#least of all actual fawking material just to level her up

[pinkseas]

collei handshake thoma handshake sucrose i need to build you so bad and i dont have a Damn Thing i need to do that

[rpchive]

115th Encounter-- Snake Eyes

y’know; cheaters never prosper

[The next day...]

Collin approaches the door to Silky and XL's room and knocks a few times. XL answers the door, though she seems to take her time to do so. "...Oh, um...is something wrong?" Collin: Hey XL, everything's fine. Is this a bad time? XL: It's...not.

She steps aside, allowing Collin into the room. Silky lies on the table to the side of the room, her armor having been removed. This time, there is no tank obscuring her form, only her casual clothes, which do not cover the scars Atlas' armor had left behind. Many indents and seams line her scales, telling a story nobody wants to hear. XL remains patiently silent. Collin: Ah, uh... Is Silky doing alright? I heard she kinda got the short end of things back in FaWKES' place. XL: She's....she'll be alright. Unsurprisingly, fish don't do too well when they're electrified, even when something else absorbs most of it. It's nothing she can't get over; nothing she won't recover from; nothing serious; but...it's just taking her a little while to stay awake right now is all. I don't really understand it; but she just...can't stay up for long. But she doesn't pass out any longer; I mean, she's been staying awake for longer recently, so she's definitely getting better... Collin: Well that's... good. Have you asked Clair for help? I heard she has some sort of healing power or something, so maybe she could help Silky recover faster. XL: I don't want to push her; and I definitely don't want to keep her away from Daedalus right now. I don't think he'll ever relapse quite so severely he'd put all of us in danger, but I certainly understand that he could still pose a threat to those around him if he gets too disoriented. In short, I think he could hurt people, I don't think he'd ever fall back hard enough to kill. He's not that bad off. I've seen that bad off; those people beyond redemption, or those so far gone they can barely be helped...he's not up there. But I don't want to give any window for it. It can't get worse with Lobotomy gone, but with Paprika and Maya here, I can't help but worry he might get...desperate, I guess? Collin: ... That's a little tough to think about, but I guess I get your concern. I'm sure he wouldn't mind coming with her while she's helping you and Silky, but- ... A-Anyway, I'm getting sidetracked, sorry; you can ask them about it later if you want. I actually had sort of an odd question for you, if you have a minute. XL: If it helps, sure. Collin: Do you remember any planets that had a giant casino on it? A planet kinda like Earth, if possible? That demon Demo's reflection is looking for is apparently running some giant casino.

they’re a devil, not a demon. it’s a big difference

XL: Well, I haven't been, but Silky went to one the night Atlas decided to...bring out the armor. It wasn't Earth; Earth had been eaten; but it did have a few human colonies. Apex and novakids too. The casino itself was a magnet for trouble, the rich; the wicked; the foolish; the greedy; people would come from sectors to gamble at this place, a casino that was built so tall it stretched off-planet to a point. They called it the Nova Pin. Collin: Sounds pretty sketchy. Why would Silky want to go to a place like that? XL: Because she was still tailing Atlas. She didn't go because it was a casino, she went because Atlas was meeting with Greenfinger, Kluex, and the others. If things had gone well, she would've known the faces of everybody responsible for the war, and it would've been over.

I wouldn’t say the devil corrupted Atlas/Greenfinger/ect. but they definitely encouraged their dark ideals, effectively making them worse off

which implies some Not Good Things about this log in particular imo

Collin: ... Ah, I think I get the picture now. Do you remember where it is? Coordinate-wise, I mean. XL: It's in the Delta sector, umm...oh, of course. X is 376338522; Y is -59708896.

these are random coordinates I found while trying to google a planet that actually had the things I mentioned on them

Collin: ... You mind writing that down on something? XL: Right, I can do that. I'll pass it along to Nydins, sorry. Collin: It's fine, I just can't remember all those digits. I'm a little impressed you can, though. Do you just have a bunch of planet coordinates in your head? XL: Well, no, novakid brands are technically a piece of technology. It's just that brands, like everything else novakids make, are made up out of materials from a bunch of other stuff, which makes them very difficult for anyone or anything else to mess with in any way, which is good considering it controls the vast majority of our bodily functions, preventing us from overheating or exploding at random. Collin: Oh, that makes more sense, yeah. Alright, I'll let you pass that on to Nydins while I go let everyone know we've got a lead. You should try talking with Clair sometime soon, by the way. I'm sure she can figure out a way to help Silky. XL: I'll...give it a shot. Collin gives her a small wave and then heads out of her room to fill in Echo and the others involved in their conversation about the Nova Pin. In the meantime, XL gives the coordinates to Nydins, who sets the course for the casino's planet. After some more planning and some partially overheard conversations, Jay, Demo, Echo, Collin, Daedalus, and Fawkes form a group inside the console room and wait for the IT to land. Paprika, Rio, and Nydins are all waiting at the console, though Paprika looks eager to land.

Nydins: ...For the last time, you can't go out there; that casino's a dangerous place, on a dangerous planet, full of dangerous people.

Paprika: Lobotomy was way more dangerous, and I got to stand around in the middle of that all the time! Collin: Wait, you... want to go with us? Paprika: I do! I wasn't allowed to gamble or anything in Lobotomy, so of course I want to go to a casino. Daedalus: We're really not going there to gamble. You know that, right? Paprika: I mean, it's just the principal of being there... Collin: Do you have a way to keep yourself safe, at least? Paprika: Does Echo? I mean, the came here at the expense of her abilities, right? She doesn't even have an oracle...

Echo: Maybe not, but I still have my anubis. You don't have anything, though...

Paprika: ...Yeah, I'll admit, not being in Lobotomy left me pretty exposed. I can't even use EGO equipment...or, well, maybe I can now, but I wouldn't know how... Fawkes: EGO? Paprika: Oh, yeah! The suits and weapons Maya uses, they're called EGO! It stands for...Extermination of Geometrical Organ...uhh...that doesn't make any sense...who named these things...?

I like to think the definition of EGO was google translated for employees, but a Sephirah would know what they’re actually called

personally I think it stands for External Guerrilla Optimizer or something a little more “sensible” like that

Daedalus: Someone who's just as bad at acronyms as they are with human rights, if I had to guess.

Collin: I... don't really know what to think about this. I don't want you to stay cooped up in here all the time, but... Ugh, what do you guys think? Demo: I mean, a bunch of drunk humans armed with nothing but guns and money go in there; why can't a robot? Collin: I guess that's fair. Just stick with us for now, alright? There's no telling what this place is gonna be like. Paprika: Okay! I won't go far, I promise. Daedalus: Alright, Pepper Shaker's first willing adventure! Oughta be a good time all around, eh? Echo: Let's just have a look at this casino...ugh, I'm not even remotely surprised who we're looking for could be in a place like this... Daedalus: No kidding. I'm pretty sure casinos are probably the best habitat a demon could get, aside from maybe Vegas or something. The group exits the IT to what is apparently one of the levels of the Nova Pin itself. The IT has managed to appear in one of the hallways alongside a variety of other vending machines containing various snacks and drinks from other planets. Upon the floor, a bright, red carpet stretches in either direction, the white walls of the casino patterned with the card suits at random intervals along the way. This particular hall seems to be a red diamond. Collin: Well, at least we blend in? alienrabitt: Hey, if we come into a casino with this much luck, we're already doing well. Daedalus: Just don't burn it all in one place. Let's see if we can find our way to the casino floor. Heading to the right, it seems that each floor is a different thing, alternating between lobbies; vending machines; elevators; and of course, the casino floors. The casinos themselves seem to be divided, with a little section near the back blocked out of general view for VIPs. The tables and bars are crowded; many people mingling near the windows or heading up or down stairs, ramps, and elevators to go to other places. Not a single person seems to think anyone from the IT is out of place. Fawkes: It seems like we're surprisingly inconspicuous. More good fortune, then.

Collin: So how're we supposed to look for this guy? Just walk up to a random... uh, casino person and ask them if their boss is a demon?

devil =/= demon; demons are limited by the magic in their horns; devils draw power from the souls they’ve taken

Paprika: Hmm, well, a demon might want to draw a lot of attention to themselves, but someone who's really good at gambling, well, they'd probably be invited to be with the VIPs, right? 'Cause rich people like a challenge, and tricky people want people to take advantage of. And a demon wouldn't play for just cash, but you can't do anything that shady in a crowd; so they'd need a good way to cover it, and rich people, well, they have ways of making unsavory things go under the rugs, right? So we shouldn't bother with just the floor...

Demo: But how're we gonna sneak into a VIP section? We're clearly kind of a big group of nobodies, and if anyone asks for any kind of ID, we're screwed... Fawkes: Paprika said someone who's good at gambling might be invited to the VIP section, right? Maybe we just need to hit a jackpot or three? Echo: We don't even have anything to gamble with...and are we seriously gonna gamble? Fawkes: Hmm, I hadn't thought about money. The IT doesn't come with a bank account, unfortunately. alienrabitt: Urgh, we're kinda out of luck here. We can't gamble, and we can't sneak in...

Paprika: Well, maybe not with a big group, but maybe half of us could?

Demo: And how the hell are we gonna do that?

Paprika: We look for someone in a similar position! Maybe they're not looking for a devil, but maybe somebody here's desperate for something or something...? That's how it is in movies, right? Some really unlucky guy gets roped in with a mob boss or something...? Daedalus: You want us to ride on the coattails of someone in trouble with a casino run by a demon?

they’re not a- reasoning had nothing to do with it

Paprika: Maybe it's not run by the devil, maybe he just comes here a lot? Collin: I'm... not really following what the plan is supposed to be here. Paprika: We find a guy in trouble and hope that they get dragged into the VIP section for an all or nothing gamble of a lifetime! Orrr we just impersonate the staff and sneak in?

Demo: Well some of you could get away with that, but Jay, myself, and Fawkes? No chance. Daedalus: Already splitting up, huh? Sounds promising. Paprika: I mean, it's that or we just...hope they're on the floor...but I doubt it... Collin: It's fine, don't worry. I guess we'll need to walk around one of these casino areas and hope we find someone in trouble? We'll fall back on the staff plan if that doesn't work out. Paprika: Alright...better than not having any plan, I guess. With that, the group heads out into the casino area proper, looking for anyone that might be suspicious or noteworthy. There is nothing particularly of note; merely the standard crowd of gambling folk. Occasionally a human or novakid will get so rowdy that a bouncer will have to remove them from the floor, but otherwise, nothing seems to be drawing a big crowd or sticking out. Daedalus: I'm not getting a whole lot here. Anyone else have any luck? Demo: The floor's not looking too good. I think you guys are gonna have to play dress up...

Paprika: Well, good thing I brought my own suit...ehh, but the girls around here, they're wearing a...lot less than that...

Demo: Then you're probably gonna have to too.

Echo: ...If we don't get shot first, I might kill a man before we leave, but I'll try to stay level. Okay, gonna go steal some clothes, and pick up some drinks, because alcohol's gotta get me in. Rich people love free, expensive alcohol. Collin: Sounds good. What should we do? Demo: If you can pass as solidly human, dress like the staff and find a way to sneak into VIP. If you can't, find a way to stick close without getting kicked out. Collin: I... think I can manage that. Daedalus, come with me. We'll be right back.

Daedalus: Wait, what? Where are we going, exactly?

Collin doesn't answer, but gestures for him to follow and heads out into the crowd again. Daedalus rolls his eyes and follows after him. After several minutes pass, the pair return in fairly simple but high quality, well kept suits.

Collin: This look like it'll do the job? Demo: Uhh, yeah, you fit right in...

alienrabitt: I guess Echo and Paprika are still out there trying to find something...

Demo: That or they died of embarrassment and refused to come back... Daedalus: I'd say they could've just gotten the magical illusion treatment like Collin just pulled with us, but frankly that might be even weirder than just wearing something since Collin would have to do it. alienrabitt: You two just worry about sneaking in; I'm sure they'll catch up. Worst case, I go look for em. Collin: I guess that would be less conspicuous too, honestly.

Daedalus: Alright, time to see how hard we can bullshit these people.

Collin and Daedalus head off toward the VIP section of the casino. The bouncer standing at the door, a large, yellow novakid with a circular brand, stands wordlessly before the pair. They tilt their head to face the pair, waiting expectantly for something. Daedalus steps up to the bouncer, not missing a beat. "Hey, how's it going? My brother and I are running a little late to the party. Got hung up with some unexpected work stuff. Mind letting us in?" ???: ...You are the work staff. What, did you get wrapped up in trying to bounce one of those damn humans out? Those guys take some real effort sometimes. I saw a few get dragged off a minute ago. Daedalus: Yeah, you know how it is. Takes both of us just to handle one guy, depending on how drunk he is. I just wanted to check in with you before we head inside. Seems kinda rude to pretend I don't see you, isn't it? ???: Yeah, I know how that goes. Just let him know if he stays hot headed, we'll get hot handed, and he'll quit wigglin' as much, that's for sure.

Stepping aside, the novakid removes the velvet rope to let the boys through. "Got three groups tonight; one's the usual, two are some small name rich folk that are a little drunk and a lot bored. Just keep the drinks coming and they'll be happy as hylotl. You already know what to do for the third guy." Daedalus: Sounds good. Take it easy, champ.

Daedalus steps past the novakid into the VIP room with Collin quickly following behind him. There are currently four rooms, one of which is unoccupied. The first two rooms seem to have the biggest commotion, presumably occupied by the rich parties. Collin leans over slightly and whispers to Daedalus. "What're we supposed to do for the third guy, exactly?"

Daedalus: Hell if I know, but I'm willing to bet that might be our guy.

Collin: So, what, do we just... go in his room and see what happens?

Daedalus: You got it. Just gotta keep the bullshit train rolling.

Daedalus knocks on the door to the third room and pauses for a moment before opening it and heading inside with Collin. At the table at the back of the room, five people are currently seated.

The leftmost person, who appears to be a heavily modded glitch waitress of some sort, continues to nervously fidget in her seat. Her visor, nearly obscured by the bright, gradient green and blue hair that stretches down to her back, remains blank as she stares at the table, an uncomfortably large amount of poker chips covering half the surface area between her and the opposite side, none of which seem to belong to either party.

this girl! we’ll be seeing her later

The person to the left of the glitch appears to be a young human male, who seems to have snuck into the casino, clearly too young to be there, yet still there nonetheless. Pulling the collar of his dark brown varsity jacket up uncomfortably, he returns his gaze from the door to the cards in his hand. He seems to have a fairly standard appearance to him, short brown hair, brown eyes; however freckles stretch across his cheeks and over his nose.

this dude is generic because he’s Unimportant but he was trying to get glitch girl out of the casino since she doesn’t want to live there anymore

In the middle of the group is an adult dressed equally too casually for a casino; wearing a T-shirt that says "no breaks, just takes" in big, blue letters; half of which are obscured by a green tie covered in tiny flamingos with sunglasses on. Short black hair, dark green eyes, nothing particularly standing out with their physical features.

On the right side, Echo and Paprika are seated nervously, both dressed similarly to the glitch across the table in the standard waitress corsets; wrist cuffs; and stockings. Paprika looks ready to burst with embarrassment as she recognizes their new company. Daedalus and Collin pause for a split second to adjust to the awkward atmosphere. Taking a deep breath, Daedalus finally breaks the silence. "Gentlemen, good to see you! Everything alright so far?" The person in the center speaks, tilting their cards towards themselves as they do so. They smile softly, speaking in a rather androgynous voice as they respond, questionably more feminine than anything. "...Yes, things are going just fine. I'm assuming you won't be joining us?" Daedalus: Only if you'd like us to. Is there anything you need? ???: If you aren't going to be playing, I think we're alright. Don't mind the girls, they'll be back on the floor soon. I just wanted a quick round is all. Collin: Are you all playing? ???: Well, not together. One after another. I'm currently playing against this boy; but we'll be done once he's ready.

Collin: Once he's ready for what? ???: Once he's ready for it to be your turn, of course. Collin: It seems like he's the only one with cards, though. ???: Oh, I have cards. I have about 6 right now. I could have 8 in a minute; maybe 9. Depends on who's playing... Daedalus: That doesn't sound like your normal poker game rules... ???: Who said this was poker? Collin: What are you playing then? ???: A very special game. He has to guess what cards I have, and if he gets it wrong, I get his cards. Collin: Why would you want his cards, though? Is the point to make someone have an empty hand? ???: Yes; how observant of you. Daedalus: Still, I don't recognize those rules. Plus he seems kinda young to be gambling, don't you think? ???: And? I'm having him here, that should be enough. Daedalus: Can't imagine he has that much money to put down though... ???: Don't worry about it. Look, if you've got no business here, and if you aren't playing, then you don't need to be here. Daedalus: Alright, alright, if you really want another player, I'll give it a go. Smiling, the person opposite of the door gestures for Daedalus to take a seat somewhere at the table. The current company scoots a little more inward to allow the pair some room. Collin shoots Daedalus a concerned glance as they take seats around the table. Daedalus looks around at the others for a second before speaking again. "So, how does this work? Is it really just me guessing three of spades, queen of diamonds, so on and so forth?" ???: Yes, exactly. You guess what's in my hand, or you lose what's in yours. Simple as that. Daedalus: Still seems like kind of a strange game. Why aren't you guessing what's in mine? ???: Why should I guess? Daedalus: Usually games are a back-and-forth deal, that's all. I don't have any chips on me either, so we can't really play for anything. Rolling their eyes, the person slides a deck across the table, leaving it in the center. "We just play for keeps here. Pick one each. Doesn't matter which card you take." Collin and Daedalus each draw a card from the deck. Collin has drawn the King of Hearts. Daedalus has drawn the Ace of Spades.

The boy from the other side of the table speaks softly. "...So, uhh...we guess your hand still, right? Not their cards?"

The person at the center nods. "Yeah, that's right. Just mine." Collin: Is the deck different in any way? Is the joker still in it? ???: Yes, there are jokers. Only two. Daedalus: Good to know. The Joker, then. ???:  ...Yes, that's one. And the other three...? Collin: The Jack of Spades? ???: I don't have any cards that have Spades. You lose. Collin: Well that was fast...

He holds his card out to them. The person takes Collin's card and sets it aside. The boy next to them seems visibly uncomfortable, despite nothing else happening. Shrugging, the person turns their gaze to the boy instead. "I'm still waiting..."

????: Uhh...Jack of Diamonds...

???: ...Yeah, I've got that. Lucky guess. Daedalus: Are we allowed to ask questions? You mentioned you don't have any spades just a second ago. ???: It's only fair, I guess. That's right, I don't have any spades at all. Daedalus: What suits do you have, then? ???: ...You know the Joker and the Jack of Diamonds. I have...three more cards. One from hearts; another diamond; and a club. No spades. Daedalus: Any other face cards? ???: A queen. Daedalus: Queen of hearts. ???: Ohh, you're very lucky... Daedalus: Had to be at some point. Evens or odds? ???: Odd. Daedalus: Is the diamond greater than five? ???: Depends on who you ask. Daedalus: Five of diamonds. ???: You lose. Daedalus makes an annoyed sound and slides his card over. "That was a very obtuse answer." The person looks over to the boy beside them. "Two to go~. What do you think?"

????: Uhhh...it's an ace, isn't it? Higher to some, one for others?

???: That's right! That just leaves one card. I'll let you all ask questions if you'd like. Collin: You already said it was odd, didn't you? ???: Yep. Odd number. Daedalus: Again, greater or equal to five? ???: Lower.

Paprika: An odd lower than 5...it can only be two numbers, then...

????: So, uhh...three? Since you think an ace can be lower or higher...

???: Congratulations; you have a good memory. Yes, that's right, Three of Clubs. You guessed all your own guesses right, so you and your waitress can leave. These two have to stick around for the next game, though.

Very nervously, the waitress shoves her way out from the seats, quickly pulling the boy along behind her despite his frantic protests as he begs her to wait for something. As they head out the door, he's cut off from saying "...But they don't know--...!" Collin: ... What was that about? What don't we know? ???: Plenty, apparently. If it wasn't apparent from your cards, I can tell none of you work here. C'mon; I've been coming here for decades. I meet all new hires.

all of the cards correspond to the people in the room. Paprika and Echo got the devil’s attention as soon as they changed clothes. once they realized the girls came with company, they decided to take their cards and use them to play against Daedalus an Collin; and that’s how they got there first

Daedalus: Well, guess I shouldn't be surprised about that one... ???: I also know you've got a party of 3 in the lobby. More than that somewhere else; but I can't see em until they come into the building... Collin: If you know all that, I'm guessing you know why we're here too. ???: I recognize one of you as a shadow. I'm sure she recognized me too...

Echo: You...you're the one responsible for all this...

???: I can't take you seriously in those outfits.

Snapping their fingers, the person shifts Echo and Paprika into their proper outfits.

Paprika: Wh-wha--!! How?!

???: So, it's obvious I know your names, but do any of you know mine? Any? Daedalus: Asking would've been suspicious while we were trying to be more lowkey, but clearly that wasn't ever happening anyway. Who are you, then? ???: Don't be ridiculous; a person's name holds power over them. You don't think I'm that stupid, do you? Call me anything you want; you'll probably be right enough.

Paprika: You, um...I'm pretty sure the people here would only call you bad names.

???: I've got a bad reputation; I don't mind. If you wanna call me a bastard or something, you're right; I am. I'm an asshole; I'm terrible; I drink; I gamble; I smoke; I've killed people; I've even done worse than that. So go ahead, do your worst. I don't care. Daedalus: Sure thing Biggles. Or should I pick something a little more fitting like Gambit? Echo: I...I don't even care what you're called, why!? Why did you do it?!

???: ...You know, most people want a name to the face. Fine, we'll go with what the floor calls me. Bandit's enough. And I did it because my son's worthless; you ought to see that too... Collin: I don't really see how. He didn't seem all that bad when we met him a little while back. Bandit: That's the problem; he's one of the future kings of hell; he needs to start acting like it! Collin: Well it's not like he was friendly. He permanently shrank Azreldeh's horns, made her forget she had a sister, and exiled her for helping us. He just wasn't...

Daedalus: A huge asshole about it?

Collin: ... I guess that works. Bandit: Well, that's an improvement. Not much progress, but improvement nonetheless...

Paprika: So...why did you decide to make an entire corrupt dimension to trap him in? Don't you realize there's innocent people there too?

Bandit: Innocents born from the corrupt; corruption born from innocence. Nobody is truly without sin; that's the big picture he should be taking away. And it looks like you took it too; a little too literally, apparently. Daedalus: Well, one of your little shadows in there is damn near running the asylum at this point and making life even more hell for everyone under him, so it was either get her out or leave her to suffer and most likely die. You don't have to be a saint to figure out which is the lesser of two evils there. Bandit: And why should any of that concern any of you? You don't belong there. Daedalus: Y'know, I'm no parent, but I'm pretty sure you're supposed to talk to your kids about life lessons, not demonstrate them by trapping sentient beings in a permanent hell as some kind of metaphor. Bandit: I mean, everything's gotta go somewhere, right? Look, I've seen this kind of thing before; heroes don't become villains from stern talks from their parents; they become villains due to skewed motives and bad intentions destroying everything they hold precious. Collin: I know this sounds weird but... does he really need to be a villain to run hell? I know it's not supposed to be a good place but there's nothing wrong with just being... well, just. Bandit: And just what the hell would you know about hell itself, huh? You're human! Exclusively human! I mean, you haven't even banged the hot demon princess thirsting over your dick, what the fuck would you know about fucking hell in any sense?! A moment of silence seeps in for a moment as Collin grapples with trying to process Bandit's words, broken by Daedalus clearing his throat a few seconds later.

Daedalus: Well, this is awkward suddenly...

Collin finally pulls himself back and glares back at Bandit. "L-Look, I don't have be some kind of demon or whatever to know how things should work. Whatever grand result you're hoping to get out of that dimension isn't gonna happen with the way things are going in there. It's not like these are evil souls or whatever in there anyway! It's just inverse reflections of people trapped in a cycle that punishes them for existing!" Bandit: And? Look, you don't know anything about running hell, let alone an entire dimension; what would you know about my mirrors? What at all? You can't tell me how to run the damn things; and you lost my game too, so you're doubly fucked on the telling me what to do front. Collin: What is that supposed to mean? Bandit: You had no idea what you were gambling with despite willingly walking into a casino to find a devil...? Daedalus: You never said anything when I mentioned not having chips... Bandit: I told you not to worry, didn't I? And now you don't have anything left to worry about, do you? See, I was right! Daedalus: ... Aren't you supposed to have a contract or something for this kind of shit? Bandit: Didn't the guy at the door tell you you oughtta know what you were in for? Daedalus: That... doesn't seem like it would count... Bandit: See? There you guys go with the not knowing anything about hell or devils thing. Look, quit worrying about it, alright? Anyway, we've still got three people sitting out there doing nothing, should I make this a party, or are we done here? Collin: We're not "done here" until you do something about those people trapped in your mirror dimension! Bandit: Oh my god, I've really had it with your whole shadow's rights activism. You're probably my chattiest customers yet, and by customers, I mean losers.

They flip Collin's card face down, forcing him to slam his head onto the table before flipping it back upright. "Please just answer my questions, it'll go a lot smoother if you do."

Echo: St-stop that!!

Bandit: I could rip it in half next... Gripping the side of his head, Collin groans before he looks back at Bandit. "... Fine, what the fuck do you want then?" Bandit: Your little trio outside; are we dragging them in, or are we done? Collin: What does that even mean? You want to trap their souls in cards too or whatever the hell this is? Bandit: No, I mean we've still got a gamble to make here. Either they play a game, or all four of you are done here, and nobody will find out where you went. Understand? Daedalus: ... Sounds like we don't really have a choice if we want to leave, then. Making a motion like yanking a rope, Bandit pulls Demo; Jay; and Fawkes into the room out of nowhere, despite their visible confusion. "Right! So, you guys walked in on my last game and joined, so this time, you get to pick!" Daedalus: Pro-tip: if you lose he gets your soul. We're already fucked, so good luck. Demo: Wait, what?!! We left you alone for like, 20 minutes! You've gotta be kidding me!! Daedalus: Yeah, yeah, we're all dumbasses. Pick something you're good at and save the roast for later. Demo: ...No pressure...

alienrabitt: Uhh...are we all picking our own, or...?

Bandit: Nope; one for all three of you. So...discuss. Fawkes: Well this is... problematic. Does it have to be a traditional card or casino game? Bandit: Any sort of game is fine, so long as there can be a winner, and it can be finished within, well, a human's natural lifespan; but I'm sure you want to make this quick. Fawkes: I'm worried this gambling business is going to become a trend soon at this rate. I'm not sure the last game I played would be good here. What do you two think? alienrabitt: I...don't think so. I hope we don't have to keep gambling for this kind of thing...um...

Demo: Does it have to be a one on one game?

Bandit: Nope, we can all play at once. Fawkes: Do you have something in mind, Demo? Demo: Well, no, nothing in particular. If they want this done quick, the fastest way would be all at once, though... Fawkes: Well, you have your standard games like blackjack or poker, or even something simple like drawing straws. I guess anything could technically be a gambling game... alienrabitt: ...Even if we win, you're not gonna break the curse on the mirror, are you?

Bandit: Of course not! Nothing you could bet would make me do that. At this point, you're playing for my amusement; nothing more, nothing less. Well, and the souls of your careless friends. Fawkes: Unfortunately I don't think we have much bargaining power here, unsurprisingly... alienrabitt: Ugh...this just gets worse...fine...

Demo: ...What's saying you won't cheat?

Bandit: Oh, nothing. I just said someone needs to win; I didn't say how. I'm a devil, I don't make rules. Fawkes seems to think for a few seconds before he finally speaks up. "... Alright then, straws it is, just me and you. If I fail, the other two can pick their own game. Whoever removes the shortest straw wins. If I win, we get everyone else's souls back. Sound fair enough?" Bandit: ...Wait, seriously? ...Well, alright.

They swipe their hand, clearing the table of all the chips upon it, but leaving everyone's cards.

that sounds like they slapped em onto the floor but they really just, like, waved them away

Fawkes retrieves a cup and a large wad of straws from a nearby refreshment station and sets them down on the table. One of his fingers folds out into a small laser which he uses to slice the straws into various random lengths. He dumps the straws into the cup and then takes a step back.

Fawkes: In the sake of fairness, I think we should choose a straw blindly without examing the cup closely. Does that sound reasonable? Bandit: ...Yeah, okay. Fawkes: Good. Then seeing as I am the challenger now, I think it's only fair that you choose first. Bandit chooses a straw near the center of the cup. Fawkes: Hmm, two-point-five centimeters. Not bad, I think that's one of the shortest lengths I cut.

Fawkes reaches out for one of the taller straws in the cup. Gripping its tip between his fingers, he suddenly twists to the side, revealing a nearly severed tip of the straw which easily snaps off in his grip. "... Four millimeters. I believe I win." Bandit: ...Ha! Hahaha, alright, you got me!

Taking the cards off the table, Bandit burns them all in their hands, though this seems to do no harm to the people they were tied to. "So, what's next?" Fawkes: If the mirror's curse is truly off the table, I'm not sure we have any further business here.

Daedalus: Are you really deadset on keeping it that way? We weren't lying about the state the place is in, y'know... Bandit: Well...I guess if you bet something really big, or did something really interesting, I might consider some changes... Collin: ... Something interesting? That seems awfully vague. Bandit: Well, I've been alive for a very long time; and I've seen just about everything mankind has to offer. And this space stuff was interesting for a few hundred years, but now? I want something new. That's why I keep doing this; that's why I've been challenging anyone who stands out in a crowd...I want something exciting! It's what I live for! Money; power; love; those don't matter at all! It's thrill! Thrill is all that matters; entertainment; excitement! I wanna be on the edge of my seat; blown away; speechless! I need something interesting!! alienrabitt: ...You already made an entire dimension by yourself; what could top that?

Bandit: Well, it's not all brand new; it's just a reflection. I can't make something entirely new; definitely not to that scale...

alienrabitt: ...Well, I mean, technically /I/ can, would that be enough?

Slowly leaning forward, Bandit eyes Jay with interest as they place their head in their hand, and their elbow on the table. "...Technically? What exactly does that mean?"

alienrabitt: I mean, it's...pretty big, I've never tried it before, and I don't have enough magic to do it on my own, but technically I can.

Bandit: Oh, don't worry about magic; I'll burn my whole dimension down if it means seeing this for real. You sure you wanna do this?

alienrabitt: ...Would you break your curse if I did?

Bandit: Oh hell yeah.

alienrabitt: Then...if I can get the magic to pull it off, I'll do it. Collin: You gonna need some help, Jay? alienrabitt: I mean, I'd need magic, but I have no idea how much...

Echo: More than he could possibly have; and more than your entire crew could provide. A dimension is massive; even when your shadow worked with us, we couldn't do anything that could give us a way out. You simply don't have what it takes; nobody does.

Demo: Oh, you oughtta know better than to tell either of these idiots "no;" they live their lives on making the impossible possible. Collin: Can't hurt to try, right?

He holds out a hand to Jay. "So uh, wanna give it a whirl?" Bandit: I hate to burst your bubble, but Jay's the one that offered, not you. You can't help.

*slam dunks Seras into the garbage*

Collin sighs and puts his hand back down. "Right, of course..." Demo: Well, you can't make a gate without me either. I'm guessing you're doing this exclusively alone?

Bandit: Yes and no.

They gesture with their hands, parting the table in half as they cross the room and walk towards Jay. "Give me your heart. No funny stuff. I want to make sure you're doing this right, and that you're not just trying to get rid of me."

alienrabitt: ...I...I can't just hand it over, I can't even touch it by myself--

Bandit: Fine, then I'll take it on my own.

With a sharp motion, Bandit pries Jay's oracle from his chest, causing it to shift to a deep, black color, as it seems to pull the light from around it rather than radiate any light of its own. The shell around Jay's injured arm bursts as his yellow magic shifts to orange, and he's floored by the abrupt shift in power. Collin immediately crackles with electricity as he snaps into a striking pose. "What the hell do you think you're doing?! You can't just grab his oracle like that, it'll-!" Bandit: It'll what? He's fine, see? Well...okay enough. Besides, he needs my magic to make a dimension. If he tried to use yours, he'd shred you to pieces in an instant and not even get a block's worth of turf done. So let the big dogs run with the big dogs, champ; just sit this one out like you're supposed to, or somebody's gonna get hurt in a way you don't want em to. His electricity subsides slightly, but Collin can't fully suppress the indignated anger in his expression as he takes a step back. Bandit: Right, so once I put this back, you make a whole new dimension, no tricks or anything, and once you're done, you're all theirs, okay?

Pulling Jay up off the floor, Bandit returns his oracle. Instantaneously, the entire surrounding area goes pitch black, spreading out seemingly infinitely in all directions, leaving nothing else behind save for the occupants of Bandit's room. A little nervous, Bandit looks down at Jay. "...Hey, you uhh...you're making a totally new one, right?"

Jay, however, does not seem capable of responding, his eyes glowing the solid orange of Bandit's magic as the darkness spreads beyond the edge of the planet, and out of sight. Daedalus: I don't know much about magic, but this is looking a little bad right now. Demo: You...you need to call this off!! Jay can't stop himself, if this is destroying the dimension, then--!!

Bandit: Then who cares? I don't owe these people anything. People owe me; that's the point. Collin: Shut up and get out of my way before you get literally everyone killed!

He rushes forward to Jay and reaches out desperately for his oracle. As Bandit tries to cut Collin off, Demo slams them away with a wall of sand. Collin attempts to grab the oracle, but the sheer gravity of Bandit's influence radiates a force that threatens to burn Collin's arm off. The white shard in Collin's leg bursts with light as it activates while runic symbols begin to flow across Collin's robes like water, both factors working desperately in tandem trying to keep Collin intact. Steeling himself, he cries out as he forces himself through the opposing power trying to keep him from reverting Jay's oracle back. The closer Collin manages to get to Jay's oracle, the more audible some form of chatter becomes. Among the chaos of Demo attacking Bandit and Paprika panicking about the state of the world around them, Tori can be heard desperately attempting to talk Jay down, while what sounds like thousands of other voices seem to drown him out with frantic shouts and screams, pleading and begging Jay for some sort of escape that he desperately continues to attempt to provide.

Shifting to their true form, Demo is rapidly engulfed in the sands of her anubis, forming a much larger construct; a massive, black cat-like thing with glowing red eyes that snaps at Bandit, driving them back as she forces them to keep their distance from Collin and Jay.

"HE ISN'T A TOY. HE NEVER WAS."

[[apparently “headers” can’t be put into blockquotes. anyway, this is OOC commentary from this box to the next IC interaction]]

this is the first time a kleivenn in their “true form” has spoken anything but Chariot; I wanna point that out

Collin struggles to maintain his focus amidst the overwhelming chaos around him. He shouts as loud as he can, trying to force his voice to push through the thousands of others. "Jay! You have to stop this! You're going to tear this entire dimension apart if you don't!"

Collin's attempt to cut through the noise seems to make some sort of impact. Though the onslaught of panic doesn't let up, the force keeping Collin's distance wavers slightly. Not quite enough to let him through, but enough to get him closer. Tori practically radiates relief, but continues to attempt to reach Jay, with the now audible addition of urging him to focus on his surroundings, attempting to get Jay to notice Collin.

Fed up with the people attempting to rob them of their fun, Bandit lashes out for Demo, disregarding the sand or their own safety. Seemingly unaffected by the anubis, they shove their way through the sand, grab Demo by the throat, and throw her out of her construct, dispelling the anubis and giving the both of them plenty of distance from the main attraction. With Demo now out of the way, Bandit returns their attention to Collin, attempting to charge him down.

in this particular instant Bandit got what they have later; because Demo needed it to be there for her sand constructs

also ngl, I had the jaguar from El Dorado in mind when she took this form

As Bandit moves in closer to Jay and Collin, a whirling hammer of fire hurls through the air and slams into him from the side. Daedalus takes a step forward as another hammer bursts into shape in his hand. Shifting into a throwing stance, he calls out to Bandit as he adjusts his grip on the weapon. "Not so fast, moron! There's plenty more where that came from!"

Collin begins drawing in trace amounts of the energy roiling off of Jay's oracle to maintain his protection from the energy surrounding it. He continues trying to get his attention in any way possible, still calling out to him. "Jay, whatever you're trying to do isn't worth the lives it'll cost to do it! Please, come back to me! You don't have to do this!"

and right here is where Collin draws in raw devil magic

With a bitter look, Bandit reveals something they grabbed while wading through the sands of Demo's anubis; her oracle tightly gripped in their hand, unchanging due to their focus on Jay. "Try it again, I dare you."

Slowly, they continue to move towards Collin, keeping aware of their surroundings.

Getting more urgently desperate for Jay's attention, Tori cries out, begging among the masses, one of thousands of crying voices, only to be the single one begging for Jay to stop. Again, the influence falters, allowing Collin to come into physical contact with the oracle, which still manages to burn despite his precautions. Daedalus' expression goes through several rapid changes before finally settling on fury, although he stops himself from immediately throwing another hammer.

Gritting his teeth through the pain, Collin pushes every bit of magic he can spare into Jay's oracle as he frantically attempts to bring him back to his usual state. "It's... okay Jay! Please just... come back to me! Get rid of this energy and... go back to normal!" In an instant, the darkness recedes back to its source, returning the current dimension to its normal state; however the toll taken on Jay seems to have been immense enough to expend any magic he had taken in, and his light-based form bursts, leaving only his oracle behind.

Filled with a bitter rage, Bandit squeezes Demo's oracle, cracking it in their hands. As Demo cries out in pain, Bandit registers that this, too, is an oracle. In a fit of spite, they bite into the oracle like an apple, leaving what appears to be little more than an eggshell's worth behind. Demo convulses sharply, letting out half of a whimper before instantaneously losing consciousness. Sighing, Bandit tosses the remainder of the oracle aside as if it were little more than garbage. "I can't believe this..."

this is why Bandit lost a fucking arm in the original draft before she pulled this bullshit

Daedalus' hammer disperses instantly as he scrambles for the remaining chunk of her oracle. Cradling it in his hands, he turns back to face Bandit as flames begin to flicker around his entire body. "What did you just fucking do?!" Bandit: Well, you took away everything I was trying to do, and she kept getting in my way, so I just made sure she'd stop doing that. Don't be so sour, it grows back or somethin'. Anyway, you all disappointed me, so the mirror's staying as it is, and the only people that got hurt by this are you guys, soooo... Fawkes: ... We need to leave.

Daedalus: Are you fucking serious? We're just gonna let him walk- Fawkes: We need to leave.

He carefully lifts Demo up off the floor. "There's nothing left to do here." Echo: ...We're going to end you...

Bandit: You wish. You're down two guys, damn near three. Now beat it, you defective piece of shit. Take the rest of the trash out with you. Daedalus almost entirely combusts but Collin grabs him by the shoulder and forcibly shoves him toward the door. The group makes their way back out of the VIP room for the IT as Daedalus tries not to set the entire casino on fire. As the group returns to the IT, Rio and Nydins meet them at the console room, only for what little color showing on Nydins' face to drain instantly upon seeing the state Demo and Jay are in. The pair stands in stunned silence, Rio's visor going completely blank as she tries to process what could've happened. Stumbling with her words, Rio is the first to pierce the quiet. "That...how did...where did you...? What...happened? Ah-- are they...?" Daedalus storms past them rather than answer as flames swell more and more around him. He throws the door to the training room open and then just as quickly slams it behind him. A muffled scream and the sound of rushing air is the only thing that can be faintly heard as Collin takes a deep breath.

Collin: This was a huge mistake. Nydins: What...can we do? Can we help...? Can...anyone? Collin: Jay should come back in a little while, but... I really don't know about Demo. I need to go see XL, the pain's starting to kick in from these burns...

Nydins: O...okay....I'll just...we'll just get us out... Collin nods once and quietly makes his way down the hall to XL's room.

hoooo, okay, next time we start dealing with the aftermath of all this, and who knows what else happens from there!