[X] Study your Wu: +1 Wisdom, +1 Level -Power of Pudding-
and
[X] Go slow and cover your tracks, be thorough
I have to say, this was my favorite combination of them all to write. Let's hope you all enjoy it just as much!
As your eyes readjusted from being temporarily blinded once again, you took note of the new area you appeared in. It looked exactly the same as the previous challenge room, with the only differences being the distinct lack of markings on any surfaces. Seeing no sudden surprises, you quickly looked back at your opponent, who seemed to be taking a second to regain their balance again. The only reason you feel you recovered this quickly is due to your frankly ludicrous ability to adapt to new areas quickly. Call it a by-product of moving and living at different houses all over the globe. or just being open-minded, but you were going to take the precious moments you had to try and find anything else about the wondrous object in your hand.
So, turning it over once more in your hand, you try to take in every detail your eyes can comprehend, and compare it to other like minded products. To start with, the metal 'valve' and gate hinges on the top of the cup seemed to be made of pure gold, but did not budge even a little under a steady amount of pressure, which you knew would warp the ordinarily soft metal. There was also the added weight that you didn't notice earlier, mostly due to your habit of keeping work tools wherever you went in case a bit of machinery in one of your many labs broke down. The cup seemed to be a good 7 to eight pounds. Heavy enough to give it some heft, but not something you could really hurt someone with.
Also. speaking of previously unnoticed facts, you found that when holding the cup with the 'gate' of the cup facing away from you, and the body of the cup nestling into your palm, it almost seemed too...fit. And that was not the extent of it. No, it FELT like it was the most natural thing in the world, for your hand to be pressed against and around the little cup, bearing an almost comforting weight. If it weren't so cool, you would be seriously disturbed by this fact, but after getting forcibly changed into a pitch black skater's outfit that felt like a second skin on his skinny body, having one of your fist successful inventions turned int of pair of super powered skates (which you were TOTALLY going to make a pair of for real once all this was done) and being forcibly teleported into pitch white rooms in what looked like a realm of pitch black nothingness by a magical piece of clothing. At this point, you felt that nothing would ever surprise you again. (Oh...You poor fool.)
Though, it appears that you were a bit TOO preoccupied with your findings, as it appears that Kimiko had already recovered from her brief bout of blindness, and was already racing across the ice, moving and marking the area at a much faster rate than the first match.
Though, that was fine by you for the moment. After all, the only thing that mattered for the match was whoever had the most area covered in their sign or object. And wouldn't you know, from the back, you couldn't skate back and cover up your mark. And if worse came to worse, well, pudding could stain something fierce, as exhibited by your numerous trench-coats over the years.
So, the match continued, and like you planned, you did your best to tread the area behind Kimiko, allowing you the chance to both spread your X's without much delay, AND the chance to watch Kimiko's legs as she made tight circles wherever she could...not that you would ever let anyone discover that second fact. However, like most plans, your's quickly began to fall apart as soon as Kimiko reached the nearest wall, and turned to start the next circuit, catching sight of you in the corner of her eye, as well as all of the X's you've claimed over and around her own circles.
The look that came to her eyes frankly scared you a bit, and what came after that scared him even more.
"Oh YOU HAVE GOT TO BE SHITTING ME! ALL THAT WORK DOING THOSE CIRCLES, AND THERE YOU ARE DOING YOUR STUPID F*CKING X'S! WELL! NO MORE NICE KIMIKO!" She said as she seemed to be growing further and further enraged, before suddenly shouting out a pair of words that made no sense to you.
"HAILATION HAIR-TIES!"
The fear and confusion soon gave way to overwhelming panic though, because as soon as the final syllables left her suddenly blood red lips, she started burning. As in, literally, on fire. It also seemed to be the exact thing she needed, as she suddenly rocketed past you, and quickly evaporated every piece of ice she touched, erasing every X you had made over the ast few minutes, as well as burning clear black circles into the ice without abandon.
You were outright flailing at this point but not due to the contest. No, you were currently trying to avoid the scalding hot steam coming up from all around you, well aware of the kind of damage steam like that can do.
So, brain otherwise occupied with trying to get out of the rapidly forming deathtrap, your instincts reacted in the way they always did when you felt stressed.
You Called for Pudding. And Pudding Responded.
"PUDDING OF POWER!"
Your voice seemed to echo in your own ears, but that might of been lightheadedness as you tried desperately to breath regular air, but that concern was quickly taken care of as the 'Gates' on the front of your cup snapped open, the valve on the side seemed to spin without stopping as if trying to take flight from his hands, which were also forced directly in front and away.
What came out of the cup the size of your palm could only be described as A Tidal Wave of Deliciousness. And as the room was flooded with the sweet substance, both cooling the previously evaporating ice, as well as covering the area with 'you'. The last though you had in your head before the wave doubled back on you was
'So this is how it ends...drowning in pudding..yeah, that sounds about right.'
Of course, this only lasted for a second, and for those precious seconds, you felt as if you were the Pudding, and the Pudding was You. It was...enlighteningly sweet.
But, as the seconds came to an end, you and Kimiko were once again transported back to the main area, with your area having risen that much farther, bathing you almost directly in the Light from the Sash, and allowing you a bird's eye view of Kimiko, who looked remarkably calmer now, and apparently just as covered in pudding as you were, though in her case, seemed to be primarily Vanilla somehow, as opposed to your own almost chocolate swirl design dripping from your previously red locks. At this point, it seemed that You AND Kimiko just wanted this whole thing to be over with at this point, if only so you could get showers before you started reeking of sugar.
But, the battle had been fought, and you were now aware your opponent can apparently become a very angry rocket. So, with this information, you called out to claim the Middle Right Square, and decided too...
[] Use that Anger to Your Advantage: +1 Courage, Possible +1 Speed, -1 Social Kimiko
[]Make it YOUR stage: +1 Wisdom, ?, ?
[]Use your previously unnoticed propeller skates as a surprise Boost: +1 Speed, Propeller Skate Blueprint
CHOOSE ONE
and would...
[]End the last match as soon as possible
[] Talk with Kimiko about what would happen if you and or she, could forfeit
[] Ask Dojo about any possible way to take a moment and get rid of the Pudding coating you both
[]Cheat
-How?
[]Write-In
CHOOSE ONE
END OF CHAPTER
Alright people, we're nearing the end of our first Showdown, and will soon reach our first Level-up. A lot of things will be happening very shortly, and, with the benefit of this being a larger update than usual, I want to take this time to ask something of you all. In this thread...I want you to post memes. Omakes. Reasons to do specific Showdowns in the future. I want to see all this and more in this thread, and hopefully future ones as well. In fact, I'll get it started! Spoiler: The First Meme of a thread!
And, I want to get an opinion form you people as well about the lore list. At this point, I am accepting and creating Shen Gong Wu for this fic. If you have an idea you REALLY want to see done, send me a PM, and I'll add it to the scroll of Lore page. And on the topic, do you all want me to add the lore for Shen Gong Wu that I already have written up posted so that you can plan for contingencies, or do you want Wu added as they are revealed? Do these things and more, and I will make this the Greatest Xiaolin Quest you have ever read!
Until the next update! May we all Meme again!