Atlantis: The Final Day

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Atlantis: The Final Day

It had been an unusual autumn--a more stressful autumn than Fuu personally had hoped for, and with more worrying questions raised about the state of reality post-Fate Sisters. She herself had had some experiences more than unsettling lately.

It was a good time, she'd decided, to carve out a little space for relaxation. Fuu was sure that plenty of her fellow imPorts needed it too, so she'd put out a little announcement for an imPort-only game night down at the shop. And she didn't even have to try and convince Mr. Schachfigur that it was a good idea. Not when he was so excited about laying his hands on multiple copies of a new game that was so hot nobody could even find the counterfeit versions.

So that Saturday, Fuu was feeling very pleased with herself as she set up the games and the refreshments, expecting nothing but a fun, uneventful evening.

And then, as soon as each group made the first move of the game, the roar of a thousand tons of water filled the gameshop. As soon as the noise stopped, each person could look around and see the vistas of Atlantis, white and gleaming. Crowds of bronze-age citizens hurried through the streets on their way to the docks. Oddly enough the streets were still seamed where the gameboard's tiles met--and slowly but surely, oozing water up through the cracks.

"What are you standing around for?!" said a man with a properly professorial beard and a very Atlantaen toga. "There's no stopping the flood now! Get the artifacts, and get out of here!"

[Notes:
1. Link back to plot post
2. There are some premade starters, but feel free to create your own scenario!
3. If you are coming in late to this, feel free to find a partner(s), or do an open starter -- people get separated in flooding legendary city-states, after all.]

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No games night would be complete without a table of snacks and soda. It's a blend of American and Japanese sensibilities--although Fuu didn't trust Cheetos she'd included them anyway alongside the wasabi peas, and she'd made sure to include some actual fruit and veggies and juice for healthiness. Because it's never wise to try and comprehend a game rulebook on an empty stomach.

Honestly, many of these snacks could be considered sus. Distrusting Cheetos is just wise — it's some sort of fried foam coated in a greasy orange substance — but from an alien perspective, Japanese snacks can be just as strange. Some of them are so shiny, so glossy, appearing more as plastic than something nutritious.

But you know what? Fruits and veggies are far easier to trust. And some of the dipping substances remind her of the green goop that made up so much of their diet in space. Have you ever tried pineapple and guacamole? No? You're missing out.

For now, though, Allura's nursing a tall glass of juice, and making some introductions. If you've never met before, you're likely to find her tone a little formal, especially for someone in mom jeans and a mildly festive sweater. But that's now this princess rolls, apparently.

On one hand, Minimus approves of the healthy food for organics. On the other hand, Cybertronians cannot ingest soda or fruit lest the risk damage to their internal workings. It just so happens that this day was one where he made use of his hologram avatar to fit into the board game room and not have to deal with the discomfort of his government-assigned human form.

So now there is a surly teenage girl with a nametag reading "MINIMUS AMBUS" on the couch, eyeing all of that food.

"...I'll look over the rulebook for now." Might as well memorize the entire thing in case someone tries bending the laws of the game. They are all going to succeed or fail with honesty.

Edited 2020-12-16 03:24 (UTC)

A surly teenage girl... well, Fuu wasn't inclined to let that go without trying to do something about it.

"It's not as bad as some of the games here," she said, sitting down on the same couch. "There are a few where you would think they were writing an act of parliament--or Congress, rather." She gave the girl a friendly smile. "I'm Fuu. It's nice to meet you."

(Yes, she had her own nametag, but it was a force of habit.)

"Minimus Ambus," he responds. "Cybertronian. This is my holomatter avatar, as my original form is too large to fit in here."

The girl picks up the booklet and begins with the introduction to the game. It's nothing like an executive summary of a legal paper, rather this seems to describe the setting as it if were advertising it. They know what they're playing; why include this inside the box?

"I doubt those would be written as a legal document. From my experience, board games tend to be vague in their descriptions." Though something like Dungeons and Dragons would be fun for Minimus but hell for everyone once he memorized every rulebook.

You might be on a mission to save the knowledge of Atlantis, but somehow everywhere you go there are all these people trying to save less important things, like their lives. Yes, you've managed to wander into a particularly crowd-dense part of the playing board, time to try and push your way through before you sink.

[ Momo had dithered between whether to play as a Scholar or a Hoplite, but when she sees the crowd of fleeing people standing between them and their way out, she's glad she chose Hoplite. ]

Everyone, please clear a path in a calm and orderly fashion! [ Hm... Some of the fleeing citizens move out of the way at that, but the bulk of them are still blocking their path. ] Please, I said everyone move!

[ That does it. There's now a clear shot between Momo and Peter and the ship that can take them and their collected artifacts away from the sinking city. Shame that Momo can't seem to move right away... ]

[This is not right. This is not good. This is not what was meant to happen AT ALL.

Fuu, dressed in the robes of a scholar, looks at her partner--Caspar. Then she looks at the big library in the near distance. That's where you would find scrolls and a computer, right? That's where there are a lot of people heading away from.]

Mr. Caspar--I'm so sorry about this--I think we should try and get to that library. It may be that the only way out of this is through!

[she's red like a red pottery relic from an archaelogical dig. THIS WAS JUST SUPPOSED TO BE A NICE RELAXING BOARD GAME SESSION.

[ Caspar is confused, initially, looking around and scratching his head. But as the slow realization that the game is far more real than he'd been anticipating he looks around at Fuu and shrugs. He's dressed like a hoplite, having chosen the class because it was the closest thing to a fighter the non-combat game had. ]

Hey, it's not your fault, right? It's not like this is the first world we've been hauled off to! Just consider it an adventure!

[ Caspar is of course referring to the world they were just in. He smacks a fist into his palm. ]

Alright, library it is. This'll be no problem!

[Ah, well. At least Caspar is the kind of person who would find this exciting and fun, not distressing.]

Next time Mr. Schachfigur buys a new game, I'm going to have a wizard test it. [that's more to herself than to Caspar as she surveys the masses of people.] I think if we stick close to the buildings we can make it through.

[And she starts off, but somehow she manages to cannon into a tall, delicate floral sculpture that topples sideways--snagging an awning--and the crowd suddenly gets a lot denser and very around them as the debris blocks the way forward. NO PROBLEM.]

Hey, what are the odds this would happen a second time?

[ He seems cheerful enough, but then he stops himself and frowns. ]

...Wait, what are the odds?

[ He doesn't have much time to come dangerously close to thinking about it when the crowds thicken. Wait, that was his job in the game, right? Crowd control? ]

Leave this to me! Hey, everyone, let's move in an orderly - hey, wait -

[ Caspar barely does anything before the crowds seem to be getting worse, crowding around him and demanding answers to what's going on. ]

Is that an artifact you see in the distance? Possibly. Is that a whole lot of water on the road between you and it? Definitely. It's only up to your knees yet, but you'd better find a way to keep it from getting higher if you want to get to the artifact and back before you get in real trouble.

What the... what the hell's this thing made of?

[ Majima was trying to boost a statue off of the increasingly wet tile he was standing on, scowling at it as it refused to budge. Apparently, being a scholar meant he wasn't much help at transporting the artifacts he'd identified. ]

Can't possibly be heavier than the one at Sunshine. That's it, I'm swearin' off board games.

[The great thing about being a thief is that Richie is really good at transporting the artifacts. The less great thing: he has no fucking clue which one is the right artifact or not. He spots Majima trying to boost a statue, though, and hey, if that guy over there thinks that's the right statue...

He scurries over to the guy.]

Hey! Hey, lemme help, I can lift that. [Says the scrawny-ass kid, panting after his sprint, wringing out his pants.] Shit, this is the worst game. I woulda brought a raincoat if I knew this shit was going to happen.

Oh. Thanks.

[ This was some surreal shit -- but by now, Majima had had a chance to get used to weird. He stepped aside, sandals sinking into soggy 'ground' that reminded him a little of soggy crackers. ]

I was kind of expectin' more dice rolls, less disaster. In fact --

[ "Attention, citizens!" cried an important-looking man in Greek clothing, waving his hands around. "Do not be alarmed! It is true that the waters are rising, yet I say to you that it is no big deal!" ]

[It might seem like Allura's a bit of a latecomer. But yes, she's been in the area the whole time! As a sailor, she started the game stranded outside the normal bounds of the game, struggling to follow the other players onto land before the roads had started to flood.]

[Her arrival is thus heralded by the clattering sound of wood on stone as her ship's hull scrapes against the road, which is just deep enough to function as a shallow river. Without much space here to gain momentum, the boat is only moving about as fast as a car in neutral — so she waves and calls out to Majima as she approaches from a distance.]

What's wrong? Is that one of the artifacts?

Edited 2020-12-14 02:56 (UTC)

It sure is, but it's not goin' anywhere fast! Doesn't seem like it's bolted down, but I can't get the thing to budge.

[ Which might sound like a weird thing to say, given that the statue looked like a full-sized piece of painted marble, but look. Look. He'd gotten used to being able to haul around pieces of fine art over the shoulder, and now things just weren't working out. ]

I don't even get why we gotta boost the artifacts. Ain't it more important to make sure the people get out?

Normally, I would agree, but... [She spreads her arms out, to show off the boat she's been granted.] ... this is all I have to help evacuate. We could fill it up to its entirety without making a dent in the populace — not like the larger ships they have at the dockyard.

[But at least that's made it somewhat easier to maneuver, as she sails it closer to the artifact in question. If you can even call it sailing. She's practically pushing the boat along with an oar.]

Let me take a look. Maybe I could remove it... [But instead of stepping out of the boat — you know, like a sane person might do — she leans out over the edge awkwardly, until her torso is hanging over it like a crane.]

Uh, do you need me to... hold the boat steady, or something?

[ Why get out boat when stay in boat do trick, as the kids might say, but this surely wasn't ordinary loading procedure?

Perhaps this was just one more oddity in a 'game' that made less sense by the instant. Like the unnatural way the ground felt under his feet, more like soggy cardboard than real earth. ]

Actually, I'm surprised ya haven't been mobbed by civilians yet.

Perhaps because I'm sailing in the wrong direction — into the city, rather than out of it?

But yes, I suppose that would help. With all the trouble I've had on solid ground, I suppose I've started to forget that this vessel isn't the sturdiest place to be standing, either.

[Allura averts her gaze briefly, her expression burying her own embarrassment with a poor attempt at a poker face. She already had a mishap while trying to leave her boat earlier, as if the solid earth had suddenly lost all friction. As absurd as it sounds, this boat may as well be her legs for now.]

[ So Majima did his best, reaching out to grab the side of the boat and steady its rocking. Unfortunately, unless they could find a mooring rope or anchor or something (which was looking ever more unlikely and beyond the scope of the game creator's intentions), this would offer only limited success.

Better than nothing? ]

Hey, look on the bright side -- at least you've got a boat. You're gonna make it outta here!

[ A man came by with an improvised megaphone, speaking loudly at the occasional panicking civilian. He turned his attention towards them once he spotted the boat. "ATTENTION CITIZENS. DO NOT PANIC! EVERYTHING IS FINE!" ]

[Minimus is no stranger to skewed priorities in times of disaster. His prior position required that he follow orders without question, and while it made his life easier, it lead to several dilemmas that would contribute to his mental breakdown years later.

Thankfully, his role in evacuating civilians (even if they are a simulation) offers relief from the main mission. He does leave Majima alone for a long time as he guides refugees toward the escape ships.

It’s an interesting sight to see a teenager girl giving orders like an experiences military commander, but that is how this are when Minimus decides to go to a party in his holomatter avatar.

Verity-Minimus jogs back to Majima.]

Sorry for the wait. I’ll take care of it. [Minimus plants his hands around the base and gives it a good push, sliding it off the tile with ridiculous ease.]

[ Which was right about when a man in sandals and a robe burst into a leap, shoving the statue into the water with a splash. ]

HEY!

[ "Thieves!" cried the man. "Murderers!" ]

Whoa, whoa, buddy. Let's not go overboard here. No one's dead -- yet.

Sir?

[Minimus lets out a tired sigh.]

Sir, the escape vessels are to the west.

[That doesn't stop the man from grabbing Majima by his Atlantean robes and putting his face right in front of his. "You're all greedy bastards!" he continues to cry.]

Greedy what now? Look, I got no interest in antiquities... but shouldn't you be happy we're rescuin' your art?

[ "Happy? Happy?! Give me one speck of proof you blackguards won't simply make off with these priceless pieces once you load it up and sail away with it!"

Well, that was one way to deal with a disaster. ]

[The instruction manual never mentioned ethical discussions with civilians. Minimus lets go of the statue.]

If you would prefer that we leave these to risk destruction, then we can escape with you. However, I would advise from experience that losing any piece of your culture during a disaster will lead to heavy consequences in the far future.

[Evacuating an entire planet and forgetting their old art sure does hurt an entire species who only knows war.]

The game is on a timer, and no matter how many hydraulic stations you find, Atlantis is going under. The gaps in the game tiles widen and the water begins to rise precipitously. Either you get those artifacts to the ship now, or you'd better get yourself up onto a roof.

[ Corwin had attended this game night thinking it might be an easy, low stress way to pass an evening. Boy, was he ever wrong. He'd been randomly paired up with some kid who's got such a foul mouth, you would think he was the one playing as a Sailor. But no, that's Corwin's job, and as the kid comes running back to the small ship he's manning, arms laden with artifacts, he quickly ushers him aboard and starts sailing.

He's an accomplished sailor, to be sure-- maybe not as accomplished as his brothers Gérard or Caine, but he knows his way around a ship-- but even he is having trouble escaping the pull of the sinking city.

Looking a little harried, he glances back at the kid. ] You're sure you grabbed the right artifacts?

[Richie, who's just now managed to slump against the mast after unceremoniously dumping the artifacts on the deck, suddenly straightens up at the question. Shit. Did he check? Did he get someone to check? Shit shit shit.]

Uh, yeah, duh. [He pushes his glasses up his nose.] I'm sure I grabbed the right artifacts, okay, I don't need to be a fucking scholar to know what an artifact looks like when I see one.

[Yeah, no, at least half of what he's brought onboard is just useless junk.]

[ It's been a long time since Corwin was a headstrong teen. He'd lost the teen part centuries ago. Never quite got rid of the headstrong part, though. ]

Right. Duh. [ He runs through the list of artifacts in his head again. Scrolls, statue, navigational computer, amphora of wine. There certainly are various scrolls, statues, and amphoras among the pile of junk Richie dumped on the deck of the ship, but Corwin figured they'd be better off getting a move on rather than stop and examine them all, so he'd focused on sailing the ship. Confident now that he's set them on a course away from the sinking pillars of the city, he turns and gives another look over the items Richie brought aboard. ]

So... where in that pile is the bronze navigational computer?

[Navigational computer???]

This isn't a fucking sci-fi movie, why the fuck would there be a navigational computer? [Yeah, not only did he miss the navigational computer, he also did not know there even was one to pick up. Whoops?] This is all the shit I could find! If there were any computers around, and why the fuck would there be computers in Atlantis, everybody else probably scooped them right up already.

[ .... ]

You... have no concept of what a computer is, outside of a machine programmed by IBM, do you?

[ Great, so they're guaranteed to be at least one artifact short.

Corwin takes a deep breath, and returns his attention to the wheel. ]

Never mind. It's too late to go back, so we might as well focus on not capsizing. Man that sail, will you?

[ Though, maybe he shouldn't assume this kid has any sailing experience, either. ]

Fuck you, asshole, I know what computers look like now and I'm telling you none of them looked like a flat hand-sized brick.

[The problem with skipping directly from 1989 to the 21st century is that Richie completely missed the development of computers from IBM's monstrosities to little smartphones and palm pilots.]

I'm a thief, dude, not a fucking sailor, d'you think I know how to man the sail?

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Atlantis: The Final Day

PRE-GAME for mingling

Allura | OTA

Minimus Ambus | OTA

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CROWDS

Momo Yaoyorozu - closed to Peter Parker

Fuu & Caspar

i'm sorry i love dramatic irony

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SINKING STREET

Majima Gorō | Yakuza 0

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sorry, got eaten by the holidays for a bit!

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sorry for the wait!

no problem!

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FINAL DELUGE

Corwin of Amber - closed to Richie Tozier

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