BrokenPromise

RPGC #26: All That Gitters Belongs To Me - Voting and Critique

The Treasure Which All Men Seek

Almighty then.

The prose had a certain flow to it that I liked. It broke a few rules that I hold dear to my heart, but it was enjoyable to read. I didn’t find myself stumbling along the words or the like. It was very easy to read. There were a few more adjectives than I would like, but the descriptions for everything were playful and worked for the mood of the story.

I’ll admit that I don’t think I fully understand the story. I mean I get the impression he wasn’t actually teleported, but when he touched the walls a clone appeared in this dreamlike world. So it’s “The Treasure Which All Men Seek” because it’s all just a reflection of his glory days, and while he can reminisce he can’t bring those ideas back? I’m not really an artsy type, but I think that was pretty decent for the length of the story.

by @Gwynbleidd

The Dowry of Böðvildr

Longneckreactionguy.PNG

I don’t really have anything to comment on in regards to how the prose is written. That is to say nothing negative. It was written with an interesting dialect that made the fantasy elements apparent before they were even introduced. It also wasn’t so intrusive that it became hard to read. So that was a pleasant sunrise.

Composition wise though, yea. I’m going to say I was interested through the entire thing. But then after I read the end, there was a bit of a “that’s it?” moment for me. The treasure in this story didn’t really feel that significant. She could have opened that chest and found a rusty broadsword and things would have played out the same. But I was in the mood for something dark, and that was pretty good. So thanks for that.

by @Kassarock

The pendant of Moiros

Been a while since I read about best bard Mikhal and his buddy Trevor.

Before I get too into it, I just want to say “There is no way we can enter the castle with that bloody mermaid guarding the entrance.” made me smile.

I think there was a part where quotations were missing, but there was otherwise nothing wrong with the writing. It got the job done, you know? But I can’t help but feel that a lot of the dialog feels a bit vanilla. Mikhal and Trevor have wildly different personalities, but they use a lot of the same words and talk like all the other characters. Yes, Trevor is clearly the more violent of the two while Mikhal is more willing to outwit his mark. But I feel like something that would really take these characters to the next level was if they had a bit more flavor to their dialog.

Trevor crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I’ll take me knife and slit the dame’s throat if I gotta.”

“Mmmm, yes, now that’s a wagon I can jump onto.” Lemitsa grinned and tapped his fingers tips together. “Speaking of wagons, maybe you’d like her travel plans?”

“Hold on a second! I’m a bard, I didn’t sign up to kill anyone!” Mikhal interjected.

Just an example. There are hundreds of ways to do it. I really wanna stress there’s nothing wrong with the dialog. I just feel like dialog is a big part of your stories and a sprinkling of personality would go a long way in taking them from good to great.

Composition was okay. We were given a quest right off the bat and our heroes set off to complete it. Mikhal and Trevor’s disagreement on how to proceed kept things interesting too. I think the pacing was a little off though. I feel like a lot of what Lemitsa told them about Trialcia could have been learned at the bar. That would have shortened the story a bit so that you could beef up other areas like when they first meet Trialcia. But that got shortened to “She managed to turn the villagers against them and then left.” 2k word limits are difficult with these types of stories, so you need to shave the scenes down when and where you can.

All in all though, a nice light adventure with Mikhal and Trevor was a great way to end the contest. I hope we see them again next round.

By @Calle

And now, for my vote…

Which is

I’m Abstaining.

Not for any “political” reason, I just feel with the deadline so close that voting for anyone but Kassarock will force a tie. I’m also a bit divided on who to vote for. I liked the twist in Gwynbleidd’s story, Kassarock was deliciously violent, and Calle gave us a good ol’ adventure. It feels less like I’m voting for a story and more like I’m voting for a writing philosophy. So instead I’ll Abstain.

Danganronpa: Tower of Carnage (Finished!)

@FamishedPants@Mateotis@Majoras End

Collab links will be going out within the hour. I've decided what everyone's gunna do, so let's just hop right into it.

I had the entire week off, and I decided that I didn't want to spend all my free time doing RP stuff. Though in hind sight, I probably should have spent more time setting up than I did. phu phu phu phu.

Darkest Before the Dawn: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

Alright, to prevent some scrolling, here's the map again.

dat map

Biggest attack from the Pillar Druids this round was the sea of souls, Which is essentially a sweeping laser beam. It's about 4 meters tall and will rip the soul right out of you. Though not before obliterating the body. The beam is coming out of the Spirit Zone, And it's starting in the 12 o'clock position and sweeping counter clockwise to the 9 o'clock position. So cardinal and her bros are going to have to deal with the laser before helicopter/Hilaria crew has to do worry about it.

As for the full turn order.

>Faith is doing her best
>Reaver healed a bit, Grosket YEETed him, scratched out his rune, and is gunna do the monkey dance on him. Took superficial damage.
>Grisbar Is reminiscing about childhood while blowing SPIDERS all over the Dragon Zone. was actually attacked and hurt a bit.
>Ampodryl fully charged their moonlit great sword and is now cleaving the Beacon Zone. Has yet to take any damage.

Darkest Before the Dawn: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

”Ya disrespect me? Ya disrespect my muddah? Ya disrespect the boys…”

— Nuncio

_{@PlatinumSkink}

Needless to say, Eli’s refusal to take Nuncio and Sammy into Mariette’s home irritated him. In the excitement of finding Sammy, he had convinced himself that Mariette had been interested in helping out. But it seemed her loyalty was to her mysterious patron, and sometimes cute plush bunnies. Of course she was doing this for the red coin. Nuncio was foolish to think otherwise, even momentarily. Having her build a shelter for them was a nice offer, but what would that cost him? Too easily did he forget that most magical girls weren’t as compassionate as Sammy or Amaryllis.

”Forgettaboutit.” Nuncio scooped up Sammy. ”I’ll figure somethin’ out. Shouldn't be leanin' on others anyway. Mariette can come get me when she wants her coin.” Rosa stood up and walked along side Nuncio. Soon they would disappear into the night.

---

"I know thy enemy ˚‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥᷄⌓˂̣̣̥᷅ )‧º·˚ I are it."

— Trixy

_{@ERode@FamishedPants@twave@Crusader Lord}

There were a lot of Magical girls in the area, though they were spread out enough that they wouldn’t get in each others way. Sil and Rachel had closed in around Hyun, and everyone at a distance was trimming her tentacles and denying her more corpses. Trixy had nearly been nailed by one of the maws, but that cutie from earlier severed the tentacle at the source. It seemed they had everything under control. This kind of coordination pleased Trixy.

Amaryllis’s play was risky, but necessary to to keep control of the fight. Trixy had no idea there was something outside to hoist the monster queen outside, but she didn’t question it. Though this did mean Trixy had to run closer to continue her assault against Hyun. She’d be wary of Alicia’s shots. She was on the other side of Hyun, and a single missed arrow would come towards her or Shaun.

But then there was a bit of a “strategy overlap” as the bodies all suddenly vanished. This confused Trixy, but she’d locate the bodies of her friends later. At least it wasn’t the work of Hyun. That might have reassured Trixy had they not already been in the process of removing her from the rave. The monster queen’s attention was no longer divided between the corpses and them. They would have to be a lot more careful from here on out. The newly arrived tried to explain herself, But Trixy tuned it out. Unless someone was urgently yelling she wouldn’t pay it any mind. They were fighting a monster queen after all.

Trixy could hear Hyun call out in hunger again. It made Trixy a bit worried for the knight of rose. She hadn’t spoken to Amaryllis enough to know if she was a cutie, but she could plainly see the knight was a hottie. A super hottie even. If Trixy was a full blown monster she would probably be trying to eat her too. They had to stop that from happening while not getting eaten themselves.

Before Trixy arrived, she chucked a hand full of acorns under Hyun. Most of them bounced a few times and did nothing, others continued to roll. The ones that continued to roll sprouted into trees. Rather than grow tall, they grew out, like a log stretching across the ground. Without corpses to distract Hyun they’d need cover. Wood might not seem like ideal cover from a fire breathing hydra, but living trees contained quite a bit of water. She’d need to dry them out before they caught fire and burned to a crisp. At least that was what trixy reasoned.

"Get to an acorn if you need a boost up!"

Should someone stand over one of the acorns, it would sprout into a small log. The force would be enough to throw the magical girl in question towards Hyun. She doubted anyone outside of Cradle would try it, but she could always have them sprout into a ramp once/if Hyun had been pulled through the ceiling. Or if she slips off the chain, she could turn the acorns into spikes. But enough exposition. That had its place in Sil’s mind, which was better suited for tactics. Trixy considered herself more of a strategist.

---

“Are traps gay? Asking for a friend.”

— Tetrad

_{@AtomicNut@DarkwolfX37}

Tetrad use to keep a diary titled “Strange things that happened to me.” Keeping a traditional diary where you write about every day life was boring to Tetrad. When she moved out of her parents house during her teenage years, she would write about all the cool stuff that was going to happen to her. Getting her first job was in there, her apartment acquisition was in there, as was her first foray into gambling. But it was barely a few pages of large type font she had scribbled out. Tetrad was thinking about how quickly she could fill up that book on today’s events alone.

During her draw, she had pulled “the world,” which was usually a good omen. The card burst into dust, ensuring that Tetrad’s luck would be better than ever. She was counting on it because this looked like a nasty match up.

Until they sprung into action.

Banshee was what Tetrad expected. A loud, gruff leader with too much confidence to back down. Though what had surprised her was her lackeys. They were total clowns. Buttercup didn’t have an agressive bone in her body, and Jimmy was trying to seduce Tetrad. Clearly that wasn’t going to work, after all, Tetrad was stra-

Hold on.

Back the hell up.

Jimmy is a boy’s name.

Tetrad’s pupil’s shrunk as she examined Jimmy closer. It wouldn’t be impossible for Jimmy to be a guy. Her chest was pretty much flat. It was hard to see with her collar on, but Jimmy had a pretty big adam’s apple. The skirt frills hid Jimmy’s hips well, but they were not as curvy as most woman are.

Tetrad had seen the online discussions debating if traps were gay or not, but this was always men trying to defend their fragile masculinity. She wasn’t sure how she was suppose to act in this situation. She had wanted to dance with a guy at the rave, and it seemed like fate had been conspiring against her. Defending Dr Turner was okay, but she knew him better than that. Under those sexy shades he had all the charm of an unpeeled carrot. And now it seemed like fate was toying with her yet again, by offering her a gnarled bone. One wearing the clothes of a woman no less.

”Eh, uh, mgheh!”

Whatever was under his or her clothes didn’t really matter. Well it did, but only because scepters and spears mad boys what they were. Tetrad only flirted with people because it made them easier to control. When she got into gambling, people would do some pretty stupid stuff right after you flattered them. Even at parties, flirting always made those around her liven up a lot more. In her old life, flirting with men got her what she wanted.

”Ahem!” Tetrad grinned like everything was normal. ”I could certainly use your help. ” It was three magical girls and five zombies against two magical girls and a wounded doctor. This seemed like a good opportunity to even the odds. ”Getting people to chill is my specialty! I’m all for ending war. Non-lethal takedown style. Tit for tat.” Beacon may have been an enemy of the Cradle, but slaughtering so many magical girls at once wasn’t something Tetrad condoned. But enough people had died today. If Banshee and her lot could be spared, she’d go for it. Especially if she was getting help.

Tetrad tossed two blue cards at Dr Turner. One for the wounds inflicted from the kick, and another for the damage he sustained flying into the wall.

”Get to safety Dr Turner. We got this!”

Her next card was a yellow one, and as such, gave her the ability to float in the air. If Tetrad’s luck held up, she should be able to fling her yellow card at Banshee’s mid section. During flight, it would turn into a yellow knife that would momentarily paralyse her opponent. Then it would be a simple matter to have Bipartisan attempt to drain the emotions out of Banshee. As far as Tetrad was aware, filling someone with apathy was the fastest way to get them to stop fighting.

---

”Guys this RP is sad.”

— Faith

_{@PlatinumSkink@twave}

Faith hadn’t given up on her previous feelings. She wouldn’t shed a single tear if all of Beacon burst into flames this second. But this tiny stranger and her encouraging words were hard things to ignore. At present, she was her only friend, and if she wanted to save beacon, it might have been worth going along with.

”You’re rather handy aren’t you?” She wiped away her tears as she walked on the tiny samurai’s barriers. ”I didn’t catch your name in all this. May I hear it?” Ronin gave Faith her cover name as they walked. ”Ronin? Hah! I love the sound of it! I’m Faith if you didn’t know already. You you probably already know about this Demi-Goddess and her exploits~!” Though it wasn’t long before they came across Raven.

And there was something about the sight of her that disgusted Faith.

Something about the way Ronin lingered on “Am-” that made Faith’s heart skip a beat. She hadn’t seen this girl before, but she knew she had heard of her. Faith was already fighting to keep her composure up, and this wasn’t helping. She ran along with Ronin, but as they headed off to wherever Ronin was taking her, she released the samurai’s hand.

”Goodness me! We have yet to introduce ourselves!” She lifted her harp up and fired at one of the last remaining dryad wasps. ”I’m Faith Burgundy , Demi-Goddess and banana eater extraordinaire! Who might you be?” She pulled back on her harp strings as she waited for a response from Raven.

_@AtomicNut

The acid simply ran off the top of Reaver’s barrier. Shortly after which, Reaver would etch his rune into the ground. Now Grosket might have been a horror and incapable of talking with humans, but that didn’t mean it was stupid. Waiting patiently for your opponent to complete a ritual was just silly. So Grosket leaned forward onto it’s fists and charged like a silverback gorilla. Reaver had just finished etching his rune into the ground when the ape like ent back handed him into the air. The rune immediately went to work, absorbing the life force of anything nearby. Some people suspected Aighorost’s minions were made of wildlife and plants. But they were actually dead animals and living plants. Undeath fused to life.

Abominations.

Reaver’s rune did work, but it was only able to rob the life from the living plant part of the vines, not the undead flesh that writhed with it. Grosket took notice of the bark dieing on his knuckles, and promptly scratched out the rune. Reaver had been able to restore quite a bit of his vitality, if only because of the sheer volume of plant life surrounding the rune. But such a trick would not work a second time. The vines were everywhere, and they would be much quicker to scrape away the runes should he try again.

Reaver tumbled across the ground, coming to a stop near the east vine wall. It was already attempting to ensnare him when Grosket charged again. As it neared, the ape ent raised its right fist and prepared to flatten the knight where he stood.

_{@Majoras End@Ariamis}

Nightwing’s weapon was effective at cutting through the massive horror’s roots. However, it was only a matter of time before an updraft carried her weapon high into the heavens. Grisbar locked eyes with his attacker. She would live just long enough to regret that.

With a roar, the area directly beneath the dragon bloomed into a garden. One filled from vine hedge to vine hedge with two meter tall dandelions. The blooms closed up, then opened again to reveal the white puff balls that are so satisfying to blow apart. A gale of wind tore through the garden and scattered the seeds into the air. Only each “seed” spread its legs out to reveal itself as a spider. Hundreds of these filled the air, riding the wind like they were fired out of a scattergun.

_{@AtomicNut@Ponn@FamishedPants}

No takers? That was fine with Ampodryl. It understood why others might not want to venture into its lair. It was the most dangerous pillar, after all. Regardless, it didn’t enjoy fighting too much. Fighting implied there was a chance it could get hurt. Ampodryl preferred to torment and harass its preywhen they couldn’t fight back.

Shoggy’s attacks would find no purchase.. The zone where Ampodryl resided defused light. Any projectiles that came in its direction seemed to dither as they passed through the space. Perhaps this magical girl would like to see real power?

Ampodryl stood up and spread out it’s legs. Each foot anchored into its dark lair, Anyone outside its zone would see the glowing spirits getting pulled into the hungry darkness. Without any nearby threats, Ampodryl was free to draw on as much power as it wanted. Its jaw buckled as it opened wider and wider, the flame in its chest glowing as it continued to gain power.

For a moment, Ampodryl’s lair would look like a green flash. Then it was unleashed.

The sea of souls.

A wall of swirling energy tore through the park and smashed into the north wall. Anyone looking on the beam could see the spirits of animals swimming inside. But that would hardly be a detail worth considering once the wall started moving towards them. Ampodryl had begun to swing its head, and everyone in the north-west section of the park was in danger of joining the sea of souls.

”I can fly, remember?”

— Tonya “Mac” Murphy

Tonya “Mac” Murphy

Age: 24/11 | Gender: Female/Female | Illusion, Gravity
Body | Power of Friendship, Regeneration, Third Eye | Moirai
Coercion, Soul Jar, Martial Training, True Sight, Parasite, Gifted, Awareness, Overcity Shift, Mystic Artifact

Magical Overload, Paragon, Blessing, Gifted Item | Monster Form, Big Brother, Arrogance, Vendetta
Redirected Magic, Second Specialization | Non-Standard Limbs, Destroyer

STR: 05 | AGI: 04 | VIT: 05 | MAG: 03 | LCK: 03
+44
STR: 21 | AGI: 21 | VIT: 21 | MAG: 20 | LCK: 15

Earnings this post: Zilch

Remaining: 0 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze
Total: 7 Gold, 118 Silver, 130 Bronze

Mac's bolstered strength and speed made staying ahead of the sea of souls a breeze. Good thing too, because there was no way she was going to stay ahead of it with her mana alone.

Ennui for Yesteryear... Old Rp Partners that have Gone

Yea, there are people I miss. Though one has to be careful about reminiscing about the "good ol' times." Yes, people you really connect with aren't easy to find, but that's why you need to keep an open mind and be willing to mingle with strangers. If you're constantly getting acquainted with new people, you'll have something to fill the gap with when your old favorites leave.

Kind of reminds me when my brother made a forum "to keep the bad role players out." Thing is, he didn't exactly write the book on good writing. I'm not even sure if I'd call him a decent writer. Every RP was just the same 4-5 friends. You kind of knew where everyone was going with their characters. There were seldom any surprises, since I knew everyone's interests and I had been RPing with them for about 7 years. Some of the roleplays were great, others not so great. But if you like the people you're working with that doesn't seem to matter as much.

Point is, you met your favorite RPers during a chance encounter.

Danganronpa: Tower of Carnage (Finished!)

Each collab will only have 1 player + your adorable GM. Though you can drag along as many npcs as you care to.

Darkest Before the Dawn: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

“Well this is alkward.”

— Su Fang

_@Erode

Su kept an ear open for Fanfan, but Vivi had asked her if she knew what happened.

“Honestly? Not really.”

Su knew the dragons had to be from Lei Zi. She had witnessed her lightning attacks prior and noticed their particular motif. What surprised Su was that Lei had barely waited to fire offsuch a deviating attack. Su did not condone murder on that scale, but it was made worse by the fact that she had spoken with Lei previously and mentioned she needed time to get one of her friends. It seemed their chance encounter hadn’t given Lei any intention of sparing her the wrath of her god. This just made falling to Vi’s music even more embarrassing. Lei Zi may have been overwhelmed and forced to protect herself. Though that was still a tough action to justify. The moral of the story was not to trust shady people who hang out in raves, even if they are distinctly Chinese.

Regardless, it didn’t seem like she was in league with Vi. It made no sense to take control of a girl’s mind only to nuke everyone later. Not that Vivi was around for any of that anyway. Su figured she had shifted a bit earlier. The whole thing made no sense.

“My best guess is that Vi’s music caused some of the magical girls to go wild. I’m not sure what the outcome of the rave is, but I think it’s too dangerous to go back and look.” Su fret her brow and looked at her clenched fist. “I did see Justine Von Visceral. I find it hard to believe she isn’t tied to all this.”

This wasn’t an unexpected outcome. Su remembered how she felt hovering over Justine’s broken body. Amber had died minutes ago, and Lily was trying to talk Su down. She was so overcome with grief and hatred in that moment. Lily didn’t escape her ire either. Had she not been captured, Amber would not have been in such a rush and would have survived her encounter. But really, Justine was the main problem, and she knew she’d strke again if she wasn’t put down then and there.

What she couldn’t quite remember was why she let Justine go in the first place. Justine wanted to be killed, and Su would have loved to oblige. Lily was little more than background noise, and even her boyfriend agreed that Su had every right to end Justine. But there was someone else present.

She turned to Helga.

The only words that got through to Su came from her. She trusted Helga when she said it wasn’t something Amber would want. At the time Su regarded Helga as an acquaintance that shared her pain. They both loved Amber, they were both angered by her death, and so Su felt she could trust her. But maybe it was all an act. Justine seemed like she was willing to change, but that was clearly a lie. Helga had only known Su and Amber for a week or so, and that was hardly enough time to fall in love with someone. At least not when compared to how long Helga had served Justine. It was possible Helga was a mole this entire time, secretly feeding Justine information on Penrose while pretending to be on Su’s side. Maybe people couldn’t really change. Maybe none of it mattered. Maybe Su was too irritated and tired to think about anything right now. This was all so exhausting.

“I need to get out of here.” Su rubbed her eyes before looking back at Vivi and Askefye. “Do either of you know where the nearest overcity exit is?”

---

“Who likes barbie dolls?”

— Mika Sarraf

_@Vocab

”You sure about this Mika?”

"Yes!"

”Really sure? ‘Cus I’m not.”

"Really, yea!"

”Okay, just be careful, alright?”

"Yay!"

---

Christina would soon wake from her sleep. The first thing she would feel is the warm sun beating against her skin. The sun in the beach dimension was far brighter than anything at the rave, so she would need time for her eyes to adjust. That would just take a moment, and then her eyes would be able to take in the alien sky. It was a bit darker than the one she was use to, but it felt like summer all the same.

This would also be when Christina noticed she was reclining in something. A blow up chair that was floating in a swimming pool. One large enough to fill the Colosseum it rested in. There were rows and rows of bleachers going to the very top.A life guard’s nest was occupied by a transformed Rina. She said nothing and just watched from under the shade of her umbrella, bow laying across her lap.

Christina would likely notice the relatively light feeling of her clothes. But at a glance, she would see that she was wearing a bright blue bikini. She had no memory of putting it on or even buying it. There was also a giant lotus flower pinning her hair into a ponytail.

Before Christina had a chance to question any of this, she’d hear the sound of someone paddling towards her. An untransformed Mika was clad in a black bikini, and was laying against a surf board. One hand was paddling, and the other was wrapped around two cardboard cups with straws sticking out of the top of them. It wasn’t long before she made it to Christine’s position.

"Whew!" She sat upright. "Okay!" the cat girl took one of the cups in each hand and held them out to Christine. "The one on the left is a re-see-pee-see milk shake, and the one to the right is a strawberry one. I’m gunna eat the one you don’t want, so take what you like." Mika gave them a shake. "You’re pretty."

Rina scratched the bridge of her nose before drinking her own milkshake.

"I’m Mika! I saved you from the dragon monster. What’s your name?"

Danganronpa: Tower of Carnage (Finished!)

@FamishedPants@Mateotis@Majoras End

Decided to split the post I was going to do in here in half, since I think it'll make more sense after the investigation.

Over the next few days, I'll be gearing up for the final trial. Shortly I'll get in touch with everyone for collabs for their parts of the investigation. At present, the sites are the 4th floor medical tower, the resort tower, and the 5th floor medical tower (resort is locked)

The way it's going to work is that I'm going to grab someone and join you on your investigations. It's up to you to who you wanna take, But I think Jez for Zachary, Ice for Alice, and Shona for Daimyon. Though we can also give Daimyon Cyrus and Zachary can have Shona and Jez, or we can just give Zachary all the girls save Alice because he's a soft chad anyway. IDK, it's not really important. This is probably going to be your last chance to talk with the other characters before you enter the trial room though, so be mindful of that.

And that's it for updates. Discuss, or don't. I need a shower and a nap though.

Danganronpa: Tower of Carnage (Finished!)

Quite a while ago...

A young Davis prepared to leave Hope’s Peak High School. He had graduated a few years ago, but had been acting as an assistant teacher for a time. It was likely he would be back, but for now, he had other places he needed to be.

He had everything loaded up in his truck and was ready to drive off when a female student approached him. It was Celestia Ludenberg, the ultimate gambler. He was a temp teacher for one of her classes. ”You didn’t plan on leaving before we’ve had our final duel, did you?”

Something that Davis had always tried to instill in the students was that their talents needed to be nurtured in order to reach their apex. That being an ultimate student should not be their ultimate goal. He did this by doing what he did best: beating them with his own talent. He would issue them a challenge that they were doomed to fail before they even accepted. Most of the students ignored him, with a few being amused or annoyed with his antics. But then there were those like Celestia who refused to accept defeat at the hands of the ultimate mastermind. To date, none had beaten him.

"Hah! If you insist." Davis shut the door on his truck and folded his arms. "I’m kind of in a rush though, so if you’re not ready, we’re going to have to call it off."

”You won’t escape that easily mister Gallo.” Celestia stepped off to the side, and some boys brought out a folding table and a suitcase. ”I’ve brought everything right here, so you don’t even have to go back inside.” They set up the table, and as soon as stood behind it, another boy slid a chair behind her just as she was getting ready to sit down. A seat was presented for Davis, and the suitcase was pushed in front of Celestia. ”You may take a seat as soon as you are ready to begin.”

Davis chuckled. "Seems you thought of everything." He took a seat and folded his arms. "But you need to remember the rules for our game. I will only play with fresh cards. A new deck of bicycle originals, nothing else."

”I’m aware.” Celestia presented a key for the briefcase. ”Those are among the most popular playing cards in the world, yet they’ve been sold out wherever I look. Even the smaller shops are out of stock.” She unlocked it. ”Fortunately, I have a few spare decks in here. Fresh, never opened bicycle originals.” She sighed. ”I had hoped to open them during a worthy match, but it seems my hand has been forced.”

"Then why do you want to beat me? It’s not like there’s a reward for it. You might end up losing anyway."

Celestia grinned. ”My reputation is at stake. I can’t just let someone walk all over me. Even if they are the ultimate mastermind.” She used her thumbs to undo the latches. ”Beyond that, card games are all luck when you remove one’s ability to cheat. In that type of scenario, winning is possible for either side. I believe that’s why you’ve set things up so that I can’t start a game with you. Even a chance at failure is too big a risk for you.” She pushed the lid open. ”That’s what makes it anti climatic. Because as soon as we start our game, you’ll have already lost.”

Davis closed his eyes and grinned. "Then lets start the game already."

”As soon as I locate the cards, we will begin.” Celestia reached into the briefcase and shifted things around. The briefcase held more than just the cards she was looking for, it was all of her competition gear. Mats, dice, rollers, mahjong tiles, accessories for special games, but it would soon become evident that cards she was looking for were missing.

Just as planned.

Hope’s Peak had to keep tabs on all the students. They were allotted almost no privacy. They were the worlds very best, and they needed to be observed closely so that the ultimate talent could be harnessed. Every scrap of food was weighed, every second of leisure time was counted, and every item they had in their possession was recorded. Well before Davis issued his challenge to Celestia, he had her room searched for all of her cards. The suitcase was locked, but that wasn’t hard for a lock picker to bypass. He made sure all the cards were bought out of all the stores, and checked to make sure anyone who had recently purchased a deck of cards had opened them so that they couldn’t be used for their match. Celestia would not have her game this day.

"It’s getting late."

With a huff, she shut her suitcase. ”I didn’t think tampering with personal property was a low our teachers would stoop to.”

Davis shrugged. "Are you sure it was me? I mean I’ll admit you’d have been my type in high school, but I’m over my goth phase. Maybe Hifumi took them?"

She folded her hands in her lap. ”Well, you can’t say you’ve beaten me. So I technically never lost.”

"I was careful how I worded my challenge. I said you had to beat me in a card game that used brand new deck of bicycle card originals. And when you asked for a time limit I said before I left for New York. "

”It sounds like you thought of everything. I am forced to concede.” She slid a pack of cards out from behind her briefcase. ”But perhaps you’ll let me entertain you a bit longer. Consider it a reward for your victory.”

Davis lifted his hands up. "I stand by what I said earlier. Not interested in card games."

”It’s just a tarot reading.” Celestia held a hand over her mouth, while her other hand offered the cards to Davis. They were much bigger than normal cards, and each one had a special illustration. The entire deck seemed to be vampire themed. ”Shuffle these, and tell me what you’d like me to divine.”

"What are you, the ultimate clairvoyant now?" Davis didn’t get a response, so he simply shuffled the cards. He didn’t believe in astrology, but was willing to do this if it satisfied Celestia. "Alright, lets do my trip."

”An interesting choice.” Celestia took the deck of cards back and cut it in half. ”I’m going to draw three cards, the past, present, and future of your trip will be revealed in each one.” She drew three cards and set them side by side. ”We start with the past and move forward in time.” She turned the first card over. ”The lovers!” She placed her hands over her mouth. ”Davis, does this trip involve someone special?”

"Uh." Davis wasn’t smiling. It might have been dumb luck but… "Yea. It’s a honeymoon." He chuckled. "How did you know?"

”I didn’t know Davis. It’s the magic of the cards.” She lowered her hands enough so that he could see she was smiling.

"Right right, now do the next one."

Celestia did as he requested. ”Death.”

Davis held his chin. "Now death doesn’t mean death-death, right?"

”Correct. Death is often misunderstood in tarot readings. It represents an end, but also a new beginning as well. Perhaps this is the end of your life as a bachelor, but the beginning of it as a husband?”

He smiled and nodded. "Sure, that works."

”I must say, it is unusual for a reading to contain so many cards from the major arcana. That usually indicates something big is going to happen.”

"The last card, please."

Celestia took her time reaching for the final card and turned it over. When Davis looked at it, he immediately groaned. The gambler waited for dramatic effect, then described the card.

”The tower.” She declared it like she was casting a powerful spell. ”This card indicates a sudden, unforeseen change. A catastrophe of untold proportions waits for you mister Gallo. It is the single worst card to see in a tarot reading, especially with so many other major arcana present.”

Davis raised an eyebrow. He should have seen something like this coming. But in the end, her little trick didn’t mean anything. Davis offered to play this “game” with her because he knew it would be less time consuming than talking her down. "Cool." Davis slapped his hands together. "So we’re done then?"

Celestia grinned before putting away the tarot cards. ”I’ll take that tinge of disappointment as a pyrrhic victory.” She stood up, and the boys started to pack up her effects and walk back into the school. ”You have an interesting talent, mister Gallo. I wouldn’t call it perfect, but it does put you at C-rank.” She started to play with her hair. ”Should your honeymoon not pan out, do return here so I may knight you.”

"Right." Davis stood up and grinned. "If the world goes to hell and Alice ends up dead, maybe I’ll consider it."

---

Save for George and Noel, all of the infinites present managed to get to the fourth floor. They bandaged their wounds, checked their ammo, and kept their guard up. As soon as Daimyon came up the stairs, Davis’s voice came through the speakers.

"All infinites are accounted for. All carnage sisters are to remain on the lower three floors during candidate selection."

Like all the floors before it, this one was based on a country and it’s killing game. This was Japan’s school life killing game, hosted by the ultimate fashionista Junko Enoshima. It was a rather high profile killing game given that she was broadcasting it to the world. Everyone was forced to watch as the students conspired against each other before finally outwitting the mastermind and saving the day.

The Resort tower held an information center, which was a giant pillar covered in monitors with a computer in front of it. This was likely where Noel had gained access to everyone’s profiles. Bliss Buckly was still up on the screen.

The hospital side was also just one room, and it housed the operational version of the amnesia machine on the first floor. A giant throne covered in tubes and probes. There were leather straps to hold down unwilling patients. It was hard to tell if it was revolutionary medical tech or some cruel and unusual torture device. Perhaps it was both.

The path upstairs was clear, but maybe there was something worth investigating here.

Darkest Before the Dawn: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

Alright fam, how is everyone doing? While my assistant finishes up with the chalk board, I just want to describe the park a bit.

So the park is called Mayor Park. Before Penrose exploded into the city it is now, this park was behind the old mayor building. While the mayor building has moved over the years, it’s tradition to for a mayor to get a stepping stone with their hand prints added to the park, which is why the park still keeps its name. Otherwise it’s a relatively normal park, with some winding paths and trees for people who like that sort of thing. It’s nice for a walk, but the wide open areas have made it a popular place for picnics and playing Frisbee with your best friend. There’s also a volleyball court set up for when the weather gets warmer.

Oh, it seems my assistant is done.

Sorry if the map is a little bland. Sayori was only doing her best, and I didn’t give her much to look at. Anyway, the bright white lines represent hedge walls, the gray lines are transitional areas used to split up the park, and the icons show the location of the helicopter crash sight, Hilaria, and each of the druids. There’s also a vine hedge going around the entire park.

All vine hedges are roughly as tall as four magical girls. They're alive, wiggling tentacle/vines covered in thorns and packed together. Not easy to cross without resistance.

The actual size of the areas are “difficult to travel in one post without sprinting.” which is to say you can go to any square from any other square, but you’ll be too far away to launch attack into things that are in other squares without “global range abilities.”

A bit more about each zone.

Beacon Zone

This is where most of the magical girls are at the time of this posting. Hilaria is here, as well as the crashed helicopter. The ground around Hilaria is still soft from Lotus’s quicksand tech, and magical girls can expect some degree of difficulty walking in this area. The vine hedge is also trying to eat what’s left of the chopper.

Ent Zone

The lair of Grosket, Druid of timber. The ground is covered in moving vines. While these vines span the entire Park, it is here where they travel above ground. Magical girls on the ground run the risk of being ensnared in this area. The vine hedge facing the Beacon Zone sprawls all the way to the edge of the park, and into the Spirit Zone.

Dragon Zone

Celia and Nightwing are here, as well as Grisbar, Druid of Wilds. The mighty beat of the dragon’s wings cannot grant it flight (it's a building, essentially), but it makes the area difficult to fly in. That is to say the lift is so strong and turbulent, that you’ll be launched into the sky if you try to leave the ground. Having said that, the wind does allow for high jumps and slow falls. Just remember you’re most vulnerable to it in the air. There are also two vine hedges that support its massive body.

Spirit Zone

This is the choice battleground for Ampodryl, Druid of Spirits. The great wolf’s domain is swarming in spiritual energy, distorting the moonlight that falls here. Visibility is poor, and those without special vision or a way to navigate will find themselves falling prey to Ampodryl’s most devious traps. The vine hedge wraps around, extending into the ent zone and park wall.

Post Summery
>Pillar Druids step out of their Pillars, SUPRISE ROUND!
>Druids spook up their quarter of the park.
>Druids cast their dark blessings on Hilaria
>Grosket attempts to ensnare reaver, then barfs on him.
>Grisbar Beats his wings at Celia and Nightwing, creating a vortex that could also hit Tsuki and Elora.
>Ampodryl uses their Moonlight Greatsword on the pink chopper, and scores a hit. Causing it to emergency land near a vine wall, which is now trying to eat it.

And in case anyone’s wondering about the dryad wasps, they’re pretty much all dead aside from a few stragglers. The vines hedges are capable of attacking and will do so if a magical girl gets too close.