007 - Welcome to VoidCon!

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Welcome to VoidCon! Event Info ▲ Comments Is It Wrong To Pick Up Stamps In The Convention?
The registration desk for VoidCon rests at the base of Mt. Silver, looking a bit conspicuous in contrast to the natural cave entrance. Lanyard badges have been laid out across the desk, one for each person that dwells within the Void... although, some will still be unclaimed by the time the convention ends. Above the mountain rumbles a thunderstorm, granting enough power to easily keep the convention space powered for a few days. Even if you’re not interested in the convention itself, you might as well take advantage of the stable power source while it lasts.

Next to the pile of lanyards is a stack of cards, each covered with blank squares and the words “Stamp Rally” written at the top. The instructions can be found on the back, along with a list of goals and activities - not all of them make sense, but as long as you think your interpretation is correct, it seems to count. Each completed goal will be rewarded with a matching stamp, which will simply appear on the card on its own. Get six or more stamps and you get “a prize.” It's not clear what the prize is, but it must be something good, right?

The goals for each stamp are as follows, and can be completed in any order:

1. Sign your autograph on ten different surfaces.
2. Wear someone else’s clothes.
3. Hug lovable arcade mascot Potato-Cat.
4. Find yourself in Kyo’s merchandise booth.
5. Reenact the best scene in the book.
6. Win a round in the holo-arcade with another player's abilities.
7. Eat the BBQ.
8. How much is a currency? Can I have it?
9. Tweet a hash tag into the ley lines about your experience at VoidCon.
10. Share and subscribe to the most liked art piece.

Completing at least one stamp prompt will make your character eligible for the March event bonus. Please see the linked event post for details.

So I’m A Fanartist, So What?
In proper fandom-based convention fashion, a small herd of Brushboys have responded to the call for creativity and settled themselves into the convention space. Some have taken residence in their own stalls as they draw whatever (or whoever) comes to mind, but others will take a more guerilla approach to their art as they walk about in search of their newest source of inspiration - you!

Most art can be observed in the form of prints and postcards that are lying about for public viewing on occupied vendor stalls, but other Brushboys have taken some liberties with their mediums. A lucky individual may find an entire mural painted on a cave wall that’s dedicated to them, or perhaps telling the story of the relationship between them and another character.

Styles of the art vary depending on the individual who has painted their respective masterpiece, but most depictions are compliant to “canon” in terms of their content. That’s not to say that every piece is, however - canon divergence is key in fanworks. Pieces with two characters together may have never spoken a word to each other before, or perhaps the nature of their connection to each other has been grossly misinterpreted by the artist. Whatever the case, each work of art is certainly a conversation starter.

In Another World With My VR Headset
Numerous signs and posters found around the arcade direct attendees to the elaborate VR game set-up, the potato-cat mascot proclaiming in a large speech bubble that “Fun and Excitement Awaits!” followed by an odd little nonsense phrase in smaller writing that is probably meant to be motivational but either comes across as nonsense (“what did you do that did”) or simplistic (“wow!”). The posters are not particularly needed, however, as the set-up takes up a large area, and the bright lights and music likely draw more than enough attention to it.

The interactable and realistic hologram display shows a little piece of another world. It could be a room, or a city street, or a little piece of the outdoors, but every world is familiar to at least someone present. It changes by the hour, with every attendee’s world featured at least once. Each world is presented as a game, and while the game does not always appear relevant to the location it is usually at least playable, and frequently allows for two or more players to either cooperate or compete - it’s better with company! Games include rhythm games, stealth games, monster battles, fighting games, card games and more. The goal of each game will also change with the genre, so you’d best beat it quickly if you want to make any progress.

In this VR world, attendees will find that their existing powers work perfectly in-game, as though an intended feature, even if they don’t seem at all relevant to the game. Furthermore, powers can be unequipped or exchanged for someone else’s powers by accessing the menu, allowing for free experimentation and a chance to see what the neighbors are truly capable of. If you don’t have anyone to trade with, just hit the “randomize” option - you’ll be given a completely random powerset, or you’ll be randomly swapped with another nearby player. The possibilities are endless!

If you manage to reach the end of the game, you’ll be greeted with a large and flashy display of “Congratulations!” along with some virtual confetti, followed by a holographic display of everyone’s high scores… which are a bit confusing to read, since every new version of the game has a completely different scoring system and one player might go through several of these before hitting a proper “ending.” Is a smaller number or bigger number better? Why does a farming game even have a combo score? Maybe it’s best not to think about it.

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Comments

how to annoy kaiba: the movie

[silentmagician]

[Did someone call for a candidate to blame? Here's one (1) Yugi Mutou ready to step up to the plate.

A game is a game is a game and, if there is one, then Yugi is going to play it. Even if it's just a scavenger hunt. And he's going to drag Kaiba into it as well because he happened to be close by; and because doing a scavenger hunt with at least one other person at the beginning was a good way to clear up some tasks quicker; and, most importantly, because Yugi considers Kaiba a friend even if the reverse consideration didn't exist.

Yugi isn't racing with these signatures - in fact, he had expressed earlier 'Wait, are we sure we should be doing this? Why would they want our signatures?' - but Kaiba gets his ten first. Surely that's a win for him, right?

Except a few moments later Yugi is approached by a brushboy with a very cool-looking piece of fanart with the words King of Games tastefully titled at the top. You know, the title that was never Kaiba's. That's his last autograph. Yugi for his part signs with a sheepish smile and responds to Kaiba after the brushboy leaves:] You got that one done so quickly! If you're going in order the next one is... wearing someone else's clothes.

It's a classic. One of my all time favorites!

[blue_eyed_obsession]

[He sure did, and the timing couldn't have been better.

Sure, Kaiba might have feigned some reluctance to comply but he desperately needed something to break up the daily routine. At least Yugi was someone he could genuinely tolerate, especially without his usual entourage of friends, not that he voiced as such. A few of the tasks would be best tackled by multiple participants, there was no getting around the simple facts.

That apprehension had been met with a scoff and a sufficient amount of eye-rolling. Why wouldn't they want our signatures? and Out of all the people here we're the closest thing the void has to legitimate celebrities. All said, while he penned his name to a couple of objects, without sparing a glance to see if Yugi was doing the same.

The artwork didn't escape Kaiba's keen detection, and at first he said nothing. His expression spoke for him as it darkened significantly and he glared daggers through the offending brushboy] Someone's living in a fantasy world. When did you ever possess a card like that? [Bet you thought you could ignore what just happened here.. but alas] Don't get used to being associated with that title. You won't be keeping it. [Kaiba was in no hurry to change outfits with Yugi- they'd look ridiculous, and ill-fitted]

We can skip that one.. and come back to it. [Although fanart does provide for this imagery]

[silentmagician]

[Gosh, Kaiba, what did that brushboy ever do to you? Yugi stays temperate throughout the signature, but once the little fan is gone he's sending something that approximates a frown Kaiba's way, completely unperturbed by that darkened expression.] You don't need to insult someone's art. What if it made it? The picture didn't hurt anyone.

[and then, a little flatly:] Kaiba, I'm not taking out my deck in the middle of the convention.

[so, the answer to Kaiba's question of 'when' is: 'presently'. But, no Gandora for you right now. Kaiba can stew in that knowledge for the foreseeable future.]

Hm, we could skip it...[Just as quick as he was being chastising, Yugi settles back into his usual gentle-natured self and appears not at all concerned about Kaiba's assertion that he would lose Atem's title any time soon. Whether that is a good tactic or just sets off Kaiba remains to be seen. Whatever the result, it's probably the same for Yugi essentially ignoring Kaiba's bid to skip the stamp.] Do you think they meant that we need to switch what we're wearing with someone else, or would wearing someone's merch work?

[blue_eyed_obsession]

[He had the audacity to throw that title in my face, without actually throwing it in my face since he wasn't addressing me in any way, that's what! Yugi, as usual handled the situation tactfully saving his complaints for when they were alone] I could have said worse. [Giving Yugi a look that said you know that's accurate so don't push me] What does it matter now anyway, it's gone. There's no point in discussing it after the fact unless you expect to be bombarded by an entire fanclub.

[This statement got him to silence himself for a few moments as he considered just what was being implied] You could, but you won't.

[Just let him see the dragon Yugi and no one will get hurt. Stew he would]

[Thankfully it didn't warrant anymore poor behavior for the meanwhile, having used up his reserves on that brushboy. By not arguing with Kaiba on the subject, or insisting that he would maintain his position it was as if Yugi already knew that he would have the title taken from him. Like some silent acceptance of fact. So no, it wasn't infuriating but Yugi had better at least make it a challenge when they did duel] It might not be all that complicated, like you suggested. [Giving it some thought] Technically, any clothes that aren't the ones we're currently wearing are someone else's. It doesn't say we can't use the clothing available in the booths. [Yugi might be on to something]

[silentmagician]

[Wow, it sure sounds like someone is still outrageously petty. Still, Yugi innocently scolds him.] It doesn't matter that you could have said worse or that they left. The point is you shouldn't do it again - don't scare someone just because. It might have taken them a lot of effort to make that art or even approach someone. They're not hurting anyone. [Except Kaiba's ego, maybe.]

[Yugi pretends to contemplate that. Hm. HMMM... Unsurprisingly, Kaiba is left to stew. Maybe he could realize his actions have consequences this way.] You're right. I could, but I won't. You'll just have to wait.

[On the contrary, Yugi simply isn't worried about Kaiba. Not that Kaiba isn't a fantastic duelist (of course he is), and not that Yugi has some inflated sense of ego of his own prowess (of course he doesn't), but he can't let the title be lost so easily. Not when it's one of the last connections he has to Atem. So, it won't be lost. Simple as that.] Right! That's what I was thinking. If they're not going to specify how we do something, then it's up to our own interpretation, right? Or else the game would be really unfair. [Because, really, everything is a game to Yugi until it's not.] On that note, it also doesn't say how long we have to wear someone else's clothes.