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.
[His smile fades for a moment. So that's why he's noticed some elements of this dream repeat itself. Red Hood's song restarts, and the dancers revert to their starting positions... Dorothy's trapped herself in a blissful dream that she doesn't want to leave.
He only knows about the tragedy with Pinne, but something tells him it's not going to get any better beyond this peaceful night for Dorothy.]
...I understand.
[Dorothy's experienced his own nightmare, so she can probably see why he would. If he found himself in a blissful dream with Casey, he'd have a real hard time leaving her behind too.
But he knows what he would want to happen if someone else joined him. He'd want them to offer a hand.
So that's what he tries with Dorothy.]
You bet I do. [He extends his hand to her.] I know it's scary, but whaddya say ta givin' it a try with me?
[She definitely does. Anyone else she might get a little snippy at attempting to claim they understand, but...Dorothy knows better than most what he's experienced. He truly has experienced that kind of loss that just takes the wind from your sails and leaves you directionless.
But Dorothy looks to him when he offers that hand, and a part of her is softly shocked that he would offer.
She's really been nothing but a nuisance to Raven, she's sure, but there's a part of her that's...touched, in a way, that he would offer this in the first place. There's a quiet hesitation in the way she raises her hand, like she's not entirely sure if this is a joke at her expense or not, but she'll take his hand gently and smile a bit.]
...You do make it quite hard to refuse, after the effort you went to dress for the occasion. How could I say no?
[The look on her face is hesitant, but surprisingly gentle.]
[There are no tricks or jokes here. Honestly, the grievances that Raven had with Dorothy have long since faded as he's gotten to know her better. Grief and loss does a number on a person, and everyone handles it differently. Raven now knows the route that Dorothy has taken in her attempt to deal with it.
He can tell she's still fixated on her past, though. That's something he's only just started to work through. It's very much a work in progress, but the most important part is getting started.]
I wish I could say I planned it, but I just showed up like this. I'd say it's workin' in my favor, though.
[...okay, maybe there's one joke. He couldn't help himself.
Surprise crosses his face when she asks to lead. It's not what he expected, but he's nothing if not a good follower.]
I've got no objections. Lead the way.
[...it's only as they're getting into position that he finally realizes Dorothy is taller than him. Just an idle observation, but boy is it making him feel a certain way.]
Very well. Allow me the chance to sweep you off your feet, if only metaphorically.
[Dorothy's smile deepens a bit, at Raven trusting her so; he's always been smaller than her, very slightly so, but somehow he feels even more so when measured up like this. With her hand on his shoulder and holding onto his other hand, she'll lead him properly onto the dance floor with a smile.
And for what it's worth, she is good at this; she's had plenty of practice with this, it seems, and she adapts to him pretty easily, all things considered.
Still, you might catch Red Hood looking you in the eyes, looking toward the phonograph for a moment, Raven...before Dorothy thinks to speak up a bit.]
Tell me, what type of beat do you like to dance to? Slower, faster...?
[He puts on a wry smirk as they make their way for an open spot on the dance floor.]
I feel like this is the part where I say that's supposed ta be my job. [His pride as a so-called womanizer is in shambles!!] But we both know you could do it metaphorically and literally.
[There wasn't anything romantic about it, but Dorothy scooped his pathetic ass off the ground on the very day they met. It's funny how much has changed since then.
As they settle into the dance, he keeps an even pace with her. He's a military man who has been to plenty of balls just like this, even if he was never much into them. It's different with Dorothy though. He's not dancing with her out of obligation. No, this is exactly where he wants to be.
Huh. That's something for him to think about later.
He jumps at the chance to speed things up, winking in Red Hood's direction. Don't worry, Red. He wouldn't dare ruin this for Dorothy.]
I'm practiced enough fer appropriate fancy-schmancy ball dances, but if I'm gonna be honest, I've always preferred the liveliness of guild parties. How 'bout you?
Truthfully? I haven't experienced anything like the guild parties you speak of. They'd certainly never play anything interesting at these balls like that...
But I think I can understand that.
[And as if on cue, DJ Red Hood over there seems to adjust the song a bit--to something a little faster, a little more of a nice jam that they can dance a little faster to, and Dorothy barely notices but seems to adjust the pace easily with a smile on her face.
After all, as fun as this is...she wants to make this fun for Raven, too.
If he's sharing in this memory with her, why not let him have a little fun too?]
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no subject
He only knows about the tragedy with Pinne, but something tells him it's not going to get any better beyond this peaceful night for Dorothy.]
...I understand.
[Dorothy's experienced his own nightmare, so she can probably see why he would. If he found himself in a blissful dream with Casey, he'd have a real hard time leaving her behind too.
But he knows what he would want to happen if someone else joined him. He'd want them to offer a hand.
So that's what he tries with Dorothy.]
You bet I do. [He extends his hand to her.] I know it's scary, but whaddya say ta givin' it a try with me?
no subject
But Dorothy looks to him when he offers that hand, and a part of her is softly shocked that he would offer.
She's really been nothing but a nuisance to Raven, she's sure, but there's a part of her that's...touched, in a way, that he would offer this in the first place. There's a quiet hesitation in the way she raises her hand, like she's not entirely sure if this is a joke at her expense or not, but she'll take his hand gently and smile a bit.]
...You do make it quite hard to refuse, after the effort you went to dress for the occasion. How could I say no?
[The look on her face is hesitant, but surprisingly gentle.]
Let me take the lead, at least to start?
no subject
He can tell she's still fixated on her past, though. That's something he's only just started to work through. It's very much a work in progress, but the most important part is getting started.]
I wish I could say I planned it, but I just showed up like this. I'd say it's workin' in my favor, though.
[...okay, maybe there's one joke. He couldn't help himself.
Surprise crosses his face when she asks to lead. It's not what he expected, but he's nothing if not a good follower.]
I've got no objections. Lead the way.
[...it's only as they're getting into position that he finally realizes Dorothy is taller than him. Just an idle observation, but boy is it making him feel a certain way.]
no subject
[Dorothy's smile deepens a bit, at Raven trusting her so; he's always been smaller than her, very slightly so, but somehow he feels even more so when measured up like this. With her hand on his shoulder and holding onto his other hand, she'll lead him properly onto the dance floor with a smile.
And for what it's worth, she is good at this; she's had plenty of practice with this, it seems, and she adapts to him pretty easily, all things considered.
Still, you might catch Red Hood looking you in the eyes, looking toward the phonograph for a moment, Raven...before Dorothy thinks to speak up a bit.]
Tell me, what type of beat do you like to dance to? Slower, faster...?
no subject
I feel like this is the part where I say that's supposed ta be my job. [His pride as a so-called womanizer is in shambles!!] But we both know you could do it metaphorically and literally.
[There wasn't anything romantic about it, but Dorothy scooped his pathetic ass off the ground on the very day they met. It's funny how much has changed since then.
As they settle into the dance, he keeps an even pace with her. He's a military man who has been to plenty of balls just like this, even if he was never much into them. It's different with Dorothy though. He's not dancing with her out of obligation. No, this is exactly where he wants to be.
Huh. That's something for him to think about later.
He jumps at the chance to speed things up, winking in Red Hood's direction. Don't worry, Red. He wouldn't dare ruin this for Dorothy.]
I'm practiced enough fer appropriate fancy-schmancy ball dances, but if I'm gonna be honest, I've always preferred the liveliness of guild parties. How 'bout you?
no subject
But I think I can understand that.
[And as if on cue, DJ Red Hood over there seems to adjust the song a bit--to something a little faster, a little more of a nice jam that they can dance a little faster to, and Dorothy barely notices but seems to adjust the pace easily with a smile on her face.
After all, as fun as this is...she wants to make this fun for Raven, too.
If he's sharing in this memory with her, why not let him have a little fun too?]