You were successful in repelling the robots attacking the city, but you've been left with far too many questions. For once, Tails doesn't have any answers for you, and a gloomy uncertainty has fallen over your three allies. It probably doesn't help that everyone had a rough time of it last week. A win is a win, but it doesn't really feel like a win when you're not even sure who this unknown threat is...
Regardless, life goes on. Things are a bit different this week in Chicago, however.
THE CITY
You'll need to be careful now more than ever when heading out into the city. Though Eggman's usual robots are still present, their numbers have been cut drastically. Far fewer drones patrol the streets, with only the occasional tank or B33 to be seen. You can still find and fight them, and they will still call for backup, but it seems like you all really have destroyed a lot of them.
But there are the new additions to Eggman's forces. Unlike the white chrome versions, these are here to cause problems. You can find them patrolling sometimes... but usually you'll find them in the city proper, destroying whatever they can. Whenever they catch sight of you, they will stop at nothing to try to pursue you and destroy you.
The city itself is still undergoing changes, with more of that white chrome spreading throughout, as if infecting the structures themselves. The Badniks will still destroy even that, though; it's more like they're mindless machines than carrying out any precise orders.
But in a stroke of good luck, occasionally you'll find that some of the humans recognize the danger they're in. It's only when confronted with a robot - but you might hear a scream, or see them try to run away, and if you save them, you may even be able to get a few words in before they simply return to their monotonous lives. You won't be able to get any truly valuable information from them, but they will thank you repeatedly for helping. They don't seem to realize that they're being controlled by someone else, even if you ask them about it.
VISIONS
If you thought last week was a lot, get ready for the madness of week 4!
You may still have nightmares. You may still be pulled into each others' nightmares (same as last week, if you'd like to play out more of these). Or maybe you'll finally be able to catch a break and get some z's, but even if you are lucky enough for that, you'll still be dealing with everything else.
You may find yourself randomly teleported into the city. This happens at random, and can happen to multiple people at the same time. One minute you may be waking up, the next you'll find yourself surrounded by robots ready to kill you. And yeah, the robots are a feature, not a bug. No matter how it happens, you will always be facing down robots whenever you're brought into the city. Enjoy!
But maybe your luck holds out and you're unaffected by that. Well, there's still the visions to deal with!
There are two different kinds of visions that may happen.
The first are the more minor ones - where you may see the people closest to you (positive or negative). They will appear for others as well, and they will gladly speak with you - though they aren't exactly behaving in the way they should. They will torment you, reminding you of past failures and imperfections, and speaking as though everything is your fault. They will follow you wherever you go, and will only fade when someone else has helped you come to terms with the horrid things they're saying. These visions are a manifestation of a character's psyche and thus are based on their own perceptions of their friends/enemies and their own faults. They're incapable of interacting with the world or the characters, but they sure can insult you!
The second are much larger in scope. No matter where you were, you may find yourself pulled into friend's memory. These memories are one-for-one versions of what exactly happened, though now you're here! Are you playing the role of someone else, or are you just a bystander in all that's happening?
The character having the vision may or may not be aware of you initially, but once they're made aware of your presence, the vision will still play out as the memory would. The only way to stop it - aside from simply letting it play out in its entirety - is to drastically alter the memory in such a way that it cannot get itself back on track. Considering the trauma some of the people in this game have, it might be a good idea to help break them free of it.
Regardless of which happens to you (the nightmares, the teleportation, or the visions), your vision will turn bright red for a moment afterwards - it vanishes quickly enough, but it leaves you with the eerie feeling that you're being watched.
SHARDS
Your powers are growing, and you'll find you're able to defend yourself with your power in some way, even if yours is a power made for support. All characters are now able to fire off a blast of energy in their shard color to defend themselves - this attack will grow stronger in time, but at least everyone should be able to defend themselves (somewhat) now?
As you fight with your allies - particularly those you have a close bond with, positive or negative - you may feel the tug of something in the back of your head; it tells you that you can do more. Together, you can become more powerful. You can use your shards together. Doing so will grant you a new power, or strengthen the one you already have. The more you trust one another, the easier this power will be to use.
It might be good to experiment with these new powers; after all, you never know when you may need them.
TAILS' TASKS
Like last week, Sonic Team is still in need of rings. Rings are still annoying to get. You'll probably need help to get them, but they're worth collecting. So make sure to grab some for Tails!
You may also be tasked with tracking Chaos Energy. Like with tracking rings, Tails will give you a device that can pick up on the signature. You should be careful in approaching, especially if the signature is a large one, considering the three enemies you faced last weekend. Still, Chaos Energy may lead you to more of Eggman's fake Chaos Emeralds, which could prove useful...
Tracking the source down will lead you to one of the weekly enemies with a shard somewhere on its body. It will be much harder to kill than the regular versions of that enemy, and capable of some kind of special power (players' choice). Crushing the shard will weaken the enemy and bring it back down to its normal power level, making it fairly easy to defeat, but if you manage to defeat it without breaking the shard, you can bring it back to Tails for examination.
ENEMIES
Though you can still find the enemies from previous weeks in Chicago throughout the city, their numbers have thinned. Mostly, you'll be running into new faces - robots that don't look anything like Eggman's usuals. They are very rarely actually patrolling or idling, instead focused on destroying parts of the city or attacking any people unfortunate enough to get in their way.
Moto Bugs are... rather cute. They roll around on their singular wheel and can slash with their front claws, though primarily they deal damage by ramming into things at fairly high speeds. They're fairly weak, all things considered, especially by now. They're completely powerless when knocked over or onto their backs. Though one Moto Bug is weak, you will never find them alone - instead, you'll usually find at least 3-5 of them in a group.
Crabmeats are robotic crabs. Where does the meat come in? Unclear. Regardless, they're stronger than Moto Bugs and are capable of both bashing with their massive claws and snipping, and either way they are capable of a good deal of damage if you get hit. They're slower though, which means getting out of the way shouldn't be too hard. Like Moto Bugs, these usually are never alone, often working in pairs.
Buzzers are bees. Did you think we were done with bees? We are absolutely not done with bees. These bees function almost identically to the B33 models in that they're capable of firing lasers from their stingers, divebombing to try to sting, and generally be(e)ing a nuisance. Unlike the B33 models, they do not have a glaringly obvious weak point and are a bit harder to hit and destroy as a result. Though you may rarely encounter only one of these bees out in the wild, usually you'll run into groups of them and they will not be(e) happy to see you.
The second one. [ ... and the first, but considering how things have been recently, maybe it's not that surprising. ] Been a bit stiflin' at the base recently, with everyone's memories and all.
[ He follows without complaint, listening to their explanation. While he hasn't done much art in the past outside of his wood carvings - lack of access to materials and all that - this sounds like something he could do.
So, ] Yeah. Think we've both got some steam to blow off anyway.
[ Speaking generally, of course. One can only deal with nightmares and exploding robots for so long before they start to get real tired of that nonsense. ]
[ Breaking into Eggman's base is going to be a big no, so obviously causing a ruckus there isn't possible - they had thought about trying to find a way to sneakily be a bother, but then had a eureka moment with this.
Void Archives enjoys being a nuisance and this is no exception. ]
Oh, of course. Those would be the most easiest to bring trouble to, naturally. The brighter they are, the easier to mar.
[ Once they're in the store, Void Archives grabs yellow, red, and orange. ]
Have you ever been in the position to cause such delightful mayhem against others?
[ This is going to make for a wonderful array of colors, they just know it. ]
Ah...it sounds like you've had quite the exciting life. I do hope at least some of it was entertaining as this?
[ Because as far as they're concerned, they're about to have a fun time with their current ammunition. To the point that they excitedly start to lead the way back out... ]
[ While he might not be as visibly excited, he's quick to pop the lid off of one of the cans and just... inspect it a little. Strange. He might have to watch how they use it first - and also adjust a little from there, given his paws. ]
It wasn't at the time, but lookin' back? Yeah. Can't believe some of the shit I pulled off.
[ They've probably figured it out at this point, but he'll confirm: ] I spent the first half of my life scavengin' for crumbs just to get by. [ Metaphorical, but also literal. ]
[ Though they might not see his expression softening, if they're keeping an eye on their surroundings, they'll be able to hear the gentleness in his voice. ]
... More like I got my sorry ass saved. Didn't get at the time why he took a chance on me [ and honestly, all these years later he still doesn't ] but he did. Even decided to marry me.
[ He touches one of his domino earrings. ] If not for him, I'm damn sure I wouldn't be here.
[ Void Archives does so happen to catch the hint of gentleness in that tone and looks slightly amused, but there is a spark of curiosity as well. ]
Oh? So someone came and rescued you in your time of need, but chose to stuck by you in your worst of hours, and afterwards, is it?
[ It sounds something out of an intense, whirlwind romance that became sweet. ]
How fortunate! It sounds almost like a tale, but you clearly experienced it first-hand. I'm hardly surprised you'd say such things, especially if the situation was originally so dire. I imagine he'd be the type of person to approve of these actions right now since you two ended up in a happy marriage.
[ That's not guaranteed, but they doubt they're wrong. They shake the yellow can after taking off the top, and begin to start spraying right away. It's not going to be something so puerile as a deez nuts joke, but I'm letting everyone know that it was under consideration. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
no subject
I see. [ Beat. ] I just thought of doing something incredibly fun, by the way.
[ Potentially. But, eh. ]
Are you familiar with the activity of spray painting?
no subject
Can't say I know what spray paint even is.
[ Like obviously it's paint that sprays but ???? ]
no subject
[ They begin to head towards a certain retail store. ]
Follow me as I explain.
As you might have presumed already, it's an invention where paint is allowed to be sprayed from a can. They come in a variety of colors, obviously.
Now, my suggestion is to pick a place and spray paint it. We have so many buildings to choose from - and the subject? Making a mockery of our enemy~
Does that not sound like a productive way to spend time?
no subject
So, ] Yeah. Think we've both got some steam to blow off anyway.
[ Speaking generally, of course. One can only deal with nightmares and exploding robots for so long before they start to get real tired of that nonsense. ]
Y'think it'll work on the white buildings?
no subject
We certainly do.
[ Breaking into Eggman's base is going to be a big no, so obviously causing a ruckus there isn't possible - they had thought about trying to find a way to sneakily be a bother, but then had a eureka moment with this.
Void Archives enjoys being a nuisance and this is no exception. ]
Oh, of course. Those would be the most easiest to bring trouble to, naturally. The brighter they are, the easier to mar.
[ Once they're in the store, Void Archives grabs yellow, red, and orange. ]
Have you ever been in the position to cause such delightful mayhem against others?
no subject
Not in recent years. Caused plenty of trouble in my younger days, though. Lot of breakin' and enterin', and stealing to get by.
no subject
Ah...it sounds like you've had quite the exciting life. I do hope at least some of it was entertaining as this?
[ Because as far as they're concerned, they're about to have a fun time with their current ammunition. To the point that they excitedly start to lead the way back out... ]
no subject
It wasn't at the time, but lookin' back? Yeah. Can't believe some of the shit I pulled off.
[ They've probably figured it out at this point, but he'll confirm: ] I spent the first half of my life scavengin' for crumbs just to get by. [ Metaphorical, but also literal. ]
no subject
Sometimes, looking back on what you've done does make it far more enjoyable in retrospect. Including the chaos and mayhem...
[ Perspective! Gotta enjoy it...sometimes. But, Gyles is correct that they were connecting those dots. Though... ]
I suppose your upbringing meant you were forced into doing so? What enabled you to stop needing to do that? Striking gold in your endeavors~?
[ And now they're outside! They will begin to direct the two to a building as they continue talking. ]
no subject
... More like I got my sorry ass saved. Didn't get at the time why he took a chance on me [ and honestly, all these years later he still doesn't ] but he did. Even decided to marry me.
[ He touches one of his domino earrings. ] If not for him, I'm damn sure I wouldn't be here.
no subject
Oh? So someone came and rescued you in your time of need, but chose to stuck by you in your worst of hours, and afterwards, is it?
[ It sounds something out of an intense, whirlwind romance that became sweet. ]
How fortunate! It sounds almost like a tale, but you clearly experienced it first-hand. I'm hardly surprised you'd say such things, especially if the situation was originally so dire. I imagine he'd be the type of person to approve of these actions right now since you two ended up in a happy marriage.
[ That's not guaranteed, but they doubt they're wrong. They shake the yellow can after taking off the top, and begin to start spraying right away. It's not going to be something so puerile as a deez nuts joke, but I'm letting everyone know that it was under consideration. ]