>>3803941
You’re not really feeling up to a verbal spar right now, so you use the opportunity of him being done with you for now to escape the briefing he’s giving the others- considering they have to stick to a much stricter schedule, they should be there for enough time for you to get away…

Soon, however, night falls, and frustratingly you find yourself wide awake. Not wholly energetic, but just...not sleepy. Wonder if it’s the latent Seither. They HAD said it was decently close to the irradiated (for lack of a better term) area, and you were one of the very few not in some kind of full body suit just in case.

Prima and Jago are both nearby, having gone into standby for the time being- not quite active, but not entirely shut off. Briefly, you envy them that ability, before shaking it off and deciding what you’re going to do with your night- you can still hear the sounds of some people up and about, outside of your (admittedly surprisingly large) temporary tent accommodations. Lifting the flap, you can see just who’s as restless.

>There’s a trio of workers playing cards next to an outdoor light...although you don’t think it’s poker. A number of small objects are changing hands, not just money.
>Avos seems to be standing near the edge of the camp, facing the long expanse of nothing. Probably brooding, if you know his type (and you do.)
>Might as well just take a lap or two around the camp, burn off some energy if possible. Couldn’t hurt, could it?
>Other

>>3803943
>>Avos seems to be standing near the edge of the camp, facing the long expanse of nothing. Probably brooding, if you know his type (and you do.)

>>3803943
>Avos seems to be standing near the edge of the camp, facing the long expanse of nothing. Probably brooding, if you know his type (and you do.)
It was mentioned in reports that he somehow survived exposure to seither. Let’s see if he got any powers out of the experience.

Also, long time no see, boss. How was PAX?

>>3803943
>>Avos seems to be standing near the edge of the camp, facing the long expanse of nothing. Probably brooding, if you know his type (and you do.)

>>3803943
>Avos seems to be standing near the edge of the camp, facing the long expanse of nothing. Probably brooding, if you know his type (and you do.)

>>3803974
Was nice. Less swag than last year, though, which is disappointing.

Writing shortly! Had to head out all of a sudden, but should be good for the rest of the day.

>>3803943
>>Might as well just take a lap or two around the camp, burn off some energy if possible. Couldn’t hurt, could it?

Welcome back.

>>3803943
>Avos seems to be standing near the edge of the camp, facing the long expanse of nothing. Probably brooding, if you know his type (and you do.)
Remember to stay hydrated and have snacks nearby.

>>3803943
>>3803973
>>3803974
>>3803975
>>3804057
>>3804350
Avos is just kinda standing there, looking into the expanse. You can’t see anything from this distance, and you doubt he can, either. Likely he’s just brooding; folks with his kind of demeanor tend to do that. Honestly, you kind of wonder if it’s more a call for help- one of those ‘I’m pretending I want to be alone but I don’t actually want to be alone’ things.

Well, either way, better than just walking around and hoping to suddenly feel tired.

It doesn’t seem at first like he notices you, although the subtle twitch of his left hand into a fist and a small tensing of his shoulders gives him away. You’re not going to break the silence just yet- instead you simply walk up next to him and look out there along with him. You two probably paint an interesting picture for anyone looking at you from behind. A man who looks calm, composed, and proper standing next to a small girl that looks like she’s never had a decent wardrobe in her life and resigned to whatever fate throws her. And yet you’re both probably the most dangerous individuals here.

Eventually, it’s him who breaks the silence. “They say that our salvation lies beyond. That in this...twisted maze of miasma, the thing that can heal this world just lies there...waiting for someone to claim it.” He gives a small, wry grin, scoffing at his own words. “Even if it does exist...I’m not sure this world is worth healing anymore. Not as devolved and senseless as it is.”

> “So why are you here at all, then? Doesn’t make sense, if you ask me.”
> “If you say so. Me, I’m just here to get my money. Whatever happens afterwards isn’t my concern.”
> “I get the feeling you didn’t always think that way. Something change for you?”
> Other

>>3804353
>> “So why are you here at all, then? Doesn’t make sense, if you ask me.”
>"You ever think that their definition of Beyond is still too small sometimes?"

How old does this guy look, anyway?

>>3804353
>> Other
The wounding of this world is the reason it's devolved as it is, in the same way a flesh wound is a mess. Start it healing though, and slowly things might start coming back together.

>>3804353
>“So why are you here at all, then? Doesn’t make sense, if you ask me.”

>>3804367
We're not hiring him. He's just an old edgelord.

>>3804367
He's around 25-30ish, you estimate. Got some stubble, crow's feet, but his body shape tells you he's either very fit for an older sort, or still in his prime. Now that you look carefully you can see little flecks of red in his eyes.

>>3804353
> “So why are you here at all, then? Doesn’t make sense, if you ask me.”
You could always retire. Build a nice ranch in the middle of nowhere, fight off aliens that get on your lawn. You know the typical ranch life.

>>3804353
supporting >>3804367

Okay, so what are you doing here?

Writing.

>>3804387
What do you think of recommending him to Dynamic Methods instead? In exchange for training our pilots, helping with the Hangar or upgrades for aircraft?

>>3804449
Every single thread. Stop.

>>3804353
>>3804367
>>3804387
>>3804396
>>3804421
“Doesn’t quite make sense…” you say out loud as you consider his works. He vaguely turns towards you as you continue. “Why are you here at all, then? Me, I’ve got my reasons, but you? Doesn’t make much sense, if you ask me after hearing that.”

“Heh. Why, indeed?” He shrugs easily as his face shifts into a thin smile. “I suppose, in a way...justice. Or vengeance, depending on how you see it.”

Oi. As if that was surprising. “And that would mean…?”

He sighs, looking off to the side as his face is framed well against the moonlight. “Nature itself was defiled by their coming here. Torn apart and ruined. And even then, many who claim to want to improve it merely want to do so... so that THEY can benefit. I’ve accepted such a fact. However, those that continue to lie to themselves and spout ridiculous ideals in the name of virtue sicken me. Aegis, at least, is less...deceptive with their reasoning. It’s also why you fascinate me. The corporations lie and manipulate to gain their goals. Most colonists, they plunge their heads in the sand and try to pretend that their old civilization still exists in some way. Most Scrappers are little better than feral beasts that have given up trying to adjust to what is normal; they prey on others in their anger and disdain.” And he glances at you a bit more fully now. “But you...you’re different. I can tell. You, if nothing else, are honest about your intentions, and simple in them. The world cannot go back to what it was. There’s no reason to pretend so. Humanity will remain as it is...as it always was. Obsessed with power and violence. At least as things are now, there’s a thin reason to keep the overall peace. But should that thin film of reason vanish...then only power will bring order.” His face hardens.

> “...Frankly, that all sounds like a fat load by someone too scared to try and fix things.”
> “I guess you make some sense. The past is the past. No reason to obsess over it.”
> “So, you just want to get as strong as possible, huh? That Seither incident help that any?”
> Other

>>3804449
Good idea, just keep in mind that telling them about the dude won't give us any favors with them.

>>3804449
DM focuses on aircraft, they will have no use of a grounded pilot.

>>3804497
>"So, you just want to get as strong as possible, huh? That Seither incident help that any?”

>>3804500
They have multiple divisions, not just aircraft. If they have something like Armored division with mechas and tanks then maybe they'd be interested.

>>3804499
Good point

>>3804497
> “So, you just want to get as strong as possible, huh? That Seither incident help that any?”

>>3804505
Pretty sure they've got at least one mecha division.

>>3804497
> “So, you just want to get as strong as possible, huh? That Seither incident help that any?”

>>3804497
>> “So, you just want to get as strong as possible, huh? That Seither incident help that any?”

>>3804497
>“So, you just want to get as strong as possible, huh? That Seither incident help that any?”

>>3804497
>> “So, you just want to get as strong as possible, huh? That Seither incident help that any?”

>>3804497
>“So, you just want to get as strong as possible, huh? That Seither incident help that any?”

...Well then. Inquiring minds want to know.

Writing.

Also, yes, Dynamic Methods has aerial, grounded, and mixed divisions, which does include mecha. Remember, they're largely made up of your average yet hotblooded layman (although truthfully, anyone with skill enough is generally let in). Pilots in general tend to be of that sort. They're really the closest thing The Intersection has to a traditional standing army, and in terms of sheer body count are by far the largest of the major Outgoer groups.

>>3804557
Do any of these divisions cross train with other vehicles? Like having a pilot who knows how to fly aircraft take lessons on operating spacecraft, or a tank crew learning how to use multi-leg walkers?

>>3804497
My, Miranda sure had him pegged, he's a weary experienced fighter seeking the strength to remain human. How edgy.
He might find us refreshing for now, but if he ever realizes our true depths he'll go mad faster than you can say "but".

>>3804611
>How edgy.
I don't think you know what that word means.

>>3804584
Sort of. They cross train in similar vehicles, like, for example, in-atmosphere fighters crosstraining in space fighters, but in general that's it. Someone who's a tank specialist isn't going to cross train in flightcraft, for example. Walkers/Mecha are largely their own thing and tend to be particularly exempt from this- they're dedicated to mecha and mecha alone.

>>3804497
>>3804503
>>3804515
>>3804516
>>3804517
>>3804524
>>3804534
Well. Common reasoning, all in all. You don’t know if you’re disappointed or what that he’s so generic, but...well, you’re out here. Might as well see what else is up with him. “So, you just want to get as strong as possible?” He grunts, and nods once. “So, that Seither incident help that any?”

His eyes squint harshly at you, his mood shifting rapidly. “Yes...you could say that. It helped me prove that even as far as I’d come, I still have a long way to go. Despite what it did to me, I survived, and came out stronger for it. To utilize Seither...similar to yourself, I’d say.” His fists tightens in that way that most obsessed folks do when thinking about what they’re obsessed about. You never quite got that. “The level of power I have isn’t enough...but it’ll do for now. Although, you...”

“Me…?” you ask, and honestly, you really hope he’s not going to ask what you think he’s about to-

“I’m curious as to just how much you’ve utilized that power. How capable you are. Can you really control that kind of ability so innately?” Goddamnit, his eyes are glowing slightly. “I’d like to find out for myself.”

Fucking insecure...

> “I’m not interested in proving who’s stronger. I just want to do my job and get paid.”
> “...fine. It might help me get to sleep, at least. We’ll need some space, though.”
> “I’d rather keep any displays of strength for the mission ahead.”
> Other

>>3804672
>”What’re you betting? I’m not interested in a dick-swinging contest if there’s nothing more then bragging rights.”

>>3804672
> “...fine. It might help me get to sleep, at least. We’ll need some space, though.”

>>3804680
Oooh, that's a good idea

>>3804672
>”What’re you betting? I’m not interested in a dick-swinging contest if there’s nothing more then bragging rights.”
Try not to smile too much as we talk.

>>3804672
>>3804680
I think "What do I get when I win?" works pretty well too.

>>3804672
>> “I’d rather keep any displays of strength for the mission ahead.”

>>3804672
>> “...fine. It might help me get to sleep, at least. We’ll need some space, though.”
and this
>>3804693

We'll need some ground rules though. We've both got jobs that we can't do if we're beat to a pulp.

>>3804697
First blood, out of bounds, tap out, or one hit?

>>3804672
>”What’re you betting? I’m not interested in a dick-swinging contest if there’s nothing more then bragging rights.”

>>3804702
I'd say first three combined. One hit could work against us a little since robustness doesn't matter in that case.

>>3804702
It takes an awful lot to bloody us with blunt force. I'd say either one hit or three, depending on how long we want this to take.

>>3804714
>>3804718
If he is vanilla human go for the first to land three hits, to give him a chance of a win. If he can shoot that magical goo, just smack it out of the air until he runs out.

>>3804672
>>3804680
>>3804686
>>3804689
>>3804693
>>3804710
“Well, that’s up to you,” you mention cooly. “So what’re you betting? I’m not interested in a dick-swinging contest if there’s nothing more than bragging rights.” You’re not going to just indulge this guy to feed his own fragile ego and desperate worldview. Not to mention you could get in trouble for it.

He simply huffs, though there’s a grim smile on his face. “Everyone wants something...alright, then. You’re particular about your pay, aren’t you? I’ll be getting paid for this assignment, as well. Handsomely, I’m told, though I can’t say I much care about that. I’ve already got plenty I don’t use. So if you like, you can have a portion of that. Let’s say…”

The amount he gives you, by your estimate, would just equal out to 1.5 Lotes. “...that should be enough to afford your attention, hm? Although in exchange? If I end up being the victor? Then you’ll do me a favor, later.”

Well, if that isn’t a red flag. “A favor? What kind of favor?”

He has an almost dangerous smile on his face as he elaborates. “Nothing dangerous to you, nor would it threaten your precious paycheck. Simply a favor to be called in at an appropriate time. Simple, don’t you think?”

> “...No deal. If it’s not worth saying outright, it’s not worth risking on my end.”
> “...Fine. Let’s get this over with.” Not like you’ll lose, anyway.
> “I’m thinking something else, as well, then, for me.” (What?)
> Other

>>3804744
>“...Fine. Let’s get this over with.” Not like you’ll lose, anyway.

>>3804744
> “...Fine. Let’s get this over with.” Not like you’ll lose, anyway.

>>3804744
>> “...Fine. Let’s get this over with.” Not like you’ll lose, anyway.
I'm tempted to up the stakes, if he doesn't care about that pay anyway. But I dunno what we'd even ask for.

This shouldn't be difficult, we've been underestimated the whole time we've been here.

>>3804744
>“...Fine. Let’s get this over with.” Not like you’ll lose, anyway.
"I won't be around too long, so make sure to use it quick... if you can earn it."

>>3804744
>“...Fine. Let’s get this over with.” Not like you’ll lose, anyway.

>>3804744
>> “...Fine. Let’s get this over with.” Not like you’ll lose, anyway.

Battle in the Moonlit Desert.

Writing.

>>3804744
>>3804747
>>3804752
>>3804753
>>3804756
>>3804759
>>3804761
A half-hearted sigh escapes you. He’s one of those that has his own agenda and is trying to wheedle his way towards it because he thinks he’s the only one in the right. Kinda hypocritical of him, honestly, but, whatever. None of your concern. “Fine.” Stretching your arms and doing your best to limber up a bit, you start walking out into the expanse of dirt away from the boundaries of the temporary outpost. “Let’s get this over with. I imagine we’ll both want some space.”

That thin (and quickly getting annoying) smile still on his face, he nods as he follows you. “Right.”

It’s about 100 yards out by the time he stops, and you turn around just as he’s about to comment. “Here’s good. How far do we go? Until surrender?”

He nods. “Or until a decisive position. It wouldn’t be wise to end up in a state where you can’t work come the morning.”

“Fine, then,” you agree as you both begin walking away for spacing. After about 20 paces, you both stop and turn around. “Whenever you’re ready, then.”

“Oh?” He smirks. “Not going to look me in the eyes, then?”

This...gah, whatever. You let out a huff as you take off your glasses, pocketing them as carefully as you can. “Happy?”

He nods. “Excellent. I get to look into the eyes of someone that holds what I want. Now, then…” To your vague surprise, his eyes glow, and you can see a faint red glow begin to emanate from his body. “...show me your power!”

And he charges- faster than you expected, honestly; he’s on you in seconds, and as you dodge his first lunging punch, you’re wondering how to approach this fight.

>Keep him at distance, frustrate him with distance tactics. He slips up, and you can pop him a blast or two easy.
>Stay in close and work at beating him at his own game. No way he can take as much as you can.
> Let him come and go- that is, keep to counters and let him work off all this stupid aggression.
> Other

>>3804891
>> Let him come and go- that is, keep to counters and let him work off all this stupid aggression.

I kinda want to throw up a shield first thing so he just runs smack into it, like we did with that bug summon.

>>3804891
>Let him come and go- that is, keep to counters and let him work off all this stupid aggression.

>>3804891
>Stay in close and work at beating him at his own game. No way he can take as much as you can.

>>3804891
>Let him come and go- that is, keep to counters and let him work off all this stupid aggression.

>>3804891
I support you >>3804899

>>3804891
>>Stay in close and work at beating him at his own game. No way he can take as much as you can.
He needs a good beating to wipe that look off his face.

Ole. Wee.

Writing.

>>3804891
>>3804899
>>3804900
>>3804909
>>3804911
Well, if he’s going to come to you so much, then might as well take advantage of it, right?

Another charge- really, is this guy a bull?- has you slipping past his outstretched arm to the outside and pivoting for a toss as you grab his forearm; to your surprise he’s got enough speed to react to it, grabbing your own arm with his trailing hand and-

“Oof!” A rush of breath leaves you as he pivots and plants a foot solidly into your torso in order to take you off your feet. In your surprise your grips slackens as you’re driven a couple of feet back; you quickly tuck into a backwards roll before handspringing back up to see his smug face. You weren’t expecting reactions that fast. Not bad.

“You’ll have to try harder to catch me off guard, I’m afraid.” he boasts. “I’ve trained intensely to be able to use the power of Seither. With it, my mind moves faster than any normal human’s. If can see where you’re going, I can use that to predict your next movements with up to 80% accuracy. An excellent ability for both Walker combat and hand to hand, don’t you think?”

You’d been busy taking the time to brush some of the dirt off your clothes, although you’d heard him plenty enough. “M’kay.” That is, it’s impressive. But you’re not going to let him KNOW. He rushes in again, and this time you keep to shorter blocks and parries. In time, two palm thrusts from him are deflected, and quickly deciding to test the waters, you shift your hips and shoulder as you roll your body into a vicious backhand. He’s already ducking as you swing, and the upwards thrust aimed at your chin is parried away as you shove against him a bit harder to gain some distance.

“Hm. I wonder.” Neither of you are even breathing hard yet, though he still seems rather interested in the fight. “Are you scared of what might happen if you unleashed your power?” He seems to be trying to size you up as you take another unofficial timeout. “You’ve only been using it slightly, it seems. It keeps you standing upright, certainly. Lets you keep up with me. But if you can’t find it in yourself to utilize what you’ve been given in this new world… well.” He shakes his head, as though in pity- and that’s when you notice his hairtips starting to redden. It’s always the hair. “Perhaps I should show you what you’ve been missing...”

Oh, joy.

> “If you mean angst and a serious habit of monologuing, then I’ll pass.” You’ll let him beef up. Hell, it might actually make this into a good workout.
> Yeah, no. Transforming or anything like that mid fight is ALWAYS a stupid idea and you’re not letting it ride. Pop him one here and now.
> Hm. Maybe, actually, you could take this opportunity to try a new technique or the sort. Not like he’s not giving you time…
> Other

>>3804972
> Yeah, no. Transforming or anything like that mid fight is ALWAYS a stupid idea and you’re not letting it ride. Pop him one here and now.

>>3804972
>“If you mean angst and a serious habit of monologuing, then I’ll pass.” You’ll let him beef up. Hell, it might actually make this into a good workout.
we already lived trough this 70+ years ago. we don't need to be edgy again, thanyouverymuch.

>>3804972
> Hm. Maybe, actually, you could take this opportunity to try a new technique or the sort. Not like he’s not giving you time…

>>3804972
> “If you mean angst and a serious habit of monologuing, then I’ll pass.” You’ll let him beef up. Hell, it might actually make this into a good workout.
Yeah this is time to give him a beating.

>>3804992
Maybe we can finally finish those mana knuckles

>>3804998
Yeah i like your idea.

>>3804972
> Yeah, no. Transforming or anything like that mid fight is ALWAYS a stupid idea and you’re not letting it ride. Pop him one here and now.

>>3804998
Give him a beating with mana knuckles

>>3804972
>> Hm. Maybe, actually, you could take this opportunity to try a new technique or the sort. Not like he’s not giving you time…
> “If you mean angst and a serious habit of monologuing, then I’ll pass.” You’ll let him beef up. Hell, it might actually make this into a good workout.
Let him bulk up, then try something new out.

Actually, think I'll cut here for tonight.

Really glad to be back in the saddle, though.

>>3805028
Thanks for running, boss, we're glad that you're back!

>>3805028
Good night, thank you for your time.

>>3805028
Night, boss. Glad to have you back!

>>3804972
>>3804998
might as well use the time we have for it.
>>3805028
Glad to have you back.

>>3804972
> Yeah, no. Transforming or anything like that mid fight is ALWAYS a stupid idea and you’re not letting it ride. Pop him one here and now.

Just to see the look on his face.

>>3804998
Supporting.
>>3805028
I saw your twitter posts. Good to see that the road bumps are passed.

>He has an ability to predict stuff by using Seither
That fucker cheated when we played biliards with him back then!

>>3804972
>Hm. Maybe, actually, you could take this opportunity to try a new technique or the sort. Not like he’s not giving you time…
We don't really have any non-lethal experimental techniques aside from the knuckles and lasso so I'm supporting this: >>3804998

>>3804972
> Hm. Maybe, actually, you could take this opportunity to try a new technique or the sort. Not like he’s not giving you time…

Mana knuckles it is. Or the blind fight we just improved?

>>3804972
>> Hm. Maybe, actually, you could take this opportunity to try a new technique or the sort. Not like he’s not giving you time…

Off he has “mana” now a flux wave would wreck him?

>>3805556
knuckles. the dude is already dangerous enough , we don't need to handicap ourselves more.

>>3804972
>KNUCKLES

>>3804972
> Hm. Maybe, actually, you could take this opportunity to try a new technique or the sort. Not like he’s not giving you time...
>turn on your power sense just to see if he's going to be annoying after bulking up
Will mana knuckles even hurt/hit the guy though? With him being very fast and high on seither.

>>3805483
>"Predict 80 percent huh? Can you predict the percentage of Mana blasts up your anus?"

>>3805730
>Will mana knuckles even hurt/hit the guy though? With him being very fast and high on seither.
Why shouldn't they? and even if for whatever reason they don't hurt him, we're doing this to train new techniques; in theory we can end this at any time by blasting his ass of. we're several orders of magnitude faster than him and being able to "predict the future" is irrelevant when you can saturate the whole area or are simply faster than him.

>>3805730
Miranda isn't even using her magic strength as far as i can tell. She can lay him flat in a second. He's nowhere near the level of the lightning Aussie

>>3805483
That fucker, only we get to cheat in games.

>>3805748
...I just realized. Does Handler particularly Aussie characters? There's been at least two, and I think more, even.

>>3806127
Wasnt the lightning guy irish? As far as i remember, only jago is australian.

>>3806135
Nah lightning boy was Aussie, and he ran an outback steakhouse.

>>3805483
>>3806115
If he do, I'd like him on the team.
Another niche filled!

>>3807464
Dude, please.
Can you stop.

>>3807464
nice bait but too obvious. 1/10

>>3807475
Am I the only one who is bothered by the fact that people always seem to rate things either as 1/10 or 10/10 but never anything in between like 6/10?

>>3807568
Would you really rate that bait with a number higher than 1?

>>3807621
My observation was only related to your post and not the one you were replying to.

On the topic of anon's post, I don't even consider it worth replying to so yeah it should be around 1.
In my opinion anything that gets a reply is already worth more than 1 because it managed to make somebody waste time on replying to it. Replied because you got angry? He played you good. Replied because you thought it was funny? If he intended it as a joke then it was a great success because you were amused. Replied because you thought it was a pitiful attempt at baiting and wanted to tell anon to do better? It still means that with just a single post he managed to make you do something you otherwise wouldn't have done.

>>3807621
I rated the bait for recruitment to be 0/10 and did not bother to make a reply.

>>3807657
And the #/10 is basically a meme and no one bothers to give different numbers.
But I give your post a 8/10. +1 for notice, +4 explanation, +2 enjoyment, +1 for topic.

>>3804972
Transforming is a strange dish, you’ve found. It increases your power and ability for a short time, most cases (and generally changes your wardrobe to boot). Sounds good, but the issue with that is a matter of practicality. To wit, generally, if one NEEDS to transform, then you’re usually in a position where it’s only by the good grace of the opponent where you’re ALLOWED to transform, unless you’re protected by some kind of defensive measure. In all other cases, it’s generally overkill. Or showing off- same thing more or less.

Case in point. It’s taken him about 5 seconds to make his hair glow and his upper body have a red tint to it, and he seems to be just about to-

“HAAA!” -ah, there we are. His nails are sharper, almost like claws, and you can definitely notice a red film of some sort around his arms. “This is what someone learned in Seither is capable-”

Bored now. Legs tensed, and LEAP.

You’d been wanting to try this out anyways, really- with your recent advancements with mana manipulation, in particular the barrier stuff, you’d had this funny little idea that you’re surprised you never thought of earlier. You can punch pretty hard, but what if you punched hard...with your hand surrounded by mana? Not like normal, but like a teensy barrier? Just to reinforce it?

...seriously, it makes so much sense. Although it does crack and waver on impact, and you felt less impact than normal (likely because of the barrier taking the brunt of the sensation away), the way his face distorts in the split second you see it in both surprise and fear is rather satisfying.

The way he flies back several feet and tumbles over himself before coming to a stop facedown is good, too.

For a second, you’re actually worried you might’ve done some long-term damage- but then you realize that his powerup is still active, and sure enough he lifts his head in surprise at you slowly, breathing heavily all of a sudden. “Ahhh...haaah...so...there IS a will in there.” He gets up just as slowly, watching you closely. “Then I suppose- huh!” That last bit was him barely dodging a followup lunging punch, which you use the momentum of to swing around in a quick elbow now that you’re in close range. He manages to dodge that as well…

...Not so much the quartet of rapid fire punches up his stomach, sternum, and chest. He grips his front only momentarily before quickly jumping away, practically growling now. “Were you not taking me seriously at all at first!?”

> “Still aren’t. Wanna call it quits?”
> “Nope. Trying harder now, though, if it makes you feel any better. Have to if I’m going to outspeed your ‘super-brain’.”
> “Of course I was. Just because I don’t hit you with everything from word go doesn’t mean I’m not serious.”
> Other

>>3808992
>"You were monologuing when you should have been fighting, which is dumb in a real fight and disrespectful in sparring, and you transformed way too close to your foe. If this wasn't a sparring match, you'd have been on the back foot defending if you were lucky, and dead if you weren't."

Welcome back, boss. Life treating you okay?

>>3808992
> “Still aren’t. Wanna call it quits?”
Taunting seems fun

>>3808992
> “Of course I was. Just because I don’t hit you with everything from word go doesn’t mean I’m not serious.”
"I mean you do want to still live, and we have a job to do."

>>3808992
>> “Still aren’t. Wanna call it quits?”
We have our own mana-based physical booster, right? We don't need it, but I wanna put him in his place.

>>3808992
>>3809007
Switching to giving him a lecture>>3809006

>>3808992
>>3809008
I switch my vote to support this instead>>3809006

>>3809008
Supporting this

>>3809006
Okay enough. Some weirdness, but nothing horrible by any means. More a mystery to solve.

You guys like doing the lecture bit, huh?

Writing.

>>3809034
Some people remember the whole "No capes" spiel Edna gave.

Meanwhile, Miranda took that conversation about monologuing from Frozone to heart.

>>3809034
Well, we need to get around to training our teammates and we've also got to teach the care house kids about outgoer stuff.
So this guy is our 'training dummy' in more ways than one.

>>3809034
We are the responsible one and must be able to pick apart any flaws we can see.

>>3808992
>>3809006
>>3809008
>>3809021
>>3809026
The sigh that escapes you is annoyed, not tired, as you eye him carefully, even as you start talking. “You were monologuing when you should have been fighting, which is dumb in a real fight and disrespectful in sparring. That, and you transformed way too close to your foe.” Your hands are on your hips now, not sure when that happened. “If this wasn't a sparring match, you'd have been on the back foot defending if you were lucky, and dead if you weren't."

He stares at you for a long moment...before breaking out into raucous laughter. “Pftahahahaha! Really? Really now, a dangerous scrapper kid like you is suddenly going to turn into some sort of, of...teacher?! Look, you’re strong. I get that. You’re also far wiser than your years might suggest.” Not so sure about that, yourself. “Still. You should reall-”

You’re already in his face again, and he starts moving a bit too late- you grab his arm and SQUEEZE. He lets out a yelp of pain, even through the Seither power, as his teeth grit again, his legs twist, and-

“Miss Lane!” a familiar, tinny voice cries out; you turn to look into the distance, and sure enough, Prima seems to have woken up, apparently, and is beating metal feet towards you rather quickly. “Please, if you could return to bed!?” She’s waving as though she hasn’t gotten your attention at all... “Staying up all night and engaging in unnecessary combat is unhealthy! It could lead to suboptimal performance tomorrow!”

> ...well, that kinda kills the mood. Let him go. “Case in point. I guess that means we’re done here.”
> “Hold on, Prima, just a little lesson. Stay outta this for a bit longer!” You at least want to make him sweat a bit…
>Other

>>3809058
>> “Hold on, Prima, just a little lesson. Stay outta this for a bit longer!” You at least want to make him sweat a bit…
Consider it a pre-mission exercise.

>>3809058
> “Hold on, Prima, just a little lesson. Stay outta this for a bit longer!” You at least want to make him sweat a bit…
Gotta get our prize first.

>>3809058
> “Hold on, Prima, just a little lesson. Stay outta this for a bit longer!” You at least want to make him sweat a bit…
Motes, motes, motes. Give me those marbles.

>>3809058
> “Hold on, Prima, just a little lesson. Stay outta this for a bit longer!” You at least want to make him sweat a bit…
(After we finish up)
>"It's all well and good to want to improve yourself, but that means taking the time to listen and learn. You didn't do either, and that's why you're squirming like a caught rat right now."

>>3809058
>“Hold on, Prima, just a little lesson. Stay outta this for a bit longer!” You at least want to make him sweat a bit…

>>3809058
> ...well, that kinda kills the mood. Let him go. “Case in point. I guess that means we’re done here.”
No point going any further since we'd probably end up hurting him, plus for all we know Prima has something for us

He must learn.

Writing.

>>3809058
>>3809059
>>3809061
>>3809064
>>3809065
>>3809071
“Just a little lesson. Stay out of this for a bit longer, Swan!” you decide. She seems a bit...reluctant to, at first, but her steps slow several yards away from you, instead standing there clearly ready to jump in if she deemed it worthwhile. Turning back to your ‘adversary’ (and honestly a bit disappointed he didn’t try anything while you were looking away) you continue to tighten your grip his arm, only to tilt your head when he takes a quick swing at you with his free hand.

For a second you want to admonish him, but it only lasts until you realize he’s not trying to claw you, he’s trying to grab your face! Not sure why he’s going for that, but you’d rather not take any risks as he lunges forward. You’re quick to duck under it and shove him away roughly. He manages to keep his balance, though he’s quick to cradle his arm- actually, you wonder if you might’ve fractured something…

“You...I don’t know just how the Seither has affected you. But you aren’t normal. Clearly not. Beyond what I- gah, nevermind!” Shaking his head, he lunges at you. At least he’s decided to stop talking. Finally. Another flurry of parried and exchanged blows is his reward as you're quick to return to the give and take of before, his strikes being slapped away or blocked as yours are dodged and countermanded and back.

Three deflected punches from him are responded to with a close knee from you- he’s quick to sidestep, but you can see the elbow coming from a mile away, grabbing hold of him again and pivoting, only to retreat when he tries to get his mitts on you one more time. “Alright, then!” And (wordlessly, you note), something in him flares up, his whole body alights with a shout- and then he charges...as a ruby red clone of his immediately breaks off from him and goes to your left to flank you.

Okay, y’know. A for effort. This might not be as quick as you thought.

>Focus on testing the clone’s stability. Might be a nuisance otherwise.
>Generally, if you force the original to stop, then…
>Other

>>3809125
>Focus on testing the clone’s stability. Might be a nuisance otherwise.

>>3809125
>Focus on testing the clone’s stability. Might be a nuisance otherwise.

>>3809125
>Focus on testing the clone’s stability. Might be a nuisance otherwise.

Cutting it for tonight. Will continue tomorrow.

>>3809125
>Focus on testing the clone’s stability. Might be a nuisance otherwise.
Also Lori's clone technique>>>>Mr. Broodybitch's clone technique

>>3809125
>>Focus on testing the clone’s stability. Might be a nuisance otherwise.
He's annoying, but he's learning quickly and these little spars are a good chance to try out less used or experimental techniques, like the blind fighting or the knuckles. Sure, I doubt we'll have a need to blind fight, but if nothing else such things might make for good insights for upgrades later on.

>>3809138
Thanks for running!

>>3809125
>Focus on testing the clone’s stability. Might be a nuisance otherwise.
Clever boy, he is learning. Try to test out sticky mana to hold the clone in place?
Good night.

>>3809138
Night boss, thanks for running!

>>3809125
>>Focus on testing the clone’s stability. Might be a nuisance otherwise.

>>3809125
>Focus on testing the clone’s stability. Might be a nuisance otherwise.
See how it reacts to getting hit by mana.
Sparkling fireworks first and if it stays stable then some weaker manablasts next.

>>3809394
Should we turn this sparring lesson into a lightshow in the middle of the night though?

>>3809412
We can just keep buffing ourselfs with mana. Same trick we did in the dark lord world, were we learned to enhance our legs and keep working on the mana knuckles

>>3809125
>Ask if he can do this to his mech too, if he can this is really impressive.

>>3809412
Fireworks are better during the night than during the day. That's just common sense.

>>3810000
>Asking stupid questions in the middle of a fight.

The next few seconds are a flurry of strikes- you dart to meet the clone yourself; you’ve not really squared off against Lorelei’s copies, but you know they can take a hit. You need to see how tough this one is as well, or else it’ll make things...tricky.

If nothing else, it seems like it doesn’t have the same predictive powers as the original- it tries to dodge a punch square to the face, but doesn’t manage to get out of the way, letting you catch it on the jaw to fly a few feet. You don’t have any time to really internalize that, however, as you have to spin to catch a punch of your own from Avos before he transitions that into a kick that you have to defend against as well. It flows into a spinning back elbow that you dodge, and you can see an opening…

...that’s quickly closed as you’re forced to pay attention to the Seither clone rushing back in, and soon enough it’s two on one, the ‘duo’ moving and striking in tandem. You do your best to focus on the clone while keeping Avos at bay, but those talons are causing some trouble. A momentary push away nearly has you in the grasp of the Clone Avos, but you quickly shift the momentum, grab his wrists, and step in to throw it off it’s feet. As it crashes to the ground, you’re quick to release one arm- if only to smash him in the chest while he’s down, resulting in a thick, but fast dissipating trail of Seither flowing, leaking out from it- and straight into your nooooose...godDAMN that stuff isn’t half bad.

>Roll 2d20, best of three.

Rolled 20, 15 = 35 (2d20)

>>3810824
inb4 get showed off by a local

Rolled 6, 1 = 7 (2d20)

>>3810824
Here goes.

Rolled 9, 4 = 13 (2d20)

>>3810824

Rolled 15, 5 = 20 (2d20)

>>3810824
Just a little bit won't hurt us.

holy fuck he got spanked
turns out getting some mid-fight powerup juice isn't that bad.

>>3810824
>>3810827
>>3810828
>>3810833
Christ.

Writing. Short run again, sleepy Handler is right now. But I do want to get out of this fight.

Can't believe this is the only active MG quest on /qst/ right now.

>>3810837
At this point I'm wondering if we should be snagging every bottle, jar and canteen we can to bottle this stuff up, to take with us after the job's done.

>>3810896
Did FMMDAMG finally fall apart? That's the only other semi-recent one I'm aware of.

>>3810901
Seither just turns into regular mana. But crystal Seither is still good.

>>3810896
Yeah but it shows the dedication of Handler.

>>3810904
Forgot about that. Next time we come across some of the stuf, we should snag as much of it as we can manage.

>>3810911
Since we are going into the Seither zone we might find some crystals to take home.

>>3810911
Do we have the means to stuff even a small crystal into our bag? I wager going near a sizable one will just knock Miranda out or worse.

>>3810918
Our bots can do it for us. It won't affect them.

>>3810896
MG quests come and go in waves and that's for the best. Most of them try too be too edgy or weird or rape-y. Right now i think there are only two. this one and magical contractor, but magical contractor is too.... eh.
MGFH has the advantage that logistics wise, we aren't a magical girl, but a wizard mercenary and that gives us a lot of options to play with.

>>3810918
didn't we already have some of it? pretty sure we stored the residue from the seither filters.

>>3810924
Drats. I forgot about the bots sometimes.
>>3810925
Yeah but that's in air form. The nerds did say that normal peeps would be instantly rad'd if they went anywhere near a Seither crystal, and crystals are magnitudes more potent than whatever Miranda is having right now.

>>3810924
We just found out that they've got mana reserves. It could affect them, we just don't know if having mana means it will. Plus, high enough radiation can affect unshielded electronics, and seither seems to work like radiation does

>>3810932
Fair enough, we just need to find a way to crack them without making them react, i guess. Although sal could do us a favor and teleport the whole crystal to the base. We just need to warn the people home of what we're going to do.

>>3810824
>>3810827
Two more smashes despite the struggling ends the clone, letting the rest of the Seither vanish into the air...and more of it getting into YOU. As fantastic as it feels, though, you can’t really sit and enjoy it, not with Avos charging at you trying to catch you off guard.

He’s so slow, though. Was he always this slow? You don’t think he was.

Nevertheless, you’re able to all too easily sidestep his slow, clumsy attack. His followup, some kind of uppercut? Whatever, you’re already to the side of him, hooking your arm underneath his and lifting up. Wonder if you can keep him down with this…

Spinning for no other reason, you cradle him harshly by the neck for two painful rotations, before lifting him up, still with momentum and crashing him to the ground. You keep your hold around his neck, wrenching on it a bit as you look him in the eye- he’s clearly out of it a bit, and is spitting a bit from the lack of air. “Give it up?”

“fff...gak...Yyyfff…” Well then! Sounds like a ‘yes’ to you!

You roll off of him, hopping up and watching him carefully as his colors return to normal, his breathing getting harsher as he sprawls out, rolling his head to look at you. “What...are you…? He rasps.”

Not sure if you can answer that right now, but you also can’t say you care to in the first place. Prima ends up tugging on your arm. “Miss, please...I’m detecting abnormal amounts of...well, we should do what we can to get rid of the Seither in your body for now!”

“Aw, I can do that whenever,” you find yourself saying. “Don’t worry about me.” Nonetheless, you find yourself following her. She means well.

“That is both irresponsible and it is something I do not wish to do, so I’m afraid I must refuse.” Prima says simply. Huh. That’s awful nice of her.

Turning around before you get too far, you call back to the still laying Avos. “Remember our bet!”

Prima continues, undaunted by the task ahead. “Not to worry, I have plenty of methods of inducing sleep if necessary...first…”

Oh boy. Yeah, this’ll be a long night.

--------------------

When you wake in the morning...well, you’re surprised it’s morning, for one. You can’t remember when you went to sleep.

For another, your bots are up before you are, Jago in particular tapping his foot like he’s been waiting for a while. “Bout time! Everyone’s raring ta go!”

“He means himself,” Prima quickly interjects.

“I meant everyone important! So yeah!” the way he looks when he says that… “Anywho, go get yer food an’ whatnot and we can kick off, yeah? Last I checked them suits don’t much care when we leave or get back, so we can have the day ta us, jus’ about!”

Well, regardless, you’re going to stop by the food tent, but after that...

> “Right. So we’re going to take our time and be sure of what’s what.” (You’ve got some last minute questions…)
> “Fine, fine. Can’t say I don’t want to see what’s out there myself.” (Straight to it after eating.)
> Other

Yeah, done for tonight. tired. Sorry.

>>3810933
This crystal stuff just became more dangerous than I realized.

>>3810901
Oh yeah, I forgot about that quest. Hadn't seen it in a while, but last I checked the QM had been running into a couple of walls due to characterization issues? Might be wrong.

>>3810925
I'd been trying to get into Magical Contractor, but there's just something about it that doesn't gel with me. Not sure what. What do you think of it?

>>3810942
> “Fine, fine. Can’t say I don’t want to see what’s out there myself.” (Straight to it after eating.)
Good night.

>>3810942
> “Right. So we’re going to take our time and be sure of what’s what.” (You’ve got some last minute questions…)
>Who else might show up in this area? Orion? Moktu?
Thanks for running, boss. Glad to have you back.

>>3810938
>We just need to warn the people home of what we're going to do.
>mfw we came back to fun Lori snorting the stuff

>>3810942
>> “Right. So we’re going to take our time and be sure of what’s what.” (You’ve got some last minute questions…)
Something realteding to Seither protection would be nice. Gloves or a spare suit we could wraps around our hands or something like that. If we come across some crystals out there, it would be nice to able to harvest them without getting high on mana.

>>3810946
He wrote well, but he had to reread large chunks of the archives before each thread to figure out what had happened last time, as he was usually drunk while running. Also, his solution to things slowing down or him getting bored was to add 5-6 new characters, which happened frequently. And unlike this quest, there wasn't an easy reason to cycle through characters, so they tended to just hang around. Last I checked, cookouts of over 20 full characters weren't uncommon.
Like I said, not a bad writer, but very... unfocused.

>>3810963
I think it would be fair to consider the April Fools thread about MC's son the canon ending of that quest.

>>3810963
If Lori does do that, should we get Izumi involved as well?

>>3810976
I haven't read Magical Contractor, but I think you're confusing it with Fuck Me, My Daughter's A Magical Girl.

>>3810976
I don't think I made it that far. I dropped out somewhere after we brought Satan back from the spheres, when I realized every time a vote went up we wound up doing every single option.

>>3810981
It doesn't seem cause us any major issues, but we should have someone look at them before ingesting them off-world. I dunno if our crystal techies will be much help here; consumption of pure mana seems a little different from building thing with them. But it can't hurt to check. I could just see Lori being told we brought back pure crystal mana and her wanting to try it out,

>>3810986
I wasn't talking about Magical Contractor.

>>3810942
> “Fine, fine. Can’t say I don’t want to see what’s out there myself.” (Straight to it after eating.)

>>3810946
Its several things:
first, there are two QMs. well, that's not really true; the original QM wrote for two threads and then silently quit, then a player took over. This new QM (at least in the last threads)writes blocks of text with no regard for formatting, which passively overloads the mind and makes everything feel like a very long sentence, with no real stops to allow the mind to process what it read.

It might be the story itself as well. There is no real hook for the player because the whole quest is basically an escort mission that lasts a lifetime. I mean, the MC already accomplished the main goal he had, which was to make a contract with the girl. there is nothing there for the MC other than keeping her alive for "reasons". Personally, a magical contractor quest should be more dynamic, like a Sal simulator. Dealing with other contractors, finding suitable targets for your girl....err....basically being a pimp, not a babysitter.

Also, i'm super biased against him. He was a voter in other quests that i participated in and whenever he voted, he tended to write more than OP and basically imposed his will regardless if it made sense. Then the OP went with that option raw without trying to adjust it to make sense, which made me mad to no end.

>>3810992
My mistake, I misread >>3810963 as him talking about MC quest.

>>3811033
>he tended to write more than OP
>spoiler
oh man, I've seen those sorts before. Reminds me of the early days of questing, where a writein the qm liked trumped any actual voting. Joker Quest, especially early on, is really bad about this, among others.

>>3811046
I should have specified what part I was replying to. No harm done though.

>>3810942
> “Fine, fine. Can’t say I don’t want to see what’s out there myself.” (Straight to it after eating.)

>>3810901
FMMDAMG haven't been updated for awhile.

>>3810942
>> “Fine, fine. Can’t say I don’t want to see what’s out there myself.” (Straight to it after eating.)

>>3810942
>“Fine, fine. Can’t say I don’t want to see what’s out there myself.” (Straight to it after eating.)

So anon dislikes Avos, but I unironically think he he could join SES.
Convince me otherwise.

>>3811697
I won't i'm just gonna vote against your recruitment proposals, like most anons will.

>>3811817
At this point I swear it's just one anon that wants us to never recruit again, and is trying to get the rest of us to spite vote against all future recruitments.

>>3811822
Eh, i wouldn't mind recruiting another one, but Avos is a poor choice at best. At the very least, whoever we want to recruit has to impress miranda IC, like how Owlia did with her conversion into a magical girl in the span of a week or so.

>>3811697
Play a matchmaker and get DM to hire him instead.
He's too normal for SES-style work so we would benefit more by getting DM to owe us a small favor instead.

>>3811866
>by getting DM to owe us a small favor instead.
...it doesn't work like that. why would DM owe us a favor when we want them to hire this unknown guy?

>>3811881
>ace mech pilot
>precognition powers
>skilled in CQC
>has da magiks
>experienced veteran merc
This guy is way above the rank and file 'average layman' that serve in DM.

>>3811881
Because quality headhunting is a service?

>>3811881
We're doing them a favor by telling them about this guy who's obviously better than the average mech pilot. By convincing him to work for them we're doing them another favor.

>>3811881
Right? Recruiting on their behalf wasn't asked for. It will, at best, be considered a gift, not a favor to be cashed later. We don't know their hiring policies, or even if they're hiring at the moment. We don't know if he's interested in leaving his home dimension.
At best, we could recruit him for the Intersection in general. But he's a bit too nuts for that.

>>3811937
>So, a cocky bastard
>Fair enough
>Irrelevant, but nice to have
>Irrelevant, but nice to have
>Fair enough

>This guy is way above the rank and file 'average layman' that serve in DM.
We definitely don't know that. We've only worked with them once and that one time we were part of the ground troops.

>>3811944
Yeah, but this is unsolicited headhunting. They might say "yes, thank you, we'll look at it later" and never look at him again, or at works it makes us look bad because we're implying that they don't know how to hire the right people. Basically >>3811970

>>3811962
>Hey we've done your job without you asking and now we want you to pay us!

>>3811970
We can just ask Sal to check if DM's are hiring and prod the guy if he's interested in change of scenery. If none of these work out then we'll leave this guy alone.
I hope we're talking about favors like cheaper training courses for pilots or help with figuring out precursor aircraft, not 'Favor' favors.

>>3812008
>talking about favors like cheaper training courses for pilots or help with figuring out precursor aircraft
This is the equivalent of shining a rich guys shoes unsolicited then asking for payment. They're not going to give us any sort of benefit. They might like us marginally more if they actually like the guy, but I seriously doubt we'll get any more than that. It's not worth the trouble, and he doesn't impress Randa, so not worth a general recruitment either.

>>3812008
Fuck, I'm even fine as doing it as a gift and just get the scouting reward.

>>3812033
>mentions precognition
>"That is, it’s impressive. But you’re not going to let him KNOW."
>shows seither clone
>"Okay, y’know. A for effort. This might not be as quick as you thought."
Boy, you sure are a hard sell.

>>3812034
Honestly that's all I saw coming out of it. Maybe scouting the android too if we meet again, not for our group, but for a machine shop.

>>3812048
I mean, Miranda is outmatching him due to sheer experience and physical superiority, and his clone thing is literally a weaksauce version of what Lorelei can do. Might be a head above your average joe, but in the wider scheme of things, he's nothing we don't already have.

>>3812048
Its not really precognition. He just have higher than normal reaction times; he even admits it here >>3804972. If he were a rel precog, he would have seen that its stupid to fight us.

>>3812079
Right, my bad.

>>3811994
>they might not want him so we shouldn't even offer him to them
Man, you would make a bad door-to-door salesman. Zero sales every day because it's not guaranteed that anybody would want to buy the products so why even bother ringing that doorbell.

>>3812094
>you would make a bad door-to-door salesman.
Good thing we're not one then, huh?

>>3812094
We're not a door to door salesman and we're not getting paid for this.

>>3812104
>not interested in money
All we need to do is tell Sal about this guy and see if he thinks DM would be interested in him. If he thinks they are, he'll be the one negotiating with them anyway so it won't add any extra work for us - unless they want him in which case we'll actually be getting paid for that work in some form.

>>3812118
>>not interested in money
I guess we should be sweeping floors between jobs in the intersection as well? We are a combat-oriented Outgoer, we make our money beating things up in one fashion or another. Chasing potential pennies for disproportionate effort is silly.

>>3812125
What chase? He's right here, Sal's always in our ear and on call, why shouldn't we take a literal moment to maybe earn a few L-motes? Scouting bonuses are pretty good after all.

>>3812132
because we're trying to scout for another company. Another company that we know nothing about their hiring process other than what we saw on the only mission we've worked in tandem.

All this talk about hiring and the only thing i want to do is have one scene were we synchronize with the walker and start shooting magi blast out of it and create magic barriers

>>3812144
Which is why we ask Sal if he's someone they'd probably want. If not then we leave it alone and that's the end. We're not skilled or knowledgeable about this topic, but Sal is. We ask the person that knows, he handles the rest if he thinks it's worth while, we potentially get a bonus to our wallets. It's a phone call to a hiring agency that might net us extra dough. Sal does everything about deciding things after we bring his attention here, but we get payed if he's hired on.

>>3812033
Guy can improve, surely.
I feel like he might be at whwre randa was at her start. You know, 90 years ago. Maybe abit more.
I feel like this guy is a good guy to invest in.
Show him how stupid shonen charging and monologues are.
I'm betting he has a named attack which he could use to nuke something, but he might probably die.
Kinda like how randa ended up in the intersection, maybe.

He has potential.
And I belive oncw he is shown the intersection his cocky attitude will make way for some interresting character, but that's just my thoughts.

As an ultimatum, how about we wait until the inevitable 'Well we never intended on paying you in the first place', as we have some fun flinging magic around because the level of 'I don't give a shit, just gimme my money'.
Maybe he'll look into leaving the place he says has no future.
Maybe he can prove himself more.
Let's wait until then, sound good?

Heck, you know how we gor our first member? They asked if they could join us.
If he manages to overcome his cockyness and just asks, then the choice should be his, right?

>>3812361
No, anon. Every single person we come across that has more than a few lines some anon wants to recruit. This one is nothing special.
>then the choice should be his, right?
Very much not. If we offer, it's his choice. But Randa is the final arbitrator of if she thinks any one person is likely to cut it in the Intersection, and if they will bring value to the Intersection one way or another.
Otherwise, anyone that knew about the Intersection and didn't like their lot would be brought back.

>>3812361
>I feel like he might be at whwre randa was at her start. You know, 90 years ago. Maybe abit more.
Miranda stopped her universe from being destroyed, or something like that. This dude is an edgelord that feels he's the biggest fish in the pond.
>Heck, you know how we gor our first member? They asked if they could join us.
Wrong. We hired owlia after we saw how batshit insane she was and because we didn't want to fight her and cylica
>If he manages to overcome his cockyness and just asks, then the choice should be his, right?
Nope. We can still veto his request and mono was a special case that involved meta reasons. She also filled a niche that no one in SES can consistently fill, which gave her brownie points with us.

Seems people sp generally just dislike the idea of having him around as a character.

>>3812403
i don't mind him, but he offers nothing of value to us.

>>3812408
My thoughts as well.
We've all latched onto one character or another. I would have loved to grab one of the spiders from the shadow infested job, but none of them fit what we needed, so I kept my mouth shut.

>>3812403
I’d rather give the spot to Millie from the summoning world when we get summoned back, honestly.

>>3812391
Meta reasons? Huh.

>>3812429
I kinda did, too.

>>3812438
Why her? She didn't seem too interesting to me.

>>3812438
Millie would not want to abandon her world, she still has a family to look out for.

>>3812429
I just want a B rank from the intersection or someone that is not a complete rookie.

Go play a fucking Pokémon quest. Don't you get tired of having the same arguments every single day? Soon as a character has two lines of description you start this shit all over again, and again and again

>>3812855
I'm N18QE8sW. Did a phone post at work.

Well, she's the chief inquisitor of her department for one, which means that she has the experience fighting against rogue summons and investigating the summoners. I'm a bit unsure of her combat experience, but from what she mentioned at the carnival, she's been in at least a couple of hairy situations. She's not another recommendation for another tech-head character, and from what she mentioned about how much her salary was compared to what Lysan owed us, she'll be able to afford living in the Intersection for a while without a job, even more so if her parents come along, IE the Vice Councilman Dad and High Judicator Mom who were former explorers. Admittedly, people might not be interested in bringing them along, but with credentials like that, they'll be able to find work no problem even outside of SES's employment. The only issue I see is Lysan, but again, his parents are loaded enough to put him through one of the Intersection's private schools, and hopefully figure out how to work around his inability to use magic.

...

And we get to continue misnaming Lysol some more!

>>3812982
She's not a terrible choice, but she has no reason whatsoever to leave everything she's ever known to wipe the slate clean, and especially not her parents. And don't forget Mote/currency rates are pretty rough. I don't think their entire fortune would last them long.

>>3812998
>she has no reason whatsoever to leave everything she's ever known to wipe the slate clean

YET...

Honestly, though, I know she's a long shot especially since we don't know if she'll ever find a problem big enough to hire us again (paticularly since it skirts way too close to illegal for her comfort), but if things change for her when we get summoned back, I'd like to think it's still an option.

>>3813024
The warmonger the ice king remembers gets summoned and starts eating people for power. That's pretty much the only sufficient emergency I can think of.

>>3813043
Lyrical gets kidnapped by those weirdos from the carnival, who actually were the ones who made it so he couldn't be able to use summoning magic when his parents went to the carnival when he was still in his mother's womb, thanks to that guy in the Tent of Oddities, in an effort to eventually bring back a powerful summon from before the great war.

>>3812968
Same here.

Maybe we should have a checklist for characters that anons want to hire:
>must have a power/skill that can't be found/made back in the Intersection
>are they useful for SES? What role can they fill for the company?
>can they live by themselves? How useful can they be for the Intersection?
>what potential do you see in them?
>does the potential hire hate their world? Or want to get away from it?
>must be willing, unless their world or means of staying there is gone.
>Are you, anon, willing to see this character have less screentime and dialogue?

>>3810925
Plus the setting and traveling to different worlds make the quest interesting and exciting (in my opinion anyway). This quest can go in any genre it wants due to the missions and characters/plots/situations in the world's we visit can be recycled in different ways without it looking lazy (and makes sense in the setting).

>>3813100
That's a good idea, although I'd suggest putting the power/skill barrier a bit lower to "cannot easily be found/made back in the intersection" to open it up to nonmagical npcs.

>>3813100
>must have a power/skill that can't be found/made back in the Intersection
Not exactly. Personally, i believe that they have to have enough power to survive on the intersection and they need to fill a niche that isn't covered by someone on SES, but that doesn't mean that their power has to be unique in the intersection.

>Plus the setting and traveling to different worlds make the quest interesting and exciting
That's a big plus.

>>3813024
Fair enough. Like I same, we've all got someone like that.

>>3813100
I like them, though the first one shoudl be softened to unusual from unique. And the last one has an odd framing. Surly the implication of recruiting is that while they will show up on a regular basis, everyone else has to sacrifice some screen time?

>>3810942

As arrogant as it might sound, you do get where he’s coming from, so you simply stretch and start to prepare yourself. “Fine, fine. Can’t say I don’t want to see what’s out there myself.”

“Yes!” Jago cheers as you move out, Prima following behind you. There’s a small area for washing and cleaning, which you utilize, and you’re quick to get some basic food in you before you head off. There’s a makeshift ‘hangar’ area, which is really just a quartet of launchpads. Surprisingly little security around them...whatever.

Although… “Off already?” Of course Crane would be around. “Make sure to be careful! And do let us know if you find anything interesting, hm?”

“Naturally,” you say bluntly, before you leave him behind.

You hop in with little fanfare; there’s not much in the way of special setup by now for you; even Jago and Prima seem to have decided that Prima’s going to be the AI of choice for now; which is good. She’s a bit better at spotting things and may be able to detect anything unusual. A quick check shows all systems are green, and with that, you take off, shooting towards the haze on the horizon…

“Seither levels increasing,” Prima says calmly as you approach. “I suggest altering course to the northeast by eighteen degrees.”

“Right.” You can see the air getting thicker, for sure… “What’s the density levels?”

“Currently estimated at about fifteen percent, so moderate,” Prima says after a few seconds of silence to calculate. “We should be fine for now due to the Zeon’s filtering systems. However, should density levels increase beyond thirty-two percent, I recommend we evacuate the area immediately, as the filters will not be able to compensate fast enough. There may be unanticipated consequences.”

“Roger that.” You’re not going to question it right now. But if it DOES get that thick, what would happen with the Zeon? Not to mention YOU...

There’s a sudden beeping that shakes you out of your musings as Prima speaks up again. “Getting something on radar ahead. It’s big, and moving.”

You look ahead to see that there’s nothing in front of you right now... there’s not much out of this red haze beyond the occasional mountainside. Really, this place is like the canyon, but even WORSE. The only upside is that you can take your time since you aren’t being chased.

(cont.)

>>3813360
A loud, droning howl of some kind suddenly blares over the speakers, and you have to turn your mech to see that it’s...some kind of four legged, bulbous frog thing; nearly as big as a blue whale, for certain. It’s just slowly trundling its way down the mountain, though, long lumbering steps. It’s got a number of glowing yellow pustules on its back, which honestly serves for a decent warning light system.

“Uhhh...those things ain’t natural, are they?” Jago questions in a smaller voice than normal.

“I severely doubt so,” Prima answers just as unsurely. “At any rate, I’m detecting more ahead. I would recommend adjusting course...here, I’ll input the- oh!” suddenly, a pause from her, and you actually swivel your head to make sure she’s alright. She DOES have a hand up in the eternal ‘please hold on a sec’ motion, but...

Several other cries sound out as well, a good half dozen at least, and all ahead of you. You’re starting to get worried…

Prima speaks up after a minute or two, head tilted in curiosity. “ I’m detecting something else as well…slight electrical signals...to the northwest. They’re irregular as well. Perhaps they’re survivors?”

“Out ‘ere?” Jago scoffs. “Unlikely. Prolly jus’ some leftovers what never turned off. No big. Not ta mention we keep at it, we might get THESE nasties on us. I love me a good fight, but...”

> “Might be worth checking out. Never know. We’ll keep like this for now and see what’s causing it.
> “Whatever’s there, it’s not what we’re looking for if it’s not giving off massive amounts of Seither. What was that course correct of yours?”
> Other

>>3813364
> “Might be worth checking out. Never know. We’ll keep like this for now and see what’s causing it.
Crane did say to report anything interesting.
And looting opportunities.

>>3813364
>> “Might be worth checking out. Never know. We’ll keep like this for now and see what’s causing it.

Welcome back, boss. Did you solve the mystery of who nicked yer shit yet?

>>3813364
>> “Might be worth checking out. Never know. We’ll keep like this for now and see what’s causing it.
Getting a sense of what groups or notables are in this soup will be helpful in trying to figure out what we're looking at in the future.

>>3813364
> “Might be worth checking out. Never know. We’ll keep like this for now and see what’s causing it.

>>3813374
No, and it's annoying. That was a fully signed poster of the '98 Globetrotters. I WANT THAT BACK.

>>3813364
> “Might be worth checking out. Never know. We’ll keep like this for now and see what’s causing it.

>>3813364
> “Might be worth checking out. Never know. We’ll keep like this for now and see what’s causing it.
I am sorry for your loss Handler.

...Yeah we're going in, then.

Writing!

>>3813381
Unlucky, mate of mine had jewellery stolen by movers. Crooks all of them
>>3813364
> “Might be worth checking out. Never know. We’ll keep like this for now and see what’s causing it.

>>3813445
Why would you leave jewelry inside furniture while moving?

>>3813461
Wrapped it in a bag then stuffed it into a duvet, still pretty retarded I thought

>>3813475
If there is shiny, always take it with you. People will always try to take stuff without the owner around.

>>3813481
Aye, but apparently to some people carrying around a bag of gold is less safe than giving it to strangers and expecting nothing to happen

>>3813486
A bag of gold? I thought it was like a necklace or rings. But a BAG? How rich are you?

>>3813491
Figure of speech anon. Think it was just necklaces and crap made of gold or silver

>>3813505
You know the internet does not carry the semantics and social cues of interaction. I can only take everything as the literal definition or joke about everything.

>>3813364
>>3813371
>>3813374
>>3813377
>>3813378
>>3813411
>>3813429
>>3813445
“Might be worth checking out,” you decide after some deliberation. “Never know. We’ll keep like this for now and see what’s causing it. Let’s just…” More howls are quick to remind you of just what else you have to keep an eye out for. “Alright, let’s throttle down and be careful. Guide us, huh, Swan?”

“Roger.” You can feel some of the strain taken off your body as she commanders partial movement, helping guide you through the mountain pass. You can’t see a great deal, but what you can see is the occasional ruby red crystal growing out of the mountainside- far bigger than anything you saw in the desert, but still far enough away for safety purposes. “I’m picking up more signals,” Prima says. “I think we might’ve stumbled upon a group of survivors!”

“Pft. Well, good on ‘em for makin’ it this long,” Jago mutters. “Think they might know what’s what?”

“Doubt it,” you supply. “Still want to see.”

“Well, we’re getting closer,” Prima says. “We should be within visual rage with twenty-five seconds.”

As things finally enter visual range, you’re only a little surprised to see that it appears to be a military base of some kind. You’re not sure who for, or what its focus is, but judging by the dilapidated defensive structures, skeletons, and general design of the place, it was definitely meant to have armed presence. There’s a number of rusted and fallen apart vehicles here as well. Many old cars, tanks and four-wheelers dot the immediate surroundings...and two Walkers, shiny and clean, barring the Seither tint on everything. They’re currently parked more or less in the, well, parking lot, broken and torn though it might be. One shorter and squatter than what you’re used to seeing; reminds you vaguely of a boxy hamster with a few fins. The other is lean and angular and far more typical. “Let’s see...Shrike class Walker, IDed as belonging to Lionheart. Octavia-class Walker, also Lionheart.”

“Are they the source of the signal?” You ask. Prima shakes her head in the negative. Figured, but worth asking. Alright, then…so, you’ve got lookie-loos way out here as well. “Wonder what they’re up to…”

> “We’re far along enough I think we can be a bit proactive.” Trash their Walkers before going in- they’re just sitting there. May be loud, but they’ll be stuck for certain.
> “Let’s keep this quiet for now.” Keep them in one piece so as to not tip them off, just do your own investigating.
> “It may not be the best idea to get involved. Let’s just call it in and move on.” Do just that- having other companies sniffing around may bring too much heat things get rowdy again.
> Other

Leaving it here for tonight. Hoping for a bit of a longer run tomorrow.

>>3813518
>“Let’s keep this quiet for now.” Keep them in one piece so as to not tip them off, just do your own investigating.

>>3813518
> “We’re far along enough I think we can be a bit proactive.” Trash their Walkers before going in- they’re just sitting there. May be loud, but they’ll be stuck for certain.
No survivors.

>>3813518
> “Let’s keep this quiet for now.” Keep them in one piece so as to not tip them off, just do your own investigating.

>>3813518
>“Let’s keep this quiet for now.” Keep them in one piece so as to not tip them off, just do your own investigating.

>>3813518
>> Other
We replaced that C4 we used a while back, right? Stick a brick or two up in their thrusters and rig them for remote detonation. If things get loud later, we can ground them with the press of a button. Otherwise, we can retrieve the C4 later (stuff is surprisingly expensive)

>>3813518
> “Let’s keep this quiet for now.” Keep them in one piece so as to not tip them off, just do your own investigating.
Might get lucky and nab something shiny or at least have Prima/Jago sabotage them
>>3813522
Cheers boss

>>3813518
> “Let’s keep this quiet for now.” Keep them in one piece so as to not tip them off, just do your own investigating.
Blowing it up now may draw the attention of those giant beasts. We should try to stealth this one.

>>3813518
>“It may not be the best idea to get involved. Let’s just call it in and move on.” Do just that- having other companies sniffing around may bring too much heat things get rowdy again.

>>3813518
>> “Let’s keep this quiet for now.” Keep them in one piece so as to not tip them off, just do your own investigating.

Couldn’t we have our bots pilot then and steal them both?

>>3815389
Don't the walkers have keys to lock them? Maybe swan can hack and open the doors. It is possible.

>>3815389
I don't think they'd fit in our bag.
But damn if I don't want to try.

>>3815442
I mean we can always take the shiny bits. We can also break them into small pieces and stuff them into the bag.

>>3815478
Maybe just steal the seither reactors/cores/whatever they are. I can only imagine the looks on an enemies face when we pull one out and juice up on it... then pull another one.

>>3815421
They've gotta have some sort of security system, yea. And hacking is the most obvious thing a thief would try, so I imagine the defenses there would be robust.

>>3815487
Go all mortal combat and eat the core.

>>3815491
Yeah they have robust systems. So first scout and then jack their rides.

>>3813562
Is no one else interested in going stealth but leaving ourselves an out for if things go loud?

>>3813518
Forgot to vote, so this >>3813562, with maybe >>3815389 afterward. That should cover all my bases for paranoia and greed.

Seems like we're not going to touch them and keep things quiet for now.

Writing shortly.

>>3813518
>>3813524
>>3813528
>>3813530
>>3813570
>>3813821
>>3813878

Considering you don’t know how deep this base goes, it’s probably safer to keep the noise to a minimum in case someone IS in there waiting. Don’t want to give any advance notice. “Let’s keep this quiet for now.” You land not too far away from them, and you quickly pop the hatch and hop out- only to breath in and feel a bit of a rush hit you. Riiiight, right, right. Seither heavy, this place. Hoo boy.

>Current Mana: 12800/12500 (Rising)

“Oh my,” Prima says upon landing. “Judging by a quick scan of the current systems on both Walkers, it appears as though the individuals in question have only been here for approximately twenty minutes. The engines are still cooling, it seems.”

“An’ I’M just’ gettin’ warmed up, meself!” Jago says eagerly. “Feelin’ real fresh right about now!”

“I can understand your excitement,” Prima warns as you both walk towards the nearest door- it’s slightly ajar, so no questions as to how they got in. “however, I would recommend caution.”

The doorway leads to just a straight, long hallway into the mountainside, and after some time walking, listening to nothing but the wind and creaking of old infrastructure, you find yourself at a crossroads; the sign on the wall is half gone, but you can still read a bit of it…

>Health Services and Hospital
>Training Halls 1-5
>Dining Facilities
>Lo------- (The rest of this option is unreadable)
>B------ (The rest of this option is unreadable)
>Hm. Might be more. Could just wander and see what you stumble across.

>>3817222
>Health Services and Hospital
>Other
>Put your respirator on - it's been collecting dust long enough
>Summon Gartoum to help with searching

>>3817222
>>B------ (The rest of this option is unreadable)
I suspect this is "basement".

>>3817222
>>Lo------- (The rest of this option is unreadable)
>use ’Real Divinity’ Respirator

>>3817222
>Lo------- (The rest of this option is unreadable)
Either its a lab, a lobby or something else that starts with lo.

>Also, activate our mana step skill or the mana knuckles
This is to burn the extra mana we're getting and learn how to use the skill better.

>>3817222
>>Health Services and Hospital

>>3817222
>Lo------- (The rest of this option is unreadable)
Practice our flamethrower technique as we’re going to lower our mana to safer levels.

>>3817227
Gartoum really helped us out back in Orion facility, so maybe we can send him to look for Lionhead mercs.
And the respirator should prevent inhaling more Seither.

>>3817222
>B------ (The rest of this option is unreadable)

This is probably the barracks.

Respirator: Engaged.

Going to whatever 'Lo' is.

Maybe practice some less destructive techniques?

Pick two and roll 2d20.

>Mana Knuckles
>Barrier Manipulation: Air Step (I presume that's what Mana Step is, if not, let me know)
>Flamethrower
>Other