lostcarnival | ⇨ 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

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?"

"I am." Again, it's not like box monsters can look or do anything close to facial expressions, but Strange's tone of voice is as wracked and weary as Yuya feels. He hates the Internet to begin with, but right now he really hates the Internet.

"I know we're supposed to stop the Users, but honestly...I wouldn't mind catching my breath before we go back on that suicide mission."

"They're a lot stronger than I thought." Or he's a lot weaker. He shakes himself to knock off the remaining rattle of pixel death. "It'd be better if we could get to Sora, I don't think we're enough on our own... maybe there's another way around them? A back route?"

Strange is keeping quiet about that comment about the Users because in his mind? This is 100% because he's so much weaker here than he was at the Carnival. If he at least had his magic, then he could put up a bit of a fight!

Still, the back route...that's a good idea. "You'd think there would be. After all, there's plenty of hallways. Though I'm not entirely sure where Sora's stationed in the first place."

⇨ 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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