Sadly, you are still Nicole Smith, a woman with various anomalous abilities and a warped mind that constantly screams at you with four distinct voices. Though, this doesn't hamper your ability to be a Cleaner too much. As long as you do the job your Handler assigns you, you'll find some way to cope with your life inside the City. The last few days for you have been hectic. You managed to completely wipe out a gang through the power of stolen chemical weapons and helped your Handler deal with an old family grudge. However, you might've attracted attention from K-Corp for illegally using their chemical weapons. You might have to keep an eye out for any corporate agents looking out for you.After that, you helped an old director by the name of Gregory Krakatoa gather footage around the abandoned town of Avalon in District 1. You managed to piece together his true reason for being there and assisted him in facing his failures when it came to his past. You acquired a PARADIGM afterwards, a unique piece of anomalous equipment with untold power, and favor from his powerful family. Now? You're trying your best to avoid getting murderer by another Cleaner named Ashton who, for whatever reason, wants you dead. You still have a job to do despite this. You are heading to deal with a Casino that your Handler has associated with to deal with some money problems. A lot on your plate to handle at once.Ultimately, what is all of this stress for? It used to be about the money and to a part of you, it still is. Yet a deep and foolish part of you simply wants to be safe enough to retire and start a family. Whether it be a found family or something else. That is, if you can survive long enough to reach there. Cleaners aren't exactly well known for having long lifespans in their field. The only thing you can do is push forward for now. Good luck.ARCHIVE: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=CleanerPASTEBINS:MAIN CHARACTER SHEET (has your stats and inventory): https://pastebin.com/3y638TfKALLIES (contains their stats, recruitment costs, and RAPPORT): https://pastebin.com/8gdVZBPeMECHANICS (contains the explanation of stats, how stat checks works, and other various mechanics.): https://pastebin.com/A9nLYWP6
"So here's the rub down. I have a lot of fingers in a lot of pies and there's this one pie down in District 16. You know how P-Company is, don't you?" Your body shivers at the mere mention of that District. It's not nearly as inhospitable as some other Districts but from the rumors you heard about the facilities there, it's not good. "Luckily for you, you're not being sent to a facility!" "Oh thank fuck." You let out a sigh of relief. "Wait, why am I being sent there again?""I'm getting there. So, due to the sheer stress that P-Company workers experience on a daily basis, I signed a deal with a certain group to build a casino there." The crackle of a lit cigarette being inhaled is heard over the line. "Win win. I get a cut of their revenue, they get the seed money to start their business, all is well!" "Lemme guess." You start shifting through your closet for a new outfit to wear. "You're not getting the money you're owed, so I'm being sent to deal with it." "Smart girl." The Handler chortles. "Yeah, 'bout sums it up. I noticed it around the time I first hired ya. Something shady was going on with the paperwork being sent back. The original royalty payment was 15% of their total earnings per month. You know how much a casino earns in a month?" "No?" "Millions. So, you know, if they were to be skimming a percent or two off the top, they would be keeping tens of thousands to themselves every month."Your face scrunches up. "Wait, why not just pressure them to give your money back. If you have solid enough proof that they're fucking you over, you can use that as leverage." "If it was that easy, you think I would call you?" The Handle makes an obnoxious snort. "To put it bluntly, I tried to. We got into an argument and uh, you know-" There's a sudden awkwardness in the tone of his voice. "I might be barred from going anywhere near there again." [UNSTABLE] Your brain short circuits for a moment. What? What is this faggot on about? You can only respond with a grunt."I'm still lucky to be getting my payments but if I try pushing my weight around anymore here, the whole occupation goes under and I completely lose this revenue stream. That's where you come in." The Handler clears his throat. "I need you to find solid evidence that they are stealing money from me. Paperwork, testimonies, whatever. Then, I need you to break into their vault and steal a suitcase there that has about..." "$85500 from them. Adjust the amount you steal depending if they fuck me over but even if they're not, take it anyways. Once you complete both of those, get outta dodge. I'll collect the briefcase and, here's a word of advice-" "If you even dare steal a single bill out of that suitcase for yourself, I WILL GUT YOU LIKE A FUCKING PIG." Your eardrum nearly gets fucking blown out. "However, feel free to keep any money you win through gambling or the smaller caches inside the safe." Click. You get hung up on.
[SEEKER OF THE CITY] From what you recall of District 16, it has remarkably similar weather to the district you've living in now (i.e snowbound). After a quick shower, you adjust your new outfit accordingly. A thick winter jacket, snow pants, cotton gloves and boots. Once that's done, you quickly ring up the numbers of the allies you're bringing. The first one to response is Adam. As the call connect, you immediately hear how exhausted he is. "Hello. This is the Bazaar of Delight. We're still closed due to an incident a few days ago. Please-" "It's me." Your voice instantly gets his attention. "Oh thank the Father." Adam mutters under his breath. The sounds of rattling pots and pans can be heard in the background. "Hey. You need me for a mission? Thank you. The last few days have been, well, stressful." You internally question how a mission is going to be any less stressful than whatever he's doing."Yeah. Is, uh, Benedict okay?" "As okay as he can be. Small question, is your mission going to require any VIOLENCE?" You mull this over before you give your response. "Hopefully not? It's a casino...heist investigation thing." "Noted. Won't bring him along. I want to discuss something with you once this is all said and done. Where to meet?" You'd assume it's Benedict being dragged along on a mission. Well, it's not relevant right now. "Train station. District 7. Mono Station, Alpha 1." "Noted. Will be there soon." You move onto the next phone call, which so happens to be Ashley. At first you thought it was your ringtone playing but you don't recall setting a punk rock ringtone. Then you realize, oh, the call connected. "Hm?" Ashley's voice is barely heard over the roar of a guitar. "Hold on. Small break, got a call!" She yells out. Almost immediately, the song stops. You hear some shuffling before hearing her voice much clearer now. "Yo yo. Nicole, yeah? What's the issue here?" "Got another mission. Ideally it won't be as violent as the last one. Casino thing, I'll tell you more when you arrive.""Ah, damnit. I'm busy doing something. But $110 is $110..." She clicks her tongue. "Alright, alright. I'll be there. Give me an hour to finish this." And you're hung up before you can say anything. Something suddenly clicks. Wait, she plays in a band, and Kori said something about a guitar lady-[UNSTABLE] Ashley. Ashton. Holy fucking shit WHO THE FUCK USES 'ASH' AS A NAMING SCHEME FOR THEIR CHILDREN???You quickly dial up Max's phone number while trying your best not to cringe at the incredibly obvious naming scheme being used here. Knowing the last few phone calls made to her and Benjamin, it's probably a two-in-one deal. Hopefully it's not like last time where- You're not going to think about it. You don't need to since you get picked up almost immediately. "Well well! Didn't expect to hear from you again so soon! What's the deal? You miss me or something?" Smugness oozes out of her voice. Best to get this over with.
"Bring Benjamin along. District 6, Mono Station, Alpha 1." You rattle out in a monotone voice. Max overdramatically sighs but quickly hums in approval. You get hung up right after. Now that you got all of that sorted, you sneakily slide past the traps around your front door before heading outside. It doesn't take you long to end up back at the train station. You find the most comfortable chair on the platform to sit down on before crossing your arms and zoning out. Crowds of people pass by your peripheral vision. Normal humans, androids, drones, men and women with way too many teeth. It all blurs together into a crowd of Cityslickers.Soon, you see four recognizable figures break through the haze of Cityslickers. Ashley looks about the same as she did last time you met her. Leather jacket, boots, jeans, really long red hair, baseball bat, it's all there. The only main thing you note is some gauze still wrapped around her shoulder. She points a finger gun at you.Benjamin is dressed like a dork, as expected. He adjusts the collar of his buttoned up plaid shirt while desperately trying to comb his bird nest hair. He still has those silly leather gloves on. He flashes a small smile at you.Max adjusts the small red bowtie around her neck with her leather gloved hands. You only now how tall she is compared to Benjamin, she's about a solid half foot taller. Her grey tuxedo and dress pants makes her stand out a bit too much. She gives you a shit-eating grin.Adam...looks exhausted. His black collared dress shirt and dress pants are covered in wrinkles and his black dress shoes are scuffed to hell and back. His short red hair is slick with what appears to be engine oil? He simply nods when he sees you. >Adam, Max, Ashley, and Benjamin have joined the party! Adam and Max's sheets will be shown now.MAX KRAKATOA [SPECIAL]RAPPORT: 1/8FLESH: 2RESTRAINT: 3VIOLENCE: 2TALENT: 3WILLPOWER: 3 CHARM: 5COGNIZANCE: 3 CONNECTIONS: 5BOONS[WELL ENDOWED] Her family name is more than enough to pull some favors in the equipment department. Whenever Max joins the party, her inventory will be filled with various pieces of equipment that will help herself and the party out. [CORPORATE V.I.P] The mere mention of her family name is enough to make people drop to their knees. Thrice per mission, Max may fully reroll all dice she rolls during a CHARM or CONNECTIONS check. She may also spend a usage to give you an additional +3d6 in a CHARM or CONNECTIONS check you make. BANES [HATED: CLEANERS] A rich brat slumming it as a Cleaner is liable to draw ire from other Cleaners. Your allies will tolerate her presence but if you ever encounter other Cleaners or Agents in the field, expect her presence to start shit you need to deescalate. [SHELTERED] She's hiding it well but she's not really used to anything outside of her rich lifestyle. She'll be easily thrown off in situations your other allies are used to, such as brawls or anomaly encounters.
INVENTORY: DERRINGER (Easily hidden. Has enough ammo for two shots. Rolls TALENT+3 when attacking and uses PISTOL AMMO), STIMPAK x3 (Very expensive healing chem. Can be used to instantly heal a CRIPPLING INJURY or to heal 2 FLESH), CAMERA BUG x3 (Hard to spot when applied to something. Allows for remote observation and data gathering), FAKE ID (Spend to add +2d6 to a CHARM or CONNECTIONS roll.) ADAM BORRELLI [SPECIAL]RAPPORT: 2/8 (You DID save Benedict.)FLESH: 4RESTRAINT: 3VIOLENCE: 4TALENT: 3WILLPOWER: 2CHARM: 4CONNECTIONS: 4COGNIZANCE: 3BOONS: [STEADY HANDS] After years in the kitchen, the movement of his hands have been practiced to near perfection. He adds his RESTRAINT dice to any TALENT or ATTACK roll he makes.[HARD WORKER] A job well done is enough to bring comfort to his soul. Whenever he succeeds in a skill check, he heals 1 FLESH or RESTRAINT. If both are injured, he choses whichever is lowerBANES: [OVERCORRECTION] After what happened with Benedict, he's a bit jumpy when it comes to stressful situations. He's liable to make an ass out of himself whenever a situation gets emotional/stressful and will more likely than not make things worse when trying to help. Successful CHARM checks can help curb this unhealthy mindset. INVENTORY: CHEF'S KNIFE (Sharpened to a razor point. Partially ignores armor with attacking. With his BOON, rolls VIOLENCE+RESTRAINT+1.)<"Is it just me or does she have a weird look on her face?"> Ashley tilts her head at you, as if trying to read your own mind. She lets out a small sigh. "Alright. So, what's this about a casino?" You give your allies a quick rundown of what the Handler told you. Max nods her head after processing what you told her. "Ahhh. They're fudging the numbers somehow if it took him months to notice anything. Given how the only person they have to pay is one dude, it's possible they didn't bother to destroy the original paperwork." Adam squints his eyes at Max. "Paperwork or not, we still have to steal a briefcase. I don't know much about casino security but isn't breaking into their vaults hard?"Benjamin tilts his head. "Depends what you mean by hard. Enough thermite could burn right through the vault door pretty damn fast. Course, that would raise a fuckton of alarm bells." Max jabs him in the side after he said that. "What-" He notices the weird looks Adam and Ashley are giving him. And the one you feel like giving him as well. "What! It was just an idea! It's the money he cares about anyways, we can break in and out! No harm done!" "I'm sorry, uh, what's your face?" Ashley clicks her tongue. "Seriously, who are you.""Ohhh, this sweetheart?" Max coos. "You can call him Benjamin. Ben if you want. You have to earn calling him Benny.""Ew." "Ew." Adam and Ashley remark in unisons. Benjamin looks embarrassed."Yeah, whatever, Benjamin. You do realize that will get EVERY SECURITY MEMBER ON OUR ASSES, RIGHT?"
"So?" Benjamin tilts his head. "We just have to outrun them. I don't think it would be that hard, would it?" None of your allies, including Max, feel like responding to that at first. You pipe up. "Benny. Guns exists." You say with the cadence of a mother telling her kid that sticking a fork in a socket is a bad idea.It takes him a solid moment to piece this together. "Oh. Yeah. Forgot about those." You try your best not to break out into a giggle fit upon hearing that. Max and Adam fail to hold back their laughter while Ashley deadpan stares at everyone else. Benjamin squawks out with a mixture of shame and annoyance. "HEY! STOP LAUGHING!" This only makes the laughing worse.You do notice something different about the way he carries himself, however. What do you notice different about him? Choose one character upgrade for him. >There's a familiar glint in his eye. A glint of madness and power. His mind is getting closer to tapping into your domain. [ANOMALOUS POTENTIAL. +1 WILLPOWER and Benjamin will slowly awaken an anomalous power over the course of the mission. You'll get a future vote to decide what it is.] >Acid burns and weird discolorations cover his arms and neck. The faint stench of chemicals surrounding him has gotten stronger. Seems like he's been experimenting. [LICENSED PHARAMICST UPGRADE. +1 COGNIZANCE, The drugs and chemicals he can produce are more potent, improving the stat boosts of drugs you ask him to copy and unlocking more drugs/chems he can make.]>On second look, his dorky clothing seemingly belongs to high class brands and his body seems a bit more toned than before [BENJAMIN will gain +1 CHARM, +1 CONNECTIONS, +1 TALENT and +1 FLESH.] What do you want to do with your free time before the next train arrives? Pick up to three.>Try to pry more information about Benedict out of Adam. How exactly is he handling the 'friend being a half anomaly' thing?>Time for him to break into his supplies you bought for him. Ask Benjamin to make some drugs or chemicals for you. (Write in a consumable of yours to copy or the kind of chemical you want him to make whole scratch. He'll produce 1d3 doses.)>"Say, Max, I bet you got some great advice." Appeal to her ego a bit. Ask her for some useful advice on how you might deal with whoever runs the casino.>Take Benjamin to the side and show him the PARADIGM you got. He has a finger on the pulse of anomalous stuff, maybe he can offer some advice on how to handle it?>Try to pry a bit into Ashley's life. While you doubt directly asking about Ashton will go over well, you might learn something if you read between the lines.>You want to check up on an ally, see how they've been doing. (For every action you spent on this choice, you choose one ally to talk to. Write in up to two questions to ask them.)>Write in.Apologies for the delayed thread post, got distracted by dog stuff. We're back on this hellish road. The ride won't end until Cleaner Quest #5921, baby.
>>5893947>>Acid burns and weird discolorations cover his arms and neck. The faint stench of chemicals surrounding him has gotten stronger. Seems like he's been experimenting. [LICENSED PHARAMICST UPGRADE. +1 COGNIZANCE, The drugs and chemicals he can produce are more potent, improving the stat boosts of drugs you ask him to copy and unlocking more drugs/chems he can make.]>"Say, Max, I bet you got some great advice." Appeal to her ego a bit. Ask her for some useful advice on how you might deal with whoever runs the casino.>Time for him to break into his supplies you bought for him. Ask Benjamin to make some drugs or chemicals for you. (Write in a consumable of yours to copy or the kind of chemical you want him to make whole scratch. He'll produce 1d3 doses.)I've got nothing to vote on specifically for this one, but I know people are gonna wanna do this.>Try to pry more information about Benedict out of Adam. How exactly is he handling the 'friend being a half anomaly' thing?
>>5893947>Acid burns and weird discolorations cover his arms and neck. The faint stench of chemicals surrounding him has gotten stronger. Seems like he's been experimenting. [LICENSED PHARAMICST UPGRADE. +1 COGNIZANCE, The drugs and chemicals he can produce are more potent, improving the stat boosts of drugs you ask him to copy and unlocking more drugs/chems he can make.]>Try to pry more information about Benedict out of Adam. How exactly is he handling the 'friend being a half anomaly' thing?>"Say, Max, I bet you got some great advice." Appeal to her ego a bit. Ask her for some useful advice on how you might deal with whoever runs the casino.>Time for him to break into his supplies you bought for him. Ask Benjamin to make some drugs or chemicals for you. (Write in a consumable of yours to copy or the kind of chemical you want him to make whole scratch. He'll produce 1d3 doses.)Anti psychotics. We'll need it very soon.
>>5893947>Acid burns and weird discolorations cover his arms and neck. The faint stench of chemicals surrounding him has gotten stronger. Seems like he's been experimenting. [LICENSED PHARAMICST UPGRADE. +1 COGNIZANCE, The drugs and chemicals he can produce are more potent, improving the stat boosts of drugs you ask him to copy and unlocking more drugs/chems he can make.]>"Say, Max, I bet you got some great advice." Appeal to her ego a bit. Ask her for some useful advice on how you might deal with whoever runs the casino.>Take Benjamin to the side and show him the PARADIGM you got. He has a finger on the pulse of anomalous stuff, maybe he can offer some advice on how to handle it?>Try to pry a bit into Ashley's life. While you doubt directly asking about Ashton will go over well, you might learn something if you read between the lines.
>>5893947>Acid burns and weird discolorations cover his arms and neck. The faint stench of chemicals surrounding him has gotten stronger. Seems like he's been experimenting. [LICENSED PHARAMICST UPGRADE. +1 COGNIZANCE, The drugs and chemicals he can produce are more potent, improving the stat boosts of drugs you ask him to copy and unlocking more drugs/chems he can make.]>Try to pry more information about Benedict out of Adam. How exactly is he handling the 'friend being a half anomaly' thing?>"Say, Max, I bet you got some great advice." Appeal to her ego a bit. Ask her for some useful advice on how you might deal with whoever runs the casino.>Take Benjamin to the side and show him the PARADIGM you got. He has a finger on the pulse of anomalous stuff, maybe he can offer some advice on how to handle it?>>5894001We don’t need anti psychotic pill because we get like anti psychotic 3 in inventory.>Time for him to break into his supplies you bought for him. Ask Benjamin to make some drugs or chemicals for you. (Write in a consumable of yours to copy or the kind of chemical you want him to make whole scratch. He'll produce 1d3 doses.)>SOMTOIN ALPHA. A potent psychoactive substance that improves creativity and opens your mind's eye. Boosts WILLPOWER and CHARM by 2 temporarily on consumption. May induce violent hallucinations.Just in case If this choice win.
>>5894049+1 Gimme some of that Benji style LSD.
>>5893947>Acid burns and weird discolorations cover his arms and neck. The faint stench of chemicals surrounding him has gotten stronger. Seems like he's been experimenting. [LICENSED PHARAMICST UPGRADE. +1 COGNIZANCE, The drugs and chemicals he can produce are more potent, improving the stat boosts of drugs you ask him to copy and unlocking more drugs/chems he can make.]The chems, we need our daily dose!And for the actions>Time for him to break into his supplies you bought for him. Ask Benjamin to make some drugs or chemicals for you. (Write in a consumable of yours to copy or the kind of chemical you want him to make whole scratch. He'll produce 1d3 doses.)SOMTOIN ALPHA. A potent psychoactive substance that improves creativity and opens your mind's eye. Boosts WILLPOWER and CHARM by 2 temporarily on consumption. May induce violent hallucinations....sucks we can't get Arcady Dust with him, but we need to buy some somewhere. The RESTRAINT heal is too good with Nicole's power needs, though healthier RESTRAINT healing would be nicer>"Say, Max, I bet you got some great advice." Appeal to her ego a bit. Ask her for some useful advice on how you might deal with whoever runs the casino.Mission prep info, simple as. Doesn't need to be more than this, though if all goes well here I want to drop the Gregory mission story to her after the casino job ends. I feel she needs to know this. Benjamin too, since they're basically a married couple, but that's more up to Max>Try to pry a bit into Ashley's life. While you doubt directly asking about Ashton will go over well, you might learn something if you read between the lines.We do not wanna die to her brother.
>>5893947>Acid burns and weird discolorations cover his arms and neck. The faint stench of chemicals surrounding him has gotten stronger. Seems like he's been experimenting. [LICENSED PHARAMICST UPGRADE. +1 COGNIZANCE, The drugs and chemicals he can produce are more potent, improving the stat boosts of drugs you ask him to copy and unlocking more drugs/chems he can make.]>Try to pry a bit into Ashley's life. While you doubt directly asking about Ashton will go over well, you might learn something if you read between the lines.>Try to pry more information about Benedict out of Adam. How exactly is he handling the 'friend being a half anomaly' thing?>Time for him to break into his supplies you bought for him. Ask Benjamin to make some drugs or chemicals for you. (Write in a consumable of yours to copy or the kind of chemical you want him to make whole scratch. He'll produce 1d3 doses.)BROWN VIAL. Formerly supplied to J and X-Company soldiers. Now sold as a street drug. $185 per VIAL. (When consumed, you roll d8s instead of d6s on the next skill check or attack you make.)
>>5894140+1
Rolled 2 (1d3)Update will be out soon, sorry for the slight delay. Rolling real quick.
Huh. Seems like Benjamin has been messing around. You grab his shoulder and pull him to the side, stuffing the new drug kit you got into his hands. "Listen. You know what Somtoin Alpha is?" He nods. "Good. I need you to make some of that for me." "Alright, I'll do my best." He sits down on the ice slick floor of the platform and, without any hesitation, starts to work away at the drug you asked him to make. It's impressive how he doesn't seem to care about how cold it is.>-1 CHARGE, 3 CHARGES LEFT THIS MISSIONMax watches on as he does his work. You decide to talk to Adam first. You interrupt the small conversation he's having with Ashley, making out only the last few bits of it. "...and I was thinking, would Art of Flesh be a cool name? Just in case things go wrong?" "It sounds fine enough but you should be worrying about NOT letting him become that." "Hey! Adam? Mind if we chit chat for a bit?" You place a hand on his shoulder. Ashley narrows her eyes at you.<"I'm keeping an eye on you, Nicole."> Meanwhile, Adam simply flinches at your touch. He slowly nods his head, "Sure." The two of you walk to a slightly more quiet part of the platform to have your discussion in. "So, you can probably guess what I'm going to ask." He nods his head. You take this as approval to continue talking. "So? How are you handling all of that?" <"I'm not even sure if I'm doing a good job."> "It's been rough." Adam forces out a laugh. "It's been really rough. He's no longer a physical threat but he's, uh, how best to say it?" [UNSTABLE] "A mentally broken husk of a creature who no longer seems like your friend?" You can't stop yourself from saying this. Adam can only really nod his head, unable to really offer a rebuttal. "I've been busy tossing him around from friend to associate to friend again to, I dunno, lighten the burden a bit?" He shrugs. "I dunno. I'm out of my depth when it comes to this prolonged mental meltdown or whatever it is. Not to mention his weird biology." You clear your throat once you're done reeling from your too blunt statement, "I can't imagine it's any more fucked up than someone with a lot of cybernetics." This only gets a choked laugh out of the poor chef, "You would think! It's like the flesh is somehow metal and the metal is somehow meat and- Father Above, it's hard to repair him." "Wait, is he falling apart or something-" <"I wish."> "Ah. Why exactly is he tearing at himself?""Fuck if I know." Adam lets out an exhausted sigh. "Something about feeling bad about trying to kill me, so he's trying to rip off one of his arms to stop himself. I- Look." He places a hand on your shoulder. "I need to make you an offer.""Go on?" You tilt your head."He needs SOMETHING to do and frankly, I don't trust him in the kitchen. If you can do me a favor and bring him along on one of your mission, I'll pay you handsomely. $300. Sounds good?" The allure of cash calls out to you...
"I'll consider it?" You pry his hand off your shoulder. "I think you might need to pay for a shrink to handle him, though." Adam just gives you a weird look before shaking his head. >You may now hire Benedict and get a decent payment for bringing him on a mission! You'd imagine his instability might cause some problems, though."Asked him about that. He refused. Something about a voice advising him not to? I dunno." Adam mumbles something you can't quite make out. "I really don't know what I'm doing here. That's all I can really say." You nod your head. You pat him on the shoulder, "Just keep doing your best, okay? Just be a good friend to him." "Pft. If I was, we wouldn't be in this situation to begin with. Thanks for hearing me out, I guess." "No problem." You turn your attention over to Max. She's sitting down on one of the platform's seats, watching Benjamin doing his work with an odd look in her eyes and a goofy smile. <"Fucking dork. Stupid idiot. Adorable~"> You sit down next to her, "Say, Max? I bet you have some GREAT advice on how to handle today's mission." You swear you nearly hear her neck snap from how quickly she turns to look at you. <"Buttering me up, huh? I suppose I can humor her."> "Why indeed I do. What kind of advice, though? You gotta be a bit more specific." "You're a people person, right? You know. Rich family, many connections, shit like that. You gotta know how to handle whoever's working there from a social standpoint." The smug smile Max is giving you disappears for a moment. She clicks her tongue while tapping her feet on the floor. "Yeah. From what you told me, it sounds like he fucked up with whoever he partnered with. I imagine he messed up the wording in his contract somewhere if they can do this without him really having any power to stop it. You DON'T fuck with contracts, Nicole." She wags her finger at you like a stern mother. "Lest you want the Head to intervene." [PERSON OF INTEREST] Let's not get the closest thing to a City government on our asses. Thanks. "Yeah, no, of course not.""And I imagine they know he can't do anything about it. The only way they would even humor letting him back in to deal with negotiations if we bested them in some way. Probably in a game of some kind. The risker, the better." [UNSTABLE] An incredibly fucked up thought crosses your head. You do have a shotgun and a revolver. A weird smile crosses your face. "Like Russian Roulette?" You're not sure what that weird slang term, "Russian", means. Max gives you a weird look but nods her head, "Yeaaaahhh but let's maybe not immediately go to life or death games. Point is, we'd have to convince them that it's worth gambling away, say, a better deal with the Handler. Or we can just break in and fight our way out." Besting them at a game? Could be fun. Before you have time to dwell on it, the train to District 16 pulls into the station. About time to get out of here.
The four of you quickly pile into the train before the rest of the Cityslickers can crowd you out. Before he separates from you to sit with Max, he tosses you two pills. You quickly look over at the bright pink pills before stuffing them into your pocket. >SOMTOIN ALPHA+ x2 ADDED TO INVENTORY (+2 CHARM, +3 WILLPOWER, heals 1 RESTRAINT. Hallucinations are slightly weaker than before.) You plop down in a seat with Ashley and Adam. The two don't really feel like talking and frankly? You're in the same boat. In the corner of your eye, you can see Max and Benjamin blabbering to each other with stupid smiles on their faces. Eugh. You turn your attention to the train window in front of you. The one good thing about your district is how fast and reliable the trains are. You're already outside of District 6 within a few minutes. You take a moment to process the new scenery as you now enter District 16. A mass of grey, nearly identical buildings stretch on for miles and miles, melting away into the biting cold winter weather that is way too familiar to your own district. The first thing that you actually notice is the sheer SIZE of a lot of the buildings here. Towers that stretch on for dozens on dozens of stories, taller than most of the buildings in your District aside from corporate headquarters, pepper the landscape like monoliths. An icon of a broken lightbulb is stamped on the sides of all of the Towers. [SEEKER OF THE CITY] Those are P-Company facilities. Most are built to be incredibly tall as a safety mechanism. If an anomaly happens to get too rowdy...[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Well, even anomalies will take a massive beating from taking 500 foot or higher drops. [SEEKER OF THE CITY] Though it's not practical to do that from a business perspective all the time."So that's what a facility looks like?" Adam hums. "Impressive. I wonder how it is to work in one of those. I heard you get great benefits working there.""Eh. Do you want to be ordered around by some middle aged man who drinks too much coffee and stays inside his mancave all day?" Ashley shakes her head with a disgusted look. "Those fucks probably have sex androids or something. Disgusting.""C'mon. There has to be a middle aged woman at least." <"Boy, imagine that. Heh.">Something is telling you that you should be insulted on this imaginary man's behalf. Before you have time to question why, your train arrives at the station. It's an almost exact doppelganger of the one you just left, with the only sign of it being any different being that corporate symbol of a broken lightbulb plastered everywhere. It takes a while to push through the crowd but eventually, you and your allies stumble out into the streets of District 16. Now that you're on the ground floor, you can make out how everything is plastered with an array of colorful lights. Green, red, yellow and blue christmas lights are hung up all over the fronts of buildings.It's time to find that casino.
It doesn't take long, given that it's somehow the only building without those lights all over the place.https://youtu.be/GXvHmYwcmF0 - CASINO THEME The casino in question is a small and unassuming building with not a lot of detail to it aside from a bright neon sign above the front door reading "CLOVER SUITE". Another neon sign that displays a cowboy is placed right next to it. Despite how unassuming it is, there is a MASSIVE line of people outside of the front entrance that stretches down the street. Two bouncers, one with weird wires running out of his neck and into his arms, stand by the doorway with shotguns. One look into their mind tells you they're fully loaded."Wow!" Benjamin coos out. "An actual casino! Father Above, it's been ages since I've actually been to one." "Yeah. We were going to go to one. She told us that an hour ago, idiot." Ashley shakes her head. "Okay, how exactly do we get in?" "Waiting?" Adam shrugs. "We're not in any time rush to get in. Besides, I don't think we need to draw any extra attention." "Pft! Waiting!" Max can barely hold back her smug laugh. "I think all it would take is some talking with MY help and we're in there in five seconds.""I really don't think we should draw any more attention to us than we need to." Ashley taps her foot on the floor. "Maybe we can sneak in somehow?"How do you actually want to get inside of the casino? >Just wait in the line. (The safe option, no roll needed. Most of your party's weapons will likely be taken for safety reasons.)>[MAX ALLY] "Let's have a talk with the guards." Start heading over the bouncers. A bit of smooth talking should get you in. (CONNECTIONS DC: 15, rolling 7d6 with Adam and Max's help. Pass and the bouncers will so happen to 'remember' your 'VIP status', letting you in without question and with your weapons. Failure and you'll have to wait to go inside but now, security will keep an eye on you.)>[BENJAMIN ALLY] You see a few people twitching in the line. Druggies. "Hey, Ben? Make some hard stuff." (-1 CHARGE on LICENSED PHARAMICST, the commotion will distract the bouncers enough for you to get in without anyone noticing. Security will be slightly on edge after the incident.)>[SEEKER OF THE CITY] You notice an alleyway next to the building. Maybe sneaking in through the back is the best. (You may send yourself or an ally of your choice down here without rolling any dice while the rest take another path of your choice. They'll keep all of their equipment and will be able to scout out the employee only section. Sneaking in more people will call for increasingly higher TALENT checks depending on how many you try sneaking in.)>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Take some time to read the minds of the guards and the people in line. (FREE ACTION, -1 RESTRAINT, WILLPOWER DC 14. You'll learn something regardless of your roll but if you pass, you'll filter out the meaningless thoughts and get even more information.)>Write in.
>>5895026>[MAX ALLY] "Let's have a talk with the guards." Start heading over the bouncers. A bit of smooth talking should get you in. (CONNECTIONS DC: 15, rolling 7d6 with Adam and Max's help. Pass and the bouncers will so happen to 'remember' your 'VIP status', letting you in without question and with your weapons. Failure and you'll have to wait to go inside but now, security will keep an eye on you.)
>>5895047+1, start out simpleI want to get Benjamin to a table and BECOME the dealer at some point, just to enable his dream for a brief time. He and Max would love us for that. Nicole could go "Hey, remember what you told me before? THIS is why I hired you on this mission." and get him dealing. The moment his eyes light up in understanding and vindication... a magical moment of human spirit.
As a reminder for other players or warnings for new players to not recklessly waste or recklessly use RESTRAINT. If our RESTRAINT reach 2/6 or 3/6.This is what will happen.https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/5850165/No.5858576Those GOD DAMN shots are annoying the shit out of you. First, though, you need to help your 'allies'. If you could take it slow and steady, you could do this without hurting your mind, but there IS no time. You fling the pills to your friends with your telekinetic might. >-1 RESTRAINT They pop the pills in their mouth before immediately going to town on the monsters. You turn your focus onto the main threat, though, instead of seeing how they're doing. The Boss. You wait for a moment where he can pop out of the monsters he's hiding behind. THERE! He pokes his head out just enough to aim his gun at you. You instantly begin focusing on the gun in his hands, desperately trying to yank it out of his grasp. Your brain is screeching inside of your skull from the back-to-back usage of your powers but you have to keep going. You can tolerate a headache over dying. He seems to notice the weird pull on his gun and quickly adjusts his aim. You yank on it as hard as you can with your throats. You only manage to fuck up his aim instead of disarming him. The shot grazes your side instead of obliterating your stomach or shoulder. Still hurts like a bitch. >-1 FLESH. -1 RESTRAINT>2/7 RESTRAINT LEFT. YOUR HEAD HURTS! https://youtu.be/AMIvMdCL2H4 - ??? Your world begins to twist in on itself even more. The monsters and allies before you twist into indistinct blurs of noises and color. The City disappears into a grey haze. The only thing you can make out about your surroundings is yourself. At least you think it's you. There's only a blur of static where your hands and legs should be. Something is wrong. Your head is hurting even after you finished using your ability. You can't make out anything around you. The only sounds you can make out is the BANG of firearms and meat being tenderized. Everything else disappears into a haze of static and something banging at your head. [UNSTABLE PSYCHE] You are seeing the world how it is. Reach your hand out and pop one of those colored blurs. It'll be FUN. [UNSTABLE PSYCHE] You are a GOD, Nicole. Remember that. These faggots, these worms. They can't DO ANYTHING to you.You follow your thought without hesitation. You snap your fingers at an indistinct blur with some sort of long tube with holes in it. It pops like a balloon of gore and blood. Bright red coats the blurry floors and walls of wherever you're at. A smile crosses your face. It's A LOVELY DAY TODAY.
>>5895054That's when you hear the screaming. Your vision suddenly returns. Lex and Ashley are covered in bruises and scratches from the brawl they had. Lex has a nasty looking black eye and you swear Ashley has a broken nose. The fighting has seemingly stopped for a moment though. Why? You turn to look. Where there was once a shotgun monster is simply a pair of legs. Everything above the thighs has been blown clean off. It's like everything about was erased from existence, never there. The legs soon fall down.No.5858579 Both of your allies are fucking horrified at what they saw. Ashley vomits up whatever was left in her stomach, spilling down her outfit and onto the ground. Lex just stands there, motionless. He's not even sure what's going on. >-1 RESTRAINT TO ASHLEY, -2 TO LEX. >LEX REGAINS 1 FROM THE CIGARETTES, LEAVING HIM AT 1/3. ASHLEY IS AT 2/3 The unarmed monsters are covered in bruises and scratches from the assault but they still stand tall, if only physically. They are scared SHITLESS of what you just did to the guard. You look down at your fingers. Did you..do that? How? You...don't have that as an ability. Your head throbs again. >UNSTABLE PSYCHE will start manifesting physically in the world now that your RESTRAINT is low. Be wary. Thankfully (at much as you say that), the distraction gives Quentin enough time to get back up without horrifying your allies even more. This time he picked a body of a big, burly thug with glowing tattoos coating all over his body and face. In his hand in a metal pipe. He cracks his neck before moving over to the others. >THUG BODY: +2 FLESH, +2 VIOLENCE. HE NOW HAS 4 VIOLENCE and 5 FLESH due to it being a fresh body still. >-LILITH BODY The horrified monsters are quickly snapped back into reality when the Boss yells at them to keep fighting. You can tell that they're on the verge of running for their lives. Your allies (sans Quentin) are beaten and bruised, clearly expecting this fight to have already ended by now. The throbbing pain in your side keeps calling for your attention. [UNSTABLE] A GOD DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE PAIN. KEEP PUSHING FORWARD, NICOLE. NOW. You grit your teeth. You force yourself to ignore the pain for now. The Boss screeches out at his minions. "D-D-D-DoN'T D-DiE! K-k-KILL TH-THEM!!!" There's obvious fear in his voice but it keeps his missions pushing forward. They take in deep breaths and surround the boss even more, trying to protect him with their own bodies. >MONSTERS are DESPERATELY MOTIVATED, increasing their VIOLENCE further!
>>5895056Edit That's when you hear the screaming. Your vision suddenly returns. Lex and Ashley are covered in bruises and scratches from the brawl they had. Lex has a nasty looking black eye and you swear Ashley has a broken nose. The fighting has seemingly stopped for a moment though. Why? You turn to look. Where there was once a shotgun monster is simply a pair of legs. Everything above the thighs has been blown clean off. It's like everything about was erased from existence, never there. The legs soon fall down.No.5858579Both of your allies are fucking horrified at what they saw. Ashley vomits up whatever was left in her stomach, spilling down her outfit and onto the ground. Lex just stands there, motionless. He's not even sure what's going on.>-1 RESTRAINT TO ASHLEY, -2 TO LEX. >LEX REGAINS 1 FROM THE CIGARETTES, LEAVING HIM AT 1/3. ASHLEY IS AT 2/3The unarmed monsters are covered in bruises and scratches from the assault but they still stand tall, if only physically. They are scared SHITLESS of what you just did to the guard. You look down at your fingers. Did you..do that? How? You...don't have that as an ability. Your head throbs again. >UNSTABLE PSYCHE will start manifesting physically in the world now that your RESTRAINT is low. Be wary. Thankfully (at much as you say that), the distraction gives Quentin enough time to get back up without horrifying your allies even more. This time he picked a body of a big, burly thug with glowing tattoos coating all over his body and face. In his hand in a metal pipe. He cracks his neck before moving over to the others. >THUG BODY: +2 FLESH, +2 VIOLENCE. HE NOW HAS 4 VIOLENCE and 5 FLESH due to it being a fresh body still.>-LILITH BODY The horrified monsters are quickly snapped back into reality when the Boss yells at them to keep fighting. You can tell that they're on the verge of running for their lives. Your allies (sans Quentin) are beaten and bruised, clearly expecting this fight to have already ended by now. The throbbing pain in your side keeps calling for your attention. [UNSTABLE] A GOD DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE PAIN. KEEP PUSHING FORWARD, NICOLE. NOW. You grit your teeth. You force yourself to ignore the pain for now.
>>5895026>[MAX ALLY] "Let's have a talk with the guards." Start heading over the bouncers. A bit of smooth talking should get you in.
>>5895026>[MAX ALLY] "Let's have a talk with the guards."
>>5895026>>[MAX ALLY] "Let's have a talk with the guards." Start heading over the bouncers. A bit of smooth talking should get you in. (CONNECTIONS DC: 15, rolling 7d6 with Adam and Max's help. Pass and the bouncers will so happen to 'remember' your 'VIP status', letting you in without question and with your weapons. Failure and you'll have to wait to go inside but now, security will keep an eye on you.)
Since it's beyond a shadow of a doubt what the majority is, I'm closing it now. I need one anon to roll a 4d6 and another to roll a 3d6. If the combined total is 15 or more, you pass.
Rolled 2, 4, 4, 5 = 15 (4d6)>>5895530COME ON
Rolled 6, 2, 3 = 11 (3d6)>>5895530LESSGOO
>>5895538Another one for the bag, boys.
"You know, you got a good idea. Ashley, Ben, stay behind. Adam, Max, c'mere." You gesture at the two to follow you- Wait, you should probably give them their upfront payment first. >-$265. $231 left.With the little payment hiccup rectified, you head over to the guards with your two more suave allies. Not to insult your other two allies but Ashley isn't much of a talker and Benjamin is Benjamin. The crowd of people in line are staring the three of you down with a shocking amount of malice and loathing. A single unanimous thought runs through their minds. <"DO THEY THINK THEY CAN SKIP IN LINE? DO THEY THINK THEY CAN SKIP IN LINE?"> You try your best to hide your fear as the three of you end up at the front entrance. Obviously, the guards point their shotguns RIGHT at you. Adam stares down the barrel with an exhausted look while you and Max, rightfully, are about to piss your panties. "ONLY VIPS MAY SKIP THE LINE." The man with wires pouring out of his neck screeches out. "HEAD TO THE BACK OR FACE THE BUCKSHOT, NOT YOUR FUTURE."" "I would listen to my partner." The man with no obvious mechanical parts spilling out responds. "I'll give you three ten seconds to head back." "We're catering." Adam fiddles with the collar of his shirt. Max narrows her eyes but rolls with this. "Yeah! We're actually here to discuss an arrangement with your bosses." The neck-wire man lowers his shotgun a little, "CONTINUE?" You take this moment to interject with something of your own. "So here's the thing. We're doing this whole big thing where some guests can win a price if they find a golden ball hidden in their meal."Max nods in approval. <"Damn, not a bad pitch."> "Course, we need to discuss the specifics with them and how much we both have to spend, all of that business junk. We're in a bit of a time crunch to talk to them about this." She leans in to whisper something to the guards as well. You can't make out what. "And those two goobers behind us," Adam jabs a finger at Ashley and Benjamin. Ashley simply scoffs at being called a goober while Benjamin tilts his head in confusion. "Are with us." Max leans back. "I believe you would be fine letting us through without any worry, correct?" <"A little namedropping never hurts.">>26! "I BELIEVVE IT WOULD BE OKAY. NOT LOOK GOOD ON US IF WE LET YOU WAIT." "Agreed. Hurry inside, our lovely caterers. We'll overlook anything extra you bring in." The two guards step aside. You and your four allies promptly rush inside before the crowded line does something reckless at this blatant line skipping. The guards quickly block the way once the five of you are inside. Your eyes are assaulted with blinding light while your ears are nearly obliterated by the obnoxiously loud techno music blaring throughout the place. It takes a combined effort of Ashley and Benjamin shaking your shoulders to get any sense of focus back into you.
To say this place is grungy is an understatement, at least the gang hideout you visited two days ago didn't have a thick blanket of cigarette smoke. The place's size mostly comes from how many floors there are. As you look up, you can make out as least five rungs with industrial catwalks stretching above you. Crowds of smokers line up at the edge of the catwalks to flood the air with more noxious fumes. As for the floor you're on? It's remarkably cramped even without accounting for the people roaming around. The floor is littered with a maze of slot machines, blackjack and roulette tables as far as the eye can see. Each one is nearly filled to the brim with barely alive husks that were once humans. Not in a fucked up anomaly way but moreso 'gambling and drug addict' kind of way. Benjamin's previous excitement immediately fades upon seeing this sad display around him. "Oh. This is, uh, not what I expected." Before he can fully process what's going on, Max instantly grabs his hand and interlocks her fingers with his. The weird bird-lime noise and stupid smile shows this is good enough to keep him from thinking too hard about it. "I'm noticing a pattern with the buildings here." Ashley glances around, trying to find something "Do you know where the stairs are?" Adam points at a remarkably thick haze of smog about ten or so feet to your left. "Seems like that's where most of it is coming from." Max interjects by pointing to another set of non-smog filled stairs leading up to another section of the casino. Two guards stand by it, one of which has the same weird wires that you think are some kind of cybernetic the outside guard had. Same shotguns as well. "I imagine they would keep anything valuable up there." It doesn't take a genius to realize that's probably a VIP SECTION. You COULD go up there due to your bullshitting of the front guards but you're not sure how much the story you made up on the fly can carry you to the top. That and that might not even be where the vault or the office of whoever runs this place might be. There's one last path that catches your eye. [SEEKER OF THE CITY] There's a grimy, rusty metal service door that's positioned right next to one of the various slot machines. 'EMPLOYEES ONLY' is plastered all across it in big red font. [SEEKER OF THE CITY] It doesn't take a genius to realize what purpose this door has. The employees probably use it to get all around this building without anyone noticing them. Prime for you to sneak around in. Though, there's no harm in also enjoying yourself a bit. The glowing, shiny lights of the slot machines around you are oddly hypnotic and it takes Adam nearly shoving you to the ground to get your attention. "Hey! Focus. We need a plan here and you're the boss, right?" "BWUH. Yeah, yeah, yeah!" You mutter out. Your plan from here is...
>>5895849>>[UNSTABLE] MONEY. GIMME. GIMME. WE GOTTA GAMBLE, NICOLE, WE GOTTA FUCKING GAMBLE! (Choose ROULETTE, BLACKJACK, or SLOTS to partake in. You'll be at the whim of the dice for ROULETTE and SLOTS but the potential cash prize is higher, however your MIND READING or Ashley's DEEP INTUTION will give an edge in BLACKJACK.)Could we do Roulette and use our mind powers to fudge the ball onto a spot we want? And lets send Ashley on this one as well.>[ADAM ALLY ONLY] Send Adam over to the V.I.P guards to ask for directions to the bosses. You are the 'catering', after all. (CHARM DC: 10, rolling only Adam's dice. Pass and you'll get a good idea on where the bosses are to, letting you deal with them at a future time. Failure wastes time that could be better spent elsewhere.)>[BENJAMIN ALLY ONLY] "Benjamin. Try making some party favors." (-1 CHARGE on his LICENSED PHARAMICST boon, prevents him from helping in exploring other places. He'll produce some drugs that can probably buy a lot of people around the casino.)>Have someone explore around the ground floor and ask the people around here. There's a lot of foot traffic around here, right? Surely they've seen something. (CHARM DC: 14. You'll get some decent ideas on where certain important people tend to go and hang out at once they arrive. Failure just wastes the time of whoever is assigned to this.)Send Max on this one
>You may split your party to choose up to five options to explore at once, at the cost of only one person exploring each location.>You may also group allies together for both safety reasons and for more thorough searches, at the cost of exploring fewer places.>If you wish to split the party, please state which ally (or allies) you are assigning to a location and which will follow you (if any)How do you want to proceed from here?>[SEEKER OF THE CITY] O, employee only section, I hear your calls! I shall explore your forbidden passages! (Likely to call for TALENT checks down later down the line the further you explore here.)>[UNSTABLE] MONEY. GIMME. GIMME. WE GOTTA GAMBLE, NICOLE, WE GOTTA FUCKING GAMBLE! (Choose ROULETTE, BLACKJACK, or SLOTS to partake in. You'll be at the whim of the dice for ROULETTE and SLOTS but the potential cash prize is higher, however your MIND READING or Ashley's DEEP INTUITION will give an edge in BLACKJACK.)>[PERSON OF INTEREST] There has to be cameras scattered throughout this place, right? There's no way this place lacks them. Search this place from top to bottom. Find them. (COGNIZANCE DC: 15. Pass and you'll get a pretty useful clue on where the camera room is, which will be vital to disable later. You can imagine how suspicious you'll look on a failure.)>The 'VIP SECTION' obviously has the most important shit, right? Why else would there be GUARDS there? Best to cut right to the nub and investigate here.>Best stick with exploring the 'COMMON SECTION', even if it's unlikely to have anything super valuable. You might get some useful information about the layout of the casino and places of interest if you ask around here.>Have someone explore around the ground floor and ask the people around here. There's a lot of foot traffic around here, right? Surely they've seen something. (CHARM DC: 14. You'll get some decent ideas on where certain important people tend to go and hang out at once they arrive. Failure just wastes the time of whoever is assigned to this.)>[ADAM ALLY ONLY] Send Adam over to the V.I.P guards to ask for directions to the bosses. You are the 'catering', after all. (CHARM DC: 10, rolling only Adam's dice. Pass and you'll get a good idea on where the bosses are to, letting you deal with them at a future time. Failure wastes time that could be better spent elsewhere.)>[BENJAMIN ALLY ONLY] "Benjamin. Try making some party favors." (-1 CHARGE on his LICENSED PHARAMICST boon, prevents him from helping in exploring other places. He'll produce some drugs that can probably buy a lot of people around the casino.)>Write in. (Use a drug on yourself or an ally? Use an item? Tell your allies to do something else completely? Do something else?)Had to fix a really annoying spelling error here with the UNSTABLE one. Apologies for the confusion.
>>5895853I'd say you can try using TELEKINESIS to nudge the RNG of the roulette table. While you don't know the exact odds given it's likely rigged casino nonsense, it would improve your chances of winning by a decent margin. I'll tell you this. You can spend 1 RESTRAINT to do that while Ashley tries her luck on Blackjack. Same goes for anyone else picking that option but wishing to bring another ally along.
>>5895858>[PERSON OF INTEREST] There has to be cameras scattered throughout this place, right? There's no way this place lacks them. Search this place from top to bottom. Find them. (COGNIZANCE DC: 15. Pass and you'll get a pretty useful clue on where the camera room is, which will be vital to disable later. You can imagine how suspicious you'll look on a failure.)
>>5895853+1
>>5896047Change>>5895858>[UNSTABLE] MONEY. GIMME. GIMME. WE GOTTA GAMBLE, NICOLE, WE GOTTA FUCKING GAMBLE! (Choose ROULETTE, BLACKJACK, or SLOTS to partake in. You'll be at the whim of the dice for ROULETTE and SLOTS but the potential cash prize is higher, however your MIND READING or Ashley's DEEP INTUITION will give an edge in BLACKJACK.)Nicole and Ashley BLACKJACK>Have someone explore around the ground floor and ask the people around here. There's a lot of foot traffic around here, right? Surely they've seen something. (CHARM DC: 14. You'll get some decent ideas on where certain important people tend to go and hang out at once they arrive. Failure just wastes the time of whoever is assigned to this.)MAX>[ADAM ALLY ONLY] Send Adam over to the V.I.P guards to ask for directions to the bosses. You are the 'catering', after all. (CHARM DC: 10, rolling only Adam's dice. Pass and you'll get a good idea on where the bosses are to, letting you deal with them at a future time. Failure wastes time that could be better spent elsewhere.)>[BENJAMIN ALLY ONLY] "Benjamin. Try making some party favors." (-1 CHARGE on his LICENSED PHARAMICST boon, prevents him from helping in exploring other places. He'll produce some drugs that can probably buy a lot of people around the casino.)
>>5896051Supporting
>>5896051+1, nice planWhen will we get Benjamin to play as a dealer here? Maybe he can take over somebody else's place for a bit, if part of our plan involves getting a dealer to fuck off with a slipped drug in their drink? Or maybe a dealer will be nice enough to let him deal a few rounds
>>5896051+1
>>5896051+2
Seems pretty set in stone what the plan here is. I need one anon to roll 5d6 for Max and 4d6 for Adam.
Rolled 6, 5, 4, 5, 2 = 22 (5d6)>>5896500
Rolled 6, 3, 3, 6 = 18 (4d6)>>5896500
>>5896539>>5896598Wow, okay, turns out your allies are shockingly good talkers. Writing.
[UNSTABLE] FUCK EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING ELSE. WE'RE HERE TO GAMBLE, NICOLE. TO ENGAGE IN THE SENSUAL, DEGRADING ACT OF RISKING ASISINE LEVELS OF CASH! "Nicky?" Benjamin's voice snaps you out of your trance. "You're, uh, kinda drooling all over the place. Do you got a plan for us?" Your allies are staring at you with increasingly concerned looks. You snap your fingers before gesturing wildly around the place. "Adam, go talk to the guards. Max, talk to the people on this floor. Benjamin, make some party favors-" You grab Ashley's arm. "Hey hold on here-" "Me and Ashley will be busy with something. We'll reconnect later. Sound good?" This, of course, gets some skeptical looks from your party. Max is the one to break the silence with a shrug and a weird chuckle. <"Looking at the blackjack tables, huh? Bet she has an edge to win somehow."> "Oh. No need to say any more. You have fun. C'mon, pals." She's the first to split off. Adam mutters something but quickly heads to the guards to chat with them. Benjamin wanders off to find somewhere private enough to make his party favors. >2 CHARGES LEFT for LICENSED PHARMACIST. Ashley reluctantly lets you drag her throughout the cramped maze of tables and slot machines. She scrunches her face up at the ghoulish husks of people around her. "So. Mind explaining where the FUCK you're dragging me to?" Your eyes scan around for any table that isn't filled to the brim. <"Oh god, don't tell me she wants to GAMBLE?">"Gamble." You confirm her worries when you manage to find a table with two empty spots. "To put it bluntly, I think it's basically impossible for us to lose here. You got a good head on your shoulders and, uh-" Probably not best to say 'I CAN READ MINDS'. "I have a good read on people." <"Weird pause there. Is she trying to hide something...? Eh. Money is money."> "Alright. Fuck it. How bad can it be?" After a bit of struggle, she breaks out of your grip and sits down at the table. You follow right behind her. The middle aged man acting as a dealer leans forward to get a better look at you two. "Well, well! Haven't seen folks as lively as you two in a while!" <"Fresh suckers, hehe. Let's see how much we can milk out of them!"> "Welcome! Let's start having some fun!" Ashley tenses up upon hearing the Dealer's voice. <"Ah. I get what she means now. Okay, let's do this."> "Sure. How much to play? I got, uh, $180 on my person." "$231 here." "Well, let's start with a minimum bet of $5, 6 to 5 payout if you get a natural." <"Can't hurt to let them win the first game. Lure them in."> "Sound good enough?" The Dealer flashes a cheery, warming smile that's completely discordant with the thoughts you're hearing. You and Ashley decide to play along and start with a $5 bet each while the husks throw in way larger amounts in the high 300s."Aw! It's okay to be scared on your first game! Let's start, shall we?"
The cards quickly get handed out. Your hand is pretty solid, a King and 6, and a quick glance at Ashley's mind tells you she has a Queen and a 9. One of the two cards the Dealer has is hidden, only showing you a seven. A quick mindread tells you he has a pair of 7s. You don't need any more cards to win.Ashley seems to pick up on this too as the both of you yell out "Stand!" while the others risk too much with hits, resulting in you two being the only ones to win. An extra $5 isn't much, though, so the two of you obviously continue. Neither you or Ashley say a single word to each other but your movements and actions quickly synchronize. Every round, you two double the amount of money you risk whenever it feels safe. $10. Then $20. For the first few rounds, the Dealer seems to always have the worst cards possible. Even a few of the gambling addict husks around you manage to win some pocket change.So far, you won about an extra $75 each. This immediately starts to change once you start beating $80. A quick check in the Dealer's mind shows he has a 19, an Ace and an 8, though only the 8 is visible to an outside observer. Meanwhile, you have a 4 and a 6 while Ashley has a 5 and a 7."Hit me." "Hit me!" The next cards sent your way is a 7 for you and a 6 to Ashley. How funny, only one or two points off. While the others seem content in their hands, the two of you ask for another hit. To an outside observer this would be suicidal.But the results don't lie. As you two call and the cards are revealed, Ashley now has a 20 (5 + 7 + 6 + 2) and so do you (5 + 6 + 7 + 3). The Dealer narrows his eyes but allows you to collect your bets. <"Blind luck. They won't do it again, would they? Normally people stop hitting when they get a 17 or 18!"> The next round, where you bet $160, ends very much the same. He tried pulling the same trick of having a stupidly high total to beat and trying to lure you two into staying with a card total just barely below it. Neither of you fall for the bait and in no time flat, you win this round as well. All in all, both of you win a total of $315 without even really trying! >+$315! You now have $546.The Dealer has the same warm, inviting smile as always but the sheer seething mess of static running through his head is evident. "Well, well! You two have been on a hot streak, aren't you?" Ashley flashes a stained, toothy smile. "Beginner's luck. We haven't really played this before." You nod your head along. "Yep. New to all of this. Trust us." The static haze blaring through his head is only getting worse. "How cute. How about we raise the steaks a bit?" The Dealer flashes an ear to ear smile that's obviously forced."Don't you mean stakes?" Ashley questions."I SAID WHAT I SAID-" >22! 18! SUCCESSYou look behind to your three allies heading over to the table, clearly having finished whatever business you assigned them to do. You do take note of the weird black stains on Benjamin's shirt.
<"No, no! I can't let them leave yet! They haven't lost anything!"> The Dealer keeps up his smile but his hand is gripping the edge of the blackjack table. "Oh? Are those your friends? Well, it's fine if they join too!" Your three allies now stand behind you. Adam is the first to speak up, "We actually need to talk to her about something. I bet this is fun and all but we got more important things to do." Adam flashes you a thumbs up. "I got some interesting details about the 'catering', Nick.""Yeah, and I heard some fun rumors I wanna, uh, gossip with you about!" <"Is that how...girls of her status describe it? Rumors? Gossiping?"> "Let's talk somewhere more private."Benjamin is too busy staring at the blackjack table to really say much but he does slip you the party favors he's made. A pile of jet black pills?>PARTY FAVORS x3 (Probably not safe for you to consume. Unlocks certain voting options.)The Dealer slowly grinds his teeth, "You can gossip once they're done with the next round. I believe the two of you were going to bet $320? You kept doubling, after all, why STOP NOW?" You think he's about to chip a tooth with how hard he's grinding them. "Wait, really? Do you even have that money," Adam clears his throat. "And should she even be betting it?"Benjamin and Max shrug in unison, "Of course she does." "If she's already winning, why not?" "EXACTLY. SO PUT THE BET DOWN AND LET'S KEEP PLAYING!" Well, it seems like the Dealer might not take no for an answer. You're not sure what kind of cheap tricks he might pull if you were to accept. You look over at Ashley. She's fiddling with her long red hair, clearly stressing at what might happen. How do you handle the Dealer?>[UNSTABLE] Place ALL of the money you two won onto the table. "Double or nothing, faggot." (COGNIZANCE DC: 20 (-6 from your mind reading and Ashley's intuition), rolling 5d6 with Ashley's help. Pass and you'll play smart enough to double the money you already won. Failure and whoopsie, goodbye all your money!)>[PARTY FAVOR] "Look, I think this will smooth everything over." Some money and drugs should smooth it over. (-1 PARTY FAVOR, -$75, the Dealer will let you go without question. Simple as.)>"I think we're good, thanks." Leave as soon as possible before he does anything. He can't force you to play and you need to hear what your allies found. (You doubt he'll take this well but it won't cost any resources or call for any dice rolls)>[BENJAMIN + MAX ALLY] "Actually, we got a new dealer to take over your shift." Max chimes in. Play along to this. (CHARM DC: 16, rolling 5d6 with Benjamin's help. Pass and while you won't win anything, you'll be able to leave peacefully and you imagine Benjamin + Max and Max will get a small temporary stat boost for fulfilling a dream of Benjamin's. Failure will likely draw a LOT of suspicion as you awkwardly try to leave.)>Write in.
>>5896884>[UNSTABLE] Place ALL of the money you two won onto the table. "Double or nothing, faggot." [MS. BIG TIME GAMBLER]
>>5896945fuck it, +1
>>5896884>[UNSTABLE] Place ALL of the money you two won onto the table. "Double or nothing, faggot." (COGNIZANCE DC: 20 (-6 from your mind reading and Ashley's intuition), rolling 5d6 with Ashley's help. Pass and you'll play smart enough to double the money you already won. Failure and whoopsie, goodbye all your money!)
>>5896884>>[UNSTABLE] Place ALL of the money you two won onto the table. "Double or nothing, faggot." (COGNIZANCE DC: 20 (-6 from your mind reading and Ashley's intuition), rolling 5d6 with Ashley's help. Pass and you'll play smart enough to double the money you already won. Failure and whoopsie, goodbye all your money!)Fate is speaking, can you hear him? His voice sounds like crystal bells being struck so hard they should shatter...
>>5896884The chances of beating 20 on 5d6 are 30.52%>[BENJAMIN + MAX ALLY] "Actually, we got a new dealer to take over your shift." Max chimes in. Play along to this. (CHARM DC: 16, rolling 5d6 with Benjamin's help. Pass and while you won't win anything, you'll be able to leave peacefully and you imagine Benjamin + Max and Max will get a small temporary stat boost for fulfilling a dream of Benjamin's. Failure will likely draw a LOT of suspicion as you awkwardly try to leave.)
>>5896884>[BENJAMIN + MAX ALLY] "Actually, we got a new dealer to take over your shift." Max chimes in. Play along to this. (CHARM DC: 16, rolling 5d6 with Benjamin's help. Pass and while you won't win anything, you'll be able to leave peacefully and you imagine Benjamin + Max and Max will get a small temporary stat boost for fulfilling a dream of Benjamin's. Failure will likely draw a LOT of suspicion as you awkwardly try to leave.)
>>5897082>[BENJAMIN + MAX ALLY] "Actually, we got a new dealer to take over your shift." Max chimes in. Play along to this. (CHARM DC: 16, rolling 5d6 with Benjamin's help. Pass and while you won't win anything, you'll be able to leave peacefully and you imagine Benjamin + Max and Max will get a small temporary stat boost for fulfilling a dream of Benjamin's. Failure will likely draw a LOT of suspicion as you awkwardly try to leave.)
>>5897082Change>>5897237
>>5897199Just use drugs lol lmao
UNSTABLE: WqV, Cux, Udv, dq9 (I think?), 0UM, WeOBENJAMIN AND MAX: AxO, w8L, QnBTHE WILL OF THE GAMBLE RUNS THROUGH YOU.DOUBLE OR NOTHING.Two anons, roll 2d6. Another anon, roll the last d6. Let's see how good you are at the gamble.
Rolled 5, 1 = 6 (2d6)>>5898080RIP wallet
Rolled 6, 1 = 7 (2d6)>>5898080
>>5898162>>5898271>2 1s>5 and 6NOW WE ARE DANCING ON THE EDGE OF LIFE AND DEATHOr maybe we just lost because of the shitty 5
Rolled 1 (1d6)To speed things up, rolling.
14. Total and abject failure. Though you DO have some drugs to rectify this. You have three PEP PILLS, which each add 5 to your total tally per one spent. This means you would have to use two to pass this check. They have the potential to do some FLESH damage per pill taken. You do have another drug that can reduce FLESH damage taken, but that will take a resource if used. How do you want to handle this situation? >Take two PEP PILLS, no RASPBERRY SINSU (You pass the check but you have a chance of taking up to 2 FLESH damage, depending on your odds.) >Take two PEP PILLS and a RASPBERRY SINSU (You pass the check and negate any FLESH damage taken by the pep pills.) >Accept your loss. >[UNSTABLE] What if we doubled down...? Let's make this riskier. (The QM will roll a 1d100. You will have no idea what will happen but higher will be better.)
>>5898422>>5898422>Take two PEP PILLS and a RASPBERRY SINSU (You pass the check and negate any FLESH damage taken by the pep pills.)
>>5898439+1we got 1 more pep pill and 3 more raspberry sinsu after this, no worriesthose pep pills are ONLY for 1 COGNIZANCE check anyway, so they're meant to be used like this
>>5898422>Take two PEP PILLS and a RASPBERRY SINSU (You pass the check and negate any FLESH damage taken by the pep pills.)
Alright, seems pretty agreed upon. Locking in, writing. Where you lack in analyzing odds, you more than make up for that with rampant drug use! ...Eh. It's a casino. No one's going to question if you pop a few pills anyways.
[UNSTABLE] "$320? Do I look like a scared little girly girl to you? Huh? Huh?" Your mouth contorts into a smile that shows way too many teeth. You slam all of your money onto the table. "Double or nothing. Faggot."Ashley tenses her shoulders up but with a LOT of reluctance, she places her money down as well. Your other allies surround the two of you as the next game starts. The Dealer damn near drools as he deals his cards out. One look into his mind can tell you he's already rigged the deck somehow. You got a 4 and a 5. Ashley got a 3 and a 7, and the Dealer has a 8 and an Ace. as his hidden card. Damn, not good. "WELL! C'MON! HIT OR STAY? HIT OR STAY? HIT OR FUCKING STAY?" "H-hit." Ashley calls out. You nod your head, "HIT!" You get a 5 and Ashley gets a 9. Damnit, that means that she needs an Ace somehow to not instantly brick herself. You can tell she pieced this together as well because she's sweating bullets. <"Why did I agree to this? Bad odds, bad odds!"> "HIT. OR STAY?" The Dealer calls out again. You're the first to respond thanks to Ashley's hesitation, "HIT!" You get your card first and when you look at it, it's an Ace. "H-Hit." Ashley gets a 6. The Dealer's just about ready to realize Ashley's hand is bricked. >14...You were at a loss on how to turn this situation around, before you even realize where your hands are going, you quickly scarf down three random pills.>24! You need a distraction to swap the cards and you need one fast. You have no time to take anything else out of your inventory to throw and you doubt another ally could do something in time. Distraction. Loud noise. You glance over at Ashley. Her baseball bat is right next to her seat.You quickly nod your head at Ashley's baseball bat, which she was able to keep thanks to your smooth talking earlier. She notices the card in your hand and instantly understands what to do. She smacks the end of her baseball bat on the floor. The loud noise startles the Dealer just long enough for the two of you to swap your cards. 4+5+5+6 for you, 3+7+9+1 for Ashley.<"Father Above, I told Clover he should fix this damn place. I can't be dealing with MORE metal railings falling from the ceiling."> "STAY!" "S-stay!" You and Ashley call out at the same time as he looks back.<"Feh. I already rigged the deck to make sure no one could beat me this round. Sorry, should've been less cocky."> "Alright!" The Dealer quickly flips his cards to show to everyone at the table. You and Ashley reveal your cards as well. Everyone else at the table aside from you two has 19 or lower. The Dealer stares at your two hands in utter bewilderment. "Huh?""What?" Ashley quickly regains her composure. "As long as we don't go over 21, and we beat your number, we win. Right?""I. Yes. You did win. But, uh, how did-?" The Dealer is having a hard time processing this."Luck?" You grin. "Now, give us our damn money. We're done here."
The Dealer is staring at the table with a blank expression. He wordlessly tosses over your winnings. All you get from reading his mind is a sea on unending white noise. He's mentally bricked. Without anything else stopping you, you lead your four allies away from the blackjack table. >You now have $1096. >RASPBERRY SINSU ACTIVE. -1 FLESH DAMAGE TAKEN FROM SOURCES FOR A SHORT TIME FRAME.Your party eventually finds an empty table to take a seat at. Adam is the first one to break the silence with a slow hand clap, "Well, well, well. I gotta give you props on that. Even if gambling while on a mission is rather..." "Retarded?" Ashley smirks. "Yeah. It was. I had fun though.""C'mon! You're telling me all of that brain power, all of THAT TEAMWORK, was for nothing? Did we not synchronize our SOULS, our ESSENCE???" You give her your best puppydog eyes. "All of that struggle was for-" "Okay shut up." Max quickly covers your mouth with her hand. "Let's talk about the information I found, thanks.""Hey, it wasn't just you." Adam narrows his eyes. "But yeah, less bullshit, more talking." Ashley tries her best to hold in her laughter from your rather pathetic display, "Wasn't quite sure where it was going but hey, again, it was fun. Just rein in your, uh-" "Schizophrenia symptoms?" Benjamin says with a cold, clinical tone. The sad face you involuntarily made would warrant a stupidly cartoonish sound effect if this was on TV. "AHEM." Adam claps his hands. "So, apparently the word of us being catering staff spread QUICK and boy, these guards were DROOLING at the idea of any new food. Something about only eating MREs for the last few weeks?"[SEEKER OF THE CITY] P-Company Facilities usually use MREs, not some random casino. Weird. "So all I had to do was tell them I was a caterer and they instantly ratted out where their bosses were. It's actually up that smog filled staircase, up to the fourth floor-" Adam clears his throat. "Fuck. Too much smoke here. Uh, yeah, supposed their office is the one with the door labeled "KNOCK FIRST".""That's good. We can politely ask them about this misunderstanding they're having with Nicole's handler!" Benjamin's beaming smile is almost disgusting in how optimistic it is. Max's usual shit eating grin deflates a bit. "Benjamin, I don't think it's that simple." "Why wouldn't it be?" "That's just not how business works-" Max stops herself. "I'm getting side-tracked. On my end, I learned a handful of names of some important people here." Max slides over a notepad to the center of the table. A neat, cursive script is scribbled top to bottom on the page. "Take a gander. I think it's easier than just saying it outloud." Only then does she remove her hand from your mouth. "Bleh." You smack your lips. "Don't do that again." "Only if you take your meds. Now, read." She points at the notepad. You grab the notepad first to skim the contents of it. Let's see what she wrote down...
"CLOVER: Main Owner. Middle aged man in a poncho, doesn't stay in public areas often. Disappears somewhere on the fourth floor of the 'Common' section. Cares about fair and evenly balanced games.CASEY: Main HR employee. Oddly cheerful girl with blond hair, very much likes staying in public. Stays around the second floor in the "VIP" section. Subservient to a fault.CLYDE: Treasury Guard. Built like a brick shithouse, has more scars than regular skin. People only see him go into the 'Employee Only' section. Apparently has an IQ of 65.KANA: Head Accountant. Has a weird head augment no one wanted to go into detail about, only that it looks weird. Regularly hangs out in the second floor of the "COMMON" section. 'Oddly smug', however relevant that is.MARLA: Head of Security. No one has a solid description besides 'blue hair' and 'woman'. Apparently disappears somewhere on the floor we're currently on. Makes a lot of bird noises?" Hm. It's not super enlightening information but it's certainly a better lead than nothing. Which person of interest do you want to track down first to talk to...or to deal with so they're not an inconvenience?>[SEEKER OF THE CITY] If the Treasury Guard goes into the employee only section, that means there's something valuable to hide there. Move your group to scout out that place. Maybe you'll find the VAULT.>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Your hunch on a hidden room with the security cameras somewhere has only gotten stronger. Get everyone to listen for the damn bird noises, track down the HoS to 'deal' with. >Best to cut to the chase and talk to the boss. Head up to the fourth floor of the 'COMMON' section to try getting into contact with Clover and the other higher ups.>An accountant, huh? You might get some damning evidence about how they're skimping the Handler out of his cash if you talk to her. Let's discuss finances with her.>Casey sounds like the kind of dumbass to spill the beans without too much effort. Find her and try to have a 'chat' with her.>Split the party into two. You feel like it might be two risky to split the party in five but two groups is probably safe enough. (You may choose two of the above, assigning three party members to one and two to another. Write in who you send where.)>...Take your meds. (FREE ACTION, -1 ANTI-PSYCHOTIC. Your allies will be more than thankful for doing it, locks any UNSTABLE options. For better or worse.)>Write in.
>>5898587>>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Your hunch on a hidden room with the security cameras somewhere has only gotten stronger. Get everyone to listen for the damn bird noises, track down the HoS to 'deal' with.>...Take your meds. (FREE ACTION, -1 ANTI-PSYCHOTIC. Your allies will be more than thankful for doing it, locks any UNSTABLE options. For better or worse.)Yeah, we need to handle the cameras. Casinos have tighter security then banks, that little card swap stunt we just did should be flagging us to every security person in this building. Lets nip that in the bud first and also take our meds since we are currently higher than Hunter S Thompson.
>>5898587>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Your hunch on a hidden room with the security cameras somewhere has only gotten stronger. Get everyone to listen for the damn bird noises, track down the HoS to 'deal' with.>...Take your meds. (FREE ACTION, -1 ANTI-PSYCHOTIC. Your allies will be more than thankful for doing it, locks any UNSTABLE options. For better or worse.)CASEY: Main HR employee. Oddly cheerful girl with blond hair, very much likes staying in public. Stays around the second floor in the "VIP" section. Subservient to a fault.Potential new allies for hired?
>>5898587>Casey sounds like the kind of dumbass to spill the beans without too much effort. Find her and try to have a 'chat' with her.>...Take your meds. (FREE ACTION, -1 ANTI-PSYCHOTIC. Your allies will be more than thankful for doing it, locks any UNSTABLE options. For better or worse.)
>>5898587Huh, looks like the joint is run by former Rangers or ETFs. Straight combat might be inadvisible>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Your hunch on a hidden room with the security cameras somewhere has only gotten stronger. Get everyone to listen for the damn bird noises, track down the HoS to 'deal' with.
>>5898587>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Your hunch on a hidden room with the security cameras somewhere has only gotten stronger. Get everyone to listen for the damn bird noises, track down the HoS to 'deal' with.>...Take your meds. (FREE ACTION, -1 ANTI-PSYCHOTIC. Your allies will be more than thankful for doing it, locks any UNSTABLE options. For better or worse.)I want to show Ashley the meds before we take them, just so she's absolutely sure and can relax about this. Damn, Nicole going full Dr. Manhattan and blowing up a ganger last mission with her must have really disturbed Ashley even with her NUMB trait
>>5898587>>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Your hunch on a hidden room with the security cameras somewhere has only gotten stronger. Get everyone to listen for the damn bird noises, track down the HoS to 'deal' with.>>...Take your meds. (FREE ACTION, -1 ANTI-PSYCHOTIC. Your allies will be more than thankful for doing it, locks any UNSTABLE options. For better or worse.)
"Wait." Ashley's breath hitches for a moment. "Fuck, fuck! Nicole, look, we gotta do something fast." <"Fuck, fuck, that nervous voice is back."> You have no idea what she could be worried about but then it clicks. Oh. OH. Oh fuck, you just cheated at a casino game.Benjamin clear his throat, "I'd say we got about twenty minutes tops before that Dealer calls for security. Even I wouldn't want to fight my way through this place." <"Only two safe places in the City. Casinos and banks. And I know who works at the banks, so fuck that!"> Before you do anything, you pull out your bottle of anti-psychotics. [UNSTABLE] NICOLE IF YOU TAKE THOSE YOU'LL LOSE YOUR SOUL. TO THEM! TO THOSE IN THE WALLS![UNSTABLE] I NEED YOU. TO LISTEN. YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO ME-You show the pill to Ashley before taking it. "There. Took them. Medicated now." Almost immediately, you can hear your internal voices fade away. There's only you now. >MEDICATED STATUS gained. UNSTABLE PSYCHE is now disabled and your other internal voices are less likely to pipe up.Ashley lets out a sigh of relief, "Thanks. Rather not have THAT incident again." <"...Last time I saw something like that, it was when bro shoved a grenade into that man's gut."> Fucking hell, you regret reading her mind in this instance."Cool, I don't need another psychopath to tard wrangle." Adam taps his foot on the ground impatiently."No time to waste. Get a move on." Max snaps her fingers. Your group instantly leaves the table behind to go searching throughout the floor you're on for that damn HoS. The only issue is that Max's information on where they could be is REMARKABLY vague. However, it turns out five people makes the searching process a LOT quicker. [PERS?? ?? ????????] The bird noises mean something. Seek out the bird.You rub the side of your head. Guh, seems like your meds are making your other voices fuzzy. That is a solid enough clue, however. Seems like you weren't the only one who thought of that. A voice that ISN'T in your head crackles from that old earpiece you got ages ago. You pull it out of your pocket, "Hey! Nicole! Go to the very back of the first floor. We found something." You push through the cluttered maze of tables and slots until you manage to meet your allies in a tucked away corner with only a few antique slot machines from, fuck, maybe the 2010s? Max points at one of the antiques in question. While the other ones are not in the best condition, this slot machine has no symbols on the reels except for some blue jays. Your eyes narrow at this. How subtle. "Honestly, I was going to brush this off when I first saw it." Adam grabs onto the lever. "But I know an obvious pattern when I see one." He pulls on it once. Nothing happens...at first. A chunk of wall nearby suddenly sinks into the ground to reveal a hidden door. You quickly open the door with your telekinesis (just in case) before rushing inside with your allies.
Turns out there's not actually that much behind the door. The room you're in is a small, cramped office that's lined from wall to wall with monitors. There's at least dozens on dozens of hidden cameras on each floor if the sheer volume of monitors has anything to say. Besides that, a desk with another monitor, and some old filing cabinets?There's a woman in her early 20s currently pointing a loaded hunting rifle at the five of you. Her messy mop top hair has a striking blue color to it. Her uniform is shockingly casual, mostly consisting of a blue-grey sleeveless shirt, dark blue pants, and some brown boots."Caw." She aims the rifle point blank at your head. "Cheater! Thou has shown thyself. Yer not the first one who tried to delete da evidence of yer wrongdoings! However! I, Marla of da Clover Suite, will not let ye get away with yer treason!" What the fuck is that accent she's putting on? It's some bastardized mix of a knight and a hick.Adam and Ashley retch in unison upon hearing her voice, "What the actual fuck?" "Please never speak again."Max is having a hard time deciding whether to laugh or join the others in disgust, "Wow. Please keep talking." Benjamin blinks a few times before responding in the only way he can. "Hoot." "Caw!" Marla yells back. "Hoot." Benjamin quietly responds. "CAW!" "Hoot." "CAW- Wait, hold on. Trickery!" Upside, the rifle is no longer being pointed at you. Downside, it's being pointed at Benjamin now. "Hey! If you're going to aim at anyone, aim at me! Not him!" Max hisses out. "why are we talking why are we talking." Ashley grips her baseball bat tighter. "...Would you believe us if we said we were just here to give you food?" Adam tries his best to defuse this situation. Marla is too busy aiming between Benjamin and Max to listen to him. "Thou has sixty seconds to explain thy case before yer asses are sent straight to hell!" <"Am I even saying it right? Dangit, I really should've reviewed the handbook more! Damnit, Clover, I'm still new to this!> "N-Corp thinks they're the ones to show ye god? I, MARLA OF DA CLOVER SUITE, WILL!" "Seriously, why are you talking like that?" Max is not remotely taking this situation seriously despite what's going on. "You sound like a retard. Pick one accent." Marla clenches her teeth in anger but one look into your mind can tell it's all bark. <"...Is it really that lame? I thought I sound cool. Caw."><"C'mon, I really don't want to do this!" "WELL? FIFTY SECONDS LEFT!" You really don't want to waste any more time than you have to here. Best to make a decision and to make it fast. Pick how you want to handle this situation.
How do you want to handle this situation? >[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Old classic. Puppeteer her body to drop her gun and get your allies to beat her unconscious. (-2 RESTRAINT, instantly gets rid of her as a threat without alerting anyone or any allies being injured. Quick and easy.)>[PARTY FAVORS] "Actually, we're here to turn over some contraband. Your dealer was on some rough shit." Show her one of the black pills. (-1 PARTY FAVOR. Marla will lower her guard a bit, allowing you to try getting valuable information out of her and to hopefully get her to look the other way when it comes to your group.)>[READ DEALER'S MIND] "Cheaters? We're not the damn cheaters! Your damn Dealer rigged the deck!" Recount your story with the help of Ashley. (CHARM DC: 16, rolling 5d6 with Ashley's help. Pass and she'll leave the room in a huff to deal with the Dealer, giving you some time to mess with the security system. Failure and you'll probably just confuse her long enough to get out safely without having achieved much.)>[MAX ALLY] "Actually, this was a test from the boss himself to see if you were doing a good job. We're actually here to discuss your reward." Max flashes a smile. Play along. (CHARM DC: 24, rolling 6d6 with Max's help. Pass and Marla is more than willing to believe you, lowering her guard enough to be able to ask her for assistance. Failure is liable to start a COMBAT ENCOUNTER.)>Five against one. Someone might take a bullet but you can overpower her. Bumrush her. (You doubt the gunshot will go unnoticed but you should be able to overpower her with only some minor injuries.)>Write in (Try to convince her another way? Use another ability? Have another ally help you out somehow?)
>>5899690>[READ DEALER'S MIND] "Cheaters? We're not the damn cheaters! Your damn Dealer rigged the deck!" Recount your story with the help of Ashley. (CHARM DC: 16, rolling 5d6 with Ashley's help. Pass and she'll leave the room in a huff to deal with the Dealer, giving you some time to mess with the security system. Failure and you'll probably just confuse her long enough to get out safely without having achieved much.)
>>5899690>>[READ DEALER'S MIND] "Cheaters? We're not the damn cheaters! Your damn Dealer rigged the deck!" Recount your story with the help of Ashley. (CHARM DC: 16, rolling 5d6 with Ashley's help. Pass and she'll leave the room in a huff to deal with the Dealer, giving you some time to mess with the security system. Failure and you'll probably just confuse her long enough to get out safely without having achieved much.)Can we combine options? Because I feel like we can work both this and >[PARTY FAVORS] "Actually, we're here to turn over some contraband. Your dealer was on some rough shit." Show her one of the black pills. (-1 PARTY FAVOR. Marla will lower her guard a bit, allowing you to try getting valuable information out of her and to hopefully get her to look the other way when it comes to your group.)together to make a decent deception. If not then just the Read Dealers Mind option.
>>5899702I'd say you can do so as a write in. In this case, you would probably lower the DC to a 14 and you'll get a bit more information if you pass the charm DC. At the cost of losing one of your three Party Favors.
>>5899694Clover Potential doesn’t know his dealer is cheating. He will probably be happy if we give information to him and Maria. He potential doesn’t know someone in the casino stealing money from our handler.
>>5899702Alright>Write in (Try to convince her another way? Use another ability? Have another ally help you out somehow?)>This is a security audit, while you've passed, your dealer has not. He was rigging the deck, and bought one of these pills from a confidential agent of ours earlier. There's going to have to be some significant changes around here, we'll need your help to get rid of things like this.
>>5899722+1
>>5899722Can this possibly backfire on us?
>>5899727We are lying through our teeth hoping we can get by on manipulation and props, so yes.
>>5899690>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Old classic. Puppeteer her body to drop her gun and get your allies to beat her unconscious. (-2 RESTRAINT, instantly gets rid of her as a threat without alerting anyone or any allies being injured. Quick and easy.)
>>5899760Our RESTRAINT is 4/7 if it go down to 2/7 We Will get a unstable psychic in a Crowd casino. It is REALLY bad idea to use RESTRAINT.BAD thing will happen if we get unstable Psychic
>>5899702+1, I'm willing to lose a party favor for -2 DC to put it below half
>>5899713Wait a second. Can we use Benjamin's dealer knowledge here too? He'd know how to rig a deck too
>>5899690>[PARTY FAVORS] "Actually, we're here to turn over some contraband. Your dealer was on some rough shit." Show her one of the black pills. (-1 PARTY FAVOR. Marla will lower her guard a bit, allowing you to try getting valuable information out of her and to hopefully get her to look the other way when it comes to your group.)>[MAX ALLY] "Actually, this was a test from the boss himself to see if you were doing a good job. We're actually here to discuss your reward." Max flashes a smile. Play along. (CHARM DC: 24, rolling 6d6 with Max's help. Pass and Marla is more than willing to believe you, lowering her guard enough to be able to ask her for assistance. Failure is liable to start a COMBAT ENCOUNTER.)
>>5899778I'd say that he COULD make something up to buy more creditability but at most, that'll buy you the ability to reroll one dice.>>5899770Not when you're medicated. Sure, having low RESTRAINT is a bad idea in general but you won't explode something while on your meds. Regardless, combining READ DEALER'S MIND + PARTY FAVORS seems like the general idea and I'll take WeO's write in in how that manifests. So, 5d6, DC 14. I need one anon to roll 3d6 and another to roll 2d6.
Rolled 6, 1, 3 = 10 (3d6)>>5900430
Rolled 4, 6 = 10 (2d6)>>5900430Rollan
>>5900431>>5900432Success. Writing.
"I would put that down if I was you." You try your best to keep a cool, composed tone to your voice. "This is a security audit from K-Corp. For now, you have passed your job. You have noticed us arriving and you noticed us cheating. Good job so far." Marla lowers her rifle by only an inch, she clearly doesn't trust what you're saying. "Dost thou take me for a fool? Y'all taking the piss?" If you weren't on your meds, you would absolutely feel the urge to implode her head with your telekinesis. "She's not bullshitting you," Ashley speaks up. "You passed but we found an employee of yours who fucked up hard. You know how we were playing that blackjack game?" Ashley nods her head at you. <"I know you can hear this. Hand me one of those pills."> You flinch at what you heard. <"Heh. Wasn't sure until now. Gotcha, bitch."> You definitely have to ask her about this later but for now, you sneakily hand her a pill. She promptly shows the jet black pill to Marla. "He bought this from one of our confidential agents. Benjamin?" Benjamin clear his throat before he begins rambling to Marla, "This is a very potent psychoactive discounted by Z-Corp. It's illegal in about 12 out of the 26 active districts here. Needless to say, having someone willing to purchase this in your casino is a bad sign." "That's not all," You speak up right after he's done talking. "He rigged the deck in an attempt to scam us out of our money."Marla fully lowers her rifle now. All of the blood has drained from her face. "Okay, hold on," You notice that stupid accent she was putting on is gone now. "He rigged it? You do realize how bold of an accusation that is, right? Do you have any proof?""Yeah. We played against him to check how fair your games were." You take a moment to think of a good way to recount your story. "We noticed there was a weird pattern to his cards. At the start, they were all insanely low. 10s and 11s." "Then," Ashley continues right after you. "All of them became stupidly high. 18s, 19s, 20s. This wouldn't be weird but they only ramped it right as we started betting more." "That would be possible if he had a second hidden deck." Benjamin adds. "While everyone uses the normal deck, he would use a special one with nothing but high cards." "Considering the track record he has?" Your smile stretches from ear to ear. "I don't think your friend is all that trustworthy." >20! SUCCESS! "That SON OF A BITCH!" Marla quickly raises her rifle back up but it's obvious she doesn't plan on using it on you. "After everything Clover did to make this place fair? Everything's supposed to be done ABOVE BOARD! LEGAL! Yet we have people UNDERMINDING THAT?!" Weird, if it's all meant to be above board, then why is the Handler's money being stolen? Max seems to clue in on this, "This includes more than the dealers, right? Your bosses wouldn't happen to be stealing from anyone, right?"
"OF COURSE NOT-" Marla pauses. "Well, golly, I would hope so. Our policy is to send everything immediately to our vault and to keep a rigorous count of every single bill before any money goes anywhere. If anyone tries skipping this, I would spot them IMMEDIATELY!" "Well, who has access to the vault then?" Adam pipes up. "Me, Clyde, Clover, and Kana. That's that!" Before any of you have time to ask further questions, she pushes past your group with fury in her eyes. She's probably going to be busy for a while. You now have access to the camera room and all that entails. "Welp. Ben, I hope you know how to fiddle with this. I might need your help." Adam makes a beeline right towards the desk. Benjamin follows right behind him and soon, they're messing around with the security system. You have no idea what they're doing."Uh?" All you can make out is them flipping through a LOT of screens and typing some weird lines into one of the various consoles. While Ashley moves to watch the door, you and Max decide to focus your attention on the various monitors recording the various floors of the casino. You get visuals on everyone on Max's list, though the quality of the footage is remarkably shitty so you can only make out a general impression of what they're doing-A man in a poncho is having a heated argument about something with six other people inside of an office on "COMMON SECTION F4". Whatever's going on, the poncho man is the one yelling the most.-A young woman with a vacant smile and stare is wandering around on "VIP SECTION F2", clearly stressed out. -For a moment you thought your meds wore off. A woman with a fox's head is currently sitting inside an office with piles of paperwork all over her desk on "COMMON SECTION F2".-A brick shithouse of a man in full ETF agent attire, armed with a shotgun, is outside of a giant vault door. The camera labels where he's at as "EMPLOYEES ONLY F3". You got confirmation on where the vault is now."You know," Max chimes in. "If anyone could be cheating your boss out of his money, wouldn't someone who's smart with money be able to do that? Maybe we can convince them Kana's fucking them over.""I mean, sure, that would be a reasonable guess but-" You pause. Something about that sounds off for some reason. "Even if that is true, we would need some pretty damning evidence to convince them. Me and Ash at least knew the Dealer was cheating." "Right, right." Max's usual smug smile is completely gone now. "It's just not the first time I've heard of a story like this, you know? Something good being done and all of it is ruined because of one bad actor. Someone has to be stealing money, so...seems like the obvious candidate." "Does it matter, though? My job here is to get his money back and get out in one piece. Getting into the vault is the priority here.""I guess it doesn't. Is it wrong in me wanting a better outcome, though?" You're unsure as to how to handle her sudden tone shift.
"Done!" Benjamin calls out. "Annnd that should be useful down the line." The mere sound of Benjamin's voice instantly snaps Max back to her smug persona. "Oh ho? What did ya do?" You notice Max slapping something onto the side of a filing cabinet. >-1 CAMERA BUG! "Long story short," Adam wipes the sweat from his brow. "We added a small delay to the cameras that'll trigger in about ten minutes from now." "It'll delay all of the footage by ten minutes once it's online. Best we could do on short notice." Benjamin adjusts his glasses. "So, if we play our cards right when breaking in? Marla won't be able to call for backup in time." Nice! That'll make things way easier in the future. Though Max seems a bit confused at what she's been told, "Wouldn't it just be easier to turn off the cameras?""And alert her that we fucked around with her cameras?" Ashley scoffs. "Yeah. That'll raise every alarm bell in here if even one of those is off. A delay's probably the best we can do. Though, my gut tells me we should leave now." Checking back at the cameras, you see two guards dragging the Dealer you told Marla about by his legs. Marla is already heading back to her office. Probably not wise to stay here for any longer than you need to. Where's your next target now, Nicole? >Clover's having an argument about something? How interesting. Maybe you could rile them up if you tell them someone might be stealing from them.>It seems TOO obvious but part of you is tempted. Check up on Kana to talk to her. If there's any proof she's fudging numbers, that would be excellent leverage.>You don't need to waste any more time here. You know where the vault is. Sneak into the EMPLOYEE'S ONLY SECTION and make a beeline to the vault. (Due to knowing where exactly it is, you skip the TALENT checks you would've had to make otherwise.)>Why the hell is Casey so stressed? Talk to her, maybe you can get her to spill the beans if you comfort her.>[SECURITY COVER STORY] Marla clearly fell for the bait, why not spread this to the guards? (FREE ACTION. CHARM DC: 22 (-4 from convincing Marla), rolling 6d6 with Max's assistance. Pass and the guards will be hesitant to act even if you start acting suspicious, buying you time. Failure will likely just draw too much attention to yourself.)>[BENJAMIN + ADAM ALLY] "We'll buy you some time." Exit the office with Max and Ashley. Try your best to delay her while the others get as much footage from the security system as possible. (FREE ACTION. COGNIZANCE DC: 20, rolling 5d6 with Adam and Benjamin's dice. Pass and you'll get some useful footage to clue you into how to handle/talk with the Person of Interest (Clover, Kana, etc etc) you choose to visit. Failure will result in footage that'll likely give you the wrong idea, if any at all.)>Write in.
>>5900640>>Why the hell is Casey so stressed? Talk to her, maybe you can get her to spill the beans if you comfort her.>[BENJAMIN + ADAM ALLY] "We'll buy you some time." Exit the office with Max and Ashley. Try your best to delay her while the others get as much footage from the security system as possible. (FREE ACTION. COGNIZANCE DC: 20, rolling 5d6 with Adam and Benjamin's dice. Pass and you'll get some useful footage to clue you into how to handle/talk with the Person of Interest (Clover, Kana, etc etc) you choose to visit. Failure will result in footage that'll likely give you the wrong idea, if any at all.)
>>5900640>Why the hell is Casey so stressed? Talk to her, maybe you can get her to spill the beans if you comfort her.>[BENJAMIN + ADAM ALLY] "We'll buy you some time." Exit the office with Max and Ashley. Try your best to delay her while the others get as much footage from the security system as possible. (FREE ACTION. COGNIZANCE DC: 20, rolling 5d6 with Adam and Benjamin's dice. Pass and you'll get some useful footage to clue you into how to handle/talk with the Person of Interest (Clover, Kana, etc etc) you choose to visit. Failure will result in footage that'll likely give you the wrong idea, if any at all.)
>>5900640>You don't need to waste any more time here. You know where the vault is. Sneak into the EMPLOYEE'S ONLY SECTION and make a beeline to the vault. (Due to knowing where exactly it is, you skip the TALENT checks you would've had to make otherwise.)
>>5900640>Why the hell is Casey so stressed? Talk to her, maybe you can get her to spill the beans if you comfort her.
If this Clover fellow is so bent on justice and fairness while running a casino of all things, maybe this is all being done without him knowing. Did any of Handler's contact attempts even reach Clover? Or did somebody acting as a go-between try to stir some shit for their own benefit? We sabotaged the security, but what's stopping us from going straight to Clover and calling the Handler on the phone to make sure they talk it out without interference? The only 4 with vault access according to Marla's word, are>Clyde>Clover>Marla>KanaMarla herself doesn't feel guilty to me. Dumb bird-bitch has way too extreme loyalty and retardation to ever think of betraying. I'm biased towards Clover being too based to do such a thing, but I could be wrong. This is The City, not The Underground. He could be different in enough ways where he might see stealing money from the Handler as a sort of "justice" being done.My bet is it's either Clyde or Kana, or somebody wholly unexpected. Could there be an external third party using Clyde or Kana as their proxy? How likely is that?>>5893939>"An old casino I'm partnered with has been showing me some REAL shady paperwork. Rumors say that they're not properly paying my commission fee. Whether that's true or not, get us our money back from those fucking parasites.">"To put it bluntly, I tried to. We got into an argument and uh, you know-" There's a sudden awkwardness in the tone of his voice. "I might be barred from going anywhere near there again."He didn't say with who. We're in the dark here unless we call the Handler and straight up ask him who he spoke to during his money argument. He might not like us calling him mid-mission without us about to die or everything falling apart first, but he might be ok with it since it involves us chasing an important lead here.>"I need you to find solid evidence that they are stealing money from me. Paperwork, testimonies, whatever. Then, I need you to break into their vault and steal a suitcase there that has about..."NEVERMIND, guess we need to steal what we need this mission. That alone will make Clover want us dead, so cooperating with him is out unless we go the full clean "get Clover to do the right thing and give us the briefcase plus paperwork" route Max is alluding to with her "better outcome" talk. We might not have time to get Benjamin to be a dealer unless we have to play a climactic poker game to decide who lives and who dies right at the mission's end.And here>>5900638>A woman with a fox's head is currently sitting inside an office with piles of paperwork all over her desk on "COMMON SECTION F2".The paper trail leads to Kana. Max is right about pointing all that out and bringing her up, but red herrings exist. The only person we can feasibly rule out as the culprit is Marla.
>>5900640>CaseyThe next safest weak link in the chain>Ben+AdamNow our problem is how to cockblock Marla from reaching the camera room in time
>>5900932>"An old casino I'm partnered with has been showing me some REAL shady paperwork. Rumors say that they're not properly paying my commission feeWait. This means the Handler isn't even sure the money is being stolen. What if nobody is stealing it, what if the casino just isn't as profitable as the Handler expects, because Clover plays fairly?
CASEY + BENJAMIN/ALLY: WeO, Qz+, Qnb, 9h3VAULT TIME: UdvJUST CASEY: AxOSeems simple enough what the majority is. One anon, roll 3d6. Another, roll 2d6.
Rolled 4, 3, 6 = 13 (3d6)>>5901708
Rolled 4, 4 = 8 (2d6)>>5901708
>>5901716>>5901748>21 Pushing it there, huh? Good thing you didn't fuck up. Writing.
>>5901748>>5901716THAT MAKES 21, BITCHWE BLACKJACK NOW
>>5901203Just a coincidence that the Handler invested in the one house that doesn't always winI'd piss blood too. "God forbid they should make a mistake and forget to steal."
"Okay. We're going to buy those two goobers some time. Hope you guys are good at saying a whole lotta nothing." "I guess I can try?" Ashley shrugs. "Oh? So like a press conference? Trust me, not my first time in THAT rodeo." Max nods her head. "Let's do this."The three of you stumble out of the office, spilling right back out onto the ground floor of the casino. Marla's already making a beeline back to her office. Fuck. You turn to look at Max and Ashley, "Well? The fuck are we going to talk to her about?" "Let me handle it. You guys just follow along with whatever I say, okay?" Max snaps her fingers. "Got it?" You and Ashley share looks between each other but you don't exactly have a better idea. Not like you have time to discuss because Marla is already about to walk past the three of you. Max quickly steps in front of her to get her attention. "Hm?" Marla screeches to a halt to avoid knocking right into Max. "Golly, I appreciate what you told me but I really do have to go back to work. Could you, uh, move? Please?"Max takes a moment to clear her voice with some rather forceful coughs before giving Marla some disturbingly intense eye contact. "Of course you have to go back to work. However, may I interest you in...cowboy insurance? It's the hottest thing being sold by K-Corp right now!" "What." "What?" "Huh?" You, Marla, and Ashley respond with the exact same tone of mild confusion. It's honestly quite impressive. "You see, cowboys are quite the dangerous thing here in this fine City! R-Company is one of the most well known paramilitary organizations, so you surely need some protection if you happen to slight one! So, K-Corp has decided to sell high quality Cowboy Insurance JUST FOR YOU!" Max jabs a finger right into Marla's chest. "How does it sound? Safety from all manner of Cowboy and Cowboy related things!" Ashley looks at you with an expression that increasingly gets more and more confused. <"I know we're supposed to help her but how the hell do we respond to that?"> You simply shrug at what you heard in Ashley's mind. "Dunno."Once the cogs in Marla's head start to turn, she seems offended than anything else. "What's wrong with cowboys? I mean, sure, I prefer snow over sand any day of the week but cowboys are cool! I don't need protection from them!" "Ah! But you see, what if I told you we also have Cowboy Cowboy Insurance? Insurance with Cowboys, for Cowboys?" Max pulls out a business card and quickly scribbles something onto it before stuffing it into Marla's hand. "Take a look!" Marla does so, seemingly still in a state of shock from whatever schizophrenic pitch Max made up.>21! PASS!Whatever she's writing on there is a LOT to read. You spot Adam and Benjamin sneaking out of the office with something in hand but before you can figure out what, Marla speaks up. "Okay, that's enough. Again. Thank you for helping but I really need to go back to my station." She pushes right past your group.
As you watch her walk away, Adam and Benjamin rejoin your group. Adam holds up his phone, "We managed to download some footage off of the system. Take a look." Your group huddles around him in order to watch it. It's still pretty shoddy quality wise but you manage to make out a few things of note. On one of the VIP floors (you assume given the better furnishings such as leather chairs and chandeliers), Casey is talking with that fox-headed girl. There's no audio but from what you can make out, it seems to be involving some sort of paperwork that Kana is shoving at her face. The two continue to yell at each other but it doesn't seem to be an argument. Both are INCREDIBLY worried about whatever that paperwork is showing. Kana then disappears off camera. Casey proceeds to collapse onto a chair with her hands on her head, sweating bullets. The footage then cuts off from there. Interesting. "What the hell could they be worried about?" Ashley is the first one to prop the question. "Probably something about their money situation somehow?" Adam gives a half shrug. "That's all I could think of. You don't look THAT worried when showing someone paperwork unless you're fucked." "I concur." Max nods along. "Doesn't make any sense, though. She could've faked the numbers if she wanted to, right?" "Maybe we're misreading the situation. It could be about something completely different. Maybe some memo from the higher ups of this place?" Benjamin offers his own idea. No one can really come to a conclusion on which is the right answer...which should hopefully be solved by actually talking to Casey. "Let's go talk to her. We could talk ourselves in circles all day but it's not going to get us anywhere." You point out to the others. Your allies nod along, not really having a better idea on how to handle this situation. Your group proceeds to make a beeline to the VIP section's stairs. The guards notice Max and quickly move to the side, letting you pass. Odd but you won't dwell on it too long. The first floor of the VIP section is an overly haughty mess of golden chandlers, tacky decorations, and the same gambling tables as the regular floor but with some sprucing up applied. Crowds of people in tacky suits and dresses crowd around the tables with the same fervor as the soulless gambling addicts only a floor below. The only thing that really appeals to you is the oddly calming music being played on the speakers. Given the weird looks being given to you by the rich clientele here, it's clear your group stand out like a sore thumb (with the exception of Max). Your group carries on to the second floor. Same thing as the first VIP floor but with a different crowd. You do spot someone else who stands out in the crowd of suits and high class dresses. A young and modestly dressed woman paces around in a large lounge area, seemingly having too much energy to sit down. You found your target. Your group moves in to confront her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0t2qsIrfIo - CASEY'S THEME She's a rather bland looking girl, appearance wise. She's dressed in a simple yellow dress shirt (with a loosely tied black and yellow tie) and brown slacks. Her hair has an off-yellow color, almost reminding you of the color of beewax than a natural hair color. It's tied in a simple ponytail that's almost cute looking. She stops pacing around the mostly empty lounge area. She perks up a bit upon seeing you and flashes a cheerful smile that would be comforting if it wasn't for her eyes. There's no light behind them. Completely vacant, you don't even really detect any thoughts in her head. Your mind reading is just returning a complete blank here.[ANOMALOUS ???] You don't feel anything anomalous about her?Glancing at Benjamin and Ashley, neither of them seem to notice anything out of the ordinary about her besides the obvious. She grips a notepad in her hand. "Hello, dear customers! What happens to be the issue? Are the refreshments not to your standards? Are you having a hard time finding the restroom? Perhaps you wish to make a complaint about how the staff are treating you?" Her voice is sickly sweet, saccharine even. She's buzzing with nervous energy. "We here at Clover Suite wish for the customer to have the BEST experience possible!"What do you want to question her about? Pick up to three.>"Would you have happened to recall anything about an incident involving a sponsor of this suite?" Something about how vague the Handler was about what happened here is rubbing you the wrong way.>"Could you tell us anything about the staff that works here?" While you got a general idea on their roles, more information is always better. (She'll tell you about all of them but WRITE IN the one you want to learn the most about.)>[PARTY FAVORS] "We may or may not heard some rumors about some skeezy business going on here. Know anything?" Hand over one of the pills to her. Putting some pressure on her might make her spill something juicy. (-1 PARTY FAVOR, very likely to get more information than the normal options.)>"Who does your casino associate with? I want to make sure I'm spending my money in a place I can trust!" Try to see if there's any potential shady third parties who could meddling with things.>"What's up with the, uh, weird look?" Something about her is rubbing you off something FIERCE. It might be impolite but god, you have to know.>"I saw a Dealer get dragged out because he cheated. Not to be rude but...isn't that how casinos normally work?" Try to understand why the casino bosses are doing the exact opposite of how casinos should operate.>[SECURITY FOOTAGE FOUND] "We're actually quite worried about the financial health of this casino, actually." Pry into that incident you saw on the cameras. Get her to spill about what's actually going on with the money here. (Due to finding the footage, you skip the skill check assigned to this.)>Write in.
>>5901987>"Would you have happened to recall anything about an incident involving a sponsor of this suite?" Something about how vague the Handler was about what happened here is rubbing you the wrong way.>"What's up with the, uh, weird look?" Something about her is rubbing you off something FIERCE. It might be impolite but god, you have to know.>[SECURITY FOOTAGE FOUND] "We're actually quite worried about the financial health of this casino, actually." Pry into that incident you saw on the cameras. Get her to spill about what's actually going on with the money here. (Due to finding the footage, you skip the skill check assigned to this.)Yup, we definitely NEED to hire her after we are done with this mission. It is absolutely essential to hire her, our entire existence depends on it. Our lives will be meaningless without her.
>>5901987>She stops pacing around the mostly empty lounge area. She perks up a bit upon seeing you and flashes a cheerful smile that would be comforting if it wasn't for her eyes. There's no light behind them. Completely vacant, you don't even really detect any thoughts in her head. Your mind reading is just returning a complete blank here.is she not a human?
Come to think of it, maybe Casey is a potential secret mastermind who uses his cuteness to manipulate people into not thinking she is the culprit?
>>5901987>>[SECURITY FOOTAGE FOUND] "We're actually quite worried about the financial health of this casino, actually." Pry into that incident you saw on the cameras. Get her to spill about what's actually going on with the money here. (Due to finding the footage, you skip the skill check assigned to this.)
>>5902027Actually, change to +1, didn't read it all
>>5901987>"Would you have happened to recall anything about an incident involving a sponsor of this suite?" Something about how vague the Handler was about what happened here is rubbing you the wrong way.>"Who does your casino associate with? I want to make sure I'm spending my money in a place I can trust!" Try to see if there's any potential shady third parties who could meddling with things.>"I saw a Dealer get dragged out because he cheated. Not to be rude but...isn't that how casinos normally work?" Try to understand why the casino bosses are doing the exact opposite of how casinos should operate.
>>5902027+1
>>5901987Dang, this encounter takes me all the way back.>"Who does your casino associate with? I want to make sure I'm spending my money in a place I can trust!" Try to see if there's any potential shady third parties who could meddling with things.This is the option that best speaks THE CORPORATE TONGUE, like she is doing here.>[SECURITY FOOTAGE FOUND] "We're actually quite worried about the financial health of this casino, actually." Pry into that incident you saw on the cameras. Get her to spill about what's actually going on with the money here. (Due to finding the footage, you skip the skill check assigned to this.)>"Would you have happened to recall anything about an incident involving a sponsor of this suite?" Something about how vague the Handler was about what happened here is rubbing you the wrong way.
>>5901987>"Would you have happened to recall anything about an incident involving a sponsor of this suite?" Something about how vague the Handler was about what happened here is rubbing you the wrong way.>[SECURITY FOOTAGE FOUND] "We're actually quite worried about the financial health of this casino, actually." Pry into that incident you saw on the cameras. Get her to spill about what's actually going on with the money here. (Due to finding the footage, you skip the skill check assigned to this.)>"Who does your casino associate with? I want to make sure I'm spending my money in a place I can trust!" Try to see if there's any potential shady third parties who could meddling with things.
>>5901987>"Would you have happened to recall anything about an incident involving a sponsor of this suite?" Something about how vague the Handler was about what happened here is rubbing you the wrong way.>"Who does your casino associate with? I want to make sure I'm spending my money in a place I can trust!" Try to see if there's any potential shady third parties who could meddling with things.>"I saw a Dealer get dragged out because he cheated. Not to be rude but...isn't that how casinos normally work?" Try to understand why the casino bosses are doing the exact opposite of how casinos should operate.No thoughts head empty
Part of you really wants to know why she's so weird but you have to focus on the actual practical questions here. The one that you're itching to ask is simple: did the Handler even talk to anyone here properly? "Would you happen to recall an incident involving a sponsor of this suite? One in a burgundy suit?"Casey manages to keep up the vacant customer service intact for now, "If there was any recent incident involving any of our sponsorships, I am sadly unaware of it! Our sponsors are quite happy for the most part-" She scrunches up her face with a look of intense concentration. "Nngh-"Adam snaps his fingers at her, "Miss. Are you okay?""Fuh!" Casey snaps back to reality. "Sorry, sorry! I just remembered! Burgundy? We did see a man with that description a few days ago!" She shakes her head in an attempt to regain her focus. "Our head accountant was the one who talked to him. He left in a huff after that."Max raises an eyebrow. "Wait, huh? Did Clover know anything about this? Isn't he, like, the head honcho or something of this joint?""Uh huh! But, no, most of our sponsors go through her! She's the one who handles all of those fancy contracts! Clover usually leaves all of that fancy stuff to her!" Casey replies in a sing-song tone. "I sadly don't know a lot of details of what they talked about!"It's all trailing back to this damn "Kana" figure somehow, huh? "Well, speaking about your sponsors, who DOES your casino associate with? I wanna know I'm spending my money in a trustworthy place!"Casey's smile instantly swaps into a frown. Tears begin to well in the corner of her eyes, "O-of course we're tr-trustworthy! W-we only associate with the most t-t-t-trustworthy of people!" She almost loses her grip on her notepad. The hell is her deal?[GULLIBLE] Benjamin immediately goes in to calm her down. He pats her on the back, "There there. We're sorry, okay? We don't have to talk about this if you don't want to." Benjamin turns to look at the group. "Let's choose another topic, okay-"Ashley butts in, "Uh, no. Not until she tells us."Benjamin scoffs, "Are we REALLY going to talk to a girl who's on the verge of tears?"The glares the two are giving each other starts to suffocate the atmosphere of this conversation. While Max hesitates to say anything, Adam grits his teeth and steps in to break the conflict."Look. We're an associate of a sponsor who may or may not be interested in working for this place. We need to know this so we can assess the risk-benefit ratio of a potential arrangement. That's all."Ashley and Benjamin scoff but decide it's not worth it to argue over this point, given how Casey instantly lightens back up. "Oh! In that case, we have four associates! A Mr. Foxtort, a Mr. Sukane, a Ms. Wiltshire, and a Ms. Anjaro!" You recognize none of those names but you see Max's expression sour almost immediately.<"Fuck, an Anjaro? Hopefully I don't have to see one of those cunts any time soon.">
"Mind telling us anything about them or...just gonna name drop it like we know who they are?" Adam taps his foot impatiently. "We're not psychics. We can't exactly read your mind here." Your face scrunches up at the comment. IT'S NOT LIKE YOU CAN EITHER! <"Calm down, Nicole."> Ashley's thought catches your attention. Fine. Calm down you will."Mmh. Oh! Mr. Foxtort visited a few days ago! I think he's the one in the jacket you were talking about? He's a very mean man." Casey's smile instantly droops again. "I don't like him. I don't even mind l-" She stops herself. "Nevermind." "Mr. Sukane mostly talks to Kana! I don't really know him that well but they had a pretty heated discussion. Something about money problems? I-I-I wouldn't know, of course!" It's blatantly obvious she's lying through her teeth here. The others (sans Benjamin) can barely hide their contempt at her obvious lie. "Ms. Anjaro hasn't...been visiting lately. Last time I saw her was about three months ago? T-though I'm sure she's still sending us money!" Uh huh. "An-and...same goes for, uh, Ms. Wiltshire. Heh. V-very trustworthy people, yes!" "Oh! Okay!" Benjamin chirps out. "Very trustworthy indeed." "Y-yeah! See! Very trustworthy! Anything else you would like to know, dear customers?" She's sweating bullets despite how softball your questions have been. It's clear that there's been issues with the sponsors if they haven't been seen in a while. "Uh huh. Look, let's cut to the chase here." You take a step closer to Casey. "We're actually quite worried about the financial health of this casino, actually." "W-what? We're doing quite well, thank you very much!" Casey is trying her damn best to keep up her smile. "Sure, we haven't seen two of our biggest sponsors in a while but maybe they're just busy!" "Guys, we really shouldn't be talking about-" Max quickly covers Benjamin's mouth with her hand. He huffs indignantly but doesn't struggle against her. "Is that so?" A low chuckle comes out of Ashley. "Then explain why you were having that whole conversation with Kana earlier? Marla might've shown us something interesting." >AUTOMATIC SUCCESS!The mere mention of this instantly shatters any attempt at a cheerful façade that Casey was trying to put up. "I-I, uh, y-you see, well, actually, uh, well-" She's trembling like a baby bird that fell out of the nest. Nervous sweat coats her forehead as she tries to think of something to say. She completely crumples after a few minutes. She sits down on one of the empty longue chairs to try to collect any sense of composure, "I'm sorry. I really am. S-she told me I shouldn't say anything about this to anyone." Finally, you're getting somewhere.Adam sighs, "I assume this is about Kana. This place isn't as profitable as it seems, huh?" A small laugh trickles out the back of his throat. "I was in your shoes. I get it." "T-then you get why I didn't want to say anything."
"I do. It's hard to admit, isn't it?" Adam kneels down next to the barely holding together Casey. "I'm a businessman. I get the struggle of running one. You can vent to me." "Something doesn't add up. This place is bustling." Max gestures with her free hand at the crowds of people flooding the VIP floor. "There was a massive line to get in here and there's people everywhere. How could it NOT be profitable?" "Well, uh, I-I don't know the specifics. It's out of my paygrade, heh." Casey takes a deep breath. "B-but from what I know, Kana's been fiddling with a l-lot of paperwork to make us, uh, more profitable to sponsors. Than we normally seem. That's what she was arguing with me about. We barely made a 4-5% profit margin this month.""Wait. So if you gathered four million for example," Adam takes a moment to calculate what she means by that. "Only a profit of two hundred thousand? How are your margins that bad???" Max can't hide how dumbfounded she is. "W-we here at Clover Suite promise a co-completely fair and honest gambling experience! No tricks, only y-your honest luck!" Casey tries her best to sing out what sounds like a catchy slogan. "And, uh, well. That's, you know, not good for profit!" The genuine sweetness in her tone nearly made you burst out laughing with how mismatched it is. "Your sponsors don't know about this, do they? Does Clover?" Ashley glances around as she tries to process this information. "It sounds like people think this place is a lot more profitable than it is.""I, uh, a lot of sponsors have been asking for their payments but money's been a bit tight and, well, when you can't pay them there's issues and-" Casey begins to blabber faster and faster until all that's coming out of her mouth is a mush of nothing. Well, shit, no wonder why the Handler was getting shady paperwork if it's been intentionally messed with. "-And if we seem more profitable than more people would invest so we could try recovering from the sponsors we lost and-" This puts you in quite the pickle. Your Handler wants the money he thinks is being stolen from him but if Casey is being fully honest, then they simply don't have a lot of money to offer. The vault might still have some but who knows if the casino could handle losing the money you'd steal?You take a moment to think on how to proceed from here...
>You're not being paid to keep the casino afloat. You're here to complete a job. It's their fault for being deceitful. Head over to the VAULT and stalk that out. (You'd likely earn a far better profit and it's probably the easiest out of the options here.)>Kana seems to be the one causing all of the problems here. Confront her on her bullshit and try to get the paperwork to prove her tomfuckery to the Handler so he can cut his losses. (Getting the paperwork will probably get the Handler to view you more positively for getting him out of a bad deal.)>Considering all of this talk about Clover, you sorta don't want his business collapsing by no fault of his own. Head over to confront him and tell him about the situation going on behind his back. (You imagine the casino staff will view you a lot more favorably for helping them out.)>Perhaps there can be a better option for everyone involved? Try to confront Kana and Clover, try to find a solution that doesn't end up in the place shutting down OR the Handler leaving. (This will be pretty hard but you'd imagine you'll earn the favor of both the Handler and the casino staff.)>"Hey, hey, it's okay. Maybe you can try helping us solve this?" Try to get Casey to help you. It's clear she's worrying herself sick over this. (FREE ACTION, CHARM DC 18, rolling 6d6 with Max's assistance. You'll get her contact information either way but on success, she'll help you during this mission for free.)>Write in.
>>5903175>Perhaps there can be a better option for everyone involved? Try to confront Kana and Clover, try to find a solution that doesn't end up in the place shutting down OR the Handler leaving. (This will be pretty hard but you'd imagine you'll earn the favor of both the Handler and the casino staff.)>"Hey, hey, it's okay. Maybe you can try helping us solve this?" Try to get Casey to help you. It's clear she's worrying herself sick over this. (FREE ACTION, CHARM DC 18, rolling 6d6 with Max's assistance. You'll get her contact information either way but on success, she'll help you during this mission for free.)
>>5903171Haha, I knew it.>Perhaps there can be a better option for everyone involved? Try to confront Kana and Clover, try to find a solution that doesn't end up in the place shutting down OR the Handler leaving. (This will be pretty hard but you'd imagine you'll earn the favor of both the Handler and the casino staff.)Ideas include having more games of skill with skilled house players, non-monetary prizes (anime girl gacha, why not), or just abandoning fairness.>"Hey, hey, it's okay. Maybe you can try helping us solve this?" Try to get Casey to help you. It's clear she's worrying herself sick over this. (FREE ACTION, CHARM DC 18, rolling 6d6 with Max's assistance. You'll get her contact information either way but on success, she'll help you during this mission for free.)
>>5903255+1
>>5903175>Considering all of this talk about Clover, you sorta don't want his business collapsing by no fault of his own. Head over to confront him and tell him about the situation going on behind his back. (You imagine the casino staff will view you a lot more favorably for helping them out.)>"Hey, hey, it's okay. Maybe you can try helping us solve this?" Try to get Casey to help you. It's clear she's worrying herself sick over this. (FREE ACTION, CHARM DC 18, rolling 6d6 with Max's assistance. You'll get her contact information either way but on success, she'll help you during this mission for free.)
>>5903255>Ideas include having more games of skill with skilled house players, non-monetary prizes (anime girl gacha, why not), Support
>>5903175>Kana seems to be the one causing all of the problems here. Confront her on her bullshit and try to get the paperwork to prove her tomfuckery to the Handler so he can cut his losses. (Getting the paperwork will probably get the Handler to view you more positively for getting him out of a bad deal.)>"Hey, hey, it's okay. Maybe you can try helping us solve this?" Try to get Casey to help you. It's clear she's worrying herself sick over this. (FREE ACTION, CHARM DC 18, rolling 6d6 with Max's assistance. You'll get her contact information either way but on success, she'll help you during this mission for free.)
>>5903570+1
CONFRONT KANA + CLOVER: 3Ji, AxO, m8fCONFRONT CLOVER: QnBCONFRONT KANA: ky+, WeOCASEY COME JOIN US: ALLNearly miscounted WeO's vote but overall ,it seems like trying to confront Kana and Clover just barely edges out over just dealing with Kana. Alright. Two anons, roll 3d6 to see if CASEY is willing to come along with you or not.
Rolled 1, 2, 5 = 8 (3d6)>>5903952Rollan
Rolled 3, 5, 6 = 14 (3d6)Roland
>>5903954>>5903956Jesus, you're doing remarkably well so far. It seems like the only thing you REALLY needed to be bailed out of was...gambling.Funny how a rigged game is the only one you needed to use resources on. Writing.
Fuck it, you have a knack for making things way harder for yourself than they need to be. You're not really sure why but a part of you feels a near endless amount of pity for this situation. A casino, in the City, trying to be fair and ultimately getting into hot water over low profits. It doesn't really help matters when there's a girl having a mild panic attack right across from you over the whole situation. You sigh. Fuck, you really wish the voices in your head could offer a convincing argument to not do this. Alas, you're too sober for them to offer any assistance. You resolve yourself to try unfucking this situation by dealing with Kana AND Clover. At least you have the security cameras fiddled with if you desperately need to complete the mission. Realistically, you'd imagine it'll be harder to do that since the staff is getting more aware of your presence but it is your backup plan.You kneel down to get to eye level with Casey. She was already pretty short so you have to kneel real low now that she's sitting down. "Hey, hey, it's going to be okay," Your voice takes on a softer quality than you expected. "Everything's going to work out, okay?" This gets Casey to look up at you but you get no other response. Well, outside of a few hiccups out of her. Max lets go of Benjamin and kneels down next to you while the others (except for Ashley, who turns her gaze away) watch on, "We're here to help. If you can help us, we can try fixing everything going on here. Who knows, maybe it's an easy problem to solve with your assistance?"You nod along. "Yeah. It's not all doom and gloom. I've done a lot of shit over the last week. Everyone except for Max can attest to that first hand." You get a chorus of nods, hums, and platitudes. Max squints a bit but nods along, "Exactly. All it might take is a bit of initiative to see the change you want to see. Don't you want to be a part of improving this place? To be a productive worker?" >22! PASS! Casey instantly snaps out of her depressive slump the moment she hears those words. She quickly gathers her things with the same energy of a toddler being told they're going to an amusement park, "Shucks! You're right! Why was I wasting all of this time being a silly little goober worrying about nothing?" "Haha that's totally not creepy, ha." Adam shivers upon seeing the sudden mood shift. Must hit a bit too close to home. "Glad you're happy?" "Indeed! There's no point being sad when you can still do something about it! The crushing realization hits that your inaction has done nothing but harm the business you're working for? Now that's something to cry about for five point seven minutes!" Every word she says is laced with saccharine sweetness. "Does anyone have the time?""Well, from how it felt to me, it's been 26 hours." Benjamin rattles off. "But it's been ten minutes at most?" "Golly! Well, no time to waste!" Casey quickly stands up. "Casey Smith at your service!"
>Casey has joined the party! You will be able to call her on future missions as well.CASEY SMITH FLESH: 2RESTRAINT: 2VIOLENCE: 2TALENT: 4WILLPOWER: 4CHARM: 4CONNECTIONS: 4COGNIZANCE: 2BOONS[OPTIMISTIC SPIRIT] Something about this upbeat ball of energy is oddly motivating despite how weird she acts. While Casey is in the party, you and your party members will occasionally heal RESTRAINT.[CORPORATE DOUBLESPEAK] No matter who she talks to, she's able to make sure they leave a positive review. Any speech check (regardless of stat rolled) will have its DC lowered and will offer better rewards than average.BANES[MERCURICAL] Her mood shifts from upbeat to nervous to sad to upbeat again in a blink of an eye, which is unnerving to interact with. Her mood swings are liable to bring unwarranted attention and cause unnecessary conflict with other allies."Well then. That's cool and all but shouldn't we go bother the others now?" Ashley gestures at you. "You're the boss. Tell us where we're going next. Kana? Clover? The other option?" You flinch at the thinly veiled mention of the heist plan but then you realize Casey's probably too airheaded to process that. "To be honest? I really do want to try fixing all of this. Starting with the paperwork angle, of course." You absolutely plan on talking to Clover first but without Kana being willing to admit her fuckup, you might not have the best leverage to try fixing things. "Casey?" "YES MISS! FOLLOW ME!" She salutes you before making a beeline out of the VIP section with an impressive burst of speed "Fucking hell, how-" "I wish my employees tried that hard..." "Casey! Wait for us, we're not that fast!" "Hehe. Gotta admire her spunk." Your group mutters among each other before trying their best to catch up with her.You can feel hundreds of gazes focusing on your group as you chase after this hyperactive mess of a girl. As you enter the COMMON SECTION, you completely lose her in the fog of cigarette smoke and slot machine lights. You're only able to keep track of her through scanning the minds of nearby people to get a general idea where she's going. Eventually your group stops right outside of Kana's office. You assume it is hers given all of the tacky decorations around it. Two small tables with incense sticks holders sit right outside of her office door, some golden bells are hung right above the door, and a "BEWARE FOX" sign slapped onto the door itself. You turn to look at your allies. Benjamin and Max are huffing and puffing from the run while Adam and Ashley look more annoyed than anything. Casey seems equally tired but she has the same cheery smile as always, "Here we are! She should be inside! C'mon, team, let's move! Move!" She claps her hands. The door suddenly opens up on its own. It creaks back ever so slightly, leaving just enough room to let one person slide in at a- Benjamin just pushes the door open and steps inside. Your group follows after him.
https://youtu.be/S_oxu_16ECM - KANA'S THEME The room you find yourself in is quite odd for an office. It reminds you more of a religious temple, not quite N-Company's religion but something more eastern, for a lack of a proper term. Golden bells, incense, talismans, antique bows, wooden staffs, oddly fancy wooden boxes, etc etc. It clashes with the otherwise bland office desk and chairs scattered throughout. "Ah. I was trying to build some atmosphere. It's quite a shame I failed to do that." A low, calm and alluring voice catches your attention. Sitting behind the office desk is a woman with a very unusual head augment: that being the fact she has a fox's head instead of a normal human head. Reddish brown fur, beady orange eyes, ears on the top of the head, all the works. Her outfit is remarkably tame in comparison. A dark red suit and tie with large gold trimmings along the sleeves tightly hugs her thin body. A light red scarf with a golden bell attached to it is wrapped loosely around her neck. She leans forward, placing her elbows on the table and resting her head on her hands, which are covered with dark red gloves. "...Casey. Why did you bring these five over here? Did you forget where your office was? It's back in the VIP section, remember?" Despite the fact her voice hasn't changed an octave, you can sense a bubbling mixture of anger and FEAR drenching every inch of her psyche. "I'm sorry, dear guests. You know how she can be." "Trust me. We know." Ashley grumbles to herself. "Hey, that's not nice! She's a coworker! Be nice to her!" Benjamin lets out an annoyed sigh. "Besides. We have something to talk about." "Let's not try to be coy here," Adam clenches his fists. "We're here to talk to YOU. You can guess why, can't you?" Max is trying her best to keep her composure, "Degenerate. I don't get why my kind does this to themselves. Do you not care about the fact you look like a FREAK?" Casey looks away from Kana, not even able to gather the strength to directly confront her. "S-sorry." You can't quite read her facial expression given the head augment but her snout scrunches up, "I don't believe I understand what you're talking about." <"I've been doing everything to keep this place afloat yet this whole plan is going to crumble...because of her?"> "Casey might've told you some wild tales but everything is as well as it could be. She doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut." "And to you, Ms. Krakatoa? I wouldn't be so hasty in calling other people degenerates. Stay in your lane." Kana flashes rows of jagged, razor sharp teeth. "At least I don't look like a fucking abomination." Max clenches her fists. "All of that money wasted and for what? You know people like you get laughed by everyone else, right?"[OVERCORRECTION] "Okay, okay, okay! Both of you are degenerates, okay?" Adam steps in between the two. "It doesn't matter! Put aside your weird rich people fantasies-"
This only gets Kana and Max to stare daggers at him. The atmosphere quickly gets caked in a thick layer of hostility. Shit, you're going to need to defuse this before it gets any worse. How do you want to handle this conversation?>[MAX ALLY] "Listen. We're on the behalf of another sponsor. A very rich one. I'd say calm down and let's talk this out." Try to convince her you're here to get her out of her financial troubles. (CONNECTIONS DC: 17 (-2 from CASEY), rolling 5d6 with Max's assistance. Pass and she'll warm up to your presence, willing to work with you during your talks with Clover. Failure will make probably sour her real quick and get you kicked right out of her office.)>[CASEY ALLY] "We're actually here to make a simple business proposal. Due to the nature of this business' continuing loss of profit, we-" Overwhelm her with corporate buzzwords and telling her what she wants to hear. (CONNECTIONS DC: 14 (-2 from CASEY) rolling 5d6 with Casey's assistance. Pass and while Kana probably won't directly help you, she'll offer to do some work behind the scenes to slightly improve your odds down the line. No clue what happens on failure!)>[PARTY FAVOR] You don't know if Clover would take any of these but Kana might. Hand them over to Kana. (FREE ACTION, -ALL PARTY FAVORS. The next skill check you make will have its DC lowered by 3.)>[ASHLEY ALLY] "Enough talk. A Mr. Foxtrot sent me over here because apparently, a certain fox told me he couldn't return here. Now, how would Clover feel if he heard that?" Grab her by the metaphorical throat. You need her to understand the shit she got herself into. (Automatic success. The fear of getting her shit kicked in will get her to fall in line and help you but it might make the talks with Clover more complicated.)>[ADAM ALLY] "This isn't the first business I recovered, you know? We're just here to help everyone here" Try to convince her you genuinely are here to help this business. (CHARM DC: 20 (-2 thanks to CASEY), rolling 6d6 with Adam's help. Pass and Kana's guard is likely to lower a lot, offering valuable information on how Clover works and tips on how to break the news gently to Clover. Failure and she'll stonewall you, only offering mild bits of info before kicking you out.)>You have something else to say. (What do you want to say to her? Depending on what you say, you'll get differing rewards and DCs. Write in.)>Write in.Sorry for the delayed update and for the repeated delete + repost of this, had to fix some errors and things I forgot. Updates should be a bit faster down the line, goodnight.
>>5904097>[MAX ALLY] "Listen. We're on the behalf of another sponsor. A very rich one. I'd say calm down and let's talk this out." Try to convince her you're here to get her out of her financial troubles. (CONNECTIONS DC: 17 (-2 from CASEY), rolling 5d6 with Max's assistance. Pass and she'll warm up to your presence, willing to work with you during your talks with Clover. Failure will make probably sour her real quick and get you kicked right out of her office.)
>>5904097>[ADAM ALLY] "This isn't the first business I recovered, you know? We're just here to help everyone here" Try to convince her you genuinely are here to help this business. (CHARM DC: 20 (-2 thanks to CASEY), rolling 6d6 with Adam's help. Pass and Kana's guard is likely to lower a lot, offering valuable information on how Clover works and tips on how to break the news gently to Clover. Failure and she'll stonewall you, only offering mild bits of info before kicking you out.)It's actually a bit easier to beat 20 on 6d6 than 17 on 5d6. Odds of success are 63.69%
>>5904137But just because the success rates are easier doesn't mean that's the solution we want in-quest
>>5904129Change >>5904097>[ADAM ALLY] "This isn't the first business I recovered, you know? We're just here to help everyone here" Try to convince her you genuinely are here to help this business. (CHARM DC: 20 (-2 thanks to CASEY), rolling 6d6 with Adam's help. Pass and Kana's guard is likely to lower a lot, offering valuable information on how Clover works and tips on how to break the news gently to Clover. Failure and she'll stonewall you, only offering mild bits of info before kicking you out.)
>>5904168Change again >>5904097>[MAX ALLY] "Listen. We're on the behalf of another sponsor. A very rich one. I'd say calm down and let's talk this out." Try to convince her you're here to get her out of her financial troubles. (CONNECTIONS DC: 17 (-2 from CASEY), rolling 5d6 with Max's assistance. Pass and she'll warm up to your presence, willing to work with you during your talks with Clover. Failure will make probably sour her real quick and get you kicked right out of her office.)
>>5904097>[ASHLEY ALLY] "Enough talk. A Mr. Foxtrot sent me over here because apparently, a certain fox told me he couldn't return here. Now, how would Clover feel if he heard that?" Grab her by the metaphorical throat. You need her to understand the shit she got herself into. (Automatic success. The fear of getting her shit kicked in will get her to fall in line and help you but it might make the talks with Clover more complicated.)
>>5904097>[ADAM ALLY] "This isn't the first business I recovered, you know? We're just here to help everyone here" Try to convince her you genuinely are here to help this business. (CHARM DC: 20 (-2 thanks to CASEY), rolling 6d6 with Adam's help. Pass and Kana's guard is likely to lower a lot, offering valuable information on how Clover works and tips on how to break the news gently to Clover. Failure and she'll stonewall you, only offering mild bits of info before kicking you out.)
>>5904097>>[MAX ALLY] "Listen. We're on the behalf of another sponsor. A very rich one. I'd say calm down and let's talk this out." Try to convince her you're here to get her out of her financial troubles. (CONNECTIONS DC: 17 (-2 from CASEY), rolling 5d6 with Max's assistance. Pass and she'll warm up to your presence, willing to work with you during your talks with Clover. Failure will make probably sour her real quick and get you kicked right out of her office.)
>>5904097>[PARTY FAVOR]>[ADAM ALLY]Genuinely how the fuck is the house losing? The casino is a pure cash generating machine, every rule and game favors the house by fucking design. Everything is lined up, the people, the drugs, the cute girls, etc. WTF is Clover doing???I can forgive embezzlement, but not incompetence.
>>5904097>[ADAM ALLY] "This isn't the first business I recovered, you know? We're just here to help everyone here" Try to convince her you genuinely are here to help this business. (CHARM DC: 20 (-2 thanks to CASEY), rolling 6d6 with Adam's help. Pass and Kana's guard is likely to lower a lot, offering valuable information on how Clover works and tips on how to break the news gently to Clover. Failure and she'll stonewall you, only offering mild bits of info before kicking you out.)>[PARTY FAVOR] You don't know if Clover would take any of these but Kana might. Hand them over to Kana. (FREE ACTION, -ALL PARTY FAVORS. The next skill check you make will have its DC lowered by 3.)
>>5904169Change again 2>>5904097
>>5904669Edit >>5904097>[ADAM ALLY] "This isn't the first business I recovered, you know? We're just here to help everyone here" Try to convince her you genuinely are here to help this business. (CHARM DC: 20 (-2 thanks to CASEY), rolling 6d6 with Adam's help. Pass and Kana's guard is likely to lower a lot, offering valuable information on how Clover works and tips on how to break the news gently to Clover. Failure and she'll stonewall you, only offering mild bits of info before kicking you out.)
ASHLEY: INrADAM: 3Ji, zuL, WqV, AxO, w8LMAX: WeOHope I didn't miss anyone. Also some advice, 3Ji, you can delete and repost your vote instead of having to post seven times to edit your vote.A majority didn't want to use the party favors so, we'll keep those for the next encounter. I need two anons to roll 3d6.
Rolled 6, 1, 5 = 12 (3d6)>>5904805
Rolled 4, 1, 3 = 8 (3d6)>>5904805
>>5904814>>5904822>EXACTLY 20 woaw. Casey really helped you close this deal, huh? Writing.
>>5904823Lucky girl of the casino
>>5904823>>5904842Just barely get CaseyJust barely convince KanaWe're on a roll, baby! We're hot!!!
"ENOUGH." You stomp your foot HARD onto the floor. For a split second, crackles of faint reddish-pink sparks of psychic energy linger on the spot your foot impacted. The cat (well, fox) fighting immediately stops. All eyes are on you now. "Look. I don't care what rich people spat your families are in. Act your age and focus on the bigger task here. We are here to HELP this business out, Kana." "Help?" Kana's expression contorts into a sneer. "I'm doing quite a good enough job keeping this operation running. All offense meant but I don't believe you are the type to offer business advice anyways. Adam simply shakes his head in disagreement, "She might look like a junkie schizophrenia but this isn't her first rodeo with helping a business." Wow, fuck you too. "Casey already told us everything about what's going on too. We know you're bleeding money. You can be honest with us, we really do want to help!" Benjamin pleads to the fox headed woman. "I know it must be stressful-" Kana instantly cuts off Benjamin with a sharp 'tsk'. "Do you think you could actually do anything to help? I've tried everything to keep this bleeding husk of a business running-" She grumbles under her breath. "Fine, fine! I admit it! This place is hemorrhaging money! Happy?" "Again, how?" Max tries her best to suppress her smug tone of voice. "Casinos are pure cash generating machines. Isn't the house always meant to win?" "I would get having low margins if you were in the food industry. You would lure in people with cheap prices so more would visit but..." Adam grumbles to himself. "Seems like a shoddy way to run this place.""Not when the 'House' is a fully grown man who still pretends he's a cowboy! He hasn't lived in R-Corp's district for half a decade, let alone worked there!" Kana snarls with barely restrained spite in her voice. <"Yet why am I still struggling to make this work? Sunk cost? A decade with someone does that..."> "It's like he doesn't understand how any of this is supposed to operate!" "Wait. Adam, low margins, right? Is that actually how he operates things? I keep hearing stuff about 'fairness' and hell, I saw a Dealer get dragged out because he was cheating." You omit the part where you were the reason he got kicked out, of course. "You would be correct, miss...?" "Nicole." "Nicole, yes." Kana lifts her head up, resting her now empty hands on her desk. "You see how this place was packed wall to walk with gamblers? Even moreso than other casinos? That's because he does everything in his power to make this place 'alluring' without considering the cost." "Hiring airheaded employees because customers find them cute?" She jabs a finger at Casey, who quickly slumps over with a frown at the remark. "Rigging the slot machines to give more than they can take because 'random chance isn't fair'? Refusing to let the Dealers cheat in order to get an edge? I could list dozens of things he's done to ruin our margins!"
"All because apparently, he doesn't want to run a casino properly. It's justice this, fairness and skill there, it's all just-" Kana groans and promptly slams her head into her desk out of frustration; her ears flatten against her head. A squeaky whine is the only sound coming out of her now. "I'm not good at this. I'll wait outside." Ashley promptly takes her leave. Your other allies mumble to each other, discussing how to continue from here. You step over to Kana's desk and lean against it. You take a deep breath to help focus. "Look. I get your struggle, I do. But all of this paper fudging and sponsor lying is going to sink this place even faster. Have you even thought of talking to Clover about this?" You promptly get hissed at for asking this. "No! I-fuck." Any anger that she felt dissipates immediately. "I don't know how to tell him about this. If I was able to talk to him, we wouldn't be in this situation.Adam grabs an empty chair and places it in front of Kana's desk, promptly sitting down to face her. "I get that. You know, I was in your shoes once too. Do you know what happened when I let a problem festered?" Adam forces out a chuckle. "I was probably going to get stabbed by my own friend. Do you want THAT to happen?" "NO!" Kana slams her fists into the table, instantly silencing the discussion your three idle allies were having. "I-I want this to work but-" "Then let us help. You've done all you could do to make things work in your own way. We can do the rest." "Y-yeah." Casey joins in the conversation. "I don't like lying to people. Clover wouldn't want us to lie on his behalf." >20! Something about what Casey said snaps something into place in Kana's mind. "Yeah." Kana solemnly nods. "You're right." Kana forces herself to sit upright and to make eye contact with you and Adam. "If you're going to help me, you need to know how he ticks." Your allies crowd around Kana's desk with eager expressions. Kana tenses up at the sudden crowd but after a moment, words spill out of her with ease. "First and foremost, he's still a kid at heart. He's still in that mindscape where everything is about having 'fun with his fwiends'. Hell, most of our top staff were hired because we were his friends." "Seems like a poor way of getting competent staff but continue." Max says with a bit too much snark in her voice.Kana tries to object but she quickly deflates, "I can't refute that. You're right.""Sorry." Max quickly loses the snark after seeing the lack of bite in Kana's words. "Pretend I didn't say that, please." "Granted." Kana nods. "Now, you're probably not going to convince him to drop the 'fairness' thing. I would've done so if I could. That's the only thing he really refuses to budge on. As long the outcome is fair, he's willing to abide by it if you can convince him.""Shot in the dark but..." Something clicks for Benjamin. "Could we get him to do whatever we want if we beat him?"
"Good luck doing that. What he lacks in actual business sense, he makes up with insane talent. If you could manage to find something you could beat him at? He would be more than willing to listen." "The last thing I can say? Go big or go home." Kana leans back into her chair. "Good luck. If you fail then, well, who knows?" "You can trust us, okay?" You try your best to offer a comforting smile. "I refuse to let another fuck up happen on my watch." Adam nods. "We'll make it work." Kana doesn't bother to respond. <"I'm trusting a homeless looking girl and her five pals. I truly am hopeless, huh?> Your group takes the silent treatment as a hint to get the hell out of here. With nothing else to do but to confront the man himself, your group makes a (less hectic) beeline over to his office. There's no more discussion needed between you and your allies so without any further ado, you kick the door open. Go big or go home, right? Adam and Ashley are quickly regretting where this is going by the looks on their face but it's too late to turn back now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvd5Mrjq3jc - TENSION You immediately regret doing so when you feel the piercing glare of seven people straight right at your soul. The office you stumbled into is remarkably empty aside from a fuckoff huge table in the center and the seven people staring at you. Though your attention is firmly planted on the big man himself at the back of the room. His sharp yellow eyes focus into pinpricks when he sees you. He firmly adjusts the checkered black and yellow scarf around his neck. You can't make out much of his frame thanks to the bulky brown poncho covering his whole body but a simple glance into his mind tells you the obvious: Six bullets. One for each of you. You have a feeling he won't miss. "Casey?" His grizzled voice chokes out the name with equal parts confusion and worry. "Are they bothering ya? I told ya that ya don't need me to handle every nasty customer for ya, darling." "N-No, actually, I wanted to help them talk to you!" Casey chirps out. "They really, really, really wanted to talk to you and frankly I think that listening to them would be a good idea and I'm sorry to bother you and Riley and Melody and-" "Enough, enough. You're gonna rattle my head with all that dang racket." He raises a hand up, promptly causing Casey to shut up. "Now. Make your case. If she's so fired up on your behalf, y'all must have something good to say." "Nicole." Ashley nods her head towards the door. "We should leave. We shouldn't be here." Benjamin hums a small tune while he thinks, "Beating him, huh? What if..." Max and Adam are busy discussing potential business pitches to acknowledge you.Casey does her best to keep a winning smile, "You should tell him the truth."
What angle do you want to try with your conversation with Clover? If you can manage to get him onto your side, you imagine the mission could end here and now. >[BENJAMIN ALLY] "Partner. How about we play a game of cards?" Nod your head at Benjamin. Let's give him a chance to fulfill his fantasy. (You'll enter a high stakes gamble with him. Win and upon on winning some decent money, you'll be able to ask him to do whatever you want without resistance. You don't want to lose if you pick this.)>[TALKED TO HIS STAFF] "Kana's been worried sick, you know?" It's best to go right for his heart. You doubt a business angle would work with him. (You'll have to be very careful about your following words if you go down this path but you'll likely earn a LOT of respect from the others if you manage to talk him down this way.)>[ADAM + MAX ALLY] "See, partner, we got a proposal. Something to make things more interesting." Try to convince him on a way to improve his business while still following his rules. (Write in your pitch. Depending on what you pitch, the following skill checks to convince him to implement will be harder or easier.)>"Look. I was sent here by a sponsor of yours..." Tell him the flat and honest truth about why you were sent here and how fucked everything else. >[MANAGED TO KEEP YOUR WEAPONS] Go big or go home, huh? Quickly draw your revolver and blow that stupid cowboy hat off his head. That'll get everyone's attention. (FREE ACTION, TALENT DC: 22, rolling only your 5d6. Pass and your brazen display will instantly get his respect, unlocking options down in the other paths. Failure and, well, you don't want to imagine what happens if you accidently hit him.)>Write in
>>5905024>.357 REVOLVER (The Boss' favorite gun. Feels insanely satisfying to use and has a small chance of healing RESTRAINT when fired. Attacks made with it roll TALENT+3. Uses REVOLVER BULLETS)We have implants and white powder to increase talents.>ADRENALINE IMPLANT (A small chip that produces an emergency supply of adrenaline. (Comes with two charges. Regains one per mission. You may spend a charge to add +2d8 to a VIOLENCE or TALENT check, or to heal 2 FLESH)>WHITE POWDER x3 (Of course a rich guy has this. Boost VIOLENCE and TALENT by 2 and heals 1 RESTRAINT, damages your FLESH on use.)OUR STATUS EFFECTS:RASPBERRY SINSU (-1 FLESH DAMAGE TAKEN) MEDICATED (Unstable Psyche is disabled and your other internal voices will be quieter.)https://pastebin.com/3y638TfK
>>5905024>[MANAGED TO KEEP YOUR WEAPONS]DRAW!>[BENJAMIN ALLY]GO BIG OR GO TO HELL!
>>5905024>[BENJAMIN ALLY] "Partner. How about we play a game of cards?" Nod your head at Benjamin. Let's give him a chance to fulfill his fantasy. (You'll enter a high stakes gamble with him. Win and upon on winning some decent money, you'll be able to ask him to do whatever you want without resistance. You don't want to lose if you pick this.)>[MANAGED TO KEEP YOUR WEAPONS] Go big or go home, huh? Quickly draw your revolver and blow that stupid cowboy hat off his head. That'll get everyone's attention. (FREE ACTION, TALENT DC: 22, rolling only your 5d6. Pass and your brazen display will instantly get his respect, unlocking options down in the other paths. Failure and, well, you don't want to imagine what happens if you accidently hit him.)>.357 REVOLVER (The Boss' favorite gun. Feels insanely satisfying to use and has a small chance of healing RESTRAINT when fired. Attacks made with it roll TALENT+3. Uses REVOLVER BULLETS)Use >ADRENALINE IMPLANT (A small chip that produces an emergency supply of adrenaline. (Comes with two charges. Regains one per mission. You may spend a charge to add +2d8 to a VIOLENCE or TALENT check, or to heal 2 FLESH)Use one charge. TALENT>WHITE POWDER x3 (Of course a rich guy has this. Boost VIOLENCE and TALENT by 2 and heals 1 RESTRAINT, damages your FLESH on use.)Use one
>>5905024>[TALKED TO HIS STAFF] "Kana's been worried sick, you know?" It's best to go right for his heart. You doubt a business angle would work with him. (You'll have to be very careful about your following words if you go down this path but you'll likely earn a LOT of respect from the others if you manage to talk him down this way.)>[MANAGED TO KEEP YOUR WEAPONS] Go big or go home, huh? Quickly draw your revolver and blow that stupid cowboy hat off his head. That'll get everyone's attention. (FREE ACTION, TALENT DC: 22, rolling only your 5d6. Pass and your brazen display will instantly get his respect, unlocking options down in the other paths. Failure and, well, you don't want to imagine what happens if you accidently hit him.)Use all our stat boosters
>>5905093Wait are your say we should use all our stat boosters?It will be completely wasted of resources use all.
>>5905024>"Look. I was sent here by a sponsor of yours..." Tell him the flat and honest truth about why you were sent here and how fucked everything else.>[MANAGED TO KEEP YOUR WEAPONS] Go big or go home, huh? Quickly draw your revolver and blow that stupid cowboy hat off his head. That'll get everyone's attention. (FREE ACTION, TALENT DC: 22, rolling only your 5d6. Pass and your brazen display will instantly get his respect, unlocking options down in the other paths. Failure and, well, you don't want to imagine what happens if you accidently hit him.)
>>5905024>>[MANAGED TO KEEP YOUR WEAPONS] Go big or go home, huh? Quickly draw your revolver and blow that stupid cowboy hat off his head.>[ADAM + MAX ALLY] "See, partner, we got a proposal. Something to make things more interesting." Try to convince him on a way to improve his business while still following his rules.More games of skill where customers can lose fairly against a superior player. More expensive food and drinks. Non-monetary rewards worth more than their nominal cost to certain kinds of customers. A VIP hall for the elite who made their riches unfairly - robbing them of their money would only be fair.
>>5905099Obviously I meant just the talent boosters
>>5905145>More games of skill where customers can lose fairly against a superior player. More expensive food and drinks. Non-monetary rewards worth more than their nominal cost to certain kinds of customers. A VIP hall for the elite who made their riches unfairly - robbing them of their money would only be fair.This is all good to present to him after we survive, but what will we do about getting Handler the money he's owed? I do also want to bring up how Kana is complicit but only because she was covering for him, but how will we handle the rest? Maybe we can go>honest truth + handler>kana paperwork>business improve suggestions>get handler's money>leaveThough we could also get Kana and Casey to spill the beans themselves. Better that Clover hears it from them than us. The only "bad" things we did this mission were>cheated at the blackjack table (ONLY because the dealer cheated us first)>got camera footage and bugged the camera room (ONLY because we needed leads on the paperwork and Kana/Casey)We made up for the first one by telling Marla, and we can make up the second one by deleting our footage and removing the bug from the room. We can make up the remainder by helping Clover out here. Win/win?>>5905083+1
>>5905024>>[ADAM + MAX ALLY] "See, partner, we got a proposal. Something to make things more interesting." Try to convince him on a way to improve his business while still following his rules. (Write in your pitch. Depending on what you pitch, the following skill checks to convince him to implement will be harder or easier.)How in hell are you managing to lose money on games with house odds? Even if you are obsessed with being fair, running a roulette or blackjack table should statistically be making you money, even with zero rigging. This place is bleeding money in places it shouldn't even be able too. Rigging your slots to pay out more than they rake in is just business suicide. You aren't making things more fair for other people, you are just making them more unfair for you and your employees. This isn't just about your own ego, your employees depend on you, if this place folds because you want to feel good about being an honest gambler, then they are all gonna be shit out of luck.
>>5905320I want to say this to his face if we win
>>5905320"Granted." Kana nods. "Now, you're probably not going to convince him to drop the 'fairness' thing. I would've done so if I could. That's the only thing he really refuses to budge on. As long the outcome is fair, he's willing to abide by it if you can convince him.">That's the only thing he really refuses to budge on.
>BENJAMIN ALLY WqV, 3Ji, Cux>ADAM + MAX ALLY WeO, AxO>HONEST TRUTH QnB>TALKED TO HIS STAFF Av6 >SHOOT THE BASTARD'S HAT WqV, Qnb, AxO, Cux, 3Ji, aV6>NOT INTERESTED WeOSo, while it's neck and neck, it seems like Benjamin Ally just barely wins out over Adam + Max, alongside a healthy bit of gunslinging. Since to not slow things down with the consumables since half of the gunslingers wanted to use them and half didn't vote to, here's how we'll handle thoseI need three anons to roll the following:>5d6 (natural roll) >2d6 (the boost given via snorting the cocaine) >2d8 (burning a ADRENALINE IMPLANT charge) If you manage to get a 22 or higher with just the 5d6, you get a special bonus and you won't need to consume anything. However, if you fail to, roll the 2d6 and 2d8 to consume your consumables
Rolled 1, 3, 3, 1, 2 = 10 (5d6)>>5906131
Rolled 4, 1 = 5 (2d6)>>5906131COME ON COME ON COME ON
>>5906168>>5906182we rolled 15/22 neededwe need 7 total from the 2d8if we don't, we're screwed without using more resources
Rolled 8, 3 = 11 (2d8)>>5906131Adrenaline
>>5906168>>5906182>>5906221Turns out, trying to shoot off a gunslinger's hat is hard to do in the heat of the moment...without copious drugs. Even then, your margin of success wasn't that great. Writing.
[UN??AB??] SHOOT HIM NOW!Seems like your anti-psychotic is staring to wear off. No time for any hesitation. You quickly reach into your pocket and snort the white power, much to the complete confusion of everyone inside the room with you. "NICOLE WHAT THE FUCK-" Ashley barely managed to finish what she's saying as you reach into your pocket to pull out a revolver. You already see Clover drawing his gun. No time to hesitate. With a simple thought, a horrible rush of adrenaline courses through your veins. >26! SUCCESS! >-1 WHITE POWEDER, -1 ADRENALINE CHARGE, -1 REVOLVER BULLET>+2 TALENT AND VIOLENCE! You barely manage to blow the hat right off of his head in time. His revolver was aimed perfectly at your heart. Even if the bodysuit under your clothes probably wouldn't have made it a lethal shot, you're glad to avoid getting shot at. "WOAW!" Casey claps with the ferocity of a seal begging for a treat. She circles around you with a star-struck look glimmering in her eyes. "HOWDIDYOUDOTHATTHATWASSOCOOLDIDRCORPTEACHYOUTHATTEACHMETEACHMETEACHME!"The hyper energetic girl bouncing around you, the clean shot you landed with your revolver, AND the drugs running through your system? You feel DANDY. >7/7 RESTRAINT!The six Bosses quickly draw their own weapons. A random mishmash of knives, frying pans, boxing gloves, a remarkably thick N-Company Holy Book...but Clover puts two fingers to his mouth and blows an ear piercing whistle. The Bosses quickly disarm themselves."Now. I won't give her too much credit. She needed an EDGE to get one over on me." Clover puts the hat you shot off his head back on. It has a fist sized hole at the back. "Credit where credit is due though? I didn't know a lady type could have balls like that. What's yer request, lass?" A glimmer of respect sparkles in his yellow eyes. "Well, partner, I want to make a bet with you. Between two honest, fair, and righteous people. The stakes are simple. I win, I get a MASSIVE favor out of you and whatever money I win from this gamble. My only request is that he's our Dealer," You jab a finger at Benjamin. The look of sheer awe plastered on his face when he processed what you said is oddly adorable. Clover nods his head, "Approved, on the condition that we use my deck. I doubt you prepared a rigged deck but you understand, don't you?" You nod your head. "Good. Now, if I win?" He quickly scans his gaze across your five allies. "Hm. Either one bullet spread across all of you or six bullets right into you, missy. Sorry, Casey." "No offense taken! I accept! It's not a fair gamble otherwise!" Casey quickly gives a salute. "Excuse me, what?" Ashley's grip on her baseball bat tightens. "You're willing to kill people over a gamble?" "I need to return home. To make sure he's okay." Adam's face tightens into a grimace. "I can't die here." Max tries her best to keep up a smug expression. "We just have to win. I know we can do this. We've won so far, right?"
"Don't worry." Your mouth twists into a toothy smile. "I won't lose this. I accept." Realistically, you could probably get him to blow his brains out with his own revolver but you rather keep him alive. For now. Ashley nods along, seemingly getting the general idea of what you're thinking. Clover snaps his fingers, "You six. Get out. This is between me and her." The Bosses grumble in a variety of languages you can't understand but they file out without much fuss. It is now just you, him, and your allies. Clover slides the deck of cards over to Benjamin. Benjamin quickly inspects the deck before shuffling it at speeds your eyes can hardly process. "Now." Clover pulls a cigarette and lighter from somewhere on his person. "Best of three. R-Corp Holdem. We somehow tie? Tiebreaker match. We tie that? Flip of the coin. Know how to play?" You take a moment to remember the rules...>Each player gets two cards, known as Hole Cards, that act as their hand. >Five cards are placed facedown onto the table. These are known as Community Cards. They will be revealed over the course of the game. >Once all five Community Cards are revealed or both players decline to bet more, they reveal their Hole Cards. >Your goal is to get a better hand than the opponent with any combination of Hole and Community cards. You nod your head. "I believe so. Is there any special conditions you wish to make before we do anything else? I rather not have any last section rule changes."Clover hums, "Considering that ballsy move you did before? Nope. I got no other rules besides the obvious. Don't let me catch you cheating. You can guess what the punishment is." <"...I won't let someone cheat me out of anything ever again. I can't let my guard down. Never again."> You tilt your head at what you gleamed from his mind. Interesting.Before you have time to dwell more on what that internal thought of his meant, Benjamin quickly deals out the cards. Your allies sit down on your side of the tables, clearly not sure what to do now that you're gambling with a potentially insane cowboy larper. Well, except for Max and Casey. Both are giving thumbs up and beaming smiles. It's just that Max is focusing on Benjamin and Casey is focusing on you. "Blind bet, people!" Benjamin slaps the table. His voice is oddly low. Obviously forced to try to seem cooler. "$100 each." Max can't help but to hide back a giggle while your other allies share a mixed expression of confusion, disappointment, and apathy. Clover slides over a hundred dollar bill. You slide over some loose bills that adds up to $100. Without any further ado, Benjamin flips three of the Community Cards. A queen of hearts, a jack of hearts, and a six of spades. You check your hand. A queen of spades and a king of diamonds. Good, a pair of Queens. Not a bad start.<"A pair's not bad."> Weird, that's all you can gleam from his mind. "Call." He raps his knuckle on the table. How do you respond?
MONEY LEFT: $992POT: $200 (blind bet between you and Clover)WIN COUNT: 0CLOVER WIN COUNT: 0CURRENT BEST HAND: Pair of Queens.CLOVER'S BEST HAND: Pair of ???. You don't think he has anything better than a pair right now...?CARD RANKINGS (from Highest to Lowest): Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, etc etc all the way to 2.How do you want to respond to his call?>CALL. You're here to win. The money's ultimately secondary to your task here. (Skips to revealing the rest of the cards. Whoever wins gains a point in the WIN COUNT)>RAISE. Go big or go home! (Write in how much you want to raise. Considering you're dealing with a CASINO BOSS, even for an anomalously unprofitable one, he's more than willing to match whatever bet you have.)>FOLD. You should have a winning hand here but who knows?You have some downtime to doing something while you two ponder on your hands. Enough to do pick TWO actions below. What do you want to do?>"Okay, look, you're sounding like a broken record. What's with this Fairness thing? Do you really think it makes you better than us?" Question why he's so obsessed with that concept.>[EARNT HIS RESPECT] "I'm here on behalf of a sponsor of yours. For whatever reason, he hasn't gotten $88500." Tell him about this 'INJUSITCE' and spin a massive sob story on your Handler's behalf. (CHARM DC: 15 (-2 from CASEY), rolling 6d6 with Max's help. Succeed and he'll add that to your winning pot on top of the favor you ask of him, making absolutely sure your Handler is a happy man. Failure and he'll ignore you completely.)>[TALKED TO KANA] "...When's the last time you checked on her, man?" Bring up Kana. You won't immediately go for the throat but she stuck her neck out for him. Does he even care?>[GLIMPSED HIS MIND] "I don't get you. I really don't. Why ARE you like this?" Pry into this bumfuck bizarre mindset he has. Why the fuck is he start a casino if he's the worst person possible to run one?>Who says you can't make this entertaining for the others? Start doing some cool card tricks! (TALENT DC: 18, rolling 7d6. Pass and you'll soothe the nerves of your allies, potentially building better RAPPORT once the mission is done. Failure and you fuck up, revealing your cards to Clover.)>"You guys have anything to ask?" Pick an ally to ask something to him on your behalf. They might have something on their mind to say. (Write in which ally you picked.)>Write in. (What do you want to say or do? Try to use an ability to cheat? Ask him something else? Do something else?)
>>5906340>Seems like your anti-psychotic is staring to wear off. No time for any hesitation. You quickly reach into your pocket and snort the white power, much to the complete confusion of everyone inside the room with you.Kek>>5906347>CALL. You're here to win. The money's ultimately secondary to your task here. (Skips to revealing the rest of the cards. Whoever wins gains a point in the WIN COUNT)>[EARNT HIS RESPECT] "I'm here on behalf of a sponsor of yours. For whatever reason, he hasn't gotten $88500." Tell him about this 'INJUSITCE' and spin a massive sob story on your Handler's behalf. (CHARM DC: 15 (-2 from CASEY), rolling 6d6 with Max's help. Succeed and he'll add that to your winning pot on top of the favor you ask of him, making absolutely sure your Handler is a happy man. Failure and he'll ignore you completely.)>[GLIMPSED HIS MIND] "I don't get you. I really don't. Why ARE you like this?" Pry into this bumfuck bizarre mindset he has. Why the fuck is he start a casino if he's the worst person possible to run one?
>>5906347>CALL. You're here to win. The money's ultimately secondary to your task here. (Skips to revealing the rest of the cards. Whoever wins gains a point in the WIN COUNT)>[EARNT HIS RESPECT] "I'm here on behalf of a sponsor of yours. For whatever reason, he hasn't gotten $88500." Tell him about this 'INJUSITCE' and spin a massive sob story on your Handler's behalf. (CHARM DC: 15 (-2 from CASEY), rolling 6d6 with Max's help. Succeed and he'll add that to your winning pot on top of the favor you ask of him, making absolutely sure your Handler is a happy man. Failure and he'll ignore you completely.)>[TALKED TO KANA] "...When's the last time you checked on her, man?" Bring up Kana. You won't immediately go for the throat but she stuck her neck out for him. Does he even care?
>>5906417Supporting
>>5906417+1
>>5906347>CALL. You're here to win. The money's ultimately secondary to your task here. (Skips to revealing the rest of the cards. Whoever wins gains a point in the WIN COUNT)>[EARNT HIS RESPECT] "I'm here on behalf of a sponsor of yours. For whatever reason, he hasn't gotten $88500." Tell him about this 'INJUSITCE' and spin a massive sob story on your Handler's behalf. (CHARM DC: 15 (-2 from CASEY), rolling 6d6 with Max's help. Succeed and he'll add that to your winning pot on top of the favor you ask of him, making absolutely sure your Handler is a happy man. Failure and he'll ignore you completely.)>Who says you can't make this entertaining for the others? Start doing some cool card tricks! (TALENT DC: 18, rolling 7d6. Pass and you'll soothe the nerves of your allies, potentially building better RAPPORT once the mission is done. Failure and you fuck up, revealing your cards to Clover.)
>>5906347>RAISE. Go big or go home!ALL IN>[EARNT HIS RESPECT] "I'm here on behalf of a sponsor of yours. For whatever reason, he hasn't gotten $88500." Tell him about this 'INJUSITCE' and spin a massive sob story on your Handler's behalf. (CHARM DC: 15 (-2 from CASEY), rolling 6d6 with Max's help. Succeed and he'll add that to your winning pot on top of the favor you ask of him, making absolutely sure your Handler is a happy man. Failure and he'll ignore you completely.)>[GLIMPSED HIS MIND] "I don't get you. I really don't. Why ARE you like this?" Pry into this bumfuck bizarre mindset he has. Why the fuck is he start a casino if he's the worst person possible to run one?
EARNT HIS RESPECT: ALLKANA: mMj, AxO, Cux, QnbGLIMPSED MIND: zul, INrENTERTAIN: w8lCALL: ALL but INrSimple enough this time around. Two anons, roll 3d6.
Rolled 4, 4, 6 = 14 (3d6)>>5907192
Rolled 3, 3, 4 = 10 (3d6)>>5907192Thank god we have Max with us helping. The DC of 15 is a good breather
>>5907270>>5907276Pass. The power of a rich bitch courses through you. Writing.
Surely, he can't have anything better than a pair of queens as well. All you would need is a single king to completely blow him out. You don't immediately go to call, however. You gaze away from your cards and look at Clover right in the eye."Sooo. There's an actual reason I came here. You deal with sponsors all the time in order to keep this place running, no?" You fiddle with the cards in your hands as you wait for a response.Clover puts his cards facedown before he responds, "Sure do. I don't like it. Unfortunately, it's mighty difficult to run a place free from their grubby hands. Why do ya ask?"You quickly glance at Max before you return your attention back to him. "Well, we're actually on behalf of one of your sponsors. Does Mr. Foxtort ring any bells?" It's still weird to refer to him as anything but "The Handler." Clover's face immediately scrunches into a sour frown upon hearing that name."It's Foxtrot. Did Casey somehow mispronounce it again? Maybe that powder messed you up; you said LAST SECTION a few seconds ago."In unison, you and Casey blush a bright red. Oh god, it was Foxtrot. Eughhh."Yeah. I heard of him before. Shame what happened to his brother; I heard about that on the news." Despite his sour expression, there's a twinge of pity in his voice. "Haven't seen in a while. What's his deal with ya?""W-well." You take a deep breath in an attempt to collect yourself. "He may or may not be missing $88500 from the arrangement he made with your casino." It was already remarkably quiet in the room before, but now? You could hear a centipede crawling on a wall if you focused."What?"Max quickly butts into the conversation, "Yep! In fact, you know that brother you were talking about? He was actually murdered by a crazed gunman, and Mr. Foxtrot BARELY survived the encounter himself."You glance over at Ashley. Ashley nods along. Guess she must've told her a bit about your last mission."Yeah! And you know, that would pay for the funeral costs. He wants to do an old-fashioned funeral—none of that ashes in a jar stuff. With the price of getting a coffin and a memorial service these days","Hell! I could barely afford it! And my family is richer than rich!" Max nods along. "Now, he wants to honor his vermin of a brother despite their differences. You know how important family can be.""Exactly! Imagine your brother being shot down and left to bleed out while you couldn't do anything about it-">24! SUCCESS!"Enough." Clover chokes out. He wipes away the mist building up in his eyes. "Look. If ya win? I'm more than willing to pay for it. How's that?"You nod in approval. "Alright. Call." You rapt your knuckle on the desk. Benjamin moves in to reveal the rest of the community cards. Seven of Spades and a King of Clubs. He gestures at you two to flip your own cards.You have a Two Pair, with a pair of queens and kings. For Clover, he has a pair of Jacks. Nice. You got lucky this round.>+1 WIN COUNT!
Clover groans at the loss. "Good one. Shuffle them again, Dealer." Benjamin immediately moves to reshuffle the deck to prepare dealing out some new cards. With this downtime, you decide to push your luck a bit with your next topic. "...Fuck, man, when's the last time you checked on her?""Hm? You're going to have a bit more specific, lass. Casey? Marla? I've talked to them not even two days ago. Mora? It's been a while but I'm sure that lass is-" [UNSTABLE] FUCK IT! I'VE BEEN SILENT LONG ENOUGH! LET'S TELL THIS FUCKER OFF! >-MEDICATED! Ashley taps you on the shoulder. "Nicole, you're getting that weird look in your eye again.""Kana." You say with a tiny bit too much force, ignoring Ashley. "When is the last time you talked to her? Do you know how much a fucking mess she's been lately. I'll tell you, a MASSIVE one!" Clover flinches a bit at the sudden tone change but when he finally digests what you're saying, it takes him a moment to respond. "I didn't want to bother her, you know?" Huh, his accent's gone. "I know she's busy and, well, she hasn't approached me in a while. So I thought she wanted some space."Benjamin begins to deal out the cards while Clover continues to talk. You and Clover place your hands facedown, not bothering to look at them for now. "Well, do you know why she's a mess? Your business isn't exactly doing so hot." A bitter chuckle escapes you. "She's been doing everything in her power to keep this place running yet you haven't even CHECKED on her?" "Of course I wanted to check on her! That's half the reason I even started this place! So my friends can have a job! Do you know how hard it is to get a decent job these days?" Adam and Ashley immediately respond with a bitter, cynical understanding oozing in their words. "Absolutely.""See? And ya know, lemme correct you there," His accent suddenly returns. "It's actually been doing real well! All of them fancy papers keep saying we're rising through the roofs in sales! Sure, she seems mighty anxious for some reason, but it's just work stress, right?" <"...Right? She would tell me otherwise, right?"> You decide to not push any further for now despite those four damnable voices beginning to whisper in the back of your head again. "Whatever lets you sleep at night.""Blind bet of $150!" You toss over most of the pot you won from the last match. Clover tosses down a $50 and a $100. He flips over three of the community cards to reveal an Ace of Spades, a Queen of Spades, and a Two of Hearts. You check your hand. A Three of Spades and a Three of Clubs. Fuck. You look at Clover. The only thing you can make out of his expression is worry but a glimpse into your mind tells you it's not because of his hands. <"I doubt she has a pair that can beat this!"> Shit, that's not good. Before you have time to say or do anything, he flashes a smile. "Raise. I'm betting $400." He slaps down yet another $50 and two $100 bills.
MONEY LEFT: $1042POT: $300 (blind bet between you and Clover, ready to move to $800 if you accept his raise.)WIN COUNT: 1CLOVER WIN COUNT: 0CURRENT BEST HAND: Pair of 3sCLOVER'S BEST HAND: Pair of 2s, Aces, or Queens. You highly doubt it's a pair of 2s, though.CARD RANKINGS (from Highest to Lowest): Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, etc etc all the way to 2.How do you respond to his raise? >CHECK. There might still be a chance you can win and you rather not leave ANY signs of you mindreading him. (You'll bet $400 and skip to revealing the cards.)>FOLD. Nope! You'll wait for a better hand! (You'll only lose $150 but you'll need to make a RESTRAINT DC: 22 check to keep up your poker face.)>[UNSTABLE] There's one way for you to win this game. If you could make him FOLD, to SCARE him, you could win here and now. (VIOLENCE DC: ???. Write in what you want to say or do to try making him fold. The DC and success/failure state will depend on what you pick and the conversation choices you pick below.)How do you want to continue the conversation? Pick two below, just like last time. >[ADAM ALLY] "Oh, so you're not even going to bother checking up on Kana? Is that it? Even as she's working her ass off, you rather gamble with some random girl than talk to your friend?" Start putting pressure on him. Adam is more than willing to say his own piece here.>[UNSTABLE] "Okay. I had enough with your fucking 'fair' and 'no cheating' thing. Do you honestly think you're fooling anyone here?" Rip into this stupid persona he's trying to pull off. It's pissing you off. (VIOLENCE DC: 16 (-2 from CASEY's presence), rolling 5d6 by yourself. Pass and you'll see the persona start to crack, cluing you more into his true self. Failure will make him lock up more, potentially depriving you of your mind read info.)>[EARNT HIS RESPECT] "Look. It's admirable what you're trying to do here but it's clear there's some improvement that needs to be made here." Try your best to slowly soften him up into making changes to his casino. Just lay the groundwork for now.>[INVESTIGATED THE CASINO] "Okay, I get not wanting to cheat people but you're going overboard. You're somehow losing money even with fucking ROULETTE TABLES! How is that possible?" You have to point out how incompetent this operation is. How is he THIS unaware of how bad of a job he's doing?>"You guys have anything to ask?" Pick an ally to ask something to him on your behalf. They might have something on their mind to say. (Write in which ally you picked.)>Write in. (What do you want to say or do? Try to use an ability to cheat? Ask him something else? Do something else?)
>>5907482>>[EARNT HIS RESPECT] "Look. It's admirable what you're trying to do here but it's clear there's some improvement that needs to be made here." Try your best to slowly soften him up into making changes to his casino. Just lay the groundwork for now.>>[INVESTIGATED THE CASINO] "Okay, I get not wanting to cheat people but you're going overboard. You're somehow losing money even with fucking ROULETTE TABLES! How is that possible?" You have to point out how incompetent this operation is. How is he THIS unaware of how bad of a job he's doing?
>>5907482>FOLD. Nope! You'll wait for a better hand! (You'll only lose $150 but you'll need to make a RESTRAINT DC: 22 check to keep up your poker face.)forgot my poker vote, this hand is crap. We have a single pair and unless the other two are both somehow threes or spades then we are kinda shit out of luck.
>>5907482>CHECK. There might still be a chance you can win and you rather not leave ANY signs of you mindreading him. (You'll bet $400 and skip to revealing the cards.)Dob't want him to even suspect we're chesting somehow. We'll win it back (or die)>[EARNT HIS RESPECT] "Look. It's admirable what you're trying to do here but it's clear there's some improvement that needs to be made here." Try your best to slowly soften him up into making changes to his casino. Just lay the groundwork for now.>[INVESTIGATED THE CASINO] "Okay, I get not wanting to cheat people but you're going overboard. You're somehow losing money even with fucking ROULETTE TABLES! How is that possible?" You have to point out how incompetent this operation is. How is he THIS unaware of how bad of a job he's doing?
>>5907482>CHECK. There might still be a chance you can win and you rather not leave ANY signs of you mindreading him. (You'll bet $400 and skip to revealing the cards.)>[ADAM ALLY] "Oh, so you're not even going to bother checking up on Kana? Is that it? Even as she's working her ass off, you rather gamble with some random girl than talk to your friend?" Start putting pressure on him. Adam is more than willing to say his own piece here.>[EARNT HIS RESPECT] "Look. It's admirable what you're trying to do here but it's clear there's some improvement that needs to be made here." Try your best to slowly soften him up into making changes to his casino. Just lay the groundwork for now.>>5905017"Granted." Kana nods. "Now, you're probably not going to convince him to drop the 'fairness' thing. I would've done so if I could. That's the only thing he really refuses to budge on. As long the outcome is fair, he's willing to abide by it if you can convince him.">That's the only thing he really refuses to budge on. He definitely will not drop his fairness and justice ideal.
>>5907482>FOLD. Nope! You'll wait for a better hand! (You'll only lose $150 but you'll need to make a RESTRAINT DC: 22 check to keep up your poker face.)>[EARNT HIS RESPECT] "Look. It's admirable what you're trying to do here but it's clear there's some improvement that needs to be made here." Try your best to slowly soften him up into making changes to his casino. Just lay the groundwork for now.>[UNSTABLE] "Okay. I had enough with your fucking 'fair' and 'no cheating' thing. Do you honestly think you're fooling anyone here?" Rip into this stupid persona he's trying to pull off. It's pissing you off. (VIOLENCE DC: 16 (-2 from CASEY's presence), rolling 5d6 by yourself. Pass and you'll see the persona start to crack, cluing you more into his true self. Failure will make him lock up more, potentially depriving you of your mind read info.)
>>5907482>FOLD. Nope! You'll wait for a better hand! (You'll only lose $150 but you'll need to make a RESTRAINT DC: 22 check to keep up your poker face.)>[EARNT HIS RESPECT] "Look. It's admirable what you're trying to do here but it's clear there's some improvement that needs to be made here." Try your best to slowly soften him up into making changes to his casino. Just lay the groundwork for now.>[INVESTIGATED THE CASINO] "Okay, I get not wanting to cheat people but you're going overboard. You're somehow losing money even with fucking ROULETTE TABLES! How is that possible?" You have to point out how incompetent this operation is. How is he THIS unaware of how bad of a job he's doing?I want to save the UNSTABLE and ripping his fake persona up to later in the game, near the climax
>>5907482>FOLD. Nope! You'll wait for a better hand! (You'll only lose $150 but you'll need to make a RESTRAINT DC: 22 check to keep up your poker face.)>[ADAM ALLY] "Oh, so you're not even going to bother checking up on Kana? Is that it? Even as she's working her ass off, you rather gamble with some random girl than talk to your friend?" Start putting pressure on him. Adam is more than willing to say his own piece here.>[EARNT HIS RESPECT] "Look. It's admirable what you're trying to do here but it's clear there's some improvement that needs to be made here." Try your best to slowly soften him up into making changes to his casino. Just lay the groundwork for now.
>>5907482>CHECK. There might still be a chance you can win and you rather not leave ANY signs of you mindreading him. (You'll bet $400 and skip to revealing the cards.)>[EARNT HIS RESPECT] "Look. It's admirable what you're trying to do here but it's clear there's some improvement that needs to be made here." Try your best to slowly soften him up into making changes to his casino. Just lay the groundwork for now.>[INVESTIGATED THE CASINO] "Okay, I get not wanting to cheat people but you're going overboard. You're somehow losing money even with fucking ROULETTE TABLES! How is that possible?" You have to point out how incompetent this operation is. How is he THIS unaware of how bad of a job he's doing?
FOLD: WeO, zuL, Cux, w8L CHECK: AxO, 3Ji, QnB EARNT HIS RESPECT: ALL ADAM ALLY: w8l, 3JiINVESTIGATED THE CASINO: WeO, AxO, Cux, QnB UNSTABLE: zuLAll in all, FOLDING + EARNT HIS RESPECT + INVESTIGATED THE CASINO wins out. I need two anons to roll the following >4d6 (half of the RESTRAINT check) >3d6 (the other half) And as a reminder, the talisman you have equipped can reroll two RESTRAINT dice if need be.
Rolled 1, 3, 1, 1 = 6 (4d6)>>5908280Know when to hold em, and know when to fold em
Rolled 1, 6, 5 = 12 (3d6)>>5908280OH NO NO NO NO
>>5908280>as a reminder, the talisman you have equipped can reroll two RESTRAINT dice if need be.Please reroll those 1s >>5908285
Rolled 5, 5 = 10 (2d6)>>5908285>>5908280Lets just uhhhh, re-roll two of those ones
>>5908296>>5908292>5, 3, 5, 1 = 14>1, 6, 5 = 12>total = 26We made the 22 DC just in time
>>5908285>>5908292>>5908296Good fucking thing you bought that talisman a thread ago! Success (barely), writing.
Okay, Nicole, you can place your hand down and fold. Don't change how your face looks, even if Ashley says you're getting a weird look again. Slowly place your cards down-For a split second, you swear you see his yellow eyes light up, sparkling with an odd ethereal light. You damn near sent your cards flying into the air. He's staring RIGHT at you with a smug smile. "Well? Call? Raise? Fold?" He's trying to make you squirm.>26! SUCCESS!Your talisman pulses ever-so-slightly. You bite your tongue to regain your focus. "Fold. I know when my hand is shit." You place your cards on the table. "You win, partner."Clover's eyes keep glaring right at you, as if they're trying to find some sort of weakness. After a minute or two, he gives up and shrugs. "Fair enough." He shows you his cards, and holy shit that's a Ten of Diamonds and a Queen of Diamonds. Benjamin flips over the community cards to reveal a Nine and Four of Diamonds. He was damn close to a Flush of all things.>+1 WIN COUNT TO CLOVERBenjamin glances between you and Clover with an increasingly nervous expression on his face. "W-wow, pretty neck and neck, huh? L-let's hope that it doesn't end with anyone getting shot, ha!" He collects the cards and begins shuffling the deck again. The nervous energy slowly shifts as a wild, ecstatic smile crosses his face.https://youtu.be/-VNhQ2-aQwE - FINAL MATCH(?)"Heh. Hehe. All it takes is one bad hand to decide who wins. Isn't that just thrilling, Nicole?" Benjamin is moving his hands to shuffle the deck way faster than you think a human is normally able to do. "Like we're-""On the edge of life and death." Clover has already drawn his revolver. It's aimed right at your group. "Let's keep going."Max tries to keep up a smug expression, but it's clear she's way over her head here. "Hey! It's not the first time a gun has been drawn on us! Well, maybe for me, but..."Any hesitation Ashley has been expressing has disappeared. Cold, emotionless focus is all you see in her eyes. "So be it. It's one versus six. We're not scared of you."Casey simply stares at the gun with awe in her eyes and a dopey, silly smile. "Waow! A SINGLE ACTION ARMY 7.5" (45LC), SKU R1820???"Adam squirms in his seat but otherwise seems more annoyed at the threat than anything. "Something tells me I'm on borrowed time anyway. This wouldn't be a bad way to go, really.""Do what you will." You narrow your eyes. "I'm not going to fall for your tricks. Benny? Send out the cards."Benjamin nods his head and begins dealing out the cards. "Blind bet of $400 now! Let's see who wins and who loses! Will it be the Cowboy of Clover Suite or Nicole of the Cleaner Clan???" He tries his best to put on a performative, radio broadcaster kind of voice. It gets a small smile out of everyone, despite how the situation is developing.You put $400 down. So does Clover. Checking your hand...an Ace and an Eight of Hearts. Okay, you can work with this.
You check the Community Cards. A Queen of Diamonds, Eight of Diamonds, and a Five of Hearts. Okay, less motivating but surely this has to work out, right? You glimpse into Clover's mind but you get nothing. Checking on him, he hasn't even lifted up to look at his cards. He doesn't even know what his hand is?"I'm trusting you that your friend didn't rig the deck so you'd beat me. Got anything else to say before we see who wins or who loses?" You let out a shaky breath as you try to keep your focus. You're riding on a pair of eights. That's better than last turn. "Yeah. Speaking about cheating. That's a very admirable goal you set out for yourself but you're going overboard here. You're somehow fucking losing money with ROULETTE TABLES. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!" Clover's yellow eyes sparkle with that same bizarre light to them. An augment, maybe, or something more anomalous? "Do ya think I actually want to run this casino like the other dime pinching, low-life scum of this City? Do you-" You quickly interrupt him. "Oh! So that means rigging slot machines to spit out more than they take is righteous! That's how you're losing money, huh? With this incompetent idea of everything having to be fair!" "It's not. A casino. Without slot machines." Clover grits his teeth. "Simple as. I don't like them but we're here to sell an experience to our customers. Besides, Kana would've told me if we were failing."Casey immediately sinks into her seat, dreading the direction this conversation is going. "I-I, uh, about that. She didn't want me to tell you this but, uh, that's because she's scared." "What?" An odd nervous chuckle escapes Clover's mouth. "No, that can't be right. What's there to be scared about? I'm doing everything right, her papers said so!" "A-about that, sir. Those papers may or may not be 100% accurate?" Casey keeps sinking into her chair in a desperate attempt to escape the situation. Clover merely scoffs at the notion being presented to him. "That's bullshit. I'm doing the right thing here-" You quickly interrupt him. "She showed me the paperwork! You're losing money in places that people should not be losing money in! Blackjack and roulette tables should statistically be making you money!" Your mouth contorts into a snarl. Your face feels warm, flush with rage and blood"Yet you do STUPID bullshit like rigging slot machines, not offering anything else for making money, and not even hiring good security! I could've walked into your fucking vault and stole every dime without anyone asking any questions!" "It's like this place is being ran by an incompetent BAFFOON!" Clover's smile immediately disappears, replaced with a twisted snarl of a frown. "Do ya fuckin' THINK I want to be running one of these? HUH? DO YOU THINK I WANT TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS DISGUSTING THING?" You immediately slid right back into your seat upon hearing his voice shift. "I'm doing the best with what little choice I have here!"
"If I had any other choice, I would've built something else. Maybe a bar. Maybe a carpentry shop. But you can't sell those to people in this district! No, it has to be something with a potential to swindle! Cheat! Nickel and dime every bit out of you!" He grips his free hand onto the edge of the desk with such force, you swear that he's about to shatter the damn thing. "Then why not add some other avenues to profit? It's clear that this place can still be fair and honest without these drastic 'fairness' changes that harm you! More games of skill, more expensive food and drinks, maybe even cheat money out of this rich cunts who don't deserve it?" You try your best to offer him an out here. Something to fix his situation. Anything. His snarl disappears. In its place is a simple, quiet frown. "Maybe. I could do that. But the moment the few sponsors I got see those changes, they'll make me throw everything out aside from the expensive hooch and steaks. Then they'll ask for those damn pan-chink machines."Max offers him a look of understanding, "I get it. I deal with shitty sponsors too but surely, you could find better ones. Or just find a different job all together if you really don't want to run this?" Adam mutters dismissively, "He's not the only one who's stuck here. He has a buncha people relying on him to do this. He can't exactly leave, can he?"Casey tries her best to stay upbeat and positive, "S-surely, even if this place goes bangbang, boomboom, we would bounce back!" Clover simply shakes his head at these responses. "This is the only option we have. Casey, Kana, Marla, Clyde, Me? We ain't got any other option. We might as well be vermin squirming around without this." His finger gently squeezes on the trigger, just barely not enough to make it fire. "Yer boss would just come in, tell me to make the slots fully rigged, and leave once yer ass is out. Ya know that, right?"<"She's not wrong. Hell, why am I even pointing this at her? Not like I can't back down now. Any ounce of respect I have left would disappear if I did."> "You got a good heart, kid. I appreciate ya being honest with me. But we're both stuck on a leash. Mine's just a bit longer." Benjamin glances between the two of you before focusing his gaze on you. "He might be right. Hell, Z-Corp has me on a leash now too." He then turns his attention to Clover. "But at least I still have my pals. I may not know Ashley or Adam or Casey that well but...we're pals. We help each other. Shouldn't you be doing your best to help your pals? Even in your undesirable position?"Clover squirms at Benjamin's words. "Make your choice already. Call. Raise. Or fold?"You look down at your hand, then at the community cards, then at Clover's facedown hand. You have no idea what your chances are here. Ultimately, it's a blind guess as to whether you have a chance of winning or not. Simple intuition now."I'm sorry." Max mumbles out."Don't be." Clover forces a smile.
MONEY LEFT: $492POT: $800 (blind bet between you and Clover.)WIN COUNT: 1CLOVER WIN COUNT: 1CURRENT BEST HAND: Pair of 8sCLOVER'S BEST HAND: ??????How do you respond? >CALL. Trust in the cards. Trust them.>[UNSTABLE] ALL IN, BABY. NOWHERE TO GO BUT DOWN! (-$492, the Pot will raise to $1784. Now, on top of risking death, you risk losing all of your cash.)>His composure seems to have been shaken a bit. Maybe you can convince him to give up? (Write in what you want to say to him. Depending on the write in and what you say in the below vote, it will determine what stat and DC is rolled. If you pass, he'll fold, making you the winner regardless of his hand.)>Write in. What do you want to say to him? It might be the last thing you say, lest you get a tie. Pick up to two. >[UNSTABLE] "If you know how untenable your position is, why bother? At least I know my place in this world." Rip into his persona. How much of it is even his actual belief? (VIOLENCE DC: 15 (-2 from CASEY's presence), rolling 5d6 by yourself. You'll see who Clover truly is on a success. ??? on what happens if you fail.)>[EARNT HIS RESPECT] "You act like this is the only place left for you and your friends. I know we just met but maybe we can make a deal." Even if they're stuck working here, maybe working for you on the side could give them the freedom they deserve. Offer your hand to him.>[PERSON OF INTEREST] "My boss and I actually have a shared interest. Simply put, we have some very bad people in silver you can help us track down..." Inform him about a certain group that's been stalking you. (It might be risky informing him about them but you'd imagine he'd be more than willing to hunt them down for you.)>[KRAKATOA FAVOR] "If it's bad sponsors you're worried about, I got a solution to that." Pull out your phone. You have an old man to ask a favor of. (-1 KRAKATOA FAVOR. Burning a powerful favor just for Clover's sake will probably get him to return said favor triplefold just to pay you back.)>[GLIMPSED HIS MIND] "I can tell you don't want to use that. So why are you? No one's forcing you." Make him hesitate. A movement of hesitation is all you'll need to make him fuck up if you loss. (CHARM DC: 16 (-2 from CASEY's presence), rolling 6d6 with Max's help. Pass and even if you loss, you'll have a chance to defend yourself or to convince him to give you a favor regardless. Failure will do the exact opposite.)>"Good game. Whoever wins or loses, doesn't matter. It was fun." You have nothing else to say to him. You don't think he cares for any fancy talk either. (You'll likely earn some decent rapport from the CASINO STAFF if you pick this and survive.)>Write in.
>>5908596>>[UNSTABLE] ALL IN, BABY. NOWHERE TO GO BUT DOWN! (-$492, the Pot will raise to $1784. Now, on top of risking death, you risk losing all of your cash.)Sugar we're goin down swingin, nut up or shut up.>[GLIMPSED HIS MIND] "I can tell you don't want to use that. So why are you? No one's forcing you." Make him hesitate. A movement of hesitation is all you'll need to make him fuck up if you loss. (CHARM DC: 16 (-2 from CASEY's presence), rolling 6d6 with Max's help. Pass and even if you loss, you'll have a chance to defend yourself or to convince him to give you a favor regardless. Failure will do the exact opposite.)
>>5908596>CALL. Trust in the cards. Trust them.>[KRAKATOA FAVOR] "If it's bad sponsors you're worried about, I got a solution to that." Pull out your phone. You have an old man to ask a favor of. (-1 KRAKATOA FAVOR. Burning a powerful favor just for Clover's sake will probably get him to return said favor triplefold just to pay you back.)>"Good game. Whoever wins or loses, doesn't matter. It was fun." You have nothing else to say to him. You don't think he cares for any fancy talk either. (You'll likely earn some decent rapport from the CASINO STAFF if you pick this and survive.)
>>5908596>CALL. Trust in the cards. Trust them.>[UNSTABLE] "If you know how untenable your position is, why bother? At least I know my place in this world." Rip into his persona. How much of it is even his actual belief? (VIOLENCE DC: 15 (-2 from CASEY's presence), rolling 5d6 by yourself. You'll see who Clover truly is on a success. ??? on what happens if you fail.)>[GLIMPSED HIS MIND] "I can tell you don't want to use that. So why are you? No one's forcing you." Make him hesitate. A movement of hesitation is all you'll need to make him fuck up if you loss. (CHARM DC: 16 (-2 from CASEY's presence), rolling 6d6 with Max's help. Pass and even if you loss, you'll have a chance to defend yourself or to convince him to give you a favor regardless. Failure will do the exact opposite.)
>>5908596>[UNSTABLE] ALL IN, BABY. NOWHERE TO GO BUT DOWN! (-$492, the Pot will raise to $1784. Now, on top of risking death, you risk losing all of your cash.)Money does not matter if we are dead. Going all in might also spook him as a huge bluff. No clue if pic related is correct>[GLIMPSED HIS MIND] "I can tell you don't want to use that. So why are you? No one's forcing you." Make him hesitate. A movement of hesitation is all you'll need to make him fuck up if you loss. (CHARM DC: 16 (-2 from CASEY's presence), rolling 6d6 with Max's help. Pass and even if you loss, you'll have a chance to defend yourself or to convince him to give you a favor regardless. Failure will do the exact opposite.)Open with the kindness and sympathy before we rant>[UNSTABLE] "If you know how untenable your position is, why bother? At least I know my place in this world." Rip into his persona. How much of it is even his actual belief? (VIOLENCE DC: 15 (-2 from CASEY's presence), rolling 5d6 by yourself. You'll see who Clover truly is on a success. ??? on what happens if you fail.)I want to expose him right here before we win... if we can even win...
>>5908596>[UNSTABLE] ALL IN>[UNSTABLE] Rip into his persona. "If you want to play cowboy so much, why don't you just give up 'pardner'? The truth is that the Wild West was already coming to an end. Only order and progress and law and the City remain. Face it, you're like an old ghost. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here." >[GLIMPSED HIS MIND]
ALL IN: WeO, Cux, 73FCALL: zuL, QnB, 3Ji, Inr GLIMPSED MIND: WeO, INr, Cux, zuL, 73F, QnB UNSTABLE: zul, 73F, Cux, INr, Qnb KRAKATOA FAVOR: 3JiNeck and neck on whether to go all in or not but simply CALLING wins out there. GLIMPSED MIND and UNSTABLE for you grilling him down.I need two anons to roll the following >5d6 (for UNSTABLE) >6d6 (for GLIMPSED MIND)
Rolled 1, 6, 3, 2, 1 = 13 (5d6)>>5909510
Rolled 6, 2, 6, 4, 3, 6 = 27 (6d6)>>5909510Oh no...
>>5909531>>5909607Pass on the charm check (flying colors there, honestly) but on the VIOLENCE check...You fail that. The only thing you CAN do to resolve that is to burn an extra charge of your implant. That will leave you with one charge to spend next mission (due to regaining one per mission). Or, you can risk the unknown of whatever your unstable mind will say with the failed roll. You're not sure if it'll be good, bad, or something in between. How do you wanna handle this?>Burn your last Adrenaline Implant (Automatically passes the check but you'll only have one charge next mission.) >[UNSTABLE] Trust me. I'll handle it. (You'll fail the check but you'll have two charges next mission and you might get something else from UNSTABLE's fuckup.)
>>5909625>Burn your last Adrenaline Implant (Automatically passes the check but you'll only have one charge next mission.) I want to see this man's true face. I want to see him cry his piss yellow justice tears
>>5909625>>[UNSTABLE] Trust me. I'll handle it. (You'll fail the check but you'll have two charges next mission and you might get something else from UNSTABLE's fuckup.)We cant win on every check, I think we are in a good enough position to just take the loss. We might even say something insightful on accident.
>>5909625>[UNSTABLE] Trust me. I'll handle it. (You'll fail the check but you'll have two charges next mission and you might get something else from UNSTABLE's fuckup.)>>5909627Why do you hate him?
>>5909696>Why do you hate him?He reminds me of me, that's why
>>5909625>HEROIN, I MEAN ADRENALINEIf we have emergency options, let's use em. No sense in saving for a rainy day when we need to solve it now.
>>5909625>>Burn your last Adrenaline Implant (Automatically passes the check but you'll only have one charge next mission.)
Another neck and neck but burning your last adrenaline implant wins. Writing.
>>5909856Time to stock up on the white powder
"I can tell you don't want to use that thing. So why are you? Nobody is forcing you." Your impressively clear head is giving you just enough focus to not tremble at the gun being pointed at you. "Is it really just for the sake of the game?" Clover's trigger finger only tenses up more. "It's fair. Ya barged into my office, shot at me, and asked for a gamble. Simple as that. I'm outnumbered six to one and I have no idea how ya'll react if you were to lose. Perhaps y'all are sore losers and try to gang up on me." Ashley shrugs her shoulders with a half smile. "Honestly? That's fair. I would probably do the same in his shoes." Casey taps an oddly catchy series of notes onto the table. "It is fair. Doesn't mean we have to like it." Clover's grip loosens for a moment hearing that. Max quickly butts into the conversation to take advantage of this. "I can tell you're trying too hard. Every single person here is trying a tiny bit too hard to be someone they're not," She glances over at Benjamin. "Except you. Keep being yourself, dear." The goofy smile growing on Benjamin's face says everything you need to know."You couldn't even keep that accent up. No one here is going to judge you for stopping the act for a little bit, you know?" Max clasps her hand together. "Seriously. Keeping that up all the time must be eating away at you." >27! SUCCESS! The revolver clatters onto the table. His hand shoots out to grab it and while he does so, you can tell whatever resolve he had is crumbling. "L-look, y'all, this is just how it has to work. That's how things here HAVE to be done. Ya know? Ya get me?" <"Shut up, shut up! Please, don't make this any harder than it has to be!"> [UNSTABLE] GO IN FOR THE GUT PUNCH, NICOLE. WE CAN RIP HIM TO SHREDS NOW. LET'S DO THIS."Uh huh." Every inch of your body crackles with an invigorating mixture of adrenaline (both artificially induced by your implant and natural), the powder still coursing through your system, and trickles of raw psychic power. Your mouth stretches into a crooked, deranged 'smile'. "Do you think anyone is falling for this?""What? What are ya talking about?" Clover tries to regain his grip on his revolver. <"I recognized that look. That damn flower anomaly...> "Nicole." Ashley grips tightly onto your shoulder. "I'm not fucking doing this. You are NOT repeating the last mission I was on." Adam, however, pulls Ashley away from you. He simply shakes his head from side to side. "She doesn't have THAT look. Whatever she's doing, she knows what she's doing." Max and Benjamin watch on in worried silence, not really sure how to respond to your sudden mood shift. "Come on, buddy! We all know this is a sham! An act! You're not fooling anyone here!" You lean onto the table. Your arms lay sprawled out across the table, nearly reaching the community cards. "C'mon, pal. Let's talk about who you really are."Click. "If you make one more move, missy..."
The hammer of his revolver is cocked all the way back. One wrong move and he'll misfire. "S-sit yer ass back down." You simply tilt your head to the side. "I know what my position in this damn world is. Why do you struggle so much to play a part you hate?" Your grin grows wider by the second. "You know how untenable all of this is, right?" His face glows red with rage. He slams his fist down onto the table "Shut uhp with yer high-falutin' words! Ah fuckin' know who ahm! Vermin like y'ahwl thihnk ya know what it takes ta survive in thuh City? 'til ah bothered ta build this from thuh ground uhp, maah pals had squat ta our nuh-ame! we done poured our puh-lace!" He's hamming the accent up so badly, even Benjamin notices. He shakes his head in disappointment. "It isn't my place to talk. I'm just the Dealer here but if I may?" Benjamin plants his elbows on the table. "You remind me of some punks who kidnapped me way back. Putting on this big show to seem scarier and more powerful than you are. Nicole knows your type." Ashley half-heartedly mutters in response. "...and she killed a lot of them.""Shut uhp! Ya know squat! Jack squat!" <"Just call or fold already! Why is she still talking? WHY?!">"Oh, I know. If you want to play cowboy so much, why don't you just give up..'pardner'?" You lay on the fake accent equally as thick for that last word. "The truth is, the Wild West's nothing but a R-Corp fantasy these days. Only ORDER, LAW, PROGRESS, and the CITY remain. Face it. You're an old ghost." "Ah'm not fuh-allin' for yo-wr mindgames! CALL!" He slams his fist down on the table with every word after CALL. "RAISE." SLAM. "FOLD!" SLAM!!! "PICK SOMETHING ALREADY!" Your twisted smile suddenly fades. "You don't have to go home back to R-Corp. But you can't stay here either, can you? Don't you think it's time to drop the act?">-1 ADRENALINE CHARGE. IMPLANT IS NOW EMPTY"..." For the final time, his gun clatters to the table. It misfires but the aim was so off, it just grazed past your reddish-orange hair. Needlessly to say, you and your allies nearly had a heart attack from sheer fear. >-1 RESTRAINT TO EVERYONE EXCEPT ASHLEY! "Father above fucking hell FUCK." Adam places a hand on his chest. "Holy Son Holy Mother please don't tell me it's my time fuck"Casey is simply curled into a ball on the chair she's sitting on while Max is darting her eyes around with worry, "D-did anyone get hurt?"Benjamin has darted from the table, firmly planting his back against the wall. His breathing is shallow and a light tremble runs through his body. "Haha wow that's something." Max leaps out of her seat and makes a beeline towards Benjamin. She wraps her arms around him. "Hey, hey, look at me, it's okay."Ashley clicks her tongue. "Well, you got a reaction out of him. Happy?""Fuck." Clover mumbles out. "Can ya blame me for wanting to try being something different?" His overblown accent is gone, replaced by a light, natural southern drawl.
"I don't. But when you're ripping apart the only livelihood you have over it, is it even worth it?" You rapt your knuckles on the table. "Call."Benjamin and Max stumble back to the table. Max is whispering sweet nothingness into the startled pharmacist's ears to keep him calm. Benjamin flips over the rest of the community cards. An Ace of Clubs and an Eight of Spades. You flip your hand. So does Clover. An Ace of Spades and a Seven of Clubs. A full house vs a pair of aces. You win!>TOTAL MONEY: $1442 Correcting a math error."...It's the only way I could cope being in this shithole of a job." Clover forces out a chuckle. It sounds more like a sob than anything. "I wanted people to have fun. I wanted to sell a little bit of my home back here. Even if that means it had to be through this god damn casino." After Adam eventually catches his breath, he leans over to look Clover in his yellow eyes. "And that warrants doing shit to ruin your business? Because of some petty spite towards your job as a casino boss?""You think it's fun being in my position? Having to bowdown to a buncha boring suits, having to watch people gamble themselves into husks, having to do all of this?" He waves his hands around in a fluid gesture. "S-so you're not actually a cowboy?" Casey frowns, speaking with the same heartbroken tone of voice as a child being told that Santa doesn't exist. Clover shakes his head. "I idolized them, you know? These rootin' tootin', fair and just paragons who fought for justice and fought against the injustices of the world." He removes his hat and plants it on the desk. "It's better than admitting I'm just some random District 18 born dummy who would never be picked as a Ranger. Better than just admitting I'm no better than any other Cityslicker you find on the streets. Only thing I got in common with them is half decent aim." So he probably could've still killed all of you if you lost. That's totally not worrying. "So. You win. I'll get you your cash so you can go." Clover slowly gets up from his chair. His legs wobble, clearly overwhelmed by his emotions and stress. "I'll take your business suggestions into consideration, Nicole. If nothing else, I should grow up and admit when I'm being a stubborn, incompetent jackass." He takes long, strained steps over to his office door. "Fuck." Ashley shakes her head. "All of the life just got sucked right out of him. Should we say something?"Benjamin manages to catch his breath (with Max's help) long enough to call out to Clover, "So, what now? The game might be over but...what now? What's your plan from here?""I don't know." Clover answers with a sincere, honest tone in his words. "I really don't. Maybe talk to Kana and apologize. Maybe tell Marla that I wasted her time. I dunno." He places his hand on the doorknob. "And, sorry, Casey." The job's basically done. All you got left is asking for your extra reward and your last words to him.
What do you want your extra reward to be besides the Handler's cash? Pick one. >"Hey, gunslinger. No point letting those skills go to waste. Teach me." (You'll unlock AMATEUR GUNSLINGER as a new BOON. Whenever you roll a 6 when firing a gun, you may roll an additional d6. This boon does not trigger on the extra dice.)>"Mind telling me about your other sponsors? They sound like very, very interesting people." (Permanently raises +1 CONNECTIONs and grants you communication with various powerful people in the City.)>"Tell me EVERYTHING you know about your home District." (You'll learn a lot of valuable information about R-Corp, their district, their people, and how best to navigate it. SEEKER is more than willing to fill in the gaps.)>"Get me some extra money. That briefcase is meant for Foxtrot, after all." (You'll earn an extra $777, on top of your mission rewards.)>Nothing. "Good game." (You'll earn the respect and RAPPORT of your allies + Clover by picking this.)>Write in. What do you want to say or do to him? Pick up to three>"Maybe you don't have to leave it all behind." Offer your hand to him. "Maybe that persona is better somewhere else." (CLOVER will become a hirable ally. You imagine his other allies would be willing to work if you earned enough rapport with him.)>Hold out your phone to Clover. "Talk to Mr. Foxtrot. I think someone 'fair' and 'just' would admit the truth to him, no?" >"Hey, so I have to confess something..." Tell him about what you did in the Casino before meeting him. The cheating, the camera bugging, etc. He should probably know.>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Toss your revolver over to him with your mind. Probably the only way to get it to him in time. "Hey. Don't leave this behind, dumbass." >[BENJAMIN ALLY] "Thanks for the game. It was stressful but fun." Compliment both Benjamin and Clover for everything that happened this game.>[ASHLEY ALLY] "Don't try waving guns in people's faces if you're not willing to fire, ya know?" Try to instill some better trigger discipline in him.>[CASEY ALLY] "Hey. Your pals will understand. No need to beat yourself up more than you need to." Try to offer a bit of comfort to the emotionally spent man with Casey's help.>[PARTY FAVORS] "Hey. We don't really need this, think you can find a use for them?" Hand over those excess party favors to him. (-PARTY FAVORS. Waste not, want not. Maybe he'll give you something valuable in return.)>You don't really have much else to say to him. Give him some breathing room.>Write in.Pastebin is being an abject bitch by having its servers down, so I'll update it whenever it comes back online. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
>>5910119>"Mind telling me about your other sponsors? They sound like very, very interesting people." (Permanently raises +1 CONNECTIONs and grants you communication with various powerful people in the City.)>"Maybe you don't have to leave it all behind." Offer your hand to him. "Maybe that persona is better somewhere else." (CLOVER will become a hirable ally. You imagine his other allies would be willing to work if you earned enough rapport with him.)>Hold out your phone to Clover. "Talk to Mr. Foxtrot. I think someone 'fair' and 'just' would admit the truth to him, no?">"Hey, so I have to confess something..." Tell him about what you did in the Casino before meeting him. The cheating, the camera bugging, etc. He should probably knowI now regret not embracing the schizo and going all in
>>5910119>Nothing. "Good game." (You'll earn the respect and RAPPORT of your allies + Clover by picking this.)Rapport with Ashley is important to deal with Ashton>[BENJAMIN ALLY] "Thanks for the game. It was stressful but fun." Compliment both Benjamin and Clover for everything that happened this game.>[CASEY ALLY] "Hey. Your pals will understand. No need to beat yourself up more than you need to." Try to offer a bit of comfort to the emotionally spent man with Casey's help
>>5910119>"Mind telling me about your other sponsors? They sound like very, very interesting people." (Permanently raises +1 CONNECTIONs and grants you communication with various powerful people in the City.)>"Maybe you don't have to leave it all behind." Offer your hand to him. "Maybe that persona is better somewhere else." (CLOVER will become a hirable ally. You imagine his other allies would be willing to work if you earned enough rapport with him.)>"Hey, so I have to confess something..." Tell him about what you did in the Casino before meeting him. The cheating, the camera bugging, etc. He should probably know.>[CASEY ALLY] "Hey. Your pals will understand. No need to beat yourself up more than you need to." Try to offer a bit of comfort to the emotionally spent man with Casey's help.
>>5910119>Nothing. "Good game." (You'll earn the respect and RAPPORT of your allies + Clover by picking this.)What >>5910134 saidThen>[CASEY ALLY] "Hey. Your pals will understand. No need to beat yourself up more than you need to." Try to offer a bit of comfort to the emotionally spent man with Casey's helpDon't go shoot yourself under a tree, retard>Hold out your phone to Clover. "Talk to Mr. Foxtrot. I think someone 'fair' and 'just' would admit the truth to him, no?"Oh boy this'll be good>"Hey, so I have to confess something..." Tell him about what you did in the Casino before meeting him. The cheating, the camera bugging, etc. He should probably knowIn our defense, that dealer cheated FIRST.In our defense, we needed footage to be sure it was Kana, and we didn't want to break into the vault to get the Handler's money.
>>5910133>I now regret not embracing the schizo and going all inYeah, you and these guys>>5909187>>5908760>>5908606We'd have scored more than the $1442 if we had gone all in
>>5910114>why don't you just give up..'pardner'?https://wiki.teamfortress.com/w/images/e/e7/Spy_taunts07.wav
>>5910364In order to avoid bankruptcy, casinos need more money than we do. Our financial gains from this game are more than sufficient.
What are you doing anons, DO NOT CONFESS. Clover wants to never be cheated again, he might just flip out. Violently.
>>5910119>"Mind telling me about your other sponsors? They sound like very, very interesting people." (Permanently raises +1 CONNECTIONs and grants you communication with various powerful people in the City.)>"Maybe you don't have to leave it all behind." Offer your hand to him. "Maybe that persona is better somewhere else." (CLOVER will become a hirable ally. You imagine his other allies would be willing to work if you earned enough rapport with him.)>Hold out your phone to Clover. "Talk to Mr. Foxtrot. I think someone 'fair' and 'just' would admit the truth to him, no?">[PARTY FAVORS] "Hey. We don't really need this, think you can find a use for them?" Hand over those excess party favors to him. (-PARTY FAVORS. Waste not, want not. Maybe he'll give you something valuable in return.)
>>5910143Change>>5910119>Nothing. "Good game." (You'll earn the respect and RAPPORT of your allies + Clover by picking this.)>"Maybe you don't have to leave it all behind." Offer your hand to him. "Maybe that persona is better somewhere else." (CLOVER will become a hirable ally. You imagine his other allies would be willing to work if you earned enough rapport with him.)>"Hey, so I have to confess something..." Tell him about what you did in the Casino before meeting him. The cheating, the camera bugging, etc. He should probably know.>[CASEY ALLY] "Hey. Your pals will understand. No need to beat yourself up more than you need to." Try to offer a bit of comfort to the emotionally spent man with Casey's help.
>>5910119>"Mind telling me about your other sponsors? They sound like very, very interesting people." (Permanently raises +1 CONNECTIONs and grants you communication with various powerful people in the City.)>"Maybe you don't have to leave it all behind." Offer your hand to him. "Maybe that persona is better somewhere else." (CLOVER will become a hirable ally. You imagine his other allies would be willing to work if you earned enough rapport with him.)>[BENJAMIN ALLY] "Thanks for the game. It was stressful but fun." Compliment both Benjamin and Clover for everything that happened this game.>[CASEY ALLY] "Hey. Your pals will understand. No need to beat yourself up more than you need to." Try to offer a bit of comfort to the emotionally spent man with Casey's help
>>5910119>"Mind telling me about your other sponsors? They sound like very, very interesting people." (Permanently raises +1 CONNECTIONs and grants you communication with various powerful people in the City.)We will be gaining rapport already from completing this mission.>"Maybe you don't have to leave it all behind." Offer your hand to him. "Maybe that persona is better somewhere else." (CLOVER will become a hirable ally. You imagine his other allies would be willing to work if you earned enough rapport with him.)>Hold out your phone to Clover. "Talk to Mr. Foxtrot. I think someone 'fair' and 'just' would admit the truth to him, no?">[CASEY ALLY] "Hey. Your pals will understand. No need to beat yourself up more than you need to." Try to offer a bit of comfort to the emotionally spent man with Casey's help.The cheating is none of his business
>>5910429>>5910746Clover is going to learn the truth eventually. We should best tell him right now, or it will cause problems when we hire him. We're in a better position to inform him right now. Rather than kick the can problem down the road, it will inevitably explode into big problems to our faces in the future.
>>5910119"Mind telling me about your other sponsors? They sound like very, very interesting people." (Permanently raises +1 CONNECTIONs and grants you communication with various powerful people in the City.)>"Maybe you don't have to leave it all behind." Offer your hand to him. "Maybe that persona is better somewhere else." (CLOVER will become a hirable ally. You imagine his other allies would be willing to work if you earned enough rapport with him.)>"Hey, so I have to confess something..." Tell him about what you did in the Casino before meeting him. The cheating, the camera bugging, etc. He should probably know.>[CASEY ALLY] "Hey. Your pals will understand. No need to beat yourself up more than you need to." Try to offer a bit of comfort to the emotionally spent man with Casey's help.
>>5910119>SPONSORS>"Maybe you don't have to leave it all behind."We're finally cowboys/We'll always be cowboys. I really like this option, Clover's struggle against the City's injustice/the World/the Man follows in the American mythology of the cowboy. >[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES]>[CASEY ALLY]
>>5910746+1
>REWARD SPONSOR: INr, ByB, w8l, Qnb, zuL, WqV, WeO NOTHING: AxO, nFz, AxO, 3Ji>WHAT TO SAY ASK HIM TO BE ALLY: ALL BUT AxO PHONE CALL: INr, nFz, ByB, Qnb, WeO CONFESSION: INr, 3Ji, nFz, zuLBENJAMIN ALLY: AxO, w8lCASEY ALLY: AxO, nFz, 3Ji, w8L, Qnb, zul, WeOPARTY FAVOR: ByB,ANOMALOUS ABILITIES: WqVAll in all, Sponsorship Reward wins. For the conversation topics, ASK HIM TO BE AN ALLY + CASEY ALLY + PHONE CALL wins out (though Confessing was pretty close). Writing.
"Say. Before you go." You snap your fingers to get his attention. Clover hesitates at hearing your voice, hand still firmly gripping onto the doorknob. "I got something to say to you. A few things, actually." "Nick." Ashley shoves her shoulder into you with a sour expression. "I think you said quite enough. Let him get our cash so we can jet.""No, no." Clover lets go of the doorknob before turning to face you. "She had the right to say what she said and, well, she wasn't wrong either." "Look, I'll be honest. Sometimes I get a bit, uh, riled up?" That's probably better than admitting you have psychotic fits sometimes. "While I did somewhat mean some of those things, don't beat yourself up more than you need to." Casey nods along with a hesitant smile. "Y-yeah. I-I'm a bit disappointed but only because you didn't tell us about your problems. Isn't that what friends are for?" Her shaky tone of voice instantly vanishes as she regains that customer service smile in full force. She hops out of her chair to strike an comically odd pose reminiscent of a superhero. "C'mon! It's free, it has no notable byproducts, AND all it takes is a hug and a handshake! Fwiendswip, found at your local Casey!"Adam (thankfully having recovered from his heart attack) snorts at the display. "Fucking hell. Do you eat lead?" The jovial tone of voice he puts on makes it obvious it's not meant to be an insult. "Yes! Scrapping my teeth against it is very soothing! That and didn't you know that F-Company offers lead-heavy options at 20% of the normal price?"Adam scrunches up his face in an attempt to process what he heard. "...No wonder why you talk like that."[SEEKER OF THE CITY] 12% of the normal price of meat, actually. It's really just an excuse to sell meat that would otherwise be unsellable. Clover is trying his damn best to hold back his laughter. He places a hand over his face to hide his growing smile. "Ah, fuck. Yeah, yeah, don't worry about that. I wasn't gonna do anything stupid or nothin-" He instantly gets shut up by the ball of energy known as 'Casey' rushing over to him to hug him. She clings onto him for dear life. "WOAH CASEY UH MAYBE NOT RIGHT-" "Hug! Now!"You simply shake your head in mild amusement while your other allies either laugh at the tomfuckery going on or try their best to suppress their smiles. Something clicks in your head. Right, right, best to offer it now that he's doing a bit better. "Say. Clover. Maybe you don't need to leave this all behind?" You lean forward in your chair, hand outstretched towards him. "Maybe it's not good for a business persona but in my line of work, you might be more than useful.""Is this a habit of yours?" Max snorts. "Making fwiends with strangers during missions? I mean, I respect it on a practical level." Adam, Ashley, and Benjamin all glance at each other, then Casey, then back at Max. "What do YOU think?" They say in unison.Clover stares at your hand with a conflicted expression.
"You sure?" Clover chokes out a nervous laugh. You simply nod your head in response. You have a good eye on people you can trust to be allies and so far, you haven't been betrayed yet. [UNSTABLE] OPERATIVE WORD BEING 'YET'. "Hey. Casey trusted me, didn't she?" You try to offer a comforting smile. "How about it, partner?" "Nice lady! Very weird eyes! Reminds me of a weird deer!" Casey chirps out. Wow, thanks. Clover is still hesitating but after looking at Casey and your other allies, he grabs onto your hand to shake it. "It couldn't hurt to leave this place. As long as you don't send me on any death traps." You were half tempted to tell him you had an ally expressively for using as a meat shield but that would scare him off. You shake his hand as hard as you can. "Deal's a deal. Guess I have to take your soul or something now, eh?" You try your best to copy that shit eating grin Max makes. Clover quietly chuckles at your joke. "Eh. Maybe not that. Deal's a deal, though." He lets go of your hand.You quickly shove your phone into his hand once he does so. "Good. Now that we're friends, I need you to do two things with this. Put your phone number and the numbers of your sponsors in here. Consider the sponsors one my second reward for winning. Second, dial up the one labeled "Handler". Does a Mr. Foxtrot ring a bell?" His face instantly turns pale. You continue speaking, "Talk to Mr. Foxtrot. I think someone 'fair' and 'just' would admit the truth to him, no? Just make sure to give it back once you're done." Clover hesitantly pulls Casey off of him (with some whining from her) before dialing the number. He heads to the office door and opens it right as the call picked up. "Heeey, Mr. Foxtrot. So, uh, I would like to-" A stream of incomprehensible rage pours out the speaker. All you can make out is "DID YOU KILL HER" and "YOU FUCKING FAGGOT I'LL-". He quickly runs out of the office, slamming the door behind him with a look of sheer embarrassment on his face. Benjamin is the first one to pip up with a response. "Wow. Your boss is kinda an asshole. Max, can we kill him later?" Max pats her mess of a partner on the head. "No. That would ruin her job, dummy." "Woo." Adam spins around in the office chair. "That was a hell of a change of pace for me. Scary but I can't say I hate it. You do this DAILY?" "Well, the last two missions I went on involved having to evade an anomaly and having to kill a gang. This is frankly a change of pace for me." You respond with mildly concerning nonchalantness."Eh. Kinda preferred the gang one. Still hurting a bit from it but I'm, uh, better at that kind of thing." Ashley mumbles. "Kinda wondered why you brought me along here, actually?" You should probably address that sooner than la-"Oooo! Gun!" Casey has picked up the discarded gun that Clover forgot to bring. Ashley and Adam immediately move in to tard wrangle her. As you tune out the high tone chirps and low tone grunts, you wait.
"So, Ben?" You hold out the two leftover party favors. "What are these anyways?" Benjamin perks up upon seeing the black pills. "Oh. I wasn't lying to Marla. Those are some of the strongest psychoactives I could make on short notice. To a normal human, it makes you trip your balls off. I'm not sure what it might do to you, though?" He does an overdramatic shrug. Well then. "I think they're called..." >SINNLÖSCHEN x2 added to inventory! (+2 WILLPOWER, you roll d8s when making WILLPOWER checks and -1 FLESH DAMAGE taken while active. Constantly drains your RESTRAINT while active.)"Horrifying! Thanks!" You pocket the black pills into your pocket. "No problem! That's half of your appeal!" Benjamin beams a cheerful smile at you."what the fuck do you mean by that, ben." Max's smirk widens a bit too much.Before anything more can be said, Clover barges back into the office with a suitcase full of money and a quiet phone in his hand. He hands over the two to you with the most exhausted look a man could possibly have on his face. It's like he aged fifty years over that phone call. "...I need something to drink. Casey- What the?" Adam, Ashley, and Casey all look over at Clover. Adam is gripping onto Casey's left arm, Ashley is gripping onto her right arm, and Clover's revolver is still firmly gripped in Casey's hand."Uh." Adam starts to sweat bullets. "It's, uh-""It's exactly what it looks like." Ashley shrugs her shoulders with a blasé expression."Hoi!" Casey quickly drops the gun upon seeing Clover. Thankfully, Adam and Ashley are able to catch it before another misfire can happen. "youknowwhatyeahsure." Clover's brain short circuits for a moment before rebooting. "I'm gonna have to ask you to leave now, though. Not to be an impolite house but uh. Let's just say my associates are kinda pissed at me kicking them out for the game." You and your allies murmur understandingly, no point overstaying your welcome. As you pocket your phone and start heading out of the office, Clover clicks his tongue to get your attention. "One last thing. I put the numbers of me and my sponsors on the phone.""Mr. Sukane is a former T-Company executive, call him whenever you need help scheduling meetings or temporal-related stuff. Ms. Wiltshire is associated with O-Corp, call her if you need information from WAY before the City was created. And as for Ms. Anjaro, those fellas know a bit too much about the Wastes outside the City." >CONNECTIONS is now 4! You may call these associates for favors, given the right bargaining chips or CONNECTIONS checks. >You may now hire Clover as an ally!"Now. You really should be going." You and your allies (sans Casey, seems like she wants to stay behind) make a beeline towards the exit. You notice how fucking heavy the briefcase you're carrying is. You never did think about how heavy 80k would actually be.>Casey has left the party! Alas, alack, abass.
You're now back out onto the streets of District 16 after making sure you get some distance away from the casino (you doubt the line was too happy about you skipping it, after all.) The imposing, seemingly infinitely tall skyscrapers that stretch on for god knows how long and the biting cold of the snowy wind is rather inhospitable to say the least. >MISSION COMPLETE! REWARDS: $450, +1 RAPPORT TO ALL BUT ASHLEY, +1/2 RAPPORT TO ASHLEY, YOU GOT TWO NEW ALLIES AND THE POTENTIAL FOR MORE DOWN THE LINE, THE HANDLER RESPECTS YOU MORE!"S-s-so!" Max clings onto Benjamin for warmth. "W-where to, Ni-nicole?" What ARE your next actions now, Nicole? Choose up to three non-free actions and any number of free actions.>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES + OPEN MINDED] An odd buzz is in the air. The buzz of something ANOMALOUS. Ben seems to notice it too. Follow his lead. (You'll enter an ANOMALY EVENT. Good, bad, somewhere in between, you don't know. You might get some unique valuables if you play your cards right. A secondary vote will be called to determine what you might stumble upon if you pick this.)>It's tradition at this point. Time to get sloppy drunk with your allies at a bar! (You and your allies will heal back your RESTRAINT and offers a chance to learn more about your allies.)>[MAX ALLY] "Say, I'm a bit tired of slumming it. I think we deserve something a bit more high class." With the daughter of a Krakatoa around, you should be able to enter a high class place. Why not reward yourself? (You'll get a good glimpse into how the richest people in the City treat themselves and some more information on how they operate. That and high class food is better.)>[ASHLEY ALLY] You really should tell Ashley about why you hired her. That Ashton figure is probably going to come sooner than later.>[SEEKER OF THE CITY] "Let's take a walk, shall we?" Take a walk around District 16 with your allies. Chat. Take in the sights. Decompress after everything. (Has a chance to raise RAPPORT with your allies. You're likely to stumble into an old cache, a new store, or some other interesting place to return to later on your walk.)>[UNSTABLE] The crackle of radio static catches your attention. You notice an oddly attention hungry radio behind a store window. "NICOLE." You decide to take a step forward to listen to it. (??????)>You pull out your phone. Might as well make a call to one of your new sponsors. (FREE ACTION. Write in which one you want to talk to. Ms. Anjaro? Ms. Wiltshire? Mr. Sukane?)>[BENJAMIN ALLY] "Hey, Benjamin?" What's better than more drugs? Might as well get him to use up the two charges of his boon. (FREE ACTION. Write in what kind of custom drug you want him to make or a drug you have on hand to duplicate. If you don't pick this, he'll randomly generate something for you so the charges don't go to waste.)>WRITE IN.Now that Pastebin is up, I'm going to update it within a few hours or so to adjust for your rewards and other jank.
>>5911588>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES + OPEN MINDED] An odd buzz is in the air. The buzz of something ANOMALOUS. Ben seems to notice it too. Follow his lead. (You'll enter an ANOMALY EVENT. Good, bad, somewhere in between, you don't know. You might get some unique valuables if you play your cards right. A secondary vote will be called to determine what you might stumble upon if you pick this.)>[MAX ALLY] "Say, I'm a bit tired of slumming it. I think we deserve something a bit more high class." With the daughter of a Krakatoa around, you should be able to enter a high class place. Why not reward yourself? (You'll get a good glimpse into how the richest people in the City treat themselves and some more information on how they operate. That and high class food is better.)>[ASHLEY ALLY] You really should tell Ashley about why you hired her. That Ashton figure is probably going to come sooner than later>[BENJAMIN ALLY] "Hey, Benjamin?" What's better than more drugs? Might as well get him to use up the two charges of his boon. (FREE ACTION. Write in what kind of custom drug you want him to make or a drug you have on hand to duplicate. If you don't pick this, he'll randomly generate something for you so the charges don't go to waste.)White Powder and Pep PillsThe radio is 3spooky5me
>>5911625+>You pull out your phone. Might as well make a call to one of your new sponsors. (FREE ACTION. Write in which one you want to talk to. Ms. Anjaro? Ms. Wiltshire? Mr. Sukane?)Mr. Sukane
>>5911588>[BENJAMIN ALLY] "Hey, Benjamin?" What's better than more drugs? Might as well get him to use up the two charges of his boon. (FREE ACTION. Write in what kind of custom drug you want him to make or a drug you have on hand to duplicate. If you don't pick this, he'll randomly generate something for you so the charges don't go to waste.)VIRITOXAP BRANDED ANTI-PSYCHOTICS and White Powder>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES + OPEN MINDED] An odd buzz is in the air. The buzz of something ANOMALOUS. Ben seems to notice it too. Follow his lead. (You'll enter an ANOMALY EVENT. Good, bad, somewhere in between, you don't know. You might get some unique valuables if you play your cards right. A secondary vote will be called to determine what you might stumble upon if you pick this.)>[ASHLEY ALLY] You really should tell Ashley about why you hired her. That Ashton figure is probably going to come sooner than later.>It's tradition at this point. Time to get sloppy drunk with your allies at a bar! (You and your allies will heal back your RESTRAINT and offers a chance to learn more about your allies.)
>>5911588>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES + OPEN MINDED] An odd buzz is in the air. The buzz of something ANOMALOUS. Ben seems to notice it too. Follow his lead. (You'll enter an ANOMALY EVENT. Good, bad, somewhere in between, you don't know. You might get some unique valuables if you play your cards right. A secondary vote will be called to determine what you might stumble upon if you pick this.)>It's tradition at this point. Time to get sloppy drunk with your allies at a bar! (You and your allies will heal back your RESTRAINT and offers a chance to learn more about your allies.)>[ASHLEY ALLY] You really should tell Ashley about why you hired her. That Ashton figure is probably going to come sooner than later.>You pull out your phone. Might as well make a call to one of your new sponsors. (FREE ACTION. Write in which one you want to talk to. Ms. Anjaro? Ms. Wiltshire? Mr. Sukane?)Mr. Sukane>[BENJAMIN ALLY] "Hey, Benjamin?" What's better than more drugs? Might as well get him to use up the two charges of his boon. (FREE ACTION. Write in what kind of custom drug you want him to make or a drug you have on hand to duplicate. If you don't pick this, he'll randomly generate something for you so the charges don't go to waste.)VIRITOXAP BRANDED ANTI-PSYCHOTICS And PEP PILLS
>>5911588>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES + OPEN MINDED] An odd buzz is in the air. The buzz of something ANOMALOUS. Ben seems to notice it too. Follow his lead. (You'll enter an ANOMALY EVENT. Good, bad, somewhere in between, you don't know. You might get some unique valuables if you play your cards right. A secondary vote will be called to determine what you might stumble upon if you pick this.)>[ASHLEY ALLY] You really should tell Ashley about why you hired her. That Ashton figure is probably going to come sooner than later.>[UNSTABLE] The crackle of radio static catches your attention. You notice an oddly attention hungry radio behind a store window. "NICOLE." You decide to take a step forward to listen to it. (??????)>You pull out your phone. Might as well make a call to one of your new sponsors. (FREE ACTION. Write in which one you want to talk to. Ms. Anjaro? Ms. Wiltshire? Mr. Sukane?)Ms Anjaro>[BENJAMIN ALLY] "Hey, Benjamin?" What's better than more drugs? Might as well get him to use up the two charges of his boon. (FREE ACTION. Write in what kind of custom drug you want him to make or a drug you have on hand to duplicate. If you don't pick this, he'll randomly generate something for you so the charges don't go to waste.)BROWN VIAL and PEP PILLS
>>5911588>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES + OPEN MINDED] An odd buzz is in the air. The buzz of something ANOMALOUS. Ben seems to notice it too. Follow his lead. (You'll enter an ANOMALY EVENT. Good, bad, somewhere in between, you don't know. You might get some unique valuables if you play your cards right. A secondary vote will be called to determine what you might stumble upon if you pick this.)>[ASHLEY ALLY] You really should tell Ashley about why you hired her. That Ashton figure is probably going to come sooner than later.>[SEEKER OF THE CITY] "Let's take a walk, shall we?" Take a walk around District 16 with your allies. Chat. Take in the sights. Decompress after everything. (Has a chance to raise RAPPORT with your allies. You're likely to stumble into an old cache, a new store, or some other interesting place to return to later on your walk.)>You pull out your phone. Might as well make a call to one of your new sponsors. (FREE ACTION. Write in which one you want to talk to. Ms. Anjaro? Ms. Wiltshire? Mr. Sukane?)Mr. Sukane>[BENJAMIN ALLY] "Hey, Benjamin?" What's better than more drugs? Might as well get him to use up the two charges of his boon. (FREE ACTION. Write in what kind of custom drug you want him to make or a drug you have on hand to duplicate. If you don't pick this, he'll randomly generate something for you so the charges don't go to waste.)White Powder and Pep Pills
Rolled 2 (1d2)ANOMALY INVESTIGATION: EVERYONEASHLEY ALLY: EVERYONE BARTIME: B2p, 3JiMAX ALLY: w8LSEEKER OF THE CITY: QnbUNSTABLE: INr Due to no votes being submitted in 12 hours, I think it's fair enough to cut it off now. ANOMALY INVESTIGATION and ASHLEY ALLY are universally picked, Bartime is the only other with more than one vote, so we'll go with that. As for your free actions: calling Mr. Sukane wins (with 4/5 wanting to call and 3/4 of those wanting to call him) and as for what drugs for him to make:PEP PILLS: INr, Qnb, 3Ji, w8l WHITE POWDER: w8L, Qnb BROWN VIAL: INr ANTIPSYCHOTICS: B2P, 3JiPep Pills have a clear majority but there's a tie between White Powder and the ANTIPSYCHOTICS.I'll flip a coin to decide a tiebreaker. 1 = White Powder, 2 = ANTIPSYCHOTICS. A mini update should be posted within 30-45 minutes for what anomaly event to pick.
You have a lot of things you want to do with your pals but your mind is immediately overran by some overwhelming BUZZ and ENERGY in the air. None of the others seem to pick up on it except for Benjamin. The two of you lock eyes with each other. "Uh, what's going on?" Ashley raises an eyebrow at you two beginning to freak out. "Do you feel that?" You mutter to Benjamin. "There's that god damn buzz. Like at that old freezer back at his place." "Yeah." Benjamin nods with a nervous smile. Well, nervous might not be the right word. It looks more ecstatic than anything. "It's electrifying. Like that crash test dummy or that chef. A very familiar buzz." "You thinking what I'm thinking?" You flash a toothy, pearly-white smile at him. "I think something a bit less grounded would be a nice change of pace." Benjamin quickly nods his head up and down, his smile twisting to match yours. "Absolutely. There's nothing better than seeing one in the flesh, isn't there? Or bark, or static, or foam, or fur. Something that REMINDS us of the bigger picture."[UNSTABLE] "Exactly. Glad we're on the same page, are we not?"[DELUSIONAL] "Of course. Friends understand each other like that, no?"Max and Adam, rightfully so, begin to freak the fuck out. Max wraps her arms around Benjamin in an attempt to prevent him from going anywhere. "Nope! Not on my watch! I already had to call a favor to stop that fucking crash test dummy from hurting you!" Adam, meanwhile, tenses up like a nervous animal that's trapped in a corner. "Shit. Shouldn't we call an ETF agent to deal with it? Why the hell would WE want to go deal with one ourselves." "Hey, hey!" You raise your hands up in mock surrender. "We're not 'dealing' with it. We're just 'investigating'.""Yeah!" Benjamin looks up at Max with wide, innocent eyes reminiscent of a small puppy's. "It'll be in and out." Ashley grips onto her baseball bat with a tired, glazed look to her eyes. She glances at the two of you before letting out a sigh. "Fuck it. I don't sense anything SUPER dangerous nearby, so I doubt it's some...uh." She snaps her fingers. "Fuck. What did that one Bennett schizo say? X something?" [SEEKER OF THE CITY] ETF agents have a unique way of ranking the threat levels of anomalies. They rank them with a letter and number, i.e A2 or X5. [SEEKER OF THE CITY] You only know that X means they are incredibly aggressive and beyond reason and the numbers go from 0-5, with 5 being incredibly deadly. You'll need to ask an ETF agent for more info."The MOMENT shit goes sideways, we're running. Okay?" You nod.Max and Adam relent, with Max unwrapping her arms around Benjamin and Adam pulling out his knife to be safe. With their hesitant approval, you gesture at Benjamin to lead you to where the anomaly is. He seems to have a better sense of where they are. Your group trails behind him as he slips into an alleyway. Grey walls and dirty, needle covered concrete floors stretched as far as you can see.
https://youtu.be/U3rQ93kLwyE - ANOMALY NEARBYThe alleyway you entered seems to be stretching on a lot farther than an alleyway should be, even in the City. Your allies quickly pick up of this. All you can do is keep following after Benjamin.[SEEKER OF THE CITY] The walls are beginning to wrap in on themselves. Chunks of brick and steel merging together haphazardly. Signs becoming illegible gibberish. You are approaching something beyond your understanding. [ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] It is nascent. You doubt it will immediately try to kill you. Still, don't be reckless.Suddenly, he stops dead in his tracks. You and your allies have to grind your heels to a halt to make sure you don't crash right into him. His eyes seem focused at some sort of blur of color that seems remarkably out of place considering the bland greys and white snow.>You'll only have a rough idea on what the anomaly is through flavor text and the quips from an unidentified person (or persons) attached to it. At best, Benjamin can clue you in with his own tidbits via OPEN MINDED, which will be marked down in []s.>Two anons, roll 1d3 to determine how many PEP PILLS and ANTIPSYCHOTICS he produces after the encounter.CHOOSE YOUR ENCOUNTER. >"Everything is passing. Everything. Stay here any longer, and you will never regain what you were." ("Ah God, that color, everything is eroding-" "There was no bottom at all.") ["I remember a friend back at Z-Corp who got exposed to the wrong chemicals. When we did the autopsy, only a small handful of brain matter was left."]>"Feed me, love me, starve me, hate me, beat me, hug me, judge me..." ("God, this is pathetic. I don't even know what to say.") ["...Reminds me of myself, before I met Max. Self-loathing and a longing for love."]>"I could really wear my heart on my sleeve. Or maybe, I don't have to be anyone at all." ("This job fucking sucks. I wish I could follow in its footsteps." "Suck it up. You get used to it.") ["You can't escape who you are. Trust me, I've seen people try."]>"His Light was borne from madness and misery." ("This feeling...it's majestic and holy and yet, there's that veil of death and termination of substance...") ["Sickening. Even N-Corp wasn't this desperate."]>"Why did I let myself be crushed by this world? Because...I was lazy." ("Can't judge him too much. If I could do my job without having to do anything? I'd take it in a heartbeat.") ["Not my cup of tea. I prefer being hands on."]>"One must be willing to learn to be taught. So many impertinent students these days. A new lesson must be taught.” (“Remember anything from your piano lessons?” "Just Chopsticks.") ["Oh, hey, Max can play this...I think? Reminds me of one I saw back at her place."]>"No. No, no, no, no. They were my SALVATION. When do they FALL?" ("You motherfucker. Rotting in here is a mercy compared to what we should do to you." "She was still alive when we found the guy, shit...") ["..."]
>>5912559>THE PIANO
Rolled 3 (1d3)>>5912559>"I could really wear my heart on my sleeve. Or maybe, I don't have to be anyone at all." ("This job fucking sucks. I wish I could follow in its footsteps." "Suck it up. You get used to it.") ["You can't escape who you are. Trust me, I've seen people try."]
>>5912559>"I could really wear my heart on my sleeve. Or maybe, I don't have to be anyone at all." ("This job fucking sucks. I wish I could follow in its footsteps." "Suck it up. You get used to it.") ["You can't escape who you are. Trust me, I've seen people try."]
Rolled 2 (1d3)>>5912559Rolling
>>5912559>"Feed me, love me, starve me, hate me, beat me, hug me, judge me..." ("God, this is pathetic. I don't even know what to say.") ["...Reminds me of myself, before I met Max. Self-loathing and a longing for love."]Pianos a bad news
>>5912559>"No. No, no, no, no. They were my SALVATION. When do they FALL?" ("You motherfucker. Rotting in here is a mercy compared to what we should do to you." "She was still alive when we found the guy, shit...") ["..."]
>>5912559>>"Feed me, love me, starve me, hate me, beat me, hug me, judge me..." ("God, this is pathetic. I don't even know what to say.") ["...Reminds me of myself, before I met Max. Self-loathing and a longing for love."]
>>5912559>>"No. No, no, no, no. They were my SALVATION. When do they FALL?" ("You motherfucker. Rotting in here is a mercy compared to what we should do to you." "She was still alive when we found the guy, shit...") ["..."]
>>5912559>"Why did I let myself be crushed by this world? Because...I was lazy." ("Can't judge him too much. If I could do my job without having to do anything? I'd take it in a heartbeat.") ["Not my cup of tea. I prefer being hands on."]
>>5912559>"One must be willing to learn to be taught. So many impertinent students these days. A new lesson must be taught.” (“Remember anything from your piano lessons?” "Just Chopsticks.") ["Oh, hey, Max can play this...I think? Reminds me of one I saw back at her place."]
>>5912559>"Feed me, love me, starve me, hate me, beat me, hug me, judge me..." ("God, this is pathetic. I don't even know what to say.") ["...Reminds me of myself, before I met Max. Self-loathing and a longing for love."]
FEED ME, LOVE ME: ssF, INr, sv/HEART ON SLEEVE: zuL, Cux, 3Ji, MwlLAZY: J+FPIANO: WqV, QnbSALVATION: w8l, g1USeems like HEART ON MY SLEEVE wins. Writing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_tkin6PVmY - HEART ON SLEEVEIn a blink of the eye, you're no longer in the alleyway. You're now inside what appears to be some sort of clothing store. You're currently at the front entrance. There's a checkout counter a few feet away from you that's only being staffed by an old mannequin. Hazes of gold and red paints and decorations (such as banners and bells) decorate the walls and floor of the shop, as if it was trying its best to seem high class. Even the lights in the store itself is tinted with a mixture of red and golden hues, tinting the environment in a, for a lack of a better word, sensual hazeA maze of circular and regular clothing racks, with piles on piles of high class fashion outfits hanging off them, flood the store. That leaves only a single clean path forward. Well, two technically, but the counter doesn't catch any interest from you or Benjamin. While you can make out dressing booths along the walls of the store you're in, the sheer number of racks you have to go through makes getting to them unfeasible. "Where the actual fuck are we?" Ashley instantly goes onto high alert. "We were JUST in an alleyway not even two seconds ago! Are we in some sort of trap? Do we gotta fight our way out?" "Uh, I don't think we can. Not yet." Adam points behind you. Your group turns around to see what he's gesturing to. There's two massive windows and a mostly glass door at the entrance you five are standing out, showing you what's outside of the store. The scenery is rather surreal, to be blunt. Dozens of red and gold painted mannequins in various outfits are standing completely still outside. The street stretches on for seemingly forever in both directions and the buildings have remarkably generic names, logos, and designs. Every fast food place is labeled "FOOD", every grocery store is labeled "GROCERY", etc etc. The only one that seems to have a logo with any effort is the one you're in. There's a sign right outside of the shop you're in. In flowing, cursive font with speckles of white and blue, you make out: NOUVEAU TOILa mode de vous, pour vous!"I have no idea what that means. Seems like District 3's dialect, though." Adam scrunches his face up. "Ripugnante."Max approaches the front door and squints her eyes, reading the text on the sign. "Almost seems machine translated but I can make it out. 'NEW YOU', 'FASHION FROM YOU, FOR YOU'? I'm not sure any store in District 3 would write that."[SEEKER OF THE CITY] So whatever this anomaly is, it seems to care a lot about the perception of others. High fashion is a status symbol first and foremost.Benjamin points towards the only obvious path forward. "It's deeper inside. It won't let us go until we face it. While cannibalism WOULD be a viable short term solution, I prefer not to eat anyone."Max opens her mouth, seemingly ready to quip, but nods her head. You group proceeds down the only path forward.
You only now notice how quiet it is in the shop. Aside from a very light ambience playing over some speakers, the only sound being made throughout the whole store is the pitter patters and stomps of your group's footsteps. The sheer tension of heading down this unexplored path and the unnatural nature of your group even being here is clearly getting to everyone here.[UNSTABLE] THEY KNOW THEY DO NOT BELONG HERE. EVEN THE ONE IN GLASSES. ONLY WE CAN SURVIVE THIS. Suddenly, you smell something. Something rotten and foul. A sickly sweet stench of perfume mixed with rotten meat and bile floods your nostrils. Your other allies sense it too and manage to hold back their vomit...except for Max. [SHELTERED] She stops dead in her tracks and grabs onto a nearby rack before letting out a thin stream of spit and bile. Her short, boyish hair is slick with nervous sweat and her eyes are darting around all over the place.>-1 RESTRAINT TO MAX! WARNING! 1/3 RESTRAINT LEFT! "Fucking hell." Ashley steps away to make sure her boots don't get dirty. "I knew she couldn't handle this shit.""Y-yeah. Yeah." Adam can only offer a look of pity. "I understand." <"Reminds me of what Benedict smells like now.">"MAX!" Benjamin quickly wraps his arms around her. "Max, are you okay?" "I-I don't wike this p-place." Max mutters under her breath. Her mouth is still covered in the spit and bile mixture. "I wanna go home. P-please, I wanna go home already." "L-look, we'll get out soon. Just..." He pulls her away from the wrap and drapes her arm over his shoulder. "I'll walk for you, okay?" Max can only nod her head slightly in response. Your group keeps heading down the path until soon enough, you stumble into a wide and open area of the shop. https://youtu.be/8984sH3n4E8 - ANOMALY ENCOUNTERYou now understand what that scent is coming from. Piles of high class clothing stained in blood, fecal matter, and vomit that are soaking wet in what seems like perfume are scattered all across the floor. The same blank, featureless mannequins are placed at random spots all across the floor, each wearing a different outfit that's stained in a different way. In the dead center of the room is a dressing screen with something behind it. A pair of arms pokes up above the screen. Then another pair. Then another pair. Until four pairs of hands are poking out behind the dressing screen. One pair are some normal looking feminine, another are robotic prosthetics, the third pair are wooden prosthetics, and the fourth is a pair of half rotten and skeletal arms. Besides them, the only thing you can make out is a faint silhouette of a pile of...something."What Do I Feel Like Wearing Today? Different Clothes Almost Make Me Feel Like I'm Wearing The Skin Of A Different Person." An ethereal, feminine voice speaks out from behind the screen. "Let's See. Who Am I Going To Be Today?" Its many arms aimlessly move in the air.
"What the actual fuck?" Ashley raises up her baseball bat. "Who are you?" "Oh! A New Guest. Perhaps You Could Tell Me What To Wear." The many arms disappear behind the screen. Wet, moist noises echo throughout the room as it tries to desperately search for something. [OPEN MINDED] "It doesn't want us to see it." Benjamin adjusts his glasses with his free hand. "We should focus on satisfying whatever self image issues it has. Make it happy." [SEEKER OF THE CITY] You imagine whatever outfit you get it to wear will determine how it will 'reward' you. Considering the filth around you though? Giving it clean, fresh clothing from your group could be what it needs the most.The four pairs of arms poke back out from the screen, each holding a different outfit. The normal arms are holding a pair of sweatpants, a hoodie, a loose fitting tshirt, and sneakers. "I Could Always Try Something Casual..."The robotic arms are holding a black suit, black pants, red tie, and black shoes. "Of Course, Nothing Is Wrong With A Business Classic." The wooden arms are holding a flowing red dress and a pair of pink high heels. The dress is rather...revealing, with an obvious cleavage window and an exposed back. "Perhaps I Should Treat Myself? Could It Hurt?"The rotten and skeletal arms are holding a grease stained leather jacket, blood stained combat boots, and military fatigues. "Of Course, There's Nothing Wrong With Getting My Hands Dirty." "So? What Should I Wear, Dear Guests?""We'll have to humor this thing." Adam whispers to the group. "These things are dead locked into a certain mindset. I can barely talk Benedict out of his worst moments." "All of those outfits look ugly..." Max, still reeling from the stench and surreal nature of everything, mutters half coherently.How do you respond to the anomaly?>"Nothing's wrong with a casual look. You don't need to dress to impress. Just enjoy yourself.">"C'mon. A suit and tie is a classic look. Nothing can go wrong with going with the classics.">"Dressing to impress, huh? I respect the boldness. Go ahead and show your stuff.">"Oh ho! I like the grimy one. Really shows you're not someone to fuck with.>"None of those look good. I think your current outfit is just fine.">"Here." You pull off your thick winter jacket and boots. "Try this outfit. I think you'll like it.">[HIGH CLASS JEWELRY] "I like the dress but I think this would match well with it." Offer it some of that high class jewelry you found a few missions back. (-2 HIGH CLASS JEWELRY)>"Here." You need to calm Max down before you do anything. (FREE ACTION. You have three Joyvel doses, how many do you to give her?)>Before you tell it what to wear, you have something to ask it. (FREE ACTION, write in up to three things to ask it. Depending on the subject, you may need to make a skill check.)>Write in. (Give it something else? Tell it something else? Do something else completely?)
>>5913847>[HIGH CLASS JEWELRY] "I like the dress but I think this would match well with it." Offer it some of that high class jewelry you found a few missions back. (-2 HIGH CLASS JEWELRY)>"Here." You need to calm Max down before you do anything. (FREE ACTION. You have three Joyvel doses, how many do you to give her?)1
>>5913847>"Dressing to impress, huh? I respect the boldness. Go ahead and show your stuff.">"Here." You need to calm Max down before you do anything. (FREE ACTION. You have three Joyvel doses, how many do you to give her?)1
>>5913853+1
>>5913853Hate to give up the jewelry like that because people love shiny rocks, but Max could get these exact ones or equal level for chump change to her. So it's no big deal. Speaking of Max, there can be a cool teamwork moment there>Nicole walks over to Max>silently wipes the vomit off her mouth>pulls out Joyvel>Ben recognizes on sight>silently nods the go-ahead+1
>>5913847>Before you tell it what to wear, you have something to ask it. (FREE ACTION, write in up to three things to ask it. Depending on the subject, you may need to make a skill check.)Where are you going?Who are you meeting?What do you want to do?>"Here." You need to calm Max down before you do anything. (FREE ACTION. You have three Joyvel doses, how many do you to give her?)1
>>5914040+1 these questions too
>>5914040Supporting
>>5914040+1
>>5914647Edit >>5913853>>5914040+1
HIGH CLASS JEWELRY: sSf, sv/, Cux, 0pdDRESS TO IMPRESS: zuLQUESTION IT: Qnb, Cux, w8l, oPd, all agreeing with the same three questions. None of them require a skill check given their simple nature.GIVE HER MEDS: All agree to give her one dose of Joyvel.So, giving it high class jewelry + giving Max some meds + Asking it where it's going, who it's meeting, and what it wants to do wins. Writing. Should be out in two hours.
You rather not have to deal with someone having a mental breakdown while neck deep in an anomaly's territory. You're the one who's supposed to freak out! Maybe Benjamin! Not her! You take quiet, careful steps over to Max to not accidently trigger the anomaly. Using your sleeve, you wipe away at the bile still on her mouth. You pull out your Joyvel bottle and open it up to grab a pill out of it. Benjamin's eyes widen for a moment before vigorously nodding. He gestures at you to give her the pill. <"C'mon. Hurry. That stuff should be quick acting enough.">You drop the pill into her mouth and before the dazed Max has any time to spit it out or freak out, Benjamin covers her mouth with one hand and coaxes her throat to swallow by tilting her head back and rubbing her throat. Soon enough, she takes the pill. She's still out of it but it's clear she's regaining her senses now. >2/3 RESTRAINT! -1 JOYVEL! "Take it easy." You whisper to the two. Benjamin focuses his attention on keeping Max upright as the pill kicks in.You turn your attention back towards the anomaly. You got a few questions to ask, even if you know what you plan on giving it regardless. You clear your throat to make sure you sound something presentable before you speak. "Where are you going, if you don't mind me asking?" "Oh! How Quaint, I Don't Usually Get Asked Those Things. I'm Going To The City, You See! I Heard That It Has A Lot Of Interesting People I Can Interact With. Do You Know What The City Is?" Huh, you're not sure what you expected but you didn't expect that. "I actually came from there. It's certainly a place to live in?" You shrug. It's hard to really describe how life is in the City to an outsider aside from a general pain in the ass. "I'm not really sure why you would want to go there." "You See, What's The Point Of A New Me If No One Here Can Acknowledge Me? These Faceless Husks Can't Even Keep My Outfits CLEAN AT ALL!" Another pair of arms reaches out to grab a nearby mannequin and with an impressive show of strength, they crush it into plastic dust in mere seconds. "Without Someone To Acknowledge My New Outfit, What Point Is There? That's The Point Of An Outfit." Your allies (rightfully so) back away from the anomaly, just enough to get some distance from it. "I-I see." You gulp. "Well, if you're going to the City, who are you meeting? I doubt you're going there just for a, uh, slightly less red and gold scenery, miss?" You glance around the clothing store to take in its color scheme again. Too much red for your tastes, it's incredibly tacky"Oh Ho! A Lady Never Tells Her Secrets." Its many arms tap away at the edges of its dressing screen. "Ah! But You're A Lady Too, So I Suppose It Wouldn't Hurt. See, I Simply Want To Meet Someone Who Accepts Me. Is It Wrong To Want That? Don't YOU Want People To Accept You?"Ashley is still on guard and Max is out of it but the other two flash weak smiles at you.
"I can understand that. I'm lucky to have friends who, uh, tolerate me. I wouldn't want to imagine how it would be to live here all the time. No one to acknowledge that I'm my own person." "Exactly, Darling! I'm Glad We're On The Same Page! Though, Don't You Wish You Could Wear A New Outfit Sometimes?" "...Not particularly. I like my outfit." You're not sure if it's talking about your clothes or something more metaphorical. Whatever the case, you rather not give it any ideas. The arms tapping away at the end of the screen pull away. The voice behind the screen sighs. "If You Say So." It scoffs. "Sorry. Before I give you my final judgement on your outfit, mind if I ask what you actually want to do? Just for clarification, please." "..." The arms disappear behind the screen, leaving you only able to see the faint silhouette of whatever is behind it. The arms suddenly return after what feels like hours (but more likely minutes) with the same outfits as before. "To Wear My Heart On My Sleeve. To Show People Who I Am. But I Know I Can Not Do That. I Can Not Risk Such A Faux Pas. So, I Wish To Be The Me That People Want To See." "Is that why you're behind that screen? It feels weird not being able to talk to you face to face." It's also weird that you're the only one saying anything but looking at your allies, it's clear they're too busy keeping their guards up to say or do anything. "Why Do You Think I Asked For A New Outfit? The One I Have On Is...Lacking." How vague and potentially ominous. You doubt you're going to get anything else out of it so you pull out some of the fancy jewelry you have in your pocket and hold it out towards the screen. "I think the dress is nice but these should help compliment it. What's a dress without some jewelry, hm-" Before you have time to say anything else, the jewelry is ripped right out of your hand. Some nasty, but superficial and numbed, scratches cover your hand. Thank god for the Sinsu. The arms disappear behind the screen again as that same sickeningly moist sound echoes throughout the room. You and your allies stand there, slowly getting more and more grossed out at the sounds get louder and louder. Then, something steps out from behind the screen. A pulsing mass of mismatched organs, flesh, and bone compressed into a roughly bipedal form slowly steps over to your group. At least ten different pairs of arms are aimlessly placed all over its torso. The very exposing dress and high heels somehow suppresses any disgust response from your group. Fancy rings are forced onto every ring finger of its many arms and a shiny necklace covers its 'neck'."Don't I Look Like A Cityslicker? A Proper And Well Regarded One?" You, to your own shock, nod. So does Benjamin, Adam, and Max. The only one who doesn't seem to buy what's going on is Ashley but she holds her tongue. "I Must Say. Your Assistance Deserves A Proper Reward." It coos.
It reaches into the mess of organs and flesh it is made out of before forcing something into your hand. When you look down at it, it's a blood stained coat that faintly smells of perfume and rot. "Perhaps A New Outfit Would Suit You Better. It Is Not My Place To Judge. Should We Meet In The City Again, I Will Give You My Warmest Regards, Dear."Before you even know what to say...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJnxkM1alsQ - BACK IN THE CITYYou and your group fall down onto the snow covered ground of District 16. You're now in front of a random bar, as if seemingly teleported there by the whim of some anomaly. You try to look for the alleyway you went. You spot a group of silver-clad agents running down a random alleyway. [PERSON OF INTEREST] The only reason they would be checking is if there was an anomaly nearby. Perhaps you'll see that anomaly again, should you enter a P-Corp facility. [PERSON OF INTEREST] You can only hope the anomaly doesn't mention you to them...or that it gave you something. That'll probably give them an excuse to 'deal' with you.You look down at the thing you're clutching in your hand. While you still have the briefcase with the Handler's money, there's also that old coat that the anomaly gave you. It smells slightly less foul now, as if being in the City is cleansing it. As you look over at your allies, you can feel it shifting. It shifts through various different outfits your allies are wearing. A grey tuxedo, a buttoned up plaid shirt, a black collared dress shirt, a leather jacket, and then a pink winter coat, before shifting back to a blood stained black coat. Interesting. >"NEW YOU" ACQUIRED. (A bizarre anomalous artifact that you're not sure if it's a PARADIGM or simply a gift from the anomaly. Something tells you that it'll alter your stats depending on what form it takes.)>ANOMALOUS FAVOR (HEART ON MY SLEEVE) GAINED. (If you ever encountered HEART ON MY SLEEVE again, you'd assume it'll respond positively to you. >-2 HIGH CLASS JEWELRY "...I'm going to wash down what just happened. Who wants to join me?" Max mutters out. Adam and Benjamin enthusiastically agree to the proposal. Ashley is the only one who doesn't follow after them and by the looks of it, it's because she's waiting for you to say something. You glance up with a cheeky smile before you let out an exhausted sigh. "Does Ashton ring a bell? See, he might be hunting me down and I may or may not have hired you so that I have someone to protect me against him?" You try your best to keep up a comforting smile. The look of sheer horror that crosses Ashley's face makes your smile fade."Fuckin' hell, what did YOU DO?!" She pulls you up by the collar. "You think I know?! I just know that someone like him is hunting me down! Hell, if it wasn't for the T-" You stop yourself. Best not to mention TV MAN. "If it wasn't for a friend, I wouldn't even know!"
"..." <"She really doesn't know, huh? And it's not like any Ace Strikers were left for a revenge hit. Who the fuck could've hired hi- Shit, she's probably reading my mind, isn't she?> "Look. We'll talk about this later. I'm following you home, that's beyond question." She lets go of you and storms into the bar, leaving you alone in the ice cold weather.You pick yourself back off the ground. That could've gone better but at least you have confirmation she's related to him. Before you follow after your allies, you pick up your phone and dial Mr. Sukane's phone number. Might as well talk to him, no? You almost thought he wasn't going to pick up but you eventually hear a man pick up the phone. "Hello. I believe you're Miss Nicole, correct? The one my associate recommended that I should work with?" "Correct, sir." You nod your head despite the fact you're calling someone over the phone. He can't see that, idiot, stop it. "I would like to make an inquiry into the services you could possibly provide to me?""Hm." The line goes silent. The only thing you can make out that confirms he hasn't gone is the incessant tick-tock of a clock in the background. Well, it's more like a dozen clocks ticking in the background. [SEEKER OF THE CITY] T-Company is associated with time, punctuality, and an overall remarkable professionalism compared to other Companies. While other corporations have their own flavors of complete insanity or their own bizarre customs, T-Company's only flaw is a VERY strict view on productivity and punctuality. "Considering you were able to partially resolved its issues, given my call to an associate of yours by the name of Mr. Foxtrot, I can offer you this much right now. Time is money and you have money, so I shall offer you some time. How much time do you wish to buy?""What?" You tilt your head in confusion. "What do you mean 'buy time'?""Simply put, Ms. Nicole, I can push your schedule around. To give you some breathing room. A few more hours to prepare before a mission. A day to prevent someone from finding where you're at. A week to speed up your training. As long as you have the cash necessary to do so. Though, these are remarkably expensive, so I would use them wisely. I'll text you my prices later. See you around." You promptly get hung up on. How vague and ominous but if he's even remotely truthful about his services, that could be very, VERY valuable. Though, it's probably best to meet up with your allies now. You head into the bar and scan around to see where your allies at. The four of them are at the back, sitting at a booth with a steel table that's threatening to rust away into nothingness. You approach the table, passing by the counter and the maze of steel chairs and tables around you. You're more interested in talking to your allies and getting drunk than taking in the details of yet another bar you probably won't visit again. "Hey, Nicole!" Benjamin waves at you. "C'mon! Let's get drunk!"
You sit down in the empty spot next to Ashley, who's trying her best not to look you dead in the eye after that little outside convo you had. A nearby waitress promptly places down a glass of gin in front of you. Seems like that's what they ordered for you. You're not going to complain.Before you start drinking, you think on what to ask your allies. Pick two questions to ask to each of them. You may write in for both questions if you wish.ADAM>"What did you mean by 'locked into a certain mindset'?" You're curious how much Adam knows about how anomalies operates.>"It's been a while. How's your business been doing?" Given how he has a half anomalous chef working for him, is that helping or hurting his business?>"Has you spotted anyone suspicious around your restaurant lately?" It's pretty obvious the Men in Silver wanted SOMETHING to do with him and Benedict. But for what reason?>"I get why Benjamin would know how to mess with computers but you? Seems a bit shocking." Pry into that weird skill he showed off back at the casino. Maybe he could teach you some useful tips on that subject.>"...Are you okay? You said something about living off borrowed time back during that casino game." You're a tiny bit worried about this man's mental health. That was an ominous thing to say during all of that.>Write inBENJAMIN>"So, Benjamin, how's Z-Corp been treating you?" He's been working for them for a while now, you're curious how the culture at District 26 must be.>"When did you meet her?" You jab a thumb at Max. "Seems a bit wild for a Krakatoa to date down. No offense.">"Between two anomalously inclined people...' You lean forward to whisper to him. Best to keep it on the downlow. "Do you know of a TV MAN? Or someone who speaks over the radio?">"So? How did it feel satisfying your dream?" He did talk to you about being a Dealer a few days ago. You want to make sure your friend's enjoying himself.>"When did you start realizing you could sense anomalous stuff?" It is a weird ability for him to just have for no reason. Is there a story behind it, perhaps?>Write in. ASHLEY >"You know, what IS it like playing for a band? Hope this mission didn't interrupt anything important." Pry a bit into her personal life.>You're not sure if it's a good idea to broach this subject but it can't hurt to try. "Do I worry you? I know the last mission we were on went...you know.">"When did you figure it out?" You're curious how she was able to figure out your mind reading. Knowing how to hide the signs WOULD be nice if you had to deal with a Man in Silver.>"If you don't mind me prying, how do you stay so collected?" You're a bit curious, and worried, about how she's gotten so numb to the things around her.>"Got any training? You're pretty athletic, maybe I could steal some off of you?" Given your line of work, being able to stay in shape is something VERY important. Every bit helps.>Write in.
MAX >"I bet a LOT of companies are looking for someone like you to work for them. Got any interesting stories?" You're curious what information about the Companies you can get out of her.>"You doing okay?" You're still a bit concerned about her after what happened during the anomaly encounter. You want to make sure she's doing fine.>"Haven't checked up on him in a bit, how's Gregory doing?" You want to make sure that old sack of bones isn't going to die after you spent a trauma kit on him.>"Back during my last mission, you acted weird when you mentioned a Leo. What's his deal?" Pry a bit more into the details of her family. Something about them just rubs you the wrong way.>"I could tell you had a hissy fit over the Anjaros when they were mentioned. What the hell is their deal?" Given how one of your contacts is an Anjaro, it's best to pry into her to see if there's any real quirk or catch to them.>Write in.As you think back to what Sukane offered, you notice he texted you his prices. Which one of his services do you wish to purchase, if any? You have $1892>"EXTRA FREE TIME". During your next FREE TIME, whether before or after a mission, you gain an additional action to prepare or to interact with your allies. ($450 per extra action. If you pick this, write in whether it triggers BEFORE or AFTER a mission.)>"BORROWED TIME". You'll delay a bad event for happening for a day. ($500 per extra day. Starting tomorrow, you'll have one day before K-Corp finds out where you're at.)>"TRAINING TIME". The next time you try to train your anomalous abilities, your body, or another skill, you'll be guaranteed to learn something new or to permanently improve a stat corresponding to what you're training. ($550)>Splurge. Buy multiple. (Write in what you want to buy.) >You want to save your money for shops, no thanks. (You'll skip buying anything for now.)
>>5915266>"Has you spotted anyone suspicious around your restaurant lately?" It's pretty obvious the Men in Silver wanted SOMETHING to do with him and Benedict. But for what reason?>"...Are you okay? You said something about living off borrowed time back during that casino game." You're a tiny bit worried about this man's mental health. That was an ominous thing to say during all of that.>"When did you meet her?" You jab a thumb at Max. "Seems a bit wild for a Krakatoa to date down. No offense.">"So? How did it feel satisfying your dream?" He did talk to you about being a Dealer a few days ago. You want to make sure your friend's enjoying himself.>"You know, what IS it like playing for a band? Hope this mission didn't interrupt anything important." Pry a bit into her personal life.>"When did you figure it out?" You're curious how she was able to figure out your mind reading. Knowing how to hide the signs WOULD be nice if you had to deal with a Man in Silver.>"You doing okay?" You're still a bit concerned about her after what happened during the anomaly encounter. You want to make sure she's doing fine.>"I could tell you had a hissy fit over the Anjaros when they were mentioned. What the hell is their deal?" Given how one of your contacts is an Anjaro, it's best to pry into her to see if there's any real quirk or catch to them.>"TRAINING TIME". The next time you try to train your anomalous abilities, your body, or another skill, you'll be guaranteed to learn something new or to permanently improve a stat corresponding to what you're training. ($550)
>>5915249Oh god, it's Fashion Town>>5915266>What did you mean by 'locked into a certain mindset'?" You're curious how much Adam knows about how anomalies operates.>"...Are you okay? You said something about living off borrowed time back during that casino game." You're a tiny bit worried about this man's mental health. That was an ominous thing to say during all of that.>"When did you meet her?" You jab a thumb at Max. "Seems a bit wild for a Krakatoa to date down. No offense.">"So? How did it feel satisfying your dream?" He did talk to you about being a Dealer a few days ago. You want to make sure your friend's enjoying himself.>"When did you figure it out?" You're curious how she was able to figure out your mind reading. Knowing how to hide the signs WOULD be nice if you had to deal with a Man in Silver.>You're not sure if it's a good idea to broach this subject but it can't hurt to try. "Do I worry you? I know the last mission we were on went...you know.">"You doing okay?" You're still a bit concerned about her after what happened during the anomaly encounter. You want to make sure she's doing fine.>"Haven't checked up on him in a bit, how's Gregory doing?" You want to make sure that old sack of bones isn't going to die after you spent a trauma kit on him.>"BORROWED TIME". You'll delay a bad event for happening for a day. ($500 per extra day. Starting tomorrow, you'll have one day before K-Corp finds out where you're at.)
>>5915313+1
>>5915266>"What did you mean by 'locked into a certain mindset'?" You're curious how much Adam knows about how anomalies operates.>"...Are you okay? You said something about living off borrowed time back during that casino game." You're a tiny bit worried about this man's mental health. That was an ominous thing to say during all of that.>"When did you meet her?" You jab a thumb at Max. "Seems a bit wild for a Krakatoa to date down. No offense.">"Between two anomalously inclined people...' You lean forward to whisper to him. Best to keep it on the downlow. "Do you know of a TV MAN? Or someone who speaks over the radio?">"When did you figure it out?" You're curious how she was able to figure out your mind reading. Knowing how to hide the signs WOULD be nice if you had to deal with a Man in Silver.>"Got any training? You're pretty athletic, maybe I could steal some off of you?" Given your line of work, being able to stay in shape is something VERY important. Every bit helps.>>5915269>"You doing okay?" You're still a bit concerned about her after what happened during the anomaly encounter. You want to make sure she's doing fine.>"I could tell you had a hissy fit over the Anjaros when they were mentioned. What the hell is their deal?" Given how one of your contacts is an Anjaro, it's best to pry into her to see if there's any real quirk or catch to them.>"BORROWED TIME". You'll delay a bad event for happening for a day. ($500 per extra day. Starting tomorrow, you'll have one day before K-Corp finds out where you're at.)
>>5915358 (You) #Change>>5915266 #>"What did you mean by 'locked into a certain mindset'?" You're curious how much Adam knows about how anomalies operates.>"...Are you okay? You said something about living off borrowed time back during that casino game." You're a tiny bit worried about this man's mental health. That was an ominous thing to say during all of that.>"When did you meet her?" You jab a thumb at Max. "Seems a bit wild for a Krakatoa to date down. No offense.">"So? How did it feel satisfying your dream?" He did talk to you about being a Dealer a few days ago. You want to make sure your friend's enjoying himself.>"You know, what IS it like playing for a band? Hope this mission didn't interrupt anything important." Pry a bit into her personal life.>"When did you figure it out?" You're curious how she was able to figure out your mind reading. Knowing how to hide the signs WOULD be nice if you had to deal with a Man in Silver.>"You doing okay?" You're still a bit concerned about her after what happened during the anomaly encounter. You want to make sure she's doing fine.>"I could tell you had a hissy fit over the Anjaros when they were mentioned. What the hell is their deal?" Given how one of your contacts is an Anjaro, it's best to pry into her to see if there's any real quirk or catch to them.>"BORROWED TIME". You'll delay a bad event for happening for a day. ($500 per extra day. Starting tomorrow, you'll have one day before K-Corp finds out where you're at.)
>>5915266ADAM>"What did you mean by 'locked into a certain mindset'?" You're curious how much Adam knows about how anomalies operates.>"...Are you okay? You said something about living off borrowed time back during that casino game." You're a tiny bit worried about this man's mental health. That was an ominous thing to say during all of that.BEN>"When did you meet her?" You jab a thumb at Max. "Seems a bit wild for a Krakatoa to date down. No offense.">"So? How did it feel satisfying your dream?" He did talk to you about being a Dealer a few days ago. You want to make sure your friend's enjoying himself.ASHLEY>"When did you figure it out?" You're curious how she was able to figure out your mind reading. Knowing how to hide the signs WOULD be nice if you had to deal with a Man in Silver.>You're not sure if it's a good idea to broach this subject but it can't hurt to try. "Do I worry you? I know the last mission we were on went...you know."MAX>"You doing okay?" You're still a bit concerned about her after what happened during the anomaly encounter. You want to make sure she's doing fine.>"Haven't checked up on him in a bit, how's Gregory doing?" You want to make sure that old sack of bones isn't going to die after you spent a trauma kit on him.>"BORROWED TIME". You'll delay a bad event for happening for a day. ($500 per extra day. Starting tomorrow, you'll have one day before K-Corp finds out where you're at.)K CORP IS AFTER US FOR OUR UNSANCTIONED FUMIGATION!!!!!WHAT WILL WE DO TO STOP THEM?!?!?!?!?
>>5915266ADAM>"What did you mean by 'locked into a certain mindset'?" You're curious how much Adam knows about how anomalies operates.>"...Are you okay? You said something about living off borrowed time back during that casino game." You're a tiny bit worried about this man's mental health. That was an ominous thing to say during all of that.BEN>"When did you meet her?" You jab a thumb at Max. "Seems a bit wild for a Krakatoa to date down. No offense.">"Between two anomalously inclined people...' You lean forward to whisper to him. Best to keep it on the downlow. "Do you know of a TV MAN? Or someone who speaks over the radio?"ASHLEY>"When did you figure it out?" You're curious how she was able to figure out your mind reading. Knowing how to hide the signs WOULD be nice if you had to deal with a Man in Silver.>You're not sure if it's a good idea to broach this subject but it can't hurt to try. "Do I worry you? I know the last mission we were on went...you know."MAX>"I bet a LOT of companies are looking for someone like you to work for them. Got any interesting stories?" You're curious what information about the Companies you can get out of her. >"You doing okay?" You're still a bit concerned about her after what happened during the anomaly encounter. You want to make sure she's doing fine.>"BORROWED TIME". You'll delay a bad event for happening for a day. ($500 per extra day. Starting tomorrow, you'll have one day before K-Corp finds out where you're at.)
>>5915266>What did you mean by 'locked into a certain mindset'?" You're curious how much Adam knows about how anomalies operates.>"...Are you okay? You said something about living off borrowed time back during that casino game." You're a tiny bit worried about this man's mental health. That was an ominous thing to say during all of that.>"When did you meet her?" You jab a thumb at Max. "Seems a bit wild for a Krakatoa to date down. No offense.">"Between two anomalously inclined people...' You lean forward to whisper to him. Best to keep it on the downlow. "Do you know of a TV MAN? Or someone who speaks over the radio?">"You know, what IS it like playing for a band? Hope this mission didn't interrupt anything important." Pry a bit into her personal life.>"When did you figure it out?" You're curious how she was able to figure out your mind reading. Knowing how to hide the signs WOULD be nice if you had to deal with a Man in Silver.>"You doing okay?" You're still a bit concerned about her after what happened during the anomaly encounter. You want to make sure she's doing fine.>"I could tell you had a hissy fit over the Anjaros when they were mentioned. What the hell is their deal?" Given how one of your contacts is an Anjaro, it's best to pry into her to see if there's any real quirk or catch to them.>"BORROWED TIME". You'll delay a bad event for happening for a day. ($500 per extra day. Starting tomorrow, you'll have one day before K-Corp finds out where you're at.)
>>5915498Change again>>5915266>"What did you mean by 'locked into a certain mindset'?" You're curious how much Adam knows about how anomalies operates.>"...Are you okay? You said something about living off borrowed time back during that casino game." You're a tiny bit worried about this man's mental health. That was an ominous thing to say during all of that.>"When did you meet her?" You jab a thumb at Max. "Seems a bit wild for a Krakatoa to date down. No offense.">"Between two anomalously inclined people...' You lean forward to whisper to him. Best to keep it on the downlow. "Do you know of a TV MAN? Or someone who speaks over the radio?">You're not sure if it's a good idea to broach this subject but it can't hurt to try. "Do I worry you? I know the last mission we were on went...you know.">"When did you figure it out?" You're curious how she was able to figure out your mind reading. Knowing how to hide the signs WOULD be nice if you had to deal with a Man in Silver.>"You doing okay?" You're still a bit concerned about her after what happened during the anomaly encounter. You want to make sure she's doing fine.>"I could tell you had a hissy fit over the Anjaros when they were mentioned. What the hell is their deal?" Given how one of your contacts is an Anjaro, it's best to pry into her to see if there's any real quirk or catch to them.>"BORROWED TIME". You'll delay a bad event for happening for a day. ($500 per extra day. Starting tomorrow, you'll have one day before K-Corp finds out where you're at.)
>>5916272+1Please don't change again anon
QUESTIONS >ADAM LOCKED MINDSET: sSF, w8L, 58k, Cux, Qnb, J+F, INr ARE YOU OKAY: ALLSUSPICIOUS PEOPLE: zuL>BENJAMINMEET MAX: zuL, sSF, QnB, J+F, 58k, INrTV MAN QUESTIONING: w8L, Qnb, J+F, 58k, INrSATISFYING DREAM: zuL, sSf, Cux>ASHLEYPERSONAL LIFE: zuL, J+FDO I WORRY YOU: sSf, Cux, Qnb, 58k, INrWHEN DID YOU FIGURE IT OUT: ALLTRAINING TIPS: w8L>MAXCOMPANIES: QnbYOU DOING OKAY: ALLANJARO: zuL, w8L, J+F, 58k, INrGREGORY: sSF, CuxWHAT TO BUYBORROWED TIME: EVERYONE BUT ZuLTRAINING TIME: ZuL Seems pretty locked in. I'll default to one extra day from Borrowed Time, given how you can only afford three extra days anyways and no one wrote in a specific number. Writing.
You take a quick swig of the gin you were given to gather some courage for the things you're about to ask. Tastes woody and it burns a bit going down. "So." You put your glass down. "Are you two...okay?" You gesture towards the two who seem the most messed up (sans you) in the ground, Max and Adam. Max is currently busy nursing from a remarkably ancient looking soda bottle. "Coca Cola".[SEEKER OF THE CITY] An ancient soda brand that hasn't been produced since 2024, Nicole. The only remnant of its existence in popular culture now is the name 'Rum and Cola", which uses a different kind of soda now.Adam puts down the glass of whiskey he was sipping from before responding to your query. "I'm fine. Really, I am.""I somehow doubt that? You said something about living off borrowed time back at the casino. You know how, uh, ominous that sounds." "Not like you're a stranger to saying ominous shit." Ashley mutters.Adam squirms in his seat, trying to distract himself from the question but eventually relents with a sigh. "I don't think I should be alive, you know? N-not like in a suicidal way but it really feels like I shouldn't be here."Something seems to click in Benjamin's head with that comment. "I get it. You've been in two back to back life or death encounters in what, less than a week? I would probably be thinking the same thing about my chances." "I guess?" Adam takes another swig from his glass. "It feels like in another world, I was left bleeding out on that kitchen and Benedict turned into some anomaly. Forever. The stress of everything lately must be getting to me, you know?" "It's fine. Maybe take a break and get some sleep. It's going to be okay." You nod your head at him. The smile he returns is weak and without any confidence.[UNSTABLE] IN ANOTHER WORLD, IN A DIFFERENT TIME, THIS MAN IS DEAD. HE SHOULD BE DEAD. YOU DEFIED SOME NATURAL ORDER WITH HIM BEING ALIVE.You turn your attention to Max. "And you?" You simply get a small shrug out of her. Her eyes are glossed over and bits of spittle are still on her mouth"I'm not good when it comes to this stuff. Benjamin is, uh, the anomaly expert. I usually send him most of my mission involves anomalies?" She tries her best to put on a smug smile. It's failing. "I dunno. Something about those things feels fundamentally wrong. Like every inch of my body was screaming at me to get out." "Weird. Aside from being forced to call that thing pretty, I didn't feel anything? Did you guys?" The others respond with small nods and affirmative noises. Seems like she's the only one who freaks out in any way because of it. "I guess I'm a scaredy cat or something?" She shrugs. "Maybe it was just the environment. It reminded me of an old store back in District 3 my mom used to take me to. Seeing that place twisted like that was...eh. Let's talk about somethin' else." Seems like her past experiences resonated with the anomaly. Maybe that's why she had a bad reaction?
Well, speaking about her burdening Benjamin with anomalies, you might as well keep talking about them. "So, Adam, you said something about them being locked into a mindset? Mind clarifying?" Adam waits for a waitress to refill his glass and to take another sip before responding. "Yeah. Take my advice with a grain of salt but those things aren't 'sentient' as we understand it. They have a very limited world view that only makes sense to them. You have to play along with it in order to get it to do what you want.""Like the anomaly before cared about its appearance and blending in with others. That's all it could really think or talk about. If you refuted what it stands for, like saying that none of its outfits would appease anyone, it wouldn't know what to do and would mentally shut down." You do remember how the last anomaly you dealt with freaked out when you gave it mementos of the past. So, refuting what it stands for can be used to catch an anomaly off guard, huh? "Mmh. Thank you for the tips. Speaking about anomalies. Benny?" You lean over to whisper to him while the others begin to chat among themselves. He leans over to listen to you. "Do you know anything about a TV MAN? Or something that talks over the Radio?" His face scrunches up. "Does he wear a sky blue suit?" You nod. "Alright. I don't know much about him but I heard rumors of a man with that suit occasionally finding people to tell weird information to. No one knows WHY he does it but every single bit of info he gives is 100% accurate even if it hasn't happened yet. No one knows if it's an anomaly or something else." He leans away, turning to drink from his glass. An ominous, mysterious thing is giving you information you shouldn't know about for whatever reason? Maybe you can try talking to it later? It clearly responded to you before."Mmh. So, sorry for being blunt but uh. Benjamin. When did you meet her?" You jab a thumb at Max. "Seems a bit weird for a Krakatoa to be dating down. No offense." Adam spits out his whiskey at your remark while Ashley tries her best to hold back a smirk. Benjamin and Max look confused more than anything, as if they don't get the hubba."Uh." Benjamin's face turns redder than a cherry tomato. "I might've accidently bumped into her during a mission and-" "I thought he was a cute dork that I could mess with." Max seemingly bounces right back from the slump she was in before. "We just so happened to meet during a mission involving, what was it, a princess and a hero?" Benjamin's face only gets redder. "Let's just say it involved a night club and unspeakable activities going on in there I don't want to discuss."Your group shudders at the implication. Yeah, not going to ask."It went smoothly when we agreed to work together and, well, I realized he didn't know what my family name was so I wanted a change of pace, I suppose? The high life gets boring sometimes."
"Day in, day out, it's the same stupid nonsense up in all of these fancy upper class places." She looks down at her bottle of soda. "I wanted a change of pace and, well, he offered that to me. It helps that he's easy to mess with." Benjamin sinks into the booth, trying his best to meld with the metal in an attempt to avoid the looks he's getting. "See?" She gestures at the melting mess of a man sitting next to her. "C'mon, Benny. It's all in good fun!" She instantly snaps her neck to stare right at you. "Besides. It's not like anyone here has intruded on anything actually embarrassing between us, riiight?" You violently nod your head up and down. "Good!" Benjamin clears his throat before sliding back up into a normal sitting position. "...And it's nice that I have someone who cared for me back then, haha." He slumps his shoulder. "Well, I have you guys now, but she's always gonna be the most important one here for me." "Awww. What a kidder." She pats the bird brained nerd on the back. Taking a glimpse at her mind, all you can hear is high pitch squealing and an oddly off kilter romcom song playing in her head. You snort a bit as you hold up your glass. "Well. Cheers to a successful mission. May we live to see another fucked up day in this fucked up City." Your other allies raise their glasses up to clink against yours. "CHEERS!" "Cheers." "Cheerio." "Cherry."Time blurs together as your group gets drunk. Adam slumps over onto the table, mumbling in a weird dialect that you can't make heads or tails of. Benjamin and Max, however? They instantly cling to each other like they're the only anchor to the words they're in. "fukindorkass." Max slurs out to Benjamin. "fukindummy." Benjamin pats Max's head with slow, sluggish movements. "nourthedummy." Max gently slaps Benjamin on the cheek.You feel the drugs you took earlier finally wearing off and flushing out of your system. Seems like they numbed you enough to not get super drunk compared to the others. >+1 RESTRAINT to the whole group! WHITE POWDER and RASPBERRY SINSU wears off!"oh yeah here-" You suddenly get pelted by a handful of pills. They clatter onto the table in front of you. "to my best fwiend nickywicky. the one who saved my ass." Benjamin chuckles. "thanks. for everything, seriously." Despite the drunken glaze in his eyes and his unstable position, he was able to focus just long enough to say that."yeah, yeah, the bimbo who uh...saved my favorite little fella." Max wraps her arm tighter around Benjamin's shoulder."aw, c'mon. are ya getting jealous? i thought i knew ya." He leans his head against her shoulder. "no need to be, uh, like that..." "shudda! just because she's a cool girl with weird mind powers doesn't, uh, doesn't mind widdle...ly.""you meant 'mean diddly', right?" Benjamin snorts. Max simply huffs in annoyance.
>You acquired PEP PILL+ x3 (When rolling a COGNIZANCE, RESTRAINT, or WILLPOWER check, you may add 4 to the final tally.) and SALTRIL BRANDED ANTI PSYCHOTICS x2 (Disables UNSTABLE without impacting your more helpful voices, heals 1 RESTRAINT.)Neat! You turn over to Ashley to see how she's doing. Just like you, she's not really that drunk at all. She glances back at you and nods, "Got anything to ask me? Let's make it quick while the others are fucked up." "So, uh, how do you know? The mind reading? What's the sign, I rather not have it be that obvious when, uh." You scan the bar to see if anyone in silver is watching. You don't see anything, thankfully. "Your eyes glow." Ashley snorts, as if it was obvious. "They're normally pink but whenever that weird power of yours activates, they turn blue for a moment. Hard to spot but it's a telltale sign." Huh. Really? Well, it's not like you could tell but that's honestly nice to know. [UNSTABLE] WHY DIDN'T SHE TELL US BEFORE? HOW MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT US DOES SHE KNOW? IS SHE WORKING FOR THEM- "And your eyes...turn really pink whenever you get those weird thoughts." This snaps you out of whatever that voice was saying to you. "It's really creepy."Your face flushes red for a moment. "Do I worry you when that happens? I know the last mission we were on went...you know." You rub the back of your neck. You don't like thinking about what happened back then. [UNSTABLE] IT WAS LIFE OR DEATH, NICOLE! WITHOUT ME HELPING YOU UNLEASH YOUR TRUE POTENTIAL, WE WOULD'VE BEEN KILLED! STOP BEING A FUCKING PUSSY AND ACCEPT THAT I'M HERE TO HELP YOU! "Yeah. Look, those powers you have are fucking with your head. That demented look you had back when were fighting the Strikers and the fact you just...blew someone up without any struggle? It was fucked up." She takes another sip of her drink in an attempt to gather her thoughts. "I trust you as far as I can throw you when you get like that." You sink a bit into your seat with shame. Ashley lets out an annoyed sigh at this pitiful sight. "Look. I worry because I don't want you doing something you'll regret. I know what that kind of mindset can lead in a person. Just use your powers responsible and if it's ever necessary for that to happen? Warn me, okay?" The worried, concerned half smile she's giving you says all you need to know. "I'll try. It's just hard to keep it all in sometimes, you know?""I know."Before you plan on sending your consciousness into oblivion, you look back over at Max. "Say. I could tell you had a hissy fit over the Anjaros when they were mentioned. What the hell is their deal?" Max narrows her glazed eyes when she hears that name. "those bitches don't respect ya lest you're an anjaro or you got ties with r, x, or j-corp. most of them are stick-in-the-ass military types and you know how hungry for respect and obedience those types are." Duly noted. That's good to keep in mind.
Time blurs again as you return to drinking. Before you even know it, you're already outside of your apartment with one arm around Ashley and another clinging to the briefcase. The Handler, who was waiting outside of your apartment, quickly snatches it before leaving without saying a word to you. You pull the door open with your telekinesis. It takes a bit of time to sneak Ashley in without setting off the trap you placed there ages ago but eventually, the two of you manage to get inside. Last thing you remember is falling onto your bed and passing out.https://youtu.be/M-LlZcN0Edk - INTRUDER CRASH! You instantly jump out of your bed. Ashley, who was leaning against the wall half asleep, snaps wide awake when she heard it. You look over at your door to see that it's cracked open. The empty bottles you set up before have shattered onto the floor. You swear you locked the door. Someone lockpicked it, didn't they? Ashley glances over at you with an incredibly worried expression. She grips her baseball bat while staring at the door. It's pitch black but your eyes have adjusted enough to the darkness to roughly make out your surroundings. A glint of gold flashes from the cracked open door. <"Damnit. That bitch is probably awake now. How did she know I was following after her? Oh well. Makes the hunt juicier."> You definitely don't recognize that voice. It's gruff, low, laced with hatred and malice. Then you hear it. The sound of something metallic being dragged across your doorstep. Like a baseball bat. <"If she isn't awake now, she has to be now. C'mon, wakey wakey!">"Shit." Ashley whispers to you. "You weren't joking, were you?" You nod your head. You probably don't have much time until he gets bored and starts breaking in. "C'mon, I'm here with your delivery. No need to be scared." That same voice you heard with your mind reading grumbles. You can almost hear the sheer excitement oozing out of his voice. "C'mon. Don't be scared." He's getting more and more impatient by the second. "Just a little delivery man.""F-fuck, that is him." Ashley's whole body tenses up with a mixture of fear, confusion, rage, worry, and some fifth emotion you can't make out. "What the FUCK did you do?" What's your move, Nicole? You don't have much time to think about what to do.[UNSTABLE] WE KNOW THE OBVIOUS CHOICE HERE, NICOLE.
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] You don't have a clear line of sight on him but YOU do have telekinesis. Launch the table and send it crashing through your front door. (FREE ACTION, -1 RESTRAINT, the more successes you roll on your attack, the more time you buy to try escaping. Or, if you decide to attack him, if you roll enough successes you'll get the first strike on him.)>[CAMO IMPLANT + ASHLEY ALLY] "Buy me some time." Turn invisible and try to sneak out of your apartment to launch a sneak attack (TALENT DC 28 (-4 from ASHLEY), rolling 8d6 thanks to your implant. Pass and you'll land a nasty blow on him, giving you time to escape and lose him in the confusion. Failure and, well, you'll have to pray to god he can't get a bead on your invisible form.)>[UNSTABLE] It's two vs one and you have the home turf advantage. Load up your shotgun, get your magic paper knife, let's kill a bitch. (COMBAT ENCOUNTER!)>[ASHLEY ALLY] "M-Maybe you can help me...talk to him?" You highly doubt it'll be easy but maybe showing that his sister is working with him will make him hesitate? (You'll enter a tense conversation with him. You're not sure how he'll react to Ashley helping you.)>[SEEKER OF THE CITY] You know this district better than him, you bet. Break through the window above your bed and fucking RUN!!! (It's almost certain he'll chase after you but that might help you out, given how cramped your apartment is.)>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Something is off about all of this. How did he find you? Why is he hunting you exactly? Ping the nearby area with MIND READ to see if he's working alone. (FREE ACTION, -1 RESTRAINT, WILLPOWER DC: 15, rolling 4d6. Succeed and you'll know if anyone else is working alongside him, giving you very important information on what to do. Failure will just burn a RESTRAINT point for no reason.)>Write in. (Use some drugs to help your odds? Try out another plan, with or without Ashley's help? Something else completely?)The borrowed time vote was taken into consideration but it just won't kick in until this encounter is done. Just to clarify. Will update the pastebin soon to add in your new loot and your status changes.
>>5916632>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Something is off about all of this. How did he find you? Why is he hunting you exactly? Ping the nearby area with MIND READ to see if he's working alone. (FREE ACTION, -1 RESTRAINT, WILLPOWER DC: 15, rolling 4d6. Succeed and you'll know if anyone else is working alongside him, giving you very important information on what to do. Failure will just burn a RESTRAINT point for no reason.)First fucking thing I want to do before I decide on ANYTHING else. This is too critical not to do first
>>5916632>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Something is off about all of this. How did he find you? Why is he hunting you exactly? Ping the nearby area with MIND READ to see if he's working alone. (FREE ACTION, -1 RESTRAINT, WILLPOWER DC: 15, rolling 4d6. Succeed and you'll know if anyone else is working alongside him, giving you very important information on what to do. Failure will just burn a RESTRAINT point for no reason.)
>>5916619>"Your eyes glow." Ashley snorts, as if it was obvious. "They're normally pink but whenever that weird power of yours activates, they turn blue for a moment. Hard to spot but it's a telltale sign.">"And your eyes...turn really pink whenever you get those weird thoughts." This snaps you out of whatever that voice was saying to you. "It's really creepy."Lesson learned, invest in shades that block the eye glow
>>5895024>"Eh. Do you want to be ordered around by some middle aged man who drinks too much coffee and stays inside his mancave all day?" Ashley shakes her head with a disgusted look. "Those fucks probably have sex androids or something. Disgusting.">"C'mon. There has to be a middle aged woman at least." <"Boy, imagine that. Heh.">>Something is telling you that you should be insulted on this imaginary man's behalf.HEY WE WERE GETTING THERE EVENTUALLY! Our choices were>our female clone>the nurse android>the soul-damaged jap girl
>>5916637>>5916649>>5916662Ya know what? Fair enough. Two anons, roll 2d6. I'd say given the amount of time crunch you're under, you probably only have time to use the last charge of your talisman (since after this it'll recharge, you were woken up pretty early into your sleep). If you pass, well, I'll update the votes with that new information. If you fail, you'll have to stick with the vote options you have (lest you write a clever write in).
Rolled 6, 5 = 11 (2d6)>>5916822Ready to die
Rolled 6, 5 = 11 (2d6)>>5916822
>>5916828>>5916832>22You take a moment to focus, letting your mind bloom like a flower to get a general idea of who's nearby. In mere moments, dozens on dozens of tiny little lights flicker around you but you realize most of those are just people sleeping nearby.As for the actual important dots? You sense three outside of your front door and one a few feet outside of your window. While you only know the rough locations, you can make out that all four of them are armed but the one outside of your window is currently distracted by another dot. It's small, probably a wild animal?The other three are focused at the front door, waiting for you.They have different colors to them. One is bright red dot, is right in front of your door. Another, a smaller grey dot, waits at the foot of the stairs leading to your apartment. A third one, a silver dot, watches on from the distance. The final dot outside your window is a blue dot.<"Well?"> Ashley whispers in her mind. You hold up four fingers. <"Shit. Okay, yeah. Could you tell any difference between them?">"Red. Blue. Grey. Silver." You whisper to her. Ashley tries her best to piece together what that could possibly.<"Red's probably bro, Grey's probably an android he works with, no idea for the others.">What do you do now?>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] You know where they're at now. Open your door and throw your table in such a way to hit the two outside your front door. (FREE ACTION, -1 RESTRAINT. If you manage to roll three successes, you hit the one right in front of your door and if you roll five, you hit the grey one as well. This will help buy you time to sneak past the person outside or to make combat easier.)>[CAMO IMPLANT + ASHLEY ALLY] "Buy me some time." Turn invisible and sneak over to the Android. Attack him to throw everyone into panic and make a decision from there. (TALENT DC 24 (-8 from Ashley and Mindread Info), rolling 8d6 thanks to your implant. Pass and in addition to dealing with the grey dot, you'll distract the red one enough to make a move from there. Failure is unchanged.)>[KNOWS THEIR LOCATIONS] "Ashton, darling. I know where your pals are at. I wouldn't fuck with me if I was you." Tell him that you know EXACTLY where they're at and how you plan on dealing with them. (VIOLENCE DC: 15, rolling 5d6 with Ashley's help. While you doubt he'll just leave you alone on a success, his other helpers might decide it's best to let the boss handle it by himself. Unknown what the failure state is.)>[ASHLEY ALLY + PERSON OF INTEREST] "That silver dot...hm." You want to ask Ashton who he's actually working for.>[SEEKER OF THE CITY] Try your best to silently open your window while Ashley buys you some time. Silent and deadly. (You'll likely have to make some more rolls to deal with the person outside.)>[UNSTABLE] VIOLENCE IS STILL THE ANSWER! (You'll gain an edge due to knowing where everyone is at.)
Forgot to add in>Write in But I'm not pushing my luck by deleting and reuploading it again. Pastebin has been updated by the by.Also, what are the odds of getting two 11s back to back on 2d6s? With the same exact rolls of 6 and 5?
>>59168551 in 1296>>5916853>[CAMO IMPLANT + ASHLEY ALLY] "Buy me some time." Turn invisible and sneak over to the Android. Attack him to throw everyone into panic and make a decision from there. (TALENT DC 24 (-8 from Ashley and Mindread Info), rolling 8d6 thanks to your implant. Pass and in addition to dealing with the grey dot, you'll distract the red one enough to make a move from there. Failure is unchanged.)
>>5916860Glowies put a hit out on Nicole. I bet that's one of them right there as the silver dot. Thing is is that I don't want to out Mind Read existing or glowies will FREAK. I like the Camo Implant plan but then they'll know we have that too. You sure about this? If we beeline right for the silver fuck in the confusion, you think we can pull it off?
>>5916853>[CAMO IMPLANT + ASHLEY ALLY]>>5916867Fuck that guy by the window, man. I watched Drive and I remember the witness lady got murked through the window. Also, better for them to suss out that we're using technology to get the drop on them rather than discover our Ace in the Hole (ie. PSYCHIC POWERS).
>>5916894>Fuck that guy by the window, man.Hold on, reread the locations>You sense three outside of your front door and one a few feet outside of your window.>A third one, a silver dot, watches on from the distanceI assumed the silver guy is on the same floor as us, but further away than Ashton (right behind the door) and the android support (guarding the stairwell to our floor). Or maybe I'm wrong, and the silver guy is outside our apartment building watching from a distance away. If it's former, he's in reach. If latter, we can't get to him in time.>I watched DriveMe too>witness lady got murked through the windowI remember that too>better for them to suss out that we're using technology to get the drop on themOk you convinced me>>5916853>[CAMO IMPLANT + ASHLEY ALLY] "Buy me some time." Turn invisible and sneak over to the Android. Attack him to throw everyone into panic and make a decision from there. (TALENT DC 24 (-8 from Ashley and Mindread Info), rolling 8d6 thanks to your implant. Pass and in addition to dealing with the grey dot, you'll distract the red one enough to make a move from there. Failure is unchanged.)
>>5916999You only know the rough distances of where they're at. Your apartment is on the first floor with a stairway leading to the ground level of the City nearby, given how you can actually sneak out through the window without breaking all of your bones. The silver dot would be somewhere on this ground level, observing. You MIGHT be able to reach him if you make a beeline towards then but it would naturally have a harder check due to the added distance, compared to the short distance of your apartment to the top of the staircase.
>>5916853>[KNOWS THEIR LOCATIONS] "Ashton, darling. I know where your pals are at. I wouldn't fuck with me if I was you." Tell him that you know EXACTLY where they're at and how you plan on dealing with them. (VIOLENCE DC: 15, rolling 5d6 with Ashley's help. While you doubt he'll just leave you alone on a success, his other helpers might decide it's best to let the boss handle it by himself. Unknown what the failure state is.)
>>5916853>[ASHLEY ALLY + PERSON OF INTEREST] "That silver dot...hm." You want to ask Ashton who he's actually working for.
>>5916853>[CAMO IMPLANT + ASHLEY ALLY] "Buy me some time." Turn invisible and sneak over to the Android. Attack him to throw everyone into panic and make a decision from there. (TALENT DC 24 (-8 from Ashley and Mindread Info), rolling 8d6 thanks to your implant. Pass and in addition to dealing with the grey dot, you'll distract the red one enough to make a move from there. Failure is unchanged.)
>>5916853>>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] You know where they're at now. Open your door and throw your table in such a way to hit the two outside your front door. (FREE ACTION, -1 RESTRAINT. If you manage to roll three successes, you hit the one right in front of your door and if you roll five, you hit the grey one as well. This will help buy you time to sneak past the person outside or to make combat easier.)>>[CAMO IMPLANT + ASHLEY ALLY] "Buy me some time." Turn invisible and sneak over to the Android. Attack him to throw everyone into panic and make a decision from there. (TALENT DC 24 (-8 from Ashley and Mindread Info), rolling 8d6 thanks to your implant. Pass and in addition to dealing with the grey dot, you'll distract the red one enough to make a move from there. Failure is unchanged.)
Seems like the Camo Implant +Ashley Ally choice is winning. Two anons, roll 4d6.
Rolled 2, 2, 1, 5 = 10 (4d6)>>5918049
Rolled 5, 1, 2, 6 = 14 (4d6)>>5918049AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Rolled 2, 2, 1, 3 = 8 (4d6)>>5918049
>>5918062>>5918078>EXACTLY 24 Wow, who knew that mind reading their locations saved your ass? Success by the skin of your teeth, writing.
>>5918078Thank God you're 30 seconds faster
Okay, so it's an android, so you doubt you can just stab it to death- Wait. You reach for that flimsy dagger made out of paper laying on a pile of dirty clothes nearby. This should be good enough for the job. You point at Ashley then you point at the door. "Buy me some time."She gives you a thumbs up before making a beeline towards the door, pushing past the table barricade you set up. She cracks open the door just enough to look at the man outside the door. "Hey, bro. Long time no see?" The noise of sheer fucking bewilderment that comes out of Ashton would make you laugh if the situation wasn't tense."what are you doing here?" His voice lowers into a wispy, raspy tone. "god, did that cunt send you as well to hunt her? that would be real funny on his part." Seems like he's distracted by Ashley. Good, no better time than to put your plan into action.You take a deep breath before activating your camo implant. A thin layer of nanomachines quickly covers your skin and clothes, refracting the light around you in such a way to make you blend in with your surroundings. It's not perfect but the fact it's the dead of night helps cover up any flaws in the implant's invisibility.You slowly tip toe over to the door. Ashley turns back to see you've gone invisible and, quickly catching on what to do, opens the door so you can sneak out a bit easier. "Yeah, uh, she's not here. I snuck in through the window and well, turns out she left. I guess someone clued her in."You now have a solid look at Ashton now that the door is fully open. He looks like a spitting image of Ashley when it comes to his outfit. Leather jacket, denim jeans, black shirt, rough sneakers and a set of sunglasses (at night time? weird). His fiery red hair spills out into a messy and shaggy mullet that reeks of the 1970-1980s. Shallow cut scars cover every inch of his neck and you can barely make out a bit of a tattoo crawling up said neck as well.You damn near stumble when you realize how fucking yoked he is. His arms are thick and muscular with bulging, thick veins. His overall stature is tall, at least a solid six and a half feet if not more. The only person you met who's remotely this bulky was Lex. In his right arm is a baseball bat with nails poking out all over it."hm. Is that so?" His voice returns back to the gruff, low, and impatient tone he had before. "Ain't that a damn shame? I was hopin' to splatter her brains across the walls. Real Picasso shit. Or was it that Bollock one?"Ashley snorts despite her best attempt at trying to take this situation seriously. "Pollock."You take this moment of the two being distracted by their conversation to squeeze past them. Every step has to be slow and calculated, especially since your noise trap (which made sure you didn't get your head splattered) left shards of glass laying around your front door."C'mon! I was right, wasn't it!" They're too distracted to notice you slipping right outside the door.
You stumble outside of your apartment. All that's around you is the various other apartments nearby on the first floor and the stairway only a few feet away, your apartment is basically right next to it. Standing at the top of the stairway is, what would you know, an android. He looks like a prick to say the very least. His body is sculpted to be muscular looking but it's obvious he's some shitty defective model. Rust covers every joint of his body and the latex-like skin-mimicking material that normally covers an android's face, arms, and legs has rotted away to expose the wiring and machinery underneath. In his hands is a shotgun. He has no idea that you're approaching him thanks to your invisibility. You take slow, calculated steps over to it. You raise up BEYOND LOVE AND HATE before slashing it right across the android's chest. Of course, it doesn't do any actual physical damage but the reaction tells you that you landed a nasty hit on it. The bright blue LEDs that make up his eyes quickly glitch out. "W-WhShWhhWhhWHhHWHhhh" And just as quickly, his voice module crackles into a static-laced mess. His hands let go of the shotgun as sparks begin to fly out of his body. Before he has any time to recover, you ram your shoulder into him. He promptly loses balance and tumbles down the staircase. A horrible cacophony of bangs, metal scrapping against metal, and static-laced screeching rings through your apartment building. The android slams onto the snow-laced streets outside of your apartment building. His left arm is barely hanging on by a few loose wires and his right leg has a massive crack in it now. Whatever mental damage your knife inflicted has left the android in a twitching, glitchy mess. Of course, this noise attracts Ashton's attention. He rushes outside of the apartment with Ashley trailing right behind him. "ZANE!" You move to the side to make sure he doesn't send you failing down the stairs just like him. "Shit, we're under attack. Did you see anyone, Ash?" Ashton snaps his neck to stare at his sister. She can only offer a shrug. "I-I didn't, no!" Ashley shakes her head violently. <"Nicole, you better have a plan...">"Did the bitch lure us into a trap? Fuck, I knew something was off." Ashton's grip on his baseball bat tightens to the point that the wooden bat nearly splinters into pieces. The sheer ease at how easily his bat was being cracked tells you this man could probably snap your neck like a toothpick. "Ashley. You need to get out of here. It's nice to see ya but I can't risk ya getting killed, aight?" "R-right."Checking your mind radar, you notice that the blue dot fella is quickly running around to check what the commotion near the stairway was and the silver dot is approaching the scene as well. Very interesting. You've clearly thrown whatever plan this group had into disarray. Time to decide what your next move is before your invisibility fully wears off.
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] You're not letting this opportunity pass you by. Chug down a brown vial and make a fucking beeline towards the silver dot. (-BROWN VIAL, TALENT DC: 20 (-4 from the confusion of everyone and him being closer now), rolling 5d8. Success and you'll finally have a Man in Silver in your grasp, letting you get some leverage over Ashton and the potential for some valuable information out of the spook. Failure and I hope you like fighting a fed!)>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Puppeteer Ashton now that you have a clean line of sight of him and force him to fall down the stairs. After that? Make a break for it. (-2 RESTRAINT, in addition to evading his grasp for now, your display of psychic power will probably terrify his group. You doubt he'll be with allies if you encounter him again.)>[UNSTABLE + ASHLEY ALLY] Grab the shotgun the android dropped and hold Ashley at gunpoint. She'll clue in quickly, you hope. "Ah ah. Let's not be hasty, Ashton." (VIOLENCE DC: 14 (-4 from having his sister at gunpoint), rolling 5d6 with Ashley's help. Pass and you're pretty sure he'll play along and will be willing to answer any and every question you throw his way. You might be able to convince him to leave you alone if you're lucky. Failure and you'll ROYALLY piss him off.)>[CAMO IMPLANT] No one needs to know you were ever hear. Use your second charge and slip out without anyone ever noticing you were here. (-CAMO IMPLANT CHARGE, you'll be out of charges now but you should be able to escape his grasp without leaving a trace or clue anyone nearby to your powers. Though he'll probably still try to search for you.)>"Boo." Grab the shotgun off the ground and fire a slug into Ashton's back. From what you know about him, it won't kill him but it'll be sure to disorient the shit out of him. (COMBAT ENCOUNTER! The sneak attack will put Ashton on the backfoot and his allies are too disorganized to reach him for a few turns.)>WRITE IN (Do another plan? Try to get Ashley to help you somehow? Use an item? Something else?)
>>5918245>[PERSON OF INTEREST]BIG GAME HUNTER
>>5918245>[PERSON OF INTEREST] I want this glowie. We have time to keep the shotgun? Is it a nice shotgun? :] Or do we really have to bum rush the guy now?
>>5918254You already have two shotguns back in your apartment but it would be too much of a detour to get them now, so you know what? You can either eat a +2 penalty to the stat check or spend 1 RESTRAINT (you have 6/7 RESTRAINT left) to telekinesis it over to get it and the 2d3 slugs inside of it for later. Having an extra gun might help convince the spook to 'talk' as well. Your other shotguns are back in your apartment, which would be too much of a detour to rush and get now.
>>5918245>[PERSON OF INTEREST]They've taken the bait. And what >>5918254 said. Go for the shottie>>5918267I'm willing to personally get the -1 RESTRAINT hit, but maybe putting it to a short and sweet secondary vote works?
>>5918245>[PERSON OF INTEREST] You're not letting this opportunity pass you by. Chug down a brown vial and make a fucking beeline towards the silver dot. (-BROWN VIAL, TALENT DC: 20 (-4 from the confusion of everyone and him being closer now), rolling 5d8. Success and you'll finally have a Man in Silver in your grasp, letting you get some leverage over Ashton and the potential for some valuable information out of the spook. Failure and I hope you like fighting a fed!)Spend restraint to grab the shootie
>>5918245>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Grab the Shotgun
>>5918723>[PERSON OF INTEREST] spend one restraint to grab the Shotgun (Edit)
>>5918245>[PERSON OF INTEREST] You're not letting this opportunity pass you by. Chug down a brown vial and make a fucking beeline towards the silver dot. (-BROWN VIAL, TALENT DC: 20 (-4 from the confusion of everyone and him being closer now), rolling 5d8. Success and you'll finally have a Man in Silver in your grasp, letting you get some leverage over Ashton and the potential for some valuable information out of the spook. Failure and I hope you like fighting a fed!)Get the shotgun with restraint
Getting that fucking glowing it is. One Anon, roll 3d8, another for 2d8. Since most felt like grabbing the shotgun with their mind, no secondary vote needed
Rolled 4, 2, 2 = 8 (3d8)>>5919065
Rolled 6, 5 = 11 (2d8)>>5919065
>>5919076White Powder time
>>5919073>>5919076>1 off.Alright. Quick secondary vote. You wanna take some cocain- I mean white powder?>YES. [Pass check, you'll take some flesh damage]>NO [Time to fight a fed nigga.]
>>5919078>>YES. [Pass check, you'll take some flesh damage]
>>5919078>Yes
>>5919078>YesTHIS IS WHAT YOU GET FOR FLOODING BLACK NEIGHBORHOODS WITH COCAINE IN THE 80S, FEDYOU GET CRACKED IN THE HEAD>(fires shotgun)
>>5919079>>5919082>>5919113Fairs fair. Writing.
No time to think, no time to hesitate. Right as your invisibility started to wear off, you pour the baggie of WHITE POWDER into the BROWN VIAL and CHUG that shit like life depending on it. It burns HORRIBLY going down but you have no time to process how fucked up the thing you did just was. You yank the shotgun laying on the ground over with your mind. This, of course, draws Ashton's attention and you have to duck to avoid getting your god damn head caved in. The jagged metal of the nails stuck in it grazes against your scalp, drawing blood, but not enough to be an actual injury. With the shotgun in hand and the drugs pumping through your system, your legs rush down the ice slick stairs like a demon out of hell.>-1 WHITE POWDER, -1 BROWN VIAL, -1 FLESH, -1 RESTRAINT"Ah ah!" Ashton cackles at seeing your 'attempt' to flee from him. He chases after you like a bat out of hell and, in the corner of your eye, you can see Ashley trying her best to catch up and stop him. You have a solid lead for now but he's already catching up remarkably fast. Crunching snow and metal dragging against concrete is the only sounds that break up his cackling and your labored breathing. But he's not who you care about right now. https://youtu.be/CbSXK3vtsN8 - THEM! IT'S THEM, NICOLE!Across the snow-caked streets is a man who, if you didn't know he was here through your mind reading radar, would blend in with the scenery. His face blurs together into a mess of static and noise that prevents you from getting a read on his expression. He's wearing a silver hat, winter coat and boots alongside a set of black shades. He's completely bald and his skin is paler than the snow around him. He isn't even looking at you, he thinks you're too distracted to notice him. Too bad for him, he's your target. The muscles in your legs and the soles of your feet scream in agony as you make a sudden, neckbreak fast turn to start running right at him, shotgun in hand. By the time he notices you're running to him, you already have the shotgun barrel aimed right at his chest. "What the-" "SHUT UP!" You quickly move around to be behind him, now planting the barrel of your shotgun firmly against his spine. If he makes one wrong move, you'll blow his spine to bone meal. The Man in Silver doesn't seem to be panicking, his posture is relaxed and casual. Yet you can tell he's not willing to risk a move.Ashton grinds to a stop half way across the empty, snow flooded street. His face contorts into a toothy smile at your display. "Well well. A girl having some balls? Guess we got a tranny here, eh?" Ashley finally manages to catch up to him. He glances back at his sister with a mixture of worry and annoyance before glancing back at you. "Heh. Do what you want. The moment you move away from 'im, I'll catch riiight back up." It's clear he's hesitating to actually rush after you. His tone shakes a bit but you can't quite tell why.
He turns his attention back to Ashley. The two begin to have a heated discussion between each other and one glimpse into Ashley's mind tells you that she's trying to buy you time.>Due to Ashley being there to distract him, you have more time to ask questions.The Man in Silver begins to speak. His voice crackles like it's being broadcasted through a faulty radio and thanks to this, you can't make out how old he is or any potential accent he had. He's a complete nobody. "Well. You got me. I knew something was afoot. We should've moved in before you managed to purchase an implant." "What's your move now, Nicole Smith? Do you think you have the upper hand? I am only one man. I am not as valuable as you think I am-" You shut him up by pressing the barrel of the shotgun harder against him before wisely backing up a bit to make sure he can't just grab your shotgun. What do you want to do with the spook? You have time to do four actions with him.>"Why did you send him after me? Too afraid of getting your hands dirty yourself, you fucking coward?">"Who do you work for? Is it an Alphabet Company? Someone else?">"I know what you did back at that restaurant. Are you trying to turn people into anomalies? Why?">"WHY are you stalking me? Aren't there far more dangerous people to worry about?">[UNSTABLE] "Do you believe in a god?" Lower your shotgun and blow a fucking hole in his leg. (Costs two actions, due to him bleeding out. He will be FAR more willing to answer your questions after this.)>"Tell me where your base of operation is at. Where is it?">"Tell Ashton to fuck off, thanks." (You might be able to delay Ashton from chasing after you again for a while.)>[SEEKER OF THE CITY] "If you want to live, I would start telling me some very important secrets. Say, like everything and anything you know about the Alphabet Companies and yourself.">Frisk his pockets with your telekinesis. Take everything of value off of him. (You'll get some pretty valuable stuff from his pockets.)>[PERSON OF INTEREST] "Who else are you bothering? Who else does your group plan on killing? Give me names." Given how they would've killed Gregory if you hadn't gotten involved, best to know who else you know they might be stalking after.>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Scan his mind, you don't want anything to slip by the cracks. (FREE ACTION. You may spend a RESTRAINT point to get more information out of a question you ask him. You may use this as many times as you have RESTRAINT, though beware of what happens at low RESTRAINT.)>You have something else to ask him. (Write in. You may write in as many questions as you wish.)>Write in.You doubt he'll stay as peaceful as he is forever. Once you're out of actions, do you let him go or not? >YES. No need to get the spooks too riled up. You'll just get your information.>YES, but... (Write in what deal you offer him in exchange for his life.)>[UNSTABLE] NO. I HATE THE ANTI CHRIST! I HATE THE ANTICHRIST!
>>5919159>SHOOT HIS KNEECAP OFF>WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO TURN PEOPLE INTO ANOMALIES>CALL OFF YOUR DOGS, ALL OF THEM. (Especially Ashton)>NO1. Fuck these guys.2. Fuck these guys.3. We should get some insight into why they do the things they do. I don't know if we can get anything directly about how we fit into their grand scale plans from this one mook, but we could get some information on their side(?) operation.4. Also, let's try not to kill Ashton in front of our friend and his sister. Damn.
>>5919159Backing >>5919166But I wanna add>[PERSON OF INTEREST] "Who else are you bothering? Who else does your group plan on killing? Give me names." Given how they would've killed Gregory if you hadn't gotten involved, best to know who else you know they might be stalking after.Loot his corpse right after killing him. Our beef is not with Ashton, plus he's a cool bro to Ashley. No, our beef is with THESE fuckers.Do you think we should call the Handler here? He knows about the silver guys, though he thinks they're made up by Nicole's delusions. He got the silver cloth from the restaurant job, which made him consider the possibility of truth - but a dead silver agent right here will prove they exist
>>5919169Wait nevermind, shooting his legs is 2 actions. It'd be>KNEECAPS POP POP DROP>WHY ARE YOU FOLLOWING CARMEN'S WILL>CALL ASHTON AND YOUR OTHER DOGS OFF OF ME AND MINE>STUPID AGENT!!!! YOU DIE NOW!!!!!For 4 actions total
>>5919159>Shoot> Shoo away Ashton>Ask all the rest of the questions because without Ashton we have no time limit>Finish him
>>5919188>>Ask all the rest of the questions because without Ashton we have no time limitCute idea but the time limit isn't just because of Ashton wanting to kill you. Sure, that is a factor, but it's also because you're not sure how long you can dick around with the agent until he tries doing something fucky wucky or calls for help. That and if you blow his fucking leg off, he'll probably bleed out real quick before you can ask him everything.
>>5919159>"I know what you did back at that restaurant. Are you trying to turn people into anomalies? Why?"Use one restraint to scan his mind.>"Tell Ashton to fuck off, thanks." (You might be able to delay Ashton from chasing after you again for a while.)>Frisk his pockets with your telekinesis. Take everything of value off of him. (You'll get some pretty valuable stuff from his pockets.)He may have a valuable information on him.>[PERSON OF INTEREST] "Who else are you bothering? Who else does your group plan on killing? Give me names." Given how they would've killed Gregory if you hadn't gotten involved, best to know who else you know they might be stalking after.Use one restraint to scan his mind.>YES. No need to get the spooks too riled up. You'll just get your information.Do not kill him. Because if we do kill him, he will be replaced by someone much more competent.
>>5919212If we don't kill him ourselves, the other glowies will for spilling info to us and being caught out. I want Nicole to get the satisfaction of ending one of her tormentors by her own hand.
>>5919218Yeah I kinda agree with this. They might just brain the guy or do something fucked up to him anyways. I have a feeling no matter what we do to this glowie, somethings gonna bite us in the ass. Think we oughta just take care of him, no deals or anything. I am curious if there are going to be any consequences for ashton if we do this.>>5919159As for questions:>bye bye kneecaps>ask about the other people they’re gunning for>tell ashton to back off Maybe if we know who the other targets are we can start to piece some sort of evil scheming plotting scheming plotting plotting scheming plot together?
>>5919212 (You) #Change>>5919159 #>[UNSTABLE] "Do you believe in a god?" Lower your shotgun and blow a fucking hole in his leg. (Costs two actions, due to him bleeding out. He will be FAR more willing to answer your questions after this.)>"Tell Ashton to fuck off, thanks." (You might be able to delay Ashton from chasing after you again for a while.)>[PERSON OF INTEREST] "Who else are you bothering? Who else does your group plan on killing? Give me names." Given how they would've killed Gregory if you hadn't gotten involved, best to know who else you know they might be stalking after.Spend one restraint to scan his mind. when he answer this question.>[UNSTABLE] NO. I HATE THE ANTI CHRIST! I HATE THE ANTICHRIST!
>>5919159>"Who do you work for? Is it an Alphabet Company? Someone else?">"Tell Ashton to fuck off, thanks." (You might be able to delay Ashton from chasing after you again for a while.)>[SEEKER OF THE CITY] "If you want to live, I would start telling me some very important secrets. Say, like everything and anything you know about the Alphabet Companies and yourself.">[PERSON OF INTEREST] "Who else are you bothering? Who else does your group plan on killing? Give me names." Given how they would've killed Gregory if you hadn't gotten involved, best to know who else you know they might be stalking after.Mind scan for secrets and targets>[UNSTABLE] NO. I HATE THE ANTI CHRIST! I HATE THE ANTICHRIST!
>>5919159I'm >>5919169I want to mind scan -1 restraint when we ask him WHY ARE YOU TURNING PEOPLE INTO ANOMALIESMan if only getting him to call off Ashton and other unseen hired guns was a free action, I'd be all for PERSON OF INTEREST option too
>>5919159>Frisk his pockets with your telekinesis. Take everything of value off of him. (You'll get some pretty valuable stuff from his pockets.)>"I know what you did back at that restaurant. Are you trying to turn people into anomalies? Why?">[PERSON OF INTEREST] "Who else are you bothering? Who else does your group plan on killing? Give me names." Given how they would've killed Gregory if you hadn't gotten involved, best to know who else you know they might be stalking after.>"WHY are you stalking me? Aren't there far more dangerous people to worry about?"Scan for both>YES, but... (Write in what deal you offer him in exchange for his life.)Fuck off and don't come back to my apartment
So all in all, Getting Ashton to fuck off + Blowing his kneecaps + Person of Interest with mind scanning for Person of Interest wins in what to do with him, alongside finishing him off for how to deal with his fate. (It was a bit of mess counting things but eh)Writing. Apologies for the slow update, my internet has been shitting itself (living in rural bumfuck nowhere does that) and today's been a busy day. Update should be out in two hours tops but ideally it should be out sooner.
"Do you believe in a god?" In one swift movement, you instantly lower your shotgun down to blow his fucking kneecaps in. He immediately drops to the ground because, well, what else would you expect from blowing his kneecaps apart? Ashton and Ashley jump a bit from the sudden sound but something else seems to make them stumble far, FAR away from you and the agent. As you look down, you can see why that is. Blue. Neon blue, to be specific. From the completely obliterated kneecaps of the agent is a sickly neon blue liquid oozing out of the hole you put in his legs. It pulses and glows with a very faint light and, now that it's on his clothes, he's positively glowing now. [UNSTABLE] IF ONLY WE HAD A CAR TO RUN HIM OVER WITH. DON'T LOWER YOUR GUARD THOUGH. THIS IS A TRICK, EVEN NIGGERS LIKE HIM SHOULD BE BLEEDING RED. "Our group-" The Man In Silver hisses through clenched teeth, you think. "kills gods. The Gods of the City are beneath our organization. Why believe in something so worthless? N-Company and their so called Holy Father is only allowed to exist through our express approval." [SEEKER OF THE CITY] That term, "Gods of the City", sounds oh so familiar but you can't place a finger on it. You'll know one when you see one, that's all you know.You rip the shades off of his face. Given his torn apart leg, he can't really fight back. In one swift motion, you equip them.>SHADES ACQUIRED (+1 COOLNESS [not a real stat]. Hides your eyes to prevent anyone from noticing them flashing.)"Yet you couldn't even kill little ol' me, huh?" Time's ticking, you did just blow his kneecaps apart. You probably got ten minutes at most even without Ashton or help interrupting your conversation. "If you want to live, I would start answering my questions and I would answer them HONESTLY. One fuckup and you'll be sucking dick in hell with the other faggots. Capiche?" "Crystal." Aside from his raggedy breathing, he seems remarkably calm. It's as if he doesn't care he's going to bleed out to death soon. Though you can see tiny, nervous twitches appear all across his body."Alright. First things first." You point over at Ashton. "Tell him and your other goons to FUCK OFF. Right now. Your attempt at a sneak attack failed and I'm armed with a gun. You can't do JACK or SHIT to me." The Agent hesitates for a moment before whistling an odd tune towards Ashton. Two high notes, a low note, two high notes, then one last low note. The red-haired menace narrows his eyes before throwing his baseball bat down in disgust. "God DAMNIT. Can't even trust these fuckers to give me a payday. I should've asked for upfront payment but NO!" "H-hey, look, I'm earning some money for our family too." Ashley tries her best to calm down her brother. You turn your attention back to the Agent instead of the sibling squabble. You squat down at the Agent to stare him right in the eyes (wherever they are in the static.) "Who else are you stalking?"
"Oh? You want to know that? It's quite simple." Something about that tone of voice he's putting on is turning your blood cold. You instantly activate MIND READ in case he hides anything from you. "I'm sure you already know some. Adam Borrelli. Benedict Baker." <"Otto Foxtrot, though she doesn't need to know that."> Your veins turn cold. You only know ONE man with the last name of Foxtrot and he's your Handler. Shit, shit, he's the only one paying your fucking bills. You aim your shotgun at his head. "Who else?""Alright. Kiara Keller. Maruyama Daido. Max Krakatoa. Leo Krakatoa. Gregory Krakatoa. Benjamin Aaron. Roland Krakatoa. Casey Smith. Clover Guan. Monifa Anjaro. Daniel Anjaro- Every single word he speaks makes your veins colder and colder, as if ice water is being injected into you."-Alexis Morozov. Felix Morozov. Celanine Morozov. Jack Morozov. Naomi Wischard. Frank Smith. Ashley Miller. Ashton Miller. Lex Iron-" You want him to shut up now. YOU WANT HIM TO SHUT UP, WHY IS HE STILL TALKING. "Lex Iron. Adama Whitshire. Thomas Sukane. Bennett Huxley. LEAD Maus. Vanessa Vanni. Bobbert Smith. Overseer 13 of P-Company. Overboss 11 through 14 of D-Company. The list goes on, my dear friend." <"She doesn't need to know about Vincent Cruz or Amber Krakatoa. It's better if she doesn't, she might get too powerful if she does."> In one swift motion, the Agent suddenly stands back up despite the massive hole in his leg. "Don't you get it now? Since when were you ever the one in control?" He reaches into his pocket to grab something. No time to hesitate. You aim at center mass and blow a hole right through his torso. Neon blue gore scatters across the snow scattered across the streets of District 7. He stumbles back and in a vain attempt to stop the bleeding, he covers the gaping hole in his chest with his hand. The static clears from his face to reveal nothing but a generic looking middle aged man. Bright blue eyes stare back at you. His mouth is twisted into a smug smirk despite your best attempts at putting him down. "Good job." The filter in his voice is gone. "You killed one man. Do you think you achieved anything here-" Another slug rips right through his torso. The Agent falls to his knees before falling face first into the snow. He isn't moving anymore.>YOU KILLED A MAN IN SILVER! RESTRAINT FULLY HEALED!>WHITE POWDER WEARS OFF.>2 SHOTGUN SLUGS FOUND IN YOUR SHOTGUN. FED KILLING SHOTGUN ACQUIRED! (The mental association made with this shotgun has permanently altered how you use it. Attacks made with it roll WILLPOWER+VIOLENCE+1 and deal equal parts FLESH and RESTRAINT damage to enemies. Only usable by you.)You fall to your knees. You feel oh so, so very tired after everything that just happened. So tired, you barely even hear the two pairs of footsteps approaching you. Your hands and legs tremble with fear. What did he mean by 'too powerful'? What did he mean by-
They're watching people in positions of power far, far higher than you can ever reach by yourself- "Well." Ashton chuckles, instantly snapping you out of your train of thought. "You win today." He pulls you up by the hair with one swift motion. "The hunt's called off for now. But if I see you again, I can't wait to start from where we left off." He shoves you away with barely any effort and begins to walk away, dragging his baseball bat on the ground. Ashley glances at you. "...Well. Thanks for not hurting him. Even if you would've been morally in the right to do so. I need some time to collect my thoughts, can you...not hire me today? Thanks." Before you can respond, Ashley follows right after him. You're just left by your lonesome now.>ASHTON will not actively hunt you for a while. Though do take his warning into account.>ASHLEY has left your party. You won't be able to hire her during today's mission selection.What do you do now? There's nothing left out in the streets besides the snow, the dead body of the Agent, and the trailing footsteps of the people the Agent called off. Well...there's one thing to check before you decide what to do with your free time. You force yourself to stand back up. You take a deep, shuddering breath before approaching the Agent. You're not sure what might be on his person given you blew several holes into him but since he's dead, no reason not to loot him. You use your telekinesis to loot his pockets from a distance in case there's some sort of trap hidden on him. You pull out some completely ruined papers that are soaked in gore and blood. Whatever information was on them might as well be gone. You keep looking through his body for anything that's left from you completely obliterating him... LOOT FOUND! >SERVICE PISTOL (You can't be an agent without one. Attacks made with it roll TALENT+3 and you may reroll any two TALENT dice when using it. Uses PISTOL AMMO and has 3 bullets left.) >SILVER WALKIE TALKIE. (Low on battery and you're not sure how to recharge it. Crackles with voices you can't quite recognize. You can spend an action at any time to listen to it to try gleaming more information.) >CYANIDE PILL x3 (Aren't they meant to be installed into your teeth? Does massive FLESH damage and does STAT damage to FLESH, TALENT, VIOLENCE, COGNIZANCE, and WILLPOWER. Easily dissolves in water.)>UNMARKED VIAL x2 (A vial filled to the brim with a yellowish-green substance. You know this to be A-Energy. Temporarily boosts your anomalous abilities when consumed. Why does HE have them?) >DAMAGED MAP (Shows directions to an outpost in District 21. Some of the details were destroyed by your shotgun blasts but SEEKER can put the pieces back together if you ever happen to go to District 21.)Anything else you found on him was too damaged or too soaked in his gore to be usable. Well, what do you do now? It's the dead of night and you're wide awake. Best to burn off this energy.
Pick up to three free time actions.>[UNSTABLE] Make a beeline to your apartment and turn on your TV. You want to ask the TV MAN some questions. >[SEEKER OF THE CITY] You need to clear your head. Take a long, long walk around the District. (You know your home district better. Pick between ANOMALOUS, SECRETS, INFORMATION, SHOP, CACHE, or MYSTERY when picking this. You're more likely to find something in that category when rolling the dice.)>Best to stock up on some equipment. (Choose between NEAL'S REAL DEALS and the WEIRD ANOMALOUS STORE. One offers more general supplies while the other offers more niche but powerful items. You may visit both if you spent two actions on this choice.)>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] You have that old soot stained camera and the weird coat that anomaly gave you. Might as well take some time to tinker with them. (WILLPOWER DC: ???. The higher you roll, the more information you get on how they work. You may suggest in what way you want to test them in order to affect the DC.)>[UNMARKED VIAL] Welp! Time to develop new anomalies abilities after killing a fed! Go back to your apartment and meditate. (-1 UNMARKED VIAL, WILLPOWER DC: 16. You'll get some progress to unlocking a new ability regardless of success or failure but on success, you'll be able to gain a new ability.)>Check out one of your old caches nearby. See what stuff you have hidden away. (You'll roll 3d100 to see what loot you acquired. You may write in a general category of supply to search for to increase the odds of getting it.)>Take some time to mediate. Focus. (+1 MAX RESTRAINT and +1 RESTRAINT for the mission.)>Best to call up Gregory to get some supplies out of him. (CONNECTIONS DC: 10. If you pass, you'll get offered a choice of three pieces of decent equipment. Failure will result in him giving you some random minor trinkets that may or may not be useful. You may write in what type of supplies you want him.)>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Dial your Handler's number NOW. "LOOK I KILLED AN AGENT I NEED YOU TO COME DOWN HERE NOW YOU NEED TO SEE THIS!!!" You need him to see this shit NOW. >You need to lay back down after everything. This was too much to wake up to. (+1 FLESH healed and your ADRENALINE implant regain an extra charge, filling up both to max capacity. If this isn't picked, only your CAMO implant is fully recharged.)>Write in. (Use some items? Try to train your powers? Call someone? Do something else?)As you ponder on what to do, you feel like time suddenly skips for a moment...>BORROWED TIME has kicked in! You now have TWO DAYS until K-Corp finds you. That's one less thing to worry about.Hm. Seems like whatever Sukane did just kicked in. Good.
>>5920894>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Dial your Handler's number NOW. "LOOK I KILLED AN AGENT I NEED YOU TO COME DOWN HERE NOW YOU NEED TO SEE THIS!!!" You need him to see this shit NOW.NOW NOW NOWBEFORE THEY SEND EVIDENCE DISPOSALI DON'T CARE IF HE'S YET TO CALL US FOR THE JOBI DON'T CARE IF IT'S ASSCRACK OF DAWN O'CLOCKWE CALL THE HANDLER HERE NOW!!!!!>[UNSTABLE] Make a beeline to your apartment and turn on your TV. You want to ask the TV MAN some questions.Follow up Ben's lead.>You need to lay back down after everything. This was too much to wake up to. (+1 FLESH healed and your ADRENALINE implant regain an extra charge, filling up both to max capacity. If this isn't picked, only your CAMO implant is fully recharged.)The in-character thing to do
>>5920901+1
Going through a bit of past threads>To the right of him is a lardball of a man who's clearly twice his age. He's wearing an old trucker hat, a greasy green jacket, and a stained white shirt. His shirt has an arrow pointing to the Handler with "HEAVEN'S GREATEST GIFT TO ME" written on it. You swear his sky blue eyes are staring right at you. That's from the Handler's family photo. Seems the Cruelty Squad Handler is our Handler's dad? Maybe?>"If you notice a Drone from the G-01 series, please report it to your local Q-Corp representative. It's best to crush an annoying bug before it causes problems."The first time we saw the TV MAN way back at the start of the quest, he said this. Immediately after, when we went to the bar to scout out for allies, we encounter Quentin. TV MAN is wrong because Quentin put in work and he's a cool centipede guy>"In other news, Leo Krakatoa has gotten into a scuffle with M-Company over them using his likeness in one of their latest music videos. When asked on the matter, they denied the existence of Leo.">If you had to ask me, though? He should be glad he is even being given the time of day. His family's nothing but trouble, Nicole. I wouldn't associate with those types.We know now this is one of Max's brothers. TV MAN is wrong again because Max and Gregory have both been good to us>"Latest, but certainly not least, there's been a recent return of the Purple Phantom. While we don't know much on this Color, we know that districts they have been spotted in have a 52% rise in Cleaner deaths and disappearances! Those who can give us any solid information or pictures on it will be paid a solid $3000 for their efforts!"Now this guy we haven't seen yet. I think we must have missed him taking missions he isn't involved with or encountered on.
Now for the silver guy's list>>5920878>Adam Borrelli. Benedict BakerWe know they're involved because the silver fuckers tried to push Bene into becoming Art of Flesh, but failed in this timeline because of Nicole's efforts. That they rigged a whole damn containment cell in the freezer means they harvested A-Energy from him. What's weird is all the vibes that cell and those doors were giving off, with those mystery sigils and wards inside the rooms. UNSTABLE was constantly warning us out of that place too.>Otto FoxtrotIs that Handler or his father? Or his dead gang leader brother we killed with the Handler?>Kiara Keller>Maruyama Daido>Max KrakatoaOur allies, stalked because they're associated with us and our missions. Makes sense.>Gregory Krakatoa.They were planning to assassinate him back in that mission if we didn't heal him after his climax gunfight.>Leo Krakatoa.>Roland Krakatoa.Probably targeted because they're associated with the other Krakatoas and us by proxy. Brothers maybe, but is one of them her dad?>Benjamin AaronOur ally>Casey Smith. Clover GuanI don't know why Casey is here. Funny how Clover's last name is "Guan" pronounced "Gun". I think he's involved loosely because he alluded to previously encountering Flowey in his mindread in response to seeing Nicole's UNSTABLE expression, back in the poker game.>Monifa Anjaro. Daniel AnjaroThe Anjaro name has more significance now than it did... back then... because of the new background lore we got from other characters here.>Alexis Morozov. Felix Morozov. Celanine Morozov. Jack Morozov.Our ally, and her... certain close siblings... with very familiar names...>Naomi WischardHer description very strongly reminds me of ETF-Null from... THAT time. We only had a brief chat with her at the bar after the Ace Strikers job, and that alone was enough to get them on the watchlist. Fuck>Frank Smith (ETF-Kappa)From the same place we met Naomi. We talked to the drill sergeant asshole type once and he got watchlisted too. Is the Bennett Huxley he hinted at with a bunny mask the same one from the OTHER quest series taking place in that OTHER City by that OTHER QM? Or same name fucko in this one?>Ashley Miller. Ashton Miller.They're right here, you know!>Lex IronOur ally>Adama WhitshireAnother familiar name...>Thomas SukaneWe make ONE phone call to him and he's watchlisted, goddamn>Bennett Huxley.There he is>LEAD MausWrong City, asshole! Moth Agent Quest is THAT way!>Vanessa Vanni.We still have those Vanni letters and Gregory's favors for if we ever encounter them>Bobbert SmithWrong City, asshole! Bobbert Quest is THAT way!>Overseer 13 of P-Company...>Overboss 11 through 14 of D-CompanyNow this one's interesting...>Vincent CruzOne of the last two protag choices we're missing.>Amber KrakatoaI don't think Max ever hinted at her. Either sister or her mom?Now my question is where the fuck is Aster K and Quentin on this watchlist?
>>5920975>>5920987Isn't MT Foxtrot the name of Cruelty Squad's protagonist and not his handler? Assuming that's true, Otto is probably our handler and of that lineage.
>>5920894>Best to stock up on some equipment. (Choose between NEAL'S REAL DEALS and the WEIRD ANOMALOUS STORE. One offers more general supplies while the other offers more niche but powerful items. You may visit both if you spent two actions on this choice.)NEAL'S we need to stock up drugs>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Dial your Handler's number NOW. "LOOK I KILLED AN AGENT I NEED YOU TO COME DOWN HERE NOW YOU NEED TO SEE THIS!!!" You need him to see this shit NOW.>You need to lay back down after everything. This was too much to wake up to. (+1 FLESH healed and your ADRENALINE implant regain an extra charge, filling up both to max capacity. If this isn't picked, only your CAMO implant is fully recharged.)
>>5920878Shit. At least we know some of them canonically survive >>5920894>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Dial your Handler's number NOW. "LOOK I KILLED AN AGENT I NEED YOU TO COME DOWN HERE NOW YOU NEED TO SEE THIS!!!" You need him to see this shit NOW.>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] You have that old soot stained camera and the weird coat that anomaly gave you. Might as well take some time to tinker with them. (WILLPOWER DC: ???. The higher you roll, the more information you get on how they work. You may suggest in what way you want to test them in order to affect the DC.)Take a photo of the corpse>[UNSTABLE] Make a beeline to your apartment and turn on your TV. You want to ask the TV MAN some questions
>>5921141Yeah he is and yeah Handler is related, but I don't know for sure if "Otto" is the Handler or the dad. In retrospect, no way it's the dead faggot brother.>though she doesn't need to know that.So it's most likely Handler himself. I do wonder why the glownig thought that, with all the names of people he gave us and all our allies on the watch list, Nicole wouldn't deduce the Handler is also one of the watched even if he didn't name him. And as I said in >>5920987 I'm seriously curious why Quentin of all people is not on there. You'd think with all their power and resources they'd have ways to track drone centipedes too. Maybe it's because Quentin is a "defective" G-01 drone and keeps swapping bodies? As for the rest, there's one of the unseen protag choices>An average, unassuming man with a grey and unfocused left eye. You are Vincent C, former Office Worker and Painter. High stress tolerance, versed in corporate bureaucracy. Little combat experience and very new to the job.And the other one, suspiciously not on this list he gave>A cybernetically engineered husk of flesh and metal, more meat and machine than man. You're Aster K, former bodyguard. Augmented physique enhances intimidation. Sensitive to the unnatural and slower to heal.
>>5921318>At least we know some of them canonically surviveI wouldn't be so sure... >>5916614>"I guess?" Adam takes another swig from his glass. "It feels like in another world, I was left bleeding out on that kitchen and Benedict turned into some anomaly. Forever. The stress of everything lately must be getting to me, you know?">[UNSTABLE] IN ANOTHER WORLD, IN A DIFFERENT TIME, THIS MAN IS DEAD. HE SHOULD BE DEAD. YOU DEFIED SOME NATURAL ORDER WITH HIM BEING ALIVE.This IS a whole other timeline. Anything can happen even to pre-established characters, the QM can write whatever happening to whoever he pleases, and all bets are off. That's ignoring how much this QM and the MANAGER HELP! QM constantly reference each others' work even when they drop their quests or one-shots. We don't know if any of these loosely linked different settings and in-setting continuity twists will matter if or when the QM ever decides to reboot HELP WANTED!, or if any of us and this quest will make it that long in this shitty society and current world state. I say it's best to operate with what we know over what-ifs, but the what-ifs are FUN!!!! to talk about and speculate over, so I'll keep doing it until somebody wants me to stop.As for other links, there's this from thread 1 of this>[SEEKER OF THE CITY] That's why you hid your cache there. It's been closed since 2235, about twenty or so years ago.And thread 2 of HELP WANTED!>YEAR OF FILE CREATION BETWEEN: 2248-2251. CURRENT YEAR: 2261And also from thread 1 of HELP WANTED!>The owner disappeared three years ago, right around the same time the restaurant got abandoned.Give or take a couple years if you have to, and Benedict becoming Art of Flesh lines up well chronologically. I don't know if alternate timeline (from the first quest being sadly dropped out of high autism burnout from basically everybody imvolved) means some events are happening chronologically earlier than they did or were implied to have did back in HELP WANTED! If Nicole didn't take that restaurant job, who knows how long the men in silver would have continued to balance that situation to milk all they could from Benedict? A few surprise donations here, a balancing of A-Energy in the food there, and maybe Benedict distorting would have been purposefully delayed a year or two more at most.Basically I have no idea what's going on or what's going to happen next. I like your idea to take a past photo of the agent corpse, but we keep passing up the TV MAN, man
>>5920894>[PERSON OF INTEREST]B-B-BREAKING NEWS, MOTHERFUCKER.>[UNSTABLE]THANK THE TV MAN. WITH TIP.>You need to lay back down after everything.Nicole sleep now. ZZZZZZ.
>>5920894>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Dial your Handler's number NOW. "LOOK I KILLED AN AGENT I NEED YOU TO COME DOWN HERE NOW YOU NEED TO SEE THIS!!!" You need him to see this shit NOW.>You need to lay back down after everything. This was too much to wake up to. (+1 FLESH healed and your ADRENALINE implant regain an extra charge, filling up both to max capacity. If this isn't picked, only your CAMO implant is fully recharged.)>[UNMARKED VIAL] Welp! Time to develop new anomalies abilities after killing a fed! Go back to your apartment and meditate. (-1 UNMARKED VIAL, WILLPOWER DC: 16. You'll get some progress to unlocking a new ability regardless of success or failure but on success, you'll be able to gain a new ability.)
PERSON OF INTEREST: EVERYONEUNSTABLE: Cux, 58k, WqV, sSFLAY DOWN: Cux, 58k, WqV, He8, t8UUNMARKED VIAL: He8NEAL'S REAL DEAL: t8UANOMALOUS ABILITIES: sSFSeems obvious what's going to happen. I WILL add in sSF's "take a picture of the corpse" into the write up since 1.) You're not in a rush to beeline towards a spook or run away from someone and 2.) You DO have a digital camera in you inventory just for this.Oh, just for ghits and siggles, I need an anon to roll a 1d100. Don't worry about why I'm asking you about this.
Rolled 34 (1d100)>>5921870Here goes...
Rolled 86 (1d100)>>5921870I suddenly am extremely worried
>>5921873I'm not sorry
>>5921873>>5921871Mmh. You know what, I'll take the 86 as well. Again, don't worry! Though I'll give you a hint. "'The American Academy of Pediatrics [...] recommends limiting older children's screen time to no more than one or two hours a day.'"
Rolled 7 (1d100)>>5921870
>>5921876Don't take this one too
>>5921875Oh this is for the UNSTABLE TV MAN event
You IMMEDIATELY yank the phone out of your pocket with your mind and begin to dial the number of your Handler as quickly as you can. Given that you're using your mind, this is remarkably quick. You levitate the phone up to lean against your shoulder before you begin taking pictures of the agent's corpse. Real, inerasable evidence of their existence. You're lost in the sauce of getting solid proof they exist because you're nearly sent falling to the snowy sidewalk from the loud, enraged barking coming from your phone. "NICOLE! IT IS FUCKING 11:30 PM IN YOUR DISTRICT! IT IS 2 AM WHERE I AM AT! WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT?!""Is it because of your missions? I still need eight more hours to finalize them, can you PLEASE be a bit patient? I love the work you're doing but-" You instantly start stammering and yammering out what just happened. To be quite frank it's mostly coming out as a stream of noise but you hear a tired, reluctant sigh coming from your Handler. >HIGH HANDLER RAPPORT: TRIGGERED>HANDLER RAPPORT TRACKER ADDED TO MAIN CHARACTER SHEET."Look." He croaks out with a tone that's obviously foreign to him. Concern, worry, and confusion. "It must be something important if YOU'RE calling me. I'll come down to check. You better not be wasting my time. I'll be there in thirty minutes. Y-Company transport delays and all of that." [SEEKER OF THE CITY] No one likes to think or talk about Y-Company. They're just...weird, even by your standard. From what you know, they have access to portal tech and regularly use it for transport of people and goods.You are promptly hung up on. This is starting to become a habit, isn't it? You take a look at the pictures you took of the Agent and there, as clear as day (well, night in this instance), there he is. Though something's off about the pictures you took. In every single one, the man's face is blurred out just like when he was alive. Weird. [PERSON OF INTEREST] If you could show people who they were, then they lose their power. This is him spitting on your feet from beyond the grave.[PERSON OF INTEREST] You can only hope the Handler arrives before they come to collect the body. You will guard this thing with your life if need be.>SILVER AGENT PHOTOS ACQUIRED (A set of photos of a dead Man in Silver. Might be useful if used with MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN ERA.) Soon, you hear a faint buzz from behind a nearby street corner. The Handler turns around the corner with bags under his eyes and a queasy expression. His outfit is way more casual than his fancy suit he normally wears, hell, he's in PJs. High quality PJs made out of the same Nouveau Fabric of his normal attire. He walks over to you, not having spotted the corpse yet. "Fucking Y-Corp. Anywho, what's the- holyfatherholysonfuckinghellwhatisthat." He immediately stops dead in his tracks when he sees the blue stained snow and the source of the neon blue carnage. The corpse of the Man in Silver."What in the god damn...?"
His baby blue eyes stare down at the corpse with honest to god fear. Your brain has a hard time processing that he can even feel that. A small part of your mind refuses to acknowledge that your Handler can express anything but spite and mild amusement."What happened?" The Handler looks back up at you. You quickly rattle off what happened as best as you can. You can barely string together a sentence together but he gets the rough idea. "So. You killed one. Well, shit, gotta give credit where credit is due." He kneels down and sticks his finger into the neon blue guts before tasting it. Disgusting. "...I recognize this. Yeah, yeah, this ain't good." The Handler stands back up. "Won't bore you with the specifics of this blood replacement but this stuff does a NUMBER to basically everything in someone's system. Boosts their strength, speed, perception, you name it." His brows furrow as he tries to piece something together. "This shit is EXPENSIVE. A single 500ml vial takes a month of MY earnings to get. Whoever is funding these fucks is either the richest man in the world OR they got Z-Corp by the tits and are getting it for free. Not sure what's worse.""So?" You're waiting for him to say something about the fact that THESE FUCKERS ARE REAL! Eventually the sheer weight of your schizo ramblings about them being real does hit. His bronze hair quickly gets soaked in nervous sweat as he kneels down to look at the corpse again. "Yeah. Fuck. What CAN I say, you know?" A confident smile crosses his face. "Gotta give props. You were right." <"I really shouldn't have hired her. Oh well, she's been one of the few Cleaners I hired who's actually good at their job. Guess this is the price I pay."> "Alright. Here's what I'm going to do." "I'm going to take this corpse back to my place. You're not going to say jack shit about this to anyone but me, in PERSON. We keep this shit underwraps, I pay you more for the next mission, annnd...hm. To keep this between us? I think you earnt this much." He tosses you something. Without thinking, you put it into your pocket. You'll check what it is when you get home. The Handler lifts the corpse up by the armpits and begins to drag it through the streets. "Get some rest. I think you earnt that much." Before he disappears around the corner, you raise your voice to ask him something. "Uh. If you don't mind me prying, would your name happen to be Otto?"The Handler immediately stops dead in his tracks. "Use that name again and I'll gut you. I'm your Handler. That's what you'll call me." <"Damn, she was right on the money. Not sure where she got that information, though."> You nod your head. Do you tell him he's being watched before he vanishes?>YES. HE SHOULD KNOW. HE PROBABLY HAS MORE RESOURCES TO PROTECT HIMSELF.>NO. YOU DON'T WANT HIM DOING ANYTHING RASH. IGNORNANCE IS BLISS.
Regardless of whether you shout out to him or not, he disappears around the corner and that same faint buzz echoes throughout the streets. You are now alone. Well, time to go back to your apartment. You pass by the- huh. That 'Zane" android you pushed down the stairs has disappeared. You swore he was still laying on the streets in a broken heap. Eh, no skin off your back. You find yourself back in your apartment and you thank whatever god is out there that Ashton didn't break anything in here. You move the desk that was blocking the door over to its rightful place in the corner of the room. You take half an hour to clean up the mess of, well, everything near your front door. You head over to your bed, ready to lay down and to collect your thoughts after everything, but your eyes turn over to the TV. While your desk was used to barricade the door, the table the TV rests on was spared. You're not sure why but some part of you didn't want to fuck with the position of the TV in your room too much. Hm.You kneel down in front of the TV. Something about what Benjamin said when you asked him about the TV MAN is bugging the ever loving shit out of you. You begin to tune the old hunk of shit to a signal, letting your hands wander as they fiddle with the knobs. "Listen here, you fucker. I have something to ask you. >34, 84>SIGNAL QUALITY: LOW. TIMING: PERFECT.The unfiltered static haze of your boobtube barely clears up no matter what channel you try tuning to. Yet you can make out the outline of the TV MAN through the haze. His perfect smile, his sky blue suit, the offputting yet comforting aura around him. "WELL-" BZZT. "WELL! BIT OF AN IMPROM-" BZZT. "-IST. WHAT SEEMS TO BE AILING YOU, MY DEAR NICOLE? IT'S A BIT TOO EARLY FOR THE NEWS BUT YOU CAUGHT ME RIGHT AS I WAS TAKI-" BZZT. "-RT BREAK. I CAN SPARE SOME TIME FOR M-" BZZT. "-ATED VIEWER!" The static around him clears up for only a moment to show you where he's at. It's an old cafe somewhere in a city that you don't recognize in the slightest. The sky is a perfect sky blue, the sun is shining down without anything blocking it, the crowds of people passing by him look...happy? It's a city but it's not a City. [UNSTABLE] HE'S IN A WORLD BARELY CONNECTED TO YOU THROUGH THE SIGNAL. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY YOU TWO CAN INTERACT. IT'S THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN EVER INTERACT. [SEEKER OF THE CITY] There's no androids or drones or harvesters or signs of the Alphabet Companies or anything. It's just...a peaceful, everyday city. Your mind can hardly process it. "WELL? THE SIGN-" BZZT! "-S SEEN BETTER DAYS. BEST TO ASK THE QUEST-" BZZT. "-EALLY WANT TO KNOW."By your estimate of how weak the signal is, you probably only have time to ask three questions. You COULD ask more than that but every question after that is more and more likely to get lost in the signal, resulting in misinformation getting spread. You take a deep breath. "Alright. Here's what I got to ask, mister."
>"Why are you helping me? Why DO you tell me the things you do?">"Is there a reason you only appear in TVs and, well, that one time in a blood puddle? Do you even exist?">"What's your name? I've been calling you TV MAN for god knows how long.">[PERSON OF INTEREST] "Can you give me some advice on how to deal with...them? You know who I'm talking about.">[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] While you might not have time to experiment with them, maybe he can give some advice. You hold up the soot stained camera and weird coat to him. "Got any clues on how these fucking things work?">[SEEKER OF THE CITY] "Where are you? I don't recognize that part of the City." You feel a bit uneasy asking this...>[UNSTABLE] "BE STRAIGHT WITH ME, TV MAN. ARE YOU AN ANOMALY? DO I HAVE AN ANOMALY FRIEND? IF SO, WHY HASN'T ANYONE CAPTURED YOU YET?" >"Someone told me anything you say is 100% accurate." You pause. "Will I get what I'm chasing after? Will I be able to achieve the things I want to achieve?">"Even if it's a bit too early, do you got any special news for me? I always like to stay informed on the world around me.">"Are any of my friends currently in danger for whatever reason?" Given that list of names the Agent spouted off, you want to make sure none of your allies or associates are in danger.>Push your luck and ask MORE questions. (Write in. Select as many additional questions to ask beyond the three guaranteed to be promptly answered. For every extra question you asked, you'll need to make COGNIZANCE checks of scaling difficulty to process what he's saying.)>You have something else to ask him. (Write in as many questions as you like. Keep the 'three guaranteed, anything past is hazy' thing in check, however.)And while you ask him those questions, you check your pocket to see what the Handler gifted you. You find that he gave you a...(Choose one.) >A small golden pocketwatch that gleams in the dim light. (T-COMPANY TIMETRACKER. Has two charges. You may spend a charge to gain an additional free time action after today's mission or during set up time before you're assigned tomorrow's mission.)>Three small syringes filled with a cherry red liquid. (C-EXTRACT x3. Allows you to buy very unique items from various shops around the City or to bribe essentially anyone in the City. Has random but potent effects if injected into someone.)>$1250. A note tied to it reads "Use it well." (It's cash. What do you expect?)>Something else completely. (WRITE IN. Drugs? A specific kind of cybernetic? Something mystical? The QM can veto it if it's too unreasonable.)
>>5922000>YES. HE SHOULD KNOW. HE PROBABLY HAS MORE RESOURCES TO PROTECT HIMSELF.>"I asked the agent who they had on their watchlist related to me before I blew him to bits. He namedropped you - that's how I know - and lots of other people too. Some of them I only spoke to once. You remember Mr. Sukane? I called him ONCE about his services LITERALLY last night after I got his phone number, and that alone got him on their watchlist.">"I'll tell you the rest of the shit he said later, but this is the last BIG thing I want to tell you before you go. I don't know why, but these silver fucks are trying to turn people into anomalies. You remember that restaurant in District 6? That freezer containment unit? They set that chef up to melt down eventually and milked him for all they could get in the meantime. I don't know if P Company is involved, but if they're completely unaware, then...">"Take care."I can imagine P Company would be 200% BEYOND MAD if they knew a secret group of silver agents were conspiring to turn people into anomalies on purpose and undercutting their whole reason of existing. They might make for an unexpectedly powerful ally with interests aligning against the silvers. If they're directly in bed with the silver glownigs though, then we might be screwed.>>5922008>[SEEKER OF THE CITY] "Where are you? I don't recognize that part of the City." You feel a bit uneasy asking this...The seeking will, the homing instinct. Before the anomalous powers, before the instability and the schizo shit, before the silver agents began to watch and hound her... The core of Nicole as a person, as a human being underneath it all.>[PERSON OF INTEREST] "Can you give me some advice on how to deal with...them? You know who I'm talking about."The immediate danger. The greater threat. THEM.>"Why are you helping me? Why DO you tell me the things you do?"A bit of human consideration>"Thank you for your help. I don't know who you are or anything, but you've been so helpful. I hope you make it through too. See you again."A bit of human kindnessAnd lastly>Three small syringes filled with a cherry red liquid. (C-EXTRACT x3. Allows you to buy very unique items from various shops around the City or to bribe essentially anyone in the City. Has random but potent effects if injected into someone.)If one of the people in power on that list refuses to even speak to us or hold any audience because of us being a poor schizo nobody, then this will get us in. And once we're in, we pull Handler and/or Gregory to vouch for us, and THEN we're gaining more powerful allies. Plus C-Extract is a great emergency item. My brain is full of fuck and I cannot think of a good or cool enough write-in item.What do you guys think? Solid setup? I'm willing to change any of that if you feel something else is way way more important.
>>5922053>YES. HE SHOULD KNOW. HE PROBABLY HAS MORE RESOURCES TO PROTECT HIMSELF.>[PERSON OF INTEREST] "Can you give me some advice on how to deal with...them? You know who I'm talking about.">[SEEKER OF THE CITY] "Where are you? I don't recognize that part of the City." You feel a bit uneasy asking this...>"Why are you helping me? Why DO you tell me the things you do?">"Thank you for your help. I don't know who you are or anything, but you've been so helpful. I hope you make it through too. See you again."
>>5922053Wait what? I assumed Benedict was being fed A-energy by Silver Agent in an attempt to accelerate his already unstable sanity into a anomaliesmonster. attempting, either for experimental and scientific purposes, or for other motives, to tra
