[Video]

[ufo_fanboy]

[Things have settled down. Between experiments, amusement parks, abductions and drafts, this is the first nice calm stretch of time he's had in a while. So Mulder's hanging out in the Battle Dome. He's been coming there a lot more lately. The new features interest him, and there are places from home he can't help revisiting. Not always to fight,

Comments

[talontrot]

What's the big deal about dying? I've died a bunch of times!

[Kazooie has yet to understand the difference between a cartoon's death and the death of the fleshy organics around her.]

Don't we just come back anyway?

[ufo_fanboy]

We do, but I'm trying to get a handle on what makes the difference between other revivals, and... the ones that happen to residents here.

I'm assuming the deaths you refer to happened back in your home? How is it that you came back?

[talontrot]

Yeah, all of 'em happened back at home. Whenever I run out of Honeycomb, I die a little while.

[She shrugs, shifting to peer into the viewscreen better.] I dunno... I just do. Same with Banjo. We never die very long 'cause we're the main characters...

[ufo_fanboy]

That's almost like me going too long without sunflower seeds, though it's not literal in my case. [He just really likes having them to munch on, out of habit.]

Ah, right, you're operating within a game universe. [He has to think about something.] You don't... still need the Honeycomb here, or do you?

[talontrot]

Hey, sunflower seeds? You've got good taste. [She's a bird. Seeds are cool.]

As for the Honeycomb - I know I have it, I just... don't see people drop 'em when I beat 'em, here. None of those Third Party guys dropped any when I got done thrashing them!

... I got other ways to gain 'em back here, though. Like that funny healing magic stuff. And sleeping a lot. I'm too good to lose 'em most of the time, though!

[Thoughtfully:] A couple of other people died in my last game, too - but we revived some of 'em later. [Not the villains, of course. They clearly deserved to die.]

[ufo_fanboy]

Yeah, this place doesn't function like a game, as interesting as it could be to experience... though I'd better not say that too loud, our mad scientist overlords might get ideas.

...At least you revived the people who mattered. Did they just come to or was there some process to that?

[talontrot]

[Kazooie nods briskly, grinning a little at his question.] Well, it's kinda funny - y'see, Grunty killed Worm-breath, and then she used her Big O' Blaster to take King Dingaling or whoever's - [- she never gets his name right -] - life force.

... She was just a skeleton, so she needed lots of life force to get her body back after Banjo 'n' I trapped her under a rock for two years. [She is oddly proud-sounding about this fact.]

Anyway, I undid it eventually 'cause I just hit some buttons on the B.O.B. and got 'em back!

[ufo_fanboy]

All it took was hitting a few buttons to fix everything? Do I ever wish that could happen in the non-game world...

[talontrot]

Boy, I wish I could've seen Jamjars' face! He really had to eat humble pie after that 'cause he was being a jerk! [And so was Kazooie, though she conveniently admits this. Refusing to revive Bottles until Jamjars apologized? That's an asshole action if there ever was one.]

'Course, we couldn't save everybody. Grunty and her stupid ugly sisters killed the entire Gray Jinjo family when they ran over their house with the HAG-1...

[ufo_fanboy]

It happens that way sometimes... even in my line of work, you can't always save everyone. You can sure as hell try to, though.

[talontrot]

Yeah... [Kazooie can't help but think of the draft.]

... It's different here, though. Y'know? Just... it isn't like what I've seen.

... Like, people come back, but... not the same way. [In her world, they pretty much just rematerialize a few minutes later.]

[ufo_fanboy]

How does it differ?

[talontrot]

Uh... when I beat up enemies in my world, they kinda disappear after a moment. But if I wait around where they were, they'll reappear again with a little sound!

[... Yes, this is as silly-looking as it sounds when Kazooie describes it.]

[ufo_fanboy]

What kind of sound?

[Yeah it does all seem pretty goofy.]

If only it were that easy around here... but I'm guessing it's something unique to your world itself, if this happens to all the enemies. Something to do with the game-mechanics, maybe...

[talontrot]

I dunno... it's like... a sparkly zappy noise. It's weird!

[... It's not an easy sound to describe, no.]

But yeah, I think you're right. So the mechanics in this game are different then, huh?

[ufo_fanboy]

Whether or not it actually is a game. I guess that remains to be proven, either way. I certainly can't disprove it right now.

[One theory to add to the pile about this place!]