Crankshaft Rafflesian: We're Past the Tutorial Thank God!

[A_Mi_Manera]

The lizard seemingly heard you because it approaches. It leaps and splats into the concrete with a ricochet through its body, sprinting back into place in a spring. 

Dotty: Call security, it's not a prop.

Lex: You go call security, I'm gonna keep it busy. 

Dotty: What? No!

Lex: No what?

Dotty: Thing gives some bad vibes and you're gonna get bit. 

Lex: I'm gonna fight it. 

Dotty: Don't fight random animals! That shit spreads infection!

Lex: I got my shots. Infection can't spread if we take it down here.



Dotty: Lex no I'm immune please stop-

You make direct eye contact with it. 

Lex: You. Me. In the octagon. 1v1, No breaks. Tap out or Pass out. 

Dotty: Lex that's illegal. 

Lex: Nah. 

You reach down to pick it up, it snarls at you the entire time but doesn't seem to act on anything.



Lex: It's fine. We'll take this back to Geezer and then goof off for the rest of the night. 

Dotty: You really think it'll hold still the whole time?

Lex: I mean.. it's fine right now? We'll manage. He said they're only a issue in big numbers right? It's two to one. Pretty chill little bastard. 

It starts to wriggle and squeal.

Dotty: It's not gonna stay still the entire way. Give it to me.

Lex: I can carry it, just help me calm it down.



You feel the sky coming down on you. Everything is fragmented. 

Dotty: Put it down!

You try to release but you can't control anything. You're frozen in place as you watch everything fall apart.

Lex: I can't move! I don't know what to do!

You clench your teeth and close your eyes, you don't feel entirely like you. The world reshapes like clay being clenched. You try your best not to scream... you're pretty sure you can hear your friend screaming pretty hard though.

Your existence feels like sand castles melted on the beach and made anew.



Your body starts to meld back together into a cold fleshy mesh. You feel weirdly weighty, like crawling out from a pool.

The world has flipped.

"Lex, what the fuck are you doing!? Back off!" 

You're conscious again. The lizard you're holding feels 7 feet tall. There's yelling. It's your friend right? Sounds a bit different but the tone's right. 

"Bitch!"



That's Dotty. You open your eyes. You look up. You've made a huge mistake.

Lex: Is that the lizard?

Dotty: Yes!

You are at point blank glazing range. You cannot dodge. If you try to back off you will get grabbed.  You're going to get decked into the concrete. 

You've been in scenarios like this plenty of times. If you flinch you lose.

You brace more than you've ever braced in any duel you've done before. This loops in your brain. Bait, fold, break. This is all happening in a flash but in your head it's spread frame by frame.



 It's ready to swing.

It comes toward you.

You reach your arm out.



You're slammed full force.

You take the blow directly. 

You've been hit harder than any construct has ever slammed you.

It's a miracle you're still thinking. Plasma drips from your gums.




You've managed to latch on. You crash an elbow into its neck and yank its other arm til the socket is on fire, all your muscle and weight in one motion.



This is the longest landing you've ever had to make. You're taking this to the ground.