Heart Game: Intensity (Turn 4)

[idolpro]

In the beginning, there is nothing but darkness and silence. A sleep that gives no rest but one out of necessity in order to keep functioning. Behind closed eyelids, the numbers of a clock tick down - one painstaking second at a time.

TIME UNTIL REBOOT:


And then you wake up.

As you shift to a standing position, you feel something sharp and pointed press against your side. Digging into the nearest pocket, you will find two small puzzle pieces. And from their odd shape, it looks like they would fit into a 3D spherical puzzle. Odd. You've never seen them before, but you do get a sense that these are a currency of some sort. Spend them wisely!

Game start.

Comments

OOC Bookeeping

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Instructions / Info

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

During sign-up, you will have been assigned a faction/NPC based on Intensity's perception of your character and various other factors. Where you start and your relationship with Intensity will determine your standing with the different NPCs as well as your power set.

What you know:

Intensity's heart will reboot in exactly 4 hours.

Puzzle pieces are a form of currency and are used to align with different factions/NPCs.

If you started in Hell, you will have powers appropriate to the wish you were granted (assuming you sign the contract).

If you started in Heaven, you will have canon powers.

If you started anywhere else, you will have the same abilities you have in Imeeji.

How to win (this is known ICly):

By siding with the faction/NPC that has the most puzzle pieces after all Heart runs. You do not have to ICly give puzzle pieces to NPCs. You can also just use the turn-in (see below) after finishing the Heart Game. If you do ICly hand a puzzle piece to an NPC (or lose one), you can't give it to someone else later.

Making changes to Intensity's central programming without causing a core dump. Attempt too drastic of a change and it won't stick upon reboot.

Other OOC information:

In general, I am playing this as everyone is in the same space/time continuum for the first 4 hours of the Heart.

Then Intensity will wake up (hopefully!) and I'll let you exploradora at your own pace and will backtag as long as you want to.

What factions are available:

Hell - The King of Hell

Heaven - Mokuba

Blue Eyes

The True Heart

K̵̭͋̀̇̽ȁ̴̗͕̰̄̚ì̵̭̹͍̬̋͘b̴̰̦̝͕̆̇̈́ȧ̶̮͈̮͉̏ (Canon Intensity)

[[P.S. Sorry if any of the fonts/styling bork when viewed on mobile. Webdev or CSS master, I am not.]]

Turn-In

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Please comment to this thread with who you gave your puzzle pieces to and whether your run is scored/unscored.

Character Specific Introductions

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Persephone

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

The tiniest hint of a smile graces your features as you stare down at the sight below you.

Hiroto, dead. By your hand. A flurry of sakura petals half burying him in the muck and mire. It would look majestic if not for the horrible monster that lay half-buried in the mud.

Rubbing at your eyes for a moment, you wipe your blade free of blood on the nearby grass and sheathe it back in its hiding space. You feel so many things, but yet you look as calm and composed as ever as you straighten to your full height, glancing around you.

The sky opens up and rain begins to fall. Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop. A pleasant soothing rain. As if the world itself was breathing a sigh of relief at the events that just transpired. It seems it will do the work of expression your emotions for you.

The whispers of ghosts that can finally be put to rest reach your ears though can no longer see them.

With one last look, you pull your parasol from your hip, opening it above you with a elegant snap to fend off the storm. As you do so, something buzzes from within the folds of your cloak. Fetching out the item, you stare at your old phone from the production - old and weathered. And surprisingly functional after all this time.

This is one (1) unread message.

CEO: Congratulations.

Somehow you are not surprised.

Turning on your heel, you walk away from the corpse without a second glance and---

You wake up again.

[[ Powers:

Occult Bullshit: The ability to see/talk/interact with all things dead and supernatural. You'll see sakura petals at the edge of your vision when this happens.

Performance: Roll a 1d10. You have the ability to charm people in the Heart to do your bidding. Will last for the entire Heart Game.

Midnight Caste: You get a third power because this is extremely niche and will be only applicable in one room in the Heart. Can accept the strongest feelings of the deceased and touch someone who caused the deceased to suffer, transferring that pain back to the one that caused it. Fuck. yes. ]]

[[ Proceed to here ]]

Yugi

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

The darkness and the silence return for you.

But it is not cold.

No.

In fact you swear you can faintly see the image of a woman that seems both familiar and not familiar at the same time.

Her smile is warm. She leans down to kiss your forehead.

"Thank you for your service."

And then she fades from sight.

As does the darkness and the silence.

[[Powers:

Pride of the Vessel: You have an increased luck stat. Roll a 1d10 when you want to want to apply it. This is more powerful depending on the number of friendly PCs/NPCs to Yugi in the same room. ]]

[[ Proceed to here ]]

Heaven - Main Branch

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

You enter a very modern and very corporate office space - obviously of some higher ranking official in the company. If the pricey decor wasn't enough to give that away, the fact that you can see nothing but open sky outside of ceiling-to-floor length windows is just another data point to that fact. Also, if you have any experience with corporations or negotiations, you'll notice that this is a high-ranking reception room due to its sparse furniture. And no chairs on the customer-facing side of the desk indicates one meant to intimidate.

On various surfaces on the room, a single word has been - for lack of better description - erased. Where the company name should be (K̵̭͋̀̇̽ȁ̴̗͕̰̄̚ì̵̭̹͍̬̋͘b̴̰̦̝͕̆̇̈́ȧ̶̮͈̮̏) and the first letter in the company logo (K̵̭͋̀̇̽), it looks like static if you stare at it too long.

Behind the opulent desk (which still manages to have a 90s-style CRT desktop), the chair is turned away from you and facing the windows. But by the sound of fingers tapping together, it is obvious that someone is there.

On the edge of the desk sits a large crystal bowl that one might use to serve candies at a party. It currently has one (1) puzzle piece.

There is only one exit: [ Behind you ]

Re: Heaven - Main Branch

[forgottenmercy]

[that had been...a lovely dream, in it's own way. but now he is awake.

no experience with corporations, but he does have experience with both the powerful and negotiations. and will quietly approach the desk, then.]

King of Hell's Office

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

You find yourself in a wide, expansive cathedral with ceiling to floor stained-glass windows and heavy columns lining the unnecessarily long walkway. Pews are lined up neatly (perfectly so) on either side of you and a dark blue carpet framed in silver cushions your steps.

There is a figure at the end of that carpet, lounging comfortably in a silver throne behind a silver desk. A symbol of everything that is modern and all things technology in comparison to the layout of the room.

Even at this distance, you can see that Intensity's skin is paler, almost porcelain-like, and his hair has a bleached-silver sheen to it. Probably even more noticeable is the two giant white metallic wings that spring from his shoulder blades and the long dragon's tail that peeks out from the hem of his coat. Oh. And one more thing. You can very obviously tell there's not a single inch of human flesh on him - he's 100% artificial.

The King of Hell greets you with cold eyes and a colder smile, lacing his fingers in front of him.

"Congratulations. You graduate."

There is only one exit: [ Behind you ]

Re: King of Hell's Office

[420blazeit]

Ritzy.

[ she whistles, approaching the desk, and though she's somewhat taken aback by his appearance she doesn't stop moving or let her surprise so much as flicker across his face. instead, she sets a hand on the desk and leans over it somewhat, tail flicking from side to side playfully. ]

Congrats, eh, [ she tilts her head to the side and smirks. ] does that mean we get to break in your desk together? [ she slides her hand along it. ]

Re: King of Hell's Office

[firstworldproblem]

You have my thanks.

[He bows. And boy, oh boy, that sure is a look.]

Would seem your position is treating you well.

The Pharaoh's Palace

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

You arrive in a very opulent and expansive throne room (minus the people), the room surprisingly cool and comfortable for being in the middle of the desert. As you glance toward the throne itself, you see a figure enshrouded in light. But it's too bright - you can't tell who it is.

After a few more uncomfortable blinks, the light vanishes and you're left alone. And the sound of singing drifts in from your left. The words are unfamiliar (unless you are fluent in Ancient Egyptian), but you understand them all the same:

The corpse sinks to the floor The vessel becomes sand, becomes dust Even the brightest gold, Even the Sharpest sword Is wrapped in the sheath of time Woe to the pharaoh, for his body lacks even his name Time is the battlefield of souls I cry the song of battle, the song of a friend To the place far away where souls meet Guide me

There are two exits: [ Behind you to the desert and left to the palace gardens ]

Re: The Pharaoh's Palace

[puzzlers]

[ no need to guess where he is. ]

[ though the figure at the throne is gone he's going to head toward it to see if there's any trace of the person who just vanished before his eyes. ]

The Pharaoh's Palace - Gardens

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[ You arrive in the palace gardens - a perfectly manicured space covered with all sorts of greenery and a lotus pond taking up most of the space. Off to the side, there is a table with two chairs and a senet board for those who have played the game.

Seated on one of the chairs is this girl who is the source of the singing. She has yet to notice your entrance. ]

There is only one exit: [ Back to the throne room ]

Re: The Pharaoh's Palace - Gardens

[puzzlers]

...ah, [ he comes to a stop as he reaches the gardens, taking in its beauty; though his eyes eventually land on the girl seated at the senet board. ] I- I hope I'm not interrupting. [ he says, interrupting. ]

[ yugi lifts a hand in an awkward wave as he takes another few steps into the gardens. ] Sorry to intrude. [ but i'm not sure how the heck i got here. ]

Hell Reception Area

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[ One potentially familiar face greets you when the door opens. You're obviously in a waiting area. A small room with one plush chair with Nine-Nine lounging on it comfortably. (And none for you apparently.) He's paying more attention to the phone in his hand than he is you. ]

Well done! Well done! I guess you're one of us now. ... Sucker.

There are two exits: [ In front and behind you ]

Re: Hell Reception Area

[firstworldproblem]

[Is this playercest? Is that what this is?]

Was I but asked to ensure a timing between our rule of Hell and Zodiark. How busy is his calendar?

Kaiba Land

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

You enter an amusement park.

No. Scratch that.

You enter the most ridiculous amusement park of your life.



Everything, I mean everything is Blue Eyes themed. The buildings, the gates, the rides, the concession stands. Even the fucking bathrooms are Blue Eyes themed. And that Intensity statue at (10). How tacky, right?

But there are a lot of faceless, nameless children running around the park screaming with delight as they run to and from each attraction, trying to cram as many in a short time as possible. So. It looks fun?

There are three exits: [ The entrance (1), The Death-T Experience Theater (9), and K̵̭͋̀̇̽ȁ̴̗͕̰̄̚ì̵̭̹͍̬̋͘b̴̰̦̝͕̆̇̈́ȧ̶̮͈̏ Corporation Future Branch (2) ]

Though you are free to explore any of the other attractions.

List of attractions:
(1) Blue Eyes Gate
(2) K̵̭͋̀̇̽ȁ̴̗͕̰̄̚ì̵̭̹͍̬̋͘b̴̰̦̝͕̆̇̈́ȧ̶̮͈̏ Corporation Future Branch
(3) Duel Stadium
(4) W.C. (Restroom)
(5) K̵̭͋̀̇̽ȁ̴̗͕̰̄̚ì̵̭̹͍̬̋͘b̴̰̦̝͕̆̇̈́ȧ̶̮͈̏land Official Hotel
(6) Blue Eyes Monorail Entrance
(7) K̵̭͋̀̇̽ȁ̴̗͕̰̄̚ì̵̭̹͍̬̋͘b̴̰̦̝͕̆̇̈́ȧ̶̮͈̏man Show
(8) Battle City: The Movie
(9) Death-T Experience Theater
(10) Blue Eyes Ultimate World
(11) K̵̭͋̀̇̽ȁ̴̗͕̰̄̚ì̵̭̹͍̬̋͘b̴̰̦̝͕̆̇̈́ȧ̶̮͈̏ Castle
(12) Blue Eyes Burst Stream
(13) W.C. (Restroom)
(14) Concessions stand / Gift shop
(15) Blue Eyes Adventure
(16) Mokuba's Capsule Monster House
(17) Concessions stand / Gift shop
(18) Monster Horror House
(19) W.C. (Restroom)
(20) Blue Eyes Jet Coaster

Re: Kaiba Land

[forgottenmercy]

[...just. sighs. this place is...about what he expected. also a nightmare.

fun for who, precisely. but he is...going to go look at (18).]

Central CPU Core

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

When you enter this room, it's very much like being transported inside the Future is Now dorm. All the surfaces are slick, silver, lined with fluorescent neon lights and, of course, cube-shaped. The center of this room is dominated by a large glass box with four screens overhead, counting down the time from the start of the game. The same timer you saw when you arrived here. And in that box, breathing but otherwise unmoving, sits Intensity. Numerous wires are coming out of the base of his neck and disappear down into the floor. He does not look over at you upon your arrival. In fact, he doesn't seem aware of anything around him. The rest of the room consists of three walkways leading to three exits, and the fourth leading to a large bulky 90s computer (much like the one in Intensity's lab) with two large dual flatscreen monitors that are much more modern by contrast. TIME UNTIL REBOOT: There are three exits: [ Heaven , Hell, and the elevator behind the glass box ] Beneath the walkways is a dark abyss. You cannot see the floor.

Re: Central CPU Core

[firstworldproblem]

[Hello, Computer!

Does it have a menu?]

Death-T Reception

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

You enter a simple room that has no furniture save for a very Future is Now style table and chairs. They edges of the furniture bathe the entire room in a warm silver-blue light.

Across from the entrance, a not quite familiar face looks up from the card deck that he is shuffling. King(?)'s face lights up as you enter and he gestures toward the closest chair with a not-sane grin and the enthusiasm of a wolf who has found his next sheep. As it so happens, that vacant spot also has a yugioh deck conveniently in front of it as if it were waiting for you.

Let's play a game.

There are two exits: [ In front and behind you ]

Re: Death-T Reception

[forgottenmercy]

...I am, ah, sorry, but I would not make a fitting opponent for you. [and going out the way he came, then.]

The Desert

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[ The elevator drops you off IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FUCKING DESERT.

WHAT THE FUCK!? ]

Re: The Desert

[firstworldproblem]

[With his corruption that is aversion to light, no, not really. But it is the most unique options as he wouldn't be surprised if Intensity has killed some people or started some sort of espionage corruption or whatever young boys do when they are boys.

Heading towards a pyramid if it looks within walking distance. Walking distance at half speed, he's slow.]

Snake Pit

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[ If you've ever been to the Future is Now dorms, then you know this hallway. This is the reception area, also known as the Snake Pit. And it seems like a pair of twins are blocking your path. ]

[ You are first greeted by someone who looks like the spitting image of Man Eater (Rizumu) but her demeanor is anything but. She excitedly clasp her hands as she turns to address her "twin": ] Look! Look! Visitors!

[ Izumu (Man Eater) oh so casually leans on the lever to open said snake pit with an expression somewhere between bored and anticipating. Maybe today will be the day he gets to pull the lever. In contrast to Rizumu's warm greeting, he just says in his normal smug tone: ] I see that. Password?

There are two exits: [ Behind you and in front of you]

Re: Snake Pit

[puzzlers]

I don't know the password...

[ he's never needed a password. ]

[ but, if this is going to become a game of getting past the snake pit, well, then the moment it looks like man eater is going to pull the lever he's going to quick as a wink the fuck over there. ]

The Reboot

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

The system is going down for maintenance NOW!
[1]+ Exit 1

root@intensity:~# sudo reboot now
root@intensity:~#
Broadcast message from root@intensity.home.fin
     (/dev/console) at 10:25 ...

The system is going down for maintenance NOW!
* Syncing personal assistant                                                    [ OK ]
* Starting empathy.exe                                                          [ OK ]
     /sbin/start-stop-daemon: warning: failed to start l337: No such process
* Restructing memory cache                                                      [ OK ]
* Asking all processes to save data...                                          [ OK ]
* Pausing all remaining processes...                                            [ OK ]
* Incorporating new state...                                                    [ OK ]
* Rebooting...                                                                  [ OK ]

[ The wires separate from Intensity with a soft hiss, disappearing in the ground of the glass box. He blinks once, twice, three times - before pushing himself shakily to a standing position.

Congratulations. The reboot was successful.

Hope everyone is happy with all of their changes. ]

Re: The Reboot

[420blazeit]

[ here comes d.va with dead!tensity. ]

[ she normally wouldn't have bothered sparing the glass box a glance, but now that she's got her heart weapon bullet proof glass can't stop her from- oh. ]

You're up! [ the first actual good thing to happen in this stupid heart. ]

Death-T cw: blood; death; gore

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

You enter a long narrow concrete hallway, light from somewhere outside filtering in through tiny slits of window. Otherwise the room is dark and damp. It makes your skin crawl and the hair stand up on the back of your neck. Everything about it seems to scream "Stay away! Get out!" And for obvious reasons. In the center of the room lies one (1) very dead Intensity, lifeless eyes staring at the ceiling as a spear is stabbed straight through his chest. The spear is tagged 'Day 47'. Before he expired, it seems Intensity attempted to write a message -- in his blood of course. Dramatic person that he is. Losing means death. On a long concrete table lining the hallway, there are trinkets and items all lined up neatly in a row. They are tagged and on display on stands and in cases as if they were museum pieces: A single blank Yugioh trading card with no image An Oujia board marked Day 25 A bloody pentagram drawn directly onto table marked Day 25 A manila folder marked Day 68 A volleyball marked Day 78 A sniper rifle marked Day 78 A metallic collar with a device attached marked Day 86 A single floating balloon marked Day 111 A bone ring A jeweled ring marked Day 155 As you take in the room around you, you swear that you can feel something watching you from the shadows. There are two exits: [ In front of you and behind you ]

[[ Mechanic: For every comment you make in this room, roll a 1d10. If you roll 1-3, please ping the Heart Runner. You do not have to do this if Kaiba is in the room with you. ]]

[[ For D.Va: That Intensity definitely pings as dead. Very dead. ]]

Re: Death-T cw: blood; death; gore

[420blazeit]

[ she steps in and crit fails. ]

[ notices the dead intensity and is going to approach if nothing bad happens... ]

[ if nothing bad happens. ]

FiN Common Room

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

		You arrive in the Future is Now common room, and it looks just like it does in the waking world, except for one very obvious thing. It's. so. crowded. The images of 20 people wander around the interior space, some more opaque than others - chatting and interacting with each other. Heated games of Go Fish and Candyland take up one section of the room. Popcorn and a small group of people huddled around the Danny Devito movie "Twins" in another. Origami piled high in a corner as even more FiNs add to the stack. And one, two, three... yes, three mom bots fussing over the various inhabitants. And at the very center of the room (near that cube table and those awful cube chairs) is a very colorful espresso machine, playing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" as a new cup of coffee has been freshly brewed.

There are four exits: [ The snake pit, Angel's room, Intensity's lab, and the laundry room ]

Re: FiN Common Room

[puzzlers]

[ HOLY MOLY, this is a lot of people. ]

[ ...and suddenly he's reminded of all of the people lost on pep! yugi takes a moment to look at all of the people, both new and old, before slowly continuing to the lab. ]

Intensity's Lab

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

The room you arrive in is plain and simple in contrast to everything you know about Intensity. There is one bed large enough to fit two children at most pressed up against the far wall. A chess set sits on a folding table with two chairs. Yu-gi-oh cards are scattered atop the rest of the table's surface - this one sitting proudly on top. And the far wall is almost entirely dominated by this image. In the center of the room sits an Intensity that can't be more than 10 years old and... smiling. Like. Actually smiling as he carefully puts together a 3D puzzle that looks like it would take a long time to complete even for an adult. But he seems to be entranced with it as he carefully slots two pieces together. Perfect fit. He looks up at you as you enter.

There is only one exit: [ Back to the Fin Common Room ]

Re: Intensity's Lab

[puzzlers]

[ ...uhm. ]

[ lifts hand to wave. ]

Enter Kaiba [ 1 / 2 ]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Before your eyes even adjust to the dimness of this room, you are bombarded with feelings that are not your own. A vengeance that is not yours. But, oh, for those few precious seconds, how it sings in your veins as if it was.

You've (They've) been searching for years for this person - this wretch who took everything from you (them), your (their) purpose, your (their) loved one, your life's work, and left you there, a shell of your former self - only to find them dead, dead of natural causes, the end of their normal lifespan they had glorified so much while looking down on you. They've left your reach with everything they've ever wanted - celebrated and at peace, propped up on a pedestal and praised to high heavens while you're still drowning in the muck they threw you down in. You can't stand it. All you had left in life was to find them and make them pay. All you had was them, and they even took that from you. You can't stand it. You absolutely can't stand it.

But you don't have to let it end this way. You can bring them back.

Compared to your real talents, graverobbing was arduous but simple. Their death was recent enough to leave their body still mostly intact, so there's only a few things you'll have to replace to revive them. It's perfect: you'll make them into one of your own creations, the things they scorned so much, and you'll force them to know the real value of your work firsthand. Fingers, eyes so they'll finally have to look at you, and then when you place a heart in their chest and start their life again, they'll become a mockery of their own legacy. And then finally, after so long, so long dreaming about it, finally, finally, with you're own hands, you'll kill them. Over, and over, and over.

Enter Kaiba [ 2 / 2 ]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Once the vision leaves you, you open your eyes to the interior of a grandiose space station overlooking Earth. It appears no expense was spared in this particular endeavor. The twinkle of hundreds of LED lights and dozens of screens display more data than can be ever consumed by a single person in real time.

Across from where you are standing and behind a set of evenly spaced-bars of light stands "Intensity" looking out over this view. For those who remember the Rift or Liar Hell, yes, those are indeed the very same prison bars. It doesn't seem he has noticed your presence, laser focused as he is on some giant contraption putting together a large pyramid-shaped puzzle in zero-gravity.

If you do step forward to take a closer look at the screens, you will notice that there are pictures of the other occupants in the Heart Game and what they are doing.

There is only one exit: [ Behind you ]