# Amusement Center at the Edge of Reality (open admission)



## Firuthi Dragovic (Mar 30, 2022)

It was a strange thing.  A machine at the side of the road, an old booth on a crowded boulevard, perhaps even an abandoned space station with a fabricator.  Whatever the device was, it had a slot to take coins and a little compartment that dropped them.  The compartment only had one coin - a galaxy on one side, a giant sun on the other, and a word inscribed on the rim: "Midways".

Normal coins got rejected by the coin slot.  But putting in this special coin opened a portal.  Beyond the portal... was a lit room, with a huge number of machines.  The machines had knobs, joysticks, and buttons, and all were displaying different types of games.  Some of the machines were flatter, only having buttons, but having a clear top that indicated they were pinball machines.

Ahead, there were signs to several other locations within the complex:
"Golf"
"Mini-Golf"
"Bowling"
"Concessions"
"Skill Games"
"Souvenirs"

There was also one that most likely said "Escape Room", but it had yellow-and-black caution tape crossed over it that said "Under Renovation".

Near you is a sign with a list of notes.  In particular, it noted that the machines were indestructible and the items in the complex were proofed against portals and luck powers.  They'd apparently seen a lot of cheating going on in here to make that kind of claim.

There was also a staff list on the sign:

Arcades: Oliver
Skill Games: Bailey
Souvenirs: Neville
Concessions: Dessert Storm and Salted Caramel
Bowling: Zuri and Char'rynn
Mini-Golf: Duke
Golf: Spectrum
Tour Guides: Chocolate Sauce and Fudge Swirl

Many creatures from multiple dimensions and realities milled about, trying the machines.

You notice a small coin case in your hand.  You take out a coin, and another appears within the case.  It seems you have whatever coins you need for the games, but the way the coins are marked, it's clear they'll only work here.

So many amusements, so little time.  Where to begin?


_((Okay, this one's going to be a bit of a tougher sell than the other two active RPs.  But yeah, this is a massive entertainment complex.  Differs quite a bit from the party space in that this is much more specifically dedicated to games.  The main room's a massive arcade, and the signs note other amusements.  The skill games are both your basic fair midway stuff and the ticket-based games you may see in the few arcades that still run in some places.

I'm still keeping within forum rules, so don't expect some of the really nasty arcade games to show up here.

This is drop-in RP through the forum like the other two prominent ones, no long commitments needed.  Any species is allowed.))_


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## Universe (Mar 31, 2022)

*I teleported in*


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## Firuthi Dragovic (Mar 31, 2022)

Universe said:


> *I teleported in*


That portal wound up near the pinball tables.  They spanned a plethora of genres and styles, some of them thought only to be virtual.  The nearest row of six machines showed their high scores... and all of them had a particular set of initials at the top of the leaderboards: "W.T.F."

At the machine next to you, there is a muscular, greenish, bipedal worm-like creature.  He had a set of green spots running down his next, crests running down the back of his scalp... and his face was completely featureless.  No nose, no eyes, no obvious sign of ears.  He wore a black shirt and shorts, the shirt slightly too short to conceal his abs.  The machine he was playing had a castle near the top, a couple of ramps, and an overall medieval theme.

At his feet was a creature the size of a panther.  It looked mostly like a yellow cat with a mottled scaly pattern all over its body, except for a few things: spikes along its back, wings too short for flight, a short bobcat tail rather than a normal long one, and ears the size of its skull.  It wore a black-and-red vest with a massive handlebar on the back of it.

The cat looked up and made a trilling noise.

"What's that, Parson?" the worm creature responded.  "Someone here to greet us?"

He let the ball drop on the pinball table, then when the score came up, he entered his initials using the flipper buttons.  He turned towards Universe _((or at least, I'm presuming that's Universe, correct me if I'm wrong this time))_ and leaned against the machine.

"Well, big guy, you sure made an entrance.  Wade T. Fletcher, paranormal catcher and pinball enthusiast, at your service."


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## The Spirit Guardian (Mar 31, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> It was a strange thing.  A machine at the side of the road, an old booth on a crowded boulevard, perhaps even an abandoned space station with a fabricator.  Whatever the device was, it had a slot to take coins and a little compartment that dropped them.  The compartment only had one coin - a galaxy on one side, a giant sun on the other, and a word inscribed on the rim: "Midways".
> 
> Normal coins got rejected by the coin slot.  But putting in this special coin opened a portal.  Beyond the portal... was a lit room, with a huge number of machines.  The machines had knobs, joysticks, and buttons, and all were displaying different types of games.  Some of the machines were flatter, only having buttons, but having a clear top that indicated they were pinball machines.
> 
> ...


_A certain feline had decided to give this a try, seeing as this could be a fun way to get away from his usual hustle and bustle of life.

The cat that came to it was none other than Mono, but clearly a slightly younger version of the feline, sporting light silver hair that covered one eye, his fur still that bright candy blue. He had silver eyes, and a practice sword on his back, clearly showing that he was a student of some sort. Before he had become a professional standalone assassin, he was a novice, learning how to become one. This was before he had made it big, and clearly still retained a more curious side of things.

The blue feline, clad in a smaller burgundy cardigan, walked up to the machine, poking it curiously, a perplexed meow sounding from him as he did so. He looked no older than nineteen at the time, where he still had his youthful curiosity in effect, before his later teachings would shape his more subtle personality.

In amazement and wonder, Mono gently poked it once more, purring under his breath as he watched the machine, glancing down at his other paw. A surprised gasp came from the cat as he looked at the coins in his paw, eager to see what they do. He wanted to try something...but as curious as he was, nervousness ensued, halting the feline from doing anything else._

"Err.....how....do I just put the coin in the slot?...," Mono murmured in wonder, gazing in awe at the lavish machine, tilting his head as his hair slanted to one side, smiling a bit. The eager feline spared no quarter though, still examining the machine all over, since his mentors always told him to be cautious with things he didn't know.

"Man, I wish I had someone to guide me through this...I don't wanna mess this up...hmm..."


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## Firuthi Dragovic (Mar 31, 2022)

Mono The Nickit said:


> _A certain feline had decided to give this a try, seeing as this could be a fun way to get away from his usual hustle and bustle of life.
> 
> The cat that came to it was none other than Mono, but clearly a slightly younger version of the feline, sporting light silver hair that covered one eye, his fur still that bright candy blue. He had silver eyes, and a practice sword on his back, clearly showing that he was a student of some sort. Before he had become a professional standalone assassin, he was a novice, learning how to become one. This was before he had made it big, and clearly still retained a more curious side of things.
> 
> ...


Two tall, fox-like creatures bumbled up to the machine.  The base of their fur was a vanilla color, with chocolate brown mixed in, but the brown showed in two different ways - one had brown bands and underside, the other had brown swirls throughout.  Both creatures also had masses of chocolate-colored feathers on the back of their bodies, on their heads, and partway down their tails.

"Oh, look, it's this machine!" the banded one said.

"This machine is the best one!" the swirled one answered.

"Put the coin in the slot-"

"And it leads to so much fun!"

Both creatures looked at Mono.

"This your first time with anything coin-operated?"

"We see so few bother with the machine these days."

"We can give a tour, if you'll put the coin in the slot."

"We do some work for the place every once in a while."


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## The Spirit Guardian (Mar 31, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> Two tall, fox-like creatures bumbled up to the machine.  The base of their fur was a vanilla color, with chocolate brown mixed in, but the brown showed in two different ways - one had brown bands and underside, the other had brown swirls throughout.  Both creatures also had masses of chocolate-colored feathers on the back of their bodies, on their heads, and partway down their tails.
> 
> "Oh, look, it's this machine!" the banded one said.
> 
> ...


_The feline watched in curiosity as the two fox-like beings approached the machine, speaking as if they were Dr. Seuss characters. It was quite the comical sight at first glance, and it really seemed to entertain the cat, who watched the two speak with an awestruck look on his face.

Woah, people actually can talk like that, in sync and all? Mono blinked in wonder as they looked at him, giving a friendly smile as he looked back to the machines, then to them once more, then back down to the coins in his paw. It certainly seemed like an interesting approach, and as curious as to cat was, he definitely wanted to give it a try!

If only assassin school had taught whatever the heck a coin operated machine was. Or perhaps that wasn't part of the school? Eh, he was getting side-tracked._

"Wowee, you two are cool! Okie then, I'll go ahead and take your tour then! You both seem like you could be a real big help!," Mono beamed, gently putting the coin to the slot, looking up at them curiously, his ears perked as his tail wagged slowly.

"So I put it in here? Like this? And just push it on inside right? Ooh, this is exciting!"


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## Universe (Apr 1, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> That portal wound up near the pinball tables.  They spanned a plethora of genres and styles, some of them thought only to be virtual.  The nearest row of six machines showed their high scores... and all of them had a particular set of initials at the top of the leaderboards: "W.T.F."
> 
> At the machine next to you, there is a muscular, greenish, bipedal worm-like creature.  He had a set of green spots running down his next, crests running down the back of his scalp... and his face was completely featureless.  No nose, no eyes, no obvious sign of ears.  He wore a black shirt and shorts, the shirt slightly too short to conceal his abs.  The machine he was playing had a castle near the top, a couple of ramps, and an overall medieval theme.
> 
> ...


(Yes) “Universe Celestial king of all celestial dragons”


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## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 1, 2022)

Universe said:


> (Yes) “Universe Celestial king of all celestial dragons”


"Oh, nice.  I've noticed a few dragons around here and the guy that runs the arcade portion of this place is half-dragon himself, but never your brand."

Wade motioned to the pinball machines with his initials on them.

"Nice to actually talk to people around here.  I kinda need a break from the pinball after hitting Battle for the Kingdom on this one 3 times and setting really high scores on the others."

Yeah, the scores on the other machines WERE ridiculous.  Especially for a guy with no eyes.

------



Mono The Nickit said:


> _The feline watched in curiosity as the two fox-like beings approached the machine, speaking as if they were Dr. Seuss characters. It was quite the comical sight at first glance, and it really seemed to entertain the cat, who watched the two speak with an awestruck look on his face.
> 
> Woah, people actually can talk like that, in sync and all? Mono blinked in wonder as they looked at him, giving a friendly smile as he looked back to the machines, then to them once more, then back down to the coins in his paw. It certainly seemed like an interesting approach, and as curious as to cat was, he definitely wanted to give it a try!
> 
> ...


"Yep, that's all you need to do."

Once Mono had actually put in the coin, the portal opened up to the amusement center.  The two fox-like beings motioned for Mono to go in first and followed after him.

When they were all inside, the two foxes looked at Mono.

"My name's Sepia, by the way."

"And mine is Umber."

"But the people around here call me Chocolate Sauce."

"And they call me Fudge Swirl."

"Sauce and Swirl, that's us."

The banded one, Sauce/Sepia, pointed towards the signs.  "We work Concessions in this place."

The swirled one, Swirl/Umber, spread a hand towards the massive array of games.  "Where to begin on this tour?  Games, games, everywhere."

"Let's let our guest choose."


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## The Spirit Guardian (Apr 1, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "Oh, nice.  I've noticed a few dragons around here and the guy that runs the arcade portion of this place is half-dragon himself, but never your brand."
> 
> Wade motioned to the pinball machines with his initials on them.
> 
> ...


_The feline nodded, slowly putting the coin inside. Once he did, he watched in awe as the portal opened up, a bit nervous at first, but feeling comforted and confident by the other two foxes, he gingerly entered through, peeking around to see if he was still in once piece.

Once he was he was fine, and nothing was missing, the cat looked at all the vast games, then back up at the two foxes, nodding while giggling a little. He found it funny how they both talk in turn to one another, almost as if they had rehearsed the whole thing.

And what caught Mono's attention was the vast array of stuff there! He kept those names in mind, seeing as he'd need to remember them so he doesn't forget two potentially good friends.

"_Really now? Well pleasure to meet you two then! My name's Mono, and it's awesome to meet you!," the friendly feline purred, thinking for a bit.

_It was quite the options to choose from really, looking up at the two, then back at the games._

"Well, seeing as you two work here, could you show me around anywhere then? I'm eager to see what's here, no matter what you show me!"


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## Universe (Apr 2, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "Oh, nice.  I've noticed a few dragons around here and the guy that runs the arcade portion of this place is half-dragon himself, but never your brand."
> 
> Wade motioned to the pinball machines with his initials on them.
> 
> ...


“Ok”


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## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 2, 2022)

Universe said:


> “Ok”


"So, uh, there any particular amusement here that suits you?"

Wade shifted nervously.

"There's actually quite a few I simply can't do around here.  Bowling was a bit of a disaster, golf I need another to spot for me because Parson here isn't exactly talkative, and the skill games?  Too many of them suspend things in the air and I can't exactly do anything about that."

Wade sighed.

"Pinball, though?  I can feel every movement of the silver ball when I'm touching the machine.  Not the craziest thing, though - there's a guy who can smell the pinball.  He doesn't go around here, but he's like the top player in all reality.  Doesn't give interviews though."


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## Universe (Apr 2, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "So, uh, there any particular amusement here that suits you?"
> 
> Wade shifted nervously.
> 
> ...


*I smiled*


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## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 2, 2022)

Mono The Nickit said:


> _The feline nodded, slowly putting the coin inside. Once he did, he watched in awe as the portal opened up, a bit nervous at first, but feeling comforted and confident by the other two foxes, he gingerly entered through, peeking around to see if he was still in once piece.
> 
> Once he was he was fine, and nothing was missing, the cat looked at all the vast games, then back up at the two foxes, nodding while giggling a little. He found it funny how they both talk in turn to one another, almost as if they had rehearsed the whole thing.
> 
> ...


"Oh, certainly!"

Swirl waved his hand over the arcade area.

"We're in the arcade section right now.  Most of them use a lever and buttons, some use other props like plastic light guns or even prop sword handles in a few cases.  Any given machine tends to explain its instructions once you've put your coin in and started the game."

"They span many years.  From old light-diode volleyball to the most complex 3-dimensional games!"

Sauce pointed to one machine that had a yellow-and-black street motif.  It was a light-gun game with two screens angled away from each other, and two players were at it.  One was a relatively short silver kobold with horns and wings and a mohawk-like fin on his head, wearing a trenchcoat.  The other, a much taller mechanical snake-like being, with three-fingered hands and two-toed feet, in various shades of brown with a few white spots on his head and shoulders.

"The guy who oversees this part of the complex is Oliver, that little dragon guy over there."

"Huh, looks like Salty's trying to beat him at a versus shooter again."

"Salty also works concessions.  He's good at these games, but Oliver tends to trounce him."

"Y'know, that would mean Storm's the one running concessions right now."

"Let's not drop in on him yet."

"So any given game you want to try?  Or do you want to see some of the other areas and then come back?"

_((To help follow along on this, I'll call out arcade games as they come up.  Oliver and Salty are playing "2 Spicy".))_


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## Universe (Apr 2, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "Oh, certainly!"
> 
> Swirl waved his hand over the arcade area.
> 
> ...


“Try me”


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## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 2, 2022)

Universe said:


> “Try me”


Swirl and Sauce looked over.

"Hey, check it out, we've got another guest by the pinball tables we didn't get to greet!"

"Looks like this is gonna be a more formal tour, Mono."

They noticed the worm-like creature that Universe was next to.

"Seems this dragon guest was just talking to one of our regulars."

"Worm-like guy at the pinball tables by the name of Wade.  Always shows up with his seeing-eye dragon-cat-... creature Parson, and tends to hang around the pinball tables."

"So, big guy, who would you be?"

"Sauce and Swirl, I'm surprised you two aren't at the concession stand."

"We're doing a tour of the place, Wade."

"Y'know, I'm in."

Wade grabbed the handlebar of Parson's vest.  Parson guided him over to the two fox-like creatures and Mono.

"So, formal introductions all around?"

"Fudge Swirl, Umber, or just Swirl."

"Chocolate Sauce, Sepia, or just Sauce."

"Wade Fletcher, paranormal catcher."

Parson meowed.

"Parson doesn't talk much, especially not on duty.  Just don't pet him when he's got that vest on."


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## Universe (Apr 2, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> Swirl and Sauce looked over.
> 
> "Hey, check it out, we've got another guest by the pinball tables we didn't get to greet!"
> 
> ...


“I’m Universe Celestial king of all celestial dragons”


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## Universe (Apr 2, 2022)

*I said teleporting over*


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## The Spirit Guardian (Apr 2, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "Oh, certainly!"
> 
> Swirl waved his hand over the arcade area.
> 
> ...


_The feline made sure to follow them, looking over at the various different arcade games that were up to be played. It was quite the variety, especially with the plastic props, ranging from the gun models, to swords as well.

It really caught the eager cat's eye, who didn't usually see those things on the normal sight. He kept looking around, stopping to look at the other two folks, who seemed quite invested in their game of a shooter.

His ears perked a little as he looked on over at Swirl and Sauce, giggled a little at this. He found it funny that even though one had talent, the other would always seem to wipe the floor with him. Perhaps he'd be able to get it at some point._

"Huh, interesting! Well, I'm sure he'll get it eventually. My people always did say that there's a lesson in failure...so maybe he'll get it, heh. Though I dunno really...could we look around more? I usually prefer to get to know my surroundings before I get invested in anything. It's just a habit," Mono explained, keeping a keen eye on the rest of the area.

(Works for me! It helps too!)


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## Universe (Apr 2, 2022)

(Same here)


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## Universe (Apr 2, 2022)

“I’m a lot older than I look”


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## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 2, 2022)

Mono The Nickit said:


> _The feline made sure to follow them, looking over at the various different arcade games that were up to be played. It was quite the variety, especially with the plastic props, ranging from the gun models, to swords as well.
> 
> It really caught the eager cat's eye, who didn't usually see those things on the normal sight. He kept looking around, stopping to look at the other two folks, who seemed quite invested in their game of a shooter.
> 
> ...





Universe said:


> “I’m a lot older than I look”


"Yes, yes.  We could spend hours touring through just these games alone."

"But this place has so much more!"

"What do you think, Sauce?  Show them the golfing area?"

"Erm... not right now.  Duke's running mini-golf and Spectrum's on the main golfing area."

"Oooh, yes, I remember what happened last time you brought a tour through those areas.  Spectrum's a stuck-up purist and Duke gets irritable sometimes."

"So maybe the bowling area?"

"Maybe in a bit.  Zuri and Sharon are there and they were working on fixing the 120-pin alley.  Let's give those two a bit more space and bring our guests to the skill games, Sauce."

"Sure, let's."

Sauce and Swirl led the others to a different part of the facility.  Here, most of the games did not rely on screens.  A lot of the actual games were behind counters, with some form of animatronic cat ready to hand over the necessary implements of play.  Others did have lights, but instead of full moving pictures the lights were more of a scrolling-board style, with a lot of obvious little lights making the necessary images and score tracking.

There were a few exceptions, of course, like a hatchet-throwing game that used a series of flexible pegs to catch heavy plastic hatchets thrown by the contestant.

The games spanned a huge range. Ring toss, skee-ball, knocking down bottles, balloons and darts, the duck pond, whack-a-mole... there was even a water-gun game.  And that was just a small section of them.

On the farther end, at the back wall, there was an area devoid of games with a sloped area nearer the wall that fed into a couple of grates.  There was a dunk tank there, along with a target.  Inside the booth was a well-muscled white tiger fellow, wearing blue shorts.

"Huh.  Bailey's supposed to be down here helping run this area.  What's he doing in the booth?"

Sauce grabbed a ball that was on a counter across from the dunk tank, and held it up.  "Any of you three want to try knocking him into the water?"

"I can't exactly see the target, Sauce."

"You seem eager, Universe.  Just remember you have to actually throw it."

"It's common practice that most things can't be teleported in here.  I think there's like one exception, and this isn't that one."

"Or maybe Mono wants to throw it?"


_((The hatchet-throwing game is actually Axe Master.))_


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## The Spirit Guardian (Apr 2, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "Yes, yes.  We could spend hours touring through just these games alone."
> 
> "But this place has so much more!"
> 
> ...


(Nice!)

_Mono listened in curiosity as the two spoke, tilting his head as his ears never seemed to stay down.

It was far too interesting to simply stop listening!

Besides, as soon as they seemed to progress further into the area, there seemed to be more games, those of skill, and others of casual fun. it was definitely something that wasn't seen often, at least for this feline. Though he was enjoying himself to the fullest, without a doubt!

He looked around, then looked back at Sauce and Swirl, listening to the other attractions they were naming as well. Seems that there were quite the extensive plethora of games to choose from, but of course, the feline would prefer to explore around a bit more.

Such was a habit at this point._

"Well that's pretty cool! Goodness, there seems to be so much to choose from! You guys can just show me the whole place, I'm in no rush!," Mono chirped eagerly, curious to see what such an establishment could contain, equally interested in the foxes as much as he was the games!


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## Universe (Apr 2, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "Yes, yes.  We could spend hours touring through just these games alone."
> 
> "But this place has so much more!"
> 
> ...


*I threw it with pinpoint accuracy after accepting the ball* “this is as easy as throwing a javelin”


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## Universe (Apr 2, 2022)

*It hit the target dead center I was happy* “YEAH I STILL GOT IT”


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## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 2, 2022)

Universe said:


> *I threw it with pinpoint accuracy after accepting the ball* “this is as easy as throwing a javelin”





Universe said:


> *It hit the target dead center I was happy* “YEAH I STILL GOT IT”


And the tiger fell in.

He peeked his head out of the water, made for a door in the back of the tank, and exited the tank.  As he appeared near the grates, he shook himself off, letting the water drain out.

He then approached the group.

"If it isn't you two," the tiger said.

"Bailey, you know you're supposed to insult the throwers..."

"Look, the thrower's a dragon.  They're... well I usually see them hold grudges if they fail at something.  No insults needed on my end."

"But he didn't fail."

"If you two think I'm going to hold hard feelings... I'm a _tiger_.  We're one of a few kinds of cats that actually enjoys water."

He then noticed the other feline.

"Oh, uh, sorry.  The name's Bailey, and I handle the skill games.  We're actually missing one of them right now - I had to take down the ladder climb after a badger tried to hold on with his teeth.  We're trying to get a replacement for it."

"Yeah, something did look missing..."

"ANYways, I've never seen a dragon with a good throwing arm like that.  Where'd you learn it?"


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## Universe (Apr 2, 2022)

“Years of javelin throwing and I was a discus thrower for the Olympics for 10 years straight”


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## Universe (Apr 2, 2022)

*I grinned pretty pleased with myself* “name’s Universe Celestial I’m the king of all celestial dragons”


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## Universe (Apr 3, 2022)

“If I had known this place existed 100,000 years ago I’ve would have come here sooner”


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## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 3, 2022)

Universe said:


> “Years of javelin throwing and I was a discus thrower for the Olympics for 10 years straight”





Universe said:


> *I grinned pretty pleased with myself* “name’s Universe Celestial I’m the king of all celestial dragons”





Universe said:


> “If I had known this place existed 100,000 years ago I’ve would have come here sooner”


"Well then, Your Highness, it's a pleasure to meet you.  Since I haven't seen you around before, you might want to check your coin case."

The coin case, as it turned out, had an extra spot for tickets.  In Universe's case, this now contained two yellow tickets with the number "100" on them.

Mono's had a similar compartment, but it didn't have anything in it yet.

"Mostly the skill games, but some of the main arcade games also dispense these.  In increasing value.... red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, bronze, silver, gold, and platinum.  There used to be a diamond ticket that was worth a thousand platinum tickets, but one of the critical steps to earning the diamond ticket isn't available for the foreseeable future."

"Is it because-"

"Yes.  One of the steps involves a timed scavenger hunt in the escape rooms, which aren't available because they're being reworked.  So the diamond ticket is unattainable right now."

"There's about eight steps to getting one of those tickets and I've actually done one of them in the past.  I could probably tell you the process."


Mono The Nickit said:


> (Nice!)
> 
> _Mono listened in curiosity as the two spoke, tilting his head as his ears never seemed to stay down.
> 
> ...


"There's so much!"  "So much!  Who should we drop in on next?"

"I still don't think Duke or Spectrum is ready..."

"I know!  Bailey showed how the tickets work, maybe we should drop in on Neville to explain their purpose!"

"It seems a bit early for that.  Maybe we should show them the area where we work?"

"The choice is yours, Mono."


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## Universe (Apr 3, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "Well then, Your Highness, it's a pleasure to meet you.  Since I haven't seen you around before, you might want to check your coin case."
> 
> The coin case, as it turned out, had an extra spot for tickets.  In Universe's case, this now contained two yellow tickets with the number "100" on them.
> 
> ...


“I like him ok I’ll go too this arcade is new to this ancient dragon” *I said watching to see their reaction*


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## The Spirit Guardian (Apr 3, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "Well then, Your Highness, it's a pleasure to meet you.  Since I haven't seen you around before, you might want to check your coin case."
> 
> The coin case, as it turned out, had an extra spot for tickets.  In Universe's case, this now contained two yellow tickets with the number "100" on them.
> 
> ...


_Of course the cat was definitely interested! To hear that there was so many more options made it feel like they were barely scratching the surface, something that always made the feline eager to see more.

It didn't matter if he had just met the two, he already felt as if he could trust them, seeing as they wouldn't be the types to lead him astray. After all, their friendly nature sported only the most kindest intentions, making it that much easier to trust them._

"Well now, sounds like we've got some options on our paws! Do what you guys feel is best, I'm simply following your lead here, heh!," the cheery Mono stated, curious to see whatever they showed him, mainly since he was already infatuated.


----------



## Universe (Apr 3, 2022)

Mono The Nickit said:


> _Of course the cat was definitely interested! To hear that there was so many more options made it feel like they were barely scratching the surface, something that always made the feline eager to see more.
> 
> It didn't matter if he had just met the two, he already felt as if he could trust them, seeing as they wouldn't be the types to lead him astray. After all, their friendly nature sported only the most kindest intentions, making it that much easier to trust them._
> 
> "Well now, sounds like we've got some options on our paws! Do what you guys feel is best, I'm simply following your lead here, heh!," the cheery Mono stated, curious to see whatever they showed him, mainly since he was already infatuated.


*I was still waiting for them to react to the ancient dragon comment*


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 4, 2022)

Universe said:


> “I like him ok I’ll go too this arcade is new to this ancient dragon” *I said watching to see their reaction*





Mono The Nickit said:


> _Of course the cat was definitely interested! To hear that there was so many more options made it feel like they were barely scratching the surface, something that always made the feline eager to see more.
> 
> It didn't matter if he had just met the two, he already felt as if he could trust them, seeing as they wouldn't be the types to lead him astray. After all, their friendly nature sported only the most kindest intentions, making it that much easier to trust them._
> 
> "Well now, sounds like we've got some options on our paws! Do what you guys feel is best, I'm simply following your lead here, heh!," the cheery Mono stated, curious to see whatever they showed him, mainly since he was already infatuated.





Universe said:


> *I was still waiting for them to react to the ancient dragon comment*


"Neville's kind of old by the standards of the rest of us, but I'm pretty sure you've got him beat easily."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure a dragon older than human civilization beats out Neville.  How long before the stories of brontosaur tipping?"

"Don't ask me, ask him."

Bailey stayed behind at the skill games while the tour progressed.  This time, the entourage wound up at what looked like a booth with a very large number of small windows.  Universe may or may not recognize the style as an old automat.

Except there were various prizes in there, marked with values.  Many of them, especially with values in the red and orange ticket ranges, were the standard cheaply made stuff.  The interesting stuff started showing up around the late yellow to early green ticket range.  Electronics generally didn't show up until blue, but Universe might have recognized some of the bronze-ticket items on up as well-valued items in other civilizations.

Next to the booth was a seated pronghorn, wearing what looked like an old uniform.  He spotted the group approaching, stood up, and beckoned them to come closer.

"Sauce and Swirl!  Good to see you two.  And you brought a feline and.... oh my."

"Something up, Neville?"

"You see something?"

"You two brought in someone unusual.  And it looks like I lose the bet."

"What bet?"

"I made a bet with Oliver that dragons actually were supposed to have feathers.  Something about this one feels like he's supposed to be a dragon progenitor."


----------



## Universe (Apr 4, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "Neville's kind of old by the standards of the rest of us, but I'm pretty sure you've got him beat easily."
> 
> "Yeah, I'm pretty sure a dragon older than human civilization beats out Neville.  How long before the stories of brontosaur tipping?"
> 
> ...


“I’m Universe Celestial king of all celestial dragons I am 200,000,000 centuries old”


----------



## Universe (Apr 4, 2022)

*I said laughing*


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 5, 2022)

Universe said:


> “I’m Universe Celestial king of all celestial dragons I am 200,000,000 centuries old”





Universe said:


> *I said laughing*


"That would explain a lot.  Anyways, as Sauce and Swirl have mentioned, my name's Neville, and I man the prize booth.  Mainly to keep an eye how much we have in stock, but sometimes to help kids reach the upper rows... and make sure people are actually using their tickets in here."

Neville shifted a bit.

"Say, HAVE you run into any feathered dragons before?  Or is that only dinos that are that way?"

Sauce and Swirl looked at Mono.

"He's been around the block a few centuries."

"Doesn't beat the dragon king here, but it's quite a haul."

"Don't ask him about his last gig."

"He really doesn't like recalling it."


----------



## Universe (Apr 5, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "That would explain a lot.  Anyways, as Sauce and Swirl have mentioned, my name's Neville, and I man the prize booth.  Mainly to keep an eye how much we have in stock, but sometimes to help kids reach the upper rows... and make sure people are actually using their tickets in here."
> 
> Neville shifted a bit.
> 
> ...


“I’ve met a few feathered dragons in my day”


----------



## Universe (Apr 6, 2022)

“Why do you ask although the dragon in question kept tickling my snout”


----------



## The-Courier (Apr 6, 2022)

(Mind if I join in?


----------



## Universe (Apr 6, 2022)

(Sure)


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 6, 2022)

The-Courier said:


> (Mind if I join in?


_((Sure, come on in.  There's a tour going on that's currently at Souvenirs - which is actually the prize booth - or you can start anywhere else.))_


----------



## Universe (Apr 6, 2022)

“So have you met any dragon kings before me?”


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 6, 2022)

Universe said:


> “I’ve met a few feathered dragons in my day”





Universe said:


> “Why do you ask although the dragon in question kept tickling my snout”





Universe said:


> “So have you met any dragon kings before me?”


"Well, for the longest time where I'm from, everyone associated dinosaurs with being strictly reptilian.  Y'know, kind of like how most dragons are portrayed.  Then they started saying the dinosaurs were feathered, and always were.  Which, incidentally, I can prove as I helped make one once and there were many more problems starting from a reptile base compared to a bird one.  So I started wondering if the dragons were always feathered too."

Neville shrugged.

"Funny thing, the closest my world has to dragons, besides a few rare mutants, are the komodo.  And those are really just a type of monitor lizard.  Certainly no dragons with wings before, not counting beings who play dress-up.  I suspect the lack of dragons will stop being the case eventually, with the way things went over the past couple years."


----------



## Universe (Apr 6, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "Well, for the longest time where I'm from, everyone associated dinosaurs with being strictly reptilian.  Y'know, kind of like how most dragons are portrayed.  Then they started saying the dinosaurs were feathered, and always were.  Which, incidentally, I can prove as I helped make one once and there were many more problems starting from a reptile base compared to a bird one.  So I started wondering if the dragons were always feathered too."
> 
> Neville shrugged.
> 
> "Funny thing, the closest my world has to dragons, besides a few rare mutants, are the komodo.  And those are really just a type of monitor lizard.  Certainly no dragons with wings before, not counting beings who play dress-up.  I suspect the lack of dragons will stop being the case eventually, with the way things went over the past couple years."


“well I’ve existed before the universe began and um dragons pretty much were all scaly as far as I’ve seen”


----------



## Universe (Apr 6, 2022)

“If I told you where I live would you believe me?”


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 6, 2022)

Universe said:


> “well I’ve existed before the universe began and um dragons pretty much were all scaly as far as I’ve seen”





Universe said:


> “If I told you where I live would you believe me?”


"I might not, given I'm the result of events in this universe rather than whatever happened before... but try me."

Neville straightened up his uniform a little.

"If nothing else, I'll take the knowledge with me and it might help give the metapsychic shock my home world so badly needs."


----------



## Universe (Apr 6, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "I might not, given I'm the result of events in this universe rather than whatever happened before... but try me."
> 
> Neville straightened up his uniform a little.
> 
> "If nothing else, I'll take the knowledge with me and it might help give the metapsychic shock my home world so badly needs."


“I live at the center of the earth” *I said seriously*


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 6, 2022)

Universe said:


> “I live at the center of the earth” *I said seriously*


"Okay, that is not what I was expecting.  I was expecting some extradimensional pocket of reality.  And beings at a planet's core... have shown up in literature, but I've never had the fortune of seeing one myself.  Only ever seen a dig that was down a mile, at most."


----------



## Universe (Apr 7, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "Okay, that is not what I was expecting.  I was expecting some extradimensional pocket of reality.  And beings at a planet's core... have shown up in literature, but I've never had the fortune of seeing one myself.  Only ever seen a dig that was down a mile, at most."


“You’d have to go In through an extinct volcano”


----------



## The-Courier (Apr 7, 2022)

(Trying to think on how I'd join. Any suggestions?


----------



## Universe (Apr 7, 2022)

(Hello)


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 7, 2022)

Universe said:


> “You’d have to go In through an extinct volcano”


"No surprises there.  Hey, I think Sauce and Swirl want to continue the tour."

"That we do."

"Yes we do."

"Come back if you get a good number of tickets.  The prizes will still be here."

Sauce and Swirl urged Universe, Wade, Parson, and Mono (@Lithaliusolavetivosavius ) to follow them.

"We're going to make a bit of a special stop."

The next place where the tour went was another counter.  The sheer number of smells behind the counter, plus several machines, indicated this had to be Concessions, where the food and drink was.

The being behind the counter looked a lot like a very hairy dog, with a coloration similar to strawberry ice cream.  There were a few oddities of course.  Among them, he was wearing armor on his chest, thighs, and groin region.  The armor had a bronze coloration, and the chest and thigh pieces were shaped in a manner as to resemble a waffle cone.  The biggest, however, was his face - instead of a face, he had a black visor that was similar in shape to a gumdrop, if a gumdrop had digital red eyes and nose.  The visor had a bronze band attaching it to the face, and a pair of round cheek plates with fins jutting out the back.  Lit up on the plates was the shape of an ice cream cone.

As the being spoke, the visor opened to allow for a mouth.  His tongue was also a digital red.

"Hello.  Dessert Storm's the name, Concessions the claim.  Oh, hey Sauce and Swirl.  Bringing newcomers around for a tour?"

"You better believe it."

"Sure thing."

"Word's getting around that you have royalty with you.  Kings and queens are kind of a rare sight around here, but princes show up once in a while."

He noticed Mono.

"Hi there.  I didn't forget about you.  Since you're on the tour, first one's on the house.  Anything I can get you?"


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 7, 2022)

The-Courier said:


> (Trying to think on how I'd join. Any suggestions?


_((I'll see if I can come up with any ideas.  My posting windows are reliable but mainly restricted to evenings and the occasional early morning on weekdays, so it'll likely be tomorrow evening when I get something.  If either of the other current RPers here has their own ideas, feel free to speak up.))_


----------



## Universe (Apr 8, 2022)

*My stomach growls loudly* “oh pardon my stomach I’m starving”


----------



## The Spirit Guardian (Apr 8, 2022)

The-Courier said:


> (Trying to think on how I'd join. Any suggestions?


(Probably an entrance of just viewing the slot and all the sights at first, maybe like a first impressions kind of thing.)


----------



## Universe (Apr 8, 2022)

*I smiled looking at all the food*


----------



## Universe (Apr 8, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "No surprises there.  Hey, I think Sauce and Swirl want to continue the tour."
> 
> "That we do."
> 
> ...


“That would be me.” *I said wearing fancy robes that had a blue circle with a dot in the center on the center of the breastplate*


----------



## The Spirit Guardian (Apr 8, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "No surprises there.  Hey, I think Sauce and Swirl want to continue the tour."
> 
> "That we do."
> 
> ...


_Still quite keen on seeing what else there would be, the feline curiously followed the group, seeing how they managed to see some others of this tour as well. It was an interesting aspect, seeing more than the two he had encountered, yet at the same time, it was to be expected to a degree.

It was an arcade area after all, more folks was basically a surefire thing.

As they walked and continued the tour, Mono's gaze would sometimes lock onto the others, then back to the sights, his ears perking slightly as someone noticed him. He pondered on what exactly to ask for, since he wasn't really familiar with what concessions offered. After all, his life was one without much sweets, so such was a rare, yet unique opportunity._

"Oh, hello there! Well...honestly, I have no clue. You can pick anything really, I'm curious as to what they might be like!," the feline beamed, his words holding truth since this was indeed a factor where he came from.

_They all looked appealing, definitely something he'd want to try! It would be an honor to just even try one of the many options there!_


----------



## Universe (Apr 8, 2022)

“I am Universe Celestial king of all celestial dragons” *I said stepping forwards and offering my hand* “nice to meet you”


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 8, 2022)

Universe said:


> “That would be me.” *I said wearing fancy robes that had a blue circle with a dot in the center on the center of the breastplate*





Universe said:


> “I am Universe Celestial king of all celestial dragons” *I said stepping forwards and offering my hand*


Dessert Storm shook hands.

"An honor.  Actually, I may have just the thing for the two of you."



Lithaliusolavetivosavius said:


> _Still quite keen on seeing what else there would be, the feline curiously followed the group, seeing how they managed to see some others of this tour as well. It was an interesting aspect, seeing more than the two he had encountered, yet at the same time, it was to be expected to a degree.
> 
> It was an arcade area after all, more folks was basically a surefire thing.
> 
> ...


The visor-faced dog put on some gloves and got to work on one of the machines.  It involved him spinning a substance between his hands, occasionally pounding at it with a small mallet.  Once he had gotten the substance to a firm consistency, he laid out a few skewers, got a knife and carved some shapes into the substance.  These shapes, he skewered and then sprinkled with a little extra sugar.

He laid out a plate of six skewered sweets, switched gloves, and went to a pot on another machine.  He poured out a liquid from the pot into several cups, and put the cups and skewers on the counter.

"Ta-dah!  Retro Dream Skewers!  A regular favorite in these halls - unlike most foods made this way, even the skewers are a delightful taste.  Please take only one at a time - I made an extra for the dragon just on reputation, but let everyone have their choices first."

The actual skewers holding these candy kabobs up were made of a sugary hard candy coating and filled with rich chocolate.  The shapes that had been skewered were a form of very sweet candy that depicted, by kabob:

Dinosaurs and an expensive car;
Several winged birds with giant letters on them;
A rounded jet with hands and a mouth;
A clown's head and a zombified teddy bear;
A round disk with a slice taken out of it and several ghosts;
And the segments of a giant centipede.
_((The rounded jet is supposed to be one of the ships from the Twinbee shooters.  The teddy bear and clown's head are from a shooter called CarnEvil.))_


----------



## Universe (Apr 8, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> Dessert Storm shook hands.
> 
> "An honor.  Actually, I may have just the thing for the two of you."
> 
> ...


*I laughed and accepted the candy* “I love candy”


----------



## The Spirit Guardian (Apr 8, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> Dessert Storm shook hands.
> 
> "An honor.  Actually, I may have just the thing for the two of you."
> 
> ...


_The curious feline watched Dessert, curious as to what he was going to do.

Curious little meows of wonder and awe could slightly be heard from the cat as he watched him work, fascinated by what he was doing. He was usually use to watching people forge steel into a blade, or something else into a lethal weapon, so this was indeed a nice change.

Though, it made Mono slip into even more wonder as to what he could be crafting over there. Of course, it should be obvious since it's in his name, but still, his excitement knew no limits, nor bounds!

Eagerly, he watched and listened to the little sounds, then looked in amazement at the final results of his craft, the sweets he deemed as the Retro Dream Skewers. It was quite appealing by look, and definitely looked more than edible.

Being taught respect and such, Mono waited for everyone else to pick their stuff first, since he was more curious to see what he would be left with. He always enjoyed that, taking the last of whatever there was to offer. _


----------



## Universe (Apr 9, 2022)

*I took a big bite out of the candy*


----------



## The-Courier (Apr 9, 2022)

Lithaliusolavetivosavius said:


> (Probably an entrance of just viewing the slot and all the sights at first, maybe like a first impressions kind of thing.)


(Sure.)

Silently shadowing and sticking _relatively_ close-by was a six foot two canine, taking the  shape of a grey-furred white-bellied husky, dressed in some kind of black turtleneck and color-matching cargo pants, replete with combat boots.
Although his gaze was mostly fixed on taking in the sights and not interacting with anything, it was pretty obvious he was _following_ the group, whether he was using them as a crutch to lead himself  around the park, or by simply being too socially awkward to introduce himself was hard to say.

In any case, he stood mostly within earshot, simply taking in the information given by the tour group. Hell, one could  classify the poor canine as a creepy stalker due to his outfit; all he was missing was the trench coat and the  face-concealing headwear.


----------



## Universe (Apr 9, 2022)

The-Courier said:


> (Sure.)
> 
> Silently shadowing and sticking _relatively_ close-by was a six foot two canine, taking the  shape of a grey-furred white-bellied husky, dressed in some kind of black turtleneck and color-matching cargo pants, replete with combat boots.
> Although his gaze was mostly fixed on taking in the sights and not interacting with anything, it was pretty obvious he was _following_ the group, whether he was using them as a crutch to lead himself  around the park, or by simply being too socially awkward to introduce himself was hard to say.
> ...


*I turned and saw the canine* “hello there who are you I am Universe Celestial king of all celestial dragons”


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 9, 2022)

The-Courier said:


> (Sure.)
> 
> Silently shadowing and sticking _relatively_ close-by was a six foot two canine, taking the  shape of a grey-furred white-bellied husky, dressed in some kind of black turtleneck and color-matching cargo pants, replete with combat boots.
> Although his gaze was mostly fixed on taking in the sights and not interacting with anything, it was pretty obvious he was _following_ the group, whether he was using them as a crutch to lead himself  around the park, or by simply being too socially awkward to introduce himself was hard to say.
> ...





Universe said:


> *I turned and saw the canine* “hello there who are you I am Universe Celestial king of all celestial dragons”


Universe saw another being behind the canine.  He may or may not have caught a glimpse in the past.  The husky may have also seen the guy around as well.

Mono, however, knew who he was.  He was the brown-shaded, white-speckled mechanical snake-like being who had been playing light-gun games earlier.  Honestly, to those in the know about sweets, his coloration reminded one of salted caramel.

"Don't be shy, sir.  Sauce and Swirl are really good at the tour-guide thing."

"'EY, you're back, Salty.  Any luck against Oliver?"

"Not yet.  How are you holding up here, Storm?"

"Just dandy.  I made the special candy skewers for our tour group.  Say.... Universe, do you bother with the whole 'make others kneel' thing?"

"So he's the royal dragon that everyone's been talking about."

"The one and only."



Universe said:


> *I laughed and accepted the candy* “I love candy”





Lithaliusolavetivosavius said:


> _The curious feline watched Dessert, curious as to what he was going to do.
> 
> Curious little meows of wonder and awe could slightly be heard from the cat as he watched him work, fascinated by what he was doing. He was usually use to watching people forge steel into a blade, or something else into a lethal weapon, so this was indeed a nice change.
> 
> ...





Universe said:


> *I took a big bite out of the candy*


Mono had the choice of either the jet skewer or the winged birds skewer.

The candy itself?  It was obvious it was very sweet.  However, this candy did not hit the threshold of "overwhelming sweetness" that often put people off of sweets.  This was meant to be edible to anyone's senses and was extremely good.

Universe might have remembered someone else who could pull this off with sweets, but that would have been a long time ago.


----------



## Universe (Apr 9, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> Universe saw another being behind the canine.  He may or may not have caught a glimpse in the past.  The husky may have also seen the guy around as well.
> 
> Mono, however, knew who he was.  He was the brown-shaded, white-speckled mechanical snake-like being who had been playing light-gun games earlier.  Honestly, to those in the know about sweets, his coloration reminded one of salted caramel.
> 
> ...


“Hey no I don’t I tolerate it a bit I just expect respect that’s all” *I looked very fatherly*


----------



## Universe (Apr 9, 2022)

“Could it be no it couldn’t”


----------



## The Spirit Guardian (Apr 9, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> Universe saw another being behind the canine.  He may or may not have caught a glimpse in the past.  The husky may have also seen the guy around as well.
> 
> Mono, however, knew who he was.  He was the brown-shaded, white-speckled mechanical snake-like being who had been playing light-gun games earlier.  Honestly, to those in the know about sweets, his coloration reminded one of salted caramel.
> 
> ...


_Quite the taste it was, and thankfully, the feline wasn't deterred by it in the slightest! He went and picked the jet skewer, pausing for a moment to actually savor such a treat. Such a commodity was rare where he was, and it was quite the delicacy to have even a whole cookie to himself!

He couldn't stop savoring it! It was as if each tiny mice bite was a completely different realm of tastes, sending him on a tour of sweet endeavors, truly making the feline meow happily. It was something he had long craved, and after such time, had been finally satiated!

He had to collect himself for a bit though, seeing as he was getting rather lost in the taste alone. Giving a polite, and thankful bow, the purring cat sat up, a beaming fanged smile on his face as he finished the skewer, having thoroughly enjoyed such a sweet thing._

"I am truly thankful!," Mono said cheerily, his tail waggling about as his mind faintly traced that wondrous experience.


----------



## Universe (Apr 9, 2022)

“I haven’t had candy like this in years”


----------



## The-Courier (Apr 9, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> Universe saw another being behind the canine.  He may or may not have caught a glimpse in the past.  The husky may have also seen the guy around as well.
> 
> Mono, however, knew who he was.  He was the brown-shaded, white-speckled mechanical snake-like being who had been playing light-gun games earlier.  Honestly, to those in the know about sweets, his coloration reminded one of salted caramel.
> 
> ...





Universe said:


> *I turned and saw the canine* “hello there who are you I am Universe Celestial king of all celestial dragons”


The canine didn't say a word, not at first, as he leaned back and folded his arms over his chest. From there, with his arms in plain view they could see two patches donning his right shoulder. One took the shape of a geometric lion overlaid onto a crimson red background, and the other--just below it--was a silvery-white arrow pointing up onto a two-tone background of blue and grey.

Although Narai hadn't considered himself _shy_, far from it, he knew how it might look to those who didn't really have context.
Not like he was bothered by it, he'd been called worse before.
"Narai," he said simply, addressing the dragon and with a nod, before turning to the tour group fully.

"I'm just taking in the sights and familiarizing myself with the layout of the place. I figured shadowing a tour group would be good to learn at least a basic layout."


----------



## Universe (Apr 9, 2022)

The-Courier said:


> The canine didn't say a word, not at first, as he leaned back and folded his arms over his chest. From there, with his arms in plain view they could see two patches donning his right shoulder. One took the shape of a geometric lion overlaid onto a crimson red background, and the other--just below it--was a silvery-white arrow pointing up onto a two-tone background of blue and grey.
> 
> Although Narai hadn't considered himself _shy_, far from it, he knew how it might look to those who didn't really have context.
> Not like he was bothered by it, he'd been called worse before.
> ...


“Nice to meet you Narai”


----------



## Universe (Apr 10, 2022)

“My mother used to make Candy like that.”


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 11, 2022)

Lithaliusolavetivosavius said:


> _Quite the taste it was, and thankfully, the feline wasn't deterred by it in the slightest! He went and picked the jet skewer, pausing for a moment to actually savor such a treat. Such a commodity was rare where he was, and it was quite the delicacy to have even a whole cookie to himself!
> 
> He couldn't stop savoring it! It was as if each tiny mice bite was a completely different realm of tastes, sending him on a tour of sweet endeavors, truly making the feline meow happily. It was something he had long craved, and after such time, had been finally satiated!
> 
> ...





Universe said:


> “I haven’t had candy like this in years”





The-Courier said:


> The canine didn't say a word, not at first, as he leaned back and folded his arms over his chest. From there, with his arms in plain view they could see two patches donning his right shoulder. One took the shape of a geometric lion overlaid onto a crimson red background, and the other--just below it--was a silvery-white arrow pointing up onto a two-tone background of blue and grey.
> 
> Although Narai hadn't considered himself _shy_, far from it, he knew how it might look to those who didn't really have context.
> Not like he was bothered by it, he'd been called worse before.
> ...





Universe said:


> “Nice to meet you Narai”





Universe said:


> “My mother used to make Candy like that.”


"You're welcome.  It's my pleasure to provide."

"Wait, your mother could accomplish t-.... no, that would actually make sense.  Everything I have heard of dragons says they get to be among the best at their craft."

"Narai, do you want anything?"

"Once you've decided, we're going to be headed to the bowling alley."

"They're the most cheerful people we haven't visited yet on our tour."


----------



## Universe (Apr 11, 2022)

*I smiled sadly* “I could never figure out how she did it”


----------



## The-Courier (Apr 12, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "You're welcome.  It's my pleasure to provide."
> 
> "Wait, your mother could accomplish t-.... no, that would actually make sense.  Everything I have heard of dragons says they get to be among the best at their craft."
> 
> ...


The canine, not answering at first, cast his gaze to the nearby surroundings and around the tour group. Did he even _want_ anything to begin with? He certainly was doing fine--he had all he needed.
"Depends," he said, leveling his purple eyes back onto the group.

"What do you have?"


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 12, 2022)

Universe said:


> *I smiled sadly* “I could never figure out how she did it”


"There are some days where I wonder how I got this much skill with it.  Practice is only part of it when you're dealing with exotic foods."



The-Courier said:


> The canine, not answering at first, cast his gaze to the nearby surroundings and around the tour group. Did he even _want_ anything to begin with? He certainly was doing fine--he had all he needed.
> "Depends," he said, leveling his purple eyes back onto the group.
> 
> "What do you have?"


"There's a lot of choice.  Candies, sweets, many varieties of popcorn, burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches.... it's a lot of stuff that can be eaten between or even during game sessions.  Along with various types of soda, juices, energy drinks, milkshakes..."

The mechanical snake being took his place back behind the counter.

"We had a limited run of really strong energy drinks, but-"

"Sold the last one a week ago, Salty.  Next promotion's burger-related."

"It's the Screamer we're offering in a couple of days, right?"

"Yeah.  Anyways, hard to narrow it down.  We've got a range."


----------



## Universe (Apr 12, 2022)

*I looked sad then immediately pulled myself together then started doing some fancy dancing to a funky  rhythm in my head *


----------



## The-Courier (Apr 12, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "There are some days where I wonder how I got this much skill with it.  Practice is only part of it when you're dealing with exotic foods."
> 
> 
> "There's a lot of choice.  Candies, sweets, many varieties of popcorn, burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches.... it's a lot of stuff that can be eaten between or even during game sessions.  Along with various types of soda, juices, energy drinks, milkshakes..."
> ...


Narai hummed in thought, arms folded over his chest with one arm propped up to grip his chin for a moment. He wasn't really hungry, and he could maybe do with a drink, though he doubted they sold any alcohol...
"What type of sodas do you sell?"

It was unlikely they had the specific kind he was looking for, but it didn't hurt to ask.


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 13, 2022)

The-Courier said:


> Narai hummed in thought, arms folded over his chest with one arm propped up to grip his chin for a moment. He wasn't really hungry, and he could maybe do with a drink, though he doubted they sold any alcohol...
> "What type of sodas do you sell?"
> 
> It was unlikely they had the specific kind he was looking for, but it didn't hurt to ask.


"There's the standard ones, your colas, orange, lemon-lime, cream soda, root beer..."

"There's also the Ramune line.  Blood grapefruit soda, champagne soda, curry soda, octopus soda..."

"Onion soda and grass jelly soda as well."

"And Goombay Punch!"

_((Yes, seriously.  All of these soda flavors exist.  Ramune is a Japanese brand name with REALLY exotic sodas.  They're not the ones that make onion or grass jelly soda, though.))_


----------



## The-Courier (Apr 13, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "There's the standard ones, your colas, orange, lemon-lime, cream soda, root beer..."
> 
> "There's also the Ramune line.  Blood grapefruit soda, champagne soda, curry soda, octopus soda..."
> 
> ...


Narai hummed even more in thought, an eyebrow lifting as exotic soda names were rattled off. They didn't   really have anything he was looking for, which didn't really surprise him--the soda types he was partial to only really existed on his  home planet.
Which doesn't exist anymore.

"I'll just take a cola, then. Do I have to pay for it?"
While he had human sodas a few times, he never went out of his way to take them.


----------



## Universe (Apr 13, 2022)

“Do you have cosmic strawberry jelly flavored?”


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 14, 2022)

The-Courier said:


> Narai hummed even more in thought, an eyebrow lifting as exotic soda names were rattled off. They didn't   really have anything he was looking for, which didn't really surprise him--the soda types he was partial to only really existed on his  home planet.
> Which doesn't exist anymore.
> 
> "I'll just take a cola, then. Do I have to pay for it?"
> While he had human sodas a few times, he never went out of his way to take them.


"One cola coming up."

"Funny thing about it... doesn't quite work like that here.  It's more like, there's a time limit between when you can get more, to prevent people from just standing here all day..  And you either have to hold on to your food and drink at all times, or when you're at one of the machines there are holders for these things."


Universe said:


> “Do you have cosmic strawberry jelly flavored?”


"Cosmic strawberry?  Do you mean perhaps the Proximan Redglow strawberry?  We had it at one point, but it is difficult to get flavors off of cosmic berries with their various seasons.  The closest we have right now is flavored like a fruit from one of the mangrove trees of a swamp planet in the Gliese system.  It reminded me of persimmons and honey, if I've got to be truthful."

"He said a bit about jelly, Storm."

"I must confess I was under the impression that particular strawberry was near impossible to jelly properly without losing a lot of its flavor.  Let alone make a soda that tastes like said jelly.  Do you perhaps know someone who's tried it?"


----------



## Universe (Apr 14, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "One cola coming up."
> 
> "Funny thing about it... doesn't quite work like that here.  It's more like, there's a time limit between when you can get more, to prevent people from just standing here all day..  And you either have to hold on to your food and drink at all times, or when you're at one of the machines there are holders for these things."
> 
> ...


“My mother she could make the most delicious jelly out of the cosmic strawberry”


----------



## Universe (Apr 14, 2022)

*I had a frown on my face which looked really out of place*


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 15, 2022)

Universe said:


> “My mother she could make the most delicious jelly out of the cosmic strawberry”





Universe said:


> *I had a frown on my face which looked really out of place*


"A testament to her skill, that's for sure.  I've heard of plenty trying and failing to make that kind of jelly.  The person that got the closest to getting it right as far as I knew had to make the tools for the job out of a particular type of tree on an obscure planet.  I think they still got only a quarter of the flavor, at best."

Salty returned with a cola bottle with a much smaller neck than Narai might have been used to seeing.

"Did you prefer a glass or cup, or is this really old style of bottle more of your thing when it comes to cola?"

"We'll be headed to the next stop soon."

"If any of you three want something else, now's the chance."

_((The very first Coca-Cola bottles had REALLY short necks.  The shape we're used to wasn't until the second type of bottle came about.))_


----------



## Universe (Apr 15, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "A testament to her skill, that's for sure.  I've heard of plenty trying and failing to make that kind of jelly.  The person that got the closest to getting it right as far as I knew had to make the tools for the job out of a particular type of tree on an obscure planet.  I think they still got only a quarter of the flavor, at best."
> 
> Salty returned with a cola bottle with a much smaller neck than Narai might have been used to seeing.
> 
> ...


*I was still thinking about my mother*


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 17, 2022)

Universe said:


> *I was still thinking about my mother*


Sauce and Swirl looked confused.

"....is something the matter, Universe?"

"Are you alright?"


----------



## Universe (Apr 17, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> Sauce and Swirl looked confused.
> 
> "....is something the matter, Universe?"
> 
> "Are you alright?"


“Just thinking about my mother”


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 17, 2022)

Universe said:


> “Just thinking about my mother”


"...oh."

"Once we're done with the tour, maybe we could talk?  Or are they more... painful memories?"


----------



## Universe (Apr 17, 2022)

“She was the best mother one could ask for”


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 17, 2022)

Universe said:


> “She was the best mother one could ask for”


Sauce and Swirl looked wistful. They knew the implications of the word "was" in a situation like this.

"She is deserving of respect, that's for sure.  Sauce, Swirl, are you two okay to continue?"

Sauce and Swirl looked to Universe, as if they were basing their answer on his.


----------



## Universe (Apr 17, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> Sauce and Swirl looked wistful. They knew the implications of the word "was" in a situation like this.
> 
> "She is deserving of respect, that's for sure.  Sauce, Swirl, are you two okay to continue?"
> 
> Sauce and Swirl looked to Universe, as if they were basing their answer on his.


“Yes”


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 17, 2022)

Universe said:


> “Yes”


Making sure Narai had his soda, Sauce and Swirl continued the tour, leading to another portion of the center.

The next location was a fairly vast zone.  They entered on a raised platform, and the short stairs downward led to a series of wooden lanes with gutters around them.  In front of each pair of lanes was a rack of heavy-looking spheres, a table, and some scorecards.  At the other end of most of the lanes were a series of ten wooden pins, laid out in a triangle pointing towards the front.  Two of the lanes were much wider, but did not have any pins at the end.  In fact, they had caution signs around them.

Within these two wider lanes, a very muscular blue gator and an iguana were busy with repairs.  It seemed they were repairing something related to the magic of the two lanes.

"Welcome to the bowling alley.  Those are Zuri and Sharon over there.  They're working on fixing one of our special alleys."

"See, we have special 120-pin challenge lanes.  Meant as a score challenge for most people, they're also the only spot in the entire center where portals and luck magic can affect the results.  So we occasionally need to bring the lanes down to fix the wards.  People get rowdy."

"Even I partake in this stuff.  I've got a specially-marked bowling ball and everything.  I don't exactly have a high score at the challenge lane, but that's not the point.  Sharon's been kind of helping me with it."

The iguana looked over at the group and signaled the gator to take five.  Both of them approached the group.

"That's Char'rynn, not Sharon.  Another tour group, Sauce and Swirl?  Zuri and I are going to be a while on these wards - we had an extremely rowdy group on the lanes."

"I was this close to having to throw a few people out.  They never get THIS bad, not even at that lane."

"Imagine when it was only one of us working this."


----------



## Universe (Apr 17, 2022)

“I’d rather not”


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 17, 2022)

Universe said:


> “I’d rather not”


"That is a fair reaction."

"They were still rowdier in the escape room, and that place was warded even better to prevent cheating!  We had to close it because I couldn't take it anymore, and they've been trying to hire a replacement to run that area for months now.  They're renovating it while they look for their answer."

"Wow.  So, uh.... you must be the royalty that's making the rounds. I'm Zuri, she's Char'rynn.  The other lanes are open.  Since you're on the tour, up to you if you want to bowl a few frames."

"I should caution you, the lane floors are made with a special wood polymer made on the smallest planet in the Kepler-2130 system.  Dirt and grime don't stick, claws don't scratch it, you won't need special shoes like most bowling alleys... there's a certain amount of slickness to the floor, but it's necessary for safety when bowling."

Zuri looked at Universe's fingers to gauge the correct bowling ball for the situation.


----------



## Universe (Apr 17, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "That is a fair reaction."
> 
> "They were still rowdier in the escape room, and that place was warded even better to prevent cheating!  We had to close it because I couldn't take it anymore, and they've been trying to hire a replacement to run that area for months now.  They're renovating it while they look for their answer."
> 
> ...


*They were like human fingers but a bit longer and thicker*


----------



## Universe (Apr 17, 2022)

“Yes I am”


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 17, 2022)

Universe said:


> *They were like human fingers but a bit longer and thicker*





Universe said:


> “Yes I am”


"Hmmm... if you're interested in trying this out, Your Highness, I think we've had guests with this exact type of hand before.  You'll want the Ebonites over there, specifically one of the ones marked Varanus."

They were the ones with a higher weight rating.

"Just be careful, they're not the absolute weights they usually make them.  These work off of relative gravitation.  Just because they go from 6 to 16 doesn't mean that's their pound or kilo weight, especially if you've got super strength."

"Get me the rail, I want to give this a go.  Just a couple frames."

_((Yeah, 6 to 16 pounds is the actual regulation bowling ball weight range.))_


----------



## Universe (Apr 18, 2022)

*I picked up one effortlessly*


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 19, 2022)

Universe said:


> *I picked up one effortlessly*


Universe still noted that the bowling ball had heft.

Wade, meanwhile, led Parson over to another rack of bowling balls and eventually found his.  It was marked with a peculiar indent on the side.  Char'rynn was setting up a rail at the end of one of the lanes, weighting it down with a couple more bowling balls.

"Would the two of you be interested in trying?"

Zuri was looking at Mono and Narai.


----------



## Universe (Apr 19, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> Universe still noted that the bowling ball had heft.
> 
> Wade, meanwhile, led Parson over to another rack of bowling balls and eventually found his.  It was marked with a peculiar indent on the side.  Char'rynn was setting up a rail at the end of one of the lanes, weighting it down with a couple more bowling balls.
> 
> ...


*I rolled the ball down the lane*


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 20, 2022)

Universe said:


> *I rolled the ball down the lane*


While we can't put it past Universe to have learned a thing or two about bowling in his time, the peculiar thing about these lanes is that they did not rely on being oiled the same way normal bowling alley lanes are.  The pattern of slickness in this wood polymer was more uniform.  The ball went straight... contacting the 2 pin, the one behind and to the left of the headpin.

The result was nine pins going down.  Only the far-right pin remained.

"Oh, uh.... looks like we forgot to set the slickness pattern of that lane.  Most of these are set to a house pattern.  But when they're unused we set them to a default state."

"Need us to address that right now, Your Highness?"


_((Yeah, bowling alley lanes are oiled.  There's two dominant patterns, one for most people and one for pro lanes.  This situation is neither.))_


----------



## Universe (Apr 20, 2022)

“YES!”


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 20, 2022)

Universe said:


> “YES!”


Zuri rushed to a console and began fiddling with a few things.  A claw grabbed the one remaining pin as the wood polymer of the lane shifted.  After a short while of this, the claw set the pin down where it was.

"Okay, try it now."


----------



## Universe (Apr 20, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> Zuri rushed to a console and began fiddling with a few things.  A claw grabbed the one remaining pin as the wood polymer of the lane shifted.  After a short while of this, the claw set the pin down where it was.
> 
> "Okay, try it now."


*I rolled the ball right at the pin*


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 22, 2022)

Universe said:


> *I rolled the ball right at the pin*


Yep.  An easy spare, now that the lanes are slicked right.

Wade took his turn.  His lane had the weighted rail.  He kept his shoulder on it as he approached, and let loose.

"8 pins!  6 pin and 10 pin standing."

When the ball returned, he rolled again.  He only got the 6 pin.

"So, you two (@Lithaliusolavetivosavius and @The-Courier ).  You've seen how this goes.  Interested?"


----------



## Universe (Apr 23, 2022)

*I looked at Wade*


----------



## Universe (Apr 23, 2022)

“I’m trying again”


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 23, 2022)

Universe said:


> *I looked at Wade*





Universe said:


> “I’m trying again”


"Then so will I."

The lanes are now reset.

"We're going to give this a couple more frames and then we've got two more stops on the tour."

"Don't worry, when the tour's over you'll be able to go back to any of the spots you've been."


----------



## Universe (Apr 23, 2022)

*I rolled the ball Down the lane*


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 24, 2022)

Universe said:


> *I rolled the ball Down the lane*


THERE we go.  Now that the pattern had been set correctly, the ball rolled in an expected pattern.  It contacted that sweet spot between the head pin and one of the pins in the second row.

A perfect strike!

Strangely, no animations from above monitors.

Wade took his turn.  He had the misfortune of rolling a split on the first ball - one pin on the left, two on the right.  However, the way he hooked the second throw, he managed to hit the space between the two pins on the right and sent one sailing into the pin on the left, picking up the spare.

"Nice!  Seems like I haven't totally lost it.  Say, Universe, how long have you played this?  From the chatter I'm hearing, the only messup you had was because the lane wasn't slicked right."


----------



## Universe (Apr 24, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> THERE we go.  Now that the pattern had been set correctly, the ball rolled in an expected pattern.  It contacted that sweet spot between the head pin and one of the pins in the second row.
> 
> A perfect strike!
> 
> ...


“I’ve been bowling for years”


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 25, 2022)

Universe said:


> “I’ve been bowling for years”


"Ah.  So... with celestial dragons, do they just spend a century on a skill at a time?  If I didn't know any better I'd say it's like the fiction stories I've read of how the elves are, only on overdrive.  It seems you have a lot of talents."


----------



## Universe (Apr 25, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "Ah.  So... with celestial dragons, do they just spend a century on a skill at a time?  If I didn't know any better I'd say it's like the fiction stories I've read of how the elves are, only on overdrive.  It seems you have a lot of talents."


“When you’ve lived as long as I have you need something to do to take your mind off that fact”


----------



## Universe (Apr 25, 2022)

*I sounded lonely*


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 26, 2022)

Universe said:


> “When you’ve lived as long as I have you need something to do to take your mind off that fact”





Universe said:


> *I sounded lonely*


"Oof.  I didn't realize what I said sunk that hard."


----------



## Universe (Apr 27, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "Oof.  I didn't realize what I said sunk that hard."


“Oh no it’s okay I didn’t mean to make you feel bad”


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 28, 2022)

Universe said:


> “Oh no it’s okay I didn’t mean to make you feel bad”


"Ah.  Okay.  So... one more frame?"

"Yeah we've only got time for one more frame and then we're moving on."

"It's going to be mini-golf next... run by the guy I dread the most here."


----------



## Universe (Apr 29, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "Ah.  Okay.  So... one more frame?"
> 
> "Yeah we've only got time for one more frame and then we're moving on."
> 
> "It's going to be mini-golf next... run by the guy I dread the most here."


“Sure” *I rolled my ball down the lane*


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (Apr 30, 2022)

Universe said:


> “Sure” *I rolled my ball down the lane*


Another easy strike.

And this time, Wade actually managed to pull off a strike as well.

"Well, it's certainly getting easier with this rail."

"Alright, pack up, we're moving to the next place."

"Don't worry, Your Highness, we've got this."

Zuri and Char'rynn got to cleaning up.  Wade grabbed the bar on Parson's vest.

"Alright, follow us."

"This one, I dread."

The tour continued.  Sauce and Swirl led the tour group to an outdoor area.  Many paths led down to different labeled zones - with varied names, like "Gearhead", "Hythloth", and "Sunset Slam".  At the place where these zones met, there was a small pavilion full of golf supplies: score cards, pencils, putters, and a varied array of golf balls.  Behind the counter was a guy who looked like a fat lizardman, except for the fact that he had three massive horns, huge gremlin ears, and his neck had a massive patch of brown fur all the way around it.  As he spoke, it was demonstrated he had four jaws rather than just two, the other split being down the middle.

"The tour, huh?  You two know mini-golf is one of those things that doesn't just justify two or three holes, right?"

"We wanted to show the WHOLE place, Duke.  Not just the easy stuff."

"Ummm... is this even possible for me?"

"YES, Wade.  You can golf even if you're blind.  We've made sure to put work into making as much stuff in this place possible no matter your handicap."

"Duke, isn't that Spectrum's line over in the main golf area?"

"So what?  Oh, and is this dragon here the ancient royalty that's been the talk of the staff?"

"He sure is.  Universe, this is Duke.  Don't mind the swamp behind him, he prefers to bask in it between guests."

Indeed, there was a small gated-off swamp behind the pavilion.

"So what brings a king out to a place like this?"


----------



## Universe (Apr 30, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> Another easy strike.
> 
> And this time, Wade actually managed to pull off a strike as well.
> 
> ...


“I wanted to be someplace new.” *I said in the flattest tone imaginable*


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (May 2, 2022)

Universe said:


> “I wanted to be someplace new.” *I said in the flattest tone imaginable*


"Oof, Duke.  Looks like you actually are the first to straight-up offend our royalty here."

"Duke is a little crass, Universe.  He's always been like this."

"Duke, I think it might be time to get stuff set up."

"You'll have to go against one of these two, Universe.  I'm going to need some proper lessons before I try to golf blind."

"I'll do it.  We'll take up the Neon Knights course for this tour.  Orange golf ball and my putter, if you would."

Duke produced the equipment that Sauce had requested.

"You'll probably want the longer putters, Universe.  Any preferences for golf ball color?"


----------



## Universe (May 3, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "Oof, Duke.  Looks like you actually are the first to straight-up offend our royalty here."
> 
> "Duke is a little crass, Universe.  He's always been like this."
> 
> ...


“Green”


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (May 4, 2022)

Universe said:


> “Green”


"One green ball and long putter, coming right up."

Duke produced the required items.  He also handed over a small scorecard and pencil.

"Three holes of the golf course.  Once the tour ends you can come back for a whole course if you like."

"This way, when you're ready."

Universe noted that Wade and Swirl stayed back with Duke.  The course that Sauce went to had statues of knights, dragons, kings, and general fantasy elements, but various parts of them were actually neon signs.  Like the swords of a few of the knights.

The first hole had a medieval-style windmill in the path.  There were ways around it on both sides, as well as through it.  It was designated as par 3.

"You first."


----------



## Universe (May 4, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "One green ball and long putter, coming right up."
> 
> Duke produced the required items.  He also handed over a small scorecard and pencil.
> 
> ...


*I got a hole in one on the first shot*


----------



## Universe (May 4, 2022)

“I hate knights”


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (May 4, 2022)

Universe said:


> “I hate knights”


"So the stuff over on hole 15 really is the norm with those guys?"

Sauce pointed over.  Sure enough, it was a neon display of knights trying to do some dragon-slaying.

Incidentally, Sauce got really close on his first shot.  He needed a second to sink the ball.

The second hole, another par 3, looked initially like one of those ones where you putt the ball into a hole and it leads down a tube to a lower area.  However, there was something odd about the tubes.

"Yeah, some of the holes on these courses are very odd.  There's miniature portals in these tubes.  The tube you pick isn't necessarily the tube the ball will come out of."

There were six tubes, one for each of the primary and secondary colors.  Universe knew from angles that the red tube would set up a hole-in-one, but with Sauce's information, actually putting it into the red tube wouldn't work.  Which tube shall he choose to putt into?


----------



## Universe (May 4, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "So the stuff over on hole 15 really is the norm with those guys?"
> 
> Sauce pointed over.  Sure enough, it was a neon display of knights trying to do some dragon-slaying.
> 
> ...


*I putt it into the blue tube*


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (May 4, 2022)

Universe said:


> *I putt it into the blue tube*


Blue, unfortunately, did not come out to the red tube.  Blue came out to the orange tube, which was close, but no hole-in-one here.

"....huh.  If blue came out to orange.... let me take a guess here."

Sauce putt the ball into the green tube.  His guess was correct, as going into the green tube went out red, netting him the hole-in one.

"They change this around once in a while.  Blue coming out to orange made me think they set this one to complementary colors today.  Blue and orange, yellow and purple... and green and red."

Once Universe finished this hole out, the third hole is a more standard long shot with a rolling hill structure.  It was listed as a par 4.


----------



## Universe (May 4, 2022)

“AAAAAAHHHHHHHH” *I screamed in rage snapping the putter in half my body glowing white hot*


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (May 4, 2022)

Sauce was... alarmed and lost his composure, to say the least.

"Easy, easy there!"

He'd never seen someone break a putter over mini-golf before.


----------



## Universe (May 4, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> Sauce was... alarmed and lost his composure, to say the least.
> 
> "Easy, easy there!"
> 
> He'd never seen someone break a putter over mini-golf before.


“THIS IS STUPID!”


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (May 4, 2022)

Universe said:


> “THIS IS STUPID!”


_Uh-oh, I've pissed off royalty,_ Sauce thought, clearly distressed.

"Ummmm..... maybe we should switch to something other than mini-golf...."


----------



## Universe (May 4, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> _Uh-oh, I've pissed off royalty,_ Sauce thought, clearly distressed.
> 
> "Ummmm..... maybe we should switch to something other than mini-golf...."


*The pieces of the putter burst into flames* “S-sorry”


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (May 4, 2022)

Universe said:


> *The pieces of the putter burst into flames* “S-sorry”


A very strange thing happened with the putter.  The flames didn't harm any part of the course.  And once the putter was completely consumed... Universe noticed another putter just like it, waiting for him at hole 3.

"We've seen people break plenty of golf clubs on the main golf course, so we came up with a method of regenerating clubs.  It basically pulls from the time stream.  I didn't think they did it on the mini-golf side too."

Sauce scratched an ear.

"Up to you whether we do the third hole.  There's no gimmick on this one, just hills."


----------



## Universe (May 4, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> A very strange thing happened with the putter.  The flames didn't harm any part of the course.  And once the putter was completely consumed... Universe noticed another putter just like it, waiting for him at hole 3.
> 
> "We've seen people break plenty of golf clubs on the main golf course, so we came up with a method of regenerating clubs.  It basically pulls from the time stream.  I didn't think they did it on the mini-golf side too."
> 
> ...


“Ok I’m okay”


----------



## Firuthi Dragovic (May 5, 2022)

Universe said:


> “Ok I’m okay”


"Perhaps I should start on this one."

Sauce's first putt on hole 3... didn't even get halfway to the hole.  It wasn't for lack of power, it's just the hills were taking up THAT much of the energy of the putt.

Universe could probably deduce that the kind of putt it would take to get a hole-in-one, or even just make this a two-putt, would probably send the ball airborne.


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## Universe (May 5, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "Perhaps I should start on this one."
> 
> Sauce's first putt on hole 3... didn't even get halfway to the hole.  It wasn't for lack of power, it's just the hills were taking up THAT much of the energy of the putt.
> 
> Universe could probably deduce that the kind of putt it would take to get a hole-in-one, or even just make this a two-putt, would probably send the ball airborne.


*I hit it hard sending the ball flying*


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## Firuthi Dragovic (May 6, 2022)

Universe said:


> *I hit it hard sending the ball flying*


Apparently a few of those centuries were spent studying physics, because the airborne ball didn't actually leave the playing area.  It bounced when it landed, ricocheted at the right angle... and Universe actually managed to get a hole-in-one.  Sauce was flabbergasted.

"....you've.... you've been at this HOW long?  I've... I've never seen someone get a hole-in-one off of one of the par 4 mini-golf holes.  You occasionally see it with super-strength beings in the main golf course, but never HERE of all places."

Sauce would ultimately take 3 shots to make it into the hole on this one.


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## Universe (May 6, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> Apparently a few of those centuries were spent studying physics, because the airborne ball didn't actually leave the playing area.  It bounced when it landed, ricocheted at the right angle... and Universe actually managed to get a hole-in-one.  Sauce was flabbergasted.
> 
> "....you've.... you've been at this HOW long?  I've... I've never seen someone get a hole-in-one off of one of the par 4 mini-golf holes.  You occasionally see it with super-strength beings in the main golf course, but never HERE of all places."
> 
> Sauce would ultimately take 3 shots to make it into the hole on this one.


*I smirked* “rapid mental calculations”


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## Firuthi Dragovic (May 8, 2022)

Universe said:


> *I smirked* “rapid mental calculations”


"Either way, I'm impressed.  Anyways, for this course, we've used up the tour allotment.  Let's head back, we've got one more stop."

When they headed back, Swirl, Wade, and Duke were waiting for them.

"I heard the scream.  What happened?"

"Hole 2 of the Neon Knights course again?"

"Again?!?"

"It's a common hole that trips people up all the time.  We've got a few gotcha holes like that on these courses."


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## Universe (May 8, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "Either way, I'm impressed.  Anyways, for this course, we've used up the tour allotment.  Let's head back, we've got one more stop."
> 
> When they headed back, Swirl, Wade, and Duke were waiting for them.
> 
> ...


*I glared at them* “not funny” *I said through gritted teeth*


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## Firuthi Dragovic (May 8, 2022)

Universe said:


> *I glared at them* “not funny” *I said through gritted teeth*


"No, it isn't funny.  You understand why Swirl and I dread this part of the tour?  Duke's always like this.  Were it not for staffing issues we've had, we'd consign Duke to the dunk tank.  At least there he could put his comments to use."

"Alright, pack up the putters.  We've got one more stop on this tour before we head back to the arcades."

"Universe, you know any dimensions where these guys could get more staff members?"


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## Universe (May 9, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "No, it isn't funny.  You understand why Swirl and I dread this part of the tour?  Duke's always like this.  Were it not for staffing issues we've had, we'd consign Duke to the dunk tank.  At least there he could put his comments to use."
> 
> "Alright, pack up the putters.  We've got one more stop on this tour before we head back to the arcades."
> 
> "Universe, you know any dimensions where these guys could get more staff members?"


“I think my celestial dragons could help” *I said looking like I was about to order Duke’s  execution*


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## Firuthi Dragovic (May 10, 2022)

Universe said:


> “I think my celestial dragons could help” *I said looking like I was about to order Duke’s  execution*


"We can talk about that when the tour's finished, then."

"On to the last stop?"

"Well, the last new area."

Onward the tour goes.

The next area had some similar vibes to the mini-golf course, but far more open.  The tour stopped at another pavilion.  This one was manned by a gryphon.  Most of his plumage was white, but his underbelly and wings had coloration encompassing every color of the rainbow.  The pavilion he was in had a wider range of clubs than the mini-golf one.

"Greetings.  Oh, it's another tour group.  Spectrum's the name and the courses I run aren't gimmicky like Duke's.  Well, maybe except the par 3 holes where you have to golf onto a tiny island, but that's common in many courses across the galaxies."

"Spectrum here is a bit more likable than Duke."

"Namely because he's had to deal with more than one case of someone managing to throw a golf club through the pavilion.  From the hole 9 of some of the courses."

"So, Spectrum, this is-"

"The royalty.  I'm aware of him already, I heard the screaming.  Here, two buckets of golf balls and a driver.  The driving range is that way."

"Here, get me a bucket and a driver as well.  I'm actually going to give this a try.  One of you two teach me?"

"Sure thing Wade, we've made sure to put work into making this stuff possible no matter your handicap."

"I'll do it."

The driving range had quite a few targets on it.  Honest bullseye targets, leftover vehicles.... there was even a castle further out.  And it didn't look like some junkyard despite the targets - they were placed there in quite an orderly fashion.


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## Universe (May 10, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "We can talk about that when the tour's finished, then."
> 
> "On to the last stop?"
> 
> ...


*I smiled I was good at golf*


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## Firuthi Dragovic (May 14, 2022)

Universe said:


> *I smiled I was good at golf*


While Universe may have been good at golf, Swirl was having quite a time explaining it to Wade.

"You need to let it flow.  You're trying to chop too hard on the down-swing."

"Chop?"

"Yeah you're angling instead of doing the full swing.  You lose a lot of power that way."

Wade swung again.  He barely got the ball a hundred yards.

"You chopped again.  Here, put a hand on my arm - behind me, not in front of me! - and feel how I swing."

Wade did so and Swirl took a swing.  He got it a little over two hundred and fifty yards.  Not a bad drive, considering.

Universe noticed that one of the golf balls in the buckets he had been given was speckled.  Its base color was a mix of red and gold, and the speckles themselves were green.


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## Universe (May 14, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> While Universe may have been good at golf, Swirl was having quite a time explaining it to Wade.
> 
> "You need to let it flow.  You're trying to chop too hard on the down-swing."
> 
> ...


*I took it then hit it getting a hole in one*


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## Firuthi Dragovic (May 14, 2022)

Universe said:


> *I took it then hit it getting a hole in one*


Something strange happened with this specific golf ball.  As it was starting to descend to one of the holes near the driving range, it glowed.  It looked like it sank in... but there was no sound confirming the hole-in-one.

Instead, Universe heard the sound of wood splintering back at the mini-golf course.  He then heard a scream and a yell from that direction.  In reality it reverberated throughout the entire amusement center.

*"AAAGGHH!  OWWW!  SPECTRUM, WHAT THE HELL?!?"*

Spectrum applauded.  Then he yelled back.

*"That's what you get for ruining the tours all these years, you overgrown swamp toad!"*

Spectrum laughed.

"I have to ask how you did it, Universe.  I've put that portal ball out for YEARS, hoping someone could sink it in Duke's head, but no one's been able to activate it until you.  Duke's disrespect gets on everyone's nerves around here."


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## Universe (May 14, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> Something strange happened with this specific golf ball.  As it was starting to descend to one of the holes near the driving range, it glowed.  It looked like it sank in... but there was no sound confirming the hole-in-one.
> 
> Instead, Universe heard the sound of wood splintering back at the mini-golf course.  He then heard a scream and a yell from that direction.  In reality it reverberated throughout the entire amusement center.
> 
> ...


*I started laughing* “two of the colors were the same colors as me Aw I should have seen his face when the ball hit him”


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## Firuthi Dragovic (May 19, 2022)

Universe said:


> *I started laughing* “two of the colors were the same colors as me Aw I should have seen his face when the ball hit him”


"Wish I could have seen it too.  His screaming will have to suffice."

"Huh.  I thought there were only like one or two portal-related things in this whole place."

"The portal ball is a... special case, Swirl.  There's a golf course in one of the outer galaxies where you have to use them."

"Island hopping?"

"Basically.  I got the ball from there."

Wade hit the ball again.  This time, he managed to hit one of the targets - a truck that had grating in place of windows.  About two hundred yards out.

"There you go, Wade!  You're getting the hang of this."

"Say, Universe?  I may have a few more special golf balls.  How do you feel about siege golf?"

Spectrum pointed at the castle further out on the driving range.


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## Universe (May 19, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "Wish I could have seen it too.  His screaming will have to suffice."
> 
> "Huh.  I thought there were only like one or two portal-related things in this whole place."
> 
> ...


“Sure”


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## Firuthi Dragovic (May 21, 2022)

Universe said:


> “Sure”


"Alright, let me get them."

Spectrum ducked behind the pavilion.  He emerged with ten golf balls.  Six of them were brown, three of them were orange with red highlights, and the last one was black with a single white stripe on it.

"You have ten shots.  And there's three different types of shots among those ten.  Let's see how much of the castle you can destroy."


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## Universe (May 21, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> "Alright, let me get them."
> 
> Spectrum ducked behind the pavilion.  He emerged with ten golf balls.  Six of them were brown, three of them were orange with red highlights, and the last one was black with a single white stripe on it.
> 
> "You have ten shots.  And there's three different types of shots among those ten.  Let's see how much of the castle you can destroy."


*I hit the black ball into the castle hard*


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## Firuthi Dragovic (May 21, 2022)

Universe said:


> *I hit the black ball into the castle hard*


The black ball made it inside the first wall of the castle.

There was a sudden explosion, blasting out a good chunk of the front wall and caving in parts of the second wall.  Universe could see glimpses of a small inner keep inside the second wall.

Turns out, that black golf ball was the bomb ball.

"Interesting start.  The brown ones are standard catapult stones and the orange ones are fireballs."

Spectrum seemed really happy.

"I think there's gunpowder storage somewhere in that castle, but I can't ID it from here.  So there's a shot at another explosion."


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## Universe (May 22, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> The black ball made it inside the first wall of the castle.
> 
> There was a sudden explosion, blasting out a good chunk of the front wall and caving in parts of the second wall.  Universe could see glimpses of a small inner keep inside the second wall.
> 
> ...


*I hit a orange ball into the keep*


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## Firuthi Dragovic (May 25, 2022)

Universe said:


> *I hit a orange ball into the keep*


The orange ball did explode into a fireball.  The force was nowhere near that of the bomb ball, but it did blast a couple stones off the inner keep.

"I will tell you that if there is gunpowder storage, the odds of them having it in the keep are rather low.  Might want to open more holes in the two big walls before trying another fireball."


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## Firuthi Dragovic (Jun 2, 2022)

While all of this was going on, Swirl decided to get a few practice shots in while letting Wade recover for a bit.

He managed to hit one inside one of the vehicles on the driving range, knocking out its glass.

He drove the ball again... and got it to ricochet a few times inside the vehicle.

"Okay, I think I've got it.  ....oh, siege golf, huh?  Ooh, ooh, do you notice the cannon holes on the walls of the castle?"

Universe still had the six catapult stone balls and two orange fireballs left.  Where would he shoot next?


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## Universe (Jun 3, 2022)

*I hit a catapult stone ball right into the wall*


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## Firuthi Dragovic (Jun 5, 2022)

Universe said:


> *I hit a catapult stone ball right into the wall*


Strangely enough, the catapult stone did a better job of breaking the wall than the fireball did.  It tore a good chunk out of the stones.

Universe could swear that within the part of the wall he just opened, he could see a wooden object with a rim of metal.


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## Universe (Jun 5, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> Strangely enough, the catapult stone did a better job of breaking the wall than the fireball did.  It tore a good chunk out of the stones.
> 
> Universe could swear that within the part of the wall he just opened, he could see a wooden object with a rim of metal.


*I hit a fireball ball right into it*


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## Firuthi Dragovic (Jun 10, 2022)

Universe said:


> *I hit a fireball ball right into it*


The fireball went into the hole in the wall.

For several moments, there was a tense silence.

The fireball erupted.  The explosion was much, MUCH larger than the first fireball.  It tore apart the first wall.  It shattered large portions of the second wall.  It even blasted a good chunk out of the keep.

"That.... must have been gunpowder storage."

Universe saw something within the keep.  A set of dressed-up dummies, perhaps?

"Are those the castle's nobles?"

"I think I'm done for now."

"Alright, Wade, we'll let him wrap up his round of siege golf and then take this tour back to the arcade."


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## Firuthi Dragovic (Nov 13, 2022)

_((So I'm tempted to re-open things with this amusement center.  I gave one tour, but it would take in-depth engagement with the amusements for me to continue working with this one.

I'll nudge this up to see if we get takers and if there's a few, I'll continue with this.  There would be at least two staffing changes if that happens...

No knowledge of the RP leading up to this would be necessary.))_


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## PC Master Race (Nov 13, 2022)

Firuthi Dragovic said:


> _((So I'm tempted to re-open things with this amusement center.  I gave one tour, but it would take in-depth engagement with the amusements for me to continue working with this one.
> 
> I'll nudge this up to see if we get takers and if there's a few, I'll continue with this.  There would be at least two staffing changes if that happens...
> 
> No knowledge of the RP leading up to this would be necessary.))_


(Remind me again what this place is about ? Is it just some casual fun like Mambi's open-for-all party ?
I'm curious about joining too)


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## Firuthi Dragovic (Nov 13, 2022)

PC Master Race said:


> (Remind me again what this place is about ? Is it just some casual fun like Mambi's open-for-all party ?
> I'm curious about joining too)


_((Sort of, but this is more specifically geared towards amusements.  Arcade, skill games, bowling, mini-golf... there's even real golf courses on here...

There may be escape rooms and even a water park in the future, but I kind of really need to hit a stride for those to get implemented.))_


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## PC Master Race (Nov 13, 2022)

(aye, I'm more for just casual stuffs, but it looks interesting still)


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