Ongoing ChronoCritical vs nightblitz42 - Scenario Battles

[nightblitz42]

D'nyamo the Meowscarada


Bio: A talented magician with access to pollen-filled flower bombs. He's much more tolerable offstage, but as soon as there's an audience he's decided belongs to him, he'll pull out all the stops to keep their eyes on him. Proficient in all manner of stage tricks.
Thesis: - Everyone should watch me!
Goal: - Outstage the opponent.

Tricks:
Flower Trick - Flower [c], Misdirection [a]
Thief - Take [c], Surprise [a]
Zoomies! - Fast [c], Cute [a]

Shadow the Indeedee

Bio: A psychic Pokemon who feeds off of positive emotions. He has served as D'nyamo's stage assistant for some time now. Content to leave the spotlight to D'naymo, he demurely does his duties so that he can indulge himself on all the happy vibes that drift towards the magician.
As an assisant, Shadow the Indeedee hasn't ever been anything but impeccable. Today, however, he seems uncharacteristically distracted, as if his mind is inclined to drift elsewhere...
Thesis: - The only way to do my job, is for me to not draw any attention to myself.
Goal: - Accidentally impede Meowscarada's performance. (Sorry!)

Tricks:
Mind Reading - Script [c], Distraction [a]
Covert Telekinesis - Prop [c], Elegance [a]
Space Out - Noise [c], Daydream [a]

Shadow the Indeedee paces back and forth across the stage. The curtain may still be closed, but beyond it the Psychic-Type can sense the tantalizing "aroma" of anticipation. He shivers as waves of emotion from the waiting crowd scrape against his horns. "Must be at least... three dozen audience members," he thinks to himself. "Will D'nyamo be pleased or disappointed by the turnout? Who knows. I can never guess how that cat will act when eyes are on him..."

He checks the stage setup one final time. It looks like an ordinary stage from the view of the audience, but it is actually packed with all sorts of hidden gimmicks -- switches, levers, trapdoors, and many other such tricks that aid D'nyamo's act. Each one looks to be in order.

D'nyamo prances toward center stage. Shadow gives him an affirming nod. Then, with a hearty tug, the Indeedee pulls the curtains wide open, and the show commences.

ChronoCritical 's turn.

 

[ChronoCritical]

Simple Action: Detonate Bomb
Uses Flower [c], Causes Surprise [a], Causes Noise [c]
D'nyamo isn't reinventing the wheel today, using a standard entrance practiced frequently. With precise timing, he detonates one of his flower bombs.

[Flower] (Flower Trick) - The flower explodes into a cloud of pink petals and green pollen, and D'nyamo, spotless as ever, is revealed as the cloud dissipates.

[Noise] (Space Out) - Despite having gotten out of the way as usual, Shadow still breathes in some pollen and can't help but sneeze. Some members of the crowd look around to try to find out who it was. This has never happened before, and Shadow becomes anxious, worsening his focus further.

D'nyamo is a bit annoyed but quickly begins to speak, drawing the attention back and not letting the moment linger.
"Welcome to the show! It is I, the great D'nyamo! I do not merely present magic; watch me closely and you will find the magic in your own life."

[Surprise] (Thief) - The Golurk standing closest to the stage looks down at themselves and realizes that they're covered in glittery pollen!
"...My tie!" they say with shock and dismay.

"My good friend," D'nyamo responds smoothly. "How fortunate for you! You're already glowing with magic!"

[Outstage Shadow] Success!
The audience laughs and applauds.

+5 Points (2 own tricks, 1 trick from Shadow)

---

Replacing Associations:
Flower [c] to Bouquet [c] (more extreme)
Surprise [a] to Stagger [c] (opposite type)
Noise [c] to Shouting [c] (more extreme)

Post Round:
D'nyamo (5 points)
Tricks:
Flower Trick - Bouquet [c], Misdirection [a]
Thief - Take [c], Stagger [c]
Zoomies! - Fast [c], Cute [a]

Shadow (0 ponts)
Tricks:
Mind Reading - Script [c], Distraction [a]
Covert Telekinesis - Prop [c], Elegance [a]
Space Out - Shouting [c], Daydream [a]

nightblitz42 :)

 

[nightblitz42]

Simple Action: Wincing Shriek.
From beside the stage curtains, Shadow whiffs pollen and sneezes. This hasn't happened before... Yet when the Indeedee peers at the crowd and watches a front-row spectator, Golurk, try in vain to wipe pollen-glitter off himself (another first-time occurance), Shadow comes to a realization: D'nyamo's bombs are bigger and more explosive than usual today. Shadow sighs. Grumpily, he mumbles to himself, "Typical D'nyamo. I wish he'd run prop changes by me ahead of time. It's like he doesn't even--"

Shadow's musings are interrupted by a floor-shaking "BANG!" as D'nyamo sets off one of his extra-large Pollen Bombs right in front of a spectator! Shadow jumps and lets out a loud, terrified shriek before quickly covering his mouth.

Uses Stagger [c]. Causes Distraction [a]. Uses Shouting [c].

[Shouting] (Space Out): Shadow recalls a job he took a long time ago. Once, a Charizard approached him to request bodyguard service. Only for a single night, and the pay was exceptional. There was something wild in the Charizard's eyes that would have given most Pokemon pause, but Shadow was desparate for work, youthful, and naiive, and hungry, so he accepted the job.
A bodyguard... what a joke.

Today, Shadow looks at D'nyamo. Once again, he performs the same mental calculus he has performed every day since that night: he remembers the way Charizard moved, looked, spoke, walked, breathed -- and plays it back in his head alongside his employer. Are there any similarities? Anything that he can catch?

[Distraction] (Mind Reading): Suddenly, Shadow snaps out of his fugue. He sees a Camerupt whose face is covered in pollen, laughing heartily along with D'nyamo. No harm, no foul, it seems. As long as D'nyamo takes this as a lesson and gives his extra-large bombs more room, things should be fine from here. And yet, as Shadow psychically scans the audience, he senses disturbance. His untimely shout drew the attention of much of the audience, and unnerved more than a few of them. Shadow chides himself for ruining the mood during such a climactic part of D'nyamo's performance.

[Stagger] (Thief): D'nyamo moves on to the next part of his act. With a flourish, he reveals a wristwatch he expertly pilfered from an audience member. If he was bothered by Shadow's outburst, he doesn't show any signs of it, just following the script with that same practiced smile. The audience takes his lead; drawn in by his charisma, they forget about the scream from earlier and allow themselves to be drawn into the performance once more.

[Accidentally impede Meowscarada's performance.] Success!
+5 Points (2 own tricks, 1 opponent trick)

Replacing Associations:
Distraction [a] to Doubt [a] (more extreme)
Stagger [c] to Balance [c] (opposite)
Shouting [c] to Fighting [c] (more extreme)

Post Round:
D'nyamo (5 points)
Tricks:
Flower Trick - Bouquet [c], Misdirection [a]
Thief - Take [c], Balance [c]
Zoomies! - Fast [c], Cute [a]

Shadow (5 ponts)
Tricks:
Mind Reading - Script [c], Doubt [a]
Covert Telekinesis - Prop [c], Elegance [a]
Space Out - Fighting [c], Daydream [a]

ChronoCritical

 

[ChronoCritical]

Simple Action: Return Watch
Uses Take [c] Uses Bouquet [c], Uses Misdirection [a], Creates Elegance [a]

[Take] (Thief) - D'nyamo had taken the watch to set up for his next trick...

[Bouquet, Misdirection] (Flower Trick) - He ties the invisible stem of his flower around a bouquet that had been planted behind him. With quick, theatric motions, he tosses the watch into the air and brings the bouquet into his paws, convincing the audience that the watch had disappeared and been replaced. They watch D'nyamo with anticipation.
Brilliant Invocation - Delete [Bouquet] to learn Card Trick: Trick Deck [c], Stage [a]

[Elegance] (Covert Telekinesis) - Meanwhile, Shadow lifts the watch while the audience is distracted, putting it back on its owner.

"Are you worried about your watch, friend? Don't be!" D'nyamo says. "Would you raise that arm of yours - yes, that one."

The Tangrowth looks at her arm and gleefully stretches it up above the heads of the crowd. Everyone looks up, and they can see the metallic glint of the watch, returned right where it was before.

The magician bows. Even taking a watch ends up being gentlemanly when done by D'nyamo!

[Outstage Shadow] Success!

+5 Points (2 own tricks, 1 trick from Shadow)

---

Replacing Associations:
Take [c] to Give [c] (opposite)
Misdirection [a] to Direction [a] (opposite)
Elegance [a] to Expensive [c] (opposite type)

Post Round:
D'nyamo (10 points)
Tricks:
Flower Trick - Direction [a]
Thief - Give [c], Balance [c]
Zoomies! - Fast [c], Cute [a]
Card Trick - Trick Deck [c], Stage [a]

Shadow (5 ponts)
Tricks:
Mind Reading - Script [c], Doubt [a]
Covert Telekinesis - Prop [c], Expensive [c]
Space Out - Fighting [c], Daydream [a]

nightblitz42

 

[nightblitz42]

Simple Action: Admire Deck.
Backstage, Shadow fidgets with D'nyamo's most fantastic prop: his Trick Deck. The cards flip over in his paws one by one. He hopes this ritual might center his distracted mind, as it has on difficult nights before.

Uses Trick Deck. Uses Prop. Uses Expensive. Causes Daydream.

[Trick Deck] (Card Trick) - Shadow hears D'nyamo give instructions to a volunteer. "Pick a card, any card," the magician says. The deck D'nyamo holds is a fair one, but Shadow knows for certain that the volunteer will pick the Ace of Spades no matter what. D'nyamo has a talent for forcing cards. The exact technique he uses is a mystery to even Shadow. Perhaps it is real magic? That would be something. In any case, however it happens, that guarantee is the key to making the Trick Deck work.

[Daydream] (Space Out) - The Trick Deck in Shadow's hands contains only one real card: the Ace of Spaces. The other 51 cards don't have values on them at all -- rather, each of those "fake cards" features a cute drawing of D'nyamo in a silly pose. Shadow twirls one of these false-cards between his index and middle fingers. This card shows D'nyamo reclining on his side with his cheek nestled in his paw. He has a cartoonish smirk. There's a speech bubble above him; he's saying to the viewer, "Alone at a magic show on a Friday night? Pathetic." Shadow imagines the real D'nyamo with such an attitude. He chuckles.

The Indeedee flips over another card. It shows a chibi-version of D'nyamo (in the shape of a common four-legged cat). There is a slice of cheese adhered to and covering his face. On the bottom of the card, big blocky letters read, "Get cheesed idiot." Shadow doesn't understand what sort of humor is being attempted here, but nonetheless he giggles politely as if trying to not disappoint someone. Quietly he wonders how much money D'nyamo spent to obtain 51 separate cartoon drawings of himself. Surely a lot. What an eccentric Pokemon.

Shadow feels quite better now. In fact, he can hardly recall what was bothering him before.

[Prop, Expensive] (Covert Telekinesis) The onstage audience participant returns their card to the deck. Here comes Shadow's part: with a quick bit of telekinesis, he swaps D'nyamo's real deck with the trick one! It happens so fast, and in synchornicity with such skillful misdirection from D'nyamo, that the odds of any audience member noticing the swap are zero.

Now all D'nyamo has to do is flip cards off the top of the Trick Deck, feigning confusion and embarrassment on each draw, until he hits the Ace of Spades third from the top. "Is this your card?" He'll say, breathlessly. A fun little magic-trick-slash-comedy-bit that always gets big laughs out of the crowd.

Yes, third from the top, he'll... Oh. Oh, no. Shadow's heart plummets as he realizes something: when he was toying with the deck, he misplaced the Ace of Spades at the third-from-bottom position.
[Accidentally impede Meowscarada's performance.] Success!
+5 Points (2 own tricks, 1 opponent trick)

Replacing Associations:
Trick Deck [c] to Preparation [a] (opposite type)
Daydream [a] to Delusion [a] (more extreme)
Prop [c] to Hinderance [c] (opposite)

Brilliant Invocation - Delete [Expensive] to learn Release Confetti: Finish [c], Panic [a].


Post Round:
D'nyamo (10 points)
Tricks:
Flower Trick - Direction [a]
Thief - Give [c], Balance [c]
Zoomies! - Fast [c], Cute [a]
Card Trick - Preparation [a], Stage [a]

Shadow (10 ponts)
Tricks:
Mind Reading - Script [c], Doubt [a]
Covert Telekinesis - Hinderance [c]
Space Out - Fighting [c], Delusion [a]
Release Confetti - Finish [c], Panic [a].

ChronoCritical