lol, it appears I don't watch enough TV/movies. I thought the movie was out already, mostly because I have a friend who does nothing but talk about it. Ah well... I can't believe the books beat me to the punch. I feel like I stole the dude's idea now :(
That's depressing... I feel dumb now XD
Sad thing is, I never read/seen the Hunger Games. Yeah.
This. This spells awesome. The art fits the humor. Honestly, I don't know what to say other than it made me laugh a little. I would like to see more strips, to see if the humor gets better or remains consistent. This is actually something I would add to my already long list of webcomics. Also... did you post any strips before this? I hardly come to this part of the forum, so... yeah... '>.>
Prologue The Sins of Enigma Doctor Schrodinger smiled madly as he made his way towards the nine recuperation tanks, wherein nine individuals were submerged in suspended animation. The life support systems were united under one super computer, which only he had access to. Doctor Schrodinger wasn't a very tall man, only reaching four-foot-seven-inches in height. He was obese and had a crown of grey hair that fell to the top of his pelvis. His skin was pale and his lips, though grey, were hidden by his somewhat-darker grey mustache. He was missing several teeth, but the ones he had were shark-like. He wore glasses whose lenses were a dark silver-blue, hiding his otherwise mismatched eyes. His brows were thick and partially brushed across his glasses. Schrodinger even wore a white lab coat with a pair of blue latex gloves. The long white coat hid his bulbous body, making him appear as though he were gliding. He approached the dark-screened computer, putting in a key in one of its hidden panels and turning it. When the screen revealed the username/password command box, the background remaining black while the Arial font proved to be green, he quickly typed in both username and password with surprising dexterity, precision, and speed. The screen went blank again, the black light fading into true darkness, for the next few milliseconds. It was hardly noticeable. The screen reappeared with a matrix of coding, revealing every known and unknown language. However, an error box appeared, the language alien. The mad scientist smiled wickedly as he hunted through his pockets for a short moment, and revealing a miniature UMD disc. The error box, revealed to be a front, faded and more windows appeared in a box of code; difficult to decipher and nearly impossible for any mortal to decipher. With a cough, the good doctor reached into his coat and brought out a USB stick, driving it into the super computers port. Those boxes vanished, too. Nothing else appeared on the screen, but Schrodinger typed away. The main matrix of the computer reflected off his glasses. Eventually, the matrix broke apart, ceasing its virtual existence. The desktop turned from black light to ocean blue, revealing an otherworldly OS. A grey box appeared, commanding in the Universal Tongue: Please insert data... Doctor Schrodinger fished around his his pockets again, pulling out a strange, small, and oblong object made of alien material; though it closely resembled a mix of jade, obsidian, and titanium. He left his chair and knelt down, moving around similarly shaped panels that were unnoticeable to anyone who wasn't the Head Scientist of this dead world, like Schrodinger. Often playing with the puzzle long enough, he inserted the thin object. It fit perfectly in the empty space, though it didn't match the chrome of the super computer. Immediately, the box vanished and the blue screen revealed a single file. It was dubbed SIN. He ran his hand over a globe that was inserted into the computer's board, beneath the hundreds of flashing keys. The on-screen mouse moved towards the file and clicked a key that didn't flash beneath the rolling-mouse. A small rectangular window opened, asking for a password. He inserted it with the same nimbleness as before. It vanished but another window asking the same question. He inserted yet another password. A third window opened, and he repeated his previous action. Finally, the File Window opened; though there was nothing in it. At first. After a few short breaths, dozens of other windows opened up, revealing different things; formulas, models, code, encrypted secrets, etc. When the windows were all finished opening up, nine particular windows opened to reveal vital signs. The names were, of course, in an alien script. After a moment of analysis, Schrodinger's grin became a full blow Cheshire smile, laughter erupting from his flabby throat. The sickly sound filled the near-darkness of the subterranean complex... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~@ Chapter I Welcome to the Jungle In the crystal balls, televisions, holograms, and other visual devices of the various worlds appeared an image of a barren world. Above, the skies were blood red, the clouds black, and the sun sickly pale; below, the trees and grass were cast in eternal shadows. The trees were gnarled and daunting, having leaves the color of midnight. The grass was lively in its dark, sanguine form, the blades standing up straight; though they appeared wicked sharp. A high-pitched voice could be heard as the visuals shifted from point A to point B and so on. "Welcome to the Scarlet Carnival," the voice began. "After a long year of waiting, we have returned for a new season. This season, we have gathered the most powerful, the most dangerous individuals from within the Omniverse! Like our previous seasons, they will fight for the peace of your worlds. I assure you, they will fight to the death. Or, if they become boring... they'll fight until someone gets incapacitated." The voice went on in a nonchalant manner. The images on the otherworldly visual devices shifted to the sky, where many, many falling stars fell towards the planet's surface. "There are our stars now," the voice remarked, with some ironic glee to it. "This season, they will have to fight their way to the arena, to survive the new dangers of the otherwise dead world. Eliminating the competition at this stage is also optional. They are all as mortal as ants! Their powers, magic, abilities... it is all suppressed and they are forced to rely on their strength, wit, and instincts to survive." The voice's final words faded away as the falling of over one-hundred stars were the focus of the many, many visual devices thrown about the region. ******* The floating cameras, shaped like bulky disks with a large red eye, analyzed the pin-code on each falling capsule, allowing them to connect to a specific world's network; whether it was a magical link, a technological link, or a psychological link, it didn't matter. Once connected, the otherworlders were able to watch their kin and see if they will do them proud. Just the very idea of it made them sick with estranged glee. ******* The pods landed gently and the doors opened, releasing the cryogenic gas that made the "Champions" slumber for so long. As soon as the gas fled the pods, they would awaken to find themselves on a strange world that they have seen on their TVs, computers, crystal balls, holographic generators... and so on. However, they would notice something amiss. They weren't at the arena, which was a monumental ziggurat surrounding by giant walls and towers of white, alien material. They were in the wilderness, far, far away from the bloodletting pyramid. However, though they were miles away, they could still see the huge ziggurat and the four tall towers.
Ulrich stopped in his tracks as the water poured over him. "Ack!" He yelped, slipping on the not-so-molten glass, landing on his back. Inadvertently, Keel saved Ulrich from having a burnt foot... though the wet glass, hissing, broke into tiny warm shards. Ulrich rubbed the back of his head as he slowly got up, though drenched from head to toe. "Geez," he muttered, shaking his head as it ached. He looked at his hand. His fingers were badly burnt, and it stung madly, but his entire palm was saved from any worse damage. His leather glove was gone but there was some damage that hid his previous scar. He smiled a little, glad to have been rid of that horrid, mysterious puncture mark. The skin appeared to be tight against the bones, and tremors of pain wracked each and every patch of skin. His hand had some darker marks, but his fingers appeared much worse, having some blackness to them. Manipulating hot-earth is way too dangerous, he thought to himself. He flipped his hand over. The studded knuckles from the glove he wore had nearly melded into his actual knuckles, and if it weren't for Keel dousing him in water, it would've caused much difficulty in his dexterity... not like it wasn't already ruined by the globe of molten glass. The metal studs were still on his knuckles and he grimaced as he pulled each one off, ripping away dead, burnt skin with it. Waves of nausea clouded his vision and his stomach was threatening to relieve him of whatever he had left in his stomach. Ulrich fell back down and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths. "Thanks, Keel," he said, grinning. After a few moments, he rose back up, removed his leather coat, and then his shirt. He used his undamaged left hand and his teeth to tear to shreds the white t-shirt. Ulrich wrapped his right hand in a make-shift bandage. The cotton and polyester made it sting worse. Revealed around his neck was a chain-and-locket.
Ulrich was about to move forward to strike with the molten glass in his hand, but Jo already made her move as Jellal's flames and the water within the cave caused by Ariana and Keel from their earlier exploits caused steam to rise. Ulrich forgot about the molten substance in his hand as he noticed Jo perform her "Fire Dragon Iron Fist" twice. Once was when she missed the levitating skull, and the second time when she manage to knock the skull into the air, followed by a few short bursts of pistol fire. When it was all over, Ulrich stood there smiling. "Good job," he congratulated her, though he knew the two attack spells must have drained her... and the jagged rock that had hit her from earlier. The adrenaline rush seemed to have left her when she felt triumphant. Ulrich's smile turned to a grimace as he smelled burnt flesh. Say... what's that smell? He thought. Pain wracked his hand and arm and he immediately looked at it. "Oh good lord! It's me! I smell like rotten pork!" He cried, dropping the magical orb of melted glass. He ran around holding his hand as his sword dissipated into dust, crying wildly. "My hand! My hand! Good God my hand! Save me baby Jesus!" Ulrich ran around comically, waving his burnt hand around like a white flag... though the pallor was far from being white. The heat of the molten glass had severely burnt his hand, but not as bad as it could have been. "Why, Jo! Why didn't you wait for me!" He whimpered, still running to and fro, waving his hand about. "Rosie! Make the pain stop! This isn't funny anymore!"
I'm good to start.
Probably. You could, at the very least, see a faint, abnormal glow outline the cave's entry. Edit: But, if Jellal goes with Ulrich's plan, the glow would pretty bright. So they would definitely see it.
Ulrich watched silently as the phantom dispersed their attack, but he didn't fret. Not until Jo drew a gun on them, distracting him from the enemy. Before he could say anything, before he could come up with a witty retort, Ulrich saw a rock fly past him, racing towards Ariana. Jo beat him to the punch. Before he could do anything, Jo intercepted the rock to defend her only "true" friend. He sighed with relief, but a new worry boiled in his stomach. Is she alright? He asked himself, anger and rage now rising. But Jo didn't fall, she didn't even wince. Tough girl. Ulrich mentally remarked, a gentle smile forming on his face. When she admitted humility, Ulrich turned around and shrugged. "Only if you can do me a favor," he said with a wicked smile. He formed a new globe of sand. "You go on a date with me, as way of apologizing for your rudeness." He jested. Ulrich turned to Jellal. "Say, you wanna try something cool?" He asked him. "I doubt I have much power left, but could you do me a favor and light the torch?" Ulrich went on, showing him the globe of sand. "Besides, I'm in a flashy mood." He laughed, turning his gaze back to the phantom. "After this, however, it's your all's game. I'll just watch and enjoy the party."
Magic = Power = Vice versa Agreed.
No, it creates glass. Sand + Fire = Molten glass Sand + Fire + Water = Solid glass
Ulrich smiled as Ariana showed up turning to her as he immediately went on the move. "Yo," he greeted her, already running forward to follow up on his previous attack. Jellal's idea was simple, yet interesting. Glass, he thought. "Gotcha," he said with little seriousness. As he ran forward, he imbued the sword with magic, allowing it to dig into the earth beneath his feet and channel it to the minerals below, causing them to pressurize. Normal dirt wouldn't do. He would need a lot of quartz. And so, he pressurized the minerals below to form sand from normal earth. Normally, it would take eons for it to be possible, and even still, the best they would get would be gravel. But, Ulrich was an Earth wizard, the manipulator of all its contents! He concentrated the magic in his blade and made as much sand as he was able without depleting his supply of magic. "I hope you enjoy building sand castles," he told the skull, already swinging the crystallized sword upwards. Roaring from the long streak his blade made was a geyser of sand, and the earth he didn't rip apart yet began to be torn asunder. The rock and dirt of the cave floor began to shift and break apart as sand tore its way upwards. Ulrich slid to a stop and cocked the sword back as if he were to do a high-thrust. The sand stopped its destruction immediately and formed a large tentacle, he thrust forward immediately, following up fast behind his stardust strike. If it deflects my strikes with wind magic, he thought. It would still be trapped by the floating particles... if I have enough magic, it would be game over. If more of us appear, the chances of us winning would increase dramatically. In the end... we have this. Ulrich, a well-to-do chess player, already measured out the playing field. However, he knew that if this thing was a powerful wind-user, they may never defeat it. Good luck... he added pessimistically, trying to suppress a sad smile.
It's ironic XD By the way... we need a Zidane '>.>
[Kei] Kei was leaping here and there upon the ship, slashing and hacking at Neoshadows and Air Pirates. Kei was quite skilled when it came to combat, his techniques quite acrobatic. Though, half the time it was accidental. But he ran with it, assaulting his enemies. Up, down, left, right, thrust! His combos broke through their defenses and even assaulted the Heartlesses' allies, no matter if they were to the right, the left, below, above, or behind. It wasn't so much as magic as it was their mindlessness to wander near the fury that was Kei. Kei laughed as each heartless faded into oblivion as they released the hearts they had devoured, shifting his idealism in a new direction. If he slays heartlesses, he releases the hearts of those they have stolen; though it was a morbid ideal, it was a pragmatic one that he knew would be considered mercy and kindness. "Just about done!" Kei shouted above the din provided by the fighting. He continued on fighting, hoping to purify the Heartlesses with his Kingdom Key. ******* [Kuja & Kurai] Kuja caught wind of the Warrior of Light's reminiscence and his eyes gleamed with a deviant smile. "Well," he murmured, feigning concern. "That's a nuisance. But! I just so happen to have a remedy for such an bug," Kuja went on, smiling as he pulled out from beneath his sleeves a silver key upon a ring-and-chain. "However, the deal is still on. Find my shadow, tell him I will be waiting for him at the gorge," Kuja explained, walking away. "Return here once you find him. You'll have your key." Kurai stared at him, heartbroken. "You're leaving?" She asked hurriedly. Kuja turned to her and smiled. "Yes, my beloved orchid," he replied. "But, here's a clue as to what my shadow looks like. Golden hair, the color of sun flowers. Blue eyes like the late noon skies. A tail, like that of a primate... and he dresses like a pauper. Find my shadow, tell him where to find me, and you'll have what you want." Without another word, Kuja chuckled and flew off, vanishing from their sight.
Alright... elaborate on the tenth form and you'll start out with just two forms. I would allow three, but... that would be allowing you to have a little too much power. Sword 1 and 2 (the base form and the first "optional" transformation) are good enough for now. Also, Rave Master is awesome.
Ulrich watched the small battle with some amusement, shaking his head at Jo and her faults. She was easy to read. When Jellal relinquished his order, he was slightly startled by their sudden appearance, so deep in thought was he as he analyzed the battle. Without a moments hesitation, however, Ulrich raised his left hand and sparkling dust began to accumulate around it. "Sorry, Jo," he began with a wry tone. "But perhaps you'll enjoy the show." Without much of a thought, he willed the sparkling dust to compress into a sphere. The glowing, circulating orb of "Stardust" compressed to a state of becoming a mystical crystal with a myriad of colors, the flames of his companions giving the special dust its luminescence. With a swing of his hand, the orb shifted its shape into a crystalline sword that sparkled with tiny pinpricks of quartz and various other minerals found in the cave's dwelling. A cloud of golden dust surrounded the weapon as Ulrich grasped it, its luminescent glow outlining the strange weapon as it hummed with magic. It's still not enough, Ulrich thought as he weighed the blade. To those who weren't Earth wizards or witches, the weapon looked sturdy and stable, but Ulrich knew better. The weapon was brittle due to the open-air accumulation of the weapon; a cheap and easy way to create such a fine Earth-user weapon. Nevertheless, Ulrich coped with the loss of stability as he had other plans for the weapon. Still a good distance from the skull, Ulrich swung the starry-sword, relinquishing the cloud of dust that surrounded it. Compressed and blade-thin, the stardust soared through the air, seeking its target... the levitating, sentient skull.
lol, you should've seen my other RPs. If things didn't go my way, I would let them do things their way... but their road is always, ALWAYS filled with eldritch horrors. Not to mention "the Executioner" brought a lot of fear to characters... just sayin' '>.> Anywho, disappointment comes with the territory. It's how to cope with it that's awesome. Which is why I love being so flexible '>.>
Keel is accepted, though you know his current powers are going to be highly restricted. The wolf traits are going to be weaker, the sword transformations are going to be either lower or have their power greatly reduced (speaking of, I want a list of each sword form and specialized power), and finally, his speed, strength, and stamina are also going to weaken.
Ulrich raised a brow, a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "It was never my intention to interfere," he said politely, though his tone belied his animosity. "I'm only here to make sure you take care of whatever skeletons you have hold up in your closet." He explained, shrugging nonchalantly. The flame ring didn't bug him, so he simply stood where he was, basking in the warmth. Nevertheless, the pressurized magic stored in his left hand still continued to grow, and small motes of crystals still continued to form. If things get too much for her, Ulrich thought. I'll be forced to step in.
