Login

***SHIVERS*** · (This post was last modified: 06-14-2021, 03:44 PM by SHIVERS.)

You don't recognize any of the nearby plants at all, unfortunately.

You pluck one of the white flowers and lightly toss it at the electric fence.
It turns black and catches fire almost instantly, burning to a crisp in seconds.

"...Good to know."
You startle, not having realized Cerulean was crouching right next to you during your little experiment.
"Let's get moving, then.
Only one way forward." They stand up.

"Hold on."
You pluck another flower and try the same thing on the purple barrier covering the other door.
The flower bounces off the barrier, but otherwise looks unharmed.
"Riveting."
"At least we know now."
"Still only one way to go, you know."
"I'm aware."

You make your way in front of the cat and open the iron door, the both of you stepping inside.

The room inside is unlike any you've seen before.

It looks vaguely like an arcade or a bowling alley, in terms of its decor:
The whole area is illuminated by blacklight, the floor covered in a dark carpet with brightly-colored shapes, and similar neon patterns being projected along the walls - seemingly from nowhere.
Though, the section of the room you're in only seems to be a small entrance alcove connecting to a much larger structure; entirely contained within this massive 'room'.

In front of you is what looks like a multi-story building, lit up with neon lights and shapes, shifting oddly to the beat of generic, upbeat electronic music that radiates from it. Various tube-like protrusions - possibly large tunnels - funnel their way out from different spots on the building, always leading to somewhere else along the wall of the inner portion of the giant room.
They move every once in a while, changing spots to link up somewhere else.

A singular, stationary bridge leads to the building from the alcove you're in.
However, it's currently blocked off by a translucent 'brick' wall, which is changing colors to the beat.

In front of the wall is a big, black screen with the words 'TOUCH HERE' surrounding a dot in the center.
A large sign hangs down from the shallow ceiling of the alcove, just above the screen.

It reads:
'WELCOME TO THE COLOSSEUM!
Please register on the interactive screen below.
(Appropriate for ages 18+ ONLY)`

"Well, this is...
...different..."
"...Kind of tacky."

Cerulean walks ahead of you towards the screen.
"Wait."
"Why?"
"I don't trust this."
"So?
I don't trust anything here.
But this looks more entertaining than the other death traps, at least.
And it's the only way forward, right?"

"So we may as well give it a shot."

Show Content

***knux400*** · 05-29-2021, 10:16 AM

May as well try it. There doesn't seem to be any other way forward.

At least the music here is nice. Are either of you a fan?

ಠ_ಠ · 05-29-2021, 02:18 PM

Discover you have a previously unknown fear of dancing.

Ignispark · 05-29-2021, 03:38 PM

In the ever famous words of some hypothetical person, what could possibly go wrong signing up for an unknown danger. (Seconding might as well give it a try. It does seem like the most plausible path forward.)

***SHIVERS*** · (This post was last modified: 07-11-2021, 06:03 AM by SHIVERS.)

You resign with a sigh.
"Fine.
I'll bite.
Just be careful."

Cerulean seems to be finished, addressing your comment as they walk past you away from the screen.
"I'm always careful."
You roll your eyes.

Stepping forward, you see the screen just as it was before your companion used it, and tap the dot in the center.
It expands outward to form white text across the screen, as well as what looks like a keyboard.
It reads:
'CURRENT PARTY: 1

Enter your name to register!'
There's a blank space with a blinking cursor, just above the on-screen keyboard.

You use the touch screen to type in 'ROUX'.

The center text is replaced with 'Thank you for registering!', while the text at the top changes to 'CURRENT PARTY: 2'
After a few seconds, the screen goes entirely black.
With that, the translucent wall of bricks seems to crumble away with a triumphant clattering, disappearing into nothing.

The bridge is open.

Cerulean stops leaning on the wall, stretching their arms as they come to join you at the start of the bridge.
"Let's get this over with."
"You could try to have a little fun, you know."
"I'm too tired for fun."

As the two of you start making your way across, a thought occurs to you.
"Do you like the music?" you ask Cerulean.
The cat raises an eyebrow.
"...Trying to see if anything jogs our memory."

Cerulean takes a moment to listen, putting a claw to their snout.

"...mmmmmmno.
Not at all."
"OK."
You thought it was alright, but a little boring.
...You really wish you could remember more about your music taste.

Though, none of that's important right now.

You soon reach the building in the center, and a large door of various colorful mechanisms opens up for you.
You take one last glance at the tunnels moving around the building before entering.

Inside, you strangely don't hear the same music you'd noticed outside.
Instead, speakers in the room are playing bland elevator music.

As you're focused on the new tune, a sudden sound behind you makes you jump, and you spin around to find the door shutting behind you.
It soon looks as if it was never there, appearing as just a wall.

You instinctively feel along it, fruitlessly searching for any spot to pull back it open.

You find none.

Cerulean watches you, looking like they're judging you, though they say nothing.

The room is large, and has the same aesthetic as the outside.
Bright, neon patterns adorn the walls, glowing from the blacklight above. They shift about, moving in a liquid-like manner.

Otherwise, the room itself is entirely empty save for three more doors; one bigger than the other two.
The smaller doors are right next to each other, and have text that reads 'PARTY OF 1' above them, while the larger door's text reads 'PARTY OF 2'.

Cerulean sighs.
"You choose.
I don't care for either option."
" 'Either' option?"
"Well, clearly they're giving us the choice to split up or stay together for..."
A specific word doesn't come, and instead they gesture vaguely at the doors.
"...whatever this is going to be."

They rub their chin, getting a better look at all the doors.
"I assume the big door is more challenging in some way, since we're allowed to stay together.
And I'd normally say I'm better off on my own anyways, but potential head trauma may not mix well with this.

They clutch their head, looking to be in a mixture of slight pain and annoyance.

"It already is, all the music is giving me a headache."

The amerveille seems to shake it off enough to continue their thought.

"At the same time, you did nearly get me killed just after meeting you, so...
Really, I could lean either way.
So, you choose."
"...You're assuming a lot."
They look offended.
"Oh I'm sorry, were you given information I wasn't privy to?
Do you have a better deduction you'd like to share, detective?"

You glare.

"Well, that's what I thought, then.
So, go on.
Make a decision."

Show Content

ಠ_ಠ · 06-14-2021, 04:55 PM

together!

Ignispark · 06-14-2021, 05:03 PM

It'd probably be better not to split up. Given the wait music though, this might be a decent place to get a bit of rest. If rest isn't really possible or amenable, then going through the larger door together seems prudent.

***knux400*** · 06-14-2021, 09:25 PM

"How about none of the above? We're both pretty banged up and this seems like a decent place to catch our breath."

seppawku · 06-14-2021, 10:42 PM

catching your breath and then party of two sounds good

***SHIVERS*** · (This post was last modified: 08-30-2021, 05:28 PM by SHIVERS.)

"Better not to split up--"
Before the words even make it out, Cerulean is already opening the larger door.
"We should rest first."
"I'll live and I am not waiting in here with this awful music."

You begrudgingly follow along.

The next room is tiny and pitch black.
You can't see much at all until the door closes behind you, at which point text begins to glow along the wall in front of you both.

It reads:

[Image: Fp3I1LL.png]

There are four glowing handles on the wall below the text, in sets of two.

Cerulean grabs the set under the word 'SOLDIER'.

"No."
"Why are you complaining?
I'm letting you be the leader.
Besides, you have nothing to fight with."
"I don't have a concussion."

"...And I don't think there'll be actual fighting involved, anyway.
This place seems more along the lines of a family-friendly arcade than an arena."
"We should rest, at--"
"I want this over with already.
We can switch roles if it becomes an issue.
It'll probably be... paintball, or something.
So stop being dramatic."

You rub your temple, then reluctantly approach the set of handles under 'COMMANDER'.
"...This is a terrible idea."
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind when we blow through this in five minutes."

You hesitate, then grab the handles.

A loud swishing noises emanates all around you.

You instantly let go, frantically reaching out around to find that you're encased on all sides by some kind of hard, see-through material.
It's too dark to see more than that.
"Cerule--"
The floor moves under you, nearly knocking you over.

Gravity seems to increase as you feel yourself moving upwards, as if in an elevator.

Finally, it comes to a stop, and a dim red light coats your tiny room.
You are in a six-walled, diamond-shaped container of some kind, the walls appearing to be plexiglass... possibly.
Running your hand over it, it feels more akin to metal.

You doubt there's any way you can break it, regardless.

You can faintly hear a banging somewhere out in front of you.
Five of the six walls in your tiny prison don't seem to have anything beyond them, but you can faintly see something below you through the front wall.

As if on cue, the area you were seeing lights up.
It's a large room with no ceiling that's ten or so feet below you, the edge of it just in front of the chamber you're in.

There are sixteen colored containers - shaped identically to yours - arranged on what looks like a giant game board.
The eight yellow containers furthest away from you are entirely opaque, while you can see through the eight on your side of the 'board'.
Seven of them are green, and each house what appears to be a small, floating ball-shaped machine of some sort. The sizes between them seem to vary, with most on the smaller size.

There's a single blue container just below you which your amerveille companion seems to be stuck in.
They strike the walls around them with their mechanical arms several times - which you recognize as the banging sound you heard earlier - before giving up.

Before you can process anything else, you hear something directly behind you and pivot on your feet, ready to fight.

A chair and screen - both the same red, translucent material you're currently boxed in by - rise up from the floor in the center of the chamber.
You walk around to check the screen, not taking a seat yet.

There's some text, some on-screen buttons labeled with more text, a game board laid out identically to its massive counterpart, and a command line at the very bottom of the screen.

The on-screen text reads:

WELCOME TO SKIRMISH !

You may read the RULES at any time.
You are GREEN team.

It's your turn!
You may input TWO movement commands.

The text on the buttons read: "RULES", "SHOW UNIT NAMES", "SWAP" and "GIVE UP".

Show Content

Below the screen is an attached keyboard.

Cerulean's voice crackles through an intercom on the panel in front of you.
"This is a bit dramatic, I'll admit, but... hopefully nothing... too dangerous."

You step away from the screen, and you can see them looking up at you.

"...Try not to do anything careless."

Show Content

ಠ_ಠ · 07-11-2021, 09:36 AM

look to the opposite side of the board and see if you can make out whether the other team has its own commander container, maybe you are playing against a person

give cerulean a big thumbs up

then {R2A: UP 1}

***knux400*** · (This post was last modified: 07-11-2021, 07:46 PM by knux400.)

"Did you read the rules, too? Seems like some kind of strategy game."

I think the best thing to do would be to keep Cerulean out of combat as much as possible. I don't know if their actual combat ability is what determines which piece gets taken or if Cerulean dies if they get taken or what, but I certainly don't want to find out. I'm also curious if the opposing team is seven spheres and one person like we are or if there are just random monsters in there.

Basically I just want to get a bit more information as to what the heck is going on, and I think sending our Rank 2s to fight the opposing Rank 2s is a decent way to do it.

As a sidenote, do the floating ball machine things look similar to the 'red orb machine' Roux saw way back in the alleyway?

Voting to move
{R2A: UP 2}
and
{R2B: UP 2}

***SHIVERS*** · (This post was last modified: 07-24-2021, 08:22 PM by SHIVERS.)

"Did you read the rules?
Looks like a strategy game."

Cerulean glances around in their container, and finds a small panel on the side wall.
They activate it, and start scrolling through with their claw.

Their voice comes through the intercom shortly after.
"I'm reading them now, yes.
Not very descriptive.
Combat system, blah blah." They swirl their hand around in the air.

"Hopefully you have enough to go on up there.
I'd rather this wasn't a slaughter."

You give a thumbs up.
They roll their eyes, turning to look ahead.

Curious about your opponent, you look across to the opposite wall on the other side of the board, and find a similar container to the one you're currently in.
Though, this one is opaque, and has text reading 'COLOSSEUM AI' printed on it.

Now that you think about it, the floating ball machines look exactly like the one you bumped back in the alley.
Same shape, same design, same everything, as far as you're able to tell.

You're not sure this information helps you at all, but you have it.

After a few moments of thought, you input your commands, deciding to push your Rank 2 pieces forward.

{R2A: UP 1}
{R2B: UP 2}

Commands accepted!
Moving pieces . . .

As you watch, the two Rank 2 containers move forward, one after the other.

It's GOLD TEAM's turn!
Moving pieces . . .

Your opponent's pieces move; a Rank 1 piece scooting ahead to allow their Rank 3 piece to make it out in the open.

You'll probably need to be careful about that one.

[Image: joC4HnB.png]

It's your turn!

You may input TWO movement commands.

Show Content

***knux400*** · 07-25-2021, 01:03 AM

Let's bring our Rank 3 out into the field while allowing one of our Rank 2s to intercept the Rank 1 that's moving towards us on the left. We've got good odds of winning that fight, and I still want to know what's inside the enemy pieces.

{R2A: LEFT 1, UP 1}
{R3: UP 2, RIGHT 1}

"Yeah, I think I got it. It's pretty simple, honestly- although I don't like how much ambiguity there is over which piece wins in combat. I can't tell what's inside the opponent's pieces, but as far as our side is concerned, you're the only real person. All of our other pieces are these sphere things."

ಠ_ಠ · 08-10-2021, 10:27 PM

think about ball

***SHIVERS*** · (This post was last modified: 08-21-2021, 08:30 PM by SHIVERS.)

"Think I got it. Pretty simple, honestly.
Don't like not knowing how it decides which piece wins, though.
...You're the only actual person on our team, by the way.
All the rest are these sphere things."
"I can see that."

"No clue about the other team."
"Well, if it's just more of those, then we have no problem.
I can take them. Easy."

You decide to move your Rank 3 piece into the field while intercepting their advancing Rank 1.

{R2A: LEFT 1, UP 1}
{R3: UP 2, RIGHT 1}

Commands accepted!
Moving pieces . . .

Your pieces move up in order, fanning out slightly to the sides.

It's GOLD TEAM's turn!
Moving pieces . . .

[Image: w3mk5Bl.png]

The gold Rank 3 pieces suddenly moves forward, getting between your Rank 2 and the Rank 1 you were trying to overtake.
An enemy Rank 2 piece moves up just next to it, forming a barrier.

"...You're sure you've got this?"

It's your turn!
You may input TWO movement commands.

Show Content

***knux400*** · 08-22-2021, 01:57 AM

{R2A: RIGHT 1, DOWN 1}
{R2B: UP 1, LEFT 1}

"If you've got any suggestions, I'm all ears."

***SHIVERS*** · (This post was last modified: 08-25-2021, 02:23 AM by knux400.)

"If you've got suggestions, I'm all ears."
"No, no, you do your thing.
If you want me calling the shots, then we switch.
Otherwise, just do your best not to get me killed."

You input your commands.

{R2A: RIGHT 1, DOWN 1}
{R2B: UP 1, LEFT 1}

Commands accepted!
  Moving pieces . . .

You move your leftmost Rank 2 piece over and downward, forming a diagonal blockade with your remaining pieces.
Your other Rank 2 makes its way upward, moving onto the same space as an enemy team for the first time.

The container stops just before touching the opposing piece.

   COMBAT ENGAGED!
  GREEN Rank 2 vs. GOLD Rank 2

Both containers raise upwards, stopping their ascent when they reach a height parallel to you.
A translucent floor emerges from the side wall under them as the containers move to opposite ends of the newly-created arena.

You can see Cerulean standing up on their tip-toes, trying to get a better view of the scene above them.

   S T A R T !

The containers disappear, revealing the opponent:
It's a near-shapeless mass of pure black, only a couple of feet tall.
It rivals the size of your spherical robot, but it seems to be... writhing, an incomprehensible motion coming from its surface.

Even looking at it unnerves you.

"...What the HELL is THAT?!"

Box-shaped armaments emerge from the sides of the sphere, which begin firing on the black shape.
It slides across the floor with surprising quickness, stray gunfire leaving a trail of bullets in the mass's wake.

The creature speeds along, shifting this way and that before nearing the bot, which backs up as it continues firing.
However, the shape is too quick and leaps sideways, splaying into dozens of writhing tendrils which grip around the robot's hull.

The bot's guns do their best to target the mass enveloping it.
They manage a few potshots here and there - scarring the shape's surface with red blood - but errant tendrils keep the weapons at bay.
Cracks ring through the air as the machine whirrs and beeps, starting to dent along its middle.

After a few more landed shots, the robot bows heavily inward and seems to shut off entirely, falling to the floor.

   F I N I S H !

GOLD Rank 2 is the victor!

The bleeding black mass slides off after a few seconds, and containers once again form around the two.

The robot's container rises upwards instead of returning to the board, disappearing out of view
While the black mass's container lowers back into its former spot on the board.

"...sickening..."

It's GOLD TEAM's turn!
  Moving pieces . . .

Immediately, the same Rank 2 piece moves downwards, colliding with the only Rank 2 you have left.

  COMBAT ENGAGED!
  GOLD Rank 2 vs. GREEN Rank 2

Just like before, an arena forms as the two containers raise up.

    S T A R T !

Repeating its predecessor, your other Rank 2 bot begins its firing barrage, though it proves to be much more successful this time, landing many direct hits as the wounded creature approaches.

The shadow manages to bat aside the bot briefly with its tendrils as the sphere fires upon it, but quick work is made of the mass once the bot rights itself.
Surrounded in red, the creature sinks into itself oddly, creating what looks like a puddle on the floor before it dissipates entirely.

The Rank 2 bot succeeds, but is left partially damaged for its effort, sparks occasionally popping from its side.

      F I N I S H !

  GREEN Rank 2 is the victor!

"I suppose trading isn't the worst outcome.
...And I can take those ...digusting things, if it comes to that," the amerveille assures you, not sounding sure in the slightest.

Back at the board, Gold Team's Rank 3 piece mimics its teammate's movement, making its way downward three spaces and engaging one of your Rank 1 pieces.

   COMBAT ENGAGED!
  GOLD Rank 3 vs. GREEN Rank 1

The containers raise up and separate on the arena in front of you.

     S T A R T !

The containers vanish.

Now visible, Rank 3 creature is four-legged and surprisingly tall, a foot or two above Cerulean, including its head.
Its body looks wooden and almost mechanical, full of interlocking parts and pieces that move together, yet its very middle is pale and unsettlingly fleshy - something pink pulsing at its center.
Braces lead from its body to its legs, which are quite long and look sharp at their tips - a single joint at the middle.
They look like bone, you think.

The creature's neck is almost as long as its legs, the same pale flesh extending up to a round head with two white, horn-like appendages on its sides
In the center of its head is a gaping hole, perfectly round and of an unknown depth you can't quite process - seemingly extending inward far beyond the entire length of the creature itself.

You try not to look at it.

The monster stands mostly still, swaying listlessly as if a gentle breeze was present.

Cerulean says nothing.

Rather than guns, the Rank 1 bot seems to only have a single large arm that emerges, a heavy, mace-like attachment at the arm's end.
It begins to rotate, the mace arm swinging faster and faster as it approaches its opponent.

The hole-headed creature doesn't move.

As the machine bares down on it - arm now swinging sufficiently fast enough to cause serious damage - the creature finally reacts.
Its head dips down low, facing upwards to 'stare' at the bot.

With the bot almost in striking range of the monster's body, its head rotates to the side.
The hole on the front tints pink and shudders.
There's a small flash, and the robot's arm flies off.
It bounces off the side wall, rebounding to slam against one of the creature's legs, chipping off a chunk but otherwise not harming it.
It doesn't flinch.

You have no idea what happened.

The robot, now otherwise defenseless, attempts to ram itself against its opponent.

You pay close attention this time.

The monster's head swings sharply upwards, the hole in its head glowing pink once more.
You barely catch it:
Some sort of blade or thin tooth emerges in time with the swing to make contact with the bot, effortlessly bisecting it before rapidly retreating back into its head.

The two halves of your Rank 1 robot flop to the floor in a useless heap.

You see the color drain from Cerulean's face.

The beast's neck twists in an unsettling manner, its head shaking briefly before returning to its upright position.

With that, it becomes motionless just as before.

    F I N I S H !

  GOLD Rank 3 is the victor!

The robot's remains are lifted out of the arena, while the Rank 3 container descends with the strange being back to its spot on the board.

You're down two pieces after a single turn.

Cerulean looks dazed.

They're up against the back corner of their container, staring dead at the thing in the Rank 3 container.

[Image: fixed_ps_img.png]

It's your turn!
You may input TWO movement commands.

Show Content

***knux400*** · (This post was last modified: 08-25-2021, 02:20 AM by knux400.)

Take a moment to collect yourself. Think about what we just learned here.

"Okay. Okay. So. Damage is cumulative, and units can be weakened over time. It seems like all units of the same rank are the same thing, since both of our rank 2s had guns. So that means, what... one slime thingy, one crazy wooden bone flesh thing, four somethings we don't know what they are, and one big something we don't know what it is.

On our side we've got three flail spheres, one damaged gun sphere, one sphere that does something else... and Captain Extendo-arms, of course. And we could swap me in if you get too messed up.

Our units move first and combat is resolved immediately, before the other team gets a chance to move, so it's possible to screw up whatever move they're going to make by having our units be in the wrong place, or damaging one of theirs that's going to attack."

"...I think I want you out of harm's way for now. If you do end up having to fight that thing, I at least want to throw a couple rank 1s at it first to weaken it a bit. I'm going to bring our big sphere up to keep them busy, since their rank 4 is blocked in by other stuff. I should be able to take out some weaker stuff over there as long as I'm careful."

{R4: RIGHT 2}
{R3: UP 3}

ಠ_ಠ · 08-30-2021, 02:06 AM

ask cerulean if they want to quit or switch. i dont imagine theyre enthused at the prospect of fighting an eldritch horror

Login
Username:
Password:	Lost Password?
	Remember me