⇨ THE GAME CUBE

[ringleaders]

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.

Comments

'this should be amazing but somehow it is not' < Gon, right now

[otoko]

[Ohhhhh he certainly did. Fortunately for them both, reptilian faces do not lend well to facial expression, and Gongenzaka can't catch quite all of the emotions running through Yuuya right now. Instead, all five of the heads turn on the otherwise tiny 'sprite' and blink-a motion that would no doubt be terrifying if it weren't Gongenzaka doing so.]

Auh...S...So I did..!

...I, the man Gongenzaka, did not expect to be quite this.... ...Stationary.

[AS A STEADFAST DUELIST, HE FEELS CONFLICTED.]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya takes a deep breath. Gon doesn't look that similar to Zarc if he really focuses on the differences. Like having multiple heads! And Zarc is a part of him, so surely he couldn't ever exist in another person, right? Right.] How much can you move?

[betheman]

[Multiple heads, plant-like body...heck, where it would be awkward armory box fin-legs it's just leaves on Gongenzaka.

The dragon gives a stretch, leaning forward as best as he can. It...only somewhat works however, and with an awkward flail and stumble, he quickly ends up with his upper half collapsing to the ground before him, portions clipping through the floor.] MMFNGH-

...Somewhat.

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya backs out of the way as Gon topples over, cringing at the sound of impact. Sorry buddy, but he's not going to try and catch you when you're twenty feet tall.]

... So how are we supposed to get you through the dungeon? [Do they just stake him at the front?]

[betheman]

Ahh....that is the thing... [The dragon groans, forcing himself back up before shaking himself to his senses. The room has only one path up to it. More importantly, there is that nagging sense of 'all or nothing' ringing in his ears. He's fairly certain...well...]

.... I, the man Gongenzaka... ...Have a feeling that this IS the 'through'.

...Rather, this is the end of the dungeon.

[hippocarnival]

Huh? We started at the end of it? [Well, that does solve the problem of needing to haul Gon around the place.]

Does that make you the last boss? [Because there's no way at that size he's just a normal monster. Yuya may not spend much time playing video games, but he's seen enough to know what a boss looks like.]

[betheman]

Aauh, that is the feeling that I, the man Gongenzaka, am getting... [And it's pretty unnerving, if he's being honest. 'Last Boss'...well, it definitely sounds like a final big bad situation, doesn't it?]

S...So it would seem...

[hippocarnival]

If anyone is steadfast enough to stop the players from winning, it's you! [He grins, fully of confidence.] You have all sorts of cool attacks, right?

[betheman]

HMM! [OH! IT'S TRUE!!

...Though the attacks bit causes him to falter and pause, attempting to think on that for a moment.] Auh....

[.............Oh.] ...F...five...

...five spells...

[hippocarnival]

One for each head? [He laughs. Maybe it's a fire spell. Maybe he blasts enemies with a laser!

He fiddles with his icon.] I wonder what I'll get. [Hopefully something just as cool! So he taps the icon a couple times, to finally get it to respond...

and morphs down to look like a large, bulky red lizard.]

[otoko]

Auh....it feels so... [It's just. Very strange to think of himself of having 'spells', Yuuya, this really isn't his thing at all-

He blinks at the flash, and stares at his friend. A.... ...A red lizard...] HMMMM! Like Odd-Eyes..! [somewhat]

1/2

[hippocarnival]

Like Odd Eyes?! [He doesn't feel that big, in fact Gon looks even taller... but the idea is enough to get him excited and he pads around in a circle for something to check his reflection in.] I want to see, are there any mirrors down here?

[hippocarnival]

[No mirrors, but a deep cavern with plant life does have water, and he finds a puddle deep enough for his reflection.

And his excitement quickly deflates.] What? This isn't like Odd Eyes at all...

[otoko]

You are red and thorn-scaled, are you not? [Yes, this was the basis of his comparisons.]

[hippocarnival]

Yeah, but I'm not a dragon! I don't even breathe fire. [He sighs. How disappointing.]

[otoko]

....You are not?

[Look, lizards can be Dragons. He learned this.]

[hippocarnival]

[Right now Gon's more dragon than he is. He doesn't even run dragons in his deck!!]

I guess I'm not a boss, either. [Which is, perhaps, for the better--he's already done the "Big Bad" thing, he's not looking for a repeat this soon.] But I can, uh... trip people and bite them?

[otoko]

Aauh, it seems so...though, if there were so many 'boss' monsters, it could make things too much of a risk for everyone hear, no doubt.

...Perhaps you will have a poisonous bite? [He offers, scratching his middle head.]

[hippocarnival]

[He turns away from the table and tilts his head up.] I don't think so. But I think I should be on the first level, where there's not so many holes to fall into.

[otoko]

Th-The first level? [Oh dear....he searches his mind, squinting.] ....Ahh...This is level 3...

...Hmmnnn...you have quite a ways to travel then...

[hippocarnival]

That's right--I should go now before the players show up! [He spins around, a little jilted as he gets used to his shorter limbs, and looks up at Gon.] We'll try and stop them before they get to you.

[otoko]

Hmmn! Best of luck then...and-

[He stiffens, leaves rustling somewhat before he manages some sort of dragon-y smile.] Aah. I, the man Gongenzaka, have faith in you, Yuuya!

We shall see each other after the end of this game then!

[hippocarnival]

[They're both doing their best to smile with these scaly faces.] Yeah! Good luck, Gongenzaka!

[And with that he makes his way down to level one, before the game begins.]