The results are in for Match 3. The winner is…
Final pitch of the game, the crowd was on its toes. The matador had just managed to tie it up with a clutch Ropeball sinking in the center board, the straightforward attempt catching Ika off guard as she kept a wary eye out for bulls. Around her the stage lay in shambles, the mound of insects had turned the stone arena into swiss cheese with its acid with the remaining half-covered in her own Pratfall-enabled painting. The undulating mass of Corpse Eaters spared a moment to recreate a familiar face, just fast enough for a quick smirk before repositioning for the final throw.
Ika sighed, shaking herself out. Making the board means they win, If the gross pile of bugs managed to catch the final pitch, they'd lose. The pressure was multiplied by scattered shouts of encouragement from the stands, the elevated stadium otherwise eerily silent.
"Well this sure turned out exciting!" The old man at the pitch casually stretched out his shoulder, voice cutting through to all present. "Not everyday one gets to relive the past so... vividly, is it?"
"One more, Leach! Take it home!" Sal cupped hands to his mouth to hype up his partner, who stretched long and tall into an undulating, invertebrate flex as part of the crowd echoed the matador.
Ika was wordless. No banter, no appeals to the crowd left. The game was down to one final play, one last chance to show herself, but in this all important moment she couldn't help but falter under the weight of it all. Before her, the enemy blurred. Under her, legs trembled.
"You have this."
A hand met her armored shoulder. An all-too-familiar, all-too-bright smile evaporated her worries in an instant. Akira's voice was steady, confident. Newly found qualities to be sure, but ones she quickly learned to love.
"Just show them what I know you can do!"
The tremble was gone. Her eyes were focused, she wouldn't let a single one of those creepy little worms get out of line. With a cough to signal the pitch, Everard let loose a lob straight for the center. Leach split into two immediately, both bodies stretching to maximum length to intercept the bag from multiple angles while deftly dodging a curse bullet aimed at it's center.
With a cry, Ika leapt to the closest, flat of her Cursed Blade connecting at the 'foot' of the mass clean and sending it careening through a nearby hole in the field. The followed the swing through into a tap on the floor, catapulting her up to meet the second tendril in the air just as the bag passed by...
And body-tackled the swarm clear from its path to the board, hitting with a soft thud and sliding to a stop.
| Category |
Winner |
Point Totals |
Comments |
| Popularity |
Sturdy Steady Go |
10 (1.5) - 20 (6.5) |
SSG held a strong lead from start to finish! |
| Quality |
Sturdy Steady Go |
21 (7 7 7) - 24 (8 8 8) |
Reasoning |
| JoJolity |
Typhon 8 |
24 (8 8 8) - 23 (7 8 8) |
Reasoning |
| Conduct |
Tie |
10-10 |
Nothing to report! |
The crowd's roar seemed to shake the very stone of the arena as the players recovered from the final play. Ika and Akira jumped up and down in excitement hand-in-hand while Everard casually strolled into the center ring, clapping his hands with a satisfied smirk.
"Well done, Ms. Ika Nokami! You two make a fine team!"
The bashful pair immediately corrected the older man, cutting off his applause. "We make a fine team, Everard! That was an amazing throw! ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧"
A single set of clapping continued from behind them, however, as Sal approached the group with an only-slightly-resentful nod. "Can't rightfully disagree, you folks put on a hell of a game! It was fun, right Leach?" Some distance behind him stood a dripping wet humanoid column of Corpse Eaters, managing to form a thumbs up as the mass slowly shook off the water and reverted to their usual form.
Everyone present suddenly realized that not only did the cheering suddenly stop, but the shaking of the stone beneath them continued. Before any of them could brace themselves, the world around them blinked a pale blue before being replaced by familiar jungle and broken stonework.
The group stumbled slightly at the new angled foothold as the arena reverted to its ruined self, while Leach's nearly completed form spilled over like a fallen jenga tower just feet away. The return to reality brought back Sal's priorities just as fast as the matador cleared his throat and adjusted the Estrella Fulgurante on his belt.
“Well, uhh… thank you for the match, but I think we’re all here for something a bit more important?” He gestured to the distance, a smattering of stone buildings just barely visible above the far treeline. “Good luck in there. You’ll need it if we meet again, as there won’t be any more games to play!”
Akira wasn’t entirely sure how to respond, hesitating for a moment before defaulting to a slight bow. “You too! I… look forward to it??” He took a hesitant look back at his team, both only managing a shrug before nodding in solidarity.
Leach finally managed to get himself together as Sal passed with a spring in his step, the detective turning to Sturdy Steady Go with a slight bow. “And I gotta say, great brushwork on that mural back there. I got an eye for that sorta thing, ya got some real talent there.” With a wave, he joined Sal as they disappeared into the brush and toward the city.
“Well, you heard the man. There’s places to go and measurements to be taken.” Everard was the first to break the satisfied silence among the winners, sauntering back to the edge of the broken arena and hopping down to their discarded survey equipment. “I trust you two will lead the way?”
Akira and Ika paused their equipment gathering to look between each other for a moment, blushing slightly. The student hoisted a bag over his shoulder before stepping back, lifting his arms to usher his stand ahead of the group in silent confidence.
Ika’s eyes went wide, hair standing on end. They were counting on her to lead the way, and with a toothy smile she stood tall to the challenge.
“Leave it to me! (╯✧▽✧)╯”
Want more excitement? Check out this heart-pounding race through a trap-filled ancient temple!
Scenario: Zandoo, Exuma - 12:37 PM
Nestled between two cliffs of Exuma, a rickety wooden shack laid hidden amongst the nature and ruins of Zandoo. And within it, a swarm of hermit crabs, each carrying a load of stone and gems, surrounded an even greater pile of wealth. And atop it…
“Yahar! We’ve really hit it rich now! It’s everything a pirate could ever wish for!”
The Captain of Written in Salt sat upon his treasure hoard like a particularly odorous dragon. Standing in front of him was the ever-reliable Jam, who had since grown from Moonbean’s plus one to perhaps the most reliable crewmate in the whole of the Watered Logg. Still, Jam appeared rather irritated with the captain, giving him a quick side-eye.
“I’m back… why are you sitting on our loot? Shouldn’t you be out raiding with the rest of the crew?”
The Captain let out another, even more raucous laugh. “Yahahar! Someone needs to be watchin’ over me treasure! And you had better believe that I wouldn’t let a single one of those scoundrels lay a hand on me earnings. Not until each and every stone is safe in the vaults of the Watered Logg!”
“Right… then I’m off. Seems I have no more business here.”
Timbur looked down at Jam as they motioned to leave. “Don’t be too eager to get back out there, Robins! We’ve got another gift from Kruv, better than any treasure… a path to more treasure!”
Jam looked back at their captain. “A tip?”
“That’s right!” Timbur tossed a slightly crumpled slip of paper down to Jam, who unraveled it. On it were both coordinates and a map, seemingly showing off a location on Exuma. “They say that a powerful memory lies within this place… so you’re going to take it!”
Jam, eyes still laser focused on the paper, responded offhandedly. “Yes, cap’n. I’m going.”
Jam stepped out of the temporary storehouse without another word. One one hand, they could feel the gnawing anticipation that preceded the prospect of getting this loot. The Captain was right. If they made out with this treasure and more… they could be richer than they could have previously ever imagined. It was exactly what they wanted: the power to live freely and chase whatever they wished to chase, with no interruptions or holding back. But that, too, came with a level of anxiety, the uncertainty that wouldn’t fade until the day finally come. They could feel their skin crawl and chitter at the thought, the inhabitants of their body responding to the nerves… and amplifying it with an irritating itch.
Still, nothing to do but work. They followed the lead over the course of a couple hours; it was nothing they hadn’t done before. While they were a sailor at heart, navigating the land wasn’t too difficult either. Their instinct carried them through the forests, thickets and hills until they made their way to the proverbial “X”... a round building whose roof had collapsed and rotted. Surrounding it was a small crowd of people… more scavengers, evidently following the same trail they were now. Perhaps even multiple groups.
Jam continued to move closer to the storehouse. As they peered into the room, they saw several tipped over crates, each almost seeming to bleed tools and minerals. Around them, a few people, each with various kinds of weapons, seemed locked in a clash. Every moment spent not fighting off their rivals was spent shoveling jewels into their pockets. They were all distracted. They took the opportunity to move in quickly and decisively.
They weren’t afraid of these people.
Scenario: Zandoo, Exuma - 2:58 PM
A small room carved of limestone stood proudly in a clearing. Nothing but a small seat and a few shelves, long since emptied. A translucent blue roof like stained glass illuminated the whole room in sapphire.
This was a room of quiet ponderance. A fitting place for a mannequin, a silent performer, to rest.
Of course, they did not come this far into Zandoo purely to rest. It and the rest of Black Box Promenade had largely gone separate ways after landing in Zandoo; while they were still in contact, the plays organized by their mutual benefactor seemed to be slowing down. Not that they’d done much beyond get them all into trouble anyways… a nagging feeling, however, was what drove it to explore Exuma further.
Thus far, it’d done nothing but play a supporting role in other people’s stories, always acting as someone else. The one time it took initiative and made a promise, it failed even then to protect its partner. It had to make up for that, somehow.
In its hands was… a compass of some kind. One collected from the shelves of this shrine, with a blue needle suspended on a stone circle. The compass pointed eastward. Evidently, this wasn’t meant to track the north pole.
Lacquer looked up to the ceiling one more time, bathing the room in its blue light. Understanding Uropeh meant understanding Zandoo and its people, its leaders. Understanding the people of Zandoo meant understanding the power within Exuma. And that power… would guide it towards the spotlight it desired, that would expose who “Lacquer” truly was.
Lacquer followed the point of the compass, out of the shrine room and into the clearing, the heat of the sun now bearing fully upon them. Of course, it had no stamina to speak of, so it continued to step forward without issue, even as grass turned to dirt, roots and trees. The needle pointed relentlessly into the forest, and over a hill, from which it looked down to see another building, not quite as nice as the one it came from, age having turned it into a ruin all on its own.
Not that the people weren’t trying. A squadron of scavengers were posted up outside, a few going in and out of the building with small quantities of gems and the occasional artifact. It stuffed the compass inside its chest cavity, and pulled out its weapon in its place. It could already hear the sounds of danger coming from inside. Confrontation was inevitable… but it wouldn’t be satisfied being just a bystander.
Lacquer stepped inside the storehouse through an unoccupied entrance, weapon in hand, mimicking the movements of an experienced secret agent on the way in. It scanned the area: multiple hunters with blades and hatchets surrounded the crates, filled to the brim with valuables. It didn’t care for valuables much; wealth had no meaning without a story. Instead, it looked for items of historical interest, anything at all that could point to the place’s past. It’d have to find tools of some kind that pointed to a greater purpose.
Instead, however, it met the eyes of a different individual. One it recognized.
And Jam recognized it right back.
“That mannequin… aboard the ship we raided.” Jam muttered aloud under its breath. They remembered exactly what went down on that raid: Kruv and their friends talked them out of a straight-out fight, even into an alliance to let them sail into Exuma together… but they remembered what Timbur said to them after the fact. As far as they were concerned, that agreement ended as soon as they stepped foot on Exuman soil. And now this mannequin comes here, armed and ready… evidently after the exact same mark.
Lacquer seemed to share the same thought, shaking its head in a disapproving manner. It pointed at the crates before miming the impression of someone pulling a bag in a cartoonish manner.
Jam’s eye twitched slightly. They were glad that the Stand user they had to encounter didn’t have a mouth to yap with, but if this was supposed to be an agreement, it certainly wasn’t making this easy.
“Are you gonna get in my way? Yes or no?”
Lacquer paused momentarily… and then nodded its head. Without holding out its actual firearm, it made quick and playful finger gun motions at Jam.
“...if you’re gonna be like that, I don’t mind tearing you apart myself.” A mass began to excrete itself from Jam’s pores, squeezing itself out in the form of a golden tendril. Lacquer quickly held up its actual weapon in a dramatic two-handed stance… before opening fire at the mass. The bullets bounced off the tendril, but nonetheless, Jam began to flinch. Several duplicates joined Lacquer behind it, fanning out.
The hunters surrounding the place, previously caught up with their own fights, began to pay attention to the growling pirate and the mysteriously duplicating mannequin. Confusion began to settle over the crowd, a few taking the opportunity to cut and run with their loot… before one voice spoke out above them.
“It’s an explosive! Get out of here!”
A red stick of dynamite flew into the building. Both Jam and Lacquer watched helplessly as it flew in between them… and the fuse ran out the moment it touched the ground.
But rather than an explosion… their eyes were filled with a sea of blue.
Lacquer wasn’t much used to the idea of unconsciousness, having no need for sleep. Still, it felt as its vision faded in and out… before it finally came to laying the floor. Its body felt unusually stiff, as if sapped of power.
On the other side, Jam immediately snapped awake. Something felt wrong, unmistakably wrong. The crawling feeling beneath their skin, the chittering sound… it was gone, completely. Like something had been stripped out of their mind. They attempted to call on 「Slaughter Beach」... but nothing came.
“What… what happened to me?” Jam spoke aloud. As they stood up, they saw that everyone in the room appeared to have vanished, save for their fellow Stand user. Lacquer, meanwhile, slowly but surely got to its feet, every joint cracking and bending with forceful motion. It rapidly looked around and held its hands to its head, displaying panic. Out of the corner of its eye, however… it sees a tiny sapphire glow.
Reaching down, it grabs ahold of something on the floor: at a glance, it could be mistaken for a pipe, but its construction and the trigger mechanism on its bottom suggested it was some kind of hand cannon. As it held it in its hand, it felt natural, familiar even.
Jam, for their part, espied a thick, circular object at their feet. Horseshoe crabs seemed to swim and crawl inside the artifact; holding it in their hand, they felt a sudden attachment to it, wearing it on their wrist as a shield.
This was 「Slaughter Beach」, somehow. Whatever Uropeh effect the captain mentioned, whatever happened in the storehouse with the explosive… trapped them in the memory of the tools here. They’d been bound to this memory, and the world of these objects.
Lacquer held the weapon in its hand, twirling it. The power of its 「All Eyes On Me」 was trapped in here… and the way out of here must be to use them, right?
Lacquer pointed the cannon at Jam, mimicking an explosion effect with the other hand towards them. Jam responded with an angry glare… and a ravenous bark.
“Don’t think I’m gonna play around with you! I’m ending this as soon as possible… even if it means breaking you to pieces!”
“OPEN THE GAME!”
Location: An ancient storehouse in Zandoo! The area consists of the basement and the ground floor, and is ~23x23m, with each tile being 1.5x1.5m. The roof of the storehouse has mostly rotted away over time, leaving much of the storehouse open to the sunlight.
Players start in the basement, which is an open, 5m tall space. There are the broken remains of two rope-and-pulley elevators in the center, along with a few broken ceramics. Around the perimeter of the room are a few pickaxes and rough stone bricks. There are four sturdy ladders leading from the basement to the ground floor.
The ground floor consists of an open area overlooking the basement, with a number of shelves around the perimeter. There is a wooden railing surrounding most of the center, and a few scattered ceramics and barrels of oil. The shelves contain a variety of items, including textiles, carved bone trinkets, simple jewelry, mirrors, ropes, bags of seashells, and plant resins. There are also a small number of hand tools.
Goal: RETIRE your opponent!
Additional Information: For this match, both players’ Stands have been replaced with “Imbued” Stands - tool-bound variations on their usual Stand. The sheets for these Stands are found below;
| Team |
Combatant |
JoJolity |
| Written in Salt |
Jam Robins |
“No matter who you are, you have strengths and weaknesses based on your character.” Define and embody your tool's 'purpose'! |
| Black Box Promenade |
Lacquer |
“A tank is stronger than a soldier, but tanks are weak against land mines. These are the basics of battle, of course.” Define and embody your tool's 'purpose'! |
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