What do you mean? It is normal to have to do puzzles while you are exploring a ruin.
[Well. Time for me to make use of the skill that Caleb is borrowing this week. Inexplicably, he just parkours away from the lasers, using Dimitri's shoulder to leap into the air and then start dodging between them before leaping up to try to punch one.]
[ But no time to ask why DND is so weird. Instead, Dimitri acts as a spring for Caleb to do his fancy parkour, supporting him without issue before swinging his lance at the other drones in a wide arc. He gets clipped by some lasers, but it's not as bad as Corneria... probably. ]
[These drones are definitely not as bad as, like, lasers being fired from a ship.
Is Caleb just punching one with his bare hand? It does some damage and the drone does the air equivalent of stumbling back, but also Caleb basically just punched metal so that will probably hurt.
Dimitri cuts down the other three drones. The fourth, apparently realizing that all of its brethren have fallen, makes distressed beeping noises before flying away.
They can continue ahead for now! They'll come across what looks to be a sci-fi terminal of some sort, its screen flickering on and off. Do any of them even know how to operate computers? If not, they are free to ignore it and move on.]
[He is just punching with his bare hand, yeah. Sometimes you borrowed the monk's skill set, but not her physique, so it definitely does jack up his hand. He's just standing here shaking it out like 'ow,' this never happens to Beau when she punches a robot.
Anyway, they can continue to the terminal. Caleb. . . knows what a computer is? He has played video games? So he will approach it, tentatively, and see if he can turn it on.]
. . . Um. May want to stand back in case of a trap.
[ Parkour earns style points at least. Even if punching solid metal is usually a rough time.
And excuse you, Jan, but they have all used computers to write friendfiction? They're experts. But Dimitri just nods and stays a few steps back while Caleb messes with the console, watching warily for more lasers and motion sensor bombs. ]
[Caleb and Dimitri, as they approach the computer, set off a trap! A bomb detonates, killing them both.
I decided that I'm not completely joking, actually. The floor panel beeps, before an invisible blast knocks Caleb back. Caleb rolled a 6 so he probably bangs his head against an abandoned piece of machinery as he's sent flying. This activates another blast, which this time sends him flying into Dimitri's arms. "Was that necessary" yea i wanted it.]
[You're so valid, Jan. There's still time for Dimitrileb to happen and I for one hope it happens on this CYOA. Anyway this is actually about what he expected because again, he is a Dungeon & Dragon and sometimes you tell people to wait 30 feet back and then the blast radius of the trap is 60 feet.
Anyway, he bonks his sweet head pretty hard, and he's just a wizard, so he's probably pretty hurt. Ow.]
[ Jan in this CYOA like you WILL be married. It's valid. Dimitri catches Caleb's waifish omega frame in his big strong arms.
But no, that was bad; he's left wide-eyed in the blast, but manages to catch Caleb without the two of them going flying, steadying him as he scowls at the console. If the floor panel set off the explosion, does the screen actually show anything now? Were they better off not knowing what a computer is after all? ]
Robo Cat A and Robo Cat B (do they have names? who knows) go up to Caleb. D: Is the man okay.
The screen will turn on, for your troubles.]
Wh-n Elem--tal P-i-ma coul- no -onger -- used, One- Pri-ma -as develo--d as a n-w energy so--ce, but it- usage is lead--g to --me-ua-es and de-tab-li-i-- the --me la---. If this co-tinu-s, all of --me a-d s-a-- wi-l be in p--i-.
Pro-essor was w--king on a s-lution to stabi--ze i-. Howeve-, wh-n -e sent reports -- pos--ble s-cces-, he v-nishe- be-or- he --uld exp-ain the -etho-.
[He groans and sits up, cradled tenderly in Dimitri's strong, muscular arms, his senses overwhelmed with the heady musk of the alpha's scent making him feel safe and protected. He reaches up and touches a hand to his head, coming away with blood on his fingers. He's a little bruised and singed, but other than that head injury, he seems okay? He will get to his feet unsteadily, giving his robo cats Silber and Streusel a pat on the head.]
[ Once he saves his moon and stars, his bonded omega, Caleb Widogast, he squints at the screen. He'll take a picture of it because he is not touching fantasy technology ever again. ]
A report that this 'Onex' energy from the prologue is destabilizing...? One of the researchers found some means to fix it, but then he mysteriously ceased communications.
[ He'll let Caleb catch up by reading on his phone while he takes a look around. Is there a path further into the compound? Any other weird consoles or tech? ]
There are no other weird consoles or tech, but belatedly, the parts from the three robots Dimitri destroyed look like they might fetch some money. Go pick those up, maybe.
Silber and Streusel, with the power of newfound names, wander off into a vent, before returning with gems. Where did these come from? Who knows. But they can probably also be sold for money later.
But the path continues further into the compound! They might even hear what sounds like someone walking around in that area.]
[Wow we did it. We conquered our debt. Anyway, Caleb has his keen mind and Dimitri can borrow that if he would like, it is impossible for him to forget the text once he's seen it even if it vanishes. So convenient for puzzles like this. He pockets the gems.]
So I suppose we are meant to track this fellow down?
[He will get a little unsteadily to his feel and start walking in the direction of the sound?]
[ I'm sorry, but Dimitri is not picking things like machine parts up, because they have absolutely no sense of value in his medieval mind. Gems, though! Good work, kitties. He gives one of them a slightly confused scritch behind the ear before continuing. ]
It does sound like a grave situation if we do not. We should keep an eye out for that missing child as well.
[ Since Caleb is a little wobbly, Dimitri will walk ahead in case the person(?) waiting for them is unfriendly. Or more laser robots. ]
[I was going to let you proceed peacefully and then I changed my mind. They continue down the hallway... and then they activate a trap.
Suddenly, a giant (metal) boulder comes rolling in from behind them, ready to smush them under its weight if they get caught. Run, lovebirds, run! Also, help your cats.]
[ Jan is lashing out... Dimitri is going to book it down the hall, and grab one of the cats if he needs to? At least they're getting to their destination faster...? ]
[They're getting exercise! Isn't this so much better than running laps around the gym in trial, Caleb.
Eventually, they'll reach the end of the hallway, but there's an intersecting one for them to jump into, in order to get out of the boulder's path. Once they do so, they'll see someone else in the hallway, gaping: a boy who was once a nameless NPC but has since then been upgraded to [throws dart] Yamato.]
W-What was that—!?
[Oh I almost forgot the entire part. Not far from where Yamato is standing what looks to be some kind of... portal, maybe?]
[ Yes, maybe Yamato is the one on this adventure with them. Sakyou and Molly who? Dimitri is just holding poor Silber and looking on gravely. He'll let Caleb deal with Yamato while Dimitri sideeyes this portal. Is there anything around it that can clue them in on what it is? Anything through it? He is probably more familiar with portals than computers, because magic is real. ]
[It is just an ominous blue swirling portal. Yamato is standing in front of it and immediately something that looks suspiciously like crumpled paper behind his back.]
I'm, uh, fine. [casually yeets the paper into the portal. goodbye, paper.] Nothing to see here!
[ ...He's not going to outright suspect Yamato right away. Hopefully that was just an embarrassing love letter to Taichi and not a plot-relevant report. ]
We've been tasked with finding a lost child. And looking into something called Onex, presumably.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[Well. Time for me to make use of the skill that Caleb is borrowing this week. Inexplicably, he just parkours away from the lasers, using Dimitri's shoulder to leap into the air and then start dodging between them before leaping up to try to punch one.]
no subject
[ But no time to ask why DND is so weird. Instead, Dimitri acts as a spring for Caleb to do his fancy parkour, supporting him without issue before swinging his lance at the other drones in a wide arc. He gets clipped by some lasers, but it's not as bad as Corneria... probably. ]
no subject
Is Caleb just punching one with his bare hand? It does some damage and the drone does the air equivalent of stumbling back, but also Caleb basically just punched metal so that will probably hurt.
Dimitri cuts down the other three drones. The fourth, apparently realizing that all of its brethren have fallen, makes distressed beeping noises before flying away.
They can continue ahead for now! They'll come across what looks to be a sci-fi terminal of some sort, its screen flickering on and off. Do any of them even know how to operate computers? If not, they are free to ignore it and move on.]
no subject
Anyway, they can continue to the terminal. Caleb. . . knows what a computer is? He has played video games? So he will approach it, tentatively, and see if he can turn it on.]
. . . Um. May want to stand back in case of a trap.
no subject
And excuse you, Jan, but they have all used computers to write friendfiction? They're experts. But Dimitri just nods and stays a few steps back while Caleb messes with the console, watching warily for more lasers and motion sensor bombs. ]
no subject
I decided that I'm not completely joking, actually. The floor panel beeps, before an invisible blast knocks Caleb back. Caleb rolled a 6 so he probably bangs his head against an abandoned piece of machinery as he's sent flying. This activates another blast, which this time sends him flying into Dimitri's arms. "Was that necessary" yea i wanted it.]
no subject
Anyway, he bonks his sweet head pretty hard, and he's just a wizard, so he's probably pretty hurt. Ow.]
no subject
But no, that was bad; he's left wide-eyed in the blast, but manages to catch Caleb without the two of them going flying, steadying him as he scowls at the console. If the floor panel set off the explosion, does the screen actually show anything now? Were they better off not knowing what a computer is after all? ]
—Are you all right?
no subject
Robo Cat A and Robo Cat B (do they have names? who knows) go up to Caleb. D: Is the man okay.
The screen will turn on, for your troubles.]
Wh-n Elem--tal P-i-ma coul- no -onger -- used, One- Pri-ma -as develo--d as a n-w energy so--ce, but it- usage is lead--g to --me-ua-es and de-tab-li-i-- the --me la---. If this co-tinu-s, all of --me a-d s-a-- wi-l be in p--i-.
Pro-essor was w--king on a s-lution to stabi--ze i-. Howeve-, wh-n -e sent reports -- pos--ble s-cces-, he v-nishe- be-or- he --uld exp-ain the -etho-.
[Then the screen fizzes out and turns off.]
no subject
. . . Fine, fine. Did we get anything?
no subject
A report that this 'Onex' energy from the prologue is destabilizing...? One of the researchers found some means to fix it, but then he mysteriously ceased communications.
[ He'll let Caleb catch up by reading on his phone while he takes a look around. Is there a path further into the compound? Any other weird consoles or tech? ]
no subject
There are no other weird consoles or tech, but belatedly, the parts from the three robots Dimitri destroyed look like they might fetch some money. Go pick those up, maybe.
Silber and Streusel, with the power of newfound names, wander off into a vent, before returning with gems. Where did these come from? Who knows. But they can probably also be sold for money later.
But the path continues further into the compound! They might even hear what sounds like someone walking around in that area.]
no subject
So I suppose we are meant to track this fellow down?
[He will get a little unsteadily to his feel and start walking in the direction of the sound?]
no subject
It does sound like a grave situation if we do not. We should keep an eye out for that missing child as well.
[ Since Caleb is a little wobbly, Dimitri will walk ahead in case the person(?) waiting for them is unfriendly. Or more laser robots. ]
no subject
Suddenly, a giant (metal) boulder comes rolling in from behind them, ready to smush them under its weight if they get caught. Run, lovebirds, run! Also, help your cats.]
no subject
no subject
[ Jan is lashing out... Dimitri is going to book it down the hall, and grab one of the cats if he needs to? At least they're getting to their destination faster...? ]
no subject
Eventually, they'll reach the end of the hallway, but there's an intersecting one for them to jump into, in order to get out of the boulder's path. Once they do so, they'll see someone else in the hallway, gaping: a boy who was once a nameless NPC but has since then been upgraded to [throws dart] Yamato.]
W-What was that—!?
[Oh I almost forgot the entire part. Not far from where Yamato is standing what looks to be some kind of... portal, maybe?]
no subject
Anyway, he's worried when he sees Yamato there, looking to see if he's injured.]
. . . Are you alright? Are you here with anyone else?
no subject
no subject
I'm, uh, fine. [casually yeets the paper into the portal. goodbye, paper.] Nothing to see here!
What are you doing here, anyway?
no subject
What did you just throw? We were brought here, same as you? Are you following some sort of strange story?
no subject
We've been tasked with finding a lost child. And looking into something called Onex, presumably.
no subject
[Yamato is practically T-posing in front of the portal now.]
... Wait, did my dad send you after me? Damn it, Dad!
no subject
. . . Yes, your father sent us. What are you doing?
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)