OC Apprentice Fourth Challenge Results · 6:31am Mar 5th, 2016

Once again, this was a solo challenge, and each player submitted their work.

Coalstone's Submission

“Once again I find myself in a shitty situation on the cusp of this ridiculous game. And just after I was humiliated in front of my teammates, friends and everyone else.” Coalstone grumbled to himself as he tried to reign in his infamous temper, whilst seated at a bus station with a stack of 100 game consoles bearing GOBB’s name and insignia.
Seemingly drawing the short end of the stick, his task was pretty simple, sell these consoles to whatever dumbass mook who drove by. Only problem was it was a bus stop, currently seated in the middle of nowhere and as such it made selling them difficult.
Add onto this, the fact that GOBB decided to take Coalstone’s prior, understable and to an extent justified anger towards him, and used it to make him look like a complete ass, and things certainly weren’t looking up for the stone worker.
Yet despite all that, “Doesn’t matter, I’m not giving up on this competition and I’ll make sure I sell every last one of these crappy game systems.” However, as if nature wanted to mock him with a good sense of irony, the sound of a vulture crawling while flying over the horizon filled his ears, along with the vague sound of someone briefly strumming an old guitar. Add to this the sun beating down his head and it wasn’t a good day.
A single scan of his immediate surroundings quickly caused any optimism he had to dry up and blow away like the dirt surrounding him. He was quite literally in the middle of nowhere, just a bus station by a road that looked like it’d been paved with a pickaxe and no visible vehicles for miles.
The sight of a tumbleweed actually rolling passed the station was pretty much all it took to get Coalstone’s blood to start boiling again.
“There are literally so many angry comments, swear words and random acts of violence I could do and say at this point in time, but I seriously doubt that’s gonna help cool my temper at this point.”
He promptly decided to simply sit himself down and tried to think of what course of action was best available to him at this particular moment, “Okay, I’m at a bus station in the middle of the desert, with nobody around….Meaning that at best I’ll probably have to just wait until a bus shows up.”
Casting another glance at the station itself, his attention quickly shifted to the sight of movement in one of the cubicles at the front of the station, indicating the presence of someone inside it.The possibility of intelligent life was enough to cause the stone worker to get his butt in gear and run to the window.
“Hey anyone in there? Hello?”
The sound of movement, things being knocked over and casual grumbling indicated that someone was in fact in the bus station. The pony in question was dark grey with yellow fur and eyes, with his cutie mark looking like a toll booth. Rubbing sand from his eyes and yawning lightly he looked at Coalstone with a degree of apprehension.
“Yeah, you need some help or something?”
Coalstone nodded heavily at the comment, “Yeah, I’m wondering when any buses will be driving through here.”
“Well if my memory is correct, the schedule says that a bus should be arriving………..zzzzzzzzz.” The pony in question fell asleep mid way, with his face hitting the table.
Coalstone could only gap at the attendant now passed out in front of him, before angrily smashing the front of his hoof against the wall, shaking it and actually causing the attendant’s head to fall and hit the floor, waking him up.
“Geez, man, what the heck?”
“I just wanted some information about when the next few buses or ponies, or people will show up around here.”
The attendant tried to angrily glare at Coalstone but it was fruitless given his half awake appearance and thus he looked at the schedule, “Not really sure what you’re hoping for pal, but if I remember right, the next few busses should be stopping by here in a couple of hours, of course I could be wrong and nobody shows up. Really this station doesn’t get a lot of action and I’m only here because I live in this station.
“I’d question the sanity of someone choosing to live in a bus station...But then again I live in an actual cave so I’m not exactly in a position to judge someone. More importantly now I basically have to play the waiting game and hope to Celestia that someone actually shows up soon so I can get rid of these damn game systems.”
In his inner monologue Coalstone quickly noticed that the attendant had once again fallen asleep, though by this point he didn’t really care and understood it was likely the result of how boring his job was, which was perfectly fair.
Standing up he made his way back to the pile of game consoles by him and contemplated what to do next. “So I’ve got some time to kill and I’m in the middle of a desert and empty bus station, with a bunch of game systems that I can’t even play…..There is a very sick form of irony to this whole situation isn’t there.”
Taking a quick glance at the system and the box it was held in Coalstone looked a tad curious at the colorful design and packaging. Truth be told he’d never played a videogame in his life, mostly because he preferred slightly more hands or hooves on activities and rarely felt the need, though he’d been curious for a time.
Casually picking up a box he looked it over and payed close attention to the writing on the box, along with a set of instructions that had been provided by the god that listed all the features and information about the game system.
“Well I suppose a little reading about the systems wouldn’t hurt much.” He then shifted it to page one and immediately frown, as the very title of the instruction manual was and this was true
GOBB Gaming System for Dummies…...That means you Coalstone.
“You know, I’m really wondering why this asshole just can’t stop pissing me off. I don’t care if he’s a god, he’s such a massive pain in the ass….Oh forget it, I’m sick of getting mad at this guy all the time, it’s old.”
Coalstone then flipped to the next page and began reading the information
(Few Hours Later)
Still sitting at the station, Coalstone found himself engrossed in the instruction manual, mainly because there was nothing else to do and by this point could literally tell you everything about the system from its basic functions to how to cure it of technical problems, including the fear “Yellow Square of Death.”
“Okay, I’ve gone over this manual cover to cover, so now atleast if someone does finally show up, I’ll be able to tell them literally anything about the system, and hopefully convince them to buy the damn thing.”
Putting the manual down he scanned over the station, which was still empty save for the currently sleeping attendant. Coalstone simply sat there, waiting for something to happen, still wanting to end this challenge and move on.
Thankfully his salvation finally came in the form of a large tour bus making it’s way to the station.
It promptly stopped and a large number of people walked out on the floor, many of whom were currently dressed in various unusual costumes, ranging from sci-fi to Fantasy to horror. A good chunk of them looked to only be in their early to late teens with a few older parties also being present.
One of those adults, dressed relatively normally stepped off the bus and turned his attention to the group,
“Okay everypony, this is our mandatory bathroom break. You have approximately 20 minutes to use the restroom, stretch your legs and whatever else you want, before we leave for the convention. Remember to return the bus immediately after.”
Coalstone’s eyes narrowed at the sight of the rather, colorfully dressed crowd of strangers, watching as some of them headed to the bathroom, while a small handful simply seemed to be stretching their legs out and engaging in casual small talk.
“Talk about stiff, I know I’m dressed up like a stone monster but I didn’t want to turn into a statue.”
“You’re telling, I think I lost feeling in my left leg from sitting so long. Still it’ll be worth it, I hear all the latest game systems are gonna be on sale at the convention. Some of them aren’t even on the market yet.”
The two in question continued to talk before a slightly taller individual in what appeared to be some kind of evil robed figure costume stepped up behind them, “I wouldn’t get too excited, from what I’ve heard most of those systems will be atleast $100 more than what they’ll be sold for later on release. And I frankly don’t feel like shelling out the extra cash, especially when I could use it for other things.”
Another party lodged a similar complaint, “Yeah and I heard that super new game system, the BPB system isn’t even gonna be there. Apparently the guys at the convention wouldn’t fork over enough cash to allow them to be sold. Sucks cause I heard the system is out of this world.”
Several of the costumed individuals seemed to be a little downtrodden at the implication, with some of them trying to take their minds off the matter by reading what appeared to be catalogues or brochures for the convention.
Coalstone however, quickly took note of what he’d heard and looked back at the massive pile of systems before an idea quickly appeared in his mind and a smirk grew on his face
Quickly making his way over he cleared his throat out getting the attention of the various convention goers, “Sorry to interrupt, but I overheard your conversation and believe that I might be able to help you guys out.”
“And just who the heck are you supposed to be newb?”
Twitching slightly at the comment Coalstone continued his pitch, “My name is Coalstone and I’m technically an employee or intern if you wanna call it who happens to work for the head of the BBQ company that produces the BPB.”
At the mention of the seemingly infamous gaming system, the group all turned their attention to Coalstone, though it was apparent some were skeptical of his claim.
Coalstone however, remained calm and spoke, “And as it just so happens I have been tasked with selling 100 of these game systems, and would be more than happy to sell them to each of you, at a fair and reasonable price. Interested?”
Some of the gamers practically started to salivate at the idea of getting the hottest and latest gaming system on the market, with a few actually nodding their heads fast enough to shake their hats and masks off, others desperating reaching into their costumes to pull out their wallets, purses or whatever.
However, one single party, clad in what appeared to be some kind of demonic armor with a helmet stepped forward and let out a rather loud bellow, “Dous Thou Take Us for Fools. The BPB has not yet been released to even the most seasoned of players. It’s very identity kept a secret and we are left to believe that one such as you would be selling these games, here of all places.”
The logic was a bit sound, given both the rarity of the system and also the fact that Coalstone was essentially saying he was selling the systems at a bus station, didn’t exactly give a lot of confidence to his claim.
Coalstone however, was quick to respond and did so bluntly, “What can I say, my boss is a bit of an asshole and loves to screw with me on a regular basis. However, I am no liar and I can prove it to you as I have the entire stack of systems over there.” Pointing in the direction he’d left them.
The armor clad party didn’t seem convinced, “Prove it to us then. Unless thou can convince me of the truth, I shall not be swayed by your poisonous tongue.”
Coalstone frowned at the comment, “I’m starting to feel like you should be somewhere LARPing rather than being at a gaming convention.”
Quickly moving over he used his strength to push the large stack of game systems the necessary distance and presented them to the gamers, who by the this point had grown in mass, with many leaving the bus and staring at the stack.
Coalstone stood in front of them, “Here’s my proof, 100 of the BPB, the first ones on the market and not available anywhere else for the next several months. The latest and best in gaming of all time can now be yours. So anyone interested?”
Seemingly convinced that he was no longer lying, the ponies quickly started to try and snatch up the systems as quickly as possible and it soon seemed like a fight would break out between them.
Coalstone however, promptly slammed his hoof down, cracking the concrete floor, surprising everyone, including the armored pony. “For the record, if you are gonna act like the barbarians you’re dressed up as, then none of you are getting a system. if you want one we’re gonna be civil about it, line up one at a time and you’ll get a game system, if you don’t at the end, don’t worry I’m sure your friends will be more than willing to share with you. If not then I apologize but that’s just how it is. Okay?”
His tone managed to stop the riot from breaking out and to his amazement the group proved to be very patient and respectable with each handing over the necessary money in exchange for the systems. The large pile quickly seemed to shrink until it was reduced to a single console.
“Alright everypony, this is the last BPB, whose next.”
“That would be I!”
Coalstone quickly frowned again as the same pony who not to long ago had been calling him a liar was standing in front of his with their armor staring him down. “Dous though intend to not give me what I have awaited for?”
Surprisingly however, Coalstone simply shook his head and handed the system to the strange pony, offering a simple smile to them, “No, you more than earned it at this point. And sorry for the small crack earlier but I’ve been having a rough day, but I know that lashing out isn’t the answer. Had I done things my usual way then a riot would have probably broken out around here and no one would get what they want.”
Lifting up the system to the stranger, the individual nodded and happily accepted the last of the BPB, “Tis wise words you speak Coalstone, and I to apologize for my rather uncooth behavior. I sometimes find myself a tad overzealous when gaming is concerned.”
The stranger then shifted around in the armor they were wear and seemed to reach into their pocket to retrieve the money for the system, “Blast this infernal costume, tis so cumbersome.”
The purse was eventually moving, but seemed to get stuck inbetween the armor pieces, leading the stranger to growl in frustration, “Irritating metal contraption, YOU WILL NOT DENY ME MY BPB!”
With a hard yank the purse came free, but with it the section of the armor was also pulled off, revealing a family dark blue body and a family black cutie mark with a crescent moon in the center. The sight of which caused Coalstone’s eyes to shoot up, as he stared at the pony, who’d since frozen in place.
“....Princess…..Luna….Is that you in there?”
Said Princess of the Night didn’t say anything at first, almost like she was attempting to play dumb, though thankfully the other individuals were too distracted by their game systems to notice.
Coalstone however, looked a little unnerved at the fact he was currently facing royalty and quickly realized what had happened, “Oh dear lord, I made fun of one of the Princesses. I’m so dead.”
“...Do not worry about it Coalstone. You did not know and it is partially my fault,” Luna having shaken herself out of her stupor quickly shifted her cloak to cover her cutie mark, while lifting up her helmet to reveal her face, “As I said, when it comes to video games I can be a tad overzealous, hence the reason for the disguise.”
Quickly lifting her purse she opened it up and pulled out a rather large sack of bits, “I trust this will be sufficient compensation for the system, as well as a slight apology for my own rude behavior.”
“That’s a little much don’t you think Princess and I was rude to you, so I wouldn’t feel right about it.”
“Think nothing of it thine subject, after all it doesn’t sound like you are in a particularly pleasant situation, thus you should be given some compensation if only for that….Besides that.” Luna’s voice seemed to go complete fangirl as she all but hugged her new BPB, “I cannot help but thank you heavily for uniting me with this wondrous piece of technology. Despite my position as Princess Celestia refused to allow me to purchase one ahead of the rest of the citizens. saying it was an abuse of my position, meanwhile she is allowed first bit of some of the finest pastries in Canterlot. Well the joke will be on her after her flank becomes so large it falls through the floor.”
Quickly picking up her armor and placing it back Luna offered a final smile to Coalstone, “I once again thank you for this and I do hope that things go well for you after this. If nothing else you have shown you are capable and kind. To that I wish you luck Coalstone, and as for your employer I intend to give him some praise for his system and employment abilities, till we meet again.”
The costumed Luna and the remaining convention parties promptly boarded the bus, many offering thanks to Coalstone, some plaining to brag about their new systems while at the convention. If nothing else that would likely lead to greater demand for the game system and more preorders, especially if the Princess’s endorsement was anything to go by.
“Huh, managed to sell all the systems, meet a princess and probably got BBQ more sales and profits than originally planned. All around not a bad day…..Now I just need to figure out how the hell I’m getting back.”

Nova Blaze's Submission:

Nova sighed and looked around at the highway he was supposed to work with for the time being, he slowly looked at the boxes of consoles he was supposed to work with, he then nodded slowly and began to think of ways to sell the consoles.
“Well...guess I gotta call in some favors….” he shook his head slightly before sitting down at chair by a small stand, he then took out a small laptop and began to type on it rapidly with his claws, while he began to make some phone calls to everyobe he could.
“Hey...Dad….any chance you could promote a sale for BBQ Inc….yea I know he doesn't have anything to do with your hotels in LP….but this could help show that your business isnt just for gambling, this could show….yea...that sounds great...thanks pops…..yea I'm on a highway at a place called Regina...Saskatchewan...Okay thanks….bye.”
He paused to talk to a passerbyer, “Yep, I’m selling consoles.” He talked to the passerbyer for a few more minutes before more and more people began to show up, he began to sell the consoles at a steady rate until there was only a few dozen left.
Nova sat back and sighed, “At least there's no competitions invlovling love crazed she demons, or ponies.” He shivered from the thought. “Note to self….don't give Gob that idea…”
He handed another console to another person and placed the money in a locked cash box, “ugh why is this so boring!!!!” Nova sighed and placed his head on the table.
A few hours later the 17 year old handed the last console to a Griffin, who smiled and flew away after paying for it, he finally sighed in victory and sat back in his chair, “finally, done, and bout time too, I need apolish these scales to geth the dirt out.”

Reneigah's Submission:

"Oh... My... CELESTIA!" Reneighah squeaked. She cupped her hands over her mouth, a shrill squeal still audible over the huddle of Las Vegas. She stood on the cracked pavement, absolutely captivated at the dazzling site in front of her.
A tower, seeming to be made of gold, hovered hundreds of feet into the air. She craned her neck to look at the glittering sign reading "TRUMP", which hung proudly like the crown of a king. She faced the doorway and walked in with determination.
A crowd flowed around her as Reneighah quickly slipped into the revolving doors at the entrance. A quietly tried to stumble past luggage and lurkers, looking around all the while. Even though she never had liked big cities, she certainly was enjoying this place.
The cavernous room seemed to be the perfect definition of luxury. Gold and silver tiling lined the smooth marble flooring, reflecting the light of crystal chandeliers. She couldn't help but smirk. "Well now, I'm glad I was friends with Sentinel." She laughed. She felt a stab of guilt at the thought of her friends working at the bus station, but quickly blocked it out. "What matters is that I had a good location, and now it's time to use that to my advantage!"
Her footsteps echoed through the giant room as she hurried to one of the reception desks. A great deal of people were here, so that was a good sign. The woman at the desk was about to deadpan a quick spiel about the amazement of the hotel, but then stopped when she saw a bright blue badge pinned to Reneighah's shirt.
"Welcome to-oh!" The woman exclaimed. "Well, I see you are the representative for the BPB?"
Startled, Reneighah looked at the badge. She had hardly noticed it when it had appeared, but sure enough, it showed her status in this crazy world. "Um, ah... Yes. Yes I am."
"Excellent! You're here just in time!" The receptionist clapped her hands together, then pointed to an empty table nearby. "There's the boxes over there, so you can just do your thing." The woman turned back to her computer and promptly went back to work.
"Well," Reneighah walked to the table. "Looks like I better get to work too."
She brushed her hands against the stacks of BPB boxes, wondering how she was going to pull this off. "Okay, I think I have my head around how currency works, so these are...$199.99!" She mumbled. "Hm, I wonder if that's cheap or pricey. I guess I'll find out."
Ten minutes later, Reneighah sat at the marble table, boxes stacked in a curving figure. She grinned at the display which she had made, now with the black and white boxes in small towers, curving together in an Aesthetic manner.
"Hello!" She called to the passerby, only a few turning her way. Like moths to a flame it was only a matter of minutes before two elderly citizens walked up to her stand.
"Now what's all this?" One of them said. He peered through his glasses at the boxes.
"This." She said proudly. "Is the BPB, or BBQ playbox." He gave an odd look before turning to the elderly woman at his side.
"Do you think we would need one of these?" She whispered.
"Ah, indeed." Reneighah nodded. "The BPB is for kids of ALL ages." She winked.
The couple paused, before taking out a credit card and holding it out. "Well, I suppose our grandchildren did need some sort of gift."
"Excellent ma'am! Let me tell you this is a wonderful purchase on your part, " She handed them the box, grinning at her first sale. "And have a wonderful day!"
Sales then came and went, Reneighah happily chatting about the wonders of the shiny box. On a few spare moments she found herself reading the BPB manuel, surprised by how advanced this was compared to Equestria.
Alas, in about two hours she had learned that hotels were probably not the best place to sell these things. Most passerby were drawn there simply to look, and the seven sales she had made were from serious gamers who lived in the area.
Perhaps the worst part was the ridiculous amount of celebrity sightings. This was a high class hotel, and from what she could tell, Las Vegas was a crazy popular city.
She winced as a bright camera flashed near her. A small group of fashionable people strutted into the building, followed by an even larger group of media officials.
"Leo Dicaprio!" A journalist shouted. "Cmon, this interview will only be a second!"
Reneighah couldn't help but groan. Who were these stupid humans?! Who cared why they went wherever?! "Well, I guess it's not much different from anything we have in Equestria." She chuckled quietly, remembering the fans of BBBFF.
"Haha, what's this?" The celebrity in question causally glanced at the stacks of boxes, and Reneighah have a polite smile.
"This is the BBQ playbox, the gaming entertainment of the future!" She exclaimed. To her amusement parts of the crowd gave a few "oohs" and "ahs"
She laughed again, happy to finally have an audience. "See here, imagine a gaming console that ANYONE can use, no matter how young or old. Sleek, fast," she paused. "And affordable. Perfect for anyone." She saw as a few people continued chatting, and then realized that the people of Las Vegas didn't seem very interested in technicalities.
She held up one of the black and white boxes, showing a large picture of the impressive design.
She gave a quiet sigh. "See everyone? It's shiny!"
She smirked as a few people applauded, cheers and excited murmuring. The sounds of interest.
"Hey, I'll take one." The celebrity from earlier slammed a credit card in the table, which caught the rapt attention of the hive mind behind him.
"Ah, sure thing." She mumbled. She began processing the money and handing him his box. She let herself try to smooth talk her way into selling him more games or accessories, which meant being friendly.
"Sure thing." She said again. Reneighah but her lip. Dang it. She thought. What was his name? One of those journalists said it earlier...
"Uh, anyway. Are you interested in any of the pre launch game title we have today?" She leaned in closer, whispering. "We usually don't release them except online, but we feel our customers deserve it."
He paused, letting the cameras around him flash. One of his bodyguards pushed a fan away. "Ah, what the hell. I'll see what you have."
"You got Oscar." She winked, pulling out a pamphlet with titles. She froze as she saw him standing there, shocked. Oh crap oh crap oh crap I messed up his name. I totally messed up his name.
But to her surprise, he laughed. "Took me 26 years baby!" A few of the people around him laughed, and many cheered. Reneighah,however, had ABSOLUTLEY no idea what she had said right, but was glad she did.
"I'll take every game you have." He grinned. "And... At least 10 more of these consoles. This BPB is going to be awesome!"
And that was the moment. Not only had she just sold ten boxes, but she knew that those cameras were rolling, and she could hear as people were lining up that this was BIG NEWS.
"Awwww YES!" She turned and pumped her fist. "I don't know what an Oscar is, but apparently it really helped me!" She hadn't imagined this gaining any publicity, but it looks like she had been wrong.
Another two hours had passed, and the towering amount of boxes had now disappeared, and only another four or so remained. Nevertheless the boxes might have disappeared, but the crowds had not. She was grinning from ear to ear as she sold the last few to the hungry crowd, but the end of sales had caused a more negative reaction.
"You're out?! So SOON?!" Someone shouted. She shrugged and laughed nervously.
"Uh, there's going to be some more releases throughout the-"
"Wait WHERE?!" Someone shouted. People were less angry now and more excited. Hm, maybe this is a chance to pay Sentinel back.
"We're having a big release of them in disneyworld guys!" She smiled, hoping that some of them would get the word out there too. She was quickly distracted, however, when a journalist then pointed a camera at the table.
"I don't believe this!" He shouted to his cameraman. "We caught celebrity gaming love! This will be an awesome article."
She gave a happy sigh as crowds of people began to refocus on the hotel and not her stand, ultimately relieved and excited. She felt odd as she stacked away empty boxes, surprised that sales had happened so fast. "Well, hopefully this will be good for BBQ inc." she mumbled. "Sure seemed good to me."

First Spark's Submission:

i]Empty rental space ~~stolen~~ acquired? Check. Consoles out and on display? Check. Modern, simple room layout to attract the young and old? Check? Working mic?
Check.
Let’s do this.
First Spark slammed down on the big, red button before her, sending jolts of electricity through the cables streaming along the walls and floor of the entire store. All at once, with perfect timing and coding precision, lights lit up, consoles and computers powered on, everything fell back into place, the doors leading to the rest of the mall swung wide open, and the Queens Center Mall sound system abruptly stopped all noise.
Spark smiled and tapped the microphone, hearing her taps play out all throughout the megamall. It was perfect. Everything had gone perfectly. A deep breath and a final preparation later, she put on her widest grin and stepped up to the device.
“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, FOLKS OF ALL AGES, WELCOME TO THE MOMENTOUS LAUNCH OF THE BBQ PLAYBOX!!” The words boomed throughout the entire building, making sure everyone could hear. After the initial shock at the unexpected interruption, a few plants that Spark had placed around the mall started applauding her announcement. It caught on quickly, and soon, the entire mall was clapping. So gullible, so easy, humans were...
“THAAAAAT’S RIGHT! RIGHT NOW, FOR THE LOWEST IT’S EVER BEEN AND EVER WILL BE, YOU CAN GET YOUR VERY OWN BBQ PLAYBOX AT THE E SECTION LOWER LEVEL BBQ STORE!” She winced as she gave out the location, seeing multiple heads turn outside the glass walls of the store. The grins of the people outside matched her own, as they all started to trickle, then pour, then flood in.
“At least they’re excited, I’ve gotta sell these fast, before they come...” Spark said, stashing the microphone away and letting the mall’s usual sound system restore. “Well, I won’t think about that now.” She turned to address the crowds and stepped behind the checkout counter. “So! Who wants a PlayBox?”
...
It was ten minutes in, and thirty of the consoles were already gone. It would’ve been more, but Spark was only one mare, er, human... and a lot of her energy and magic had been spent setting up the hype. All she had to do now was ride it out, no matter how taxing it was. It would be fine, of course, as long as no customer gave her troub-
“THESE PRICES ARE OUTRAGEOUS!!” shouted a large, muscular, almost squarish man in a dark suit, slamming a console box onto the checkout counter.
-le. Ugh...
“Sir, I’m very sorry if we’ve disappointed you in any w-”
“YOU’D BETTER DAMN WELL BE SORRY! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, TO BE SELLING DEVICES OF THIS QUALITY,” he said, squinting and nearly spitting on the box, “FOR THAT PRICE??”
“Please, sir, if I could maybe interest you in another model of PlayBox if that one is too unqualified?” Spark offered, keeping as cheerful a face as possible in front of this masculine megamuscle.
“UNQUALIFIED?” he said, chuckling to himself, dangerously. Spark slowly drew more quiet and hidden, recognizing the dangerous chuckles as premonition for a slew of ear-shattering insults and slandering. At the very least, an outburst and a cracked piece of furniture. Coalstone had taught her that much...and suddenly, for some reason, the man seemed a lot less intimidating. Was it just her head, now that he’d been associated with the fluff-ball that was Coalstone, or was it exterior as well?
“Ma’am, this is the most quality instrument of virtual and augmented reality that I’ve seen in my entire life!” said the man, suddenly adopting a kind, gentlemanly tone, retaining strict posture and smiling wide. Ope. Nope. It was definitely exterior. Okay, that was one mystery solved...
“P-Pardon?” Spark managed to stutter.
“Yes ma’am, it’s so unbelievable, I’d gladly pay ten times the amount!”
“Oh, would you now...” she said, still dazed.
“Of course! In fact...” he said, reaching down below the counter and bringing nine more onto the surface. “I’ll take ten, at ten times the price!”
“Did he just say ten times the price?” murmured someone from the crowd of people in the store. Spark noticed that the room had actually gone next to silent when the large man spoke in the first place, but it was starting to bubble now.
“He’s gotta be insane! Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Hey, isn’t that the president of Real Life Inc? If he thinks this console’s good...”
“Then it’s gotta be amazing! I’ll take four!”
“Ooooh boy...” Spark said to herself, ringing up the president’s consoles, dreading the swarm of customers approaching.
“Oh boy indeed.” said a deep voice, as a hand grasped Spark’s shoulder. Ugh... too soon, too soon...
“Hello, officer!” Spark said, turning quickly to face the mall cop, wincing inside. He gruffed behind his burly mustache and navy uniform, returning none of the enthusiasm.
“State your name,” he said, pulling out a notepad, already scribbling.
“Er..Night Glide,” First Spark said, an idea creeping in. “Of Veggie Co.” The officer nodded and wrote down the information.
“Night Glide...you foreign?”
“Mhmm...” she nodded, splitting her attention between the endless line of customers and the cop.
“Do you know that you’re using a space that’s currently up for rent, that you are NOT authorized to use?”
“Well-”
“FURTHERMORE, do you realize that you’ve hacked into the Queens Center’s sound system, an offense punishable by fifty plus years in prison?”
“Err...” The line was coming to an end, just a few more and she’d be able to get out...
“In fact, this whole operation looks shady...Veggie Co, you say?”
“I...” Beep, beep, beep, aaand...
Done!!
“Sorry folks!” Spark said, jumping up onto the counter and grabbing the microphone again. “We seem to be out of stock at the moment, but...” She paused, feeling a tad bit piteous. “...You can check out the highway sides or bus stations for more!”
A wink to them all, and she disappeared, leaving an empty room and a couple hundred confused, yet satisfied, BBQ fans.

Thunderbolt Sentinel's Submission:

Disney World, it’s no wonder this place was so famous. Although the time Sentinel spent in this world was brief, he could easily tell this place was famous. From the food to eat, sights to see, food to eat, rides to ride, food to eat, and games to play, this place was amazing. However, he was not here for fun, he was here to sell fun. How GOB got authorization to sell here, he didn’t want to know. It probably involved the dealing in souls given the glossy eyes of the employees.
It was around midday, after a morning of...testing the game console -totally not playing it for fun- he knew enough to sell it effectively. He set up a booth with some TVs and consoles plugged in, and was planning on telling anyone passing by they were free to play the console to get a feel for it. He had also hired people to ask come by and questions he knew the answers to when crowds appeared. With his favorite plaid suit and orange bowtie, as well as speech techniques picked up from used carriage salesponies and carnies, he knew he had this.
“Step right on over and test out the greatest console ever devised!” He shouted from inside his booth. “This console, the BBQ Playbox is the most advanced console on the market today!”
His speech was gathering a small crowd, as if on cue a girl asked. “How so? It looks like a normal game system to me.”
Sentinel gave a smile. “It may appear to be an ordinary console, but I assure you, this console is unlike any you’ve ever seen.”
Another person asked. “What makes it so special? MY Xbox one can play Halo, can your system play Halo?”
“Can your Xbox play World of Warcraft? The new Xcom game? And yes it can play Halo. You see, this is capable of playing any PC game that you can use a controller for, while also having the ability to attach a keyboard for use with other games PC games. No longer is “PC Exclusive” going to be an issue for console lovers.”
A rather round man from the crowd yelled back. “But the PC is the master race! My rig has 128 gigs of ram!”
“Is that all? You may need to upgrade my boy, that’s outdated now. The BBQ Playbox trumps that with a whopping 256, and 300 fps. The human eye can’t even register that fast, lag is a thing of the past now.”
“You’re BSing, that’s impossible!”
“Nothing is impossible from BBQ. Did you know this console has the computing power to land a craft on the moon?” So do most cellphones, but no one needs to know that.
The crowd was murmuring, until plan B kicked in, a small kid came up from the crowd and started playing one of the test consoles. He almost seemed too happy somehow.
“As you can see folks, the BBQ Playbox has graphics unlike any you’ve ever seen! Is it a game? Is it a movie? You’ll have to play yourselves to find out!”
Eventually, some of the reluctant members of crowd walked up, to get a closer look.
“A console to rule them all, as if forged by a god.” He said to one young lady taking a look at the boxes.
She looked up. “My son is talking about how his friends have games like these. I’ll take one.”
“A fantastic decision, you won’t regret this.” That was the start of a rush, it didn’t take long for most of the consoles to have been sold. He’d reach his deadline in no time, or so he thought. At about 5pm everything slowed down, he only had a few left he needed to sell, but there were no buyers.
“Dammit, I need to do something.” He looked over seeing a teenager walking by. “Hey! Kid!” He looked over. “Want to make fifteen bucks?”

A small crowd was gathered around, seemingly by the rumor of a “mega console” that even if “microsoft and sony made the ultimate rig, couldn’t be beaten.” The crowd was watching as a teenager (who Sentinel totally didn’t pay fifteen bucks to play the consoles) was kicking ass on “Call of Duty 16, advanced blackops 6, ghosts edition.” They were rather impressed, not with the cookie cutter CoD, but his ease of play he claimed was from the console.
“This thing plays awesomely! There’s no lag and I’m destroying the enemy team almost single handedly!”
Sentinel smiled as once again people were gathering around, it didn’t take long for the rest of the consoles to sell out. The kid he payed even got his mom to buy him one.
As he was packing his booth and still dishing out propaganda for the console to the passerby he couldn’t help but feel kinda bad about the others.
“I knew this was the best choice, sorry for the others though. At least Reneigh and Spark got good places, I kinda feel bad for Nova though. Coalstone didn’t hurt too many people I hope.”
He finished packing and made sure to check that he had sold everyone of the consoles he was given, had to be sure he sold enough. He’d count as soon as he returned to the hotel room. With that, he went to the Disneyland Hotel and went over the receipts.
“Yep, sold every single one of them, and made the deadline. I hope the others didn’t have too much trouble.”

Results Announcement:

"Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow..." Veggie continued along through the maze of GOB's basement. Perhaps taking the advice of that evil flower wasn't such a good idea. At least Veggie was the goddess of fertility and plantlife and was able to end that miserable weed's life like it was nothing... But the pellets still hurt like hell. The bright side however, was she was free. The bad news was she was still lost within GOB's maze.
'What's wrong with me? I can't transform, I can't do more than manipulate small plants... What did GOB do to me?' Veggie wondered as she trudged on. Her bare feet made light smacking noises on the hard concrete floors as she passed rows and rows of boxes, crates, and tubs full of whatever. Suddenly, Veggie felt herself slip on a small book. From the floor, she glared at the small journal and snatched it. It had no cover and looked quite old. Very old. Old as in it should be more like dust at this point. It was a hardcover with brown leather covering it's pages. The pages (albeit very old) were still in mid-condition and from what Veggie could tell, were still strong enough to be touched. Veggie carefully opened the small journal to the first page. It wasn't written in English. Instead, it looked like old Spanish. Luckily, like English, Veggie was fluent in Spanish. Not including German, Swedish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Russian, Scandinavian, Hawaiian, Samoan, French, and Wingdings. She read aloud the first page.
"My beloved, I wait for the day I am able to return to you. It's only been a week and I still miss you very much, my love. I write in this journal to give to you once I return from my journey with Sir Cortés." The first passage ended there, but there were still many more to read.
"My beloved, today is an exciting one. We've gained first sight of the Americas. It looks so beautiful, almost like you, love. I miss you very much, and I will write as soon as we land."
"My beloved, we've finally landed in the Americas. However, Cortés says we are unable to stay near the ship for long. We must keep going and keep moving. He's insistent we explore this place he calls "Mexico" and find the natives and use them to fufill any tasks we have. While I don't believe in slave labor personally, it's what must be done I suppose."
"My beloved, we've discovered.... It's, it's almost making me speechless. I am unable to speak of such a beautiful place. We've reached what I can guess is to be the capital of Mexico. It's ruled by these people called Aztecs. Cortés plans to meet with the leader soon. My goodness, it's so beautiful. I really wish you were here with me to see such beauty."
Veggie was confused. Why did GOB have such a journal in his dungeon of a basement? She couldn't worry about that now. She needed to find a way out. She tucked the book into the side of her panties and continued on. Not knowing what lied ahead.
~***~
GOB sat alone once again. This time however, he had boxes and boxes full of nothing but cash. The BBQ PlayBox was a huge hit in both the Human and Equestrian universes! GOB couldn't be more pleased with the outcome. GOB then remembered about the others and used his magic to snap them all into the room. Each and every one of them look exhausted. All except Sentinel who was wearing Mickey ears from Disneyworld. He looked happy and awake.
"Well, well, well. Looks like you all made me a pretty penny today! Fantastic job to all of you! Fantastic job to all of you! Especially you two; Nova and Coalstone. Turning a bad cercumstance into a good one! Well done!" GOB congratulated with a huge smile. "But, there can be only one winner... If this were an elimination challenge! It's instead a non-elimination challenge! All of you are safe!" GOB said with an even bigger smile. But this didn't seem to sit well with Coalstone.
"So you're saying I busted my flank out there to sell your crappy console for hours, not to have a prize or punishment!? It was for nothing!?" He exclaimed.
"Well when you put it like that, it just sounds like I used you all. Which is not true! If you guys are curious as to how much you made, I have the chart right here. Let me start off by saying Reneigah was the highest winner earning over $5,500 dollars from selling the consoles. Plus thanks to you, Leo and I are like, besties, so wonderful work!" GOB gave Reneigah a thumbs up. "Anyway, Cambiato came in second with $5,000 dollars, Sentinel came in third with $4,320 worth of consoles sold, Coalstone with $2,000, and Nova in 5th with $1,245 in sales. Did you sell any at all lad?" GOB asked.
"Hey, you try selling stuff on a highway and try to make a better income!" Blaze defended. GOB chuckled and arose from his seat. He then poofed one hundred boxes of his console and poofed away. Seconds later he returned empty handed with nothing but a black suitcase.
"A Mexican cartel said they'd buy them all once I got there. I made fifty-thousand dollars off those suckers." GOB said as he presented the suitcase to the group before him. That certainly silenced the young dragon. "Now you folks get some sleep... Wouldn't want you to be... Be..." GOB chuckled to himself quite devilishly.
"GOB, what are you laughing at?" Spark asked.
"What could be so funny?" Reneigah questioned.
"What torture are you putting us through now, you devil!?" Coalstone insulted.
"I'm a little worried to ask..." Nova said.
"I wonder if I left the stove on at home..." Sentinel mumbled. Not paying attention to what was happening. GOB cleared his throat in an attempt to calm his laugh. But nothing worked. He was laughing like a drunken clown.
"I apologize, I must explain myself." GOB said as he wiped away a laughter tear. "You all get your sleep. Wouldn't want you... Late for school." With that GOB snapped his fingers and poofed the contestants away. Still laughing aloud. Once they were all gone, Candle Light entered the room, laughing as well.
"So, do you think they're really gonna like this one?" She asked.
"Oh... I'm sure Coalstone will find it interesting. But I don't think Nova will find it any different from what he usually encounters. Either way, it'll be entertaining." GOB said with a laugh.
"Indeed. Which character do you think they'll act like the most?" The Co-Manager asked.
"Well... I have a feeling Coalstone will be the criminal, while Sentinel would be the jock, Nova could potentially be the nerd... Then again Spark fills that slot as well." GOB said.
"Then who would be our basket case and princess?" Candle asked.
"Hell if I know. I just know it's gonna be good..." With that, GOB and Candle laughed some more.

For those who didn't get the little hints on what the next challenge will be about... Here's another hint.

I'm personally excited for this one, baby!

Report GodOfBBQ · 332 views · #Contest #Gaming #Results #Update #News #GOB #OC Apprentice #New #Console #Winners #Losers #Money #Music #Hints #Stories #Story #Submission #Awesome #OCs #Original

Comments ( 11 )

Viewing 1 - 50 of 11
- Newest First
- Oldest First

A Hollow Shell

A Hollow Shell #1 · Mar 5th, 2016 · · ·

I find so much happiness in this blog post... from Zoetic's BBBFF Band reference to Veggie being able to read Wingdings, Leo making his appearance and gaming princesses making theirs, this was all around GLORIOUS.

...