lostcarnival | ⇨ THE GAME CUBE

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⇨ THE GAME CUBE

Who: Everyone who gets caught in the game.
When: Day 97
Where: Hellbound Hallows, the game inside of a cube inside of a city inside of a computer.
What: On Day 97, a massive Game Cube drops on the city of Mainframe, forcing those caught inside to fight against the User for their lives. This log is 100% Hellbound Hallows gameplay. Plotting deets are here.
Warnings: Diablo-esque violence, characters dying, and edgy video game aesthetic gore.

HELLBOUND HALLOWS↴
The Game Cube drops close to the entrance of the carnival - so much so that it will end up pulling a lot of people from it in, out of sheer terrible luck. Alternatively, your character may have seen it coming down and understood what allowing the programs to fail would mean, dashing in to be caught beneath it out of sheer heroism. Maybe you entered the game for some reason in between.

Either way, once the walls of the Cube have passed you, you'll find yourself in a new reality. You find yourself somewhere in the levels of a dungeon crawling game with a dark aesthetic. Some binomes and sprites from the city have been pulled in with you, and all oft them know what to do. It's time to Reboot.

Use the icon button the Ringmaster gave each of you. Tap it twice and say "Reboot", and you'll be able to assume your new form. Maybe it's useful, maybe it's not, but it's probably better than nothing. Probably.

Now, figure out where you fit in to the structure of setting, and wait for the Game to begin.

► LEVEL ONE: Level one is where the Users will enter. With a cold blue aesthetic, it appears to be some manner of underground fortress, filled with many hallways and grand archeways. In a standard game, the enemies here would be theoretically the easiest to defeat, but you are under no obligation to follow those rules. Level one is ruled over by Sora, rebooted into the form of a vampiric overlord. He must be defeated in order for the Users to gain access to level two.

► LEVEL TWO: The colour pallet shifts to purple here, the corridors becoming darker and only lit with scattered braziers and the occasional stream of lava. Banners and tapestries depicting some hellish god line the walls. The traps here are primarily fire based, with lava traps or geysers of flame becoming more common. Level two is ruled over by Yamato, who has rebooted into the form of a fiery hellbeast. He must be defeated to access level three.

► LEVEL THREE: As the colours shift into a sickly green, the Users will reach the final level. The architecture is shaped based on the screaming faces of the damned, and the rooms are large and dramatic, filled with vast obelisks and deep chasms. Subterranean plant life haunts the floors and shadows of this place, and poison traps become deadly and common. Level three is ruled over by the man Gongenzaka, the final boss of of the game. If he is defeated, the Users have won. Do not let this happen.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yuya's ReBoot is only marginally more effectual, but he at least recognizes that voice despite his new appearance as a mimic.

"Yeah, if they want to win the game. And then they have to defeat... Yamato? I think that's his name. And then Gongenzaka, so it won't be--uh." He stares at Strange for a long moment. On a lizard's face, it's really hard to tell just what he's thinking.

"How are you going to do that?"

"Watch!" And then, for a moment, Strange stops moving, the tiny little chest legs sort of fusing back into the chest. To his credit, when he's perfectly still, he does look almost exactly like the sort of treasure chest that's scattered around the dungeon.

The problem, of course, is that Strange is rubbish at staying still. He remains still for about five seconds before the chest's lid pops open and his long tongue lolls back out.

"You see? I simply stay quiet, wait, and then grab someone when they approach!"

In theory, that actually isn't a bad plan. Although with just a lizard face to express himself with, it's hard to tell at first if Yuya is approving or thinks Strange is absurd.

Well, it is a little absurd. But it's a game, and who's he to say what the best way to win it is?

"So you're going to be our first line of defense," He announces, nodding once. "That's great!"

It has not occurred to Strange that 'first line of defense' means 'he's probably going to get killed again.' He's just so put out about the fact that he's still stuck in this stupid dungeon and he doesn't have his magic that murder is a perfectly viable option.

"Care to join me as the second line of defense?"

Yuya... is probably smiling in response, but his lips (beak??) don't curl up very much. But at least his tone sounds chipper.

"Maybe I can trip them into your mouth? They won't even know what happened!"

Strange is worryingly happy about the concept of eating people. He can't help but let out a laugh of triumph as his eyes twinkle with delight. It'll help him get revenge and it'll get them closer to beating the game. Besides, he's no idea how this whole 'eating people as a box' thing works, what better way to find out?

"Perfect! Now we just need to wait for one of those Users to show up and we'll be set!"

They should show up aaaaaany day now...hopefully.

Has the game even started? Yuya doesn't know, but he's staking his position right in front of the door, tail gently wagging in anticipation.

"Hey, if this works then we don't have to--" He doesn't get to finish that thought before the door swings open and slams into his face. Maybe he was standing a little too close.

Well, it's quite the introduction for the Users.

As the door slams open, Strange first jumps to life, then realizes 'oh drat, I'm supposed to be still now, aren't I' and then desperately tries to regain composure and look boxlike and not sentient in the slightest.

It is not entirely convincing and mostly involves Strange trying his hardest to stand really still and hope that Yuya manages to knock the Users somewhere close to his mouth. The likelihood that this will end up with Strange getting dead via the Users is 100% but he's just so confident that this is going to work no matter what.

"Ow! Watch it!" Yuya grumbles as he shakes his head and pads around the door--only to quickly realize it isn't other carnival members or mainframe denizens coming in. He chokes his words down as he stares up at the group marching confidently in.

Right, the plan, the plan. He has to get them off their feet, and he's got to think on his feet how to do it!

So he charges headfirst into their ankles. Brilliant.

Strange tries to remain calm, attempting to not move and remain PERFECTLY STILL as Yuya charges at the Users, thankfully knocking some of them over. However, even before his decision making skills were shot to hell via the madness, Strange wasn't exactly a patient man. So, he creaks open his lid slightly....and then just freezes as one of the Users spots that and starts carefully making his way over towards Strange, leaving the others to deal with Yuya.

Whoops. This isn't good. Strange just desperately tries to keep still and keep calm and oh, don't mind him, he's just an ordinary box, but it's apparent to all (including Yuya) that this holding still and keeping calm thing isn't going to work for much longer.

Yuya mentally cringes when he sees Strange's lid... mouth... thing lift up. He stumbles back after knocking the balance of one of the Users, but it isn't enough to deter them as a group. Being stuck in the middle of the group is bad, he knows, and they're in a worse sort separated. But he need a--ah.

Yuya whips around to face the healer and lunges forward to bite their ankle. The cloth leaves little barrier for his teeth and there's a horrible scream, but it's enough to give him a way out. So he bolts from between the other Users and attempts to catch the one going for Strange with his teeth.

Well there goes the plan.

Yuya hits, as teeth clamp around the User going for Strange. Now that the User's standing still, Strange takes that as an opportunity to scurry towards said User (the rogue) and attempt to just straight up eat the man, trying to bite down on his leg with his weird chest teeth. It would have been a good idea except there's a mage in the group and, as Strange's teeth clamp down on the User that Yuya's holding down as well, Strange gets a fireball to the face, which pushes him away from the melee.

Strange is like a level 1 monster. It's becoming more and more apparent that the best strategy for both of them to survive is probably 'getting the hell out of here.'

"Mister Strange--!" Well, all illusions of grandeur are thoroughly smashed--his fault for underestimating the Users, he supposes.

Yuya whips around, tail flailing wildly as they close in again. He causes a couple to stumble, but the Warrior is barely budged. They swing down, bludgeoning Yuya's head and knocking him dizzy.

Edited 2017-05-25 03:17 (UTC)

"Yuya, I think we should get the hell out of here." Strange is desperately trying to sound like he's got everything under control, this is good, he's a competent magician and knows what he's doing, but it's obvious from the panic in his voice that he has no idea what he's doing in the slightest.

The Warrior turns to Strange now, swinging his weapon down at him. Strange thankfully scurries out of the way but runs right into another fireball cast by the Mage. This one actually sets him on fire and okay, he's a bit worried now, this isn't good.

"W-we should..." Oh, his head. He stumbles a bit, sluggishly turning around. He just barely manages to jump out of the way of strike two and, at Strange's insistence, starts to put distance between himself and the Users.

"And go where?! We're supposed to be stopping them!" But clearly they were in over their head. Maybe this is why they aren't the boss fight.

Strange tries to skitter backwards, as if this will somehow put the fire out, trying to put distance between himself and the Users as well. The Warrior swings his weapon and Strange again desperately tries to move out of the way. Boxes aren't that fast though, and the axe lands in him with a worrying 'thud.' He makes a noise like he's trying to push back the pain, though considering that boxes can't wince, it's a tad confusing.

"Would you rather stop them or die yourself?!" he snaps, his tone a bit too harsh. "I've already died in this damned game once, I'm not in the mood to do it again!"

Especially since Strange doesn't entirely grasp the concept of respawning in video games.

Somehow it's looking less like they have a choice between the two.

"We should find Sora!" That's who the boss was this level, wasn't it? They couldn't do a thing in their own, but they weren't alone--there was someone stronger who could help.

If they don't die first. Yuya scrambles around in a haphazard, half circle towards Strange again. They were going to have to move more quickly Thad that if they wanted to escape. So Yuya tries to grab for him with his teeth in hopes of dragging him along.

He's trying to move out of the way, trying to get out of the way of the Users when what the hell, Strange is getting dragged, this is weird. It's hard to tell exactly what's happening because boxes don't really have things like 'neck muscles' or 'the ability to turn and see who's dragging him.' Logically, it should be Yuya but again, no neck muscles

Still, he's not protesting, though he will ask, a bit confused, "Yuya?"

The Users also have no idea what the fuck is going on. This...isn't really part of the game, is it?

Yuya has neither disposable thumbs, a sense or direction, or any sense right now. All Strange gets in response is a half agitated mmph. He couldn't tell if Strange was mobile enough to book it to the level boss.

They aren't really making more speed than Yuya was going for, however. They're not going to make it very far from the Users at all.

Strange really can't do much what with the whole 'being carried' and 'not currently having arms' thing. But what he can do is try and listen to see just how fast the Users are gaining on them...and drat. They sound like they're getting closer.

"Can't you run a little faster?" Strange can't talk because Yuya's already more mobile than him as is. Still, the peanut gallery has something to say.

"Mmphphmm." All right--he almost spits Strange out of his mouth so he can talk. "Can you?"

This is obviously their priority in the face of certain death.

"Probably not," Strange admits, as he scuttles around to look at Yuya. "I--damn!"

Because one of the Users takes the opportunity to shoot a fireball at Strange. He skitters out of the way of that...but doesn't escape the axe that slams into him with a crunch as it hits the wood. Boxes can't wince, but from the noise Strange makes, it's obvious that he's in a lot of pain. Strange is still standing for now but considering that there's an axe in his body, he's a little bit more wobbly and closer to death than expected. At least he realizes he's straight up a goner.

"Forget about me, just run!" he barks at Yuya, unaware that poor Yuya is also straight up a goner.

Edited 2017-06-01 14:13 (UTC)

Oh, dammit. Yuya yells as Strange is cleaved... we, right in front of him. Even if he's a box, he's a comrade and that's horrifying.

"Mr. Strange!" He's conflicted, and takes a step closer despite Strange's warning as if he has any way to help. But he doesn't have enough time to text either way, because the Mage has already charged up another fireball that blasts him on the side.

Yuya's knocked away in a flaming heap, wiggling against the ground to try and put the flames out.

And then Strange is out. The Warrior takes the axe out and gives Strange another whack and, with one final yelp of pain, Strange just collapses. His body vanishes in a sea of pixels, leaving poor Yuya alone with the Users.

So hey, it's a good thing that they've got multiple lives, isn't it? Strange respawns back at the point where he and Yuya first met, away from the rest of the Users. Whether or not Yuya respawns back there, Strange doesn't know, but he does have a feeling the poor kid's not much long for this life either.

Yuya isn't far behind him, a flurry of pixels that rebuild at the entrance beside him. Yuya lets out a groan and wobbles on his feet.

"... Ow." Very. He gives Strange a weary look, but that's mostly the recovery--he is concerned. "Are you... uh. Alive again?"

⇨ THE GAME CUBE

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jsyk, I am 100% up for them getting dead and respawning elsewhere if you are!

I'm totally fine with that! It's almost expected at this point.

they're the best at video games

This is why he plays card games instead

welcome to the 'we hate the internet' club, yuya

God damn the internet.

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