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Kitomyx rolled 6 6-sided dice:
5, 5, 1, 5, 4, 3
Total: 23 (6-36)
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 Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2018 11:46 pm
There were some that would have called Yami overly ambitious. To him, there was no such thing. In order to achieve absurd feats, one had to supply absurd ambition. That was the knowledge that separated him from the future losers of the Zenith Challenge.
When his name was announced, the smiling man waved politely at the mass of people, but his focus was trained on the course spread out before him and the first obstacle in his path. He had told no one he knew of his entering the challenge for he hadn't wanted any distractions - whether in the form of familiar audience members or thoughts of those who might have been watching a televised performance. His decision to enter had been made entirely for him and him alone, perceiving the competition as a means to test his limits and better himself.
Six, evenly-spaced bumpers set up at 45 degree angles asked his concentration, tilting toward the threat of the water below. Despite the time limit, Yami took an extra second to try to determine the surest way across. Then he was off across the floating steps, bounding off them with the balls of his feet. He used his momentum to quash the temptation of hesitation, never spending more than a half-step on each platform, until he had completely cleared the water. Immediately, there was a roar from the onlooking spectators. That portion of the run had been executed without a hitch.
Of course, Yami had no time to pat himself on the back or even stop to take a breath. Time was of the essence. Next was something the announcer called the 'Big Dipper'. He wasn't sure why, but it was obvious there was a bar he had to leap up and grab, so he wasted no time in doing so. It almost made him laugh how this portion felt more like a ride than an obstacle. As he slid down along the track, his only task seemed to be keeping a good grip on the bar which Yami found he had no trouble doing. What he hadn't accounted for was the force with which he was launched off the end.
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Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:05 pm
He sailed through the air at an alarming speed but fortunately just managed to wrap his head around what next needed to be done before his window of opportunity had shut on him. Though Yami managed to grab onto the foam trunk quickly enough to avoid falling into the water, he was relatively low and wasted much time shimmying up to climb onto the first trapeze. It was there he sensed his strength was beginning to fail him as sweat slicked his palms. Hesitation clutched at his ankles, but he shook it off with the aid of a few seconds' recomposure.
Don't lose your headstart now. It'll all be for nothing if you continue to falter. Don't let doubt bog you down like the rest.
Biting into the foam texture of the pipe with his fingers, the brazen man did his best to make up for the lack of friction on his damp palms. He maneuvered his legs to build the sway that would soon swing him onto the next trapeze pipe bar. Launching himself was easy, but he was glad there were only two trapezes because holding on, even with the clutch of his clawed fingers, required a great deal of his ebbing strength. At last, however, he managed to reach the opposite 'trunk' and slide down to meet the next obstacle. Three down, three more to go. He was already halfway there!
The five blocks that greeted him roused his suspicions, for the fact that they were perfectly lined up made the obstacle seem a little too easy. Yami quickly realized that the blocks spun on the axis of the bar threaded through them, though, and they reminded him of the floating steps. Utilizing the same technique that he had with the first trial, Yami darted across with little difficulty. Feeling triumphant at the prospect that he had recovered something of the lead he had gained at the beginning, he sped on with the force of his momentum.
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Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:06 pm
Alas, the fifth and second-to-last obstacle once more tested the strength of his grip. His hands were hardly any drier than they had been with the Pipe Fitter, but Yami wasn't about to allow himself to fail so close to the end. Even if his time suffered for it, he was going to overcome those spinning metal basket wheels.
A grunt of effort accompanied his shift from one hand to the other. It took a few more seconds than he would have liked, but switching hands kept him from completely losing his grip with either and reduced the strain on both. His weight was something of a help in spinning him toward the next wheel, for he lacked the strength to manuver toward it manually. There was two, then three...yes! Was his time still decent? He couldn't afford to check.
Now was the sixth and final trial. There was a wall to run up. How tough could that be? His hands were soaked with sweat running down his aching arms, but his legs felt perfectly fine. Light, even. Without missing a beat, Yami propelled himself up the warped wall...only to find that it wasn't so easy as it looked. His robust build countered his agility, weighing him down so he slid back to the bottom. Well, at least he was able to try again, but while he could have afforded a few extra seconds before, he feared for his time now.
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Kitomyx rolled 1 6-sided dice:
1
Total: 1 (1-6)
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Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:10 pm
A second try produced disappointingly similar results. Obviously, something had to be changed or he was doomed to repeat history a third time. The path ahead was straight. If he closed his eyes and focused, concentrating on the force of his steps rather than the intimidating incline of the sloping wall, perhaps he could overcome the obstacle his sight warned him of.
There was also the chance he could end up running smack dab into the wall. But having already attempted to scale it twice, he thought his muscle memory was enough to sense at what points to place his feet to avoid such a mishap. He pictured the wall in his mind's eye, imagining it not to be a flat path, a vertical barrier, nor even as it really was. Instead, he re-formed it as a sand dune with a gentler slope than the warped wall. With something like that to climb, his steps would have to be hard and quick so as to race the collapse of the sand beneath his feet.
Taking a deep breath, he ran at the final obstruction a third time.
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Kitomyx rolled 1 6-sided dice:
2
Total: 2 (1-6)
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Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:11 pm
Eyes still closed, the balls of Yami's feet pounded the imaginary sand - only to find the more solid surface of the warped wall beneath. The extra exertion of his muscles seemed to do the trick - if barely. Just as he felt his body sliding down again, his eyes flew open and he threw out his arms to grap for the ledge. Miraculously, he caught it. Through sheer force of will, he pulled himself up and managed to stand. Yami slammed his palm down on the button and thus finished his first round of the Zenith Challenge.
He raised both arms proudly, but the sight of his time out the corner of his eye caused him to grit his teeth through his smile. While he wasn't sure how he compared to others' scores yet, he estimated that his wasn't an overwhelming victory, which had been his aim. Yami couldn't get complacent or he would certainly lose. In the next round, he told himself, he would just have to put in ten times as much effort.
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Kitomyx rolled 1 6-sided dice:
3
Total: 3 (1-6)
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Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:12 pm
((Oops; realized this dice roll was unnecessary.)) Quote: Floating Steps - 5 (+1) If you have chosen agility as your modifier: Add +1 to your roll and follow that prompt instead. 6 - Flawless. Big Dipper - 5 If you roll 5 or 6 and have chosen agility as your modifier: Add +1 to roll #3 for the Pipe Fitter. Nice air time, bro. 5 - This is how we do it. Were you a roller-coaster in a past life? Pipe Fitter - 1 (+1 from Big Dipper) If you roll 1-3 and have chosen agility as your modifier: Launching through the air is the easy part, it's holding on that's kind of awful. 2 - You can't just climb up onto the first trapeze and sit there all day... Other people want to run the course too. Block Run - 5 5 - You took an extra second to plot your course and find your zen, but good show dude. Spin Cycle - 4 4 - The struggle is real, but you've got this... And you're making good time, right? Right??? Warped Wall - 3 3 - So... Close... Almost... There.... If you chose agility as your modifier roll 1d6 + 2 to try again!Warped Wall - 1 (+2 from previous attempt) 3 - So... Close... Almost... There.... If you chose agility as your modifier roll 1d6 + 2 to try again!Warped Wall - 2 (+2 from previous attempt) 4 - Y'know, I almost didn't think you were going to make it but you here you are!
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