>>4677197
Aaand I've screwed the formatting. That's a good start for sure.

Repeating the options for readability, since there seems no way to delete this thread and make a fixed one:

>Green. There's something distinguished about it. An unheard yet vaguely familiar phrase comes to your lips: "Green with evil".
>Black. For as your heart is, so should be your appearance.
>Pink. There's something deceivingly potent about that color, a potential for cruelty unmatched by any other. However, too much pink energy can be dangerous…
>Crimson. The Red ranger is supposed to be the strongest of them all; you're going to prove you're even stronger! Who knows: maybe one day you'll have a team of your own?
>Silver. To serve as a reminder that there were noble reasons behind your creation? Or to indicate your quick and deadly nature?
>Other (write-in).

>White Power: It has a purity to it, while at the same time being a combination of all the spectra of light.
you simply must have known this was gonna happen

>>4677207
>+1 At that, why call ourselves a "Ranger" like our arch enemies? Why not something more noble? why not... the White Knight

>>4677201
>>Green. There's something distinguished about it. An unheard yet vaguely familiar phrase comes to your lips: "Green with evil".

>>4677207
I'll back this, it's unusual for an ocean ranger

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>>4677207
>>4677210
>>4677261

White.

Somewhere in this dance of colors, there's one that eludes you. Rejects you. A sharp-edged core of solid white, impenetrable to the likes of you.

You don't accept rejection.

This taunting white is devoid of color, yet is also a refined combination of every color's essence. Why should you limit yourself only to green's tenacity, or pink's subversiveness, or even silver's self-reliance? Power is power. You will take it all.

You press on, press yourself into the white, and feel the legacy that lies behind it. It's a small legacy: over all the history, there were very few chosen to be of this color. And to your delight, among the selfless leaders and the dauntless warriors stand few who possessed purity of a different kind: pure evil, heartless and pityless.

It scares you for a moment. Then you reach out to it, and let yourself, nothing if not a blank slate already, be cleansed. Your focused intent penetrates the white barrier, and you wrestle for a moment as you try to bend it to your will, and it tries to dissolve and disintegrate you in turn. Hah… If only there was anything to dissolve!

A morpher flies into the vortex, thrown expertly to fall into your arms. As you catch it, a tiny pink gem on it shatters from inside, burnt out by your power. The morpher fits snugly on your left wrist, as the maelstrom dies down.

A part of your power keeps trying to reject you — even now. But as long as it's yours to command, it's going to be worth it.
You exit the chamber. Behind thick, one-way observation window sits a fish-faced person in brown clothes, surrounded by shifty urchin servants. A pair of elite seal warriors guards the doors. Fish-man's cigar shifts from one corner of his wide mouth to another in a display of impatience.

"Well, that's… Whatever, we can work with white", he gurgles to himself, apparently unaware that your hearing is keen enough to discern his words. The urchins help him get up from his chair as he addresses you directly:

"I see you turned out all right. Took you some time, right? But you're here, of course, of couse."

He straightens up — not that it does his squat stature much good.

"I'm Codfather, your creator, and you, honey, are my finest weapon to date. You've been given the power and the privilege to fight for our queen and to destroy the meddlesome Power rangers in her name. If you'll serve her well, she'll give you anything you want. If you fail us, we'll extract your essence back and repeat the experiment. Do we have a deal, dearie?"

>"Destroying people sounds fun. I'll start with you, old-timer." (attack Codfather)
>"I knew my purpose from the very first moment of my life. What is your command, father?"
>"Do we really have to fight?"
>"I live to serve my queen, not you, old fool. I'll handle the rangers, and don't you dare to interfere."
>"RANGERS! KILL! DESTROY! GET ME TO THEM! CRUSH AND MAIM! I HATE THE RANGERS!"
>Other (write-in)

>>4677328
>"Do we really have to fight?"
>Other (write-in) “HAH! Just joking father. Too bad you created me with a sense of humour eh?”
>"I knew my purpose from the very first moment of my life. What is your command, father?"

>>4677328
>"RANGERS! KILL! DESTROY! GET ME TO THEM! CRUSH AND MAIM! I HATE THE RANGERS!"
Let's not fuck around

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>>4677337
>>4677565
These don't feel very compatible in tone. Waiting for a tiebreaker.

>>4677337
I'll go for this then

>>4677328
>>"Destroying people sounds fun. I'll start with you, old-timer." (attack Codfather)
Nothing personal, dad.

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>>4677337
>>4677795

You reign in your destructive urges. Sure, you are pure evil, but there's more than one way to skin a catfish. Right now, you don't feel destructive as much as… cruel. Playfully so.

"B-but… That sounds horrible! Do we really have to fight?" — you whine in a high-pitched tone, doing your best to sound scared and spineless.

Apparently you're a passable actor: Codfather is visibly caught off-guard. His cigare falls on the hewn stone floor.

"You… Buh…" — he intones in a stupified mix of surprise and budding anger. It's nice to be in control for a moment, but you decide against taking the joke too far.

“HAH! Just joking, father!" — you exclaim with a cruel grin that he, unfortunately, cannot see.
"Too bad you created me with a sense of humour, eh? I knew my purpose from the very first moment of my life.”

His eyes bulge, then his agitated mouth-breathing turns to wheezing laughter.

"You're certainly something else, girl," he grumbles with obvious approval. "Don't get that cheeky around the queen."

"As you command, father."

He whips out a new cigar.

"Well, right now my order's to get familiar with the place and get some rest. Strong as you might be and sharp to boot, I'm not about to send a newborn to fight one-against-three. Your training begins later today, and tomorrow you'll try to impress the queen on the arena. No kiddy floaties, you've got no business fighting the Rangers if you can't handle an ordinary monster."

"Cuttler should be waiting for you behind the door. He'll show you around, and answer questions if you grow chatty."

The seals open the door, in no uncertain terms indicating that you're expected to leave now. As you prepare to exit the chamber, a bunch of urchins comes in from outside, bearing lots of sophisticated-looking equipment.

Passing the urchins, you walk through a short corridor with a somewhat ascending incline, then enter what looks like one hell of a scientific laboratory. There are huge fans in the ceiling, whirring steadily through the water; cold war era computers in waterproof casings; shelves full of glass vials and test tubes; several man-sized cylinders made of glass and metal in various proportions; and a huge carcass that seems to be a half-disassembled (or maybe half-assembled?) submarine.

There's a distinct lack of "cuttlers" of any kind.

You stop to admire your reflection in a polished metal case. You've certainly got the "white and dangerous" look down, with gold and black and occasionally green accents on your costume. Your golden belt has a stylized octopus engraving. At some point you realize that your silhouette is feminine. Scratch that, your silhouette is daaamn feminine. You've definitely got the "pure perfection" part down as far as asses go. Even though you can't see your face, you're somehow certain it must be the prettiest face on this hemisphere.

>>4677896
Do you:

>Wait for someone to arrive?
>Try to engage the thing marked "Geno-Randomiser" and see what comes out?
>Leave the lab and explore the place by yourself?
>Vent out by wrecking stuff?
>Test your strength by wrecking stuff?
>Take off your helmet and take a look at your face?
>Other (write-in)?

>>4677898
>Take off your helmet and take a look at your face?
Check to see how fishy we look. See if we’ll be any good at infiltration.

>>4677898
>>Try to engage the thing marked "Geno-Randomiser" and see what comes out?

>>4677898
>Take off your helmet and take a look at your face?
If we're humanoid enough we can destroy the heroes from the inside

>>4677898
>Take off your helmet and take a look at your face?
>Feel good about yourself being evil, perfect 'n all. It feels good to be you.

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>>4677932
>>4677994
>>4678024

Your curiosity got the better of you. Well, it wasn't much of a fight. You totally need to know what you look like. For infiltration purposes! You're just minding business. That's what you'd tell anyone, as you took off your helmet.

Several minutes later, you feel you've certainly learned something.

For one: you look perfectly human. Scratch that, you look like human perfection. Fair complexion, voluminous blonde hair, smooth features, deep and expressive eyes — you could go on an on, but the gist of it is that your appearance is totally divine. You'd really did yourself a disservice by settling for anything less than the white power.

If you chose to mingle among the above-water people, the only way you'd risk discovery would be by attracting too much attention to your beauty, and winding up too recognizable. But then, who wouldn't be too busy admiring you?

Pic name related.

Another thing you've learned: you're extremely bad at breathing. Or at least, the saltwater disagrees with you when you're not in your helmet.

Not that you don't admire yourself for some twenty or thirty seconds before you start suffocating, involuntarily inhaling bits of water and painfully coughing it out just to gulp even more water in its place, and generally making a mess. You're a pretty driven person. But there's no air around to breathe, and water seems to disagree with you, and the horrible pressure that cracks down on your skull doesn't make things better, so before long you're drowning and flailing around trying to put your helmet back on, vision blurred and hair all out of place. It's a testament to your suit that you didn't really register you're underwater before now, and none of the people you've met to date seemed to had any trouble, but it looks like you're very special, all the way.

Finally, as you're fighting for breath, your hands weaken and you stop your frantical search for nonexistent clasps. With not many options left, you mentally shout at your helmet to bloody get back in place and bloody protect your life. Strangely enough, that works pretty well.

You lie on the floor, your chest heaving, atmosphere within the helmet humid but pretty breathable. Your head hurts, hair are a mess, and face underneath the visor is all wet with saltwater and tears. The laboratory seems to slowly rotate around you.

(It still feels good to be you, even in this sorry state.)

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>>4678663

Pretty soon — sooner than you are fully ready to stand up on your own — a small figure appears on the edge of your field of vision, sees you, and rushes to your aid.

"Oh my, mistress! Oh my! What happened? Are you hurt?"

He's about two feet tall, with a soft triangular head and a bunch of tentacles fit stugly into a black and white suit. His skin rapidly changes color from pinkish-red to white to pinkish-red again. He hovers nervously next to you.

"I'm fine now", you wheeze. "Are you Cuttler?"

"At you service, mistress. I mean, so terribly sorry for being late! I knew I'm running late, but there was spillage at the kitchen and it was horrible and oh my, were you attacked?"

>Tell Cuttler the truth about what happened.
>It's not his business. Avoid the question and tell him to shut up and show you around.
>Tell him you were attacked by a Ranger.
>Tell him you were attacked by a monster.
>Tell him you had a power incontingency.
>Cuttler saw you in a position of weakness; therefore, he saw too much. Luckily, there's only two of you in the laboratory. Kill him and depose of the body.

>>4678665
>It's not his business. Avoid the question and tell him to shut up and show you around.

>>4678665
>It's not his business. Avoid the question and tell him to shut up and show you around.
>Tell him you had a power incontingency
“I was... testing my capabilities, and found them lacking. It’s none of your concern, just take on my tour.”

>>4678721
+1

>>4678663
time for baggy clothes, non-prescription glasses and hair in a bun

>>4678665
>>It's not his business. Avoid the question and tell him to shut up and show you around.

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First of all, sorry for the long delay. The workload today was immense, and I wasn't at the liberty to do enough writing for a proper reply.

Second, here's a rough semblance of our heroine, traced and colored by me yesterday, then improved by my wife today.

And finally, the post.

>>4678706
>>4678721
>>4678823
>>4678976

WHITE POWER: 85/100
SELF-ESTEEM: 9301

"Attacked?" You intone dismissively, and flip to your feet. Truth be told, you haven't really recovered enough to stand, let alone do acrobatics; and only by sheer willpower have you managed not to collapse again as your head exploded with a flash of pain. But you weren't about to pity yourself. (Well, you were, but that was before a witness came in.)

"Since I haven't found you", you continue after you catch a breath, "I had... tested my capabilities, and found them lacking. It’s none of your concern, aren't you here to be a good little servant and take me on a tour?"

"Oh my, of course", Cuttler hurries to answer, as his colors change to pale yellow, flash purple for a second, and settle on undulating lime.


Cuttler turns out to be eager and knowledgeable guide, if tiresomely wordly. A lot of things he tells are about some trivial minutae ("And this containment field generator is plugged up all wrong, so it electrocutes the cleaner crew every other night, oh my! I've asked them to let me put some isolation on it but nooo, it's out of its operational parameters as it is and they fear that if the current won't spill out and will work as intended, it won't work at all!"), and you feel a temptation to tune out. However, your instinct tells you that within even the most inane prattle lie precious grains of insight, and you're too curios to pass on it. So you brace yourself and turn into the best active listener Cuttler had in ages, and try to sort the servant's ramblings from useful exposition.

The lab you've met in, it turns out, is just a part of a much larger research facility. The facility is top secret; even if Cuttler is too scared to say so outright, you get the impression that your existence isn't common knowledge either, and should stay this way for now.

This particular wing is mostly dedicated to reverse-engineering salvaged surface and off-world technology. Some of the weirdest stuff used in your creation has been made by some deceased genius named Mesogog; some more has been salvaged from an underwater USA government complex near Mariner's Bay after it got sunk by demons. The submarine used to belong to some woman named Divatox, of whom Cutler speaks with palpable awe. You take note of the names, for future cross-reference.

>>4679327

As you navigate the winding corridors and grotto-halls of the facility, there's a lot of activity around you. Most deepspawn you meet stare at you, but don't speak anything. Since the war has been declared, Cutler explains, the palace is housing more research personnel than servants and nobility combined. There's a lot of research on weaponry, monster production, and counter-measures against conventional human warfare; it seems defeating the Rangers will only be a beginning.

Right when you and Cutler pass by a yet another grotto, you hear a shout that makes the water around you churn:

"STOP FEEDING ME THIS SEAHORSESHIT! 'She' does not 'need' any of that! 'She' is not a warrior, IT is an experiment! A property of our laboratories! IT needs to be delivered here RIGHT NOW, to be inspected, dissected and improved upon! No first batch ever comes out perfect! Yes... Yes, our job is to give you a ranger, and we will - once we get a satisfactory result! You've overstepped your boundaries twice today, Codfather, and I'll make you pay for this!"

You're only able to hear one side of the conversation. Cuttler tugs on you pleadingly, looking like there's nothing he wants more than to take you as far away from this place as possible.

Do you:

>Keep moving?
>Barge in and make a scene?
>Barge in and make an example of whoever dared to say these things about you and your father?
>Barge in and volunteer for inspection?
>Try to sneak in unnoticed?
>Other (write-in)?

>>4679329
>Barge in and make an example of whoever dared to say these things about you!
We will shit fury upon who- or whatever the fuck is calling US 'it'. And hopefully not get a brain aneurysm while we're at it.

>>4679329
>Barge in and make an example of whoever dared to say these things about you and your father?
Who dares imply we're imperfect?

>>4679329
>Try to sneak in unnoticed?
Then walk up behind this little shit.
“At least the first batch can sneak quite well.”

>>4679345
>>4679346

Just to clarify, the "make an example" option implies physical violence. (That's the difference from the "make a scene" option.) So depending on how it plays out, the White ranger might get something worse than an aneurysm. Or something better, like... satisfaction.

>>4679383
I mean, that guy might have an instant off switch which is why I think it’s better to be more subtle lest we die on choice no. 5.

>>4679383
Ahh, in that case, I'll switch to sneaking.

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>>4679345
>>4679381
>>4679495

The room you enter, ready to shit fury and lay devastation, is vast and amphitheater-like, rising in tiered steps towards the center. At the middle, sitting (or squatting?) behind a deck full of scrying mirrors (some are plugged into circuitry like makeshift computer screens, some aren't powered by anything but magic), crystal orbs, paperwork and other paraphernalia, is a monster whose emaciated humanoid upper body rests upon a throne-like arrangement of crustacean leg. Think leaner, meaner mr. Waternoose.

You know at a glance he's every bit as evil as you are, because the rest of the room is a big open-space office. And the tiered layout means the higher-ups are literally higher-ups, able to observe everything below them from their deck.

He's also good at multitasking, it seems — at least, the tentacles that grow out of his upper body are in constant motion, shuffling the paperwork, deftly writing something, tuning the scrying devices and holding no less than five coffee cups mid-air (mid-water, you correct yourself). His cybernetic eyes flash and dim arrhythmically.

Cuttler by this point is basically hugging your leg, tugging upon it in desperation.

"You have to realise", says the monster in the middle morosely, his voice unnaturally amplified; everyone in the room is already facing him and at full attention. "The side benefits from project Octopus are crucial for every other project we run. If the project is declared a success prematurely and closed, a third of you will be out of job. Trilobitha, MORE SALT IN MY COFFEE!"

A bespectacled, heavily segmented woman of indeterminable age scuttles to fulfill his request, as he continues.

"I NEED ALL OF YOU to start looking. Hack the security network! Codfather used our equipment without my consent, it's fair to do the same. Program squidrones for search, mind control the staff, put scent detectors in the corridor, do something I haven't told you to! Trilobitha, FIND ME CUTTLER so I can order him to help the search! And I NEED ALL OF YOU TO KEEP DOING YOUR JOB AS WELL!"

As he's giving his rousing speech, you're nonchalantly working through the room. Your attire isn't exactly stealthy, but the boss crustacean-man draws so much attention no one pays you any, and it's not that hard to move like you belong. Pretty soon, you're standing behind the boss right as he's finished talking. You're nervous, but angry enough for your anger to wrestle nervousness into the ground.

You lean forward, nearly touching the monster's neck.

"That's going to be a hard search. The 'imperfect' first batch can sneak quite well."

You don't have much time before he gets over the surprise. How do you use that split-second?

>Kick him in the head.
>Sweep his legs.
>Try to strangle him with his own tendrils.
>Grab something heavy and start whacking away.
>Break a scrying mirror and fashion daggers out of shards.
>Wait for his move.
>Hightail it out of here.
>Other?

>>4680449
>Break a scrying mirror and fashion daggers out of shards.
Not sure whether our physical strength will be enough here, so let's turn this motherfuck into sashimi.

>>4680449
>five coffee cups mid-air (mid-water, you correct yourself)
HOW IS THE LIQUID NOT DIFFUSING INTO THE WATER!?!?

I was thinking of merely knocking him out but now I feel like calamari for this violation of physics.
>Break a scrying mirror and fashion daggers out of shards.

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>>4680540
I dunno, please refer to these guys on all physics questions.

>>4680449
>Break a scrying mirror and fashion daggers out of shards.
Though hold on stabbing him for a bit, I want to see him squirm

>>4680540
power physics
but I bet that whole room is caffeinated anyway

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>>4680532
>>4680540
>>4680568

Your opponent's humanoid body freezes in momentary shock, but his tendrils whip up, dropping everything they held. Not willing to be pinned down, you somersault slightly sideward, landing on one of his desks, grab a scrying glass and break it over the knee. A few moments later, you're holding a pretty serviceable pair of glass daggers — not sharp enough to cut through your gloves, definitely sharp enough to slice through unprotected flesh.

Just in time to see your opponent gather his bearings.

"Insolent… Experiment." His expression changes mid-shout, as his mask of anger and surprise gives way to a sinister, satisfied smile. He rears on his crabby legs as his tentacles grab a random object each — a pair of tables, a mirror, a poor shmoe who didn't get far away in time — and with a whipping motion, flings these toward you from several directions.

"Trilobitha, RECORD THE TESTING!"

To be continued…

(No options for now. There's no time for me to finish the post right now; will try to update in about four to six hours from now.)

>>4680600
Mmmm, cliffhanger. So tasty

>>4680600
>>4680687
Cliffhangers only make our white power stronger!

>>4680600

You twist out of a table's trajectory, barely registering a crunching sound and a yelp of pain somewhere behind your back; avoid being hit with a mirror and a very baffled scientist at once by stumbling aside at the last moment (it wasn't very dignified, but an evasive action is an evasive action, right?); and had to drop one of your glass-blades to punch through an incoming table (dual-wielding looked badass in your mind, but the benefits of a free hand, and the ability to punch things, turned out to be more conductive to your continued survival). And all in all, you've handled the first bunch of things thrown at you like a bass.Too bad you had no time to congratulate yourself, as a tentacle slammed into your side, your costume sparkling from the impact; and you had to roll away to avoid an overhead slam with a second one; and then it grabbed you by the neck. And you slashed furiously but kinda aimlessly, and you think something fell on the floor, writhing in a puff of blue blood; but then, you're not really sure because there were more and you've used the opening to disengage, but that only gave the monster more room to grab things and throw at you.

All in all, you're pretty sure you should've just punched the guy when you were at close range. What in hydration are you supposed to do with all these projectiles?

At least other deep ones in the room prove they've earned their scientific credentials, by being smart enough to clear the space in under a minute. You're not sure if it'd been easier or harder if they joined the fray — they might've been a distraction for your opponent as well — but you've got too much to track at the same time as it is. Trilobitha remained, but she doesn't seem to be a threat. Not in general, you mean, appearances are often deceiving — but right now, all she does is hugging the wall and filming the battle with a periscope-mounted camera.

Just as you think your opponent has finally run out of furniture to throw, his legs glow green, and he starts firing bolts of some sort of green lightning at you. Come on, is this even legal? At least he's not gloating. Please don't let him gloat.

"That's all you've got? Who's the imperfect one now?" — you try gloating first. It doesn't seem to throw the hentai freak off his game. Well, it was a weak attempt anyw- wwwwwoooooow that hurt. Too much for your awesome White Power. Better stick to dodging. Except dodging is exactly what he's forcing you to do. Maybe you actually can just walk through everything he can throw at you and keep going despite the pain; maybe that's how white power protects you, but you're not sure you want to try at the moment.

>>4681042

WHITE POWER: 82/100
Self-esteem: 9201

He's experienced, and knows his limits well. It doesn't avoid your keen eye that he doesn't let you near his body or legs, retreating or putting pressure on you whenever you try to get offensive. And you have neither experience nor weaponry to deal with an opponent that demonstrated a capability to leap onto the ceiling and hold himself upside-down outside your reach. Where did the rangers of Reefside get their Patrol Pistols, anyway?

The other reason you're making no progress is that your opponent is just too damn good at multitasking. For every action you take, he takes three, forcing you to be on defensive all the time while he mostly just sits there with a smug look. Good for him, because he starts to look somewhat tired by now, his breath quickening and his attacks slowing just a little bit. He looks like past his prime, and drinks a lot of coffee; could it be that the downside of his experience is fading endurance?

One things is clear: you can't get anywhere by playing by your opponent's rules. Where your white power failed so far, your powers of observation may still prevail, if you manage to set some rules of your own.

How do you change your approach?

>Make the back-and-forth dance more intense, intermittently disengaging until he's forced to come closer, then engaging to make him step back, to make him tire out that much faster?
>Surprise him with an all-out attack and pin him against the wall so you can finally land a solid hit?
>Run to the doors and draw him into the corridors, where his movements will be restricted?
>Grab Trilobitha and use her as a living shield? Such a loyal servant must hold some value, if not enough to be a hostage, then at least enough to make her boss more careful.
>Stop putting your neck on the line and run away to live another day?
>Try to summon a Patrol Pistol?
>Taunt him, but try a better taunt this time (write-in)?
>Other (write-in)?

>>4681043
>>Surprise him with an all-out attack and pin him against the wall so you can finally land a solid hit?
Not because it’s the smart thing to do, we’re just cocky and arrogant enough to try.

>>4681043
>Try to summon a Patrol Pistol?
We're a ranger, we have to have access to the tools of the trade right?

>>4681043
>Surprise him with an all-out attack and pin him against the wall so you can finally land a solid hit?
Do what he doesn't expect us to do, use his hesitation to our advantage and go for the head.

>>4681043
>Grab Trilobitha and thrust her at him. Use the distraction to surprise him with an all-out attack and pin him against the wall so you can finally land a solid hit.

>>4681113
>>4681173
>>4681535

Strategy-shmategy. You haven't tried the direct approach hard enough! The more your opponent holds you back, the more you're certain he'll fold like wet paper if you go for the head. As soon as you get a moment to catch your breath, you brace yourself and rush at the head scientist (that's who that is supposed to be, right?) in a crouching run. Green lightning glances your shoulder but you move fast enough to throw the monster's aim off, and scream inarticulately in lieu of flinching.

"White octopus power!" You yell, even though you're transformed already. You're not sure if that does anything, but as thin tendrils whip you from both sides, you sparkle yet endure. It feels sort of like seizing the white power felt: there's a singular goal, and to abyss with everything in your way.

To your satisfaction, the monster steps hesitantly backwards. His tentacles reach up and into the ceiling, rip a chunk out of it and chuck at you, trying to buy some time.

That doesn't slow YOU down, of course. "White octopus PUNCH!" You shout as your fist shatters the concrete slab, and promptly slip on a piece of shattered glass. Bloody broken mirrors lying everywhere!

Before you can get back on your feet, an appendage coils around your legs and yanks you heads-down into the air. Another deftly binds your hands together and squeezes hard enough for you to drop your last glass-blade — not that your wrists are given enough mobility to use it either way.

That's not what you meant when you decided to turn the tables!

You try to think up a way out of this predicament; unfortunately, instead of keeping you suspended in mid-water, your captor uses his grip on you to induce some collisions with either floor or ceiling (after five or six impacts, you're not quite sure which is which anymore), all without letting you go.

"BEHOLD: a demonstrable failure!" He declares in contempt as he smacks you around. "No powers." (wham-ouch!) "No cunning." (splat-crack!) "No refinement. Not even a glimpse of self-preservation! Not nearly a match for a real ranger." (The tentacles finally let go of you, as you lie in a broken heap before your butcher.)

Oh no no no no. Now he is gloating, too! Never mind your bruises, why must you suffer through his gloating?

As far as your memories (programmed? Inherited? One of these days, you need to learn where all this random knowledge you possess comes from) go, that's the point where the beaten ranger's friends show up, bail him out, and either retreat together or destroy the monster with some inspired teamwork.

Too bad you don't have a-

The room goes pitch black.

You feel familiar frantic tugging on your leg.

Do you:

>Let Cuttler lead you out of the room and help you escape the facility?
>Let Cuttler lead you out of the room, then go back to the place of your creation and destroy the equipment?
>Stay and finish the fight — your opponent can't see you coming, this is your chance?
>Other (write-in)?

>>4679327
>Second, here's a rough semblance of our heroine, traced and colored by me yesterday, then improved by my wife today.
Wholesome.

>>4681728
>Let Cuttler lead you out of the room, then go back to the place of your creation and destroy the equipment?


I'm here from the QTG and probably won't stick around-- I don't care about Power Rangers-- but this is higher-quality than I was expecting. GL QM.

>>4681728
>Let Cuttler lead you out of the room and help you escape the facility?
>New plan, get the rangers to help kill this squidhead, then call in Codfather and his boys to take down the rangers. Triple cross!

I know nothing about power rangers but this has been fun so far.

>>4681728
>Let Cuttler lead you out of the room, then go back to the place of your creation and destroy the equipment?

>>4681728
I blame it on the fact that we were created not so long ago. And saltwater.
>Let Cuttler lead you out of the room, then go back to the place of your creation and destroy the equipment?

Welp, I guess we’re not gonna have any siblings to help us out. Not like we needed them anyways.

What I’m more concerned about is the fact that such vital equipment would be rather well guarded.

>>4682019
I’m guessing we’re going for a “destroy the equipment so they can’t replace us” strategy

>>4682128
This, I hate the fight-better-version-of-yourself trope, and that's what leaving the equipment would likely lead to.

>>4681728
>Stay and finish the fight - your opponent can't see you coming, this is your chance.

We are NOT a failure.

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>>4681734
>>4681834
>>4681911

WHITE POWER: 65/100
Self-esteem: 8401

For a moment, you imagine you've lost your sight due to all the trauma. Then it occurs to you, as you observe the inner lights on your visor, that it's the room that got dark. Or rather, black. Filled with ink.

The tentacles are no doubt sweeping the floor in search of you right now. You let Cuttler take your hand and drag you, a blind and broken thing, through the darkness towards your salvation.

Yet as you escape into the hallway, a cloud of ink spilling out along with you and a crowd of monsters giving way in bewilderment and fear, it's not salvation that weights on your mind.

"Oh my, you're going the wrong way, mistress!" Cuttler, palest white you've seen him so far, tries to tell you.

"Oh my, why'd you say that?" You fake a sing-song voice. Beaten up as you are, there's a spring in your limping step, born out of sheer lack of fucks to give anymore.

Poor Cuttler tries to appeal to your reason, as if that's what is driving you right now.

"You... Currents forbid, you have assaulted dr. Strandlove! After he got livid at you being free! Now he must be double-livid! Oh my... We need to hide you! I've thought of some people who owe me, who might-"

"Can it", you state flatly.

Cuttler stops jetting to keep up with you, and hovers in place, black and purple all over and undulating rapudly.

"S-so... But... Oh my. You are stupid." It sounds strange, hearing such a strong statement of disappointment from the normally meek cephalopod. "I've risked my life, my position, to help you minutes ago, and you don't even care."

He's right, dam it. Why does he have to be right?

You keep walking.

"Suit yourself", he states.

"Suit yourself yourself!" You snap back, and that's that.

As you go, you feel a pang of guilt, and have to pull yourself together to suppress it. You can't feel guilt - you're pure evil, cruel and heartless through and through!

This would be SO messed up if you weren't.

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>>4682522

***

If you were feeling better, you'd be wary of being easily followed. But you're too busy trying not to limp, and ignoring your aching ribs, to care.

Soon, you arrive back at the place where you've had a "pleasant" experience of testing your capabilities. Your "lacking" capabilities, as you had put it yourself.

All right, if yours are lacking, let no one else get any! No more clones! No more rangers! To abyss with the gene-thingy, to abyss with the morphing energy extractor, and... Okay, the "WORMHOLE PROJECTOR (UNSTABLE): DON'T OPERATE IN INHABITED AREAS, HIGH RISK OF LOCAL DIMENSIONAL COLLAPSE" may stay; you're feeling mad, not suicidal. Absolutely to abyss with the cloning tubes!

Even if it haven't won you any battles yet, your strength lets you wreck the place quite thoroughly without much effort. (Well, you don't touch the submarine, but it looks innocent enough to not be worth the effort in your eyes.) Things tear, break, sparkle and explode under your wrath. If you could, you'd set the place ablaze, but there's an obvious reason why you can't.

At last, somewhat satisfied with the destruction you wrought, you move to the empowering chamber itself, and in a display of focused power tear out the blast door.

Seahorseshit.

Codfather and his boys haven't left. (You realise you should have expected that, since you haven't bumped into anyone on your way there.)

As everyone turns to face you, you catch a familiar sound from inside the chamber. "BEHOLD: a demonstrable failure!" It seems Codfather has been watching Trilobitha's record prior to your interruption.

There's an awkward moment of stillness, then you're surrounded before it occurs to you to replace the blast door and run. The seals aim their harpoon rifles at you, but Codfather gestures to hold their fire, as he takes in the ruined remains of the laboratory. That must be a sight to behold.

"I don't understand." His gase is tired, disapointed, and sad. "But for your sake, you'd better be able to explain."

Which angle do you go for (pick up to 3)?

>"That freak scientist, Strandlove, insulted me, and threatened you! And ordered his people to start a search for me!" (Tell the whole story and explain your reasons the best you can)
>"That crab-legged freak had sent a monster to assault me before all this happened! Cuttler can confirm it!"
>"I'm improving my worth as an asset."
>"I've never asked to be a power ranger! This was the first hour of my life, and it made no sense whatsoever!"
>"So which number am I, father? Fifth? Tenth? How many of me had that guy dissected?"
>"I'm evil. That's what I do."
>(Distract the seals and make a break for it)
>"Let me go free and unimpeded. Or else."
>"You've got things to explain first." (Write-in specifix questions)
>(Engage the unstable wormĥole projector)
>(Try to use your morpher to send a rescue signal to other rangers, without being noticed)
>Other (write-in).

>>4682524
>"That freak scientist, Strandlove, insulted me, and threatened you! And ordered his people to start a search for me!" (Tell the whole story and explain your reasons the best you can)
>"So which number am I, father? Fifth? Tenth? How many of me had that guy dissected?"
>(Engage the unstable wormĥole projector)
Maybe grab Cuttler before the last part so we can have a companion

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BTW, right now write-ins are very welcome.

>>4682531
To clarify, Cuttler refused to follow us after we've disregarded his concern about our well-being in >>4682522.

>>4682128
It seems we did, yeah.

>>4682195
Hope fighting the good rangers as an evil ranger doesn't by itself count as this trope! That's something that, with our premise, is likely to happen by definition.

>>4681734
>>4681795
Thanks for the feedback! I'm trying to keep this close to the show's style (obviously punny names, silly themes, hammy shouts, blatantly abuses physics), yet make everything accessible to a non-fan. There are canon references here and there for a fan to recognise, but these bear no plot impact right now, and will be explained once they do, so you don't miss anything by not knowing what e. g. Mariner Bay is.

Though there's a single bit of knowledge required that, though pretty trivial, is neither common knowledge among non-fans nor spell out by me: the idea that "power rangers" is not just a single team (MMPR one) but a succession of variously-themed teams.

>>4682524
>"The side benefits from project Octopus are crucial for every other project we run. If the project is declared a success prematurely and closed, a third of you will be out of job. Trilobitha, MORE SALT IN MY COFFEE!"

>"I NEED ALL OF YOU to start looking. Hack the security network! Codfather used our equipment without my consent, it's fair to do the same. Program squidrones for search, mind control the staff, put scent detectors in the corridor, do something I haven't told you to! Trilobitha, FIND ME CUTTLER so I can order him to help the search! And I NEED ALL OF YOU TO KEEP DOING YOUR JOB AS WELL!"

Say this:
>”Strandlove is undermining your authority, trying to destroy your creation. He is deliberately sabotaging project Octopus for his own gain. Saying he’d make you pay, and to find and destroy me. I am, above all, loyal to you, Codfather. If you wish me destroyed, make it so. But keep in mind that HE, is not.”

>>4677197
Just reading "green with evil " and "too much pink energy can be dangerous" was enough to tell me you know the source material.
>>4679327
Nice, really liking the psycho ranger helmet, best evil Ranger team so far.

>>4682524
"That freak scientist, Strandlove, insulted me, and threatened you! And ordered his people to start a search for me!" (Tell the whole story and explain your reasons the best you can)
Like the name btw, pun on Strangelove using the Dutch word for beach

>"So which number am I, father? Fifth? Tenth? How many of me had that guy dissected?"

>>4683012
I'll put a +1 on that write in, and for the other two.
>"That freak scientist, Strandlove, insulted me, and threatened you! And ordered his people to start a search for me!" (Tell the whole story and explain your reasons the best you can)
>"So which number am I, father? Fifth? Tenth? How many of me had that guy dissected?"
>>4679327
I like the design, but it could be a little more white, maybe add some white to the legs or boots?

>>4682524
>"So which number am I, father? Fifth? Tenth? How many of me had that guy dissected?"
If we're the n-th clone, then it means something went horribly right this time. And we won't let them try again.

>>4683193
This sounds a bit whiny for our purposes. It's obvious that you don't reach perfection at first try. We are the first, and last, succesful evil ranger.

>>4682524

WHITE POWER: 65/100
Self-esteem: 8251

"But father", you clench your fist indignantly, "Isn't it simple? I've overheard that freak, Strandlove, insult and threaten you, and snuck in to investigate! And suuure", you drawl out theatrically, "not only does the good doctor put a bounty on my head, and you should check your security systems by the way, he ordered them hacked", you fire rapidly, "but! I quote directly!"

Reciting things from memory comes easy for you, as you don't have decades of memories clogging up your head.

"The side benefits from project Octopus are crucial for every other project we run. If the project is declared a success prematurely and closed, a third of you will be out of job," you mimic Strandlove quite passably. "That's what he said! And then: Codfather used our equipment without my consent, it's fair to do the same. Program squidrones for search, mind control the staff!" You cross your arms and strike a victorious pose.

"So as you can see now, Strandlove is undermining your authority, trying to destroy your creation. He is deliberately sabotaging project Octopus for his own gain. I am, above all, loyal to you, Codfather. If you wish me destroyed, make it so. But keep in mind that HE, is not."

Your father just sighs.

"Look, I'm in charge of this operation, but Strandlove is irreplaceable, knows it, and has a lot of clout. I'm sure he'll get the queen to watch that video. As full of it as he got, it would be easier to chargr him with sabotage if..." He waves around in irritation. "If you weren't caught red-flippered trying to outdo him."

You don't have a solid answer for that, so you keep shifting the blame around

"So which number am I, father? Fifth? Tenth? How many of me had that guy dissected?" You sneer, glaring at your creator.

>>4685108

Codfather considers your question carefully.

"You're the first white", he replies after a while, not quite answering the question. "The last few were pink. I've thought Strandlove got a stable formula, so I've decided to force my hand, set one aside for practical use." He nods at you.
"And a lot of early takes before that melted with power before they could leave the font. We would never make you so much... human, you know, if it worked any other way. Nor would we let so much of Mesogog's design go into you."

You keep glaring, challenging him to show you sympathy, approval... anything. But his expression only gets more inscrutable.

"Here's what we're gonna do, starfish", he says in a very final tone. "I've got to arrest you on charges of sabotage, suspected treason, and destruction of military property. If you comply, you'll be handed over to dr. Strandlove as per his request, and I'll never have to hear from you again. If, however, you resist arrest..." He looks at you meaningfully. "You'll be taken into military custody for containment, unavailable for dr. Strandlove to retrieve. For a few days it'll take to sort things out, you'll stay with other dangerous offenders in a holding cell. Even if you manage to break out using your special powers, you'll be an outlaw... A rogue agent, unless you manage to clear your name somehow. And keep in mind that your energy needs to be recharged here in the font, every two weeks, maybe sooner if you keep getting roughhoused."

Is...
Is he giving you an out?

>Surrender peacefully
>Get the hint and put up a token resistance
>Give them a real fight
>Run up and hug your dad
>Other (write-in)

>>4685110
>>Get the hint and put up a token resistance
Punch one of the guards and let them taze you or knock you out.

>>4685110
>Get the hint and put up a token resistance
Can’t hug him. Let’s do that a little later.
“I understand. Thanks dad.”

>>4685110
>Get the hint and put up a token resistance

>>4685110
>Get the hint and put up a token resistance

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>>4685117
>>4685127
>>4685130
>>4685156

WHITE POWER: 64/100
Self-esteem: 8251

An hour and a half later, you're roughed up, bound in iron (one set of manacles binds your wrists together tightly, one loosely connectis your ankles, and a collar on your neck is for attaching a chain), and pushed into your new temporary home. A jagged, clam-like doorway seals shut behind you as you take in an irregular room. Long, winding, not a single straight angle, eroded stone walls… It must be a repurposed natural cavern.

To your surprise, the cell has air in it, though there's plenty of water sloshing on the floor. You don't want to guess how deep it may go at some spots — you're just hoping you won't break a leg falling into a covered hole.

There's yellow-green luminescence from some sort of algae or maybe moss, covering the walls and the ceiling. There are several large, flat-ish granite slans sticking out of the water, seemingly used interchangeably as bunks, seats and tables. There's a leaky faucet; you've been locked in here for less than ten seconds, and it manages to irritate you already. Farther ahead, there is a drainage hole; it seems that's the best you're going to have in the ways of hygiene. And of course there are chain rings bolted to the walls here and there, though to your relief no one comes in to chain you to one.

This place is awful, dirty, horrible, poorly lit, smelly, ugly and revolting. You HATE it.

And as you quickly realise, you're not alone in the cell.

A pair of monsters, looking for all the world like a two-meters-tall bipedal shrimp and a red-skinned wide-shouldered hulk with manacle-locked pincered arms and a steel muzzle on its face, are sitting half-submerged at one of the "tables". At the top of another slab lies a chubby yet muscular mermaid, watching the game lazily; her shark tail dips underwater, but the silhouette you can discern under the surface is disturbingly long and powerful. She's chugging something from a plastic bottle, and more empty bottles are floating in the water around her.

The mermaid looks up to you, chucks the bottle away, and smiles at you. There's something hungry about that smile.

"Hi there, tasty", she greets you in a deep baritone. "These are Kriller and Crabid, and I'm Jawelynn. Come in, tell us who you are."

How do you announce yourself?

>By beating the monsters up, THEN entering a conversation.
>"I'm the White ranger!"
>"I'm the White Knight!" (>>4677210, you're not forgotten)
>"I'm the Octo…pounder. Yep. Octopounder. That's totally me!"
>"My name is, eh… (realise you never got a name) Irene Shellrock?"
>(Write-in a different name, either a punny monster name or a human-sounding one.)
>"That's none of your business."
>"I'm the one who'll break you out today, losers."

[As a reminder, write-ins are subject to my approval/disapproval. I've let white power fly because it actually allows for unique story opportunities lore-wise, but something like "Arina Whitler" won't be considered.]

>>4685478
>"Ranger experiment white-one, I guess. Nobody came up with a proper seafood pun for me yet. How about Dory Finding?" (joking)

>I've let white powerfly
sorry again. you don't have to write white power if it makes you uncomfortable

>>4685478
>I have many names. You can call me *pause to think* Whitney.

>>4685520
We are not white supremacists. We are Evil ranger supremacists.


I expect we find our family name from a discarded soda bottle or something if making up one becomes relevant. It seems imagination is not our strong suit.

>>4685478
>Blanche. Blanche Inklage. Try not to forget it
Is this punny enough?

>>4685548
>Octavia Inks

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>>4681978
>My only issue with Evil Power Ranger quest, as someone who doesn't know anything about PRs, is what exactly are our powers/skills/limits?

OK, that's a fair question.

These are baseline things all Rangers get (spoilered just in case):

1.You have an ability to morph and to de-morph.
2. To morph, you need a morphing device (aka a morpher), which can be produced in a multitude of ways (magic, earth technology, alien technology etc.). A morpher needs to be attuned to you, to the Morphing grid (a universal energy field that can be tapped into by various means, and is responsible for the existence of rangers, zords, and common laws governing those; can also be tapped by some monsters) and to an energy source of some kind (it can be anything, but once processed by the Morphing grid it produces similar results; the character and reliability of the power source only affects your power levels a bit, the reliability of your transformation, and your theme visuals-wise and extra-abilities-wise. Think powering up a four-wheeled platform with a diesel generator, a steam engine or a team of dedicated pushers).
For example, Mystic Force rangers have magic wands for a morpher, are powered by magic, and have spellcasting as a non-standard ability. RPM rangers utilise technological morphers developed by a scientific genius who independently discovered the Morphing grid (the season is set in AU, so unlike other Earth-produced teams, there has been no alien technology to reverse-engineer), and are powered by the wearer's own bio-field. RPM's creator had to invent a bicycle, so their morphed forms are painfully inefficient and prone to running out of energy, while Mystic Force powers are reliable and more versatile (and I guess stronger if you do power-wankery), but otherwise there isn't any palpable difference.
One may use a non-attuned, broken etc. morpher, but that's very risky.
3. You may de-morph at will (usually). You may also take off your helmet without de-morphing, which compromises the protection on your face and head only.
4. While morphed, you are stronger, tougher, more agile etc. than an average human. (And often, but not always, get some degree of in-built martial training too.) However, unless strength/agility/etc. is your personal power or you have some enhanced abilities even in your unmorphed state (e. g. you're a cyborg), the increase isn't really big — more like "great martial artist at peak form" than true superhuman level.

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>>4685602

(cont.)

Besides, almost everything in the universe that isn't a human has above human stats as well, and unlike DBZ there's no "power level" measurement, so you can't powerwank to know if you can overpower the next monster, or if it can send you flying with a single slap. In general, people fighting power rangers tend to recruit or create (or be) monsters that are stronger than the ranger team in question (in addition to lower-powered but numberous mooks), so the rangers have to rely on teamwork and tactics more than sheer power, or upgrade their powers often.
5. The morphed form is always humanoid in shape and roughly teenager-shaped, even if in your normal form you are a kid, a non-humanoid alien, or a sentient ball of light.
6. While morphed, you are protected from injury. You can get the wind knocked out of you, and you do feel pain, but you don't suffer permanent injury, and all effects of attacks that could easily kill a human are greatly reduced. At worst, you hit the rock bottom of your energy reserves and de-morph painfully. (One exception is if the attack is so crazy powerful it kills you outright). There's no protection in your civilian form, though; you have to get some specific training or a superpower if you don't want to just get good.
7. Some items (usually related to your specific origin, power set or seasonal theme, or developed for your team specifically, or looted and repurposed) can become your ranger weapons. After it happens, you can pull those out of nowhere and power up with your powers. You can also attune to (or befriend) zords, which are giant beings somewhere on the scale from "a sentient, psychic beast that just happens to be naturally cybernetical" to "a giant car you have to drive". You MIGHT have some in-built arsenal, but in general you have to build or find it on your own.
8. Some rangers, usually of some kind of unique origin, are considered "stronger" than usual. Rangers of a rare color (gold, purple, etc.) tend to belong to this category, as do evil rangers (at least before a heel-face turn). Such rangers may have even higher strength and battle power while morphed (e. g. enough to punch through walls), or extra-good superpowers, or both.
9. It's not just about the powers, but how you use them. A bit of martial training from a good teacher can turn a weakling into a powerhouse, without his power level changing at all!

So in short, you tend to have power levels of a street-level superhero (with a lot of variance), with an extra dish of durability; but your opponents range all the way to cosmic levels and there's no clear way to gauge a monster's power without a fight.

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>>4685605

As for our heroine in particular (spoilered because spoilers):

This quest is intended, in part, as a journey of self-discovery. The heroine has been literally born today; but she is not a blank slate at all. I know, as the QM, what her powers and strong sides are, both as a ranger and as a person; but she doesn't yet. Play to discover! There are hints in the ways she approaches and sees things, in activities that come naturally to her, and so on. On the other hand, what you learn about yourself isn't always in line with how you want to view yourself; ignoring your inclinations and doing things the hard way builds up character, and makes you learn things you wouldn't otherwise. Will you go with nature, or nurture, or a mix of both?
I'm going to avoid rolls if possible, and make fights mostly about having a strategy, and getting a read on the enemy's. Find out what works for the White ranger! And of course, not all fights start out on fair terms; I wonder if there are ways to stack the decks before the first punch is thrown?
BTW, the only reason we didn't squeeze out a victory over that zoner Strandlove in the end was because Anon explicitly went for the "this is not a smart pick, but it's in-character" option, and other anons supporting; and I loved this! It was fun to write the consequences.

>>4685520
Don't worry; I do love writing the White ranger the way she turned out! In fact, I've considered white for the opening post's options, then removed it because that color has certain implications in-universe (like every other color does), and a white evil ranger is a very peculiar mix. Peculiar, but not impossible, and a lot of fun potentially. So I've decided to run a White ranger if, and only if, someone writes it in, and people vote for it. And to my surprise, that's exactly what happened. So I guess, thank you! (I won't put the racist implications to any use, though. White power, Black power, Yellow power — these were all good enough for a 90's TV show without any kind of unfortunate subtext, bar a purely accidental one they've been making amends for ever since; so that's the way I'm running with, too.)

>>4685478
>Whitney inks... I guess

At this point there are so many names a dice roll is probably for the best QM

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>>4685634
I'd agree, seeing as how everyone decided to go with a name rather than any of the other options; but as I've started counting the possibilities, I've realized there's an overlap.

>>4685524
>Whitney

>>4685593
>Octavia Inks

>>4685634
>Whitney inks

Rather than rolling over a set that has overlapping options, or cutting out the partial duplicates somehow, I hereby declare us… Whitney Inks. No post at the moment, but we know the name now! (Or at least, a pseudonym.)

>>4683158
>>4683159
>Nice, really liking the psycho ranger helmet, best evil Ranger team so far.
>I like the design, but it could be a little more white, maybe add some white to the legs or boots?

I'm shit at designing helmets, and my first and second attempts looked awful, so I took a psycho ranger helmet (as well as most of the body) as an evocatively-enough-looking placeholder. (Its mouthpiece is close enough to what I've tried to design, anyway.) There's no Coastal Patrol ranger team for me to pervert their image into their evil likeness, and I'm not up to the task of designing a fictional season's team. So if any of you want to draw a less copy-pasted take, feel free to go ahead, I'll feel flattered.
Confession time: I like SPD A-squad more than the Psychos.

>>4685605
sheesh, you make me consider learning more about power rangers

>>4685707
>Yeah for a kids show the overal lore can be pretty deep. IMO for info on individual seasons/ ranger teams History of Power Rangers http://atopthefourthwall.com/other-videos/?ovc=hopr is a good source of info. If you want t know more about specific characters, monsters, (mega)zords arsenals including morphers, planets and so on there is the ranger wiki https://powerrangers.fandom.com

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>>4685675
>>4685478

>"Hi there, tasty", she greets you in a deep baritone. "These are Kriller and Crabid, and I'm Jawelynn. Come in, tell us who you are."

You lean in confidently to answer, and freeze. You don't have a name yet, do you? Your mind races. You shouldn't announce yourself as a ranger, or as an experimental clone, without knowing whether that can lead you into trouble or not. It's better to pass yourself for a common person, whether a monster, a mermaid or, if it comes to that, a human; so you need something fitting for all three, something perfectly normal, and Jawelynn keeps looking at you expectantly and that's not helping, dam it!

"My name is, eh… Whitney. Whitney Inks", you improvise on the spot. Well, it's better than nothing?

The mermaid gives you a knowing smirk.

"That's a really nice fake name you've got, Whitney."

"Is it really?" You ask, feeling a bit flattered. Jawelynn sighs, and fishes for another bottle.

"No, it's bland and boring", she admits. "But you look fresh, so I'll let it slide. Boys, tear you eyes off your stupid games for a second and go meet Whitney Inks!"

The shrimp-like one looks up, clutching a bunch of carved seashells close to his chest.

"Hi Whitney!" he waves enthusiastically. "I'm Kriller! Come play with us! My bro got a new muzzle installed this week, so it's safe to win against him for now!"

"Oh, shut your clam", Jawelynn orders dismissively. "No one with a brain in their cranium would bother to play with you two morons. Now Whitney, why don't you come in and make yourself comfortable? We've got fine food, some drinks, a shower, a TV, and some very cosy rocks. There's no air conditioning, and it's usually chilly but", she shifts her hips suggestively, "I've been told I'm pretty warm to lean against."

What do? (Pick as many options as you please, I'll sort the votes out and go with a non-contradictory set of most voted for)

>Flirt with Jawelynn
>Tell her off
>Join the game
>Flirt with Kriller
>Try to wring out of the cuffs
>Ask to watch the TV
>Ask for a shower
>Offer a break-out
>De-morph (power down, assume your human form)
>Take off your helmet
>Ask Jawelynn for a drink of whatever she's having (requires either de-morphing or taking off your helmet to actually drink)
>Find a free slab and try to get some sleep
>Inspect the room thoroughly
>Rant about the conditions
>Other (write-in)

>>4686315
>Inspect the room thoroughly
>Try to wring out of the cuffs

I think Whitney here got a bit of trauma from taking off the helmet, so let's not do that.

>>4686315
>try to wring out off the cuffs
>if that doesn't do, ask for the crabby boys for help ("how am I to play with my fists cuffed?")
>find the best place for some brooding, preferably a shady corner.

>>4686315
>Inspect the room thoroughly
>Try to wring out of the cuffs
>Take off your helmet
>Flirt with Jawelynn
>Flirt with Kriller
>Flirt with Kriller‘s bro
>brood while lying on Jawelynn’s belly

>>4686315
>>4686338
+1
>>4686392
begone coomer

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>>4685707

At it best, the show has a simple yet strong message of teamwork, perseverance and ingeniuty; a deep and interconnected shared universe, more implied or shown than told about, yet coherent nonetheless and only more fun to piece together for it; a lot of sympathetic or memorable characters; and embraces its own hammy style and premise enough to wrap you back to genuine immersion. Even the bad guys can get you invested enough to forget they're named Villamax, Diabolico, or Rito Revolto.
At its worst, it is a slog of fillers and crude humour, has whole seasons not develop the overall lore at all, has some seasons with horrible writing and flat lifeless characters, and tries to pander to its own initial success in a most annoying way.

Some entry seasons I'd suggest are Lost Galaxy (a Star Trek-esque space journey with technobabble, magic swords, awful visual effects, possessing spirits, noble last stands, surprisingly dark twists, space saloons, a nice and varied set of antagonists, a spaceship that's a castle built atop a Godzilla, and lots of eye candy for both sexes); Dino Thunder (a very low-stakes and low-scale, mostly character driven story about a more modern idea of "teenagers with attitude", with a somewhat weak overall plot but enjoyable personal arcs; it also makes a point to review, and bring a bit of closure, to the legacy of preceding seasons, and to show explicitly where it fits in the overall scheme); or RPM (a Mad Max-esque AU that shows what the show would be like if it weren't made for kids, WITHOUT falling into Youtube-style edgelord grimdark rejection of everything enjoyable about the universe; some highlights include an overblown brooding edgelord MC, an autistic /b/tard, a jew who just keeps digging himself deeper into trouble, lots of high-quality humour in spite of the dark tone, and a re-exploration/re-explanation of some long-standing setting elements from a fresh standpoint).

>>4686233
Also this, though it's worth it to watch at least some entries for yourself rather than take Linkara's word for everything.

>>4686408
So basically some parts are creative brilliance, others are rehashed trash.

Reminds me of the Star Wars franchise.

>>4686408
What in the fuck, I thought this was quest post.

>>4686534
Sorry about that. I guess me asking for a feedback turned into a discussion that got us carried away somewhat.

Don't worry, the quest isn't going to stop because of that. Here's the latest quest post: >>4686315

>>4686540
It's all good! My brain just died when I saw (You) attached to a longpost.

>>4686553
No, you're right. The MC just started to rant about Power Rangers lore to a small and very confused audience.

>>4686315
>Try to wring out of the cuffs
>Inspect the room thoroughly
>Flirt with Jawelynn
>Find a free slab and try to get some sleep
>Flirt with Kriller

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>>4686315
For the love of all fuck, please don't let coomers ruin this quest.

>>4686338
supporting

>>4686338
Support.
Also i want to add a write in.
>''So... what are you in for?'' Ask anyone that listens to you.

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>>4686315
>Inspect the room thoroughly
>try to wring out off the cuffs
>if that doesn't do, ask for the crabby boys for help ("how am I to play with my fists cuffed?")
>find the best place for some brooding, preferably a shady corner.

>Inspect the room thoroughly
You ignore the pudgy shark-mermaid's advances and Kriller's excessive friendliness, and take a walk around the room, taking note of everything unusual or potentially handy.

— As you have suspected, there are spots where the murky waters are deep enough to dive and hide without being seen from above the surface.
— There's also a spot where the walls take a big enough turn for you to possibly stand behind the bend without being seen from the entrance. It's too far from the entrance to pounce effectively, though.
— The walls and the waterbed are quite uneven, yet worn smooth and slick; the ceiling is much rougher, with sharp protrusions and deep cracks, some reaching half your pinky in width. There's a cold downdraft from somewhere in the ceiling, but the walls are too slippery for you to climb up and determine the precise source.
— Some of the stone slabs can be lifted, and have a makeshift storage space under them. Your cellmates make it clear that you shouldn't go around looking for their caches, though.
— There's a spot where several molted shells are hanging on the wall. Judging by coloration and size, these used to be Crabid's, and judging by excessive wear and tear, the inmates have used these for work-outs. There's also a set of iron bars and interlocked chains bolted to a corner nearby, and a lot of discarded chains, ripped-apart manacles and broken steel muzzles rusting down in the water. You think you could cobble together a weapon out of this, if necessary.
— There's also a spot at the wall from which you can hear muffled yelling and occasional thumping. It would seem there's another cell close enough to yours for such sounds to come through.

>try to wring out off the cuffs
You glare at your manacles. You are free to use your hands to an extend, but it's still very restrictive to have your wrists bound together so tightly. The lock doesn't look very sophisticated; you guess you could pick it if you had a hairpin or something like that, a fish bone at the very least, but it seems you'd have to ask your cellmates for one.

You look at your beautiful, delicate wrists. Could you just slide these out of the cuffs? You dip your hands underwater for less traction, curl your palm inwards, and pull. Then pull harder. No luck; the bones in the base of your hand just don't pass.

And then they do. But it doesn't feel like barely pulling your hand through a too-narrow opening should've felt. Rather, the bones just let go and… squeeze together? You stare at your limp, elongated wrist as it swells back to its proper width.

Well, you've got nothing to lose from trying with your other arm?

>>4687584

This time, you clearly observe your gloved wrist stretching, thinning, and going through the opening like putty. How are you able to do that?

Jawelynn notices your curiosity, and peeks as you as you free your ankles just as easily.

"So you're from a circus?" She asks approvingly. "Works for me, tasty. Can you do that with the collar too?"

That's actually a suggestion worth trying.

The collar is clearly, obviously, and drastically narrower than your head, and the helmet you're wearing is not conductive to stretching. Yet as you pull your collar upwards, your head does stretch out, until it takes an eggplant-like shape about twice as long as it usually is, and pops free from the collar.

"Hey, I've got reach, and you've got flexibility! Think of the things we can do!" Chimes in the mermaid, as you marvel at your newly discovered special abilities. So THIS is your Octopus power! Escaping the holding cell will be piss easy now!

You glance back at the clam-like doorway. The way it's sealed, it's probably watertight. Even as superstretchy as you are, you doubt you can squeeze through it.

>find the best place for some brooding, preferably a shady corner.

Your spirits fall again, and you move to sit as far away from Jawelynn as you can.

What's even the point of having your limbs free if you're still in confinement? (So you don't feel as discomfortable, and so you're free to do whatever you'll have to do to escape.) How did you end up in this shithole? (By being offered a choice between this, and being turned over to Strandlove.) Whose fault is it? (Strandlove's, of course, and you'll make him pay for this humiliation!) Why must things be so hard for you? (Because you're born special and powerful enough to handle it, and you don't need things to be easy to succeed.) What's the point to all of this? (To develop and embrace your might; destroy the Power rangers; subdue anyone else who dares to oppose you; take revenge on the surface folk for exploiting the ocean and giving nothing back; grow rich and powerful; and reign supreme as a champion of justice and paragon of evil!) Why even live? (Because you deserve better than oblivion. So, so much better!) Why does Jawelynn keep coming at you? (Because you're obviously worth pining for. If you were her, you would do the same!)

Brooding done in under twenty seconds, you rise up again, a renewed sense of purpose burning in your shriveled heart.

What do you do?

>Break Crabid free of his chains. He seems strong enough to unclench the doors, for you to squeeze through.
>Dive to the drainage hole and squeeze down the drain.
>Squeeze up the faucet.
>Go to sleep. Once you escape you'll be under even more pressure to hurry up; better get some rest while you can.
>Take Jawelynn up on her offers.
>Ask Jawelynn where does she get her drinks from, and where do the bottles go afterwards.
>Ask your cellmates what they are in for.
>Other (write-in).

>>4687585
>Ask your cellmates what they are in for.
>Break Crabid free of his chains. He seems strong enough to unclench the doors, for you to squeeze through.

>>4687585
>Ask Jawelynn where does she get her drinks from, and where do the bottles go afterwards.
Maybe it’s her special power? Summoning drinks from thin air could be useful I guess.
>Ask your cellmates what they are in for.
>Break Crabid free of his chains. He seems strong enough to unclench the doors, for you to squeeze through.
Octopus strength go!

>>4687611
+1

>>4687611
+1

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>>4687593

"By the way, Crabid, how many times have you lost today?" You ask coyly. Jawelynn, looking displeased with your lack of reaction, lays on her meaty back and dips hair into the water.

Crabid grumbles something inarticulate yet obviously rude from under his muzzle. Kriller perks up to answer for him:

"Give me a sec, and it's gonna be fourteenth time! And he only got three wins in so far! Wanna see what a winner looks like, look no further than me!"

Crabid growls. Just the reaction you want.

"Good for you, Kril! So tell me, Crabid: would you do something for me if I freed your claws, and gave you a chance to get even?"

That gets the hulk's attention. He lays his gaming shells aside, stands up and nods his cephalothorax to you.

"Wait a sec, what do you mean?" Asks Kriller nervously. "He's fine as he is now! These things are, are for his own protection! You don't want to know what they'll do to him if he breaks another set!"

You ignore the noisy decapod as you make a "come hither" gesture at his heavyweight brother.

As he walks over to you, you stretch your limbs, then tell him to pull his shackles taut. With a shout of, "Kee-yah!", you break his cuffs, then his muzzle. There's a very nasty set of mouthparts underneath.

"Thank you", Crabid bows, as he clicks his mandibles and stretches.

"So I have been curious", you ask innocently, as Kriller backs away into a corner. "What brought you all here?"

"I, I've killed seven people in a single day!" Yelps out Kriller. "Don't come any closer!"

"He did, with a food poisoning", Jawelynn smirks. "He got assigned for kitchen duty."

"I fought the Pink ranger, and won", Crabid says. "Then I've let her go."

"What?" You ask, confused. "Why didn't you?"

"She got hurt saving humans from a wrecked ground-boat. A longcar, I think. An explosion weakened her, but she fought with honour anyway. No glory for me to take advantage." Crabid sighs, as he dunks Kriller's upper end underwater and drags him to the drainage hole. "What about you?"

What about you?

>"The head scientist made advances on me, so I fought him off. He's a sore loser."
>"I broke some important equipment... Accidentally."
>"You know, sneaking around, breaking and entering, doing some journalism. Somebody got suspicious."
>"I'm innocent! I was just starving, so I stole some food. Is it a crime to be pennyless?"
>Tell them the true story, all of it.
>"None of your business."
>Other (write-in.)

>>4687892
>"I broke some important equipment and some cocksucker's tentacles... Accidentally."
>Ask Crabid about pink ranger fight. Maybe we can get some useful information.

>>4687892
>Office politics. I had a disagreement how certain research project should proceed. You know how stuck up the middlemanagement can be.

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>>4687959
>+1
Big crab man will be very useful when we escape, let’s see his abilities

>>4688250
>noble savage crab-husbando....
Nonono, lets not go there. He's a perfect underling, nothing more!

>>4687892
>"I broke some important equipment... Accidentally."

>>4688303
That's not at all what we meant, please stop projecting.

>>4688988
Sure you didn't. Baka-anon.

>>4689194
>>4688988
But I'm just pulling your leg here, friend. I'm more than fine if all our relationships are platonic, fits the theme better imho

>>4689199
Understandable, have a nice day.

>>4689199
Same, but I also don't see anything wrong with some harmless flirting

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>>4687959
>>4688250
>>4688723

WHITE POWER: 64/100
Self-esteem: 8641
Discovered octopus power — MALLEABLE SHAPE

"Oh, it's nothing", you say lightly. "I broke some important equipment... Accidentally. And cut off some creep's tentacles. Also accidentally."

"Hey, wouldn't think you to be so clumsy!" pitches in Kriller, who momentarily got free from Crabid's grip… somehow… and is now on the ceiling, clinging to rocky protrusions for dear life as Crabid hops in place below, trying to reach Kriller with a pincer. Jawelynn groans.

"Just my luck. We get a nice girl, and it sounds like you won't be a regular", she sighs with disappointment. "I can't hope you're extremely accident-prone, can I?"

You don't really know. It's fun to look on today's events as a particularly unlikely string of accidents.

"Right now, I'm going to accidentally get misplaced out of here", you tell her cheerfully. "If I get caught, maybe I'll be a regular after all. But first things first! Crabid, I want a shot at beating the rangers myself, sometime soon. Can you tell me more about your fight against Swordfish Pink?"

"Why not", the monster affirms and settles upon a rock, watching Kriller patiently. "Was a bloody dark and stormy night…"

As you conduct the interview, he tells you how he's been assigned to set a bomb at a bridge just outside the town. Yes, bombing places is what we do this season. No, he hasn't been told why the bridge specifically. The Pink ranger caught up with him and called for backup, but he got the bomb activated, so she had to attack alone to get a chance of disarming it in time.

He tanked her supersonic charge and her follow-up attacks with his hardy dorsal carapace, then pinched her sword and refused to let go. By Crabid's description (it seems he fought the Rangers before, too), Coastal Patrol Pink is most dangerous as a swordswoman, fluid and serene in her motions yet blindingly quick at the decisive moments. "The gal fights like a dance", he tells you, "But with might and speed of an undertow." By getting a grip on her weapon, Crabid got to land some solid hits as she tried to retrieve it, and forced her to rely on her backup weapons, which weren't strong enough to hurt him; and he easily blocked her passage over the bridge.

Then a bus (Crabid doesn't call it that, but from his descriptions you paint a picture of a half-empty late-night citybound bus) rounded a corner and crashed into Crabid's back, pushing him off the bridge and into the river. That hurt the bus more than it hurt the warrior, and as Crabid climbed back out of the river and onto the bridge, Pink ranger got herself busy rescuing the passengers. Then the bomb went off.

You scoff. That's what being goody two-shoes gets you! Clearly if she cared a bit less, she'd keep the bomb in mind and wouldn't remain so close to it the moment it detonated.

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>>4690244

"She kept fighting after that, but it wasn't much of a fight. She was torn between keeping me away from these humans, few got hurt in the boom too, and trying not to fall over. I think she got a concussion", the monster says ruefully. "Wasn't a shade of what I fought ten minutes earlier, so I pounded her unconscious out of obligation and just left laying." He snarls angrily. "Shouldn't have punished me! I did the mission, the rangers never stopped me, the bridge is blown!

Kriller seems to disagree. "It's not about the bridge, shellhead! You could have killed a ranger, and you didn't! Have you forgot what they did to Spongeward and Squid Bob?"

"Fought them fairly and won", grumbles Crabid. "Fair death in a fair fight."

"Yeah, two against three! You're stupid, and dumb! No wonder they've punished you. I'm going to do better!" Brags the overgrown shrimp. "Don't you know you can get pardoned by entering Strandlove's experimental program? I've applied, so in! your! rostrum! Any day now, they'll take me away, make me a cyborg, and I'll be strong enough to beat the rangers! Then I'll beat you too, just for fun!"

You sigh. Kriller sounds too stupid, and too convinced, for you to bother arguing. And you're starting to have a headache from his voice. Still, the tidbit that Strandlove takes monsters out of containment for cybernetic augmentation is worth noting.

"Nice knowing you all, it's time to leave this place", you announce. "Crabid, here's an idea for you: what if you break out right now, find the Pink ranger, fight her… honourably, and destroy? I think that will clear your name, once and for all!"

Crabid considers you.

"I can't get out of the cell. Can you?"

You nod.

"Just hold the door for me, would you please?"

***

Several minutes later, the door is forced open ever so slightly, and you use your octopus abilities to push yourself through the opening, one kilogram at a time. The cells are arranged in an upward spiral, all opening to a wide spiral staircase. Your memories tell you you were led downwards as you were brought here, so now you should go up.

Not far from you, a long-necked, thick-flippered reptilian monster stands guard, looking bored out of its mind. There's a puffy set of keys hanging from its belt, as well as a bulky blaster of some sorts. It doesn't notice you as you finish flowing out.

Do you:

>Break its neck?
>Kick its butt?
>Strangle it, but leave alive?
>Distract it?
>Write-in?

Once that's done, do you:
>Take its uniform and weapons, and escape alone by pretending to be a guard?
>Try to sneak out alone?
>Open the door for Crabid and go for it together?
>Open as many cells as you can and escape in the following chaos?

>>4690251
>try to make it unconsicious trough good bump into the head
>if that doesn't work, strangle

>free Crabid, but after second of consideration, decide to let some other inmates out as well. This should help obfuscate what happened and obfuscation is the octopus way.

>>4690251
>Punch it in the back of the head. It might just survive. If it doesn't, it's not like we give a shit.

>Open the door for Crabid and go for it together.
>Ask Crabid if he wants to open more cells for chaos or do it more quietly.
Crabid is pretty metal, ngl.

>>4690251
>Punch it in the back of the head. It might just survive. If it doesn't, it's not like we give a shit.
Bonk him, can’t say we didn’t try to be non-lethal
>Open the door for Crabid and go for it together.
>Ask Crabid if he wants to open more cells for chaos or do it more quietly.
Partners now, let’s ask his opinion

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>>4690265
>>4690293
>>4690330

You carefully step closer to the plesiosaurian guard. Then once more. A few more careful, sneaky steps, and you're behind it, in a perfect position to break its neck, or grab and strangle it.

You hesitate. Is that the most efficient way? Won't you let Codfather down by inflicting even more damage to your own side?

You tap the guard on its shoulder, and as it swings its head around in surprise, you roundhouse kick it. The head flies away, and you follow, catching it into mid-air and slamming back into the wall. One more wallop with a fist for good measure, and it's sure not going to call for backup anytime soon.

You pick up the keys. The weapon looks too heavy and unwieldy for you; it would slow you down a lot, and you're not even sure how to prime it properly.

There is a box on the wall next to the cell's doors. It has to be open with one small key, and within it is a keyhole for another, this one opening the cell. You don't have the patience to search for two keys, however, so you just tear the metal cover off the box. Searching for the right cell key still takes you some time, but you've promised Crabid you'd escape together.

Jawelynn tries to tell you something as you finally let your partner out, and Kriller keeps yelping about how he'll show you all and beat you into the bedrock, but you really don't care what they have to say anymore. These two don't seem inclined to escape, nor would you bring them along with you and Crabid even if they were, so for all you care they may marinate in this cave until the moss grows on their heads!

"Thanks, Whitney", the crustacean warrior tells you as he comes through, and stoops to pick up the guard's weapon. Unlike you, he seems to be familiar with it, even if it looks tiny in his pincer.

"It's nothing", you reassure him. "Stay loyal to me, and together we'll crush anyone who dares to stand in our way!"

"Will do", Crabid affirms seriously. "Are we done here?"

"Actually", you stroke your cheek in a moment of strategical planning, "Let's open as many cells as we can. There might be more people eager to escape, poor unfortunate souls! It will be so much easier to escape under the cover of exquisite… chaos", you explain cheerfully. Crabid nods.

"Good idea. Let's not."

"Why?" you ask, feeling offended.

"Great idea, too little time. We need to rush them before they go on high alert. Come, I'll run and carry you."

>Let Crabid carry you pressed to his chest, well-shielded from any attacks but unable to contribute much as he rushes the guards.
>Insist on riding on top of him as he runs, looking awesome and being able to jump off and kick butt, but presenting a good target.
>Refuse to be carried and run alongside.
>Insist on your plan instead. He's the brute, you're the mastermind, not the other way around!
>Other (write-in).

>>4690666
>Insist on riding on top of him as he runs, looking awesome and being able to jump off and kick butt, but presenting a good target.
wholesome af

>>4690666
>Insist on riding on top of him as he runs, looking awesome and being able to jump off and kick butt, but presenting a good target.

>>4690666
>Insist on riding on top of him as he runs, looking awesome and being able to jump off and kick butt, but presenting a good target.

>>4690666
>It's better to be on top of him. We don't know whether we can truly trust him yet and it's better to be in a position where we have more autonomy in case things go south for any reason

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>>4690682
>>4690713
>>4691454

If your life would ever be released as a series of short, autobiographical articles, you feel you'd need a recap about right now, or new readers would feel quite confused.

That's your only regret as you stand, clad head-to-toes in white and black not-quite-spandex, atop a charging two-by-three-meters crab monster, as he runs full-throttle into a half-assembled line of trembling guardsmonsters, pumping out roaring threats and blaster fire with equal generosity.

***

It's only been several hours since you came alive, created artificially to bear the power of an Evil ranger; and, as your first conscious action, seized the most pure and wholesome color of the Power, white, and forced it to manifest as a force of pure evil instead of pure good. Then you've got briefed by your creator, Codfather, and went off to get some rest and training; but on your way you've overheard a scientist, Strandlove, conspiring against Codfather and you.

You fought Strandlove but lost, indirectly giving more weight to his assertion that you're too weak and the project must keep going until a perfect result is produced. So you've destroyed the equipment used in your creation, to prevent any more takes. Codfather had no choice but to arrest you for this sabotage, but he tried to give you an out, and placed you in a situation you could escape from.

Your cellmates were Kriller, a loud, full-of-himself shrimp monster; Jawelynn, a bored shark mermaid who kept trying to seduce you; and Crabid, a simple-minded warrior who fought the Pink ranger but refused to kill her when she couldn't fight at her full power. You mostly ignored the former two, and convinced Crabid to escape together. You've also discovered what your power of the Octopus entails during your stay in the cell; as it turned out, your body is extremely malleable, allowing you to pass through much tighter openings than should be anatomically possible.

So you've set yourself and Crabid free, and are now fighting your way through… through…

You look around you. There's not a single guard left standing, and the hallway to your freedom lies open and unobstructed before you.

It seems Crabid did all the work while you zoned out and reflected on today's events. Is that what too little sleep and too much adrenaline do to your brain? If so, you need to do something about it soon.

Your companion is asking you something, you realise.

"Sorry, what?"

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>>4691662

"Are you all right?" He asks. You scoff dismissively. To think he might see you as weak or worse, easily distracted!

"There was no need for me to act, since you handled the guards so well; so I've been pondering our next step", you explain.

"No time to ponder. We need to go somewhere now." The crab monster stares on you expectantly.

That's a good question, isn't it? Your daring break-out bought you a sliver of time, but soon the whole palace will be swarming with warriors looking for you two.

>Go to the transport bay. You want to get to the surface — the dry land is the only place two escaped inmates like you might be left alone, and it's also where your mutual goal of destroying the rangers awaits; and a submarine is the fastest way to get there.
>Visit the R&D facilities again. You're eager to pay dr. Strandlove another visit.
>Visit the R&D facilities again. You've been told you need to replenish your energy in the Font of power from time to time; let's charge to full capacity before you go.
>Go to the throne room. It's time to see the queen in person.
>Go to the arsenal. Bombs, huh?
>Get out of the palace on foot, and go into the underwater city. The best way to avoid being found is to mix with the crowds.
>Other (write-in)

>>4691668
>Go to the arsenal. Bombs, huh?
Everyone knows explosive devices are Strandlove’s weakness.

(Based on the fact that almost everything is weak against explosives.)

>>4691668
>I feel like the surface is the right direction. We need to strike the rangers as fast as possible, but first we need to gather some intel for maximum efficiency.

>>4691668
>Go to the arsenal. Lamp oil. Rope. Bombs, huh?
>Visit the R&D facilities again. You're eager to pay dr. Strandlove another visit.
Then maybe we can charge and hit the surface.

>>4691709
https://youtu.be/SsY0TgIBBu4

>>4691668
>Go to the arsenal. Bombs, huh?
Maybe we can also find ourselves a weapon if we can't just materialize one from the morphing grid Or however they summon their weapons in PR

>>4691668
>Visit the R&D facilities again. You've been told you need to replenish your energy in the Font of power from time to time; let's charge to full capacity before you go.

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[Spoiler]I'm visiting a dentist every few days these days, and feedback from the painkillers and blood loss wrecks my writing clarity. If I don't post for a whole day, it probably means I've got too drained and fell asleep. Things should get better once my teeth are all done.[/spoiler]

WHITE POWER: 63/100
Self-esteem: 8741
Octopus power: malleable anatomy

>Go to the arsenal. Bombs, huh?

"We'll go to the arsenal, loot it for better weapons, and maybe use bombs to cover our escape", you decide. "You know the way, right?"

Crabid nods, and you hop on his back again as he dashes through the palace. Most hallways and chambers you pass are filled with water; it seems the cells were kept in an air bubble in order to impede escape. A mermaid trying to flop up the stairs would be quite a pitiful sight, you muse.

"Be ready for a good fight!" Your companion (mount?) tells you along the way, as horagai trumpets sound the alarm all around you, maids and servants scurrying out of your way. "Arsenal is next door to the barracks."

Dam! You haven't thought of that, and it's too late to change your mind in front of Crabid. Oh well, trust yourself to run head-first into trouble.

An elevator platform takes you two to the floor where the arsenal, the laundries, and the barracks are all located. One short hallway later, you stand next to a massive grated door leading to the arsenal itself. The door is locked shut.

"Stop right there, criminal scum!" A voice booms. You're not the only ones to have taken an elevator! A seal squad arrives on the floor, about dozen in number at a glance; led by a monster whose most defining feature is being covered in white, really bulky armor, or maybe protective padding?

You don't have much time to gawk, anyway, as the seals take their positions and aim harpoon rifles at you. You really don't like your odds right now. Urchins are one thing - you'd probably mop the floor with anything short of two dozens; but to your knowledge, it only takes four to six seals to outnumber a Power ranger.

"I am the Palace Guardian who fights for Safety and for Justice. I am commander Tardigarde! Return peacefully to your prison, scallywags, and no harm will come to you!" Their leader proclaims, waving a bejewelled (but quite nasty-looking nonetheless) mace around. You can hear the capitalisation. "Otherwise, in the name of queen Medusa, I will punish you!"

"Hey, Tardigarde", Crabid waves.

>>4693634

Just then, the grated door slides open.

"Hey, what's the drill?" Asks a metal-bodied chum in blue scrubs and a three-pronged white crown. Indeed, he's holding a triple-drill on a long haft at about your eye level.

You feel like you're about to give up.

"Do you know him too?" You ask. Sure enough, Crabid's answer is:

"Yes. He's Tridentist, the quartermaster."

Of course.

"Sure thing! Haven't you seen the plaque? And you're here to take something without my permission, is that right?" Tridentist jeers. "My duty is to fight tooth and nail, so prepare for a humiliating floss!"

You groan. Crabid groans. Commander Tardigarde groans. For a moment, there's no difference between ranger and monster, guardian and criminal; all are united by shared desire to see the quartermaster shut his hole.

What are you going to do once this ephemeral moment of tranquil camaradery is over?

>Fight Tridentist; Crabid should handle the seals and their commander.
>Fight the seals and their commander; Crabid should handle Tridentist.
>Fight Tridentist together, both of you; so as to overwhelm him quickly and get inside the arsenal.
>Try to slip past Tridentist without a fight.
>Try to convince Tardigarde you're two innocent monsters on a quest to restore your good names, and swear to leave the palace peacefully if he lets you go.
>Other (write-in).

>>4693634
That fucking sucks. Don't worry about the quest, your tooths and well-being are more important.
>>4693638
>Fight Tridentist together, both of you; so as to overwhelm him quickly and get inside the arsenal.
Kick his face in and use what's in the armory against oblivion seals.

>>4693638
Well, at least you're lucid enough to make dentist puns.
>Fight Tridentist together, both of you; so as to overwhelm him quickly and get inside the arsenal.

>>4693638
>Fight Tridentist together, both of you; so as to overwhelm him quickly and get inside the arsenal.
A prolonged fight would be difficult, let’s charge straight through.

>>4693638
>Fight Tridentist together, both of you; so as to overwhelm him quickly and get inside the arsenal.

>>4693638
>Try to convince Tardigarde you're two innocent monsters on a quest to restore your good names, and swear to leave the palace peacefully if he lets you go.

Not feeling good about a fight when the mc had no training. Secondly don't wish to waste ranger power that is hard to restore.

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>>4693652
>>4693856
>>4694286
>>4694471
>>4694784

Feeling a bit better now, will try to deliver.

"Get him!" You yell, rushing past Tridentist's weapon and knocking it off with a decisive backswing, as Crabid's tale of disarming the Pink ranger comes to your mind.

"Get them!" Shouts Tardigarde, and the seals open fire.

"Get down!" Roars Crabid, pushing both you and Tridentist down to the floor as barbed harpoons fill the air around you, some penetrating deep into Crabid's carapace with a sound you'd rather never heard.

"Get some!" Grins the quartermaster, jabbing his fingers into your side. It only hurts a little, and you feel numbness spreading rapidly.

You hiss as you roll to the side and grab the monster's upper body between your thighs, presenting it to Crabid. Your companion clenches the monster's toothy head in his pincer, and you hear the unpleasant sound of giant teeth popping from pressure.

Something much, MUCH LOUDER pops near you, and your world is flooded with white; a flash of light too bright even for your visor to filter. You flail as your vision is impaired and your right side feels weightless. Tridentist slips free at some point; something heavy bonks you on your helmet, and you have no choice but to roll away to buy some time. Wait a minute, are you standing or lying? You realise you're not quite sure. A hand tries to grab you by the neck from behind, but you're bloody tired of being held in such a manner ever since you fought Strandlove, so you catch and pull it and throw whoever it is over your shoulder.

Something or someone grabs your hand and yanks, helping you stand up but also pulling toward somewhere. It doesn't hit or try to restrain you, so you assume it's Crabid, and go along.

It seems you've been pulled away from the battle, as nothing hits or hurts you for a while, so you let yourself slump against the wall. As your senses come back to you, you think you hear a question of some kind. "WHAT?" you ask without really hearing yourself, but if there's a reply you can't make it out. It's dark around you, floating color spots notwithstanding, but eventually, you can make out two figures. One is broad and hunched forward; other is tall, lean, and human-like. The silhouettes don't seem to be fighting.

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>>4697205

***

As you catch your breath, you access your surroundings. It seems you've been pulled into the arsenal; there's a familiar grated door close to you, as well as racks, shelves and rows full of something that, you suspect, would turn out to be weapons and armor if you were able to take a better look.

The broad figure is Crabid, no mistake about that. He's busy tearing the shelves out of the floor and barricading the doors. There's something awkward about the way he moves, though you can't put your finger on what or why exactly.

The lean creature is unknown to you, and seems to like it that way, if loose gray robes and a ninja mask underneath are of any indication. It seems it helped you two get out of the harm's way, so you're not about to complain.

The hooded being leans to check on you, and tries to shake you. You slap its hand aside.

"THANK YOU, I'M ALL RIGHT", you announce, maybe a bit more abrasively than you should, and force your tired body to stand up.

The Tall-Dark-and-Handsome says something, but your ears aren't done ringing. "om on… must oove… I eh bobs…" is all you can hear, as the unknown humanoid gestures away from the doors, now barricaded to the best of Crabid's ability.

The break is over, it seems. Time for action. What do you start with?

>Take a look at Crabid's injuries.
>Grab a standard-issue trident and some light blasters, and follow your new acquaintance's lead.
>Grab a harpoon rifle and a bundle of spare harpoons, and follow your new acquaintance's lead.
>Go looking for something more special; the queen's weapons, perhaps, or some distinguished general or hero's.
>Go looking for the quartermaster's logbooks or notes. Perhaps you'll find something related to project Octopus?
>Go looking for explosives. No reason to tarry with that.
>Fight the hooded person. You know bitter tea when it's brewing; the unknown creature might've helped you (quite conveniently, at that), but it's way too suspicious to trust.
>Other (write-in)?

>>4697210
>Take a look at Crabid's injuries.
then
>Go looking for something more special; the queen's weapons, perhaps, or some distinguished general or hero's.

I feel bad for Crabid. We should face reality and stop being a screechy autist before we get everyone killed.

>>4697210
>Take a look at Crabid's injuries.
>Attempt to use WHITE POWER™ to heal him
If it’s so versatile, we should try and make the most out of it.
>Grab a standard-issue trident and some light blasters, and follow your new acquaintance's lead.
No sense wasting time finding something slightly higher quality, we’re awesome enough to work with standard equipment anyways!

>Go looking for something more special; the queen's weapons, perhaps, or some distinguished general or hero's.
>Go looking for the quartermaster's logbooks or notes. Perhaps you'll find something related to project Octopus?

I wanna know if project octopus made ranger weapons. Since the scientist did say the morphing grid was linked to the project.

>>4697210
>Take a look at Crabid's injuries.
Go looking for something more special; the queen's weapons, perhaps, or some distinguished general or hero's.

>>4697863
+1

>>4697216
+1

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37,6°C for three days straight.. A blessed thread indeed. Lucidity seems to be in high demand, and low stock. Fuck colleagues who brag about being sick yet working at full capacity in spite of high body temperature, and ask me to do the same.

It's surprisingly nice to see the continued interest. I'd feel shitty for not posting for so long, if I weren't feeling shitty in a more immediate sense.

>>4697216
>>4697312
>>4697863
>>4698407

3 for checking Crabid (and a write-in I sort of like), 3 for looking for special weapons. Hmm… You'll get both, but not for free.

As your shadowy vis-a-vis disappears from sight, you turn to check on Crabid. The way he moves, you suspect your former cellmate didn't come out of the altercation unharmed.

Crabid tries to play tough, of course. All male monsters do, you suspect. Shouts something you can barely feel, but what feels like "I'm fine", and keeps his damaged side away from you at first; but you're not that easy to distract.

The humanoid's dorsal carapace, which took the brunt of the attack, is sure exactly as hard as he described it. Harpoons have punched holes in it deeper than your finger goes, yet there seem to be no serious threats to his well-being; bluish-brown ichor is welling up inside, soon to clot into passable flesh-seals. The shell won't ever truly restore its impenetrability, but you haven't forgotten the shed carapaces back in the cell; once Crabid molts again, he'll bear no scar of this skirmish.

What worries you more are the scorch marks. You got blinded too soon to see any such weapons employed, yet there are swollen red blisters all over your companion's upper body and arms. The seal troopers seemed to aim for the joints, and have achieved success at least once, as Crabid is quite wary of moving his left arm too quick. Dam! Sure, he'd remain twice as vicious as any other monster with his right claw alone; but still, you'd rather see him healthy and energetic for the forthcoming battles with the Power rangers, not to mention the situation you're not yet out of.

There's also a place on his abdomen where the relatively thin carapace is minced, as if by getting between several coterminous drills; and small bits of a shredded steel-wire net lodged between some plates on his body.

As it dawns on you just how much heavy lifting Crabid did during the last two battles, an unfamiliar emotion overcomes you. It's not quite annoyance, or anger; it's an intense displeasure about something that you need, and value, having been damaged by a threat you should've destroyed before it happened. A certain mix of dissatisfaction, and regret, and resolve to avoid having this happen again.

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>>4704450

You've got nothing on hand to tend to Crabid's tears and blisters. No medkit, no painkillers, no balm or salve, no piece of cloth to fix his arm close to his chest; even your armor is too dissimilar to regular clothing to be suitable for tearing-away-a-piece-and-making-a-shit-bandage cliche. However, that feeling you've got — you can't put a name on it, but it's pure. And so you focus your power through it, and the power pushes back — like before — giving you a not-so-subtle hint that it is NOT to be used that way, never had been, and especially doesn't want YOU in particular to do it; and like before, you don't give a shit as you keep pushing at it, your body like a giant channeling crystal, or a gem precise-cut to focus the light just so. And sooner than it feels, you push the power outside your body, in meandering streams of white lightning; Crabid leaps away in surprise but you just keep coming at him, until your will is done and his bruises and scorch marks…

Well, in place of his bluish bruises and reddish blisters there are now flaky, mottled pale spots. You hope that's an improvement, because to be quite honest you've got no idea what you've just done, or whether that was a great idea.

***

Crabid taken care of (hopefully), and you feeling eager to hide your own uncertainty, you walk away and start searching for something to arm yourself with. Or rather, for something more… unique than standard-issue weapons lining every other shelf. Is it too much for you to hope for the queen's weapons, perhaps, or some distinguished general or hero's?

Maybe not, but you're not given enough time to find what you're looking for. All too soon, the person-fond-of-hoods-and-masks calls upon you, and it doesn't seem wise to tarry in this place. The only discovery you've made in that time is a glass-covered, padlocked stand helpfully labeled: "EMERGENCY ONLY — BAD SIDE EFFECTS". The equipment inside is comprehensively labeled as well.

Which one sounds worth the risks?

>A fang-like dagger. "BRINGS OUT INNER BEAST".
>A heavy, two-handed sword with a dull gray gem set near the base of the blade. "POW. OF DESTR.=OVERLOADS ANY PROT. HUGE ENERGY CONSUMP.".
>A pulsing, buzzing and twitching object, looking vaguely like a cross between a gun and a glove. "BONDS TO FLESH UNTIL CUT".
>A 3-meters long silvered chain with spikes on each link, and a pair of short semi-circular blades on both ends. "UNWIELDY AF".
>A curved blade on a pole — a glaive-guisarme, you venture? "DISCHARGES ELECT. INDISCRIM."
>A well-polished and delicately carved quarterstaff crowned by a fist-sized green jewel. "POW. BY FURY, INEF. IF CALM, SCARED".
>A beautiful golden spear of just enough length to be either thrown or used in hand-to-hand combat. "INFECTS TRGTS. W/VIRUS"
>A dainty, fragile-looking fishbone shortbow. "KILLS CIVLS."
>A many-tailed whip of several thin, black, oily cords. "LATCHES ON, REFUSE TO DISENG."

>>4704451
>A well-polished and delicately carved quarterstaff crowned by a fist-sized green jewel. "POW. BY FURY, INEF. IF CALM, SCARED".
>A fang-like dagger. "BRINGS OUT INNER BEAST".
Fuck the rules. Time to double wield. What could possibly go wrong?

>>4704450
Dang, sorry. Didn’t think it was a single choice. Just what we were gonna look for first.

>>4704451
>A heavy, two-handed sword with a dull gray gem set near the base of the blade. "POW. OF DESTR.=OVERLOADS ANY PROT. HUGE ENERGY CONSUMP.".
Giant sword. ‘Nuff said.

>>4704451
>A pulsing, buzzing and twitching object, looking vaguely like a cross between a gun and a glove.
Grab the gat, we'll read the description later.

>>4704451
If we're going to keep up as a ranger-monster duo with Crabid, it'd probably be a good idea to emphasize speed since he has brute strength under wraps. Quarterstaff sounds like it'll fail us at the worst possible time, Whip is kinda inconvenient unless we get strong enough to turn people into flail heads, and spear is kinda spooky sounding depending on what kind of virus we're dealing with. So I'm torn between dagger, gun-glove, and Shortbow.

>>4704604
Gun will be effective in the distance, and even effectiver point-blank, while Dagger is limiting, might also lock us in some fury mode and Shortbow could turn out... problematic. It sounds like it might start instakilling civils around, or only work on civils, either way kinda shit.

Aight, lemme convince y’all further on the claymore.
>"BRINGS OUT INNER BEAST".
The inner beast might not be able to discern friend or foe. I don’t want to accidentally turn Crabid into our dinner.
>quarterstaff
Using a light, blunt weapon underwater is probably going to be less effective due to the nature of liquids, as anyone who has swam before will realise.
>"KILLS CIVLS."
If we’re aiming at an enemy and a civilian is nearby it’s going to magically fly to the civilian, damn annoying.
>"LATCHES ON, REFUSE TO DISENG."
If our foe is stronger, it’s just gonna hit US if we latch onto it and if we can’t hold on to the whip, we’ll be punched off and without a weapon.
>"BONDS TO FLESH UNTIL CUT".
I don’t want this thing bonding to our flesh
>"DISCHARGES ELECT. INDISCRIM."
Again, We’re underwater. It’s gonna electrocute us every time we swing it.

The only other viable option I see is the Virus Spear.

>>4704660
That Virus Spear can give us the superaids by accident, you know.
Meanwhile Guntlet is deadly, stylish and not covered in some HIV. Bonding makes sure we don't drop it like a retard. And we can free our hand using octopus powers, duh.
tl;dr: https://youtu.be/CzS6W80gLWI

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So, can anyone experienced help me tally the voices? I'm all for having a discussion, but the last few replies got me a bit confused on just how many people have replied to whom.

>>4704986
Oof. That's probably because of my spastic IP.
>>4704589
>>4704613
>>4704762
These 3 posts are mine, just from different IDs. Sorry if that confused you.

Here is the votes without dupes:
>>4704515
quarterstaff AND dagger
>>4704589 (me)
gun
>>4704604
dagger OR gun OR bow

And then there's this one guy (same ID) that I don't understand:
>>4704559
says sword
>>4704660
says sword, then says virus spear is the only viable option

>>4704986
I think it's 1/3 of a vote for short bow, 5/6 of a vote for quarter staff and dagger, 1 vote for the claymore and 2 2/3 votes for gun glove.

But either way, it's a faustian deal and I'm sure it will screw us over for maximum
d r a m a
at some point either way. Whatever is the most amusing and fitting for character.

>>4705300
Bro what is this math.

>>4705314
Assuming one vote per poster, though one guy was appatently posting with multiple IDs, so it' not valid. Regardless, it seems like the gun-clove wins by getting two votes, more than anything else.

>>4704986
update to >>4705292 cause I misread:
>>4704559 >>4704660 is a sword vote, but mentions virus spear as the only OTHER viable alternative

>>4705292
I was ultimately voting for sword, but also suggested the spear until someone pointed out we could nick ourselves with it.

So yeah that makes sword the ONLY option that has a non-annoying special effect.

>>4705339
and i only saw this after I wrote, fuck me

>>4704660
Also I am this guy from a different device

>>4704762
And what if it just directly latches onto our skin? unless we can shed it’s not coming off

>>4705636
>Unless we can shed it’s not coming off
Then we have a gun attached to our hand, it's cool as fuck.
It's me, from the 3 posts btw.

>>4705892
Means we have to hide it in a sling or something if we want to infiltrate human society, but whatever.

>>4705989
It's not like we can hide that zweihander in our backpack lol

>>4705999
>he didn't attend school armed with a zweihander

>>4706006
>he didn't bring a gun to school

>>4706016
>not employing bodyarmour and zweihander to DEUS VULT the dweeb with glock and delusions of grandeur

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>>4706023
pic related

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>>4705292
>>4705300

You grab the rusty padlock and tear it away, and shatter the glass with a decisive kick. With a crunchy sound you walk few steps over the glass shards, and stop to reach down and pick up the weapon you chose.

>A pulsing, buzzing and twitching object, looking vaguely like a cross between a gun and a glove. "BONDS TO FLESH UNTIL CUT".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRvrt6dgDiY. Specifically, the HL1 version shown in the first half.

(HL1 Xen biotech had that metallic, flesh-over-a-steel-frame (or perhaps a kind of chitin hard enough to rival metal; certainly makes metal sounds if hit/shot at) quality to it; actually made it feel like something professional, biologically grown but also mechanically modified. In HL2 and Black Mesa, it's too… squishy, not to mention developers-fetishy. So HL1 is what I prefer to go with. Not to mention such biotechnology is more characteristic for the PR universe, including some major baddies like Deviot or Ransik.)

It shoots, right? And you're coming to think that maybe some threats are better fought at range. You're an experimental clone anyway, what's to feel uneasy about?

You slot the fleshy sack over your right forearm, and press your hand further into the more-rigid, half-metal end. It feels surprisingly warm inside, and the weapon's flesh soon begins to swell around your limb, engulfing and pressing it from all sides. The ammo-larvae shift and crawl around, as the glove's frame clenches tight and the gas pouches go taut from renewed production; then you feel them crawling inside, and through, your flesh. Your costume's glove seems to disappear at some point — likely because there's no need to protect you from something you chose for yourself.

It's a painless experience, and fortunately, not as disgusting or unpleasant as you'd imagine it to be beforehand. Still deeply alien, but not much worse than a dislocated joint popping back into place, or some heavy food settling into your stomach. It helps that as your hand feels kinda numb, you start to feel for the gun's flesh as for your own, like poking one's cheek with one's own tongue. Whichever civilization designed this weapon, they did it well.

Deep inside, you spread your fingers — and the claws that converge around the gun's muzzle jerk outwards. Not bad; all you need now is practice. More important than manual manipulation, you feel in control enough to try the shooting.

As you level your hivehand at an armor-showcasing mannequin, you flex it into battle readiness. Mature hornets line up stinger-first, ready to be expelled; gas pouches feel like they're about to burst on their own. Then, in less time than it takes to start blinking, you contract its powerful muscles, pop the gas, blow out the hornets; several red-hot dots streak through the air, and the mannequin falls down, its armored west punctured through in as many places.

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>>4706224

You're growing pretty fond of having that kind of firepower. You don't even need to aim that much! Released or not, the hornets are part of you now; they'll go where you want, chasing your targets and ignoring your allies. What kind of prissy pussy would keep such a weapon on ice?

***

Fond or not, there's no time to waste playing with your new toy if you want to escape this week.

The hooded person who helped save you is waiting for you deeper within the arsenal. There's a semi-partitioned room in there; its main feature is a sophisticated-looking generator ablaze with power. The floor is lined by stacks upon stacks of bombs — rectangular metal boxes with semi-transparent crystals in lids; warnings, manufacture numbers and serial numbers engraved here and there; some fitted with timer devices or remotes, other just laying here waiting for assembly. Bolts of electricity streak out from the generator every few seconds, and wherever they hit, the crystals on the bombs go aglow.

"What took you so long?" Asks the Unknown Guy (the voice, soft as it is, makes you think it's a he) in a harsh tone. "It's almost done charging up the whole stock. Once the timer is on, we need to move with no distractions, or you two will perish with the palace." He folds his arms. "Bring your brute here, and get ready."

>"First things first. We're going nowhere until you tell us who you are!"
>"What? You can't blow up the entire palace!"
>"What took me so long? Well, you're not. Gonna. Believe. What a totally wicked weapon I have found!"
>"His name is Crabid. I'll hurry him up. Thanks for saving our lives, by the way."
>"His name is Crabid. Me and him, together we'll fight you to stop your criminal plots against our queen!"
>"Aren't we trapped? How are you going to get us out?"
>"Thanks for saving our lives."
>"Can't you go fetch the crab yourself? I don't take orders from anybody."
>Other (write-in)

>>4706229
Please ignore the extra "Thanks for saving our lives." option (the third-to-last one), it's an editing mistake. If any votes for that option happen, I'll count them as option no. 4 in order to avoid confusion.

>>4706229
>"His name is Crabid. I'll hurry him up. Thanks for saving our lives, by the way."
>"How are you going to get us out?"

>>4706224
Damn, that's not what I expected but dope as fuck. And comes with free hornets.

>>4706224
https://youtu.be/EVCrmXW6-Pk
>>4706229
>"Aren't we trapped? How are you going to get us out?"

>>4706254
Support, but also
>“Watch your terminology, Crabid is far too intelligent to be a brute”

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>>4706254
>>4706289
>>4706712

It seems no matter what I do now, the thread is sage. Would it be in good taste to restart the thread now, or to let it fall off page 10 before making the new one?

"His name is Crabid. I'll hurry him up", you reply curtly, as you decide not to antagonize your new acquaintance for once. "Who are you, anyway?"

"Need-to-know," the tall ninja states. Hrmpf! Well, be it his way.

"Nice to meet you, Need. I'm Whitney", you chirp in your most saccharine voice.

"Charmed", he nods impassively without looking at you.

You take it as your cue to actually go and bring Crabid. Two minutes later, all three of you are present in the generator room.

"Need, Crabid. Crabid, Need", you proclaim as you try to cheer up the mood. "Thanks for saving our lives, by the way."

"Don't mind it", the terrorist repeats with the same impassiveness, just as the last remaining pile of bombs lights up. "Ready?"

You hesitate. You have no idea how powerful such a bomb is, but such a large stock exploding at once doesn't sound like something you should sit next to.

"Aren't we trapped? How are you going to get us out?" You inquire.

"Architecture", Need explains, pressing his index fingers together, and spreading the palms outwards. "The arsenal's big, and built to be defended from inside if necessary. It must have its own toilet. But in terms of floor plan, it would be a waste not to put this toilet wall to wall with other toilers on the floor, so they could share the sewage line."

"And a wall that has pipes going through it", you venture, "Is easy enough to break through?"

The ninja nods.

You notice there's something that bothers you about this.

"That doesn't explain how you've got inside", you frown.

"True, it doesn't", he agrees. "I'm turning the timer on, now. Follow me!"

As you three break into brisk run, you can't help but wonder if you're making the right call trusting this person's plan.

>Follow the infiltrator.
>Grab some charges, then follow the infiltrator.
>Make it look like you fell behind, return and disarm the detonator before catching up.
>Stop the infiltrator right there, and demand explanations.
>Other (write-in)?

>>4708647
>Follow the infiltrator.


>the thread is sage
What does this mean?

>>4708647
>follow the infiltrator
>>4708662
That it doesn't bump up page when someone posts. Autosage happens after certain number of posts or, here on qst, when the thread is over 72 hours old or something. You can also manually sage a post by typing sage in the options field. I understand new thread after page 10 is reached is the standard.

>>4708726
Thanks for explanation!
>>4708647
Do as you wish QM, but please >> the new thread when you start it, and vice versa.

>>4708647
>Grab some charges, then follow the infiltrator.

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>>4708662
>>4708726

Whoever your ninja is, he knows his shit. As for your own track record in that regard… That's an area you've decided to work on.

Therefore, you stop questioning yourself and get moving after mr. "Need-to-know".

The toilets are soon found next to the quartermaster's office. If you had more time you'd gladly search the office, but as it stands, a pending explosion doesn't motivate you to waste any.

Mr. Need tells you two to stand outside, and sets up a small charge in the toilets. Twenty seconds later you're showered with chunks of masonry and other, less pleasant stuff, and burst into the adjoining hallway.

Horagai trumpets blare, alerting the whole place to your location, but you don't wait to be engaged. A hallway, a right turn, a hallway, a hapless urchin whom Need faceplants into the wall before it can shout; a hallway, a room, someone's excruciatingly pink and puffy boudoir, a well-hidden grate under a sofa, a stuck Crabid whom you barely manage to pull through a narrow secret passage… An out-of-service elevator shaft, which you traverse by the means of Need whipping out a grappling hook gun and spooling you up one by one… A narrow overheads passage over loose scaffolding above a dusty, dilapidated hall, obviously long overdue for renovations; a dusty glass pane overseeing a fucus garden, a portion of which is deftly pulled out of the frame by Need, who seems intent on using this secret opening to let you out of the palace.

Indeed, as you slide down a rope he provides, you catch sight of a small craft hidden among the fucus, almost impossible to notice if you don't know that it's here. Someone must have, however, for what tips you off is a group of urchins surrounding it. Dam it, another bloody ambush! They're only armed with clubs and flails, though, and seem to be more nervous than you are; and most importantly, they don't look up, so you descend to the seabed unnoticed.

There's no guarantee, however, that the group won't notice Crabid or your black-garbed leader descending after you. Is it your turn to do the ambushing?

>Charge at the urchins and kick their spiky behinds before they know what struck them.
>Snipe the urchins with hornets without showing yourself.
>Fire a few hornets to cause confusion, then make few more swarm in a fake direction to lead the urchins away.
>Come out in the open, pretend to be in command, and send the group away on a "more important assignment".
>Come out in the open, point out your companions, and take the craft for yourself as Crabid and Need get mired in fighting.
>Wait for your companions, then attack all together (whether you get noticed or not).
>Leave the urchins be, and get away from the palace on foot.
>Other (write-in).

>>4710945
>Wait for your companions, then attack all together (whether you get noticed or not).

We must conserve our power.

>>4710945
>>Wait for your companions, then attack all together (whether you get noticed or not).

>>4710945
>Wait for your companions, then attack all together (whether you get noticed or not).
Let's utilize the hornets if we can use Crabid as a tank.

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WHITE POWER: 58/100
Self-esteem: 8751
+Power: malleable anatomy
+Power: forced healing? Wound mending? (You're not quite sure.)
+Weapon: hive hand [ranged, bonded, unlimited ammo]

>>4711101
>>4711762
>>4711924

If something can go wrong for you, it's contractually obliged to, it seems. It's time to learn to use that to your advantage.

OF COURSE Crabid gets spotted climbing down the rope. So you hide, and let the alarmed urchins run past you. Then the time comes to walk out calmly, raise your buzzing, battle-ready appendage, and laugh as you shoot the urchins in the back. One by one, red-hot hornets take flight, and plunge into flesh; one by one, your enemies fall. Weak mooks these might be, but you can't help but finally feel satisfied with yourself.

The lucky few who avoid your initial barrage, make the fatal mistake of turning around to face you; a mistake that lets your crustacean friend leap down and tear into what remains of the group. He makes a short, brutal work of everyone left standing.

You'd like to observe Need in combat, but by the time he comes down there's no one to fight anymore. Oh well, it's not a shame to be so wicked cool. (Even if you'd like to take a peak up the enigmatic operative's sleeve.)

As the three of you head toward Need's submersible, one of your knocked-out opponents comes back to consciousness, and calls out to you.

"I know you… Octopus! Why are you doing this?" The urchin cries out. "I saw you… earlier today. Why do you have to destroy… and betray… everyone?"

Shit. Need and Crabid are both right here. Whatever you reply now, you'd better consider their possible reactions; and you suddenly feel pretty conscious of possible differences in Need and Crabid's respective convictions.

>Pretend you haven't heard anything, and keep going.
>Shoot the urchin dead. Less questions, more bodies.
>"Why? Because I'm evil."
>"Betray? It is I who's been betrayed!"
>"Betray? I remain loyal to our queen… in my own way! Not that you would know anything!"
>"I've done nothing I haven't been forced into. Do you expect me to give up on self-preservation?"
>"Freedom, dear boy."
>"To seize the throne for myself — because that's the least I deserve!"
>"I don't know! Things just keep happening that way!"
>Other (write-in)

>>4712310
>"Betray? It is I who's been betrayed! Those psychopaths tried to imprison and DISSECT me and yet YOU accuse ME of betrayal?!"
>(shake internally)
>Turn around and look Crabid and ninja in the eyes to let them know we're dead serious about it all and won't let anyone tarnish the name of White Evil Ranger #1. Our name.
>Look back at the urchin
>"I don't have time, you can stay here and die for your masters or come with us and I might try to heal you. What do you say?"

+1 to crew if we manage to fix him and Crabid's respect because honor stuff.

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>>4712310
>I am who I am.

>>4712310
>>"I've done nothing I haven't been forced into. Do you expect me to give up on self-preservation?"

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Rolled 1 (1d3)

>>4712475
>>4712796
>>4714807

I know I've only got three players left (though, as a first-time QM, I'm interested in learning the primary reason for that. Is that because of the recent lapse in activity, or because of the overall update rate, or because people other than me don't check out threads not hanging on the first few pages, or because there's a problem with my writing and/or pacing? Should I expect more players when I make a second thread? Should I fix something with the way I QM? Should I just accept the way it is now, and embrace having you three loyal people? And don't take it wrong, I'm glad to have you), so rather than waiting for a tiebreaker that might never come, I'll try to just roll. Rolling now, writing the next post over the day.

>>4714881
I'm pretty new to quests myself (well, quests as they exist in qst, at least), but I try to give some feedback.
The recent pacing issues (for very understandable reasons) certainly don't help, I guess everyone has to find a balance between timely updates and writing/response time. When making a new thread it's certainly possible to pick new readers, but the OP has to be well constructed for that. That also brings back the issue on when to make it. Maybe more important than what page the old thread is is what happens in the story. If the OP is either mundane and boring or confusing, new postential readers don't have anything to grasp and they won't stick around. Imo it should indclude a brief recap on "happened in last episode" with links to archived threads, and/or have the situation be self explanetory enough that you don't need wider context to give feedback.

As fpr criticism, I think the prose itself is decent enough, but sometimes I feel a bit lost on where this is going. Keeping things vague enough that players can influence the story is expected, but, to give an example, I felt like the prison escape wasn't established enough and came a little behind the tree.

>>4714881
Aight time for schizo mode.
Personally zi have found the recent lack of updates and communication to be the biggest problem. Consistency and personal involvement seem to be what ensures that players won't forget and abandon a quest easily. QMs who engage with players and give head ups when they're unable to post (like HeraldQM & Axsisel from Nukaloha), seem to have strongest bond, which makes their players return (although there are times when their traffic drops as well).

Other thing is that EVQ is pretty... chaotic. Our endgoal is to defeat power rangers, but there's no short-term goals or clear path set for MC, and it's unclear who we should be actually allied with. As the result we ended up starting random bossfight right off the bat, failing, getting put in jail, getting based Crabid, breaking out of jail, getting locked in armory and escaping with random terrorist.

There might be other issues, like someone leaving over beehive arm, deciding it's too weird for them. I swear, people getting upset over shit and leaving are a thing. Go see how many coomers left the Reptilian Infiltrator after QM said that he's gonna give a chance for the quest to go back on its track with less smut.

One last thing I wanna mention is that some QMs advertise their quests on /qtg/, some even do it per update. That certainly helps.

>>4715303
The QM seems to be rather actice in qtg, but I can agree with your points. Engagement seems to be one of the factors that separate the most popular quests from the rest. Makes the thread harder to follow, tho. The SW droid quest would be very hard to follow for a casual reader like myself if it were not for the drawings in proper updates separating them from the chaff.

>>4715592
I couldn't get into that quest myself because idk SW and there was a lot of terms unknown to me lol

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>>4712475
>>4712796
>>4714807

You turn sharply, and face the insolent echinoderm.

"Betray?" You repeat after the urchin, with a furious edge in your voice. "Betray?! Did you just assume my agenda?"

You clench your fist. How dares it?

"Look, it's I who's been betrayed. Those psychopaths tried to imprison and DISSECT me — and yet YOU accuse ME of betrayal?!"

You're shaking internally, but it won't do to break down in rage in front of Crabid and the ninja. So you focus, wrestle the control from your own self, and level your best "dare to tarnish my name like that, and I'll MURDER you" gaze at them.

"I am who I am", you say in a dry tone. "I've done nothing I haven't been forced into. As for you", you point at the urchin, "You can stay here and die for your masters, or come with us and I might try to heal you. What do you say?"

The urchin gives you a fearful yet incredulous look.

"You're…" You're pretty sure it was about to say "crazy". "I won't go with you!"

"See you never", you answer dismissively.

Your walk to the submarine along with your companions feels more than a bit awkward.

***

"I am sorry if it's not the best time to mention it", Need speaks up tersely, once all three of you are seated and well on your way. He's driving, of course; this vessel's controls look completely alien to you. You loathe being so not in control, so you've resolved to watch his every action, and try to observe a pattern. "But just so you know: you're going along with my attempt to blow up their high command, in… I think it's four minutes until it's up. It's necessary for the world, but they'll never see your actions for anything but betrayal."

"Shut up, I'm trying not to think about it", Crabid spits out. You shiver in realization he's thrice as furious as you just were. "I'd kill you right now for dragging me into this, but then we'd all die. But don't think we're on your side, or owe you anything! You only helped out of convenience."

"Convenience?" You don't see Need's face, of course, but he sounds annoyed. "Your premature escape derailed everything. I would've snuck out the prisoners, including you two, but you caused a premature alarm that messed everything up. I had to skip to the main objective before I could get anything on their secret project, or rescue anyone but you two, or even retrieve our best informant."

Crabid huffs and clicks his mouthpieces.

"So you blow up everyone you fail to save, and take us along to be your scapefloat because we were close? I call that bloody convenient."

"I thought someone imprisoned by Medusa and escaping her punishment MIGHT be good people fed up with her rule", Need asserts aggressively.

"Well, we're NOT!" Crabid shouts, jolting you awake. (Dam, were you falling asleep in your seat?)

[Options will go in the next post]

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>>4716537

>Enough! I agree with Crabid. Drop us somewhere at the coast, and let's go our separate ways.
>Enough! I agree with Crabid. Hand over the ship, and get out.
>Enough! I agree with Need. Things changed for us, Crabid. Go fight the entire world if you have to, I'll go with someone who knows what he's doing.
>Enough, both of you! I need you, Need, to explain what your deal is, and you, Crabid, to let him speak. And what's with something being "necessary for the world?"
>Enough, both of you! You're working for me now, so stop squabbling and do what I'll tell you to!
>Crabid, wait a moment please! Need, did you just mention a secret project? Tell me about it! I might have taken care of it for you.
>(Let the conversation be, and drift off to a long-needed beauty sleep.)
>Other (write-in.)

>>4716538
>Enough, both of you! I need you, Need, to explain what your deal is, and you, Crabid, to let him speak. And what's with something being "necessary for the world?"
>Need, did you just mention a secret project? Tell me about it! I might have taken care of it for you.

>>4715003
>>4715303
>>4715592

Thanks for your feedback, anons!

I've overestimated the amount of free time (or rather, of exhaustion-free time) I'd have while on work, when I've started this quest. So now I'm working on not letting you down too often update-wise; regularity over frequency. I'm aiming for a stable 1/day update rate for now; 2/day is the ultimate goal, but I doubt it's achievable with my current

Sadly, it's hard to make an advance buffer (like webcomic artists etc. do) in this medium without screwing up the importance of player's choice.

On the other hand, I'm trying hard to avoid filler updates, and make every choice matter, so that we aren't getting stuck in the same scene for IRL months (and even if a scene keeps up for a while, there's something impactful and with consequence going on). That's part of my concern about pacing: not just the pacing between the updates, but the pacing of action itself. Am I doing well in that regard? Should the events happen and the situations change even faster? Slower?

As for your advice on how to better start the second thread, I've took it all into consideration (even if most of it is, frankly, self-evident), and am now preparing for an opportune moment to do that. Don't worry, I won't forget to link it here.

I've always put value on a quest being accessible for a new player (since I myself have trouble participating in long-running quests without gobbling up the entire archive, especially if a thread begins with five posts worth of contextless interactions), so I promise you all a comprehensive recap. I've even rehearsed writing one not so long ago — you might remember it being snuck into one of the updates.

>>I felt like the prison escape wasn't established enough and came a little behind the tree.

Could you elaborate? Do you mean it wasn't established the White ranger is going to escape? Or that she switched from interacting with her cell to acting out her escape too abruptly? Or that the specific means and abilities used in her escape came out of nowhere?

>but there's no short-term goals or clear path set for MC, and it's unclear who we should be actually allied with. As the result we ended up starting random bossfight right off the bat, failing, getting put in jail, getting based Crabid, breaking out of jail, getting locked in armory and escaping with random terrorist.

Well, there WAS a clear path and an obvious set of allies back at the beginning. You might remember people like Codfather and Cuttler trying to pull the White ranger out of trouble, guide her to get some training, etc. However, I wasn't too opposed to this whole thing going screeching off the rails. Our MC is a bit of a "screechy authist" (as someone put it) at times, but I'm keeping up baseline character consistency when offering options. No handholding, however.

And finally: I'll try to engage with all of you more (though it might eat into my writing time). Just please tell me if I go overboard.

>>4716824
>I'm aiming for a stable 1/day update rate
That's perfectly fine!

>Sadly, it's hard to make an advance buffer (like webcomic artists etc. do) in this medium without screwing up the importance of player's choice.
At least one QM just makes shit up as he goes, using player questions/choices to push the boundaries. Maybe try to do that and use events to push the story, with only a few major things set in stone to make player choices have consequences?

>Should the events happen and the situations change even faster? Slower?
The action itself was alright as far as I can tell, but because we've been all over the place doing random shit, it's kinda hard to judge.

>prison escape wasn't established enough and came a little behind the tree
Idk what >>4715003 meant by that, but to me personally, the prison part came a bit out of blue, the escape happened too quickly and we really didn't know what we were trying to achieve. Giving us a *sigh* goal there would've helped (like saying we might wanna reach the queen to make things right). I'm aware we could've done it, but at that point it felt like everyone was deadset on fighting, getting ass kicked and struggling not to get caught again. Also it felt like we would get obliterated no matter what and we must constantly conserve power.

>there WAS a clear path and an obvious set of allies
Yeah, but then a shitter wanted to dissect us as a faulty project. Can't say playeys aren't at fault, but at that time jumping him seemed like something our narc MC would do, especially since that guy was opposing Codfather and just seemed like a problem we should deal with.

For the record, I'm >>4715303
Sorry for being hectic again and thanks for running the quest!

>>4716824
Yeah as >>4716893 said an one per day update schedule is fine.

>>4716538
>Enough, both of you! I need you, Need, to explain what your deal is, and you, Crabid, to let him speak. And what's with something being "necessary for the world?"

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>>4716574
>>4717944

>Enough, both of you! I need you, Need, to explain what your deal is, and you, Crabid, to let him speak. And what's with something being "necessary for the world?"

It's hard to see anything in dim, dark waters outside. Whatever light used to reach this deep is now gone, save for the yellow-green illumination of your own cabin. The palace shined with more lights than a christmas tree, but the ship soon got far enough for those to disappear in the murk; and though you catch a glimpse of a sprawling city down on the seabed next to the palace, Need gives it a wide berth.

"Even if I tell you, you might not believe me", he says hesitantly.

"We sure won't if you don't", grunts out Crabid. Simple-minded he might be (or is he?), but certainly not the one to be easily fooled, or distracted.

"Start talking, please", you prod. "Don't waste our desire to listen."

The ninja presses the tips of his fingers together, his palms still not touching.

"All right", he relents. "There's a lot of trouble brewing for Earth and its colonies."

Earth's colonies? You're baffled for a moment, until you remember a habitable space station that's been launched "to settle a new world" about a decade ago, and hardly mentioned ever since. Has it survived the journey after all?

"For a planet that did so much, you're incredibly ignorant. Or perhaps it's all about your governments hiding things for no reason…" He allows. "Either way, unbeknownst to your population, this universe has been a lawless and feuding place ever since late 1998."

You recall all the alien attacks that happened over the years. Most were fairly local, but 1998 got marked in all history books as year of the biggest, worldwide one.

"That's true", says Crabid. You look at him, surprised he'd know anything about this.

"My mom is half alien", he explains. "Used to hunt bounty. Told me her old guys all got dusted, and new ones are too grabby and backstabbing for good business."

Your first day as a team, and the crustacean is telling you his family history already. At this rate, you half expect to meet his parents before the week is over.

"That sounds relatable", the infiltrator confirms. "But there has been enough time for the most grabby to, well, consolidate some of the chaos into new genuine superpowers. It is not hard to turn formerly decent people to war, and evil, by promising them order and security." He does his strange head-shake thing again. "Local warlords and crime leaders are in decline now, and true armies and empires are on the rise."

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>>4719947

"So what?" Crabid asks, irritated. "Happened before, will happen again. Wars never change."

"These wars", Need specifies, "are quickly converging on this galaxy. Sirius got invaded by Troobians years ago. Andresia got razed by the Armada last year." He spreads hands around. "Your Earth never stopped being a juicy target. It's going to have a serious invasion any year now. There are planets and factions eager to help you, of course, but…" He sounds regretful. "Most are either weakened, fighting their own wars, or otherwise unable to help you in time."

A lot of what he says sounds like gibberish to you, but you've resolved to let him speak. You can always discard his words later.

"Now imagine Earth's Power rangers being destroyed team by team, and USA, the country most experienced with building spaceships and zords, devastated in a war with your petty aquatic kingdom. A kingdom that has powerful monsters and magic at its disposal, but won't protect the planet until it's directly attacked, out of mistaken conviction that land people's problems can't concern you! I've brought this matter to your queen, yet she chose this pretty strife over safety of your world. I cannot know whether you two care about Medusa's politics, her childish cruelty, or all the innocent people who'll suffer from her plans", the ninja presses on with a weird mix of detachment and fierceness, "but it should bear consideration that all you can win in this war is an assured place under some invader's heel."

You consider his story carefully.

"So let me get this straight, Wordy mcWordsen", you start bending fingers. "You're an alien, from space. Concerned about Earth being eventually invaded by big bad space armies, whom you expect to be badder and bigger than the last few bunches. And you believe Earth has a fighting chance, but we're sabotaging it by attacking USA, so you need to stop out attacks. To this end, you're committing various acts of infiltration and mass murder, in hopes of forcing us to call off the war?"

"That is a passable way to put it, yes", he nods seriously. "I'm trying whatever it takes to prevent major destruction, loss of integrity, and death of innocents. "

There's a light in the distance, in the direction you came from. A flash of fire and thunder, stronger than before.

"Turn on the power", Need says urgently, addressing the ship's controls. "Shift into high gear! Go, go!"

You suddenly feel very conscious about the distance between the ship you're in, and the inevitable shockwave hot on your heels. There isn't much time to think over your reply. Crabid keeps silent for now; he's probably waiting for you to express your position first.

"Why do you care so much about our planet, anyway?" You ask in order to get a complete picture.

"Personal reasons. Earth did much good for my homeworld. Other people aid me because they never wanted this war, or because I've helped them out. Or just because that's the right thing to do."

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>>4719950

If nothing else, Need seems to have convictions, and a clear-cut goal. You're forced to admit to yourself that your own behavior over the day has been… chaotic, to say the least. You feel it's time for you to decide on something.

What is your GOAL going to be from now on?

>"Bah! There's too much peace and stability on this planet. It needs a good invasion, and a war, and a nuclear winter or something! I don't care about serving the queen, all I ever cared about is pure evil! Crabid, get this goody-two-flippers out of my ship. Let's make this world a hellhole no alien would dare to conquer!"
>"So that's how things are… It does render our loyalty pointless, doesn't it? I hate the idea of doing something… benign, but being robbed of all my future accomplishments by some aliens sounds even worse. I'm with you, Need. Let's kill people and stop wars."
>"Cool story, but I don't care for any of that. I know my purpose, and my destiny. What comes after I fulfill it is not of my concern."
>"You know what I'm thinking, Crabid? I'm thinking we should build up street cred, and sign up with these evil aliens once their armies arrive."
>"You know what I'm thinking, Crabid? Drown this shit. Let's skip this planet and make a living someplace else. Maybe bring your mom along, too."
>"You see, you've misplaced your bets, Need. We can protect this world better than landlubbers! Did you believe we don't have power rangers of our own? You're looking at one, and soon you'll be looking at an entire team — armed with zords and spaceships to defeat any invasion, and tested in battles against surface weaklings! With the knowledge you gave me, I'm going to make sure of that."
>"In short, you're making a big deal of something that might occur in a year, or in a dozen, or maybe not ever. Acting like a terrorist, and asking us to believe you without much hard proof… I'll keep your story in mind, but it doesn't outweight my loyalties. Stay out of my way, or I'll put you down."
>Other (write-in)?

>>4719957
>"You know what I'm thinking, Crabid? Drown this shit. Let's skip this planet and make a living someplace else. Maybe bring your mom along, too."
Seems like we will take a hit in the end no matter what if we stay here. We and our minion deserve better!

What do we need to become self-sustainable, btw? I mean the power regen and other stuff we'll need on another world.

This would be a good moment to start a new thread I think, after this choice is made.

>>4719957
>"So that's how things are… It does render our loyalty pointless, doesn't it? I hate the idea of doing something… benign, but being robbed of all my future accomplishments by some aliens sounds even worse. I'm with you, Need. Let's kill people and stop wars."

>>4719957
>"So that's how things are… It does render our loyalty pointless, doesn't it? I hate the idea of doing something… benign, but being robbed of all my future accomplishments by some aliens sounds even worse. I'm with you, Need. Let's kill people and stop wars."

This was a tough one

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>>4720378
>>4720221

I share your opinion on starting a new thread after this choice. I haven't made this choice itself into a new thread's first post because it would, in my opinion, be a bit too confusing for new players. Better make the hard, possibly not-well-informed direction choice now, then start with simpler ones. (And yes, I am preparing things for a simpler opening post rather than a three-page infodump.)

However, the current pick, being partly a response to the recent request for more defined goals and consistent choice, IS very important. I'd hate to put this one to random roll. So if there's no consensus, I'd rather have you bring friends, or have a discussion, until a clear preference is established.

As for your other question… Well, the specifics might be something our heroine has to find out for herself, or learn from someone. A spaceship might come handy, if only to get off the Earth. Food might be a consideration, and if you want to stay a Ranger, you'd better stay connected to a compatible energy source (or modify your morpher to use a new, more available energy source somehow… Or run around draining someone else's powers like a psycho…). On the other hand, nearly everything in Power Rangers universe — including the Moon (quite a desirable piece of property, in fact), random asteroids, or open space itself — has breathable atmosphere, no harmful radiation, and roughly Earth-level gravity (unless otherwise noted for the purposes of some place being an obvious deathtrap), so there's no need to worry about such things. Like, people have been shown to make a living hiking over the Moon's surface in a van.

One more thing: I know Need's infodump might be confusing. I've referenced the universe's lore much more heavily than usual. On the other hand, it's supposed to be confusing to the White ranger as well. She IS aware of aliens existing, and having attacked Earth multiple times in recent memory (not just to humanity's detriment, but also to its profit via looted technologies), and of at least some helping protect it on occasion (in fact, there was a time when general public believed all Power rangers are aliens). She is NOT knowledgeable about any specific factions, politics, or off-world historical events.

Still, it's hard for me (being a person familiar with the lore) to judge whether I gave enough understanding of Need's point and Whitney's factual knowledge, or too little. If something is TOO confusing, don't shy from asking me questions, I'll give an OOC clarification.

Stay tuned!

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>>4721165
Haven't seen this post at the time of writing of mine. It seems we have a majority! I'll wait a bit more, though, in case anyone else chimes in. Need time to prepare a new OP either way, might take a couple days.

Also thanks to whoever posted about this quest in /qtg in my place. It was unexpected, but not unwelcome.

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>>4720378
>>4721165
So, abandoning or down-prioritizing our former goals and loyalties, and fighting for the bigger picture (as presented to us by a person we met about an hour ago) and to save the world, it is. Votes fixed now, writing.

I want to make one last in this thread before starting a new one (with no picks/options for you, just to wrap up some loose ends without infobombing the new thread's opening posts), but we're on page 10 already, and I need some time to prepare everything. If I fail to update here before this thread falls into the archive (and consequently, fail to post links to the new thread), look for the links in quest general thread.

>>4722724
If you're still here, please remember to archive the thread.
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/requestqstinterface.html?

>>4724601
Thanks! Will do. Still here, still working on the new thread.