Through the looking glass (wushu game)

[Chaotix]

Jackaloup had begun looking around to find the ball of light, but he wasn't having any success.

Suddenly, Jackaloup heard the scream of a girl, and looked down (or perhaps was it up? Or sideways? It's becoming difficult to tell) to see Liva sliding towards the center of the massive, conical room, where only a few columns separated her from the swirling ball of darkness at the core.

He studied the tricky physics of the place for a split second and decided that logically, he could decide whichever way was up or down for himself. Thus, throwing all caution to the wind, he started sprinting down the sideways, spiral staircase that ran along the walls of the chamber, hoping to catch Liva before she slipped again. Whatever the globe of nothingness was, it was trying to pull her in, and that couldn't be good.

Trickster
6 Yang

[Beskar]

John notices another entrance, and due to his small size, he was able to sneak in. Once he got through, he was surprised to see the ground rise at both ends. He turned around, after hearing Liva, as saw her sliding across the ground. He ran towards her, but this was no hamster wheel. John couldn't carry on running along. He headed back to where he came in, but the passage way seemed like a bottomless pit to the outside. He looked around, seeing no other way, he began to lower himself into the gap. As he lowered himself in, he felt himself press again the wall. He let go and he was laid against it, perfectly still. He then tried to exit the hole, but acting as if the 'ground' was infact a 'wall', and as he got through, he dropped down onto the 'real ground'. He turned and saw Liva still getting dragged along as the human-twig started heading towards her.

"Shepherd, where are you? Liva needs your help!"


Small
6 Yang

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

As it is 3 Chi per round and we lose 1 chi for no Yin. However, there is only two rounds left and we need the stack up our Yang successes. So lets go without any Yin rolls. I am not sure how Phil is doing it, but I think you could edit your post, Diamondeye. Just hope we get a lot of successes. We need to get 15 between us, and the maximum we can get is 24 for the round.

[Seon]

Shepherd could see the way this room acted now. The will o' wisp...moving columns...people literally flying against the laws of physics.... erratically swaying columns...twig things... this entire world was designed to lure people in and trap it as an angler fish swallows little fishes whole.

Too bad I didn't realize that before I jumped, Shepherd shook himself away from the thought.

"Shepherd!" John yelled, standing sideways...no...Shepherd realized. The room had twisted configuration once more and Shepherd realized that he was the one standing sideways up. The suicidal thought nearly killed him when he felt gravity exert its control again, but he managed to grip onto the column in time. "Liva needs your help!" John finished.

Shepherd looked at Liva who was being dragged off towards whatever the dark depth of this pit led to... "You want me to help what?!" Shepherd yelled back.

Whatever John's reply was, Shepherd did not hear it. He managed to hoist himself up to the side of the column and began to clamber his way towards the side of the room where Liva was hanging on for her dear life, hoping that it would just be long enough for him to catch her if she fell, and hoping that the column would not move again before he quite reached her.

Puzzle Solver:

6 Yang

[Peasant Phill]

As it is 3 Chi per round and we lose 1 chi for no Yin. However, there is only two rounds left and we need the stack up our Yang successes. So lets go without any Yin rolls. I am not sure how Phil is doing it, but I think you could edit your post, Diamondeye. Just hope we get a lot of successes. We need to get 15 between us, and the maximum we can get is 24 for the round.

Well played. You can also include the loss of 1 Chi in your next description.

Resulution
Diamondeye: trait 4, 0 yin and 4 yang
Chaotix: trait 5, 0 yin and 6 yang
Beskar: trait 4, 0 yin and 4 yang
Seon: trait 5, 0 yin and 6 yang

This means that everybody loses 1 chi. Please rationalize this loss in your next description.
You scored a whopping 20 points which means the scene is down to 10 points.
The person who knocks of the final points wan describe the groups escape from the castle/the capture of the wisp.

I'll be much more involved in the next scene, to get a sort of back and forth interaction between everybody.

[Chaotix]

This means that everybody loses 1 chi. Please rationalize this loss in your next description.
You scored a whopping 20 points which means the scene is down to 10 points.
The person who knocks of the final points wan describe the groups escape from the castle/the capture of the wisp.

I'll be much more involved in the next scene, to get a sort of back and forth interaction between everybody.

Perhaps we should make this the one who scores the most points total?

I have a feeling the reason people are holding off on the next move is because they want to score the winning points.

That said, I'll make my move in a few minutes as soon as I figure out what to do.

[Chaotix]

Jackaloup looked back towards Liva as he continued sprinting "down" the staircase that spiraled around the room and hung sideways. John was on a curved wall moving towards Liva, while Shepherd had nearly reached the edge of a long pillar jutting out sideways, and directly in the trajectory that Liva would fall were she to slip. However, he wasn't paying attention to his own footing and suddenly slipped, beginning to fall sideways and backwards and every which way but the direction that made sense.

He landed hard on the side of a column, causing it to shake- in fact, the same column Shepherd was standing on, and he too was thrown off balance. The column was now beginning to move in the wrong direction, and only the great darkness loomed underneath Liva. Suddenly, Jackaloup had an idea. The dark blob was what was distorting the gravity around the area... Jackaloup pulled out his trusty Boomerang, and threw it towards the darkness. The Boomerang began orbiting around the blob as if it were a planet- or more appropriately a black hole.

"Liva! Grab the Boomerang!"

Jackaloup was counting on the thought that, in this world, that Boomerang weighed more than Liva herself, and it would launch her away from the dark hole if she took hold of it.

Boomerang
6 Yang

[Peasant Phill]

And everybody better hurry or you won't win this round.

I'm watching Anderlecht - Zenith Sint-Peterburg. When the game ends this scene will do the same and may have some repercusion in game turms.

[Beskar]

John was very distracted and busy, his imagination kept thinking things far more complicated than a simple young boy like him could understand. What ever it was, it felt weaker after it, especially when John woke up, with Liva flying around the room on a boomrang, as Jackloup strokes his horn. Shepard seemed to be muttering something about Reapers and Liva seemed very confused.

"Come on you dilly dallies, the wisp is getting away, we better get it quickly!"

He quickly began to following the wisp, as the world around him seems to be distorting.


Trait: Snarky
6 Yang

[Diamondeye]

Liva was confused and the whole castle seemed to spin around her as she held fast to the boomerang, which apparently only a miracle kept from crashing towards the black hole beneath her. She looked up, at the weird room as it spun above her, the windows to freedom at what seemed like the top from her current point of view. Suddenly, the room, rapidly shifting in its contours due to her fast movement, began to make sense again. Her systematic mind clicked back on and the pattern layout of the room became obvious to her. With a sigh of relief, she dropped to the floor - the one she had been skidding across earlier - and just plain walked across the smooth tiles towards the window to escape the strange room and catch the strange wisp...

Trait: Puzzle-Solver. 6 Yang.

[Peasant Phill]

Right, we're only missing Seon.

Resulution
Chaotix: trait 3, 0 yin and 4 yang
Beskar: trait 5, 0 yin and 5 yang
Diamondeye: trait 3, 0 yin and 3 yang

Everybody loses 1 chi but it means the end of this scene (barely).
Although I said earlier that the one actually taking the scene to 0 points would get the narrative, I have to admit that Chaotix has a point.
In this case I think that you three Chaotix, Beskar and Diamondeye can come up with an ending together. In order to collaborate, you get an extra 24 hours.
In the future I'll decide on merit within the scene (who had the coolest ideas, who did the most 'work', who caused the most drama, ...).

Like I said after this I'll be a lot more involved in the story itself.

P.S. I really likes the dream logic behind the boomerangs weight.

[Seon]

Yeah, sorry I skipped the last phase :(

[Diamondeye]

Jackaloup, John and Shepherd suddenly noticed that Liva was running quite unaffected across the - to them - tilted floor leading to the windows where they first entered. It was is if this realization itself conquered the fathom logic of the castle, and the confusing geometry of the place began to fall into shape. The boys ran to catch Liva while Jackaloup quickly retrieved the boomerang which, having been deprived of its strange gravitional tie to the far end of the room, was lying still on the floor. He quickly picked it up and followed the others; Liva was almost at the window.

... Liva ran up to the window, but when she looked out, she realized that the whole castle was tilted when compared to the earth. With this realization, she began to slip back towards the "bottom" of the room, but caught the windowframe with her hands. John caught up with her and jumped out without looking out first, which resulted in him leaving the building unharmed to slide down the outer wall of the castle. Shepherd followed John, and finally Jackaloup too arrived at the window. After he had exited, he reached his hand back in and Liva caught hold of it. Once she was carried out of the strange castle, they left it behind and ran towards the two boys. Shepherd was mumbling something intelligible, but John was obviously proud of himself and yelled at them to hurry up. "Looks, guys!" He held up his hand and they saw the wisp of light they had been chasing stuck in his clenched fist.

"So, who's the best, huh?" Liva rolled her eyes and looked back at the castle. How nice they had finally gotten out of that strange place!

[Peasant Phill]

Scene 2: The gnome dance
In which once must dance very carefully

John notices an itchy feeling on the palm of his clenched fist. He slowly opened it, expecting the Will-o'-wisp to make a run (a flight, a float?) for it the moment it could. But nothing moved in his hand. When he finally opened his hand enough to see inside, John felt shocked. He held just some straw. A minute ago he swore he caught the wisp. He most defiantly did. There was no doubt about it. ...
He lost his train of thought when he caught up with the rest of the group. This wasn't the boarding schools' grounds anymore. The lake kind of looked the same but the otherwise so prominent bell tower was nowhere to be found. The plants seemed to swap places the moment you stopped focusing on them and he could've sworn that flower was purple just a minute ago.

The others were less aware of the surrounding flora. Liva, Sheppard and Jackaloup were watching a group of curious looking creatures in confused silence. These small humanoid beings were apparently moving in a circle dancing and chanting.

"Let's ask them if they know what's for dinner this evening" said Jackaloup while running towards the little men.
The others had no choice but to follow.

OK, this is just the beginning of this scene. This will be a 'diplomacy' round. There will be no dice rolls just talking. I'll determine what happens next by how you interact with the gnomes.

[Chaotix]

OOC:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Query: Are you speaking for gnomes, or do we have to include their actions in our own posts?

[Peasant Phill]

Yes, I'll be speaking for the gnomes.

[Diamondeye]

Liva slowly approached the gnomes, waiting for them to turn their attention to her before she speaks.
"Wotcher, fellows. Do you know where we are? And what was that strange light we saw?"

[Peasant Phill]

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saterday, Moonday...
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saterday, Moonday...
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saterday, Moonday...

The strange little men stopped dancing.

"Firstly, please speak English. What's this Wotcher creatures you're talking about?
Secondly, yes we know where you are. You're about a rock's throw from where we are.
Thirdly, that light was alight, what else would it be?"

The men continued dancing in a circle.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saterday, Moonday...
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saterday, Moonday...
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saterday, Moonday...

[Chaotix]

"Gentlemen, could you tell us the significance of your dance? Perhaps we could assist you with it."

[Beskar]

"Silly gnomes, don't they know it is Moon-day, Tooths-day, Wedding-day, Thirds-day, Fried-day, Sat-in-day and Sun-day?", John rolled his eyes.

[Diamondeye]

Liva rolled her eyes, distanced herself a couple of feet from the gnomes, and reached into her bag to produce a few sheets of paper. Letting the others do the talking, she began to fold the paper to resemble one of the small gnomes.

[Seon]

Shepherd chuckled as he heard John's quips about the name of he day, realized that John was serious, and shut his mouth.

He turned to the gnomes. "Sirs, if I may ask, what do you call this place?"

[Seon]

Shepherd chuckled as he heard John's quips about the name of he day, realized that John was serious, and shut his mouth.

He turned to the gnomes. "Sirs, if I may ask, what do you call this place?"

[Beskar]

(ooc: he was not serious. Bad Sheperd. :p)

[Seon]

(OOC: Shh...the gnomes does not need to hear that :P)

[Peasant Phill]

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saterday, Moonday…
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saterday, Moonday…
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saterday, Moonday…

"Silly gnomes, don't they know it is Moon-day, Tooths-day, Wedding-day, Thirds-day, Fried-day, Sat-in-day and Sun-day?", John rolled his eyes.

The ring dance halted once again. The gnomes shared confused looks while pondering what this boy was smirking about. The words didn't go like that. Sheppard’s chuckle wasn't appreciated either.

The small creatures, if it wasn't for those hats you would swear that it were just shrubs, started surrounding the group.
"Those are not the right words" they yelled in unison.

Liva rolled her eyes, distanced herself a couple of feet from the gnomes, and reached into her bag to produce a few sheets of paper. Letting the others do the talking, she began to fold the paper to resemble one of the small gnomes.

One of them noticed Liva's origami.
“What a remarkable statuette you made there. Perhaps you could give it to us as a token of your respect for our culture. And perhaps we may in turn perhaps some of your questions.”

Shepherd chuckled as he heard John's quips about the name of he day, realized that John was serious, and shut his mouth.

He turned to the gnomes. "Sirs, if I may ask, what do you call this place?"

“This is the puppet state of Nornori. Not the socialist state, kingdom or confederation and certainly not the republic, dictatorship or exilarchy.

Beware it’s many strange prohibitions.”

Shepherd chuckled as he heard John's quips about the name of he day, realized that John was serious, and shut his mouth.

He turned to the gnomes. "Sirs, if I may ask, what do you call this place?"

“Sure you can assist. We would be honored”


Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saterday, Moonday…
Monday, Tooths-day, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sat-in-day, Moonday…
Moon-day, Tooths-day, Wedding-day, Thirds-day, …

“Thordamnmebillionbillioninhisname, Youmustbetoodumbtohelpitthunder, Withafaceto crackcoalon, Afacetowalkbehindthedungtruck, YouThor’snamebillionstupidass, Ididn't knowtheycouldstackcrapthathigh, now you’ve done it.”

“Well put.” said another one, "Let's teach him a lesson."

The response was physical rather than vocal. Four creatures tackled John and rolled him in a nearby hay stack. John emerged from the hay covered in huge boils.

[Diamondeye]

"Of course, you can keep it." Liva smiled and handed them the small paper statuette. "But be careful, water will ruin it."
She hesitated and thought up a question. "Where do you live? You have to sleep somewhere. And perhaps you have more friends living there?"

[Chaotix]

"Now, John may have gone and ruined your chant, he is is one of our friends, good sirs. I'll see to it he stays completely by the book from now on, and please try to avoid covering him in those nasty boilish things in the future.

Though, your chant has piqued my curiosity. Why have you not a day for Thor? A Thorsday, so to speak?"

[Peasant Phill]

And I thought I was late. I had my apology ready and all.

I'll give Seon and Beskar an aditional 13 hours.

This is the last diplomatic round in this scene.

[Seon]

Shepherd starts to hum...

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saterday, Moonday…
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saterday, Moonday…
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saterday, Moonday

Then he stopped and tilted his head. "Dear sirs, why is Moonday called Moonday?" he asked.

[Beskar]

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saterday, Moonday…
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saterday, Moonday…
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saterday, Moonday…