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>>34210807

>Recommended soundtrack: Blues In The Net, Ghost In The Shell
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtMlMCXTCGY

Aina has brought you to the Astral Plane once more. It took some effort to convince her to abandon the collar, but holding hands as she led you through the astral plane seemed way less...weird. Her hands are soft, if a bit absurdly massive.

She takes you outside the office, into the Astral Plane reflection of the city proper. It is an exaggeration of the city back on the world of reason, the human world-through an accumulation of slight changes, it is

The streetfront stores look mostly the same, but every third or fourth one will be a burnt-out wreck. There's dense fog everywhere, but even that fails to hide the now-physics defying enormity of the skyscrapers; no longer human buildings, they have become obsidian pillars stretching upwards towards infinity. And then there are the chasms—massive, jagged breaks in the roads, too deep to see the bottom. The blood moon from before is gone, but there is still a sense of...menace, from the desolate city. Even though there should be no people here, there's a constant sense that someone is watching you. As she's leading you along a thin wooden walkway across one of the chasms, you...

>Ask about why you have to be in the astral plane for this
>Ask about why you're leaving the barriers in the office
>make idle small talk
>follow along quietly
>Notice a raven watching you
>Notice a fox watching you

Anyone going to make a new QTG?

>>34210851
I shall leave it in your highly capable hands, anon.

>>34211021
But I can't think of any questions to put in the OP.

>>34211060
If you're really starved, then try asking players what certain quests remind them of, and asking QMs what their influences are.

That's just my suggestion though, you're welcome to try something else.

>>34211111
Can't you just make it then?

>>34211153
Such a thing seems uncouth. Make it if you wish, but I will not.

>>34211205
Okay.

>>34210823
>Ask about why you're leaving the barriers in the office
>make idle small talk

>>34210823
Ask about barriers and notice the raven, I guess?

>>34210823
>Ask about why you're leaving the barriers in the office
Almost missed this was up.

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>>34211515
>>34211491
>>34211424


"So...The office has some sort of barriers, right? Why aren't we doing this there?" you ask, as you step off the narrow wooden bridge into a park.

It is well-kept and maintained, and looks like the sort of place you wouldn't mind taking kids to-if you had any, that is. A brightly colored playground lies off to one side, a park bench and a lamppost to another.

"Ah, that...well, those barriers are very complicated. They don't just keep things out, they also help stabilize the geography around the office...And they'd interfere with your training."

A slight wind whispers through the trees as Aina comes to a stop in the grassy field. Off to the side, you catch some motion out of the corner of your eye-a raven, which flutters towards and lands on the lamppost. It caws once, and begins preening itself.

Aina glances over at it, cocking her head slightly. "...A familiar...? Well, whatever, it shouldn't matter. Just take a seat on the grass, and close your eyes. I'll guide you through the rest."

>Ask about how this all works
>ask about why we be in the astral plane
>ask about familiars
>reflect on how bad you were at meditation and yoga
>commence training
>write-in

>>34211803
I am a smart person, who people trust with money and buildings and swords and things.

Don't worry, that's me.

>>34211803
>Ask about how this all works

>>34211803
>Ask about how this all works
>Tell her you'd been warned not to take off any clothes or accept molestation in teh name of 'this is how it's done'
>Reflect on how bad you were at meditation and yoga

>>34211803
>ask about why we be in the astral plane
>ask about familiars

>>34211803
>>34211922 sure, let's go.

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>>34211918
>>34211922
>>34211986
>how all this works, meditation, molestation

"So...How does this all work?" You ask, sitting down cross-legged. It's just like that hippy yoga class you tried out for a week. Except with more fog.
"Oh, that's easy! Why-" You hold up a hand, interrupting Aina.
"Also, I've already been warned that it doesn't involve nudity, or kissing, or having sex or anything like that. So don't bother."
"Ahahaha...I would never..ahah..." She laughs nervously, avoiding your gaze for a bit. "But...How this all works...Hm, how to explain it..." She puts a hand to her chin, thinking.

"...Right, so, there are more worlds than this one. An infinite number, we suspect. Each and every one is laid over the others, and they vibrate slightly out of phase with each other...but, behind all of them-lies the infinite energy of creation, the Ein Sof. To be a mage, you need to perceive and manipulate this energy. It's easier to do that in the astral plane, especially now that we're past those barriers in the office.

For today, let's just focus on the perception part-you've probably already done part of it, wandering around and meeting all those supernatural things. It might feel like...a pulling on your heart?"

>mention feeling around psychiatric hospital/annabelle
>mention feeling around fox
>mention feeling around Delacroix
>write in

>>34212282
>mention feeling around psychiatric hospital/annabelle

>>34212282
>mention feeling around psychiatric hospital/annabelle
Yyyyeah, let's try this first at least.

>>34212282
>mention feeling around psychiatric hospital/annabelle
>mention feeling around Delacroix
I think we need to mention it.

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>>34212321
>>34212351
>>34212408

"Uh, yeah..." you say. "There was something like that, when I went to visit Annabelle at the Carter hospital. It...hurt, actually. Just being in there, near her..."
Aina nods. "Yeah, that's to be expected. That building...it's a place of evil. It's absorbed the hatred, rage, and sorrow of 70 years of constant abuse, and there's the containment facilities for supernatural creatures there..."
"Oh, and there was another case-when I went to visit Delacroix, the vampire. It didn't hurt there, but it was...present."
Aina nods again. "Good, good, you should have an easier time of this than most...That feeling you've felt, that pain in your heart"-she points at your chest-"Is the first step to becoming a true mage. The hospital is a thing of supernatural evil, and has a really strong signature-Delacroix's is a lot weaker though, so being able to sense it without trying means you're already pretty far along."

"I...don't think I really get this," you say.
"Hmm, well...it's a sense, really. The potential to become a mage just means that you have that sense-to fully realize it and awaken, you need to hone it to a high degree, and then use it to manipulate your surroundings. That raven should trigger it on a more subtle level..."

Aina trails off, then walks behind you and puts her hands over your eyes. "Try to perceive that raven without your eyes. Open your mind to the infinite finite worlds, and feel the pulse of creation..."


>Object
>Joke
>Threaten
>Worry
>do it
>write in

>>34212660
>Joke
>do it
Sure.

>>34212660
>Joke
>do it

>>34212660
>Worry
>do it
Very worry.

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>>34212721
>>34212740
>>34212905

"...I'm pretty sure that's just your pulse I'm feeling."
"Shut up."

Aina's voice is stern and cold, not like she usually is. There's an edge to it...she's angry. And she has her hands right near your throat. And she's some kind of giant norweigan. And she's your only way back, and there are no witnesses.

Aina can probably feel the bit of sweat that starts to form on your brow, but does not say anything. She probably won't let go until you get it...so, you take a deep breath, and calm your mind. Just like that meditation class.

That you quit.

No, wait shit, that's not helping! Another deep breath, and you try to calm down. Focusing on that feeling in your heart, you try to pay really, really hard attention to it-to see what's going on with it, what everything is...earlier there was just general malaise, not any sort of directionality or typing to the sense.

As you focus on it, it becomes more clear. The feeling of Aina's soft hands on your face, the wind, the hard ground-all those fade away. There is you, and there is...something else. A medium of some sort-like water, or gelatin, or something. Something in it twitches, off to your side.

>push against the medium
>cut it
>twist it
>vibrate it
>rend it
>leave it alone, try to perceive more through it

>>34213154
>vibrate it
Thats unusual.

>>34213154
>vibrate it
LEWD

>>34213154
>push against the medium
What's this do then.

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>>34213200
>>34213220
>>34213301

>Vibrate, push the medium

This is all...strange. You try pushing against the medium as you go, shaking it a bit as you go to get a better sense of what it's made of. It seems to respond to your thought, not just the movement of your body. Having pushed it a bit, you try shaking it faster. And faster, and faster...soon the patch in front of you is vibrating faster than your eyes can really follow. But you can feel it, with that whole mage's sense, and push it just a bit faster-suddenly, Aina screams!

You snap open your eyes, and she's shaking one of her hands and blowing on it. "Aahh, ah! Fucking shit! What did you do?!"

>Oh god
>I didn't mean to
>oh god
>I just pushed
>and shook it a little
>well maybe a lot
>write in

>>34213513
>>Oh god
>>I didn't mean to
>>oh god
>>I just pushed
>>and shook it a little
>>well maybe a lot

>>34213513
>Oh god
>I just pushed
>and shook it a little
>Are you alright?!

>>34213513
>>I didn't mean to
>I just pushed
>and shook it a little

>>34213513
>Oh god
>I didn't mean to
>oh god
>I just pushed
>and shook it a little
>well maybe a lot
Need us to kiss it better?

>>34213513

"I felt it! I felt it ALL. Like putty in my hands! You told me the other worlds vibrated out of synch, and the medium was behind it, so that's what I did! I moved it out of the way to see it better!"

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>>34213610
>>34213636
>>34213658

"Oh god, I didn't really mean to...I just pushed it a little, and shook it a bit-well okay I shook it a lot, but-"
"Shut up!" She yells back at you. Hooly shit those are some angry eyes on her. Okay, damn, gotta think of something appropriate to say...

"...Are you alright?" you ask, breaking the silence. "Do you need me to kiss it?"

She stares at you, and then-
"pft...Ha! Ahahahaha! Ha...Really?"
-bursts out laughing.

>Yeah, really!
>Well, uh...
>Ah, so you're alright then.
>breathe a sigh of relief and carry on
>write in

>>34213798
>Yeah, really!
>Ah, so you're alright then.

>>34213798
>Yeah, really!
>So you're alright then.
Works like a charm!

>>34213798
>>Ah, so you're alright then.
>>breathe a sigh of relief and carry on

>>34213798
>Ah, so you're alright then.
>breathe a sigh of relief and carry on

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>>34213812
>>34213848
>>34213903

"Yeah, really!"
"Well...oh, fine..." she says, putting her hand out. It's pinkish and really warm as you kiss it-some kind of burn? Aina is blushing slightly, which is not making you feel super happy about all this.

"...So, you're alright then," you say as you finish and stand up.
"Ah, yeah...it's not a serious burn. But you should be more careful! I told you only to focus on perceiving things, not actually channeling it...Still, that's kind of good, to make progress that fast."

You look at her with a face that expresses a complete lack of understanding.

"Ah, right. You just did some improvisational magic-a lot like the kind John uses, actually. By 'shaking' things-or vibrating them, more accurately, you're increasing the thermal energy stored inside the object. If you push against it, you can give things kinetic energy...It's more basic than spell magic, and has higher potential power-but it's riskier too. The first couple times John was learning to use his power, he nearly burnt his hands off. So congratulations! You're a wizard! Now never do that again until I have time to teach you proper spells."

>but john does it without spells, right?
>elaborate on the differences between spell and improvisational magic
>Get going back to the office to get Aina patched up
>ask why if it's more powerful people would bother with spell magic
>write in

>>34214259
>elaborate on the differences between spell and improvisational magic

>>34214259
>but john does it without spells, right?
>elaborate on the differences between spell and improvisational magic
She'll survive

>>34214259
Elaborate on differences and return to office.

>>34214259
>elaborate on the differences between spell and improvisational magic
>Get going back to the office to get Aina patched up
Feel a little bad.

>>34214259
>>elaborate on the differences between spell and improvisational magic
>>Get going back to the office to get Aina patched up

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>>34214302
>>34214318
>>34214404
>>34214432

Aina starts to lead you back towards the office. The crow...raven...whatever kind of black bird it is, stays perched on the lamppost as you start to leave.

"Okay, so...There's gotta be more to the difference than that. Even if it's risky, if the spell kind didn't have more advantages, people wouldn't use it..."
"Ah, right you are!" Aina says, still shaking her burnt hand. "Improvisational magic is more of a brute force option-it does simple things, strongly. So John can blow stuff up all day long, but he can't enchant a knife or drive a car into the Astral Plane."
"Wait, you can drive a car here? I thought technology didn't work, or something."
"Yep! Anyways, spell magic is more difficult to learn, but it's safer, and offers more varied effects. Over the thousands of years people have worked with magic, they've created spells to do all sorts of things-summon angels, create barriers, purify water, make golems..."

As you keep walking back towards the office, you notice something; there are more of those birds. A lot more. Every building you pass has at least one, and as you walk up to the office, there's a whole flock (murder?) of them, preening themselves or just perching quietly as they watch you.

"...Create zombies, create cheese, and cheat at gambling. John had to spend a long time getting his magic to the point where he wouldn't hurt himself, but if he learned spell magic, he'd have a lot more tricks in his toolbox-course, then he wouldn't have the same amount of fire..." she trails off, as you point out the crows to her.
"...power. Hm."

She's quiet the rest of the way back towards the Human World, and soon you're patching her up in the basement. She never took a first aid class...apparently. Still, it's a simple matter to apply a gauze bandage after you run her hand under cold water for a little bit.

>apologize again for burning her
>ask about crow familiars
>ask how to practice magic safely
>write in

>>34214745
>apologize again for burning her
>ask how to practice magic safely

Anyways, the next big transition I have planned is going to deal with Annabelle some more, or finally getting to interrogate the werewolves that you passed on in favor of Delacroix. So debate amongst yourselves who you think would provide more useful information; that split is going to come up pretty soon.

>>34214745
>ask about crow familiars
>ask how to practice magic safely
We already apologized, so.

>>34214795
Hmmmmm, that's tough. Feels like we could use more info to decide. With that in mind, I guess seeing the werewolves.

>>34214745
>apologize again for burning her
>ask how to practice magic safely
>>34214795
Werewolves. WITHOUT John. Absolutely no John whatsoever.

>>34214745
>ask about crow familiars
>>34214795
I liked Annabelle, and we have new stuff to ask her, so going with that.

>>34214795
I would lean towards Annabelle to that before we go to the werewolves, but I don't have a strong opinion either way.

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>>34214804
>>34214864
>>34214867

"...I really am sorry, you know..." you say, trailing off as you finish up the bandage. "I mean, if I had just listened..."
"Hey, don't get all serious like that!" Aina smiles nervously, glancing off to the side. "You didn't hurt me that bad, anyways. And...other people have done worse, on their first outings."

You let that comment sort of fade from the air before talking again.
"So...how do I practice magic safely?"
"Do it on earth, and away from anything you care about destroying if you mess up. Earth's a low-mana zone, so it'll be a hell of a lot harder to perform magic, but the stakes are much lower if you fail. Though..."
"Though?"
"Hold off on doing it for until tomorrow. There's Lunar Perigee tonight-so for about 12 hours, the earth's going to be a normal-mana zone, like the Astral Plane."
"Got it." You look over your handiwork on her wound. The bandage is somewhat loose, but should help keep her wound clean.
"Oh, yeah," you say, looking up, "What about those crows? You said it was a familiar, what does that mean?"
"Ah, that...A familiar's an artificially created magical beast, a normal animal a mage has invested some power in and has a special link to. It's weird to see that many, and..."
"And?"
"And, it might mean that someone's watching us. But I wouldn't worry, mages should know better than to mess with our organization."

>express skepticism
>agree
>express paranoia
>wonder why
>write-in

>>34215260
>express paranoia

>>34215260
>express paranoia
>ask if whoever did it knew the organization uses that place
Might have been the killer.

>>34215260
>express skepticism
>express paranoia

>>34215260
>express paranoia
>"And if said person was already in deep shit with our organization? What then?"

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>>34215291
>>34215303
>>34215363
>>34215371

"Yeah, we've only got someone watching our every move. No need to be alarmed."
"Alex, you really don't have to be worried about-"
"How did they even know that we were going to that park? Were they tipped off, or did they just follow us all the way over there? And what's to stop them, if they're already in deep shit with us?"
"Look, Alex." Aina stares you straight in the eye. "There isn't a mage out there who would mess with our group openly. Know why?"
"Why, because we'd put a curse on them?"
"No, because our organization is the enforcement part of an illuminated conspiracy that runs the globe."
"Oh," you say, "That makes perfect sense."
Aina ignores you and goes on. "Look, it's not complete control, and we still have to be secretive, but the financial resources we have are...kind of insane. If they got on our group's bad side, they'd find themselves locked out of the global banking system, on every terrorist watchlist there is, and high up on interpol's wanted list for crimes that they may or may not have committed. So there isn't anyone out there who's in deep shit with us, because nobody wants to deal with the consequences."

>Continue expressing paranoia
>ask what the conspiracy tries to do
>ask about morality of conspiracy
>just head off upstairs
>plan your next move
>write-in

>>34214745
Ask if we can get a familiar. Preferably a skeletal butler if possible. That shit is classy as fuck.
Also do familiars have to be normal animals? If yes then could we make one on the lunar perigee that isn't normal? If familiars are hard to make disregard this.
This is basically an excuse to have a skeletal butler. Because, see above, that shit is classy as fuck.

>>34215704
>ask about morality of conspiracy
>ask about people or groups who are already fucked if we get to them. If we can't trace the birds there is no downside for them, right?

>>34215704
>>Continue expressing paranoia
>>ask what the conspiracy tries to do

>>34215708
Also, adding to my previous post, is it possible to have a familiar to not be an animal or dead version of an animal? If so soon a top hat shall be our voice of reason.
Wizards man, they listen to the council of top hats.

>>34215704
>ask what the conspiracy tries to do
>ask about morality of conspiracy
Shit, son!

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>>34215766
>>34215775
>>34215863

"...So you're telling me that a significant portion of the world is controlled by a secretive cabal of-"
"Yep. All that new-world-order conspiracy theory insanity? Actually kind of true."
"That can't be right!" you say, remembering something your dad once said. "I mean, what about democracy? What about accountability? What are these people even trying to do?!"
"Hey, calm down..."
"Look, evil lives in weak hearts and dark places. Dragging it out into the open might hurt, but if we just dive into darkness to fight it on its own terms, there's nothing that says we'll come back the same." You mangle the quote slightly, but it's more or less what Dad said.

Aina sighs. "Look, I don't know, alright?! There's the whole secretive conspiracy business. But right here, right now, my job is making sure people don't get eaten alive by demons. So I'm pretty sure we're the good guys, or at least not bad guys."

You grumble a bit, and there's some frowny opposition for a while. Eventually, you just decide to change the topic away from the secret masters of the earth towards something lighter.

"...You mentioned magical familiars, right?"
"Yeah?"
"Could you make a familiar out of a hat?"

Aina stares at you like you've just said you had a cure for cancer and all it involved was cutting off the third toe of every asian's left foot.

"...No, seriously, could you get, like...some kind of magical talking hat?"
"Uh...not with familiar creation methods, those require something to have something akin to a neurological system...why would you even..."

"Look, just nevermind." You head off upstairs, grumbling slightly. Geez, try to lighten the mood some, and you just get stared at like an idiot...

There's still a few leads to follow up on, from Annabelle's 'assistance' to the Werewolves-though the latter are more likely to cause some trouble, if their past with John is anything to go by.
>cont.

That leaves the options of what you will go investigate next:

>Annabelle the cannibal
>Werewoos

and who your partner will be:
>Eva
>Xavier
>Aina
>John

Other options you could do first include seeing how Xavier's investigations have gone, warning John about the crow stuff (though Aina will do that if you don't), or just...whatever.

>>34215766
I can't quite parse what you were going there for the last one, could you clear it up some? I think it means "ask about what groups are doomed if we trace the birds back to them", but I'm not sure.

>>34216442
>Werewoos
>Aina
Let's see how she does, definitely don't bring John.

>>34216442
Well the idea is 'nobody fucks with us because we can fuck them up worse' right? Well if we're gonna fuck them up anyway, why wouldn't they fuck with us? Especially if these birds can't even be traced?

>>34216442
>Annabelle the cannibal
>Eva

>>34216442
>Werewoos
Most of the time they're just ordinary people. But on the night of the full moon, they change, becoming monstrous PROFESSIONAL WRESTLERS!
>Eva

>>34216442
>Annabelle the cannibal
>Xavier
I'm not super invested in either choice tough.

>>34216442
>Werewoos
I don't mind whoever we bring

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>>34216492
>>34216505
>>34216508
>>34216534
>>34216609

>Werewoos
>Eva

Annabelle isn't going anywhere anytime soon, and it's still light out, so you decide to go approach the werewolves first. John gives you directions, and has you bring Eva along-she's at least quick with a knife, in case something goes wrong.

***
Strange urban planning in the 50's and 60's meant that Vanity City never had the huge urban sprawl of most cities as old as it; it is a dense city, not a massive one. As a result, driving to the outer parts of town can be rather shocking-you are in a fairly dense city, and then it simply ends, opening up into vast stretches of woodland. This is probably where most of Vanity City's disappearances end up; the rural areas are private, and do not ask questions about large garbage backs or dirty shovels or the occasional woman's scream.

The Worth Street Station is on the outskirts of town, in that it is at the legal limit of what consititutes "Vanity City". There is a small cluster of houses there, and the roads split up and head off in a few different directions. Moses-the leader of the werewolves-has a house down one route.

Moses's house is a single trailer, set up on cinderblocks; a red pickup truck rusts quietly in the lawn in front, and a sign up front simply reads NO SOLICITING in red spraypaint. The lawn has grown out of control-everything that's not the gravel driveway/road is obscured by some tall grass.

You make it a few steps into the yard before your foot hits something-a skeleton. A deer skeleton, thankfully-looking around, there are at least three others lying in the yard, stripped to the bone.

You can hear some voices come from around the back of the trailer. You parked a good bit away, off on the side of the main road, so they probably haven't heard you come in yet.

>Quietly approach back
>Go up to the front and knock
>Approach back and introduce self
>draw weapon
>don't draw weapon
>write-in

Also, consider what you tell eva to do-though her default behavior is to ninja shit.

>>34217017
>Go up to the front and knock
>Eva keeps watching our back and our "hosts" for worrying and twitchy behavior.

>>34217017
>Go up to the front and knock
Ninjaing seems unwise around werewolves with their most likely great sense of smell, so keep her around with us for now at least.

>>34217129
>>34217191
Gonna wait a while longer for some more responses and tiebreaking. It's running up against when my european players have to sleep, so I'll probably wrap this up soon...

Any other replies, or has anyone changed their mind? If not, in five minutes I'm rolling 1d2 and going with whoever gets it-first post for 1, second post for 2.

>>34217017
>Go up to the front and knock
>Eva sticks to us and keeps an eye out
Looked like consensus to me but ok.

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>>34217687
>>34217191

You gesture for Eva to follow you as you go up to the front door. You knock twice. "Moses? I'm here to talk with you about the recent serial killings. If there's anything you could do to help us find the killer, that'd be a good help."

A man answers the door, not too much older than you. He's wearing a worn-out pair of blue jeans, with tattered knees and faded colors. He has no shirt, but is wearing a leather vest over his chiseled chest; long, unkempt black hair rolls down his back.

The man looks you and Eva over.
"Yeah, sure, I can help." he says. "You want to find the killer, right? Follow me."

The interior of the trailer is cramped and messy. Moses leads you the two feet to the back entrance, and to what passes for a backyard. There is a grill and some folding chairs set out, and a man with a ponytail and blue eyes sits at one of them.

"There you go."

>Write in, and roll 3d6. Lower is better, average of first three rolls is taken.

>>34217981
Eh, we can end here for the night. Activity seems low, and the thread was already archived.

Next time: SERIOUSLY, FUCK WEREWOLVES.

Feel free to speculate on who the guy is, since you already have a photo of the killer.

Rolled 3, 1, 5 = 9 (3d6)

>>34217981
"... our investigation has determined that the suspect is a woman with long, blonde hair. You'll need to produce a wig, makeup, and fake tits to convince me."
>>34218394
I had to go do a thing. Dunno where everyone else went.

>>34218945
Ah, I'll give them a while to come back-but this is not a too terrible place to end tonight, if they do not.