insertcoins | For my First Trick.. [Action]

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[rayman origins] ales mansay

For my First Trick.. [Action]

[There’s a strange little stand set up in Grand Central Station, with an even stranger little man bouncing excitedly in front of it. The stand itself is just a simple table with some odd-shaped masses hidden under a bright purple sheet…
Many in the Arcade have already met the Magician (or his double), but it’s a rare occasion to see him in total NPC-mode outside of his own game. He’s in top form: loud, animated, and humorously charming. He sounds a little bit like a carny or a used car salesman, and his grin is as bright as possible.]

Ladies and entlemengay of the arcade! Do you live in fear of stepping outside your game? Well, worry not, friends! I’ve got just what you need!

[With a dramatic flourish, he whips the sheet off the table, revealing rows of glass bottles, each containing a single, floating heart.]

Multiple lives, at any time, in any game, whenever you need it! All you have to do is crack open a bottle-

[He picks one of them up and bashes it on the corner of the table. The glass shatters and vanishes, as the heart grows in size and floats behind him. Now that it’s larger, it’s easier to see that the heart has a dopey-looking smile on its face...]

-And voila! You are now safe to explore! Each heart is guaranteed to last you for an entire life! Battered, burnt or bubbilized; you’ll be good as new as soon as the heart breaks! Careful, though- The heart won’t save you from being crushed or drowned! So don’t get too rowdy! And hooow much would this cost, you might ask? Well, that’s up to you! You heard me right, folks!

Since there’s no... aheh, real currency between all of our games- heck, some of you don’t even have any form of credits… I’m willing to barter! Got any interesting power-ups from your own games? Or maybe a prize, a gadget, a weapon? I’m interested in anything! Just give me something good, and I’ll give you as many hearts as you need.

[a]
[The Magician’s excited pitch is starting to cool down, and he turns to face the small crowd that’s formed. He extends a hand in a friendly sort of greeting, but it’s clear the gears are turning in his head as he stares expectantly at his audience.]
So... what do you say?

[b]
[Some time after the initial crowd has passed; the Magician still has plenty of stock left to sell. The heart is bobbing peacefully behind him as he tries to get the attention of some tough looking characters.]
Need some proof that my product can save your life? Give it a test run! Come on, hit me! Pop me right on the nose! I’ll be fine, you’ll see!

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That's incredibleway! Do you remember anything before you were sent here? How long was your game at Litwak's? What are your names?!

[He's already anxious to tell the other Ales about this. This is such good news! Their first game had been unplugged a while back, so the fact that it's still out there is beyond exciting.]

[The Arcade had no name, and he doesn't know who the owner is? That's odd, or at least it seemed odd. Then again, Turbo didn't know anything about arcades other than Litwak's. Maybe at near unfathomably huge arcades like this, it was more normal?
He steps back slightly, a little surprised by The Magician's sudden excitement. Wasn't he supposed to be asking the questions?
But an introduction, huh? Turbo smirks, not being one to ever pass up an opportunity to make himself known.]

Heh... Name's Turbo, greatest racer EVER! World famous star'a Turbo Time, the best and most adored racin' game there is!
... Oh, and these are my blockhead lil' brothers, Tas and Tic.
[He chuckles teasingly, pointing back to the Twins.]
'Course we remember! Turbo Time was Litwak's most popular game since it first opened, fer seven years!

[His grin fades into a more uneasy look, losing his proud posture as well when he has to address the other character's mention of unplugging.]

Yeah, that's... one'a the things we dunno about. Ya see, none'a us remember bein' unplugged.
There was an Outta Order sign on the game, but when I got back it wasn't there anymore.

[He doesn't answer whether or not that's what happens to unplugged games, because he doesn't know. If a game gets unplugged because it's been put Out of Order, that means the players think it's broken. Turbo always thought that once an unplugged game was taken away... that was it. The console was thrown away, or taken apart or something.
Maybe that's still what happens. Maybe Turbo Time was a special case.
But even if it was special to him, why would Litwak sell a game he thought didn't work? Did he know it wasn't really broken?
Sweet mother of Pong was this confusing.]

[Very confusing. For the moment, the Twins remain silent as Turbo introduces himself, both of them making a face at the way he introduces them. That's enough to finally get Tas to speak up, jabbing his elbow a little into Turbo's side, grumbling.]

Who y'callin' blockhead, huh?

[Well, their sibling rivalry is still alive and well at least.
He falls silent as Turbo explains though, listening along with Tic, who's watching from just behind his shoulder.
Their situation was definitely a strange one, one they couldn't even begin to make sense of. None of this was making any sense, and the fact that the Magician seems so surprised that they're from a different arcade is even more confusing.

If the console hadn't been unplugged....what DID happen?]

[It's a shame that they don't know.. If anyone would, it would be them, right? He snickers at the squabbling between the siblings.]

It's nice to meet you, Turbo, Tas, Tic!
I'll try to help you out, as much as I can! Your situation is.. interesting, to say the least. The last thing you remember is that your game was Out of Order? I'm guessing the game broke, it was fixed, and brought here! That would make sense, right?

[Though it makes him wonder, how would you fix a game? What does a broken game look like? He thought that games were only unplugged for being unpopular..]

By the way, my name's the Magician! ..But you can call me Ales.

[The racer in red winces slightly from his brother's jab, returning the favor by playfully flicking Tas's face. He's just trying to rile him up, as usual. Even after everything they went through, looks like old habits die hard.

When The Magician makes his guess as to what happened, Turbo still seems apprehensive. DID it make sense? Unlike the Twins, Turbo only saw the Out of Order sign on Turbo Time from across the arcade. It was gone when he got back to the game, he would have noticed that dreaded orange glow.
The game wasn't broken, Turbo was just missing from it for a short time. Of course, gamers naturally assumed missing characters meant a broken game. Point is he made it back, and it's a matter of what happened after that.
Maybe Ales was onto something. What if after Litwak had the game sent away, someone realized there was nothing wrong with it? If that was the case, then why wasn't Turbo Time just returned to Litwak?

... Unfortunately, Turbo knew the most likely reason why. Although it happened so fast, he could see the panic and the horror on the arcade owner's face when he slapped RoadBlasters and Turbo Time with those Out of Order signs. It's more than possible, after what he witnessed... Litwak didn't even want the game back. He was too terrified by what he saw. Whether or not Turbo Time was one of his very first consoles... Litwak was still human, and in the end, what did humans see video games as? Just machines, made for their entertainment. Nothing else. They're not meant to be anything more than that. Why would Litwak think or feel otherwise?

The one strange thing still hanging over Turbo and the Twins' heads, however, is the fact none of remembering being unplugged. They can't recall the abyss of nothingness, the dark death-like state of being inside a game with no power to keep it, or yourself, alive. Even if you were plugged in again, and "came back to life"... that state of existence, or lack thereof, doesn't strike Turbo as something that could easily be forgotten.]

... Guess that's possible...

[Yet The Magician's explanation is probably the best they're going to get, even if everything still didn't quite add up. Perhaps in the grand scheme, it didn't actually matter that much. The bottom line is that they're here now, alive and well in this new arcade to call home. The past was the past... now, maybe it's time to start looking ahead.
Turbo glances back up at Ales, giving him a curious smirk.]

Magician, eh? Then how come yer out here pawnin' off knick-knacks 'stead'a wowin' us with some gnarly tricks?

[Tas grimaces and rubs his face where Turbo flicked him, but retaliates only by nudging him a little again before the Magician can continue. And what he says, well...

That....made sense, sortof. But what still didn't make sense is how did it seem to happen so suddenly? It was like they were literally in Litwak's one minute, and then in this new Arcade the next. There was no possible way a console could be moved that quickly..
And if they did get unplugged, even for a short amount of time to be moved, they certainly would have known it.

Does it really matter though? While it was true they'd narrowly escaped being unplugged before, they were ok now. In an even bigger arcade than before, sure, but they'd take what they could get.

Tas looks back over at the strange items Ales has spread on the table as Turbo questions them. Even though they'd come to have questions answered, he can't help but be mildly curious. Extra lives, really..?
Shrugging his shoulders a little, Tas points at the heart still floating behind Ales.]

Yeah...ya say that thing can actually give ya an extra life?

[Somehow, he's sure he wouldn't believe it unless he saw it.]

[He glares at Turbo.]
I save the magic for my game, Mr. Hotshot! Besides, this stuff's just as impressive.

And of course it can! Look, I'll prove it. Try hitting me!

[The other Ales had narrowly escaped death thanks to one of these! He trusts himself more than anyone..
But he still braces for some kind of impact.]

Come on, just one slap would do it!

Uhh...

[Turbo seems wary. Any other time if someone actually asked him to punch them, he'd have no problems with it and wouldn't hesitate to give them a good smack to the jaw. But considering what he's still recovering from...
He's not sure if he feels that reckless at the moment.]

Ya sure?

[For the moment, the Twins just keep their silence, giving each other an unsure glance. Well it is a bit surprising that Turbo didn't just smirk and take Ales' word for it and give him a good lick, but then again giving someone a shiner probably isn't the way to make a first impression.

On top of that, they're not entirely sure that silly looking heart is going to do anything to help whatsoever.]

Of course I'm sure! This thing has been tested!

I mean, you don't have to, if you're scared...

[The Magician's taunting has an effect on Turbo almost immediately, as the racer clenches his fists at his sides and grits his teeth. Of course Ales doesn't know what Turbo's been through recently... but his mocking him still pisses him off.
Enough to throw caution to the wind.]

Yeah? How's this fer SCARED?!

[Suddenly, he socks him square in his big-nosed face, as hard as he can.
Worst case scenario, the Twins are here as witnesses, and Ales asked for it. Literally.]

[The Twins jump a little in unison when Turbo suddenly hauls off and punches Ales, but their reactions are entirely different. Thankful that Turbo's not looking, Tas has a chance to bite his lip and hold back both a grin he can't control and a snicker. It was nice to see Turbo pushing around someone else for a change, but the entire situation has suddenly become so ridiculous he can't help but smile.

Meanwhile, Tic just looks horrified. Though normally he wouldn't be, this was literally the very first impression they'd be making at a new arcade, and they've started it off by Turbo slugging someone.

...even though he TOLD him to, it still makes him feel a bit uneasy.]

GAHK-!

[Even though he's prepared for it, the punch still hurts like heck. He's thrown backwards into the table from the impact, and the hovering heart shatters with the sound of breaking glass. But as soon as it breaks, the pain is gone and Ales is fine. There's no bruises, bloody nose, or death animation to speak of! He pulls himself up and grins at the brothers.]

What'd I tell ya? It works fine! But eeshay, remind me not to start an argument with you! You sure you're not from one of those fighting games?

[Well look at that, he was right after all. Good thing too, as punching Ales ended up feeling rather cathartic. He's already starting to feel a lot more loosened up. Holding up his fist, a slight smirk creeps across Turbo's face as he chuckles a bit from The Magician's... "compliment."

He has to admit, the fact that dopey-looking heart actually worked is kind of impressive. As far as Turbo was aware before, extra lives didn't work outside your own game. Makes him wonder a little more about Ales's game, and all the other strange new games here that he and the Twins have never seen before.]

[Well that was something alright. Tas opens his mouth to say something, but before he can Tic finally steps forwards, looking incredibly impressed by the heart's ability to completely heal Ales in an instant.]

Does that really work on characters that aren't from the game yer from??

[If that was true, something like that could be revolutionary. One could traverse games outside of their own without having to worry- for an entire life, at least.
But that didn't change the fact that Ales could be pulling their legs. Of course the heart would work on him, if it were an item from his own game. They didn't have any reason not to believe him, but anyone knows that looks can be deceiving.

They're not there for extra lives anyway, but...it's definitely curious.

Tas shakes his head a bit and uses an arm to push Tic back a little, not noticing the grimace his brother shoots him.]

Look. That was uuh...fun an' all I guess, but what I really wanna know is what game yer from.

[Being in a new arcade meant new games and new characters was a given, but Tas can't say he's ever met a character quite like Ales before.]

[Ales beams. His little demonstration might've been painful, but it looks like it was worth it..]

I don't see why not! I've heard other "power-ups" work just fine.. It's just that no one's ever bothered to give 'em out!

I'm from Rayman Origins! [He points to the gate, a little ways away from where his stand is set up. The tunnel still looks clean and graffiti-free.] One of them, actually! Apparently my game's so popular they had to get two cabinets, heheh!

Speaking of.. don't be surprised if you run into the "other" me! We're pretty much twins, but he's got some scars on his right hand!

[Turbo grimaces as he glances over at the gate. Was Ales serious? So popular that there's two cabinets?
That sounded absurd. Turbo's game was by far Litwak's most popular, but it wasn't like the owner ever went and plugged in a second Turbo Time machine.
But this was a whole new arcade, a much bigger one. Maybe things worked differently here. Still, Litwak never had more than one of a single cabinet, so Turbo's never met more than one of someone before. He knows from his own brothers that twins can look alike but still be very different, but what about different copies of the same person? He gets the feeling if he runs into the other Ales, whether or not he can tell them apart from their hands, it's going to be at least a little bit bizarre.]

Tch. What kinda game's so goshdang special that an arcade needs freakin' TWO'a them?

[Because clearly, if an arcade needed more than one of any game, it should be Turbo Time.
And he's the only Turbo around.
... At least, as far as he knows.]

Edited 2013-04-03 05:47 (UTC)

[Tas can't help but make a face when Ales mentions that there are two cabinets of his game in the arcade. Whether or not a game was popular enough to warrant a second cabinet, that just sounded weird.
And awkward.

How strange would it be to be running into your doppelganger all the time? It was strange enough having a twin, but he and Tic were different enough in personalities that it wasn't really like running into himself. It was just like looking into a mirror, only the person in the mirror is completely different even though they look exactly like you do.]

Yeah. ...and if there're two cabinets, how do the gamers know which game they're 'sposed ta play? What if they play that other guy's game more than yours? What happens then?

[It didn't really seem fair, even if the arcade was busy enough to mean that both cabinets would be played at any given time. Then again, it's not like they'd ever known what that was like. No matter how popular Turbo Time got, Litwak never even seemed to consider bringing in another cabinet. So why was that different for this arcade?
Was it simply because it was bigger...?]

[The Magician giggles to himself. They'll never have any idea how great it is to talk with someone who completely understands you ~~and knows all of your many, many secrets.]~~

It's a platformer! A really big one! It's meant to be played with 4 players, and it comes with shooting, racing and battle segments! It's pretty iffyspay! We have two consoles so the players don't have to wait! It takes a while for the the gamers to give up, usually.. The other one's been around for longer, but mine has new content! Levels, characters, stuff like that!

Even though mine is better, the players like us both! It's not a problem..

[Though he did notice that his console gets a little more attention than his doppelganger.. He's not worried, though. No one would ever stop playing their game, right?]

[Sounds... advanced, admittedly. Four players? There's games that allow four players now? For all the games he knows it's always been just two.
Wait a second though, racing segments? Since when did platformers have anything to do with racing? There were racing games, platform games, shooting games, etcetera, and games usually weren't more than one kind of game... at least the ones Turbo is familiar with. The speed demon narrows his eyes at The Magician.]

Yeah well don't get cocky, tall-hat! Yer fancy-arse newfangled jumpin' game may have racin' but gamers KNOW where'ta go when they wanna race! They come'ta MY game, and ME, the best racer that's ever been programmed!

[Despite recent experiences, and resulting resolutions, paranoia and jealousy are still hard habits to break.]

Our game.

[The comment is admittedly unnecessary, but Tas can't stop himself from saying it anyway. Then again, he's used to those kinds of comments from Turbo, so it's not hard for him to just brush it off.

While he's distracted with Turbo, Tic folds his arms and asks Ales another question, one that Tas had been meaning to bring up himself.]

Well...what's up with all the other games in the arcade then? Can ya give us some idea of what all else is plugged in right now?

[Because, currently, there are more games they don't recognize than they'd care to stop and count.]

Pfft. Cool your engines, it's foot-racing segments. We're not trying to steal the competition!

[He looks around at the other entrances in the arcade. He actually hasn't explored that many of them, but he has a basic idea.]

Well, there's games for dancing and rhythm keeping, fighting, racing, shooting, a few platformers, puzzle games.. a little bit of everything! We've also got some of those blocky old retro games..

[Oh. Foot races make a little more sense, he guesses. He's somewhat relieved, apparent by a noticeably less tense shift in expression and posture.
Tas already asked the next question that Turbo was going to, though The Magician's answer causes the oldest racer to raise a brow.]

"Blocky ol' retro games"? The heck are ya talkin' about?

[Tas frowns a bit, raising a brow. Blocky? ...Old? That causes the more outgoing twin to give Ales a bit of a look from beneath the edge of his helmet, folding his arms tightly over his chest.]

You wouldn't happen t'be talkin' 'bout games like ours bein' blocky an' old, right?

[..OH.]

Bubble me! Uh, sorry, I didn't realize! You look pretty slick for coming from an older game... 16-bit, right? 8-bit?

[Turbo quickly scowls when he realizes The Magician called him old. That's about the last thing he needs right now.]

8-Bit, schnoz-face, and PROUD ta'be! We don't need some fancy-arse newfangled graphics ta'rake in all the quar--

[All of a sudden he fully processes what Ales said, though he isn't at all sure he heard right.]

... Wait, didya also just call 16-bit old? I thought that was the cuttin' edge new thing ev'ry gamer was losin' their heads over!

[Tas feels his lip curl as he shares another glance with Tic, who looks annoyed by the comment himself, but now mostly confused. He shrugs before Tas turns back to Ales, his scowl growing.]

It is the cuttin' edge right now, ain't it?...

[That was the sole reason Roadblasters had been so wildly popular when it was first plugged in. It made no sense for Ales to be calling that old. While it was true this arcade had games that completely seemed to surpass anything else the brothers had ever seen before in terms of graphics. Heck, half of them looked like they were just parts of the gamer's world made into a video game.

...but...why?]

Uh.. No? [Ales quirks a brow.] They're retro! Classic, old-school.

I don't even know if I HAVE bits! [Seriously, what are bits? He only hears the old games referred to as that..]

Edited 2013-04-10 04:50 (UTC)

[He glares at Ales irately, snapping at him. He's sick and tired of things not making sense.]

Are all yer frickin' screws loose?! That stupid hotshot new game RoadBlasters came out THIS YEAR, 1987, and it's 16-bit! Gamers were sayin' s'the best graphics they've ever seen! How in Pong's name is that "old school"?!
'Course ya have BITS! What kinda game character doesn't have pixels or bits?!

[Of course, somehow those mysterious games definitely don't look like they have pixels, but Turbo doesn't understand why... yet.]

[At this point, the Twins can't tell if Ales is actually serious, or if he's just trying to make fun of them and their game. He seemed to nice and amiable before, albeit a bit eccentric. So suddenly turning on them wouldn't make sense at all.
So that just makes what Ales is saying all the more confusing. ...Perhaps Turbo is on to something, and the Magician is just missing a few pixels up where his brain was supposed to be.

For the moment the two stay silent, quite incredulous at this point, and obviously as agitated as Turbo is.]

[Ales' thin black eyes narrow at the three, as the gears in his head spin wildly to figure this whole mess out. This was getting more and more interesting by the second.. His voice becomes a little less comedic, a lot more careful.]

Are you joking around or not..? It's 2013. 16-bit hasn't been the best in a looong time.

[There's an almost chilling pause as Turbo's expression goes blank for a long moment...
Before looking at Ales like The Magician is absolutely insane.
This doesn't change the fact the racer is still furiously snappish, probably even more now than he was just a minute ago.]

ARE YOU SCREWIN' AROUND! 'Cause if ya are THAT INN'IT FUNNY!

[It should be very clear to Ales now that Turbo and the Twins are anything but kidding.]

[No, not funny at all. The Twins look at each other for a brief moment, horrified, because Ales sounds just as dead serious about this as they do.]

2013!?? That's freakin' INSANE! That'd be 26 years in th'future! Whadda' ya take us for, morons!?

[Tas sounds both angry and uneasy, because unless Ales has the best poker face of any character that's ever existed, it sounds as if fully believes that it really is 2013.]

[Ales jumps back a step, a little worried that they're going to take their confused anger out on him.]

I'm not kidding around! Look, you could ask anybody else, and they'd tell you the same thing!

B-besides, you're the ones saying 16-bit is the coolest new thing! Games are 3D now! High definition! It sounds like you're 26 years in the past.. I know this must be really confusing, but I'm just trying to help!

[SO PLEASE STOP YELLING AT HIM.]

[Turbo pauses once more, speechless again, as he actually considers what Ales said.
Ask anyone else?
... He thinks he'll do just that.
He turns to see another character, who looks to be a soldier from a first person shooter, passing nearby. He shouts to them, to get their attention.]

'EY MAC! WHAT YEAR IS IT?

[The soldier raises their brow at the racer, and at such a strange question, but answers nonetheless.
"Uh, 2013? What are ya, retro?"

And just like that, Turbo loses all color in his face, his gray skin paling to become almost as white as his jumpsuit. He could swear his heart stopped beating for several seconds.
3D... High Definition...
That would explain why all those games didn't look like the games they knew at all. 16-bit wasn't cutting edge anymore. Technology had advanced even farther, and graphics had gotten even better. So much that they now looked nearly real.
He's so beyond shocked, his lisp starts to show itself, as he mutters aloud.]

W-We... we were unplugged...
Fer twenty-thix y-years...

[That's the only logical explanation explanation, as to how suddenly being so far in the future is even possible.
Right?]

Edited 2013-04-20 19:33 (UTC)

[Tas and Tic are stunned. All they can do is stare at each other for a long moment before looking back at Turbo, absolutely flabbergasted.]

T....twenty-six....

....years....?

[It made no sense, but it was the only explanation that they could think of. What else could it be?

Whatever has happened here, it's definitely a lot bigger than the three first realized. They had been unplugged for seemingly twenty-six years, and were now stuck in the year 2013. They thought they'd escaped the fate of one who had been unplugged, and in a sense they had.

But had they truly?]

..I know this is probably really confusing. If you ever have any questions, or need anything, just ask me! I'll do what I can. I have a communicator, and you can always find me at my game, if it's an emergency.

[But then again.. It's probably not a good idea for them to go in there unprotected. He grabs three bottles off the table and holds them out.]

You'll probably need these for later. They're on the house! Consider it a welcoming gift.

[Besides, all the information they've accidentally provided about unplugged games is payment enough.]

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For my First Trick.. [Action]

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