It’s obvious that your employer’s liaison isn’t particularly concerned about your safety, or else he just wants some interesting data from you in regards to your body dealing with all the dangerous Seither in the air. Still, you’re not going to rock the boat at this stage just to confirm any suspicions that aren’t really that detrimental.Shaking your head, you just shrug. “Fine. I can deal with it for as long as you need me to.” “Excellent.” His face doesn’t even flinch. “Then can we expect you to start in the morning?”“Waaaait a tic,” the older lady says guardedly. “You sure you want her out and about like that? Seems a bit brutal if you ask me, even with protective measures.”“It’ll be fine,” you reassure her. “Where’s the first area?”She pauses briefly before she answers. “We’re goin’ clockwise. By most accounts there’ll be a thin Seither cloud around there, so an easy start, but we’re still gonna have to watch it. I dunno about you, but we’re gonna be as careful as we can.”“Oh, she doesn’t need to worry so much,” Crane says, patting her on the shoulder. “Frankly, I think she should be allowed to move wherever she pleases. Within reason, of course. We WILL expect regular and periodic check-ins, of course.”“Makes sense,” you agree as the other two walk up, Nira glaring as normal. “I’ll make sure to report anything suspicious or unusual.”“Besides yourself, he means,” she mutters under her breath.Welcome Back to Magical Girl for Hire!Archive: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Magical%20Girl%20For%20Hire%20QuestGeneral Pastebin: http://pastebin.com/u/MGFHQHandlerCharacter Details: http://pastebin.com/9J70gqM2 FAQ: http://pastebin.com/8unLWUjFTwitter: https://twitter.com/MGFHandlerKo-fi: https://ko-fi.com/Q5Q1MR92I LIVE
>>3803941You’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.)
>>3803974Was 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>>3804350Avos 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>> OtherThe 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.”>>3804367We're not hiring him. He's just an old edgelord.
>>3804367He'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.
>>3804353supporting >>3804367
Okay, so what are you doing here?Writing.
>>3804387What do you think of recommending him to Dynamic Methods instead? In exchange for training our pilots, helping with the Hangar or upgrades for aircraft?
>>3804449Every 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
>>3804449Good idea, just keep in mind that telling them about the dude won't give us any favors with them.
>>3804449DM 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?”
>>3804500They have multiple divisions, not just aircraft. If they have something like Armored division with mechas and tanks then maybe they'd be interested.
>>3804499Good point
>>3804497> “So, you just want to get as strong as possible, huh? That Seither incident help that any?”>>3804505Pretty 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?”
...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.
>>3804557Do 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?
>>3804497My, 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.
>>3804584Sort 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>>3804534Well. 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.”
>>3804680Oooh, 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>>3804680I 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>>3804693We'll need some ground rules though. We've both got jobs that we can't do if we're beat to a pulp.
>>3804697First blood, out of bounds, tap out, or one hit?
>>3804702I'd say first three combined. One hit could work against us a little since robustness doesn't matter in that case.
>>3804702It 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>>3804718If 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.
Battle in the Moonlit Desert.Writing.
>>3804744>>3804747>>3804752>>3804753>>3804756>>3804759>>3804761A 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.
>>3804891I 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>>3804911Well, 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.
>>3804992Maybe we can finally finish those mana knuckles
>>3804998Yeah i like your idea.
>>3804998Give 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.
>>3805028Thanks for running, boss, we're glad that you're back!
>>3805028Good night, thank you for your time.
>>3805028Night, boss. Glad to have you back!
>>3804972>>3804998might as well use the time we have for it.>>3805028Glad 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.
>>3804998Supporting.>>3805028I saw your twitter posts. Good to see that the road bumps are passed.
>He has an ability to predict stuff by using SeitherThat 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?
>>3805556knuckles. 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 upWill 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.
>>3805730Miranda 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
>>3805483That 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.
>>3806127Wasnt the lightning guy irish? As far as i remember, only jago is australian.
>>3806135Nah lightning boy was Aussie, and he ran an outback steakhouse.
>>3805483>>3806115If he do, I'd like him on the team.Another niche filled!
>>3807464Dude, please.Can you stop.
>>3807464nice bait but too obvious. 1/10
>>3807475Am 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?
>>3807568Would you really rate that bait with a number higher than 1?
>>3807621My 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.
>>3807621I rated the bait for recruitment to be 0/10 and did not bother to make a reply. >>3807657And 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.
>>3804972Transforming 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>>3809007Switching to giving him a lecture>>3809006
>>3808992>>3809008I switch my vote to support this instead>>3809006
>>3809008Supporting this
>>3809006Okay enough. Some weirdness, but nothing horrible by any means. More a mystery to solve.You guys like doing the lecture bit, huh?Writing.
>>3809034Some people remember the whole "No capes" spiel Edna gave.Meanwhile, Miranda took that conversation about monologuing from Frozone to heart.
>>3809034Well, 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.
>>3809034We are the responsible one and must be able to pick apart any flaws we can see.
>>3808992>>3809006>>3809008>>3809021>>3809026The 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.
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.
>>3809138Thanks 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.
>>3809138Night 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.
>>3809394Should we turn this sparring lesson into a lightshow in the middle of the night though?
>>3809412We 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.
>>3809412Fireworks 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)>>3810824inb4 get showed off by a local
Rolled 6, 1 = 7 (2d20)>>3810824Here goes.
Rolled 9, 4 = 13 (2d20)>>3810824
Rolled 15, 5 = 20 (2d20)>>3810824Just a little bit won't hurt us.
holy fuck he got spankedturns out getting some mid-fight powerup juice isn't that bad.
>>3810824>>3810827>>3810828>>3810833Christ.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.
>>3810837At 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.>>3810896Did FMMDAMG finally fall apart? That's the only other semi-recent one I'm aware of.
>>3810901Seither just turns into regular mana. But crystal Seither is still good.>>3810896Yeah but it shows the dedication of Handler.
>>3810904Forgot about that. Next time we come across some of the stuf, we should snag as much of it as we can manage.
>>3810911Since we are going into the Seither zone we might find some crystals to take home.
>>3810911Do 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.
>>3810918Our bots can do it for us. It won't affect them.
>>3810896MG 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.>>3810918didn't we already have some of it? pretty sure we stored the residue from the seither filters.
>>3810924Drats. I forgot about the bots sometimes.>>3810925Yeah 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.
>>3810924We 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
>>3810932Fair 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>>3810827Two 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.)> OtherYeah, done for tonight. tired. Sorry.
>>3810933This crystal stuff just became more dangerous than I realized.
>>3810901Oh 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.>>3810925I'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.>>3810946He 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.
>>3810963I think it would be fair to consider the April Fools thread about MC's son the canon ending of that quest.
>>3810963If Lori does do that, should we get Izumi involved as well?
>>3810976I haven't read Magical Contractor, but I think you're confusing it with Fuck Me, My Daughter's A Magical Girl.
>>3810976I 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.>>3810981It 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,
>>3810986I 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.)>>3810946Its 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.
>>3810992My mistake, I misread >>3810963 as him talking about MC quest.
>>3811033>he tended to write more than OP>spoileroh 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.>>3811046I 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.)
>>3810901FMMDAMG 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.
>>3811697I won't i'm just gonna vote against your recruitment proposals, like most anons will.
>>3811817At 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.
>>3811822Eh, 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.
>>3811697Play 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 mercThis guy is way above the rank and file 'average layman' that serve in DM.
>>3811881Because quality headhunting is a service?
>>3811881We'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.
>>3811881Right? 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.>>3811944Yeah, 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!
>>3811970We 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 aircraftThis 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.
>>3812008Fuck, 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.
>>3812034Honestly 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.
>>3812048I 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.
>>3812048Its 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.
>>3812079Right, my bad.
>>3811994>they might not want him so we shouldn't even offer him to themMan, 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?
>>3812094We're not a door to door salesman and we're not getting paid for this.
>>3812104>not interested in moneyAll 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 moneyI 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.
>>3812125What 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.
>>3812132because 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
>>3812144Which 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.
>>3812033Guy 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?
>>3812361No, 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.
>>3812403i don't mind him, but he offers nothing of value to us.
>>3812408My 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.
>>3812403I’d rather give the spot to Millie from the summoning world when we get summoned back, honestly.
>>3812391Meta reasons? Huh.>>3812429I kinda did, too.>>3812438Why her? She didn't seem too interesting to me.
>>3812438Millie would not want to abandon her world, she still has a family to look out for. >>3812429I 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
>>3812855I'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!
>>3812982She'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 cleanYET...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.
>>3813024The 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.
>>3813043Lyrical 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.
>>3812968Same 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?>>3810925Plus 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).
>>3813100That'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 IntersectionNot 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 excitingThat's a big plus.
>>3813024Fair enough. Like I same, we've all got someone like that.>>3813100I 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?
>>3810942As 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.)
>>3813360A 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.
>>3813374No, 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.I am sorry for your loss Handler.
...Yeah we're going in, then.Writing!
>>3813381Unlucky, 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.
>>3813445Why would you leave jewelry inside furniture while moving?
>>3813461Wrapped it in a bag then stuffed it into a duvet, still pretty retarded I thought
>>3813475If there is shiny, always take it with you. People will always try to take stuff without the owner around.
>>3813481Aye, but apparently to some people carrying around a bag of gold is less safe than giving it to strangers and expecting nothing to happen
>>3813486A bag of gold? I thought it was like a necklace or rings. But a BAG? How rich are you?
>>3813491Figure of speech anon. Think it was just necklaces and crap made of gold or silver
>>3813505You 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>> OtherWe 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>>3813522Cheers 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?
>>3815389Don't the walkers have keys to lock them? Maybe swan can hack and open the doors. It is possible.
>>3815389I don't think they'd fit in our bag.But damn if I don't want to try.
>>3815442I mean we can always take the shiny bits. We can also break them into small pieces and stuff them into the bag.
>>3815478Maybe 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.
>>3815421They'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.
>>3815487Go all mortal combat and eat the core.
>>3815491Yeah they have robust systems. So first scout and then jack their rides.
>>3813562Is no one else interested in going stealth but leaving ourselves an out for if things go loud?
>>3813518Forgot 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>>3813878Considering 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 knucklesThis 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.
>>3817227Gartoum 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
>>3817222I think Lo------- might be loading bay or something>B------ (The rest of this option is unreadable)>use ’Real Divinity’ Respirator
>>3817282>>Mana Knuckles>>Barrier Manipulation: Air Step (I presume that's what Mana Step is, if not, let me know)I like the flamethrower, but practicing it inside an old building is asking for trouble.
Rolled 20, 8 = 28 (2d20)>>3817282>Flamethrower>Barrier Manipulation: Air Step (I presume that's what Mana Step is, if not, let me know)
Rolled 10, 8 = 18 (2d20)>>3817288forgot the roll
>>3817290Not if you roll like i did it isn't. :V
Rolled 2, 3 = 5 (2d20)>>3817282>>Mana Knuckles>>Barrier Manipulation: Air Step (I presume that's what Mana Step is, if not, let me know)
Rolled 19, 6 = 25 (2d20)>>3817282>Mana Knuckles>Barrier Manipulation: Air Step (I presume that's what Mana Step is, if not, let me know)
Well then.That's one figured out. Writing.
>>3817282>Mana Knuckles>Barrier Manipulation: Air StepI forgot that Handler has Saturdays off.
>>3817282Mana Step was us copying Lorei in the wild west place I thought?
>>3817322Featherfoot?
>>3817322I think it was the thing we learned with Izumi on the last job to walk on water, mud or lava unhindered.
>>3817328>>3817332So we would go faster through lizardfolk swamps
Oh, that. I really should've written that down. Thought I did and it was just under Barrier Manipulation. Meh, I'll write it out and well see, howsabout that? I think it'll be alright.
>>3817328#69>Learned Mana Step! Miranda can cover her feet with a layer of specially treated mana in order to prevent her feet from being at risk to elements that risk her injury or debilitation, such as swampland, corrosive liquids, lava, or other such dangers. It taxes her to maintain it under those adverse conditions, however...>Cost: 250 Mana (+150 per post it’s not deactivated)
>>3817339These are also missing#72>Learned ‘Over Channel’! This technique is more of an emergency powerup, and gives Miranda a much larger bigger boost in strength than her normal Physical Boost and Energy Channel, but takes a lot of stamina to keep up, and even saps her mana more than normal. Cost: 1000 Mana Activation + roll for upkeep per post it’s activated(1dX x 100).>Leaned ‘Wisp Lighter’! This technique is the basis, you think, for a flamethrower technique. As it is, you’d have to be within touching range of something to light anything on fire with it, but it’s at least something if you don’t want to DIRECTLY poke something with your fingers...
>>3817346Ohh. I just put that down as a lock. You know it, you aren't practicing it.I'll add the other two, though.
>>3817356Oh, I thought we used it to travel through the swamplands after practicing it with Izumi.
>>3817360Yeah, you did. So you know how to do it already, no need for practice to nail down the basics perse, unless you just want to use it.
>>3817282Unhooking your bag, you decide that it’s high time you put that respirator to use. Seither is amaz- nice, but if you get too much of it in your head it’s probably going to...well, it’d be good, right? In a way? Or...no, not. Certainly not. The device is easily strapped around your head; it covers your nose and mouth entirely, the device fortunately sleek and angular, and the look of it a smooth, shiny white, even painted a bit with a caricature of a demon’s fangs around where the jaws would be. Wonder if that’s intentional irony considering the name. As soon as it’s clasped, however, it seems to shift, recognizing its attached to something as it extends slightly more around your lower jaw, nearly up to your ear, and the filters on either side spin and begin to do their work. To your surprise, a small blue screen pops ups from the center of it, almost forming a second visor over your eyes. Respirator secured.Filter Active.Voice Commands Active.Active Scanning Enabled.In the corner of the visor, a small graph pops up; apparently it can at least tell the difference between normal air/oxygen and ‘foreign particles’ and is giving you an active readout of what’s going in and what isn’t. Neat.“This way,” you say through the filtered noise nod as you head off in the direction given for whatever ‘Lo’ was. Seems interesting enough. The two bots wordlessly agree, and from there is a surprisingly lengthy trip as you continue on. Although quiet, this is different from that laboratory...bodies are everywhere, and in all sorts of states of rotting. Many have bulbous parts from Seither Overload, and...massive cysts that you’re not sure you want to know what’s in. It’s like an infection took place here…“This is...very unfortunate.” Prima says quietly. “Perhaps I’m using the wrong word, however…”“Mebbe,” Jago says just as quietly. “This Seither junk looks plenty serious for these folks…”Aside from that, the journey is quiet. Eventually, it gets to the point where you decide to make some progress in some of those techniques you’d dreamed up. Your mana knuckles thing doesn’t seem that hard to figure out. It more or less broke in the fight with Avos, but you’d just really tried it, and you had a pretty good idea of how to reinforce it to keep that from happening again. A few pops against the wall (and a bit of quick playboxing with Jago) proves that you’ve figured it out well enough- chances are, actually, you could even use this to punch through various effects or projectiles if throwing up a barrier for any reason was infeasible- or, perhaps, you might even be able to use it as a magic gauntlet of sorts for hand protection, like you do with your feet. Who knows?(cont. 1)
>>3817470As for the other idea you had...less so. Considering your past foray into rather...sticky grounds, you’d managed to develop a way to protect your feet similarly, but in terms of movement, it still didn’t compare to just...not having to deal with it in the first place. It’s that thought that makes you consider how tough it’d be to have a way to just step OVER all that, again without expending as much energy to make a big barrier. If you can just make a foot-sized one right at your feet and then make sure you’re always on it…...doesn’t quite go right, though. It’s not a matter of timing, it’s more a matter of holding concentration as you move. Like juggling, of a sort. You’re pretty sure you can figure it out, just need to practice it more.However, that has to get put on the backburner for now, as you find yourself in a massive, cavernous area that’s...well, it’s strange to describe. Your first guess would be some type of housing, judging by the buildings in it. Getting closer in reveals that there’s a lot of old and busted machinery here, laying around. And a LOT of bodies, to boot. It seems like there was something that happened, though- Some of these, although long decayed, are missing limbs, others just plain with apparent damage that certainly isn’t falling dead from just sickness, even this…“Yes...I believe I was not using the proper term before,” Prima affirms. “I believe ‘disgusting’ and ‘disturbing’ are more accurate here.” There’s another tunnel far off to the right and bit in the distance from where you came in, large and clearly intended for vehicles to go through; it’s even paved somewhat.Jago nods. “Gonna agree wicha there. On the other hand, can’t still be about, can it?” He looks in the distance to where there’s some kind of...tall structure. You’re not sure what it is exactly, although it looks vaguely like some kind of rocket launch pad. Like the kind you use to launch space satellites and the sort.>Investigate the buildings. There might be something here about what caused all this.>Check out the launch site. What were they trying to get up?>Head through the tunnel. Maybe there’s a vehicle or two you could scrounge up that still works…>Other---------Hm. Messed that green highlight up. Sorry.
>>3817472>Investigate the buildings. There might be something here about what caused all this.Something tells me the nerds would be interested in it. Also we haven't bumped into the lionheart folks.
>>3817472>Check out the launch site. What were they trying to get up?Lets jump to the top of the rocket, open a hole a check the payload.
>>3817472>Investigate the buildings. There might be something here about what caused all this.
>>3817472>Investigate the buildings. There might be something here about what caused all this.>Summon Gartoum to investigate the tunnel
>>3817472>>Check out the launch site. What were they trying to get up?
>>3817472>>Investigate the buildings. There might be something here about what caused all this.The goal isn't important if we're not here to investigate a problem, but the cause could be payment.
>>3817472Oh yeah, summon gartoum as well.
>>3817500My money is on cannibal mutants
>>3817472>Check out the launch site. What were they trying to get up?
Buildings it is. Gotta be a reason for all these corpses and random stuff. Looks like an apoc- oh.Writing!
>>3817472Making tiny barriers in the air and trying to step on them sounds alarming considering we know they're razor sharp, no... atom sharp? Magically sharp at the least.>Call in to Aegis and warn them to steer clear of this area.That'll clear up how much aegis trust us a bit too.
>>3817591>Making tiny barriers in the air and trying to step on them sounds alarming considering we know they're razor sharp, no... atom sharp? Magically sharp at the least.And the problem is? We arent trying to cut ourselves with them.
>>3817610Well no you don't *try* to cut yourself with them, not on purpose no.
>>3817591Think thw barrier cutting ability being only on the edges and not in the flat part, like a sword.
>>3817618I figured they were about five feet by five feet, or somewhere around the size of an upper-middle class family’s dinner table if I was just spitballing it.
>>3817618Well yes. Like >>3817625 sai, we're stepping on the flat side and if for some reason the barrier breaks, they dissolve. We won't get cut by them.
>>3817625>>3817638>>3817640Have you guys ever tripped on the steps while walking up the stairs? Now imagine what would have happened to your foot if it was an atom-sharp barrier instead of a blunt surface.
>>3817656It doesn't work that way. For the barrier to cut you, you have to apply force againt the edge, not alongside the edge. We also have never tripped before when using the skill before.
You guys are overthinking it. And the barriers have are harmonized to us anyways.I wonder why are you reluctant to summon Gartoum though. He really helped us out earlier in this mission.
>>3817656Why do you think I imagined it five feet by five feet, anon?I think we’re both imagining different ways Miranda’s using this barrier platform ability. I’m thinking she just jumps with her enhanced jumps, summons a barrier to land on mid-air, then lands on it and prepares to jump again. From what I’ve read on what you think Miranda’s doing, she’s running on smaller barriers like someone using rocks to cross a stream, right?
>>3817665I’m kinda reluctant due to the fact that he might get a whiff of this seither stuff and become harder to control when he’s high off his ass.
>>3817664>It doesn't work that way. For the barrier to cut you, you have to apply force againt the edgeSo you're saying it works the way I just described and yet it at the same time somehow doesn't. Here's an image to help your imagination
>>3817665>And the barriers have are harmonized to us anyways.Yeah, lets just go with that. Makes enough sense to me.
>>3817684The steps generate under miranda's foot, not like in your image. Also, they go forwards, not upwards. Read the thread where we learned the spell before speculating.
>>3817696>talk about walking up the stairs in the post you were replying to>only now after seeing the image help you get I was actually talking about stairsCome on man
>>3817365Oh, by the way - does Izumi know Mana Step as well, since we worked on it together?
>>3817472“Might as well see if anything worthwhile is still in here,” you figure. “C’mon.” With that, they follow you into the nearest building. It’s...unsurprisingly trashed, with bodies everywhere and in various states of fall. You’re experienced enough to realize that many of said bodies appear to be angled towards the doorway. Many also seemed to have objects in their hands; picking up one nearby, you realize that it’s some kind of data drive...rusted and ruined by now, though. Still, you can tell. “These people were fleeing something. They were trying to get as much data out of here as possible.” Thank goodness for natural light- you’re not sure how they managed it- probably clever application of drilling and windows, but there’s enough of the stuff here coming through the mountain to allow you to see fairly well throughout.There’s a couple of floors to the building, although nothing too crazy, and unfortunately, it seems like this was just a plain work building- a lot of computers and various instruments, but nothing specific...except…“Hm.” There’s one guy here dressed differently than the rest. Looks more like an executive of some sort than anything else. Mostly skin and bones, hardly anything else- but he’s got something attached to his shirt- a red keycard with a ‘4’ stamped in it. You hadn’t seen that before- some others with ‘1’ or ‘2’, but not this. He’s also carrying a tablet device with him after a quick frisking...sadly, when you try it, it’s dead. You don’t know if anything messed up on the inside, but…“Excuse me?” Prima asks quietly. When you turn to her, she holds out her hand for the device. “If I may?” Seeing no reason not to, you hand it over. It takes her a bit, but her eyes flash a bit before returning it to you. “It appears to be solar-powered. We can, potentially, restore its energy if we find a bright enough area.”Oh. Well, that’s useful. But also for later. For now…>Roll 1d20.>Head back and look elsewhere (where?)>Take a look at the launchpad, might as well.>Leave the base and report it; it’s not a high priority.>Other
>>3817735>Head back and look elsewhere (where?)>Hospital>Summon Gartoum to look for Lionhead mercs or investigate the tunnel
Rolled 8 (1d20)>>3817735>Take a look at the launchpad, might as well.
Rolled 10 (1d20)>>3817735
Rolled 19 (1d20)>>3817735>Summon Gartoum to look for Lionhead mercs or investigate the tunnel>Head back and look elsewhere (where?)>Hospital
Rolled 10 (1d20)>>3817735>>Take a look at the launchpad, might as well.
>>3817735>Take a look at the launchpad, might as well.What is going to ambush us? Big spiders, xenos, spider xenos?
>>3817735>>Take a look at the launchpad, might as well.
>>3817735>Take a look at the launchpad, might as well.>>3817762If we’re summoning him, warn him about going topside, and how seither might affect him
>>3817793>Didn't he already exposed himself to Seither? The worst it did to him was giving the air a spicy taste.
>>3817807I don’t think so... at most I know we didn’t summon him inside of a seither-irradiated zone the last time we called him up.
Launchpad it is. Gonna take a breather and be back later in about an hour or so.
>>3817840You know, we can just desummon him if he starts acting weird. There's no harm in calling him.
To be honest, after the mission I wanted to hang around this world for a bit. We can go to a seither heavy area and train our powers there and maybe try expanding Miranda arsenal for future jobs. Handler, would Sal permits Miranda to stay on this world even just a little bit?
>>3817983It IS OK for Outgoers to stay for a bit after a job I think (remember the Artificer crossover's celebration party?). Miranda just generally beamed out as soon as possible because she's efficient and tried to finish almost everything before doing so.
>>3817983Maybe like a day or two, and launch a couple of nebula busters. Because dammit, we did not hit our quota per mission yet.
>>3817998We spent time celebrating because our client was busy that moment and could only pay the next day.Also why can't we just train in the OTC once we return? We can even take a partner to share ideas and stuff - these Mana Knuckles for example are similar to Izumi's Palms of Succor, so maybe we can work together and find a way to improve our techniques and get pointers on how to use them.
>>3818020I skimmed through the previous threads a bit and the thoughts of slowing down a bit after this job was brought up a few times yes. I myself wanted to roam the streets of Intersection for random encounters.
>>3818020>>3818035There is nothing stopping us from spending a long time in the intersection. The problem is that most anons want to get the hell out of there ASAP because they wrongly believe that we won't be able to pay our dues or such.
>>3818044When WAS the last time we paid rents anyway?Actually since that's the only gameover this quest has (beside dying that is), I'd say we could just grind sidequests in the Intersection for Lotes and forego most of the jobs, but Sal would be buttmad furious.
>>3818068>When WAS the last time we paid rents anyway?Right after the crossover. So I guess we'll be paying up once we finish this job.How much are we getting for this job? All 30 or do we have to split it with the bots?
>>3818044I am scared of the dues. However, considering we have a lot of motes we could take a break. Spend like an entire thread exploring intersection and have fun with the team. Maybe start a poker night with everyone using their abilities to cheat while Miranda just bluffs, raises, and all ins on everything. Granted we will lose most of the time but it will be fun.
>>3818086The payout we see in the page tends to be after taxes and tariffs. This usually includes the cuts the other members we take get.
>>3818090>Shitty movies>Bar Crawl>>>>>Poker
Back, writing!
>>3818106fffuck now you reminded me of the movie Miranda got in. We have to gather peeps to watch it, it's her debut on the big screen after all.>>3818138Do we get to roll if the movie is genuinely good or not Handler? I'll cash out my luck to get a 20 to get it to cult classic tier.
>>3818106Bar crawl>>>Getting shitfaced in our department=shitty movies.
>>3818139that would have to be a nat 1
>>3818139Save our movie for last, and tear into it if its awful.
>>3818140Getting shitfaced in our department=shitty movies > Getting shitfaced while watching shitty movies in our department
>>3818139I think we already rolled for that
>>3818044We spent some extra time in the intersection fairly recently, after this last job or the previous one iirc, it's just been awhile IRL. No one is afraid of missing payments due to hanging around too much,m there's just only so much to do And I think Handler gets as twitchy as the rest of us sometimes to get back to actually doing a job.No pubcrawl please. remember the last time we went out drinking? It cost us an entire mission's cut of Lotes.
>>3818011We better find those big ass ayyylmaos and blast them into nothing. Bonus points for blasting their base as well.blasting a lionheart mecha is fine too
>>3818158Okay we will instead drink in the department while watching movies, then poker on the following night.
>>3818158>there's just only so much to doThere's a lot of research material and ideas for training. We've compiled a huge list of experimental ideas and even had an entire Q&A thread discussing the Intersection and training. Damn, we've got half of dozen books to read. And when anons hurried to get a new job before doing some training I almost got mad.
>>3818196Because sitting around training is boring. It would mostly be timeskips, with us slowly bleeding cash through daily living and tax. And for what? All our training is for "nice to have"s. We don't have a need to stop working and go into training montage mode.We could stand to spend a few more hours here and there training or relaxing, but it's not a big priority.
>>3818221Miranda isn't a robot though and she's gonna need a vacation sooner or later.
>>3818221Manacost of Miranda's techniques ranges from 'okay-ish' to 'attrocious'. We always argue about the use of mana and even spent some cash on mana supplies just to feel comfortable.And we're flush for cash at the moment, so I don't see how resting in the Intersection for a week or two is an issue.
The reason I wanted to stay here is because when we use Mana for spells, the seither fields regenerate Miranda's Mana making it an effective way to experiment. For example making Nebula Buster shape it into a javelin and throw it accurately and explodes upon impact like how nebula buster works. But that's just an example.
>>3818254I just want to blow shit up with busters.
>>3818252If you want to compensate the mana cost os certain skills just need to train then to adjust the mana we spend using then. Same way how Miranda doesn't spend mana using her magi blasts.
>>3818263Considering the giant mutant frogs i think we will get a chance.
>>3817755>>3817763>>3817774>>3817788>>3817793“Let’s check out the launchpad,” you decide, hopping down from the second floor easily enough. Jago and Prima follow with little issue, and you all make your way over to the large steel structure. As you get closer, you can see that, to your surprise, there’s definitely a hole there, a rather massive one, in fact...and you can see, along with scaffolding large enough to get halfway to the cavern’s ceiling.“Streuth, this thing’s massive…” Jago wonders aloud. He’s not at all wrong- the yawning opening has to be at least 50 yards in diameter, maybe more. PROBABLY more. What somewhat surprises you when you get close enough is when you peer inside said hole- and see the roof hull of what looks like some kind of large ship. Looking upwards, you do notice that there does indeed seem to be some sort of hatch, clearly leading outside. “Huh. They didn’t launch it, whatever it is,” you notice. So, there must be some sort of control center nearby, then? “Cursory scanning indicates that it has a rather large storage capacity...as well as thruster capacity. I am uncertain without a more thorough scan, but I estimate this can indeed break orbit,” Prima supplies. “Think they was tryin’ to fly the coop afore everythin’ went ta shite?” Jago asks. “It’s possible,” you admit.>Roll 2d20, best of three.>Leave it be. If it’s just a transport system, you’ve no interest in it.>There DOES seem to be a way down there. Might as well take a looksee.>Other
Rolled 8, 18 = 26 (2d20)>>3818279>>There DOES seem to be a way down there. Might as well take a looksee.
Rolled 17, 9 = 26 (2d20)>>3818279>Other>Send gartoun to scout ahead.
Rolled 9, 19 = 28 (2d20)>>3818279>There DOES seem to be a way down there. Might as well take a looksee.
>>3818279Did we find the ark? Is this titan a.e.?>There DOES seem to be a way down there. Might as well take a looksee.>Keep an eye out for traitorous experienced human pilots
Rolled 3, 15 = 18 (2d20)>>3818279>There DOES seem to be a way down there. Might as well take a looksee.>Summon Gartoum alreadyI know I sound like a broken record
>>3818279>There DOES seem to be a way down there. Might as well take a looksee.Oh look aliens!! Or at least reversed alien tech. Also if it has a storage capacity it must mean that there is probably being loaded inside right?
Rolled 12, 7 = 19 (2d20)>>3818279>There DOES seem to be a way down there. Might as well take a looksee.>>3818252Mana cost isn't something Randa can fix without a ton of work over a long period. It would involve changing her entire style. Even stuff we've tried to work on with the explicit goal of "low mana cost" still runs several times more than is desired. As far as I'm concerned it's just part of her nature. That doesn't mean we can't pick at it, but it's not "fixable" in the timeframe of the quest.Taxes are taken as a percentage of held cash (not income for some reason), so having a large reserve isn't as big of a help as you might think. A Week or two wouldn't sink us, but how long did it take us to actually build up this much cash? We tend to spend most of our paycheck immediately before or after a job.
>>3818291Doesn't look organic so ot must not be alien. Makes me wonder what they were trying to do.
>>3818297The mancost issue is fixable - the old upgrade system has ranks of how well a certain technique is developedp, and it can be improved with training. Don't just shut it down just because you see it as character's quirk.As for money - what do you even want to do with it?
>>3818279>There DOES seem to be a way down there. Might as well take a looksee.>>3818299I think they were either trying to launch nukes into the alien fleet, or it was an ark ship, or a shuttle to move into a space base.
Kinda figured you would, but. Figured I'd give the option.Writing.
>>3818325Moon Base? Or maybe a Mars base.
>>3818279>“Huh. They didn’t launch it, whatever it is,” belowground missile silos are usually where you'd stick ICBMs. This place may have been repurposed, but there's little reason otherwise to go to the trouble of building a concealed launch bay.>>3818304increasing the ranks of spells did little to change their cost. It mostly modified our ability to cast it without messing up,and iirc to some degree the spell's effectiveness.It's not a quirk, it's a core tent of Randa. She is vastly powerful, but unsubtle. She doesn't have the ability/inclination to go to the effort of being more efficient, when she's got the raw power to force it to work.As we've seen, even when she does try to scale things down, it is a scaling down, not a redesign. It's like cutting half the cylinders off an old engine. Sure, it technically uses half as much gas, but it's not anymore efficient.Like I said, we can work on this to some degree. But I seriously doubt we'll get this big breakthrough some anons seem to be chasing.Frankly, I get a little annoyed when anons take an existing character with existing preferences, styles and relationships, and completely ignore them to twist them into whatever they want. For a blank slate, that's fine, expected even. But Miranda already has a well established way of doing things. Play the character.
>>3818372Yeah, I'm tired of talking with a brick wall as well. Fuck you too.
>>3818367I would say a moon base as it is closer and accessible.
>>3818386I know the feeling. Fuck off.
>>3818325Funfact, in Titan A.E. the Ark is all three of those!
>>3818367Assuming something similar to the solar system, the moon is closer, but mars is more hospitable, importantly in gravity. And closeness isn't as much as you might think. "Getting to orbit is halfway to anywhere."I dunno if it was for passengers though. "storage capacity" is kinda vague, but suggests to me cargo. Maybe satelite delivery?
>>3818414Maybe it was an orbital habitat. Its way easier to make a space station and spin it on its axis for some nice fake gravity than to colonize another planet.
>>3818412A fine ship.>>3818414Satellite delivery could work too. Maybe it was a hammer of dawn, the thor project, or stealth satellites for back up networks.
>>3818423But would you try to run to the orbit while the planet is being invaded by aliens? I guess this solves that discussion about the people in the planet being able to send stuff through the planets orbit.
>>3818423I dunno, how hard is it to create, launch and source materials for a self-sustaining indefinite habitat?
>>3818434I would imagine building a self sustaining habitat would take a while. Look at the ISS, it is small and still requires resupply to handle a few people.
>>3818279>>3818283>>3818290>>3818291>>3818292>>3818295>>3818297You notice that there’s a way down; a staircase that’s carefully walled and protected...or at least, it was. There’s a number of bodies near it, all facing towards it, too. Whatever killed these people, they were trying to get to it…“Let’s check this thing out,” you decide. You could make that jump, but you doubt your robot allies would be quite so durable, so stairs it is.The light is far darker down here, and you’re forced to light things up yourself to see. A controlled magiblast serves as your temporary light for now. Not to mention it’s probably decent practice for those since you don’t use them much. It’s particularly helpful because you find yourself stepping over the occasional fallen body from time to time, all of them in advanced decrepit states, more bones than anything else.“Oy, do those smell?” Jago suddenly asks out of the blue.You briefly pause at that. “...yes. Why?”He just shrugs, of all things. “Jus’ wonderin’. Can’t smell, meself, so.”“I would not WANT to,” Prima says briskly as she quickly looks back to focus on Jago. “It seems a surefire way to distract yourself. Not to mention the-”“Oh, I doubt it’s so bad,” Jago responds as you head down another flight. “I know a couplea things I wanna smell.”“Oh?” Despite her distaste for the idea, Prima seems curious. “Like what? Certain foods? You can’t eat. Oh, perhaps flowers?” She tilts her head a bit as she looks back; the expression is almost smug, you swear. “Do you have a ‘soft’ side you’re not telling us, perhaps?”“Oy, ain’t none yer business why I wanna sniff things!” Jago says quickly. You’re not going to even question it, honestly. Prima just narrows her eyes slightly and returns her attention forward.(cont.)
>>3818453It’s not much longer before you see the rest of the device. It’s definitely some kind of transport ship, but it’s boxy and rather...well, unrefined is the word you’d use. Not sleek and stylish like the Walkers are by any means...though perhaps that’s better? But you certainly don’t get a ‘finished product’ vibe from this thing. It’s not painted or anything, either. Just seems like it might’ve been a desperate gambit from desperate people.Once you get to the bottom, the staircase terminates into what you can only guess is a waiting lobby- and THIS is the worst bodycount you’ve seen yet. A massive amount of peoples’ arms, chest, any part of the body you can guess, torn open from musculature overgrowth, blood pooling under them in various amounts. Benches are packed with the dead. Even as rotted as they are, you can still see blood and viscera coming out of these people. Men, women, children- a LOT of children in fact- all of them in various states of...that. Lying around, some who’s faces have yet to change from those last rictuses of fear, many scrambling for the doorway across the room to a hope that would never happen, forming a fetid and morose pile of the dead and forgotten. You just let out a deep sigh. It’s brutal, sure, but it’s nothing you haven’t- wait.Fuck.You turn back quickly to your two robot allies- shit, Prima’s flat out shivering now. Jago isn’t doing much better either. You barely get a word out to ask before Prima interrupts you, her eyes snapping to yours. “I do not wish to be here. I do not wish to be here. I do not wish to be here. I do not wish to be here. I do not wish to be here…”That’s enough to get Jago to snap out of his own stupor briefly. “Shiiite...come on, love, you alright in there? You look at me, yeah? Hello?”“I do not wish to be here. I do not wish to be here. I do not wish to be here...” The mantra continues as you inwardly curse yourself. You DID say…>Roll 2d20+-5, best of three.>Fuck it, abort. It’s not worth it, and you promised her you’d leave if it got to be too much for her- which it is.>Get Jago to get her back up the stairs and help her snap out of it. You’ll investigate a bit for safety’s sake and be right there.>Other
>>3818433its not a bad idea. In the general scale of things, a space station is very small and is really hard to find, specially if you place it in a eccentric orbit>>3818434It depends, but it might be rather easy because this is a world that already has mechs. everything is off the table when you have mechs.
>>3818423Spinning orbital habitats have some significant engineering challenges (especially in materials engineering). But yeah, it's entirely possible.If there were any up there though, I imagine the aliens trashed them pretty thoroughly on their way in unfortunately.>>3818433Panic? Spacecraft aren't built in a day, and they maybe have thought "escape" and no further.>>3818432After I posted, I remembered something important about STO launches: they aren't stealthy. If someone wanted to put something like that up, adding it to a lineup of mundane launches would be the best disguise.This could be a decommissioned ICBM base that some private company bought for commercial use though. In that case, who knows what the intended payload was.
Rolled 11, 2 - 5 = 8 (2d20 - 5)>>3818455>Get Jago to get her back up the stairs and help her snap out of it. You’ll investigate a bit for safety’s sake and be right there.
Rolled 10, 14 + 5 = 29 (2d20 + 5)>>3818455>Fuck it, abort. It’s not worth it, and you promised her you’d leave if it got to be too much for her- which it is.
Rolled 10, 20 + 5 = 35 (2d20 + 5)>>3818455>Fuck it, abort. It’s not worth it, and you promised her you’d leave if it got to be too much for her- which it is.
Rolled 4, 2 + 5 = 11 (2d20 + 5)>>3818455>>Get Jago to get her back up the stairs and help her snap out of it. You’ll investigate a bit for safety’s sake and be right there.A lot of people died trying to get to whatever this is. And it'll give them some time to level out a bit.
Rolled 9, 7 + 5 = 21 (2d20 + 5)>>3818455>>Fuck it, abort. It’s not worth it, and you promised her you’d leave if it got to be too much for her- which it is.
Goddammit 4chan and your stupid plus/minus thing. But yeah, that's supposed to be subtracting 5 from both rolls.
>>3818476Oh i hope it counts didn't noticed the minus.
>>3818481Honestly, i thought it was an abnormally large + sign and didn't give it a second tought.
>>3818455>Get Jago to get her back up the stairs and help her snap out of it. You’ll investigate a bit for safety’s sake and be right there.We should check for mutant horrors, and survivors.
>>3818477I would rather not split from the bots with two possible enemies inside the compound and leave Jago alone with Prima in the state she is right now.
Rolled 3, 14 + 5 = 22 (2d20 + 5)>>3818455>Fuck it, abort. It’s not worth it, and you promised her you’d leave if it got to be too much for her- which it is.I want a fight, but prima needs to be stabilized. >>3818459Maybe it was a fast plane to get people to another base using orbit entry to stay high above the aliens or something.
>>3818477And we promised prima to get her out of this because she's sensible to this kind of stuff. Returning her to the surface doesn't mean that whatever is down here will stop existing. we can return when we leave both bots on the mech.
>>3818481Re roll?
>>3818491I doubt there are any survivors and whatever caused this already ran away.Also poor Prima she will need a lot of take care and pick me up once we get back. Hinestly this wasn't even our fault how would we know about the corpses...
Nah, I'mma just take them as they are. You all figured what I meant, and I still mess it up myself constantly.
>>3818499>Returning her to the surface doesn't mean that whatever is down here will stop existing. we can return when we leave both bots on the mech.There are still hostiles down here somewhere. I doubt we'll have a chance to revisit this place. I'm assuming those roles are related to our groups running into each other.
>>3818499It's not like the ship will go any where for now. We just need to move away make Prima get her shit together. Besides i doubt we can even use or access the thing without her hacking, could just put it on the hold and tell the nerd were we found the thing.
>>3818509 You know what they say about assuming things?
>>3818511We 've got an access card from a corpse of an executive. It would be a shame to leave this key unused - we still don't know what exactly was happening here.
>>3818511That's fine for me, but lets take her away from here.>>3818509Prima is more important, because she's the one that is going back to the intersection with us. We really don't want to get psychological therapy for her. Specially when there are only two real groups that deal with robots in all of the intersection>SpoilerMore reasons to get prima out then. Its detrimental to us if she goes into shock in the middle of a firefight.
>>3818517Something about asses?
>>3818517True enough, I suppose. Dunno what else it might be though. We've had 2d20 every post, which is unusual for Handler. Could be loot tables or something I guess. Or maybe related to the body count?
>>3818530It can also be related to prima and jago, but the other to unknown agents make more sense.
>>3818455The second we let the bots out of our sight is the second they get jumped by- zombies? aliens? zombie aliens? lionheart mercs? aegis backstab? anything really.>Fuck it, abort. It’s not worth it, and you promised her you’d leave if it got to be too much for her- which it is.>Report to Aegis this exists in-case they feel like exploring.
>>3818530Mercs, xenos, mutants, scapers, loot. It can be literally anything
Protect childbot thing. Bounce.Just be careful you don't knock into anything...or anyone.Writing.
>>3818542Man this was supposed to be a easy job, Prima wasn't supposed to see all this...death. Poor bot will nees to rest a little bit.Also can someone remind me if Lionheart was the one that followed us into the canyon or if they are the ones that tried to stop us from destroying that lab were we got the intel.
>>3818559It was Orion. Lionheart are new players.
>>3818559Lionheart mercs were protecting Orion's lab, then Orion's patrol chased us to the canyon. These two are in cahoots.
>>3818564Wasn't one of the Mercs ggroups working woth Orion? It had the veteran, the girl and the rookie
>>3818559>>3818564Lionheart were the mercs working with Orion who we BAPPED. Protag-kun is with Lionheart
>>3818568Wonder if it's rookie, but i take of it was the same mechs we would have reconized it.
>>3818571>>3818570Oh. Well, seems like we have a reputation to uphold and one very scared bot to get away from harms way.
>>3818559Even momo did not have such a bad first job compared to prima.
>>3818571Well we are killing these guys then. Can't let then go away with this place location and if they see Miranda can't let then know who is the pilot of the White Walker.
>>3818575Rookie WAS running a default mech, maybe he got an upgrade.>>3818559>>3818579To be fair, they did request we accompany Primo and Jago on this mission, this is their teething mission as much as Momo's was hers. We were just pro-active about that one.
>>3818579This isn't Prima's first job - Lori went on a milk run with bots when we were posing as a Summon.
>>3818582Why not? Just gotta keep the stoic murderer persona up and running. We can have this funny dichotomy where our bots have personality and we don't.
>>3818579Mono's mission was brutal in a very different way though (specially because it wasn't one, but two). Also, she was more used to kill than prima.
>>3818589No, anon, Lorelei was showing them around the Intersection and getting Prima some chassis upgrades.
I'm a total scrub with post-processing, so I'll have to practice a bit in the future. In the mean time here's Miranda with elf ears, just because.
>>3818596>>3818589#64 right in the OP>Apparently, Lorelei had managed a rather simple job for Prima and Jago, while she was playing behind the scenes- similar to what you’d done for Mono. “I SWEAR, I’d never imagine Jago could scream like that!”
>>3818590Avos sees Miranda tear apart mercs with no hesitation, while the bots try to show mercy and compassion. He questions who is truly the monster.
>>3818590I guess there isn't a need our job was only to keep people from associating us to our employer and they don't know that Zeon comes from our employer.
>>3818601Elf Randa is cute.
>>3818610More likely the way he is so edge he will start to think if we are so strong because we don't hesitate to kill other people.
>>3818626Lowkey? I can't wait to come back to base and Avos is trying to get an AI installed in his bot, hunting down a pair of tinted shades and insisting he doesn't need his suit in his mech to be more like 'Lane'.
>>3818626If he asks, drop the bane line about darkness and Seither. He will believe our shit since, hey we are strong.
>>3818455>>3818469>>3818476>>3818479>>3818496>>3818537Forget it; you’ll either just leave it for others or come back later, but right now Prima’s clearly having a mental breakdown, or whatever passes for one for a robot. “Come on, we’re leaving, then,” you say in a voice that brooks no argument as you scoop Prima up, then Jago despite light protest. She wraps her arms around you, but she continues her vocalizations. “I do not wish to be here. I do not wish to be here. I do not wish to be here…” You find yourself taking the stairs up multiple at a time, and you don’t stop until you can find an alcove free of any bodies in their immediate sight whatsoever. “Hey, we’re not there anymore,” you say softly as you place her down. “We aren’t there anymore. Look, see?”You can see her pupils refocusing as she takes a moment to observe her new surroundings. “Hm? Oh...I see. We are not...yes. Good. Thank you.” She still seems out of sorts, for certain...maybe it’d be best to just leave this place alone and head back for now. Jago shakes his head as you mull this over. “Gotta admit, that was a bit much. One thing for grown folks what signed on ta it, but…” Right. Even for a fighter like him, that likely was over what he’s good with imagining.You sigh. “Well, if you two aren’t comfortable, we’ll avoid that place and maybe-” before you can finish that sentence, however, you hear two voices in the distance, and getting closer. “Hey, check THIS place out! Eugh...looks pretty messed up.” A female, it seems. Young, too. “We’ve already gotten a lot, buuuut...couldn’t hurt to sweep the place just in case, right?”“I’m, uh...I guess.” the second voice comes. Male, and...vaguely familiar? “Just wish it wasn’t so...morose.”“...yeah, you’re not wrong,” the first voice concedes. “All these people just...gone in a flash.”“Well...if those signals you got weren’t fake, maybe we can keep some people from suffering the same fate. Maybe get some more supplies, too. Would be nice if we could help improve the base…” Hm. So, they’re here for the same reason. Interesting…>You can join them and play the wandering, risky Scrapper for a bit. It’d be easy to use and then bail on them in case something iffy happens.>Better to avoid these kids altogether. Who knows what might happen if you have to square off- and you’re not just talking physically.>You can tail them, maybe. Let them THINK they have the run of things; maybe even hear a few interesting tidbits.>Other
>>3818664>You can tail them, maybe. Let them THINK they have the run of things; maybe even hear a few interesting tidbits.Either way they are not getting alive outta here.
>>3818664>You can tail them, maybe. Let them THINK they have the run of things; maybe even hear a few interesting tidbits.Sounds like scrappers or really convincing mercs.
>>3818664>You can tail them, maybe. Let them THINK they have the run of things; maybe even hear a few interesting tidbits.>Other: "Use the invisibility sigil and send Prima and Jago back to Zeon"
>>3818664>You can join them and play the wandering, risky Scrapper for a bit. It’d be easy to use and then bail on them in case something iffy happens.We'll keep a close eye on them.
>>3818664>>You can tail them, maybe. Let them THINK they have the run of things; maybe even hear a few interesting tidbits.But send the bots back to the mech. Both of them need cool off time.
>>3818664>>Better to avoid these kids altogether. Who knows what might happen if you have to square off- and you’re not just talking physically.Sabotage their mechs, though, so they can't get back to their base, then notify our bosses.
>>3818682Considering we reconized one of the voices. It's probably the rookie. Man he really is the protagonist another girl walking around with him, which since we are the villan we will probably kill too.
>>3818664>You can tail them, maybe. Let them THINK they have the run of things; maybe even hear a few interesting tidbits.Time to practice stealth.
>>3818664>>Better to avoid these kids altogether. Who knows what might happen if you have to square off- and you’re not just talking physically.I see little to no reason to get involved here.
>>3818664Changing >>3818689 to >>3818686
>>3818698Oh. Well he is dead now.
>>3818664“We’ve already gotten a lot" YOUR BACKPACKS ARE FULL YOU SAY?>You can tail them, maybe. Let them THINK they have the run of things; maybe even hear a few interesting tidbits.I don't know how the terrain would allow for us to tail them, it sounds like they're following along the same path we were.Well, we have recon abilities, time to use all of them, because Seither regen.>SniffThe invisibility sigil I dunno if it'll be good to use, the bots aren't stable at the moment.
>>3818715>the bots aren't stable at the moment.That's why I want to send them back to the mech. Plus, if things kick off they can go loud.
>>3818698Well, now he's the protagonist of a horror movie. A horror movie he won't survive.>>3818664also adding >Other: "Use the invisibility sigil and send Prima and Jago back to Zeon"AND>Give one of the comm stones to prima so that she can keep in touch with us.
>>3818721Just because they're bots doesn't mean they're immune to X-com rookie syndrome.Two rookies sent off alone? Damn near suicide.
>>3818734With ayys, sectapods, green mist, and exalt. It would be a squad wipe.
>>3818723So we are playing the monster? Neat!!
>>3818753It is our next movie adaptation. Are we a xenomorph, predator, terminator, or a velociraptor?
>>3818743>[HIDDEN ENEMY MOVEMENT]
>>3818753Yeah. What would be our theme? i vote for link related. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkOJ9uNj9EY
>>3818758I will go with Predator because of the invisibility.
Rolled 91, 72 = 163 (2d100)>>3818759>[HIDDEN ENEMY MOVEMENT]Quality of pod, damage caused.
Tailing. Hopefully.And maybe we can get the bots out of here early, it seems...Writing.
>>3818664You’re not really keen on putting on an acting show right now, and more importantly, you have two bots that need to refocus after seeing what they saw. You’re not sure just leaving the kids alone is a good idea, though. If they see anything that could be detrimental, or perhaps find whatever is making those signals and could use them...well, it’d be bad for you.“Okay, you two. I’m putting you on the bench for now,” you whisper as you hear murmuring get closer. “You need to get back to the walker and wait for me. That’s an order.”“Bu-” Jago barely gets started before you shush him, instead quickly reaching into your bag and palming him a murmur stone. “This should allow you communication with me. You have mana now, and you only need a little bit to use this. Try and feel that strange spark deep down inside you, and try to direct it in that thing to use it. Understand?”He nods, and you have to duck behind a wall as you hear footsteps. “Hoookay...where to first?” The girl asks. You risk a peek out, and you see...a pale-skinned pinkette, in pigtails, and a plugsuit. She’s a tall thing, too. Beside her is a young man, black-haired, and, if you’re being honest, he looks pretty plain. He’s a head shorter than her, even. It’s the girl that’s surveying the area- you have to duck back when her head starts to turn your way, but before long she speaks back up again. “Hmmmmlet’s check out one of these buildings over here. Might be something interesting, who knows?”“Okay. Right behind you,” the boy answers, and you hear footsteps in the other direction; you’re pretty sure they’re going off in the direction you did when you first came here. After they’re out of earshot, you reach back into your bag to give them something else. “Here’s an invisibility sigil, just in case. Think you can use it? Same way you use the stone.”“Hmmm…” Jago looks at it for a while. “Iunno. Felt like- like SOMETHING’s been fillin’ up on the inside, but inna good way. Maybe that’s it...but...well, hold on a tic.” His fingers fidget a bit with the glyph, but after a minute or two, you can see an ever so faint, yet red aura come from his body...and then, he vanishes.“...Oooh my…” Prima seems enraptured. Suddenly, her hand is pulled forward, and with a ‘C’mon!’ from thin air, she vanishes as well, and then footsteps quickly going away from you, towards the tunnel you (and the two kids) came from.Well...that’s good. At least they can get some recuperation time. And fantastic that Jago got the basics down so quickly- although you wonder if that’s a fluke or no...Well, regardless, now it’s time to do a bit of watching from the shadows. If all goes as you hope, well...You'll probably be adding two more bodies to the masses down here.----------------------(Wrapping it up for tonight.)
Wait, shit, did you guys mean YOU wanted to use the sigil, or give Prima and Jago the sigil? Just realized I could've misinterpreted that.
>>3818820Thanks for running, boss!
Also.Is anyone else here getting/got Daemon X Machina?
>>3818834I've heard a lot of good things about it yes, definitely get it if you're a /m/ enthusiast. Switch is getting a lot of good titles.
>>3818839Oh no I HAVE it. I was basically extending an invitation to join me in glorious mech battles if anyone else does.
>>3818834I do not know what that is. I believe the action was for us to go predator and give the sigil to the bots. Thank you for the run.
>>3818823Pretty sure they meant us use the sigil, but it's not a big deal. We could use the practice, and if we do get caught we can play it off as a nosy scraper.Thanks for running.
>>3818823I was hoping for them using the sigil, which worked!>>3818834>>3818842This makes me wanna have a switch. But my PC was far more important
>>3818855I've been dual-wielding PCs and Nintendo handhelds for a while. Sony's consoles to me are glorified movie players.
>>3818863I only have the money for one and i really needed to upgrade my computer.
There’s little to expect from them going inside- you’ve already cased the place, and there’s not exactly a whole lot there. Following them inside would be risky…Although you can hear them thumping around here and there, and it’s not like all the windows are intact, so if you’re cautious about it, you should still be able to keep an eye on them while making a quick escape...for the most part.You do get the occasional snippet of conversation from them, but sadly it seems like it’s mostly just banter...mostly.“I dunno, Kei. Doesn’t seem like what we’re lookin’ for would be around here.” the girl says at one point. “Might have to go even deeper.”“Yeah,” the boy, Kei, says as you keep hidden around a corner. “This base might’ve been repurposed, but if what the boss says is true, then there should be something out of the ordinary here, right? We haven’t come across anything like laboratories or storage or anything like that yet, though...”“No. Might be what’s down that big tunnel across the way. Why don’t we go check it out?” More footsteps, and as you duck back into the room, they seem to be planning on leaving the area.“You don’t want to look around here more?” The boy asks. “Pft! Not without some kinda ride. Have you seen the size of this place? It’s enormous!” A pause. “Althoooough...I did see some vehicles, not too far off, I think. I dunno if they still run, but it’s worth a try, huh?”>Follow them closely. You want to make absolutely sure they don’t know anything of importance...or get a vehicle and zip off.>Keep at a distance, stick to the peripheral, but keep an eye on them. You’d rather not get caught.>Other
>>3820742>Keep at a distance, stick to the peripheral, but keep an eye on them. You’d rather not get caught.>Summon Gartoum to follow them closely
>>3820742>>Keep at a distance, stick to the peripheral, but keep an eye on them. You’d rather not get caught.
>>3820742>>Keep at a distance, stick to the peripheral, but keep an eye on them. You’d rather not get caught.>>Summon Gartoum to follow them closely
>>3820742>Keep at a distance, stick to the peripheral, but keep an eye on them. You’d rather not get caughtGar isn't exactly silence when he appear so i wouldn't summon him.
>>3820742>>Follow them closely. You want to make absolutely sure they don’t know anything of importance...or get a vehicle and zip off.
We get creepy. Not too creepy, but still creepy.Writing.
>>3820818Boss you still alive?
>>3821136The boss has died. So... back to the launchpad or intersection stuff?
>>3820756>>3820762>>3820764>>3820803>>3820814You’ve been at this before, and as much as you hate to admit it, your whole ‘stealth’ thing isn’t great. Better to minimize chances to get caught and stick to a long-distance observational tactic. Fortunately, while there aren’t exactly a ton of rooftops to perch on, you don’t need much considering the distance between buildings. All you have to do is stay at a decent distance and you should be fine.It’s strange, how...well, they’re not exactly upbeat, but they seem to be ignoring the corpses as best they can, talking about everyday stuff like gossip and rumors. You’d thought they’d be a bit more somber, but...well, thinking about it, there ARE cities still around, so perhaps they come from one of those instead. There’s definitely a more residential area that they’re heading towards- something more like an apartment complex, from the looks of it. A...very badly ruined apartment complex. More like a warzone, from a distance...“Heeey, over here!” Hm? That was the girl who you still don’t have a name for. “Found something!” They’re a distance away, and as you get a bit closer, you find that it’s some kind of...park? At least, artificially, it seems, with trees, benches, a small play area for kids...but that’s not the major interesting bit.What’s interesting about it is that the surroundings are absolute ruins. Massive blown holes in various buildings and scorch marks everywhere, not to mention corpses in horrid condition- several of which are just really bones, not even flesh...it all surrounds a massive crater on the far end of it, a massive amount of dirt thrown about from a hole that’s at least 20 feet deep and just as wide. “Check this out!” As he approaches the crater and his partner, you have to move carefully to get a good angle on this thing without exposing yourself to their line of sight. “Whatcha think THIS is?”(cont.)
>>3821196“I dunno, but we probably don’t want to touch it, even if it looks inert…” Smart, Kei.The girl hums. “What if it’s what’s sending out those signals? What do we do then?”“Lula, aren’t YOU supposed to be the lead here?” Ah, so THAT’S her name. Finally.“Yeaaaah, but you’re pretty smart, too. At any rate, it’s not exuding seither, and it doesn’t seem warm, either. It’s just a big, metal orb. I doubt it’s related to the Reformation-whatever boss wants us to find.” Reformation thing? Hm…And that’s when there’s a rumbling that goes off in the distance, and a distant, echoing, thrumming electronic warble. You find your eyes torn away briefly towards the tunnel, where the sound comes from. What’s more, you hear a much, MUCH closer shuddering, along with a metallic whine, and gears grumbling as something big and heavy gets up on four spindly, spider-like legs.You can see the fear in their eyes, even as she and her friend put a hand on something near their waists- you’d thought it was just some kind of leg support, but you now realize it’s some kind of holster. Regardless, the girl is very succinct in her thoughts. “...uh-oh.” The thing lets out a number of similarly strange warbles as a slot on its body opens up to reveal a red optic; and to your honest surprise IMMEDIATELY shifts towards you for a second, as two small guns suddenly pop out of its sides, before turning back to its much closer intruders, getting a yelp from the both of them.They barely manage to dodge the first blast, but dodge they do, and the fight is on.>Hm. They’ll die eventually, but you’d rather not have that thing or its buddy (if that IS the case) to be harassing you. Not to mention whatever this Reclaimer thing is. Might as well…>Well, unfortunate for them, but you’ll be more than happy to take this distraction and deal with whatever’s down the tunnel before it gets annoying. If they die, so much the better, all things considered.>So, apparently that way lies madness. In which case you’ll let them deal with it themselves while you go elsewhere.>Other--------------------------Back, sorry. Had to head out for a bit.
>>3821198>Well, unfortunate for them, but you’ll be more than happy to take this distraction and deal with whatever’s down the tunnel before it gets annoying. If they die, so much the better, all things considered.Though if they don't die, maybe we can weasel a favor out of them.
>>3821198>>Hm. They’ll die eventually, but you’d rather not have that thing or its buddy (if that IS the case) to be harassing you. Not to mention whatever this Reclaimer thing is. Might as well…We COULD go kill this thing before it kills them, then drag the bot back up topside as our reward for helping them, plus figure out where they came from for Aegis...
>>3821198>Well, unfortunate for them, but you’ll be more than happy to take this distraction and deal with whatever’s down the tunnel before it gets annoying. If they die, so much the better, all things considered.Safety first.
>>3821198>>Well, unfortunate for them, but you’ll be more than happy to take this distraction and deal with whatever’s down the tunnel before it gets annoying. If they die, so much the better, all things considered.Heh, so now the problems can solve each other. how fortunate.
>>3821221Adding in asking for a share of the loot as well.
>>3821198>Hm. They’ll die eventually, but you’d rather not have that thing or its buddy (if that IS the case) to be harassing you. Not to mention whatever this Reclaimer thing is. Might as well…
>>3821198>Well, unfortunate for them, but you’ll be more than happy to take this distraction and deal with whatever’s down the tunnel before it gets annoying. If they die, so much the better, all things considered.>Warn the bots that thing are about to get loud.Given Kei is a cookie cutter JRPG protag, I'd say they have a good chance of getting out of this alive.
>>3821249Oh definitely. Either he will be crippled and pull the leave me behind bit, or the girl is crippled and will have to carry her out. Then we come in and finish the job.
Teamwork without the team! Writing!
>>3821198>>Well, unfortunate for them, but you’ll be more than happy to take this distraction and deal with whatever’s down the tunnel before it gets annoying. If they die, so much the better, all things considered.
>>3821198>>3821215>>3821227>>3821229>>3821249>>3821274Well, so much for that. They can have all the fun they want with that thing; you’ll be perfectly fine with dealing with whatever’s down the tunnel yourself; you’d rather not have two problems on your hands. If they survive, grand. If not, well...grand.It’s not at all hard to escape as they begin firing back- you can hear the smashing of stone and steel as you leave the battleground behind and make your way towards the massive tunnel. It’s nearly pitch black in THERE, save for very small emergency/directional lights, however, that you can only presume are being kept on by emergency power sources- You can barely see a few feet in front of you, meaning you’re going to need to make some light again…The rumbling in the darkness continues as you move forward, step by step, your way lit a bit more by a decently sized magiblast. You’re not exactly happy about going forward like this, but you can already see a thin light in the distance, so it’s clear that if nothing else, the journey is temporary. Rumbling, however, reminds you of just what’s in store otherwise...and the massive warbling begins as a massive, spindly leg stomps down a few yards in front of you, and a brilliantly red eye lights up the corridor, bathing everything in blood red tint…As you hear gears shift, you ready yourself- it’s your turn to deal with one of these things…>Action!(Done for tonight, though.)
>>3821405>Start with a Sun Flare, Body Armor up, close in and beat it into a pulpThanks for running boss!
>>3821405Bring out the RAUW-KET LAWN-CHAIR and launch one right into his eye.Night boss!
>>3821405Cheers bossGoing with>>3821421 we could magi blast it and based on ambient seither it would be more efficient, but we never get to use the lawnchair enough. Oh and I guess the spike in seither might draw more attention than a common explosion too.
>>3821405>Light barrier to eat its first attack. Cast over channel are try to get on its back and go full shadow of collosus. Bring out the gravity sword and start cutting.
>>3821421>using rocket launcher inside a tunnel
>>3821405>Action!Go for a magi-beam. We rarely use it, and it's high damage and narrow focus make it an excellent choice here, especially with the lack of the usual mana constraints.>>3821421The launcher is bulky and in the bag, it will take a moment to get ready. More importantly, using explosives in confined spaces sounds like a bad time.
>>3821466Also, if the beam doesn't one-shot it, remove the respirator when we get the a moment. We'll be burning mana, it restricts breathing, and it would suck if it was busted by a lucky hit.
Looks like we have plenty of plans. Come on down IDs, and vote on your favorite plan today. Every vote, is a vote for democracy.
>>3821405>>3821418>>3821453>>3821466Okay, how about this:>Sun Flare>Use voice commands to turn filters off and inhale some Seither>Take out the Baron's Rapier for extra punch - it's a magical foci after all>Dismantle the spiderbot with Magi-Beams, starting with its red optics. Seither and Rapier would help greatlyDoes that work for everyone?
>>3821514Well, the last time we used magi-beam it sort of... rent and scorched anything in it's path as we guided it through a giant shadow colossus and most of an army. So we probably only need to cast it the once. It's like a Kamehameha.I do approve of using the rapier, Sun Flare seems like it'll be effective given the precise optics these things have, should slow it for a couple of seconds.We have reserves and can inhale Seither later if need be.All that said, we would probably blip any Seither radars with the magi beam, maybe we should just sun flare and pummel it.As per >>3821418
>>3821514We don't need to disable the respirator. We're not urgently low. I'm mostly worried about getting smacked in the face and breaking our shiney. This is a common concern for IRL soldiers, especially for night vision goggles and other fancy tech. Plus, trying to be athletic with restricted breathing is torture.Taking our the Rapier will take time, as it's in the bag. Beam first, then rapier if it's not dead yet.
>>3821514I'll be willing to switch to the rapier, since we use it so rarely on most trips.Although, now you've got me thinking what a post apocalyptic version of a rapier would look like...
>>3821514I'd prefer to not magi-beam at all with other people nearby to detect potential seither level changes, but the rest of the plan seems solid, and in the end I for one am pretty curious about how the magi-beam will interact with the seither here. So yeah, I support this plan.
>>3821527It's just that you proposed to remove the respirator which would take more time than making a vocal command, so I tried to make a 'compromise'opyion.ppp
>>3821530>Although, now you've got me thinking what a post apocalyptic version of a rapier would look like...I don't know that they really would exist. Too delicate, in materials and mindset. Closest you'd be likely to get would be a saber, or maybe a really weird short spear.>>3821535>all with other people nearby to detect potential seither level changesIs Seither detection a thing? I don't remember it existing. Even if it does, we can blame any wird reading on these guys we've been shadowing.>>3821539Yeah, I got what you were going for, but it didn't actually accomplish was I was going for no offense. It's not a big deal though, it should only be an issue if we don't core the thing with a beam.
>>3821541Seither detection is a thing, yes. Miranda and Prima got scanned when we were taking tests and I think we got an alarm notification during the first Walker mission.
>>3821530>Although, now you've got me thinking what a post apocalyptic version of a rapier would look like...Maybe it would look like an extra-fancy vibroblade?
>>3821530Maybe its a sharp piece of rebar.
>>3821526>Well, the last time we used magi-beam it sort of... rent and scorched anything in it's path as we guided it through a giant shadow colossus and most of an army.Could you please tell me when that happened? I only remember something similar when we were defending bearkin in the last mission, and we poured extra 4k mana for it. By itself it's not that powerful - we shot it through Carang and she lived. It's better at penetrating stuff than magiwaves and blasts, but I think some extra punch from the Rapier and Seither would still come in handy.
>>3821673Regular magibeams cost no mana by the way.
How coincidental someone mentioned xeno spiders and here we are.
>>3822284I was close, I did not expect a huge robotic spider. All it needs now is lasers, a spin attack, and baby spiders.
>>3822660Baby spiders that crawl out of the big one when its shell is broken and also shoot those lasers
>>3822693Baby spiders some with lasers and others with torches to fix the battle damage. Entering stage two of the boss battle.
>>3821405Short it out with our electric field punches.
>>3821673That was the occassion and I went back to check and there was mention of it requiring a lot of mana to be high enough power. I guess it was just a very scaled up version? I was thinking handler would have it be similar, if we're doing tamer magi beams I'm not so scared of it being detected.
>>3821541You're thinking smallsword, not rapier. Rapiers are rugged.
>>3822867Yeah, I think that magibeam is more like Spirit Gun rather than Kamehameha. >>3821527>I'm mostly worried about getting smacked in the face and breaking our shiney.Then how about adding Body Armor to the list so that our equipment would stay intact?
>>3822959Clothing gets mended when returning into the intersection. there is nothing to worry about.
>>3822953I'm not exactly an expert, but they seem pretty similar. Certainly, without a very skilled and knowledgeable blacksmith, proper tools, and proper materials either one wouldn't be obtainable. All of which would be in short supply in the post apocalypse.
>>3822959body armor wouldn't help stuff on our head. And Randa is pretty tough as is.>>3822964Clothing does. the respirator is equipment.
>>3823020>Body Shield- 250 Mana>Miranda can specifically reinforce part of her body (Head, Arms, Torso, Legs) with mana for less cost than a Light Barrier - but at the cost of durability.
>>3823091oh I see, anon was referring to adding the spell Body Shield to our head, not adding equipment body armor to our shopping list. Sure, no problem.
It seems like the general agreement is >>3821514? If so, I'll write for that.
>>3823236Looks to be it. Welcome back.
>>3823236Yup
>>3821405>Current Mana: >Current Mana: 12000/12500 You’re not going to give it a chance to get a good bead on you- you’re already lighting yourself up in the hopes of blinding its optics. That said, you’re quick to move as soon as that happens, and impacts from behind you tell you it was a good idea to do so. There’s a slightly higher pitched warble that comes from it, although its posture doesn’t waver. It DOES take an extra second or two to reorient itself, though, which is good, considering you need it. “Command: Filters Off,” you say quickly. You’re not certain that’s the words for it, but->Air filters shutting down…>Air filters disengaged.A few small whirrings sound from your lower face, and you can feel a LOT more air come in than was before. Fantastic. The amount of Seither in here is a lot lower than outside, but you can still feel a bit of the buzz from the energy it grants you- and that’s exactly what you want right now. The thing turns to reacquire you for a target, firing all the while, and you’re quick to move to avoid that, making a massive leap to the wall nearby, and then ricocheting over and across from it. Almost before you land you’re pulling out your rapier from your bag, the charged mana in your hand easily flowing through the weapon itself. With a quick, yet deep breath, you thrust towards the mechanical threat’s seeking eye as you let the gathered mana flow- a murky purple beam erupts from the tip, wider than you’d expected by a fair bit. Nonetheless, you’re actually somewhat surprised when it rips through the optic wholesale- a massive hole getting blown out the back to boot and drilling into the rockface, causing a large explosion, rumbling and showing of debris.(cont)
>>3823344You...weren’t expecting to handle it so quickly. That was a LOT more power than you’d put into that magibeam, and even with the rapier’s boost… Well, not that you’re by any means opposed. That mana color was weird, though…Seither and your natural stuff coming together, you suppose? Made the most sense to you.Surprisingly, you hear another massive explosion shortly thereafter in the distance, and the distinct sound of something large hitting the ground.Guess they’re done, too. Might want to speed things up, then. They’ve got to have figured out someone’s here by now.Getting to the end of the long tunnel, you’re honestly a bit dismayed to find that...there’s an elevator. A large, industrial one, going at what looks like a 75 degree angle, made for a number of vehicles to get on, not just people. And the power’s out. There’s a console there, but there’s no power running to the base, so…hm. You can see that a ways away, there’s an opening, but as for getting to it?>Well, there’s enough protruding pieces of metal... you haven’t done it in a while, but you’re pretty sure you can do a bit of artificial mountain climbing, so to speak.>You may have to turn back here. Trying to get up there would be difficult, if only because you’d have to be careful about finding good grips and footholds.>Other
>>3823346>Well, there’s enough protruding pieces of metal... you haven’t done it in a while, but you’re pretty sure you can do a bit of artificial mountain climbing, so to speak.
>>3823346>Well, there’s enough protruding pieces of metal... you haven’t done it in a while, but you’re pretty sure you can do a bit of artificial mountain climbing, so to speak.Let's try using our mana tether as a climbing line to... Wait, is it going up or down?Don't forget to put our rebreather back on.
>>3823346>>Well, there’s enough protruding pieces of metal... you haven’t done it in a while, but you’re pretty sure you can do a bit of artificial mountain climbing, so to speak.
>>3823346>Well, there’s enough protruding pieces of metal... you haven’t done it in a while, but you’re pretty sure you can do a bit of artificial mountain climbing, so to speak.>Turn respirator filters onGood opportunity to practice Air Step. By the way boss, you didn't forget about Meditation Room manacost bonus, did you?
>>3823346>Well, there’s enough protruding pieces of metal... you haven’t done it in a while, but you’re pretty sure you can do a bit of artificial mountain climbing, so to speak.And like >>3823359 said, put our rebreather back on.Sticky mana rope anyone?
>>3823346>Well, there’s enough protruding pieces of metal... you haven’t done it in a while, but you’re pretty sure you can do a bit of artificial mountain climbing, so to speak.Use sticky mana for a life line in case we fall. Also damn we crushed that spider like it was an ant.
>>3823359>Don't forget to put our rebreather back on.Might as well top up first, but otherwise yeah.>>3823363>By the way boss, you didn't forget about Meditation Room manacost bonus, did you?With the Seither, does it really matter?
>>3823346>>Well, there’s enough protruding pieces of metal... you haven’t done it in a while, but you’re pretty sure you can do a bit of artificial mountain climbing, so to speak.Time to channel her inner Big Boss and climb dat wall!
>>3823371Guess they are extra sqishy against mana?
>>3823378Maybe we did added rapier focus, channel mana, and blinded it before it could get a swing at us.
>>3823384I mean, local humans turned the tide of war when they started harnessing Seither's power for energy and weapons (like the AA cannon that scrappers were using), so maybe magical attacks would be more effective as well?
>>3823346If the 75 degree angle is going down then I propose we slide down, if it's going up, perhaps we could merge>Well, there’s enough protruding pieces of metal... you haven’t done it in a while, but you’re pretty sure you can do a bit of artificial mountain climbing, so to speak.and a bit of >Other Energy Channel a bit and jump for it, perhaps if it's still too far away we could try Over Channel
>>3823346>Well, there’s enough protruding pieces of metal... you haven’t done it in a while, but you’re pretty sure you can do a bit of artificial mountain climbing, so to speak.Also, as mentioned by others, rebreather on.
>>3823346can't we use our wings + leg energy channel?Otherwise,>Well, there’s enough protruding pieces of metal... you haven’t done it in a while, but you’re pretty sure you can do a bit of artificial mountain climbing, so to speak.>Put the respirator back on
>>3823520Oh shit, that's right! We've got a jetpack!
>>3823531We DO have (probably) a jetpack. Not like we tested it, but I think that was in the description when we arrived.
There is also the alternative of using the ,ama steps as a stepladder or an elevator. I mean, we already know how to move the barriers at will, there is nothing stopping us from using them as a makeshift magical carpet.
>>3823559That's an interesting point, how fast can Miranda move her barriers?
>>3824111as fast as she can. We can use them as swords after all.
>>3823538I think its more of a halo jetpack, lets you hover but does not give true flight.
>>3824802>>3823520>>3823346We also have a Levitation Crystal, so we could use the jetpack and Air Shift for maneuvering.
Got the idea. We LEAP. Writing.
>>3824960All these sessions back to back - you're doing great, boss!
>>3824960Damn you must have been practicing for a marathon.
>>3824960I kinda want to see the rookie shitting himself when he seems the white walker next to his walkers.Or maybe they will come toward us and the noise.
>>3824983Wrong rookie. The mechs here are Lionheart. The one's at the lab were Orion.
>>3824996Nope, those were Lionheart's as well.
>>3824996The Rookie and the old guy were all from Lionheart.
>>3824999>>3825010Alright, I see the problem. Orion's the PMC group, while Lionheart is a name of a company sized unit that Orion has under it. I got confused and thought that they were separate PMCs
>>3825018Orion is PMC branch under NewStar Megacorp. Lionheart is a separate PMC, they are collaborating with Orion/NewStar and are likely subcontracted by them.
>>3825025Taking bets you guys think that pinkette is the sister of the girl we killed or just another girl in the rookie's harem?
>>3825039I would say rookie harem. He probably gave the speech about protecting the innocent from this very dangerous scrapper. And just picked up a few girls.
>>3825041Agreed, probably said something about how people die when they are killed.
>>3824964You need to find a way to get up there; preferably quickly in case the two interlopers are curious enough- and frankly, you figure at least one of them is, which means both of them are. So, then, how to get up there with any kind of speed. You don’t have wings this tim- wait. Fuck, right, you do. Damnit, you’re still not used to these things somehow. Gotta remember that. They’ll help hover, but that’s all you need…Reengaging your respirator, you squint upwards, looking for a place to kick off of. Just need to...ah, that’s a good spot.You tense, and you launch upwards as best you can; now how do you engage-*woosh* Ah. Well, can’t let anyone see that happen without faking it a bit. Nonetheless, the extra boost helps, and you easily land on the steel outcropping you found earlier, thanks to your ‘wings’ slowing your descent. Another kick...and a third...one more...aaaaand last one to get you up to the opening! Landing in the expansive entranceway, you’re less than surprised to see that the wide opening continues a ways back; you eventually find yourself in something like a pretty large garage...that looks like it’d been the host of a demolition derby. It’s a massive menagerie of twisted metal; black carcasses of long destroyed and burnt cars and bikes…But something sticks out at you after a few seconds of taking it all in. The vehicles are in...odd positions. Not quite what you’d expect after a scene of total carnage; more like they’d been pushed together; some in circles or semicircles, with what you know full well are makeshift fire pits in the center. Others in stacks somehow; mostly broken piles of junk that nonetheless have certain parts separated out or clearly gutted; many engines are stripped, and anything resembling a pipe on most chassis seems to have been taken. There aren’t many things here you’d call personal, but just a further glance around now that you’re tuned in reveals that there’s...a number of things here you can only call personal objects. At least one child, judging by the metal and cloth doll laying forgotten near a wall...cont.
>>3825051Taking especial care of your surroundings now, you walk carefully to one of the nearest pits, which is really just your standard barrel with refuse in it for burning. Carefully, you place a hand over it. Cooling...but still warm. This was recent. Think you might be on the track to finding that signal source...interesting. Why abandon the location, though, if you wanted to get found?There’s a door across from you that’s wide open- goes into another hallway, but you can actually see beyond it- as the other door is also open. Seems to lead through the dining hall area, if that’s what those long tables are. There’s also a set of stairs beyond a door that go up into the rock face- no clue what’s up there, though. You CAN see a single, small window a couple floors above it, however, so it can’t be too far up.>Try to see where the dining area leads beyond.>Check out the mystery room by way of the stair case.>Investigate the area further.>OtherMight just be one post or two.My roommate's gf is bringing a friend and they want me to play Smash Bros with them.
>>3825045
>>3825055>Investigate the area further.Getting hooked up, eh?
>>3825055>>Check out the mystery room by way of the stair case.
>>3825055>>Try to see where the dining area leads beyond.
>>3825055>>Investigate the area further.So is the doll dusty, or does it look like it's been placed here? Oh wait! We can use our nose to find anyone still here! Let's do it.
>>3825055>Check out the mystery room by way of the stair case.>Use Hearing Boost, Power Sense and Sensor Aura(blind fighting technique?) to help you find the survivors
>>3825055>Try to see where the dining area leads beyond.Good luck handler. May you feed upon the blood of your enemies.
>>3825055>Investigate the area further.>My roommate's gf is bringing a friend and they want me to play Smash Bros with them.Is that what the kids are calling it nowadays?
>>3825055>Investigate the area further.Did they specifically say "play smash bros" or just invite you to "smash." Important context from... related experiences.
>>3825067>Cooling...but still warm. This was recent. There were people here not long ago. Weird that they would go into hiding after hearing the alien bots getting killed.Maybe they though it was some of the creatures outside.
>>3825055I wonder if these people are immune or resistant to Seither, considering the environment.
>>3825089Could be mutties or being overflowing with Seither. Anyway, i don't think we should take then back to our employer, or let the kids get then.
>>3825055>Check out the mystery room by way of the stair case.
>>3825068Wait, would sniffing even work with our respirator on?
>>3825089And then we run into the Freemen, except with red eyesWe should probably stomp protag flat if that's the case
>>3825130The inhalation is just to stimulate the nerves, and act as a somatic component to guide reflexive mana flow. It's really a danger-sense that we have tied to the interpretation of smell.
Back. It was Smash Bros.I won the most. 7/10 matches, and 4 of those were FFA.
Oh, and if you're investigating the room further, I need a roll. 1d20, best of three.No this isn't opposed.
Rolled 17 (1d20)>>3825201
Rolled 5 (1d20)>>3825197>>3825201Who'd you use?
Rolled 18 (1d20)>>3825201
Rolled 20 + 5 (1d20 + 5)>>3825204Melee. Used Peach.Good rolls. Writing.Also my dice roll didn't go through. fixing that.
>>3825211oh boy. i'm scared
>>3825211
>>3825211So is this good or bad?Aw, who am I kidding? It's probably bad...
>>3825223Maybe its not bad. Maybe we found some sick loot!
>>3825211Eugh... even if this isn't opposed I'd still be wary of it since it's probably those 2 kids' roll for finding stuff. The loot...
>>3825229so? we're gonna kill them either way.
>>3825229>>3825236Either way if the roll's for the loot's quality, we're getting them wether those kids like it or not.Make it a daylight robbery though, we can off them anytime. Unless they shoot first then we'll make it painful.
>>3825055>>3825061>>3825067>>3825072>>3825074The doll tight in your hands, you consider the situation carefully. There’s little to no dirt on it over the front end, how you found it. It’s got some wear and tear, but it’s certainly been handled...hm. You should still have some time to spare before those kids get any close to you- if they do at all. How they’re going to get up the elevator shaft, you have no idea. Hopefully, they won’t at all. That said, you decide to take a closer look around for anything of note…The first thing that you notice is that, behind a support pillar, there seems to be some leftover...well, you’d hardly call it food. A group of four of metal bowls, filled with cuts of what seems like some strange kind of tuber, looks like, soaked in water and...something else. A few other leaves of some sort as well. No meats to speak of, either. Some of the water from one of the bowls was spilled recently...and considering the placement, he was likely facing whoever was resting by the pillar in front of him. No utensils, either, so using their hands. A closer look shows some water discoloration around one lip edge, and the splash pattern tells you…Went through the door to the dining area. Although- a thought strikes you. Why would they be out here...if there’s a perfectly good dining area RIGHT there?Hm. Something’s off. Looking around further, you’re met with other strangeness. Several tent-like emplacements with nothing in them. Something akin to a table, (really just some metal smashed together with a flat top, seems like; complete with more ‘broth’ on it, but no chairs around it...and again, you swear tables were right in the other room. It’s like this was put together...A sudden loud whirring breaks your thoughts, coming from the direction of the elevator.No.Bullshit. There shouldn’t be enough power here to operate that thing...right?! Not to mention the travel distance!Damnit.Great, you’ve got maybe a minute to move. Unless you want to just see what they’ve got that could restore power like that. Not to mention...if this IS some kind of setup or a trap, might be better to let them fall into it first. You’re starting to sense a couple of red flags here...>Head to the staircase now and maybe you can find a room to hide in.>The dining room is obvious, but you’ve got a trail to follow. It’s your best bet.>Your acting chops should be up to par, and this is too odd to risk stumbling into.>Other
>>3825266>Head to the staircase now and maybe you can find a room to hide in.
>>3825266>Your acting chops should be up to par, and this is too odd to risk stumbling into.
>>3825266>>Head to the staircase now and maybe you can find a room to hide in.So the roll was for them to restore power to the elevators. Welp, I say let them trip the trap.
>>3825266>Head to the staircase now and maybe you can find a room to hide in
>>3825266>Your acting chops should be up to par, and this is too odd to risk stumbling into.When your head is raising too many red flags, best follow it's advice. I think it's best to just coy the kids for now.
>>3825266>The dining room is obvious, but you’ve got a trail to follow. It’s your best bet.
>>3825266>>The dining room is obvious, but you’ve got a trail to follow. It’s your best bet.
>>3825266>Head to the staircase now and maybe you can find a room to hide in.Something is wack, and we usually leave the acting to other people, have you heard Miranda's impressions?
>not using utensils>most of the food mix has some strange food mixed with tuber and leaves>the alien in the tunnel lookong more like a guard.These couldn't be alien survivors right?
>>3825295Alien survivors or mutants that somehow managed to survive the seither overdose.
I'm not sure that acting would work well - how are we going to explain how we pierced through that robot?
>>3825326Some last resource explosives using whatever we had avaiable at the moment?Red Barrels?
I can't wait for this mission to finish so Miranda can go out with Izumi and Lori for a girls night out with Momo.
>>3825266>>Your acting chops should be up to par, and this is too odd to risk stumbling into.
>>3825266>>Head to the staircase now and maybe you can find a room to hide in.
Howdy, looks like the result is to fleeeeeeeeeWriting.
>>3826640We are not fleeing we are just retreating to a better position.
>>3826640>>3826646We're advancing backwards!
>>3826640So Handler i must ask when we speak while wearing the mask do we make Darth Vader breathing sounds? Or do we get a more robotic voice while we wear it?
>>3825266>>3825274>>3825279>>3825280>>3825290>>3825623Well, if you’re sensing red flags, no reason to let them fall on you. You quickly dart towards the staircase and and, true to expectations, there’s a door at the top of them. You quickly yank on the doorknob- you can’t see this from the bottom of the stairs, at least, so you should be okay...relatively.What you see here is some kind of office area- a number of desk areas and cabinets, and littered with old food detritus and paper maps. THIS strikes you as more ‘abandoned’, as although there aren’t any bodies, there’s a lot of dust covering most surfaces, not to mention in the air outright, and in general you get the feeling that no one’s been here in a long time.A half minute passes before the whirring stops. It isn’t much longer before you see the two out the window, looking around carefully, weapons drawn. Extending your hearing, you can make out what they’re saying, although they’re talking in a whisper:“What’s this?” The girl, Lula, asks.“Dunno,” the boy, Kei, responds. “Looks like some sorta garage...that got used for somethin’ else. Giving me scrappertown vibes. Either way... Pretty sure whatever caused that explosion and that wrecked...thing... went through here.”“Must have,” Lula agrees. “Geez, this place is a mess. C’mon, let’s keep moving. Watch my six.”“Right. We’ll save the deep diving for later. For now, we need to find that signal source.” Footsteps fading...and they’re gone. Huh. Didn’t even bother to check upstairs, huh? Well, works for you. Well, this means that you’re going to have to tail them now if you don’t want them to get too far ahead...at least until you get to a point where you can split off from them. Which means you’re basically at the mercy of their pace…>Roll 1d20, best of three.------------------>>3826686More metallic, and there is a bit of a rasp coming from you.
Rolled 16 (1d20)>>3826739
Rolled 10 (1d20)>>3826739
Rolled 7 (1d20)>>3826739Ah so enough to make someone fear it. Good enough.
I also recall we still have a weapon we got from the scrapper clan. It wasn't mention what kind of weapon it was but i assume it was the one which shoot bullets using seither as a gas?
>>3826739So, kinda like Ulysses from FNV Lonsome Road?https://youtu.be/ibyEI6TMOAc
>>3826760From what the guy who was using the pellet gun was saying, it was less about killing us slow and more about killing us horribly.
>>3826755Kinda that, but lighter.Anyway, writing.
>>3826760Still maybe the radiation would be more effective against the aliens? That is unless we don't want to pull out our saber again for some reason, even id it proved so effective in killing it.
>>3826760i dunno if we ever found out what the gun does.
>>3826780Its a gun that throws seither at your face. I think its kinda obvious what it does, but if you want, we can shoot at one of the two kids and see what happens.
>>3826777It is more like pellets and would not outdo the damage of our saber.>>3826786Say hello to my little friend. *Pop*
>>3826797Was thinking that the seither radiation would cause more damage to the monster. But then i remember now that Seither only make the aliens go berserk.
>>3826803Or explode if they absorb enough Seither to level buildings.
>>3826739You have to be careful as you slip out of the room; you don’t want them to hear your footsteps, and this place echoes a LOT. You can hear them just in the room ahead, although it seems like they’re leaving. You don’t dare peek out, instead relying on your hearing again.“...maybe they’re trying to get somewhere. They’re moving fast, if that explosion really was them. They had to have left immediately.” Lula says. “Really, what I wanna know is how they got up the elevator shaft.”“Probably a rappel system,” Kei suggests as their voices get more distant. “I wish we’d brought ours…”“Yeah, woulda made things easier…” You take a few cautious steps to keep pace with them, stepping into the dining area, which is basically what you expected- a rundown and trashed cafeteria, with spilled food long rotted and a couple of bodies in a similar state. There’s a large pair of double doors on the far side which they went through, as well.The next few minutes is similar; you’re able to keep a decent distance from them as they walk through the halls, but fortunately they don’t seem to notice you. They take their time investigating various rooms along the halls- although there’s a lot of ‘nothing here’, you end up poking in the rooms yourself afterwards; sadly their reports are accurate, having absolutely nothing of interest to you; a corpse or two, but that’s all. The turns they take are largely random, as well, which frankly is understandable- there doesn’t seem to be any kind of map or navigation system this deep into the base, oddly enough.They eventually stop at a large doorway, both looking at it with apprehension. “So, signal’s coming from in there?” Lula asks. Oh? He had a way of detecting it? Wish he had said something earlier...“We’re close. It’s been getting clearer as we’ve been walking. Shouldn’t be far beyond.” Kei sounds nervous about it, but you can still hear him jiggle the handle. “It’s open. C’mon.”You hear the door open and they step in. “Whoa...look at the size of it…!” Lula gasps. “Wonder what they needed all this space for…?” Kei asks. That’s when you hear some cracks, and then a lot of CLACKS, as though a tonnage of small metal things were tapping on the ground. Some strange roaring warbles, lighter in tone than the one before echo out before as well. “Uh oh…” you hear Lula say. “Guess they were waiting for us!”“Damnit! Let’s go, Lula!” You hear the crack of plasma fire off as the firefight begins in earnest, as you get closer to the double doors, you decide to spare a second, thinking about what you’re going to do now...>See if you can’t find a way around and get in front of them again, without dealing with them just yet.>Wait it out here until they clear out all the refuse; they strike you as capable enough, no reason to interfere.>Other
>>3826834>See if you can’t find a way around and get in front of them again, without dealing with them just yet.I'd rather just go further ahead and take the shit from up ahead, if you don't mind.
>>3826834>Wait it out here until they clear out all the refuse; they strike you as capable enough, no reason to interfere.
>>3826834>See if you can’t find a way around and get in front of them again, without dealing with them just yet.Thanks for distraction.
>>3826837>Wait it out here until they clear out all the refuse; they strike you as capable enough, no reason to interfere.If we're going to yoink from them, and also plan to kill them, may as well do it in the proper order, it's not stealing if it's looting.
>>3826834>>See if you can’t find a way around and get in front of them again, without dealing with them just yet.Welp, time to see if we can bypass this fight to get to the prize now that they're distracted.
>>3826843That's the thing. I'm not interested in killing them. I just want to get the stuff from up ahead and getting out without them the wiser.
>>3826834>See if you can’t find a way around and get in front of them again, without dealing with them just yet.If this reactor is huge we are going to need a lot more walkers to help us extract it.
>>3826834>>See if you can’t find a way around and get in front of them again, without dealing with them just yet.
>>3826849Mmm, I guess if this is us being merciful it's fine so long as they don't inconvenience us later.The intense protagonist aura about this kid means that he'll rapidly improve and end up fighting us or Aegis later. Miranda's usually about nipping that in the bud, but maybe he'll be someone else's problem?
>>3826834>See if you can’t find a way around and get in front of them again, without dealing with them just yet.You know how in Dark souls the NPC is always ahead of you in the game? Wonder if this is how they do it. They just stay behind the PC and then sneak around while they stay trying to kill the mobs.
You guys go that way, I'm going to be somewhere else, thank you.Writing.
>>3826871He will probably deal with Avos. I half expect once we are gone Avos will take control of the White Walker making Kei want to kill him to avenge the girl that randa killed.
>>3826871I'm operating under the idea that he won't be searching for vengeance if he doesn't know we're here, and it'll save us time and get us back to the rest of the team sooner.>>3826880You mean the Zeon, right?
>>3826880I don't think anyone calls it the white walker in universe, seems to be an insistent self-nickname from some anon.It doesn't matter how clever the nickname is, if you make it up yourself you're a poser >:O
>>3826834>>3826837>>3826841>>3826845>>3826853>>3826858>>3826876You’re not keen on interfering with them, still. You’d rather not have to deal with this whole...thing...that the duo is all about right now. Just need to find a way to slip past them. Question is, how? The hallway continues around, but you doubt it leads to the same area...does it?Chancing a peek in, you’re unsurprised to see that it’s some kind of training ground- though you quickly remove yourself from the doorway in case the THRONGS of miniature spiderbots wanted to get a look at you. Wouldn’t be helpful in the slightest. Instead, you decide to chance the hallway around. Unfortunately, it terminates about halfway back; instead going to the left elsewhere. Fantastic.Really wish you had that invisibility glyph right now…bah.You jog down the corridor regardless; it DOES seem to turn right again, at least, and to your fortune it loops back towards where the large stadium area was, towards a pair of smaller double doors You can, curiously, see a number of what look like pockmarks along the floor here, like something was only just not piercing the floor. Not to mention dried blood…Following the trail back around again, you notice a set of stairs; long ones, actually. They lead up to a large, blood-splattered door, where there’s clearly signs of a struggle. Interesting...not only is there blood, but there’s also small metal parts and shavings as well. As you begin the climb, you can hear the faint sounds of battle in the distance...Finally, progress.>Roll 5d20, best of three.
Rolled 2, 8, 17, 17, 11 = 55 (5d20)>>3826891
