Some of you may recognize this quest, earlier named 'Spiral Overdrive'. Some of you may not...
Shine On (TTGL/JJBA)
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Introduction: Steel's Call
Divider
Husky Fighter Novice
- Location
- Catarina
Some of you may recognize this quest, earlier named 'Spiral Overdrive'. Some of you may not. Either way, welcome, and on with the show!
From the Capital City, Teppelin, to the wastelands humanity calls home, vampires send beastmen to do their bidding by day and zombies by night. With the bizarre abilities of the vampires and the technical skill of the beastmen, defeating humanity was a trivial affair. However, things are not quite as hopeless as they seem.
To combat supernatural threats, supernatural weapons were developed. The Ripple, Spin, Spiral Energy, Red Stones…all strictly banned by the now-cautious vampires. While cities and villages with access to red stones are well-known and heavily monitored, no one knows where the masters of Ripple and Spin have gone, and with their disciplines lost, Spiral Energy quickly faded from memory…
But now, you'll be dragged into a world beyond these strange weapons and disciplines: the world of Stands.
Our story begins with a radio…
-------------
"This is Steel, looking for any responders…This is Steel, looking for any responders…This is Steel, looking for any—oh!"
A brief silence.
"Hello there, pleased to meet you. As you might've guessed, you can call me Steel. I am in charge of granting you a Stand, and getting to know you better. Ah, don't worry, I only wish to help you in the trials to come."
A question, skepticism, apprehension.
"Stands? They are spirits of great power, named so because they stand by their user's side. As for why I'm giving you one…well, for now, it is a secret. But enough about me – who are you?"
[X] Simon of Jeeha Village, doing his usual job of drilling for metal and treasure. And also helping Kamina with one of his crazy schemes…
[Stands Available: Sound of Thunder, Pride of Man, Gone to Heaven]
[X] Nia of Teppelin, and man are you lost. Better look for a way home…
[Stands Available: Carnival, Thunderstruck, Duke Ellington]
[X] Can't remember. You don't know where you are or why you're here, but a name carved on your hand seems like a good place to start. And thoughts of the capital seriously piss you off…
[Stands Available: Voodoo Kingdom, Iron Man, Moanin' in the Moonlight]
These are all Original Stands, and therefore you know nothing about them except maybe what songs/albums they're named after. That's fine. Rest assured that they're all fairly strong/bullshit, so feel free to vote for your favorite character!
Shine On (TTGL/JJBA)
In this world, monsters reign supreme.From the Capital City, Teppelin, to the wastelands humanity calls home, vampires send beastmen to do their bidding by day and zombies by night. With the bizarre abilities of the vampires and the technical skill of the beastmen, defeating humanity was a trivial affair. However, things are not quite as hopeless as they seem.
To combat supernatural threats, supernatural weapons were developed. The Ripple, Spin, Spiral Energy, Red Stones…all strictly banned by the now-cautious vampires. While cities and villages with access to red stones are well-known and heavily monitored, no one knows where the masters of Ripple and Spin have gone, and with their disciplines lost, Spiral Energy quickly faded from memory…
But now, you'll be dragged into a world beyond these strange weapons and disciplines: the world of Stands.
Our story begins with a radio…
-------------
"This is Steel, looking for any responders…This is Steel, looking for any responders…This is Steel, looking for any—oh!"
A brief silence.
"Hello there, pleased to meet you. As you might've guessed, you can call me Steel. I am in charge of granting you a Stand, and getting to know you better. Ah, don't worry, I only wish to help you in the trials to come."
A question, skepticism, apprehension.
"Stands? They are spirits of great power, named so because they stand by their user's side. As for why I'm giving you one…well, for now, it is a secret. But enough about me – who are you?"
[X] Simon of Jeeha Village, doing his usual job of drilling for metal and treasure. And also helping Kamina with one of his crazy schemes…
[Stands Available: Sound of Thunder, Pride of Man, Gone to Heaven]
[X] Nia of Teppelin, and man are you lost. Better look for a way home…
[Stands Available: Carnival, Thunderstruck, Duke Ellington]
[X] Can't remember. You don't know where you are or why you're here, but a name carved on your hand seems like a good place to start. And thoughts of the capital seriously piss you off…
[Stands Available: Voodoo Kingdom, Iron Man, Moanin' in the Moonlight]
These are all Original Stands, and therefore you know nothing about them except maybe what songs/albums they're named after. That's fine. Rest assured that they're all fairly strong/bullshit, so feel free to vote for your favorite character!
Character Sheet
Introduction: Steel's Call (2)
Divider
Husky Fighter Novice
- Location
- Catarina
[X] Simon of Jeeha Village, doing his usual job of drilling for metal and treasure. And also helping Kamina with one of his crazy schemes…
"Simon, then! Listen, we don't have much time. Are you alone at the moment?"
You heft your trusty drill over your shoulder, glancing around the tunnel. You're usually left along when digging, but sometimes the Chief'll take a look to make sure you aren't going too deep or forgetting the time.
"Um...no, we're alone. But, er, Mr.Steel—"
"Just Steel. And I already said we're short on time, so no more questions! I need you to pay attention and follow my instructions precisely, or else we'll be in trouble. Got it?"
...Well, he can't really do anything to you over a radio, and if he asks you to do anything really crazy you can just switch it off and sell it in the market or something. Kamina might be interested in it, though; radios beat tin cans and string any day. You nod to yourself, but before you can voice agreement Steel speaks up again.
"Alright then! First, I'll need you to keep a hand on the radio. Don't move it, even if it starts feeling strange."
As you place a hand on the radio, a feeling like electricity crackles up your arm and causes your muscles to lock painfully.
"Argh! What the heck is this, S-Steel!"
"I'm pulling out the energy in your soul to give form to your Stand. It's kind of complicated, but I think I have enough practice not to make the same mistake I did last time. Boy, that was a mess. Oh, don't mind the glow, by the way. You've got buckets of this Spiral Energy stuff."
Spiral Energy? Glow? What does he—
Oh.
Drills cover your arm, growing in so many places that they begin to grind and screech against each other, fighting to be free of your limb. Your panicked yells begin to fill the cave, but you're unable to pry your hand off the radio. Is this Steel's doing?
"Spiral Energy is harmless, don't mind it. I miss the days when I could do this from your dreams, then this would be a lot less unpleasant for you. Anyways, an image should take form in your heart soon...ah, here it is."
Suddenly, the drills snap back into your arm, leaving it good as new, if missing the entirety of your right sleeve. You try to pry the radio off of your hand now that Steel seems to have finished, but before you can make much progress, you notice something out of the corner of your eye.
A spirit floats beside you. Somehow, it seems incredibly familiar - like an old friend that has just returned to you.
"So, that's your Stand...Interesting! I'll do you the favor of naming it, Simon."
Select your Stand:
[X]Sound of Thunder
Appearance: A short child wearing armor made from amplifiers and speakers, and wearing a phonograph backpack. He peeks up at you timidly from beneath his cap and headphones, his eyes showing volume levels.
Stats:
Destructive Power: B
Range: A
Durability: C
Precision: D
Speed: C
Development Potential: A
Delicate Sounds: Sound of Thunder can manipulate sounds – causing whispers to become roars and crashes to become taps, and causing them to come from whatever direction it wishes.
Thunderous Sounds: Sound of Thunder can amplify sounds to the point where they become lethal weapons – a yell from Simon can topple buildings, if he so wishes.
[X] Pride of Man
Appearance: A vaguely defined apparition made of dust and sand, two black spots denoting eyes the only remarkable feature on its otherwise plain face. It has no legs, preferring to float. When angry or commanded to fight in close quarters, it will form 'armor' and its form turns more muscular.
Pride of Man's Stand Cry is 'ORA ORA'
Stats:
Destructive Power: A
Range: C
Durability: B
Precision: A
Speed: B
Development Potential: A
Pride Before a Fall: Pride of Man can destroy non-living materials with a single touch. These materials are then reduced to dust and added to Pride of Man's overall mass.
Behold the Mighty City: Pride of Man can then repurpose this mass to create complex structures and tools from materials of its choice. However, these constructs will eventually crumble back to dust after Pride of Man leaves their range.
[X] Gone to Heaven
Appearance: Gone To Heaven takes the form of a small white monkey riding a yellow cloud, happily dancing about whenever it grows bored.
Stats:
Destructive Power: C
Range: D
Durability: D
Precision: C
Speed: A
Development Potential: ?
This Monkey's Gone To Heaven: And what a route it took. With the use of this ability, Gone to Heaven can manipulate gravity acting on targets within its range. The ability can be stopped at any time, but can only be used once every ten seconds.
The Number Five – Man: With the number five, call upon five men. Simon can create up to five copies of himself, each wielding Gone To Heaven's power and his own skills. When they suffer a fatal injury, they disappear, and cannot be called on again for a day. Their abilities run on their own 'time', so if one uses Gone to Heaven's first ability, the others may still do so as well.
"Simon, then! Listen, we don't have much time. Are you alone at the moment?"
You heft your trusty drill over your shoulder, glancing around the tunnel. You're usually left along when digging, but sometimes the Chief'll take a look to make sure you aren't going too deep or forgetting the time.
"Um...no, we're alone. But, er, Mr.Steel—"
"Just Steel. And I already said we're short on time, so no more questions! I need you to pay attention and follow my instructions precisely, or else we'll be in trouble. Got it?"
...Well, he can't really do anything to you over a radio, and if he asks you to do anything really crazy you can just switch it off and sell it in the market or something. Kamina might be interested in it, though; radios beat tin cans and string any day. You nod to yourself, but before you can voice agreement Steel speaks up again.
"Alright then! First, I'll need you to keep a hand on the radio. Don't move it, even if it starts feeling strange."
As you place a hand on the radio, a feeling like electricity crackles up your arm and causes your muscles to lock painfully.
"Argh! What the heck is this, S-Steel!"
"I'm pulling out the energy in your soul to give form to your Stand. It's kind of complicated, but I think I have enough practice not to make the same mistake I did last time. Boy, that was a mess. Oh, don't mind the glow, by the way. You've got buckets of this Spiral Energy stuff."
Spiral Energy? Glow? What does he—
Oh.
Drills cover your arm, growing in so many places that they begin to grind and screech against each other, fighting to be free of your limb. Your panicked yells begin to fill the cave, but you're unable to pry your hand off the radio. Is this Steel's doing?
"Spiral Energy is harmless, don't mind it. I miss the days when I could do this from your dreams, then this would be a lot less unpleasant for you. Anyways, an image should take form in your heart soon...ah, here it is."
Suddenly, the drills snap back into your arm, leaving it good as new, if missing the entirety of your right sleeve. You try to pry the radio off of your hand now that Steel seems to have finished, but before you can make much progress, you notice something out of the corner of your eye.
A spirit floats beside you. Somehow, it seems incredibly familiar - like an old friend that has just returned to you.
"So, that's your Stand...Interesting! I'll do you the favor of naming it, Simon."
Select your Stand:
[X]Sound of Thunder
Appearance: A short child wearing armor made from amplifiers and speakers, and wearing a phonograph backpack. He peeks up at you timidly from beneath his cap and headphones, his eyes showing volume levels.
Stats:
Destructive Power: B
Range: A
Durability: C
Precision: D
Speed: C
Development Potential: A
Delicate Sounds: Sound of Thunder can manipulate sounds – causing whispers to become roars and crashes to become taps, and causing them to come from whatever direction it wishes.
Thunderous Sounds: Sound of Thunder can amplify sounds to the point where they become lethal weapons – a yell from Simon can topple buildings, if he so wishes.
[X] Pride of Man
Appearance: A vaguely defined apparition made of dust and sand, two black spots denoting eyes the only remarkable feature on its otherwise plain face. It has no legs, preferring to float. When angry or commanded to fight in close quarters, it will form 'armor' and its form turns more muscular.
Pride of Man's Stand Cry is 'ORA ORA'
Stats:
Destructive Power: A
Range: C
Durability: B
Precision: A
Speed: B
Development Potential: A
Pride Before a Fall: Pride of Man can destroy non-living materials with a single touch. These materials are then reduced to dust and added to Pride of Man's overall mass.
Behold the Mighty City: Pride of Man can then repurpose this mass to create complex structures and tools from materials of its choice. However, these constructs will eventually crumble back to dust after Pride of Man leaves their range.
[X] Gone to Heaven
Appearance: Gone To Heaven takes the form of a small white monkey riding a yellow cloud, happily dancing about whenever it grows bored.
Stats:
Destructive Power: C
Range: D
Durability: D
Precision: C
Speed: A
Development Potential: ?
This Monkey's Gone To Heaven: And what a route it took. With the use of this ability, Gone to Heaven can manipulate gravity acting on targets within its range. The ability can be stopped at any time, but can only be used once every ten seconds.
The Number Five – Man: With the number five, call upon five men. Simon can create up to five copies of himself, each wielding Gone To Heaven's power and his own skills. When they suffer a fatal injury, they disappear, and cannot be called on again for a day. Their abilities run on their own 'time', so if one uses Gone to Heaven's first ability, the others may still do so as well.
Last edited:
In the Dark (1)
Divider
Husky Fighter Novice
- Location
- Catarina
[X] Gone to Heaven
"The name of your Stand is—Gone to Heaven!"
You blink, staring at the monkey beside you. "Gone to…Heaven? Does that mean something?"
"Not really, kind of thought it up on the spot. Still, cool name, right?"
This guy's getting less serious by the second…
"Steel, you said that these spirits, Stands, grant powers, but I really don't feel any different." You mutter, scratching under Gone to Heaven's chin.
"Stand Powers usually take some time to develop. When you really need it, Gone to Heaven will come in and save the day. But, uh, before that, I think I need to warn you about something…"
Your forehead creases in worry. "What is it? Some kind of side effect?"
A rumbling noise reaches your ears, and you whirl around. A sound like that this far underground could only mean…!
"You could say that…the tunnel you've been digging seems to have collapsed."
Your blood runs cold. "What!?"
------------
Cave-ins!
This deadly natural disaster that has claimed countless lives in the world as we knew it, the collapse of a geological formation that has grown unstable: in short, the enemy of all underground explorers!
The nature of this insidious phenomenon is much more subtle than it appears at first glance; to learn why, we will examine Simon's situation more closely!
Jeeha Village diggers emphasize results over safety, because many fail to match Simon's digging prowess: as a result, the average kit for the aspiring digger is a drill and light producing goggles, with no attention paid to safety; as the most skilled of the diggers, Simon is no exception! However, it is his own digging prowess that has, so to speak, dug his own grave!
For while the average Jeeha digger manages to dig only a few meters per week, Simon easily manages that pace in a single day! Simon's tunnel is far beyond that of the other diggers, who lag almost forty meters behind!
But, why did the tunnel collapse? Was this an act of God, a stroke of misfortune, a freak accident? No! It was the result of Steel's Call!
When Steel awoke the power of Gone to Heaven, he drew out much of Simon's latent Spiral Energy, diving past it to search for the energy of Simon's soul: however, what he had not accounted for was the potential of his latest find. Countless drills had formed, spinning against each other in a very particular fashion, before being forced to a halt by the emergence of the Stand, long thought to be the greatest manifestation of the Ripple!
In faraway universes, these three powers had never met; here, they finally came together for one instant, causing a spike of seismic activity that sealed the exit to Simon's tunnel! Here, in Jeeha Village, the village that abandoned the sun for the safety of the earth – only here is the cave-in the leading cause of death!
However! For our hero, Simon, the dangers of the cave-in are tenfold…!
"I know the situation looks grim, but you've got your drill! Just get through the rocks blocking your way, and you'll be fine!"
You calm down a bit. Certainly, you're Simon the Digger, so a tunnel collapsing should be no trouble to get through…!
You crawl forward, barely registering Gone To Heaven disappearing in a swirl of golden light as you carefully line your drill up with the first chunk of stone, thrusting it forward and turning the handle as fast as you can. For a moment, your heart leaps as you easily pierce through the first layer, but as a shadow of hesitation crosses over your heart, your drill grinds to a halt, screeching against the stone.
You stare uncomprehendingly. "W-Why? The earth should be soft here, so…"
You yank your drill away from the stone, moving to a different area to dig around it. Once more, after a bit of progress, your drill grinds to a halt.
Your eyes begin to sting, so you slide your goggles on. "Eh? That's strange, I can usually do this much faster…"
You move your drill. Again, it grinds to a halt.
"…So why…?"
Move the drill. Grind to a halt.
"…Why is it that I can't get past this stupid rock!"
The reason, of course, is obvious. You were looking for this all along, weren't you? The same disaster that killed your—
Steel's voice crackles from the radio. "Calm down, Simon! The drill isn't working, so try your Stand! Even if Gone to Heaven looks weak, it should still have some abilities…!"
Your mind clears a bit. "…The monkey? But, it can't do anything here…maybe if it was a mole pig…"
That monkey was certainly adorable, but it wouldn't be able to dig you out of here. It just didn't have the bulk or natural tools to do such a thing.
Steel's voice grows stern. "None of that, or you forfeit even the right to summon it! Stands are commanded by fighting spirit, Simon; do you plan to die here!?"
You blink in surprise. "N-no…I won't! Come, Gone to Heaven!"
In a swirl of golden light, Gone to Heaven manifests, riding a small yellow cloud. It gives off a happy shriek, and whirls to face the stone. It glares menacingly at the collapsed stone and earth, baring its teeth…
Before promptly toppling forward and falling asleep.
"…Steel."
"…Some Stands do have rather eccentric personalities, but this is the first I've seen such a thing…To think there were such Stands, I still require more training…Er, moving on."
He clears his throat, before his tone grows serious.
"Maybe you should just give up."
"Oi."
"What? It's a serious suggestion. Eventually, someone should notice you're missing and start trying to find you, no?"
"I'm fine with waiting, but it isn't an option here. I have no food, and the oxygen in the tunnel will run out eventually…"
"…Good point. Other than going back to trying to use Gone to Heaven…perhaps you can use your Spiral Energy?"
You shake your head. "I didn't even know what Spiral Energy was a few minutes ago. I doubt I know how to use it…"
"Spiral Energy is typically used by…possessing immense willpower and courage. So…think brave thoughts?"
"…Well, it's better than nothing, but I think there are other options here."
"Well, my life isn't at stake here. What do you think you should do, Simon?"
In the end, you decide to:
[X] Keep trying to unlock Gone to Heaven's powers.
[X] Try to manifest your Spiral Energy. Somehow.
-[X] Brave thoughts?
[X] You can't rely on the supernatural right now. Just keep digging, one step at a time.
-[X] Talking with Steel keeps you grounded. Keep it up to make sure you don't panic again.
[X] We need to go deeper. Keep digging in a new direction, maybe you'll hit the village or another tunnel.
[X] Write-in.
Woohoo, update! Sorry it's late, but updates should be more frequent now.more frequent from now on.
"The name of your Stand is—Gone to Heaven!"
You blink, staring at the monkey beside you. "Gone to…Heaven? Does that mean something?"
"Not really, kind of thought it up on the spot. Still, cool name, right?"
This guy's getting less serious by the second…
"Steel, you said that these spirits, Stands, grant powers, but I really don't feel any different." You mutter, scratching under Gone to Heaven's chin.
"Stand Powers usually take some time to develop. When you really need it, Gone to Heaven will come in and save the day. But, uh, before that, I think I need to warn you about something…"
Your forehead creases in worry. "What is it? Some kind of side effect?"
A rumbling noise reaches your ears, and you whirl around. A sound like that this far underground could only mean…!
"You could say that…the tunnel you've been digging seems to have collapsed."
Your blood runs cold. "What!?"
------------
Cave-ins!
This deadly natural disaster that has claimed countless lives in the world as we knew it, the collapse of a geological formation that has grown unstable: in short, the enemy of all underground explorers!
The nature of this insidious phenomenon is much more subtle than it appears at first glance; to learn why, we will examine Simon's situation more closely!
Jeeha Village diggers emphasize results over safety, because many fail to match Simon's digging prowess: as a result, the average kit for the aspiring digger is a drill and light producing goggles, with no attention paid to safety; as the most skilled of the diggers, Simon is no exception! However, it is his own digging prowess that has, so to speak, dug his own grave!
For while the average Jeeha digger manages to dig only a few meters per week, Simon easily manages that pace in a single day! Simon's tunnel is far beyond that of the other diggers, who lag almost forty meters behind!
But, why did the tunnel collapse? Was this an act of God, a stroke of misfortune, a freak accident? No! It was the result of Steel's Call!
When Steel awoke the power of Gone to Heaven, he drew out much of Simon's latent Spiral Energy, diving past it to search for the energy of Simon's soul: however, what he had not accounted for was the potential of his latest find. Countless drills had formed, spinning against each other in a very particular fashion, before being forced to a halt by the emergence of the Stand, long thought to be the greatest manifestation of the Ripple!
In faraway universes, these three powers had never met; here, they finally came together for one instant, causing a spike of seismic activity that sealed the exit to Simon's tunnel! Here, in Jeeha Village, the village that abandoned the sun for the safety of the earth – only here is the cave-in the leading cause of death!
However! For our hero, Simon, the dangers of the cave-in are tenfold…!
------------
You start to hyperventilate as Steel tries to reassure you.
"I know the situation looks grim, but you've got your drill! Just get through the rocks blocking your way, and you'll be fine!"
You calm down a bit. Certainly, you're Simon the Digger, so a tunnel collapsing should be no trouble to get through…!
You crawl forward, barely registering Gone To Heaven disappearing in a swirl of golden light as you carefully line your drill up with the first chunk of stone, thrusting it forward and turning the handle as fast as you can. For a moment, your heart leaps as you easily pierce through the first layer, but as a shadow of hesitation crosses over your heart, your drill grinds to a halt, screeching against the stone.
You stare uncomprehendingly. "W-Why? The earth should be soft here, so…"
You yank your drill away from the stone, moving to a different area to dig around it. Once more, after a bit of progress, your drill grinds to a halt.
Your eyes begin to sting, so you slide your goggles on. "Eh? That's strange, I can usually do this much faster…"
You move your drill. Again, it grinds to a halt.
"…So why…?"
Move the drill. Grind to a halt.
"…Why is it that I can't get past this stupid rock!"
The reason, of course, is obvious. You were looking for this all along, weren't you? The same disaster that killed your—
Steel's voice crackles from the radio. "Calm down, Simon! The drill isn't working, so try your Stand! Even if Gone to Heaven looks weak, it should still have some abilities…!"
Your mind clears a bit. "…The monkey? But, it can't do anything here…maybe if it was a mole pig…"
That monkey was certainly adorable, but it wouldn't be able to dig you out of here. It just didn't have the bulk or natural tools to do such a thing.
Steel's voice grows stern. "None of that, or you forfeit even the right to summon it! Stands are commanded by fighting spirit, Simon; do you plan to die here!?"
You blink in surprise. "N-no…I won't! Come, Gone to Heaven!"
In a swirl of golden light, Gone to Heaven manifests, riding a small yellow cloud. It gives off a happy shriek, and whirls to face the stone. It glares menacingly at the collapsed stone and earth, baring its teeth…
Before promptly toppling forward and falling asleep.
"…Steel."
"…Some Stands do have rather eccentric personalities, but this is the first I've seen such a thing…To think there were such Stands, I still require more training…Er, moving on."
He clears his throat, before his tone grows serious.
"Maybe you should just give up."
"Oi."
"What? It's a serious suggestion. Eventually, someone should notice you're missing and start trying to find you, no?"
"I'm fine with waiting, but it isn't an option here. I have no food, and the oxygen in the tunnel will run out eventually…"
"…Good point. Other than going back to trying to use Gone to Heaven…perhaps you can use your Spiral Energy?"
You shake your head. "I didn't even know what Spiral Energy was a few minutes ago. I doubt I know how to use it…"
"Spiral Energy is typically used by…possessing immense willpower and courage. So…think brave thoughts?"
"…Well, it's better than nothing, but I think there are other options here."
"Well, my life isn't at stake here. What do you think you should do, Simon?"
In the end, you decide to:
[X] Keep trying to unlock Gone to Heaven's powers.
[X] Try to manifest your Spiral Energy. Somehow.
-[X] Brave thoughts?
[X] You can't rely on the supernatural right now. Just keep digging, one step at a time.
-[X] Talking with Steel keeps you grounded. Keep it up to make sure you don't panic again.
[X] We need to go deeper. Keep digging in a new direction, maybe you'll hit the village or another tunnel.
[X] Write-in.
Woohoo, update! Sorry it's late, but updates should be more frequent now.more frequent from now on.
Last edited:
In The Dark (2)
Divider
Husky Fighter Novice
- Location
- Catarina
Pls don't beat me until I cry, have an update.
[X] Ars Poetica
"…It won't work." You mutter.
"What won't?"
You slide your goggles back on, and pick up your drill. "Spiral Energy. Stands. I can't wait for either right now – with the lack of oxygen here, I'll suffocate before they can do anything. This isn't a fairytale, and I'm no damsel in distress; I need to save myself."
Yes, that's right – all Steel can do for you here is provide some company. Right now, you need to do what you do best; dig.
"If I dig around the collapsed stone, I can get to a tunnel. From there, more oxygen will come my way, and I can get back to the village as well." You murmur, working the drill's handle to pierce through the cave walls.
"True…but, how far away is the nearest tunnel?"
"About forty meters."
"W-What!? Forty meters!? For someone to dig that far in less than a day is impossible!"
"Even so, I'll keep digging. My drill won't falter here!"
You force your way through the cave walls, grunting at the effort – it seems you still haven't hit your stride yet. But, even so…!
"At this rate, you'll barely manage four meters before your oxygen runs out, let alone forty…be reasonable, Simon! All you're doing is speeding up your death!"
"No, digging is the solution…for Simon the Digger, digging never fails!
You grit your teeth, forcing the drill to continue digging. Is it your imagination, or is the drill picking up speed…? Steel continues to speak, Gone to Heaven carrying the radio along silently.
"Listen, Simon, I understand that being sealed in this tunnel is frightening you…but, stop for a moment and think; awakening your Stand has destabilized these tunnels! If you keep digging, you may get caught in another collapse…!"
The earth feels a little softer, but the digging is still hard…you ignore Steel's repeated warnings, forcing the drill to keep going. Even if your stomach is churning, even if the digging is slow…you've been in this position before. You just need to concentrate…!
---------------------
Six meters. Making good progress, but the dwindling oxygen supply weighs heavily on your mind.Still, you've managed to settle back into a proper digging form, so you won't waste as much oxygen…You took a brief break to check if Gone to Heaven was also breathing, but it seems that despite resembling a monkey, Gone to Heaven doesn't need air – good for you, at any rate. Steel's quieted down, but you feel like he's still observing you.
You monitor your breathing carefully, making sure not to pant. You haven't had to manage your breathing before, so you don't know how much this helps, but at the very least it can't hurt.
Knowing that the way back is sealed, it sure is scary….but you don't have time for that. Back to digging.
---------------------
Ten meters. You feel like you've almost settled into your usual pace…but, you have to go faster. Sweat streams down your face as you pick up speed, willing your drill to dig deeper.
"…I wonder if things will be alright this way…" Steel mutters, but you don't hear him.
Steel makes a little too much sense – listening to him will make you hesitate. You don't want to die to some pile of dirt far away from your village, so for now you've decided to ignore him. To think, the day was so normal before you found this bizarre radio…
---------------------
Fourteen meters. Speeding up was a mistake. A serious mistake.
Your breath is ragged, and your face is grimy from all the dirt. Your mouth is dry, and your tongue feels like sandpaper. By speeding up, you wore down your stamina and are consuming oxygen at a faster pace…you were too impatient. Damn it…!
No, you can't lose focus. It's too late to turn back, and you still have twenty six meters to go…it's a bit hard to tell how much time has passed. People might've started to wonder where you are…well, maybe not. No real family left in the village…and the only friends you have are the Gurren Brigade. Kamina seems to like you for some reason, so he might be worried. Speaking of him, he sure was amazing last time you were stuck in a tunnel…
Somehow, back then, it felt like nothing was impossible. Like things would be tough, agonizingly tough, but even so, you could still succeed. What was it, you wonder…? That feeling, that filled your chest with courage and made your eyes shine…the feeling that made the earth soft, and your drill invincible…
Steel's voice interrupts your thoughts, heavy with worry. "I don't understand, Simon. To not rely on the supernatural is one thing, but in a situation like this, only a miracle could save you now…Simon, do you really believe you can save yourself like this?"
Belief.
You blink in shock for a moment, before nearly doubling over with laughter. "B-belief…! That's a good one, Steel! You reminded me!"
"…Pardon?"
You grin, wiping tears from your eyes. For a moment, your body feels lighter, like a heavy burden is lifting itself from your shoulders.
"I don't believe in myself. I believe in someone who believes in me."
"…What?"
You go back to digging, a smile stuck on your face, and now, where your drill goes, you hear faint whispers. A familiar voice, one you hear every day in the tunnels, one you'd almost forgotten…
Dig here. The earth is soft…
Behind you, unseen, Gone to Heaven lowers a hand.
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Reality is cruel.
Were Simon perhaps the hero of an American comic book, he could simply smash through these rocks with ease or be rescued by his friends and coworkers. Were Simon stronger and more durable, perhaps his hands wouldn't begin to rub themselves raw on his drill. Perhaps if the earth was just a little bit softer, he could dig all the way back. And if there was the slightest crack in the stone blocking the tunnel, maybe he would have enough air to survive.
But, the world is ruled by Reality. Those in dire situations will often perish…
Gravity. You of that blood, will certainly prevail…!
However!
To persevere through overwhelming odds, to rely on a small effort to face tremendous challenges, to never give up when all seems lost…! Surely, those cries, this silent struggle, that defiant smile, surely they deserve recognition…!
The laws of Reality are cruel.
The power of Gravity is absolute.
But, in this world, there exists a power to aid those like Simon…A power defined by your will, limitless in power and scope! The core of this universe, the greatest ally, the most powerful enemy…In the Dark, Simon has awakened his latent potential…!
---------------------
Twenty four meters.
Your hands sting from the effort of working the drill. You're covered in grime from head to toe. Your breathing is growing more ragged with every inch…
But, for some reason, you feel lighter than ever.
"Simon…kid, I've gotten kind of attached to you already, I'll admit. It's not every day I meet someone with the guts you have. But, at this rate…"
You shake your head. "Steel, I'll make it."
"…Alright. Simon, I'll believe in you. Don't you disappoint me!"
You smile, and continue to work the drill. You wonder why you feel so confident…even for you, sixteen meters in the time you have left is absolutely impossible. You've gone beyond your top speed, and you feel great…but, the odds are certainly against you. They're so far below one percent that the chances of you teleporting out of the tunnel are almost better…
But…
"The odds aren't zero. Just like Kamina said, if they aren't zero…they may as well be a hundred!"
Then, as if in response to your determination, your drill begins to glow. You freeze for a moment, captivated by the sight.
"That light, that's…!"
"What the heck…the earth, it's like water now…with this, I can…!"
You glare at the wall in front of you. Sixteen meters to go…but, with this, it feels like you could go all the way back to the village! You turn the drill faster and faster, turning it into a blindingly bright cone of green that lunges forward.
"Like hell I'm dying down here, damn it!!!"
The earth in front of you doesn't so much get dug out of the way as vaporized, the green drill boring through it with ease. It carries you forward, dragging you by the arm into the tunnel ahead. Your body sags with relief as you enter the cave, your lungs filling with much needed air.
"I'm saved…! Wait, what the hell is this thing doing!"
The green drill continues forward, picking up speed and moving straight through another tunnel wall. You try to reign it in, but it only seems to go faster…!
"Simon! You need to cut the flow of Spiral Energy to the drill, you're heading downward now!"
"HOW DO I DO THAT!? Wait, downward!?"
"Yes! If you don't stop soon, you won't be able to make your way back to the main tunnel! Also, this damn monkey can barely keep up with your speed as it is!"
You glance over your shoulder to see Gone to Heaven's cloud racing to try to keep up, green electricity sparking through it. If it were a machine, it'd probably be sputtering by now…Gone to Heaven hoots and screams with laughter, enjoying the increased speed.
That damn monkey…no time to think on that. You try to focus on the feeling of your arm holding the drill…going fast is fine and all, but right now you really want to stop.
With an abrupt lurch that sends you smashing into the base of it, the drill stops moving. And you begin to fall.
"H-hey! The village shouldn't be here, so—ow!"
You land painfully on a carved stone floor, and Gone to Heaven slows to a halt above you.
"You alright, Simon? The heck is this place, anyways? Looks pretty creepy."
You nod. "I'm fine…er, creepy? What do you mean by…oh."
After taking a look around, you pale as you decide that Steel has made an apt choice of words. 'Creepy' doesn't even begin to describe it…
Strange letters and markings fill a wide room of carved stone, big enough that you'd get winded running from one end to another. In the center, two vats filled with a murky red substance stand dusty and covered with cobwebs. The only source of light down here seems to be your goggles…
However, the worst part of this room stands at the far end from where you are now. Back there, seemingly fused to the stone around it, is a Stone Statue of a very muscular man…posing? It's a bit difficult to tell in the darkness, but the expression on his face is definitely unpleasant to look at. Turning up the intensity of your goggles, you get a better look at the stone man…
It almost feels like its eyes are following you, for a moment.
…You know, now that you think about it, the area he's fused to looks sort of like a big pillar.
"I guess I'll call you the Pillar Man for now." You mutter.
"Do you know where we are?" Steel asks.
You shake your head. "No. But, judging from the air, I think I might be able to get back up to the village from here. I'm breathing a lot better, at least."
"Is a place like this normal for your village?" Steel asks curiously.
"What kind of people do you think we are? This place seems to be below our village, anyways. Really odd to find a structure down here, though…makes the mole man stories a lot more plausible, at least. Ugh, I hope they don't have something against eating mole pigs…"
Repressing that slightly horrifying though, you decide to:
[X] Investigate your surroundings more closely.
-[X] Check out the Pillar Man.
-[X] Look at the vats.
-[X] Inspect the room itself.
[X] Just dig your way out again.
-[X] With Spiral Energy.
[X] Talk to Steel, now that you have some down time.
-[X] Ask him why his radio was buried underground.
-[X] Ask him about himself.
-[X] Ask him about Stands and other supernatural powers.
[X] See if Gone to Heaven can do anything useful now.
[X] Write-In.
You can take multiple sub votes here.
In The Dark (3)
Divider
Husky Fighter Novice
- Location
- Catarina
[X] Take a look around.
-[X] Check out the Pillar Man.
-[X] Examine the room itself.
"Be careful, Simon. That statue sort of creeps me out..."
You glance at the radio, still carted along by Gone to Heaven's cloud. The little guy seems to be preoccupied with studying Steel's radio, but it doesn't seem to be doing anything too violent to it. You hope he doesn't break it—Steel might not be the best company, and he may be the reason you're in this mess in the first place, but it would be seriously bad if you had no one to talk to...
You clear your throat, trying to get back to Steel's question as you shine your goggles on the statue in front of you. "Why? You deal with spirits and stuff all the time, right? Scared of the dark?"
"I'll take a moment to remind you that unlike you, I'm not in an underground cave...in any case, it just gives me a bad feeling. Call me paranoid, but in my experience things like these lead to bizarre and dangerous encounters..."
"You're paranoid." you mutter, laughing slightly at Steel's snort. "Alright, alright, I'll be careful. You're the experienced one here, Steel. I'll follow your lead."
You lean forward, studying the Pillar Man's face intently under the bright light of your goggles. You think you can tell the features of his face from this distance....
You reach for the man's face, curious, before your arm jerks backward, propelled by an unseen force.
"Whoa! What was that!"
Behind you, Gone to Heaven gives off a screech, causing you to whirl around. It crosses its arms in a clear 'NO' gesture, pointing first at the Pillar Man and then at you. Did it just...?
"...Gone to Heaven, can you do what you just did again?"
It blinks, before raising a hand and causing your arm to jerk backwards again. No, it was more like that direction was down...
Steel is excited. "I see! Simon, your Stand may be weak physically, but it appears to have a powerful ability to compensate! Try to experiment some more!"
You hesitate, but give a firm nod. Concentrating on Gone to Heaven, you try and focus...
And suddenly, your arms begin to move upwards. With some effort, you're able to keep them down, but it's a little like trying to keep your hands raised while standing, or keeping them lowered when upside down...the power isn't as simple as forcing your arms upwards or in other directions, it's redirecting and sometimes enhancing or lowering the Gravity affecting your body.
"...Control over gravity? I don't really know how strong it is, though..."
Unlocked "This Monkey's Gone to Heaven" when making votes.
After playing around with your new power a bit more, you decide to get back to your original goal; finding a way out of here.
In the excitement of discovering a new ability, you forget Gone to Heaven's violent reaction to touching the Pillar Man
One obvious thought pops into your head; why not use Gone to Heaven's powers to go back up your tunnel and dig your way out? With Gravity on your side, it should be much easier to dig...but you don't know the limits of your power yet. What if you get exhausted, or it has a set amount of uses per day or something? Either way, it can't hurt to look around before leaving...
You begin to search your surroundings, looking for a more accessible exit route. Along the way, you take a closer look at the carvings decorating the walls. The strange letters carved on the walls are beyond you, but you can at least understand the carvings. A group of people wandering under the moon, the sun burning them to ash...a man using a hammer and chisel to make some kind of Stone Mask...a dark red stone inserted into it...and the man donning the Stone Mask and Red Stone, standing perfectly unharmed under the sun...
Steel's voice is tense as he cuts into your studies. "This place...is that a method for Vampires to conquer the Sun? Simon, you should really leave this place..."
"In a minute," you mutter, moving on to the next carving. "These are kinda interesting..."
Next, a carving of a spinning sphere, with several dark patches on it. Landmasses, maybe? Hard to tell. The image repeats itself, losing detail every time, until finally it is completely blank. And then the images change again...a lone man, wandering a wasteland. He always moves at night, but every time he appears he grows weaker and weaker. Finally, he comes to a cave, and begins to carve something...is this the man that made these carvings?
A cracking sound pierces the silence of the cave like a gunshot. You spin around, goggles piercing through the darkness and landing on the dark vats you'd noticed before. One of them seems to be cracked and leaking...
"What on earth...How did that happen?"
"Beats me..."
After a moment's thought, you decide to...
[X] Get back to Jeeha by using Gone to Heaven's power.
[X] Stick around and keep exploring.
-[X] Experiment some more with Gone to Heaven.
[X] See if you can fix those vats.
-[X] Maybe you can jury-rig something?
-[X] Or use your power?
[X] Write-in.
A write-in that combines some of the above options is allowed. You're free to think of ways to use your Stand, and with sufficient willpower Spiral Energy can be summoned as well.
I have classes in around four hours. Goodnight.
-[X] Check out the Pillar Man.
-[X] Examine the room itself.
"Be careful, Simon. That statue sort of creeps me out..."
You glance at the radio, still carted along by Gone to Heaven's cloud. The little guy seems to be preoccupied with studying Steel's radio, but it doesn't seem to be doing anything too violent to it. You hope he doesn't break it—Steel might not be the best company, and he may be the reason you're in this mess in the first place, but it would be seriously bad if you had no one to talk to...
You clear your throat, trying to get back to Steel's question as you shine your goggles on the statue in front of you. "Why? You deal with spirits and stuff all the time, right? Scared of the dark?"
"I'll take a moment to remind you that unlike you, I'm not in an underground cave...in any case, it just gives me a bad feeling. Call me paranoid, but in my experience things like these lead to bizarre and dangerous encounters..."
"You're paranoid." you mutter, laughing slightly at Steel's snort. "Alright, alright, I'll be careful. You're the experienced one here, Steel. I'll follow your lead."
You lean forward, studying the Pillar Man's face intently under the bright light of your goggles. You think you can tell the features of his face from this distance....
"Whoa! What was that!"
Behind you, Gone to Heaven gives off a screech, causing you to whirl around. It crosses its arms in a clear 'NO' gesture, pointing first at the Pillar Man and then at you. Did it just...?
"...Gone to Heaven, can you do what you just did again?"
It blinks, before raising a hand and causing your arm to jerk backwards again. No, it was more like that direction was down...
Steel is excited. "I see! Simon, your Stand may be weak physically, but it appears to have a powerful ability to compensate! Try to experiment some more!"
You hesitate, but give a firm nod. Concentrating on Gone to Heaven, you try and focus...
And suddenly, your arms begin to move upwards. With some effort, you're able to keep them down, but it's a little like trying to keep your hands raised while standing, or keeping them lowered when upside down...the power isn't as simple as forcing your arms upwards or in other directions, it's redirecting and sometimes enhancing or lowering the Gravity affecting your body.
"...Control over gravity? I don't really know how strong it is, though..."
Unlocked "This Monkey's Gone to Heaven" when making votes.
After playing around with your new power a bit more, you decide to get back to your original goal; finding a way out of here.
In the excitement of discovering a new ability, you forget Gone to Heaven's violent reaction to touching the Pillar Man
One obvious thought pops into your head; why not use Gone to Heaven's powers to go back up your tunnel and dig your way out? With Gravity on your side, it should be much easier to dig...but you don't know the limits of your power yet. What if you get exhausted, or it has a set amount of uses per day or something? Either way, it can't hurt to look around before leaving...
You begin to search your surroundings, looking for a more accessible exit route. Along the way, you take a closer look at the carvings decorating the walls. The strange letters carved on the walls are beyond you, but you can at least understand the carvings. A group of people wandering under the moon, the sun burning them to ash...a man using a hammer and chisel to make some kind of Stone Mask...a dark red stone inserted into it...and the man donning the Stone Mask and Red Stone, standing perfectly unharmed under the sun...
Steel's voice is tense as he cuts into your studies. "This place...is that a method for Vampires to conquer the Sun? Simon, you should really leave this place..."
"In a minute," you mutter, moving on to the next carving. "These are kinda interesting..."
Next, a carving of a spinning sphere, with several dark patches on it. Landmasses, maybe? Hard to tell. The image repeats itself, losing detail every time, until finally it is completely blank. And then the images change again...a lone man, wandering a wasteland. He always moves at night, but every time he appears he grows weaker and weaker. Finally, he comes to a cave, and begins to carve something...is this the man that made these carvings?
A cracking sound pierces the silence of the cave like a gunshot. You spin around, goggles piercing through the darkness and landing on the dark vats you'd noticed before. One of them seems to be cracked and leaking...
"What on earth...How did that happen?"
"Beats me..."
After a moment's thought, you decide to...
[X] Get back to Jeeha by using Gone to Heaven's power.
[X] Stick around and keep exploring.
-[X] Experiment some more with Gone to Heaven.
[X] See if you can fix those vats.
-[X] Maybe you can jury-rig something?
-[X] Or use your power?
[X] Write-in.
A write-in that combines some of the above options is allowed. You're free to think of ways to use your Stand, and with sufficient willpower Spiral Energy can be summoned as well.
I have classes in around four hours. Goodnight.