Posts #436-440: 22 April 2000

This entire page, 40 posts, plus a few more on pages 10 and 12, took place on 22 April 2000. We're now in Day 11 of the Gathering, nearly 450 posts deep, and the rate of posting is still accelerating. No such sensation had ever been heard of before at starmen.net; it was all people talked about for quite some time.

And we're still not even 25% of the way through it post-wise, or 15% of the way through it word count-wise.

Post #436, by Tengu Man/Makron

(Sir, we're[Mani, and my group] in the LOWER village, the one in The Lost Underworld. The village with the "weird junk"[which Spectre is attacking] is the Deep Darkness one)

On the heels of Luna's #435. It took the both of them ten minutes flat to point out Monty's error. I don't know how long it took Monty to amend his post.

---

Post #437, by Pikachu3164

(Falcon: I always thought that in order to use the power of the Sanctuaries, you need to get the power from each and every one of them. At least that's how it worked for Ness and Co. So if I absorb the power from one, that's preventing you from getting all of the power.)

Yeah, but once again, only Ness was able to use the power at all. So bitching about how we're not being true to EarthBound, where anyway Ness had already absorbed all the power and you'd have to kill him to release it (or something), is going to get you nowhere. That's all been thrown out the window, and we're just winging it.

[Sure, Luna. I'll head to Giant Step, you head to Lilliput Steps.]
"Okay. I'll give out a psychic call."
[SM.Neters, we have Giant Step and Lilliput Steps covered. I repeat, Giant Step and Lilliput Steps are covered.]

3164 is still such an adorable rookie. If some other poster wants to try to steal your Lilliput Steps thunder, there's nothing you can do to stop him.

"There. That should do!"

So, Pikachu's group and Luna's group split up, Luna to Happy Happy Village, and Pikachu toward Giant Step Caves. Oh, and I need to know who's in my group! Nathan is in my group, that I know. Is anyone else with me?

I think this is supposed to be an OOC comment, as his IC comments are usually in those goddamn less than-greater than symbols that I'm still having to change to brackets every damn time I post.

Upon reaching the locked door...
Nathan walked up to the door, "Great. We forgot about this. How will we get through?"
[Oh, just use the Gaia Beam. I doubt it will stay locked.]
"Okay." Nathan used the Gaia Beam and blew up the door. Pikachu and friends ran into the cavern toward Titanic Ant.

See, that's what I'd figure on trying on the locked door on the punk rocker's house in Threed, or for that matter, the door that trapped Ness and Paula for a few days while they waited for Jeff to save the day. To quote the ever-wise diospadre on the matter, 'the girl can create fire for god's sake, and they're trapped by a locked door.'

"Humph. So that pitiful rat thinks he can steal the power of my sanctuary. He deserves to be desroyed. Neon Blue! Neon Red!"
Titanic Ant's 2 underlings, Neon Blue Antoid and Neon Red Antoid, ran up to Titanic Ant, "Yes, your royal highness?"

We still have no explanation for
(a) why Titanic Ant is alive,
(b) why he's back at Giant Step when there's no apparent evil megalomaniac alien calling the shots anymore,
(c) why Giant Step even matters, since Ness absorbed its power and shattered the sound stone a long time ago, or
(d) how exactly Titanic Ant knows anyone's anywhere near the Sanctuary. Does he have video surveillance that he watches from the standard Evil Villain Control Room?

"Prepare the Titanicystein Mark II!"
"Yes, your royal highness!"
with that, the two Antoids ran back into the Secret Giant Step Lab.
"Mwahahahaha! Now one can beat mw with my Titanicystein Mark II! Mwahahahaha! Mwahahahahahahaha! *cough cough*"

DUN DUN DUN

[This message has been edited by Pikachu3164 (edited 04-22-2000).]

Post #438, by Queen Catherine

((Sorry I wasn't here much... but someone briefly explain what's happening lately?))

If it were up to me, anyone making this kind of post would be immediately banned. Read the f---ing thread yourself, you lazy asshole.

---

Post #439, by Luna

As soon as they had split up, Luna headed towards Happy happy Village and Mondo Mole. She had made her way through Onett and on to Twoson.

Why didn't she just teleport like everyone else?

She was almost to the path to the cave when she passed Paula's House.

Actually, it's called the Polestar Preschool, not Paula's House. That means 'house' should not be capitalized. The Polestars (we presume that is their name) are not looking for any extra publicity surrounding their daughter.

She knew Paula wasn't there, but decided to visit anyways. She walked into the Preschool and looked around.
"Uhmm... hello..." Paula's mother said, looking Luna over from head to shoe "And who might you be?"
"I'm Luna... I was just checking this place out. It looks so nice!" She said, smiling at Paula's mother.
"Why thank you! We do try to keep this place in order! You're so sweet, why don't you take this hand-aid! And you can have this Franklin badge too! Paula never uses it anymore, not since she beat that alien..."

Um, that belongs to Ness, actually. Why in the hell would Paula's mother have it?

"Gee, thanks!" Luna grinned, knowing that the franklin badge would deffinatly come in handy.

Not really. There's nothing anywhere near Lilliput Steps that uses any kind of electric attack. Unless... oh, god, no. She can't be thinking about fighting Carpainter again.

"I have to be going now, I'm heading for the vally just East of here"

Luna probably forgot what it's called. Peaceful Rest Valley, for the record.

"Be careful, and good luck!"
"Thanks!" Luna yelled back as she headed towards the path.
She got to the caves and headed in, battling various cockroaches, which were easily destroyed by a good SMASH with Luna's foot.

Whatever. Cockroaches don't live in caves, and even in the EarthBound world they don't live in that cave, or anywhere remotely close to it.

She got out of the caves, and decided to take a nap. It was such a beautiful day, and she still had a ways to go...

Luna is by far the most talented poster at leaving her posts open-ended, allowing for a subsequent poster to take her AC any direction he thought up. Well, 'talented' might not be the right word; prolific, perhaps. It's probable the better writers, the PSI322/Tengu Man/guruzeth/Chris/Falcon24 class, could have done that, but of course most IF'ers were paranoid about not letting other people f--- with their carefully plotted storylines. The main reason they were writing IF, rather than just writing a fanfic, was they knew at least a few people were reading the IF, whereas no one would ever read a fanfic they wrote.

As you'll see very clearly in the latter half of the Gathering, 'Collaborative Fiction' would be a much more apt title for this forum than 'Interactive Fiction'.

---

Post #440, by Dr. Andonuts

(I'll be with Pikachu. But i don't think that there is anyone else in the group with me and pikachu. So pikachu, edit your post)

NOW, YOU SON OF A BITCH.

Nathan and Pikachu approached the cave. They enter and encounter an Amazing Attack Slug, a Neon Purple Antoid, and a Really Rowdy Mouse.
Nathan shoots his Gaia beam at the Amazing Attack Slug and amazingly it doesn't die.

You're right. I am amazed.

Pikachu thunders the Slug and it turns back to normal.

Thought: why don't you keep the little angsty bastard in a pokeball so he can't pester you while his zappity services aren't needed? Surely he couldn't object to that.

Nathan shoots the Neon Purple Antoid with his Gaia beam and it goes back to normal. The Really Rowdy Mouse attacks Nathan. 3 HP of damage to Nathan. Pikachu hits the Really Rowdy Mouse with Thunder. The Really Rowdy Mouse turns back to normal.

Good lord, this is boring. What made anyone think this kind of stuff is interesting?

"Wow, the monsters here are much more powerful than they are in EB," said Nathan.
[yeah, i noticed]
"You had better send out a psychic message that the monsters on the way to the sanuary guardians will be harder than usual."
[Ok, i'll do that]
[Notice to all SM.netters: The sanuary monsters are harder than they were in EB. Be careful]

Nobody really cares.

(Cool, i made the 12th page. And how do you pronouce SM.netters anyways?)

S-M-dot-netters.

[This message has been edited by Dr. Andonuts (edited 04-22-2000).]