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]

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 ]

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 ]

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 ]

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 ]]

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.

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. ]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[ He just laughs at that. ]

Now, now, D.Va. Business before pleasure.

Don't you want to tell me what your wish is first?

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

But of course. No expense spared when you rule over all the dominion of pain and suffering.

But.

[ And he leans forward in his seat. ]

We're not here to talk about me. We're here to talk about you. Surely you know what comes with graduation.

[420blazeit]

Why can't we do both at the same time?

I'm pretty sure we're both capable of multitasking.

[ don't mind her taking a seat on the edge of his desk. is there anything on the desk, because she's definitely looking to poke around, because that question sure is a question. ]

Is she still around?

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[ No one else is here but Yugi.

But that voice of the person singing does sound vaguely familiar. ]

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.]

[puzzlers]

[ ...talk about eerie. he turns his back on the throne and heads towards the gardens. ]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Are you sure you won't get distracted, D.Va?

[ And that laugh turns wicked because they both know who she is. ]

It just so happens that there is a vacancy in my court. One that you were interested in, if I'm not mistaken.

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 ]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[[ Proceed to here ]]

Re: Heaven - Main Branch

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[ There is someone talking to themselves too quietly for you to hear.

But what you will notice is that voice is way too high to be Intensity. ]

[420blazeit]

[ she just laughs. ]

Not at all. [ [x] DOUBT. ] It'll make the negotiations more fun... probably.

And where is she?

Re: Heaven - Main Branch

[forgottenmercy]

[interesting.]

Ah, hello...?

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Demoted and disposed of.

First rule of a hostile take-over is not to let anyone linger to come get their revenge later. You get rid of them all.