Caleb, David, Jonathan, Melanie, and Rita find themselves sitting in running go-karts, one foot on the brake, hands on the wheel. The sudden transition is disorienting, especially for those who'd been standing, though not physically uncomfortable. Rita still has the tray of frozen pizza rolls she was about to slip into the oven, balanced on her lap.

There's no sensation of missing time or loss of consciousness; one second you were in the bunker, now you're here, on what appears to be a race track on a warm summer's day. To Caleb's left, he can see a ruddy-faced mustached man in a red shirt and blue slacks with a distinctive 'M' on his cap. "Have-a good race!" he chirps in a high-pitched voice, throwing Caleb a thumbs-up.

On his right is a warped mirror image of the first man, wearing yellow, obese where the first is overweight, a competitive snarl replacing his good-natured grin.

Between David and Melanie an enormous gorilla wearing a loose red necktie sits at the wheel of a yellow cart that bows low under his weight. A blonde woman with a crown in a pink dress in a pink cart is just ahead of Rita.

None of this looks digitized. None of them looks like a cartoon. The guy in the red cap looks like a slightly hefty guy. The ape is a real goddamn ape. The breeze on their flesh feels real. The vibrations from the cart's motor feels real. Up ahead, a cloud dangling the race's starter lights slowly begins to descend, top red light illuminated.

ooc: You get to decide which kart you're in; Yoshi's, Luigi's, Toad's, and Koopa's are available.

Melanie has already called Yoshi's.

Yoshi's and Toad's karts get the "Lightweight Kart" aspect; they have the highest acceleration and top speed, best off-road handling, but the worst turn radius and handle worst in collisions.

Luigi's kart gets the "Middleweight Kart" aspect. They have the best turn-radius.

Koopa's kart gets the "Heavyweight Kart" aspect. They fare the best in collisions, but terrible acceleration.

Aside from Melanie, this is a *player* choice; the character just found themself in the kart. Maybe it's subconscious, maybe it's arbitrary. First come first serve, just make it clear which kart you're in when you post your reactions to suddenly appearing on a race track.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:45, Mon 11 Oct 2021.

It had been a long time since Caleb had played some 4-player  Mario Kart. Moo Moo Farm, Koopa Troopa Beach, Bowser’s Castle, and his favorite, Rainbow Road, - nothing beat the 4-player experience of drifting around a turn or hitting the player ahead of him with a red shell. He had Mario Kart on his 3DS, Switch, and phone, but he had never been able to replicate the feeling of sitting on Bernie’s couch and racing through a course with three other real-life players. He had been content to sit back and watch the other four race through a course first and had been surprised that they decided to only play 2-player mode.

And then everything changed.

The transition lasted only a moment. Caleb had gasped in disbelief as reality was swallowed up in pure bright light. Now, he finds himself sitting in a small blue go-kart. Blankly, he looks to his left and his right. Where the hell is he? Who the hell are these people? If they’re cosplayers, they look remarkably like real-life versions of Mario and Wario. But who invited cosplayers to this weekend? And how had everyone gotten outside?

The red light up ahead attracts his attention. The shock of the displacement swiftly gives way to the realization that somehow, he is somewhere far different, a place that very much looks like a Mario Kart racecourse. Was this some kind of hyper-advanced VR? Some kind of Ready Player One program? But they had put on no gear, no goggles or gloves. Astonishing.

”Yeah, you, too,” he responded, almost automatically, to Mario. Gripping the steering wheel, Caleb revved his cart’s engine.

OOC: I call dibs on Toad!

Jon drops the chip he was about to eat, as he stares around in confusion. "What the... did someone just do a screen transition outside the tv!?"

OOC: Jon is in Luigi's green kart.

Rita blinks, finding herself in a green go-kart with the engine running, the vibration somehow thrilling her. In her lap, frozen pizza rolls are vibrating on a cookie sheet. It’s a Koopa Kart, she realizes, slow as molasses but very sturdy. She almost laughs out loud at Mario and Warriors, Peach and Kong, wondering for a moment if she looks like a goofy turtle.

“Oh, shit, we’ve been Tronned.”

The red light is flashing and she grips the wheel, ready for the green.

David, meanwhile, winds up in a Waluigi cart, looking around in confusion.

"What the hell?! Is this some kind of hallucination, or-" He stopped, realizing the race was about to begin. So he grabbed the wheel and got ready for the madness to begin.

All alongside the track were stands for spectators - something that definitely wasn't strongly featured in the game itself - filled with Toad people, a Goomba here and there, and the occasional Koopa. All were cheering and watching with anticipation.

The lights ticked down, accompanied by loud tones that changed in pitch when they hit green.

ooc: If your character has the presence of mind (and desire) to start the race go ahead and gimmie a roll. Take a +1 from Aspects related to go-kart racing.

If you have any Aspects that imply this would freak you out, that you don't deal well with unexpected circumstances, that you wouldn't believe this is happening, etc, consider yourself compelled to react in a way that is not "participating in the race".

Everybody has 2 Fate Points.

It occurs to Caleb that he has never raced in a go-kart before. Is there a brake, or just an accelerator? How is he supposed to stop? "I can't believe this is happening," he mutters to himself. Well, here goes nothing!

OOC: Go go go!

[Private to GM: 18:32, Today: Caleb Rugger rolled -1 using 4 Fudge dice ((0, 0, 0, -1)).

"Tronned? Wait, didn't they get killed if they lost their games!?" Jon starts to panic, trying to figure out how what to push to get going, while the others around him race off.

OOC: Too panicked and confuse to start on time, missing the first roll.

Melanie was too stunned, too shocked, to react immediately. This was impossible, it couldn't be happening.

Or, had Bernie got his hands on some weird experimental technology?

Then the light turned green, and the adrenaline rush took over. She floored it.

[OOC: 14:47, Today: Melanie Fox rolled 1 using 4 Fudge dice ((1, 0, -1, 1)).
+1 for her Aspect of "Craves excitement" = 2]

"Well... got no idea what's happening, but might as well work with what I've got!" he said, starting up his car and driving.

"Was Waluigi even in this game?" He muttered to himself as he drove off.


10:49, Today: David Richardson rolled 0 using 4 Fudge dice.  Racing.

Rita sweeps her hair back out of her face, securing it with the scrunchy around her wrist. When the green light flashes, she stomps on the accelerator hard and holds it down, trying to coax every bit of speed out of her lumbering vehicle.

[Rita Lowenstine rolled 1 using 4 Fudge dice for go kart!]

Melanie, David, and Rita rocket forth while Jonathan stares about in perfectly reasonable confusion and Caleb accidentally throws his kart into reverse. The kart's don't really handle or control like they did in the video game, but more like real go-karts, and it takes everyone a few seconds to get used to them.

Melanie manages to take an early lead, though Donkey Kong quickly catches up with her, leaving them neck-and-neck as they reach the first turn. Rita's in the middle of the pack alongside Wario and the Princess, with David taking up the rear only slightly behind a determined looking Mario.

Jonathan remains at the starting like, while Caleb has rocketed backwards a few kart-lengths.


ooc: Current positioning: (Higher is better)

Kong: 2
Melanie: 2
Wario: 1
Rita: 1
Princess: 1
David: 0
Mario: 0
Jonathan: NA
Caleb: -1

There is the opportunity to gain on your competitors by taking the turn very sharply; Luigi and Waluigi karts get a +1 from their "Middleweight Kart" aspect. Aspects related to driving, racing, or risky behavior will apply as well, though other "adventurous nature" type Aspects will not.

Jonathan and Caleb, of course, are not up to the turn and can't gain ground this turn; they can either join the race/start going the right way, continue being stymied, or try something else.

Whoever is in the Koopa Kart: Your "Heavyweight Kart" Aspect is Compelled; you CANNOT try to gain ground here unless you spend a Fate Point (Everybody has 2). If you accept the Compell you get another Fate Point.

This message was last edited by the GM at 21:00, Sun 17 Oct 2021.

Jon tries turning the wheel when Caleb passes behind him, only to realize he's not moving yet. "Oh, right. Gas pedal." His driving lessons dated back to his teenage years, and badly out of practice from years of bus usage. Without thinking, he jams the pedal down, jumping forward as he tries to catch up with the other racers.

OOC: 17:16, Today: Jonathan Wagner rolled 2 using 4 Fudge dice ((0, 1, 0, 1)).

Resisting the impulse to try to get ahead, Rita steers into the turn, feeling the heavy cart shudder a bit.

[Compel acepted.
]Rita Lowenstine rolled 1 using 4 Fudge dice to maintain position]

David has no idea what's going on, but his innate competitive streak tells him he should try to get the edge whenever he can. He tries to cut the corner, doing his best to gain ground and avoid being in the back of the pack. However, it goes incredibly poorly, and he skids out.

"Dammit! Knew I should've done those stunt driving classes when I had the chance!" he grumbled


23:31, Today: David Richardson rolled -2 using 4 Fudge dice ((-1, -1, -1, 1)).

With my bonus, that's a whole -1! Yeah, I ain't winning this one, I don't think.

"Right, okay, that's obviously reverse," Caleb mutters, attempting to get the kart to go forward instead. He tries again, this time with somewhat better success.