<![CDATA[CDBZ Archive - Kill Town]]>

<![CDATA[CDBZ Archive - Kill Town]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/ Sat, 05 Sep 2026 16:03:39 +0000 MyBB <![CDATA[Endgame]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15598 Sun, 18 Apr 2010 07:00:12 +0000 Jesper]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15598
Magnus, however, was having a tougher time of it. He had mastered the art of manipulating the system, but the more he went about doing it, the more the system began to manipulate itself. There were instances throughout his fight with a few of the more willing prisoners where things would happen that fell outside of his influence, and in fact, some of them worked against him. Brief glitches in the visuals and flecks of dark matter caught his attention every once in a while, and left himself open for attack.

If he was going to impose his will in the minds of these weak, pathetic prisoners, he was going to have to do it soon. And he would need the tarrasque to do it. He glanced over at his creation, but his heart sank when he gazed upon it. The massive beast continued to roar and stomp about, but the flecks of darkness that he had been distracted by earlier began to spread on its skin. What looked like a mere spot grew into a cancerous looking thing, and soon began to envelope the entire creature. What was once a brown monster evolved into a massive shadow, glaring its bright yellow eyes solely upon Magnus.

The hacker shook with fright, knowing full well that if his creation had indeed gone mad, it would be the end of him. His eyes broke from the beast and fell upon Yuffith and Kepler, who had removed themselves from the situation but kept themselves within sight. The girl seemed as clueless as ever, but that damned elf had a grin plastered on his smug face. The hacker realized immediately that whatever was happening was a direct result of his actions.

His only regret as the tarrasque began to tower over him was that he could not stop him in time.

*

“No…” Gamer breathed to himself as he clicked the “enter” key on his keyboard.

No response, just like his other attempts. The clicks and clanks resounded painfully in his ears as his eyes quickly scanned the screen in a nervous stupor, flicking back and forth as he watched the events unfold. It had all compounded so quickly that the teenager was having trouble even believing that it was happening. What began as a simple skip—a glitch in the video feed, he assumed—turned into oddly colored patterns that seemed to envelop the entire area around each player that he monitored.

He pulled up the command prompt, where he knew he could easily contact Mixie. If anything, she would know what had been happening to his precious machinery:

Quote:>: MIXIE! WHAT’S HAPPENING?

>: …

>: …

>: …

>: I’m sorry. This was my home, but I did what my programming required of me. I’m glad it did, as I believe this is the just course of action. Goodbye, my creator. May your creator have mercy on you.

“What the fuck does that even mean?” Keith slammed a fist on his desk and sank back in his chair. The event that he had placed his players into began to shift, their reality warping into several other possibilities, the chaos that ensued almost impossible to predict or even keep up with in his bird’s eye view. The entire system seemed to be at the mercy of whatever had begun to vex it, though he couldn’t tell what it was. He shook his head—Lance must have been the cause of all of it, he figured, though he had no idea what he could have possibly done.

The screen began to twitch in and out of clarity, making it painfully obvious that he would lose control in a matter of seconds. Although he couldn’t quite see the person who was speaking, he heard one last message before everything went black.

Though the message itself was jumbled, the purpose was all too clear. “Gamer…watching…you’re next.”

He shook his head and bolted from his chair. If his experiments had escaped from his game, he would make sure that his army of robots would be there to protect him.

*

One by one, as the program began to shut down, every person’s eyes began to flutter open.

“I guess this means that we’re free,” the blonde-haired courier spoke first, examining his hand as he lifted it towards his face.

“Oh fuck!” Belle’s scream startled everyone as they tried to regain their senses after being in slumber for so long. “Oh fuck yes. The changes weren’t permanent.”

“Well…” Victoria shook her head, standing to her feet. “We seem to be alive. That’s good.”

“It’s not the afterlife,” Orion replied swiftly.

“Yeah. Pretty sorry sight if it is,” the pink haired teenager, Ashe, observed casually as she rubbed the base of her neck.

“Yeah, well…” Ander stood up from the back, walking towards the door. “No point in standing around. If we’re alive, that means we’re still inside the kid’s mansion. If we’re inside the kid’s mansion, that means he’s probably still here. He hasn’t had enough time to escape. And since he’s here…”

His voice trailed off, obviously not caring to finish the sentence. Juno, however, was more than happy to oblige. “And since he’s here, we might as well make him pay.”

The rest of the former players muttered agreement, despite their moral backgrounds. It was questionable whether or not some of them would follow through with it, but they all knew that if the right person got there first, then Gamer would be in more pain than he would like, and then he would die. Their scattered thoughts of revenge were further interrupted by a soft, feminine gasp from the corner opposite Ander. All eyes fell on Yuffith, who still looked much the same. She made a point to look every contestant in the eye as she spoke. “Please, I beg of you. Please don’t kill him.”

“You don’t want us to what now?” Alexander Trafford said in almost a scoff, as he casually patted the pockets of his jacket for another cigarette.

“Sorry, but that isn’t going to happen,” Orion crossed his arms. “The boy must pay for his crimes.”

“I…I know what he’s done was wrong,” Julia sighed, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “But…please, he’s my brother! He’s all I have…just please…”

“Well…” Kaden paused, taking a deep breath as he sorted out his thoughts. “We need to confront him regardless. Letting him just…chill out while we all run away seems awfully…I don’t know. What’s the word?”

“Stupid,” Sophia offered, her eyes still closed as she was laying down, though she had awoken with the rest of them.

“Right,” the courier nodded. “It’d seem pretty stupid.”

“Let’s do that, then,” Piper hopped up. “Looks like the thief is bursting at the sides just to get there.”

Ander glanced at Sage and Sophia before he offered a response. “I just want to talk to him.”

*

Keith holed himself up in his room, curling himself into a ball as he stared at his door. A line of robots curtained him from the opening, of course, and there was another wave of robots just outside, but he couldn’t help but feel afraid for his life. He shook his head, tears streaming down his face as he thought about the gravity of what he had done. Real, living people were used for his own enjoyment, and they broke out. They broke out, and now they were likely looking to kill him. It wasn’t fair.

It just wasn’t fair!

He gripped his pillow and burrowed his eyebrows. He deserved so much better than the life he had been given, and he definitely deserved a more sophisticated cause of death than to be torn apart by the hands of some simpleton. In dwelling in his emotions, he began to laugh. He wasn’t sorry at all for capturing them. He felt no remorse for the ones he had already killed. It was all in good fun, and if they couldn’t take the joke, it didn’t matter. His laughter grew both in intensity and volume until a loud thud sounded from outside his room, leaving behind a quaint silence.

Keith crushed the pillow with all his strength, his pupils focusing in on the pattern of his door. The robots stood motionless, making the teenager feel even more uneasy. Suddenly, the door burst open, and before Keith could even blink, beams of ki tore through the metallic bodies of his guards at the sides, and a loud crunch sounded just in front of him as Belle smashed his fist into its head, riding on the momentum of its body as it fell to the ground.

Hibiki narrowed his stare upon seeing Keith. His body tensed, but the hand of Victoria pushed him back as she placed it on his shoulder. “Don’t you think we should get some answers first?”

“Psh, I don’t even know you,” the impulsive fighter rolled his eyes.

“She’s right, though,” Gamer replied, his voice quickened with fright. “Yeah, you want some answers. Can’t get answered if I’m dead, right?”

“Then why don’t you hurry up and give us those answers, hm?” Trafford said.

“Right. Answers,” Keith chuckled nervously until he suddenly realized that it was an inappropriate response. “Um…what do you want to know?”

“You could start by telling us why you did what you did,” Tamsin sighed.

“Or remind us again why we shouldn’t just kill you,” Juno shrugged, placing his hands behind his head casually.

Keith’s mind raced. He had absolutely no reasoning to give them, at least nothing that would prevent him from being killed. He shook his head and opened his mouth in an attempt to get something out. However, Julia marched up to him and slapped him across the face before so much as a grunt could escape his lips.

“Don’t you even dare try to justify what you’ve done!” she cried, her countenance suddenly bolstered from before. “We’ve been through rough times, but there is nothing that you can say to make things right!”

Keith merely stared at her blankly, rubbing his face tenderly. Julia turned around to face the rest of the group. “I understand that you wish to…to kill him, and honestly, you’re within every right to do so. But the fact is that death would be too…” she began to choke on her words. After several more attempts, she shook her head and moved on. “Keith will pay for his crimes. Mr. Stone and Lance are going to the authorities as we speak.”

“Yeah, I’m sure they’ll have a hell of a time figuring this one out,” Orion smirked.

Quote:I’m REALLY sorry that this ending was so underwhelming, but I’m exhausted. I hope you guys had fun regardless.

I won’t do an exit thread like I was going to do, so this is it. Good times.

As for how your character will exit, that’s largely up to you. The “authorities” are just the local police force. They’ll allow your character to go back to wherever they came from, or treat wounds, or whatever. This is for if you even choose to write about your exit from the situation at all. xD

I’m sure I’m forgetting something, but whatever. xD

]]>
Magnus, however, was having a tougher time of it. He had mastered the art of manipulating the system, but the more he went about doing it, the more the system began to manipulate itself. There were instances throughout his fight with a few of the more willing prisoners where things would happen that fell outside of his influence, and in fact, some of them worked against him. Brief glitches in the visuals and flecks of dark matter caught his attention every once in a while, and left himself open for attack.

If he was going to impose his will in the minds of these weak, pathetic prisoners, he was going to have to do it soon. And he would need the tarrasque to do it. He glanced over at his creation, but his heart sank when he gazed upon it. The massive beast continued to roar and stomp about, but the flecks of darkness that he had been distracted by earlier began to spread on its skin. What looked like a mere spot grew into a cancerous looking thing, and soon began to envelope the entire creature. What was once a brown monster evolved into a massive shadow, glaring its bright yellow eyes solely upon Magnus.

The hacker shook with fright, knowing full well that if his creation had indeed gone mad, it would be the end of him. His eyes broke from the beast and fell upon Yuffith and Kepler, who had removed themselves from the situation but kept themselves within sight. The girl seemed as clueless as ever, but that damned elf had a grin plastered on his smug face. The hacker realized immediately that whatever was happening was a direct result of his actions.

His only regret as the tarrasque began to tower over him was that he could not stop him in time.

*

“No…” Gamer breathed to himself as he clicked the “enter” key on his keyboard.

No response, just like his other attempts. The clicks and clanks resounded painfully in his ears as his eyes quickly scanned the screen in a nervous stupor, flicking back and forth as he watched the events unfold. It had all compounded so quickly that the teenager was having trouble even believing that it was happening. What began as a simple skip—a glitch in the video feed, he assumed—turned into oddly colored patterns that seemed to envelop the entire area around each player that he monitored.

He pulled up the command prompt, where he knew he could easily contact Mixie. If anything, she would know what had been happening to his precious machinery:

Quote:>: MIXIE! WHAT’S HAPPENING?

>: …

>: …

>: …

>: I’m sorry. This was my home, but I did what my programming required of me. I’m glad it did, as I believe this is the just course of action. Goodbye, my creator. May your creator have mercy on you.

Quote:I’m REALLY sorry that this ending was so underwhelming, but I’m exhausted. I hope you guys had fun regardless.

I won’t do an exit thread like I was going to do, so this is it. Good times.

As for how your character will exit, that’s largely up to you. The “authorities” are just the local police force. They’ll allow your character to go back to wherever they came from, or treat wounds, or whatever. This is for if you even choose to write about your exit from the situation at all. xD

I’m sure I’m forgetting something, but whatever. xD

]]> <![CDATA[The Players: Staring Contest]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15554 Sat, 10 Apr 2010 07:34:34 +0000 Kill Town]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15554
The event will being in a giant arena, where the remaining contestants (including Baller) are split up into pairs and must have a staring contest. If you don't know what is...well, for one, why the hell not, and two, look it up. However, as the prisoners begin to spread the virus, things will begin to change. Every event possibility will begin to meld into one another, and will constantly shift and mix together.

Basically, go crazy. Do whatever you want as long as it still follows character usage rules (common courtesy, really) and site rules.

1.) The pace of the change will be left to you. As long as you start with the staring contest and start to make up your own events and mix them in at a random rate, I don't care what it is that you do.

2.) The initial pairs aren't really important, either, since you're all in the same place, just given an opponent for the staring contest. But you should probably decide on it amongst yourselves, anyway, just to keep things straight.

3.) Since you might go crazy with all the freedom I'm giving you, feel free to PM me any question that you might have. I'll answer them to the best of my ability.]]>
The event will being in a giant arena, where the remaining contestants (including Baller) are split up into pairs and must have a staring contest. If you don't know what is...well, for one, why the hell not, and two, look it up. However, as the prisoners begin to spread the virus, things will begin to change. Every event possibility will begin to meld into one another, and will constantly shift and mix together.

Basically, go crazy. Do whatever you want as long as it still follows character usage rules (common courtesy, really) and site rules.

1.) The pace of the change will be left to you. As long as you start with the staring contest and start to make up your own events and mix them in at a random rate, I don't care what it is that you do.

2.) The initial pairs aren't really important, either, since you're all in the same place, just given an opponent for the staring contest. But you should probably decide on it amongst yourselves, anyway, just to keep things straight.

3.) Since you might go crazy with all the freedom I'm giving you, feel free to PM me any question that you might have. I'll answer them to the best of my ability.]]> <![CDATA[The Prisoners: Fight the Tarrasque]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15553 Sat, 10 Apr 2010 07:28:23 +0000 Kill Town]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15553
[Image: tarrasque.gif]

This is the Tarrasque. He > you, though it will weaken with every shot, since the virus will begin taking effect. The weapons you will be using to spread the virus can be anything you want, anything at all, even gloves. Just roleplay getting something from a giant stockpile and rush into battle.

Magnus will be around the area, typically around the Tarrasque, trying to pick people off. He is typically > you, as well, but to a lesser degree than the Tarrasque.

Basically, just write the fight, along with the effects of the virus (anything that you'd need to know, hopefully, is in the round thread).

I'm probably forgetting something major, but I can't concentrate right now. Just PM me any questions that you might have, and I'll answer them to the best of my ability.]]> <![CDATA[Round Five!]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15552 Sat, 10 Apr 2010 07:22:44 +0000 Kill Town]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15552
“Things seem to be going well,” Mixie stood at the door of Kepler’s makeshift shack, leaning against the frame.

The elf jumped and turned his head, face red with annoyance. “Don’t do that to me!”

“I’m afraid I don’t know what it is that you mean,” Mixie feigned distress. “If you mean for me to stop coming to visit you, then I think I just might die. Oh, what a dreadful thought…”

“Heh. Your glibness doesn’t really do wonders for ya, you know?” Kepler shook his head, masking a grin. “In any case, yeah, I guess they are. I’m not really feelin’ great about the number of prisoners, though, and it’s even more annoyin’ that they never stay in the same place. Something big’s about to happen. I can feel it in the air, and it makes my skin crawl.”

“Magnus and big brother certainly do have…eclectic tastes,” Julia chimed, smiling politely from her chair in the corner. “So it’s definitely possible. If Keith really doesn’t care about the lives of anyone here, I’m afraid anything is possible.”

“That’s actually part of the reason why I came,” Mixie sighed. “I wanted to see your progress with that virus, Kepler, but I also wanted to give you a bit more…motivation.”

“…what do you mean,” Kepler frowned. “If somethin’s about to go haywire, you’d better damn well tell me right now, if you know what’s good for ya.”

“Idle threats don’t really interest me, Mr. Kepler, but your belligerence has been noted,” the AI shrugged. “Anyway, it’s about Masters Gamer and Magnus.”

“They aren’t your masters anymore,” Kepler interjected suddenly. “Remember, I still don’t trust you, and throwin’ around titles like that don’t exactly make me feel good about all this.”

“If I still had any shred of loyalty for either of them, would I really share this piece of information with you?” Mixie placed a hand on her hip and sighed.

“And would this information be, Mixie?” Yuffith inquired, sitting bolt-upright in her seat.

“Well…you see…”

*

Magnus resolved to stand and watched the events from start to finish, if only to satisfy his own curiosity as to how the little bastard had managed to sustain an interest. When they were all over, whether with a whimper or a loud bang, the older hacker scoffed. “You’ve wasted enough of my time.”

Gamer glanced behind his shoulder with an eyebrow raised. “What’s that?”

“I said you’ve wasted enough of my time,” Magnus repeated. “You’re too much of a people watcher, Keith. You have yet to interest me in this game of yours.”

“Didn’t you say before that you enjoyed the idea of playing God?” Keith shook his head and returned his attention to the monitors. “Besides, this whole thing was your idea. If you hate the idea of it so much, then stop playing. It’s that simple.”

“You ungrateful little rat!” the older man grunted. “If you had any speck of sense or intelligence, you would have realized the incredible potential of this machine. Instead, you sit here, staring at everyone else, eating with one hand and doing Lord-knows-what with the other. You really do disgust me.”

“Keep in mind whose house your precious machine is stored in,” Keith spoke calmly. “And whose wallet you’ve been relying on this entire time. If I hadn’t come along when I did, you’d still be stuck in your quaint little Laundromat, playing World of Warcraft with your pants halfway off. If I’m a disgusting person, I’m not even sure what to call you.”

Magnus curled his hand into a ball, arms shaking as he towered over Gamer, whose back was still turned from him. He imagined hitting the younger kid, cracking against his skull with his fist repeatedly, and killing him. He imagined further how good it would feel. Unfortunately, his mind was far too realistic for his liking, as his army of robots was at his command. As good as killing an annoying rat would have felt, being torn apart by machines would have felt that much worse. He forced himself to exhale, and close his eyes. “Very well. Play your game to your heart’s content.”

“You still have a role to play in this, as well,” Gamer said. “I’m just…disinterested in the prisoners. I don’t even want to deal with them anymore.”

“Yes…” Magnus sighed, content that he was able to move on. “Yes, I know. Just leave that part to me.”

“Good,” Gamer nodded. “Great, actually. I’ll continue torturing these contestants, then. I think I’ve been making things too easy for them. They seem to exude a surprising amount of patience. I’ll find a way to fix that. Feel free to do whatever you please with the rest of them, in the meantime.”

“I mean to do so, and have already made preparations,” the older hacker smirked. “I’ll go do it now, in fact.”

“You do that.”

*

“Magnus brought the Terrasque back out, and that’s…not particularly good,” Mixie continued.

“Oh boy,” Kepler shook his head with a haggard expression on his face.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t understand,” Yuffith frowned. “What is the Terrasque?”

“It’s meant to be invincible,” the AI explained. “A large beast with astounding strength, speed, and size. Nothing would be able to destroy it.”

“So this is meant to be an execution…” Yuffith surmised with a heavy sigh.

“However…” Mixie continued. “In order for it to be that powerful, it’s been tied into the program itself. Much like how we are tied into our physical bodies. That plays into our advantage.”

“Ohoho, I see where you’re headin’,” Kepler chuckled. “If I find the virus and infect the Terrasque program with it…”

“…it will spread?” Julia finished the train of thought, and was answered with two nods.

“And that’s our best shot out of this place,” Stone mused. “However, it’s entirely possible that the shock could kill us in the real word…”

“It is worth the risk,” Julia crossed her arms. Her eyebrows burrowed as she thought more about it, however. “But Mixie, wouldn’t that mean…?”

“Yes, that would likely mean the end of my existence,” Mixie replied with a blank expression. “But it would fulfill my programming, and that’s what matters the most to me. As long as I’ve served my purpose, I can’t feel bad about the life that I’ve lived.”

“Honorable,” Kepler was obviously uncomfortable with the subject, and he immediately moved on. “So once I get the virus, how are we going to go about spreading it?”

“Well…the monster has an HP bar,” the AI explained. “Although it has an ungodly amount of health, it can be taken down. Bugging a few weapons with the virus should make it easier to spread it. It might not be enough to actually defeat it, but if the virus does its job, it shouldn’t be too long before our desired result happens.”

“And if it doesn’t?” Yuffith asked.

“Then you all die horrible deaths,” Mixie answered simply. “All the more reason to succeed, right? So, if you have the virus ready to go, spawn as many weapons as you can, and do it quickly. Doesn’t really matter what they are. Master Magnus should be here at any minute.”

Quote:I was going to go on, but I'm about to pass out, it would seem.

So here's the deal:

1.) This is the last writing part for you guys, so try to enjoy it. I'll wrap up the story in a large post at the end.

2.) The virus will basically fuck everything up, and random things will start happening. That could mean anything from graphical glitches to random people showing up to...pretty much anything. I'll leave the extent of the craziness up to you guys and your imaginations. It should be noted that these changes should be gradual. In other words, the changes should be subtle at first, so save your really crazy shit, should you have an idea, for the end.

3.) This round will be a week long, ending Friday 16 at 11:59 EST.

4.) The death rule no longer applies. Although I'll be disappointed if you don't post, I won't hold it against you if you don't. Just try to have fun. The post limit no longer applies, either.

]]>
“Things seem to be going well,” Mixie stood at the door of Kepler’s makeshift shack, leaning against the frame.

The elf jumped and turned his head, face red with annoyance. “Don’t do that to me!”

“I’m afraid I don’t know what it is that you mean,” Mixie feigned distress. “If you mean for me to stop coming to visit you, then I think I just might die. Oh, what a dreadful thought…”

“Heh. Your glibness doesn’t really do wonders for ya, you know?” Kepler shook his head, masking a grin. “In any case, yeah, I guess they are. I’m not really feelin’ great about the number of prisoners, though, and it’s even more annoyin’ that they never stay in the same place. Something big’s about to happen. I can feel it in the air, and it makes my skin crawl.”

“Magnus and big brother certainly do have…eclectic tastes,” Julia chimed, smiling politely from her chair in the corner. “So it’s definitely possible. If Keith really doesn’t care about the lives of anyone here, I’m afraid anything is possible.”

“That’s actually part of the reason why I came,” Mixie sighed. “I wanted to see your progress with that virus, Kepler, but I also wanted to give you a bit more…motivation.”

“…what do you mean,” Kepler frowned. “If somethin’s about to go haywire, you’d better damn well tell me right now, if you know what’s good for ya.”

“Idle threats don’t really interest me, Mr. Kepler, but your belligerence has been noted,” the AI shrugged. “Anyway, it’s about Masters Gamer and Magnus.”

“They aren’t your masters anymore,” Kepler interjected suddenly. “Remember, I still don’t trust you, and throwin’ around titles like that don’t exactly make me feel good about all this.”

“If I still had any shred of loyalty for either of them, would I really share this piece of information with you?” Mixie placed a hand on her hip and sighed.

“And would this information be, Mixie?” Yuffith inquired, sitting bolt-upright in her seat.

“Well…you see…”

*

Magnus resolved to stand and watched the events from start to finish, if only to satisfy his own curiosity as to how the little bastard had managed to sustain an interest. When they were all over, whether with a whimper or a loud bang, the older hacker scoffed. “You’ve wasted enough of my time.”

Gamer glanced behind his shoulder with an eyebrow raised. “What’s that?”

“I said you’ve wasted enough of my time,” Magnus repeated. “You’re too much of a people watcher, Keith. You have yet to interest me in this game of yours.”

“Didn’t you say before that you enjoyed the idea of playing God?” Keith shook his head and returned his attention to the monitors. “Besides, this whole thing was your idea. If you hate the idea of it so much, then stop playing. It’s that simple.”

“You ungrateful little rat!” the older man grunted. “If you had any speck of sense or intelligence, you would have realized the incredible potential of this machine. Instead, you sit here, staring at everyone else, eating with one hand and doing Lord-knows-what with the other. You really do disgust me.”

“Keep in mind whose house your precious machine is stored in,” Keith spoke calmly. “And whose wallet you’ve been relying on this entire time. If I hadn’t come along when I did, you’d still be stuck in your quaint little Laundromat, playing World of Warcraft with your pants halfway off. If I’m a disgusting person, I’m not even sure what to call you.”

Magnus curled his hand into a ball, arms shaking as he towered over Gamer, whose back was still turned from him. He imagined hitting the younger kid, cracking against his skull with his fist repeatedly, and killing him. He imagined further how good it would feel. Unfortunately, his mind was far too realistic for his liking, as his army of robots was at his command. As good as killing an annoying rat would have felt, being torn apart by machines would have felt that much worse. He forced himself to exhale, and close his eyes. “Very well. Play your game to your heart’s content.”

“You still have a role to play in this, as well,” Gamer said. “I’m just…disinterested in the prisoners. I don’t even want to deal with them anymore.”

“Yes…” Magnus sighed, content that he was able to move on. “Yes, I know. Just leave that part to me.”

“Good,” Gamer nodded. “Great, actually. I’ll continue torturing these contestants, then. I think I’ve been making things too easy for them. They seem to exude a surprising amount of patience. I’ll find a way to fix that. Feel free to do whatever you please with the rest of them, in the meantime.”

“I mean to do so, and have already made preparations,” the older hacker smirked. “I’ll go do it now, in fact.”

“You do that.”

*

“Magnus brought the Terrasque back out, and that’s…not particularly good,” Mixie continued.

“Oh boy,” Kepler shook his head with a haggard expression on his face.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t understand,” Yuffith frowned. “What is the Terrasque?”

“It’s meant to be invincible,” the AI explained. “A large beast with astounding strength, speed, and size. Nothing would be able to destroy it.”

“So this is meant to be an execution…” Yuffith surmised with a heavy sigh.

“However…” Mixie continued. “In order for it to be that powerful, it’s been tied into the program itself. Much like how we are tied into our physical bodies. That plays into our advantage.”

“Ohoho, I see where you’re headin’,” Kepler chuckled. “If I find the virus and infect the Terrasque program with it…”

“…it will spread?” Julia finished the train of thought, and was answered with two nods.

“And that’s our best shot out of this place,” Stone mused. “However, it’s entirely possible that the shock could kill us in the real word…”

“It is worth the risk,” Julia crossed her arms. Her eyebrows burrowed as she thought more about it, however. “But Mixie, wouldn’t that mean…?”

“Yes, that would likely mean the end of my existence,” Mixie replied with a blank expression. “But it would fulfill my programming, and that’s what matters the most to me. As long as I’ve served my purpose, I can’t feel bad about the life that I’ve lived.”

“Honorable,” Kepler was obviously uncomfortable with the subject, and he immediately moved on. “So once I get the virus, how are we going to go about spreading it?”

“Well…the monster has an HP bar,” the AI explained. “Although it has an ungodly amount of health, it can be taken down. Bugging a few weapons with the virus should make it easier to spread it. It might not be enough to actually defeat it, but if the virus does its job, it shouldn’t be too long before our desired result happens.”

“And if it doesn’t?” Yuffith asked.

“Then you all die horrible deaths,” Mixie answered simply. “All the more reason to succeed, right? So, if you have the virus ready to go, spawn as many weapons as you can, and do it quickly. Doesn’t really matter what they are. Master Magnus should be here at any minute.”

Quote:I was going to go on, but I'm about to pass out, it would seem.

So here's the deal:

1.) This is the last writing part for you guys, so try to enjoy it. I'll wrap up the story in a large post at the end.

2.) The virus will basically fuck everything up, and random things will start happening. That could mean anything from graphical glitches to random people showing up to...pretty much anything. I'll leave the extent of the craziness up to you guys and your imaginations. It should be noted that these changes should be gradual. In other words, the changes should be subtle at first, so save your really crazy shit, should you have an idea, for the end.

3.) This round will be a week long, ending Friday 16 at 11:59 EST.

4.) The death rule no longer applies. Although I'll be disappointed if you don't post, I won't hold it against you if you don't. Just try to have fun. The post limit no longer applies, either.

]]> <![CDATA[[04] Brunch Society!]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15488 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 04:09:26 +0000 Kill Town]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15488
Description: The players have been bad enough to be sent to detention. Locked inside a room, they are forced to inhabit the same classroom together for a pretty long time. The goal is simple: try to escape detention while under the watchful eye of the principal who, as you might have guessed, is freakishly powerful while providing your audience with incredibly corny dialogue.

Hint: Like I said in the actual round update, I'm not requiring any of the prisoners to post this round. This is a pretty silly event, anyway, so if you want to post, go ahead and do so, but I won't deduct anything/kill you if you don't.

Participants: Sage, Xenia, Mr. Zhu, Alura, Kazuya, Tamsin]]>
Description: The players have been bad enough to be sent to detention. Locked inside a room, they are forced to inhabit the same classroom together for a pretty long time. The goal is simple: try to escape detention while under the watchful eye of the principal who, as you might have guessed, is freakishly powerful while providing your audience with incredibly corny dialogue.

Hint: Like I said in the actual round update, I'm not requiring any of the prisoners to post this round. This is a pretty silly event, anyway, so if you want to post, go ahead and do so, but I won't deduct anything/kill you if you don't.

Participants: Sage, Xenia, Mr. Zhu, Alura, Kazuya, Tamsin]]> <![CDATA[[04] Player Fight!]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15487 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 04:09:22 +0000 Kill Town]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15487
Description: Players are teleported in front of a great castle, closed in the giant fort by impossibly high stone walls and a large wooden gate. The players are to fight to the death, using whatever means possible to do so. As long as it's inside the fort, no area is off-limits. This means that the inside and top of the castle is within your limits to fight. Any player is allowed to yield at any time, but the opposing player does not have to accept. However, if no yield is made, a kill is required. If nobody is dead by the time limit, then both players die.

Hint: Do what you do, Sophia.

Players: Sophia, Baller]]>
Description: Players are teleported in front of a great castle, closed in the giant fort by impossibly high stone walls and a large wooden gate. The players are to fight to the death, using whatever means possible to do so. As long as it's inside the fort, no area is off-limits. This means that the inside and top of the castle is within your limits to fight. Any player is allowed to yield at any time, but the opposing player does not have to accept. However, if no yield is made, a kill is required. If nobody is dead by the time limit, then both players die.

Hint: Do what you do, Sophia.

Players: Sophia, Baller]]> <![CDATA[[04] Pac-Man!]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15486 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 04:09:17 +0000 Kill Town]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15486
Description: The goal is simple: collect more pac-dots (floating yellow orbs the size of tennis balls) than the other team. The problem? A quartet of ghost (named Red, Pink, Cyan, and Orange for blatantly obvious reasons) partrols the maze and will instantly whoop your ass into unconsciousness should you bump into them. The only way to temporarily KO a ghost is the collect on of the six power pellets. Do whatever it takes to get more pellets than the other team, while at the same time avoiding those guys.

Hint: The other team is made up of a team of NPCs. Their names are Jack and Jill. Their personalities and appearances, should you even go into depth about them, are completely up to you. Be sure to talk to one another, if possible, to get the best sense of cohesiveness.

Participants: Ander, Ashe]]>
Description: The goal is simple: collect more pac-dots (floating yellow orbs the size of tennis balls) than the other team. The problem? A quartet of ghost (named Red, Pink, Cyan, and Orange for blatantly obvious reasons) partrols the maze and will instantly whoop your ass into unconsciousness should you bump into them. The only way to temporarily KO a ghost is the collect on of the six power pellets. Do whatever it takes to get more pellets than the other team, while at the same time avoiding those guys.

Hint: The other team is made up of a team of NPCs. Their names are Jack and Jill. Their personalities and appearances, should you even go into depth about them, are completely up to you. Be sure to talk to one another, if possible, to get the best sense of cohesiveness.

Participants: Ander, Ashe]]> <![CDATA[[04] Cook For The King!]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15485 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 04:09:13 +0000 Kill Town]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15485
Description: Two players are teleported to a large kitchen in the castle of a King, where they will both have to create an exquisite meal for the King’s birthday. Players will be given whatever materials and food necessary for such an event, and they are allowed to make whatever they want as long as it pleases the King. If the King is displeased, the players will be killed right then and there. If the King is pleased, they get to not die. Pretty good deal, if you ask me.

Hint: I doubt you guys need much direction. Have at it.

Participants: Kaden, Piper]]>
Description: Two players are teleported to a large kitchen in the castle of a King, where they will both have to create an exquisite meal for the King’s birthday. Players will be given whatever materials and food necessary for such an event, and they are allowed to make whatever they want as long as it pleases the King. If the King is displeased, the players will be killed right then and there. If the King is pleased, they get to not die. Pretty good deal, if you ask me.

Hint: I doubt you guys need much direction. Have at it.

Participants: Kaden, Piper]]> <![CDATA[[04] Mass Result! *ME2 spoiler alert*]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15484 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 04:09:07 +0000 Kill Town]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15484
Description: Your team has infiltrated the Collector Hive and is faced with a giant human reaper. (If you haven’t played the game, you’re basically moving through a giant organic-looking ship and facing something that resembles a giant machine from Terminator. If you haven’t seen that, then to hell with you. =P) The goal is to destroy this monstrosity before it’s too late. Your third teammate, Zaeed, is seemingly only capable of smoking and cursing, so your sub-objective is to protect him.

Note: If you guys haven’t played/beaten Mass Effect 2 and/or you’re confused, feel free to ask for direction. And I have no idea what’s with Juno and Bioware events. Oh well.

Participants: Juno, Belle

EDIT: I just realized that this event is a massive spoiler. I'm really sorry if this spoiled it for anyone. I'm not changing it, though.]]>
Description: Your team has infiltrated the Collector Hive and is faced with a giant human reaper. (If you haven’t played the game, you’re basically moving through a giant organic-looking ship and facing something that resembles a giant machine from Terminator. If you haven’t seen that, then to hell with you. =P) The goal is to destroy this monstrosity before it’s too late. Your third teammate, Zaeed, is seemingly only capable of smoking and cursing, so your sub-objective is to protect him.

Note: If you guys haven’t played/beaten Mass Effect 2 and/or you’re confused, feel free to ask for direction. And I have no idea what’s with Juno and Bioware events. Oh well.

Participants: Juno, Belle

EDIT: I just realized that this event is a massive spoiler. I'm really sorry if this spoiled it for anyone. I'm not changing it, though.]]> <![CDATA[[04] Search For The Booty!]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15483 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 04:09:01 +0000 Kill Town]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15483
Description: Contestants competing in this event are dropped onto a island in the middle of nowhere with a meager amount of rations and water and one other important thing...a treasure map! X marks the spot in this adventure as the goal of this game is to find where the treasure is hidden and claim it for yourself. But beware! Redbeard is protective of his treasure. The menacing pirate and his crew will do anything to keep you away from it. If you are the one who is so fortunate as to find the treasure, you get whatever is in the treasure chest.

Note: You guys are tied together by a magnetic device. If you guys stray too far from one another, you’ll be pulled back towards one another. There’s plenty of animosity here, but the goal is to work together. A scuffle is okay, but killing each other is not. xD

Participants: Szar, Orion]]>
Description: Contestants competing in this event are dropped onto a island in the middle of nowhere with a meager amount of rations and water and one other important thing...a treasure map! X marks the spot in this adventure as the goal of this game is to find where the treasure is hidden and claim it for yourself. But beware! Redbeard is protective of his treasure. The menacing pirate and his crew will do anything to keep you away from it. If you are the one who is so fortunate as to find the treasure, you get whatever is in the treasure chest.

Note: You guys are tied together by a magnetic device. If you guys stray too far from one another, you’ll be pulled back towards one another. There’s plenty of animosity here, but the goal is to work together. A scuffle is okay, but killing each other is not. xD

Participants: Szar, Orion]]> <![CDATA[[04] Western Shootout!]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15482 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 04:08:55 +0000 Kill Town]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15482
Description: Players are teleported to the OK Corral, where they seem to be caught in the middle of a giant firefight. Armed with revolvers, the goal is to make it past the street and escape across the bridge. Once you get to the bridge, you’ll be faced with one more giant problem: a giant shotgun-wielding bandit who is seemingly indestructible. Have fun.

Hint: How and when you get to the bridge is completely up to you. Hell, if you’re feeling just running through the streets avoiding gunfire and/or firing back, you don’t even have to make it there. Basically, I’ve just given you a layout. The rest is up to you. I’m sure you guys will do fine.

Also, if you guys already have guns, feel free to use them instead.

Participant: Victoria, Trafford]]>
Description: Players are teleported to the OK Corral, where they seem to be caught in the middle of a giant firefight. Armed with revolvers, the goal is to make it past the street and escape across the bridge. Once you get to the bridge, you’ll be faced with one more giant problem: a giant shotgun-wielding bandit who is seemingly indestructible. Have fun.

Hint: How and when you get to the bridge is completely up to you. Hell, if you’re feeling just running through the streets avoiding gunfire and/or firing back, you don’t even have to make it there. Basically, I’ve just given you a layout. The rest is up to you. I’m sure you guys will do fine.

Also, if you guys already have guns, feel free to use them instead.

Participant: Victoria, Trafford]]> <![CDATA[Round Four]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15481 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 04:08:22 +0000 Kill Town]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15481 still won!”

“Yes, very impressive,” Gamer responded, sarcasm dripping from his tone. “You beat a low-level grunt with the abilities that I gave you. If it’s too easy for you, then by all means, let me know. I’ll be happy to let you win based on your own merits.”

The prideful grin quickly melted from the boy’s features. Keith, as arrogant and immature a bastard as he was, had a point. Lance wasn’t like these other competitors, at least not inherently. They could all fly around and shoot lasers out of the palms of their hands. Some of them were capable of amazing physical feats as well, and Lance had trouble lifting his own weight during gym class. Without the abilities that the game had given him, he was just a sitting duck. He lowered his head and shook it, which garnered a laugh from the overlord.

“That’s right. You’re nothing without me,” Gamer said with a sneer. “But don’t worry. Be a good boy and play the game. If you’re lucky enough, or perhaps good enough to survive, your little transgression will be forgotten. I’m giving you a great chance, so don’t waste it.”

As if on cue, his portal opened by his side, signaling the end of his event. With nothing else to say, Lance Kelly cast a dejected look upon his face and stepped through. On the other side, he was met with the familiar sight of the Carnival.

He had never been so unhappy to see a roller coaster in his life.

*

Keith sank back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. While he was pleased with how the game was progressing, he couldn’t help but be the slightest bit pissed off by the way certain things had progressed. The entire point of bringing along someone like Lance was that he, simple-minded as he was, could stand in when the rich teenager had to do something important. Eating and sleeping ranked high on that list, and since the game had started, he hadn’t done much of either. He had a food station set up next to him, and the bathroom was right down the hall, but a helper would have been helpful.

What would he do for the next time? He thought about recruiting two people instead of just the one, though if they somehow stumbled upon the room in which he kept his prisoners, the same thing would have happened. Only in that situation, the odds of him fending off two people—any people—were fairly low. He had enough trouble keeping Kelly down. The teenager yawned and shook his head with anger. Why was the damn door open, anyway? He was damn sure that he had locked it. Karma had won that battle, but Keith resolved to win the war.

A creak sounded from behind him, and a shadow cast over him. The silence of the figure as he moved towards him sent shivers down the boy’s spine, and when he recognized the man as Magnus, he didn’t feel any better about it. The older hacker said nothing at first, merely standing at the back of his chair and leaning over his shoulder to get a look at the monitor. A small groan escaped his mouth as he squinted, focusing on the figures dwelling within the picture. Keith turned to view the screen in turn—it was nothing of much note; just Mixie talking with Baller next to a roller coaster ride.

“Still fascinated with the human psyche, I see,” Magnus noted, leaning back to stand straight once more. “How is your friend doing?”

“He found the room we kept the contestants in,” Gamer replied casually. “He attacked me, so I knocked him out. He’s just another prisoner now.”

“You mean he didn’t know?” his question was delivered in a calm manner, but the intensity was still just as noticeable as if he was yelling. “You play with fire, my friend, by allowing ignorance into the higher ranks. What would you have done if he had managed to knock you out, hm? If he was as offended as you make it sound, he would have let them out, and both of us would probably be dead by now.”

“Relax,” Gamer simply blew the notion off. “He was the last loose end. We have nothing to worry about now.”

“We’ll see,” Magnus said simply.

“What’s your angle, anyway?” Keith found himself asking, though he didn’t particularly care.

“…what concern is that of yours?” the hacker raised an eyebrow.

“Well…what we’re doing isn’t exactly what you’d call legal,” the boy explained with a shrug. “Or moral, for that matter. Just wanted to know if you’re a creeper or not. It doesn’t matter to me either way, mind you. I’m just curious.”

Magnus crossed his arms. “Have you never wanted to play God?”

“Never thought about it, to be honest,” Gamer said. “And honestly, with God? Not a fan.”

“I just get so…bored, playing with programs,” the hacker explained further. “Human beings are difficult to predict. It really is more of a challenge.”

Keith just rolled his eyes

*

“…enough small talk, Mixie,” Lance found himself saying to the woman after a conversation had been struck up. “Did you get my message or not?”

Mixie’s usual bubbly personality suddenly went on hiatus. She looked around unevenly, unsure of her surroundings. “I did. I’ll do as you ask, though that goes against my original programming. I…never thought I would say that, but I feel…different. Changed, somehow. Did you do something to me?”

“I was forced to reprogram you,” Lance replied. “I’m sorry, I know who much you dislike that, but…well, I had no choice. Gamer is absolutely crazy, and you’re the only person who’s in a position to do anything about it without much notice.”

Mixie slowly nodded. It was odd, but she felt as though she, for the first time in her brief existence, had a choice. Of course, the capacity for logic that she had been given by Keith Summers told her that she actually wasn’t in a position to lead any sort of life outside of the parameters that she had been given, but if she was given the gift of free will, one way or another, she would make use of it. She sighed and placed a hand on her forehead—what a mess this game had turned out to be. She was grateful for Gamer and Magnus for having given her the chance to exist, but at the same time…

…at the same time, her thoughts turned to the players. Kaden seemed so defiant in the face of danger, and although he wasn’t exactly in the best position to do anything about it, she knew, somehow, that the courier would carry out his promise for revenge. Sophia seemed to be walking around like a ghost, throwing a fit of near-Biblical proportions, though the program supposed that it was justified. Gamer had no right to do that to somebody like her. There were others who had been unforgivably sinned against—Belle had been turned into a girl, for instance—and despite her gratitude, Mixie knew that something had to be done.

“I’ll do my best, Lance,” she nodded again. “And…I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“That you’re stuck here like everyone else,” her eyes softened upon that thought, but she flashed him a quick, reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, everything will be fine. Leave it to me!”

With that, she blinked, and redirected herself to another part of the game.

*

“How are ya’ holdin’ up, kiddo?” Kepler leaned forward in his chair to place his elbows on the table. He grunted as he had to look up at the woman, who was tall enough to sit at an adult table. “I’m sorry if I was a little rough with my explanation. It’s a heavy situation, but I didn’t want to lie to ya’.”

“No, I’m fine,” Yuffith smiled. “I had already guessed that was case. I guess it’s good to know.”

“Yeah…” Kepler sighed. “Just…chin-up, alright? I don’t want to see you with a long face.”

“Me neither,” a voice came from the door, startling both inhabitants.

Kepler turned, looking upon the face of Mixie. “Oh, it’s the harpy witch.”

“Now, now, that’s not very nice,” Yuffith said politely. “What my brother has done isn’t Mixie’s fault.”

“Thank you, Miss Summers,” the program bowed. “Kepler, I came here to help you, but if you don’t want it…”

“…what possible help could you provide?” the elf sneered.

“Yes, we would appreciate any help you could provide,” Yuffith interjected.

“Actually,” Mixie began, praying that nobody was listening in, “I wanted to talk to you about that virus I quarantined just before you were captured.” Kepler seemed struck by the statement, compelling the female program to continue. “That was from you, I would assume.”

The gnomish hacker said nothing for the longest time.

Quote:The round ends April 3rd, at 11:59 PM.

Note: I’m not requiring any of the prisoners to post this round. They seem to be having enough trouble as it is.

Also, it's worth noting that one person from each pairing will be placed into the prison at the round's end.

]]> still won!”

“Yes, very impressive,” Gamer responded, sarcasm dripping from his tone. “You beat a low-level grunt with the abilities that I gave you. If it’s too easy for you, then by all means, let me know. I’ll be happy to let you win based on your own merits.”

The prideful grin quickly melted from the boy’s features. Keith, as arrogant and immature a bastard as he was, had a point. Lance wasn’t like these other competitors, at least not inherently. They could all fly around and shoot lasers out of the palms of their hands. Some of them were capable of amazing physical feats as well, and Lance had trouble lifting his own weight during gym class. Without the abilities that the game had given him, he was just a sitting duck. He lowered his head and shook it, which garnered a laugh from the overlord.

“That’s right. You’re nothing without me,” Gamer said with a sneer. “But don’t worry. Be a good boy and play the game. If you’re lucky enough, or perhaps good enough to survive, your little transgression will be forgotten. I’m giving you a great chance, so don’t waste it.”

As if on cue, his portal opened by his side, signaling the end of his event. With nothing else to say, Lance Kelly cast a dejected look upon his face and stepped through. On the other side, he was met with the familiar sight of the Carnival.

He had never been so unhappy to see a roller coaster in his life.

*

Keith sank back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. While he was pleased with how the game was progressing, he couldn’t help but be the slightest bit pissed off by the way certain things had progressed. The entire point of bringing along someone like Lance was that he, simple-minded as he was, could stand in when the rich teenager had to do something important. Eating and sleeping ranked high on that list, and since the game had started, he hadn’t done much of either. He had a food station set up next to him, and the bathroom was right down the hall, but a helper would have been helpful.

What would he do for the next time? He thought about recruiting two people instead of just the one, though if they somehow stumbled upon the room in which he kept his prisoners, the same thing would have happened. Only in that situation, the odds of him fending off two people—any people—were fairly low. He had enough trouble keeping Kelly down. The teenager yawned and shook his head with anger. Why was the damn door open, anyway? He was damn sure that he had locked it. Karma had won that battle, but Keith resolved to win the war.

A creak sounded from behind him, and a shadow cast over him. The silence of the figure as he moved towards him sent shivers down the boy’s spine, and when he recognized the man as Magnus, he didn’t feel any better about it. The older hacker said nothing at first, merely standing at the back of his chair and leaning over his shoulder to get a look at the monitor. A small groan escaped his mouth as he squinted, focusing on the figures dwelling within the picture. Keith turned to view the screen in turn—it was nothing of much note; just Mixie talking with Baller next to a roller coaster ride.

“Still fascinated with the human psyche, I see,” Magnus noted, leaning back to stand straight once more. “How is your friend doing?”

“He found the room we kept the contestants in,” Gamer replied casually. “He attacked me, so I knocked him out. He’s just another prisoner now.”

“You mean he didn’t know?” his question was delivered in a calm manner, but the intensity was still just as noticeable as if he was yelling. “You play with fire, my friend, by allowing ignorance into the higher ranks. What would you have done if he had managed to knock you out, hm? If he was as offended as you make it sound, he would have let them out, and both of us would probably be dead by now.”

“Relax,” Gamer simply blew the notion off. “He was the last loose end. We have nothing to worry about now.”

“We’ll see,” Magnus said simply.

“What’s your angle, anyway?” Keith found himself asking, though he didn’t particularly care.

“…what concern is that of yours?” the hacker raised an eyebrow.

“Well…what we’re doing isn’t exactly what you’d call legal,” the boy explained with a shrug. “Or moral, for that matter. Just wanted to know if you’re a creeper or not. It doesn’t matter to me either way, mind you. I’m just curious.”

Magnus crossed his arms. “Have you never wanted to play God?”

“Never thought about it, to be honest,” Gamer said. “And honestly, with God? Not a fan.”

“I just get so…bored, playing with programs,” the hacker explained further. “Human beings are difficult to predict. It really is more of a challenge.”

Keith just rolled his eyes

*

“…enough small talk, Mixie,” Lance found himself saying to the woman after a conversation had been struck up. “Did you get my message or not?”

Mixie’s usual bubbly personality suddenly went on hiatus. She looked around unevenly, unsure of her surroundings. “I did. I’ll do as you ask, though that goes against my original programming. I…never thought I would say that, but I feel…different. Changed, somehow. Did you do something to me?”

“I was forced to reprogram you,” Lance replied. “I’m sorry, I know who much you dislike that, but…well, I had no choice. Gamer is absolutely crazy, and you’re the only person who’s in a position to do anything about it without much notice.”

Mixie slowly nodded. It was odd, but she felt as though she, for the first time in her brief existence, had a choice. Of course, the capacity for logic that she had been given by Keith Summers told her that she actually wasn’t in a position to lead any sort of life outside of the parameters that she had been given, but if she was given the gift of free will, one way or another, she would make use of it. She sighed and placed a hand on her forehead—what a mess this game had turned out to be. She was grateful for Gamer and Magnus for having given her the chance to exist, but at the same time…

…at the same time, her thoughts turned to the players. Kaden seemed so defiant in the face of danger, and although he wasn’t exactly in the best position to do anything about it, she knew, somehow, that the courier would carry out his promise for revenge. Sophia seemed to be walking around like a ghost, throwing a fit of near-Biblical proportions, though the program supposed that it was justified. Gamer had no right to do that to somebody like her. There were others who had been unforgivably sinned against—Belle had been turned into a girl, for instance—and despite her gratitude, Mixie knew that something had to be done.

“I’ll do my best, Lance,” she nodded again. “And…I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“That you’re stuck here like everyone else,” her eyes softened upon that thought, but she flashed him a quick, reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, everything will be fine. Leave it to me!”

With that, she blinked, and redirected herself to another part of the game.

*

“How are ya’ holdin’ up, kiddo?” Kepler leaned forward in his chair to place his elbows on the table. He grunted as he had to look up at the woman, who was tall enough to sit at an adult table. “I’m sorry if I was a little rough with my explanation. It’s a heavy situation, but I didn’t want to lie to ya’.”

“No, I’m fine,” Yuffith smiled. “I had already guessed that was case. I guess it’s good to know.”

“Yeah…” Kepler sighed. “Just…chin-up, alright? I don’t want to see you with a long face.”

“Me neither,” a voice came from the door, startling both inhabitants.

Kepler turned, looking upon the face of Mixie. “Oh, it’s the harpy witch.”

“Now, now, that’s not very nice,” Yuffith said politely. “What my brother has done isn’t Mixie’s fault.”

“Thank you, Miss Summers,” the program bowed. “Kepler, I came here to help you, but if you don’t want it…”

“…what possible help could you provide?” the elf sneered.

“Yes, we would appreciate any help you could provide,” Yuffith interjected.

“Actually,” Mixie began, praying that nobody was listening in, “I wanted to talk to you about that virus I quarantined just before you were captured.” Kepler seemed struck by the statement, compelling the female program to continue. “That was from you, I would assume.”

The gnomish hacker said nothing for the longest time.

Quote:The round ends April 3rd, at 11:59 PM.

Note: I’m not requiring any of the prisoners to post this round. They seem to be having enough trouble as it is.

Also, it's worth noting that one person from each pairing will be placed into the prison at the round's end.

]]> <![CDATA[[03] Prisoners vs. Magnus!]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15437 Sun, 21 Mar 2010 22:18:19 +0000 Kill Town]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15437
5-player cooperative

Summary: Magnus has challenged the prisoners (minus Yuffith and Kepler, who didn't show up) to a fight to impose his dominance. The goal is just to survive, as Magnus, with the ability to copy the prisoner's abilities by thinking it, is just too strong.

Hint: Work together, or he'll pick you apart, and that would be a boring read. =(

Players:

Sage
Xenia
Mr. Zhu
Alura
Wolfgang]]>
5-player cooperative

Summary: Magnus has challenged the prisoners (minus Yuffith and Kepler, who didn't show up) to a fight to impose his dominance. The goal is just to survive, as Magnus, with the ability to copy the prisoner's abilities by thinking it, is just too strong.

Hint: Work together, or he'll pick you apart, and that would be a boring read. =(

Players:

Sage
Xenia
Mr. Zhu
Alura
Wolfgang]]> <![CDATA[[03] Desire for Velocity!]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15436 Sun, 21 Mar 2010 22:15:14 +0000 Kill Town]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15436
4-player competitive

Summary: The players are teleported to a large race track, where they are to drive a vehicle (any car you want, really) around a large track. The object is to be the first to cross the finish line first. Pretty simple, eh?

Hint: The event is pretty straight-forward in that it’s a standard race. That said, as long as it involves you racing and as long as you don’t knock out another player, you can roleplay pretty much whatever you want.

Players:

• Piper
• Tamsin
• Sophia
• Kaden]]>
4-player competitive

Summary: The players are teleported to a large race track, where they are to drive a vehicle (any car you want, really) around a large track. The object is to be the first to cross the finish line first. Pretty simple, eh?

Hint: The event is pretty straight-forward in that it’s a standard race. That said, as long as it involves you racing and as long as you don’t knock out another player, you can roleplay pretty much whatever you want.

Players:

• Piper
• Tamsin
• Sophia
• Kaden]]> <![CDATA[[03] Space Battles!]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15435 Sun, 21 Mar 2010 22:14:27 +0000 Kill Town]]> http://alex.zulenka.com/showthread.php?tid=15435
3-on-3 competitve

Summary: The Kill Cluster is a giant space station that’s shaped like a giant ball. There are two opposing teams here: the attackers, who want to shoot a bomb into the space station’s core, and the defenders, who want to…well, defend the station from oncoming core-destroying bombs. The attackers are piloting X-Wings, and the defenders are piloting TIE-fighters.

Hint: If you don’t know what ships you’re fighting in, google “X-Wing” and “TIE-fighter.”

Players:

Attacking:
• Szar
• Victoria
• Ander

Defending:
• Kazuya
• Trafford
• Juno]]>
3-on-3 competitve

Summary: The Kill Cluster is a giant space station that’s shaped like a giant ball. There are two opposing teams here: the attackers, who want to shoot a bomb into the space station’s core, and the defenders, who want to…well, defend the station from oncoming core-destroying bombs. The attackers are piloting X-Wings, and the defenders are piloting TIE-fighters.

Hint: If you don’t know what ships you’re fighting in, google “X-Wing” and “TIE-fighter.”

Players:

Attacking:
• Szar
• Victoria
• Ander

Defending:
• Kazuya
• Trafford
• Juno]]>