idolpro | Heart Game: Talon

Entry tags:

!heart games

Heart Game: Talon

Was it this late when you stepped into the Game Tower...? Now the sky above is dotted with a few scarce stars, occasionally obscured by some light cloud cover drifting by. Most of the night sky has been washed out by the bright lights of the city which, by the way, is spread out far below the rooftop that characters find themselves on. There's a faint buzz on their phones. When checked, the screen shows a Game Notice:

Win Condition:
1. Locate the True Heart
Or
2. Leave a Lasting Mark

The skyscraper towers high above the streets, easily dwarfing any other building in sight. The city is some dozens of stories below, and the sound of the wind rushing by is louder than anything that can be heard from the streets. Occasionally the wail of a siren pierces the distance, but it's easier to spot the lights of an ambulance or police car zipping through the roads than it is to hear them. If you look closely enough, and for long enough, you might notice figures in the distance leaping between buildings, sometimes in pursuit of a siren or with an emergency vehicle trailing in the distance behind them.

The roof itself is expansive—the building must take up the better part of a city block, judging by the space available up here. A helipad (sans any helicopter) takes up the entirety of one side of the roof, complete with what looks like a freight elevator for moving things from the roof further into the building. The elevator itself has a keypad lock on it, but a staircase entrance beside it has no obvious lock in place.

The rest of the rooftop is empty save for a small, hooded figure perched atop one of the parapets along the edge of the roof, feet dangling over open air.

[ OOC NOTES:

1. Powers are on. THIS INCLUDES CANON POWER SETS.
2. Characters may keep any equipment they had on them when entering the heart, but there is a risk it will be taken away during the run. However all equipment taken will be returned when you exit the heart.
3. Significant changes/damage to the heart will reset each time someone new enters an area for the first time. For example, if Bob kills the sentry at the entrance of the heart, the sentry will respawn for Sally when she arrives. This way everyone can experience the different areas.
4. CAVEAT TO THE ABOVE: exceptions made for anyone specifically going through the heart with a partner(s), or anyone who requests to react to damage that's been done. The goal here is to allow everyone to have fun in the heart at the end of the day. ♥ ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ THAT'S

UH

lays a hand on her head, petting out of instinct more than anything ]

I believe you, but please do not eat anymore knives.

[ ... taking human form again, shrinking under his hand, to chuckle.

but also, hugs him. ]

I'm fine. Who doesn't swallow a knife once in a while?

Everyone. You and sword swallowers are the only people who do.

[ Definitely leaning into the hug even while he calls her out!! ]

It's my charm point.

[ hugs him tight, before trespassing him again, turning to look at that door. ]

And what's going on there?

[ Glancing down the hall with an uneasy frown ]

I don't know. I'm unable to get any closer than this.

[ apparently my phone autocorrected "releasing" to "trespassing" so whatever i guess

hums... ]

Can I bring you somewhere safer? Or will you be okay if I check it out?

... I believe that I am compromised. Bringing me anywhere could do more harm than good.

Because of your Mother, or whatever that was?

[ seems irritated, but nods, taking a couple of steps to the door. ]

I'll be right back.

I believe so— What are you doing?

[ The first few steps are easy enough, but then that sensation of something foreign trying to wrest control from her surfaces again, trying to force her to turn back.

Roll 1d6; 3 or greater will be able to resist. ]

[ 5.

She pauses for a second-- but only that, and keeps going. ]

Checking it out.

Be careful.

[ She's close enough now to hear some murmurs from the room ahead. "...transmission strength... Now."

The feeling comes again, pushing her to take a weapon from one of the suits of armor.

Roll 1d6; 4 or greater will be able to resist. ]

[ -- oh

it's a 1.

she grabs the nearest weapon, looking a little like the floor got pulled out from under her.

but, without hesitation-- ]

-- get away!

[ She can struggle against it, but with a loss of control this severe she'll need a 5 or better to reclaim her own limbs.

The sword is heavy and cold in her hands, and this phantom force that has a hold of her is hellbent on turning her towards Talon, blade raised with obvious intent.

Talon freezes in place, eyes wide and darting from Nychta to the sword and back again. He takes a few steps back before stopping himself, shaking his head and tensing himself as he slides into a fighter's crouch. ]

I can't leave you here!

I said go!

[ snarls it, but it's a 2-- so she really just... can't. can't do anything to stop raising the blade over her head, limbs trembling with the effort to stop-- but this is less of a presence fighting for control, at this point, this is puppetry. ]

And abandon you?!

[ He spits the word out like venom, springing up and kicking off the wall to flip over the arc of "her" swing. It's definitely too close for comfort, but he's dodged being this this time.

The foreign presence is already turning her to follow after him. (Roll again). ]

[ a 4 this time; the feeling of being so, so close to regaining control is endlessly frustrating, and she makes a noise echoing that thought, eyes wide and a little panicked-- not for herself, but for Talon. ]

You're not abandoning me! I just-- need a minute to get a hold of this-- You're not going to regrow if I cut an arm off!

[ "She" lunges toward him, swinging the sword in a wide arc that leaves a fine cut just across his cheek—definitely too close!! He throws himself back into a backwards somersault, springing away even further when he comes out of it. He's wild-eyed too now, desperate and terrified ]

F-Fine. But only a minute!

[ There's distance to close now. The force lowers the sword and stalks toward Talon again, but he's thankfully hurrying down the hall to keep the space between them now. (Roll again) ]

[ 5.

She abruptly wrenches control back of her limbs and pitches the sword across the opposite end of the hall.

And she snarls again, turning to a guttural roar as she changes shape, dropping to all fours and CHARGING the door to ram with all of her weight. ]

[ The hallway has turned entirely to stone by the end of it. Nychta slams into the door, and it flies open and smashes into the wall, splintering down the middle. A gaggle of scientists in the room all cry out in alarm and dive under computer desks and behind workstations, already giving up on any hope of talking her down.

The room itself is lit with cold fluorescent lighting and the glow of countless computer displays. There's a complicated looking structure in the middle of the room, and a tall, regal looking woman is currently wired into it. She fixes Nychta with a cold stare, the corner of her lip twisting in disgust. ]

Well. The beast shows itself.

Mmmmmmotherrr.

[ despite the rumbling growl she somehow manages to spit the word out, those pupil-less yellow eyes bright and round, unblinking.

She only takes a second to take in the machinery-- doesn't bother to reign back the creature in her head's rising fury and panic-- before rising up on her hind legs to grab the nearest computer and just fucking wrench it out of the wall. ]

—NO!!

[ She has no faith in a machine that's been critically damaged like this, so she wrenches the neural crown from her head and storms down from the platform, palming daggers she had stashed beneath her dress ]

You will regret your interference, beast!

[ PITCHES THE WHOLE COMPUTER AT HER-- or, well, at where she was hooked up to the machine, anyway; even if she doesn't hit her maybe she can Cause Some Problems On Purpose.

Her voice is roaring, deafeningly loud. ]

TRRRRRRY ME, BITCH.

[ She shrieks in rage and hurls one of her daggers at Nychta as the computer sails through the air overhead, aiming right for her closest eye. There's no saving the machine now, so a little revenge is the next best thing.

The crunch of metal crashing into metal is quite satisfying. ]

Do you have any idea what you have done?!

Nnnnnnope!

[ ahhh, that feels good.

LESS GOOD is the knife sinking into her eye-- she gives a pained grunt, brief, but doesn't bother to pull it out, instead dropping down again and charging Talia. ]

[ Talia rushes forward at the same time, veering towards Nychta's blind side and springing up onto one of the computer stations, aiming to vault directly over her from the blinded side so she can take a deep slash at her remaining good eye ]

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