[mal du pays]

[nr] Weight (slightly chunky)
[s] Hair, shine
[c] Tail, fur
[uc] Ears, pupil (none)
[r] Halo

Happy staff kals! woagh. I picked greyscale with red as the accent.
This prompt is very self indulgent, sorry. LMAO.
Your prompt is: Looks like they got stuck in a time loop! How'd they get stuck, and how do they get out? (Optionally, how many cycles does it take them to get out?)
Minimum of 25 words.

Ends January 19th, at CS rollover into the 20th

Code: Select all

[b]Username + ID:[/b]
[b]Kalon Name:[/b]
[b]Prompt:[/b]

[boogiebug]

Username + ID: boogiebug#1118796
Kalon Name: Soot
Prompt:

mark

[cyrevan]

marking augh

[alyxmin]

Username + ID: alyxmin + 616313
Kalon Name: void
Prompt: it wasn't really their fault, exactly, or at least that's what they would tell their supervisors. it had been their dream since they were a kit to join the elusive record keepers, traveling through different eras to sort and find, historians who got to truly see the history they were researching. but their first expedition as a true recordkeeper was an unfortunate failure when they failed to properly prepare their equipment when deep sea diving in the cambrian era. they just were so excited to be able to properly inspect anomalocaris nests that they skimmed through the pre-inspection process, failing to seal the relevant equipment before jumping right in. this unfortunately led to quite a few wires short circuiting, causing the same 45 seconds from hour 3:57:08 to 3:57:53 (538.879234 MA from CD [Current Day]) to loop, leading to an unfortunately lackluster mission and several reprimands from their supervisors. instead of being able to study the sea floor like they had hoped, they instead had to spend the entire length of their mission scouring through their emergency kit and rewiring their machinery by hand, spending hours under the blazing sun and counting each cycle based on the wave patterns (of which they counted roughly 487 loops, though they definitely lost count after loop 5). despite only 45 seconds being involved in the loop, the amount of paperwork that they had to fill out (and incident reports, which were lengthier than void had ever expected) taught them a valuable lesson about not rushing their job, no matter how exciting their mission may be.

[rem sleep]

love this guy, this design is so cool!

[LokisTrick]

Username + ID:
LokisTrick + 47801

Kalon Name:
cHOSeN oNe
The Glitch

Prompt:
Again and again and again and again.
Do it again.
DO iT AgAiN.
again and again
He was a painter, probably, they painted the world red. Everywhere he went, red trailed behind, never far. No one else noticed that the world around was broken except him, the glitch. The colors were gone, all except red, all except him. The day always started the same. They woke up, dim gray light catching the dust in the apartment. There were colors, before. Sun was... yellow. a soft sort of yellow. his apartment used to be.......

[catyclaws]

username + id: catyclaws + 818693
kalon name: castro
prompt: [1988 words]

------ 1 ------

xxxxx Everything about South City was designed to be inhabitable, but the citizens adapted. The harsh neon lights of the surrounding factory buildings clashed with the warm glow of the lanterns illuminating the market place streets. The clutter. Roads were far too narrow to suit the size of the population, it was nearly impossible to maintain personal space when browsing the bustling shopping district. The garbage. Sweet scent of fried food was barely enough to mask the signature sewer water smell. Perhaps that’s what drew so many people to the market. An escape from reality, if only for a little while. Not to mention a good place for business. Prime real estate for street vendors to sell their wares in an attempt to make ends meet.
xxxxx They weren’t the only ones trying to get their hands on some extra cash. Castro had his eyes locked on to the 100 credit bounty weaving through the crowd a couple yards ahead of him. Bounties given this price were ranked “moderately difficult” with a high likelihood of escaping into the desert, something law enforcement wants to prevent at all cost. Once a criminal escapes South city and winds up in the surrounding desert, the hopes of finding them drops significantly. It’s why the demand for mercenaries is so high. Particularly Castro, who has a bit of an Advantage above most in this line of work.
xxxxxCastro was snapped back into reality when the bounty made a sharp right turn at the nearest corner.“Ohhhh no you don’t.” He shoved past those walking closest to him, earning him a wide variety of dirty looks and rude remarks. Nothing was going to get in the way of him and his reward money. Except the merchant that appeared out of thin air directly in front of him.
xxxxx“Free sample, sir?” Shoving a silver platter in Castro’s direction made this question come off as more of a demand.
xxxxx“Uh, no. Sorry, I’m in a bit of a hurry” He stepped to the side, the merchant doing the same, blocking his escape route.
xxxxx“No really! I must insist. Fresh out of the fryer!”
xxxxxCastro rolled his eyes, angrily snatching one of the many small paper cups the vendor had to offer. He shoved past the merchant and made a beeline towards his bounty. He rounded the corner, entering a dimly lit clearing. Nothing.
xxxxx“Just perfect.” Castro grumbled. By now, she was long gone and there was no hope of catching up with her. The mercenary looked down at the small chunk of pastry the merchant had thrusted upon him. “This better have been worth it” he muttered, plopping the bite-sized piece in his mouth. It was delicious, but he couldn’t tell if this fact made him more or less annoyed. He half haphazardly tossed the paper cup and accompanying grease onto the ground behind him, messily wiping powdered sugar and oil onto himself.
xxxxxHe glanced at the Advantage tightly secured to his wrist. Castro turned a small dial, then another. A ticking noise radiated from the machine as reality warped around him until-

------ 2 ------

xxxxxEverything about South City was designed to be inhabitable, but the citizens adapted. The harsh neon lights of the surrounding factory buildings clashed with the warm glow of the lanterns illuminating the market place streets. The clutter. Roads were far too narrow to suit the size of the population, it was nearly impossible to maintain personal space when browsing the bustling shopping district. The garbage. Sweet scent of fried food was barely enough to mask the signature sewer water smell. Perhaps that’s what drew so many people to the market. An escape from reality, if only for a little while. Not to mention a good place for business. Prime real estate for street vendors to sell their wares in an attempt to make ends meet.
xxxxxBut this time around, Castro knew exactly how to handle these obstacles. Eyes still locked on his bounty, he shifted directions towards a small alleyway. Empty, like he had hoped. Free of pesky food vendors. He followed the narrow passageway until it opened out into a clearing. The same street he had lost his bounty the first time around.
xxxxxJust as he entered the clearing, his bounty emerged from the market intersection. He had the perfect opportunity to cut her off. With a rush of adrenaline, Castro bolted out of the alleyway. Before he could catch up with the bounty, his foot caught hold of something slippery. Before he could register what had happened, Castro dramatically skidded forward before collapsing onto his back. He could have sworn he heard his bounty let out a small chuckle before running down the street and disappearing.
xxxxxHe groaned, still in pain and covered in mud. More pain and annoyance washed over him when he noticed what caused him to take such a nasty fall. A small free sample cup full of grease. HIS small free sample cup full of grease. Defeated, Castro remained on the ground.
xxxxx“Figures.” he glanced at the Advantage tightly secured to his wrist. Castro turned a small dial, then another. A ticking noise radiated from the machine as reality warped around him until-

------ 3 ------

xxxxxEverything about South City was designed to be inhabitable, but the citizens adapted. The harsh neon lights of the surrounding factory buildings clashed with the warm glow of the lanterns illuminating the market place streets. The clutter. Roads were far too narrow to suit the size of the population, it was nearly impossible to maintain personal space when browsing the bustling shopping district. The garbage. Sweet scent of fried food was barely enough to mask the signature sewer water smell. Perhaps that’s what drew so many people to the market. An escape from reality, if only for a little while. Not to mention a good place for business. Prime real estate for street vendors to sell their wares in an attempt to make ends meet.
xxxxx“Third time's the charm.”
xxxxxCastro followed the same pattern he did during his initial attempt at catching the bounty, only this time he had his sights set on two targets: his bounty, obviously, and the vendor who started his misfortune in the first place.
xxxxxOnce his bounty rounded the corner, as she did three time loops ago, Castro expertly shoved his way in the opposite direction of the approaching merchant.
xxxxxOr so he thought. Instead of making a smooth maneuver away from the vendor and towards his bounty, Castro was forced into the oncoming foot traffic. Bumping face first into another kalon, Castro stumbled backwards, firing out a frustrated insult before he could even register who he had collided with.
xxxxx“Hey, buddy! Watch where you-” He paused. The other kalon was roughly twice Castro’s size, tall with toned muscles, and looked like she could throw Castro halfway across South City if she wanted to. And judging by the malice in her eyes, accompanied by the large mud stain Castro managed to transfer onto her clothes, it REALLY looked like she wanted to. He gulped. There was no conceivable timeline where this ended well for Castro.
xxxxx“Watch where I’M going?? YOU bumped into ME. And you got mud all over me. Who do you think you-”
xxxxxCastro panicked, immediately reaching towards his wrist “Third time is NOT the charm, third time is NOT the charm, third time is NOT-” he fidgeted with the Advantage tightly secured to his wrist. Castro turned a small dial, then another. A ticking noise radiated from the machine as reality warped around him until-

------ 4 ------

xxxxxEverything about South City was designed to be inhabitable, but the citizens adapted. The harsh neon lights of the surrounding factory buildings clashed with the warm glow of the lanterns illuminating the market place streets. The clutter. Roads were far too narrow to suit the size of the population, it was nearly impossible to maintain personal space when browsing the bustling shopping district. The garbage. Sweet scent of fried food was barely enough to mask the signature sewer water smell. Perhaps that’s what drew so many people to the market. An escape from reality, if only for a little while. Not to mention a good place for business. Prime real estate for street vendors to sell their wares in an attempt to make ends meet.
xxxxx Castro considered all past outcomes and knew that he for sure had a foolproof plan this time around. It was simple really, and he was mad at himself for not thinking of it two resets ago. All he had to do was retrace his steps: slip into that same side alley before the merchant began talking to him, beat his bounty to the clearing, and throw out the pastry cup BEFORE she got there. Then he wouldn’t slip, then he wouldn’t have embarrassed himself in front of that bounty, and then he’ll be 100 credits richer, and this whole mess will all finally be over-
xxxxx“Free sample, sir?”
xxxxx“Oh you have to be kidding me.” He let his internal monologue go on for too long and he missed his chance to change the outcome. Of course. The vendor just gave him a confused look in return, holding out the tray of small yet dangerously greasy pastries.
xxxxxBut this time Castro didn’t take any. Instead, he glanced at the Advantage tightly secured to his wrist. Castro turned a small dial, then another. A ticking noise radiated from the machine as reality warped around him until-

------ 5 ------

xxxxxEverything about South City was designed to be inhabitable, but the citizens adapted. The harsh neon lights of the surrounding factory buildings clashed with the warm glow of the lanterns illuminating the market place streets. The clutter. Roads were far too narrow to suit the size of the population, it was nearly impossible to maintain personal space when browsing the bustling shopping district. The garbage. Sweet scent of fried food was barely enough to mask the signature sewer water smell. Perhaps that’s what drew so many people to the market. An escape from reality, if only for a little while. Not to mention a good place for business. Prime real estate for street vendors to sell their wares in an attempt to make ends meet.
xxxxxLaser focused. This time, Castro had his strategy down to a science. He made a beeline towards the familiar little winding alley. From there, he raced down the many bends and turns until he finally reached the clearing. He stopped dead in his tracks at the soggy little paper cup he had littered so many resets ago. Quickly snatching it up and tossing it in one of the many dumpsters in the area, he hid in wait for his bounty.
xxxxxShe came hurrying around the corner and Castro could have sworn he felt his heart jump out of his chest. He sprang into action.
xxxxx“Stop! Mercenary corps! I’m gonna need you to-” His foot gets stuck in a small crater in the dirt, causing him to hit the ground and catch a face full of mud. The same slick of mud he wound up in when slipping on his own garbage. Castro heard a familiar chuckle, accompanied by a less familiar voice.
xxxxx“Need me to do what? Help you up?” The bounty laughed harder. Castro refused to even look up at this point. “So much for stopping me. You only seem to be stopping yourself. You really know how to get in your own way, don’t you?”
xxxxxWith that the bounty ran off, leaving Castro alone with his thoughts. He picked his head up from the mud, wiping as much off of his face as he was able to manage. He huffed, glancing at the Advantage tightly secured to his wrist. Only this time, he just found himself staring. Her words echoing in his mind.

------ “You really know how to get in your own way, don’t you?” ------

[Ucanthandleme]

Username + ID: Ucanthandleme + 809102
Kalon Name: Bear
Prompt: (562)
Here it was again, another day. A field of golden rye, small bugs buzzing around in droves and the cackle of the birds on a nearby fence. In the middle stood strong, tall, proud, a great behemoth of a tree, its bright green foliage reaching to the skies with seemingly no end. There stood, at the foot of the tree, waiting, watching, counting down the time till the inevitable myself. Much like a picture, I looked in, an observer of my own life behind a glass window. Again and again and again, I knew what was coming, he knew what was coming… the great fall. It came down with much ease, the swing of my axe shattered its bark, broke through its core and let it tumble into the golden wheat field. I stood for quite some time again and again, I chopped the tree and it fell down. I start again. I chop the tree and it falls down. I start again. I chop the tree and it falls down. I start again. Why this repetitive cycle happened I had no clue it wasn't even a difficult loop to recognise. No tree magically stood tall again, no muscle ache went away so quickly, no rye field gently swayed.

A moment, a loop no more than ten minutes yet I found it inescapable. I had tried to not cut the tree, I had tried to walk away, I had tried to run away, I had tried. I had tried so much yet it was just the same, back at the tree my axe swinging down, the great fall, dusted wheat flew in the air and the birds let out a loud cry. Again and again, ten, twenty, a hundred, then simply too many times to count, the same ten minutes over and over again. I was tired, my body, although revitalized, every loop my body remained worn, pulled down by my mind. I wished for the loop to end but I looked down at the axe in my hand and the tree ahead. It seems destiny had other plans. Maybe it wasn't so bad, it seems my destiny was leading me to stay in the family business, a lumberjack, that's why I had started cutting down this tree in the first place after all. Actually you know it has quite the ring to it, ‘The time loop lumberjack’. I let out a laugh as my axe swung again, the mighty tree crashing down.

Then holding my breath I waited for the inevitable beginning again. Then I waited, waited, waiting, I looked with an almost empty gaze and the still fallen tree, my aching limbs telling a story of no repeat…broken, the time loop was broken?! So you're telling me this whole time all I had to do was accept carrying on the family tradition! I looked at the axe in my hand letting it drop to the floor before giving a scream, I knew it, I knew it, the darn old man definitely put a curse on him till he accepted being a lumberjack, watch now to go against him I'll be a blacksmith or maybe a … I looked down once again at the axe in my hand and the tree towering above. I shed a single tear before beginning to chop… actually a lumberjack doesn't sound too bad after all.

[Griff]

Marking!

[mal du pays]

Hi, sorry I'm late. I got plagued by a torment nexus just short of being put in a timeloop. (I got sick. LMAO)

I'd like to give HMs to:

alyxmin 616313
Ucanthandleme 809102

I've decided the winner of this fella is catyclaws! I was positively enamored with the world you presented. Have fun with Castro! You'll be added shortly.