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.........................
.............
......
Where.... am I....?
My head hurts... a lot... feels like a... bus ran over it....
Ugghh... My vision is... swaying. I can't focus... Everything is blurry... and gray...
The ringing in my ears, it keeps playing on loop... Echoing inside my head...
*drip drip*
The wet sound of a liquid dripping onto the floor, my hearing is coming back! But... what is it that's dripping in here exactly...?
I try to look around, it's definitely a room, a small, cramped room. A disgusting amount of litter fills the floor like a ballpit, I can feel it rubbing against my leg... It feels cold to the touch, perhaps some kind of metal? I can't make out anything else, it's too blurry and gray... Gray...
>"Agh!!"
I can't see anything with my head facing the ground. I try to lift up my face to take in my surroundings, when suddenly a tremendous pain digs itself into the depths of my spine. My back hurts! My neck hurts! How long have I been in this position...? It feels like forever...
I try to move my arm, it feels like it's been glued to the arm of the seat I'm sitting in. I can't lift it one inch. What the hell is going on?! Is this some kind of torture?!
>"AAAGHHHH!!!"
My brain hurts!! IT HURTS!!!!

File: Mystery1.gif (3.5 MB, 1200x1026)

3.5 MB GIF

>>5875316
My ears clear up and the fog surrounding my vision dissipates into nothingness. My eyes try to focus, but they're unable to when presented with a blinding amount of brightness. Bright rectangles in front of me flash on and off. Red, green and blue. It hurts to look at, but it's so fascinating at the same time...
>*beep*
My attention is draw to another flashy rectangle, this time one attached to my wrist, connected to it by a black strip. The number "3" is displayed on the inside of the rectangle.
My neck feels lighter than before after looking at the rectangles, like a huge weight has been lifted off. The high pitched ringing has been replaced by a different ongoing noise, it drones and drones in a loop, reminding me of a summer cicada's obnoxious cry. The flashing lights make it hard to see, but if I focus on a specific area, maybe I will be able to see it better? I just need to find a way outta here and go back! I need to go back!
>Look at floor
>Look at ceiling
>Look at rectangles
>Look behind you
>Try to get up

I'm only dropping in to post you this
https://youtube.com/watch?v=GHooySzFkHI

>>5875317
>>Look at rectangles

>>5875317
>Look at rectangles

>>5875317
>>Look at rectangles
Welcome back, OP!

>>5875317
>Look behind you

>>5875317
>>Look behind you

>>5875592
>Look at yourself

File: Mystery2.gif (1.43 MB, 1200x1026)

1.43 MB GIF

>>5875337
>>5875351
>>5875387
I lean my neck forwards and take a closer look at the rectangles. It seems like they're actually being propped up by a desk of some kind, covered in even more junk. I try to look to look into the bright flashing shapes but-
>"AAAGH!!"
It's so bright!! I instinctively flinch back into my seat, almost knocking it onto the floor. Aghh!! My back hurts! My eyes hurt!! I need to get out of here!
I try to get up once more, but any amount of movement immediately takes the breath out of my lungs. What is wrong with my body?! I feel so... weak.
As my vision clears little by little, I start seeing something inside the glowing shapes, flickering and changing shape, like a video played at 500x speed. It's impossible to tell what it is, but it sends shivers down my spine, and yet I can't seem to look away...
>*beep*
The rectangle in my arm beeps once more, drawing my attention away from the flashing lights. The number "2" is displayed on the inside of the rectangle. The sleep in my eyes stabs into my eyelids as I blink. The droning cicada-like sounds continues to play on a loop all around me, it's starting to sound quite mechanical, is it a machine perhaps? No no no, I don't have time to think about that, I need to get out of here! I need to go back!
>Look at floor
>Look at ceiling
>Look at yourself
>Look at desk
>Look behind you
>Try to get up

>>5875593
Sorry, had to delete the post twice due to typing out the colors wrong and the text having some typos, I'll still count the vote though

>>5875597
>>Look at yourself

>>5875598
No worries.

>>5875597
>Look at desk

>>5875597
>Look at yourself

>>5875597
>Look at yourself

>>5875597
>Try to get up

File: Mystery3.gif (2.79 MB, 1200x1026)

2.79 MB GIF

>>5875593
>>5875612
>>5875620
>>5875646
I divert my attention away from the colored shapes and towards myself. Sticky sweat covers my entire skin, glistening under the bright lights like the surface of a lake. Gross gross gross!! I feel the urge to scratch my entire body, but I am barely able to lift up my arms. My limbs feel frail and flabby, like I am a puppet without strings, unable to move myself on my own.
>*drip drip*
Sweat and drool drip down my chin and splash down on my cleavage, I shift my eyes in that direction. The tank top I'm wearing is similarly drenched, wet stains covering most of its surface, transforming it into an almost amorphous blob of light and dark spots. I move my hips forwards slightly and lower my pained back down, allowing me to see my legs at the cost of more extreme, unbearable pain. The itch on the back of my mind gets stronger as I look at my sweaty thighs and panties. What happened to me? Did I always look like this? Did someone do this to me?
I move my eyes towards my left hand on a whim, I hadn't noticed it before, but it is clenched shut. Really tightly. I forcefully open it, causing what is held inside to fall down onto the junk pile on the floor. I manage to a catch a small glimpse of it before it completely melts into the trash river below. It's a... toy? A small replica of a spaceship made out of plastic. I feel like I recognise its design from somewhere...
>"AGHHH!!"
My head hurts! Hurts hurts hurts!! The colors flicker from one to another faster and faster. I can't handle this anymore! The mechanical sound from earlier gets louder and louder. Like a failling machine, like a man on life support, it buzzes and buzzes and breathes down my neck. My eardrums feel like they might pop at any minute!! But my body won't move! Move move move!!
>*BLAM BLAM BLAM*
Through the cicada-like sound, I hear another noise in the chaos. A loud banging coming from right behind me. Is it a person? Are they coming to save me?! I try to scream for help, but my mouth won't move! Move move move!!
>*beep beep beep*
The rectangle in my arm beeps once more, drawing my attention away from the banging sound. The number "1" is displayed on the inside of the rectangle. My vision becomes blurry once again, I feel like I'm about to faint. I feel like I'm about to die! I can't die! Not here! Live live live! I need to go back!!
>Look at floor
>Look at ceiling
>Look at desk
>Look behind you
>Try to get up

>>5875668
>Look behind you

>>5875668
>Try to get up

>>5875668
>Look at desk

>>5875668
>Try to get up

File: Mystery4.gif (2.3 MB, 1200x1026)

2.3 MB GIF

>>5875693
>>5875732
>"Ngghh!!!"
I put all my strength into my arms, trying to lift myself out of my seat-
>"Waahh!!"
I manage to lift my body for only a second before my arms completely give out, sending me down to the ground. Into the sea of litter. My hand recoils as it touches something wet. Gross gross gross! My face falls right into a large pile of large plastic bags, the foul stench of rotten food, old sugary drinks and moldy plastic overwhelm my senses. I can't breathe! My sticky, sweaty legs stick themselves to the bags like glue. Gross gross gross! Itchy itchy itchy!!
I try to escape, but it's no use! The more my feeble limbs move, the deeper I sink into the ground. How big is this trash pile?! Does it have an end?! I descend deeper and deeper into pitch black darkness, the colorful lights and loud sounds slowly escape my grasp, leaving me with nothing...
>*beep beep beep BEEP*
The rectangle in my arm beeps once more, drawing my attention away from the pure blackness below. The number "0" is displayed on the inside of the rectangle. What happens now??! Am I dead? Is this Hell?! No no no! I can't die yet!! Not like this! I can't remember but... I have something I need to do! Someone needs my help!! I need to go back! I NEED TO-

File: MysteryEnd.gif (345 KB, 1537x1314)

345 KB GIF

ZKLWH.
Wr pb ghdu vwrun wkdw fduulhv zlwklq khu wkh ixwxuh ri wklv zruog, fdjhg lq d phwdo sulvrq ri zklwh soxphv.
Ghvwurb wkh hqhplhv lq brxu sdwk dqg dfklhyh hqoljkwhqphqw. Wklv vkdoo eh brxu sdwk wr vdoydwlrq.
UHG. JUHHQ. EOXH.
Ehfrph rqh zlwk wkh zruog lwvhoi, devrue doo oljkw olnh d eodfn kroh ri sxuh zklwhqhvv. Dvfhqg wr wkh khdyhqv olnh wkh elug brx duh.
FBDQ. PDJHQWD. BHOORZ.
Zh dzdlw iru brx. Ehqhdwk wkh eoxh vhd ri looxvlrqv. Ehqhdwk wkh uhg odqg ri ghfhlw. Ehqhdwk wkh juhhq phdgrzv ri idovhkrrg.
EODFN.
Iroorz wkh vrqj ri wkh flfdgd edfn wr zkhuh brx wuxob ehorqj. Ghvwurb dqbwklqj lq brxu sdwk.
Brx qhhg wr jr edfn.

3 YRGGREF SBJNEQF, ZL QRNE FGBEX.

File: BicycleThing.png (79 KB, 1537x1314)

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>"Ughh... My ass..."
As you open your eyes and scratch your back, you quickly take in your surroundings. It looks like inside of one of those wagons you were riding around in earlier, but... different somehow. Less refined. You notice little cracks and holes all over the wooden flooring below you, as well as an overuse of simple rusty nails. How did you get here again? You can't seem to remember... And... that dream-
>"Storkie! Good morning!"
Ah, there's a familiar voice. Turns out your partner had been a couple steps away this whole time, she's riding some kind of strange, bicycle-looking thingie.
>"Ah... Hey..."
>"Don't worry, you were out for a bit but I don't think you hurt yourself SUPER badly, the doctor lady on the other wagon said you should only get a some minor headaches."
You're getting some "minor" headaches alright! It feels like your head is gonna split in half at any moment! How did this even happen?
>"Ah right... the furry dude..."
Right, that girl and her weird hairy friend. You can't remember exactly what happened, but you're sure they knocked you out somehow. Did they steal anything? No way, you don't have anything to steal besides the suit you're wearing. You wonder why they would do that, how rude!
>"We should be reaching the town at any moment, you missed the entire trip but don't worry, it was reeeally boring! Good exercise though!"
She shifts her feet around the weird wooden pedals to emphasize their usage. Is she piloting this thing? That can't be right, how does she know where she's going? And where are those two dickheads that knocked you out?! Plus, you're still worried about that dream!
You get up to your feet and look around, nothing of interest sadly, but you shouldn't just stand around in silence doing nothing! What will you do?
>Run your plugsuit's diagnostics
>Talk to partner about vehicle
>Talk to partner about girl and furry boy
>Talk to partner about dream
>Make random small talk
>Look outside the vehicle
>Write in

>>5875849
>Run your plugsuit's diagnostics
>Talk to partner about girl and furry boy
>Talk to partner about dream

>>5875849
>>5875872
+1 to this!

>>5875872
Supporting

>>5875849
>Talk to partner about girl and furry boy

>>5875849
>Talk to partner about dream

>>5875849
>Run your plugsuit's diagnostics

File: Diagnostics2.png (105 KB, 1537x1314)

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>>5875872
>>5875899
>>5875923
>>5875945
>>5876174
>>5876244
You lift up your wrist manager and check your plugsuit's diagnostics. No major fractures or anything, but you did hurt your face pretty badly, there's even some dried blood on your lip. Looks like this whole debacle won't be as harmless as you were hoping...
>"So... Where's the girl?"
>"What girl?"
>"The cave girl! Duh!!"
>"Ah, her! Well we don't... really know. You came outta the cave with this big thing, but she was nowhere to be found. No one wanted to go in the cave to look for her so we just... left."
>"What about that weird furry boy that was with her?"
>"Who? I don't remember anything like that..."
Damnit! Guess revenge is off the table now. That boy was lucky you didn't pull out your gun on him, he would've been toast in two seconds flat! ...You should probably not mess around with those... what did she call them? "Animalians" anytime soon. At least not without preparation. They seem crazy strong.
>"But what about you Storkie? Are you doing okay? What happened in there??"
>"Mmm... Ugh... Well, I can't remember exactly..."
You don't really wanna admit that you got beat up by a naked hairy boy with no equipment on him. That's just embarassing.
>"But I... I did have a dream... The trash room dream..."
>"What? You mean the one you get when you first install an OBA? That's weird, never heard of it happening more than once..."
>"Not just that, it was different than before. It wasn't as blurry and I could move around, also there was this really annoying sound..."
>"Hmmm... Maybe it was like... a double dream. Dream squared? Like, you had a dream about your dream...?"
>"Don't think so, most likely explanation is that having this jackass in my wrist for this long is messing up my brain."
>['Ey! Don't ya go blamin' me bucko!]
>"Grr, you're completely useless here anyways, there's no technology anywhere! I wish I could just get rid of you..."
>[Oi oi oi! Get rid of me, and I'm sharing allll your secret folders with Friendorino 2 over there!]
>"Alright alright! Fuck..."
>[Eheheh~!]
>"Are you talking with 337? What's he up to?"
>"Nothing nothing, just being annoying like usual- Agh!"
A knocking sound comes out from the ground, must be some kind of two story vehicle, and your partner suddenly stops pedalling. Guess that means you've reached your destination.

File: BigassGate.png (29 KB, 1537x1314)

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>>5876322
>"Aaand that's that! Man, I haven't had exercise like that in a while! Nothing like a good old hoverbike to get your legs moving~!"
You personally hate riding hoverbikes unless absolutely necessary (Just inneficient! Why ride those when you have a godamn personal spaceship?!), so you decide to not talk about that and instead exit the vehicle at once, going down the ladder and passing through a crowd of scantily clad women and men you'd rather not interact with on your way out.
Once outside you see... a crappy western-looking town. Again. You have no idea what you were expecting. It is noticeably bigger than the last one, with a couple tall buildings surrounded by the crummy small ones from before. Must be because you're closer to "the capital", living conditions must be better in there. You notice you've parked right next to one of the tall buildings, alongside the wagons you were riding in earlier. Must be where that one-eye creep guy gets his "supplies" he was talking about before.
You look in the opposite direction of the building. There it is, that bigass tower you were following. It's MUCH closer now, but still quite far away, its tip passing through snowy white clouds and disappearing into the sky. A huge wall stands between you and the direction of the tower, stretching for miles and miles on both sides. Is it surrounding the capital perhaps?
What will you do?
>Check in with the other wagons
>Stay where you are
>Look around town
>Inspect tower wall
>Write in

>>5876323
>Stay where you are

>>5876323
>Look around town

>>5876323
>Look around town

>>5876323
>>Look around town

Of course, right as I start my new thread I get hit with a power outage. I'm gonna wait two or theee hours but if it doesn't come back I'll just do the updates without drawings for today

File: BigTown.png (50 KB, 1537x1314)

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>>5876360
>>5876513
>>5877036
You realise that sitting around doing nothing is extremely boring, so you decide to look around town instead. As you begin walking around, you realise the ground is actually made out of a hard material, merely covered in sand to make it look unpaved at first glance. Turning around a corner, you see a large crowd of people walking around a busy marketplace holding large bags and sacks, dozens and dozens of wagons similar to Kei's parked all over the place. You look up to the place you've parked next to, there's no sign on it or anything but it looks quite big. Maybe some kind of warehouse?
>"Mmm... Glad to see some signs of an actual civilization at least, even if it is archaic..."
Going inside every single building would probably take days, you should just check out ONE thing and then go back to the others... But where to go? Most places seem to be some type of shop, fruit stands, clothes shops, some homeless-looking guy selling trinkets, etc. Seems like all the tiny crappy buildings are reserved for the shopkeepers, while the tall concrete-like buildings are where the people of this town actually live. Huh, weird, it's usually the opposite, maybe they rent out their shops from the rich tall building people or something?
Regardless, you don't have any of the local currency, so going to a shop is completely pointless. Maybe there's some free stuff you can do?
You inspect the area further, looks like there's a carnival-looking place (your partner would probably like going there... meh, she should stay next to the others in case something bad happens again... maybe), a library, some kind of food eating competition (with no one participating... or even glancing at it once) and- Oh. That weird happy church cult place. Again... Maybe that's like, the Neo-Christianity equivalent in this planet? You're not super big on religion regardless, just kind of a waste of time...
Anyways, where are you going to go?
>Go to the carnival place (With/Without partner)
>Go to the library (With/Without partner)
>Go to the food competition (With/Without partner)
>Go to the Happy Church (With/Without partner)
>Go back to the wagons (With/Without partner)
>Go to a shop (even though you don't have any money) (With/Without partner)
>Write in

>>5877367
>Go to the food competition without partner.

>>5877367
>Go to Carnival Place WITH partner
I feel like she'll tag along regardless. Might as well keep her out of trouble

>>5877367
>Go to the food competition (With partner)
She's probably hungry too.

>>5877367
I'll change >>5877461
To
>>5877473
Food might be a good call right now

>>5877367
>Go to the food competition (With partner)

File: DiffuserChallenge.png (41 KB, 1537x1314)

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>>5877461
>>5877619
>>5877636
>"Mmm, been a while since I've eaten something now that I think about it. Maybe I should try that food challenge..."
>"I agree Storkie! You're so smart!"
>"WAAUGH!! Where-"
>"I was here the whole time!"
>"Wah... Really?? Why didn't you say anything?"
>"But I DID! You were too busy doing a thinky face and looking at stuff to pay attention to me!"
>"Huh... Well uh, you wanna... go check that out?"
>"Yep!"
You both walk over to the food challenge table. Two plates containing a pile of some kind of grain sit on top, next to them is a single glass of water (Water would be REALLY nice right about now...). The print in front of the counter says "Diffuser Challenge!!" in slightly faded bright magenta colors.
>*ding ding*
A silver bell sits on top of the table, you ring it with conviction. You never back down from a challenge!
>"Uh... Huh?! Ahh!"
A voice comes out of the table itself, surprising you. Disappointingly it does not turn out to be a magical talking table, it's just a person crouched down underneath it. She quickly adjusts herself and gets up, fixing up the cap sitting above her head.
>"Uhh... A-Are you here to trash the stall again?! Look, I just work here-"
>"Woah woah, calm down lady, we've just arrived in town!"
>"O-Oh, really...? Um, well, w-welcome to the Diffuser Challenge... I guess..."
>"Mhm, I got that from the sign, what are the rules though? Clearly it's about eating these plates of... whatever these are."
>"Y-You don't know what diffusers are??"
>"Yeah, me and Storkie are not from this planet you see! Why do you ask?"
>"O-Oh no no no, it' n-nothing! A-Anyways! The rules are, if you eat a full plate of diffusers before this hourglass here ticks down, you get THIS box! ...and also this money here."
The girl points to the far right corner of the table, there sits a mysterious magenta-colored box and a pile of money bills.
>"600 hex to be exact! B-Boss made me pay outta my own pocket when I suggested the idea, definitely not buying that new Garanol Green cutlery set I was eyeing, but seriously, no one is gonna eat ALL of these diffusers just for a stupid box- Errm, I mean! Y-You wanna try it or what?! C'mon, it's free! Just one plate! Hehe..."
You grab one of these "diffusers" and squish it with your fingers. They're quite hard, but nothing your reinforced teeth can't crunch through, plus your stomach is pretty empty, you could probably eat this whole thing super fast if you REALLY tried. Your partner looks quite excited as well, she's always been a bit of a big eater.
>"U-Uhh... Just a warning and, I think this is quite obvious, you can only go one at a time!"
Oh, yeah, right. What will you do?
>Try the challenge yourself
>Have your partner do the challenge
>Walk away and do something else
>Steal the prize and run away
>Write in

>>5877678
>Have your partner do the challenge
She worked up quite an appetite biking the wagon.

>>5877678
>Try the challenge yourself

I came into this quest about an hour ago to see what it's all about, then noticed >>5875848.
I haven't seen anyone else mention this (but that doesn't exactly mean nobody knows), but it's a cypher (but I couldn't figure out all of it...)
If I post it, will it ruin anything?

>>5877678
>>Try the challenge yourself

>>5877726
Spill it

>>5877213
QM curse in full effect, you have been warned.
>>5877678
>Try the challenge yourself

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>>5877741
ZKLWH.
[WHITE.]

Wr pb ghdu vwrun wkdw fduulhv zlwklq khu wkh ixwxuh ri wklv zruog, fdjhg lq d phwdo
[To my dear stork that carries within her the future of this world caged in a metal]

sulvrq ri zklwh soxphv.
[prison of white plumes.]

Ghvwurb wkh hqhplhv lq brxu sdwk dqg dfklhyh hqoljkwhqphqw. Wklv vkdoo eh brxu sdwk
[Destroy the enemies in your path and achieve enlightenment. This shall be your path]

wr vdoydwlrq.
[to salvation.]

UHG. JUHHQ. EOXH.
[RED. GREEN. BLUE.]

Ehfrph rqh zlwk wkh zruog lwvhoi, devrue doo oljkw olnh d eodfn kroh ri sxuh zklwhqhvv.
[Become one with the world itself, absorb all light like a black hole of sure whiteness.]

Dvfhqg wr wkh khdyhqv olnh wkh elug brx duh.
[Ascend to the heavens like the bird you are.]

FBDQ. PDJHQWD. BHOORZ.
[CYAN. MAGENTA. YELLOW.]

Zh dzdlw iru brx. Ehqhdwk wkh eoxh vhd ri looxvlrqv. Ehqhdwk wkh uhg odqg ri ghfhlw.
[We await for you. Beneath the blue sea of illusions. Beneath the red land of deceit.]

Ehqhdwk wkh juhhq phdgrzv ri idovhkrrg.
[Beneath the green meadows of falsehood.]

EODFN.
[BLACK.]

Iroorz wkh vrqj ri wkh flfdgd edfn wr zkhuh brx wuxob ehorqj. Ghvwurb dqbwklqj lq brxu
[Follow the song of the cicada back to where you truly belong. Destroy anything in your]

sdwk.
[path.]

Brx qhhg wr jr edfn.
[You need to go back.]

3 YRGGREF SBJNEQF, ZL QRNE FGBEX.
[3(?) VODDOBC PYGKBKC, WI NOKB CDYBU.]
(this is likely a word jumble, which I can't crack)
(pic related is the order I tested the code)

>>5877926 (me)
If I were to take this at face value, I would say whatever made contact through the dream wishes Storkie (or even STR-K) to return to space, and to gain the various powers of this world.
The phrasing of the blue seas, red lands, and green meadows being illusions, false, deceitful makes me think a cultist or someone powerful connected somehow to the cultists is the messenger.
"Destroying anything in your path" seems a bit extreme, though, which is why I was hesitant to post this.

File: DiffuseEating.png (70 KB, 1537x1314)

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>>5877688
>>5877741
>>5877830
>"Alright! I'll try it then!"
You ring the bell multiple times in a playful manner and grab a handful of the mystery grains in your hand.
>"Are you sure Storkie? You don't even know what it is-"
>"Eh, it looks edible enough."
>"Don't you remember the space girl scout rules?! "Never eat random stuff you find on the ground of an alien planet, especially if it looks like food"!"
>"It's not on "the ground", it's on a table, doesn't count! Come on lady, start up the timer!"
>"U-Uh yeah... Sure."
The lady flips around the hourglass and you begin munching down on the "diffusers". Unsurprisingly to you, your teeth mow down mouthful after mouthful like a sawmill, they're quite crunchy, but also extremely dry, your throat might hurt a bit after this, but it's nothing you can't handle!!
About halfway through the plate, the taste of the food you're chowing down finally clicks in your brain. Paper. It tastes like paper. You begin to realise that these are probably not some kind of snack that people just eat casually around here. What are they then?
>"U-Uh... Lady..."
>"*munch munch*Nwo nwo, I gwoth fis!*munch munch*"
Your jaw, tired from all the munching, begins to hurt a bit. The headache you got after waking up also comes back at full force for some unknown reason.
>"Y-You're not gonna Roll, lady? I-I know you wanna challenge yourself, but with the speed you're going a 13 or above should get you the win easily-"
>"*munch*SHWUP WUP!"*munch*"
The lady from the counter looks extremely concerned, but this just annoys you even more. If you could do this "Rolling" shit and "win easily" you would, damnit! Why does no one here have the courtesy explain how to do that?!
You look at the hourglass, half of the sand is in the bottom container, pretty good for half a plate, but you might run out of time if you try to do anything else besides eating. What will you do?
>Continue eating
>Stop for some water and continue eating
>Give up
>Disintegrate the food with your gun and pretend you ate it
>Write in

>>5877957
>Stop for some water and continue eating

>>5877957
>>Give up

>>5877957
>Write in
>start rolling around on the ground and ask how this is supposed to help

>>5877957
>>5878075
>>5877977
lol Both

>>5877926
Forgot to mention this earlier but good job on that, was worried for a sec no one was gonna bother lol, I'd never make that kinda stuff 100% required information but I still think it's a fun way to do secret things

>>5878142
Oh, yeah, thank you! I just really love cyphers like that, and your quest looks intriguing.

>>5877957
>Stop for some water and continue eating

>>5877957
>Disintegrate the food with your gun and pretend you ate it

>>5877977
>>5878075
>>5878087
>>5878497
You reluctantly reach for the glass of water with your free hand and chug it down in an instant. This helps alleviate your dry throat, but everything else is still at full effect. Your head hurts like a mothefucker, and you're starting to get slightly wobbly.
>"L-Lady please! You're gonna hurt yourself if you don't Roll right now!"
>*munch* "MWAWIGHW WIWNE!"
You drop down to the ground and start rolling on the ground. You have no idea why you're doing this, the headache might be getting to you a bit.
*ding*
The bottom half of the hourglass fills up completely and the counter girl rings up the bell. You got really close, but not enough.
>"Oh come -*growl* Ughh...- on! Why did you tell me to roll! I had it in the bag!"
>"N-No you didn't ma'am! And I don't know what THAT was, but it wasn't Rolling!"
>"What was I -ughh...- supposed to do then?! I think you're trying to... trick meeee...?? Ugh..."
You try to point at the lady, but end up pointing in the completely wrong direction.
>"Lady please! It's a miracle you're not passed out yet! You clearly didn't prepare for this kinda challenge at all, PLEASE just chill out a bit, I beg you! Here, drink some more water."
The girl grabs a little capsule thingie, like those spread around the walls of that cave you were in yesterday, but blue. She tosses it into the empty glass and it suddenly pops open and dissipates into thin air, magically filling it up with water.
>"Mmmmmmmmmmmm... I dunnoooo..."
You refuse to drink the water, even though your throat is extremely dry and in quite a lot of pain. You don't really know why you did this, it just sorta came out of your mouth.

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>>5878659
>"Ma'am, you haven't used a Roll yet! PLEASE stop kidding around and do it! If you Roll like, a 19 or 20 it might help you out-"
>"IIIIIIIIII don't need any help from any of -ugh...- y'all's magic mumbo jumbo bee-ess! I'll be fiiiine! Tehcnology will save meeeeee!"
You trip on your own foot and tumble to the ground, causing you to roll once again, comepletely involuntarily.
>"Seeeee? I'm rolliiiiing???"
>"Oh geez... Hey, other lady, can you please- Augh!"
>"So cool..."
Your partner is off to the side, playing around with the box that's supposed to be the big prize. It shifts around like a rubix cube as she twists and turns its sides.
>"AAUGH! Don't touch that! Look, your friend over there is gonna pass out if she doesn't calm down!"
>"Huh? Aaah! Storkie what are you doing??"
>"I'm followinnnnnng the local custttomssssss!!! Don't be raciiiiist!!!"
>"What...? Hey, what was that stuff she was eating?!"
>"Well... They're diffusers..."
Your partner grabs the girl by her shoulders, looking worried.
>"Yeah, but what do they do?!"
>"U-Umm... W-Well, usually nothing... But if you eat a lotta them you kinda, well... Get a little tipsy... Maybe hallucinate a little... N-Nothing deadly though!"
>"What? So it's like, a drug?! Why would you make an eating challenge like that?!"
>"W-W-Well... That's part of the... challenge..."
>"Uugh! Hey, how do I stop this?"
>"I-It should wear out if she just Rolls an 18 or higher! If she just keeps Rolling over an hour it should happen at some point-"
>"Any other way?!"
Your partner clenches the girl's shoulders harder.
>"U-Uhhh... I-It should wear out in... half a day..."
>"That's too long! How do I get Storkie to "Roll"?"
>"W-Wow, you guys don't know?? Y-You just imagine the sequence of letters and numbers "dice+1d20" in your mind, and spin it around..."
>"Mm... Really? That doesn't seem right..."
>"I-I swear! P-Please don't hurt me, I just work here..."
Your partner lets go of the girl and walks up to you, still rolling on the ground.
>"Weeeeeeeeeeee...."
>"Storkie, pay attention! I need you to imagine "dice plus one dee twenty" in your mind, and... spin it around... somehow! Can you do that?"
What will you do?
>Continue rolling around
>Try this "Rolling" magic shit
>Get up and walk away
>Try the challenge again

Rolled 20 (1d20)

>>5878660
>Try this "Rolling" magic shit
This is rather silly.
But in a good way.

>>5878675
I hope to Christ this is valid.

Rolled 12 (1d20)

>>5878660

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>5878660
>>Try this "Rolling" magic shit

Happy New Year everyone! Didn't manage to make a drawing (nor the new update I wanted to finish up) cus I had to go hang out with my family, but I still hope you all are enjoying the quest so far (and I hope no one minds it becoming a bit more experimental like the beginning of this thread, cus it certainly will if the plot doesn't get too derailed). Actually thinking about it, starting off the year with you completing a mechanic tutorial seems pretty fitting to me
>>5878715
You bet your ass I'm counting that, wtf are the odds (unless someone gets a 1 to counter balance it, which would be even more ridiculous)

>>5879003
Happy New Year OBA! And thank you for running!

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>>5878675
Eh, why the hell not? You close your eyes and hone in your half drunken brain, just need to get rid of this headache...
>"dice+1d20"
Something clicks in your mind. The different letters, numbers and symbols shift between different tones of green, red and blue as they twist and wrap around each other, forming a rough multi faceted shape, covered in a multicolor glow. The colors melt into each other, changing into a solid white die, encrusted with colorful numbers along its bright surface.
>"Guess I'm supposed to spin this?"
You mentally toss the shape into the air, it spins multiple times and lands beside your "feet". The number 20, now facing the air, glows and warps, coloring the entire space inside your mind with a pure whiteness.
You feel a scalding hot liquid pouring into your body, it suddenly feels extremely light and agile! You jump up from your position on the ground, doing multiple midair poses and landing on your knee like a badass. Your headache, and all other pains in your body, are completely gone! The dried blood in your lips has also disappeared into thin air.

>You've unlocked [The D20]! Use it alongside a choice whenever you feel like, something wonderful (or terrible...) may happen!

>"Woah what the fuck?! That was awesome!"
>"P-Pretty impressive to get a 20 for a first Roll I guess..."
>"Did I win the challenge??"
>"Uuh... No, you still lost..."
>"Shit..."
>"Woah, that was so cool Storkie! What was that??"
>"I don't know? I just imagined those things you said, and it actually worked! I... can't believe it..."
>"Y-Yeah umm... So... can you leave so I can go back to sleep please-"
>"Mmm, I need to test this further, to understand how it works, make sure it wasn't a fluke... Tell me more!"
>"I-It's really not that big of a deal ma'am! J-Just be careful, i-if you get a 1 during a dangerous situation, it could be deadly-"
>"Man, this is sick! Is it like some really strong self induced placebo or something? I feel great!"
You completely forget about your "trying only one thing and going back to the wagons" idea. What will you do now?
>Try the challenge again
>Go to the carnival
>Go back to Kei and his wagons
>Go towards the bigass tower
>Go to the library
>Write in

(To clarify how Rolls will work, it'll be basically like a balance system. So I'll pick the lowest number between 1-10 or the highest number between 11-20 (eg: a 2 roll vote and a 11 roll vote means the 2 wins and a negative outcome occurs, and if it's an 8 vote vs an 18 vote the 18 wins and a positive outcome occurs). 1s and 20s win automatically obviously, but if they both happen I'll pick the latest vote)
(Also ignore the IP changes, just my router dying slightly)

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>5879243
>Try the challenge again

>>5879243
>>Go towards the bigass tower

>>5879243
>Go back to Kei and his wagons

>>5879243
If you need a tiebreaker.
Go towards the bigass tower.

>>5879243
>Go towards the bigass tower
I wonder if our partner's brain is too smooth to visualize a die

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>>5879342
>>5879413
>>5879552
With this new "skill" under your belt, you decide that the best course of action is to continue forwards to where you were originally going, the big fuckoff tower in the distance!
>"Let's go! To the tower!"
>"Yay!"
You point towards your objective and confidently strut towards it.
>"A-Ah wait, ladies! Umm... Sorry, but my boss forces me to hand these out..."
The girl behind the counter pulls out two flyers from under the table and pass them to you. It's an ad for that damn church again, "Come and smile with us! Towards the future!" it reads in bright yellow letters. You smush it in your hand and toss it aside, your partner gently folds it and stuffs it inside her suit. Moving on!
>"...so stubborn..."
You swear you hear the lady whisper behind your back, but once you turn around she's already gone, probably sleeping under the desk, you assume. The magenta-colored box that was supposed to be the prize of the challenge is gone as well.
You circle the gigantic wall surrounding the tower's base, looking for an entrance.
Ah, there it is! A heavily guarded gate, with a big entrance for vehicles and a smaller entrance for people. You pay more attention to the people crossing to the other side, they all show a small paper document to a guard at the entrance before they're let through. Some kind of passport maybe? Whatever it is, you definitely don't have it!
The guards all wield large swords and shields, alongside a belt of those little capsules you've been seeing for a while, in red, green and blue colors. They look significantly stronger that the tiny little elf people you fought earlier this week. Whether they have titanium-infused skeletons or not, they might actually pose a challenge considering their high numbers.
How will you try to get inside?
>Try to climb the wall
>Beat up the guards and go inside
>Steal a passport thingy from someone (and hope they don't require further identification)
>Get in someone else's vehicle and try to sneak inside
>Give up and continue exploring the town
>Use master seduction tactics on the guard
>Write in

>>5879669
>Steal a passport thingy from someone (and hope they don't require further identification)

>>5879669
>Use master seduction tactics on the guard

>>5879669
>Write in
>sneak on to one of the incoming wagons and jump out once you are in the clear

>>5879669
changing to
>Steal a passport thingy from someone (and hope they don't require further identification)

>>5879669
>>Use master seduction tactics on the guard

Sadly unable to update today (maybe one at night, we'll see) because of a family BBQ that's lasting through the whole fucking day. Gonna take this opportunity to wait for a tie breaker for the vote

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>5879669
>Use master seduction tactics on the guard
risking it all

>>5879669
>Use master seduction tactics on the guard

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>>5879814
>>5880274
>>5880610
>>5880774
>"...Alright, I'm gonna try something. You stay here, don't want you messing up my game..."
>"Game? ...Oh, oh no..."
You hone in your mind again and momentarily close your eyes.
>"dice+1d20"
Your mental die spins in the air and reveals the result, a number 5. You feel your skin become slightly rougher, your lips become a tad drier, you sense your eyebags growing a tiny bit below your eyeballs. Probably just your imagination, right?
You casually walk over to the smaller entrance and approach one of the guards while the other one is busy inspecting the documents of a whole family of travellers.
>"Heyyy~..."
>"Hello ma'am, please hand over your ID and belongings for inspection."
>"Ohh, so forceful~ Calm down big boy, I've got my belongings right here~ * multiple eyebrows raises*"
You grab the neck piece of your plugsuit and slowly pull it outwards, revealing your neck, then your collarbone, and then finally the top of your bare breast. "Th-That's probably good enough, right...?" You think to yourself while trying to look seductive and confident.
>"...Ma'am, please hand in your ID and belongings before a line forms behind you."
You look behind you, the other guard is doing a full body inspection of that family, guess they had something in there that they weren't supposed to have. Them aside, you don't see a single person behind you.
Looking to the other entrance, you notice a line of wagons being carried by large bird creatures, waiting for inspection. Guess wagon is the popular form of transportation around here.
>"Uh... Eh... *tug tug* Heheh~*wink*......."
You continue to tug at your stretched out neckpiece, like a bird showing off its colorful feathers to attract mates.
>"......."
The man stares at you angrily and moves his hand towards his back, towards the bigass sword. You understand the message and peacefully retreat before you call any attention to yourself.

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>>5880862
>"Storkie..."
>"It was the number's fault! I got a 5 and it messed up all my game! Ugggh, this Rolling thing is the worst! The worst! I'm never using it again!"
>"You were really excited about it and hyping it up a minute ago..."
>"Grrrrrrr.... If it wasn't for that dumb magic bullshit failling it would've worked, I swear! Or maybe he's married or something! Yeah, that's gotta be it!!"
>"Storkie... Remember that one time you tried to do the same thing to get a discount on that expensive cyber-bikini? It didn't work then either..."
>"That didn't count! If you look at pretty women in swimsuits all day obviously you're not gonna be charmed by them anymore! It was just a miscalculation on my part..."
>"You got really angry back then... Just like right now..."
>"Of course I did! It was a limited gold and silver release only on that planet, only on that week! It had a special filter if you did holo-calls using it, AND a sparkly sound effect whenever sea water touched it! It was perfect!!"
>"I feel like the sound effect would get annoying after a while..."
>"Maybe... Also the "anti perv" safety mechanism hurt my finger when I tugged on the strap during my master seduction tactic..."
>""Master seduction tactic" huh...? Hehe... How did you even manage to get a boyfriend, Storkie..."
>"Childhood friends. Also doesn't count... But I wish it did....*sniff*"
Well, that didn't work. And now you're having awkward flashbacks about previous life experiences. Better forget about that and try something else instead. What will you do?
>Try to climb the wall
>Beat up the guards and go inside
>Steal a passport thingy from someone (and hope they don't require further identification)
>Get in someone else's vehicle and try to sneak inside
>Give up and continue exploring the town
>Have your partner try the "master seduction" tactics
>Write in

Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>5880866
>Have your partner try the "master seduction" tactics

>>5880866
>Steal a passport thingy from someone (and hope they don't require further identification)

Rolled 9 (1d20)

>>5880866
>Have your partner try the "master seduction" tactics

Rolled 18 (1d20)

>>5880866
>Have your partner try the "master seduction" tactics

Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>5880866
>Have your partner try the "master seduction" tactics

>>5880889
>>5880911
>>5880946
>>5881058
Alright fine, let's try something else then.
>"Okay, how about you- Oh wait, hold on."
You focus your brain on an imaginary bright white shape. Just testing real quick to see if it wasn't some kind of magic scam...
>"dice+1d20"
Oh, an 18 this time! That's a pretty high number! It really does still work! You approach your partner once again and hold her hand, eyes sparkling.
>"My dear partner! I'm sorry, I'm SUCH a dummy sometimes, I completely forgot about my poor men-related communications skills... Could you pretty please show me a better example so I can better myself in the future? Pwetty pwease??"
Ew ew ew! Why did those words come out of your mouth?! Reminder to never do this ever again.
>"Aww, Storkie... Alrighty then! I'll do it! *hrmph*"
It worked out well in the end, she seems pretty excited to do it... Still, you never wanna speak like that again.
>"Storkie you still have that book you got from that old house right? Can you give me one of the pages? I have a plan... Hehe..."
You extend your hand towards your side and the plugsuit's nanotech disperses, revealing the book. You rip out a couple of the pages you've already read and hand it over to her. She walks towards the guard, holding the pages behind her back.
>['Ey! Duderino! Can I have a word for a sec?!]
Your annoying AI companions, OBA-337, calls to you. He's actually been pretty quiet compared to in your past adventures, probably because he's in a low power usage state inside your wrist manager.
>[Can ya stop doin' that thing with the dice and the bright lights, for the love of all duderinos and dudettes?! It makes moi feel mad dizzy!!]
>"Oh... You see that too?"
>['Course I do, I'm in ya brain! Every time ya use it this rando glitchy RNG app pops outta nowhere, does some quick calcs that make my robo-brain dizzy and poof, disappears again! Look, I dunno what it is, but if it starts corruptin' all your files, don't go blamin' me!]

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>>5881337
>"Alright alright, shhh! She's gonna do the thing!"
Your partner approaches the guard, both hands behind her back, puffing her chest out. Classic move, should've definitely tried that.
>"Hello ma'am, please hand over your ID and belongings for inspection."
>"Oh sure! Here it is- Ah!"
She trips on nothing and drops the piece of paper right at the guard's feet. He reaches for it, but so does she. Their fingers touch each other and then quickly separate.
>"Oh, hehe... Sorry..."
She grabs the fake document and lifts her body right where she stands, right in front of the guard. He recoils back as her nose almost touches his, but she follows his movement, getting even closer than before, her large breasts squishing against his chest.
>"Sorry, I'm such a clumsy girl... Oh~?"
She moves her hand to his crotch, her mouth shifts into an evil-looking smile you've never from her before.
>"M-Ma'am please, I don't know what you or your friend want from me, but if you continue to do this I'll be forced to-"
>"No ring on your finger, huh? Do you have a girlfriend perhaps...?"
>"D-Don't have time for that- Wait, that's none of your-"
>"You must be lonely... So lonely..."
She moves her hand up to his neck and gently caresses it.
>"Alright enough!"
He blushes and angrily reaches for his sword, but before he touches the handle-
>"Mmm~"
Your partner and the guard lock lips for what feels like a full minute. She moves her head in a circular motion, trying to force tongue inside. Eventually the man gives in and unclenches his teeth, letting her in.
They separate their wet lips, the guard's face is bright red, your partner is unphased, with the same malevolent smug expression as before. She moves her mouth to his ear and whispers extremely quietly, so quiet you can't hear it. Whatever it is, the guard is now fully convinced and allows you both through. Your partner looks towards you and her face suddenly shifts to her usual happy expression. She waves and calls out to you in a cartoony fashion, you run over to her and you both enter the doorway.

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>>5881339
>"See Storkie? It's not that hard-"
>"The fuck was that??! I didn't think you were just gonna kiss him like that!"
>"...why not? Weren't we manipulating him anyways? He wasn't gonna crumble for a tiny boobie window Storkie! You have to be direct! More action, less words!"
>"I-I... didn't know you were... like that..."
>"Huh? Ooh, are you jelly of my skills~?"
>"I'm not "jelly", I'm disgusted! You don't know where that guy's been! You can't just kiss any random guy, especially not on this crummy ass planet! We're disinfecting your mouth once we get home!"
>"Hehe... You're funny Storkie. It was just a fake kiss, it didn't mean anything, don't worry about it."
>"I told you, I don't care about what it meant! I'm talking about the action-"
>"Eheheh~..."
Your ears perk up. You hear a familiar laugh from where you've just came. A large set of footsteps, maybe 5 or 6 people, walk inside the small cramped tunnel in your direction.
>"Eheheh~ W-We s-s-sure were lucky that the b-backup guard was d-distracted... Eheh~! O-Once we reach t-the capital, w-we can- EEK!!"
Anis, that gross elf girl from earlier, and her group of elf subordinates stand a couple meters away, she's wearing a shitty cardboard crown on her head. Her grip on the staff in her hand strengthens, her face looks pale. You notice multiple extra bandages on her body compared to last time, that fall must have hurt her bad, honestly surviving that is impressive more than anything. She did force you to go on a whole tangent last time that ended with you banging your head though, so her being fine does kinda piss you off. What will you do?
>Beat her up
>Beat her groupies up
>Stand to the side and let them continue walking
>Let them walk in front of you, and beat them up when you exit the tunnel
>Write in

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>>5881337
>>5881339
>>5881342
Was that her or the dice? I'm a little scaroused either way.

>Beat her groupies up

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>>5881339
Goddamn even I am seduced.
>>5881342
>Beat her up

>>5881342
Humina humina humina yowza, Partner
>Beat up her groupies

>>5881342
>>Beat her up

>>5881342
>Beat her groupies up
Partner is too powerful, we'll end up bitchless at this rate

>>5881342
>Beat her groupies up

>>5881342
>Stand to the side and let them continue walking

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>>5881344
>>5881393
>>5881458
>>5881544
You put up your fists and dash towards the group of elves without fear. Y'know, you do kinda miss the time when this adventure was just about you beating up people way weaker than you without a second thought.
>"W-W-W-Wait!! W-W-We d-don't want a-any t-t-trouble! W-We just want t-to pass through!"
>"Too late."
Before they can react, you jump in the air and shove your knee right into the gut of one of the elves, blood comes out of his mouth as his eyes pop open in shock.
>"Everyone, use your Orbs, now-!"
>"Dunno what that is, but I don't think so sis."
The girl you tied up when you first arrived on this planet orders everyone to pull out "Orbs", whatever those are, in a nasally voice, it sounds like her nose is still broken. You punch her on the face right as she finishes her sentence, grab the knife that she is holding, and toss it in the direction of the group. Right as one of the men reaches for his back, the sharp weapon stabs directly into his stomach, he's definitely not shrugging that one off!
Only two elves and Anis remain (though you can't see her anywhere in your field of view...). They both reach into a tiny pouch tied up behind their backs like a fanny pack and pull out two of those bright red capsules you saw back at the cave. Suppose their official names are "Orbs".
Whatever those are gonna do, you don't wanna wait to find out! You quickly reach to your side and pull out your own weapon, shooting small low power light shots at their feet. Those don't do any kind of damage at all, but they're great at spooking people, especially those that don't know what a gun is.
>"EEEKK!!"
One of the two remaining elves falls especially hard for your fake out, jumping in surprise and then cowering down in fear with both her hands on her head. During her surprised reaction, she accidentally launches the red Orb into the ceiling at high speed.
>*BOOOOOM*
The capsule pops open, and an explosion appears from thin air, destroying the cement brick ceiling. Cold air and snow emerge from outside the hall, even causing you to shiver under your plugsuit.
>"D-Dumbass- ARGH!"
Huge bricks rain down from the ceiling, conveniently falling on top of the cowering girl and her companion.
>*BOOOOM*
As the last elf's body hits the ground, pressed down by the heavy block, the Orb in his hand also crashes into the floor, creating yet another explosion. The road covering the ground receives little to no damage, appearing to be quite resistant. The hand and forearm that were holding the explosive however, disappear in the smokescreen, being replaced by a bloody stump, you notice blood coming out of his crushed up head, guess that's it then!
>"Now only the Queen's left- Aaaaaaaand she's gone."
Quite expected considering past behavior. Oh well, doubt she'll ever want to mess with you again.

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>>5881666
Just out of curiosity, you decide to look into the pouches of the corpses you've spread around the area. It appears some of them were crushed by the brick fall, you notice pools of water and patches of grass randomly strewn around the now snow-filled area, however you do manage to snag a couple of them. A red one and two blue ones to be exact, they've gotta become useful at some point.
>"Storkie, hurry! Let's leave before someone comes and blames us for this mess!"
>"Oh right!"
>"But that was super cool! You were right Storkie, that magic number thing really is something else!"
>"I- Umm... Didn't actually use it... this time."
>"Oh... Well, that just means you don't even need magic to look cool!"
>"Don't patronize me."
You and your partner run across the corridor at top speed. In no time at all you reach a big sign that says "Welcome to The Capital!", with multiple small crystals covering its edges, you can't tell whether they're gemstones or just really beautiful ice stalactites.
You open up the heavy metal doors, revealing quite a sight for sore eyes, you can hardly believe it. Immense concrete buildings cover your view from east to west, covered in snow and smoke. Crowds of people dressed in formal wear and fancy colorful wagons move around the streets, men and women with tired looks in their eyes, barely sparing a glance at anything that isn't their destinations.
>"Woah... It's... Almost like home..."
Sure, the buildings are rather rustic and you'd rather have a hoverbike than a stinking wagon, but... the atmosphere is exactly the same! The loud noises, the busy people overflowing from the streets... A tear almost escapes your eye, after running around a stinky mushroom forest, a creepy cowboy town and a bunch of other junk you'd rather forget, you've finally found a place that feels like home again.
You set your sights once again at the gigantic blue tower, now standing extremely close to you, yet still hiding behind a crapton of buildings, still will be quite a walk until you reach it. Though honestly, you wouldn't mind wasting some time around here, it looks quite friendly in fact! What will you do?
>Make a beeline for the tower
>Walk around town and enjoy the sights
>Look for Anis around town, that bitch ain't getting away this time!
>Go back in the tunnel and investigate that hole in the ceiling further
>Test out that extra blue Orb you got, just so you know how they work
>Write in

>>5881667
>>Walk around town and enjoy the sights

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>>5881337
>>5881339
>>5881342
>>5881666
>>5881667
That is just gruesome. I know we were in danger, but there was still a sense of fun and whimsy to it all. I mean, man, you took this to a really, really dark place.

>"The fuck was that??!
This had be lawling. But shit, I always thought she was a good girl. Is she some sort of gigastacy that hangs out with Storkie because she doesn't treat her like a slut? Is this some sort of power move, hanging out with an actual pure girl? Does she do this all the time? Are the dice fucking with her and Storkie?

Anyways,
>Test out that extra blue Orb you got, just so you know how they work

>>5881667
>Look for Anis around town, that bitch ain't getting away this time!
No mercy!

Schedule is kinda weird today, might not have time to write any updates, will just kinda have to see
>>5881836
She has been kinda accidentaly murdering elves through this entire thing to be fair, it's just that this was more of a fight scene than other encounters so I had to write it in a bit more detail

>>5882006
I was imagining they were getting knocked unconscious, like Gilligan's Island. The AI companion was really funny as well.

This isn't a knock against you. I do like the direction you're taking it.

>>5881667
>Test out that extra blue Orb you got, just so you know how they work

>>5881667
>Test out that extra blue Orb you got, just so you know how they work

>>5881667
>>Walk around town and enjoy the sights
I don't think this will win, but I will exercise my right to vote.

>>5881339
Storkie's more my type desu

>>5881836
>Is she some sort of gigastacy
Yes. Always has been.

>>5881667
>Test out that extra blue Orb you got, just so you know how they work

>>5881836
>>5882107
>>5882134
>>5882338
You pull one of the blue Orbs you've obtained a few minutes ago out of your plugsuit and examine it. A blue light surrounded by a transparent, plastic-like shell. You squeeze it lightly between your fingertips, the light material bends slightly and then returns to its original shape, you're kind of afraid of squeezing it too hard and accidentaly blowing yourself up.
>"Welp, here goes nothing..."
Squeezing it in your fist, you ready yourself to throw it as far as you can, when-
>"Mmmm 'ello young lassies... som' Hex for t'homeless....?"
A skinny shirtless old man appears out of nowhere from behind you and your partner, creeping you both out right off the bat. He's holding a cheaply put together cardboard sign, "Wif an 2 chilrden no food" is written on it in red crayon.
>"Aughh... Well... No, not really. We have pretty much nothing..."
>"Mmmm 'eally.....?"
>"Well, I guess we have this."
You show your blue Orb to the man.
>"This will do!"
>"Wha??"
His accent suddenly changes into a way cleaner dialect. He swipes the capsule from your hands and squeezes it tighly above his mouth. The container disappears into thin air, and the blue light inside turns into fresh, clean water. You watch with slight annoyance as the man enjoys a nice drink. Right, that lady from the food challenge had one of these as well, and it also turned into water when she squeezed it... Well, that was a waste of time!
>"Hahh~. Thanks girlies, that shit really hits the spot!"
He tosses away the cardboard sign and looks at you with a satisfied look.
>"Not gonna need that anymore?"
>"Eh, I noticed you weren't really falling for it."
>"It's not that I wasn't falling for it, I just didn't really care. Also the bad grammar was kinda over the top."
>"Wow m'lady, cold..."
>"I kinda fell for it!"
Says your partner, hiding behind you from this random stranger, and yet still sounding as chipper as ever.
>"Well, I'll be going now-"
>"Oh no no, wait a second!"
The old man tries to make a swift escape, but you grab him tightly by his forearm before he can escape.
>"OW OW OW!! Jeez ma'am, you're strong! Alright, what do you want now?!"
>"If you're gonna grab my shit from me, at least explain what it is! What are these Orb things, how do they work?"
>"You don't know? ...Oohh, you must be from Readon's Canyon huh?! They don't really like sharing that kinda tech with those old folks... Or maybe you're on of them forest elf folks? Don't know a lot about them-"
>"It's a long story! Just explain!"

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>>5882565
>"Okay okay! Stop squeezing, jeez. Alright, so there's three types of magic right? You probably learned that in elementary school, but what they don't tell you in these newfangled education systems is that, back in my day, we used to be able to shoot that shit from our hands! I'm talking REAL magic shit, y'know?! Fire arrows, ice shields, lightning blasts! You used to need a high Lvl to even cast a single ice spell!! But then... when that Hero chick became the new queen of the Capital, she forced everyone to use these cheap factory trinkets instead, who knows why, bitch is crazy! I hear the canyon folk have stopped using magic altogether, as some kind of collective protest, but it's not gonna matter. Her highness the Icicle Queen doesn't give a fart about anyone outside the Capital..."
So this new (or rather, "new", this guy looks rather old...) queen banned all mumbo jumbo magic nonsense and replaced it with superior, factory-made tech that is accessible to everyone? Mmm, you can kinda vibe with this girl!
>"Regardless, just like the magic types, there's three types of Orbs, one for each. GRN ones heal wounds if you pop them against your body, and create aggressive plants if you toss them at the ground. RED ones increase your strength if you use them on yourself and explode if you throw them. And finally, the BLU ones create water if you pop them lightly and create ice walls if you slam them down. That's what you wanted right? Got it? Got it! Alright, I've got some money to collect, see ya!"
He runs off, displaying a weird amount of agility. What a strangely helpful scam artist! You have one less Orbs now, but you've aquired some new information!
>"...Wait a second, this place is filled with snow! Why the fuck did he need to grab some water from ME?!"
>"Storkie, I don't think you can just eat snow off of the street..."
>"Yeah? Try me!"
You grab a handful of snow and shove it in your mouth, then immediately spit it out.
>"AUGH! It tastes like ear wax mixed with sewage! Why?"
>"Storkie! "Never eat random stuff you find on the ground of an alien planet, especially if it looks like food"! Remember?! Also how do you know what that would taste like..?"
>"It's not really ON the GROUND though. There's like, pavement on top... Right?"
>"Yeah, that sounds much cleaner... And here you were talking about disinfecting MY mouth earlier..."
>"I'd rather eat food off of the trash than trust a random man's lips!"
>"Jeez..."
What will you do now?
>Make a beeline for the tower
>Walk around town and enjoy the sights
>Look for Anis around town, that bitch ain't getting away this time!
>Go back in the tunnel and investigate that hole in the ceiling further
>Write in

>>5882566
>Go back in the tunnel and investigate that hole in the ceiling further
Let's get the hole story here

>>5882566
>Make a beeline for the tower

>>5882566
>>Walk around town and enjoy the sights

>>5882566
>Walk around town and enjoy the sights

>>5882566
>Make a beeline for the tower

>>5882566
>Go back in the tunnel and investigate that hole in the ceiling further

Rolled 3 (1d3)

>>5882598
>>5882666
>>5882695
>>5882736
>>5882822
>>5882833
Right as I was about to write the update it suddenly turned into a two (now three, right as I was typing this!) way tie, whoops. I only have about two or three hours to write the update before I go do stuff so I'm just gonna roll for it instead of waiting for a tie breaker

>>5882835
(That was counting the first three votes btw, so "walk around town" it is!)

>>5882835
Will switch to walking around.

>>5882835
Will switch to investigating hole.

>>5882835
Will not be switching (any option is fine)

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>>5882695
>>5882736
>>5882879
You run around the snow-covered city like a little girl after installing an extra-net chip in her brain for the first time. Smoke billows out of a factory's chimney in the distance, creating a trail of thick multicolored smoke, which then turns greyish dark blue as it makes contact with the snowy clouds above. The tips of the many tall skyscrapers spread across the streets disappear in the cloudy sky, giving the impression that they stretch out through the limits of the sky and into the beyond.
>"Maaan, this place feels so nostalgic! It's like I'm back on Earth again! The architecture could use some work though, concrete buildings are just so passé!"
>"That's nice Storkie... But I don't think the locals agree..."
You move your sight from the tips of the buildings to their base, graffiti and worn out paper posters cover their dirty walls.
>ANIMALIAN RIGHTS! THEY WERE HERE BEFORE US!
>ORBsCorp is a danger to the local photonsystem! Could light magic as we know it disappear completely in the next 8 years?
>ROGENBRAND WOULD BE ASHAMED! DOWN WITH THE ICICLE QUEEN!
>THE HERO BECOMES THE VILLAIN
You look around at the people walking through the streets, their faces are covered in wrinkles and eyebags. One of them holding a suitcase coughs loudly as he crosses the street, slowing down his pace.
>"EY! GET MOVING WILL YA?! *cough cough*"
A woman driving a wagon screams at the coughing man, and then starts coughing herself.
>"SHUT UP WILL YA?! TRYNA SLEEP OVER HERE! *cough cough*"
Screams a homeless man laying down on a mattress a couple feet away, as he too begins coughing loudly.
>"YOU SHUT UP AND GO GET A JOB OLD FART! *cough cough*"
>"CAN YOU PEOPLE HURRY IT UP! MY DAUGHTER IS LATE FOR CLASS! *cough cough*"
>"THOSE ORBS AREN'T GONNA MAKE THEMSELVES YOU SLOWPOKES! GET OUTTA MY WAY *cough cough*"
Yep, definitely feels like Earth alright...

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>>5882944
Anyways, you've now spent a couple of hours walking through the Capital and... there really isn't much to do. Just buildings and buildings and factories everywhere. There are a bunch of theaters and stores and museums and whatnot, but those all cost money to visit! You barely have any real money, much less the currency they use on this planet. Kind of a shame, you wouldn't mind spending some quality time in this place.
Of course, there ARE some places you COULD visit... What seems to be a charity tent in the middle of the street, giving out soup for free for the homeless. A depressing "park" filled with leafless trees and rusty swingsets. An abandoned, rundown schoolhouse tucked away in the corner of a dead end street. A boarded up church covered in graffiti and broken objects. But... do you REALLY wanna visit those places? Thinking about the bad aspects of society just tires you out, you already spend so much time and energy taking care of your own problems. You'd much rather just ignore the negatives and move forwards!
Before you realise it, you've walked right up to the base of the bigass tower. Surrounded with a huge crystaline fence, and overrun with security on all sides. You doubt any kind of seduction strategy will work on these guys, they look rather serious. Definitely looks quite hard to infiltrate! But still, something deep inside you tells you that that tower has all the answers you need... You need to go there.
What will you do?
>Plan a tower infiltration strategy
>Go to the soup tent
>Go to the rundown park
>Go to the abandoned schoolhouse
>Go to the boarded up church
>Write in

>>5882945
>Write in
PUNCH

>>5882945
>Go to the rundown park

>>5882945
>Go to the rundown park

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>>5883000
>>5883160
For reasons you can't seem to understand, you decide to visit the rundown park, sitting in a lonesome area in between a loud construction site and a busy street overflowing with wagons. Dead trees with branches covered in snow spread out from the ground and stretch towards the sky, forming a strangely beautiful sight. Amidst these trees lies a pile of rotten down playground equipment. Broken slides, rusty monkey bars and torn apart seesaws, all covered in layers of snow. Your heart aches for some reason as you stare at this sight, you wish you were a professional artists so you could turn this into a high quality painting.
Your partner points out and oddity among the group, the swingset looks clean, a little too clean. Its bright blue seats call out to you like you're a moth being attracted to a flame. You sit down on the playground toy, holding the ropes tightly in case it decides to break down. To your surprise, it does appear to be extremely sturdy. Your partner steps on top of the other seat while standing up and puts some force into her arms, allowing her to swing while not touching the ground.
>"C-Careful dumbass! Clean or not, it could still break down at any second!"
>"Hehehe.... You know Storkie, maybe you're right. This place does feel a bit like home..."
>"What? This park?"
>"Yeah... Remember when we were kids? We and all the other children would get out of our homes, covered in sweat because of the summer heat, and we'd all go to the playground and play on the swings, then eat some popsicles under a nice tall tree... I'd try to introduce you to some of friends, and you'd go "They sound dumb! Bleh!" and walk away, just because they didn't know the TV shows and games you liked..."
>"Hmm?? I don't remember that at all, I've never even seen a park like that before in real life. And that story sounds nothing like this place! Look at this, this place is grey and dead as hell, and covered in snow!"
>"Oh... Hehe... I guess you're right. Maybe my memory's a bit fuzzy... Or maybe... that memory just... doesn't feel the same..."
>"Mmm, well actually, come to think of it... I don't know why, but I do recall us playing in a swing...set.... ...huh?"

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>>5883243
She's gone... In the blink of an eye, your partner has completely disappeared.
>"Huh... What... the fuck..."
You look around the park, searching for any signs of life. Zero. Negative. You look at the outside, towards the streets, no one is there. No one is anywhere! What's going on?!
>"Eua'bk jutk... ckrr yu lgx... se jkgx rozzrk yzxotm vavvkz... Lux euax klluxz... O'bk ynuct eua g mrosvyk... ul znk xkgr... Uazyojk znoy yzgx..."
A voice, no, multiple voices layered on top of each other, emerge from between the dead forest, whispering words in a language you can't comprehend.
>"Haz eua sayzt'z... xat gcge lxus euax vgzn... znk ktj oy tkgx..."
>>"Wkuhh pruh... ohwwhuv... olwwoh rqh..."
>"Ju tuz jkbogzk... gte laxznkx... Irosh znk zuckx... gtj gyiktj... Znk iaxzgot igrr oy... tkgx..."
The snow covering the ground shifts into a slimy magenta sludge, and from it emerges a forest of tall mushrooms, with stems thick like tree trunks and caps overbearing like palm leaves. Their roots grab you by your feet, pulling you down from the swing, into the toxic slime.
>"Znk zuckx..."
>"Ghyuxh znk romnz..."
>"Ux hxkgq znk romnz..."
The voices become numerous, too numerous for your mind to comprehend. Like a string puppet in a theater show, this entity tugs at your limbs and laughs as you struggle.
>"Vrgezosk ngy mutk ut... zuu rutm..."
>"Znk iaxzgoty sayz iruyk, se rozzrk yzxotm vavvkz..."
The voices grab at your ears and slam you down further into the pinkish substance. Your lungs give out and you open your mouth. Pink goo irritates your throat as it descends down further into your bowels. You try to scream, but you're unable to make a sound.
>"Lotoyn euax gyyomtsktz, yzuxq... Utik euax puh oy lotoynkj... Eua yngrr subk zu znk mgrrkxe... cnkxk eua hkrutm..."
>"Zuey.. zngz igt'z larlorr znkox vaxvuyk..."
Unable to say anything. Unable to proclaim your existance, that you are real.
>"sayz xkzaxt... zu znk..."
The voices drown out all rational thought. You sink, deeper, and deeper... Into a nice... dream...
>"...zuehud..."
Before you realise it, you've walked right up to the base of the bigass tower. Surrounded with a huge crystaline fence, and overrun with security on all sides. You doubt any kind of seduction strategy will work on these guys, they look rather serious. Definitely looks quite hard to infiltrate! But still, something deep inside you tells you that that tower has all the answers you need... You need to go there.
What will you do?
>Plan a tower infiltration strategy
>Go to the soup tent
>>Go to the rundown park
>Go to the abandoned schoolhouse
>Go to the boarded up church
>Write in

>>5883247
>Go to the soup tent

>>5883247
>Go to the soup tent
Sounds like a soupendous idea! Can't infiltrate foreboding towers on an empty stomach... or one filled with weird eating contest shit...

>>5883247
YOOOO! What the fuck?! Did we just enter a timeloop?

>Go to the abandoned schoolhouse

>>5883247
>>Go to the soup tent

>>5883247
>Plan a tower infiltration strategy

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>>5883257
>>5883259
>>5883303
For reasons you can't seem to understand, you decide to visit the tent selling soup for the homeless, you haven't had actual food in almost 24 hours, and who knows, maybe it won't taste like total dosgshit. A small line stretches out from the tent to an area outside covered in plastic chairs and tables. The street dwellers occupy all of the seats, forcing some people to eat while sitting on the floor. Strangely enough however, no one here looks particularly upset or angry at each other for having their seats taken or having less soup in their bowls than others, in fact, they look overjoyed at the opportunity of finally eating a good meal.
You and your partner stand in line and grab your bowls of soup.
>"Alright Storkie, you eat first!"
>"...I'm not sure about this now... It's homeless people food, it's gotta be bad..."
>"Oh, hurry it up! Here comes the spaceship~!"
Your partner grabs your spoon that's been hovering over your face for the last five minutes and shoves it into your mouth. It takes you a few seconds to process the taste due to the extreme temperature of the food but... it's delicious! Wow, these charity workers must REALLY like their jobs if they're willing to make food this good. Your partner takes a slurp as well and becomes instantly infatuated with the meal, swallowing it down in a matter of minutes.
>"Haah~ Just like your mom used to make Storkie..."
>"Was it? I can't remember, it's been such a long time."
>"Yeah! She used to make soup JUST like this whenever we had sleepovers remember? I'd eat like two or three plates! One time she just gave up and gave me the whole pot!"
>"Sleepovers? Mmm, I can't seem to remember that at all... Actually, my mom died when I was what, 10? Did I even know you back then- AAGH?!"
You drop the soup bowl to the floor in surprise, causing it to shattered into a dozen pieces. Your delicious meal was gone, the bowl was instead filled with a disgusting pile of various bugs and insects. Slimy worms stretched out over a pile of gutted cockroaches, marinated with mosquito blood and maggot feces. You hold your hand to your mouth to block out the urge to vomit and scream. The tiny creatures suddenly spring to life and crawl out of their shattered container, surrounding you like you're their religious idol.
>"Glg brx olnh wkh phdo? Vwrun?"
Someone next to you says something in a deep, intimidating voice, like a general ordering his subordinates, but your buzzing ears can't understand what was said. You turn towards them-

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>>5883716
>"AAH!"
You scream and drop down to the ground. A massive shadow in the shape of a man, the silhouette covered in blackness from head to toe, with the exception of its face, which features only a wide mouth, filled with large yellow teeth and rotten gums.
>"Grq'w jlyh ph wkdw iurzq vroglhu! Vploh xs! Brx kdyh d plvvlrq wr frpsohwh!"
The shadow hovers towards you without moving its legs, you crawl backwards, trying to escape. Your back bumps against something and you lift you your eyes. Another shadow stands right behind you.
>"Folpe wkdw wrzhu dqg ilqlvk brxu plvvlrq vroglhu! Brx pxvw qrw gdzgoh!"
A circle of shadows surround you and hold hands, spinning around you like you're some kind of deity. The insects crawl over your fingers, forcing you to stand upright again. The shadows move closer.
>"N-No no...! S-S-Stay... Away...!"
You can't move a muscle, the wide grins of the figures hypnotizing you
>"Frpsohwh brxu plvvlrq, dqg brx vkdoo ohdyh wklv vwdu dqg mrlq xv lq Kdssb Wrzq!"
Their teeth separate in a mechanical motion, spewing saliva all over your. They move even closer...
>"N-No... no no- AAGHH!"
Their unhinged lips suddenly close right onto your left arm, ripping through your plugsuit like it's made out of cloth. Blood sprays all over the shadow, and yet it still remains completely black.
>"A-Aaaa-AAa-ghhhghaah.... HHgagahaga...."
You try to scream and call for help, but not a single word comes out of your lips. Stomach, legs, head, fingers. The crowd of rampaging demons eat every morsel of your self, down to the bone and then beyond that. They slowly leave the area, looking satisfied, only a single one remains. Short hair, with large breasts and a wide grin. She picks up the last part of you that remains, a tiny sliver of brain matter, hidden beneath a shard of porcelain. She licks her lips and takes the final bite.
>"Lw'v d vlpsoh dvvdvlqdwlrq/nlgqdsslqj plvvlrq. Fdswxuh wkh oljkw, ru ghvwurb wkh oljkw. Zh'oo glvfxvv wkh whupv ri brxu surprwlrq diwhu brx'yh mrlqhg xv."
Suddenly, the intense yellow glow of the area is replaced by a sludgy blackness.
As you think about what had just occured, you suddenly... crack a smile, it's completely hidden by the darkness, no one will ever see it. You sink, deeper, and deeper... Into a nice... dream...
>"Vroglhu! Dwwhqwlrq!"
Before you realise it, you've walked right up to the base of the bigass tower. Surrounded with a huge crystaline fence, and overrun with security on all sides. You doubt any kind of seduction strategy will work on these guys, they look rather serious. Definitely looks quite hard to infiltrate! But still, something deep inside you tells you that that tower has all the answers you need... You need to go there.
What will you do?
>Plan a tower infiltration strategy
>>0*%$98Go to t¨%#¨&(*up t=+
>>9867%he rund$#¨@own park
>Go to the abandoned schoolhouse
>Go to the boarded up church
>>ERROR

>Glg brx olnh wkh phdo? Vwrun?
Oh you cheeky fuck.
You're one of my favorite QMs now, OBA.

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>>5883722
Whoa.

>>5883722
Oh shit, this is in a different code. o_O

>>5883753
Sorry, misclicked that one, I meant >>5883247.

>>5883722
>>>ERROR

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<_<;;

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I have screwed up.
The first code isn't compatible, either.

>>5883722
>Go to the abandoned schoolhouse

Oh shit. Is our partner even our partner? Has she been taken over by the mushroom people? Is this all a dream? Are we in a padded cell? Did we get our asses to Mars?

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>>5883247
This is unsettling.
But in a good way.

>>5883716
>Glg brx olnh wkh phdo? Vwrun?
This is
"Did you like your meal? Stork?"
in the 1st code cracked in the thread.

For no reason in particular I swear, I'm going to refer to the 1st code as red, 2nd as green, and 3rd (which I haven't figured out) as blue.

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>>5883890
Green code doesn't seem to work with the bit at the end of the first dream.

I'll see if I can crack >>5883722 later, I have to go for now.
Also, I apologize for the meta spam and image killing.
I just think this is really awesome.

>>5883904
I appreciate the hype anon! I'd never make this kinda stuff mandatory for understanding the story but they're fun to put in as little extras.Also check out the filenames, that might help if you can figure them out

>>5883976
Believe it or not, it is helping me understand a little bit, but raises more confusion in other aspects at the same time.
I love your style of theming, even if it goes over my head at times.

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>>5883722
:o

>>5883976
Oh fuck that hint helped a lot. Thank you!

>>5883722
>Plan a tower infiltration strategy

>>5883722
>Plan a tower infiltration strategy

>>5883722
>Plan a tower infiltration strategy

>>5883722
>Go to the abandoned schoolhouse

File: 20240107_180144.jpg (1.17 MB, 2988x2942)

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No update today because of electricity issues... again. Sucks to do this at an important point in the story but what can you do. Had some time to think about the story and draw some concept art at least, but I can't show off most of it yet

>>5884949
Damn, that's rough. I hope your problems are resolved soon.
Love the art; it's really nice to see traditional pen/pencil and paper.

>>5884949
Love your art qm

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>>5884356
>>5884431
>>5884552
Alright, it's time to invade that tower! Let's see... It seems to be completely surrounded on all sides, but there's gotta be some some kind of window or ventilation system you can sneak through-
>[Ugh... Uhh? Oh, I guess that bit's over then...?]
>"Huh? What do you mean?"
>[Wut? Y'alls didn't see all that shit? Happened like, two milisegundos ago... Twice.]
>"What? The fake homeless guy? Yeah, I guess that was kinda weird, and oddly convenient. Don't think it's that big of a deal though."
Your conversation with your on-board assistant is interrupted by multiple other voices. A pretty woman adorning a crown approaches the tower's gate, surrounded by men wearing suit and ties.
>"Y-Your majesty, please! The fungal forest has expanded once again, Garanol Forest has been completely taken over! This amount of growth is unprecedented, it's only a matter of time until it reaches a village and endangers civillians! We need to-"
The woman interrupts the man by slamming her walking cane into the ground. Her deep, commanding voice flows out of her lips.
>"I've told you this a thousand times, our scientists are working on a cure for the fungal infection as we speak. If Readon's Canyon citizens are so worried about the zombies, maybe they should buy some Orbs to defend themselves with, hmm~?"
>"B-But..."
>"Ma'am, a report."
Another man barges into the conversation with a piece of paper in hand.
>"Two more Happy Church members have been aprehended inside the Capital. Requesting permission to increase security at the Bordertown."
>"Granted. Send a scout into that "Cyan World" attraction that just opened up recently as well, I have a bad feeling about it."
>"Understood."

>>5885628
Both men leave her be, leaving her only with a quartet of security personnel on all sides. She looks around with tired eyes, probably waiting for more people to come bother her. Her gaze meets yours, she stops in her tracks, signals her guards to stand aside, and walks towards you. You notice a slight limp on her left leg, it looks like she doesn't use a cane just for show.
>"Uhh... Hey...?"
>"*whisper* "Storkie, who's this?"
>"...Huh..."
She squints her eyes and examines you top to bottom, then your partner, She giggles to herself slightly and stands up straight.
>"Haha, sorry, not used to seeing new faces around here... If I may, where are you two from, exactly?"
>"We're from another planet!"
Shouts out your partner, looking proud of herself for no reason. Oh, why even bother, no one here seems to know what-
>""Planet", huh? I see... And you have no idea how to get back to this "planet", I presume?"
>"Not really... We've just been kinda walking around without knowing what to do."
She thinks to herself for a moment, clicking her walking stick against the ground repeatedly.
>"Say... how about staying over for the night?"
She nods her head over to the gigantic tower next to you.
>"I may have an idea of how to resolve this "planet" problem you're facing. Plus-"
She stares at your hair and scowls slightly.
>"-a bath might... do you some good. What do you say?"
>"Team Huddle!"
You and your partner walk a few feet away and crouch down together.
>"That's definitely that Icicle Queen lady. I think we should go with her."
>"Storkie- Oh? I... actually think so too!"
>"Were you expecting me to disagree with you?!"
>"Well, you usually do... Is it because her hair looks a lot like yours?"
>"Not really, I just really want a bath..."
>"Well, that's a first from you!"
>"Grrrr..."
What will you do?
>Go with her inside
>Deny her proposal
>Write in

>>5885629
>>Go with her inside

>>5885629
>Go, inside, with her, together

>>5885628
>Go with her inside

>>5885629
>Go with her inside

>>5885629
>Go inside her with your tongue

>>5885629
>Go bath together

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>>5885655
>>5885673
>>5886166
>>5886228
>"Okay, we're up for it."
>"Perfect! Let us go then."
You three walk through the gates and into a small opening in the tower's sleek blue wall, suddenly the area flashes white for a brief period of time.
>"Agh, my eyes! The fuck was that?"
>"Ah, apologies. It's a subtractive barrier, it keeps out any... undesired shades of light."
The ground lights up below you and two rows of dozens of floating blue buttons appear out of thin air. The queen presses the one labelled "28" and the bright platform you're standing on suddenly lifts up into the air at high speeds.
>"Tell me more about yourselves, travellers. Where did you come from?"
>"Mmm, well, me and Storkie were investigating this weird black hole in the middle of the sky-"
>""Black hole" you say?"
>"-Yeah. and then when we got close to it, we were suddenly over here!"
>"Fascinating... I may indeed have an idea of what you're talking about. But first-"
The elevator reaches its assigned floor. Inside is a huge pool filled with hot water and steam covering the air.
>"Ah... It's... just one bathtub..."
>"Apologies, I'm usually the only person that utilizes this room. Is there a problem?"
>"Of course not, this'll be great! C'mon Storkie, let's go!"
>"Ughh... I'm regretting this already..."
>"Alright ladies! Once you're done, please press the "37" button here, it will take you to our lab. I'll explain my theories on your situation there. Goodbye for now."
The Icicle Queen presses one of the buttons and the thin glowing platform flies upwards, leaving you alone with your partner.
>"Alright, let's do rock paper scissors to decide who goes first- EEP!"
With the press of a couple of buttons hidden on the back of her plugsuit, your partner takes it off right in front of you and heads for the tub. You cover your eyes.
>"Storkie, it's gonna take hours if we go one at a time, c'mon over here already!"
She says as she playfully taps the water with her hand.
>"T-Turn around first! And sink your body all the way into the water, please..."
>"Oh, grow up! The plugsuit is skin tight anyways, there's barely anything new to see!"
>"Mmm..."
You reluctantly take off your own suit and enter the water. It feels extremely refreshing, but you feel unable to relax under these circumstances.
>"Storkie... Once we get outta here, we're gonna have a slumber party as soon as we can, okay? You clearly haven't had enough girl time if you're nervous about something like this."
Says your partner as she rubs shampoo and hair conditioner against your long oily hair without your consent or approval. It does feel rather nice, but still...
>"I'm not nervous... This is a normal human reaction to this kind of situation!"
>"If I was a guy, maybe."
Regardless, you decide to stop thinking about the current situation and instead think about what you're going to do after. What will that be?
>Go to Floor 37 as instructed
>Go to a random upper floor
>Go to a random lower floor
>Exit the tower

>>5886425
>Go to Floor 37 as instructed

>>5886425
>Go to a random upper floor
The highest possible number, perhaps?

>>5886425
>Go to Floor 37 as instructed
Fuck it, might as well hear what she has to say first. Though the idea of visiting a lab doesn't fill me with confidence.

>>5886425
>>Go to Floor 37 as instructed

>>5886425
>Go to Floor 37 as instructed

Sorry for the slower updates lately, I'm slowly moving back to my regular yearly routine and it kinda tires me out at first. Expect one post a day from now on just to be safe.

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>>5887247
...of course, RIGHT as I say this, I'm unable to type anything out today. I don't have an excuse, I'm just tired and don't feel like writing a long exposition update today (don't get me wrong, I love my lore and wanna share it with you people... but it still takes a lot of effort to write stuff, especially for me since I barely have any writing experience). Please take this art as an apology and I'll see you all tomorrow for real! (With Plot!)

>>5887524
No worries, QM! Take all the time you need, there's no rush!

Also godDAMN, that's some art right there

>>5887524
dude I can see the plot right there

>>5887524
Extremely important lore right here

>>5887524
>Dear god

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>>5886543
>>5886768
>>5886893
>>5886895
After a very awkward (for you, at least) bath time, you and your partner put your clothes back on and ride the elevator up to Floor 37, the lab.
>"Ah, ladies! You're here already? That was quite fast..."
>"Heheh, yeah. Storkie's never been good at taking things slow..."
You meet up with the Icicle Queen right away, she's helping someone wearing a white lab coat, pointing to something on a piece of paper filled with letters and numbers. She signals the person away and guides you both into a specific area of the laboratory, away from the heavy traffic of scientists, going back and forth along a small hallway.
She drags you both inside a relatively smaller room, filled with blackboards and tables showcasing strange devices, papers and blueprints covering the walls. Definitely must be some kind of "planning room".
>"Aplogies for the commotion, we're... working over the clock, so to speak. You'll find out why soon, sit down."
The queen motions to two chairs sitting right next to you, you two comply and sit down. The queen grabs one of the blackboard and drags it into your field of view, it has been divided into a black half and a white half, both filled with colored and empty circles.
>"I will go straight to the point. You two are not from this world."
>"Yeah, no shit genius, we already knew-"
>"Let me finish. As you most likely know, this world, alongside all others, are made up of three spectrums of light, red, green, and blue, which all emerge from the initial white light that created the world."
She points to the left side of the board, looking slightly sad.
>"However, our world is not all there is, in fact, we believe there could be hundreds of thousands of worlds out there, in the Black..."
She now points to the right side of the board, looking angry.
>"This... blackness right here, is what exists between worlds. It's the original "world" where all the others emerge from, and inside the Black lies-"

>>5888813
She points to the three colored circles on the right, surrounded by the darkness. Magenta, cyan and yellow.
>"These... entities. We're not sure what they are, or what they want, but we are almost certain that they are responsible for the creation and management of all worlds. They're the ones that gave us that initial white light, and brought us into existance. However-"
She points to the smaller, black and white circles spread around the middle of the drawing.
>"They're not satisfied with simply letting us live in peace after creating us, we have to follow their rules if we want our world to remain as it is.
Number one: The world requires active participants inside itself, creating conflict, fighting in dangerous battles, surviving impossible odds. We call these "Players", like the players of a board game, if they ever decide to quit "playing", the game is over, and the world goes down alongside it."
Kind of cynical, but not that far off from how the world works normally. If people just sat around doing nothing, they'd just go insane, they need some kind of stimulation.
>"Number two: The world also requires its main source of matter, the white light, to remain alive and glowing brightly. Without it, the world would crumble into nothingness in an instant-"
>"Wait a second... Hasn't that white light thing already been broken?"
You remember reading about this in that book you're carrying around. The god that created this place existed as one thing, but then got separated into three and disappeared.
>"Ah~, very astute my dear! That is partially correct yes, but it's not the full story, you see... One of RoGenBrand's pieces, Balurd the BLU... Is still here."
She points towards the elevator, presumably refering to the tower itself.
>"During my adventures before I became the Queen, I had an encounter in this very tower with a rather nasty ancient cult, the CMYK. They used some kind of spell to... disintegrate RoGenBrand into pieces... I saw the other two turn to ash before my very eyes. However, before the last piece could die off, the previous owner of this tower sacrificed her own life and used a spell to trap Balurd, the final fragment, into an indestructable, ever lasting ice, ensuring the safety of our world for years to come... At least, I had thought so..."

>>5888814
She pulls one of the papers out of the wall and gives it to you. It's covered in gross images of slimy mushrooms, toothy grins and all-seeing eyeballs.
>"The Happy Church, the mushroom forest, Cyan World... They're all connected. To the cult, to the Black... They're a sign of the apocalypse. I'm unsure of why, but for some reason the entities that created this world are unhappy with it. No, they've been unhappy with it all along. I've fulfilled the two requirements, but it's still not enough! I've started wars, fought in battles, caused conflict, but it appears they're not yet satisfied!"
She moves back to the blackboard, pointing to the black side with a worried expression on her face.
>"The more unsatisfied these... things are with our world, the closest we get to the Black, the end of the world. No matter how hard I try, how many people die, I can't seem to move it closer to the White... But, I do have one last plan."
She flips the blackboard around, on the other side is a drawing of three colored staffs, combining together and creating a black circle.
>"A portal! Using the power of the three elemental staffs, alongside a device we're currently developing right above us, we should be able to create a portal to another world!"
>"Ah, so you're gonna move to a nicer world, and leave this one to die then?"
>"Nonsense! I've fought hard for this world, I'd rather die than see it fade away! Our last chance, is to simply... grab a bit of that white light from someplace else and... make RoGenBrand whole again."
The Icicle Queen moves to a table and grabs one of the bright magenta cubes lying around the place, it seems familiar...
>"This is a prototype of a device we're working on after studying a bit of that disgusting fungal growth. We call it "M's Toybox", if we throw it directly at the white light, it will contain it inside itself, allowing for easy retrieval."
>"Hey... you better not tell me you're gonna try this shit on OUR world..."
>"Oh perish the thought, the world we're aiming for has a similar problem to ours, we both exist right next to each other on the Black, it makes travel easier too."
Huh, so... wouldn't that be like... worldwide genocide for those guys? That's kinda cold. No pun intended. Is this plan really gonna work though? According to that story, the cult itself destroyed RoGenBrand, is bringing him back really gonna fix anything? Well regardless, this portal machine is probably your ticket home, you better figure out where it is and how it works.
>"The only problem is... that damn Elf Queen. We've spent years trying to find her secret village in the forest but... nothing. And now that the fungal forest has completely taken over her land, we'll never find her staff! It's probably lying in the middle of a swamp collecting spores at this rate..."

>>5888815
Elf Queen's staff, huh... wait a second. Hasn't that annoying elf girl, Anis, been carrying that around the whole time? Last time you saw her she was just outside the Capital, it shouldn't be thay hard to find that staff now...
>Tell her about Anis
>Don't tell her about Anis (and go grab the staff yourself...)
>Don't tell her about Anis (meh, they'll figure it out at some point, you're not in a rush)
>Write in

>>5888816
>Write in: Ask what she'll do for you if you recover the staff for her
We don't have much reason to trust this broad just yet, nor do we need to pick sides. Let's see what she can do for us first

>>5888816
>Don't tell her about Anis (meh, they'll figure it out at some point, you're not in a rush)

>>5888820
+1

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>>5888820
>>5889175
>"Hey, uhh..."
>"Yes?"
>"Let's say, hypothetically, we help you recover that staff... What would we get out of that?"
>"You two? No offense dear, but if I can't find it using all my resources and knowledge, I very much doubt you'd be able to do so either."
>"That's why I said "hypothetically"!"
>"Mmh, well... Besides leading you back home, I can't think of anything else I could offer to you. I doubt our currency even exists in your world either... How about some Orbs? I have plenty of those stocked up. I'm unfamiliar with what magic is like in your world, but maybe they could be useful to you in some way?"
You huddle up close to your partner and cover your mouth with your hand, she does the same. Very secretive.
>*whisper*"What do you think Storkie?"
>*whisper*"I dunno... I feel like if we showed up at a lab with a bag full of capsules they'd just laugh us out of the room before we could explain it to them..."
>*whisper*"Maybe you could use you funny little dice power to convince them otherwise...?"
>*whisper*[Ya' better not! My head's still hurtin' since last time...]
A scientist barges into the room in a hurry, dressed in a white lab coat and wearing protection goggles over his head, and calls out to the Icicle Queen. He salutes her with a shaky arm.
>"M-Ma'am, sorry to interrupt. We're starting our weekly QST tests in five minutes. We'll be awaiting your presence."
The man runs away before she can reply, he looks quite nervous. Maybe he's not used to handing messages to the queen herself?
>"QST? What's that?"
>"Ah, "Quantum Signal Transmitter" is its proper name. It is the portal device I was speaking about earlier. I didn't name it however, the lab boys came up with that one. Something about light particles or somesuch? Frankly those men are something else, I can barely keep up with them at times! Ohh-hohoho!!"
She puts her hand next to her chin and laughs loudly, clicking her cane against the ground.
>"Regardless, since you seem like you have nothing better to do, how about coming with me to watch the tests? The machine cannot stay operational for more than a second with the Elf Queen's staff, but that small window of time can still lead to incredible discoveries! Who knows, maybe we won't even need that foolish girl's staff... in a couple years..."
She looks down to the ground, looking dejected and impatient. It seems like she wants to complete this project as fast as she can. Understandable, humans don't last forever... At least in your world they don't.
What will you do?
>Go watch the tests
>Leave the tower and walk around town (after requesting some spending money, of course!)
>Leave the tower and go look for Anis
>Tell her about Anis and the staff
>Explore around the tower
>Write in

(Unrelated, but I hope I didn't scare too many people off with that three post lore update)

>>5889677
>Leave the tower and walk around town (after requesting some spending money, of course!)
Is opening an interdimensional portal a good thing?

>>5889677
>Go watch the tests

>>5889677
>Leave the tower and walk around town (after requesting some spending money, of course!)

>>5889677
>Go watch the tests

No update today, spent all day travelling around and I'm extremely tired

>>5889677
>Go watch the tests

Sorry about the silence. Once again I don't really have an excuse, sometimes I just try to type an update and nothing comes out. It's coming in a couple hours (hopefully(maybe)). Also took this opportunity to archive this thread
>https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/5875308/
(hope the botfag doesn't fuck with this one)

>>5892359
It's okay. Just draw more fan service

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>>5889738
>>5890094
>>5891481
>"Yeah sure, I guess I'll go watch those tests. As long as I'm not in any danger at least."
Plus, if this is the only way back home, it wouldn't hurt to know how it works and where it is, just to be safe...
>"Brilliant! Follow me then!"
The Icicle Queen shuffles over to the elevator, looking quite excited. You guess she doesn't get many visitors around here. She presses the "Floor 40" button.
In a second the elevator stops and the queen walks out as fast as she can with that limp in her leg.
Long metal tubes and pipes cover the walls and ceiling of the dark and cramped room, all leading into a single piece of furniture all the way on the back. On top of it lies a strange metal device with a single glass orb encrusted right in the middle of its surface, almost like the viewfinder of a camera, or even your own wrist manager. Sticking out out of the top is a sharp red object on the left, and another pipe, this one semi transparent, on the right.
>"Ma'am, your staff please."
One of the scientists approaches the queen and bows to her, extending his hands. She grabs her walking cane and hands it to him. He sticks it right on top of the device and twists it to the right, lighting up the glass "eye" in the center.
>"Beginning routine QST test #255. Light up the GRN Orbs please."
Another scientist sitting just out of view fiddles with something below a table. Suddenly a loud series of crashing sounds fill the area, and the tube connected to the top of the machine begins to glow a bright green.
The light in the center of the object grows in size and separates into three. Magenta, cyan and yellow. Leaving behind a dark shadow where the bright light used to be.
>"#000000 frequency achieved. Opening portal."
The shadow grows in size even more and shoots out from its glass cage, creating a small beam of pure darkness, sucking out all light from its surroundings. The beam suddenly stops midair and swirls around itself, forming a black circle. It squashes and stretches in the air, looking quite unstable.
>"GRN levels critical, turning off QST projector."
As the pipe loses its green glow in favor of its semi transparent metallic color scheme, the scientist orders his peers to stop the experiment. The dark mystical-looking black hole dissapears into a dark mist.

>>5892713
>"Perfect, gentlemen! Indeed, it seems like we have perfected everything except for the power supply... Can't we increase the number of GRN Orbs?"
>"We could ma'am, but it would be almost negligible. We would need a much stronger source of electricity to increase the portal's size, or to even maintain the portal for any larger amount of time."
>"Drat..."
The Icicle Queen reaches into the machine and pulls out her staff, looking hopeful and dejected at the same time.
Interesting, so each of the three different staffs must each have a different purpose with powering up that QST machine, and that red spiky thing on the left must be one of them too... You wonder who it belonged to. Regardless, this means that you can't leave this place if you don't get that Elf Queen staff, and you have to make sure Icicle Queen's staff doesn't escape your sight either...
>"*yawn* Mm... Rather late, isn't it? You all have been working quite hard, please take the rest of the night off, I'll do so as well..."
The queen orders her men and they all leave the room, leaving only you and your partner, the queen looks over her shoulder as she reaches for the elevator.
>"You know... I happen to have a single vacant room in my living quarters. What do you say? Care for a nap, or would you rather stay awake until late into the night...?"
She stares right below your eyes as she says that. What's she trying to imply?!
Anyways, what do you do?
>Go to sleep and figure out what to do in the morning
>Walk around town at night
>Explore the tower at night
>Look for Anis at night
>Write in

>>5892701
I feel like having characters in skin tight suits 24/7 pretty much makes every scene fanservicey

>>5892715
>>Walk around town at night

>>5892715
>Go to sleep and figure out what to do in the morning

>>5892715
>>Go to sleep and figure out what to do in the morning

>>5892715
>Go to sleep and figure out what to do in the morning

>>5892715
>Walk around town at night

>>5892715
>Go to sleep and figure out what to do in the morning

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>>5892868
>>5892976
>>5893991
>>5894420
>"No no, I think we'd rather go to bed, actually..."
You say to the queen in a snide tone, she ignores it completely.
>"Fantastic, let me show you the way!"
You, your partner and the Icicle Queen enter the elevator together, she presses the "Floor 24" button.
The lift takes you to a beautiful bedroom, filled with crystal-themed blue furniture, as well as a huge window displaying the entire capital (though it's hard to see anything thanks to the snow...).
>"I... ahem... guessed you would have wanted to stay, so I ordered my subordinates to clean this place up for you. I have also taken the liberty of gifting you some fine sleepwear, it should be in the bathroom somewhere."
>"I'm good, thanks-"
>"Thanks so much, m'lady~! C'mon Storkie, let's go see how they look on us!"
Your partner grabs you by the arm and drags you into the bathroom, looking extremely excited. The queen laughs with a hearty "oh-hohoho~" and exits, leaving you two alone.
>"Look, I know you like trying out new clothes but- DON'T TAKE THEM OFF YET!"
Your partner quickly removes her plugsuit once again, you blush and look away.
>"Ta-daaa~... How do I look~?"
You look back at her again, those pajamas are... definitely a couple sizes too small, in various areas. She seems content with it though.
>"Alright, your turn Storkie!"
>"Hah, no way. This suit is plenty comfortable AND stylish as it is, don't need anything else."
>"You always say that when we go out shopping... Do you even have other clothes...?"
>"Th-The amount of clothes I have is irrelevant right now! C'mon, sleep, let's go."
You jump right into bed and curl up inside the covers, forming a sort of cocoon, the perfect sleeping posture. You hate to admit it, but it does feel really comfortable. Maybe it would feel even more comfortable if you could touch it with your skin... Nah!
Your partner, on the other hand, jumps up on top of the covers and closes her eyes instantly, falling asleep in mere seconds. You wish you could do that too...
>*whisper*That dream... I hope I don't have it again-"
As you ponder your previous dream from last night, the left arm of the bumbling idiot sleeping next to you crashes down on top of your chest. You look over to her, her limbs are spread out all over the place, drool dripping down from her lips. You grit your teeth and close your eyes.
>*whisper*"And she wonders why I don't do sleepovers with her anymore..."

Since my updates have been slowing down a lot recently (and since I need my OP text editing powers for the next update anyways...), I've decided to pause it here for now! Please feel free to leave in any questions, and feedback is always appreciated too! Thanks also to everyone that posted their thoughts on the /qst/ general and for the people that stuck around for the whole thread without ever changing IPs once.
I'll see you all around the end of January or beginning of February.

>>5894718
Seeya then, QM. Thanks for running!

>>5894718
Thanks for all the art OP. Have a good rest!

>>5894718
Hope to see you back soon QM