HEART GAME: REQUIEM (run 1)

[idolpro]

You awaken in the ☆ZRAEL dorm common room. It’s dark. Darker than usual, and the reason why is immediately apparent: the lamps are all extinguished, the stars have disappeared, and the moon has shifted to new. The ocean below the glass panes of the floor is silent and still. Everything feels cold and unmoving, not unlike a painting.

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MAN EATER

[idolpro]

Unfortunately, you don’t have too much time to contemplate the strange stillness-- there’s a jingle coming from your pocket. Your phone is ringing… in a little robotic voice. Taking out the phone reveals that it’s become a little gameboy-like machine, handheld, with a cute digital face on the screen, smiling at you.

“Hello! Incoming call from Princess Bubblegum!! Please pick up Bphone right now okay!”

[carnivorouscarnival]

[ muttering to himself as he takes out the phone and stares at it: ]

What's a Bphone...? This isn't the set-up for some kind of joke, is it.

[ if there's any obvious button to pick up the call, he presses that ]

[idolpro]

"I am a Bphone!! --Oh!" It giggles when you press the button.



A girl appears on the screen-- pink face, pinker hair, and sweetly smiling.

“Greetings and salutations, adventurer! We’re not entirely sure how you got in here, but it’s whatevs, right? What could POSSBLY go wrong? Hah, don’t take that as a challenge! Or do, I guess, if you really wanna be THAT GUY.

Well, anyway. I am Princess Bubblegum, and I need you to complete a mission for me! Or, like, try. We’ve been trying to find the True Heart for a while now, but she seems to have disappeared? Kinda rude if you ask me, she’s got stuff to take care of and just runs off like a coward. So yeah, I kinda need you to find her for me. Any questions? No? Good luck, adventurers! Let me know if you REALLY need my help. I’m pretty used to cleaning up everyone’s mess around here anyways.

I have high expectations of you! Don’t disappoint me!”

And then the feed cuts out, leaving a plain phone screen (and a smiling BMO face in the background).

[carnivorouscarnival]

[ what. ]

Don't ask "any questions?" if you aren't going to let me fucking ask any!

[ clicks his tongue, then surveys around the room with his impressive INT roll of 5 ]

[idolpro]

There's nothing here except the exit door.

[carnivorouscarnival]

[ well ok. trying the exit door. ]

MARCY'S HOUSE

[idolpro]

You exit the ☆ZRAEL dorm. The door clicks behind you as you close it, locking itself. You step onto the porch of a small two-floor house, surrounded by shallow water. The whole area is within a dark, damp cave, only a little chilly. You can see the cave mouth not far away-- beyond it, the night sky shines.

There’s some stuff lying around--- on the porch and across the water, on the cave shores.

Not too far away a girl with shaggy brown hair wanders, wearing some light armor in purple and gold and a sword at her hip, searching for something among the rocks.

[carnivorouscarnival]

[ oh look, a person. maybe one who will answer questions this time?

in any case, approaching the girl. ]

Hey there. Looking for something?

[idolpro]

Nemesis turns to face you, with a crooked smile. “Hey. Had a feeling someone new got dropped in here. Saw a weird thing disappear into here but it’s pretty sneaky… so I'm just scoping out the area. What's up?”

[carnivorouscarnival]

[ he blinks in surprise when it's someone he actually knows. oh. huh. ]

—Ah, Nemesis. Any idea where the hell we are? Besides Hell, as usual.

[stakesthesame]

"This is Requiem's heart. Bonnie didn't tell you?"

[carnivorouscarnival]

That Little Miss Pink's name? She did a lot of talking, but not a whole lot of explaining.

[ a pause ]

Her—heart? Gonna go out on a limb and assume you mean figuratively. Though I'm not really sure what that means, either.

[stakesthesame]

"Yeah, Bonnie's like that. She's pretty bossy, you get used to it... sometimes.

And yeah, it's kinda... literal and figurative, sorta. It's like dreams or consciousness or something...? No idea."

[carnivorouscarnival]

Shit gets even weirder around here, huh?

. . .

Sure, let's roll with it. So you said something about something disappearing here?

[stakesthesame]

"Yeah, this weird shadow thing. Saw it fly in here a bit ago-- haven't been able to find it since. Not really worried about it, though, so... I've got it under control, I think."

[carnivorouscarnival]

...? Does that count as "under control"?

[ he leans over to examine the gaps between the rocks along with her. INT roll of 14 if I should be rolling ]

[stakesthesame]

"Yeah? Nothing bad's happened so far," she says.

Looking around the rocks, you don't find any supposed shadowy creatures, but you DO find:

- Wooden stake: advantage against vampires 1x per fight. 1d6 dmg
- A broken banjo: it’s broken. It doesn’t do anything. Throw it at something for 1d8 dmg.
- Christmas lights: bright and distracting! Maybe this’ll make you harder to hit? +2 AC

[carnivorouscarnival]

[ hmmm. nothing he immediately feels the need to pick up, so. ]

Nothing here, anyway... Maybe you were seeing things.

[ looks back up at her, considering ]

Gonna keep looking, or do you wanna stick together? Unless you're more worried about me than whatever's lurking in the shadows, of course. Gyahaha.

[stakesthesame]

"Why would I be worried about you? Geez.

I don't mind sticking together, but it's not like I'm not busy. So-- if you want me to come along, I will. If you can beat me."

[carnivorouscarnival]

[ he is confused for a brief second because Nemesis seems weirdly friendly (no he still has not figured out that she's a heart construct), but all other thoughts are quickly brushed aside in favor of challenge ]

Hmm? Hmmm~? Did I not beat you soundly enough last time, hubby?

[stakesthesame]

"Beating Nemesis is one thing, but I'm not her. Should be just as tough though."

[carnivorouscarnival]

[ ? ]

—What? Then who are you?

[stakesthesame]

"I'm just the part of Requiem's heart that's shaped like her at the moment, that's all."

[carnivorouscarnival]

... Huh. That's confusing.

[ . . .

shakes out his wrists ]

But whatever you are, if you're challenging me, I'm not gonna back down.

[idolpro]

Nemesis draws her sword.

"Call it a friendly challenge," she says, smiling-- and abruptly rushes in to swing at you.

And at a natural 20, you don't even get a moment to think, before the flat of the blade slams painfully into your shoulder for 8 damage.