>>4576011
>>The outside is a painstaking replication of the original Getter Robo. You'd like to pay homage to the memory that inspired you to fix your life and spread a little joy to anyone who recognizes it.

>>4576011
>The outside is based off a doodle you made as a kid. You love your childhood heroes like Getter Robo, Kamen Rider, and Ultraman but you want to go your own way. (Add details)
No capes, maybe some sort of utility belt or under arm holsters for quick-access holstered gears and weapons.

This quest hits a little too close to home.

>>4576011
>The outside is based off a doodle you made as a kid. You love your childhood heroes like Getter Robo, Kamen Rider, and Ultraman but you want to go your own way. (Add details)

No cape, maybe some kind of mask that can hidden easily- like some kind of fabric or if it's a helmet maybe it can fold. A utility belt of course. Oh and some extremely strong arm guards in face of attack, and for support.

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>>4576011
>The outside is based off a doodle you made as a kid. You love your childhood heroes like Getter Robo, Kamen Rider, and Ultraman but you want to go your own way. (Add details)

No cape, but we do need a red scarf for some dramatic flair and a full helmet so that we don't get killed by the first evil goon that hits us with a baseball bat, safety first and all. A striking white coat of paint optimal but not mandatory.

>>4576011
>The outside is a painstaking replication of the original Getter Robo. You'd like to pay homage to the memory that inspired you to fix your life and spread a little joy to anyone who recognizes it.

quick suggestion op: double space story posts to increase readability.

I'll leave this open for an hour or two more, but what about this:
>Metal helmet styled exactly like the classic Getter Robo's head to protect your head, foldable would be nice but you weren't able to figure it out, splits into two parts for easier storage
>A stylish red tie (or scarf if you guys would prefer) and a white suit befitting of Salary Man
>Metal plating scattered throughout the suit but focused on the arms so that you can guard.
>Utility belt for quick access of important items
>Possibly some under-arm holsters for quick access
>Briefcase for the rest of your crime-fighting tools
>>4576081
will do anon

>>4576094
This is great. I really like the suit idea. One suggestion would be to have the plates as underarmor so we're just wearing the suit on the outside and the helmet as covering the head but leaving the mouth exposed (imagine Judge Dredd's helmet as a reference)--this is mainly so we can smoke.

>>4576104
To add on to this, what I'm envisioning is a completely black outfit (helmet, suit, shoes), so that all that the bad guys see at first is the glow of our cigarette and our red tie.

>>4576113
A few air holes big enough for a cigarette can be added into the helmet without changing the design much.
That just leaves the suit color, >>4576113 would opt for black, >>4576077 would opt for white. We could make more alterations if you guys want but, y'know, costume design can't go on for too long.
although there will be a chance for more of it eventually
>White suit
>Black suit
>Other

>>4576137
>Black suit

>>4576137
>Black suit with hints of dark gray

>>4576094
this

>>4576137
black suit

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black suit it is then
>>4576020
>>4576036
>>4576072
>>4576077
>>4576081
>>4576104
>>4576168
It is 7 PM. Today your boss, the President of the Tokyo Branch of Junpei Office Supplies, Junpei Hiroshi, had a personal meeting and decided to leave work early. Tonight there's no drinking party, no working until the last train, no late-night business meeting. You have the night all to yourself, just like you've been waiting for.

You're gather your things, wish everyone else a good night, and head for the train station. Once you're there you take your briefcase, a mobile work-station filled with important papers and office supplies, and switch it out with another one you've had stashed in a coin locker for weeks. This briefcase is the culmination of half a year of work, and contains your costume and a small amount of equipment you've gathered to assist in your heroic escapades. Tonight you finally have both the time and courage to use this briefcase, to put the costume on and chase your dream. It's time to start making something of your life, to become someone that you can be proud of.

>You head for the washroom and change into the costume. Plenty of people are getting out of work this time of night, and the nightlife here in Shinjuku is nothing to scoff at- you're sure there's plenty of people who could use your help.
>You take the train to Shibuya, where the nightlife is in full blast and there's sure to be wrongdoing that needs to be addressed. ...and where you're less likely to run into your coworkers.
>You take the train back to your home in Itabashi. You'll be able to change in the comfort of your own home and start your heroic journey where it matters most- your neighborhood.
>Write-in

>>4576193
>>You take the train to Shibuya, where the nightlife is in full blast and there's sure to be wrongdoing that needs to be addressed. ...and where you're less likely to run into your coworkers.

>>4576193
>>You take the train to Shibuya, where the nightlife is in full blast and there's sure to be wrongdoing that needs to be addressed. ...and where you're less likely to run into your coworkers.
I'm tempted to start in our neighborhood, but that sounds like a good way to get ourselves followed and unmasked pretty quick.

So QM, is this a completely normal urban setting, or are people running around in colored spandex a known quantity?

>>4576221
This is basically just real-life Tokyo in 2020 although it will obviously be slightly different as this is fiction, not every little thing needs to be the same no coronavirus in this setting, yay, and while I try to fact-check I'm obviously not going to make sure every single detail matches real life. I may push the envelope with some ridiculous stuff (and make it so you guys can get away with more because "I got arrested for being a vigilante on my 2nd day and am on probation" quest isn't terribly entertaining) but at its core this is just Earth.
So a guy just deciding to become a superhero isn't completely unknown, but it's not normal, no. With the helmet you might get mistaken for some sort of cosplayer.

>>4576193
>>You take the train to Shibuya, where the nightlife is in full blast and there's sure to be wrongdoing that needs to be addressed. ...and where you're less likely to run into your coworkers.

>>4576228
In that case, you should probably know, QM, that Japan is actually a pretty safe place. Murder rate is one of the lowest in the world. Nobody has guns except the police. And 98% of murders are actually solved.

>>4576228
Cool thanks.

>>4576252
>Japan is actually a pretty safe place. Murder rate is one of the lowest in the world. Nobody has guns except the police. And 98% of murders are actually solved.
It's worth noting that's self-reported. I'd take it with a grain of salt.

>>4576228
This means no guns. I think the police might have some? But even then it would be severely restricted.

>>4576193
>You take the train to Shibuya, where the nightlife is in full blast and there's sure to be wrongdoing that needs to be addressed. ...and where you're less likely to run into your coworkers.
Can we have a voice warper in the helmet? Just exactly are we capable of in terms of martial prowess? Any Parkour training?

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You hurry onto the train to Shibuya, and through a stroke of luck manage to find a seat. The ride is exceptionally short, only five or ten minutes, but in the meantime you manage to grab a 'power nap'. Your commute takes around an hour, so at this point it's instinct for you to fall asleep while riding the train, as it is for many other salarymen. Through your decades of training you always manage to wake up exactly on time, although you did have to learn this skill the hard way.

After your ride is over you scurry into one of the washrooms and begin changing. First you take off your suit, replacing it with a suit that looks nearly identical, but which you managed to insert metal plating inside. It's a bit lumpy, and sure, your sewing isn't perfect, but it'll work. Once you have the suit on you strap on your 'utility belt', used to hold the most important of your tools at the ready, and then finally you lower the helmet over your head and clumsily do the clasp which locks the two pieces together.

Once you're done changing you shove your suit into the briefcase and leave the stall, the confused stare of the other occupants following you as you make your way to the door. Once you're there you exit the station and greeted by the bright lights and tall skyscrapers of Shibuya.

What you are not greeted by, however, is crime. You kind of just thought that if you wanted to be a hero, it'd... find you so to speak, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Fortunately, just as you're getting bored of standing there and being gawked at, you see something to act on! A litterer! About 10 feet away a man just threw an empty water bottle on the ground! He's not supposed to do that!

>Follow the man and inform him of the negative consequences of littering and how we need to take care of our public spaces in order to keep them clean. He needs to be educated.
>Grab the trash and force it into the man's hands. He's taking them to a bin (or home more likely) whether he wants to or not.
>Grab your EXTENDABLE LITTER SKEWER and your EMERGENCY GARBAGE BAG and gather the litter. You expected that something like this might happen, and it's your duty to stop it.
>Write-in

>>4576252
>>4576267
I am aware that it is relatively safe and don't plan on turning Tokyo into some sort of chaotic dystopia, although I would like to reiterate that I'm fine pushing the envelope on some stuff as long as it doesn't become completely illogical. If you search for crime, you will eventually run into crime, even if it's not something you're confronted by every day.
tdlr; we are grounded in reality but not everything has to be normal

>>4576277
>>Grab your EXTENDABLE LITTER SKEWER and your EMERGENCY GARBAGE BAG and gather the litter. You expected that something like this might happen, and it's your duty to stop it.

>>4576277
>>Grab your EXTENDABLE LITTER SKEWER and your EMERGENCY GARBAGE BAG and gather the litter. You expected that something like this might happen, and it's your duty to stop it

>>4576267
oh, forgot to answer the second part of this one
You guys can get some sort of voice warper in the helmet, sure. Since you're not too good with computers you'll probably just have to head to Akihabara sometime and look into it, they have a lot of electronics stuff.
As for physical abilities, you've been working out for the past half year in an attempt to get back into shape. It has worked fairly well since you were in pretty good shape back in your teens and 20s.
You have no particular fighting skills (although you did do some basic research in the past few months) and no training in parkour or anything of the like
There is a simple dice system I made for this, and in it your fighting and athletic abilities are currently both extremely average. I'll go into more detail on said dice system later, when we need to use it. On the flip side you do have a high skill level in most skills related to talking.

>>4576277
>Grab the trash and force it into the man's hands. He's taking them to a bin (or home more likely) whether he wants to or not.

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>>4576292
>>4576300
>>4576327
...You're still a bit nervous about confronting someone to be honest. The guy's hair is dyed and he's wearing an earing, he could be bad news. Best to just pick up the garbage on your own. You open up your briefcase and grab your trusty EXTENDEABLE LITTER SKEWER (sold in stores for 3999 yen), shaking it open to full size with one hand as you take one of several garbage bags in another.

In your first act to make Tokyo a better place, you pick up the water bottle before you resume waiting. It's not long before you see another crime- more littering. Well, you already have your equipment out, you better pick it up. An empty bento container and bottle of juice are deposited into your trash bag, joining the water bottle.

The next hour is spent gathering litter. At first you're slow, only spotting bits of trash when people drop them, but over time your eyes adjust, picking out the small bits of litter hidden among the otherwise clean cityscape of Tokyo. With a nearly half-full bag of garbage you feel like you've done good, although you feel like you've somehow missed the point of being a superhero. ...Oh well, you guess that's fine, you've done good. Although you are kind of dreading having to sort all this once you get home.

As you follow the trail of litter into one of the less-crowded areas of Shibuya, you spot something major- criminals! About 20 feet ahead of you there are a few teenagers armed with spray cans tagging a wall with graffiti.
>This is horrible! You should do the responsible thing and find a nearby police box to report the crime to. These young criminals are harming property values and ruining the cityscape with their vandalism.
>Approach the teenagers and talk to them about why graffiti is bad and how they could be using their talents for good- you're sure there's somebody out there who could use a mural or something, but as is they're just defacing public infrastructure.
>See if there's anywhere nearby where you can buy a normal, concrete-colored, bucket of paint and a brush. You'll swing back here later and cover it up if it's anything vulgar. While you don't approve of stuff like this, there's tons of graffiti in Shibuya and Harajuku and as long as it's nothing obscene you may as well leave it.
>Write-in

>>4576344
>>Approach the teenagers and talk to them about why graffiti is bad and how they could be using their talents for good- you're sure there's somebody out there who could use a mural or something, but as is they're just defacing public infrastructure.

Option 3 is just too tedious

>>4576344
>>Approach the teenagers and talk to them about why graffiti is bad and how they could be using their talents for good- you're sure there's somebody out there who could use a mural or something, but as is they're just defacing public infrastructure.

>>4576368
I dunno, it could be fun to play a hero that fights crime instead of criminals.

>>4576344
>training our Perception skill my picking up litter
>WE ARE GROWING STRONGER

>>4576344
>Teach the kids how to do actual graffiti art, not whatever crap they're trying
If we give them an outlet to express themselves, they'll less likely to commit vandalism, and could actually turn it into a means to make money or a hobby. Nothing is as heroic as making sure our youth have clean criminal records.

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>>4576368
>>4576449
>>4576458
Alright, these lads need a good talking to. It's best to make them understand the error of their actions before the police have to. You approach the masked teenagers and they pause their work as you approach. One of them slowly reaches for the cans of spray paint, as if they're contemplating leaving.

Before they can flee, you address the hooligans. "Hello kids! My name is Salary Man, and I'd like to talk to you about why graffiti is wrong." The hesitant expressions you can vaguely make out turn to ones of sheer confusion, and the teenagers just stare at you as you deliver an enlightening speech.

"I understand that you kids just want to express yourself, but graffiti affects property values and the morale of the residents within a neighborhood..."
"...public structures are regularly cleaned, and the vandalism will be removed anyways, so you're simply wasting the time of some poor government employee..."
"...there are plenty of artistic mediums, and with the purchase of a canvas you can even create art in your own home without affecting others..."

...And so on and so forth. For more than 10 minutes you talk about your opinion on graffiti, why it's harmful towards society, and how you're sure their desire to create art can be used for good. One of the kids seems guilty, while the other two, to be frank, appear to not give a shit about what you're saying.

"Look, weirdo, it's not as easy as you think. If we had a wall to use, we'd use it. But we ain't TAKI and nobody wants to give us a chance. It's not cheap to repaint if we fuck up, and not a lot of people want our atmosphere anyways. It's all lame, corporate shit. If you really want us to stop then stop preaching and find us another wall to use. All we want is a chance."

Before you can respond, the apparent leader of the group, almost as an afterthought adds on "...paintings are for pussies anyways." before reaching for something in his pocket. A moment later he grabs his phone and begins messing around with it. You watch for a minute before he hands it to you. "Our work is on there. Take a look."

You scroll through the pictures while the kid coldly stares at you. There's... a lot of tagging of the name "HaTaKa428" in elaborate fashions, usually with a small piece of artwork alongside it. You don't really like their art style and the name takes up too much space, but you guess it's not bad- there's definitely a lot worse scattered around Shibuya.

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>>4576498
You hand the phone back. "So, what'll it be? You gonna find us a wall or you gonna let us continue?"
>"Look, just because something is hard doesn't mean that you can just give up and do something bad instead. Clean what you have there up and give asking around another try. It might not work out immediately, but with enough effort you could get a chance." [Will result in a rapport challenge. Your high empathy skill lets you see that while their leader really doesn't want to give up on this, there's a decent chance to bring his friends around and indirectly convince him. You're think you have a good chance of convincing them.]
>"...Alright, if you want a wall then you can borrow mine. As long as you do things properly and paint something I like I don't mind." There's plenty of empty space in your house and while it'd be inconvenient to get a wall repainted if they mess up, it's zero problem cash-wise.
>"I know someone who might have some work for you, I'll recommend you. It's kind of 'lame' as you put it, a corporate job, but you'll have some freedom." You know someone whose shop is doing some project involving approved street art so that they can stop cleaning graffiti off their building, so you guess you can recommend these guys. Hopefully it doesn't come back to bite you in the ass.
>Write-in
This will probably be my last update for the night, although if there are enough votes I may drop one last update before I go to sleep. Either way I'll be back tomorrow afternoon, maybe 13-15 hours from now, to resume.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>4576498
>>4576504
Oh geez. You're not starting us off with softballs, huh?
Painting our house is right out, as it's a very overt link to our actual identity.
The corp job is risky for similar reasons, but is much less overt. I worry about us recommending these guys despite knowing them for all of 10 minutes, but it would be the best for them long term.
Asking around is the safest for us, but I fear it's just kicking the can down the road.

I'm torn, so I'll flip for it: 1 is 1, 2 is 3.

>>4576504
>"I know someone who might have some work for you, I'll recommend you. It's kind of 'lame' as you put it, a corporate job, but you'll have some freedom." You know someone whose shop is doing some project involving approved street art so that they can stop cleaning graffiti off their building, so you guess you can recommend these guys. Hopefully it doesn't come back to bite you in the ass.

>>4576504
>"Look, just because something is hard doesn't mean that you can just give up and do something bad instead. Clean what you have there up and give asking around another try. It might not work out immediately, but with enough effort you could get a chance." [Will result in a rapport challenge. Your high empathy skill lets you see that while their leader really doesn't want to give up on this, there's a decent chance to bring his friends around and indirectly convince him. You're think you have a good chance of convincing them.]
>"I know someone who might have some work for you, I'll recommend you. It's kind of 'lame' as you put it, a corporate job, but you'll have some freedom." You know someone whose shop is doing some project involving approved street art so that they can stop cleaning graffiti off their building, so you guess you can recommend these guys. Hopefully it doesn't come back to bite you in the ass.
>Write-in
https://www.bna-hotel.com/projects

Theres no reason to do all three. Gotta clean up this mess, and if they're really passionate about their art, they'll ask around. You cant let a single no snuff out your flame of creativity brah.

If they already asked around and most everyone said no, then that's still fine. What they can do it take option 3 (corp job). They might not like it, but it'll probably pay AND they can build some rep from it. The more art jobs they take when they can, and the more happy clients they get, the more people will willingly let them paint on their walls, like building a resume. Also, the jobs would be free practice. When they're famous and skilled enough, then they can paint however they like. No idea if any of them could afford VR sets, but if they do I'm pretty sure there are some painting games. It's 2020 so there definitely is one.

>>4576610
+1

>>4576504
>"I know someone who might have some work for you, I'll recommend you. It's kind of 'lame' as you put it, a corporate job, but you'll have some freedom." You know someone whose shop is doing some project involving approved street art so that they can stop cleaning graffiti off their building, so you guess you can recommend these guys. Hopefully it doesn't come back to bite you in the ass.

>>4576504
>"...Alright, if you want a wall then you can borrow mine. As long as you do things properly and paint something I like I don't mind." There's plenty of empty space in your house and while it'd be inconvenient to get a wall repainted if they mess up, it's zero problem cash-wise.

>>4576610
+1

Rolled 21 (1d100)

So the consensus seems to be to talk to them and then recommend them for the shop with the street art installation. I will fill you all in on the dice system then.

>Every character has a bunch of skills. The rank of these skills determine how many dice they roll. An average skill rolls 1d100, an okay skill best of 2d100, a good skill best of 4d100, etc.
>On the flip side a skill you're bad at you roll worst of 2d100, terrible at worst of 4d100, etc.
>Modifiers can be added on to help/hurt or roll based on the situation. In exceptional circumstances, they may even raise or lower someone's skill rank.
>Given that you're one skill rank below the opponent before modifiers, you have a 1/3rd chance of passing a skill check. (2 skill ranks means 1/6, 3 skill ranks will generally not be rolled for unless there's a lot of modifiers)
>Skills can either roll against other skills or a flat DC, it depends on the situation.
>The difference between the DC/enemy roll compared to your own decides the outcome. If the rolls are close the results will generally be some sort of partial success for one party/success with cost

Kind of long since I wanted to explain thoroughly, but that should be about it, ask if you have any questions.

SALARY MAN is attempting to convince HaTaKa428 to give asking around another try before they deface the cityscape of Shibuya once more.
>Salary Man's Rapport: 3/Great - 8d100
>-1 Skill Rank: This is not the type of interaction you're used to and this is not the kind of thing that is usually fixed with a talking to.
>-11: They think you're weird. Like, really weird. What the fuck is up with that helmet anyways?

>HaTaKa428's Rapport: 0/Average - 1d100

Final Rolls: bo4d100-11 vs. 1d100

Rolling for HaTaKa428.
I'll be back in a few hours to start for real and can roll for the MC then if you guys don't.

Rolled 60, 97, 12, 4 = 173 (4d100)

>>4576934
am i doing this correctly OP?

I'm dumb, there was a minor typo in this part. A difference of two skill ranks has a 1/5 by default, not a 1/6, duh.
>Given that you're one skill rank below the opponent before modifiers, you have a 1/3rd chance of passing a skill check. (2 skill ranks means 1/6, 3 skill ranks will generally not be rolled for unless there's a lot of modifiers)
>>4576935
Yup, that's fine! You guys can roll one at a time and split it up among players, but honestly, since a good number of your rolls (mostly talking stuff) are 8d100s and one of your skills empathy is a 16d100 that isn't really viable. if anyone's curious 16d100/Skill level 4/'Fantastic' is probably the highest skill you'll run into 99% of the time, and most people don't have a skill at this level. This is, of course, unless you decide to fight a high-ranking boxer or something.
Maybe I'll specify how many die to roll at a time in the future so a few anons get to roll, you guys can tell me if that's something you want or if you really don't give a shit.

Rolled 86 (1d100)

>>4576934
>8d100
>-1
>-11
>final: bo4d100-11

You might want to work a little on your notation. I have no idea how starting with 8d100 turned into that.
Also gonna need a clarification. Is that Bo4 1d100 - 11, or something else?
I'll roll for good measure.

>>4576951
Alright, I'll try to make it more clear. It's -1 Skill Rank, so your die is going down from 8d100 to 4d100. Then a -11 modifier is added, so 4d100 turns into 4d100-11.
Anyways, you guys passed, I'll update in a couple hours, still enjoying my 'morning'.

>>4576959
Oh I see, it's not a linear scale. looks like it's powers of 2?

>>4576966
Yeah, the dice double for each skill rank away from zero/average they are. I wanted to keep the odds consistent based on the difference in skill ranks but 1d100, 2d100, 3d100, etc. didn't really do that. It made each additional skill rank much less important, which I didn't think felt good.

Rolled 23 - 11 (1d100 - 11)

>>4576967

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>>4576520
>>4576535
>>4576610
>>4576679
>>4576682
>>4576719
>>4576723
Alright, you think you know the angle to approach this from. You're not going to directly call them quitters or anything, that would just antagonize them, but you need to make them think that they gave up too early on their own. Y'know, the indirect approach.

You give a short, rousing lecture on how just because things are tough you can't just give up, and how oftentimes the hardest things are the ones worth doing. Some would say that you're acting like a blowhard, but hey, it gets the job done. Two of the teens seem convinced to give looking around another chance, at least for a while, and the leader of the group gives in since he's outnumbered.

You feel like the problem is mostly solved at this point, but you're in a charitable mood and they seem like decent enough kids, so you might as well do them a favor. "I know a friend of a friend who might have some work for you, I'll recommend you. It's kind of 'lame' as you put it, a corporate job, but you'll have some freedom. Organize your work into a portfolio and send it to me later."

After swapping numbers with the kids and putting them into your 'heroics' phone you remind them to clean up what they already sprayed and take your leave. That's another good deed done for the citizens of Tokyo, but it's just a day in the life of Salary Man.

With that incident dealt with, you return to the admittedly boring task of gathering litter, filling up your garbage bag to full within another hour or so. Just as you're wondering whether you should head to the train station and end things for the night, you hear a man behind you yell. "Get back here, you stole my wallet!" As he says this the man standing in front of you pushes a few people out of the way as he attempts to escape. He must be the thief!
>"Stop running evildoer, or SALARY MAN will make you regret this!" (Intimidation challenge) [Sports club decided later.]
>Take advantage of the path he's opened up and chase after him. You used to be in track when you were younger, you can do this. (Athletics challenge) [Adds track club to your backstory, you get a boost to athletics rolls where you're sprinting. Locks out other bonuses.]
>Grab a baseball from your utility belt and hurl towards the thief in an attempt to knock him down. It's risky, even for a previous ace pitcher (citation needed) like you, but if you can pull it off it'll look really cool. (Athletics challenge) [Adds baseball club to your backstory. You gain a skill rank in athletics when pitching and small boost to athletics rolls when using baseball bats or sprinting. Locks out other bonuses.]
>Approach the man who was robbed, take down any pertinent information, and then report this crime to the nearest police box. You're not feeling very confident tonight.
>Write-in

>>4577126
>>Grab a baseball from your utility belt and hurl towards the thief in an attempt to knock him down. It's risky, even for a previous ace pitcher (citation needed) like you, but if you can pull it off it'll look really cool. (Athletics challenge) [Adds baseball club to your backstory. You gain a skill rank in athletics when pitching and small boost to athletics rolls when using baseball bats or sprinting. Locks out other bonuses.]
Of all the things to have in a utility belt. A baseball?

>>4577150
>>>Grab a baseball from your utility belt and hurl towards the thief in an attempt to knock him down. It's risky, even for a previous ace pitcher (citation needed) like you, but if you can pull it off it'll look really cool. (Athletics challenge) [Adds baseball club to your backstory. You gain a skill rank in athletics when pitching and small boost to athletics rolls when using baseball bats or sprinting. Locks out other bonuses.]
I mean connan had fucking footballs in his belt so a baseball ain't that hard to pull off

Rolled 89, 59 = 148 (2d100)

>>4577240

Op why did you rmove post ?

>>4577150
>>4577157
SALARY MAN is attempting to trip up a pickpocket by pitching a well-controlled ball through the path in the crowd and towards the man's legs/buttocks.
>Salary Man's Athletics: Average/0 - 1d100
>+1 Skill Rank/+1d100: SALARY MAN is pitching a baseball and will get to put his roughly 10 years of experience from middle school, high school, university, and one unfortunate time company baseball teams to good use.
>-10: This suit is not made for pitching. At all.
>-5: You're starting to get tired from walking around in this thing for several hours. It is not light.
Static DC: 50
Roll 2d100-15, beat 50.
>>4577243
Goddamn that was prompt, got me just as I was fixing a minor typo.
Anyways, you guess pass as 74 > 50, will start writing in a few.

You grab a baseball from your utility belt and begin to wind up as you observe the pickpocket. He's running in a straight line for now, which should make aiming easy, but he could turn at any moment. Same for the crowd- the longer you wait the more likely it is for someone to get in the way. You're going to have to hurry this one.

Instead of going for the windup you take careful aim and pitch from the stretch. The ball whirs out of your hand and begins flying towards the thief's buttocks, but at the same time you feel a burning pain erupt from your back. You let out a muffled "Fuck!" as you bend over and take a few deep breaths. You didn't have time to warm up beforehand, you must have pulled something. Shit.

As you adjust to the pain you glance upwards to see what happened to the pickpocket. To your pleasant surprise, you look up just in time to see a baseball ram into his leg and for him to trip over. He lets go of the wallet and it flies into the air as he protects his face.

>Yell for someone to grab the wallet, as long as that gets recovered everything is fine. You need to take an aspirin.
>Work through the pain and catch the pickpocket before he can get up. You need to finish this properly.
>Let the dude get his wallet and get out of here, you don't want to be around an angry pickpocket right after you pulled something.
>Write-in

>>4577264
>>Yell for someone to grab the wallet, as long as that gets recovered everything is fine. You need to take an aspirin.

I think it's enough action for today , we wanna play it relatively safe

>>4577264
>Work through the pain and catch the pickpocket before he can get up. You need to finish this properly.
Lecture mode?
Lecture mode. Lets get the wallet back to the man, then talk to the thief.

Leaving for dinner, I'll check back in in 90~ minutes to see if the tie is broken. If not I'll just roll.

>>4577297

+1 But menacingly

>>4577264
>>Work through the pain and catch the pickpocket before he can get up. You need to finish this properly.
This will very definitely be our last act of heroism for the night though.

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>>4577274
>>4577297
>>4577388
>>4577401
You've worked through much worse pain than this, hell, one time you made it through a 90-something hour week when it hurt too much to even sit down. You can do this. You take a deep breath and approach the pickpocket. As you do so you casually pop a cigarette into your mouth from your utility belt and pop it in through one of the holes in the front of your mask. You, do not, however, light it- your lighter is buried in your back pocket and you think you're going to involuntarily bend trying to grab it, and you REALLY don't want to do that right now.

The pickpocket gets on his knees as you reach him. He appears to have scraped himself in a couple of places, but he's otherwise fine. You put on an intimidating face as you approach before you realize that it's all hidden behind a mask. Alright, just focus on the voice then, the mannerisms, you can put the fear of Salary Man into him with that. "My name is Salary Man. Do you have anything to say for yourself evildoer?" Yeah, that was cool, that wa- "Fuck you, what would you have done if I hit my head?! Suck a dick!"

...Ok, that was unexpected, but you guess they're a criminal for a reason. They continue to vaguely swear at you as they get up from the ground. As they do so you quietly ask a couple of the bystanders to pick up the wallet and the baseball, as you are not willing to bend down right now. It hurts too much. "Look at this, my pants are torn! This is made from vintag-" "Shut up. You attempted to steal from him, and now your pants have been metaphorically stolen from you- that's just karma. Did you even once think about what would happen to him without money and an ID, stuck in Shibuya in the middle of the-"

"Shut up blowhard!" The man ignores you and approaches you, continuing to complain about his pants and his 'injuries'. "I think I broke a leg? I'm gonna need compensation- how does 300,000 yen sound?" As he says this the man continues to stomp his leg and shake it around, making an impressive show of how it's not broken, or even scraped. If nothing else, this guy has balls.

As you stare at him in wonder, you see the man whose wallet was stolen approaching. He does not look happy, and upon a closer inspection, is more muscular than you previously thought. You feel like you might not be needed here.
>"I can't do 300,000 yen, but how does another baseball sound? Or a trip to the police station if that doesn't cover it?" You don't care if you're laid out for a day or two, you'll pitch another ball at this guy if you have to. (Intimidation challenge, if that fails an athletics challenge will follow.)
>Pull out your second phone and inform the police of what's happening, while you'd wanted to drop some cool lines and make this man realize the error of his ways, this clearly isn't the situation for it.
>Return the wallet to the man and inform him that the pickpocket is his to deal with. What happens next is not your problem.
>Write-in

>>4577440
I don't think entangling ourselves with the police is a good idea here, as he looks like one of those morons that tries to sue the guy whose house he broke into. Also, the police might not like us throwing baseballs at people, criminals or not.
I'm tempted to leave things to the robbed, but to be honest that doesn't seem very heroic to me.
>"I can't do 300,000 yen, but how does another baseball sound? Or a trip to the police station if that doesn't cover it?" You don't care if you're laid out for a day or two, you'll pitch another ball at this guy if you have to. (Intimidation challenge, if that fails an athletics challenge will follow.)

>>4577440
>"I can't do 300,000 yen, but how does another baseball sound? Or a trip to the police station if that doesn't cover it?" You don't care if you're laid out for a day or two, you'll pitch another ball at this guy if you have to. (Intimidation challenge, if that fails an athletics challenge will follow.)
Redirection? Is there anything noteworthy about the guy beyond his slightly greater than average musculature? Does he look like your average asshole? sunken cheeks? bags under his eyes? Any visible bruises or scars?
Asking so we can lead the conversation into a topic we could take advantage of.

>>4577541
>>4577440
I would also like to point out that, depending on how you dress, look, and hold yourself, a little tear on your pants could actually improve your looks. FFS there are some designer companies that do that to some of their clothes.
Anyways, back to the guy? He probably doesn't care about fashion tips.

Tell him that the victim is coming, and he doesn't look happy. For his sake, he should leave soon before he get confrontational. Does he think he can fight two men with torn pants and "a broken leg?"

Rolled 21 + 15 (1d100 + 15)

>>4577541
Good idea, you throw a glance back at the who's approaching and see that he's missing a tooth. You'll be able to make use of that.

>>4577541
>>4577548
SALARY MAN is attempting to intimidate an angry scammer into just letting this go and going to report his petty theft quietly.
>Salary Man's Intimidate: Average/0 - 1d100
>-5: You are consciously avoiding bending and need to focus on restricting your movements.
>+10: You just knocked this man over with your secret SALARY MAN pitch of justice and will do it again if needed.
>+10: The guy who got his wallet stolen is approaching, and he looks angry.
>+5: ...And he doesn't look like the type of person you want to make angry.
>+5: SALARY MAN knows how to make the pickpocket think this is the kind of man you REALLY don't want to make angry. (Bonus from great deceive skill)

>Pickpocket's Courage: Average/0 - 1d100
>+15: Ignorance is bliss.

Final Rolls: 1d100+25 vs. 1d100+15

Rolled 66 + 25 (1d100 + 25)

>>4577562
just best of 1 roll?

>>4577582
looks like, yeah

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>>4577582
>>4577598
As much as you'd just like to step aside and let the guy who got robbed deal with this idiot, that's not a particularly heroic thing to do. You should scare him into letting this go before he gets his leg broken for real.

You raise your voice and force yourself to be heard over the never-ending barrage of complaints from the pickpocket. "Look, I'm willing to hit you with another baseball as compensation if you want, but that's not your main problem. Do you see the guy behind me? My friend you just robbed?" The man pauses for a moment. "Uh, yeah. What about it?" "Does he look like the guy you want to mess with? He's a boxer."

For once, the man seems somewhat afraid. He deflates a little, and pauses for longer. "...He not really a boxer, right? They're all... buff." He's trying to convince himself, but you can tell he doesn't believe it. You just have to keep pushing. "That's just in movies. Boxers are fit, but they're all not all huge- my friend over here is the speed type, but he'll mess you up all the same. See that tooth he's missing- he lost that in a bout a few months back."

The thief gulps as he stares at the approaching 'boxer', whose grinning visage reveals a single missing tooth. "I'll talk to him. As long as he gets his wallet back the two of you can just go to the police. You'll get a short talking to and a warning and then you can go on his way. But if you try to run... well, I'm not sure if I can hold him back then. He has a pretty short temper."

"...Please talk to him for me. I'm sorry." You nod and head over to the man, quietly informing him that he's a boxer for the time being and that he can have some fun with that, but that he should just take the thief to the station, no funny business. He chuckles, says that he will, and thanks you for the help.

"Don't worry sir, it's my pleasure- it's my duty as Salary Man to make sure justice gets served." You slowly walk away, hanging a thumbs-up as you disappear from sight.

"Ah fuck, fuck, fuck. I'm doing warm ups on the train from now on, who cares if I look crazy..." You are currently swearing in an alley, taking some deep breaths, mask in hand, and contemplating whether you should switch out of this heavy-ass costume right here. As you nurse your back you hear someone approaching behind you.

You tense up, wondering if the thief caught up to you, before you hear the new arrival speak. "Do you need any help sir? You look injured." You throw a glance backwards and see a casually dressed young man staring at you. He seems genuinely concerned.
>"No, I'm alright. I just need to rest for a little bit, then I'll catch the last train back home. Thanks for the offer." You don't need the help. ...Although at this rate you might miss the last train.
>"I could use a hand, yeah. I think I pulled something, could you help me carry this while my aspirin kicks in? Just to the station." Your briefcase is heavy and not having to carry it would be a big help right now.
>Write-in

>>4577610
>You nod and head over to the man, quietly informing him that he's a boxer for the time being and that he can have some fun with that, but that he should just take the thief to the station, no funny business. He chuckles, says that he will, and thanks you for the help.
Heh. That was well handled.

Hm. Do we risk making ourselves look vulnerable, or risk missing the last train?
I feel like someone wanting to be a hero would rather stay strong, at least initially. If it bites us, it'll be a valuable lesson.
>"No, I'm alright. I just need to rest for a little bit, then I'll catch the last train back home. Thanks for the offer." You don't need the help. ...Although at this rate you might miss the last train.

>>4577610
I could use a hand

>>4577623
>>4577621

+1

>>4577621
This

>>4577610
Ask if it wouldnt be too much trouble if he could help carry us? Like we got an arm around his shoulder. We can carry the suitcase just fine. No need to bother him with that at least.

>>4577635
That's fine, sure. Just doublechecking, right now we have:
>>4577621
>One vote for no
>>4577623
>>4577635
>Two votes for yes (one for asking for a shoulder instead though, we can carry our briefcase)
>>4577624
And one person who I think accidentally quoted two opposing votes

Will probably close up the vote around midnight (an hour from now) and then write my last update for the day. Don't think I'll be running properly tomorrow, I have an (online) event to host and some irl stuff I'd like to care of, but I will probably drop an update or two. Will resume running Monday/Tuesday and then take a break for Christmas, maybe come back on the 27th or 28th.

>>4577644
Thanks for keeping us informed.

Apologies, but I won't be updating until tomorrow. Personal emergency.

It's here! I clicked as soon as I saw the title.
>>4577644
If it's still open I'll vote for yes as well.

As a sidenote, I'm getting mild samurai flamenco vibes from this quest, and unrelated to that sidenote, I think the "underpowered hero" is a fun and interesting yet underappreciated concept.

>>4577673
I hope everything turns out ok

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As much as you'd like to hold onto your pride, you really don't want to be stuck out here for the night. Capsule hotels and manga cafes are no substitute for your nice, expensive bed back at home.

"I could use a hand, yeah. I think I pulled something. Could you help me, just to the station?" The young man mumbles a response in the affirmative and you quickly stuff your mask into your briefcase and lock it before he can see it. Fortunately you already took off the utility belt because it, like most of your costume, is too heavy for you to want to deal with right now. Now you're just a middle-aged (or at least you'd refer to yourself as middle-aged) man in a somewhat lumpy suit.

After a few initial protests, you hand the man your briefcase, as it is really is too heavy to deal with tonight. You then sling your trash over your shoulder and start your slow trek back to the station. The two of you travel in silence for the first half, but after a few minutes the man you're travelling with speaks up.

"So, do you do this every night?" ...Do what? He couldn't mean the Salary Man stuff, could he? After thinking for a moment you think of the trash- maybe he means that. "No, I don't usually pick up litter. I just felt like doing a good deed today." The man just mutters an "Ah." and continues walking.

Eventually you reach the station with less than a minute to spare. You cut it close, but you guess you made it. You take your briefcase back and thank the good samaritan for his help. His response catches you off guard. "No biggy, just get home safe. Thought what you were doing back there was pretty cool, be careful though."

Oh. He saw you. Or did he see you? Maybe he meant the litter. He might not have saw you. ...No, he saw you. Thoughts like this float through your mind between bouts of sleep on the train home. Eventually you give up on sleep, remembering that the pills you take for that have probably worn off by now. Well, now's a good time as any, if you take it now you should be able to fall asleep when you get home.

You take out a water bottle and begin sorting through several bottles of pills on the crowded last train. Fortunately someone took pity on you and gave you a seat, or else you wouldn't be able to do so. Let's see... ulcer, heartburn, no, those are for lunch. Painkillers, unneeded, the aspirin is kicking in. Multivitamin yes, sleep yes.

Ah, that's better. Thank god you found these- you usually build up a resistance pretty quickly, but these have worked for eight years, more or less. Just take a while to... kick... in.

Exiting train. Transferring train. Exiting train. Walk home. Shove shoes into shoe rack. Leave garbage bag in kitchen, unsorted. Briefcase next to bed. Clothes next to bed. You would like a shower. You do not take a shower. Good night.

Ah. It's morning. You force yourself up, your body cracking a little as you get adjusted to the day. There is one thought in your brain.
>COFFEE
>FOOD
>BATHROOM
>GARAGE KIT
>WRITE-IN

>>4577700
Ayy, welcome to the quest.
I've actually been meaning to watch Flamenco for a while, maybe I'll get around to it soon.
and it's fine now, nothing world ending, just a reoccurring inconvenience

>>4578075
>WRITE-IN
Tea

>>4578113
support

>>4578075
>WRITE-IN
Fruits. Grab some fruits in the fridge and maybe a light breakfast, because as a sales man you're more inclined to buy the bulk of your breakfast.
After eat, do some stretching so something like last night doesn't happen.

>>4578075
>COFFEE

>>4578136
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-yoMEZXnbQ

>>4578136
>>4578166
These two

>>4578075
>write in

Give it your all, a song by Popular idol Tae-Chan

>>4578075
>>BATHROOM
Get the essentials sorted first.

I love the little characterizations you pepper your posts with.

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>>4578113
>>4578136
>>4578159
>>4578245
>>4578256
>>4578277
Coffee is the most common drink for boosting energy levels, but tea is a fairly popular alternative. Unlike the rise and crash of coffee, tea gives a steadier boost of energy throughout the day and is generally less acidic than coffee, which means it's less likely to upset your stomach.

While many drink tea because it's less caffeinated than coffee, that is not always the case. Most 'true' teas will contain roughly 30 or 40mg or caffeine per 8 oz. cup. Your average cup of coffee will contain around 100mg of caffeine per cup. You are drinking a type of matcha tea which contains 128mg of caffeine per cup. It works very well.

This is more or less the sales pitch you were given when you were sold this automatic tea maker and an office's supply of highly-caffeinated matcha tea to go with it. You initially had trouble getting this thing to work, but you keep the manual right next to it and after you called support the saleswoman you bought this from was kind enough to set the thing up so it brews a thermos every morning, so hopefully you won't have to deal with it until it inevitably breaks. Still, you're going on... what, a year and a half now, and all you've had to do is refill the thing with powder and water, so for all you know you'll break for it does.

After you fill your thermos up and take a sip to wake up, you rush into the shower. Five minutes later, maybe less, you are much fresher and have an emptied bladder. You would empty your bowels too, but as is tradition, you wait until 9 or so to do that. You don't have enough time in the mornings as is and would rather get paid for it.

You throw a glance at your clock as you get dressed. 5:40. It'll take five minutes to get to the station, an hour on two trains to get to Shinjuku, and five more minutes to switch out your briefcase again and get into the office. You have ten minutes. No time to deal with that garbage or the garage kit. Oh well.

You grab your thermos, your cell phone, your briefcase, and an orange as you head out the door. You haphazardly chomp down on the orange before stopping inside your nearest 7/11. You buy a chicken dumpling hot pot. It's small, but with some fruit it's a good breakfast- lots of greens too. You glance at your watch. 5:44. You can get it heated.

5:49. You catch your train. You eat the food quickly and fall back asleep. You wake up just in time for the transfer. You fall back asleep. 6:53. You wake up and start to drink more of your tea- you only take a sip in the morning so it doesn't mess with your naps. You switch out the briefcases. 6:59, you step into the office.

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>>4578580
"Good morning. Always right on time, aren't you?" You are. "Good morning sir. I suppose. Should I get started on the Okino account?" "No, no, leave it. We actually have a new employee starting today- that IT guy I mentioned. I want you to show him around, give him the rundown." So he's trying to make the IT 'department' a thing again. Ok. Sure. "Alright sir."

You are not prepared for what happens next. You are introduced to the new IT employee. It is the young man who helped you last night. He keeps a straight face, but you can see it in his eyes- the confusion. Your eyes and face betray nothing, but internally you are screaming. Why does it have to be him. You finally take a leap of faith and this happens. He isn't going to rat you out, is he? Or does he not even know- maybe he's just surprised that he ran into you last night.
>Betray nothing. Act normally. Show the new employee around the office. It's your job and that's all you need to do.
>Pretend you have a sales meeting and take him with you. Find a cafe somewhere. Talk to him. Tell him that he is under no circumstances to tell anyone about what you were up to last night.
>Pretend you have a sales meeting and take him with you. Find a cafe somewhere. Inform him of the horrors of this office and what happened to the last person who tried to be the IT department. The last SEVERAL people. You feel an obligation to warn him. If he quits, it is merely a side effect.
>Write-in

>>4578581
>>Betray nothing. Act normally. Show the new employee around the office. It's your job and that's all you need to do.

>>4578581
>Betray nothing. Act normally. Show the new employee around the office. It's your job and that's all you need to do.

>>4578581
>Betray nothing. Act normally. Show the new employee around the office. It's your job and that's all you need to do.
Be cordial and build up a rapport with him. He was a nice enough young man last night, so that should tell us enough about him as a person. Perhaps we could try and build an interest in his occupation and see if he could give us technical advice on basic tech stuff.
So what if he tells someone? All we did last night was pick up trash, help some wayward teens, and prevent a theft/assault combo.

>>4578792
This

>>4578792
+1

>>4578581
>>Betray nothing. Act normally. Show the new employee around the office. It's your job and that's all you need to do.

>>4576252
They have a 99% conviction rate its a dishonor to let anyone go and they even execute prisoners while they are waiting on there trial its guilty even when likely not guilty and kinda clearly is innocent

>>4578792
>>4578581
Support his character is good

>>4578581
>>Betray nothing. Act normally. Show the new employee around the office. It's your job and that's all you need to do.
Once we warm up a little to each other, either we can quietly talk talk to him about what happened last night, or he likely will ask.

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>>4578588
>>4578663
>>4578792
>>4578818
>>4578965
>>4579084
>>4579204
>>4579219
Calm down. There's no reason for him to rat you out, if he even saw anything. You're his boss. Do your job and you'll be fine.

"My name is Sugimoto Daisuke and I'm the Vice-President of the Tokyo Branch of Junpei Office Supplies. We don't have a formal IT department, so you'll be working under me. It's nice to meet you and I look forward to working with you. Here's my card." The confusion disappears from his eyes as he remembers to introduce himself. He takes the business card from you, shoves it into his pocket, and then introduces himself. "My apologies, I don't have cards yet. I'm Hiro Shou, a recent graduate from 〇〇 university. I look forward to working with you."

The boss leaves as you exchange introductions, trusting you to take care of things while he does... whatever he does. Probably solitaire. "That's fine, we'll provide some later. I don't need your card anyways, you work here. You need to brush up on your etiquette though. You took mine incorrectly. I'll fill you in later." Hiro lets out a quiet "Ah..." as you begin to show him around the office. There's honestly not much to look at, but you may as well give him the full tour.

The office is on the third floor; the 'break room' and other facilities (including a few futons which get used much too frequently by anyone who misses the last train) on the second floor; and reception, cleaning supplies, and the utility closet on the first floor. In the basement is a used bookstore that has been renting out space in this building since at least the dawn of time, probably a little earlier.

By the time you are done describing everything in the building in excruciating detail and making sure that Hiro thoroughly understands important things like coffee machine, refrigerator, and microwave etiquette, it's around 8:30. Everyone's shifts technically start at 9, but almost everyone should be in by now. You guess you should have him introduce himself to the office.

Hiro introduces himself to the office. Where he would get light clapping if he were a new salesman or receptionist, he gets only stares filled with pity when he says that he's the new employee in charge of IT. He doesn't seem to notice. After finishing introductions Hiro returns to your desk. "I look forward to working with you Hiro-san. Here's my card. Use two hands, keep it visible until we're done talking, and please, PLEASE don't damage it or write on it. Business cards are important and I've watched several business deals fall apart because people didn't pay attention to etiquette. Treat them like you're holding onto the other party's face. Got it?" Hiro nods.

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>>4579554
You should be done with most of the basics for now then, you guess you'll just give him a... briefing, go to the bathroom (it's almost 9 after all), and do your own work. "Your job is an... interesting one Hiro-san. It's very difficult, but I've heard it's also very fulfilling." Hiro seems pleasantly surprised. "Really? How so sir?" "I believe the exact words the last employee used were 'If I can figure this out it will be my life's greatest achievement.' Anyways, our company used to use an in-house program to help with sales and automate a lot of the grunt work. It was made 12 years ago by an expat we hired to work on automation. For... reasons I'd rather not discuss here, he quit immediately after finishing the program. It worked great for a while, but there were bugs he never got around to fixing and parts that have stopped working over time. We need you to fix it. There are notes, both physical and digital, left on your desk and in your computer. Good luck."

Hiro departs, the expression on his face signaling that he is still blissfully unware of what awaits him. He seemed nice. You're not sure if you want him to quit immediately or last longer than the rest- you guess both are good outcomes in their own ways. Anyways, bathroom time.

That expat once said: "The boss makes a dollar and I make a dime, that's why I poop on company time." You're the boss (relatively speaking), but you still do so. You feel like a more accurate saying might be "The company gets 20 hours and I get 5, that's why I poop on company time." You guess that's too much of a mouthful though. Now that your morning tasks are done with, you can get to more important work.
>Like that sales visit you were considering making up. You were thinking about walking over to Akihibara and shopping around for a voice changer for your helmet, and now is a great time to do that.
>You'll get some work done. As long as you aren't tearing your hair out over it it's more entertaining than sitting around, and you're probably going to be stuck in this office for another 14 hours anyways, work or no work.
>You don't know how to do much on your computer, but you do know how to play solitaire. And minesweeper. You're itching for a game or ten.
>Write-in

>>4579565
>>You'll get some work done. As long as you aren't tearing your hair out over it it's more entertaining than sitting around, and you're probably going to be stuck in this office for another 14 hours anyways, work or no work.
We should get at least a little actual work done before slacking off. Once things get too tedious we can go look for the voice changer.
Plus, it might be better to be around to make sure the new guy makes the transition from enthusiasm to horror smoothly.

>>4579565
>>You'll get some work done. As long as you aren't tearing your hair out over it it's more entertaining than sitting around, and you're probably going to be stuck in this office for another 14 hours anyways, work or no work.

>>4579565
>>You'll get some work done. As long as you aren't tearing your hair out over it it's more entertaining than sitting around, and you're probably going to be stuck in this office for another 14 hours anyways, work or no work.

>>4579565
>You'll get some work done. As long as you aren't tearing your hair out over it it's more entertaining than sitting around, and you're probably going to be stuck in this office for another 14 hours anyways, work or no work.
If we genuinely have some free time afterwards, lets check on the new guy, see if needs a pep-talk or some macha green tea. It's better than coffee in the long run.
A caring boss is a cool boss.

>>4579637
>>4579565
I forgot to add but lets see if we have any updates or message in if those kids accepted the job or not from our contact. We probably won't get any news until a few days from my I suspect.

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>>4579574
>>4579608
>>4579633
>>4579637
You were going to leave, but you almost forgot- there's the Okino account to deal with. You shouldn't leave them waiting for too long. You grunt as you pull a massive binder out from under your desk. This binder is your holy grail and the cornerstone of your career- it is THE binder. This binder contains a list of every client you've ever dealt with, their likes, dislikes, contact info, and so on and so forth. Within it lies many arcane secrets lost to the depths of time, but more importantly, it contains the order forms Okino Publishing faxed you.

You flip through the binder, trusting the many bookmarks littered throughout to lead you to your destination. "O...ki... Okino Accounting, Okino Publishing. There." You pull out a small stack of papers held together by a paperclip, put the binder to the side, and begin looking through them. Nothing too odd. They're mostly restocking on consumables like paper clips, staples, printer paper, etcetera etcetera. You should ask them if they're interested in replacing their staplers for more reliable models once you forward the confirmation that these are done- their representative was complaining about his sticking the other day but didn't order a replacement, he might buy new ones for the whole office just so that he can replace his.

A loud clacking sound engulfs your desk and the surrounding area. You feverishly jot down figures and update inventory amounts with your left hand while simultaneously computing number after number with a calculator to your right. Half an hour later you're done with the forms. That was refreshing. Now that you think of it your binder is still open, maybe you should see how Okino Accounting are doing...

Your left hand is smeared with ink and your right hand wracked with cramps, but you have done at least half a week's worth of work. And it took... let's see, 12:38 PM. 183 minutes then. You're no match for the 'godly administrator', Nishimura, but you're a force to be reckoned with in your own right. You guess you should check in on the new hire.

Hiro staring at his desk, a vacant look in his eyes. One of his predecessor's notebooks is left open on his desk, but he's not reading it. You think he's still at denial. You'll check back in at anger, that's when they usually need you. Guess you'll see if those teens from last night have sent you a portfolio yet. You check your heroics phone. They haven't, but they said they'll pass it on tonight. Alright then.

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>>4579679
2:00 PM. You helped one of the newer employees pick up lunch and made sure THE binder was well-organized and maintained. It was. Hiro is still in denial.
4:00 PM. Hiro seems to be flickering between denial and anger. His body is tenser and he's beginning to breathe heavily. You think he's still figuring out who exactly to blame for this. His predecessors have come up with many answers. The expat, Gerald. Junpei Hiroshi. God. Society. You think they're all right in their own way.
>It is time. Take him on a 'sales visit' and go somewhere where you can speak frankly. You can spare an hour or so.
>One of the many fine products Junpei Office Supplies produces are stress balls. Leave him a stress ball. A resilient one. He'll come when he needs it.
>Now that you think of it, it might be a good time to head to Akihibara and look around for one of those voice changer things for your helmet. Hiro has your number, he'll call you once he goes from anger to bargaining.
>Write-in

>>4579679
>You feverishly jot down figures and update inventory amounts with your left hand while simultaneously computing number after number with a calculator to your right.
A lefty? Or even properly ambi?

>One of the many fine products Junpei Office Supplies produces are stress balls. Leave him a stress ball. A resilient one. He'll come when he needs it.
>Now that you think of it, it might be a good time to head to Akihibara and look around for one of those voice changer things for your helmet. Hiro has your number, he'll call you once he goes from anger to bargaining.
I don't see why we can't do both of these. Plus if we time it right, we can effectively get off early using the business trip.
I want to talk to him, but I feel like asking to do something for us will go poorly with him in this state.

Considering how stingy the company apparently is with IT I doubt this'll happen, but it really sounds like the best thing to do is scrap the entire system and start from scratch.

>>4579684
Make a note to buy one of those write support things so we don't get something constant aches.
Do we have a duplicate of THE BINDER in case it gets damaged, or worse. Suffers water stains? Can the new IT lad teach us how to work a fax machine, and make digital copies of THE BINDER?

>One of the many fine products Junpei Office Supplies produces are stress balls. Leave him a stress ball. A resilient one. He'll come when he needs it.
>It is time. Take him on a 'sales visit' and go somewhere where you can speak frankly. You can spare an hour or so.
And honestly? He needs time to cool his temper before he pops a blood vessel. What's his favorite brand of coffee/tea? It'll be our treat.

>>4579689
>Or even properly ambi?
Sugimoto is too powerful for this thread.

>but it really sounds like the best thing to do is scrap the entire system and start from scratch.
Sounds like it might be a major overhaul. Think it might be worth going over his resume to see if he's seemingly capable of such a feat, or outright asking him if he can do it?

>>4579679
How many people work at the Junpei Office Supplies? Are there any company events to entice people to work productively? Company dinner for Kobe Steaks if we exceed a certain goal? Catering to restaurants to improve moral (Korean, Indian, American, English, etc)?

>>4579689
You can do both, sure. My initial intention for the second choice was to leave a stress ball and keep an eye on them, but there's no problem doing so and combining it with another choice.

>A lefty? Or even properly ambi?
You're naturally left-handed but trained a lot so that you can perform other tasks with your right hand. Your writing isn't very neat with it because you never practiced but it can do most things fine.
>it really sounds like the best thing to do is scrap the entire system and start from scratch.
They all say that. You don't really understand it, but you agree with them given the number of employees you've lost over this program. That's what they try to get approved during bargaining. It never gets approved.

>Do we have a duplicate of THE BINDER in case it gets damaged, or worse. Suffers water stains? Can the new IT lad teach us how to work a fax machine, and make digital copies of THE BINDER?
There is such a copy. It is many years out of date, but it does exist. You would appreciate help updating it though, because while almost everything in THE BINDER that can be laminated is laminated, it could still get damaged.

>>4579716
In this branch? Around 30. Junpei Hiroshi is the president, you're the vice-president, there's an 'acting head of sales' who still resents you to this day, two team leaders, and then a couple dozen employees. Then there's the receptionist and a few other assorted employees. The janitors and maintenance aren't technically your employees and are hired out by you and the bookstore. Besides the Tokyo branch there's the Kansai branch, the 'new' Hokkaido branch (You were narrowly passed over for heading it, although you were given a very noticeable raise and gift basket when it was founded. When it was founded instead of a second Tokyo office Hiroshi made everyone's lives hell for months.), the R&D department, the marketing department, and HQ. HQ is just the big boss, Junpei Osamu, the god administrator, their assistant, and a couple others. Uh, final note in this info dump that ended up being a bit too big, there are warehouse and production facilities but Junpei Office Supplies does not own any of them. They are all outsourced, along with most shipping.
>Are there any company events to entice people to work productively? Company dinner for Kobe Steaks if we exceed a certain goal? Catering to restaurants to improve moral (Korean, Indian, American, English, etc)?
This pure info post is already getting way too long so:
Sometimes, Junpei Hiroshi is an enigma whose motivation comes in infrequent, concentrated bursts. God you wish. Sometimes, usually during crunch times.
and some final cryptic words to answer any other questions
black company

>>4579737
>Laminations
>No digital photo copies
WE MUST GROW STRONGER

We are at a tie of 1 to 1, so I'll eat and wait another hour, maybe a little more, for more votes. Then I'll roll to tiebreak if we're still tied.

>>4579826
I'm willing to compromise and do what you'd originally intended for the stress ball, seeing as both votes involve it.

>>4579836
Same. I'm fine with a compromise.

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>>4579836
>>4579869
You'll just leave him a stress ball and wait for him to approach you on his own. It's not wise to fetter with the IT sages' initial enlightenment. They should walk that path on their own.

While getting up to grab a few documents you stealthily swing by the storage closet on the second floor and grab a stealth ball. Wait, no, two stealth balls, just in case. You drop them on his desk without him noticing and return to your seat. Now to wait.

Wait you do, but Hiro doesn't snap out of his trance. Eventually he does resume looking through the notebooks, but his face just gets paler as he does so. Maybe he's still in denial? You're not sure. Oh, he's using the stress ball. Probably anger then.

As you take it upon yourself to watch over the new hire, your boss approaches you. "Sugimoto-san, I need you to take care of something for me." Oh no. "Certainly. What is it sir?" "There was a problem with the shipment Broccoli got. I need you to go and hash things out with their representative. She's a tough nut to crack and I can't trust the others with him." Oh no. "Alright. Just checking, which branch of Broccoli?" "Gamers." OH NO.

There are some people you struggle to deal with because they're talented. Well-spoken, tough negotiators who want to get a deal out of you. The employee at Gamers who stays in contact with your company, Miyoshi, is not that type of person. You wish they were- you could work around them. But their... peculiarities make them more difficult than that. As you contemplate how to best approach the situation, your boss addresses the whole office.

"Alright everyone, we'll finish up early tonight!" It's almost 7 PM. 'Early'. "We need to welcome Hiro-san, and you know what that means! We'll go to the usual place." Before you notice it, Hiro is beside you. "Vice-president Sugimoto, what exactly did President Junpei mean?" "Hmm, that? Just a drinking party, no big..." You pause mid-sentence as you tear your mind away from the Gamers problem and realize what's actually happening. There's a drinking party.

Oh no. You wanted to go home tonight.

>Inform the boss that the doctor has advised you that you ARE NOT, under any circumstance, to drink alcohol, and that you will need to pass for the foreseeable future. You just couldn't hold yourself back. [Will free you from all drinking parties for the foreseeable future. Will cause some strain with boss.]
>Good thing you just got the perfect excuse. It's a shame to miss out on the... festivities, but you need to come up with a plan of action for the problem with Gamers. As much as you hate the idea, you should arrange a meeting with Miyoshi immediately and focus on solving their problem until everyone else has left the office.
>Oh god, not another drinking party. You guess you'll pull through this one without dying, if only for the sake of making sure the new hire is fine. The first one is always the worst. ...Or the best depending on your point of view.
>Write-in

>>4579932
>Good thing you just got the perfect excuse. It's a shame to miss out on the... festivities, but you need to come up with a plan of action for the problem with Gamers. As much as you hate the idea, you should arrange a meeting with Miyoshi immediately and focus on solving their problem until everyone else has left the office.

I'm liking this Quest so far Manager. Kinda looking like a Japanese Kick-Ass.

>>4579932
>>Good thing you just got the perfect excuse. It's a shame to miss out on the... festivities, but you need to come up with a plan of action for the problem with Gamers. As much as you hate the idea, you should arrange a meeting with Miyoshi immediately and focus on solving their problem until everyone else has left the office.

>>4579932
>Good thing you just got the perfect excuse. It's a shame to miss out on the... festivities, but you need to come up with a plan of action for the problem with Gamers. As much as you hate the idea, you should arrange a meeting with Miyoshi immediately and focus on solving their problem until everyone else has left the office.

>>4579932
>>Inform the boss that the doctor has advised you that you ARE NOT, under any circumstance, to drink alcohol, and that you will need to pass for the foreseeable future. You just couldn't hold yourself back. [Will free you from all drinking parties for the foreseeable future. Will cause some strain with boss.]
I gotta go with this. Japanese work drinking culture is a miserable practice.

>>4580025
Maybe it is, but its suicide to diminish the value of the relationship to your boss.

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>>4579939
>>4579943
>>4580014
>>4580025
"Sugimoto, you coming?" "Sorry president, I need to clean up after that Gamers problem you mentioned. We can't let a problem with Broccoli linger too long, they're a big client. I'll see you at the next one." Your boss seems slightly upset, but can't really argue with that.

7:02. You're the last one left at the office, and for once it's at a... decent time you suppose? Not the time on your contract (9-5), but a decent time. You just need to make that call first. "Hello? This is Sugimoto from Junpei Office Supplies. Apologies for the late call, I hope it's not a bad time?" "No, it's fine, I just got home. You're calling about the mix up, right?" "That's correct. From what I have here I'm seeing that you were accidentally sent a shipment we had arranged for another client. Is it fine if we meet up sometime Saturday to discuss our mistake and how we can clear it up for you?" "That sounds fine. Does noon at the usual place work for you?"

Here it is. You have to fight back. "Actually, I heard there was a lovely cafe right next to your offices. Why don't we go there, it's not even three minutes for you to get there." "I appreciate the offer but it's fine. We're already going to a cafe anyways." "No, no, I insist- I know how valuable to the company you are Miyoshi-san, it's best we meet closer to your office." "It's perfectly fine, you're far more valuable to Junpei Office Supplies than I could hope to be to Broccoli- isn't there talk about you heading the next office, whenever they decide to make one? It's just rumors. I really do insist..."

You go back and forth, exhausting your arsenal of tricks and compliments, but none of it secures a victory. "The usual place then. I'll see you noon Saturday. Yes, I hope you have a good night too. Goodbye." Ah, fuck. Well, you guess you have a real meeting in Akihibara now, so at least you don't have to worry about slipping out on a fake one and buying that voice changer.

7:15. Still plenty of time left in the night.
>Better go home. There's a bag of unsorted litter sitting in your house and you'd love some time to yourself. You only get one day off a week and it's not enough.
>And that means more time for heroics. You better get some stretches in and head over to Shibuya. Evil never rests, so you shouldn't either.
>Write-in
That's probably the last update of the day for me, we will resume tomorrow

>>4580062
>>Better go home. There's a bag of unsorted litter sitting in your house and you'd love some time to yourself. You only get one day off a week and it's not enough.
We did actual work today, and are looking to have more exhausting work in the future. Plus, we can consider it a mini celebration for yesterday's first successful outing without something horrible happening.

>>4580062
>Better go home. There's a bag of unsorted litter sitting in your house and you'd love some time to yourself. You only get one day off a week and it's not enough.

gotta ease into the hero business, if us throwing our back out last night was any indication. maybe some stretches are in order after sorting that trash

>>4580062
>Better go home. There's a bag of unsorted litter sitting in your house and you'd love some time to yourself. You only get one day off a week and it's not enough.
Stretching and exercising

>>4580062
>Better go home. There's a bag of unsorted litter sitting in your house and you'd love some time to yourself. You only get one day off a week and it's not enough.
Do we have feet supports in our shoes? Did we modify all mod slots in our office chair for maximum comfort and back support? Would it be a bad idea to install a micro camera to the back of our helmet to make us immune to backstabs and stalkers?

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>>4580069
>>4580080
>>4580136
>>4580579
You've had enough heroics for a little while. Better head home, sort through that garbage, get some exercise in, and then... enjoy yourself you guess. You catch the 7:20 train, catch some extra sleep (standing this time, the seats were all filled), and step into your house at 8:25.

First you should deal with the garbage. You spend the next half hour sorting the litter from last night into three separate garbage bags: combustible, incombustible, and bottles and cans. It's boring work, but you still feel a small sense of pride when you're done- it's all for a cleaner Japan.

After the garbage is dealt with you stretch and exercise for a while. One of your contacts gave you a membership to some gym in the area (you didn't ask for it, he just... did), but you still decided to buy some equipment anyways, even though you don't get to use it often. It's a little faster to exercise that way. You run, lift weights, and perform a few other basic exercises for around 90 minutes. It's around 10:30 right now. Tomorrow is the 'end of week meeting' day, so you might just stay up until 3-something, maybe 4, and just catch a quick nap before work. Since they're drinking tonight almost everyone is going to fall asleep during the meeting anyways, it's not like you falling asleep too will make a difference.

Hm, maybe you'll pour yourself a drink, put on some nice music, and work on a garage kit. Although last time you were in Akihibara for work you also picked up a few blurays for mecha and tonkusatsu stuff. You aren't into any TV (live-action or animated) besides that really, but you could spend a night going through those. Or maybe...

As you're considering what to do with your night you feel one of your phones vibrate. Is it the heroics phone? No, although those kids did pass along a portfolio while you were sleeping- you'll pass that on tomorrow. Business? Nope. It's the personal then. It's from... mom.

"Are you gay?" You aren't.

So it's that time of year again.
>Well, the garage kits await, time to relax and build a tiny giant robot.
>You heard good things about those blu-rays you bought, you think there was a new Macross anime in there too.
>All your instincts are telling you to ignore your mom and stall for a week or two until you're forced to deal with her (it really is better that way, the whole family recommends it), but fuck it, you'll bite. "No, I'm not gay. We've gone over this. You have grandchildren now. Why do we need to keep having this conversation."
>Write-in

>>4580610
>All your instincts are telling you to ignore your mom and stall for a week or two until you're forced to deal with her (it really is better that way, the whole family recommends it), but fuck it, you'll bite. "No, I'm not gay. We've gone over this. You have grandchildren now. Why do we need to keep having this conversation."

Then go build that robot

>>4580579
>Would it be a bad idea to install a micro camera to the back of our helmet to make us immune to backstabs and stalkers?
>literal eyes in the back of our head
We'd need a little screen to see it with but it would be cool

>>4580610
>Well, the garage kits await, time to relax and build a tiny giant robot.
Robot!

>>4580610
>>Well, the garage kits await, time to relax and build a tiny giant robot.

>>4580620
We could buy some smart overlay glasses or lenses, then install them into the helmet.

>>4580610
Text mom, "I'm not gay".
Work on a hangover cure to bring to work. Apparently we have to be the adult.

Alright, you guys seem to be agreeing to fit the garage kit and chill into your free time, might include the write-in here though >>4580693
Responding to your mother is more divisive, I have two votes for it
>>4580615
>>4580693
and two which don't comment on which I automatically take as against
>>4580629
>>4580660
So I'll wait a while for that tie to be broken. Warning since you know this in-character: If you respond to her in any way right now, she will know you're there, and she WILL get you to call her before the night is over. This will lead to at least a couple hours of suffering. You love her, but you know what's coming based off of that text. It's not going to be fun.
>Respond to your mother.
>Don't respond to your mother.

>>4580714
>Don't respond to your mother.
It can wait til tomorrow

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Your mom can wait for a while. Pandora's box does not need to be opened tonight. You go over to your kitchen and begin sorting through the shelves. There's whisky, wine, beer, and alcohol of all sorts in here, but it's mostly for the few guests you have. Whenever you drink you have specific tastes. Something low in alcohol content and that goes down smooth. Tonight... maybe a Highball? Yeah, that sounds about right.

Alright, you have just enough alcohol in you, now where did you put your airbrush. You have all the prep work done on one, you just need to paint as well as some other miscellaneous stuff. Ah, there it is. You flick a light on and a room filled with shelves, displays cases, and boxes is lit up. This room is sanctuary. It contains all your garage kits (finished or not), VHSes, DVDs, and blurays. In short, it is the only room where fun things are kept. Except the kitchen you suppose- the Highball was kind of fun, and you think you have some cake in the fridge. Nothing fun besides that though.

You gingerly take hold of a box full of prepared parts and exit the room. You grab a mask (resin in the lungs is not good, even if you're not sanding or anything it's a force of habit), and head into a side room you keep empty for this sort of thing. You begin painting the... no, wait, you're out of the right tone for this robot, the other one doesn't have enough of a sheen to it. You open a shelf and take out paint after point, carefully combining them to make just the right tone. A couple of tries later you have it. Now to paint...

Layer. Layer. Layer. God this shading takes forever. You think it looks good though. That should be enough for the airbrush. You'd like more detail in a few places though, where'd you put the pen. Gently, gently, fuck... that wasn't gentle. You can fix this though...

It is 2:30 AM. You think you're done with this one. There's another kit prepped somewhere, but you think you should carve out some time to prep more soon- there was a Mazinger kit you paid someone to buy for you that you should start on. Now you just need to wait for the glue to dry and you can put this baby up in one of your display cases.

After finishing the kit you relax for a bit longer, eat that cake along with some fancy meat and cheese platter you bought, and listen to some smooth jazz. Eventually you feel yourself nodding off, and a little after 3 you retire for the night.

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>>4580780
5:30. Tea, shower, fruit, bento. Same as any other morning, although you did pick up something from the 7/11 to help with the hangovers- some of the employees who get dragged along deserve at least that. Not the boss though- the best case scenario is that he passes out on his desk, you all get a day's work in, and then you can all leave at 5 because he starts vomiting and leaves early.

Unfortunately that is not the case. Your boss is asleep on his desk when you arrive, but he wakes up around 10. It is now time for the end of week meeting. Everyone will describe, in painstaking detail, what they did during the week. This does not improve productivity or ensure communication, but it does make sure almost nothing gets done during Fridays and that you will be staying late.

>You got some earlier, but you would enjoy more sleep. If you get enough you could even get some free time when you're supposed to be sleeping. Until it's your turn, goodnight.
>You could get some work done now you suppose. You'll have to work slowly in order to avoid a disturbance, but there's not much else to do.
>The representative for a pretty big client of yours recommended a novel. You're sure he'd appreciate it if you read it, and now is the perfect time.
>Chat with the new guy via texts, see how he's doing after the first day and where he's at with the grief. He was sleeping earlier so you didn't really get a chance to chat with him.
>Write-in

>>4580783
>The representative for a pretty big client of yours recommended a novel. You're sure he'd appreciate it if you read it, and now is the perfect time.
Work work everything to go up

>>4580783
>>The representative for a pretty big client of yours recommended a novel. You're sure he'd appreciate it if you read it, and now is the perfect time.
This technically counts as work, right?

>>4580783
>The representative for a pretty big client of yours recommended a novel. You're sure he'd appreciate it if you read it, and now is the perfect time.

>>4580812
We're skilled in the art of compliments and bullshit, so I'd say yes. We need a good conversation starter to improve our rapport with the client.

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>>4580789
>>4580812
>>4580843
You guess you'll read that novel the representative from the Japanese branch of Flaschengeist gave you. He said it was Kafka, and you read The Metamorphosis many years ago, so you're actually rather interested. When you last met he gave you a copy, and while you weren't sure if you would get around to it you did keep it in your briefcase.

It's in German. So he was trying to test you. Unfortunately for him you've had dozens of hours to kill every single week in this office, and you've read through your fair share of German novels when you were trapped here with no work to do. Even if that weren't the case, you still have to deal with plenty of companies from the West, so it's not like you'd forget. Time to read Das Schloss.

Many hours have passed. You read through most of the novel, paused to give your debriefing for the week, and then finished it. Your reading pace was noticeably slowed down compared to Japanese, but it wasn't too bad. What was frustrating was that the book ended mid-sentence. Was that part of the test too? Did the author die? Is this some weird Kafkaesque twist that Germans love? The frustration burns at you, as your next meeting with the guy who gave you this shouldn't be for another two months. You could hold this as a conversation topic, but... you need to ask. Now.

Just as you're composing a polite, but mildly-enraged text trying to discern what happened to the book, whatever meeting followed the meeting that followed the end of week meeting ends. You are finally free. You throw a glance at the clock- it's 11 PM. You should forward those teens' portfolio, even if it is kind of late- you can't put it off for too long. You put the literary musings on hold and send that forward as you gather your things.

Commute, sleep, another day. It is Saturday. Your mother has sent another text poking at your lack of children and you have subsequently ignored it- no time right now. You did, however, find time to send that text to the Flaschengeist rep- that bastard left you on a cliffhanger like no other.

>>4580918
It's around 9 AM, and you've finished your work for the day. Well, except that meeting in Akihibara at noon. And one in Shibuya at 7. ...And a third in Ningyocho at 9. The big one is that meeting at noon though- the thought of that is killing you. As you're silently pitying yourself, Hiro approaches you. "Sir, I can't do this. The program simply CAN'T be fixed as-is, the amount of work is astronomical." Bargaining.
>"They all say that. I agree, but President Junpei doesn't. I wish you the best of luck in repairing the program, and please come back to me if there's anything I can help you with." He needs to make progress on it quickly to keep Junpei off his back. It's for his own good.
>"I agree, but President Junpei never has. But, just like your predecessors, you get one shot. Read through all the notes and prepare all the data you can. I'll arrange a meeting with him when you're ready so that you can try to convince him." Unfortunately logic won't work with that idiot, but if trying to convince him will make the new hire feel better about working on it, that's fine.
>"I have a sales meeting in Akihibara later and I could actually use your help with something afterwards. Be ready around 12:30, 1:00, and I'll text you when I'm ready. We can talk about it in more detail then." You can speak with him frankly if you're out of the office and get his help with your shopping. It's a win-win.
>Write-in

>>4580925
>"I have a sales meeting in Akihibara later and I could actually use your help with something afterwards. Be ready around 12:30, 1:00, and I'll text you when I'm ready. We can talk about it in more detail then." You can speak with him frankly if you're out of the office and get his help with your shopping. It's a win-win.
We scratch his back he scratches ours. If it's a matter of cost to replace the old system for a newer one, he can convince us. If we find his proposal better than his prececessor's, then perhaps we have a shot of actually upgrading from the new one.

>>4580918
>11PM
oh. OH.
No wonder we finished a book in more-or-less a single sitting, even one in german.
Also, apparently we know german? What is it with japanese and germans I presume we have at least as much familiarity with english; do we know any other languages?

>>4580925
>"I have a sales meeting in Akihibara later and I could actually use your help with something afterwards. Be ready around 12:30, 1:00, and I'll text you when I'm ready. We can talk about it in more detail then." You can speak with him frankly if you're out of the office and get his help with your shopping. It's a win-win.
I wonder if we can try slowly working on the boss that replacing the whole system would be easier and cheaper than eternally dealing with IT turnover.

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>>4580936
>>4581030
You feel bad for him. You should explain everything in detail... and get his help while you're at it. "I have a sales meeting in Akihibara later and I could actually use your help with something afterwards. Be ready around 12:30, 1:00, and I'll text you when I'm ready. We can talk about it in more detail then." "Okay then sir." Hiro leaves you alone and you return to your musings. Unfortunately no matter how much you think, you can not magically make your noon meeting disappear. Some work and general time-wasting later, and it's 11:40 AM. Time for your meeting.

It takes 15 minutes to walk to Akihibara. You are here at your normal five minutes early, standing about 20 feet away from 'the usual place'. Normally you'd stand right by the door, but there is no way in hell you're doing that for this meeting. Today you will be meeting the Gamer's representative, Miyoshi, at the Moe Moe Nekomimi Maid Cafe. You were brought here once, eight years ago, without prior warning and have been strong-armed into meeting her here every time since. This is the place of your nightmares, and activates your flight or fight response in a way no other building except your office could.

11:58 AM. You have a message from Miyoshi. "I'm so sorry, but I'm running a few minutes late. Could you please get us a table, I'll be there ASAP."
>You are not going into the Moe Moe Nekomimi Maid Cafe alone. You didn't see her message. You will be waiting here.
>Maybe if you go in and order food for both of you now then you can get the meeting over with quicker. It's time to enter the dragon's den.
>"Hiro-san, it's a bit early but could you hurry here as quickly as possible. I need you to reserve a table for me." You're sure he won't mind.
>Write-in

>>4581030
>I presume we have at least as much familiarity with english; do we know any other languages?
You're more or less fluent in English, German, and obviously Japanese. As for other languages not really, although you do remember some basic French and Italian. You were bored once and read through some tourist-phrases books when there was nothing else to do. You considered learning Mandarin once but you were advised not to by many people. That was a good decision.

>>4581051
>Maybe if you go in and order food for both of you now then you can get the meeting over with quicker. It's time to enter the dragon's den.
We are a GROWN MAN! We will not be cowed by a "Moe Moe Nekomimi Maid Cafe." We are the Vice President of a company dammit, and we will walk in there with the authority and aura of one.

I guess I'll leave it here for tonight. Was gonna disappear for Christmas now, but since I want to drop one more update tonight I guess I'll post one more tomorrow before disappearing.
As previously stared, I will return on the 27th or 28th. An exact date will be posted here closer to my return.
If anyone would prefer me to I can dust off my old QM twitter for date announcement stuff or consider some other solution like other QMs use but to me this solution seems fine. ...Although I'm aware I'm not the norm as I keep every single quest I'm following open all the time.

Oh yeah, almost forgot: Merry Christmas, thanks for playing, and stay safe and all that jazz.
If destiny permits maybe I'll run into some of you /a/nons or gucas/shamis elsewhere this Christmas season.

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>>4581051
>Moe Moe Nekomimi Maid Cafe
I don't know if it's better or worse that it's a 'she' that likes to meet here.

>Maybe if you go in and order food for both of you now then you can get the meeting over with quicker. It's time to enter the dragon's den.
Let's just get this over with.

Pick related is what I'm expecting from this chick.
I don't have a good image for this, but I'm gaining a feeling of deep-seated horror at the state of our PC's life before he started this hero thing.

>>4581148
It would be nice if you threw a link up just to be on the safe side. It's always good to have a fallback option, even if you don't actually use it for a while.

Thanks for keeping us informed, and have a Merry Christmas.

>>4581051
>Maybe if you go in and order food for both of you now then you can get the meeting over with quicker. It's time to enter the dragon's den.
A true hero can conquer his fears! Or something.

>>4581150
Merry Christmas!

>>4581150
merry christmas QM

>>4581150
Merry christmas and see you later then also enter the danger zone with office sensei

>>4581051
Ah, psychological warfare it is.

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>>4581069
>>4581153
>>4581184
>>4581228
>>4581347
>>4581384
Alright, if she wants you to get a table you'll get a table. You're a 49 year-old man, you can handle some maid cafe. It's fine.

https://youtu.be/ADo7PZy4yOg
As you approach the building you notice that the exact same music as last time is playing. The exact same music as every time, actually. Have they had this on loop for eight years? You take a deep breath and step inside. The Moe Moe Nekomimi Maid Cafe is a single-floor building plastered with anime posters, mostly of women dressed... oddly. As you observe the posters, you notice one of the employees approaching you. Before they arrive you see another employee power-walk towards you and reach your first. That's slightly odd- you guess the competition is tight around here.

"Welcome Myaster? How may I serve you?" There is a woman in her early 30s standing in front of you wearing some sort of gothic maid uniform and cat ears, calling you master. You actually think you've been served by this woman before. You are dying inside. Just persevere, you can handle this. You bow slightly as you respond. "I'm meeting a colleague here. May I please get a table for two?" She chirps out "Cernyainly myaster!" as you're led to your table.

"Would you like anything to drink myaster?" You'd like a stiff drink to get through this, but you guess coffee will have to do. "A black coffee please. And a melon soda for my companion." "Alright! I'll be right over with nyat!" You let out a quiet sigh as you send a message to Miyoshi. "I got us a table and ordered what you usually drink. Should I get you anything to eat?" An almost instant response. "Yumi-chan's special omurice."

Yumi-chan's special omurice then. You're pretty hungry too, so you guess you'll get a rice omelet too, although you'd rather nothing be 'special' about it here. You put in your order and wait for Miyoshi to arrive. It's 12:13 when she enters. "Sugimoto-san, I'm so sorry about the wait. I got caught up with something at the company and couldn't escape." "That's fine. Should we discuss how to deal with the mix up now?" "Our food should be coming soon, right? I'm starved, we should eat first." Sure, you can wait for that. You're hungry too.

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>>4581548
The waitress comes out, your food in hand, and you feel your stomach rumble. Finally, lunch. "Here's your food myaster!" As she's about to set down your food you hear her let out a surprised grunt and then see her falling towards you. Oh dear. As she crashes towards you, plate in hand, you involuntarily close your eyes. If your glasses break you'd rather not have shatter into your eyes in the process.

You're pushed to the floor along with the food, chair, and waitress. You hurt a little bit, and the food is hot, but you don't think you damaged anything. You guess you should check on the waitress then. You open your eyes. "Are you alright miss? "Uh-yeah, I'm fine." She sounds like she's lying. Oh- she scraped her knee. "You appear to have scraped your knee. One moment miss."

You quickly open your briefcase, retrieve a tiny first aid kit, and then remove a small can of disinfectant. "Stay still, I'm applying disinfectant." She lets out a small grunt of pain as you clean the wound. After that you apply a small adhesive bandage. She should be fine then. Oh, wait- her face is red. Maybe she has a fever too? That would explain why she tripped. "One moment." You place your hand against both of your foreheads, but they feel the same temperature. That's good then.

As you're about to remove your hand you feel her stand up on her own. "I-I nya-ed to get back now, I apologize for the trouble myaster. A-are you sure you're alright though? Your glasses..." Hm. Now that she mentions it your glasses are bent out of shape. "That's fine, I carry a replacement. Anyways, before you leave, take my handkerchief, no need to return it. You have something on your face." She has half her lunch on her face, but you'll refrain from saying that.

A moment later you switch out your glasses and seat yourself. That was unfortunate, but at least it's nothing that a trip to the laundromat and optometrist won't fix. As you turn back to Miyoshi she seems deep in thought. After a few moments she just nods at no one. "That was moe. Like, really moe. They're good."
>"Uh, sure. Very moe." Just agree with the client.
>"Moe? I'm not sure I understand. What's moe about tripping?" You don't understand.
>"It looks like our food will be a while. Can we get to business?" You'd really like to move this along before she goes on a weird rant. This could backfire though, just like the last time she thought you didn't understand one of her musings. (Rapport challenge)
>Write-in
and there's the last update I promised

>>4581548
>That's slightly odd- you guess the competition is tight around here.
...I have a bad, er, worse feeling about this.

>There is a woman in her early 30s standing in front of you wearing some sort of gothic maid uniform and cat ears, calling you master. You actually think you've been served by this woman before. You are dying inside.
Persevere! the sooner you get through this, the sooner it's done. Or you'll die, and you can rest. Either way, win-win.

>Oh, wait- her face is red. Maybe she has a fever too?
Wow, we managed to slip neatly into anime stereotypes without having a clue we were doing it.

>>"Uh, sure. Very moe." Just agree with the client.
Curiosity killed the cat. Or salaryman, in the case.

>>4581550
"Thanks, the waitress wasn't bad either."

>>4581550
>"Moe? I'm not sure I understand. What's moe about tripping?" You don't understand.

>>4581550
>"Moe? I'm not sure I understand. What's moe about tripping?" You don't understand.

>>4581599
+1 fuck it

>>4581550
>"Moe? I'm not sure I understand. What's moe about tripping?" You don't understand.
And she thinks it was intentional?

>>4581550
>>4581726
This incident brings up another point:
If we're worried about our glasses shattering we should invest in some shatterproof lenses and perhaps durable frames, especially if we plan on doing more heroics.

>>4581728
That's a good idea. We wear a mask, but if we get hit in the face they could still get smushed against our face.

>>4581728
I have heard about some really durable glasses with a lifetime gurantee we could look into the western company
>>4581550
What is this M O E i have heard the manga teens throw out this term seems to have no real defined, well definition behind it?

>>4581915
>What is this M O E i have heard the manga teens throw out this term seems to have no real defined, well definition behind it?
Not sure if actual question or IC response.

>>4583059
Meri kristmasu you beautiful bastards , and happy holidays for those who don't celebrate it !!!!

>>4576498
>TAKI
wow deep cut, QM

I will be returning sometime on the afternoon (murica' timezones) of the 28th. That's about 34 hours from now, give or take a little. Will run during my normal time periods through the 30th, then break again until the 2nd because New Years.

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"Moe? I'm not sure I understand. What's moe about tripping?" Miyoshi laughs and clicks her tongue at you. "What's moe about tripping? Everything! Especially when it's a clumsy maid! Plenty of people like the cool, ice-cold beauty, but that's not moe! Not at all! To be moe you need to be approachable! That's where the idea of a clutz comes in- a girl might seem like a cool, ice-cold beauty, or a kuudere, but once they trip it doesn't matter. They're cute and approachable! It's moe! Why..."

Five minutes pass. "..the gap moe created by the idea of a cute, competent girl serving you and the reality of a cute, clumsy girl who can't actually do anything maidlike is well-documented! The same as nurses! Why, in Black Butler..."

Ten minutes pass. "...and that's why klutzs, maids, and clumsy maids are moe. It's obvious once you think about it, right?" No, no it's not. "Uh, yes. Personally it seems like something that may be cute in fiction but annoying in real life, but I suppose that's a conversation for another day..." "Well, you see, the maid cafe is a kind of fictional construct on its own. Everything is 3D, but the essence is 2D, so..." Why did you disagree. Please, food, arrive and interrupt this woman. You're practically praying at this point.

The food is coming! You're saved! Another employee arrives at your table carrying two plates of omulet rice. They place them down on the table, and launch into a truly bone-chilling monologue. "Don't get any weird ideas. I-It's not like I like you or anything. I just made too much and my dog couldn't eat all of it. Ok?" You aren't playing into this. "Ok miss. Thank you for the meal." You eat, and you think you hear Miyoshi launch into a much longer conversation with the server than yours, but you do your best to block it out. You think you've gone through enough for today.

You make a point to discuss the mixup while eating, and with the good mood that Miyoshi is in it just becomes water under the bridge. There are no attempts to pull extras from you, or threats to change supplier. Just her own, unique brand of suffering which you're already dealing with.

1:53. You can finally leave. You text Hiro with where you want to meet him and exit the cafe. On you're way out one of the servers returns your hankerchief. You just gave that up for lost, but it's nice to have it back. Now that your sales meeting is done it's time to get tolerable things done with.
>You're meeting with Hiro at another, much quieter cafe. It's finally time to discuss things in full with them, no corporate sugarcoating.
>You're meeting Hiro near some electronics stores you're familiar with, you should get the shopping done with before anything else. Just in case he snaps under the burden of reality or something.
>Write-in

>>4585936
>>You're meeting Hiro near some electronics stores you're familiar with, you should get the shopping done with before anything else. Just in case he snaps under the burden of reality or something.

>>4585936
>>You're meeting Hiro near some electronics stores you're familiar with, you should get the shopping done with before anything else. Just in case he snaps under the burden of reality or something.

>>4585936
>They place them down on the table, and launch into a truly bone-chilling monologue.
Holy crap. That is played so straight it is just shy of being a parody.

>You're meeting Hiro near some electronics stores you're familiar with, you should get the shopping done with before anything else. Just in case he snaps under the burden of reality or something.
This voice box thing needs to be finally dealt with.

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>>4585940
>>4585945
>>4585968
"Meet me at the intersection of 〇〇 and △△, my sales meeting is over." You'll get the shopping over with first. There's no telling what state he'll be in after he gets a glimpse of the cruel reality of the situation. It's best to get his help before then.

2:13 PM. The two of you meet on a crowded sidewalk in Akihabara. "Hello Hiro-san." "Hello sir." "We'll talk as we walk, the sooner we get done with this the sooner we can take care of your problems." "Mhm." You think about how to best describe what you want while you head towards the a major electronics store.

As the two of you walk, you notice that the handkerchief, which you hastily shoved into your pocket earlier before making your escape, isn't really folded. You should fix that immediately- seniors need to make a good impression front of their juniors, so seemingly minor matters of appearance like this should be treated with the utmost importance. You take the hankerchief out of your pocket and spread it open in front of you, preparing to refold it properly. That's when you notice that there's writing on it. For some reason there's a phone number written on it in sharpie, followed by "call me (･ω<) - Chie-chan".

What. Why is that there. What the hell did you do. As you try to figure out the answers to these vital questions you stare at the handkerchief. Hiro also stares at the handkerchief. You are jolted out of your state of panic when he awkwardly says "Congratulations sir." You hastily refold the handkerchief and put it in your pocket. This can be dealt with later... or better yet, never, although now there's another thing to worry about next time you have to meet with Miyoshi.

"I need something that can change my voice. I think those exist, but are they small? Are light? Preferably it would be both of those." "Voice changers do exist and aren't too bulky, yes. Depending on what requirements you need we may have to shop around though." "Good, good. Besides that I want to be able to see behind me. Can I strap a camera to the back of my head and then see it in front of me somehow?" "Uh... it really depends on how you go about it and the comfort factor needed." There's a short pause before he continues. "Sir, I feel like I have to ask..."

"...is this for the superhero thing?" So he did see you.

>"Yes. Keep the helmet in mind when it comes to these devices. I can tell you the measurements if it helps." The cat is out of the bag, you should just tell him so this all goes smoothly.
>"Superhero thing? I have no idea what you're talking about. This is extremely important business for the company."
>Maintain silence. You will admit to nothing.
>Write-in

>>4586048
>>"Yes. Keep the helmet in mind when it comes to these devices. I can tell you the measurements if it helps." The cat is out of the bag, you should just tell him so this all goes smoothly.

>>4586048
>That's when you notice that there's writing on it.
Next time she strongarms us into going to that miserable place, we need to "have a stroke" or something.
Though I'm surprised the waiter/maid would try giving her number to a guy meeting with a woman.

>"Superhero thing? Yes. I have no idea what you're talking about. Keep the helmet in mind when it comes to these devices. This is extremely important business for the company." I can tell you the measurements if it helps.

>>4586048
>>"Yes. Keep the helmet in mind when it comes to these devices. I can tell you the measurements if it helps." The cat is out of the bag, you should just tell him so this all goes smoothly.

He saw us anyways. No purpose in lying.

>>4586048
>"Yes. Keep the helmet in mind when it comes to these devices. I can tell you the measurements if it helps." The cat is out of the bag, you should just tell him so this all goes smoothly.
after he helps us, we can help him

>>4586071
This response is funny so I'm including it partially since it's in the same spirit as the main vote.
Writing now.

>>4586071
support

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>>4586067
>>4586071
>>4586076
>>4586099
"Superhero thing? This is important company business. On a completely unrelated note, I will be giving you the measurements of my helmet. Please keep them in mind in regards to the devices we're buying today." You scribble down the measurements for the helmet and then hand them over to Hiro. He seems to get the point. "Alright then sir, I will do my best. If I may ask, why'd you develop such a unique... hobby?"

It's not pretty, but you guess you can get into it a little. "It may surprise you, but I don't really enjoy my job. There are many reasons for this, but chief among them is our current boss. I am held captive by an idiot, and it seems like I'll be kept at this level forever to keep him in check without offending him. I make very good money, better than him in fact, but it wasn't really enough. I couldn't really stand to devote the rest of my life to this, so I found something I'd enjoy. You actually saw me on my first night out."

"So the president is stupid?" "As the sky is blue. He has many problems, but I suppose that is the root of many of them. Anyways, we're he... where are we actually?" You just realized that at some point Hiro took the lead and you've just been following him while talking. "This is a shop I frequent, it should have what you need."

The two of you enter inside a small, crowded store located on the second and third floors of a commercial building. Piles of electronics, used and new, crowd the place and a western-looking man stares at you from behind the counter. He nods at Hiro. "This is the junkyard, and mostly contains used devices, basic hardware, and so on and so forth that can be fashioned into whatever's needed. The floor above us has purely new devices. The stock is varied but mostly up to the owner's whims. I'll see if they have what we need."

You stand to the side as the owner and Hiro talk. They both speak in Japanese, but there's so much slang and technical jargon that it's hard to figure out exactly what they're talking about, or if they've veered off to another topic entirely. Eventually, after about 20 minutes, they come to a conclusion. You hand the owner some money and he returns with a few small pieces of electronics, some wires, and some other bits and bobs.

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>>4586138
"Um, I'm not sure what to do with this. Hiro-san, could you please explain?" "Sure. The small one right there is a wireless camera. It has a battery inside that should last for a few days before needing to be charged or replaced. It's normally wired, but by attaching it to this small wireless adapter it will be able to send video to a small screen that can be mounted inside your helmet. This one is the voice changer. It can be mounted on something inside the helmet so it sits in front of your mouth, and then it will change your voice and amplify it according to whatever settings are on its side. If it's configured properly you should just be able to speak quietly and have whatever you say get mostly drowned out by the output from this."

"I see, I see. That's complicated." "A bit, but I have experience. If you lent me the helmet I'd be able to install them without too much trouble."
>"You sound like you know what you're doing, I'll give it to you before I leave for the day. Thank you for the help." It'd be best not to mess with this yourself. You owe him one.
>"No, no, I think I got it." Attach the camera to the wireless thing, mount the voice changer, mess with the settings, yeah, yeah. You have Sundays off, you bet you can figure it out.
>"That would be a big help. I'll give you the helmet when it's convenient for both of us." You were planning to go out on patrol tomorrow since you have a day off, you'll have him make the upgrades later.
>Write-in

With the matter of the helmet decided, it is time to deal with Hiro's... unique problems with the IT department. You only have so long to talk, but you think you can explains things well enough.
>Tell him the full story of Gerald and the creation of the program. That will explain why it's so cursed and part of why the boss refuses to have a new one made.
>Tell him in painstaking detail about Junpei Hiroshi and his maddening behaviors. This will allow him to better understand the struggles of making him change his mind on this and, if he so chooses, help equip him for the struggle ahead.
>Inform him of the horrors the past IT workers have faced in attempting to make this program work. Its for the best that Hiro looks for a new job. It's normally a sin to quit before three years or so, but here... well, it's kind of expected. Other companies in the know don't care that much, at least not with the 'IT department'.
>Write-in

>>4586139
>"No, no, I think I got it." Attach the camera to the wireless thing, mount the voice changer, mess with the settings, yeah, yeah. You have Sundays off, you bet you can figure it out.
I'd rather we understand how our gear works, in case we need to later fix of further modify it.

>Tell him in painstaking detail about Junpei Hiroshi and his maddening behaviors. This will allow him to better understand the struggles of making him change his mind on this and, if he so chooses, help equip him for the struggle ahead.
It's a good idea to understand how your boss thinks and acts, and if he's really lucky it'll give him some insight into working on the boss to greenlight a clean slate.

>>4586139
>"No, no, I think I got it." Attach the camera to the wireless thing, mount the voice changer, mess with the settings, yeah, yeah. You have Sundays off, you bet you can figure it out.

>Tell him in painstaking detail about Junpei Hiroshi and his maddening behaviors. This will allow him to better understand the struggles of making him change his mind on this and, if he so chooses, help equip him for the struggle ahead.

>>4586260
Same. He needs to know how to game the system, and the boss.

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>>4586260
>>4586357
"No, no. I think I've got it." You can sense that Hiro seems to somewhat doubt your ability to put everything together, but given long enough you're sure you'll figure it out. "Is he fine with us talking here?" You subtly point to the owner. "Ricardo? Yeah, he shouldn't mind, long as we don't block anyone."

That's good, you'd like to cover as much ground as possible before you have to go back. "There are many things I could tell you about, but today we're going to talk about Junpei Hiroshi. He is the bane of my existence, and he may soon be yours. He is the owner's little brother, and shortly after the owner took over from his father, Junpei Hiroshi was put in charge of the Tokyo Branch of Junpei Office Supplies. This was also around the time I joined the company. Since then I have been suffered covering up his mistakes and catering to his whims. In this office, the boss always gets his way if it doesn't lead to the branch's immediate doom. It is my job to clean up after him and minimize his mistakes because his brother is never, EVER willing to say no to him. Now, to a lesser extent, it's your job too. We are caretakers."

"I'm not going into too much detail, but that program being broken is a result of his mistakes. Unfortunately he doesn't want to admit that he messed up. That is why he will keep trying to make the program over and over again, no matter what, because god forbid he admits he mishandled something over a decade ago." You think that's a good overview. Now time for the specifics.

You lose track of time as you joyfully lay into your boss and vividly recall some of his most spectacular failings. Initially only Hiro is listening, but after a few minutes Ricardo also listens in, enthralled. Junpei Hiroshi's stubbornness, competitiveness, pettiness, and so on and so forth are all exposed before them. How he oftentimes stays late on purpose so that nobody else can leave in a bid to improve sales numbers (it doesn't), how he'll make major decisions with no input or warning, and that one time with the company baseball team, god, you still have nightmares about that.

The speech is closed by a grim warning. Junpei Hiroshi will likely never accept that a new program needs to be made unless someone above him forces him to. If, however, Hiro is committed to asking, he needs to be prepared. He needs to go through all of his predecessors' knowledge, all their old presentations, and make sure he has something solid to present. More importantly, he needs to stroke the president's ego and make it look like he didn't really mess up trying to fix the program for so long. He did, but that doesn't matter- even if Hiro has to lie through his teeth he has to make the boss feel good about this.

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>>4586423
The two of you return to the office at around 2:15 PM. (I accidently pushed times in the last couple of updates forward by one hour, my bad) Hiro begins preparing for his presentation, while you prepare for your meetings. If all goes to plan, things will go smoothly, you'll get to bed at an ok time, and you can have some fun tomorrow.

"Sorry for dropping this on you last minute, but I need you to meet with Aoki-san in Inagi after you're done with your meetings for today." "I don't think I'll be done until around 11. I suppose we can talk at midnight then? I'll be waiting for his phone call." "A phone call? That'd be belittling the client. No, you need to meet in person."

Things are not going to plan. If you say yes you're going to have to go all the way out to Inagi, in person, which takes about an hour. Then you'll have to have a meeting at what, midnight, and you'll be out there until 1 AM, maybe past that, when the trains have already shut down. The cost of a taxi would be horrible, and if you brought your car you'd be out almost all night. You guess you could find somewhere to sleep, but... are you really fine with doing this?
>"Of course sir." It's just a few extra hours and a sleepover.
>"Of course sir." You can pretend to agree but you're not doing this. You're calling Aoki and making sure he knows that he can opt for a phone call tonight or an in person meeting in the next hour or two but you are NOT going to Inagi to meet with him at midnight. (Rapport challenge, high chance of success.)
>"That's not possible sir. I will contact Aoki-san to work out an alternative." If the president wants to drive out to Inagi in the middle of the night then he can do it, you're not dealing with this.
>Write-in

>>4586425
>"Of course sir." You can pretend to agree but you're not doing this. You're calling Aoki and making sure he knows that he can opt for a phone call tonight or an in person meeting in the next hour or two but you are NOT going to Inagi to meet with him at midnight. (Rapport challenge, high chance of success.)
We'll do it our way.

>>4586425
>I don't think I'll be done until around 11. I suppose we can talk at midnight then?
I'm starting to see why Japan has such a high suicide rate. Holy hell.

>"Of course sir." You can pretend to agree but you're not doing this. You're calling Aoki and making sure he knows that he can opt for a phone call tonight or an in person meeting in the next hour or two but you are NOT going to Inagi to meet with him at midnight. (Rapport challenge, high chance of success.)

Rolled 76, 28, 63, 92 + 10 = 269 (4d100 + 10)

>>4586429
>>4586435
Sugimoto Daisuke is attempting to convince Aoki Takada to meet with him in a reasonable way.
>Sugimoto Daisuke's Rapport: 3/Great - 8d100
>+1 Skill Rank: It's just business. You've done this for almost 30 years.
>Aoki Takada's Rapport: 2/Good - 4d100
>-10: He would feel guilty keeping you that late, even if he does really need to meet about his business and that time is more convenient for him.
Final Rolls: 16d100 vs. 4d100-10
Wong must've infected me with his love of dice, these big rolls are fun

>>4586470
I forgot a thing and the dice added the wrong way, lovely.
You guys only have to beat 82, not 102.

Rolled 93 (1d100)

>>4586470

Rolled 54, 23, 54, 48, 51, 1, 84, 63, 97, 78, 55, 68, 41, 26, 15 = 758 (15d100)

>>4586488
Feel free to roll them all at once if you want, dicefests are fun but this doesn't have the traffic for that.
Anyways, 93 > 82, you guys succeed with your first roll. Will roll the rest of the dice for my own amusement and start writing.

Rolled 41, 58, 99, 29 = 227 (4d100)

>>4586470
I'll roll 4 for now, can roll more later if needed.

>>4586471
In case the formatting tripped you up, using negative dice modifiers is done as such: dice+1d100+-10

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"Of course sir. I'll go confirm the plans with Aoki-san." Your boss nods and leaves, a look of pride covering his face for having secured his client the best service.

"Aoki-san, it's Sugimoto from Junpei Office Supplies. Are we talking over the phone or meeting in person?" "Er, we need to meet the person. I'm a bit busy right now, but if we can meet tonight that would be great." "I apologize but tonight doesn't really work for me, I'd have to sleep over in Inagi to make that work. If you could do some time before, say, 4 PM then I can get to you today. Otherwise it'll need to be done over the phone or wait until Monday."

There's a short pause and you can hear Aoki telling someone to take what he's doing in the background. "4 PM it is then. I'll get together everything we need to order and get back to you. Do you have a coffee machine you could take out of storage and bring over? Ours broke and it's crunch time so we need to move our order up." So that's it. You almost had your night destroyed over that coffee machine. "That's fine then, just be ready to pay for it when I arrive, I'll log it as a separate order." "Thank you so much, it's crunch time and I don't think we'd get through without it." "It's fine, I'll see you at 4."

The meeting in Inagi goes well. You take care of the quarterly orders for the offices Aoki-san manages and manage to convince him to upgrade their chairs in full, partly because of the goodwill gained through you, the Vice-President of the Tokyo Branch of Junpei Office Supplies, being made to come out here in person with a coffee machine. This task really should've gone to someone else, but you suppose the size of the client can somewhat justify your boss wanting to give face to them and send you out. The way he tried to do it was still bullshit, but part of the logic is sane.

Two sales meetings later and you've secured a 4 million yen order with the client from Shibuya and helped work out exactly what will need to be ordered for another office in Ningyocho. You get back around 11:30 and hurry to bed. There is another message from your mother. You ignore it.

It's 5:00 AM on a Sunday. You have a full day ahead of you, and absolutely no work obligations for the next 26 hours. It is glorious.
>You'll try to get those electronics working you guess. How hard could it be? (Technology challenge)
>You'll don your costume, put the helmet on once you've gotten some distance from your house, and go out on an early morning patrol. Crime is a 24/7 business, you're sure there's some lurking around.
>Your mother might be up by now, she liked to catch some variety show around this time on Sundays. It might be time to deal with her unjustified anger before her patience wears thin.
>Write-in
And now I will stop for the day.
>>4586490
That was it, yeah. I forgot and realized right after I posted.

>>4586505
>>You'll try to get those electronics working you guess. How hard could it be? (Technology challenge)
Can't be any harder than model painting, right?

>>4586505
>You'll try to get those electronics working you guess. How hard could it be? (Technology challenge)

>>4586505
>Your mother might be up by now, she liked to catch some variety show around this time on Sundays. It might be time to deal with her unjustified anger before her patience wears thin.
Call her up with no notification, say that we got a date with a cute woman from a cafe, then abruptly hang up. Block her calls for the next 24 hours so she can stew on the information. That might buy us some time.

>Write-in
Do some stretching, eat a proper breakfast, then head to the gym. That or do some exercise research to optimize our work out regiment.
If we have time today, check on the on the graffiti artist kids and how they're doing.
After that check up on our IT intern. If he needs help with his proposal to the boss, we can tutor him, in exchange for him tutoring us on not how to tech bad. Perhaps he could reference us a book or manual?

>>4586505
>You'll try to get those electronics working you guess. How hard could it be? (Technology challenge)
Can we get a book or some tech advice? If we break anything can we just call up the store we bought the parts from and see how much the shipping and delivery costs are, if any?

>>4586523
+1

>>4586523
Perfect we must keep our againg body limber

>>4586523
+1 try to look for popular workout routines for beginners , to know where to start from

>>4586515
>>4586521
>>4586523
>>4586579
>>4586654
>>4586675
>>4586763
>>4586763
As you think about what to do this morning and about how long you can ignore your mother's calls, you come up with an idea. Instead of waiting for her to start invading your social circle in an attempt to contact you and talk about how sad and disappointing it is you don't have kids, why don't you go on the attack? She'd never expect it.

You call up your mom. The phone rings once before you hear her familiar, overwhelming voice. "Daisuke! Oh it's been so, so long- are you married yet? How old are the children?" You're resisting the urge to laugh- you visited them a month ago. "I have a date with a lovely woman I met at a cafe." She tries to say something but you hang up. Your personal phone starts ringing but you just shove it in the room you keep all your model kits in and ignore it. She can stew on that for a while. Hopefully you've bought yourself another week or two.

You do some stretches and go for a short jog before stopping at a 24/7 family style restaurant nearby. They have some western-style stuff here, so you think you'll go for the hot cakes, something small on the side, and the all-you-can-drink drink bar. You spend the half hour or so eating your food, drinking copious amounts of orange juice, and reading a book.

Once you're done with your breakfast you head to that gym you had a membership to. Normally it's easier to workout at home but eh, you're already out anyways. You spend about an hour and a half doing some basic exercises. It's not anything impressive, but it has been keeping you in decent shape. Or better shape than before at least.

Now it's around 8 AM and your morning workout is over. Your personal phone is still occasionally ringing in the next room over. You shoot a quick text over to Hiro telling him to call you if he needs help the presentation with the boss. He doesn't respond, so you guess he's still asleep. You check the heroics phone to see if there's any update from those kids, and just see a message that they did get the job. That's nice. Guess you'll see how it pans out soonish.
>You suppose you'll try to get those electronics working now. (Technology challenge)
>Time to put on your costume and head out for the day. Time's a wastin' and crimes needs busting- you're not letting criminals roam your neighborhood.
>You'll catch the train to Shinjuku and see if there's any need for a hero over there. Maybe if you stick to the same location you can become a local legend or something.
>There's still time in your morning before you should get to the important stuff, maybe you'll relax for a while.
>Write-in

>>4587174
>>You'll catch the train to Shinjuku and see if there's any need for a hero over there. Maybe if you stick to the same location you can become a local legend or something.
We've only been out the once. I'm itching to get back out there.
Working our neighborhood sounds nice in theory, but I'm still worried it will make it way to easy for someone to backtrace our heroics to us.

>>4587174
>>You'll catch the train to Shinjuku and see if there's any need for a hero over there. Maybe if you stick to the same location you can become a local legend or something.

>>4587174
>>You'll catch the train to Shinjuku and see if there's any need for a hero over there. Maybe if you stick to the same location you can become a local legend or something.

File: shibuya-day1.jpg (157 KB, 832x468)

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I accidently typed Shibuya as Shinjuku in the last vote, whoops. Not a huge deal but the former is where you work, the latter is where you patrolled last time.
>>4587204
>>4587294
>>4587363
You'll grab your costume and head out to Shibuya. Your last patrol there was striking, and you saw so many heinous crimes being committed. Such as littering. You need to head down there and make sure those scoundrels are being kept in check and that the police in Shibuya aren't overwhelmed.

After an hour-long commute and a stop in the station bathroom to change, you once again assume your role as Salary Man, defender of justice and hero of Tokyo. To little surprise, you do not find much to do. There are no maidens in distress, robberies in progress, or philosophical differences to work out with powerful villains. Mostly just litter.

The next half-hour puts your previous experience to good use as you follow the litter throughout Shibuya, skewering it and leaving it into your bag. While walking around you see several posters talking about a lost cat. Maybe those would be worth looking into, although you're not sure where you'd start looking for a lost cat in the middle of one of the largest cities on Earth.

As you ponder on whether to act on the lost cat posters or not, you spot a young woman littering. Up until now you'd only been spotting litter. This is a chance.
>You've worked up enough confidence now. Approach the woman and inform her of the errors of her ways. There's no excuse for damaging the beautiful cityscape of Tokyo like this.
>You have more important things to deal with. There's a lost cat somewhere around here! You're supposed to help everyone, not just humans. You should call the number listed and ask if there's any leads you can start following to find the cat.
>You are not inclined to search for cats or badger people over their littering. Back to cleaning. You'll get involved when there's real crime to stop. Like... graffiti or something.
>Write-in

>>4587174
>drinking copious amounts of orange juice
The drink of kings. Smart man.

>>4587386
>You've worked up enough confidence now. Approach the woman and inform her of the errors of her ways. There's no excuse for damaging the beautiful cityscape of Tokyo like this.
Nothing convinces people to stop littering that to embarrass them. Or, you know, maybe make a compelling argument as to why it's bad. I don't know how ill informed all those documentaries I've watched about Japan were, but I think the country is all about self sustainability? I think they compact their garbage to expand land in one project. So, in a way I think this young woman is acting against the ideals of modern Japan.
If we manage to not spaghetti our conversation with her, perhaps we can ask her about the cat poster and what she know's about it. Ex: when did she first see them. It might give us an idea of how old the posters are, and if the cat is dead or not.

>>4587386
>>You've worked up enough confidence now. Approach the woman and inform her of the errors of her ways. There's no excuse for damaging the beautiful cityscape of Tokyo like this.
Autist time ?

>>4587386
A good superhero needs to establish their position saving a needy pussy. It’s the right thing to do!

Meant to write the update earlier but I fell asleep instead, my bad.
Will start writing in a few minutes.

>>4587673
Take care of yourself, QM.

File: no littering.png (5.99 MB, 2048x1584)

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>>4587682
Thanks, but I'm fine, just dozed off watching the new Game Dungeon in bed.
>>4587395
>>4587491
>>4587495
It's time to confront crime face to face. You can't merely fight the symptoms of crime if you wish to permanently stop it- you have to stop the criminals themselves. You power walk towards the woman, and as you slowly near you see her begin staring at you out of the corner of her eye. As she's deciding what the hell to make of you, you get within talking distance.

"Hello miss! I saw you throw that empty bag of chips on the ground back there. That was littering, and it's detrimental to the city we live in- you need to go pick up your trash." She stops walking and just examines you, mouth open, unsure of what to do. "It's not sustainable for everyone to litter you know. The government would have to hire squads of janitorial workers to patrol Tokyo, and it would take up quite a bit of taxpayer money. Even then, Tokyo would still be a dingier, dirtier place- no amount of cleaners can make up for a lack of respect for the city we live in, right?"

Once she realizes that you're just going to keep going as long as you don't get a response, the woman responds. "Eh, uh... yes, I suppose? Sorry. I'll go pick that up." "Good! Before I go, one more thing. Do you recognize those lost cat posters up around here? How long have they been up?" The woman answers you as she makes her getaway. "I've seen a couple others. I think they were posted a few days ago? Not sure, I don't live here." "Is that so. I'll look into it. Have a good day citizen, and remember what I, Salary Man, taught you today!"

Hopefully they remember not to litter from now on, whether it's out of fear of being confronted by an old man in a weird helmet or some sense of social responsibility. Since those posters have only been up for a few days, the trail is probably fresh. You'll give the number a call.

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>>4587706
"Hello?" "Hello! I just saw your poster." "Did you find Kuro-chan?! I've been looking all over for her." "Er, no, I was hoping to ask you more about how they got lost. I wanted to help look." Despite the oddness of your request, they seem to perk up a little. "I remember seeing her before I went to bed Wednesday but she was gone when I got home from work the next day. I looked around my apartment complex and the nearby area, but couldn't find her. Friday I made the posters. I live in the big complex on 〇〇 street so hopefully she's still in the area."

That's not much to work on. It does narrow the area down, but you don't think you can find their cat based off of just that. "Do you know how they got out?" "I'm not sure. My windows were closed and my doors locked, and I don't think she slipped out behind me leaving for work." A closed room mystery then. Hm.
>"Thank you for the help, I'll do my best." You'll ask around their apartment complex and see if any of the employees saw anything. Maybe the cat was caught on camera or something.
>"Do you mind if I investigate your home? If we ascertain how the cat escaped then we might be able to find more clues." You need to start at the source if you're going to figure anything out. It's a bit of an ask, but it's for the cat.
>This is not a lot to work off of, and you're not particularly inclined to go on a wild cat chase. You'll keep an eye out but you don't think it's feasible to conduct an investigation.
>Write-in

>>4587708
>"Thank you for the help, I'll do my best." You'll ask around their apartment complex and see if any of the employees saw anything. Maybe the cat was caught on camera or something.

If we can't we just skip and look for better crime

>>4587711
>If we can't we just skip and look for better crime
That's the third option, you can switch to that if you want.
>This is not a lot to work off of, and you're not particularly inclined to go on a wild cat chase. You'll keep an eye out but you don't think it's feasible to conduct an investigation.

>>4587713

Yeah third option it is then.

>>4587706
>Hopefully they remember not to litter from now on, whether it's out of fear of being confronted by an old man in a weird helmet or some sense of social responsibility.
Well, they certainly won't forget this event at any rate.

>>4587708
>"Thank you for the help, I'll do my best." You'll ask around their apartment complex and see if any of the employees saw anything. Maybe the cat was caught on camera or something.
It's not exactly busting criminals, but lost pets suck, it's a classic hero-ism, and it's good for PR.

>>4587708
>Write-in
Tell the woman to leave a box, an old blanket that smells like her inside the box, and a small bowl of water. If the cat misses her then it might stick around in the box. That is my suggestion. Animals have excellent sense of smell, and cats are no exception. If its lost then hopefully a scented trail will help it's way back home.

>>4587708
Oh yeah did anyone visit her home when she was gone? A family member or significant other who might have left the door or windows open?

>"Thank you for the help, I'll do my best." You'll ask around their apartment complex and see if any of the employees saw anything. Maybe the cat was caught on camera or something.
Plus my write in. It cant hurt to suggest this if we dont find anything.

>>4587807
+1
And
>>4587708
>"Do you mind if I investigate your home? If we ascertain how the cat escaped then we might be able to find more clues." You need to start at the source if you're going to figure anything out. It's a bit of an ask, but it's for the cat.
But if the person (unlikely as it is with our speech skill) disagrees, do
>"Thank you for the help, I'll do my best." You'll ask around their apartment complex and see if any of the employees saw anything. Maybe the cat was caught on camera or something.

>>4587708
Can we ask if she ever takes her cat out on walks. While it's uncommon, some pet owners do that with their cats. Perhaps it has favorite places it likes to visit?

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>>4588261
>>4587957
>>4587811
>>4587768
>>4587718
"Alright. Do you ever take your cats out on walks? Is there anywhere it likes to go outside?" "No, I don't really. I don't think there's anywhere it's familiar with outside my house besides a few other places in the complex, and I've been checking there." "Alright. Did anyone visit while you were out that could've left the door or window open?" "No, I live alone." "Alright then. I'd suggest leaving a box with something that smells like you outside your door, maybe a blanket or piece of clothing. It might follow the scent back. I'll do my best to investigate and call back if I figure out anything."

You guess you'll head to the apartment complex for the time being. Maybe they caught the man's cat on camera at some point. You power walk to your destination, briefly stopping along the way to add to your bag of litter. Upon arriving you stash your trash bag somewhere else so that you look a bit more professional, but keep the helmet on. You're still on Salary Man business, there's no way you're taking that off.

The lobby is a deserted place filled with vending machines and cheap plastic chairs. A bored looking woman sits at the reception desk. Upon seeing you she just stares at your helmet, confused. "Good morning. A client of mine who lives here lost their cat and I was hoping to get a look at the recent camera footage in case it was caught on camera when it left. I figured it might help." "A client...? Uh, I guess you mean Kaiji-san in 202?" May as well say yes. "That is correct." "I don't know if you're allowed to look at the footage, but I guess I can ask the guard. Just wait here for a moment."

A moment later the woman returns with an old, slightly overweight man in tow. He only takes a moment to stare at the helmet- very professional. "You wanted to see the camera footage?" "If that was possible. The cat escaped sometime Thursday so you should still have it, right?" He nods. "We should, yeah. I'm not sure if I can let you in, so what about this- I'll take a look and tell you if I see anything. That sound good to you?"
>"That sounds great, thank you." It's better than nothing at least.
>"Don't worry, it's fine to show me. I'm a private investigator and this kind of thing is normal." You want to see the footage yourself, just in case. Time to bullshit. (Deceive challenge)
>"That sounds great, thank you. I'll be back after I talk with Kaiji-san." You guess you'll see if there are any clues in his apartment for now and then check back in here later.
>Write-in

>>4588335
>"That sounds great, thank you. I'll be back after I talk with Kaiji-san." You guess you'll see if there are any clues in his apartment for now and then check back in here later.

>>4588335
>>"That sounds great, thank you." It's better than nothing at least.
Seems reasonable to me.

>>4588335
>>"That sounds great, thank you. I'll be back after I talk with Kaiji-san." You guess you'll see if there are any clues in his apartment for now and then check back in here later.

File: 1DK Apartment.png (71 KB, 951x573)

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If he's willing to help you then that's enough for you. "That sound great, thank you for the help. I'll be back after I talk with Kaiji-san." Guess you'll canvas his apartment for clues while the 'guard' goes through the security footage in search of the cat.

"I asked for your apartment manager to go through the footage and see if Kuro-chan was caught on camera when she left. Is it fine if I check your apartment while I'm here and look around for clues? If we manage to figure out how they got out then it might help." There's a long pause before they reluctantly agree. "Well, I don't see why not. I'm in Unit 202, you may as well take a quick look around and see if you can find anything."

You take the stairwell up to the second floor and walk up to Unit 202. A box is sitting outside the door with a massive "Yomiuri Giants" sweatshirt sitting inside. Guess he's a fan of the NPB. You knock at the door and are greeted by a monolith of a man who fills the doorway. "You're the one helping with Kuro-chan?" "That's correct. Here's my card." You pull a card out from a business card holder strapped to your suit. The man takes a look at it. "Heh. Salary Man. My name is Kaiji Mamoru, but everyone just calls me Jumbo. I appreciate the help, have a look around if you think you can find anything."

The apartment is a little cramped due to the amount of random baseball memorabilia crowding what would normally be the dining area, but it's decent enough for one person given the housing prices downtown- you've definitely seen worse. Guess it's time to investigate.

Salary Man is attempting to find Kuro-chan's escape route and any other clues] that may assist in finding the cat.
>Salary Man's Investigation Skill: 1/Fine - 2d100
Final Rolls: 2d100 vs. Hidden DC(s?)

Rolled 19 (1d100)

>>4588458
>2d100
we're not very good at this, huh?

Rolled 13 (1d100)

>>4588458

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Rolled 25, 88 + 10 = 123 (2d100 + 10)

>>4588472
Eh. Could be worse- 0/1d100 or 1/2d100 are par for the course for skills you barely use.
Also, if anyone's curious, the skill list is based off of FATE's core skill list. I may alter them for our convenience since I'm not using the FATE system although I did consider it, it's pretty cool for character-driven stuff and it doesn't really matter, but most of them will be similar.
>>4588472
>>4588490
Alright, that's a final roll of 19 then. I will roll for the guy watching the security tapes and then start writing.

>>4588496
this is pain

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>>4588472
>>4588490
Alright, there's... a lot of baseball memorabilia here. Goddamn. Is that a signed bat? You should ask Jumbo about that, the bat is cool. The two of you discuss Jumbo's merchandise and baseball at length as you poke around the apartment. Unfortunately you don't find much of interest. There's no veranda, the windows and door are sturdy and shouldn't come unlocked without opening, and there are no obvious holes in the wall or anything. You're stumped.

"Find anything?" "Uh... not really. Maybe your cat went to a baseball park? It might remind her of your apartment." Jumbo awkwardly stands there trying to figure out if you were joking or not. "That sounds unlikely." "Agreed." You wish you were better at this. "Well, sorry I couldn't find how she got out, but I'll check back in with the security guy, maybe he noticed something."

You leave the apartment without saying anything else and head back to the lobby. The security guy is waiting for you. "Good news! I saw the cat!" "Really?!" "Yup. Saw it wandering around a few times Thursday afternoon. Was lurking around on the edge of the camera though, almost missed it. Then roundabouts 4 PM I could see someone who was mostly off-camera approach the cat and hold out something, probably some food. The cat took it and left with them."

So someone thought it was a stray, fed it, and then it just left with them. It's kind of weird it'd just up and leave like that, but you guess that means it's safe at least. Still, it doesn't really narrow things down much. "Alright, at least we know it's safe then. Thank you for the help." "Mhm. Might wanna give the seafood shops round here a look while you're at it. Saw some big black boots on camera and it reminded me that there's this fisherman fella that likes feeding the strays around here- that might've been him. Can't remember the name though."

Ok, if he's right then that's a lot more helpful. You're amazed he'd be able to recognize someone off a pair of boots though. Whatever he makes, he deserves a raise.
>Update Jumbo on the situation and starting visiting anywhere that looks fishy. You've got a lead and you need to follow it.
>Update Jumbo on the situation and wish him the best of luck. Now that he has somewhere to start from he should find his cat eventually, and it should be in safe hands for the time being. Your help is no longer needed here.
>Ask around the apartment complex and see if anyone else saw that cat or this man. You need more information.
>Write-in

>>4588517
>Ask around the apartment complex and see if anyone else saw that cat or this man. You need more information.
>Update Jumbo on the situation and starting visiting anywhere that looks fishy. You've got a lead and you need to follow it.
Maybe we should get Jumbo's number.

>>4588517
>>Update Jumbo on the situation and starting visiting anywhere that looks fishy. You've got a lead and you need to follow it.
I want to move on, but it'll bug me to leave this unresolved.

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>>4588519
>>4588536
You're already this close to finding the cat, you can't just say "Well, here's what happened." and wash your hands of this now. Especially not after your failed investigative efforts, you really didn't do a good job. Most of your attention was focused on the baseball memorabilia and the fridge. Even if you were hungry that was not a good reason to spend a minute going through it looking through clues.

You inform Jumbo of the situation via your heroics phone and begin combing the nearby area for anywhere fishy. Sushi places, fishmongers, you name it- if it had fish you were there. Over the next hour you stopped inside many shops, abruptly asked the workers if they happened to feed any stray cats, and then left.

Just as you were beginning to grow weary of the search (and of walking around in this heavy costume), you hit the jackpot. In a back-alley of Shibuya there's a cramped two-floor building with a fishmonger on bottom and an attached living space on top. Upon entering this building you ask your question, expecting the same confused "No." as always, but instead the tanned man at the counter responds in the affirmative. "I like to feed the strays, yeah. I have a few living upstairs, but they usually come and go as they please." You resist the urge to fist-pump and explain that you're looking for a lost cat and that it might've followed him here after he fed it.

"If that's the case you can feel free to check upstairs and see if I have the cat you're looking for." The man turns away from you and yells upstairs. "Honey! We have a man looking for a lost cat, can you show him the strays?" The thud of footsteps can be heard from upstairs before a homely woman appears. She shows you to a small room upstairs where you can see several cats lazing around near the kotatsu and on the fire escape.

Upon close examination of the cats you find the one you're looking for- a small black cat with a few white spots. Finally, you're done here. You text Jumbo and inform him that his cat is found and that you'll return it in a bit.

You leave, head held high in triumph and ready to perform more heroics. However, before you can get out the door, the fishmonger asks you something. "Why are you wearing that helmet?" "Because I'm a hero. Or trying to be at least. Here's my card." You hand him one of your cards. He starts uncontrollably laughing as he reads the card and thrusts into his pocket. "A hero? Finding lost cats and stuff?" "...Yes." The man smiles and waves you goodbye. "Sounds fun. Good luck 'Salary Man'."

>>4588664
As you make your trek back to the apartments, cat in hand, you spot a true, bona fide crime- two children beating the snot out of each other in a public park. They can't be older than 13 but they're going at it with no holds-barred, punching and kicking and engaging in an all-out brawl.
>You should probably call the police before someone gets hurt. They'll take care of this.
>It's time for Salary Man to intervene! You'll approach the children and mediate for them!
>You should probably break this up. Guess you'll get in the middle of them and do your best to keep them away from each other until they calm down. (Fighting challenge)
>It's just kids being kids, sometimes they beat each other up. You better return this cat.
>Write-in

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>>4588664
>"A hero? Finding lost cats and stuff?" "...Yes."
pic related.

>It's time for Salary Man to intervene! You'll approach the children and mediate for them!
Manually breaking them up is most likely to work, but we're not actually very good at fighting and are holding a cat. So here's hoping this'll work instead.

>>4588666
>It's time for Salary Man to intervene! You'll approach the children and mediate for them!

>>4588666
>It's time for Salary Man to intervene! You'll approach the children and mediate for them!

Was gonna update again before I slept but need to take care of something first and it's getting late. I'll call it for the night and update tomorrow afternoon before I disappear for New Years/New Years Eve.

I'm kinda worried the cat might try to worm it's way out of our grasp if the kids try to swing at us. Should we be worried?

>>4588870
No, we have speech 100 so we can just persuade them

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>>4588908
the cat? can we really contain it? it is a fickle beast.

>>4588666
>>It's time for Salary Man to intervene! You'll approach the children and mediate for them!
let's see if the speech build is actually worth it