Nine-Nine Heart - Run 1

[idolpro]

[It's time for a new an exciting place, right? A land of adventure and fun and excitement!

Wait? Then why does this look like Tokyo-F. Like a Tokyo-F that has seen better days.

A dark purple haze has settled over the city, thick and suffocating, oppressive and heavy. The sky above is filled with yawning teeth and blinking eyes stare back at you. Buildings lie in tatters and their remains litter the landscape.

A few proud buildings still stand tall! The most prominent one among them - THE GAME TOWER. Though it is sporting more of an evil villain castle vibe than you remember. And it certainly used to be taller and not leaking out that purple smoke filling the air. Nonetheless it stands as a beacon in the city, the focal point in the ruin around you.

A voice echos in your head. "Find the Dark Master."

GAME START!]

Comments

ONCE YOU GET UNSTUCK

[rollwithdisadvantage]

[While you are closest to the hotel, here are your options.

IF YOU WANT TO GET TO THE GAME TOWER
- OPTION A: On the elevated highway you can see a man dressed in a bright red cloak on a horse. He appears to be dragging something behind him on a rope.
- OPTION B: Down one of the streets is a very tall, very lanky man wearing a mask that covers his entire face. He seems to have some sort of woman draped over one shoulder.
- OPTION C: Yeah. Yeah. That's a lot of ghosts. Everywhere. Hey, but it still is a path to the game tower.
- OPTION D: You are sure -- pretty sure -- the subway should get you there. You see the entrance. Beats dealing with those other people and things on the surface roads, right?

OTHER LOCATIONS
- Dorms
- Tokyo-F Bay
- Random Building with some human figure sitting on top of it]

[rollplayinghouse]

[Maki glances around at all the options with no obvious reaction.]

...Well, it seems pretty likely "the Dark Master" will be in the Game Tower, especially when it looks like that.

[this is directed mostly at Intensity]

[mou_hitori_no_pharaoh]

[This is a fucking lot to take in. Give him a few seconds]

And none of the paths there look particularly friendly.

[rollplayinghouse]

...I could sneak there unseen by myself, but I feel like the rest of you would be in trouble if I left you.

1/2

[mou_hitori_no_pharaoh]

[Just laughs at that]

Don't treat me like a damsel, Maki.

[mou_hitori_no_pharaoh]

[Because now that they are in a wide open space, he summons Blue Eyes to his side as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do]

We can fend for ourselves if you want to scout ahead.

[rollplayinghouse]

[blinks, and then smiles, faintly]

...If you're sure. We should plan to meet somewhere, though.

[mou_hitori_no_pharaoh]

The Game Tower lobby?

By the time we get there, you'll have had plenty of time to scout it out.

[rollplayinghouse]

That works.

Though, let me know which way you'll be coming... if I finish up scouting and you're not there yet, I'll loop back.

[mou_hitori_no_pharaoh]

Looks like we're off to save an npc for information.

[Pointing to the man in the dark mask with the woman over his shoulder]

[rollplayinghouse]

Alright, that works. I think I'll take the ghost route, that looks most straightforward.

...Good luck.

[puzzlekeeper]

[ Just grateful to be out of the fucking darkness honestly. Takes a moment to catch his breath, then assesses the options as well. ]

... Unless that's exactly what we're meant to think.

[mou_hitori_no_pharaoh]

If we want the obvious Dark Master---

[Points to the guy with the freaky mask.

I dunno. Looks like the shoe fits]

[puzzlekeeper]

[ Eyeing the dude in question.

Yeah. Yeah.... ]

That was my thinking as well. We could intercept him while Maki scouts ahead.

[mou_hitori_no_pharaoh]

[Gesturing to Blue Eyes and Silent Magician]

You have a companion as well?

[puzzlekeeper]

Naturally.

[ Aaaaand right on cue, he's summoning Dark Magician, who's easily recognizable from.... several memories, at this point. ]

[mou_hitori_no_pharaoh]

Of course.

[Sighs]

Let's go save an npc for some fucking plot dump.

[puzzlers]

[ looks all around and intensity said it best: none of these paths look particularly friendly. ]

[ just going to keep quiet since king had more or less said what's on his mind. ]

[mou_hitori_no_pharaoh]

You must have an opinion.

[puzzlers]

[ points to the guy that's got someone draped over his shoulder. ] If this is a game, then if we can rescue one of the npcs we might get some valuable information.

[ also, since they're out of the dark horrible tunnel he's going to summon the silent magician. ]

[mou_hitori_no_pharaoh]

Seems a good a strategy as any.

[puzzlers]

Which way do you think we should go?

[mou_hitori_no_pharaoh]

We're looking for the Dark Master, right? Well, he looks the most stereotypical Dark Master than the rest of them.

And if he's not, then you're right - at least we'll have a potential npc to get information from. The other npc seems a little---

[Probably dead]

[puzzlers]

Agreed. The mask isn't doing him any favors.

So it's win-win, in theory.

[mou_hitori_no_pharaoh]

Maki is going to scout ahead. She says she can do so undetected.

She'll investigate the Game Tower and then loop back in our direction.