EVENT ★ LABYRINTH III: THE ESCAPE

[futurologists]

LABYRINTH III The correct passageway to the inner ring of the maze is hidden behind a thick wall of vines. After cutting through the plants, the structure of the maze is noticeably different: the overgrown plants continue creeping up the walls, but the walls are no longer brick and stone, composed instead of some sort of blue metal with holes and divots carved elaborately into the surface. From some holes gush forth pure, clean water; from others, acidic liquid. The air is cool and crisp, the plants creating a lush, dim environment lit by eerie blue lights spread throughout this section. The lizards, rats, and other monstrous creatures seem to be absent from this area of the maze, replaced instead by rhinoceros-sized beetles. The beetles each have a single horn protruding from the head, and their hard carapaces make them difficult to kill -- a better method might be to simply climb somewhere high and wait for the beetle to get bored. But unlike the other monsters encountered in the maze, the beetles seem to have something else on their mind beyond wanton violence: they can sometimes be found rolling massive balls of dung throughout the corridors of the labyrinth. (This might explain why the plants are so lush closer to the center.) There is little time to explore this section of the labyrinth before there's a flicker of light all around and more ALASTAIR recruits suddenly appear, most dressed in a freshly pressed uniform and carrying extra food and supplies. They have been told that the cloaking surrounding Asterion Labyrinth is so strong and complex that Oska was only able to send in a handful of recruits at once for a relief effort. In order to leave, they'll have to locate the escape mechanism that lies deep within the labyrinth; the remaining Asterion Prison correctional officers know its general location, but not precisely what it entails. All they know is that it will require technological cunning to operate and that it's heavily guarded. After five days, the portal room is found. THE PORTAL ROOM The center of the labyrinth is a large, circular room with a raised platform in the middle. On this platform rests a circle of computer consoles surrounding another platform, on which sits an empty circular frame 2.5m (8') in diameter. This is the dormant portal, and it is now Audentes's task to turn it on and find their way back to Oska. Because the portal is not made for interdimensional travel, it must be overclocked, which will cause it to burn out and explode once it is used. In order to override the safety protocols in place to prevent such dangerous tampering, the control panels must be unlocked -- and unfortunately, the locks are all complicated puzzles, ranging from the numerical to sliding pieces into place to complete a pattern. There are many of these puzzled scattered around the portal room, and once they are all unlocked, it's a simple matter of flipping the power override switches. Ignore the dangerous humming sound and the way the frame suddenly fills with violent purple energy. That's probably normal. The new recruits have the correct coordinates to locate Oska, which has temporarily lowered its cloaking shield to allow Audentes to return. So there is a bit of a time crunch. Adding more to the difficulty of the situation is the presence of a monster lumbering around the circular portal room. Six meters (20') high, the beast is best described as a minotaur, but perhaps not in the traditional sense: while it resembles a bipedal bull, it is an amalgamation of flesh and machine with its body covered in pistons and glowing lights. One of its hands is an enormous axe and it belches fire and acid. Despite its head resembling an herbivore, the piles of desiccated bones scattered throughout the portal room tell a different story. Upon seeing the group, the minotaur charges. Mavahari, the Zymandis recruit, rushes to meet it with her sword drawn. Inmates and correctional officers do their best to fight it as well, but something becomes quickly apparent: it cannot be harmed by projectile weapons. The machinery of the beast keeps it protected from most attacks, though electricity will stun it and acid will corrode its metal. But in order to injure the minotaur, it must be stabbed between the metal plates where its vulnerable flesh remains. During the battle, the minotaur fights viciously and without regard for its own safety. The first casualty comes early: the minotaur swings its axe toward Mavahari, who is pushed out of the way by George. The axe connects with him solidly, sending him flying into the wall with a shuddering impact. George lies there still, but there's no time to mourn. The beast continues its rampage. Once the minotaur is defeated, you'll have to quickly decide what to do with the correctional officers and inmates who have followed Audentes through the Asterion Labyrinth. The overclocked portal won't hold forever, and the longer Oska leaves its cloak down, the better chance they have of being found by their enemies. OOC NOTES This log will last for six IC days: five days for exploration and one day at the center of the maze. We have also recently altered the calendar this month, so make sure you review it! IMPORTANT: Participation in the solution poll is mandatory for August AC. Failure to participate will result in an automatic strike. The only exception is for those who are exempt from August AC. The poll will close on 11 August 23:59 UTC. If you have any questions about the labyrinth that aren't answered here, please direct them to the Leramzen dossier. Questions about the game in general should be directed to the FAQ and you may submit mission ideas or player plots at any time.

Comments

I—b.

[selfimage]

[ there's less blinding orange jumpsuit, and more gaudy green armor. it had been taken from him when they were caught, and he was quite comfortable to get his limbs back into it. it's ostentatious (especially with the horned headpiece) and completely conspicuous.

Loki doesn't seem to care. ]

At this point—[ he gives Connor the once-over, and doesn't even make an effort to hide it. ]—David Bowie would be as welcome. So, are you going to rescue me with a musical number? Take your pick on what era you'd like to take from, I wouldn't want to limit your Bowie choices.

[sadgay]

[He catches that wandering eye, and if his sly expression is anything to go by, he doesn't mind it in the least. He'll even return the favor, and he's generous enough to look past the ostentatious get-up to what really matters (which is that banging bod).]

Well, I don't have much of a singing voice, but I can take a crack at "Starman" to help liven up this death trap.

[This is, oddly enough, the most normal moment of the day so far. Having a cute guy in front of him at least provides incentive to tame his wild nerves, although his anxiety for their predicament still wears through his expression.]

[selfimage]

[ welcome to legville, population: Loki. ]

What? Don't tell me. You're a Ziggy Stardust sort of guy.

[ he knows that look, and he's not shy in living up to the task of giving Connor a little aid. there's a tip of his chin and a little cock of his hip, showing a soft curve from beneath the folds of his heavy jacket. he makes it seem like it just comes with the body language—a sigh border-lining exaggeration, and a flick of his dark nailed fingers.

sometimes normal can totally be a guy rocking a golden horned diadem. ]

[sadgay]

[Loki earns another lingering look as Connor reads his body language loud and clear.]

Well, I have to give my respect to a guy who can rock eye shadow.

[Oh, were they still talking about the music? The familiar game of flirting proves to be a fine distraction in the face of unknown perils, but unfortunately he has to remind himself of the task at hand. He sets to walking again and motions for Loki to follow. Just a few paces away, the path forks: each branch twists away from the eerie blue light into dimness. Connor's expression is grim again, but half of that is just his chronic case of resting bitch face.]

Which way are you feeling?

[selfimage]

[ whatever perils that have plagued him—either before or after the cavalry arrived—don't seem to have affected Loki. there's a loose, easy way that he holds himself, as if the horrors in the depths of the maze were nothing but an every day occurrence. to some extent they were, he'd come face to face with fire giants, eldritch beasts, inter-dimensional parasites, and shadows of long dead parents come to life. that was just scratching the surface.

with a confident strut, he follows him, the jacket swaying behind him. ]

I wasn't complaining about hearing some Ziggy. This whole inter-dimensional star man ordeal usually has the newbies tripping up. That's the thing about perceptions, I suppose.

[ there's a hum in his voice to Starman. ]

[sadgay]

[He can glean from the armor and the horned tiara that this guy must have some amount of experience in battle, although the lack of a weapon on his person is conspicuous, and quite frankly he looks like a cross between a space Viking and Adam Lambert. The man's light attitude toward their circumstances only reinforces this assumption: here is someone who has seen and done some shit.

Connor should be reassured to know that by his side is someone with a far wider set of experiences than him, yet it puts him on edge too for the simple reason that it emphasizes just how handicapped he is here.]

You seem pretty calm about this...

[He tries to fold away his uncertainties, but he does a poor job of this. Instead, clearing his throat, he aims for an airier tone.]

But you actually want to hear me sing? Well, I only really remember the chorus.

[selfimage]

[ there are those that settled on hipster viking unironically. Loki embraced it somewhere along the way, reconciling the notion between his addled memories and twenty-one year old mentality. ]

We've seen worse. [ his words come out like poetry, like they aren't somewhat terrifying all in their own right. ] And I'm sure I've heard worse. Drunken bar songs are popular where I come from, I wouldn't turn down a little culture, no matter how off-key.

[ it's somewhat the truth—an exaggeration of it. the Asgardians did like their drink and it did loosen their tongues. usually a good song came with a punch to the face, depending on who provoked who. it wasn't a night until someone's teeth were gone, and another five were face-first on the floor in their own puke.

#asgardians ]

[sadgay]

You look like someone who's spent some time in a mead hall.

[He points to his own forehead and traces the invisible shape of Loki's decorative horns. Meanwhile, he cannot believe he has reached a place in his life where such is the state of his pickup lines.]

All right, try not to swoon too hard, but here it goes--

[And he clears his throat, for showmanship more than any practical purpose.]

There's a starman waiting in the sky
He'd like to come and meet us
But he thinks he'd blow our minds
There's a starman waiting in the sky

[Then he can't remember what comes next, so he hums for a bit. All the while his eyes warily drift over the bleak scenery, the escapism of flirting both shallow and fleeting.]

[selfimage]

[ it's charming in a really awkward sort of way. he can't say that Conner's voice is impressive, but he does follow through with the request and that part is ... almost cute, actually. there's a moment of slight amusement that flits across Loki's expression as he listens, giving him a back-up hum before they fall in sync. ]

Alas, I may not be able to contain myself. What do you think would be considered swooning too hard?

[sadgay]

[What he lacks in vocal refinement he makes up for with his characteristic charm, and Loki's reaction is more or less what Connor had aimed for. A smile flits over his lips again as he struggles to focus less on the eerie scenery around him and more on the man beside him.]

Anything that would put you on par with the heroine of a nineteenth century novel might be dangerous.

[selfimage]

[ for the moment, he has Loki's attention, but it's hard to tell how easy it may be to keep. ]

And here I was going to suggest mid-century bodice ripper, but I suppose we can try to insert some class into anything.

[ Loki begins to pad off down the corridor, tucking his gloved hands in the pocket of that obnoxious jacket. ]

Come now, let's go make sure you didn't attract anything unpleasant.

[sadgay]

[Connor too is given to fickleness, but for now he is almost grateful to have Loki to follow after, not quite content but close enough given the circumstances.]

Well, I'll admit I don't have a whole lot of experience in ripping bodices. Other articles of clothing, however...

[He lifts his eyebrows suggestively before casting his gaze about, wary of whatever unpleasant creatures might be lurking in the shadows.]

[selfimage]

[ Loki is—if anything—confident. ]

Ah, is that right? [ he takes it flawlessly, glancing over his shoulder at him. ] Do I have to ask for the juicy details?

[ there are a bunch of them, though sometimes it's difficult to tell a movement of shadow from an actual lizard creature, or a fart from a dung beetle. ]

[sadgay]

[He thinks he sees a dark mass scuttling in the shadows, but when he tries to discern one shape from another in the dimness he finds nothing. His tone is distracted as he answers Loki.]

Isn't it more fun if I leave something to your imagination? You look like someone with a healthy one.

[Although, armor is on his list of "articles of clothing he has never had to remove from someone."]

I'm Connor, by the way.

[selfimage]

[ the comment gets a dangerous smile out of him that seems to say: is that what you really want? ]

Connor.

[ there's a cadence in his voice when he repeats it, like he manages to make the word sound more attractive just by uttering it. his voice is all honey with a poetic flare. ]

I'm Loki of Asgard, god of chaos, lies, and blah blah blah. Well met, and welcome to Audentes in the most ... mortally dangerous way possible, I suppose.

[ there's a flicker around the corner that raises his eye. he doesn't seem to concerned, but it's enough to take his attention off of Connor for a moment. ]