them pulls out a smartphone and checks their messages.
Rise brings their attention to the screen and waits for the minigame to be announced.
"The minigame you two will be playing will be... Cake Stackers!"
And with that, Rise and Dana are gate-ported off to somewhere completely different.
"Hey Garrett, what are you doing after work?" A dersite asks one of the prospitians.
"Eh, not much. Prolly gonna go bowling or something," Garrett replies.
"Cool."
Rise and Dana appear in a back-room with a great deal of cakes on a wheely cart, and an empty table, aside from two open jars of frosting and two rubber spatulas.
"You have thirty seconds (one turn) to stack as many cakes as possible! Watch out for that balancing!"
Rise takes inventory of their surroundings and prepares mentally for the rush.
"Three, two one, Go!"
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ApocFox
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A real atom bomb, baby
Posts: 25
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Post by ApocFox on Mar 3, 2020 20:02:57 GMT -8
"Minigame? The hell--"
Dana thus found herself unable to object to the change of pace, suddenly blinked into a room packed with cake and cake accessories. She barely heard the instructions over her own confused and irate babbling, "Wait, who the fuck said anything about-- guhhhh, screw it, I'll wing it!" Stack cakes to make bigger cakes, how hard could it be? She hoped the frosting wouldn't get caked into her fur. Her birthday celebrations during her youth were always messy. During her teens they stopped being as fun anyway-- wait, why couldn't she remember anything past age twelve again?
With the countdown she narrowed her eyes in anticipation, leaning forward and letting her bushy tail swish eagerly. Again, how hard could it be?
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Post by flightlessicarus on Mar 4, 2020 8:14:38 GMT -8
Upon the sound of the starting bell, Rise leaps into action! in interest of fairness, they do not preform any time manipulation.
Rise grabs a cake and places it on the table. After that, they grab their rubber spatula and begin quickly coating the top of the cake with frosting. Thankfully the cakes have been precooled so there is minimal trouble. They then put it down and grab the next cake, placing it down on top of the first. The next layer of frosting is slightly more efficient than the last, but not by a very high margin. Rise placed the third layer on and the stack still seems stable, thankfully. However, time is running thin.
Rise tries to coat the top of the stack with frosting, but the timer runs out rather early.
At least the cake didn't topple.
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ApocFox
egg
A real atom bomb, baby
Posts: 25
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Post by ApocFox on Mar 4, 2020 16:44:26 GMT -8
Primed to make a mad dash, Dana sprang from her spot once the bell rang. She snatched the cake quickly, slapping it down on the table, racing back to get another piece... and realizes that apparently, the frosting's there to paste the pieces together. Dang. So she sets the other piece down next to its sibling, grabs a bit ol' dallop of frosting on a spatula and messily coats the first before bopping the other on top.
The lack of catching the mechanics might've cost time, but Dana's a quick learner. She's still got frosting left from the big dallop and uses it to glue the third piece on top. Time's running out, but she keeps at it. A fourth piece is in her hands, and onto the table it goes. She needs frosting though, and grabbing the spat she dashes to the jar of--
"Dang!" Time's up already? Three pieces up-top, and Rise has theirs at least partly frosted. Three-V-three for layers. Would this be a tie, or would Rise barely get it?
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Post by flightlessicarus on Mar 7, 2020 0:20:53 GMT -8
The buzzer sounds and the cakes are examined. Both at three cake layers, but Rise's has just a little more frosting on top. "And the winner is... Rise!"Confetti rains down from the rafters, also sticking to any exposed frosting. "Fuck yeah!"Rise fist-pumps as they celebrate their small victory. Ten booncoins are added to Rise's account. Soon the players are gate-ported back to their previous spaces on the board.
While nobody is looking, the chessboard resembles more a break lounge than a battlefield, with the carapacians bantering about, one taking a smoke break in a corner, another blasting their odd music tastes from their cellphone, and another preforming light stretches. They all rush back to their positions as the game resumes session. Rise looks up at their dice block and jumps up to hit it. OokNfvfw1-6[ diceroll: 1 ] Another low roll. Nevermind, they can work with this. "Alright, F2 pawn to F3!"The prospitian makes their way to the next square.  1-6 |
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ApocFox
egg
A real atom bomb, baby
Posts: 25
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Post by ApocFox on Mar 7, 2020 8:09:07 GMT -8
Dang, so close. Still Rise had just a little more finished than Dana, so no skin off her snout. Blinking back onto the board the vixen checks the state of the panels and pawns. After Rise's most recent move there is not one, not two, but three pawns all within reach. As the game mechanics feel more like checkers, Dana assumes that she could jump all three pawns. Well, assuming she rolls at least a three. If two or less, about a 33% chance and nothing to scoff at, she'd ponder getting out of the way lest her sacrifice would be in vain. After all, bitcoins could still be accumulated in the minigames.
The purple die lingered above the fox long enough. She jabs upwards!
unomdVpP1-6
Just barely enough to get them all, even if her other pawns couldn't move further. She has to take it, and wants to... but it occurs to her. How would she even jump more than one at a time? Heck, she's not even sure she could jump one of them, let alone multiple at a time. Instead she plays it safe. After all this is a simplified chess, and multi-jumps might not be allowed anyway. "My move. I'll step ahead, D4 to D5". She advances with a comically long stride, standing face-to-face with Rise. "Yo". She then turns on a heel and commands her pawns: "A6 to A5, and then B6 to B4. Let's do it up". She's hoping to lock down positions on the board for now, it seems.
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Post by flightlessicarus on Mar 8, 2020 22:52:11 GMT -8
Rise comes face-to-face with Dana, just a single space away from them. "...Hey." Rise waves nonchalantly at Dana, just barely hiding a slight sense of unease. They can't help but feel that something very different could have occurred just a minute ago, with potentially disastrous consequences. Regardless, this is the timeline to be focused upon, not another that could have ended in wrathful denizen-ordered board-flipping. Rise looks up at the yellow dice-block above them. They jump up and get... 4Bd30Byg1-6[ diceroll result: 1/6 ] ...a one? Again? Is there someone pulling some strings on these dicerolls? Regardless, Rise has a move, and one of their team's pawn's has a move. They scan thew battlefield for an opportunity. Most moves would lead to further weak spots in their team's defense. Rise decides to stay put and issue an order to one of the pawns on their team. "A2, come up to A3."The prospitian walks forwards and stops at the appointed space. Can't get jumped if you're on the edge. It's a long way down, and falling would surely be fatal. Thankfully, those chosen for this role are screened to make sure they don't have an impeding fear of heights. Jensen is no exception. They await the dersite team's next move.  1-6 |
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ApocFox
egg
A real atom bomb, baby
Posts: 25
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Post by ApocFox on Mar 9, 2020 9:04:06 GMT -8
What bad luck! Somehow Rise had been getting the short end of the stick for dice rolls consistently. Their expression gives a similar look of disappointment from Dana, and she can't but wonder if the yellow die was weighed against their favor. Another brief analysis of the board. Seems there was another set of jumps Dana could make, but unfortunately one she couldn't perform, to her left. However...
ccrI3ckG1-6
...even her low roll wasn't enough to take a nearby piece. May as well move one of them up; the one that could attack isn't in danger due to having backup. "Yeah, pawn on G8? Scoot on up to G7?" She briefly scans her pieces' expressions; at least one of them seems nervous, one encouraged by Dana's casual shtick, but the rest seem surprisingly uninterested. Must be more routine of a job than she expected.
"Minigame time, I assume?"
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Post by flightlessicarus on Mar 14, 2020 22:49:44 GMT -8
"Why yes, it is minigame time!"
The voice from the floating television screen replies.
"This time you will be doing...!-"
Right before the boardmaster can utter another word, the signal cuts out and the tv blasts white noise.
Much of the carapacians cover their ear-holes, cringing.
"What the fuck is going on?" Rise asks Dana.
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ApocFox
egg
A real atom bomb, baby
Posts: 25
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Post by ApocFox on Mar 21, 2020 22:18:47 GMT -8
Despite being better suited to improvising, a failed plan always annoys Dana even when winging it. So far Rise hadn't been taking the bait, and any chance to exploit a weakness fell short. She wasn't looking forward to the minigame, but wasn't giving up that easy.
The jarring interference yanked Dana out of her sullen mood right quick. The sudden static makes her flinch, instinctively grabbing for her satchel's flap to clear leather on her blaster. Her ears were sensitive enough as-is; the abruptness made it worse. A glance told her the natives were also fazed. "No clue", she responded to Rise with clenched fangs. "I'm not running the show. And maybe that snake isn't either anymore!" Nothing to do but wait even briefly, though Dana expected a cocky ultimatum from the new player to this game before long.
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Post by flightlessicarus on Mar 22, 2020 7:12:37 GMT -8
The screen goes dark and suddenly a crowd of waist-high figures appear from a gate portal upon the gameboard. They have few features aside from sharp claws, a permanent scowl, glowing slitlike eyes, and sharp teeth.
An apt description could be summed up as every child in kindergarten dressed up as venom for Halloween and you have the last king size candy bars.
"...Imps. Weak leveled underlings. Should be easy to take out, if we can manage the numbers."
Rise pulls out an identity disc which folds out into a double sided scythe.
They appear to know exactly what they're doing.
Rise looks over at Dana and smiles.
"I see you're well prepared too."
Meanwhile, the carapacians break from their game-assigned posts to gather behind the two players together.
This isn't part of the program.
The imps begin to rush forward, some even bounding on all fours! A few of them leap for the arial attack, claws extended.
What will you do?
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ApocFox
egg
A real atom bomb, baby
Posts: 25
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Post by ApocFox on Mar 25, 2020 0:06:26 GMT -8
Out from the rift, the shadowy little fuckers came forth. Glowing eyes, ornery expressions, wickedly sharp teeth and nails. Would make sense that they were called imps, for they fit the bill nicely. With the Carapacians drawing behind her and Rise, Dana had no time or desire to worry. Rise seemed confident to act, and even if their double-bladed scythe seemed odd to use, an exotic weapon wielded with mastery has an edge over conventional weaponry brandished with lesser skill.
With Rise's glance, Dana is indeed well prepared. Already her blaster was primed and at the ready, warmed in her hand and emitting a whine that only she can hear by now. Maybe the imps could too, if they got close enough. Not that they'd live long enough to hear much of it. Her hunting knife in her off-hand, yanked and flipped open from her pocket, was now in an ice-pick grip hanging from beneath the butt of her plasma pistol. Replace the blade with a flashlight, and her stance seems surprisingly military.
"Of course", she shot back to Rise as the monstrous mooks drew closer in fervor, "True demons or not, even fiends bleed".
The first line, scampering on all fours, began to leap toward Dana. She was confident for Rise to keep the pressure but kept alert if they needed help. Swerving to the side abruptly as they leapt she opened fire, making sure the first of the enemies fell dead before the shelled natives. The flash of pale blue, a smell of ozone, a noise resembling a muffled whip crack; each pull of the trigger blasted the imps hoping to overpower her, using her knife to tear into those getting near her.
The sheer numbers and aggression couldn't compensate for their inadequate fighting. One by one plasma bolts flew and exploded on impact with the imps, gibbing them with arcane plasma ultraviolence. From their short size, a blast that could take limbs off or vaporize gaping chunks from a person-sized victim destroyed at least half of their bodies. At least half of them didn't even leave behind smoldering chunks of body left; those utterly slain instead splattered into a puddle of bubbling bluish goo. Like steam, ethereal vapor billows from those slain by her blaster, either blown apart by severe heat or liquefied into ectoplasmic sludge.
Despite turning aside her initial attackers, none got close enough to propose a threat to any of the pawns. The worst they'd have to contend with is seeing one slough apart from a center-mass blast to the back from a few feet away. One backed away, not wanting to get the once-imp slop onto their feet. The one the imp was preparing to pounce upon fainted, either from the gruesome death or from nearly having one themselves.
Dana grit her fangs, ears pinned back and eyes giving a death stare, turning to the oncoming crowd. At least six or seven of the imps were dead from her plasma pistol, given what remained of them. But the crowd continued to pour forward, and the next wave would be upon her. The gambit of diving away from the front line wasn't smart. What if any of the imps got to the Carapacians? Worse, what if she blasted those she was trying to protect with a stray shot? There's no way their shells could protect against her eldritch ordinance, especially as it seemed to be even more brutal against otherworldly beings. And last Dana checked, this was indeed another world.
She shot a glance toward Rise, trying to see how they were holding up. Maybe 10+ shots left in her power cell before needing to replace it. She fired wildly into the crowd of mooks as she assessed the battle, hoping to break formation or force them to duck for cover.
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Post by flightlessicarus on Mar 25, 2020 7:30:38 GMT -8
Rise snaps their fingers and is gone in a flash of red, only to reappear in an outward explosion of cuts, slashes, and stabs.
The circle of imps surrounding them fall to the ground in oozing bloody pieces. However, this is only a fraction of the horde lain to waste upon the battlefield. Rise doesn't seem to care. They appear to revel in the bloodshed, fast forwarding into critical strikes, gouges, and decapitations.
Easily dodging any stray plasma fire, they focus on the fringes.
Rise seems to have a ruthless sort of elegance to their movements, red afterimages behind them as they dance about with twirling blades at unreal speeds.
Soon enough, it seems Rise and Dana's combined efforts manage to clear the air. Dozens of filleted, vaporized, tenderized, liquified, and just straight up mutilated corpses litter the battlefield. all at once, they harmlessly burst into various types of grist.
Rise breathes a sigh of relief and collapses their scythe back into a disc at the press of a button between labored breaths.
It's been a while, but they still got it. Oh, how they've missed having the rush of adrenaline in the midst of such carnage... it feels like home, in an almost worrying way.
"...We did it." Rise smiles and gives a thumbs up to Dana. "Let's collect the spoils, 50-50," gesturing to the grist left where the bodies once fell. "just walk up to it and close contact will add the grist to your account."
meanwhile, the carapacians seem quite relieved at the fortunate outcome. it's been a while since an incident like this, though they don't seem to be too shaken.
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ApocFox
egg
A real atom bomb, baby
Posts: 25
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Post by ApocFox on Mar 26, 2020 11:35:47 GMT -8
Watching Rise fight with their scythe and sheer aggression was both reassuring and a terror to behold. If Dana didn't know any better, she could've seen Rise as the grim reaper in a non-binary Mario outfit. Knowing fair well the monsters couldn't stand a chance, the vixen got back into it. Once the dust settled, the massacred mooks were utterly wiped out and strewn across the chessboard. Even Rise seemed tired by the end of it but they, Dana, and the Carapacians all remained standing and unharmed. Nothing but minor scrapes on Dana's end, the aches and pains already beginning to settle down. Even a minor healing factor was better than none at all.
As the imps' remains became grist, Dana offered a tired smirk, panting in an animal fashion. "Done deal", she chuckled back, just happy that none of the innocents or their heroes really got hurt. "We'd best collect soon though. Can't help but feel that, whoever interrupted the broadcast, they won't be content with just that first assault". Seems the Carapacians were taking the attack well. Even the one that fainted had come to, and despite the incident were toughing it out. She offers a tilt of the hat to the pawns, "Would this count as a workplace accident if none of ya got hurt? Figured I'd ask; don't wanna reset the 'days-without-an-accident' tally so soon. Heh".
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Post by flightlessicarus on Mar 28, 2020 23:54:08 GMT -8
Rise gives a thunbs-up and walks off into the strewn pile of large gushers-like objects, as they have done many times before. The pattern they walk through the right half of it is quite well optimized for the automatic collection that takes place upon contact.
Steps retraced from many times long past...
Nostalgia is a strange thing sometimes, particularly the kind with emotional baggage behind it...
Nevertheless, routine pulls them through as they resolve to wait, as Dana to collects her share.
The carapacians, upon being addressed, take a moment to find any words among them.
"Workplace accident? This was no accident. Those imps are sent out on purpose."
"Yeah. The Boardmaster has a bit of a sadistic streak sometimes. Usually we're not targeted by their underlings, thankfully."
Rise nods. "Sounds about right. Underlings like those imps usually work for a Denizen, and it's all but confirmed that the boardmaster is the denizen of this region."
A Return Node spirograph gate appears at the edge of the board.
"Huh, the return node." one of the carapacians notices.
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