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

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Oh? And what is King's fascination?

Summoning a Dark God so you can destroy it?

[puzzlekeeper]

I think that's a "remains to be seen" for all of us.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Going to deny that you were seriously considering it?

It would even out your record, at the very least.

[puzzlekeeper]

Of course not. We both know I was.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

And what was your plan after he'd been summoned? Did you even have one?

[puzzlekeeper]

What else? Strike god down.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

. . .

[A beat to see if King is going to elaborate or--- if that is it.

Is that the master plan?]

[puzzlekeeper]

[ THAT'S IT

He's just a cocky little bitch willing to fistfight god

(It worked the first two times........ kinda) ]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[K I N G.

King plz.]

You get an F in overthrowing!

Let's raise that fucking grade before we start doing things for real.

[puzzlekeeper]

[ Don't laugh don't laugh don't laugh don't laugh don't laugh don't— ]

If I have an F then Nine must surely have an F-.

Are you going to show me the light, then?

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

D+. Nine is predictable. He wouldn't have pulled this shit until end game.

. . .

And yes. Obviously. Did you see anyone else making good decisions in that fight?

[puzzlekeeper]

"Endgame" doesn't have a clear win condition - this did.

But since you asked, X with his fish wasn't doing so bad.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Was winning the game the correct move in this instance?

[puzzlekeeper]

I fully expect them to make the host's life forfeit if we lost. It fits their pattern, doesn't it?

But win or lose, we don't have the information to know what the "correct" move was.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Their pattern is currently a smoking heap of a garbage fire. Anything that's off limits one game has no bearing on the next.

Who knows?

Maybe the next winning unit will get sent to Lilith for their trouble?

Seems about par for the course for their cheap round of fucking entertainment.

[puzzlekeeper]

... No. I'm not so sure they would.

Their system may be a rigged disaster, but it still relies on some things to work. The only reason we're all playing along like we do is because they're consistent - if the consequences of throwing were put off on the winners just for the hell of it, would any of us bother playing along anymore?

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Then why throw in a game where your ties to the community mattered after ruthlessly punishing those who didn't abide by their ridiculous rules of unit unity?

[puzzlekeeper]

You already know the answer. Because we're in hell, and our suffering is good for ratings.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

And that also proves my point! If we get too complacent with one thing they'll just change the rules on us without warning. So the rules and the winning conditions don't fucking matter.

[puzzlekeeper]

Well then, what do you intend to do about that? How are you going to play?

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

The moves that keep the key players in play. And that includes---

[Dramatic pointing at Nine-Nine]

This idiot!

[puzzlekeeper]

[ Giving Nine-Nine a sidelong, long-suffering look. ]

And out of curiosity, how have you decided who the "key players" are?

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Those that remember who the real fucking final boss is.

A low bar that surprisingly few seem able to fucking clear.

[puzzlekeeper]

[ For a moment it looks like he's about to protest.

Even opens his mouth to do so.

... Then, after thinking on it a second, realizes he really doesn't have enough faith in the majority of these fuckers anymore to argue the point. Sucks, doesn't it? ]


...

I guess you're right.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[It really sucks.

The agreement, though, is a little surprising.]

My my, is our dark paladin already so jaded?