melodiesofeternity | Player Plot: The Golsaucian Gauntlet

Player Plot: The Golsaucian Gauntlet

The OOC post for this event can be found here.

Sparks Golsaucia

A. Doom Coaster: Into the Void (and other rides...)

PuPuLand and Sparks Golsaucia as a whole are rife with exotic and exciting means of entertainment. The amusement park rides are second to none, probably because there aren't many in other towns! And since it's time for the Gauntlet, there's no end of tourists from around the world looking to celebrate and let loose. The lines sure are long... but you don't have to care about that since you've got a VIP pass! Show it to the employees and presto, you move to the front of the line!

...Assuming anyone told you that you could use it to cut in lines, that is. You could be waiting in a line that's not moving, because some other VIPs (outworlders or not) leave the ride and go right back in. Maybe you're one of those people riding a ride until the end of your days! Maybe you're people watching, or far from the line, gripped with fear over a ride that's crushed your resolve. Whether it's the teacups, the rickety old roller coasters, the drop towers, or whatever else your heart desires, you better believe it's popular.

The biggest, newest, shiniest ride, however, is the Doom Coaster. Modeled after an old, skeleton-like train that oozes rust and black fog, the Virtual Reality experience is so real that some passengers seem to have the souls ripped right out of them! (The g-forces got to them, but whatever works for marketing!) The senses are assailed by a played-up, spooky adventure into the afterlife, and anyone who stays conscious through to the end gets a free t-shirt reading "I CONQUERED THE DOOM COASTER" in a bleeding font, underlined by the train cars themselves.

Think you can take it?

B. How Do We Measure Vaikunthan Cholesterol?

High-velocity amusement park rides bring to mind nausea, and you can't lose your lunch if you don't eat! All through PuPuLand are vendors of... less-than-healthy foods. Deep-fried Geezard Gizzards, deep-fried calamari, deep-fried ice cream, funnel cakes (deep-fried dough), deep-fried pizza, and- is that- is that a deep-fried salad!? PuPuLand claims zero responsibility for any cardiovascular damage incurred as a result of eating their foods. But they're the only option in the park...

So maybe you decide to leave and get food in Sparks Golsaucia proper. There are food trucks, and they're on more street corners than worldwide coffee chain Cactuarbucks! The variety is immense and a dream for any Gourmand worth their salt or any self-preserving being who's not into artery-clogging. They're a little pricier, but when the trip itself is free, why not treat yourself?

C. Moogle Marketeers

Sparks Golsaucia is dangerous for many reasons beyond the park rides and the fried foods- it houses the Tactician Guild, which works intimately with local businesses. All businesses. See, there's profit to be had in pyramid schemes as long as you're at the top, and any Tactician worthy of their asterisk would make sure that's where they are.

It may seem innocuous enough, a Moogle fluttering up to you asking if you're interested in a little work on the side. They talk about selling cosmetics, poorly-made clothes, esoteric minerals and oils, or even natural mog enhancement pills (for the pom-pom's fuzziness, naturally) with a warm smile. This company is a spiritual movement, a means of both enlightenment and exponentially growing income. It gives you a place to belong in this world, and the ability to help the newcomers find their place too!

There's just a 40,000 gil registration fee and another 20,000 for the starter kit, all nonrefundable. But maybe your contact is nice- they might be able to waive the costs if you can get a friend to sign up!

D. Are You Talkin' to Me?

The largest city in Vaikuntha means there's no shortage of crime and ne'er-do-wells. There could be a back alley shortcut involved, or you might've taken a step into the wrong side of town. It's almost as if with the turn of a corner, the bright, pastel lights of the city dimmed and flickered, well... except for the occasional red light.

But they're watching you. From across the street. From the windows. From the shadows. It doesn't matter, they're there, and you look like a target. You might hear the throaty chuckle of a Bangaa or a condescending "sho shorry" from a Hypello that forcefully bumped you as they walked by, and... did they steal your wallet?

Or maybe they're more overt, emerging from the shadows and snapping their fingers rhythmically. For more cold-blooded species, these Bangaa/Hypello thugs sure bring a lot of fiery passion to their theatrics. Maybe they deserve the money, they could probably take this on the road!

E. When the Chips are Down...

Maybe you don't like gambling on business deals and social networks. If you're a fan of slot machines, card tables, and a spin of the roulette wheel, PuPuLand's got you covered in spades. There are two casinos within the park's walls and a third just a block away from the entrance. Bet your bottom dollar you can find any game of chance, maybe some chocobo races, and if you're of a more rough-and-tumble sort, maybe even a fight club. With white mages on hand, of course; what are we, savages?

Be careful not to get too lucky, or you could end up with the wrong sort of attention.

F. ...Clubs are Wild

Night after night of Sparks Golsaucia and PuPuLand is bound to be tiresome, so maybe you're looking to unwind from your vacation. Could be a drink, or even a few hours of loud, thumping music and frenetic dancing. Unsurprisingly, they've got you covered here!

Surprisingly, there are some clubs and bars that are the quietest places in town once the sun goes down. Insulated walls, multiple doors between the outside and the club itself, and... bookshelves?! Is this an all-night library with soothing piano accompaniment and a zen garden meant to mimic the sound of rainfall? You betcha!

G. Golsaucian Gauntlet

Competitors, win or lose, are encouraged to use the results of the first three rounds of the Gauntlet in their Top-Levels, if they want. Pre-Gauntlet pep talks with a friend or rival, walks of fame, walks of shame, swarms of fans, whatever floats your boat.

Von Oktavia

H. Movements of Tiny Houses

Since smaller sorts live in Von Oktavia like Lalafell and Moogles, their houses are similarly proportioned. Smaller rooms, smaller bathtubs, smaller houses altogether. That means that while a strong hop could get you on someone's roof, a particularly bad stumble could send the whole thing crashing down.

And that costs money. Maybe you'll just look. Carefully. And never touch. Or if you do, you might have the joy of escaping the scene of the crime. No big deal.

I. Tiny Food, Big Appetites

The Golsaucian Gauntlet and a week in the lap of VIP Luxury means you're probably used to portions more... normal than what's served around Von Oktavia. While it's not quite this small, it does seem a bit closer to food for ants. So if hunger pangs happen to strike during this pit stop (typical of any road trip, really...), maybe you're inclined to take the hit to your wallet for a little extra, or maybe you're hangry and become one of those customers making a scene.

J. Mognet Central

Mognet Central is big and imposing, a stark contrast to the smaller buildings of the city. They need all that space, given how vital the net is to Vaikunthan infrastructure. It's impossible not to see this place, and maybe you want to go in.

Lucky for you, the ground floor is actually the world's largest iMog Store, with special cutting-edge products that you can't get to as easily at the Curti Center. The employees are bright and bubbly, eager to help you with all your needs. Even if you don't have the money to buy anything- they're getting paid by the hour!

K. Say Cheese!

Eventually it's time to leave and return to the Curti Center, and so everyone's gathered by the offices of the Oktavian Triumvirate. The Under-Secretary of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of an Executive Assistant's Assistant all but appears out of thin air due to eldritch bureaucratic magics, and shouts that a picture will be taken in five minutes.

How's your hair? Is that what you're wearing?! You still look a bit rough from the night before, maybe. Or you might just be against this entire thing, and you're trying to hide behind the crowd or duck away. That's difficult, because the arrival of the Under-Secretary of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of an Executive Assistant's Assistant brought with it her assistants, who are cutting off a lot of the exits. Maybe you need to use a human shield.

Or maybe you're gonna dab on camera. They never said it had to be a serious photo!

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Well, there was one whilrwind gone, but S'reee backfinned the air to stop herself from going over the edge. She knew her levitation was based on the ground height, so at the least she'd be out of the battle.

She also had a feeling there was some concept she was missing about the language Vax and the moogle were using that didn't translate species.

S'reee managed to stop herself from going over, and she assessed the situation. Good news: the three remaining whirlwinds were no longer chasing each of them. Bad news: they were focusing in on Komaeda.

S'eree exhaled, and used a Disguise spell, adding a second 'Komaeda' tio the battle. She started to move towards the original, hoping to muddle things up a bit. "How can you speak of what we feel when you haven't stopped to listen?" Wait, would a human say look or listen there? Sea, she understood humans reasonably well, but she couldn't keep this up for long. Hopefully, a Moogle would also miss any bits of turbulence in her acting.

Edited 2018-06-19 15:02 (UTC)

"I will never accept despair, no matter what, I have always been on the side of Hope. Hope is the greatest power of the universe, Hope is what drives people forward, saves them from Despair, unites communities and concord all evil. Even at that time... even then, even during all of that, I have always looked towards Hope, always fought for Hope, always embraced Hope seaking True Hope!" he didn't move, he didn't seem startled, even the spell that had hit him a bit didn't make him cautious. What was caution anyway? He didn't have a frame of mind for it. Luck had always worked in his favor and... well, he sort of enjoyed experimenting and seeing if maybe it might fail one day....

However, despite his own seeming lack of self preservation instincts, he did cast a healing spell on S'reee. But, his rant continued. Sorry, the effort might have been in vain.

"I am always honest, I am but a stepping stone for Hope, always and forever!"

Edited 2018-06-19 21:46 (UTC)

"Let me tell you something about bastards, then!"

The whirlwinds are rushing and whirling towards Komaeda, and that leaves Vax alone. Nothing but his hair whips and snaps in the wind. He grits his teeth, and an idea comes to mind. An idea that is, perhaps, low on the self-preservation. But, maybe, it will help Komaeda. Because Vax rushes in for Kupiaki, eyes narrowing.

"We're tough. We survive! It's what we're good at!" he yells. And then he leaps in close. One dagger flashes, but it isn't the goal. The goal, instead, is to reach for the Moogle's...

...er...

...pocket?

Vax uses Steal and is a dumbass!!

Max was really hoping this would be a... much calmer task. Why did she get herself into these situations, and why did it always have to involve tornados? She'd been stood, waiting, holding back. She wasn't exactly sure how much help she'd be right now, since she was fairly new to her job.

But watching Vax do... what probably wasn't the most intuitive idea, made her more confident to step in and try, especially after S'reee had given them a chance with the Disguise spell.

She lets off a Miasma spell towards Kupiaki.

"We don't want to fight, please stop!"

Edited 2018-06-20 01:05 (UTC)

"Stop desecrating the word Hope! You sicken me, Kupo!" Seeing how Komaeda didn't do anything to save himself, both him and the disguised Sree got taken in a Tornado. "You've given up, your hope is nothing but an illusion, despair hidden under the shape of hope, Kupo!"

The tornado moves by one of the endless pits and drops Komaeda in it. Sree has a chance to escape this fate. Komaeda is out until the end of the battle. The dreadful pit is actually... Not a pit at all. It just teleports him and he finds himself outside of the arena and can watch the battle unfolds through the energy walls, though the others can't see him. But from the perspective of everyone in the arena? He's fallen and is gone.

Needless to say, she didn't pay attention to Vax and Max as this happened, and opened wide eyes as Vax stole her crystal. All the tornadoes died off at once.

"Kupo?? My Crystal?!" She looked around and flailed panickedly. "Where is it? Where have you taken it!"

Before he could respond and argue he was picked up and plopped outside. At first he was surprised, but once he found that he was simply outside the fight he settled down.

Of course it wasn't an endless pit, of course he was fine.

Oh well, time to see if his impromptu party was amazing or not! At least one of them seemed to steal the moogles crystal.

Vax tosses the crystal up and down, in one hand. He looks towards where Komaeda was -- the pit he fell into. His breath catches; he doesn't know where he went. He knows, however, where it might be.

"We're not desecrating hope," he says. "Hope's something you make."

His eyes turn, quickly, to Max and S'ree. Then, he looks back at the Moogle. And then, Vax throws the crystal -- in the sense of being a ninja. He tosses it for one of the endless pits further from Kupiaki than him.

"Looks like it flew!" he shouts.

S'reee was sent flying, but her larger mass and the levitation meant she didn't land in a hole. At this point, no point keeping the illusion up, so she dropped the illusion. She was worried by Komaeda's loss, since she didn't know what the bounds of the spell the moogle had cast on the area were -- illusion or not?

"If that's how you are using your Jobs, then can we stop and talk now?" she said impatiently. Which we just wanted to do in the first place.

The Moogle's eyes widen as that self-proclaimed bastard throws the crystal into one of the pits.

"Noooooooooooooo!"

And instantly, the energy walls fade away, the tornadoes cease and they are free. Komaeda can see the crystal right next to his feet. Kupiami blinks, pauses and rushes toward it in an attempt to grab it back. Better stop her lest you want this to continue.

Eying the christal he picks it up right before she can get to it. He holds it up with a smile, though has a secure grip on it.

"Can we talk now?"

"Are we really trying to talk to her!?" Vax shouts, unsure.

But, he figures he can avoid stabbing. Thus, instead, he runs right for Kupiaki -- and tries to tackle the Moogle to the ground.

"I think it's a better idea than to keep fighting... maybe they will listen to reason now we hold an advantage, maybe..."

She sighed, scratching the back of her head. Her confidence taking a hit as she felt utterly useless in that battle.

"Kupooo!"

Kupiaki desperately tried to reach for the crystal, only to be tackled by Vax. Even then, she kept trying to grab ahold of the crystal, extending her tiny paws toward it.

"Give it back, avatars of despair!"

"Or not..." She said with a heavy sigh. "Aren't there some... Moogle laws about attacking people without proof or something?"

She might have to ask Bokeh about that later, since she didn't expect to get an answer right now. She stands in between Kupiaki and Nagito, kneeling down in front of the Moogle, grabbing both her little paws and lowering them.

"Can you please calm down?"

It was a bit funny to watch her reach out, as if her little arms would reach anywhere close to where he held it. However, despite that, Komaeda sighed deeply with mild frustration.

"We are not avatars of despair. It's becoming annoying and increasingly insulting everytime you say that. Why do you assume such a horrible thing? Never in my life have I worked towards despair," even when he was a remnant of despair all he worked for was for hope.

"We are really trying to talk to her. What else should we be doing?" S'reee said, turning her head towards Vax before addressing the moogle. "Look, we understand that you don't know about our intentions towards the PuPus, but why are you so convinced we're these 'avatars of despair'?"

"We're not avatars of despair! What makes you think so?" Vax says. "I'm a bastard, sure. I'm not some darkness bringer."

He tries to keep his grapple, while he talks. Then, he looks at the rest. "It's fine. Just making sure."

"Children are starting to follow your example, Kupo! Nothing good can come from you becoming a role model for kids!"

With that said, something truly strange happened. An halo appeared above Kupiaki's head and her tiny moogle wings turned into splendid angel wings! Worse, she slipped right through Vax's grip, as if she was a ghost? But certainly it couldn't be!

With her newfound freedom, she slowly rose higher and higher into the sky, glaring down at the characters.

"We'll be back, Kupo!"

And lo, she disappeared!

"That doesn't make any sense," who was he supposedly a role model for? What kids were following his example?

She really was annoying like everything else that looked like a stuffed animal and talked. At least this one wasn't trying to be his teacher, or make everyone kill each other.

"Unless someone has done a terrible job of explaining how this world works, a white mage shouldn't be able to do that."

"That... was weird," Vax concludes, finally. "All of that? Real fucking weird."

"But who says a moogle can't?" Why be so worked up over something so silly. The important part was what she said. What did it mean?

"I think we should take note of what she said... I think." At the very least, it could be important information later on. She made a mental note to note it down somewhere later.

"If they could all do that, why don't they? Maybe we could ask our companion moogles." She was hestant to suggest it, knowing Bokeh he wouldn't be so clear about it.

"Do they answer questions like that?"

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Player Plot: The Golsaucian Gauntlet

Sparks Golsaucia

Von Oktavia

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sorry for delay!

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