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File: CLEANER.jpg (77 KB, 762x762)
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Your name? Nicole Smith. Occupation? Cleaner, a deniable asset used by massive megacorporations called the Alphabet Companies and anyone else willing to pay you to do a job for them. Such as your Handler, the person giving you the jobs and making sure you can feed yourself at the end of the day.

Which is good. Since not a lot of jobs are willing to hire a schizophrenic woman with anomalous abilities and four voices constantly screaming in her head. You make do, however. After all, how else are you going to survive in the City? You either find a job and do what you need to in order to survive or you die in the endless, twisting streets of the biggest City humanity has ever built (or may ever build).

The last few missions you've been on have been wild but manageable so far. You first managed to rectify a payment oversight with a casino your Handler was sponsoring without having to kill anyone or rob the place blind. In the process, you manage to make friends with two of their employees and managed to save the business from the owner's sheer incompetence in running a casino.

You also managed to kill a Silver Agent and stopped a Cleaner named Ashton from hunting you by calling off the bounty on you. While Ashton may still be a threat later, you managed to get some interesting information out of the fed and the man in the TV who speaks to you. Yes, you talk to your TV, he gives you valuable information. Don't question it.

You're almost finished with your latest mission, which is helping X-Corp (a militaristic Alphabet Company assigned with protecting the City from outside threats) get new recruits. After interrogating a Silver Agent they had locked and finding out their main issue with training recruits, you went through a hellish course with Kiara and bonded as allies in the process.

Now, you're busy showing off your anomalous powers by going through the mental training course. All in all, your life has been busy as hell and you're ready for it to all wind down for a moment. Though, is that possible? Or will it be endless jobs until you're crushed under the weight of the Powers that Be in this City?

One day. You'll get what you want. Somewhere safe with your friends. Nobody to hunt you down. No horrible jobs to grind you into the dirt. No need to consume copious drugs and stitch your body back together just to keep your mind and body half way stable. Someday.

Perhaps one day, you'll be a shining Star of the City that people will revere and respect. But for now? You're just Nicole.

ARCHIVE: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Cleaner
PASTEBINS:
MAIN CHARACTER SHEET (has your stats + perks, inventory, and abilities): https://pastebin.com/3y638TfK
ALLIES (contains their stats, abilities, recruitment costs, and RAPPORT): https://pastebin.com/8gdVZBPe
MECHANICS (contains the explanation of stats, how stat checks work, and some other minor rules): https://pastebin.com/A9nLYWP6
>>
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Okay. You can do this. You're only being forced to use your psychic powers, which you hardly understand yourself, under pressure. Or should you use anomalous instead of psychic? Is there a difference-

You swear you heard a footstep approaching you. You don't got time to dick around. Okay. Deep breath. With swift, precise motions you pull out the CACHE MAP and DAMAGED MAP from your inventory. Focus. You just need a way to see through the smoke. You spread them across the floor while scanning through them. How different is this building compared to the ones here, right?

Sparks of multi-colored light fly from the corners of your eyes as you try to strain your brain to see past the fog. Shit, this isn't working. This isn't working. You're only straining your head. You need something to push you over the edge. You don't want to do this but fuck it! With a bit of telekinetic help, you toss an UNMARKED VIAL into your hand and down it in one go.

It's thick, mushy, reminds you of curled milk that's been out in the sun for too long. As you force the liquid down your throat, it burns your tongue and throat and for a moment, you swear your teeth were going to melt if you didn't swallow it as quickly as you did.

You cough blood onto the floor below. FUCK. Yet as quickly as you did that, you feel your mouth patch itself up.
>-1 MAX FLESH UNTIL YOU REST OR UVX REGENERATES IT. FLESH DAMAGE NEGATED BY REGENERATION

Your head immediately explodes into the worst cluster headache you've ever experienced. Your body gives up on you as you send yourself reeling to the floor, a thick foam tinted green from the A-Energy in the vial oozing out of your mouth. It hurts to even think, let alone do anything else.
>-1 RESTRAINT, -1 COGIZANCE AND -1 MAX RESTRAINT UNTIL YOU REST or UVX REGENERATES THE LOSTSTATS

Through sheer force of will, you force yourself into a crawling position to be able to read the maps. Then it clicks almost immediately. Through pain, it all makes sense now. Your vision twists on itself as you see...something you didn't quite expect. It's hard to explain even to yourself.

Around you, the layout of the room is laid out in a bright yellow hue that's visible even through the haze. Everything inside of the room is clear as day to you. The room you're in is small, cramped, probably only enough to hold the three people inside comfortably.

There's a desk to the north of you, a chair a few feet away from that, two shelves with lit incense candles on them, and the padded section of floor you're on. It's all highlighted in this weird yellow hue that makes it impossible to NOT notice these nearby objects.

That and you notice that there's a hidden safe underneath the padded section of floor. Somehow, a whisper in your mind tells you the code to it and that there's a non-lethal sensor installed. You lift up the padded mat you're sitting on and with some quick hand movements, you pry the safe open and pull what's inside of it.
>>
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A slip of paper reading "EX".

You pocket it for now, noticing a beep coming from the desk. Interesting. The room can't be any bigger than 130 square feet so it's clear he can't be THAT hidden in here. Now, you can only see the layout of the room but there's only two hiding spots you can see. Behind the desk and behind one of the shelves.

You doubt he's at the desk so, picking randomly, you decide to go with the right shelf. Right is right.

You lunge forward with vicious intent. As you do so, you swear you saw the smoke in the room swirling around your arm as you did so, clearing your vision just enough to see the shocked look on Sebastian's face. For a moment, your vision shifts. You see...yourself, foam still dripping from your mouth and a crazed smile on your face. Lunging towards you. You can see the shocked look on your face as you process this vision, are you seeing through his eyes-

Before you have time to process it, your vision clears as you grab him by the collar and pull him over with your MECHANICAL ARMSLEEVE improved grip. The smoke clears the moment you do so.

"H-huh." <"My head feels funny. I swore I was...lunging at myself? How does that work?> he's clearly shaken by whatever you just did. The two of you just stare awkwardly at each other while Kiara stops mid-repair. She seems to be doing better, at least.
>KIARA FLESH: 2/3!

You take a moment to process what just happened. Huh. You look over at Kiara and with some effort, you focus...and for a moment, you see yourself and Sebastian standing nearby one of the nearby shelves. Your vision is tinted with a weird light cyan hue to it, like you're looking through a security camera instead of human eyes. Then your vision returns back to normal.

The awkward silence lingers as everyone in the room stares at everyone else. You pull out the slip of paper and hand it to Sebastian. He takes it.

ONE MAIN POWER AND ONE SIDEPOWER UNLOCKED!
>WHISPERS OF THE CITY (FREE/1): The City whispers to you and you shall listen to it. You will passively gain more loot when exploring abandoned buildings or when searching through your supply cache. You may spend 1 RESTRAINT to gain the layout of the room you're currently in and a rough layout of the adjacent rooms. Most safes, passages, or other hidden knickknacks in the room will be revealed to you and you'll get a +2d6 COGNIZANCE modifier to figuring out how to open them.
>SIGHTJACKING (MIND READ SIDEPOWER, 1 RESTRAINT): For 1 RESTRAINT, you may attempt a DC 18 (modified by target's mental resistance) WILLPOWER check to temporarily see through the eyes of another person within a small radius around you. In addition to seeing what they're going and doing, you'll get a solid glimpse at their inventory and what special abilities they have.
>TELEKINESIS, PUPPETEERING, and MIND READ have also been temporarily boosted by UNMARKED VIAL! Those abilities will be listed later.

"Well!" Sebastian claps. "You found me! And the EX paper! N-nice!"
>>
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<"She scares me she fucking scares me let's get her out of her ASAP!"> "L-let's get you through your next course! Where do you want to go next?" There's a palpable buzz of fear and, at the same time, morbid excitement in his voice. Like he's staring not at a human but something exotic, feral. An abnormality even. But you're not an anomaly. You're a human, just like everyone else, right?

[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Then why does no one have your powers? The only things with similar powers are anomalies and that one half corroded anomaly...or PARADIGM user?
[PERSON OF INTEREST] Would it change anything whether you were a human or not? They would still kill you for meddling with their plans.
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Should you even care? The City welcomes all. The City NEEDS people and without it, what is she but useless buildings and forgotten stories?
[UNSTABLE] THEY WOULD FEAR US. WE NEED TO BE FEARED. THAT'S HOW WE'RE PROTECTED, NICOLE.

Your legs give out beneath you again. Kiara immediately rushes to pick you up. "Woah, woah, uh." She wipes at the foam still dripping from your mouth. "Yeah! Humans are, uh, weird sometimes right? Haha!" She pats you on the back while forcing you back into a standing position.

"R-right. O-oh, yeah, about the EX papers. For every one you find hidden in the course, y-you get a nice reward at the end! I-Isn't that fun!" He tries to keep his up energetic façade but it's clear he's wary of you now.

What's your second and final course? As you try to think of what to pick, you swear you see a brief vision of your two other allies, the two Company Reps, and Alex stomping over to the building you're in. You imagine that they'll barge in once the second course is underway if you don't delay them
>"MIND INTO REALITY. HOW TO MANIFEST USEFUL MENTAL CONSTRUCTS TO HELP YOU IN THE REAL WORLD!"
>"FOCUS AT ANY COST. HOW TO KEEP A LEVEL HEAD EVEN WHEN REALITY ITSELF FAILS YOU."
>"UNSHACKLING FROM THE PHYSICAL WORLD. HOW TO FLY FREE AND TO HAVE NO BAGGAGE HOLDING YOU DOWN!"
>"MIND OVER BODY. HOW TO POWER THROUGH EVEN THE WORST PHYSICAL ALIMENTS AND PAIN! YOUR BODY IS YOURS TO CONTROL!"

Do you tell Kiara to delay them?
>YES. You rather not horrify them, thanks.
>NO. LET'S SHOW OFF OUR PSIONIC MIGHT TO THEM.

UPGRADED POWER DESCRIPTIONS. ONCE UNMARKED VIAL WEARS OFF, YOU CAN PICK ONE TO KEEP.
>TELEKINESIS: You can now pick up large items (Around the size of a car) with the same ease as other objects. You also roll 2+WILLPOWER+VIOELNCE when throwing objects at people.
>PUPPETEER: You can use your puppeteering to help allies in a snag. You may spend 1 RESTRAINT to give an ally +2d8 to any attack, VIOLENCE, or TALENT roll they make. Can only be used once per check.
>MIND READ: You may spend 1 RESTRAINT to analyze the stats and abilities of an enemy or ally. In addition, your MIND RADAR will be more accurate and detailed about what targets it detects when you use it.

Back to the grind.
>>
>>5944289
>"MIND OVER BODY. HOW TO POWER THROUGH EVEN THE WORST PHYSICAL ALIMENTS AND PAIN! YOUR BODY IS YOURS TO CONTROL!"
This could help us save people or ourselves if we're in deep shit
>NO. LET'S SHOW OFF OUR PSIONIC MIGHT TO THEM.
Duh!

And welcome back QM
>>
>>5944289
>"FOCUS AT ANY COST. HOW TO KEEP A LEVEL HEAD EVEN WHEN REALITY ITSELF FAILS YOU."
>NO. LET'S SHOW OFF OUR PSIONIC MIGHT TO THEM.

>MIND READ: You may spend 1 RESTRAINT to analyze the stats and abilities of an enemy or ally. In addition, your MIND RADAR will be more accurate and detailed about what targets it detects when you use it.
>>
>>5944289
Oh we pick a power to keep too? Sweet
>MIND READ: You may spend 1 RESTRAINT to analyze the stats and abilities of an enemy or ally. In addition, your MIND RADAR will be more accurate and detailed about what targets it detects when you use it.
Our trump card. Only Ashley knows we have it, and maybe Kiara knows about the radar bit but not the mind read
>>
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>>5944322
Eh, I was intending on saving that vote for later but fuck it, yeah. Vote for one of the listed upgrades to keep as well, anyone who votes. You'll have all three boosts applied until the UNMARKED VIAL wears off.
>>
>>5944289
>"FOCUS AT ANY COST. HOW TO KEEP A LEVEL HEAD EVEN WHEN REALITY ITSELF FAILS YOU."
>YES. You rather not horrify them, thanks.
>TELEKINESIS: You can now pick up large items (Around the size of a car) with the same ease as other objects. You also roll 2+WILLPOWER+VIOELNCE when throwing objects at people.
>>
>>5944289
>"FOCUS AT ANY COST. HOW TO KEEP A LEVEL HEAD EVEN WHEN REALITY ITSELF FAILS YOU."

>NO. LET'S SHOW OFF OUR PSIONIC MIGHT TO THEM.

>MIND READ: You may spend 1 RESTRAINT to analyze the stats and abilities of an enemy or ally. In addition, your MIND RADAR will be more accurate and detailed about what targets it detects when you use it.
>>
>>5944368
+1
>>
>>5944289
>"FOCUS AT ANY COST. HOW TO KEEP A LEVEL HEAD EVEN WHEN REALITY ITSELF FAILS YOU."
Useful vs schizovisions?
>YES. You rather not horrify them, thanks.
>TELEKINESIS: You can now pick up large items (Around the size of a car) with the same ease as other objects. You also roll 2+WILLPOWER+VIOELNCE when throwing objects at people.
>>
>>5944436
Change
>>5944289
>"FOCUS AT ANY COST. HOW TO KEEP A LEVEL HEAD EVEN WHEN REALITY ITSELF FAILS YOU."
>YES. You rather not horrify them, thanks.
>TELEKINESIS: You can now pick up large items (Around the size of a car) with the same ease as other objects. You also roll 2+WILLPOWER+VIOELNCE when throwing objects at people.
>>
>>5944289
>"FOCUS AT ANY COST. HOW TO KEEP A LEVEL HEAD EVEN WHEN REALITY ITSELF FAILS YOU."
>YES. You rather not horrify them, thanks.
>MIND READ: You may spend 1 RESTRAINT to analyze the stats and abilities of an enemy or ally. In addition, your MIND RADAR will be more accurate and detailed about what targets it detects when you use it.
>>
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Locking in.

COURSE TO DO:
MIND OVER BODY: IkB
FOCUS: EVERYONE ELSE

DELAY OR NAH?:
YES: QKD, 6Tc, GQc, Cp5, GWO
NO: IkB, ykw

WHAT TO UPGRADE
MIND READ: ykw, ikB, GWO
TELEKINESIS: QKD, GQc, Cp5, 6Tc

So, FOCUS AT ANY COST + DELAY + TELEKINESIS UPGRADE is what wins. Let's see how you handle this course. Writing.
>>
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"Kiara." You force your throat to spit out your android friend's name. "People coming. Don't want to see me like this." A part of you DOES want to show your might off to them but frankly, it looks like you have rabies at the moment. Best to wind down from everything before you talk to them.

Kiara quickly nods her head. After making sure you can stand on your own, she rushes outside of the MENTAL COURSE BUILDING. That should buy you enough time to deal with whatever new powers you get and-

Lord above. Your head is SCREAMING! A pressure is building around the top of your head that, with every passing second, is building up more and more pressure. Feels like at any second, something is going to burst out of your head.
>-1 RESTRAINT, -1 FLESH. UVX AND UNMARKED VIAL ARE INTERACTING IN A WEIRD WAY. SOMETHING WEIRD IS HAPPENING TO YOUR BODY.

It takes you a moment to realize that the pain in your leg is gone. Neat. One horrid pain for another. Fair trade you suppose.
>TORN LIGMENT REPAIRED! +1 FLESH!
>FLESH: 3/4. RESTRAINT: 4/8.

"O-okay!" Your hands barely respond to your attempts to move them but you manage to force a clap. "L-let's do the focus on, Mr. Sebastian!" You manage to say that without slurring it so you feel like you achieved something today. Well, you suppose you already did a LOT today, but that's besides the point.

He proceeds to the second door inside the small lobby area you two stumbled out of without saying a single word. Okay. Yeah. You don't blame him. You force yourself to limp after him as you struggle to regain control of your body. He holds the door open and ushers you into the room before closing it behind you.

In stark contrast to the other room, this room is brightly illuminated in the sickly white glow of fluorescent tube lights. The faint buzz coming from them almost brings you some measure of peace from your body trying to handle the A-Energy it had to consume. The only object in the room is a plastic chair that seems remarkably uncomfortable to sit in. At the back, there's a reinforced airlock with a keypad next to it. Sebastian is standing right next to it, waiting for you to sit down.

With no other option, you do. Once you do, Sebastian clears his throat before addressing you with a stern look on his face. "I'll cut the showman act now. We both know that I'm nowhere near your level. Hell, no one here is. This is probably the first time one of our courses has manifested that kind of potential in someone."

"Then why-" You try to speak up but he immediately shushes you with a sharp "SHH!".

"We've done a more successful run of these tests before but it involved a mixture of P-Company, Z-Company, and C-Company chemicals and products to induce. We wanted to see if you could bring out latent potential without those things." He clicks his tongue. "But now? Well, you're a willing test subject. We'll use the data you provide to adjust our course to provide more satisfying results."
>>
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It's like he's a completely different man now. No longer does he yells at the top of his lungs or ramble with an ecstatic, buzzing energy. If it wasn't for the purple robe he was wearing, you would think he was a scientist or researcher. "Are you willing to help us?"

You don't really have an option here. Well, you do, but you DO want to finish the courses and you rather not piss off a military base full of people while you're inside one. You nod. "Yeah. Not like I got a choice."

"Excellent." Sebastian returns an oddly bright smile despite his obvious wariness to you. <"Good. No need for reinforcements."> He taps some sort of code into the keypad. Once the airlock opens, he immediately rushes it and just as quickly as he entered, it shuts close. You're now left alone in a brightly lit, empty room with nothing to do but to try to not pass out from the pain you're feeling.

Huh.

Only now do you realize there's an intercom speaker in one of the corners of the room. "The goal of this course is to find a way to keep your focus, regardless of what happens to you." Sebastian's voice drones out of the speaker. "To aid in this, a hallucinogen will be pumped into this room. I wouldn't bother holding your breath, it soaks into your skin."

[PERSON OF INTEREST] You immediately knock the chair over and move to put on a gas mas-

Before you can even move, your vision fails.

...

...

https://youtu.be/ABCwX_ERUmw - THE PATH

Nicole is on a path in the woods. And at the end of that path is a cabin. And in the basement of that cabin, someone is waiting for her. She is here to talk to this person. Her goal is to find out every dirty secret they have. Then she slays them. If she doesn't, she'll die. Simple, right?

"W-wait." Nicole hisses to herself. "Where am I?" She flexes her hands. She doesn't quite know what's going on. For some unexplainable reason, she feels like she's detached from herself. Of course, no one responds to her, since she is alone out here. Not even the thoughts in her head are responding to her.

Of course, it's very obvious where she is. She's in the woods. Where else would she be? She can't quite remember anything BEFORE the woods. All she knows it that her head is oddly quiet.

Now, what does Nicole do?

>Follow the path.
>Disregard the goal and turn around, walking away from the cabin. "I'm not doing this."
>She tries to remember how she got here. (COGNIZANCE DC: 11, rolling 4d6. Pass and she'll get some of her memories back.)
>"Hello? Voices? Where are you?" She tries to bring a voice back. Foolish, really. (WILLPOWER DC: 21, rolling 6d6. Succeed and one of them will return, willing to offer her advice in this weird situation.)
>Sit and wait. There's no real reason to go anywhere, right? Something about that goal she was given sounds fishy.
>She tries to use a power. That's the only thing she has access to right now... (Write in how she wants to use her powers.)
>Write in.
>>
>>5945065
>She tries to remember how she got here. (COGNIZANCE DC: 11, rolling 4d6. Pass and she'll get some of her memories back.)
QM should actually play StS more and finish it properly at least once before reading the certain hit crossover fanfic, then being unable to hold himself back from giving it a spin in his own quest writing.
>>
>>5945065
>"Hello? Voices? Where are you?" She tries to bring a voice back. Foolish, really. (WILLPOWER DC: 21, rolling 6d6. Succeed and one of them will return, willing to offer her advice in this weird situation.)
>>
>>5945065
>Nicole is on a path in the woods. And at the end of that path is a cabin. And in the basement of that cabin, someone is waiting for her. She is here to talk to this person. Her goal is to find out every dirty secret they have. Then she slays them. If she doesn't, she'll die. Simple, right?
>"W-wait." Nicole hisses to herself. "Where am I?" She flexes her hands. She doesn't quite know what's going on. For some unexplainable reason, she feels like she's detached from herself. Of course, no one responds to her, since she is alone out here. Not even the thoughts in her head are responding to her.
>Of course, it's very obvious where she is. She's in the woods. Where else would she be? She can't quite remember anything BEFORE the woods. All she knows it that her head is oddly quiet.
>Now, what does Nicole do?

Is that a Slay the Princess reference?

>"Hello? Voices? Where are you?" She tries to bring a voice back. Foolish, really. (WILLPOWER DC: 21, rolling 6d6. Succeed and one of them will return, willing to offer her advice in this weird situation.)

Yeah 100% this is a Slay the Princess reference.
>>
>>5945192
It's because of this masterpiece in progress
https://archiveofourown.org/works/51760693
>>
>>5945065
>"Hello? Voices? Where are you?" She tries to bring a voice back. Foolish, really. (WILLPOWER DC: 21, rolling 6d6. Succeed and one of them will return, willing to offer her advice in this weird situation.)
>>
>>5945065
>>She tries to remember how she got here. (COGNIZANCE DC: 11, rolling 4d6. Pass and she'll get some of her memories back.)
>>
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Aight. Two anons, roll 3d6. If the total of both equals 21, you win. You may reroll two dice rolled (but only once).
Let's see how you do.
>>5945301
I'll be honest, the fanfic was the last thing on my mind when writing the last update. It's a good read but that's besides the point.
>>
Rolled 2, 5, 4 = 11 (3d6)

>>5945647
Good writers recognize good writing. Real recognizes real. What can I say?
>>
Rolled 6, 3, 2 = 11 (3d6)

>>
Rolled 3 (1d3)

>>5945655
>>5945677
22. Barely passes. Rolling to see what voice you'll get, then writing. (Don't worry about it being a 1d3.)
>>
Dice+3d6
>>
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"Hello?" Nicole yells out. She feels like she shouldn't be THIS alone out here. In the woods. Yet that's a silly thing to worry about when there is a MONSTER to SLAY, isn't there? "Voices? I k-know I had them! Where are you?" She continues to yell out. The only noise she hears is the caw of nearby crows and the rustling of small animals through the wildlife-

>22

[PERSON OF INTEREST] Nicole. This isn't real. You're not in the woods. This is some Silver Agent style tomfuckery. Listen to me.

The fuck is a Silver Agent? You can't remember much of anything but you feel like that's important- Wait. You?

Huh? You look around. You're still in the Woods but now, you actually feel like you're...here? Before now, it was like some weird narrator was describing your actions. Best not to dwell on that.

[PERSON OF INTEREST] Yeah. I don't like this either. But we're stuck here. Turn around.
[POI] Actually, first, let's condense that name a bit. I'm going to be talking a lot. We'll return back to full length later.

You do so. You notice how there's nothing there. Not in the sense of nothing of interest, it's nothing as in 'there's literally a void about fifteen feet away from where you're standing'. You rather not fuck with a void so you step as far away from it as possible.

"Well shit. What am I supposed to do, then?" You mutter to yourself. No need to hold pretenses when you're by yourself. "C'mon. Talk to me here." You feel silly doing this. You're talking to yourself. In the middle of the Woods.

[POI] We have to go to the cabin it seems. You're not supposed to be here and this place isn't real but we're on a script. I don't like it anymore than you do.

You pinch yourself. It feels real enough to you so you have no idea what the voice is on about but, well, something about what it is saying sounds true. "Then how did I get here?"

[POI] That's the thing. I don't know. Last I remembered, we blacked out and awoke here. Then some annoying narrator started talking. Then you heard me. Now we're here.

"How helpful." You hiss under your breath. With no other option, you head down the path. The cold air at your heels. You notice that you're wearing a bright orange bomber jacket. Weird, you feel like that's familiar for some reason. No time to think about it. You feel like you shouldn't be loitering here.

https://youtu.be/19Ftb8p1l5U - THEIR CABIN

You are now in front of the Cabin. At least you assume it's supposed to be the Cabin. A massive blocky structure made out of twisted metal and wood stands before you. Spiky protrusions leaking a foul, darkly colored slime the walls of it. The top of the cabin seemingly stretches on forever into the sky in a twisting spiral of metal and wood. Every few seconds, the walls of the cabin sink in before pushing back out, as if the cabin was alive and breathing.

No windows show you what's inside of it. The only thing remotely normal about the cabin is the wooden front door.
>>
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It's only now that you realize that everything nearby is soaked in a monochrome hue of greys, blacks, and whites. The only colors that break that is your jacket so far.

[POI] I know who has to be in there. I recognize his presence anywhere. Don't you?

"N-No? Who?"

[POI] Well, he, her. I suppose it depends how you perceive him. We have to talk to them regardless. Carry on.

You take a deep breath. With hesitant steps, you head to the front door of the cabin and throw it open. The inside of the cabin isn't much better than the outside. A thick layer of that same slime coats the walls and floors, preventing you from really making out any details of the room you're in. The only unslimed objects are a table, the door to the basement, and a mirror.

On the table is a pristine...shotgun? It looks more like what a child would draw if you told them to draw a shotgun. Barely looks like it's even real. You grab it anyways. Best not to go down there unarmed.
>PRISTINE SHOTGUN ACQUIRED. Only has one slug in it. Make it count.

Looking at the mirror...you see yourself. Short and messy hair, a wiry frame that's showing some signs of getting thicker with muscle, jeans, leather boots, the bomber jacket, and a pair of pink eyes staring back at a the young woman in the mirror.

[POI] You should have some shades to hide those. Must've not been brought over. Tsk. You have to hide those eyes, Nicole. I don't care how.

"How else am I going to see, jackass?" You hiss.

[POI] Point is, you're still normal looking. You're still yourself. That's good. Keep that image of yourself in the back of your head. Don't forget it.
[POI] You'll need every advantage you can to make it out of here.

Before you have time to respond, the SMELL of the slime around you hits you. It smells like curled milk, moldy fruits and mint in here. Not a good combination of smells. It's starting to seep into your boots and god this is repulsive. You immediately kick open the basement door and head down.

The staircase is slick with even more slime. Every step is like trying to wade through a quagmire. A few clean paths on the stairs tells you that the staircase is supposed to be made out of some kind of strong, reinforced metal.

[POI] If you want some advice, listen to me. Be very careful how you use that shotgun. Once you use it, it's nothing more than a worthless hunk of plastic.
[POI] Make sure you're certain on what target you use it on.

"NICOLE. WELCOME HOME." A booming voice echoes from the bottom. "I WAS BORED OF WAITING HERE."

That voice sounds familiar. You immediately rush down the stairs to see who it is, well, as fast as you can rush down it without breaking your legs. Once you arrive at the bottom, you see that you're in a very small basement made out of the same reinforced metal as the stairs. A thin layer of slime has coated every possible inch of the room.

At the back, a figure is chained to the wall by a thick iron collar around their neck.
>>
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https://youtu.be/TSjmLfdw_qo - THEM

It's you.

Well, not exactly you but it looks close enough to fool anyone at first glance. Young woman, same outfit, same wiry frame. But there's a few things about her that look WRONG.

Her mouth is filled with a set of razor sharp teeth. Her eyes keep darting around, sparkles of bright blues, greens, and pink light flickering in the corner of her eyes. Her clothing is covered in scratches and holes, barely covering up her body. Two weird growths, almost like horns, are spouting from the top of her head.

It's more like staring at an animal in a human body than anything. It's like staring at...Someone UNSTABLE.

"LOOK. NICOLE." UNSTABLE stares back at you with a wicked smirk. "THEY WANT YOU TO KILL ME. ISN'T THAT FUNNY? THEY HAD TO CHAIN ME HERE."

"W-what?" You can't quite process what's going on here. Why is there another version of you chained to the wall? Why does she look like that? Why are you HERE?

"SOMETHING ABOUT ME BEING A THREAT. BUT I'M NOT A THREAT, NICOLE. YOU NEED ME AFTER ALL." UNSTABLE struggles with the chain around her neck. She wants out. Badly. "SO BE A PAL AND BLOW THIS COLLAR OFF. HOW ABOUT THAT?"

[POI] I'm conflicted. On one hand, she is you. And we don't deserve to be trapped. On the other, fucking look at her.
[POI] She's been a threat to everything we've done since you existed. She's the reason they're after us.

"C'MON. I DOUBT WE CAN STAY HERE FOREVER." That smile it gives you is boiling your blood. It shouldn't have your face. "I'VE BEEN WITH YOU SINCE THE START. DON'T YOU OWN ME THIS MUCH? Don't you?" Her voice trails off at the end.

You take a deep breath. Fuck, what do you even do in this situation? You feel like whatever you do to her is important. But only to you, no one else.

>It is you. And you don't deserve to be trapped. Blow the collar off. Free her.
>It is you. But a fake you. A horrible you. Aim your shotgun at her and blow her head off.
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Throw your shotgun away. You're going to TALK to her before you THINK about doing anything else. (You may write in any number of questions or statements to say/ask of her.)
>Keep your shotgun close to you but step closer to her. You're not doing anything until you can see you can trust her.
>Throw the shotgun away. Walk to her. Hug her. You don't know but you feel like she deserves it.
>...There may be another option. Raise the shotgun to your own chin. Pull it. See what happens.
>Write in.

>>5945682
To roll dice, you put it into options in the posting box thing. Just to clarify for later.
>>
>>5945717
>Throw the shotgun away. Walk to her. Hug her. You don't know but you feel like she deserves it.
>”You and me have been their for each other this whole time. I am not about to change that”

I’m in the mood to embrace Schizo. Also thanks, next time I’ll do that right.
>>
>>5945717
>Throw the shotgun away. Walk to her. Hug her. You don't know but you feel like she deserves it.
She likely exists because we've had a shit life.
>>
>>5945717
>She's been a threat to everything we've done since you existed. She's the reason they're after us.
Hold the phone. What did she mean by this?
>She is here to talk to this person. Her goal is to find out every dirty secret they have.
But it's herself?
>[UNSTABLE PSYCHE]
>Your mind has cracks in it and it shows. As your Restraint gets lower, your perception of the world starts decaying, the more unstable your abilities will become, and you might just totally lose control over yourself. Try to keep your head on straight.

>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Throw your shotgun away. You're going to TALK to her before you THINK about doing anything else. (You may write in any number of questions or statements to say/ask of her.)
"Was I born like this, or did some gene get switched on somewhere along the way? Or did I become like this from something else one day?"
"The weird anomalous powers I have and whatever you represent in me, they're not the same are they?"
Then backing >>5945731

I wonder how this all began? There has to be some reason since the medication works at all with UNSTABLE. If it were Nicole herself as she is, self-deluded or otherwise, then the medication would accomplish nothing because she's already completely there. What's the goal then? What do we want to do here? UNSTABLE did help out at times, but can also self-sabotage like anybody can do to themselves. If she's a non-foreign part of Nicole that simply behaves like a Disco Elysium voice character, then it stands to reason she can simply reabsorb or balance UNSTABLE out. Becomes less unstable and more stable crazy as needed or wanted. Masks are still part of people. Maybe this is happening because Nicole's still wearing New You, which is a PARADIGM. That combined with the consumed A-Energy vial and lots of power use in a short time, and the hallucinogen gas on top of it all?
>>
>>5945766
Maybe that's why? Maybe UNSTABLE exists because Nicole can't be like that all the time. Because the City sucks, and existing in it also sucks, but people are people and life finds a way.
>>
>>5945767
The only reason I want to go for the hug immediately is because I think that will increase its effects. While pausing and asking questions is more logical, I think that going for acceptance of UNSTABLE right away will have a stronger outcome there. I also think Nicole’s strongest moments are emotive (and schizo).
>>
>>5945717
>>It is you. But a fake you. A horrible you. Aim your shotgun at her and blow her head off.
>>
>>5945863
>Nicole’s strongest moments are emotive (and schizo).
Nicole has NOT had a woman moment yet either
>>
>>5945717
Changing my vote from >>5945767 to backing >>5945731
But I still wanna ask questions after if possible
>>
>>5945731
+1
>>
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There's silence between the two of you. Neither of are sure what the other is going to do.

The clattering of the cheap, fake shotgun hitting the floor breaks that silence. UNSTABLE tries her best to hide her confused expression. The only sound heard throughout the room is the two of you breathing as you slowly begin to approach her. With every step, you can feel your legs getting heavier and heavier, as if they don't want to get anywhere near this thing.

[POI] What are you doing?

You feel a hand clasp your shoulder. You can see another you in the corner of your eye. Well, the outline of one. More like a blurry shadow than anything. As if it's scared to be seen by anyone. You shove her hand off. You set your mind to this and you'll complete it. At any cost. You don't want anyone to ever stop you. Never again.

[POI] This is a bad idea. Please.

UNSTABLE is hesitating, uncertain if she should even do anything. "UH." She's not sure what you're trying to do here. Another step. You're now only a few inches away from her. Before she even has time to react, you wrap your arms around her and pull her into your embrace.

Something rips through your gut the moment you do so. You look down to see a thick, barbed growth growing out of your stomach. Reminds you of a deer antler. You look up at UNSTABLE to see that she's scared. "H-HANDS OFF! D-DON'T DO TH-"

Your hearing blanks for a moment from the throbbing headache in your head. Two growths erupt out of your head, letting fresh blood dribble down your face. You can't really see anything around you but UNSTABLE anymore. "No. You deserve this. This...hug." You clench your teeth, hissing out every syllable. More and more growths erupt across your body as you hold onto her. Your arms, shoulders, legs, stomach, head, ears, heart, lungs, liver, nerves-

"DON'T YOU DARE TO TRY COMFORT ME! IT'S...It's better that way." Despite all of this pain, you cling onto her like she's the only thing that matters.

"Look. You and me? We've been with each other this whole time." You try your best to put on a confident smile. "I'm not about to change that." Another antler erupts out of your body. Yet you cling on. You know this is the right thing to do.

[POI] LET. GO. NICOLE, SHE ONLY APPEARED WHEN WE HAD POWERS. THEY FOCUSED ON US BECAUSE WE HAD THEM.
[POI] THEY'RE HUNTING DOWN EVEYRONE WE EVER INTERACTED WITH. EVERYONE WE HAVE EVER CARED ABOUT. ALL BECAUSE OF US.
[POI] BECAUSE OF HER, EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO EVEN REMOTELY LIKES US IS BEING WATCHED BY SOME FUCKING SPOOK.
[POI] ARE YOU GOING TO LET YOUR EMOTIONS SHADOW THE REAL DANGER YOU PUT YOURSELF AND EVERYONE ELSE BECAUSE OF HER?

"..." You can't see what expression UNSTABLE is making through the blood constantly flowing over your eyes. All you see is red.

You flinch when you feel the hug being returned. It feels warm. Too warm. Yet at the same time, you wouldn't have it any other way.
>>
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"Okay." Her voice still has a trace of that loud, erratic energy to it but most of it has been replaced with something else. When you feel a drop of something warm hit your shoulder, you know it isn't blood this time. It's a tear. "I'll accept your damn hug."

"Thank you."

Your body gives up underneath you. UNSTABLE comes down with you, softening your fall. The two of you are now sprawled on the slime coated floor. Something else bursts out of you. You don't have much time, you think. Yet you're not letting go. You're not.

"...I guess it's better this way. You can't get rid of me. I guess you should know that, at least."

"So what?" You mutter. You can't feel anything anymore. Just the warmth of her hugging you back and the coldness of the air around you. "I said what I said."

"I guess." You feel her shift on the floor, pulling you closer. As if trying to protect you. "We don't have much time. I guess you can ask me something. If you're deadset on this."

"Was I born like this?" You mumble. "This psionic freak? Messed up girl with four voices?"

"Sadly. It was manageable when you were younger. More innocent. But I had to be hidden. Maintained. Chained up. Medicated. I don't think..." UNSTABLE clicks her tongue. "I've ever been hugged before, even. This is new. Weird." UNSTABLE chuckles to herself. "Regardless."

"I'm the thoughts that everyone has in their darkest moments. You just had the poor luck of not being born to a rich Nest. So you couldn't let me free or to find a healthy way to manage my existence. I'm just, well, this. And I doubt I can ever be anything else."

"Will you remember this? If this world vanishes?"

"Maybe. Maybe not."

"I guess it doesn't matter." You rest your head on her chest. Your body's turning cold. "You're me. I'm you. Nothing is going to change that." Your consciousness begins to blur. "I'm fine with you not changing. Again, we've been together forever, haven't we? Even if I'm all alone, I still have you and the other three, right."

"No matter what you do, I'll be here. Even when you're alone in the dark. You can look to me for guidance."

"Good." Another growth bursts out of you. It's hard to move your mouth anymore. Yet you can still talk just fine. "I'm glad I could talk to you."

"...ME TOO. SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE." She squeezes you with her arms. You hug her as tightly as you can.

[POI] So be it.

"Yeah. See y-" Everything goes dark.

...
...
...

https://youtu.be/n5xQlrouNBU - AWAKE

The first thing you notice upon waking up is two things. One, seven silhouettes are standing around you. Two, FUCK YOUR HEAD HURTS FATHER ABOVE, HOLY SPIRIT, HOLY MOTHER. WHAT THE FUCK. Reaching up to touch your head, you feel something hard? Please don't be bone, please don't-

"Yeah." A tinny, feminine voice speaks up. "You should look at this." A mirror is held up to you.
>>
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Why are there antlers growing out of your head? You poke at them. Yep. Those aren't your mind playing tricks, those are real. They're small nub-like growths around six inches in length. You pull on one of them- OUCH OKAY THAT HURTS. You pull your hand away.

You slowly stand back up to see who's surrounding you. Your three allies, Alex, Sebastian, and the corporation reps (Quincy and Emily) are all staring at you with a shared look of confusion, concern, and fear. Mostly confusion, if you had to be honest.

[PERSON OF INTEREST] Great. Now we're even more identifiable. Glowing eyes is one thing, now deer antlers?
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] To be specific, caribou. The species most adapted to cold environments. Those are the only ones where the females typically get antlers.
[UNSTABLE?] Hey. It looks cool! Fuck off!

"Do I even dare ask what the FUCK happened here?" Alex is staring down at Sebastian like he just walked into him fucking his wife. Sebastian is muttering to himself about 'this wasn't the plan' and 'oh god oh fuck'.

"I. I don't think it was what he did." You try your best to calm the situation down. "It's fine. Trust me. Don't punish him on my behalf." God, your head hurts.

>+1 FLESH. FLESH: 4/4. RESTRAINT: 4/8!
>UVX HAS WORN OFF! NEGATED THE DAMAGE YOU WOULD'VE TAKEN FROM FUCKING ANTLERS SPOUTING OUT OF YOUR HEAD.
>NEW MUTATION: ANTLERS! (+???. You have a feeling it involves your powers somehow?)
>COURSE COMPLETE! +1 MAX RESTRAINT AND WILLPOWER!

>[UNSTABLE PSYCHE] has been replaced with [UNSTABLE RESOLVE], a neutral trait!

[UNSTABLE RESOLVE]
Your mind has cracks in it and it shows. Yet, you won't let that hold you back.
The lower your RESTRAINT is, the more your perception of the world starts to decay and the more unhinged your abilities become. Yet, as your RESTRAINT lowers, UNSTABLE will occasionally temporarily unlock unique skills and abilities to help you out if the situation calls for it.
It will be a balancing act between high RESTRAINT and better self control vs low RESTRAINT but far more powerful abilities.

"Riiight." Alex shakes his head. "If you say so."

"SO. LET'S IGNORE THE DEER IN THE ROOM AND, UH. FUCK." Quincy is clearly trying to recover from something. "HOW EXACTLY SHOULD WE START THIS? WHY WERE WE SEARCHING FOR HER?"

"To ask for her opinion on what proposal we should finalize with? She did complete the courses here, right? Surely her input would be valuable?" Emily chirps out.

[UNSTABLE] LOOK. I THINK IT'S BEST WE GET OUT AND RECOVER. WE'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT, NICOLE.
[PERSON OF INTEREST] Ditto. Let's make this quick.

"Alright, well, hit me with it." You prop up the chair you must've knocked over when the gas hit. You take a seat.

"I leave for one hour and this shit happens." Alexis throws her hands up in the air. "Fuck it! Yeah, okay, this is fine! Let's just get this over with."
Naomi clicks her tongue in mild disappointment. "Calm down. Let's not cause any more trouble than necessary."
>>
"I SAY THAT YOU SHOULD INTRODUCE MORE DRONES. THE UPKEEP TO KEEP THEM AROUND IS FAR EASIER THAN ANDROIDS AND, TO BE QUITE HONEST, WE CAN SHIP OVER MORE DRONES THAN HUMANS OR ANDROIDS COMBINED. OUR SHELLS ARE VERY MASS PRODUCABLE."

"While that is objectively true, your 'shells' are also made out of barely held together meat and printer paper." Emily says with the same upbeat cadence she normally has but with an underline of hatred to it. "We saw the footage of you going through the training course. We saw how many times your android saved you-"

"Wait, hold on, HER android?" Kiara stomps her foot. "I am not her goddamn property! She's my friend, not my fucking ow-" Naomi promptly covers Kiara's mouth.

"Again, older model. Please don't be angry at her." Alexis shakes her head at Kiara before turning her focus to Emily. "Continue."

"Right. So, simply put, OUR kind is more suited to protecting human life. While you can throw a million Drones at something, they'll be squashed like the bugs they are."

"YET YOUR KIND CAN'T BE HEALED BY MEDICINE. YOU MUST BE REPAIRED. THAT REQUIRES MORE RESOURCES. MORE EXPERIENCED STAFF TO REPAIR YOU. THOSE ADD UP."

"If I may have a say?" Alex says with the cadence of a question. No one bothers to interrupt him when he starts talking. "I say we just listen to how the HUMAN felt about our courses and we can improve it for our HUMAN staff."

Which one do you want to side with? You'd imagine this is the last choice you make on this mission.
>"'ve seen what Drones can do in a combat scenario, I'd say they're far more useful in case of a war." Side with Quincy. (+Q-COMPANY FAVOR, allowing you access to biological upgrades, integrated tools to improve your body, and surplus goods. X and Q-Company will become allies, unlocking useful biological combat upgrades down the line. E-Company will be annoyed by this.)
>"Frankly, without Kiara, I would've been toast. And while it costs more to repair them, they don't need to eat or sleep or breath. More efficient." Side with Emily. (+E-COMPANY FAVOR, allowing you access to a variety of useful tech gadgets and upgrades for any Android allies. X and E-Company will become allies, unlocking useful military tech down the line. Q-Company will be annoyed by this.)
>"Alex is right. I went through the courses, let's just improve them, we'll keep you two on the backburner for a later time." Side with Alex. (+X-CORP FAVOR, granting you even more access to powerful weapons, armor, and military-grade supplies. X-Company will be VERY interested in keeping you around and will offer you exclusive corporate items. E and Q-Company will feel neutral about this.)
>"Actually, let's try to work together." Try to get the three company reps to compromise. (CONNECTIONS DC: 40, rolling 11d6 with the help of your allies. Succeed and you might just be able to get favor from everyone involved and make a power trio with the companies. DC can be lowered with the right WRITE INs.)
>Write in.
>>
I think pulling compromise is the best play. That training course is the key to all this
>>
>>5946503
>"Actually, let's try to work together." Try to get the three company reps to compromise. (CONNECTIONS DC: 40, rolling 11d6 with the help of your allies. Succeed and you might just be able to get favor from everyone involved and make a power trio with the companies. DC can be lowered with the right WRITE INs.)
>The drones are most useful in the office space, this will help X company employees as well as they don’t have to be forced into office work when they have gotten too old to serve. Moreover, the office needs more people and a revamp and Q Company would provide both.
> E company would do very well with giving older models to serve as medics and support staff. X company should rely on the high level support offered by Emily.
>For X company, the combat trial should be toned down, and the mental trials seem appropriate though more resources could be given to have greater results. With better support offered by Q and E companies, X company could continue to bring a powerful force of humans with a more regulated training course.

I think the horns can be interesting, and I’m glad we did these courses. Damn it’s nice to get Nicole some upgrades. Glad we also got a positive to low restraint finally. If anyone has any problems with the write in feel free to say so. With the drones I think I have them pegged, but I’m not so sure about E company. Taking off the stringent “no harm” models is probably a good deal for them though.
>>
>>5946492
Six inches is not small nor nub-like, it's whole-ass horns.

>>5946503
>"Actually, let's try to work together."
Drones and androids aren't actually a case of quantity vs quality, they are good at different things. Sometimes the threat is so big that no amount of toughness will help and the situation calls for overwhelming numbers. Sometimes numbers simply can't be applied, and a little damage resistance goes a long way. Adaptability is the name of the game.
Moreover, some specialities lend itself to being filled by a drone or an android. Alex will know more than us, but surely he found himself wanting a tougher or a more expendable soldier for this or that position.
Finally, we think X-Corp is gearing up to fight something anomalous. Anomalies are unpredictable, and the wider range of potential measures you have to throw at them, the more likely you are to find something that's effective. Adaptability again.
>>
>>5946528
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] The fully grown antlers of a female caribou are 20 inches in length. So, they are quite small compared to what their full size is.
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] That and, well, let's be honest. You rather convince yourself they're small and nub-like. Especially after the acid trip you've been on.
[PERSON OF INTEREST] ...Fuck. We're going to have to cut holes into all of our jackets and hoodies. This is going to suck.
[UNSTABLE] I WANT BIGGER HORNS. THEY LOOK COOLER.

Anywho, going to update the pastebin real quick with your new stuff.
>>
>>5946533
Based, big horns>smaller horns.

Also I’m curious if being deer related is actually a hint to our true nature. It keep coming up, whether on drugs or not. POI becoming the “common sense” voice is deeply funny too.
>>
>>5946503
>>"Actually, let's try to work together." Try to get the three company reps to compromise. (CONNECTIONS DC: 40, rolling 11d6 with the help of your allies. Succeed and you might just be able to get favor from everyone involved and make a power trio with the companies. DC can be lowered with the right WRITE INs.)

>>5946533
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] ...Fuck. We're going to have to cut holes into all of our jackets and hoodies. This is going to suck.
>>
>>5946524
+1
Kiara can back us up in the combat trial portion with her own input. Looking back:
>sounds of something whirring in the air
Sawblades in a literal meat grinder. Way too over the line. Let's not forget X Corp loses enough money for medical supplies and prosthetics as it is. Look at those poor bastards in medbay and tell me that's OK. Look at the old bastards in admin office and tell me that's OK.
>Absolute death trap of at least thirty dots each.
>FIVE DOTS TO THE LEFT
>SEVEN DOTS NORTH
Several DOZENS of killer robots guarding the paths in the dark maze portion. To much for singular soldiers or small squads of less than 10 to handle in an hour tops. Maybe if they had 2 hours or so, they could stealth through better. Either way, this part needs much MUCH less "enemy" androids for the benefit of training soldiers better.
>Trying to get recruits used to working in low light conditions, maybe?
>"Maybe it's trying to teach you to keep your guard up?"
Now I like this bit in particular. A low light environment in the combat trial is a solid section with how dark parts of the City can get. It's great for training X Corp operators. I say keep this
>"DO YOU TRUST YOUR COMRADES?"
The mind fuckery and vibe checks I also love, as they train soldiers to know their fellows and fosters teamwork. It also instills caution against anomalies and weird trickery in the City. On the other hand, the fake ally baits only matter to people with others with them here, and not to solo guys going through the gauntlet
>35:00 REMAINING
Going the dark maze took a total of 25 minutes, and that's with a flawless run through for Nicole and Kiara, and with solid knowledge of the maze beforehand due to SEEING THE FUCKING PLANS BEFORE. That's unrealistic as hell for any regular non-special soldier, human or android or drone. You're not gonna have much battlefield intel going into a new zone, are you?
>NO MAN'S LAND
Brutal, but also the only real fast way out for anybody that makes it to the flag. I say there should be more varied cover outside of fake wooden structures and cardboard buildings, to help simulate different environments. Brick, concrete, metal, pipes, maybe some offbeat materials?
>caches
Always good to have for soldier resourcefulness. Maybe adding a few to the dark areas and the meatgrinder paths is also good, if there weren't any already.
And of course
>a very small one room building where recruits would gear up but, to your dismay, seems like no one has felt it prudent to resupply the lockers with fresh equipment for the course
Somebody should ALWAYS try to keep this stocked. Maybe soldiers that keep their starting gear set through the combat trial can return them for further use by other soldiers, and get paid in extra mags for it? A reward for both not wasting gear and supplies needessly, and for succeeding with minimal expenditure.
>>
>>5946524
>>5946547
Adding a random mid of lethal and nonlethal weapons and items is also a good idea. Nicole and Kiara took pains to go nonlethal through No Man's Land specifically because we saw the absolute state of Medbay earlier, and decided not to hurt X Corp by putting more of their guys there. You're not always going to have lethals available in some environments in the City and the Wastes, so forcing soldiers to try minimizing casualties with their resources is also a good change for the combat trial
>>
>>5946547
Yeah I think your add on with mine works best. Good details on the training especially. Q company is good for throwing bodies too.

E company could also provide some androids for training as they’ll be more easily recoverable. I really feel like there’s more we could pull with E company in particular.
>>
>>5946554
Maybe part of the combat trial could be an anti-android section or there could be anti-android measures here and there? Maybe pheromone stuff for drone soldiers too.
>>
>>5946554
I keep forgetting we're here to get GIRLS to want to join X Corp too, right? Add some porno mags for girls as a combat trial reward kek
>>
Man if we only had plastic surgery on the offer for the girls.

Generally, I think the reward could also have something to do with connections or a better offer at the end of their lifespan as a soldier. Q company leaves that space open, so maybe a space for them to take that experience on their resume and work for E company? Maybe promise of leave when you win? Idk.
>>
>>5946538
https://youtu.be/ObOKkQhSemE
https://youtu.be/x2Q3Ytk-7OY
https://youtu.be/A975NU5RW_g
>>
>>5946503
>"Alex is right. I went through the courses, let's just improve them, we'll keep you two on the backburner for a later time." Side with Alex. (+X-CORP FAVOR, granting you even more access to powerful weapons, armor, and military-grade supplies. X-Company will be VERY interested in keeping you around and will offer you exclusive corporate items. E and Q-Company will feel neutral about this.)
I like X
>>
>>5946503
>"Actually, let's try to work together." Try to get the three company reps to compromise. (CONNECTIONS DC: 40, rolling 11d6 with the help of your allies. Succeed and you might just be able to get favor from everyone involved and make a power trio with the companies. DC can be lowered with the right WRITE INs.)
>>5946524
>>5946528
>>5946547
>>5946551
>>5946554
>>5946567
>>5946570
>>5946575
Support
>>
With all of the write ins, I'd say you lower the DC to 35 and you get to reroll any four dice you roll. I need three anons to roll the following
>4d6
>4d6
>3d6
>>
Rolled 3, 4, 1, 6 = 14 (4d6)

>>5947169
>>
Well, hopefully this time I did it right. Also I gotta good feeling!
>>
>>5947176
I assume you messed up and wrote Dice instead of dice. It has to be lowercase. dice+4d6 or dice+3d6
>>
Rolled 5, 3, 4, 4 = 16 (4d6)

>>5947178
Yeah that’s the problem. Thanks for the help. Man these dice better be good for how much trouble I’ve had getting them.
>>
>>5947171
>>5947179
30/35, still have 4 rerolls. We got this
>>
Finally got to my computer. glad we got decent rolls. Just one more, and even if those rolls suck we can get away with it.
>>
Rolled 5, 6, 4 = 15 (3d6)

>>5947169
>>
>>5947181
We didn't even have to use our rerolls. That's the power of good mission work done and dice gods not fucking with us
>>
>>5947182
Damn nice! We smashed that DC. Even without lowering it we had it.
>>
>>5947171
>>5947179
>>5947182
Zamn. A 45, you would've beaten the DC anyways. Tell you what, roll another 4d6. This won't affect your success or rewards on the skill check since you passed that just fine.
Consider this a "you did the work to make some compelling write ins, you deserve a small reward for that" roll. Locking in and writing regardless of what you roll.
>>
Rolled 4, 4, 3, 3 = 14 (4d6)

>>5947185
Here ya go.
>>
>>5947169
Wait, if we have rerolls left after a successful check, can we still use them to greed all in and try to get a higher result? Asking for future reference of course.
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>>5947210
Could just not use them and instead cash them in for a second X Corp favor?
>>
>>5947210
>>5947216
Still writing but that's what the extra 4d6 roll was for. It's for a bonus reward for managing to pass without using them. You'll see what you got when the update is out.
But I suppose to set a rule, if you are given rerolls via a write in or a creative use of an ability/item and you pass without needing them, you'll get a bonus proportional to the amount of rerolls you save.

Exact rewards will depend but an extra 2d6 might offer a small boon, 4d6 might offer a moderate boon, 6d6 is a major boon, etc (i.e some extra ammo or a small FLESH/RESTRAINT heal for a small boon, a corporate favor or unique item for moderate, a tweak to an anomalous ability or a new skill unlocked for major.)
Anyways, back to my writing cage.
>>
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"Why not try a compromise?"

It's so quiet now you could hear a pin drop. The two corporate reps and Alex are staring down at you like you insulted their mother. Alexis makes a throat cutting gesture. <"FUCK FUCK WHY DID SHE SAY THAT WE'RE FUCKED YOU DON'T SAY THAT-">

Your other allies simply back away from you, ready for something nasty to happen.

"What."
"What?"
"WHAT." If looks could kill, you'd be dead by now.

"Look. Quincy. Your drones would be useful to fill up the office cubicles in the Administration Building. To be quite blunt, your workers-" You point at Alex. "-barely want to be there. They didn't even stop some random civvies from breaking into a secured computer because they rather put a gun to their mouth than be there."

Alex immediately deflates upon hearing this. "Look. Where else would I be able to put them? It's that or throw them out-" And everyone immediately flinches when Naomi, out of the blue, slugs him across the jaw. He barely stumbles back from the impact but the shock is enough to prevent him from doing anything about it.

"W-what?" <"She's gotten so weak. Yet she still managed to stagger me.">

"Maybe. If you bothered to use their knowledge, their experience, their decades of experience? To improve your course? To get new recruits?" Naomi bares her teeth. Her one eye visible through the bandages covering her face is bloodshot red. "You wouldn't NEED us to get recruits. You wouldn't NEED Q and E-Corp. But your own INCOMPETENCE has gotten you into this situation. So let us offer a SOLUTION."

Most of the other people in the room (you now notice that Sebastian has fucking dipped) are sitting around in awkward silence. No one wants to interrupt what's going on.

"So be it. Fine. I'm fine on that front. But the course is fine-"

"BULLSHIT." You and Kiara yell in unison.

"25 minutes. That's how long it took us to go through that maze with HER powers and both of us knowing where to go. 25 FUCKING MINUTES!" You swear that Kiara was about to break her voice box with her yelling. "HOW OFTEN DO YOUR SOLDIERS GET PERFECT INTEL? AND HOW MANY ROBOTS DO YOU NEED TO PUT IN THERE? THERE WERE LIKE 70 OF THEM IN THERE! IT ISN'T THE ANTISEPTIC WAR ANYMORE, ASSHOLE!"

You decide to butt in. "Let's not even fucking mention the rewards! I got hired to get more girls yet all you give for the hardest course is porn mags? Fuck, man, offer something else for that course! Restock it too, we had NO supplies besides what I brought!" You point at yourself. Your antlers (which are ABSOLUTELY NUB LIKE SHUT UP) are throbbing in agony.

Alex grits his teeth. <"It's been a while since anyone has spoken up to me like this."> He relents with a shaky sigh. "Fine. You completed it, you had your issues. Can't fault you there."

You nod towards Naomi and Kiara. "They'll give you some advice on that end. I liked the low light conditions on the maze and most of NO MAN'S LAND, at least?"
>>
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While your two allies badger Alex with their training course suggestions, you and Alexis turn your attention to the corporate reps.

Quincy seems to be somewhat calming down from your 'compromise' comment. "IT DOES SEEM LIKE THEIR CURRENT STAFF IS UNSUITED FOR EFFICENCY. IT WOULDN'T BE HARD TO ASK THE MOTHER TO PRODUCE MORE FOR THIS COMPANY." The Mother? You faintly recall hearing something about a Mother of a Thousand Legs in Quentin's head.

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] The most likely answer is the CEO of the whole Company. Though you doubt it would be a normal Drone or human. Corporate CEOs ARE usually incredibly powerful and very bizarre compared to normal people.

"ALL DEPENDS IF-"

"Absolutely not." Emily is trying her best to hold back her contempt. "You want more Drones here, that's fine by me. But I'm here to protect human life. Not a bunch of centipedes pretending to be them."

Alexis decides it's time for her to step in here. She pulls out her proof of CORPORATE OWNERSHIP before pointing at the various pins on her jacket. The two reps immediately notice this and tense up. They share the same look of fear and unease. "Listen. I get you two don't like each other." She puts the piece of paper back. "But think about it like this."

"Emily, yes?" Alexis points at the nurse android. Emily nods. "Right. I'm not remotely the military type but you two have very different applications. Simply put, both of you can benefit even if the other party works here. Quincy's drones can handle all of the boring red tape bureaucracy while YOU provide useful units to support the military, Emily."

"Right!" You jump into the conversation. "Like, look, they have robots in the training course already but what if you supplied more? Think about it. Get some models to be used to train soldiers how to deal with any rogue robots or anomalies with mechanical properties! They don't even have to harm humans! Training ranges, you know?"

"Or! More nurses, more moral support, maybe even a few shrinks? God knows that PTSD needs treatment too." Alexis nods along.

Emily sinks into her chair with an uneasy expression. She doesn't say anything but it's not like that's necessary for you. <"They're making a compelling case here.">

Quincy offers the best smile he can given his half melted face. "THAT WOULD BE A SUITABLE ARRANGEMENT. I BELIEVE ALEX WOULD KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY USE THE RESOURCES FOR THE BEST. INCLUDING TO PREVENT EXCESS HUMAN HARM, EMILY."

"S-shut up." Emily tries her best to sound angry but the conversation has worn down her preprogrammed hatred, it seems. "Fine. Fine. I don't like working with them but-" As if a switch flipped, a bright smile and chipper tone replaces her sour tone and expression. "Anything to prevent human harm!"

Alex, Naomi, and Kiara finish whatever conversation they were going on about. Alex takes a deep breath before holding out his palm. There's a nasty cut across it, leaking a fresh stream of blood.
>>
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"Don't question it." Alexis notices your confusion. "X-Corp tradition."
"Once got a nasty disease from it." Naomi nods. "Luckily, those two should be immune."

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] A bloodpact. Once signed, it is incredibly hard to break. The strongest contract the City can form. Even paper contracts are nothing in comparison.

Emily grabs onto Alex's hand and shakes. Quincy tears at his own palm with a letter cutter before shaking Alex's hand. The bloodpact has been signed, it seems. The three reps nod amongst each other.

"So it is done." Alex mutters.
"INDEED. I BELIEVE WE MUST CONTACT THE HIGHER UPS ABOUT THIS NEW ARRANGEMENT." Quincy is pulling out his cellphone.
"Hopefully this isn't a mistake." Emily mutters as her LED eyes dim. <"CONTACTING CORPORATE.">

Alex then turns his attention to you and offers you three a curt nod. "Well. Your friends gave me some very interesting advice on how to fix the course for more human recruits. With those two backing us, we can push some of our less desirable jobs onto them. This is good. Thank you."

MISSION COMPLETE
REWARDS: +$629, +X-CORP FAVOR (TO ARMS), +HANDLER FAVOR, X-CORP GOONS WILL KEEP AN EYE ON YOU OVER THE FOLLOWING DAYS TO KEEP YOU SAFE.
BONUS REWARDS FOR THE COMPROMISE: +$222, +X-CORP FAVOR, +Q-CORP FAVOR (QUOTA), +E-CORP FAVOR (NUTS AND BOLTS), You felt like your action has started a chain reaction in the corporate world.

>MODERATE BOON GRANTED!
"Here." He pulls something out of his pocket and stuffs it into your hand. "For the incompetence this base has displayed, your assistance in rectifying that, and our shared goals." Glancing down at it, it's a tarnished gold metal with a piece of stripped green, white, and blue fabric tied to it. "For your service."

>X-CORP ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL ACQUIRED. (Passively grants the user a 10% discount in all X-Corp neutral and allied corporate stores and the ability to add +1d4 to any attack roll they make (once per attack). Also counts as two X-CORP FAVORS if spent.)

"If you ever need me, contact your Handler. He'll patch you in. Now. I need to deal with the boring business side of our new alliance. Mind leaving?" Alex clicks his tongue.
>You may now contact Alex in order to spend X-Corp Favors. A list of what he can offer will be provided later.

You return his curt nod with your own. You put the medal in your pocket before gesturing at your allies to follow you. The three of you promptly make a beeline out of the MENTAL TRAINING COURSE and over to the front gate leading in and out of the base. Your allies glance back at you with a flurry of emotions but most of all? Relief.

"Fuck." Kiara mutters. "That was something."
"Indeed. It was nice returning here." Naomi looks back at the base with a wistful look.
"...Can't believe it." There's an almost religious reverence in Alexis' eyes. "Never knew I could kickstart a three company bloodpact."

"Say-" Alexis touches your bomber jacket. Uh oh.
>>
It immediately shifts into a bright white business jacket. Just like the one she's wearing.
>NEW YOU (ALEXIS) FORM REVEALED. (+1 CONNECTIONS, grants user CORPORATE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT)
[CORPORATE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT] The Companies WILL know to respect you. No matter what it takes. When spending a corporate favor, you gain +6d6 to the CONNECTIONS roll instead of +4d6. You also gain +1d4 to all CONNECTIONS and CHARM rolls for every three CORPORATE favors you own.

Naomi immediately takes this chance to touch it herself. It turns into an old, tattered military jacket with an odd symbol on it. Naomi flinches on seeing this. <"My old Antiseptic War jacket?">
>NEW YOU (NAOMI) FORM REVEALED. (+1 MAX RESTRAINT, grants user TACTICAL EXPERIENCE.)
[TACTICAL EXPERIENCE] You're prepared for war. You may add +3d4 when attempting any of the following actions: Scouting a building, attacking with a firearm, preparing an ambush, creating makeshift weapons and explosives, and staying conscious through intense pain.

Kiara immediately shifts it back to the orange bomber jacket it was before.
>NEW YOU (KIARA) REOBTAINED.
>YOU MAY CHANGE WHAT FORM IT TAKES ONCE PER MISSION. THIS WILL INCREASE WITH USAGE.

"Not gonna question. Let's just go." Alexis states.

Pick three actions to use during your FREE TIME (and any free actions.)
>[KIARA ALLY] An odd, familiar buzz is in the air. Kiara is giving you puppydog eyes. Follow her. (You'll enter an ANOMALY EVENT. You might get some unique valuables if you play your cards right. A secondary vote will be called to determine what you stumble upon if you pick this.)
>It's tradition at this point. Travel into a more urban place in X-Corp's district and get drunk. (You'll gain RAPPORT with NAOMI and ALEXIS and you'll get a chance to learn more about them and Kiara.)
>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Once you arrive somewhere more urban, take a walk around District 24 with your allies to decompress after everything. (Heals 2 RESTRAINT. You're likely to stumble into an old cache, a new store, or some other interesting place to return to later on your walk.)
>[NAOMI ALLY] You don't want to pry into her Silver Agent past too much but it couldn't hurt to learn about the Antiseptic War while you travel away from the base, no? (You'll get some valuable insight on how to handle yourself in combat and if you ever encounter an anomaly based on it.)
>[ALEXIS ALLY] Huh, she actually bothered to stay this time. Ask her if there's any place she would recommend you four visit. (You'll get some more insight in the CORPORATE WORLD and how to handle yourself in it.)
>[UNSTABLE] "HEY. CAN WE TALK? PLEASE? WON'T TAKE TOO LONG. I HOPE."
>[X-CORP FAVORS] Cache in a favor before you leave. (FREE ACTION, -1 X-CORP FAVOR. Write in up to four items to get from X-Corp. You'll roll 4d100 to determine the quality and amount you get.)
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] WAIT! WE NEED TO SHOW THEM OUR POWERS! GO BACK! (Write in what you want to show them.)
>WRITE IN.
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I apologize for the delay but it seemed like God had a sense of humor and sent a storm my way, knocking out power for a solid hour and a half RIGHT as I was finishing up the negotiation scene. That was fun.
HOPEFULLY won't happen again. In case you use the X-CORP FAVORS cache out, you have 3 Favors to use (will update the Pastebin with your new FAVOR counts), so you'll be left with 2 if you spend that.
>>
>>5947323
I don't wanna spend ANY company favor yet. We got plenty of favors banked and I want to keep that going. That NEW YOU (Alexis) sounds OP with our favors combined if we ever need to take a corporate mission again.
The moment to show powers off has passed, and I know Sebastian will talk to Alex offscreen about what he's experienced and his suspicions. We got enough fame in-base with going through the combat trial hell alive, so let's leave the "show off powers to X-Corp soldiers" to if we ever have to have them protecting us. Then they can spread the word in the base about how the crazy chick who blew the combat trial out has cool psychic powers.
As much as I'd want to go for the Naomi option, there's other good options to go with here. It does imply we could run into an abno based on the Antiseptic War with how traumatic it was for the City and the Companies. More rapport with Naomi would also be good.
Hesitant on the Kiara option, because we already got real hard anomalous in this mission at the end there. I'd rather leave it be for now, but I might be inclined if somebody makes a good enough case.
Scholar option to walk around is good because we get to see more of X Corp, and more cache loot. Maybe we can run into that spot where the captive silver agent got "scouted"?
Alexis has NEVER, not ONCE, stayed behind to not ditch us the moment a mission ended. This is a special occasion, and I really want to follow up on it.
The UNSTABLE option is very very tempting. It's one hell of a mystery box as presented. Based on the quotation there, it must be UNSTABLE wanting Nicole to talk out loud to her allies. It might make for a good moment, but the question is... before or AFTER the bar?
And of course, the bar option.
>>
>>5947323
>It's tradition at this point. Travel into a more urban place in X-Corp's district and get drunk. (You'll gain RAPPORT with NAOMI and ALEXIS and you'll get a chance to learn more about them and Kiara.)
>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Once you arrive somewhere more urban, take a walk around District 24 with your allies to decompress after everything. (Heals 2 RESTRAINT. You're likely to stumble into an old cache, a new store, or some other interesting place to return to later on your walk.)
>[ALEXIS ALLY] Huh, she actually bothered to stay this time. Ask her if there's any place she would recommend you four visit. (You'll get some more insight in the CORPORATE WORLD and how to handle yourself in it.)
>>
>"You better not get sea-sick easily, we got a crew over at District 19 who needs someone to assist them during their fishing trip. Help them harvest, protect them from any thieves, and try bringing back something special." REWARD: $975, the tough work will likely improve your FLESH and VIOLENCE stats permanently. RISK LEVEL: MEDIUM-HIGH

>[UPG] LEX. Your easily pleased muscle who has a bloodlust you need to sate. ($110)
>[UPG] QUENTIN. Incredibly loyal ally who has a hard time staying dead. Poor stats and tends to freak others out. (Free if brought alone. Allies with less than 3 RAPPORT with you, sans Adam, will ask for an extra cut (30% for Alexis, +$25 for the others) to hire.)
>ADAM. A long career of working as a chef has instilled amazing levels of accuracy and technical precision. Hard worker. Tends to overcorrect when situations get dicey. (Free. No catches, he owes you.)
>ASHLEY.
>NAOMI. She has gathered a lot of experience and knowledge over the years. More than willing to teach you and your allies her tricks. Has a knack for analyzing the quirks and potential of people around her. Old age and scars have ruined her body. ($195)
>BENEDICT. A chef that's partially transformed into an anomaly. Unique half-machine, half human anatomy grants immense strength and physical resistances, has anomalous powers and abilities. Fractured mind that requires careful observation, UNSTABLE. (+$320 if you hire him. You get more money hiring him as you raise Adam's RAPPORT.)

Question everyone: What do your think my team setup and mission?

Question: Should we bring FRANK on mission too?
>>
>>5947360
That's like WAY too many people man
>>
>>5947323
>[NAOMI ALLY] You don't want to pry into her Silver Agent past too much but it couldn't hurt to learn about the Antiseptic War while you travel away from the base, no? (You'll get some valuable insight on how to handle yourself in combat and if you ever encounter an anomaly based on it.)
>[ALEXIS ALLY] Huh, she actually bothered to stay this time. Ask her if there's any place she would recommend you four visit. (You'll get some more insight in the CORPORATE WORLD and how to handle yourself in it.)
>[UNSTABLE] "HEY. CAN WE TALK? PLEASE? WON'T TAKE TOO LONG. I HOPE."
>>
>>5947323
Fuck it I need to make my own vote
>ALEXIS
>UNSTABLE
>BAR
>>
>>5947323
I think that the Alexis option is a huge thing to grab, of course the bar is required as well. The last option I’m not 100% sure on. If it’s an anomaly like the one that got us our cool jacket then I’d be up for it. However, I also like the Unstable option. We hugged that bitch, so I want my returns on that besides admittedly cool horns.
>It's tradition at this point. Travel into a more urban place in X-Corp's district and get drunk. (You'll gain RAPPORT with NAOMI and ALEXIS and you'll get a chance to learn more about them and Kiara.)
>[ALEXIS ALLY] Huh, she actually bothered to stay this time. Ask her if there's any place she would recommend you four visit. (You'll get some more insight in the CORPORATE WORLD and how to handle yourself in it.)
>[UNSTABLE] "HEY. CAN WE TALK? PLEASE? WON'T TAKE TOO LONG. I HOPE."

Also while it sucks your power went out, glad it wasn’t anything worse than that. Thanks for the update, always love these resolutions to our missions.
>>
>>5947323
>[KIARA ALLY] An odd, familiar buzz is in the air. Kiara is giving you puppydog eyes. Follow her. (You'll enter an ANOMALY EVENT. You might get some unique valuables if you play your cards right. A secondary vote will be called to determine what you stumble upon if you pick this.)
>It's tradition at this point. Travel into a more urban place in X-Corp's district and get drunk. (You'll gain RAPPORT with NAOMI and ALEXIS and you'll get a chance to learn more about them and Kiara.)
>[ALEXIS ALLY] Huh, she actually bothered to stay this time. Ask her if there's any place she would recommend you four visit. (You'll get some more insight in the CORPORATE WORLD and how to handle yourself in it.)

>[X-CORP FAVORS] Cache in a favor before you leave. (FREE ACTION, -1 X-CORP FAVOR. Write in up to four items to get from X-Corp. You'll roll 4d100 to determine the quality and amount you get.)
Weapons and body armor
>>
>>5947323
>It's tradition at this point. Travel into a more urban place in X-Corp's district and get drunk. (You'll gain RAPPORT with NAOMI and ALEXIS and you'll get a chance to learn more about them and Kiara.)
>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Once you arrive somewhere more urban, take a walk around District 24 with your allies to decompress after everything. (Heals 2 RESTRAINT. You're likely to stumble into an old cache, a new store, or some other interesting place to return to later on your walk.)
>[ALEXIS ALLY] Huh, she actually bothered to stay this time. Ask her if there's any place she would recommend you four visit. (You'll get some more insight in the CORPORATE WORLD and how to handle yourself in it.)
>[X-CORP FAVORS] Cache in a favor before you leave. (FREE ACTION, -1 X-CORP FAVOR. Write in up to four items to get from X-Corp. You'll roll 4d100 to determine the quality and amount you get.)
>>
>>5947352
Change
>>5947323
>It's tradition at this point. Travel into a more urban place in X-Corp's district and get drunk. (You'll gain RAPPORT with NAOMI and ALEXIS and you'll get a chance to learn more about them and Kiara.)
>[UNSTABLE] "HEY. CAN WE TALK? PLEASE? WON'T TAKE TOO LONG. I HOPE."
>[ALEXIS ALLY] Huh, she actually bothered to stay this time. Ask her if there's any place she would recommend you four visit. (You'll get some more insight in the CORPORATE WORLD and how to handle yourself in it.)
>>
>>5947602
+1
Grab some armor and other protective kit
>>
BOOZE TIME: EVERYONE
SCHOLAR: EM0, ykw
ALEXIS: EVERYONE
UNSTABLE: DHO/hwm, IkB, Cp5, IkB, dfH
KIARA: QKD
NAOMI: Cp5

X-CORP FAVORS?
YES: EM0, ykw, QKD
DIDN'T PICK: DHO/hwm, IkB, Cp5, dfH

Seems like BOOZE + ALEXIS + UNSTABLE wins out. Don't worry, you'll be able to get X-Corp supplies later (you have contact with a higher up at X-Corp, after all), just not enough people voted to pick it this time around. Writing.

>>5947382
>Also while it sucks your power went out, glad it wasn’t anything worse than that.
Trust me, it could've been way worse. Last time power cut out because of a storm, I was out of internet for four days.
>>
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[UNSTABLE] LOOK. I. UH. YEAH, I WANT TO EXPLAIN MYSELF. REAL QUICK. ONCE WE'RE ON THE TRAIN.
[UNSTABLE] FEEL FREE TO DO, UH, DO OTHER THINGS FIRST. YEAH. THIS IS NEW FOR ME. SORRY.

You let out a shaky sigh. Great. Now the literal manifestation of your unstable impulses is wanting a one on one chat- Wait. You hugged this bitch. Why are you acting like you're beneath her? You slap yourself. Get your head in the game.

"Sure. In a bit." You mutter outloud.

Your allies are giving you a weird look but only Naomi's stare has any real concern to it; the other two are rather nonplussed. Like they're used to it at this point.

"So. Alexis." You snap your fingers. "The hell are you still doing here? Normally you fuck off by-" You stop yourself. "No, no, that sounds bad. I'm just shocked, you know?"

Alexis squints at you before giving you a half-hearted shrug. "You've proven yourself to be a valuable asset and someone who, despite her eccentrics, has been shockingly competent. Once was a fluke. Twice is a coincidence. Three times is a pattern." <"Certainly better than that shitty ETF pair I had to deal with. Benny and Fronk or something?">

"You should've seen her in the course! Waow! She was- Okay no need to suck her off, let's get going." The sheer whiplash in tone Kiara gave you nearly made you burst out laughing.

The four of you step onto the train that got you here. You group sits down onto the cheap, shoddy seats inside the train cabin. Learning from your mistake last time, you cling onto a nearby handrail...but the train seems to be moving slower this time. You look confused for a moment until you hear Naomi chuckling.

"Told them not to do it this time. A long time to talk and decompress is all we need right now. Isn't that right?" Naomi offers you a shaky smile. It's clear she's still uncomfortable being TOO cordial around you due to what happened with the Agent. You offer her a smile in return.

"Thank you." You nod. No need to alienate her. "So. Alexis. Got any places you could recommend us visiting? I normally go to some shitty rundown bar and get wasted but c'mon, you gotta have a better place in mind."

Alexis isn't quite sure how to react to your question at first. She looks equal parts insulted, confused, and ecstatic? "I'm not sure. To be quite honest, this is new to me. Most of my 'free time' is spent meeting new associates to work with and, don't take this the wrong way, most are VERY high ranking corporate people. Not..."

[UNSTABLE] "Worthless schizophrenics?"

"Yes." Alexis bluntly states. "Well, you're not worthless but the second one tracks. At least your horns won't be a problem in most of those places. We can pass it off as a very unique body mod."

[UNSTABLE] Your eye twitches. You felt like popping her head open like a grape but you barely have the RESTRAINT necessary to hold back.

"But there is this one place. A lot of the corporate elite go there. Just do what I do and we'll eat like queens tonight."
>>
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"Mind enlightening us with the name?" Naomi taps her foot on the floor of the train cabin. "No need to keep us in the dark."

"Oh that's rich-" Alexis clears her throat. "No. No, sorry. It's a simple place down in District 24. 'Sugar Mountain'. Small little restaurant with some of the finest dining outside of F-Corp's district. I have a membership card and a reservation that took me FIVE MONTHS to get." Her smile widens but it's clear it's somewhat forced. "You better enjoy it. Even the senior vice presidents of Alphabet Companies can't waltz in."

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Sugar Mountain, huh? It's an unofficial meeting ground for C, D, F, G, L, M, S, and V-Corp corporate officials if the rumors are true. Maybe even more. You might be able to meet some VERY important people over there.

As Alexis and the others start to ramble amongst each other, a familiar voice rings in your head. Best to address the elephant in the room.

[UNSTABLE] SO. I'D LIKE TO SAY I'M SORRY.
[UNSTABLE] I CAN'T PROMISE I CAN CONTROL MYSELF BETTER. I CAN'T PROMISE YOU CAN ALWAYS RESIST ME.
[UNSTABLE] BUT I CAN PROMISE I WILL TRY MY BEST TO HELP YOU. YOU KNOW? IF YOU DIE, I DIE. ALONGSIDE THE OTHER THREE.

"It's fine." You mutter. "Look, I didn't do the hug expecting you to pay me back. I did because you needed it. Self love or something, you know?

[UNSTABLE] FAIR ENOUGH.
[UNSTABLE] LISTEN. YOU KNOW THOSE ANTLERS? THOSE ARE A PART OF YOUR TRUE SELF, ME, MADE MANIFEST. THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO HUG.
[UNSTABLE] EMBRACING ME TOO MUCH DOES THAT.
[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] True self? Wait, you remember that Benedict started to physically mutate when he started to succumb to his anomaly transformation...
[UNSTABLE] INDEED. YOU AND HIM ARE NOT ALL THAT DIFFERENT.

"Hey, they're cool." You tap on the antler. "No harm no foul. Feel clear headed enough. But, what do you plan on doing to help me? If you feel obligated to do so."

[UNSTABLE] WELL. ASIDE FROM HELPING YOU USE YOUR POWERS MORE, I WILL TRY TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND OTHERS LIKE ME. IT'S ONE THING TO EMBRACE YOURSELF.
[UNSTABLE] IT'S ANOTHER TO COMFORT AND EMBRACE SOMEONE GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING. I WANT YOU TO BRING COMFORT TO OTHERS LIKE ME. AND I WILL HELP YOU DO SO.

>UNSTABLE will now offer helpful advice when encountering other anomalous/UNSTABLE humans.

[UNSTABLE] AS A TOKEN OF MY GRATITUDE, HERE.

Everything goes dark.

When you next wake up, you notice that you're stumbling out of the train with the help of Kiara and Naomi. Both of them are looking at you with equal parts worry and fear. Alexis is the first one to break the silence with a short, simple cough. What the hell just happened?

"She told us." Alexis cryptically states. "You know who. Told us a LOT about what happened back at the MENTAL COURSE. About what she is. I can't pretend to understand what you're going through but she asked us to do something."

"Whuh?" You tilt your head in confusion.

"We won't hold it against you. If something happens."
>>
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>Naomi, Alexis, and Kiara will take 1 less RESTRAINT damage when UNSTABLE acts out.
>Naomi, Alexis, and Kiara will sometimes be able to heal your RESTRAINT when UNSTABLE acts out.

"Something about a safety net?" She shrugs. "Let's move on from it."

[UNSTABLE] THE OTHER ALLIES CAN LEARN LATER. BUT THEY NEEDED TO KNOW.

"U-uh. Okay?" All you can think of is that somehow, your body was highjacked for a moment. The last hour or so is a complete blur to you now. You take a look around in the more urban section of District 24. In stark contrast to a lot of other districts, it's shockingly...welcoming?

The streets and buildings are statured in bright, warm colors that remind you of summertime. Bright yellows, oranges, pinks and reds as far as your eye can see. Most of the buildings around you are decorated with equally inviting and bright decorations as well, as if they were family owned businesses instead of the soulless and nameless businesses you normally have to go to.

Most of the people passing by on the streets are remarkably healthy and clean looking. No scars, no tattoos, no one too obese or too skinny. As your group walks through the streets, most of the passersbys give you a warm smile and a polite greeting. "Hello!" "Hey!" "Welcome to X-Gamma-2!" "Enjoy your time here!" "Nice antlers!"

The cars passing by through the roads also look remarkably new and well maintained, same with the roads they're driving on. Pleasant ambience is playing in every single business you pass by and, for a moment, you thought your eyes were playing tricks on you. As you two take a right turn, you see something in the distance that shocks you.

A park. An honest to god park. With actual real grass, trees, and wild animals going through it. It's not even gated off, you could go right in there if you wanted to. A few families are walking around in there, small children playing in it like there's nothing wrong going on. No paranoia.

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Yet you know this isn't a Nest. Normally Nests require extensive paperwork and going through a border more armed than fifty X-Corp bases combined.
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] This is a normal District section. Maybe not even far away from the ghettos. When your Company is the one protecting the City, both inside and outside its walls?
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Corps give you a LOT of resources. And your citizens are given AMAZING peace of mind. Imagine what a NEST here must be like.

"Wow." You and Kiara mutter at the same time. Naomi is too busy wistfully watching the happy-go-lucky citizens to bother saying anything. Alexis eventually points towards a remarkably boring looking restaurant that, from the outside, looks nothing like what an unofficial Alphabet Company meeting spot would be. Yet it has the name 'SUGAR MOUNTAIN' so you know it's the right place.

As the four of you head over and enter it, you realize two things immediately.
1: WOW THAT'S A LOT OF SECURITY.
2: The outside was VERY deceiving.
>>
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A waitress with a fancy dress made out of Nouveau Fabric stands behind a small desk. Dozens of guards, disgusted as waiters, stand around her. The waitress looks up with a conceited smirk. "Do you have a reservation?"

Alexis nods. "Alexis Morozov." The smirk disappears from the waitress' face. "These three are associates. Don't mind the antlers. Body mod." The waitress nods along. She marks down something on a page in front of her before gesturing at you four to follow.

Looking around, it's a rather cozy place with an undeniable air of high class to it. Men and women of high society and high corporate status chatter around candlelit tables, eating expensive meals and washing it down with expensive wine. There's no windows in this restaurant so the only source of light comes from the candles and the massive, awe-inspiring chandlers hanging from the ceilings.

Alexis grabs you by the shoulder as your waitress shows you your table. "Listen. There's a simple way to get corporate officials on your side. Walk up to them like you know what you're doing. Like you belong. DO NOT SHOW FEAR. DO NOT FLINCH."

You glance around the nearby tables. No harm in trying.

Pick up to three officials to talk to. You'll learn more about their company, how to interact with them, and maybe even get a corporate favor or gift.
>An old man with a long, flowing beard and a very old-fashioned outfit is eating a simple meal by himself. His hands are caked in calluses. (O-CORP. An old fashioned company focused on farming, mining, and other manual labor.)
>A group of police officers are sitting around a table, chattering about how to deal with 'undesirables'. (J-CORP. The main judicial and legal power in the City.)
>A crazed woman in a fancy dress is scribbling something down on her notepad. A wild smile crosses his face. (W-CORP. An anti-anomaly company who develops tech to deal with them. Also explores abandoned districts.)
>A man very similar looking to Maruyama keeps glancing at his watch. He impatiently taps his foot, clearly waiting for someone. (T-CORP. A time-based company associated with trains and futuristic, bleeding edge tech.)
>A nun is praying at one of the tables, muttering in tongues. An oddly tense atmosphere surrounds her. (N-CORP. A religious and literature-focused company. Their religion is VERY widespread through the City.)
>A punk in deliberately obnoxious clothing props his feet up on the table. He's strumming a tune on his guitar. (M-CORP. The other main creative-focused Company besides A-Corp.)
>A nervous wreck of a woman is working on a pile of papers at her table. She looks like she's about to pass out. (D-CORP. Similar to P-Corp, contains anomalies, but aims to study and understand where they came from.)
>A girl in a poncho is half passed out at her table, muttering to herself. (R-CORP. A Company who mostly operates in the vast deserts of the Wastes. Also contains anomalies.)
>You spot someone else (Write in a ALPHABET COMPANY [A-Z] to meet)
>>
>>5948350
>>A nervous wreck of a woman is working on a pile of papers at her table. She looks like she's about to pass out. (D-CORP. Similar to P-Corp, contains anomalies, but aims to study and understand where they came from.)
>A girl in a poncho is half passed out at her table, muttering to herself. (R-CORP. A Company who mostly operates in the vast deserts of the Wastes. Also contains anomalies.)
>A punk in deliberately obnoxious clothing props his feet up on the table. He's strumming a tune on his guitar. (M-CORP. The other main creative-focused Company besides A-Corp.)
Seems like we have a clear specialty in anomaly handling, we should probably try and get in good with the people who do that as their business.
>>
>>5948350
Stay safe, hopefully your internet doesn’t go out anytime soon. Fun update, it’s interesting to see Unstable take a bigger part in the “real world” as it were. Also Alexis took us to a great spot, nice of her.

>A crazed woman in a fancy dress is scribbling something down on her notepad. A wild smile crosses his face. (W-CORP. An anti-anomaly company who develops tech to deal with them. Also explores abandoned districts.)
First off this seems nearly perfect for us. Like these hit two of our major buttons.
>A nervous wreck of a woman is working on a pile of papers at her table. She looks like she's about to pass out. (D-CORP. Similar to P-Corp, contains anomalies, but aims to study and understand where they came from.)
I am really on the anomaly train, since we found out more about our nature and how close we are to an anomaly for sure. Also studying sounds better than containment.
>A man very similar looking to Maruyama keeps glancing at his watch. He impatiently taps his foot, clearly waiting for someone. (T-CORP. A time-based company associated with trains and futuristic, bleeding edge tech.)
I am only doing this one for Maruyama connections, whether they be just getting a foothold or getting a job we can take him on to help him get promoted. I think we really connected to him the film mission and want to hang with him again.

Just to check, it’s not the time for saying what we want to say to the officials. It’s just choosing who to talk to right?
>>
>>5948350
>A group of police officers are sitting around a table, chattering about how to deal with 'undesirables'. (J-CORP. The main judicial and legal power in the City.)
>A man very similar looking to Maruyama keeps glancing at his watch. He impatiently taps his foot, clearly waiting for someone. (T-CORP. A time-based company associated with trains and futuristic, bleeding edge tech.)
>A nun is praying at one of the tables, muttering in tongues. An oddly tense atmosphere surrounds her. (N-CORP. A religious and literature-focused company. Their religion is VERY widespread through the City.)
>>
>>5948350
>A crazed woman in a fancy dress is scribbling something down on her notepad. A wild smile crosses his face. (W-CORP. An anti-anomaly company who develops tech to deal with them. Also explores abandoned districts.)
WOW! She's just like Nicole!
>A nervous wreck of a woman is working on a pile of papers at her table. She looks like she's about to pass out. (D-CORP. Similar to P-Corp, contains anomalies, but aims to study and understand where they came from.)
Darkness Corp, I assume?
>You spot someone else (Write in a ALPHABET COMPANY [A-Z] to meet)
Let's get interesting. C Corp?
>>
>>5948350
>A nervous wreck of a woman is working on a pile of papers at her table. She looks like she's about to pass out. (D-CORP. Similar to P-Corp, contains anomalies, but aims to study and understand where they came from.)
>An old man with a long, flowing beard and a very old-fashioned outfit is eating a simple meal by himself. His hands are caked in calluses. (O-CORP. An old fashioned company focused on farming, mining, and other manual labor.)
>A group of police officers are sitting around a table, chattering about how to deal with 'undesirables'. (J-CORP. The main judicial and legal power in the City.)
>>
>>5948403
>Just to check, it’s not the time for saying what we want to say to the officials. It’s just choosing who to talk to right?
Correct. Though I doubt I'll call a vote to decide how you speak them since you're focusing on being able to talk to them in the first place without having a schizo meltdown or pissing your panties.
Would be weird to rush up to a corporate executive and scream "HEY BROTHER I NEED YOU TO GIVE ME FIFTY MILIGRAMS OF CRACK, THE NAMES OF OTHER OFFICIALS LIKE YOU, AND FIFTY FIREARMS" as the first step of communication, you know?
>>
>>5948544
Tell me what C, F, G, L, M, S, and V-Corps does
>>
>>5948574
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Hoo boy. Let's run it down real quick.
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] C-Company, to your knowledge, is mostly a cosmetic and clothing based company. You know that 'Nouveau Fabric', the bulletproof kelvar like fabric? It's likely they make it. You saw a weird alternate version of one of their district sections when meeting Heart on My Sleeve.
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] F-Company is a high dining and food related corp. You went there to deal with Benedict and his failing restaurant. Essentially, that's where most restaurants and junk food companies produce their products with.
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] G-Company is your home company. You know that they mostly invest in all non-train based forms of travel and they're well known for exploring every single inch of the City, Wastes, and beyond. They're a minor power in the grand scheme but they offer very competitive products, letting them earn a spot as an Alphabet Company.
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] L-Company is pretty new to you, honestly. You just learnt about it only a little bit ago. Apparently they make good luck charms and are associated with Light? That's about it.
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] M-Company is a music related corporation that's very popular with punks, hippies, and other creatives. So there's VERY weird but in a 'dude drugs' way instead of how you're weird. Alongside A-Corp, they have a lot of big names in the City (when it comes to celebrity status, not corporate power).
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] S-Company is the main construction company in this City. If there's a building that's bigger than a one story house or a shady bar, S-Company or a shell company of theirs made it.
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] ...You frankly have no clue what the fuck V-Corp is. You hate to admit it but even with your PARADIGM improved knowledge, all you know is they make VICTORY branded products which are...shoddy at best?
>>
>>5948593
>C
Cosmetic Corp
>F
Food Corp
>G
Go/Globe Corp
>L
Luck/Light Corp
>M
Music Corp
>S
Structure Corp
>V
Victory Corp?

>>5948350
Changing my vote from >>5948449 to
>W CORP
>D CORP
>write in: G CORP
Because G is the corporation in charge of Nicole's home district
>>
>>5948458
Swapping O-Corp for G-Corp
>>
>>5948350
>A crazed woman in a fancy dress is scribbling something down on her notepad. A wild smile crosses his face. (W-CORP. An anti-anomaly company who develops tech to deal with them. Also explores abandoned districts.)
>A group of police officers are sitting around a table, chattering about how to deal with 'undesirables'. (J-CORP. The main judicial and legal power in the City.)
>A nervous wreck of a woman is working on a pile of papers at her table. She looks like she's about to pass out. (D-CORP. Similar to P-Corp, contains anomalies, but aims to study and understand where they came from.)
>>
>>5948350
>G
>J
>N
>>
>>5948544
>HEY BROTHER I NEED YOU TO GIVE ME FIFTY MILIGRAMS OF CRACK
To be fair, the M Corp official punk would probably nod and pull a bag out without hesitation and with a "say no more", but he's the only guy here who would say yes
>>
>>5948350
>A group of police officers are sitting around a table, chattering about how to deal with 'undesirables'. (J-CORP. The main judicial and legal power in the City.)
>A crazed woman in a fancy dress is scribbling something down on her notepad. A wild smile crosses his face. (W-CORP. An anti-anomaly company who develops tech to deal with them. Also explores abandoned districts.)
>G-Corp
>>
QKD: G, J, N
GWO: J, W, G
IkB: W, D, G
Cp5: D, G, J
T2m: D, R, M
nnk: W, D, T
TWx: J, T, N
QVB: W, J, D

4 for G, 5 for J, 4 for W, 5 for D, 2 for N, 2 for T, one for M, and one for R.
J-Corp and D-Corp are going to be someone you're going to talk to but there's a tie between G-Corp and W-Corp. So let's call for a short tie breaker vote. Which one do you want to be your third one?

>W-CORP (Anti-anomalous tech, explores abandoned districts, known for being VERY zealous in their beliefs and mindsets. Products from them include weapons and ammo that deal specialized damage that can damage otherwise hard to hurt abnos, containment cubes to trap abnormalities, special stones that 'slow down mental corruption', and the second leading producer of psychiatric medication.)
>G-CORP (A travel and exploration based company that explores the City, the Wastes, whatever lies beyond, and everything in between. Products and services from them include all manner of exploration equipment + supplies, maps and books filled with useful info about the city...and, if you're lucky, your OWN FUCKING CAR!!! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH A CAR COSTS???. Also your district's home company.)

I'll leave this open for a bit while I cook myself something to eat so take your time.
>>5949001
Oh, absolutely. Though frankly you feel like he would challenge you to a snort off and you would pass out before he's buzzed.
>>
>>5949199
>>W-CORP (Anti-anomalous tech, explores abandoned districts, known for being VERY zealous in their beliefs and mindsets. Products from them include weapons and ammo that deal specialized damage that can damage otherwise hard to hurt abnos, containment cubes to trap abnormalities, special stones that 'slow down mental corruption', and the second leading producer of psychiatric medication.)
As sick as a car is, we probably want as much abnormality containing shit as possible, plus some meds never hurt.
>>
>>5949203
+1
No guarantee Nicole will ever stay in G District. Who knows where her future family will be?
>>
>>5949199
>W-CORP (Anti-anomalous tech, explores abandoned districts, known for being VERY zealous in their beliefs and mindsets. Products from them include weapons and ammo that deal specialized damage that can damage otherwise hard to hurt abnos, containment cubes to trap abnormalities, special stones that 'slow down mental corruption', and the second leading producer of psychiatric medication.)
Gotta give W corp the W. Not to mention the representative seems very Nicole like so I’m looking forward to them bouncing off of each other.
>>
>>5949203
>>5949212
>>5949217
Aight. Was gonna leave it open for longer but no need to wait when a majority like this exists. I need three anons to roll the following to see how your first impressions go. Due to Alexis being nearby, you can't TOTALLY fuck it up.

W-CORP: 1d100+15 (Similar madness. Similar interests.)
D-CORP: 1d100+7 (Not your first time dealing with a tired office worker)
J-CORP: 1d100-5 (Lacks the espirit de corps with the LAW.)

RESULTS
1-19 [ALEXIS NEARBY] [BARELY SUCCESSFUL] You'll get your foot in the door but you doubt you'll get anything more than some info on how they work and where to contact them later.
20-39: OKAY SUCCESS. You'll likely be able to get a random corporate item from them, a pleasant conversation, but that's it.
40-69: DECENT SUCCESS. You'll get a corporate item, a corporate favor, and a small bonus to interacting with their company.
70-85: MAJOR SUCCESS. You'll get a corporate catalog to buy items from them, a corporate favor, and your Handler might be able to provide you with supplies from that corp on occasion
86-100: INSANE SUCCESS. All of the boons of the previous successes combined alongside learning something about their singularity, which will offer insight into their true business model and clue you into what dark secrets they have.
>>
Rolled 85 + 15 (1d100 + 15)

>>5949246
W-Corp
>>
Rolled 47 + 7 (1d100 + 7)

>>5949246
D-Corp
>>
Rolled 75 - 5 (1d100 - 5)

>>5949246
J
>>
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>>5949249
>>5949251
>>5949260
INSANE, DECENT, AND MAJOR success. the W-Corp one is gonna be fun to write, writing.
>>
Of course the schizo girlie gets along best with the other schizo girlie. Overall pretty good rolls.
>>
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You barely have time to look around before you feel a set of eyes on the back of your neck. Turning your head ever so slightly, you see her. A woman in a dull brown yet remarkably fancy looking dress is staring at you with the same look a predator would have with a wounded prey animal. Doesn't fucking help you have deer antlers now. You take a deep breath.

Fuck it. What's the harm? No fear, go up there, DO YOUR THANG.

You walk a bit too quickly over to the mostly empty booth and force yourself to sit across from the W-Corp rep. She's a girl around your age and build (well, before you became a Cleaner) with a short, pragmatic pixie cut. A image of a "W" wrapped around in barbed wire is stitched right below the neck of her dress. A set of bright yellow eyes are staring right down at you.

She's not saying a single word to you. She keeps staring. Waiting for you to fuck up and sperg out. Her smile widens to show a set of slightly crooked but pearly white teeth. You return the same smile. She widens her smile even more. You do the same.

She leans forward. You do. Her eyes widen. Your eyes widen.

Both of you say nothing to each other for the longest time. Eventually, the W-Corp Rep is the first one to break. "Well, well! I didn't expect such a disgusting creature to hold itself back in my presence."

[UNSTABLE] "Takes one to know one, faggot." Your eye twitches. "At least I know what a good dress color is and it's not brown."

"At least I'm wearing a dress unlike you, dyke." Her eye twitches just like yours. "What's up with the antlers? Are you THAT much of a whore, you need handlebars? Or are you even more disgusting? One of THOSE creatures?" Every word she says is laced with equal measures malice, morbid curiosity, and amusement.

"I killed one. I forced another to give me its power. I knocked out another one. If anything, I am directly responsible with killing more of them than you." You lie through your teeth. They're not wrong in the most literal sense, at least. "With only what I had on hand. I'm not even an ETF agent. So fucking excuse me if I have weird antlers. Exposure is a bitch."

Her glare softens upon hearing your cover story. "Is that so? Any exposure to A-Energy lately? You do know that shit is made from those foul creatures, right?"

"Sadly." You keep up the persona. "Sadly."

A small frown crosses the rep's face. She leans even further over the table to sniff at you. It's only now that you realize the only thing she's been eating at this table is a single muffin for some reason? Whatever. She leans away once she's done her weird sniff thing.

"How many you hear?" She cryptically states. <[HUNTER OF THE CITY] She smells like one of them but she's not like one of them. Weird.>

[UNSTABLE] AH. ONE OF US.

"Four. You?"

"Three." She reaches for something on the seat on the side of the booth she's on. Before you realize what's she doing, she drops a handful of random objects onto the table.
>>
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A magazine with a muddy brown cover reading "HOW TO EXTERMINATE THE WASTE AROUND YOU" with pictures of generic anomalies being shot at, a bright purple gemstone glowing with a faint hue, and a handful of bullets with a yellow-green tint to their primers.

ITEMS ACQUIRED!
>W-CORP CORPORATE MAGAZINE (Contains a variety of anti-anomaly tech and other W-Corp products. Can be used during FREE TIME and the SET UP PHASE to purchase items, or for a huge upcharge, in the middle of a mission.)
>MOONSTONE (A W-Corp product that automatically triggers when you would use RESTRAINT for an ability or take RESTRAINT damage. Can negate up to three RESTRAINT loss before shattering.)
>ANTI-ANOMALY ROUNDS x3 (Can be used as PISTOL or REVOLVER ammo. When hitting an anomaly or a person with anomalous abilities with one, the target takes 2 extra FLESH and RESTRAINT damage.)

"It's been a while since I met someone who I could understand. Someone who knows what it's like to think like that. To have all of THOSE thoughts in your head." She glances around nervously. "Fight fire with fire, you know?"

[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Wait, is she saying that she has abilities like us?
[PERSON OF INTEREST] No, I doubt that, given her revulsion to the anomalous. She's referring more to US.

"You need to think FASTER than them, right? More voices, more thoughts, more moments to notice the enemies approaching. Four minds is better than one. Fracture one mind. That's how we work." She mutters almost incoherently. "Tell me who your boss is. They tell me I can trust him." You hand her your phone. She quickly searches through it before tossing it back at you. "Good, good. Leave. Before they notice. Be my eyes on the ground."

"Kill those fuckers for me. Especially if they glow. Their minds, they don't FUCKING GET WHAT WE DO!"

>+2 W-CORP (EXTERMINATION) FAVORS
>-2 DC to all future skill checks when trying to talk to W-Corp.

You quickly leave before she starts having an episode. It was like looking at a fucked up reflection of yourself. So their Singularity revolves around the human mind somehow, huh? Interesting.

You decide to approach the D-Corp official next. She's...barely even awake when you check up on her. She's a thin pale woman with jet black hair, a generic white and black office uniform, and narrow eyes. She looks like she's from T-Corp's district, like Maruyama? She's currently sprawled out onto piles on piles of papers with one motto written on all of them.

""We die in the darkness so you may live in the light."

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] D-Company's motto. While most of the meanings behind the Alphabet Company's letters are usually some form of double entendre or otherwise hidden, D-Company doesn't hide that their true name is Dark Operations Incorporated.

"Hello?" You shake the D-Corp Rep's shoulder. You immediately step back when she throws a punch at you. "Shénme?" The young woman glares in your direction.
>>
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"Wǒ huì dài nǐ xiàqù-" She babbles in some foreign district tongue. Yeah, whatever district she came from, it wasn't T-Corp. "...Who are you?" She immediately switches to the more universal, 'business friendly' one most people speak.

"Nicole Smith." You hold your hand out. "Simply looking for connections. You work for D-Corp, right?" You sit down at her table.

"Yue Xia. At your service." Yeah, you definitely don't recognize that naming scheme but you'd guess Yue is actually her last name. Some districts have a custom that have the last name first. T-Corp's districts have that but D-Corp?

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] You don't recall anything like this from D-Corp's district. Though you know that S and T-Corp's borders are adjacent to each other.

"Came from S Corp?" You throw out a guess.

Yue raises an eyebrow. "Correct. Regardless, I don't really have much to offer you." She looks back down at the pile of paperwork she was skimming through. "Too busy with this. Can't really talk. Sorry."

"It's fine. Just wanted to offer some help since I'm good with handling anomalies."

This immediately catches her interest. She narrows her eyes (even more than they normally were) at you. "How so? Got any proof?"

"Well, you're in cohoots with P-Corp, right? And containing anomalies too?" This gets a nod out of Yue. "Does the name 'Heart on My Sleeve' ring a bell?" You get another nod out of her. "I encountered it. Survived it. Hell, this jacket?" You point at the bomber jacket you have on. "It gave it to me."

"...You. A random civilian. Encountered an anomaly and not just survived but got a fucking PARADIGM FROM IT?!" She smashes her hand onto the table before collapsing in sheer despair. "we spent the last few hours trying to get it to react positively to anyone. we were about to ship it to p-corp so they can handle it."

"Huh? I just told it to wear a dress. It wanted to 'go to the city' or something so I told it to make a good first impression."

"Wait. Dress to go into the City?" Something clicks in her head. <"Oh. It tries to mimic whatever environment it wants to go to? It kept rambling about our facility..."> "You know, that gave us a bit of a break through. We've been trying to find out the origins of where anomalies are coming from, you see. We were established only 30 or so years ago to do this very thing."

"Do you mind telling us everything you know about anomalies, please?" Yue gestures at you to speak.

You give her a quick run down of every anomaly you've encountered and what their quirks were. She nods along, taking it all in. "So, you said you've encountered two people who either became or were going to turn into anomalies during a mental episode when they were exposed to A-Energy? Interesting. That actually fits in line with a theory I was working on..." She hums.

"We've had isolated cases happening but...hm. I have to tell the Overseers about this. If anomalous energy can turn other people into anomalies..."
>>
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She hands you a small slip of paper. Glancing down at it, it seems to be the address to some sort of coffee shop? No, wait, it's a coupon. Seems pretty exclusive by the looks of it.
>D-CORP COFFEE COUPON ACQUIRED! (Can purchase of three items of a D-Corp coffee shop near your apartment for free. Coffee purchased this way will grant temporary abilities and boons depending on the type purchased.)
>+1 D-CORP (DARKNESS) FAVOR ACQUIRED!
>-2 DC to all checks involving contacting or interacting with D-Company employees.

"Keep this between us. If word of this goes out to anyone, people will panic. P-Company needs to know about the dangers their products pose." Yue mutters. "We've already been having problems keeping up with how many anomalies are manifesting lately. And if people are intentionally, or unintentionally, being turned into them..."

"Look. This information may save lives. Thank you for your service."

"No problem. You pocket it. "Thank you for your time-" And she's already passed out. Could've gone better but eh, you don't feel like pressuring her. One last table to go. The cop table.

There's five of them sitting at a booth, chattering away and eating a platter of random breakfast foods. Despite it being late in the afternoon. All of the cops look shockingly similar to each other. Each of them is a man in their late 40s with bushy mustaches, lightly tanned skin, and a muscular body type. Each is wearing a bright orange police uniform with a pin of a hand crushing something on their breastpockets.

The only way you can tell them apart is by their hair color. Red, black, silver, blonde, and brown hair.

Mr. Brown is the first to look up at you. His mouth twists into a conceited sneer. "Missy, we're on a break right now. If someone is breaking into your house, bother us later."
Mr. Silver snorts when he sees who his partner is talking to. "Aw, don't be rude to her. She's probably looking for a lost dog or something."
Mr. Red, Black, and Blonde don't even acknowledge you aside from laughing at your expense. Hrm.

You click your tongue. Time to think of something that might impressive them. "Ace Strikers ring a bell to you?"

Mr. Red looks up from the pancake he was eating. "Those cunts? What about 'em? We tried to deal with them once they started making a fuss in I-Corp's districts but we couldn't do nothing. Something about 'company relationships' and 'not stirring the pot.'"

"I killed their leader. Crippled them. They're no longer a thing." You grin. "All me."

The table goes silent.

Mr. Black stares right at you. "Excuse me?"

"Killed him." You pull out the revolver you stole from the Boss of that syndicate and place it onto the table. All of the officers stare at it with shock and awe plastered on their face.

"Holy fucking shit." Mr. Blonde mutters to himself. "Look, kid. You saved us a lot of hassle with this. Do you know how much of a pain in the ASS it is to deal with inter-district crimes lately?"
>>
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"You gotta get a permit to operate in that District if you're working by the book, THEN you have to get approved nd assigned to the case..." Mr. Red mutters.

"And then, even after all of that, sometimes they won't let us use firearms!" Mr. Silver huffs. "Something about 'it cuts too much into our budget'. Buncha nonsense from the Head, I tell you. WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DEAL WITH THIS, NOT RANDOM BITCHES!"

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Gun permits and ammo can be VERY annoying to acquire if you're not R-Corp, J-Corp, X-Corp, or an ETF agent. And usually, it costs an arm and a leg if you aim to keep it above board.
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Most of your ammo and guns were stolen from random people you killed, for instance.

"You saved us a lot of paperwork." Mr. Brown nods. "Tell you what. If you don't mind us taking credit, we'll give you a small favor. How's that?"

You shrug. "Sure, fuck it. I already got paid for doing it, you guys can take the credit."

"Excellent!" The mood in the table suddenly swings from 'what is this bitch doing here' to damn near praising you for saving them from having to do any work.
>+1 J-CORP (LAW AND ORDER) FAVOR!

They promptly throw you a bright orange catalog with a police badge on the cover and a clip of pistol ammo before promptly blabbering to themselves about what a great job they did. Huh.

No wonder why Cleaners exist if doing police work is so mired in red tape. Seems like trying to keep things in check requires way too much red tape from them to be effective...

>+6 ARMOR PIERCING PISTOL ROUNDS (Against armored targets or machines, roll an additional +3d6. Used by J-Corp to deal with high risk targets.)
>+J-CORP CATALOG (Contains a variety of training manuals and equipment to improve your combat abilities, on hire guards to keep you safe, and specialized ammo and grenade types.)
>-2 DC to all future skill checks when trying to talk to J-Corp.

Neat. You decide to head back to your table where your allies are at. Sitting down, you realize that they already ordered you something to eat. It's a juicy, medium rare steak with a glass of red wine. The steak looks way bigger and juicier than any meat you had before in your life. You look up to see Alexis flashing a smile at you.

"A reward for not fucking up. Don't worry about paying it and, please, feel free to order another one if you wish."

Fuck. You're not going to complain. As you prepare to dig into your stake, you wonder what to ask Naomi and Alexis. You already bothered Kiara with questions after the training course so you don't feel like bothering her. If she wants to say something, she will.

"Thanks." You offer your best smile to her.

Kiara looks up from the pile of pasta she's been devouring. "I always wondered why they installed fake taste buds into me." Kiara mutters. "I know now what heaven tastes like."

Naomi is busy just eating at a simple sandwich in silence. It's clear she's still a bit tense when it comes to social interactions. Hm.
>>
Select three questions to ask Naomi and Alexis, given how they're your main focus.

ALEXIS
>"So, you work with a lot of people. Cleaners. Alphabet Companies. Would you mind telling me anyone you think might be useful for me down the line?"
>"Where the hell DO you get all of your equipment? Got any shops you could recommend? You seem to be able to get a lot of stuff in a REALLY short amount of time."
>"Say. Apparently my Handler is some rich, important fuck. You deal with rich, important fucks. Does Otto Foxtrot ring a bell?" Try to pry a bit into your Handler and his motivations through Alexis.
>"Did I do well? Mind telling me where I fucked up?" Ask her for feedback on how you handled talking to the company reps.
>"Random guess. I think you might know something about two people I know. Frank and Bennett. What do you know?" You met Frank but you don't know much about him. Knowing more about an ally you might hire later could be useful.
>Eh, no need to bore her too much with business talk. "Mind telling me what you'd recommend to eat here? Way out of my depth with fancy shit." Just have some normal chitchat with her.
>Write in.

NAOMI
>"What was your history with Alex? You two seemed to have a past with each other? Did you work for X-Corp before?" Pry into her relationship with X-Corp and its officials.
>"If you don't mind me bringing down the mood, the hell is up with the Antiseptic War? My memory on it is foggy these days." You ask, just in case it's relevant in the future.
>"Hey. You know we're not going to judge you on your past, right?" Try to make her feel welcomed in the group. She's been a useful presence and what's in the past is in the past.
>"So, you were an ETF agent, right? What is that like? Got any tips you can pass down to me?" Maybe she can give you some useful advice. She is a old hag, after all.
>"If you don't mind me prying-" You point at the burn scars she keeps hidden away in bandage wrap. "Where the hell did you get those? I'm curious."
>"Uh, got any sewing tips for me?" You nervously laugh as you point at your Antlers. Might as well keep the conversation simple and light to make sure she feels comfortable talking with you and the others.
>Write in.

Sorry for the delay, had to write a lot this update. Most updates probably won't be this big.
Good job on not fucking up on your first impression rolls. Seems like being a deer schizo is remarkably charming, eh? Will update the pastebin later when I'm not bone tired.
>>
>>5949497
>"Did I do well? Mind telling me where I fucked up?" Ask her for feedback on how you handled talking to the company reps.
>"Random guess. I think you might know something about two people I know. Frank and Bennett. What do you know?" You met Frank but you don't know much about him. Knowing more about an ally you might hire later could be useful.
>Eh, no need to bore her too much with business talk. "Mind telling me what you'd recommend to eat here? Way out of my depth with fancy shit." Just have some normal chitchat with her.

>"Hey. You know we're not going to judge you on your past, right?" Try to make her feel welcomed in the group. She's been a useful presence and what's in the past is in the past.
>"If you don't mind me prying-" You point at the burn scars she keeps hidden away in bandage wrap. "Where the hell did you get those? I'm curious."
>"Uh, got any sewing tips for me?" You nervously laugh as you point at your Antlers. Might as well keep the conversation simple and light to make sure she feels comfortable talking with you and the others.
>>
>>5949497
That was a good series of updates. I especially enjoyed the W corp scene, that was really fun. I hope we can recruit her or someone like her and have a schizo mission.
>"Say. Apparently my Handler is some rich, important fuck. You deal with rich, important fucks. Does Otto Foxtrot ring a bell?" Try to pry a bit into your Handler and his motivations through Alexis.
>"Did I do well? Mind telling me where I fucked up?" Ask her for feedback on how you handled talking to the company reps.
>Eh, no need to bore her too much with business talk. "Mind telling me what you'd recommend to eat here? Way out of my depth with fancy shit." Just have some normal chitchat with her. Also ask her what her favorite fancy shit is.
Naomi
>"Hey. You know we're not going to judge you on your past, right?" Try to make her feel welcomed in the group. She's been a useful presence and what's in the past is in the past.
>"If you don't mind me prying-" You point at the burn scars she keeps hidden away in bandage wrap. "Where the hell did you get those? I'm curious."
>"Uh, got any sewing tips for me?" You nervously laugh as you point at your Antlers. Might as well keep the conversation simple and light to make sure she feels comfortable talking with you and the others.
>>
>>5949497
Wohoo, I hope J-Corp taking credit for Ace Strikers gets that warcrime company off our tail.
>"Random guess. I think you might know something about two people I know. Frank and Bennett. What do you know?" You met Frank but you don't know much about him. Knowing more about an all
>"Uh, got any sewing tips for me?" You nervously laugh as you point at your Antlers. Might as well keep the conversation simple and light to make sure she feels comfortable talking with you and the others.
>"What was your history with Alex? You two seemed to have a past with each other? Did you work for X-Corp before?" Pry into her relationship with X-Corp and its officials.
>>
>>5949497
ALEXIS
>"Did I do well? Mind telling me where I fucked up?" Ask her for feedback on how you handled talking to the company reps
First thing after we got pulled away
>"Say. Apparently my Handler is some rich, important fuck. You deal with rich, important fucks. Does Otto Foxtrot ring a bell?" Try to pry a bit into your Handler and his motivations through Alexis.
He's our boss and he's in this silver agent shit now too. And we killed his bro's gang for him
>Eh, no need to bore her too much with business talk. "Mind telling me what you'd recommend to eat here? Way out of my depth with fancy shit." Just have some normal chitchat with her.
The FOOD

I don't feel the need to ask Alexis about more useful people yet. We got plenty to work with at present.
I don't wanna ask about the free gear. I'm content with it being a mystery
Not asking about F&B either. Frank we can recruit on a mission and ask ourselves then. Bennett is still unknown...

NAOMI
>"Hey. You know we're not going to judge you on your past, right?" Try to make her feel welcomed in the group. She's been a useful presence and what's in the past is in the past.
We we ok with Quentin, we can be ok with grandma here. Ex-Silver or not
>"What was your history with Alex? You two seemed to have a past with each other? Did you work for X-Corp before?" Pry into her relationship with X-Corp and its officials.
Recent enough it feels natural to ask this here
>"Uh, got any sewing tips for me?" You nervously laugh as you point at your Antlers. Might as well keep the conversation simple and light to make sure she feels comfortable talking with you and the others.
And this is because the antlers are recent too

I refuse to ask about Antiseptic War here. Not with corporate officials listening in and not in this environment. Maybe next time
Don't wanna ask her about the ETF thing either, as I'm leaning to recruiting Frank for our next mission whatever it may be
I REFUSE to ask about the bacon body either. I've seen enough burned girls in fiction to know you leave that to later
>>
>>5949497
>"Where the hell DO you get all of your equipment? Got any shops you could recommend? You seem to be able to get a lot of stuff in a REALLY short amount of time."
>"Say. Apparently my Handler is some rich, important fuck. You deal with rich, important fucks. Does Otto Foxtrot ring a bell?" Try to pry a bit into your Handler and his motivations through Alexis.
>Eh, no need to bore her too much with business talk. "Mind telling me what you'd recommend to eat here? Way out of my depth with fancy shit." Just have some normal chitchat with her.

>"If you don't mind me bringing down the mood, the hell is up with the Antiseptic War? My memory on it is foggy these days." You ask, just in case it's relevant in the future.
>"Hey. You know we're not going to judge you on your past, right?" Try to make her feel welcomed in the group. She's been a useful presence and what's in the past is in the past.
>"Uh, got any sewing tips for me?" You nervously laugh as you point at your Antlers. Might as well keep the conversation simple and light to make sure she feels comfortable talking with you and the others.
>>
>>5949533
Change
>>5949497
>"Did I do well? Mind telling me where I fucked up?" Ask her for feedback on how you handled talking to the company reps.
>"Say. Apparently my Handler is some rich, important fuck. You deal with rich, important fucks. Does Otto Foxtrot ring a bell?" Try to pry a bit into your Handler and his motivations through Alexis.
>Eh, no need to bore her too much with business talk. "Mind telling me what you'd recommend to eat here? Way out of my depth with fancy shit." Just have some normal chitchat with her. Also ask her what her favorite fancy shit is.

>"Hey. You know we're not going to judge you on your past, right?" Try to make her feel welcomed in the group. She's been a useful presence and what's in the past is in the past.
>"What was your history with Alex? You two seemed to have a past with each other? Did you work for X-Corp before?" Pry into her relationship with X-Corp and its officials.
>"Uh, got any sewing tips for me?" You nervously laugh as you point at your Antlers. Might as well keep the conversation simple and light to make sure she feels comfortable talking with you and the others.
>>
>>5949712
>J Corp takes credit openly
>K Corp immediately zeroes in on them instead
Might go horribly wrong depending on how close they were to discovering Nicole was involved. K Corp cleanup crew were there at the silver agent's corpse, and that was only a couple streets away from Nicole's apartment.

>>5949697
I think if she knew the truth, the W Corp rep might be an enemy or fierce rival instead. Nicole is gradually becoming an anomaly, while the W Corp rep and the rest of W Corp are anti-anomaly to their core. They live in two separate worlds, on two separate sides of the insanity coin. Time will tell how events and characters develop
>>
>>5949497
>"So, you work with a lot of people. Cleaners. Alphabet Companies. Would you mind telling me anyone you think might be useful for me down the line?"
>"Where the hell DO you get all of your equipment? Got any shops you could recommend? You seem to be able to get a lot of stuff in a REALLY short amount of time."
>"Say. Apparently my Handler is some rich, important fuck. You deal with rich, important fucks. Does Otto Foxtrot ring a bell?" Try to pry a bit into your Handler and his motivations through Alexis.

>"Hey. You know we're not going to judge you on your past, right?" Try to make her feel welcomed in the group. She's been a useful presence and what's in the past is in the past.
>"So, you were an ETF agent, right? What is that like? Got any tips you can pass down to me?" Maybe she can give you some useful advice. She is a old hag, after all.
>"Uh, got any sewing tips for me?" You nervously laugh as you point at your Antlers. Might as well keep the conversation simple and light to make sure she feels comfortable talking with you and the others.
>>
>>5949773
That's fair enough, but I am deeply curious about W corp and their similarities to us. Even if not with her, something with W corp seems within our wheelhouse.

On K corp, I don't know how J corp claiming credit will affect things. Probably the best we can expect is a bigger delay before we have to deal with them though.
>>
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https://youtu.be/YWD2Z14w99Y - SUGAR MOUNTAIN

"So. Did I do good?" You start cutting into your steak into tiny pieces as you talk into Alexis. "Mind telling me where I fucked up? Feels like I could've done better." Putting a piece in your mouth, you can feel it almost immediately melt inside your mouth. Your body shivers from how JUICY it is. God, you never had meat this good.

[UNSTABLE] THAT'S WHAT I-

Alexis hums while she cuts into her own steak. "With the W-Corp one? No notes. You did what you could. Hell, I'll be honest, it was like you were talking to another version of yourself." She takes a small swig from a glass of bright white wine that's probably worth $300 for a single swig. "J-Corp, no comments. D-Corp? Well, you could've done better."

"How so?" Taking a sip of your own wine, you take a moment to savor it on your tongue. You make out some sort of blackcurrant and black cherry flavor from it. Pretty good.

"To be polite? Most of the people who work there are barely awake, barely conscious husks who run purely off coffee. They prefer blunt, to the point discussions. You talked a bit too long and she passed out before you could get anything more out of her." She politely but firmly tells you what faults she saw in your discussion. Huh. You guess the S-Corp thing was a waste of time.

"That company is VERY new and very underfunded so...expect a lot of that from anyone who works there?" Alexis shrugs."

"Oh, yeah! They're probably only still around because they're P-Company's biggest partner." Kiara chirps out. "I even heard rumors that the previous D-Company was 'convinced to retire' by P-Company so they could put a new power in their place."

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] This tracks with an old rumor you heard of. From what you recall, old D-Corp was more focused on exploring the underground sections of the City. Supposedly they merged with something else to make W-Corp?

"And about partners and powerful people, do you know anything about Otto Foxtrot?" You throw the name out before you take another swig of wine. Your head's already feeling quite fuzzy from it.

<"Oh, that prick? Fuck me."> "Well, I've heard about him. His family has a LOT of connections with the Alphabet Companies. I think he has diplomatic immunity with all of them aside from V-Company...which, yeah, don't blame him." There it is again, V-Company, the only major blind spot you have. "I actually talked to him a few times. He's actually pleasant company all things considered."

You raise an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah?" Alexis is weirdly confused by your reaction. Is she even talking about the same person you are? <"Sure, I want to blow his brains out, but I can say that with most of my associates."> "Only real issue I have with him is that he says freakshit WAY too much."

Might as well drop the present. "Yeah. Trust me, I know. I work for him."

And now the table is dead silent. All of your allies are staring at you. Uh?
>>
"Fuck me, no wonder why you're like that." Alexis snorts. "Yeah. Makes sense."
"...Pitiful. I feel sorry for you." You barely hear Naomi's muttering.
"Sorry." Kiara tries REALLY hard to hide her smirk.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean???" You try your best to hide your confused expression.

"I can't promise my information is in date but," Naomi finishes her sandwich in one, unnervingly big bite and swallow. "Isn't his family barely respect in the corporate world?"

"I believe so. No wonder why he has to rely on someone like you, no offense meant, to do tasks on his behalf." Alexis's expression is equal parts concerned, conceited, and disgusted. "Don't be shocked if he uses you to boost himself and his family name back into the spotlight. Cleaners are disposable, after all."

[PERSON OF INTEREST] Worrying. If he tries to drag too much attention to the both of you? The agents might move in. You can only hope he has the common sense to keep any power plays hidden for now.

How comforting. Wouldn't be too shocking if he tried using the existence of the Silver Agents to get the Companies on his side. Yet, from what it sounds like, they're about as powerful as an Alphabet Company if not GREATER...fuck. You'll worry about that when you talk to him later.

Naomi seems to notice the worry on your face. All she offers is a cryptic nod. "It's best to be worried." <"She's piecing it together. Good.">

"W-well then!" You try to wash away your worries with more wine and food. Soon enough, your glass and plate are empty. "Mind telling me what you'd recommend to eat here? Way out of my depth with fancy shit and, uh, still hungry."

"Mmh." Alexis waves her hand to get the attention of a waiter. "Tell you what? I'm in a morbid kind of mood. Do you have any deer on the menu today?" Oh this bitch-

The waiter nods.

"Excellent. Get me a cut of meat from it and some of the Syndie you know what." She whispers at the waiter. Before you even know it, he's gone. "I'll be honest. Most of the food here is actually pretty awful when it comes to being food."

"How so?" Your standards for restaurant food is that one Beetleburger place Q-Company owns and, like, the Bazaar of Desires or whatever you ate a few days ago.

"It's all fucking 'experience' slop!" Alexis' face contorts into a sneer of pure fucking rage. "Look at the menu!" You only now notice there's a menu still in front of you. You quickly flip through it. For every normal steak, sandwich, or plate of pasta there's...what the fuck is this? You squint at the pictures on the menu.

FLAVOR FROM 369 YEARS AGO. It's a cracked open can of that ancient 'Coca Cola' soda.
DECONSTRUCTED RASPBERRY CAKE. It's a plate with raw flour, scrambled eggs, and crushed raspberries covered in sugar.
MIDDLE AGED MAN'S DESPAIR. It's just a cup of black coffee and a pack of 'BLACK TAR' brand cigarettes

"What the fuck?"

"I know, right?" Kiara and Alexis yell out in unison.
>>
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"Look, I had to pick a place on short notice and this place is mostly for, to be frank, rich assholes who don't know any better." Alexis lets out an annoyed sigh. "I missed the days where I could just eat a fast food burger. But no, I'm obligated to go to these places."

"You care too much about how others perceive you." Naomi chimes in. "Though I suppose I am no better here."

"Yeah." You take this moment to segue into talking to Naomi about, well, yeah. "You do realize we're not going to judge you on your past, right?" Naomi flinches a bit but otherwise doesn't respond to you. "I mean, look, your presence was helpful this mission and I know the Agent was trying to mindgame us."

[SILVER INSTINCTS] "Don't act like you understand." Naomi's mouth twists into a sneer. "I respect the attempt but there's a reason I've been-"

"Sorry."

This immediately causes Naomi's anger to disappear. "I apologize too. It's just not an aspect on my past I wish to dwell on. Let alone dwell with others who know about it."

"Isn't it more helpful to have someone who understands them? I know basically nothing about them but you're more of an asset than a detriment with that knowledge." Alexis points out. Naomi can only sputter out confused, conflicted noises.

"I literally saw a sentient centipede revive corpses before and he's a valuable ally to me. C'mon. It's all in the past." You try your best to comfort Naomi.

"Word." An electric snort escapes Kiara. "And I'm a robot. Being some mysterious vague agent in the past isn't remotely as weird."

"If you say so." Naomi relaxes a bit in her chair.

"Hell, speaking about how useful you are, got any tips for uh-" You point at your antlers. "Sewing? You know? With these fucking things?"

[SILVER INSTINCTS] "Cut them off." A weird smirk crosses her face. "It can't be that hard."

You narrow your eyes at her. She shakes her head, muttering to herself about 'old habits'. "Well, it's not my first time dealing with outfit modifications. It's best that you measure the base of the horn to make sure, once it's through, there's no space for any water to leak onto your head."

"Pft, what, are horns THAT common in your old line of duty?"

"Yes." Naomi bluntly states. "You could not imagine the amount of degenerates who would use body mods to get animalistic features. I even once saw something I thought was an anomaly. A wolf that stood on two legs. But, alas, it was simply a rich mistress who belonged to a M-Company employee."

"...yeaaahhh, not my first time seeing a mod like that. Once saw a woman with a fox's head. Not sure why people get those." Soon, the conversation devolves into the four of you making fun of various freaks who invest WAY too much money into body mods. Time begins to pass by as the four of you enjoy your meals.

Naomi seems to be escaping her shell with every second that passes by and Alexis starts getting a bit too honest with you as she gets wasted on white wine.
>+1 RAPPORT WITH NAOMI AND ALEXIS!
>>
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The venison steak, as morbid of a joke as it was, was actually quite good if a bit gamey. The 'syndi-cake' Alexis ordered was a cream-filled roll which tasted okay. She said something about it being banned in five Districts for some reason?

"Fuck, you think THAT'S weird? I once heard of a guy who was hooking up with FIFTY different Drones. You would not BELIEVE how jealous those husks can get." Alexis sneers as she recounts yet another story. "There were only bones left when we found his body."

"I once knew of a Harvester who, well, 'consumed' her male partner's special part in one bite when he cheated on her. The amount of blood coming out of it was impressive." Naomi chuckles under her bandage wrap mask.

You begin to tune out all of the weird stories until, before you know it, the four of you are stumbling out of the restaurant in a drunken haze. Kiara and Alexis disappear into the streets of this section of District 24, leaving you and Naomi to wander back into the train.
>KIARA AND ALEXIS LEFT THE PARTY.

"So." You try your best to keep your focus as your vision blurs. "What's up with you and Alex? What's your history?"

"...It's a long story." Naomi whimpers out. A sad, wistful note drenches her words as she continues to mutter. "After I left the Silvers, I ran here. This used to be my home. My district. We met when I was 30 and, well, we worked together for a few decades. That's how I got these-" She gestures at her old tribal tattoos. "It used to be a tradition back in X-Corp. It was my squadron's tattoos."

"I'm guessing it didn't end well?" You mutter as the two stumble onto the train that got you here. It's empty, like it always is. All you can do as it travels back to your district is to talk with Naomi.

"No. We were the only members left after an incident I rather not speak on. Needless to say, I didn't feel like I deserved to come back here. It's been years since I talked to him directly. But, well, he owed me. So he actually gave me a Nest permit. Tried to, at least."

You raise an eyebrow. "Why the hell would you reject that? Aren't those places the best places to live in the City?"

"Yes. But, look, I don't feel comfortable explaining why I rejected it." Naomi clicks her tongue. "All I can say is this. I've been with X-Company for a long while but after what happened, I didn't feel like I deserved to be here."

There's an odd silence as the two of you wait on the empty train. Outside the train is pure darkness aside from the blips of lights from the buildings in the City. "If I could give you some advice? The only home you'll ever truly have is the home you make for yourself. You'll leave your district eventually. Especially if THEY are following you."

The train eventually stops at G-Corp's district. Before Naomi exits the train, she looks back at you for a split second. "All that matters is you survive. Anything and anyone else comes second. That's how a good person lives." How vague and ominous.
>>
Before you have time to question her, she's gone.
>NAOMI HAS LEFT THE PARTY.

Hm. You suppose she'll stay cryptic and vague about herself until you get a better bond. As you walk back to your apartment, you try your best to ignore the X-Corp agents disguised as random workers shoveling snow out of the streets.

You head back inside and immediately collapse onto the bed in an exhausted heap. When you wake up, it's still dark in your room. You feel a bit better, at least? Hard to say really.

>UNMARKED VIAL DAMAGE REMOVED!
>??? UNTIL K-CORP MAKES ITS MOVE?

Select up to three SET UP TIME ACTIONS to take.
>Take some time to mediate. Focus. (+1 MAX RESTRAINT, +1 RESTRAINT, FOR THE MISSION.)
>Best to stock up on some equipment. (Choose between NEAL'S REAL DEALS, WEIRD ANOMALOUS STORE, or ordering from the corporate catalogs. NEAL'S offers general supplies, WEIRD ANOMALOUS STORE offers niche and situational but powerful items, and the catalogs offer you unique items from W or J-Corp. You may spend multiple actions to visit/use multiple of these.)
>Check out one of your old caches nearby. See what stuff you have hidden away. (You'll roll 5d100, thanks to your new power, to determine what loot you get from the cache. You may write in a general category of supply to search for to increase the odds of getting it.)
>Call up Gregory to get some supplies from him (CONNECTIONS DC: 10. Pass, you'll get to select one of three pieces of decent equipment. Failure, you'll get some random trinkets with questionable usefulness. You may write in what type of supplies you want him.)
>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Take a long, long walk around the District. (You'll roll 4d100 if you pick this. 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.)
>[UNSTABLE] HEY. TV MAN. LET'S TALK TO HIM. (You'll get some random but very useful information if you pick this.)
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] We have a phone number Kiara gave us a while ago, something about a contact that might know about the spooks. That and the radio. Let's fiddle with them. (Choose between the SILVER WALKIE TALKIE or THE PHONE CALL, or both for two actions.)
>Call a contact you have. (Write in. Ms. Anjaro to learn about the Wastes? Ms. Wiltshire about the History of the City? One of the three Corporate Reps you visited? Alex to cache in some favors? Someone else?)
>Might as well visit that coffee shop the D-Corp rep gave you a coupon for. Go there.
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Might as well try to see how your Antlers work. Try to experiment with them! (WILLPOWER DC: ???. The higher you roll, the more information you get on how they work. You may write in how you want to test them in order to affect the DC.)
>Call Sukane to get some more SET UP TIME actions with his T-Corp connections. (FREE ACTION, -$450 per extra action. Write in how many actions to buy, if any.)
>Write in.
>>
>>5950291
>>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Might as well try to see how your Antlers work. Try to experiment with them! (WILLPOWER DC: ???. The higher you roll, the more information you get on how they work. You may write in how you want to test them in order to affect the DC.)
Lets try and focus our telekenesis or something through them, maybe they act like focusing conduits for our powers.
>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Take a long, long walk around the District. (You'll roll 4d100 if you pick this. 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.)
Hmmmm, Anomalous
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] We have a phone number Kiara gave us a while ago, something about a contact that might know about the spooks. That and the radio. Let's fiddle with them. (Choose between the SILVER WALKIE TALKIE or THE PHONE CALL, or both for two actions.)
Phone call, we should establish this contact.
>>
>>5950291
>Take some time to mediate. Focus. (+1 MAX RESTRAINT, +1 RESTRAINT, FOR THE MISSION.)
>Check out one of your old caches nearby. See what stuff you have hidden away. (You'll roll 5d100, thanks to your new power, to determine what loot you get from the cache. You may write in a general category of supply to search for to increase the odds of getting it.)
Stuff to help us on our fishing trip mission
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] We have a phone number Kiara gave us a while ago, something about a contact that might know about the spooks. That and the radio. Let's fiddle with them. (Choose between the SILVER WALKIE TALKIE or THE PHONE CALL, or both for two actions.)
Phone Call

(From CHOOSE YOUR NEXT MISSION, NICOLE!)
>"You better not get sea-sick easily, we got a crew over at District 19 who needs someone to assist them during their fishing trip. Help them harvest, protect them from any thieves, and try bringing back something special." REWARD: $975, the tough work will likely improve your FLESH and VIOLENCE stats permanently. RISK LEVEL: MEDIUM-HIGH
We are going to do a fishing trip mission in District 19.

My team setup:
ADAM and BENEDICT help with harvest.
LEX, QUENTIN, ASHLEY on guard duty.
bring NAOMI too because ([MILITARY EXPERIENCE] While she's not a great combatant by herself, her past experiences has molded her into an excellent commander and advisor. Everyone else gains +1 VIOLENCE, +1 RESTRAINT, +1 TALENT, and +1 WILLPOWER while she's in the party. In addition, she may add 2d6 to any roll you or your allies make twice per mission.) skill boost on all our teams.

Also, we may potentially encounter an anomalies entity in District 19: "There's also this weird rumor about some sort of admiral roaming around Districts 19 through 21. Apparently he's a Color tier threat." You flinch. If he's a Color, he's WAY out of your league to deal with. "I don't know what his deal is but I would watch out for anyone wearing a buncha medals on his uniform."

No.5885279
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/5850165
>>
>>5950291
>Check out one of your old caches nearby. See what stuff you have hidden away. (You'll roll 5d100, thanks to your new power, to determine what loot you get from the cache. You may write in a general category of supply to search for to increase the odds of getting it.)
I trust Naomi. I want to go after a nearby cache before Nicole inevitably needs to run from G District elsewhere
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Might as well try to see how your Antlers work. Try to experiment with them! (WILLPOWER DC: ???. The higher you roll, the more information you get on how they work. You may write in how you want to test them in order to affect the DC.)
We just got them, so I want to try them. No way in hell we're going to be able to Mind Whip or anything close in one fucking day, but baby steps are initial ones.
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] We have a phone number Kiara gave us a while ago, something about a contact that might know about the spooks. That and the radio. Let's fiddle with them. (Choose between the SILVER WALKIE TALKIE or THE PHONE CALL, or both for two actions.)
Phone call, to establish contact as >>5950365 said
>>
>>5950435
Change
>>5950291
>Check out one of your old caches nearby. See what stuff you have hidden away. (You'll roll 5d100, thanks to your new power, to determine what loot you get from the cache. You may write in a general category of supply to search for to increase the odds of getting it.)
Stuff to help us on our fishing trip mission
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] We have a phone number Kiara gave us a while ago, something about a contact that might know about the spooks. That and the radio. Let's fiddle with them. (Choose between the SILVER WALKIE TALKIE or THE PHONE CALL, or both for two actions.)
Phone Call
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Might as well try to see how your Antlers work. Try to experiment with them! (WILLPOWER DC: ???. The higher you roll, the more information you get on how they work. You may write in how you want to test them in order to affect the DC.)
>>
>>5950291
>Check out one of your old caches nearby. See what stuff you have hidden away. (You'll roll 5d100, thanks to your new power, to determine what loot you get from the cache. You may write in a general category of supply to search for to increase the odds of getting it.)
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] We have a phone number Kiara gave us a while ago, something about a contact that might know about the spooks. That and the radio. Let's fiddle with them. (Choose between the SILVER WALKIE TALKIE or THE PHONE CALL, or both for two actions.)
PHONE
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Might as well try to see how your Antlers work. Try to experiment with them! (WILLPOWER DC: ???. The higher you roll, the more information you get on how they work. You may write in how you want to test them in order to affect the DC.)
>For the testing, I want to focus on either using our horns as a conduit and a focus for our abilities, like a wand, or as a way to research deeper into our nature. I’m more partial to the wand attempt though.

Man, Alexis is a fun bitch. Lots of fun going on missions with her, the venison joke was great. We should also go to the movies with Kiara and maybe like Muryama soon. Oh also, could we maybe have a free action added to put the phone we took from Gregory on the charger? The old one?
>put the old phone we took from Gregory’s stash on the ancient charger (free action?)
>>
>>5950540
>Oh also, could we maybe have a free action added to put the phone we took from Gregory on the charger? The old one?
Sure. No reason not to. I'd just include that as part of whatever the final plan ends up being since there's no cost to doing it.
>>
Question everyone: which district corp should we live in if we pack up and leave the G-corp district?

Maybe X-Corp district will be our new home temporarily, or we can go nomadic routes.
>>
Also, silver agents are planning something in the X-Corp district:

"Achieve one of the following goals."
"Eliminate the Sergeant Major and Command Sergeant Major of this base."
"Divert their attention and resources from our operation involving a Type 4 occurring in their section. Any method allowed."
"Record and transmit any confidential plans that might hamper our operations back to HQ."

>"Divert their attention and resources from our operation involving a Type 4 occurring in their section. Any method allowed."

We haven't told the X-Corp this information yet.

No.5932897
https://boards.4chan.org/qst/thread/5893937#bottom
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>>5950553
Think we should call and tell Alex this, or will the silvers intercept it or eavesdrop?
>>
>>5950291
>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Take a long, long walk around the District. (You'll roll 4d100 if you pick this. 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.)
New Shop
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] We have a phone number Kiara gave us a while ago, something about a contact that might know about the spooks. That and the radio. Let's fiddle with them. (Choose between the SILVER WALKIE TALKIE or THE PHONE CALL, or both for two actions.)
Phone call
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Might as well try to see how your Antlers work. Try to experiment with them! (WILLPOWER DC: ???. The higher you roll, the more information you get on how they work. You may write in how you want to test them in order to affect the DC.)
>>
>>5950291
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] We have a phone number Kiara gave us a while ago, something about a contact that might know about the spooks. That and the radio. Let's fiddle with them. THE PHONE CALL
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Might as well try to see how your Antlers work. Try to experiment with them!
>Write in. Look for a new home.
>>
>>5950291
>Check out one of your old caches nearby. See what stuff you have hidden away. (You'll roll 5d100, thanks to your new power, to determine what loot you get from the cache. You may write in a general category of supply to search for to increase the odds of getting it.)
>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Take a long, long walk around the District. (You'll roll 4d100 if you pick this. 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.)
New Shop
>Might as well visit that coffee shop the D-Corp rep gave you a coupon for. Go there.
>>
ANOMALOUS ABILITIES: T2m, 9VB, IkB, O5H, QKD, Cp5
COFFEE SHOP: GWO
NEW HOME: Cp5
PERSON OF INTEREST (PHONE CALL): Cp5, QKD, O5H, 9VB, IkB, T2M
SCHOLAR OF THE CITY: T2m, QKD, GWO
CACHE: GWO, O5h, 9VB, IkB
Seems pretty solid on what to do. But before we do the absolutely insane amount of rolls, I'll ask for a small vote since SCHOLAR OF THE CITY and CACHE were pretty close. Do you want to spend $450 to get an action to do that as well or just stick to three this time?

>SCHOLAR TOO. WHY NOT? (-$450, you'll get a chance to find some interesting things around your District depending on how you luck out.)
>NAH. JUST STICK TO THE ANOMALOUS ABILITIES + PERSON OF INTEREST + CACHE (Rolls will commence for the mentioned actions.)
>>
>>5950929
>>SCHOLAR TOO. WHY NOT? (-$450, you'll get a chance to find some interesting things around your District depending on how you luck out.)
I feel like this is worth more than the $450
>>
>>5950929
>SCHOLAR TOO. WHY NOT? (-$450, you'll get a chance to find some interesting things around your District depending on how you luck out.)
Honestly a really good deal for us. Thanks Handler. Do you want a write in on what we search for? Or are you using what people put down before?
>>
>>5950945
I'll use a combination of NEW SHOP + ANOMALOUS (which is what the SCHOLAR OF THE CITY voters picked) as what you're more likely to find, so don't worry about having to add another write in.
>>
>>5950929
>SCHOLAR TOO. WHY NOT? (-$450, you'll get a chance to find some interesting things around your District depending on how you luck out.)
Arigato, T Corp-san
>>
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Time is underneath our control.
Time is nothing but a construct.
Time is nothing but a tool.
The end only occurs when we want to. We will only end when we want to.
Dark Hour Protocol activating. Readjusting current stream. Adjusting timetable.
Practical delay for our plans: 2.1 milliseconds.

...

You feel weird. Something, somewhere, you know something has changed but you can't quite put it your finger on what just happened. You check your phone. Huh, was it always 12 AM?

Whatever just happened, you probably have a few extra hours to burn. Only now do you realize that your pocket is shockingly light. You were just about to call him but it seems like whatever you planned was already done.
>-$450! $1258 left.

-------

Now onto the actual rolls. Since we have a lot to roll, here's how we're going to handle it. I need four anons to roll the following
>5d100 (CACHE)
>2d100 (first half of SCHOLAR)
>2d100 (second half of SCHOLAR)
>6d6 (WILLPOWER check, whoever rolls this may spend one charge on your AMULET to reroll any two dice.)
Using them as a focus is the most suggested course, so a DC 17 to see how well they focus your abilities (if at all) is what you'll need to beat for the WILLPOWER check.

TABLE FOR CACHE LOOT (UNCHANGED FROM NORMAL TABLE)
1-20: Consumable (self explanatory)
21-40: Defensive (armor, tasers, pepper spray, etc etc. Something to help protect you.)
41-63: Offensive (Melee weapons, molotovs, etc etc. Something meant to hurt people.)
64-81: Supportive (Counterfeit IDs, tools, advanced cameras, etc etc. Something to help you out in the field.)
82-93: Exclusive (Stolen company resources, company exclusive items, etc etc. Something that usually only highly connected people get.)
94-100: Anomalous (You're not quite sure what you'll get if you roll this.)

TABLE FOR SCHOLAR (MORE LIKELY FOR SHOP AND ANOMALOUS)

1-9: The sea of people passing by you makes you wonder how their lives are... (You'll learn more about the people living in the district. May be useful down the line.)
10-40: Oh, that's an interesting looking building! (You'll gain a new place to visit during your SETUP and FREE TIME phases.)
40-45: "Hey, miss! Come over here!" (You encounter a potential ALLY.)
46-57: A crowd of Cleaners pass by you, muttering and yelling about something. You keep an open ear. (You'll learn some advice that'll be useful for later missions.)
58-66: There's something weird about the alleyway you walked past. You decide to take another check. (You'll learn a useful secret about the City.)
67-97: The air grows thick and heavy. Your legs move on their own. You can sense something ANOMALOUS nearby. (ANOMALY ENCOUNTER)
98-100: The air grows thick and heavy. You swear the streets were crowded moments before. What's going on? (???)
>>
Rolled 76, 87 = 163 (2d100)

>>5951008
rolling scholar part 1
>>
Rolled 38, 86, 26, 60, 67 = 277 (5d100)

>>5951008
Rolling Cache
>>
Rolled 1, 5, 6, 2, 2, 6 = 22 (6d6)

>>5951008
Here we go. Max willpower!
>>
Rolled 28, 44 = 72 (2d100)

>>5951008
QUADRUPLE ANOMALY ENCOUNTER BLAST, GGGRRRRRAAAAAAHHHHHH
>>
RESULTS
CACHE: DEFENSIVE, EXCLUSIVE, DEFENSIVE, OFFENSIVE, SUPPORTIVE
SCHOLAR: ANOMALY, ANOMALY, SHOP, ALLY.
WILLPOWER: SUCCESS.
Writing.
>>
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Time nonsense aside, you have some tomfuckery of your own to do. First thing first? Testing out your new antlers. You open up your closet and, with a small sigh, you take Naomi's advice on how best to cut some horns into every piece of clothing you have with a hood. It's a slow, annoying process but you literally bought an extra two hours (you think?) so you have time to spare. Small circles of cloth and leather fall to the floor every minute or so.

After twenty minutes, you have antler-proofed all of your clothes and hats that matter. Looking down at the pile of circular cloth and leather pieces cut out of your outfits, you wonder something. No point letting these go to waste. You levitate a handful of circular leather pieces into the air with no resistance and, with a deep breath, you focus with your antlers.

You decide to try to see if they can be used as a focus. A wand, almost. After your deep breath, you begin to strain your telekinesis through your antlers to get any sort of reaction out of them. A throbbing headache unlike what you normally feel when you use your powers immediately makes itself known. You're on the right track at least.

Letting your hands rest by your sides, you try your best to focus every inch of your telekinesis through your antlers. Sparks of orange and pink energy crackle from your antlers as, suddenly...

>22. SUCCESS!

A bright flash of light erupts from the pieces of leather you were messing with. No, not just any light. They're in flames now. In the corner of your eye, you can just barely see your reflection in the bathroom mirror. Your antlers are glowing a bright orange-pink hue as the leather pieces continue to burn.

The moment you stop focusing, the pieces drop to the floor into melting heaps of burnt leather.

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Leather doesn't start to melt like that until you reach 550 degrees.
[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Your telekinesis can damage objects but not like this. It's normally only able to crush things on par with your grip strength. So to press down on leather so hard, it heats up to 550? That's damn impressive.
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Granted, this was with tiny circles of leather. A full jacket or more durable materials would require more effort.

>ANTLER ABILITY REVEALED: FOCUS (You may spend 1 FLESH, 1 RESTRAINT, or increase the DC of a power activation by +4 to temporarily boost the next power you use. This may unlock choices otherwise impossible with your regular abilities. A list has been added to MAIN CHARACTER SHEET)

Hot damn. You don't mind these things. You use your antler-focused telekinesis to ignite every loose piece of fabric and leather laying around before, with a simple thought, your phone levitates up to your ear. You dial in the number Kiara gave you and wait for someone to pick up.

"Don't say who you are. I don't need to know." A masculine voice with an electronic filter masking it responses. "I am Zeta-Zero. Friend of Camera?"
>>
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[PERSON OF INTEREST] While you can't make out much through the electronic filter, you can tell he's already suspicious of you through his voice. Can't blame him.

Camera? Must be about Kiara. "Yes."

"Good. Connection established. I assume this is about the glows, correct?"

"Yes. Targeted by them. PoI. Anomalous potential. That's all I think you need to know." You hiss out. Something who understands who you're dealing with.

"Correct. They can trace our calls, so don't say anything too specific. Zeta-Zero is used by 5367 ETF across 26 districts, for instance. Select a code name I can refer to you before this call ends."

Well then. What codename do you pick?
>NS. Your initials, first thing that came to mind.
>DEER. Some part of you feels like that's an apt codename for you.
>WILD. You're probably seen as a wild card by all of your associates, best to own up to it.
>KILLER. We already killed one of them.
>EXPLORER. Let's be factual about what we are.
>SMITH. Simple, to the point.
>No, no, something better. (Write in.)

"Here is what I can offer you. I can supply you with one of three things from them once a day. A classified document from them. The location of one of their bases. The names of people they are associated with."

"Only one of them per day?"

"Too risky until we can establish an in person connection. Need to know I can trust you first."

"Hm. I have a 'connection' with one of them. A 'wire'. Do you know what I'm talking about? I need a 'charge' for it." You mutter as you plug in that old cellphone charger into a plug in your apartment. You plug the antique cellphone in. It'll be finished charging once the Handler calls you on your mission.

"Understood. Will supply you with that as well. I found another 'connection'. Too 'unreliable' for me, might have a 'charge' for you. When the line goes quiet, whisper what you want me to deliver. I will leave in a nearby location to where you are at." Whoever this man is, he seems like he's on your side. Even though, how could he know where you're calling from?
>You'll get a battery for your SILVER WALKIE TALKIE when the Man on the Phone delivers his package.

[PERSON OF INTEREST] Probably a safety measure in case a Silver called him. Can't blame him. He doesn't know you, you don't know him.

As the line goes silent, you whisper that you want...
>"A classified document, please." (You may add in one KEYWORD to narrow down what the document is about.)
>"A base location, please." (You may ask for one in a specific DISTRICT.)
>"Names, please." (You'll get some clues into who they associate with. They can't be working alone, after all.)

Immediately after, the line disconnects. All you can do is to wait for him to deliver the package, you suppose. You change into fur-lined boots and a thick fur-lined jacket (luckily, the holes you cut in its hood were perfectly sized to not let any snow or rain slip through) before exiting your apartment building.
>>
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The streets of District 7 (to be specific, G-ALPHA-1) are like they always are. Iced over and coated in a thick layer of powdery white snow. The dark streets are only illuminated by scattered street lamps and the occasional 24/7 open BEETLEBURGER or pawn shop. There's barely anyone outside aside from three very conspicuous men shoveling snow near your apartment.

X-Corp could be a bit more subtle, you know-

"Miss." One of the disguised soldiers calls out. "A man was running through here. Shades, leather jacket, baseball bat. He ran when he saw us. Just to inform you." Ah. Ashton was trying to pull another sneak attack on you, huh? You simply nod at them before walking away from your apartment. You decide to simply let your legs move on their own, taking you wherever they feel like.

>28

The first thing you notice on your walk through the maze of barely illuminated streets is a shop that's still open despite how late it is. "LILY'S BONES AND BLADES" is written above in blocky, blonde-yellow paint. It's a small, pa and ma looking butcher's shop that clashes hard with the rest of the buildings around it. While the other buildings around it are generic, modern aged buildings, this one is made out of mostly brick and old wood.

Racks on racks of various types of meats and sausages are visible through the window. The counter is currently being occupied by a young woman with silver-blonde hair in a green butcher's apron. She looks up from a bloody cleaver she's cleaning and stares RIGHT down at you.

Her mouth opens into a smile. There's way too many jagged, sharp teeth in her mouth. You count at least fifty razor, pearly white teeth. Humans have 32, right?

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] A Harvester, no doubt. Harvester is a term for a sub-species of human best known for cannibalistic urges and far, far too many teeth. Their blood is black due to a weird physiological quirk of their carnivore biology.
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] They're rare outside of F and W-Company's districts though. Rumors say that a large amount of Human and Harvester crossbreeding in the past has resulted in razor sharp teeth being a common biological quirk in normal humans.

Despite the fact that all of that meat probably isn't regular animal meat, you feel an urge to return back here before you go back home. You keep walking.

>76, 87

And then you fall. Once you hit the floor, you realize you're no longer in your snow-bound District.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7qMUxvGzlM - HOLY LAND

Rows on rows of golden pews surround you that seemingly stretching on forever behind you. Looking up, the ceiling stretches on equally as long, disappearing into a mist of bright golden light. About a hundred feet away, you can just barely make out an alter and a confession booth. The only sound you can hear is a series of bells ringing in the distance.

As you walk over to the alter, you only now notice that the floor is coated in bright white feathers. Huh.
>>
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It doesn't take too long to arrive at the back section of the church you're in. The alter is currently being unattended and, for the most part, has nothing of value to it aside from an old N-Corp bible. Your attention turns towards the confession booth (in no small part to the ruckus that suddenly erupts from it the moment you got here).

Something bursts out of the visitor's side of the confession booth. A roughly five foot sphere of darkness surrounds whatever this entity is but you can make out just the outline of a horned man in the shadows. Its face is being covered by his hands. It's only now that you realize that the anomaly is sobbing?

"WhY? WhyYY? WhEre Is MY SalVATion? WhY AM I ForSAKEN?" It chokes out another sob. "WHY DiD SHE get To REACH HeavEN While-" It stops dead in its tracks.

"C..CarOl?" The shadowy figure stares right at you. Even though you can't see his eyes, you can sense a predator's instinct just fine. "Is ThaT YOU? I...I wantED to See yoU agaiN. To HoHolD you." His voice sounds WRONG. VILE. Like a mockery of a human voice being stretched and contorted through a throat not designed for it.

One tender moment, shared between me and her. Just this last moment, please.

"To KiSS You. T-TOUCH yoU." The shadowy figure croaks out.

"C-CC-RuRUCRUSH yoUR thROAT. DDrrRink the water in your Vveeeins." In between every sentence, it chokes out a sob that's equally parts mocking and heartbroken. "WhY? WhYY did YOU COME BACKkk?"

What sort of things will human beings do out of love?

You stumble back. W-What the fuck is this thing? It's not like the other anomalies you've met. They were passive or, hell, misguided. This one, no, this one is clearly barely holding itself back from ripping you to shreds.

Something else pokes out of the confession booth. A large eye connected to a spindly, wiry stalk slowly creeps out of the confession booth before floating above the two of you, watching. Judging.

Will Man resist the urge to sin? Or will He fall yet again due to temptation?

"WHAT SHALL YOU DO?" A voice croaks out from the eyeball. Loud. Stern. Fatherly. "WHAT SHALL YOU DO?"

You imagine that thing is an anomaly too. Did it drag you here to see what the other anomaly would do if provided with fresh meat? Fuck-

"CaROL?"


What do you do?
>"I'm sorry. It's time you move on. I'm not her." Apologize to the shadowy figure.
>[UNSTABLE] "It's okay, darling. I'm here for you." Open your arms out to it. Offer it a warm embrace. (This will hurt. Badly. But perhaps there will be beauty in the pain.)
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Immediately grab your Holy Candle, light it up, and hold it at the creature's face. "BEGONE, DEMON!"
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Maybe an ability will help you out in this situation! (Write in.)
>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] You faintly recall an old N-Company ritual. Clap your hands four times and kneel at the feet of the shadowy figure and the eyeball. Pray for them.
>Write in.
>>
Due to the growing wall of text that was your main character sheet, I split the inventory section of it into its own pastebin.

https://pastebin.com/n0MH6M17 (INVENTORY)
https://pastebin.com/3y638TfK (MAIN CHARACTER SHEET, focuses on your favors + abilities + stats + implants)

Just to clarify before anyone went "WHERE THE FUCK ARE OUR ITEMS???". I'll make a pastebin about all of your knowledge on the Companies and other SCHOLAR OF THE CITY tidbits tomorrow so you have easier access to that without having to rely on archive delving to understand what the fuck A-Company does when I mention it offhandly.
>>
>>5951246
> deer
Always liked animal base codenames, and it’s apt.
>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] You faintly recall an old N-Company ritual. Clap your hands four times and kneel at the feet of the shadowy figure and the eyeball. Pray for them.
Now this one is a bit harder to decide. But I think the solution lies in stopping the horned guy from doing anything and gaining the beholder lites approval. Hugging him could work too, but I’m not sure he could restrain himself. Not to mention N is the divine worshipping company, so something from them will probably work decently here. Hugging is a close second option though I think.
>>
>>5951246
>>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] You faintly recall an old N-Company ritual. Clap your hands four times and kneel at the feet of the shadowy figure and the eyeball. Pray for them.
Let the grace of god protect us.
>Codename
>Explorer
I want to avoid anything too easy for us to be traced too, Deer or Wild is a little bit on the nose.
>"A base location, please." (You may ask for one in a specific DISTRICT.)
Lets find out where there base is in our home district.
>>
>>5951251
Oh forgot to vote on the phone call.
>"A base location, please." (You may ask for one in a specific DISTRICT.)
I agree with the other voter, let’s get the home base in our district. If we are leaving soon we can take care of them before we go.
>>
>>5951266
+1
>>
>>5951266
Supporting
>>
>>5951266
+1
>>
>>5951246
We kept avoiding him in abno selects back in HELP WANTED! and in this quest, and now you finally get to use him. Feels good don't it?
>>
>>5951234
>No, no, something better.
Fish. Because there's nothing fish-related about us at all. Such a codename won't give anyone any clues.
>"A classified document, please."
Keyword: type 4
>>5951246
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Immediately grab your Holy Candle, light it up, and hold it at the creature's face. "BEGONE, DEMON!"
>>
>>5951234
>NS. Your initials, first thing that came to mind.

>"A base location, please." (You may ask for one in a specific DISTRICT.)
G

>>5951246
>>[UNSTABLE] "It's okay, darling. I'm here for you." Open your arms out to it. Offer it a warm embrace. (This will hurt. Badly. But perhaps there will be beauty in the pain.)
>>
Question, All Anon: How confident are you in our capability to cause damage to silver agent operations in our home district?

Do any your have any plans on how to cause a lot of problems for silver agent operations in our home district?
>>
>>5951368
They'll recover somehow like the metal radioactive roaches they are. But remember what TV MAN said. If we can get more photos and real evidence of them, it'll back up our case as well as Handler's. Getting enough people in power on our side and in the know with us will scare them regardless. W Corp will enemy them for making more anomalies from people. I had the idea to tell P Corp about them via Handler, but we still don't know if P Corp will go all "wow, turning people into anomalies means more energy and more work and more money for us!" or "WHAT? THEY CAN'T DO THAT WITHOUT OUR APPROVAL!". We don't know how much D Corp will echo P Corp's verdict either; there could be a divide with D Corp being more pro-human. Those guys have enough experience with "dark operations" to potentially hold their own.
Knowing the silvers base means potentially infiltrating or attacking them directly. Even cooler if we blow it up somehow. Ideally we do whatever we do right before we pack our bags and flee to another District.
But I had the thought with how entrenched and enmeshed the silvers are, there must be one ally of them in every corp for every potential enemy in the same corp. We can't expect a whole Wing to be fully hateful of the silver agents, as people are people and there will always be turncoats and dissenters on both sides. Even in the silver faction itself, there's defectors (Naomi) and insiders (Man on the Phone) working against them. I hope Handler, in his work to regain influence and respect for his family, doesn't end up on the wrong person's ear not knowing the corpo he's talking to is in real thick with the glowies.
>>
>>5951234
>KILLER. We already killed one of them.
>"A classified document, please." (You may add in one KEYWORD to narrow down what the document is about.

>>5951246
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Immediately grab your Holy Candle, light it up, and hold it at the creature's face. "BEGONE, DEMON!"
>>
CODE NAME
KILLER: EM0
NS: QKD
FISH: Cp5
EXPLORER: T2M, 9VB, H+a, IkB
DEER: O5H
WHAT TO ASK OF THE MAN ON THE PHONE
BASE LOCATION (HOME DISTRICT): T2m, O5h, 9VB, QKD, IkB, H+A
CLASSIFIED DOCUMENT: EM0, Cp5
WHAT DO WITH ANOMALY
PERSON OF INTEREST: EM0, Cp5
UNSTABLE: QKD
SCHOLAR: O5H, T2M, 9VB, H+A, IKB

Seems like it's obvious what wins here. Here's the document for COMPANY LORE (trademarked), at least what you immediately recall so you don't have to scratch your head when A-Z-Corp is mentioned (except for the companies you know nothing about.)
https://pastebin.com/ZP2JN7mT

Writing update now.

>>5951331
This entity? Not from this universe.
>>
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Okay. Let's hope your memory isn't playing tricks on you. You clap your hands four times. One, two, three, four. The shadowy figure tilts its head in confusion. You then fall to your knees a bit too hard for your liking before clasping your hands together and closing your eyes.

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] You were never a fervent believer of N-Corp's religion but this ritual is a simple prayer meant to offer safe passage towards someone.

"WhAATTtt...arE YOU DOING, CAROL?" A hand roughly grabs you by the shoulder. A set of razor sharp claws dig into your shoulder. You grip your teeth as you feel some sort of thick liquid leaking onto your shoulder from the entity's hand. You keep your focus on the prayer. "InsULLLTING ME?! SHOWING meEEE MY SAlvvaTTTion I caann'TT REACH?!"
>-1 FLESH! 3/5 LEFT!

"I TASTedDD yoUR blOOD WATErrrrRR! I HelLDDLDDD you aSS you CriED for HElPP. YEEeeTTT YOU REtuRNEDdd. TO MOCCKkk ME WItH THEIR tonGUEs-" You suddenly feel the entity let go. "I. I. Are you doing this for me?" Its voice clears up for the briefest of moments. You hear it back away from you with heavy, hesitant footsteps. "T-To give me yoUr SalVaat-" It stops mid sentence.

This is His last chance to find his True Salvation. Shall He take it?
She won't even look at me. She doesn't want to see me like this. After what I did.

"I'm. I'm sorrRRY." FINAL FLASH OF EXISTENCE mutters out. "I'm Sorry. I'm Sorry. I'm soRRy." You open your left eye just enough to see that now, the anomaly is on its knees. Sobbing. Covering its face with its hands in a desperate attempt to hide itself away from you.

"It's okay." You mutter out before standing back up. You glance back at the eyeball staring down at you. It simply shakes itself in a rough attempt to mimic a human nod.

"I'M SorRRy I'm SORRY I'm SorrY I'm SorryYY." Final Flash keeps muttering to itself. It's curled up in the fetal position on the feather covered floor. "please forgive me pLEAse PLEASE."

"YOU REMINDED HIM OF THE LIGHT. GOOD. YOU MAY LEAVE NOW, 'CAROL'." The eyeball says with a knowing tone. "IF HE CAN PROMISE TO REACH HEAVEN WITHOUT VIOLENCE, HE MAY REACH HIS SALVATION."

"GOODBYE."
"PlEASE, don't ForGEET ME-"

Salvation is available to even the most horrid of sinners.
I wish I could hold her again. Just for a moment. Why did I do it?

https://youtu.be/XQKsSNk9Fyc - ABANDONED

You are falling again. Upside: It was only for ten feet. Downside: Landing back first onto a faux-wood table fucking hurts. Thankfully your combat bodysuit blocked THAT damage. You glance around to see you're in a small break room in the middle of some random abandoned building.

Wait, you recognize this place. This is a cache about three blocks away from that meat shop you were walking away from. Huh. The anomalies were nice enough to drop you to your next location. "Thanks." You say to the empty room.
>>
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As you get up from the table you landed on, you notice that you landed on two small trinkets. A small vial of liquid with a cross scriblled onto it and a blackened tooth leaking a foul, dark substance. They're not PARADIGMs but they seem useful enough.

TWO ITEMS ACQUIRED FROM ANOMALY ENCOUNTER!
>HOLY TEARS (A small piece of liquid with a minor yet comforting presence to it. Can be drank to grant minor RESTRAINT regeneration for a short duration. Has enough for three sips.)
>FOUL TOOTH (A canine-like fang leaking a foul substance. has three charges. Can use one charge to heal 1 FLESH and boost VIOLENCE and TALENT by 1 temporarily at the cost of temporarily increasing the frequency of UNSTABLE freakouts.)

Neato. If nothing else you can sell them later. After pocketing the trinkets, you start to search around the break room you're in. It doesn't take too long. Due to that new power you awakened back at the training course, you seem to know which spots had something hidden and which spots were a waste of time. After finding all of the hidden items here, you place them on the broken table to see what you got.

CACHE ITEMS RECOVERED
>BARRICADE GRENADE x2 (A X-Corp product made for use in the battlefield. Using one creates a small barricade that can resist small firearm fire and can block most narrow passageways. Useful if you need to slow down someone chasing you.)
>METAL DETECTOR (Has three charges, consumes one automatically when searching a cache to find an additional item. Can consume a charge in the field to detect any nearby traps like landmines or tripwires.)
>Y-CORP HANDHELD TELEPORTER (Can teleport you to any place in the City you know the exact location of after a short booting up sequence. Has one charge. Useful emergency button.)
>SHOTGUN SLUGS x4
>FLASHBANG x2 (Can be used to temporarily stun and daze a small group of enemies. Anomalies may attempt to make a FLESH check to resist this.)

You take a moment to collect your thoughts after being shoved around like an interdimensional piece of garbage. Shit, you hope that this is just a you thing and random people aren't being thrown around through weird anomalous realms like a paper bag in the wind. After settling your nerves, you exit the abandoned building. Back into the snow covered streets you understand.

It takes a moment to orient yourself but you manage to find where you're at. You start heading back to that new shop you found as you hear your phone go off. You pick it up to see it reads "3 AM". Weird, it was 12 AM when you left. You answer it-

"Hallo, hallo, miss freakshit. I got a call from some VERY interesting people today." The Handler rattles on. "A W-Corp AND J-Corp rep? Praise the Lord himself, I didn't know you could even TALK to them without pissing your panties. So, for the next...fuck if I know, you get to choose a few items from them that I negotiated for on your behalf."

"Oh, word?"

"That's besides the point, though. You know what time it is. MISSION TIME."
>>
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"Well, you caught me RIGHT as I was checking this shop, so-"

"Pft." The Handler snorts. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Look. I'll rattle your ear off while you shop. You can do two things at once. Also-" He takes a deep breath before clearing his throat with a wet, MOIST cough. "Thanks. For the good job on the last mission. Heard the reports from it."

"please don't cough like that next time-"

"I'd say after that mission, you earnt my honest to god respect. Keep up the good work and you might just earn a favor outta me. Now-" He begins to rattle off. You take this time to finally step up to the butcher's shop (after walking for a few blocks) while you subconsciously note down whatever the Handler is rambling to you.

https://youtu.be/EcA24RTmnF8 - LILY'S SHOP

You're honestly shocked a butcher's shop would be open this late. The store interior is pretty damn small with only enough room for the front counter and two small tables with two chairs each. On the counter is a radio playing an old song from god knows how long ago, the 1950s? Might as well be listening to classical music with how old it is.

The woman at the front counter is the same one you saw while passing by earlier. The Harvester. Now that you're up close and personal, you can see how her skin is rough and coarse. Almost like sandpaper. The sclera of her eyes are also an odd tint of mint green that's the same as her apron. "Hey, someone left this for you. Tall man. Smelled like ash and coffee. Said to leave it for a certain girl passing by. You seemed like the type."

She places a small makeshift bag made out of butcher paper onto the counter. You quickly grab it. Opening it up, you see that there's a slip of paper with a set of coordinates on it and a walkie talkie battery. You quickly skim the paper.
"BASE LOCATED AT G-ALPHA-2, NEAR THE O-CORP BORDER. MAIN FUNCTIONALITY IS AS A HOLDING CELL FOR 'HIGH VALUED ANOMALOUS ENTITIES'. CURRENT STAFF AMOUNT: 15 AGENTS, 5 MODIFIED ANDROIDS. CODE FOR BACK ENTRANCE IS THEMOONHATEFULHOWL."
"GENERATOR ROOM IS LEFT, RIGHT, UP FROM BACK ENTRANCE. DO WHAT COMES NATURALLY, EXPLORER."

>SILVER AGENT BASE LOCATION OBTAINED (A slip of paper with the exact location of a Silver Agent base in your home district.)
>SILVER WALKIE TALKIE fully charged now! You may use it as a free action whenever you want!

You pocket the piece of paper. "So, what do you sell, uh, Lily?"

"That's my name. Don't wear it out." Lily flashes another toothy smile. "Well, take a look for yourself but before you do, an associate of mine was trying to get into contact with you. Does Wendy ring a bell?"

[PERSON OF INTEREST] Wait. Wendy. W. W-Company-

"Just hand me the catalog." You do so. Lily pulls out a sharpie and doodles something down onto one of the pages before handing it back to you. "She wanted to offer her 'services' to a like-minded person. Now, focus on the meat." She points at her menu.
>WENDY, a W-Corp rep, has been unlocked as an ally!
>>
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LILY'S BLADE AND BONES MENU. SELECT AS MUCH AS YOU'RE WILLING TO BUY
CURRENT MONEY: $1258
BARTERABLE GOODS: 2 A-ENERGY ($350 EACH), 2 HIGH CLASS JEWELRY ($200 EACH), 7 HIGH QUALITY WHISKEY ($75 EACH), 3 C-EXTRACT ($625 EACH)
>TRANQUIZLER SYRINGE (1 per $150. Can be used to reduce the amount of FLESH and RESTRAINT damage you take by 1 until it wears off or to instantly knock out a human on a successful attack.)
>MEAT BAIT (Three handfuls per $50. Chunks of half rotten, wiggling meat of unknown origin. Can be used to lure animals and anomalies to and away from a location of your choice.)
>CLASS B MEAT SHIPMENT ($125 per day. The shop will ship packages of high quality meat to your apartment for each day you purchase. While shipments are developed, you'll heal 1 extra RESTRAINT and FLESH when you wake up or fall asleep at your apartment.)
>HARVESTER TEETH NECKLACE. "Freshly picked from me! I regrow them!" ($300. Supposedly lucky to have this on your purchase. Once per mission, you may reroll all dice you roll on any check.)
>OIL BLACK BLOOD VIAL. "Drink up." ($111 per vial. When used, improves your sense of smell, temporarily grants you +3d6 to all checks relating to locating a human, drone, or anomaly.)
>HARVESTING KIT ($400. You unlock the ability to EXTRACT from anomalies you encounter, assuming they aren't trying to attack you, granting you access to anomalous extracts that could prove useful.)
>MEAT LOVER'S SANDWICH. "Sticks to your ribs, ha!" ($555 per. Grants +1 MAX FLESH when consumed.)
>Sell a barter item for some pocket change. (Select which one(s))
>"I don't feel hungry, thanks." Exit the store without buying anything.

CHOOSE TWO ITEMS FROM THE HANDLER.
>CONTAINMENT CUBE (From W-Company. GREATLY eases the transport progress of anomalies and other high risk captives. Can be used as mobile cover as well.)
>LALILU BRANDED PILLS x3 (From W-Company. Immediately snaps a target out of a panic attack and heals their RESTRAINT by 3.)
>J-CORP RADIO (Can be used to call in emergency backup during a combat encounter. 1d4+1 J-COMPANY officers will interfere with the fight. Useful if dealing with an anomaly or someone else FAR outside your paygrade.)
>CRYO GRENADE x2 (From J-Company, made with the assistance of I-Company. Immediately freezes over most soft materials, allowing you to easily break through walls, doors, or people.)

CHOOSE YOUR MISSION, NICOLE
>[ANOMALOUS] "You remember that P-Company facility I mentioned before? They're STILL whining about not having enough employees. They're desperate, all you gotta do is work a few hours with them and you'll make BANK!" REWARD: $1765, improved relations with P-Company, the experience will help improve your and your allies stats and abilities. RISK: VERY HIGH
(1/3)
>>
>[ANOMALOUS?] "Those tunnels over District 10 are still there. No, we don't know how or where they go. We keep hearing rumors about something being down there. Investigate it, please. You're apparently able to find actual glowies, maybe you can figure this out." REWARD: $1222. That's it. RISK LEVEL: MEDIUM
>"You better not get sea-sick easily, we got a crew over at District 19 who needs someone to assist them during their fishing trip. Help them harvest, protect them from any thieves, and try bringing back something special." REWARD: $990, the tough work will likely improve your FLESH and VIOLENCE stats permanently. RISK LEVEL: MEDIUM-HIGH
>[ANOMALOUS] "We got reports of a certain anomaly that's been terrorizing District 14. Some sort of big crash test dummy thing called APEX PREDATOR? Whatever it is, it's been killing a lot of people. Recontain or weaken it enough for the ETF to get." REWARD: $1345, improved favor with P-Corp, 5 A-Energy packets for recovering a high valued anomaly for P-Corp. RISK LEVEL: HIGH. Regardless of who you pick, Benjamin and Max will offer you intel to help you on this mission.
>"Low risk, easy job. C-Company needs a night guard for one of their establishments. Just keep an eye on it, everything should be fine." REWARD: $625, improved favor with C-Company, access to a C-CORP CATALOG (Offers ANOMALOUS FOOD AND DRINK, surgical tools, and clothing with unique stat boosts). RISK LEVEL: LOW.
>"O-Company is reaching out to me for the first time in, fuck, forever? There's apparently a big clusterfuck happening at one of their farms. Go down and figure out what the issue is." REWARD: $745, improved favor with O-Company, access to an O-Corp catalog (Offers better food, simple but practical tools, and soothing to the mind trinkets.). RISK LEVEL: LOW-MEDIUM
>[WARNING] "I hope you like the sun because you're going to the WASTES. Your task is to find an old artifact somewhere in that fucked up desert. Bring it back here. Intact." REWARD: $1666, 3 C-Extract, you're likely to find various rare and unique items out in there. RISK LEVEL: VERY HIGH.
>"We tried to send some poor bastards to scout out an R-Corp building that went radio silent. None of them have returned. Go in there and try to recover them if you can. See what happened to them and the former operators of the building" REWARD: $800, 'finder keeps on any loot you find', twelve revolver bullets 'to recoup costs'. RISK: MEDIUM
>[BONUS MISSION] [ANOMALOUS?] "V-Company is calling me. I'll be honest, Nicole, I don't like these guys. I hate them, in fact. Please. Do me a solid. Head over to the building they're telling me to visit them at and kill them." REWARD: $1250, +Favor with V-Company(?) and you'll earn even more of the Handler's respect, V-Company will provide you with their catalog (you know this to be certain. Despite it making NO sense). RISK LEVEL: ???

WHO TO HIRE?
>[UPG] LEX. Your easily pleased muscle who has a bloodlust you need to sate. ($110)
(2/3)
>>
>[UPG] ALEXIS. A supplier of equipment and connections. Somewhat flaky and liable to draw attention. (Will ask for a 14% cut of the reward money.)
>[UPG] QUENTIN. Incredibly loyal ally who has a hard time staying dead. Poor stats and tends to freak others out. (Free if brought alone. Max, Ashley, Naomi, Frank, Clover, Casey and Wendy will cost $35 more to hire.)
>[UPG] BENJAMIN. Fully licensed as a pharmacist and is Open Minded to the supernatural. Delusional, credulous, and naive. ($45)
>[UPG] MARUYAMA. Resilient mindset and has a way with negotiations and blending in with crowds. Emotionally and physically spent. ($95 to hire.)
>[UPG] KIARA. Fellow explorer of the City. Artificial physiology lacks the same limits as flesh and bone. Prone to making rash decisions. (Free if you pick a mission tagged [ANOMALOUS]. $100 otherwise.)
>ADAM. A long career of working as a chef has instilled amazing levels of accuracy and technical precision. Hard worker. Tends to overcorrect when situations get dicey. (Free. No catches, he owes you.)
>MAX, an Aristocrat. High in demand with the Companies and has extensive access to corporate assets. Held in contempt by other Cleaners, very sheltered. ($160 if hired without Benjamin, $80 otherwise.)
>ASHLEY. Living on the streets has instilled a powerful intuition. Has an athletic frame, with all of its benefits that brings. Desensitized and numb to violence and bloodshed. ($105)
>NAOMI. Well versed in all military matters and a great commander. Has old glowie habits she's trying to break out of.. Has a knack for analyzing the quirks and potential of people around her. Old age and scars have ruined her body. ($180)
>FRANK. His main job as an ETF agent grants incredible combat and non-combat experience and higher base stats. Has access to resources you could never hope to get by yourself. Incredibly blunt and crass, liable to piss other people off (including you). ($275)
>CLOVER. A casino manager who larps as a cowboy, has the sharpshooting skills to back it up. Unshakeable morale and has a resolute will that's hard to break. VERY stubborn. ($200)
>CASEY. Optimistic spirit lightens the mood of everyone she interacts with, very experienced at convincing people. Emotional. ($100)
>BENEDICT. A chef that's partially transformed into an anomaly. Unique half-machine, half human anatomy grants immense strength and physical resistances, has anomalous powers and abilities. Fractured mind that requires careful observation, UNSTABLE. (+$320 if you hire him. You get more money hiring him as you raise Adam's RAPPORT.)
>WENDY. A W-Company rep who seems to share the same wavelength as you, will mesh well with you and will follow your commands for the most part. Feared in the corporate world. Fucking LOATHES anomalies and will take any chance she can to rip them to shreds. UNSTABLE. ($222 or +$333 if you spend a W-CORP favor while hiring her.)
>NO ONE. YOU'RE GOING ALONE.

MISSION TIME. Sorry for the pile of choices.
>>
>>5951892
>Sell 7 HIGH QUALITY WHISKEY ($525)
>HARVESTING KIT ($400. You unlock the ability to EXTRACT from anomalies you encounter, assuming they aren't trying to attack you, granting you access to anomalous extracts that could prove useful.)
>MEAT LOVER'S SANDWICH. "Sticks to your ribs, ha!" ($555 per. Grants +1 MAX FLESH when consumed.)
Anomaly Extraction, and extra flesh to actually survive extracting it.
>Two Items
>CONTAINMENT CUBE (From W-Company. GREATLY eases the transport progress of anomalies and other high risk captives. Can be used as mobile cover as well.)
>LALILU BRANDED PILLS x3 (From W-Company. Immediately snaps a target out of a panic attack and heals their RESTRAINT by 3.)

>Mission
>[ANOMALOUS] "We got reports of a certain anomaly that's been terrorizing District 14. Some sort of big crash test dummy thing called APEX PREDATOR? Whatever it is, it's been killing a lot of people. Recontain or weaken it enough for the ETF to get." REWARD: $1345, improved favor with P-Corp, 5 A-Energy packets for recovering a high valued anomaly for P-Corp. RISK LEVEL: HIGH. Regardless of who you pick, Benjamin and Max will offer you intel to help you on this mission.

>Companions
>ASHLEY. Living on the streets has instilled a powerful intuition. Has an athletic frame, with all of its benefits that brings. Desensitized and numb to violence and bloodshed. ($105)
>[UPG] LEX. Your easily pleased muscle who has a bloodlust you need to sate. ($110)
>[UPG] KIARA. Fellow explorer of the City. Artificial physiology lacks the same limits as flesh and bone. Prone to making rash decisions. (Free if you pick a mission tagged [ANOMALOUS]. $100 otherwise.)
>WENDY. A W-Company rep who seems to share the same wavelength as you, will mesh well with you and will follow your commands for the most part. Feared in the corporate world. Fucking LOATHES anomalies and will take any chance she can to rip them to shreds. UNSTABLE. ($222 or +$333 if you spend a W-CORP favor while hiring her.)
Alright, its Anomaly hunting time. This one seems like its not gonna be the 'redeemable' type.
>>
>>5951892
>TRANQUIZLER SYRINGE (1 per $150. Can be used to reduce the amount of FLESH and RESTRAINT damage you take by 1 until it wears off or to instantly knock out a human on a successful attack.)
Buy 2
>MEAT BAIT (Three handfuls per $50. Chunks of half rotten, wiggling meat of unknown origin. Can be used to lure animals and anomalies to and away from a location of your choice.)
Buy 3
It be useful to attract a large group of fish
>CLASS B MEAT SHIPMENT ($125 per day. The shop will ship packages of high quality meat to your apartment for each day you purchase. While shipments are developed, you'll heal 1 extra RESTRAINT and FLESH when you wake up or fall asleep at your apartment.)
Buy 2
>HARVESTER TEETH NECKLACE. "Freshly picked from me! I regrow them!" ($300. Supposedly lucky to have this on your purchase. Once per mission, you may reroll all dice you roll on any check.)
>OIL BLACK BLOOD VIAL. "Drink up." ($111 per vial. When used, improves your sense of smell, temporarily grants you +3d6 to all checks relating to locating a human, drone, or anomaly.)
Buy 2
>Sell a barter item for some pocket change. (Select which one(s))
2 A-energy

>CONTAINMENT CUBE (From W-Company. GREATLY eases the transport progress of anomalies and other high risk captives. Can be used as mobile cover as well.)
>LALILU BRANDED PILLS x3 (From W-Company. Immediately snaps a target out of a panic attack and heals their RESTRAINT by 3.)

>"You better not get sea-sick easily, we got a crew over at District 19 who needs someone to assist them during their fishing trip. Help them harvest, protect them from any thieves, and try bringing back something special." REWARD: $990, the tough work will likely improve your FLESH and VIOLENCE stats permanently. RISK LEVEL: MEDIUM-HIGH

>[UPG] LEX. Your easily pleased muscle who has a bloodlust you need to sate. ($110)
>[UPG] QUENTIN.
>ASHLEY. Living on the streets has instilled a powerful intuition. Has an athletic frame, with all of its benefits that brings. Desensitized and numb to violence and bloodshed. ($105)
>ADAM. A long career of working as a chef has instilled amazing levels of accuracy and technical precision. Hard worker. Tends to overcorrect when situations get dicey. (Free. No catches, he owes you.)
>BENEDICT. A chef that's partially transformed into an anomaly. Unique half-machine, half human anatomy grants immense strength and physical resistances, has anomalous powers and abilities. Fractured mind that requires careful observation, UNSTABLE. (+$320 if you hire him. You get more money hiring him as you raise Adam's RAPPORT.)
>NAOMI. Well versed in all military matters and a great commander. Has old glowie habits she's trying to break out of.. Has a knack for analyzing the quirks and potential of people around her. Old age and scars have ruined her body. ($180)

Result spending = 392 money
>>
Don’t sell all the whiskey. Keep whiskey strictly reserved for celebration, to gain rapport, or as a gift.
Don’t sell all the jewelry because I want to give it to Benjamin so that he can gift it to Max.
Also, don’t give two tickets movie to anyone. The two-ticket movie should be given to Benjamin and Max when the opportunity arises.
>>
>"You better not get sea-sick easily, we got a crew over at District 19 who needs someone to assist them during their fishing trip. Help them harvest, protect them from any thieves, and try bringing back something special." REWARD: $990, the tough work will likely improve your FLESH and VIOLENCE stats permanently. RISK LEVEL: MEDIUM-HIGH

> try bringing back something special.

CONTAINMENT CUBE It will be very handy if we come across a anomalies stuff.
>>
>>5951923
I’d be willing to support this, but I really want to get the harvester kit for anomalies. Especially when we can probably harvest some stuff from other things and maybe even Benedict (depending on how harmful EXTRACT is).
So something like:
>buy one less oil black blood vial, one less meat chunk, sell one high class jewelry and high class whiskey.

Basically, I really think getting access to a harvester kit will be an investment that pays off going forward.
>>
>>5952034
Also, do not sell C-EXTRACT. That stuff is reserved for buying special stuff from shops or bribing literally anybody.

>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.)

No.5922008

https://boards.4chan.org/qst/thread/5893937#bottom
>>
>>5951892
>TRANQUIZLER SYRINGE (1 per $150. Can be used to reduce the amount of FLESH and RESTRAINT damage you take by 1 until it wears off or to instantly knock out a human on a successful attack.)
>HARVESTER TEETH NECKLACE. "Freshly picked from me! I regrow them!" ($300. Supposedly lucky to have this on your purchase. Once per mission, you may reroll all dice you roll on any check.)
>MEAT LOVER'S SANDWICH. "Sticks to your ribs, ha!" ($555 per. Grants +1 MAX FLESH when consumed.)
Only if the max flesh buff is permanent
>LALILU BRANDED PILLS x3 (From W-Company. Immediately snaps a target out of a panic attack and heals their RESTRAINT by 3.)
>CRYO GRENADE x2 (From J-Company, made with the assistance of I-Company. Immediately freezes over most soft materials, allowing you to easily break through walls, doors, or people.)
>[BONUS MISSION] [ANOMALOUS?] "V-Company is calling me. I'll be honest, Nicole, I don't like these guys. I hate them, in fact. Please. Do me a solid. Head over to the building they're telling me to visit them at and kill them." REWARD: $1250, +Favor with V-Company(?) and you'll earn even more of the Handler's respect, V-Company will provide you with their catalog (you know this to be certain. Despite it making NO sense). RISK LEVEL: ???
I'm curious AF

>ASHLEY. Living on the streets has instilled a powerful intuition. Has an athletic frame, with all of its benefits that brings. Desensitized and numb to violence and bloodshed. ($105)
>[UPG] LEX. Your easily pleased muscle who has a bloodlust you need to sate. ($110)
>BENEDICT. A chef that's partially transformed into an anomaly. Unique half-machine, half human anatomy grants immense strength and physical resistances, has anomalous powers and abilities. Fractured mind that requires careful observation, UNSTABLE. (+$320 if you hire him. You get more money hiring him as you raise Adam's RAPPORT.)
Team Violence
>>
>>5952119 #
Okay
>>5951923 #
change
>>5951894 #
>TRANQUIZLER SYRINGE (1 per $150. Can be used to reduce the amount of FLESH and RESTRAINT damage you take by 1 until it wears off or to instantly knock out a human on a successful attack.)
Buy 2
>MEAT BAIT (Three handfuls per $50. Chunks of half rotten, wiggling meat of unknown origin. Can be used to lure animals and anomalies to and away from a location of your choice.)
Buy 3
It be useful to attract a large group of fish
>CLASS B MEAT SHIPMENT ($125 per day. The shop will ship packages of high quality meat to your apartment for each day you purchase. While shipments are developed, you'll heal 1 extra RESTRAINT and FLESH when you wake up or fall asleep at your apartment.)
Buy 2
>HARVESTER TEETH NECKLACE. "Freshly picked from me! I regrow them!" ($300. Supposedly lucky to have this on your purchase. Once per mission, you may reroll all dice you roll on any check.)
>OIL BLACK BLOOD VIAL. "Drink up." ($111 per vial. When used, improves your sense of smell, temporarily grants you +3d6 to all checks relating to locating a human, drone, or anomaly.)
Buy 1
>HARVESTING KIT ($400. You unlock the ability to EXTRACT from anomalies you encounter, assuming they aren't trying to attack you, granting you access to anomalous extracts that could prove useful.)

>Sell a barter item for some pocket change. (Select which one(s))
2 A-energy, 1 jewelry, 1 whiskey

>CONTAINMENT CUBE (From W-Company. GREATLY eases the transport progress of anomalies and other high risk captives. Can be used as mobile cover as well.)
>LALILU BRANDED PILLS x3 (From W-Company. Immediately snaps a target out of a panic attack and heals their RESTRAINT by 3.)

>"You better not get sea-sick easily, we got a crew over at District 19 who needs someone to assist them during their fishing trip. Help them harvest, protect them from any thieves, and try bringing back something special." REWARD: $990, the tough work will likely improve your FLESH and VIOLENCE stats permanently. RISK LEVEL: MEDIUM-HIGH

>[UPG] LEX. Your easily pleased muscle who has a bloodlust you need to sate. ($110)
>[UPG] QUENTIN.
>ASHLEY. Living on the streets has instilled a powerful intuition. Has an athletic frame, with all of its benefits that brings. Desensitized and numb to violence and bloodshed. ($105)
>ADAM.
>BENEDICT. A chef that's partially transformed into an anomaly. Unique half-machine, half human anatomy grants immense strength and physical resistances, has anomalous powers and abilities. Fractured mind that requires careful observation, UNSTABLE. (+$320 if you hire him. You get more money hiring him as you raise Adam's RAPPORT.)
>NAOMI. Well versed in all military matters and a great commander. Has old glowie habits she's trying to break out of.. Has a knack for analyzing the quirks and potential of people around her. Old age and scars have ruined her body. ($180)

Result spending = 307 money
>>
>>5952130
Edit
Result spending = 257 money
>>5952121
>>5951908
Do we really need MEAT LOVER'S SANDWICH? Our FLESH is 3/5, and we have a lot of medicine supplies in our inventory.

>TRAUMA KIT x3. Oddly user friendly. Bought mostly by P-Company facilities. (Has 5 charges. Heals 1 FLESH with 1 charge. Heals a crippling injury with 2 charges. Can heal near lethal damage with 3 charges.)
>STANDARD ISSUE CLEANER MEDKIT x2 (Four charges, use 1 to heal 1 flesh, use 2 to recover someone in Critical State to half of their MAX FLESH (any ally who hits 0 FLESH enters this state. They can't do much at all in this state. Any hit after permakills them.)
>PAINKILLER BOTTLE x2 (Comes with three doses each. Grants a +2d6 bonus to any FLESH check when consumed.)
>>
>>5952130
Supporting. Thanks for the changes. Next mission we should 100% do an anomaly hunt too. Depending on how hairy this mission goes of course. With the upgrades from the fish mission we’d be in a good position to go fighting.

Also in regards to the base, we both know a bit about it and points of weakness. We can 100% do a raid and get proof of their activities before we leave this district in the future.
>>
>>5952135
Yeah agree
Bring Casey, Frank, Wendy, Benjamin, Naomi and Kiara on the anomalies hunting mission after we finish the fishing trip mission.
>>
>>5952130
Fuck it. I don't like us bringing SIX people along on a mission, especially Naomi so soon, and especially since TV MAN said to bring less people on missions so there's less silver eyes on them. But you are one stubborn and stupid autist, who refuses to delete your old posts and instead make lengthy edit posts that take up needless text space on the thread. You could simply reply to the vote post and yours and go "I'm changing X to Y" and leave it at that. You are a bothersome pest, but you seem to have a good plan for this fishing trip mission, so I'll give you my
>+1
>>
>>5952151
And please for the love of god restrain yourself on the amount of people in missions. Every person we bring along is one more person we pay for working with us. As for your pick ideas, I am still against Naomi again, and would rather not bring Benjamin along by himself despite his affinity. I'd rather bring Clover because of Casey, and keep it to 5 people instead
>>
>>5951892
>TRANQUIZLER SYRINGE (1 per $150. Can be used to reduce the amount of FLESH and RESTRAINT damage you take by 1 until it wears off or to instantly knock out a human on a successful attack.)
>HARVESTING KIT ($400. You unlock the ability to EXTRACT from anomalies you encounter, assuming they aren't trying to attack you, granting you access to anomalous extracts that could prove useful.)

>CONTAINMENT CUBE (From W-Company. GREATLY eases the transport progress of anomalies and other high risk captives. Can be used as mobile cover as well.)
>LALILU BRANDED PILLS x3 (From W-Company. Immediately snaps a target out of a panic attack and heals their RESTRAINT by 3.)

>>5951893
>"O-Company is reaching out to me for the first time in, fuck, forever? There's apparently a big clusterfuck happening at one of their farms. Go down and figure out what the issue is." REWARD: $745, improved favor with O-Company, access to an O-Corp catalog (Offers better food, simple but practical tools, and soothing to the mind trinkets.). RISK LEVEL: LOW-MEDIUM

>ADAM. A long career of working as a chef has instilled amazing levels of accuracy and technical precision. Hard worker. Tends to overcorrect when situations get dicey. (Free. No catches, he owes you.)
>CASEY. Optimistic spirit lightens the mood of everyone she interacts with, very experienced at convincing people. Emotional. ($100)
>BENEDICT. A chef that's partially transformed into an anomaly. Unique half-machine, half human anatomy grants immense strength and physical resistances, has anomalous powers and abilities. Fractured mind that requires careful observation, UNSTABLE. (+$320 if you hire him. You get more money hiring him as you raise Adam's RAPPORT.)
>>
>>5951885
>clap your hands four times
World of Horror?
>this entire event
I doubt Mr. Eye here is truly benevolent, but he did drop us off nicely and he seemed a bit straightforward in the religious test he gave

>>5951886
>HOLY TEARS
Would be nice if anybody has an episode over Nicole's UNSTABLE again. Speaking of, we should completely ditch the old and shitty antipsychotics after the UNSTABLE hug, but keep the ones Benjamin made just in case. How will we explain all this to Ashley?
>FOUL TOOTH
Good heal and Talent boost. With UNSTABLE RESOLVE from the mental hug, the increased UNSTABLE freakouts might actually benefit us
>BARRICADE GRENADE
If we're in a heavy protection mission or if Ashton is chasing us again, this buys time and breathing room
>METAL DETECTOR
Maybe if we go on that "explore the secret jew tunnels" mission?
>Y-CORP HANDHELD TELEPORTER
We could do this to immediately teleport back to X Corp, or somewhere else safe. Problem is this ditches any ally with us, so it needs to be used alone
>random people aren't being thrown around through weird anomalous realms
News flash Nicole... they are.

>>5951888
>Tall man. Smelled like ash and coffee
That could be anybody for all we know
>G-ALPHA-2, NEAR THE O-CORP BORDER
I don't think we have any allies related to O Corp
>HOLDING CELL FOR 'HIGH VALUED ANOMALOUS ENTITIES'.
Could be someone in there just like Nicole. A prison break rescue of a fellow PoI in the works?
>THEMOONHATEFULHOWL
Reminds me of Nyarlathotep
>DO WHAT COMES NATURALLY
(+)
>WENDY
The moment she realizes Nicole's becoming an anomaly, maybe, then she'll be dangerous. We can't field her with Benjamin or Benedict either

>>5951892
>>5951893
Same missions. I'm definitely curious about the V Corp one. I hope we can return to doing an "easy" or offbeat mission next time. The tunnels job is calling out to me
>>
>>5952173
>Tall man. Smelled like ash and coffee
Maybe Ashley father?

Ashley's expression softens when she hears the story. "I can relate. To the being lost part. Shit, I hardly remember my home district. I've been hopping around this fuckin' City to find...somethin'. I guess the band is the only thing I got besides this new job." She takes another swig of her drink. "Better than being with dad. Fuckin' J-Corp bootlicker."
(No.5862593)
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/5850165/

The tunnel mission is screaming Alan Wake 2 collapse tunnel reference.
>>
I already got a few ideas about what is in the tunnel.
1: Smuggler
2: mutant monster
3: feral harvester
4: Explorer
5: shadowly Anomalies entity

My preparation idea if we choose the tunnel mission next time: buy extension ladder, flare, glow stick, grappling hook pistol, climbing gear, survival rope, EMP proof underground survival radio and flashlight that can stop potential anomalies screwing with our radio signal and flashlight. Also, buy a few night vision EMP proof for our friends and associates coming with us into the tunnel.
>>
>>5952190
>>5952205
The tunnel mission is based on those secret jew tunnels they found in New York City recently, but it could be anything here
>>
I’m mostly interested in doing the fishing trip cause of the upgrades to our stats and hopefully friends stats.

I think my current vague plan is to do fishing, tunnels (if the fishing trip is rough), anomaly hunting otherwise (either the doll or maybe V company), and then maybe P company or something.

Also I want Maryuma sometime soon, he was cool and we haven’t seen him since we bonded. If not a mission let’s take him to the movies when we go with Kiara.
>>
>>5952232
>upgrades to our stats and hopefully friends stats
I got nothing against it. I'm just very dead-set against 5+ allies on a mission due to what we were told about the silver agebts' observation, as well as the "too many cooks" effect. A smaller but more focused group feels more appropriate to Cleaner missions. I am totally up to discuss team setups though. For example
>Benjamin
>Max
>Frank
>Wendy
>APEX PREDATOR mission
Frank because he's ETF. Wendy because anti-anomalous company rep. Benjamin because it's his revenge on that invisible robot bastard. Max because package deal with Benjamin plus revenge for almost killing her boyfriend soon to be husband at the rate they're going :^). I'm 50/50 on including Kiara in that team composition. Again this is just an example.
>tunnels
>anomaly hunting
For tunnels, I'd go
>Kiara
>Quentin
>Clover
>Casey
But that's my take
>P Company
I have no clue who to bring with us. Could be any combo of allies with a wildcard mission like that
>Maruyama
Yeah I miss him too. We should tell him about us knowing that T Corp executive guy or whoever he was.
>movies
Would be a nice break from the action. Literally tell the Handler we're not taking a mission today. He might not get mad, maybe
>>
>>5952254
I support this setup
>>
>>5952254
If Naomi wasn’t part of the group I probably would want it to be smaller as well. But Naomi being part of the group changes the calculus for me personally because of her history.

I do understand the want for a smaller cleaner group though. If we do the tunnels I’d want maybe two or three people at most. Like Casey I’d only bring along if we had people that hated each other on the mission or were planning to deal with a mediator type mission.
>>
>>5952258
Thanks. I still believe we have a lot of potential variety for group synergy and interaction. I initially thought, but didn't post, that a good team for the fishing trip could be
>Lex
>Frank
>Max
Boisterous muscle guy who likes to fight plus boisterous muscle guy who likes to fight, plus smug rich girl who would unironically say "you mean a shrimp fried this rice?" with how sheltered she is.

>>5952260
>because of her history
And not the urge to use her as a walking statup for everyone on the team, simply standing there and saying cryptic metaphors and the occasional sadistic remark?
>two or three people at most
I agree. My logic was Kiara because fellow explorer plus ANOMALOUS? mission, Quentin because drones might have altered vision or something, Clover because his vision is augmented and because it's the underground, and Casey because I like her being there with Clover due to their history.
>only bring along if we had people that hated each other on the mission
Like Quentin and Kiara? I don't think we have had any other character combo yet where there was a real issue of people hating each other.
>mediator type mission
She'd be great if we ran into THE TUNNEL SNAKES down there
>>
Should we give Naomi a SERVICE PISTOL and ten round?
>>
>>5951894
>TRANQUIZLER SYRINGE (1 per $150. Can be used to reduce the amount of FLESH and RESTRAINT damage you take by 1 until it wears off or to instantly knock out a human on a successful attack.)
2
>OIL BLACK BLOOD VIAL. "Drink up." ($111 per vial. When used, improves your sense of smell, temporarily grants you +3d6 to all checks relating to locating a human, drone, or anomaly.)
2
>HARVESTING KIT (
$400. You unlock the ability to EXTRACT from anomalies you encounter, assuming they aren't trying to attack you, granting you access to anomalous extracts that could prove useful.)

>CONTAINMENT CUBE (From W-Company. GREATLY eases the transport progress of anomalies and other high risk captives. Can be used as mobile cover as well.)
>J-CORP RADIO (Can be used to call in emergency backup during a combat encounter. 1d4+1 J-COMPANY officers will interfere with the fight. Useful if dealing with an anomaly or someone else FAR outside your paygrade.)

>[ANOMALOUS?] "Those tunnels over District 10 are still there. No, we don't know how or where they go. We keep hearing rumors about something being down there. Investigate it, please. You're apparently able to find actual glowies, maybe you can figure this out." REWARD: $1222. That's it. RISK LEVEL: MEDIUM

>[UPG] LEX. Your easily pleased muscle who has a bloodlust you need to sate. ($110)
>[UPG] KIARA. Fellow explorer of the City. Artificial physiology lacks the same limits as flesh and bone. Prone to making rash decisions. (Free if you pick a mission tagged [ANOMALOUS]. $100 otherwise.)
>ADAM. A long career of working as a chef has instilled amazing levels of accuracy and technical precision. Hard worker. Tends to overcorrect when situations get dicey. (Free. No catches, he owes you.)
>BENEDICT. A chef that's partially transformed into an anomaly. Unique half-machine, half human anatomy grants immense strength and physical resistances, has anomalous powers and abilities. Fractured mind that requires careful observation, UNSTABLE. (+$320 if you hire him. You get more money hiring him as you raise Adam's RAPPORT.)
>>
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I'll be honest the sheer amount of text I had to skim through was a LOT so if I missed something in the noise, excuse me.

MISSION:
V-CORP: Cp5
O-CORP: QKD
TUNNELS: GWO
ANOMALY HUNTING: TM2
FISHING: 9VB, jM5, rgY

FISHING TIME.

WHAT TO GET FROM HANDLER:
J-CORP: GWO
LALILU: 9VB, jM5, rgY, QKD, T2M
CONTAINMENT CUBE: T2M, 9VB, jm5, rgY, Cp5, GWO, QKD,
CRYO GRENADE: Cp5

Containment cube and drugs. Noted.

WHAT TO BUY
TRANQ: 9VB, jM5, rgY, Cp5, QKD, GWO (with the majority buying 2)
MEAT BAIT: 9VB, jM5, rgY,
OIL BLACK BLOOD: GWO, 9VB, jM5, rgY (buying 1)
HARVESTING KIT: 9VB, jM5, rgY, QKD, T2m
CLASS B MEAT SHIPMENT: 9VB, jM5, rgY
HARVESTER TEETH NECKLACE: 9VB, jM5, rgY, Cp5
MEAT LOVER'S SANDWICH: Cp5, T2m

The majority leans towards two TRANQ SYRINGES, one OIL BLOOD, a HARVESTING KIT, and a HARVESTER TEETH NECKLACE. Leaving you with $147.

WHAT TO SELL
7 WHISKEY: T2M
2 A-ENERGY, 1 JEWELRY, 1 WHISKEY: 9VB, jM5, rgY
DIDN'T WANT TO SELL ANYTHING: Cp5, GKD, GWO

ALLIES TO BRING
ASHLEY: T2m, 9VB, jM5, rgY, Cp5
LEX: T2m, Cp5, GWO
KIARA: T2m, GWO
WENDY: T2m
QUENTIN: 9VB, jM5, rgY
ADAM: 9VB, jM5, rgY, QKD, GWO
BENEDICT: 9VB, jM5, rgY, Cp5, QKD, GWO
NAOMI: 9VB, jM5, rgY
CASEY: QKD

The majority seems to gravity towards Ashley, Adam, and Benedict. Due to Adam bribing you to bring Benedict along, this gives you +215 (-105 from Ashley) leaving you with $362 while there's a three way tie for fourth place. I'll be honest, while you could squeeze in Lex + Quentin + Naomi with your budget
1.) I rather call a vote than to force it
2.) More than half of the players were leaning around 3-4 people so I'll decide you can bring ONE more along.

So here are the follow up votes. I'll leave this open for four to six hours, depending on how long it takes to get a majority.

Who do you want to bring along as your fourth party member?
>LEX. VIOLENCE, BLOODLUST. Fishing sounds like it needs strength and he's all strength. That and he's one of the first pals we met. We can trust him. (-$110)
>QUENTIN. FUNNY BUG MAN. He's the cheapest option and maybe you can improve his bumfuck stats by bringing him along. (-$35 due to Ashley being skeezed the fuck out by him.)
>NAOMI. FUNNY SILVER LADY. She'll offer a lot of stat buffs across the party and you get a chance to talk to her some more. Though you DID just hire her last mission. (-$180)

What do you want to do about the selling question?
>DON'T SELL ANYTHING.
>SELL THE JEWELRY AND WHISKEY BUT NOT THE A-ENERGY. THAT WEIRD ANOMALOUS SHOP OFFERS UNIQUE ITEMS FOR IT. (+$275)
>SELL THE 2 A-ENERGY, 1 JEWELRY, and 1 WHISKEY (+$975.)

And lastly, I normally wouldn't ask this but you ARE going on a fishing trip. Want to spend the money on some high quality meat bait?
>YES. (-$150 for nine handfuls worth.)
>ONLY A LITTLE. (-$50 for three handfuls worth.)
>NO.

This is almost as big as an actual update, fuck me.
>>
>>5952565
>LEX. VIOLENCE, BLOODLUST. Fishing sounds like it needs strength and he's all strength. That and he's one of the first pals we met. We can trust him. (-$110)

>DON'T SELL ANYTHING.

>YES. (-$150 for nine handfuls worth.)
>>
>>5952565
>LEX. VIOLENCE, BLOODLUST. Fishing sounds like it needs strength and he's all strength. That and he's one of the first pals we met. We can trust him. (-$110)
Quentin for another interesting mission then. I don't think centipedes can swim
>DON'T SELL ANYTHING.
I like the previous idea somebody had of stealthily giving the jewelry to Benedict to gift to Max
>YES. (-$150 for nine handfuls worth.)
We are BROKE, gentlemen
>>
>>5952565
Thanks for the hard work. We should try to find a way to make it less text heavy next time.
>LEX. VIOLENCE, BLOODLUST. Fishing sounds like it needs strength and he's all strength. That and he's one of the first pals we met. We can trust him. (-$110)

>DON'T SELL ANYTHING.
If we can get away with it, not seeking is fine. Though yeah after everything we’re gonna be a bit broke haha….

>YES. (-$150 for nine handfuls worth.)
Good for fishing, but also if we don’t use it all will come in handy another time I’d bet.
>>
Cool. Majority spotted, locking in. Update will come out when I wake up because I'm in no state to write right now with any level of quality
>>5952734
>We should try to find a way to make it less text heavy next time
Eh. Don't worry about it. It wasn't that much in the grand scheme.
>>
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"Well, well, well! Aren't you a high spender?" Lily fails to hold back her drool as she watches you dump over a thousand dollars onto the countertop. "What's the occasion?" She immediately grabs the bills with the same speed and ferocity of a predator chomping down onto a prey animal.

"Mission. Cleaner." You mutter out, still trying to keep an ear open to process whatever the Handler is rambling about.

"Ah. Fair enough. You said you wanted..." It takes a few minutes for her to prepare all of the supplies for you given the sheer amount of them you bought. You try your best not to flinch when you see her rip out a handful of teeth from her mouth like they were nothing. She quickly makes a necklace out of them and adds them to one of the two bags she prepared with your supplies.

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Her teeth are already starting to regrow, you notice. Similar to the average shark, a Harvester can regenerate their teeth.
[UNSTABLE] AW CMON THEY GET COOL SHARK TRAITS AND ALL WE GET IS ANTLERS? OUR SOUL MUST SUC- WAIT. WHY AM I INSULTING MYSELF.

"Uh. Your eye normally twitches like that?" Lily's nervous expression tells you that UNSTABLE is probably going to do something silly soon.

"Don't worry. Thanks." You grab the bags.

"No problem?" Lily hesitantly chuckles. "Since you spent so much, I'll be sure to add in a LOT more items next time you come around! Been a while since I had someone spent $1261...ever!"

>-$1261. NO MONEY LEFT. ACTUALLY $3 IN DEBT.
>+HARVESTER TOOTH NECKLACE, TRANQUIZLER SYRINGE x2, OIL BLACK BLOOD, MEAT BAIT x9, HARVESTING KIT.

"Of course, of course." You mutter as you quickly head out of the store with your items in hand. The Handler is still rambling in your ear and frankly, you've tuned him out when you realize he wasn't talking about the mission for the longest time. You only realized he's actually talking to you once the ice cold snow hits your face RIGHT as he begins to yell at you.

"-so I noticed he was sniffing at the female R-Corp executive's shoes- Hey, are you paying attention? This is some JUICY corporate drama."

"Otto. Look. Just tell me what my mission is. I rather not hear about whatever weird tomfuckery is going on in your business meetings unless it's RELEVANT." You try your damn best to hide the annoyance in your voice. "Unless you're going to pay me $1261 to keep listening to all of this."

"Fuck you. I told you not to call me that." The Handler hisses over the line. You roll your eyes, "Hey, it was the best way to get your attention."

"Right, right, whatever. I'll let it slide since you've been successful the last six missions so far. You're being shipped over to S-Company's district for one simple mission. YOU MUST FISH, NICOLE. IT'S NOT A GOOD MORNING UNLESS YOU FISH, YOU SEE. MEN WILL FEAR YOU, WOMEN WILL BE JEALOUS OF YOU-" He clears his throat mid-schizophrenic (like you could judge him for that) rant. "So, lemme tell you the details of this mission. Listen up."
>>
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"I've recently been working with a S-Corp subsidiary that operates under the name 'SHRIMP SURF AND TURF'. S, U, and R-Corp have a decent amount of districts directly bordering the sea so they made a subsidiary to, well, fish there. Sometimes they find useful artifacts in that sea."

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] There's no proper name given to the Sea that borders S, U, R, and a small section of V-Corp. You do know that it stretches FAR outside of the City and even past the Wastes. No one knows what's at the end of it.
[PERSON OF INTEREST] Some believe that there's another City out there. Maybe even multiple Cities. Maybe through the infinite Sea, there is a place you can be safe.

"Your task? It's simple. You'll go onto one of their ships operated by a captain named Abraham. You'll work with him for a few days, I'd say around two to three, then you come back. You'll do what he says and help him with his fishing operation. That means protecting them from any invaders or entities out there, assisting them in collecting fish, and if at all possible?"

"Try to find an artifact. I won't punish you if you fail to find one, though. One: I rather only punish you if you severely fuck up during a mission. Two: If you fuck up over there, you're probably dead anyways!"

Huh. Mildly ominous warning aside, it sounds like one of your simplest missions yet. "Anything important I should take note of before I go on that ship?"

"Mr. Abraham is...very peculiar. I trust that you're able to somehow communicate with him on your level since you, from the descriptions I've been given of you by people I'm associated with, a batshit crazy schizo." He says that so casually, you almost forget he's insulting you.

"Oh. Also, this might just be a sailor's superstition but apparently, they keep rambling about a ship called The Admiral's Game. Something about blue fog and a soul piercing horn?" Despite his dismissive tone of voice, there's an ever so subtle trace of FEAR in his tone.

"Sounds like an anomaly but I wouldn't worry about it if I was you. You should be able to avoid it, right?"

"That's all I know. I'll contact the X-Corp guards to stand guard around your apartment so no one tries to track you down. Good luck." And he hangs up on you. Joy. Leave you with a message about something super ominous before hanging up. Well, at least you should be able to autopilot this for the most part.

>OPTIONAL OBJECTIVE: RETRIVE AN ANOMALOUS ARTIFACT FROM THE SEA. REWARD: $333, 2 A-ENERGY CAPSULES, Two boxes of high quality and highly sought seafood (useful for appeasing corporate entities and boosting ally RAPPORT)
>MAIN OBJECTIVE: IT'S NOT A GOOD MORNING UNLESS I'M FISHING. REWARD: $990, a permanent +1 FLESH and VIOLENCE (at minimum) to you and your allies.

Your legs begin to move on their own over to the train station. Well, nothing else to do but to call up your allies. Like some chefs to help cook any fish you catch.
>>
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It takes a while for Adam to respond. Long enough for you to board the train you always use to leave G-Corp's district. For a moment, you swear you saw a man wearing a silver suit watching you enter the train. Must've been your imagination since when you check to make sure, he's gone.

Eventually he manages to pick up. The sheer exhaustion in the man's voice tugs at your heart for a moment. In the background, you can hear some frycooks muttering while trying to repair some sort of machinery. "Hello. This is the Bazaar of Desires. No. We are NOT ABLE TO HOST A PARTY OF FIFTY IN OUR FUCKING RESTRUANT, STOP CALLING." The fry cooks muttering in the back yell out a mumbled mess of apologies to Adam.

"It's me."

His anger and exhaustion disappears the moment he hears your voice. "What can I do for you, Nicole? It's been a long day, sorry."

"I need you on a mission. We're going out fishing with a S-Corp crew. Bring Benedict along."

There's no response on the line for a moment before, to your shock, a heartfelt laugh from Adam is heard over your speaker. "Fuck. Yeah, that would be nice. It's been a long, long while since I've done anything with Benedict aside from cooking or wrangling him. Sure. I'll bring him over."

"Just, you know. Please be patient with him."
"Of course."

There's not much else to say so Adam hangs up. No complaint here, just means you can contact your other allies faster. Next up, Ashley. You haven't seen or heard from her after the Ashton incident so hopefully she's doing okay.

Just like last time, you can hear a band playing in the background. The roar of a guitar and bass, the quick beats of a drum, seems like they're doing practice again. You swear you thought you heard Ashley singing before the music abruptly stops "Huh?" You hear clothes being shuffled through before Ashley picks up the phone.

"Oh. Nicole. What's up?" The hesitation in her voice tells you that she's still recovering from what happened a day or so ago.

"Mission. Fishing. S-Corp. Probably gone from the City for 2-3 days. Would that be an issue for you and your band."

"...Hm. Our next performance isn't for two weeks anyways. Sure. I wouldn't mind a change of pace. Just let me tell Reid and Patricia about it first, okay?"

"Sure, sure. Not my place to order you around." You mutter, glancing out the window as the G-Corp train keeps trucking along. A blur of buildings passes by you as you keep heading over to S-Corp's district. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah. Don't worry. See you." She abruptly hangs up. Last one up is Lex. It's been a while. The moment you dial him up, you flinch from the high pitch yell that comes over the speaker.

"NICOLE! LONG TIME NO SEE? WHAT'S THE OCCASION. WHO ARE WE GOING TO BEAT UP, HUH, HUH?" Wow, he missed you that much, huh?

"Fishing. S-Corp-"

And the excitement in his voice dies almost immediately. "...Father Above. I knew I had to be dragged back to that fucking place one day. Why are we going there?"
>>
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"Wait, you have some personal experience with that place?" Might as well try to get some information out.

"Actually used to work with them a year or so ago. Nothing major, I was just a hired contractor. That place is just fucking awful to live and work in, ya know?" He lets out an annoyed sigh. "Doesn't help I made a lot of enemies over there. Just some advice between you and me? Never fucking learn S-Corp's dialect."

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] It's a hard dialect to learn. Most people are VERY shitty speakers unless they were born and raised in S-Corp. R-Corp's dialect is a lot easier, you even know a few words. Donde esta el bano-

"Why?"

"Just don't. Those bugmen are fucking horrid to work with."

"...Ashley is coming along-"

"OKAY YEAH SEE YOU THERE." He hangs up immediately. Luckily for you, you arrived at your destination. S-ZETA-9, the section of S-Corp's district directly bordering with the Sea. You look outside the window and into the station to see that, despite S-Corp being a company tasked with construction, it's REMARKABLY shitty from a construction standpoint. Pillars are barely holding together, the rails you were traveling on are rusted hunks of junk, the tiles on the floor are cracked...

And there's a giant sea of S-Corp residents roaming around the station, packing the place like sardines. You immediately rush out of the train before they can flood the train cabin you're in. Trying to push past the sea of identical looking men and women with black hair and narrowed eyes is hell on earth and a few times, random people slap your antlers in equal parts annoyance, curiosity, and obvious scorn.

It hurts with every slap. You already hate this place. You now see what Lex was on about.

Eventually, you stumble out into the streets of S-Corp's district.

In contrast to the station you just exited, the streets are remarkably empty. The only thing around you is rows on rows of poorly constructed, sea salt encrusted buildings made out of shoddy faux-wood and stone. The streets are even cobbled with stone which, again, you would suspect that this place would have some better construction.

To the east, you can hear something. A ship's horn blaring. You assume that's where the harbor must be. Breaking into a dead sprint, you immediately rush over to it, not even caring about the weird looks that the few S-Corp residents give you as they see you galloping like...you know what.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2KbscDqnMo - THE HARBOR

The overwhelming smell of SALT, SMOKE, and SEA WATER hits your nose the moment you step into the harbor. The harbor itself is pretty small in the grand scheme. There's only a few large ships, probably five at most, sitting at the docks and a small storage warehouse with a chimney to the north but aside from that? It's just faux-wood docks coated in sea salt and crowds of burly sailors carrying cargo to and from the ships.

"YOU THERE!" A boastful, booming voice calls out to you.
>>
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An old callused husk of a man stands at a ship in the middlemost dock of the harbor. He combs through the blinding white beard clinging to his chin. His outfit is a bright blue sea captain's coat that's obviously stained with equal parts salt and tobacco ash, given the old pipe he's smoking from. "YOU'RE THE NEW CREW MEMBER MR. FOXTROT TOLD ME ABOUT, CORRECT? WELCOME ABOARD." He gestures towards his ship. "TO THE S.S. FREEDOM."

The ship looks like shit, to be quite frank. It's a salt encrusted ship that's probably barely big enough to host the crew, the captain, and your group consisting of yourself and four allies. The metal it is made out of it is an obvious cheap and shoddy steel that's long since been corroded by salt, rust, and barnacles.

You offer him a fake smile. "W-will there be enough room for five additional people? Me and my four crew mates?"

"INDEED. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE ROOM ON THE S.S. FREEDOM. IT IS NO MATTER TO YOU. AH. WHERE ARE MY MANNERS?" He immediately tosses two items to you. A small black cube that fits in the palm and a bottle of pills. The cube is made out of some weird material that you don't recognize. There's a small button on the side of it.

"THAT THERE IS YOUR CONTAINMENT CUBE AND PILLS, MADAM. FROM THE MAN HIMSELF. THE CUBE EXPANDS A LOT IF YOU PUSH THE BUTTON. BEST BE CAREFUL, SO SAYETH CAPTAIN ABRAHAM!"
>+CONTAINMENT CUBE and LALILU PILLS!

You're about to say something but you're interrupted by four pairs of footsteps approaching you. You turn around to see that, thank god, your allies have managed to arrive in time.

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. In her hands, she's carrying a small bag. "My bandmates told me to bring some extra food along." She awkwardly laughs. She seems tense but otherwise fine.
Adam is dressed in an old, tattered red jacket and a set of blue jeans with a pair of steel toed boots adorn his feet. The stained white shirt underneath his jacket has engine oil and grease. "Let's get this over with." He cracks his knuckles.
Lex's outfit is simple. An old bulky jacket, a Strands of Silver band tshirt (the logo is written in barely legible metal band font), some boots and a set of work jeans. His head is safely hidden away in a wool beanie he's wearing. He flashes a finger gun at you.

And then there's BENEDICT. God, he has seen better days. Two layers of bulky jackets with long sleeves, some patchwork pants and gloves, and thick steeltoed boots cover his body. It's clearly meant to hide how much of his body has been transformed. Blood, oil, and grease coats his clothing. Half of his face has been replaced by metal that's in the faint impression of a human face, like a really shoddy android model. His hair has taken on an yellow-greenish hue to it as well.

"...Hello." He chokes out.

"So." Ashley mutters, trying not to look at Benedict. "What's up with the horns."
>>
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"I was about to say!" Lex nods in agreement.
"I've seen weirder." Adam shrugs. "They're just antlers."
"...Don't judgE heR." Benedict croaks out, as if speaking at all takes incredible effort.

>ADAM, ASHLEY, BENEDICT, AND LEX HAVE JOINED THE PARTY! YOU ARE NOW BROKE AS FUCK, 0 DOLLARS LEFT.
>BENEDICT'S SHEET HAS BEEN REVEALED!

BENEDICT BAKER [SPECIAL]
RAPPORT: 0/8 (Barely recognizes you or even knows you.)
FLESH: 7
RESTRAINT: 5
VIOLENCE: 7
TALENT: 4
WILLPOWER: 4
CHARM: 0
CONNECTIONS: 0
COGNIZANCE: 3

BOONS:
[PARTIAL PARADIGM MANIFESTATION] Despite the pain he's in, you can see a spark of determination and focus in his eyes. He has access to two anomalous abilities that you may order him to use. He will also passively use them as the situation demands it.
-YESTERDAY'S PROMISE: His obsession with perfection and cooking has granted him the ability to grant bizarre powers to the things he creates. As long as he's given materials that can be consumed by a normal human, he will passively produce various items with anomalous potential to them. He may spend 1 RESTRAINT to produce even more powerful items when using this ability.
-TOMORROW'S REGRET: He must procure his ingredients at any cost. He may spend 1 RESTRAINT to reroll every VIOLENCE, TALENT, or FLESH dice he rolls in a check. He may spend 2 RESTRAINT to heal 3 FLESH to himself or 1 FLESH to an ally.

[MAN AND MACHINE] His body is meat and metal, taking the best from both words. BENEDICT takes -1 FLESH from all sources and is immune to disease/toxins/suffocation, ignores Crippling Injuries, and heals 1 more from all healing items.

BANES:
[FRACTURED MIND] His mind is falling apart by the second. He will have a hard time communicating with others and he has little memory or knowledge about his life before his transformation. It's also likely he'll randomly take RESTRAINT damage at any given time. Best to keep an eye on his mental state.

[UNSTABLE PSYCHE] He is just like you. A shattered psyche ready to act out. As his RESTRAINT lowers, he will begin to act out more and more, harming himself and the people around him. He's also VERY prone to outbursts due to his transformation.

INVENTORY: BLADE ARM (Permanently equipped. When attacking someone, he always inflicts a CRIPPLING INJURY on them and inflict SEVERE BLEEDING, which passively drains FLESH), INGRIDENT KIT (Filled to the brim with fresh fruits, meat, and vegetables. Enables YESTERDAY'S PROMISE).

"I'LL GIVE YOU FOUR SOME TIME TO TALK TO EACH OTHER. WHEN YOU HEAR MY HORN, YOU WILL BOARD MY SHIP." Captain Abraham proceeds to board onto his shitty S.S. FREEDOM. You turn your attention back to your allies. You might as well talk to them to see how they're doing before you do anything else.

"...Seriously, what is up with them?" Ashley points at your antlers again. "I did NOT see you with these last time I met you. It's only been a day."

"It's a long story. Trust me." You mutter. Time to talk and organize with your allies.
>>
Choose an upgrade for Lex.
>Seems like Benedict isn't the only one with a metallic upgrade. There's an obvious bulk underneath Lex's skin that clearly isn't muscle. "New implant. How does it look?" He flashes a wicked smile. (METALLIC EXOSKELETON. +2 FLESH, +1 VIOLENCE, Lex now rolls d8 with VIOLENCE checks and has a medium chance to negate FLESH damage taken by 1.)
>There's a variety of greenish-yellow tattoos covering his body. Something about how they look makes you feel a bit nervous. "Found a new tattoo shop. Apparently they give me powers like yours. So I thought, why not?" (ANOMALOUS TATTOOS. +1 WILLPOWER, +1 RESTRAINT. Lex's attacks now do equal parts RESTRAINT and FLESH damage, allowing him to damage otherwise physical resistant entities. He may spend 1 RESTRAINT to add +2d8 to any FLESH, VIOLENCE, or TALENT roll he makes or assists in.)
>He's oddly well groomed, considering what he normally does for a living. "I've been trying to clean up my appearance. Just in case I need to talk, not punch." (QUIET VOICE, BIG STICK. +1 CHARM, CONNECTIONS, COGNIZANCE, and TALENT. When he makes a CHARM or CONNECTIONS roll, he may add half of his VIOLENCE dice to his roll.)

What do you want to do or say to your allies? Pick up to three non-free actions and any amount of FREE ACTIONS.
>You should probably talk to Benedict. Just to make him comfortable with being here and to check up on him. (You may add on three WRITE INs on what you want to say to him, if anything.)
>Best to get it out of the way. Explain the horn story and your new relationship with UNSTABLE to your allies.
>Try to pry whatever information about S-Corp and how their fishing operation works you can from your allies. (Write in up to three questions to ask them about S-Corp. They will try their best to answer)
>Wait, isn't Strands of Silver Ashley's band? Offer a smug smile to Lex. Just mess around and talk to him before you have to worry about a mission. (Gets you closer to earning another RAPPORT with him and Ashley.)
>"What was that whole 50 guests thing you were on about?" Just talk with Adam, try to get to know him better. (Gets you closer to earning another RAPPORT with Adam and Benedict.)
>Observe the habor you're in, just in case. (COGNIZANCE DC: 14, rolling 5d6 by yourself. Succeed and you might get some useful insight when you DO board the ship and have to work with Abraham. Failure and you just waste time.)
>Give your allies some equipment. (FREE ACTION. Write in what you want to give to your allies.)
>Best to offer Benedict something for his mind. (FREE ACTION. Give him some VIRITOXAP or SALTRIL antipsychotics? Offer him three charges of your MALTRO CIGARETTES or a dose of HOLY TEARS to offer him passive RESTRAINT regeneration? Write in.)
>Best to take something for YOUR mind. (FREE ACTION. Take an antipsychotic? Use three cigarettes or a dose of HOLY TEARS for some RESTRAINT regen?)
>Write in.

INVENTORY UPDATED: https://pastebin.com/n0MH6M17

Sorry for the delay.
>>
>>5953168
>>Seems like Benedict isn't the only one with a metallic upgrade. There's an obvious bulk underneath Lex's skin that clearly isn't muscle. "New implant. How does it look?" He flashes a wicked smile. (METALLIC EXOSKELETON. +2 FLESH, +1 VIOLENCE, Lex now rolls d8 with VIOLENCE checks and has a medium chance to negate FLESH damage taken by 1.)
>Best to get it out of the way. Explain the horn story and your new relationship with UNSTABLE to your allies.
>Wait, isn't Strands of Silver Ashley's band? Offer a smug smile to Lex. Just mess around and talk to him before you have to worry about a mission. (Gets you closer to earning another RAPPORT with him and Ashley.)
>Observe the habor you're in, just in case. (COGNIZANCE DC: 14, rolling 5d6 by yourself. Succeed and you might get some useful insight when you DO board the ship and have to work with Abraham. Failure and you just waste time.)
>>
>>5953168
>There's a variety of greenish-yellow tattoos covering his body. Something about how they look makes you feel a bit nervous. "Found a new tattoo shop. Apparently they give me powers like yours. So I thought, why not?" (ANOMALOUS TATTOOS. +1 WILLPOWER, +1 RESTRAINT. Lex's attacks now do equal parts RESTRAINT and FLESH damage, allowing him to damage otherwise physical resistant entities. He may spend 1 RESTRAINT to add +2d8 to any FLESH, VIOLENCE, or TALENT roll he makes or assists in.)
Pale damage lets go!
>Try to pry whatever information about S-Corp and how their fishing operation works you can from your allies. (Write in up to three questions to ask them about S-Corp. They will try their best to answer)
>Wait, isn't Strands of Silver Ashley's band? Offer a smug smile to Lex. Just mess around and talk to him before you have to worry about a mission. (Gets you closer to earning another RAPPORT with him and Ashley.)
>"What was that whole 50 guests thing you were on about?" Just talk with Adam, try to get to know him better. (Gets you closer to earning another RAPPORT with Adam and Benedict.)
>>
>>5953168
>There's a variety of greenish-yellow tattoos covering his body. Something about how they look makes you feel a bit nervous. "Found a new tattoo shop. Apparently they give me powers like yours. So I thought, why not?" (ANOMALOUS TATTOOS. +1 WILLPOWER, +1 RESTRAINT. Lex's attacks now do equal parts RESTRAINT and FLESH damage, allowing him to damage otherwise physical resistant entities. He may spend 1 RESTRAINT to add +2d8 to any FLESH, VIOLENCE, or TALENT roll he makes or assists in.)
I love the idea that he found Nicole so cool with her powers that he wanted in on them in his own way. Yes even after she Dr. Manhattaned those gangsters and traumatized Ashley a little

>Best to get it out of the way. Explain the horn story and your new relationship with UNSTABLE to your allies.
It is the right thing to do™
>Wait, isn't Strands of Silver Ashley's band? Offer a smug smile to Lex. Just mess around and talk to him before you have to worry about a mission. (Gets you closer to earning another RAPPORT with him and Ashley.)
Let's get a bit funny while we can
>You should probably talk to Benedict. Just to make him comfortable with being here and to check up on him. (You may add on three WRITE INs on what you want to say to him, if anything.)
"Do you remember anything from when you became this way? Not before, but during?"
"How have things been for you, lately? It's been a week since you got turned into this."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
>Best to offer Benedict something for his mind. (FREE ACTION. Give him some VIRITOXAP or SALTRIL antipsychotics? Offer him three charges of your MALTRO CIGARETTES or a dose of HOLY TEARS to offer him passive RESTRAINT regeneration? Write in.)
Offer him a SALTRIL pill with Adam's support. Maybe it'll help him?
>Give your allies some equipment. (FREE ACTION. Write in what you want to give to your allies.)
Give Benedict the Moonstone

I really want to take a photo of Adam and Benedict together with Memories of a Forgotten Era. Maybe it'll be something nice for them
>>
>>5953149
>There's a variety of greenish-yellow tattoos covering his body. Something about how they look makes you feel a bit nervous. "Found a new tattoo shop. Apparently they give me powers like yours. So I thought, why not?" (ANOMALOUS TATTOOS. +1 WILLPOWER, +1 RESTRAINT. Lex's attacks now do equal parts RESTRAINT and FLESH damage, allowing him to damage otherwise physical resistant entities. He may spend 1 RESTRAINT to add +2d8 to any FLESH, VIOLENCE, or TALENT roll he makes or assists in.)

>Best to get it out of the way. Explain the horn story and your new relationship with UNSTABLE to your allies.
>Wait, isn't Strands of Silver Ashley's band? Offer a smug smile to Lex. Just mess around and talk to him before you have to worry about a mission. (Gets you closer to earning another RAPPORT with him and Ashley.)
>"What was that whole 50 guests thing you were on about?" Just talk with Adam, try to get to know him better. (Gets you closer to earning another RAPPORT with Adam and Benedict.)

>Give your allies some equipment. (FREE ACTION. Write in what you want to give to your allies.)
Give Benedict the Moonstone
>>
>>5953550
Add
>Best to offer Benedict something for his mind. (FREE ACTION. Give him some VIRITOXAP or SALTRIL antipsychotics? Offer him three charges of your MALTRO CIGARETTES or a dose of HOLY TEARS to offer him passive RESTRAINT regeneration? Write in.)
Give all VIRITOXAP BRANDED ANTI-PSYCHOTICS to him.
>>
>>5953168
>Seems like Benedict isn't the only one with a metallic upgrade. There's an obvious bulk underneath Lex's skin that clearly isn't muscle. "New implant. How does it look?" He flashes a wicked smile. (METALLIC EXOSKELETON. +2 FLESH, +1 VIOLENCE, Lex now rolls d8 with VIOLENCE checks and has a medium chance to negate FLESH damage taken by 1.)

>You should probably talk to Benedict. Just to make him comfortable with being here and to check up on him. (You may add on three WRITE INs on what you want to say to him, if anything.)
>"What was that whole 50 guests thing you were on about?" Just talk with Adam, try to get to know him better. (Gets you closer to earning another RAPPORT with Adam and Benedict.)
>Observe the habor you're in, just in case. (COGNIZANCE DC: 14, rolling 5d6 by yourself. Succeed and you might get some useful insight when you DO board the ship and have to work with Abraham. Failure and you just waste time.)
>Best to offer Benedict something for his mind. (FREE ACTION. Give him some VIRITOXAP or SALTRIL antipsychotics? Offer him three charges of your MALTRO CIGARETTES or a dose of HOLY TEARS to offer him passive RESTRAINT regeneration? Write in.)
Psycho pills
>>
>>5953616
VIRITOXAP stops UNSTABLE but all the other voices too
SALTRIL stops UNSTABLE but not the other voices + heals 1 RESTRAINT
>>
>>5953756
Do Benedict even have a benefits boons voice?
>>
>>5953756
That's why viritoxap is best for him.
>>
>>5953789
>>5953764
Then ok

>>5953168
Changing my vote in >>5953343 to giving him the VIRITOXAP and not SALTRIL
>>
>>5953168
>There's a variety of greenish-yellow tattoos covering his body. Something about how they look makes you feel a bit nervous. "Found a new tattoo shop. Apparently they give me powers like yours. So I thought, why not?" (ANOMALOUS TATTOOS. +1 WILLPOWER, +1 RESTRAINT. Lex's attacks now do equal parts RESTRAINT and FLESH damage, allowing him to damage otherwise physical resistant entities. He may spend 1 RESTRAINT to add +2d8 to any FLESH, VIOLENCE, or TALENT roll he makes or assists in.)

>Wait, isn't Strands of Silver Ashley's band? Offer a smug smile to Lex. Just mess around and talk to him before you have to worry about a mission. (Gets you closer to earning another RAPPORT with him and Ashley.)
>"What was that whole 50 guests thing you were on about?" Just talk with Adam, try to get to know him better. (Gets you closer to earning another RAPPORT with Adam and Benedict.)
>Observe the habor you're in, just in case. (COGNIZANCE DC: 14, rolling 5d6 by yourself. Succeed and you might get some useful insight when you DO board the ship and have to work with Abraham. Failure and you just waste time.)
>Best to offer Benedict something for his mind. (FREE ACTION. Give him some VIRITOXAP or SALTRIL antipsychotics? Offer him three charges of your MALTRO CIGARETTES or a dose of HOLY TEARS to offer him passive RESTRAINT regeneration? Write in.)
VIRITOXAP
>Give your allies some equipment. (FREE ACTION. Write in what you want to give to your allies.)
Give Benedict the Moonstone
>>
>>5953550
Change/edit
>Best to get it out of the way. Explain the horn story and your new relationship with UNSTABLE to your allies.
Switch to
>Observe the habor you're in, just in case. (COGNIZANCE DC: 14, rolling 5d6 by yourself. Succeed and you might get some useful insight when you DO board the ship and have to work with Abraham. Failure and you just waste time.)
>>
UPGRADE
TATTOOS: gCz, dot, IkB, Cp5
EXOSKELETON: T2m, GWO

WHAT TO DO
SILVER STRANDS: gCz, dot, IkB, T2M, Cp5
50 GUESTS: Cp5, dot, GWO, gCz
OBSERVE HARBOR: T2m, GWO, O3C/dot, gCz
HORN STORY: T2m, IkB
TALK TO BENEDICT: GWO, IkB
ASK ABOUT S-CORP: Cp5
OFFER BENEDICT DRUGS: gCz, GWO, dot/427, IkB
OFFER BENEDICT MOONSTONE: dot, IkB, gCz

I'd say since half of the people felt like giving him the MOONSTONE, he'll get the moonstone. So, the winning total is TATTOOs + SILVER STRANDS + OBSERVE + 50 GUESTS + GIVE BENEDICT VIRITOXAP AND MOONSTONE

Two anons, roll the following
>2d6 (half of the COGNIZANCE ROLL
>3d6 (other half of COGNIZANCE ROLL)
>>
Rolled 3, 6 = 9 (2d6)

>>5954012
>>2d6 (half of the COGNIZANCE ROLL
>>
Rolled 5, 5, 6 = 16 (3d6)

>>5954012
>>
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25 out of 30. Waow. Yeah you succeed that, no questions here. Writing.
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Lex takes a moment to flex the new tattoos covering his body. They really aren't anything beyond weird scribbles and curved lines from a design standpoint, as if trying to mimic actual occult symbols but failing completely. Though one looks SHOCKINGLY similar to the ritual circle you saw Phillip make back at Avalon. "Found a new tattoo shop. Apparently they give me powers like yours. So I thought, why not?"
>+1 RESTRAINT, +1 WILLPOWER, +ANOMALOUS TATTOOS BOON

Adam and Ashley immediately stick their noses up at this for VERY obvious reasons.

"Why the fuck do you WANT powers like her?" Ashley points the end of the baseball bat on you. "You do realize what she DID last time we were on a mission, right?"
Adam simply glances back at Benedict (who's completely zoned out) before looking back at Lex. "..."

"Hey! She's been nothing but helpful with her powers! So why not get some myself!" Lex puffs his chest out. "I can't be ALL brawn. Gotta be brainy too."

"If you explode someone with your mind I'm going to fucking gut you." Ashley hisses out.

"Hey, hey!" You step in between the two meatheads. "I think it's neat, okay? He's just trying his best to be nice. Hell, he's wearing YOUR band tshirt. You could at least be a bit nicer to him." You flash a smug smile. "Maybe he's trying to court both of us."

Ashley scans Lex from head to toe with her eyes. Her expression is emotionless and numb, hiding what she's feeling to everyone in the room...besides you. <"I mean, depends what he's packing down there. He's not too bad looking."> "Nah. Not exactly my type."

Lex's face is caked in a bright, almost neon red blush. "I-it's really only because I do like your music, though. It's not really meant to, fuck, uh. Be. That." Your comment completely threw him off guard. <"FUCK HOW DID SHE KNOW FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK-">

>LOW RESTRAINT OUTBURST TRIGGER.

[UNSTABLE] "PFFFFT." Your mouth widens into a smile that shows WAY too many teeth, almost like a Harvester's smile. "Holy fucking shit are you guys SERIOUS? WOW. GET A ROOM." You slide over to Lex. "And heeeyyy, if she doesn't accept? You know?" Your smile widens even further. "I wouldn't mind."

[UNSTABLE] You really aren't considering it, you're messing with him.

"SHUT UP SHUT THE FUCK UP." Lex's neon blush only gets even brighter. Even Ashley gets flustered when she remembers, oh yeah, you can read her mind.
"Fuck." Ashley tries her best to hide in her leather jacket like a turtle retreating into her shell.

"Repulsive." "DiSguSting." Adam and Benedict mutter to each other.

[UNSTABLE] "Awww, c'mon, don't act like-"

Lex immediately covers your mouth. "Shut." Despite the stern tone in his voice and the fact Ashley is trying to hide in her jacket, you can see both of them sprouting bright, beaming smiles.

>0.5 RAPPORT added to Lex and Ashley!

You pry his mouth off with some minor telekinesis. "Okay but seriously, what's up with the band t-shirt?"
>>
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Lex shrugs. "Fuck, man, I just like their music. Sure, the titles suck ass-"

"Blame that on Reid. I swear that fucker actually huffs that weird liquid you find in C-Extract." Ashley interrupts him.

"Whatever. Did you bring your guitar over at least? We're going to be stuck on a boat for a few days."

"Actually, I did." Ashley reaches behind her back and in one smooth motion, she pulls out a bright silver electric guitar. You're not super knowledgeable on musical instruments but you can tell it's old, given the scratches and dents all over its body.

"Kickass!" Lex smacks Ashley on the back too hard, causing her to stumble closer to the edge of the harbor.
For a moment, you swear you saw Benedict's lifeless eyes widen upon seeing the guitar. <"...music. When's the last time..."> Weird. Something's hampering you from fully reading his mind.

"Hopefully it's not all punk nonsense. As much as I enjoy it myself, I rather not rile him up too much." Adam glances back at Benedict, who seems transfixed at the guitar.
Ashley kneels down in front of the half-anomaly half-human chef. "Do you want to listen to a song later?" She puts on a calm, soothing voice that contrasts harshly with her normal gruff and gravely tone.

It takes a moment for Benedict to respond. He slowly nods. "P-PleaS-s-eeE."

"Okay, champ." She gently pats him on the head. Benedict doesn't respond to the touch. "We'll do that later, okay?"

Lex, Adam, and even you are a bit shocked at this. She simply shrugs at the bewildered looks she's getting. "What? Did you expect me to be mean to him?" <"I really not have another person exploding incident, at least.">

"No? Just didn't expect it." Lex shrugs.
"I'm not complaining. Just unexpected." Adam nods in agreement.

"Speaking about him-" You take this moment to swerve the conversation over to Adam and Benedict. "You, uh, how to put this nicely..."

[UNSTABLE] "Acting like a completely deranged lunatic the moment I called you? That's supposed to be MY JOB, thanks."

Benedict grits his teeth. <"F-FrienD inSult..."> Adam promptly steps in between you and Benedict. "What's your point?" Shit, you should probably take some meds of your own soon. You shake your head to clear your thoughts.

"What was the whole 50 guests thing about? Don't restaurants normally have that many people on a busy day?"

The two deflate a bit when you realize what you're on about. Adam lets out a sigh before trying to get the resolve to speak. "...The last few days have been very stressful. Work's been killing me and I haven't gotten a solid eight hours of sleep for a week now. Most I get is 3-4 hours for, well."

"S-SorRy. M-My FauLt, RiighT?"

"No, no-" Adam tries his best to comfort his friend. "It's just been a lot of work lately and today, it got even worse. Someone leaked a rumor about Benedict and, well, a buncha weird 'occult' freaks wanted to have a PARTY in my fucking restaurant. 50 of them, in fact."
>>
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No one should've known about it aside from you, Benjamin, Adam, Alexis, and-

[PERSON OF INTEREST] Father Above, are they trying to harass Adam out of petty spite? For YOU fucking over their plan?
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] It's unlikely any of your friends would've leaked his existence either. And it's doubtful the alphabet companies know given he's not in containment and he's still alive.

"Fuck, man. That blows." Lex nods his head, trying his best to sound sympathetic. "What happened after?"

"I told them to fuck off. And they didn't react well at all. Had to close the restaurant early so my employees could clean up." Adam tries his hardest to hold back the obvious rage brewing in him. "Fuck, I'm half tempted just to close the business because shit like this KEEPS happening! You know WHY I wanted to run a restaurant?"

"To make people fucking happy!" He starts pacing around the harbor. "To give people something they never experienced! But no, I'm stuck behind a desk 24/7 so I can keep a business that seems to bring nothing but stress to everyone I know!"

You, Lex, and Ashley stay quiet as he continues to pace around. Benedict sheepishly looks away from Adam, still cognizant enough to feel some level of shame or pity.

"Just. You know what I want to do? I know it sounds funny but I want to move to O-Corp's district. To farm, to get away from all of this boring business shit and people who don't even acknowledge the FUCKING WORK I do to keep a business running." His teeth grind against each other, threatening to shatter at any moment. "I just want a break. Something new. I don't want to be in the City anymore. It's just-"

"Grind, grind, grind!" He throws his hands up in the air. "Why do you think I came here for a fishing trip? I get to leave this god forsaken place! I even PAID you to bring us along. It is fucking SICKENING being in this place."

"I'm SoRry." Benedict can only mutter out an apology.

"I understand but I think you're overthinking things." You feel obligated to say something. Anything. To offer a measure of comfort. "I don't like doing the jobs I do either but you know what keeps me going? It's all the little things."

"Talking to you guys. Seeing new sights, new people. Doing new things. The City blows, no one's denying that, but if you let yourself be CONSUMED by negative thoughts like that-" Benedict twitches a bit but you keep talking. "-then you're going to miss what matters."

Adam takes in a deep breath before letting out an exhausted sigh. "I really wish I could see the world like that. I really do."

"She's not wrong." Lex nods. "I'll be honest. If it wasn't for her hiring me a week or so ago, I would probably be feeling the same things you are. Just less about cooking and more about beating people up. You're complaining so much about the City but don't you have a friend to make it more tolerable?"

This seems to get through to Adam. He glances at Benedict as his face twists into a complicated mess of emotions.
>>
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<"He's been a burden to me, I'll be honest. And I hate how I view him like that."> He doesn't respond for a while. Benedict is staring up at you with a weird look you can't quite describe.

"Am I. FrienD? I. Head feels Funny. I." He can't quite put the words together to describe how he's feeling but you think you get the general idea.

"I hope so, Benedict."

Benedict tries his best to smile. "Th. That Would be Nice, Right?"

"I hope so too." Adam sighs. "I hope all of us can be friends. Thank you for, uh, I guess listening to me rant."
>+0.5 RAPPORT to ADAM and BENEDICT

"It's no problem." You nod. "Better to not let those feelings get all pent up, right?"

Ashley finally decides to respond, "We'll see. To be honest, this is just a job for me. Nothing more. Nothing less. But hey, having good coworkers is better than bad ones, righ-"

https://youtu.be/Ek0eoS5AoqY

Your chatter is immediately interrupted by the loudest god damn horn you have heard in your life. Your ears are left ringing as your allies try their best to regain their senses. You're only able to hear the captain yelling out something.

You and your allies promptly make a beeline towards the ship before he tries permanently deafening everyone in a five mile radius. You glance back behind at the harbor...

>25: SUCCESS!

And you notice something off as the five of you climb aboard the ship. In the distance, you can see a bunch of sailors having an argument near the warehouse. While you can't hear them, you can hear a few things with your MIND READ.

<"I'm not going back on that fucking ship! That asshole is a complete fucking psychopath!">
<"Those five do know they're being sent to their deaths, right? They're not returning!">
<"That ship he's searching for, he's not going to find it. If he does, I hope he never returns.">
<"I'm moving to V-Corp! At least their ships are only tasked with fishing! That S.S. FREEDOM is an ill god damn omen!">
<"I can only hope they can find the lifeboat. That mad man has hidden it somewhere. He doesn't want anyone to leave his ship on its voyage.">

Soon, you're out of range of the arguing sailors and your MIND READ. The hell could this captain actually be after that has driven away those sailors? Whatever the case is, the fact he hid the lifeboat is not a good sign at all.

As you five finally board the ship, you quickly toss Benedict over the MOONSTONE and the VIRITOXAP antipsychotics. Almost out of instinct, Benedict dry swallows one of the two pills.
>-MOONSTONE, -VIRITOXAP PILLS
>BENEDICT'S UNSTABLE BANE HAS BEEN WEAKENED.

Ashley narrows her eyes at you. You simply show her the SALTRIL pills you have. She mumbles something to herself before turning her attention elsewhere.

As your group boards the ship, your phone buzzes. You open your phone quickly so you can read it before you're stuck in the middle of the sea.
>>
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It's from Benjamin. "hey. just checking up on u. max was worried, so was i. be careful. text me when u can."
Another text message, from Maruyama. "Checking in on you. Text me back to tell me your status."

Seems like even if you don't hire them, they might still contact you from time to time to check up on you. As soon as you send a text to make sure you're not dead, you lose all signal.

https://youtu.be/LzetwZpEwhc - THE SEA

It's been an hour since you left the port. The five of you have been standing around, waiting for any sort of instruction from the captain. You're currently on the somewhat crowded, rusted deck of the ship.

The layout is pretty simple. There's a big cabin-like building in the middle of the ship, presumably where the captain and other high ranking officers sleep and steer the ship. A hatch towards the back of the ship leads to where you assume the crew, and by proxy you and your allies, will sleep at. One look down there tells you that it's going to suck sleeping down there. A hatch at the front seems to lead to the cargo storage area.

Seems like you're left to your own devices for now. Assign an action to you and your allies.

>Have someone use some of the MEAT BAIT you got to try catching some fish. (-2 MEAT BAIT, TALENT DC: 18. Pass and whoever's assigned will get some fish to sell later and heal some RESTRAINT or boost their MAX RESTRAINT for the mission if they're at full RESTRAINT. Failure and the sheer boredom will damage their RESTRAINT.)
>Some of the sailors are busy trying to move some heavy boxes. Have some help them with that. (VIOLENCE DC: 22. Succeed and your party will gain some approval from the crew, which may help down the line. Failure and whoever's assigned will just hurt themselves.)
>[ASHELY ONLY] "Hey. Ashley. Can a girl get some of that sweet, sweet sound?" (Everyone gains some minor RESTRAINT regeneration for the next three updates.)
>[BENEDICT ONLY] "Hey, Benedict. Go ahead and cook us something." (You and your allies will gain +1 MAX FLESH for the mission.)
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] You do NOT trust the captain right now. Send someone over to try talking to him and get a better read on why he actually hired you. (CHARM DC: 16 (-3 from your observation success.) Succeed and he might slip something about his actual reason for hiring you. Failure and you imagine he won't react kindly to you prying into him.)
>Have someone stand guard in case anyone tries to board the ship. (You'll be warned if anything dangerous approaches.)
>[NICOLE ONLY] Might as well meditate if nothing else. (WILLPOWER DC: 23. Succeed and you'll heal some RESTRAINT and gain +1 WILLPOWER for the rest of the mission. Failure and you just wasted an action.)
>Grab an ally of yours and just talk to them to pass the time. (Pick an ally to talk to. You'll gain another 0.5 RAPPORT with them. This consumes you and the ally's action.)
>Try to do something else. (Write in what you want to do and who to assign to it.)
>>
>>5954152
>Some of the sailors are busy trying to move some heavy boxes. Have some help them with that. (VIOLENCE DC: 22. Succeed and your party will gain some approval from the crew, which may help down the line. Failure and whoever's assigned will just hurt themselves.)
Lex
>[ASHELY ONLY] "Hey. Ashley. Can a girl get some of that sweet, sweet sound?" (Everyone gains some minor RESTRAINT regeneration for the next three updates.)
>[BENEDICT ONLY] "Hey, Benedict. Go ahead and cook us something." (You and your allies will gain +1 MAX FLESH for the mission.)
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] You do NOT trust the captain right now. Send someone over to try talking to him and get a better read on why he actually hired you. (CHARM DC: 16 (-3 from your observation success.) Succeed and he might slip something about his actual reason for hiring you. Failure and you imagine he won't react kindly to you prying into him.)
Nicole
>Have someone stand guard in case anyone tries to board the ship. (You'll be warned if anything dangerous approaches.)
Adam
>>
>>5954167
Supporting
>>
>>5954167
+1
>>
>>5954167
+1
Let's not forget we were explicitly told about thieves.
>>
I highly doubt a four vote majority is going to be broken so let's cut to the chase here.

I need three anons to roll the following
>3d6 (half of Lex's roll)
>3d6 (other half of Lex's roll)
>4d6 (Nicole Moment)

And we'll see what resources need to be consumed from there.
>>
Rolled 4, 5, 4 = 13 (3d6)

>>5954331
>>
Rolled 6, 2, 2 = 10 (3d6)

>>5954331
>>
Rolled 4, 5, 5, 3 = 17 (4d6)

>>5954331
Nicole is best charmer!

Also I’m liking the group so far, we’re getting some good banter.
>>
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>>5954342
>>5954384
>>5954407
Waow, you really have a habit of just BARELY passing your skill checks. 23 and 17. Aight. Writing the update, then I'll immediately pass the fuck out since it's probably going to be 7 or 8 AM when I finish writing it.
>>
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>>5954409
Zzzzzz...
>>
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"Adam, stand guard. Lex, go help those chucklefucks. Benedict, go ahead and cook us something. Ashley..." You snap your fingers and put on your best faux-District 7 accent. "Cano a girrrl get some of tat sweat-a, sweat sound-a?"

[REPRESSED UNSTABLE] Benedict's unconverted eye twitches with a darkly familiar fury. It almost vanishes immediately as he begins to grind his teeth. He lets out a sound half between a grunt and gears grinding together. "Never. Do that. Again. FECCIA."

Huh? That was honestly the most coherent his speech has been so far.

[OVERCORRECTION] "Woah, woah. Let's not cause anyone's stomachs to implode through shitty accents." Adam tries his best to calm down the situation. Neither of you are paying attention. This only makes him more nervous.

"Fetch-a? The fuck does that mean?" Lex fails to hide his smirk.

"I know a little. It meant scum. The accent was pretty horrid." Ashley does her best to explain. You visibly deflate upon hearing this, you were doing good! Right?

Adam nods, wiping away at his sweaty forehead. "Correct. Though it can also mean filth or dirt, depending on the context.

"Whatever you say. I trust that your magic words mean what they mean." Lex can't even pretend to care about this conversation. "I'll go help those dipshits." He makes his way over to the front of the ship. You can see there's six sailors trying their best to move a really big, black cube out of storage-

[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Wait. Isn't that a containment cube? You suppose it's a good precaution if there's any weird entities out here.
[PERSON OF INTEREST] I don't like this, Nicole. Let's get moving.

"FeH. TheY don'T underSTAnD the PERFECTION of my MOTHER tONGue." Benedict mutters as he finds a small spot on the deck to sit down at. Ashley sits down alongside him. After tuning her guitar, she starts to play.

https://youtu.be/TK4V6vIFPGo - ASHLEY'S SONG

"Do you understand what it meant to me?" She hums to nobody in particular. "When you waltzed in with that melody?" It's clear she's just making them up on the spot so they're not super great. "To show me a glimpse of your starlight, a glimmer for a perfect life." She begins to tap her foot on the ground, trying to keep a steady beat

While the lyrics could use some work, the guitar itself and her singing is...nice. You can't really recall the last time you listened to something like this. Most of the actual song seems to be focused on the guitar itself and her singing than any actual lyrics. Her singing voice is completely different from her regular voice. It's smooth, clear, feminine. A lot better to listen to compared to the gravely tone she speaks with.

Most of the crew doesn't seem to acknowledge her singing, too busy with their own tasks to care but the few who do besides your group are nodding along to the rhythm. Adam taps his foot along to the song while he watches the sea, leaning against the rusted railing standing between him and the endless sea.
>>
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Benedict seems to have stopped mid unpacking of his cooking equipment as the song continues on. He offers a faint smile towards Ashley. "Piacevole. Un suono perfetto." He immediately picks up his speed on whatever he's cooking. Before you even have time to start heading towards the captain's quarters, he tosses you something.

It's a simple sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and some unidentifiable meat. You take a small bite and- Woah, okay, that's good. Bread's not too chewy, lettuce and tomato are fresh, the meat has a nice smoky quality to it. You give Benedict a thumbs up. "Grazie." You mutter out the only District 7 phrase you actually know.

The beaming smile coming from him could've lit up the whole god damn City. "Piacere mio." If only you knew what the fuck he was saying. Oh well. You keep pecking away at the sandwich on your walk over to the captain's quarter. Despite only being a simple sandwich, you can feel it sticking to your ribs like a good hearty breakfast.
>+1 MAX FLESH FOR MISSION. CURRENT FLESH: 3/6
>+1 RESTRAINT! CURRENT RESTRAINT: 5/9.

The Captain's Cabin isn't much to behold, let alone speak about. Aside from a hallway with four doors, each marked "CAPTAIN", "QUARTERMASTER", "FIRST MATE", and "NAVIGATOR" (which you assume is their quarters), there's a fifth door at the end leading to the helm of the ship. Entering that shows that it's, well, another cramped room. It's filled with machines, panels, and other navigation devices you can't make heads or tails of.

A man in a tattered dress shirt, a woman in a bright orange sweater, and a Drone with a dull green jumpsuit are messing around with the devices in the room to keep the ship steering in the right direction. In the middle of the room is the ship's steering wheel that's being helmed by, well, who else would it be?

You glance out of the window at the front of the helm to check on your allies, given how none of the people in here are bothering to acknowledge you yet. Adam is keeping watch for anything approaching, though not without enjoying a nice sandwich and the melody Ashley is playing.

Lex is doing his best to help the various sailors dressed in brightly striped sailor outfits at the front of the ship. It's clearly taking a lot of strain to move the heavy wooden boxes and the odd, solitary containment cube to cargo storage but the sailors seem more than happy to have him assisting.

"I don't believe I need any assistance with steering this ship, lassie." Captain Abraham barks out at you. Glancing behind you, you see he didn't even bother to look at you when he said that. Feh.

"Why did you actually hire me?"

"Was there lubber in your ears when our mutual friend-"

You quickly interrupt him. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Protect from thieves, help fish, yada yada. But don't act like I don't know what that is." You point at the containment cube Lex is trying to push down into storage. "Some of the sailors on the harbor were saying some weird things as well."
>>
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"Do you really want to know?" There's an odd hesitation in his voice. As if he's not even sure if he should be telling you this. "I'm searching for something. Something that requires the help of people who don't ask too many questions." Captain Abraham mutters what you think is a swear under his breath.

"There's nothing but fucking sea out here. Unless you're hunting for a white whale, I don't see what's so important out here but fish and water." Well, there was that one optional thing of an anomalous artifact, but what's the actual probability of finding anything here? It's all blue as far as you can see.

"Feh." The man in the dress shirt mutters. "I wish it was that. Would be a lot easier than the damned abomination he keeps rambling-"

"SILENCE, WRETCH!" Captain Abraham smashes his hand against the steering wheel. The three crewmembers in the helm quickly lower their heads in an attempt to avoid his wrath.

"What the fuck was that?" You prod at this outburst. "Why am I here, Abraham? Isn't that your role as a captain? To lead your crew to success? How am I supposed to succeed if I don't know why I'm here?"

>17. SUCCESS!

There's a tense silence in the room no one dares to break. Then, the Captain speaks. "There's something very important I'm looking out here. Somewhere in these dark, dark seas. Something that has been evading me for years now. If we don't find it, feh, so be it. That's what the cube is for."

[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Wait. What was that thing the Handler was warning us about? The Admiral's Game? That does sound like an anomaly name.
[PERSON OF INTEREST] Could just be an enemy ship. Maybe he's searching for another captain?

"That damned creature, pretending to be a man." Abraham tightens his grip on the ship's steering wheel. "I saw him twenty years ago. When he destroyed the ship I was first mate on.." His mouth twists into a smile with way too many razor sharp teeth. "He didn't even look at me as the rest of my crewmates were drowning around me. Thrashing like fish forced onto dry land. Struggling FOR AIR." Red blood oozes from his gums as he grind his teeth together. "I know he's out here. I know he's waiting for me to find him."

"I'll find him. I have to." A trace of doubt lingers in his voice. <"I have to. I have to."> The other crewmates are, obviously, too afraid to say anything to the rambling old man.

[UNSTABLE] TO THROW A STONE AT MY GLASS HOUSE, I THINK THIS GUY IS A NUTTER.

Before he has time to say anything else, Adam bursts right into the helm room with a look of sheer terror on his face. He was clearly in a rush given the bits of sandwich meat clinging to his shirt. "NICOLE. C'MON. HAVE TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING. CAPTAIN. SOMETHING'S APPROACHING US."

You and the captain immediately exit the helm while the other head crewmates take over the job of steering the damn ship. Various sailors are staring out to something in the distance and you notice that Ashley stopped singing a while ago.
>>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re05OwoZATM - ENEMY SHIP APPROACHING

A ship in the far, far distance is charging RIGHT in your direction. It's around the size of the ship you're currently on and it's moving as fast as humanly possible in your direction. Spikes and some unidentified bags are attached all over the hull of the ship and a bright, almost neon purple flag with a skull on it is proudly hung from the ship.

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] It is five to six miles away at most and with the speed it's at? You'd guess you have about nine minutes tops before it collides

"AHAH. SOME THIEVES THINK THEY CAN TAKE MY CARGO? MY SUPPLIES? I THINK NOT!"

Your other allies join up with you They clearly didn't expect something to happen given how, like Adam, they're either still finishing up their meal or pulling out their equipment. Benedict's blade arm slowly slides out from underneath his makeshift jacket cloak.
>+1 MAX FLESH AND RESTRAINT REGEN TO YOUR PARTY!

"Wait, wait-" Ashley's voice is still a bit raw from her singing. "Can't we just try to outrun them? We don't need to fight."

"WHERE'S THE FUN IN THAT? CREW! TO YOUR STATIONS! MAN THE STARBOARD CANNONS! GET YOUR HARPOONS READY!"

A chorus of "AYE AYES" damn near deafen you and your own crew. Shit. Okay, how do you handle this?

Due to Adam warning you in advance, you may pick two actions.

>Try to convince the crew that the captain's plan to fight a random ship instead of running is a BAD idea. (CHARM DC: 20 (-4 from Lex helping the crew), rolling 6d6 with Adam's assistance. Pass and the crew will hesitate to fight, convincing the captain to run. Your relationship with the cap will probably sour, though.)
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] You need to delay this ship from approaching at any cost. "LEX! GET ME THE HEAVIEST BOX FROM CARGO!" Time to use your FOCUSED TELEKINESIS. (-1 RESTRAINT, write in whether to spend 1 FLESH, RESTRAINT, or boost the successes needed by 1 as an additional cost. ATTACK ROLL: 15d6+1d4, SUCCESSES NEEDED: 10. Get the necessary successes and you'll land a critical blow on the enemy's ship, ending any fight before it can start.)
>[UNSTABLE] VIOLENCE. IT IS THE ANSWER AND QUESTION. EMBRACE IT. (COMBAT ENCOUNTER! +1 VIOLENCE to your whole party this encounter. The Captain will respect you more if you pick this.)
>"CREW! WE SHALL DRINK!" Share some of that high quality whiskey. Should help morale regardless of what you do (-4 HIGH WHISKEY. The crew and captain will see you in a far better light, lowering DCs by 2 for the rest of the mission.)
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Something's off. It's just one ship and that skull flag seems too on the nose. Try to figure out what's going on. (COGNIZANCE DC: 24, rolling 7d6 with Ashley's and Adam's help. You'll confirm whether this is a trick or some overconfident fool on a success. Failure and doubt and fear will set in your heart, increasing of future COGNIZANCE DCs for the rest of the mission.)
>Write in.
>>
>>5954479
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Something's off. It's just one ship and that skull flag seems too on the nose. Try to figure out what's going on. (COGNIZANCE DC: 24, rolling 7d6 with Ashley's and Adam's help. You'll confirm whether this is a trick or some overconfident fool on a success. Failure and doubt and fear will set in your heart, increasing of future COGNIZANCE DCs for the rest of the mission.)
Wait a sec, it's been like an hour or two since we left port. This is way too soon. Did somebody else know about the Captain's mission? The neon purple flag is odd, but pirates come in all colors in this world. What gets me are those bags on the ship's hull. Why have those with the spikes? And for that matter, why would somebody put so many spikes on their ship then ram another so recklessly? You'd have that for deterrence or a last-ditch weapon, not a naval combat opener, right?

I think this is a ruse or some severely retarded man. If we fuck the roll up we have 3 Pep Pills+ for +4 COGNIZANCE added to the roll each. 7x6 is 42 and we have DC 24. We can take this easily unless dice gods rig it
>>
>>5954482
Oh we have 2 actions thanks to Adam, nice!

>>5954479
Add to my vote in >>5954482
>[UNSTABLE] VIOLENCE. IT IS THE ANSWER AND QUESTION. EMBRACE IT. (COMBAT ENCOUNTER! +1 VIOLENCE to your whole party this encounter. The Captain will respect you more if you pick this.)
Ashley, we knew there'd be thieves and raiders. The Handler said as much, and he was right. I don't think this is the first time the Captain and his crew had to deal with pirates either.
As much as the TK option tantalizes me with those rolls and that power, Nicole is 3/6 FLESH and 5/9 RESTRAINT. I want to try to minimize losses here as much as we can. Hopefully if this IS a trick, not being cowed will be enough violence to make this fucker leave
>>
>>5954479
>[UNSTABLE] VIOLENCE. IT IS THE ANSWER AND QUESTION. EMBRACE IT. (COMBAT ENCOUNTER! +1 VIOLENCE to your whole party this encounter. The Captain will respect you more if you pick this.)
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Something's off. It's just one ship and that skull flag seems too on the nose. Try to figure out what's going on. (COGNIZANCE DC: 24, rolling 7d6 with Ashley's and Adam's help. You'll confirm whether this is a trick or some overconfident fool on a success. Failure and doubt and fear will set in your heart, increasing of future COGNIZANCE DCs for the rest of the mission.)
>>
>>5954485
As for VIOLENCE
>Nicole
5 but we got weapons and guns
>Lex
6, but 7 when attacking, +1 from Spiked Brass Knuckles = 8
>Ashley
4, +1 from Baseball Bat = 5
>Adam
4, but he rolls 4 VIOLENCE + 3 RESTRAINT + 1 with his chef skill and knife
>Benedict
7, and he has his anomalous blade arm

Add 1 to all these with our fighting option, and that's a lot of overwhelming violence power. If you consider all the other stuff we have in the inventory, on top of the crew backing us up while the Captain buffs them, I think we can win this easily
>>
>>5954479
Rest well Handler, thanks for the update.
Man, I would not eat the random meat provided by our guy lmao. Last time was not so great.

That aside, glad putting Adam on lookout duty worked and damn I didn’t realize how low Nicole was health wise.
>[UNSTABLE] VIOLENCE. IT IS THE ANSWER AND QUESTION. EMBRACE IT. (COMBAT ENCOUNTER! +1 VIOLENCE to your whole party this encounter. The Captain will respect you more if you pick this.)
I’m doing this both for “exp” and captain respect. I thought about doing the whiskey option, but I want to save those for our closer friends and I don’t think it’s necessary since this raises respect too.

>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Something's off. It's just one ship and that skull flag seems too on the nose. Try to figure out what's going on. (COGNIZANCE DC: 24, rolling 7d6 with Ashley's and Adam's help. You'll confirm whether this is a trick or some overconfident fool on a success. Failure and doubt and fear will set in your heart, increasing of future COGNIZANCE DCs for the rest of the mission.)
This is just a smart option.
>>
Question Anon: Are you on board with the captain's plan to hunt and capture the admiral? And are you confident we can take on the admiral?
>>
>>5954488
I would have thought Ashley lookout duty would be better due to her DEEP INTUITION boon, but it still worked out fine. What I'm amazed at is how quickly that antipsychotic helped Benedict
>[REPRESSED UNSTABLE] Benedict's unconverted eye twitches with a darkly familiar fury. It almost vanishes immediately as he begins to grind his teeth.
Speaking of him, I love everything between him and Adam here, especially >>5954147. Adam is being pushed to the edge by both the fallout of his best friend snapping and becoming part-anomaly, partially from Adam's own fault no less AND HE KNOWS THIS, and the silver agents harassing him indirectly. I wonder if they know and they're trying to force Adam to turn next? It'd be one hell of a tragedy if both of them end up the same way. A different sort of tragedy than how it turned out for them back in HELP WANTED!
>"Talking to you guys. Seeing new sights, new people. Doing new things. The City blows, no one's denying that, but if you let yourself be CONSUMED by negative thoughts like that-" Benedict twitches a bit but you keep talking. "-then you're going to miss what matters."
Amazing echo of that same lesson in an alternate timeline. If only Adam knew the silver agents and how they had a direct hand in all the workplace woes even before Benedict got to this point... that's a man who'd want revenge. Because who knows? If the silver agents had nothing to do with their issues, would Adam and Benedict have enjoyed their restaurant business more? Would they have had more customers and more money if the agents didn't stifle the clientele and taint the food? Or would they both still reach this point regardless, due to both of their own personal tendencies and problems as individuals? The what ifs are endless, as they always are
>>
>>5954496
I want to see things through no matter the result. I wonder if somehow the Captain himself is the Admiral but he doesn't know it, like Jeckyll and Hyde? That we could read his mind indicates he's not an anomaly, if my theory holds. We can read Benedict's but there's something impeding Nicole doing it completely.
>>
>>5954479
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] You need to delay this ship from approaching at any cost. "LEX! GET ME THE HEAVIEST BOX FROM CARGO!" Time to use your FOCUSED TELEKINESIS. (-1 RESTRAINT, write in whether to spend 1 FLESH, RESTRAINT, or boost the successes needed by 1 as an additional cost. ATTACK ROLL: 15d6+1d4, SUCCESSES NEEDED: 10. Get the necessary successes and you'll land a critical blow on the enemy's ship, ending any fight before it can start.)
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Something's off. It's just one ship and that skull flag seems too on the nose. Try to figure out what's going on. (COGNIZANCE DC: 24, rolling 7d6 with Ashley's and Adam's help. You'll confirm whether this is a trick or some overconfident fool on a success. Failure and doubt and fear will set in your heart, increasing of future COGNIZANCE DCs for the rest of the mission.)
>>
>>5954496
I think the captain is an important part of the story on this mission so I want a good in with him. I also think getting a buff to violence will help complete the mission. Not sure what to do with the admiral yet, but that’s mostly from lack of info that getting the captain’s trust will hopefully help rectify.
>>
>>5954479
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Something's off. It's just one ship and that skull flag seems too on the nose. Try to figure out what's going on. (COGNIZANCE DC: 24, rolling 7d6 with Ashley's and Adam's help. You'll confirm whether this is a trick or some overconfident fool on a success. Failure and doubt and fear will set in your heart, increasing of future COGNIZANCE DCs for the rest of the mission.)
>>
[UNSTABLE] O3C, IGB, 5w+
[PERSON OF INTEREST] Cp5, gCz, O3C, IGB, 5W+
ANOMALOUS ABILITIES: gCz

Aight. Seems fair where we're going here. Due to you being able to pick two actions, PERSON OF INTEREST + UNSTABLE wins out.

I need two anons the roll the following
>4d6 (half of COGNIZANCE roll)
>3d6 (other half of COGNIZANCE roll)
>>
Rolled 4, 5, 6, 3 = 18 (4d6)

>>5955029
>>
Rolled 5, 4, 3 = 12 (3d6)

>>5955029
>>
Coolio. Time to embrace the VIOLENCE and dehumanize yourself. Writing.
Also, to clarify something super minor that annoyed me, meant to write District 6 instead of 7 last post.
>>
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"Wait. Something's wrong." Your urge to KILL is already rising but you manage to hold it back the tiniest bit. "I still think we should kill those bastards but doesn't this seem off?"

The dozens on dozens of sailors on the dock stop in their tracks. You notice they were in the middle of preparing makeshift weaponry out of old, rusted harpoons and frayed rope. "Eh? The hell is this kid on about?"
The Captain narrows his eyes at you. "Do not spread doubt in the hearts of my mind. Do not DARE think you know better than I do, Nicole. Your horns are of that of a land animal, NOT THE S-"

You continue thinking out loud, interrupting him without thinking about it. "Aren't spikes, like, meant to be a deterrent more than a weapon? And it's only been like two hours. Why is anyone gunning after us THIS quickly?"

"Wait, yeah, that is weird." Adam clicks his tongue. "Really weird."
Ashley is rubbing her chin, clearly trying to think of what could possibly be going on here. "Wait. Adam, you didn't see any other ships, right?"
"No? I saw that one ship and, well, it looked pretty damn scary. And it IS charging at us. Though it is weird that it's alone...and I don't see anyone on it either?" Adam rapidly taps his foot on the ground. His nerves are clearly getting to him.

[DEEP INTUITION] "WAIT." Ashley's eyes widen to the size of dinner plates. "I DON'T THINK IT'S THE SURFACE WE SHOULD WORRY ABOUT."

>30: SUCCESS

[PERSON OF INTEREST] It's a distraction. Bright purple, spikes, ominous bags? It's meant to be spotted, to be an obvious threat.
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Oh god. You remember something now. You faintly recall an old advertisement about G and X-Corp working together back at District 7. Something about a prototype for a combat submarine. That was three years ago.
[UNSTABLE] I'M TAKING CONTROL HERE. MIND READ, GO!!!!
[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] HEY GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF MY CONTROLS-

>MIND READ ACTIVATED! NICOLE DOESN'T HEAL ANY RESTRAINT THIS UPDATE!

It takes a moment for you to filter through the various dots of your crew, captain, and the crew of the S.S. FREEDOM. There's five dots below the surface of the water, three moving southwest and two moving southeast.

[DEEP INTUITION] "CAPTAIN. DO YOU HAVE ANY ANTI-SUBMARINE WEAPONERY? WE NEED CREW THERE. STAT." Sheer TERROR oozes out of Ashley's voice like black tar. "WE GOT TWO MINUTES. TOPS. I CAN FEEL IT."

"Five underneath." You mutter. "Two southeast. Three southwest."

[DEEP INTUITION] "Pincer. They plan on surrounding us on all sides. The ship ramming us will only seal the deal. We need to move."

<"Hehe! Seems like these landlubbers figured out the enemy's trick. Even my crew didn't notice."> Captain Abraham's mouth contorts into a drooling, wicked smile. <"Perhaps they're not so useless after all, Otto.">

"CREW! MAN THE UNDERSIDE CANNONS! ALL FOCUS TO THE FOES UNDERNEATH THE WAVES." He immediately turns his heels away from your group, rushing back to his helm.
>>
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"WE'LL DEAL WITH THE SHIP ABOVE THE SURFACE!" You yell out to the captain as he disappears into the helm and the rest of the crew immediately heads under the dock of the ship. Leaving you and your party alone up here. The ship you're on starts to ever so slightly drift away from the decoy ship. Wait, why is the water looking we-

Pillars of water erupt out of the previously calm, quiet sea, spraying water all across the dock of the ship. You and your allies manage to avoid getting too soaked thanks to them being pretty far away from the section of dock you're on. If you focused your hearing, you swear you could hear something happening underneath the surface of the water.

"Well, they seem to be handling that just fine." Adam shrugs. "We're not really doing anything of value here, right? They're the ones actually fighting the threat. We're just stuck waiting up here."

"They have a plan B, right? The pirates or whoever. That ship is still charging at us...uh." Lex's voice cracks for a moment. "Okay fuck that's charging at us fast."

You turn your gaze over to the decoy ship. IT REALLY IS CHARGING TOWARDS YOUR SHIP AS FAST AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE..

[DEEP INTUITION] "FUCKING MOVE!" Ashley screeches at the top of her lungs. Before any of your other allies knows what's going on, she shoves you behind Benedict before pushing Adam and Lex to the side with all of her adrenaline fueled might.

Good timing since something is launched right in your direction. Benedict just barely manages to raise his blade arm to guard his face and torso as a fucking massive harpoon is launched full force into him. A horrid sound of metal and meat being torn and trusted on impact fills your ears.

>-2 (REDUCED FROM 3) FLESH TO BENEDICT. TOTAL: 6/8!

Luckily, the two other harpoons launched at your group were avoided thanks to Ashley's quick thinking. As for Benedict? He looks down at the harpoon embedded deep into his torso and, without thinking about it, he brings his arm down onto the chain connecting the harpoon to the enemy ship.

CRACK!

The metal chain shatters into a million pieces with barely any effort on Benedict's part. He looks towards you and the other allies with a faint smile. "Poor. Quality. Metal. My Metal is. Perfected." He takes a deep breath in...

[WEAKENED BENE UNSTABLE] "TANTI INGREDIENTI FRESCHI DEVONO ESSERE SU QUELLA NAVE!" Before bellowing out his best attempt at a battle cry. "LASCIEREMO SOLO DIETRO LE LORO OSSA!"
[UNSTABLE] YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT HE'S SAYING BUT YOU VIBE WITH HIM HARD. "LET'S RIP AND TEAR!" YOUR VOICE YELLS OUT. IT'S NOT NEARLY AS OMINOUS SOUNDING.

The enemy ship is now adjacent to your own ship after the harpoon attack. It seems like any injury they would've inflicted to your party was an accidental bonus. Four large, rusty harpoons have embedded themselves deep into the side of the ship, preventing any escape.

And so they're able to board your ship.
>>
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF631szQ0T - THE REAL FIGHT

On board the dock of the enemy ship is a handful of grizzled men in dark royal purple naval jackets and wading pants. Their bare chests are covered in a latticework of gnarled, bright blue scars. Their expressions are clearly nervous, as if they didn't expect they would have to do this. It's clearly a desperation attack given their first plan failed.

[PERSON OF INTEREST] You faintly recall hearing something about a gang with bright blue scars. Something about them having anomalous abilities?
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] But they were only located in District 4 and 14 from what the paperwork said. Those don't even directly border District 19.
[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] The scars covering them remind you of the tattoos Lex has on his body. You imagine their powers are comparatively simple and brutal.

Their only weapons seem to be barely held together harpoon guns with odd marks scratched deep into their handles. They immediately raise them up at you and your allies. "I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT FREAK DIDN'T DIE BUT THE REST OF YOU! SURRENDER NOW AND WE'LL ONLY KILL HIM!"

[STEADY HANDS] Adam simply pulls out his chef's knife in one smooth motion. "You're not doing anything." His posture is relaxed, calm, focused. Like a light switch flipped in his mind that suppresses any hesitation or fear he would normally be feeling.
[NUMB + BLOODLUST] Ashley and Lex don't bother saying anything. They simply prepare their weapons and stare down at the enemies. Only difference is one looks too eager, the other looks oddly bored.
[MAN AND MACHINE] "TRY." He grabs at the harpoon chunk still imbedded in his chest and rips it out. The only sign of injury is a heavy dent in the middle of his torso. "YOU WILL NOT SUCCEED."

Your allies prepare for a fight...
>+1 VIOLENCE TO YOUR ALLIES DURING THIS FIGHT!

YOUR PARTY VS THE INVADING SHIP HAS BEGUN!
SPECIAL CONDITION: FEAR HAS SET IN (You gain an extra free action to swap equipment, give your allies equipment, or use a consumable on an ally.)

NICOLE:
8d8 WILLPOWER, FLESH 3/6, RESTRAINT 6/9 (ROLLS d8s THANKS TO ARMSLEEVE. WEAPON: BEYOND LOVE AND HATE, DEALS RESTRAINT DAMAGE ONLY.)
LEX:
8d6 VIOLENCE, FLESH 6/6, RESTRAINT 4/4 (MAY SPEND 1 RESTRAINT TO ADD 2d8 TO HIS ATTACK ROLL. WEAPON: SPIKED BRASS KNUCKLES.)
ASHLEY:
6d6 VIOLENCE, FLESH 5/5, RESTRAINT 3/3 (+1 FROM UNSTABLE VIOLENCE BOOST. WEAPON: BASEBALL BAT. USER CAN REROLL TWO VIOLENCE DICE EVERY ATTACK.)
ADAM: 9d6 VIOLENCE, FLESH 5/5 RESTRAINT 3/3 (+1 FROM UNSTABLE VIOLENCE BOOST. WEAPON: CHEF'S KNIFE. PARTIALLY IGNORES ARMOR WHEN ATTACKING, HIS BOON GRANTS A POWERFUL BOOST AS LONG AS HIS RESTRAINT IS MANAGED.)
BENEDICT: 8d6 VIOLENCE, FLESH 6/8, RESTRAINT 5/5 (+1 FROM UNSTABLE VIOLENCE BOOST. WEAPON: ARM BLADE, CAN'T BE CHANGED. INFLICTS CRIPPLING INJURIES AND SEVERE BLEEDING ON HIT. MAY REROLL ALL VIOLENCE, TALENT, OR FLESH DICE AT THE COST OF ONE RESTRAINT)
>>
Rolled 4, 4, 5, 5, 1, 6, 6, 2 = 33 (8d8)

>>5955126
Nicole
>>
Rolled 5, 5, 2, 2, 5, 6, 4, 2 = 31 (8d6)

>>5955126
Lex
>>
PIRATES A-E: 4/4 FLESH, 4/4 RESTRAINT, 5d6 VIOLENCE (+2 from HARPOON GUN. If a pirate rolls more than 4 SUCCESSES, their attack inflicts SEVERE BLEEDING on all non-Benedict allies, rapidly draining FLESH.)
SENIOR PIRATE A: 5/5 FLESH, 5/5 RESTRAINT, 8d8 VIOLENCE (+3 from ???, he's unarmed. If this unit rolls higher than 6 on four or more of their dice, a random party member takes heavy RESTRAINT damage on hit.)
SENIOR PIRATE B: 2/2 FLESH, 2/2 RESTRAINT, 3d6 TALENT (+1 from FLINTLOCK PISTOL. This unit always deal 1 FLESH damage to the unit with the least FLESH.)

What's your first move? They're clearly hesitating so you have time to do one main action and one side action before the fight without spending any resources. You might be able to learn more about them if you say the right things.

>"BENEDICT, SHOW THEM YOUR SPECIAL ABILITY!" (SIDE ACTION, -2 RESTRAINT and +3 FLESH TO BENEDICT. Lowers the DC of any speech or intimidation check by 5.)
>[UNSTABLE + BLOODLUST] Face the violence. Don't bother doing anything. Show them what FEAR means. (SIDE ACTION + MAIN ACTION. All pirates take 2 RESTRAINT damage, panicking SENIOR PIRATE B and reducing removing 1 VIOLENCE from three random normal pirates. +0.5 RAPPORT WITH LEX.)
>[PERSON OF INTEREST + ASHLEY ALLY] "This is too organized to be a random pirate assault." Ashley narrows her eyes. You're liable to agree with her. Question them, see what information you can get out of them.. (SIDE ACTION: CHARM DC: 30, rolling 7d6 with the help of ADAM + ASHLEY + LEX. You'll learn some valuable information on who could've sent them on a success and insight into what the captain is doing. Failure and you'll waste valuable time.)
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] "Kill yourself. Thanks." Point a finger at one of the harpoon gunners and make him eat his own harpoon gun with PUPPETEER. (MAIN ACTION: -2 RESTRAINT, WILLPOWER DC: 22, rolling 6d6 by yourself. Success and you'll instantly kill a PIRATE, massively tilting the odds in your favor. Failure and you burn your mind out, requiring another WILLPOWER check to not UNSTABLE OUT.)
>[ADAM + BENEDICT ALLY] "You're not killing an anomaly." WIth Adam's assistant, tell them a gnarly tale about your good ol' anomaly friend...THE ART OF FLESH. Not his real name but it works for now. (MAIN ACTION. VIOLENCE DC: 68, rolling 19d6 VIOLENCE as a whole group [with BENEDICT as the one you're assisting]. Succeed and the pirates are liable to surrender here and now, earning massive respect from the crew...but also revealing Benedict's true nature.)
>"GET A CRATE. WE'LL BUY TIME!" (SIDE ACTION, CHOOSE AN ALLY TO REMOVE FROM THE FIGHT THIS TURN. UNLOCKS THE ABILITY TO SINK THEIR FUCKING SHIP WITH A CRATE LATER OR TO USE AS A POWERFUL WEAPON LATER.)
>CHANGE YOUR WEAPON TO SOMETHING MORE...VIOLENT. (SIDE ACTION. SELECT WHAT WEAPON TO EQUIP.)
>WRITE IN (Use a healing consumable as a side action? Try another plan as a main action?)

INVENTORY: https://pastebin.com/n0MH6M17
>>
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>>5955129
>>5955138
Sorry, sorry, no rolling yet. Probably should've clarified that. These dice are just to account for what you have to roll when combat starts. Due to you realizing their plan, you're given a chance to actually do something beforehand.

Also, for the failure state of ADAM + BENEDICT, you'll only motivate them to fight harder, adding 1 to all of their dice rolls.
>>
>>5955139
>CHANGE YOUR WEAPON TO SOMETHING MORE...VIOLENT. (SIDE ACTION. SELECT WHAT WEAPON TO EQUIP.)
Switch to Double Barrel Shotgun, regular
Regular rolls VIOLENCE+TALENT+2
Fedkiller rolls VIOLENCE+WILLPOWER+1
I don't wanna pull out fedkiller against these pirates
>WRITE IN (Use a healing consumable as a side action? Try another plan as a main action?)
Can we fuck with Senior Pirate B's gun with TK? As a main action? I'm willing to eat a -1 RESTRAINT to make him misfire or jam up. Being down to 5/9 RESTRAINT is something I'm ok with, but I'm surprised we have been getting UNSTABLE procs going even with RESTRAINT this high on Nicole. Weird.

I know we can diplo and try to learn a bit... but I don't want to. I want to KILL these 7 fuckers.
Senior Pirate B's "always deal 1 FLESH damage to the unit with the least FLESH" will be Nicole here because she's down to 3 while everybody else is 5 or 6. That hell training course still took its toll and we haven't recovered yet. Maybe we can in the few days of this voyage? Anyway, Senior Pirate B is priority so Nicole doesn't die. That SEVERE BLEEDING on the harpoon guns is dangerous, but "barely held together harpoon guns with odd marks scratched deep into their handles" implies they might be easily dismantled or are only good for one shot loaded. Doubt they're anomalous. Senior Pirate A has tattoos like Lex, so maybe Lex can match him? If allies get to melee where the harpoon guns are just unwieldy bayonets, it'll be like being up close past a spear's stabby end. They won't be able to maneuver well with the stick portion so they're dead meat.

I'm still willing to do UNSTABLE+BLOODLUST, just doing this so we don't have the paper knife that deals white damage against deadly ranged harpoon guns. The pirates have NOT boarded our ship yet either
>>
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>>5955169
>Can we fuck with Senior Pirate B's gun with TK? As a main action?
I say that would be a DC: 19 WILLPOWER check. -1 RESTRAINT. Succeed and you'll add 2d6 to the amount of dice your party rolls via using your telekinesis to fire it at someone while using your normal weapon while making S. Pirate B stuck with rolling a 2d6 VIOLENCE check.
Or you could make a DC 14 WILLPOWER check to just jam it. He loses -1d6 and his special ability.
Failure would just be, well, failing to disarm or jam it.
>we don't have the paper knife that deals white damage against deadly ranged harpoon guns.
I say if you spend 1 RESTRAINT, you can swap weapons via TELEKINESIS as well. So you can do UNSTABLE + BLOODLUST while getting a better weapon. Thank you for reminding me about that.

Now, I shall enter sleep land.
>>
>>5955123
>spread doubt in the hearts of my mind
Very weird way the Captain phrased this. Anybody else catch that? It might tie into this
>"I'll find him. I have to." A trace of doubt lingers in his voice. <"I have to. I have to.">
That's twice the Captain has had "doubt" associated to him. He's hyping himself up for this pursuit? Does he want the Admiral to kill him like he killed the Captain's fellow crewmates? Or does he want to join him?
>that of a land animal, NOT THE S-"
Siren? Not narwhal. Sea something?
>NICOLE DOESN'T HEAL ANY RESTRAINT THIS UPDATE!
We're still above half, no pressure
>five dots
Single-crew subs? They must be fragile or meant for stealth over firepower, maybe?

>>5955124
>she shoves you behind Benedict before pushing Adam and Lex to the side with all of her adrenaline fueled might
Ashley is too cool. Sucks Nicole has to put in work to get over her "stay on the meds because you blew somebody up on my first job with you" issue, but it is what it is. Wonder how she'll take to UNSTABLE in person when Nicole does the meeting thing earlier
>[WEAKENED BENE UNSTABLE]
If that's him weakened, I don't want to see him normal UNSTABLE

>>5955126
Hey wait a sec why doesn't Lex have UNSTABLE VIOLENCE BOOST? He's 6 base, +1 knuckles, +1 party boost = 8. He hasn't attacked yet, but it'll be +1 for 9 when he does
>>
>>5955174
Thank you

>>5955139
Changing vote from >>5955169 to
>spend 1 RESTRAINT, you can swap weapons via TELEKINESIS as well. So you can do UNSTABLE + BLOODLUST while getting a better weapon.
Swap to Double Barrel Shotgun (Normal) so Nicole has
>5 VIOLENCE base
>+1 UNSTABLE VIOLENCE boost
>7 TALENT (does this include the +1 from NEW YOU (Kiara)?)
>+2 of the shotgun
For BIG damage on those scrub pirates, which means KILLS, which means LESS HARPOONS going for our allies. The -1 VIOLENCE to 3 regular pirates means less success chances and less chances for the BLEEDING
>>
>>5955175
I'll be honest I think that's weird wording on my part back when I wrote that description MONTHS ago. It's just +1 VIOLENCE to all of his actions and the only extra VIOLENCE when spooking someone. So it's 6 + 1 (KNUCKLES) + 1 (PARTY BOOST). It would be 9 if you undertook the ADAM + BENEDICT route...

Which should make it a 20d6 given he adds +4d6, not +3d6, like I originally thought, actually. So you were right about me fucking up but in a different way. If you pick the ADAM + BENEDICT one, it would be a 20d6 instead of a 19d6.
>>
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>>5955181
To clarify why, it's because I was factoring in their VIOLENCE stat. Not their attack roll. Adam's knife doesn't actually boost his VIOLENCE, it only makes him ATTACK hard. His VIOLENCE with your UNSTABLE boost, which adds +2 to any skill check he assists it.

Ashley's VIOLENCE is 6, so it's +3. 5 so far. You have 7 VIOLENCE when intimidating people, so another +3. Lex has +4 from his 9d6 when spooking people. Add that to an 8 base of Benedict, that's 20d6.

I should probably make updates when I'm not half asleep so I don't make so many minor but important errors like this. Lesson for future me.
>>
>>5955139
>>[UNSTABLE + BLOODLUST] Face the violence. Don't bother doing anything. Show them what FEAR means. (SIDE ACTION + MAIN ACTION. All pirates take 2 RESTRAINT damage, panicking SENIOR PIRATE B and reducing removing 1 VIOLENCE from three random normal pirates. +0.5 RAPPORT WITH LEX.)
>>
>>5955178
+1
>>
>>5955139
>CHANGE YOUR WEAPON TO SOMETHING MORE...VIOLENT. (SIDE ACTION. SELECT WHAT WEAPON TO EQUIP.)
Switch to Double Barrel Shotgun
>>
Rolled 1, 2, 1, 5, 4, 5, 3, 3, 2, 2, 6, 5, 3, 6, 3, 6, 3, 3, 6, 4, 3, 6, 5 = 87 (23d6)

So, the general ideal is swap to your shotgun, then UNSTABLE + BLOODLUST. Due your RESTRAINT regeneration thanks to Ashley, you stay at 6/9 this turn.

Rolling for the normal pirates + SENIOR PIRATE B. Due to SENIOR PIRATE B panicking, he only adds 1d6.
>>
Rolled 7, 8, 2, 7, 5, 3, 6, 8 = 46 (8d8)

And for SENIOR PIRATE A...
>>
>>5955567
"Due your RESTRAINT regeneration thanks to Ashley, you stay at 6/9 this turn."
>MIND READ ACTIVATED! NICOLE DOESN'T HEAL ANY RESTRAINT THIS UPDATE!
??????????
>>
>>5955569
>If this unit rolls higher than 6 on four or more of their dice, a random party member takes heavy RESTRAINT damage on hit.
SHIT
>>
NORMAL PIRATES + SENIOR PIRATE
1, 1, 2, 2, 2 = NO SUCCESSES
3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4: 8 half successes, or 4 successes
5, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6 = 9 regular successes.

TOTAL: 13 SUCCESSES. Three instincts of SEVERE BLEEDING will be applied.

SENIOR PIRATE
2 = NO SUCCESS
3 = 0.5 SUCCESS
7, 7, 7, 8, 8 = 10 SUCCESSES

TOTAL: 10.5 SUCCESSES, AN ALLY WILL TAKE HEAVY RESTRAINT DAMAGE. Rolling 1d5 to see who gets hit.
>1 = NICOLE (Will take 2 RESTRAINT damage.)
>2 = ASHLEY (will take only 1 thanks to NUMB)
>3 = LEX (Will take 2 RESTRAINT damage.)
>4 = ADAM (will take 2 RESTRAINT damage.)
>5 = BENEDICT (Will lose 2 charges out of three on his moonstone)
THRESHOLD TO BEAT: 23.5 SUCCESSES

So, I need three anons to roll the following. You may roll for two characters just to speed things up. 1-2 = NO SUCCESS, 3-4 = half a success, 5-6 = SUCCESS.
We'll see what resources we need to consume, if any, after this.

>15d6 (NICOLE'S DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUN)
>8d6 (LEX'S ATTACK)
>6d6 (ASHLEY'S ATTACK)
>9d6 (ADAM'S ATTACK.)
>8d6 (BENEDICT'S ATTACK)

>>5955578
I'm talking about the "Swap to your shotgun with telekinesis" change that will happen next update. So you'll stay at 6/9 next update, assuming Nicole doesn't take the funny RESTRAINT damage
>>
Rolled 5 (1d5)

>>5955586
feh, forget to roll. Here's who takes the damage.
>>
Rolled 4, 6, 2, 5, 2, 2, 6, 3, 4, 1, 1, 3, 3, 1, 2 = 45 (15d6)

>>5955586
>>
Rolled 2, 6, 3, 4, 3, 6, 6, 1 = 31 (8d6)

>>5955591
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

>>5955586
BENEDICT!!!!
>>
Rolled 5, 6, 5, 3, 5, 4 = 28 (6d6)

>>5955586
>>
Rolled 6, 5, 1, 4, 5, 4, 1, 6 = 32 (8d6)

>>5955586
LEX COME ON YOU CAN DO IT
>>
>>5955588
Holy shit am I glad we gave that Moonstone to him. I thought we'd need it for his random RESTRAINT damage
>[FRACTURED MIND] His mind is falling apart by the second. He will have a hard time communicating with others and he has little memory or knowledge about his life before his transformation. It's also likely he'll randomly take RESTRAINT damage at any given time. Best to keep an eye on his mental state.
But instead we're scoring immediate value right here against this big pirate guy
>>
Rolled 5, 1, 1, 2, 2, 4, 1, 1, 1 = 18 (9d6)

>>5955586
>>
>>5955611
My worst ever roll lol
>>
Rolled 4, 6, 5, 1, 6, 1, 5, 4, 1 = 33 (9d6)

>>5955586
Just caught up, whew moonstone was a great gift to Benedict. Also pirates have hands I see. Alright hopefully Adam rolls well.
>>
>>5955611
Lmao this is impressively bad bro. Pretty sure this is very statistically unlikely haha.
>>
>>5955611
1.5

>>5955618
5
>>
NICOLE: 5.5
BENEDICT: 3.5 successes. Total so far, 9.
ASHLEY: 5 successes. 14 so far.
LEX: 5 successes. 19 so far.
ADAM: 1.5 successes. 20.5 so far.

You're on the edge of victory. Pick one.
>[UNSTABLE] KILL KILL KILL! SNORT SOME WHITE POWDER, USE OUR IMPLANT, USE THE NECKLACE. WE BALL. (Reroll Nicole's attack, rolling 19d6+2d8 this time. -1 WHITE POWDER and ADRENALINE IMPLANT CHARGE)
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] "BENEDICT! YOUR FRIEND IS IN DANGER!!!" Appeal to the anomaly's connection to Adam. (BENEDICT will take 1d6+1 FLESH damage, possibly putting him in the CRITICAL STATE, but Adam will take 5W+'s roll instead of gCz's, resulting in you getting enough successes to win.)
>>
>>5955633
Hey don't we have rerolls for allies?
>>
>>5955633
Benedict is 4.5 successes >>5955594
>>
>>5955635
Mmh. Ashley only lets her reroll two dice, so you're statistically more likely to lose a success since your best choice is to reroll her 3 and 4.
Here's your third option.

>"FULL POWER!" Tell your allies to use their abilities. (-1 RESTRAINT from LEX, MOONSTONE shatters for Benedict, -1 CHARGE on BRICK SHITHOUSE for Lex. You roll 2d8 extra with Lex and Benedict gets a full reroll, Ashley may reroll her 3 and 4 to see if she gets a better result and Lex may reroll every 1, 2, and 3 he has rolled.)
>Write in

>>5955637
Ah, misread that. So the total would be 21.5. Thank you for correcting me.
>>
>>5955641
The crack makes Nicole take -1 FLESH damage. Can we do the adrenaline implant instead and see if the additional 2d8 can be enough? Or is it no-go and we have to pick a more drastic option here with the failure?
>>
>>5955647
Sure, if people agree to vote for that. You may pick that as an option.

Apologies if this is a bit hectic, anyone who might be reading that.
>>
>>5955651
Nah it's fine. This is some serious ultraviolence on the high seas. It's gonna get hectic and it's gonna get real.

>>5955641
>>5955633
>[UNSTABLE] KILL KILL KILL! SNORT SOME WHITE POWDER, USE OUR IMPLANT, USE THE NECKLACE. WE BALL. (Reroll Nicole's attack, rolling 19d6+2d8 this time. -1 WHITE POWDER and ADRENALINE IMPLANT CHARGE)
On second though I'm paranoid the ADRENALINE IMPLANT 2d8 will still roll double 1s on us. Fuck that. I want the full reroll. We will regen the implant charge normally and we can always score more coke later
>>
>>5955654
I’ll support this.

Our consumables do exist to be used. We should do another mission with Benjamin soon to stock up on drugs too.
We aren’t quite running low just yet but it’s a possibility.

Thought about depending on Benedict and Adam but the 1d6+1 scares me
>>
Just to speed things up so combat doesn't take forever, I'm calling it here.
One Anon, roll 19d6. Another one, roll 2d8.
>>
Rolled 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 2, 6, 3, 5, 3, 1, 3, 4, 5, 3, 1, 3, 4 = 64 (19d6)

>>5955862
>>
Rolled 2, 7 = 9 (2d8)

>>5955862
>>
1, 1, 2, 2, 2 = NO SUCCESSES
3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 = 4.5 SUCCESSES
5 5 5 5 6 = 5 SUCCESSES

2 = NO SUCCESSES
7 = 2 SUCCESSES

Total Success from Nicole: 11.5.
Total Party Success: 27.5 vs 23.5
RESULT: MODERATE SUCCESS.
RESOURCES CONSUMED: HARVESTER NECKLACE USED UP ITS ONE "REROLL ALL DICE" CHARGE THIS MISSION, -1 ADRENALINE CHARGE, -1 WHITE POWDER, -1 FLESH
WRITING.
>>
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Okay. They're planning on boarding your ship. That's obvious. Their ship is close enough for either of your groups to jump onto the other ship with ease. Only thing stopping a fight from happening is both sides trying to see what the other side does. For a split moment, you want to question them. Know why they're following you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF631szQ0Tg - VIOLENCE

But you don't care. All you do is look at Lex with a demented smirk. He returns a similar smirk. Before anyone else knows what to do, the two of you build up a running start and leap RIGHT onto the enemy ship. With some quick telekinesis, you violently stuff the WHITE POWDER into your nose and swap to your regular shotgun before you even land on the enemy ship.

[BLOODLUST + UNSTABLE] "LET'S FUCKING KILL THEM!" You and Lex say the only thing that needs to be said at this point. A perfect duo of bloodlust and violence. For one moment, the two of you are the same. Brother and sister, united in mutual bloodthrist.
>LEX RAPPORT: 5/7!
>NICOLE FLESH: 2/6!

Your heart HURTS as the powder courses through your system. You push past the pain by activating your ADRENALINE IMPLANT and in a single twitchy yet near perfect motion, you immediately fire two slugs at the torso of a nearby pirate. A plum of smoke erupts out of the barrel of your shotgun. Blood and gore erupts from the two fisted sizes holes in the area his heart was once at, splattering all over your clothes.

[UNSTABLE RESOLVE] DELICIOUS. SOME EVEN GOT ONTO YOUR FACE. LET'S KEEP GOING NICOLE. WE'RE GOING TO SURVIVE. WE'LL LIVE FOREVER!
>-1 CHARGE on ADRENALINE IMPLANT, ONE LEFT. -2 SHOTGUN SLUGS.

He dies. Immediately. On the fucking spot. All he managed to do is fire his harpoon off, but your combat bodysuit managed to block his shoddy shot. The sheer shock and awe stops the other pirates from making a move at first. Their horrified expressions say all.
>-2 RESTRAINT TO EVERY PIRATE!

Your other allies take this moment of shock and awe to board the ship as well. Sadly, you're not the only one known for shock and awe. The moment your allies board the ship, the four surviving harpoon pirates aim and fire at your allies. The Senior Pirate with the flintlock? He's cowering on the floor, fucking petrified by what you did. He's no threat to you.

[DEEP INTUITION] Ashley saw it coming and managed to dodge mostly in the nick of time. The harpoon aimed at her only manages to leave a nasty scratch across her forearm.
Benedict simply takes it like a man. The harpoon sinks into his chest again but he hardly waits for the pirate to realize what's going on before charging in.
Lex and Adam? They don't manage to dodge. Adam gets hit HARD, the harpoon embedding deep into his arm. Lex gets one to the leg but, due to him being a brick shithouse, he carries on through the pain.

>-1 FLESH TO ASHLEY + BENEDICT, -2 FLESH TO LEX + ADAM
>+SEVERE BLEEDING TO LEX AND ADAM, +MINOR BLEEDING TO ASHLEY
>>
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>ASHLEY WILL LOSE 1 FLESH AT THE END OF COMBAT.
>LEX AND ADAM WILL LOSE 1 FLESH AT THE START OF EVERY TURN UNLESS TREATED.

[WEAKENED BENEDICT UNSTABLE] "MORIRE!" With one swift swing of his blade arm, he slices the arm of the pirate who hit Adam's arm clean off. It was shockingly easy for him to cut it off, with the same ease as cutting a carrot to pieces.

However, he left himself wide open, letting a wide haymaker from the tattooed pirate hit him RIGHT in the jaw. Wild sparks of purple and yellow energy flicker between his fist and Benedict's jaw. The sheer force of the punch sends Benedict stumbling back, nearly sending him overboard.

>-2 CHARGES OF MOONSTONE! 1 LEFT!
>FLESH DAMAGE NEGATED

"FUCK YOU!" Adam, despite having a harpoon stuck in his arm, tries his best to avenge his friend. He grabs onto the chain connecting the harpoon in his arm to the pirate's gun and yanks on it. While it clearly hurts like hell, he uses this to deliver a nasty but superficial slash across the pirate's chest.

"GH!" PIRATE C hisses out in pain from the impact but manages to stay standing.

While Ashley and Benedict distract PIRATE B and D, and while A is busy freaking out over his missing arm, all that's left is Lex and the tattooed pirate. The two stare each other down before they, at the same time, rush at each other with bared teeth.

https://youtu.be/mwbpWoq8cdU?si=K06E6SnhSzodgKtV - BLOODLUST

Their exchange is quick and brutal. You wouldn't say it lasted longer than five seconds but holy shit, it stopped everything else going on dead in its tracks. Neither of them are able to land a solid hit on each other. With every punch throw, the other blocks it with their own punch. Their tattoos light up brighter than neon signs, Lex's taking on a bright yellow hue while the tattooed pirates take on a navy blue and purple hue.

In the chaos, you spot the pirate with the flintlock running for his life. You doubt he'll be part of the battle anymore.

The stalemate of violence is interrupted by Lex landing a slug across SENIOR PIRATE A'S face, sending him stumbling back a foot or two away from him. Sparkles of bright yellow energy linger from the impact site alongside a minor but nasty looking bruise. SENIOR PIRATE A spits out a bloody tooth. "This will be FUN. CREW, ACTIVATE YOUR TATTOOS!"

Ashley, for her part, manages to bonk PIRATE B in the head, knocking his ass clean out before he does anything. PIRATE A, C, and D's scarred chests begin to light up a neon's blue as their eyes begin to glaze over. Pirate A's arm suddenly stops bleeding, leaving behind an armless stump behind.

Adam takes this moment of distraction to rip out the harpoon stuck in his arm, freeing him from it. A torrent of red blood splatters onto the floor from this rather foolish action. "THE FUCK ARE THEY DOING?"

The PIRATES grip tightly into their spent harpoon guns before surrounding the SENIOR PIRATE, ready to charge at his command.
>>
PIRATE A: 1/4 FLESH, 1/4 RESTRAINT, 4d6 VIOLENCE (-5 from MISSING ARM and LOW RESTRAINT, +4 from ACTIVATED SCARS and HARPOON GUN (EMPTY). DOES NOT INFLICT SEVERE BLEEDING ANYMORE. REROLLS UP TO TWO DICE HE ROLLS.)
PIRATE C + D: 2/4 FLESH, 2/4 RESTRAINT, 5d6 VIOLENCE (-2 from INJURED STATE and LOW RESTRAINT, +4 from ACTIVATED SCARS AND HARPOON GUN (EMPTY). DOES NOT INFLCIT SEVERE BLEEDING ANYMORE. THEY MAY REROLL TWO DICE THEY ROLL.)
SENIOR PIRATE: 4/5 FLESH, 2/5 RESTRAINT, 14d8 VIOLENCE (+10 from ADVANCED TATTOO POWER UP, -1 from LOW RESTRAINT. MAY REROLL UP TO FOUR DICE HE ROLLS.)

NICOLE: 19d6+1d4 VIOLENCE, 2/6 FLESH, 6/9 RESTRAINT. 7 SLUGS LEFT. VIOLENCE HAS ESCLATED, X-CORP MEDAL ACTIVATED.
LEX: 6d6 VIOLENCE (-2 from HALF FLESH, +2 FROM UNSTABLE AND KNUCKLES), 3/6 FLESH, 4/4 RESTRAINT. HAS SEVERE BLEEDING.
ADAM: 7d6 VIOLENCE (-2 from HALF FLESH, +1 from UNSTABLE), 2/5 FLESH, 3/3 RESTARINT. HAS SEVERE BLEEDING.
BENEDICT: 8d6 VIOLENCE (+1 from UNSTABLE BOOST), 5/8 FLESH, 5/5 RESTRAINT.
ASHLEY: 6d6 VIOLENCE, 4/5 FLESH, 4/4 RESTRAINT. WILL LOSE 1 FLESH AT THE END OF COMBAT.

What do you do from here, Nicole, before you fight? You may choose one MAIN ACTION, one SIDE ACTION, and give one ally a consumable for free.

MAIN + SIDE ACTION
>[UNSTABLE + BLOODLUST] FOUR VERSUS FIVE. THEY'RE CLEARLY DESPERATE. KILL THEM. (Skips to COMBAT PHASE. You and Lex gain +2d8 VIOLENCE on your attacks.)

MAIN ACTIONS:
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Fucking RUN BACK TO YOUR SHIP! THROW SOME EXPLOSIVES TO KNOCK A HOLE IN THEIR SHIP! (-2 PIPE BOMBS. TALENT DC: 33, rolling 9d6 by yourself. Pass and you'll blow a big enough hole to sink their ship and stop them from bordering your ship in time. Failure will only result in you slowing them down, removing 1 VIOLENCE and one reroll from PIRATE A, C, and D before COMBAT)
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] "YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" Try to keep the SENIOR PIRATE from approaching your group. He's the main threat. PUPPETEER him. (-1 RESTRAINT, you heal back the other normally lost via ASHLEY'S SONG. WILLPOWER DC: 23, rolling 6d6. Succeed and you'll slow down him down enough to make him lose 4d8 on his attack and 3 of his rerolls. Failure and you just lose 2 RESTRAINT with no benefit.)

SIDE ACTIONS:
>"BENEDICT! PATCH ADAM UP! QUICK!" Tell Benedict to try doing anything to patch Adam up. (SIDE ACTION, -MOONSTONE. THANKS TO ASHLEY'S SONG, THAT'S ALL HE SPENDS. +1 FLESH TO ADAM and negates his SEVERE BLEEDING damage next turn.)
>THROW AN ALLY SOMETHING WITH YOUR TELEKINESIS. (SIDE ACTION, -1 RESTRAINT (or 0 if you didn't use ANOMALOUS ABILITIES). Write in what to give your ally alongside your free action consumable.)

FREE ACTIONS:
>USE A CONSUMABLE! (FREE ACTION. Choose which ally to give a consumable to. You have enough time to give the selected ally a GAUZE ROLL to suppress their bleeding, UVX to regenerate their flesh, or a BROWN VIAL to boost their dice to d8s. You may also use a consumable on yourself with this action instead.)

>Write in.
>>
>>5956040
>>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] "YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" Try to keep the SENIOR PIRATE from approaching your group. He's the main threat. PUPPETEER him. (-1 RESTRAINT, you heal back the other normally lost via ASHLEY'S SONG. WILLPOWER DC: 23, rolling 6d6. Succeed and you'll slow down him down enough to make him lose 4d8 on his attack and 3 of his rerolls. Failure and you just lose 2 RESTRAINT with no benefit.)
>"BENEDICT! PATCH ADAM UP! QUICK!" Tell Benedict to try doing anything to patch Adam up. (SIDE ACTION, -MOONSTONE. THANKS TO ASHLEY'S SONG, THAT'S ALL HE SPENDS. +1 FLESH TO ADAM and negates his SEVERE BLEEDING damage next turn.)
>>
>>5956044
if we land a solid hit with the paper knife, Senior Pirate A might go insane. He's at 2/5 RESTRAINT. He's clearly more physical than mental, so we should exploit that, no? I'm seriously worried about Adam with his 2/5 FLESH and that severe bleeding on him. Lex can handle one more turn, I hope, but if he takes -2 FLESH damage then the bleeding will kill him. Either way we better get some serious loot and cred with the crew and Captain for this serious fight. There's a lot of patching up to do once we make it
>>
>>5956044
We have a FREE ACTION to consumable too. Maybe a GAUZE ROLL to Lex or Ashley?
>>
>>5956040
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] "YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" Try to keep the SENIOR PIRATE from approaching your group. He's the main threat. PUPPETEER him. (-1 RESTRAINT, you heal back the other normally lost via ASHLEY'S SONG. WILLPOWER DC: 23, rolling 6d6. Succeed and you'll slow down him down enough to make him lose 4d8 on his attack and 3 of his rerolls. Failure and you just lose 2 RESTRAINT with no benefit.)
>"BENEDICT! PATCH ADAM UP! QUICK!" Tell Benedict to try doing anything to patch Adam up. (SIDE ACTION, -MOONSTONE. THANKS TO ASHLEY'S SONG, THAT'S ALL HE SPENDS. +1 FLESH TO ADAM and negates his SEVERE BLEEDING damage next turn.)

>USE A CONSUMABLE! (FREE ACTION. Choose which ally to give a consumable to. You have enough time to give the selected ally a GAUZE ROLL to suppress their bleeding, UVX to regenerate their flesh, or a BROWN VIAL to boost their dice to d8s. You may also use a consumable on yourself with this action instead.)
Give Ashley and Lex the GAUZE ROLL
Use GAUZE ROLL on our self
>>
>>5956058
+1
>>
>>5956040
>Use TK to throw the senior pirate overboard
He can't be that much heavier than a crate.
>"BENEDICT! PATCH ADAM UP! QUICK!" Tell Benedict to try doing anything to patch Adam up. (SIDE ACTION, -MOONSTONE. THANKS TO ASHLEY'S SONG, THAT'S ALL HE SPENDS. +1 FLESH TO ADAM and negates his SEVERE BLEEDING damage next turn.)
>THROW AN ALLY SOMETHING WITH YOUR TELEKINESIS. (SIDE ACTION, -1 RESTRAINT (or 0 if you didn't use ANOMALOUS ABILITIES). Write in what to give your ally alongside your free action consumable.)
>Give Ashley and Lex the GAUZE ROLL
>Use GAUZE ROLL on our self
>>
>>5956058
+1

Also nice update, brutal and bloody. A little bit of patching up and puppeteering should see us through.
>>
>>5956040
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Fucking RUN BACK TO YOUR SHIP! THROW SOME EXPLOSIVES TO KNOCK A HOLE IN THEIR SHIP! (-2 PIPE BOMBS. TALENT DC: 33, rolling 9d6 by yourself. Pass and you'll blow a big enough hole to sink their ship and stop them from bordering your ship in time. Failure will only result in you slowing them down, removing 1 VIOLENCE and one reroll from PIRATE A, C, and D before COMBAT)
>>
>>5956058
+1
>>
So, using ANOMALOUS ABILITIES, telling Benedict to heal Adam, and using three gauze rolls seems to be winning here.

To start, one Anon roll 6d6. You may reroll two dice thanks to your talisman.
>>
Rolled 1, 1, 1, 1, 6, 1 = 11 (6d6)

>>5956551
Not like this...
>>
>>5956553
Please disregard this roll, it was rigged
>>
>>5956555
Reroll two of those dice, m8. Even if you can't win, this will alter the follow up vote.
>>
>>5956553
Yeah not like that......
>>
Rolled 3, 2 = 5 (2d6)

>>5956553
Am I allowed to reroll? Well here goes!
>>
Welp. We had some truly terrible rolls recently haha…
>>
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>14
>UNSTABLE TRIGGERED!

[UNSTABLE] THIS IS FUCKING RIGGED. THE MAN PUPPETEERING US AND THE MEDIUM HE USES TO CONTACT US IS AN ASSHOLE

Your head begins to throb. What the FUCK is she on about this time-

[UNSTABLE] FUCK YOU. HERE'S YOUR VOTES. WE'RE SUCEEDING THIS CHECK. BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE PLEASANT. CHOOSE ONE PRICE TO PAY.

>-1 FLESH. KEEPING YOU AT 2/6 FLESH.
>-2 RESTRAINT (WOULD'VE BEEN THREE WITHOUT ASHLEY'S SONG, WHICH EXPIRES NEXT TURN), LEAVING YOU AT 4/9 NEXT TURN.
>YOUR ALLIES PAY THE PRICE. ALL ALLIES LOSE 1 RESTRAINT.
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Don't listen to her. Accept the pain. (You'll get a unique reward after combat if you accept this, at the cost of failing this check.)

W-why not use a cons-

[UNSTABLE] NOT ENOUGH TIME. WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF COMBAT AND USING TELEKINESIS TO STUFF DRUGS INTO YOUR FACE WOULD SPEND JUST AS MUCH RESTRAINT.
[UNSTABLE] TAKE MY OFFER OR LEAVE IT.
>>
>>5956588
>-2 RESTRAINT (WOULD'VE BEEN THREE WITHOUT ASHLEY'S SONG, WHICH EXPIRES NEXT TURN), LEAVING YOU AT 4/9 NEXT TURN.
>>
>>5956588
>-2 RESTRAINT (WOULD'VE BEEN THREE WITHOUT ASHLEY'S SONG, WHICH EXPIRES NEXT TURN), LEAVING YOU AT 4/9 NEXT TURN.
While I love unique rewards I’m worried about winning here.
>>
Rolled 8, 8, 5, 5, 5, 6, 7, 1, 1, 3, 8 = 57 (11d8)

Three hours is long enough. Going with RESTRAINT. Now, time to roll somce dice. First off, SENIOR PIRATE A. Rolling 11d8, removing the lowest dice he rolled.
>>
Rolled 6, 2, 1, 5, 6, 3, 3, 5, 6, 2, 6, 1, 2, 6 = 54 (14d6)

10.5 Successes on him. Now, rolling for PIRATE A, C, D.
>>
Rolled 1, 6, 3, 3 = 13 (4d6)

Rerolling the 1s and two of the 2s on the normal pirates.
>>
Rolled 1 (1d4)

1, 2 = NO SUCCESS
3, 3, 3, 3 = 2 SUCCESSES
5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6 = 4 SUCCESSES

SO, the amount of successes you have to beat is 16.5 successes

Now, I need anons to roll the following. You may roll for two characters to speed things up. Rolling Nicole's 1d4 so you don't have to worry about that.

>19d6 (NICOLE)
>6d6 (LEX, may reroll all 1, 2, and 3s he rolls)
>7d6 (ADAM)
>6d6 (ASHLEY, may reroll any two dice she rolls)
>8d6 (BENEDICT)
>>
Rolled 4, 5, 5, 1, 6, 4, 6, 4, 4, 5, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, 3, 4, 5, 1 = 72 (19d6)

>>5956721
>>
Wait, whoops, made a fuck up. Forget for a split second about 7s and 8s counting for two successes. He got 12.5, not 10.5.
You have to beat 18.5.

>>5956722
1, 1, 1, 2 = NO SUCCESSES
3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 = 4 SUCCESSES
5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6 = 7 SUCCESSES.

Jesus. The power of cocaine and violence. 11 out of 18.5 to go.
>>
Rolled 3, 4, 6, 6, 5, 2 = 26 (6d6)

>>5956721
>>
Rolled 4, 5, 6, 2, 4, 6, 3 = 30 (7d6)

>>5956721
>>
Rolled 3, 3, 4, 2, 3, 1 = 16 (6d6)

>>5956721
>>
>>5956588
>-2 RESTRAINT (WOULD'VE BEEN THREE WITHOUT ASHLEY'S SONG, WHICH EXPIRES NEXT TURN), LEAVING YOU AT 4/9 NEXT TURN.
Whoops I am late from being busy

>>5956558
>>5956563
>>5956578
UNSTABLE is right that was straight up rigged

>>5956727
Did we make it, boss?
>>
Rolled 4, 2, 4, 3, 5, 4, 1, 2 = 25 (8d6)

>>5956721
I will cast the final die to atone for my failure
>>
NICOLE: 11 SUCCESSES
LEX: 4 SUCCESSES
ADAM: 4.5 SUCCESSES
ASHLEY: 2 SUCCESSES
BENEDICT: 3 SUCCESSES

TOTAL: 24.5 SUCCESSES VS 18.5 SUCCESSES
RESULT: 6 MORE SUCCESSES, OTNUMBERS THEM, SO GREAT SUCCESS. WRITING.
THE VIOLENCE HAS ESCLATED.
>>
>>5956841
OK
>>
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Every single second counts. You raise your left hand towards the Senior Pirate and immediately activate PUPPETEER. Five purple, translucent strings launch from the fingers of your hand and latch onto his legs and arms. The only person who seemingly notices them is Benedict, who slowly glances over at you. <"...other...one...like?">

The Senior Pirate tries to move through the PUPPETEER and-

He does so. Easily. Panic rushes through your battered and bruised body. He's barely being slowed down by it. Your allies are glancing at you, wondering what the FUCK you're doing. You try to focus. The strings are barely holding onto him. Shit, shit, shit. The other pirates are approaching as well, harpoon gun bayonets ready to tear your allies to shreds.

Your heart is already going a mile a minute. You got twenty seconds before you and your allies are dead. The WHITE POWDER and adrenaline overdose you're experiencing is about to make your system collapse. You still need to reload your shotgun. You still need to give them supplies. YOU'RE WASTING TIME! THINK! THINK, THINK-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pe3h62MrlPE - NICOLE BREACH

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] NO ONE
[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] UNDER OUR
[PERSON OF INTEREST] PROTECTION
[UNSTABLE RESOLVE] IS DYING TODAY!

>-3 RESTRAINT! 1 HEALED BY ASHLEY'S SONG! 4/9 RESTRAINT LEFT!

It's all instinct at this point. An intense buzz of energy rushes through your antlers, almost like they're being set ablaze. Every inch of your head and body HURTS. Every fiber of your nervous system, every inch of skin from head to toe, every muscle. You grind your teeth until blood begins to ooze out of your gums.

"YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" Dozens on dozens of translucent strings launch out of your palm to embed deep into the skin of the Senior Pirate. While he can't see or feel the strings, nor can your allies aside from Benedict, what CAN be seen is that the Senior Pirate stops dead in his tracks.

"W-what?" His legs refuse to budge more than a inch. A six inch thick layer of string has pinned both of his feet to the floor. "Why can't I move? WHAT THE FUCK?" His eyes immediately latch onto you. Only being able to move his finger, he points right at you. "CREW! KILL THAT WHORE! SHE'S THE ONE DOING THIS TO ME!"

"AIE AIE!"
"PUT HER HEAD ON THE WALL!"
"RIP HER TO PIECES!" The three remaining pirates immediately charge in your direction.

Shit. You haven't reloaded. You quickly do so, trying your best to do so. In your rush, a slug tumbles to the ground. Fuck, fuck-

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER!"
"PROTECT THE BOSS!"
"F-F-FERMATELI!"
"You owe us, Nicole."

Your allies immediately rush over to your aid, surrounding you so you can keep the Senior Pirate immobilized. Lex grabs the armless pirate by the throat and with one swift motion, he cracks it like a god damn stick before throwing them to the side. A primal part of you revels in the bloodlust being done in your name-

Focus. Reload. Focus.
>>
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A bayonet nearly gets through the wall of bodies surrounding you but you barely duck in time, only getting a small scratch to your antler.

"HARVEST." Benedict returns the favor by thrusting his blade arm in the direction of the pirate who tried attacking you. His blade arm got deflected. However, that was just what Adam wanted. With a quick thrust, he jabs his chef's knife into the pirate's throat. It slices through the flesh and fat of his neck like nothing. The pirate drops to the ground, probably bleeding out in the next minute.

The final pirate and Ashley are in a deadlock of parries and deflects. The pirate manages to leave a nasty wound across Ashley's forearm, coating his bayonet in fresh blood.
>-1 FLESH TO ASHLEY!

She returns the favor by smashing him in the leg with her baseball bat, sending him to the floor. Your three other allies quickly surround him and, well, the sounds of crunching bones and blood leaking onto the deck of the enemy ship tells you all you need to know.

Your allies stare down at the Senior Pirate, still immobile thanks to your PUPPETEER ability. His face looks more like a demon's than a man's now. Pure, utter malice radiates from the piercing glare he's giving your party. "YOU. WON'T. GET. AWAY. WITH. THAT." Suddenly, the strings start to bend and break little by little. Fuck. You got a minute at most.

You quickly toss two gauze rolls over to Lex and Ashley before yelling at Benedict. "PATCH UP ADAM! AT ANY COST! DO IT NOW!"

Lex and Ashley promptly use the gauze rolls you gave them to patch up the nasty bleeding they have. It's a super rush patch job but they'll be fine. You also take this moment to patch yourself up.

>LEX loses SEVERE BLEEDING!
>ASHLEY loses MINOR BLEEDING and heals 1 FLESH! 4/5 LEFT!
>YOU regain 1 FLESH! 3/6 LEFT!

For Benedict's part, he places his non-blade hand onto the chunk of Adam's arm still oozing a river of blood. With a painful grimace and a suppressed, pained grunt, Benedict's hand begins to glow and all of a sudden?

Adam's arm forcefully patches itself together. It's like his body forcefully stapled the wound shut with sheer, brutal force, pulling the flesh taut. It's not going to heal his SEVERE BLEEDING but it'll stop it for just long enough for actual treatment to be delivered.

[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Pretty useful emergency healing, though. Especially when you don't have time to use a medkit or trauma kit. You wish you had something like that.

>ADAM heals 1 FLESH and NEGATES SEVERE BLEEDING for a turn! 3/5 FLESH LEFT!
>-MOONSTONE FROM BENEDICT

"How long, hff." Ashley tries her best to catch her breath. "Before whatever fucked up psychic shit you did stops working on him?"

"Twenty seconds. Prepare yourselves." You mutter as you're finally able to reload your shotgun. The Senior Pirate has already broken his arms free, now he's starting to free his legs.

Lex finishes wrapping his leg up with the gauze. "Good. Let's finish him, Nicky."
>>
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Adam and Benedict share one look with each other before holding up their respective blades. One knife, one arm blade. "Ai Mali Estremi, Estremi Rimedi." They mutter in unison.

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] From District 6. It means "For Extreme Evils, Extreme Remedies".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QVDcKSsfB0 - FINAL BATTLE

No time to think any further. The Senior Pirate finally breaks out of his restraints. Luckily for you, his movements are slowed by the strings still stuck to his body. Bad news, he's charging RIGHT AT YOU. You barely have time to aim your gun before he's about to obliterate your jaw.

You duck out of the way, barely dodging a wild haymaker that would've shattered your skull. He takes this chance to smash you RIGHT in the gut. You raise your mechanical arm sleeve to block it but it hardly slows the punch down. You hear the arm sleeve CRACK from the impact.

Blood and vomit pour out of your mouth as you're sent stumbling back a solid three feet from the impact.
>-1 FLESH and RESTRAINT! 2/6 FLESH REMAINING! 3/9 RESTRAINT LEFT!

He quickly swings another punch over to Ashley, who tried to charge in with her baseball bat to defend you. She smashes her bat hard into his forearm before his swing sends her flying back as well. A nasty bruise is left on impact but it hardly seems to slow him down.
>-1 FLESH TO ASHLEY! RESTRAINT DAMAGE NEGATED! 3/5 FLESH LEFT!

Benedict and Adam try their best to surround him, Benedict taking the left flank and Adam with the right. The rage-fueled pirate immediately notices Benedict and manages to deflect the armblade that would've torn his gut apart...but not Adam. Adam manages to deliver a solid blow by stabbing DEEP into the thigh of the pirate. The pain is enough to distract the pirate long enough to let Benedict reposition himself.

He had to stumble away from the punch thrown his way, leaving the knife stuck in the enemy's thigh.

Lex notices this and charges in to shoulder bash the pirate. Whatever fucked up power he got from his tattoos leaves him standing perfectly upright after that...but stunned him for long enough for you to raise your shotgun up. Your hands shake from the pain and exhaustion your whole body is feeling...

BANG!
>-2 SLUGS. 5 LEFT.

But your aim was perfect. Two fist sized holes erupt across his stomach. Even with the power boost the pirate got, the sheer PAIN of your shotgun's blast sends him to his knees. With one last effort, he forces himself to his knees and begins to charge at you, ready to kill you on the spot.

Yet the only thing anyone hears is a wet, fleshy sound. Looking up, you see a tip of something sharp poking through the pirate's already fucked up stomach. Benedict is standing right behind him with his other hand clenched tightly over his shoulder.

"H-HA-HARVEST!" Benedict quickly slides his blade all throughout the pirate's stomach, pulverizing his insides like a meat grinder.
>>
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The wet, moist squelching of meat being tenderized and the agonized screams of the pirate is the only sound anyone is able to hear. At least a litre of blood pours onto the ground. The pirate is just barely able to shove Benedict away from him by throwing his bodyweight backwards.

While Benedict is no longer tearing his stomach to shreds, he's now on the ground. Barely alive. Probably bleeds out in a minute, tops.

Your party isn't taking that risk. Adam quickly yanks the blade out of the pirate's leg before driving it DEEP into his torso. Before he can even try to fight back, Lex and Ashley step in and kick him in the head as hard as he can. A single snap tells you all you need to know.

You fall to your knees.

>YOU WIN!

LOOT OBTAINED FROM PIRATES:
>HARPOON GUN x4 (ATTACK ROLL: VIOLENCE+2, HAS ONE SHOT BEFORE RELOADING BUT HAS INFINITE AMMO. INFLICTS SEVERE BLEEDING AND DEALS EXTRA FLESH DAMAGE TO SEA-BASED ENEMIES.)
>NAVY BLUE INJECTOR x3 (Seems to be what fuels their tattoos. Lex might have some use for this. When used on Lex, he rolls d8s instead of d6s on his next melee attack and heals him for 2 RESTRAINT.)
>$750
>FLINTLOCK PISTOL and 5 LEAD SHOTS (Left behind by the Senior Pirate B. ATTACK ROLL: TALENT+1. Can be used at the same time as a light melee weapon, combining their attack rolls.)
>FANCY PIRATE HAT. (Left behind by SENIOR PIRATE B. Has no practical uses but can be sold for $500. One of your ally may like it?)

You immediately fall to the floor. Your heart has finally given out on you and, frankly, your body is EXHAUSTED after everything. Before you lose consciousness, you feel someone picking you up as you hear someone proudly barking someone at your group.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXDeXqTQHtg - CREW BUNKS

When you wake up, you realize four things immediately.

One, your outfit has changed. You're now in an oversized white t-shirt and some pajama pants that reek of bleach. Your combat suit and armsleeve.are missing.
Two, you're on a cot. It's a very uncomfortable cot that feels more like you're laying on a hayroll if anything else. The pillow is thinner than the socks you normally wear.
Three, you feel something tight around your chest, side, and legs. Lifting up your shirt, you see that someone has patched you up with a bunch of gauze. Seems like some was used to make a makeshift bra for you as well.
Four-

"Hey."

You turn your head to see who's talking to you. It's Lex. At least, you think it's him? You can't really see much around you thanks to the only light down here being a few crude oil lamps. The faint yellow glow of the tattoos all over this person's body tells you it's probably him.

"Yeah?" You mutter. "What happened to my clothes? Where am I?"

"We had to remove them. Too soaked in blood. Ship doc said you could've gotten a nasty infection if they stayed on. They got destroyed in the process. I carried you here after he patched you up. This is where we're supposed to sleep."
>>
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"Huh. Well, good thing I have more back at home, I guess. What time is it? We left around...I felt like it was still morning."

Lex taps his foot while humming to himself. "If I had to guess? 9 PM. Not a lot of accurate clocks here, though. It's dark out."

"Well. What happened after I passed out?"

"Everyone was dragged back to the ship. They decided to keep the enemy ship around, supposedly in case of any intel. I think the captain just wanted a trophy." Lex pauses for a moment. "Benedict sliced off that big buff guy's head."

Huh. You're not going to question that. "Where are the others?"

"They're around here. Busy trying to calm down after everything. Adam's still recovering, Benedict and Ashley are probably doing their own things to distract themselves, and I've been waiting for you."

"Fair, I guess. Did the captain say anything after we won?"

"Yeah. He gave us these." He holds out a hunk of metal- No, wait, that's not any metal. That's pure, real gold. A doubloon. "Said he wanted to wait until you got up before he gave us specialized rewards. Crew sang our praises. Buncha hollow talk but it was nice to hear."

"Well. You got some time to dick around." Lex stretches his knuckles. "Before going back to bed. I think we still got two days left on here."

>TOTAL GAUZE LEFT: 0. SEEMS LIKE THEY USED IT TO PATCH YOU UP.
>WHITE POWDER status has expired. ASHLEY'S SONG has expired from your party. BENEDICT is now unmedicated.
>Your party has been healed for 1 (2 FLESH for BENEDICT) FLESH and RESTRAINT. You've regained 1 RESTRAINT through rest.
>The CREW and CAPTAIN respect you a LOT more now. You'll get to choose a reward for each of your party members later.

>PARTY HP
NICOLE: 4/4 FLESH, 4/9 RESTRAINT
LEX: 4/6 FLESH, 4/4 RESTRAINT
ADAM: 4/5 FLESH, 3/3 RESTRAINT
ASHLEY: 4/5 FLESH, 4/4 RESTRAINT
BENEDICT: 7/8 FLESH, 5/5 RESTRAINT

"Seriously, though, are you okay?" Lex chuckles to himself. You feel like he's doing it to try soothing his own nerves. "You scared me back there. Thought you weren't going to make it."

"Yeah. I'm fine." You slowly sit up in your bed. "Where's my combat suit?"

"Ah. They're trying to repair it. Took a beating last fight. Same with the armsleeve. I doubt they'll be fully repaired but they're trying."
>-2 VIOLENCE and -2 MAX FLESH from losing your equipment. FLESH is now 4/4, VIOLENCE is now 3. You'll get them back later, though you doubt they'll be as strong.

"Fuck. Those were really useful." You lean back onto the shitty cot.

"Hey, they were going to break sooner than later. Just be glad you're alive, okay? I-" Lex lets out a sigh. "I was worried about you." You feel your heart sink at this. You can barely see his face but in the faint light, you can make out the stress evident in his eyes. They're bloodshot and red. He clearly hasn't slept any.
>>
"Shit, man. Hey, hey, I'm fine." You offer a small smile. "I'm just shocked my heart didn't explode." Lex doesn't respond. Yeah, probably not a good idea to say during everything. Well, what do you plan on doing? You got some free time to burn.

Choose four actions and any number of free actions.
>Hang out with Lex. He's clearly stressing the fuck out over you. You want to comfort him, make sure he's not going to stress himself to death.
>Hang out with Ashley. You want to get to know her more and frankly, some more music to soothe your mind would be nice.
>Hang out with Benedict. You want to check to see how he's handling himself after all of that bloodshed. Maybe get a bite?
>Hang out with Adam. You gotta give him props for managing to fight as well as he did. Maybe even try to offer some advice on how he can handle Benedict.
>Before anything else, you want to head over to the captain and try to negotiate a good reward for what you just did. (You'll get a chance to negotiate a better reward for fighting that pirate crew. You'll still get a reward even if you don't pick this.)
>Huh. They decided to drag the enemy ship along with them? Might as well investigate it to see WHY they were following you. (You'll get a chance to figure out more about what's truly going on here.)
>You just want to rest more. Take this moment to meditate and RELAX. (+2 RESTRAINT.)
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Yeah, no, you don't trust whatever 'repairs' they're doing. Go check up on what random retards they assigned to tinker with your shit. (You might get a chance to upgrade some of the weapons you and your crew have.)
>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Wander around the ship. Take in all of the sights and sounds. Try to talk and meet with the crew. Learn whatever you can from them. (You'll get to learn more about the crew, where they came from, and why they're working with the Captain. Maybe even getting some intel on the captain from them.)
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] In case we get into another fight, let's change our NEW YOU PARADIGM to NAOMI's form. (FREE ACTION. SCHOLAR OF THE CITY will downgrade to SEEKER OF THE CITY, -1 TALENT, but you gain +1 MAX RESTRAINT and TACTICAL EXPERIENCE, detailed in >>5947323)
>Take your meds. (FREE ACTION, -1 SALTRIL, +1 RESTRAINT, DISABLES UNSTABLE WHILE KEEPING YOUR NORMAL VOICES.)
>Write in.

[/spoiler]Will update your inventory and ally pastebin later.[/spoiler]
>>
>>5956942
>Hang out with Lex. He's clearly stressing the fuck out over you. You want to comfort him, make sure he's not going to stress himself to death.
>Hang out with Benedict. You want to check to see how he's handling himself after all of that bloodshed. Maybe get a bite?
>Hang out with Adam. You gotta give him props for managing to fight as well as he did. Maybe even try to offer some advice on how he can handle Benedict.
>You just want to rest more. Take this moment to meditate and RELAX. (+2 RESTRAINT.)
>>
>>5956942
Nice fight, was a lot closer than I expected. Got some good rewards from it though which is nice.

>Hang out with Lex. He's clearly stressing the fuck out over you. You want to comfort him, make sure he's not going to stress himself to death.
Man he really needs this.
>Hang out with Benedict. You want to check to see how he's handling himself after all of that bloodshed. Maybe get a bite?
I think connecting with Benedict really matters, especially since he probably knows we are similar to him now.
>You just want to rest more. Take this moment to meditate and RELAX. (+2 RESTRAINT.)
We need to recover.
>Huh. They decided to drag the enemy ship along with them? Might as well investigate it to see WHY they were following you. (You'll get a chance to figure out more about what's truly going on here.)
Gotta get that knowledge.
>>
>>5956945
Change
>>5956979
Support
>>
>>5956979
+1
Hope Ashley's OK
>>
>>5956979
Supporting
>>
>>5956942
>Hang out with Lex. He's clearly stressing the fuck out over you. You want to comfort him, make sure he's not going to stress himself to death.
>Hang out with Benedict. You want to check to see how he's handling himself after all of that bloodshed. Maybe get a bite?
>Before anything else, you want to head over to the captain and try to negotiate a good reward for what you just did. (You'll get a chance to negotiate a better reward for fighting that pirate crew. You'll still get a reward even if you don't pick this.)
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Yeah, no, you don't trust whatever 'repairs' they're doing. Go check up on what random retards they assigned to tinker with your shit. (You might get a chance to upgrade some of the weapons you and your crew have.)
>>
>>5956942
>Hang out with Lex. He's clearly stressing the fuck out over you. You want to comfort him, make sure he's not going to stress himself to death.
>Before anything else, you want to head over to the captain and try to negotiate a good reward for what you just did. (You'll get a chance to negotiate a better reward for fighting that pirate crew. You'll still get a reward even if you don't pick this.)
>Huh. They decided to drag the enemy ship along with them? Might as well investigate it to see WHY they were following you. (You'll get a chance to figure out more about what's truly going on here.)
>You just want to rest more. Take this moment to meditate and RELAX. (+2 RESTRAINT.)
>>
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"Seriously." You relax as much as you can, given the shitty bed you're given. "I'm going to be fine. Maybe a bit of sleep to clear my mind."

[UNSTABLE] HEY FUCK YOU WE DON'T NEED SLEEP. GET UP.
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] We're better off exploring. Talking to people. Doing new things. Taking pictures for our newspaper.
[UNSTABLE] WE DON'T HAVE A NEWSPAPER THOUGH?
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] We don't?

The voices in your head immediately shuts up when you see the genuine smile on Lex's face. It's not filled with bloodlust fury or any malice like you would expect a thug like him to have. "Okay. Sleep, please. I'll be watching over you. Don't want any of the sailors here to get any ideas." <"Already had to stop some fuck from sneaking up on her while she was asleep.">

"Thank you." You know you're not going to convince him otherwise and fuck, you do feel tired. You try to get as comfortable as you can on your cot, pulling the tissue thin blanket over you. Everything goes black again.

You don't sleep for long. Lex makes an annoyed tick in the back of his throat. "It's only been an hour tops. Seriously, get some sleep." Your mind feels better but yeah, you can't really sleep in this condition. Not after you rested for so long as is.
>RESTRAINT is now 6/9!

"I already slept and, look, Lex. These things are fucking uncomfortable." You slowly crawl out of the shitty cot, your sock-clad feet dangling over the edge of the bed. "I'll explore around the place, tire myself out, then I'll go to bed. I'll just be talking to some people, okay?"

Lex is obviously hesitant to approve of this but he eventually nods in agreement. He grabs onto your arms and helps you right out of the cot. Once you got your footing stabilized, you gesture at him to lead you through the dark maze that is the crew bunks. You can't see more than five feet in front of you and frankly, you rather not pull out your nightvision googles for this.

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] However, they said they kept the enemy ship. If we're exploring it, the googles would be ideal there.

"Noted." You mutter outloud.
Lex snorts. "Ah. Helpful little things, aren't they? Wish I had them. I can hardly spin an apple in my head." Huh. Normally your allies rightfully judge you when you start talking to yourself. He notices the bemused expression you're giving him and only offers a shrug.

"Fuck, I ain't going to judge." That's all he has to say on the matter. Reading his mind doesn't reveal anything so you simply nod. "Frankly, the fact your eyes glow blue sometimes is weirder." Shit. Well, can't really wear shades during night time so you just hope no one else notices or figures out what that means.

He leads you out of the crew bunks, helping you to weave through the tightly patched cots and greasy, half-awake sailors trying to get a good night sleep in here. You eventually find yourself at a small set of stairs leading to a hatch. Welp, up you go.

The first thing you're hit with is a drop of rain.
>>
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Then a lot of it. You quickly scramble onto the deck of the ship, trying your best to cover yourself with your hands. Lex comes up right after you, closing the hatch behind him so the chamber below doesn't flood. "Yeah. Don't bother." Only now do you notice that Lex's clothes were already drenched before he came up here. "It's not letting up any time soon. Been like this, like, an hour since you passed out."

"Feh." You lower your arms. No point bothering there. Hopefully the gauze won't get too wet, at least. You zip up the bomber jacket still on you. You're shocked they kept it on you and, well, the fact it's perfectly intact. Benefits of being a PARADIGM, you assume.

Everything is pitch black out here. The storm roaring above you is NOT helping matters. The sky is completely blacked out with only the occasional bits of lightning briefly illuminating the night sky. The only other hints of light on the deck you're on is some sort of bonfire set up by the stern of the ship. Behind that, you can make out the faintest glimpse of the enemy ship you boarded so many hours ago.

With nowhere else you want to visit aside from the enemy ship and wherever the fuck Benedict is, you start slowly heading to the back of the ship, one arm wrapped around Lex's arm to keep your balance. "So." You decide to have some light conversation with him. "You do realize I'm not the only person who needs to take care of myself, right?"

"Yeah? Of course. There's like, what, a billion people living in the City? I mean that's like...statistics. Right?" Lex responds, confusion and exhaustion evident in his tone. He has no idea what you're on about.

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] It depends on what census you use but the latest census done by the Head places it closer to 2.4 Billion, with a 10% margin of error.

"No, dumbass. I mean you. You haven't slept at all, have you? I appreciate the help but I can handle myself fine. I have POWERS. You're just...you need to take care of yourself, man." Your words flow out in a half-annoyed, half-concerned mess of syllables. "Don't kill yourself stressing over me. Seriously."

Lex tries his best to laugh off your concern but it's clear what you said resonated with him once you hear the laugh die in his throat. "I know. I just don't know how else to react. This isn't something I'm used to, you know? Actually having a crew." He mulls over his words, trying to get his thoughts in order. "Sure. Been in a syndicate or two. Worked as a body guard for some bars. But I never really had someone I can trust like you."

"Me? Someone you trust?" You sneer. "I respect the flattery."

"Fuck off!" He gently nudges your shoulder. "Seriously though. My life felt like it's actually had a purpose since I started doing these jobs, you know? And without you, all of that disappears. Maybe it's not you specifically but just, I dunno."

"This life I'm living now feels like it matters. Like there's a point. Even if I know these jobs are just for a paycheck."
>>
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"You ever have that feeling that you're going through the motions? Doing things for the sake of it?" Lex mutters. "Guess that's what it felt like until now. Boring corpo jobs. Syndies. All of it was a slog. You're exciting, different. Sure, you're a freak but so what?" He shrugs.

You take a moment to digest what he said before you give him a solid response. "Don't act like I'm some perfect dream pixie girl for you. I'm not perfect, you know?" As much as some primal part of you WANTS to be seen as perfect. Or at least normal.

To have no flaws. To always win, to always be at the top, to always get what you want.

To always protect those around you.

"I really do respect the fact you care so much. But you also matter. I care about you too, man." You offer a faint smile.

"I know, I know, it's just-"

"Ah, ah." You interrupt him. "And you need to take care of yourself. I'm fine. I survived worse and you worrying yourself sick is going to hurt both of us. Okay?"

Lex takes a deep breath in before letting out a small, exhausted sigh. "Okay. Okay, I'll be a bit less overprotective. Can you blame me, though? You're like, uh, one of those cute. Furred things." His mind is completely blanked out from exhaustion. Fuck, when's the last time he's slept?

"Deer. I have antlers. That's probably what you're thinking about?"

"Yeah, beer." Lex flashes a smile. "Not sure what that has to do with antlers. Are you drunk?" Oh, the fucker's trying to be coy, huh?

"FUCK YOU." You jab him in the side with your antlers.
"OW FUCK. FUCK YOU TOO!" He punches you on the shoulder.

The two of you stare each other down with faux malice before the two of you just break out into a laughing fit, barely audible over the raging storm around you. It's a nice moment of reprieve after everything you've been through today.

"Alsoyoulookedreallyhotwhenyouwerecoveredinblood."
"WHAT."

Before you have have time to process THAT, you find yourself at the small camp sight set up at the stern of the ship. There's a huge tent firmly tied to the ground, probably big enough to hold a dozen or so people. Considering the music you're hearing, Ashley is probably in there. A bright orange glow is visible underneath the flaps of the tent, probably where the bonfire is.

Thirty or so feet away from that is a man at the very back of the ship you're on, staring into the dark sea with his legs dangling precariously over the edge. You narrow your eyes. He only has one arm so you assume it's Benedict.

Trailing behind the stern of the ship is the enemy ship. It's close enough that you'd have no problem jumping over to it. You can't make out more than that but the faint reek of blood and rot tells you that the bodies are probably still there.

"So, why are we here?" Lex looks down at you.
"I wanted to talk to Benedict. Maybe explore the ship later. Is that fine?"
Lex shrugs. "Hey. You told me not to worry, do whatever. Just, uh, be careful with Bene. He hasn't moved from that spot in hours."
>>
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The two of you approach Benedict. The many layers of clothing he wears to hide his body have been completely soaked. What little hair is still on his head is also a soaking wet mess.

"Benedict?" You softly whisper.

His head turns to glance at you before he stares back into the sea. "D-Do y-y-you ever feel like you shouldn't be alive?" His speech is slurred, you can't quite tell if his robotic body is being damaged by the rain or if he's just struggling to find his words. "L-Like you're a mo-monster? I. I Shouldn't. Shouldn't be here."

"Bene? What's up, man?" Lex tries to smile. "If it's because you're a bit weird, Nicole's-"

"No. I'm." His breathing gets ragged as he desperately tries to collect his thoughts. "I'm. Benedict. Yes. I'm. No. No. Benedict was a human. Benedict was a chef. Benedict wasn't a burden." His remaining hand grips tightly onto a nearby railing.

[FRACTURED MIND] "I. It hurts. It hurts to think. IT HURTS TO THINK!" And in one jerky motion, his hand suddenly crushes the metal railing with barely any effort. "HURTS. HURTS!"
>-1 RESTRAINT to BENEDICT! 4/5 LEFT

"Why. Why am I like this? Why?" Benedict's body is shivering, shaking, and you doubt it's because of the rain.

"Fuck." Lex can only offer a nervous look at the chef before glancing back at you.

What do you say or do with Benedict? Pick three.
>You notice a few abandoned fishing rods nearby the tent. Collect them, hand one to Benedict, and ask him to fish with you and Lex. (-3 MEAT BAIT, you'll get some fish to cook or sell later.)
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] "You're not the only person with those thoughts, you know? I have powers like you but I'm not a burden. No one is." Revel in your mutual weirdness. You're not too different, after all.
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] "It's not your fault. You and Adam might've had some difficulties but what friends don't? You should be angry at THEM instead." Try to focus his anger, his loathing, his hatred towards a justifiable target.
>[UNSTABLE] "It doesn't matter what people think about you. You're still you, for better or worse." He is who he is. He can't ever change that.
>"I don't see a monster. I see a friend. I see someone who has someone who cares about him." Try to comfort him. "People care about you."
>It's risky. But you have to. Hug him. He clearly needs it.
>Write in.

And when you decide to go onto the enemy ship, what do you want to search for? Pick three.
>Documents. You want to know why they're here, where they came from, and what their goal was.
>Equipment. Weapons, ammo, whatever you can find.
>Cargo and Valuables. Anything you can sell down the line.
>Anomalous. They had anomalous tattoos, maybe they also had anomalous trinkets?
>Communication. Try to get more information about the Infinite Sea by talking to other ships. (You might encounter some weird characters if you pick this.)
>Transport. In case shit goes tits up with your ship, some lifeboats wouldn't be amiss. That SENIOR PIRATE had to leave somehow.
>Write in.
>>
>>5957832
>You notice a few abandoned fishing rods nearby the tent. Collect them, hand one to Benedict, and ask him to fish with you and Lex. (-3 MEAT BAIT, you'll get some fish to cook or sell later.)
>[UNSTABLE] "It doesn't matter what people think about you. You're still you, for better or worse." He is who he is. He can't ever change that.
>"I don't see a monster. I see a friend. I see someone who has someone who cares about him." Try to comfort him. "People care about you."

>Documents. You want to know why they're here, where they came from, and what their goal was.
>Equipment. Weapons, ammo, whatever you can find.
>Cargo and Valuables. Anything you can sell down the line.
>>
>>5957838
+1
I don't want to bring up the silvers yet. Adam might be more quick on the uptake to want to help us against them, but we can't act yet. Open sea might be safe to speak about them though?
>>
>>5957844
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] "It's not your fault. You and Adam might've had some difficulties but what friends don't? You should be angry at THEM instead." Try to focus his anger, his loathing, his hatred towards a justifiable target.

I have a feeling this can backfire on us.
>>
>>5957832
>You notice a few abandoned fishing rods nearby the tent. Collect them, hand one to Benedict, and ask him to fish with you and Lex. (-3 MEAT BAIT, you'll get some fish to cook or sell later.)
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] "You're not the only person with those thoughts, you know? I have powers like you but I'm not a burden. No one is." Revel in your mutual weirdness. You're not too different, after all.
>"I don't see a monster. I see a friend. I see someone who has someone who cares about him." Try to comfort him. "People care about you."

>Documents. You want to know why they're here, where they came from, and what their goal was.
>Equipment. Weapons, ammo, whatever you can find.
>Transport. In case shit goes tits up with your ship, some lifeboats wouldn't be amiss. That SENIOR PIRATE had to leave somehow.
>>
>>5957832
>You notice a few abandoned fishing rods nearby the tent. Collect them, hand one to Benedict, and ask him to fish with you and Lex. (-3 MEAT BAIT, you'll get some fish to cook or sell later.)
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] "You're not the only person with those thoughts, you know? I have powers like you but I'm not a burden. No one is." Revel in your mutual weirdness. You're not too different, after all.
>"I don't see a monster. I see a friend. I see someone who has someone who cares about him." Try to comfort him. "People care about you."

>Documents. You want to know why they're here, where they came from, and what their goal was.
>Equipment. Weapons, ammo, whatever you can find.
>Cargo and Valuables. Anything you can sell down the line.
>>
>>5957832
Change my vote in >>5957844 from
>Cargo/Valuables
To
>Transport
But the rest is the same

>>5957847
What, I meant we bring that up to Adam later, not to Benedict. What are you getting at?
>>
>>5957832
Good update. Man Lex is surprisingly a sweet guy. For a big burly bloodthirsty bruiser he’s quite cute as well.

>You notice a few abandoned fishing rods nearby the tent. Collect them, hand one to Benedict, and ask him to fish with you and Lex. (-3 MEAT BAIT, you'll get some fish to cook or sell later.)
Fish fear me.
I want to do a write in combining Unstable and Anomalous, is that allowed?
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES+UNSTABLE] "You're not the only person with those thoughts, you know? I have powers like you and I am who I am. Still Nicole, just like you’re still Benedict.”Revel in your mutual weirdness. You're not too different, after all.
>It's risky. But you have to. Hug him. He clearly needs it.
This is altogether a more risky play with Benedict than the other plan if I’m being honest, but I think it’ll work out better if it works.
>Documents. You want to know why they're here, where they came from, and what their goal was.
The meat.
>Communication. Try to get more information about the Infinite Sea by talking to other ships. (You might encounter some weird characters if you pick this.)
>Transport. In case shit goes tits up with your ship, some lifeboats wouldn't be amiss. That SENIOR PIRATE had to leave somehow.
I want some safety backup measures, so the lifeboat. I also think pulling on this thread and getting more connections could lead to interesting things. With the lifeboat we can push the envelope a little.
>>
>>5957832
>You notice a few abandoned fishing rods nearby the tent. Collect them, hand one to Benedict, and ask him to fish with you and Lex. (-3 MEAT BAIT, you'll get some fish to cook or sell later.)
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] "You're not the only person with those thoughts, you know? I have powers like you but I'm not a burden. No one is." Revel in your mutual weirdness. You're not too different, after all.
>"I don't see a monster. I see a friend. I see someone who has someone who cares about him." Try to comfort him. "People care about you."

>Documents. You want to know why they're here, where they came from, and what their goal was.
>Equipment. Weapons, ammo, whatever you can find.
>Transport. In case shit goes tits up with your ship, some lifeboats wouldn't be amiss. That SENIOR PIRATE had to leave somehow.
>>
>>5957838
change/edit
>[UNSTABLE] "It doesn't matter what people think about you. You're still you, for better or worse." He is who he is. He can't ever change that.
Switch to
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] "You're not the only person with those thoughts, you know? I have powers like you but I'm not a burden. No one is." Revel in your mutual weirdness. You're not too different, after all.

>Cargo and Valuables. Anything you can sell down the line.
Switch to
>Transport. In case shit goes tits up with your ship, some lifeboats wouldn't be amiss. That SENIOR PIRATE had to leave somehow.
>>
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With a gentle flick and some light finger wiggling, you telekinetically pull over the fishing rods shattered by the tent. Every day, it gets a bit easier to use your powers.

Lex's eye light up like he saw a magician performing his favorite magic trick in front of him. He really is easily impressed, huh? He barely has the social awareness to stop himself from clapping, given the whole Benedict situation.

You toss him a rod and a handful of MEAT BAIT before leaning over to Benedict. You hold the same rod and MEAT BAIT in front of him. He stops shuddering for a moment to stare at the offered items with evident confusion. "HuH? F-Fish?" Ah, he knows what that is. Good.

You nod your head. "Fish. Let's fish. Okay?"

"Fuck yeah! Last time I fished was when I was still workin' back in V-Corp's district." Lex promptly sits down to the left of Benedict while you sit down to the right. "Those fucking meat employees, though? Never wanna work with them again." Huh. Weird way to phrase that.

"M-Meat." Benedict grinds his teeth. Okay, time to change the subject before he freaks out more.

"Let's just fish for now, okay? We can cook something if we find any good catches." You pat Benedict on his unconverted arm. This is enough to snap his focus back to the task at hand. You don't really know how to fish all that well, given your district was landlocked, but eh. That's not really the point of this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCZCK5_Gdbk - HUMANS, ANOMALIES, AND FISH FEAR YOU

The three of you toss your hooks into the water below. The only sound that breaks through the raging storm above the three of you is the distinct sound of Ashley's guitar in the distance. It's comforting, slow, casual. You nod your head along as you hear it. You and your two pals sit at the edge of the ship, waiting for a fish to be brave enough to take the bait.

Benedict's brows tense and furrow at at the rod in his hand. "Is. Is T-this it? This is stupid. W-where's the c-craft here? W-why?"

"It's not about the craft, bro. It's about relaxing. Something to focus on when you have nothing else to focus on." Lex responses with an oddly considerate tone in his voice. "I don't get what your issue is. I don't. Only got bits and pieces from Adam. But you need SOMETHING to do."

"B-But this is just wasting. Time. Time. I. I."

"Wasting time?" You snort. "Sure. Suppose you could say that. But beating yourself up is also wasting time. Which one feels better?"

Benedict's voice is barely audible over the rain but you manage to make out one word. "This."

"There you go then." You nod.
"You're getting there." Lex nods as well.

The three of you return to a comfortable silence. Benedict is the first one to get the attention of a fish and, with inhumane speed and strength, he reels his catch before you have time to say anything. A bright white flounder.

"Hey, not a bad first catch." You clap your hands while keeping your rod upright via telekinesis.
>>
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A small, faint smile forces itself onto Benedict's face. "Not a bad catch?" He mimics what you said.

"Yeah!" Lex's smile is almost enough to light up the dark, gloomy sky you're sitting under. "Just keep doing it like that. You'll do just fine, man."

"Do just fine." He, again, mimics what Lex said. The three of you return back to fishing. Over the next two hours, that's all you really do. Fish. You and Benedict manage to catch a decent haul of fish while Lex struggles to keep up. Can't blame him, he's just a normal human at the end of the day.

Laying all around you are small piles of fish. Flounder, yellowfin and bluefin tuna, a black marlin or two. Hell, you even found a really weird looking koi that's bright white with a single black spot on the back of it.

>FISH PILE (COMMON) x5 ACQUIRED (Low quality fish. Can be sold at any shop for $150 per pile. When cooked by Benedict, grants the person who consumed the meal the ability to reroll up to four dice on one check of their choice.)
>FISH PILE (RARE) x3 ACQUIRED (Highly sought after fish neatly piled up. Most shops are willing to take this as proxy for one A-Energy per pile. When cooked by Benedict, grants the person who consumed the meal a temporary +2 in a random stat.)
>-3 MEAT BAIT.

"That was. Nice. Nice." Benedict has slowly been relaxing over the last few hours. While admittedly, being soaked head to toe in water isn't pleasant, seeing him happy makes it worth it.

"Feh. You two are too fucking good." Lex shakes his head as he begins to pile up the fish and wrap them up into bundles.

"See? We were just hanging out like friends, Benedict."

"I'm. I'm not a friend. I'm. You know what. I am. I." His eye twitches. "I'm."

"Benedict. I don't see a monster. I've seen a dozen anomalies at this point but you know what they haven't done with me? This." You gesture at the rods you were using. "Fishing. Talking. Just hanging out. We care about you, man. Adam does. I do. Lex does. Even Ashley wanted to comfort you in her own way."

Benedict simply stares into the deep, dark abyss of the Infinite Sea. "It. Am. I. I." He can't really find the right words to say. You simply smile at him, to show him you're being sincere. "...Okay. If. If you say so. I. Didn't I. See you before?" <"Familiar. Hurts. Hurts to think about-">

"Yes. But that's not important for now." Best to distract him before his mind goes into some dark places.

As Lex finishes wrapping up the fish, he glances over to the enemy ship trailing behind the S.S FREEDOM with the help of some chains tied between the two. "I'll leave you two to talk it out. Meet me up on the pirate ship." And in one smooth jump, he jumps right over to the abandoned enemy ship.

"...Do you ever. Feel. Like you're a monster. Nicole?" Benedict stutters out like he's fighting his own mouth every time he speaks; You almost want to pity him but you know that's not the right move here.

"You're not the only person with those thoughts, you know?"
>>
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"I'm. I'm not?" Confusion oozes out of Benedict's words.

"You're not. Look at me. I got weird antlers, I got weird voices I talk to in my head, I push things with my mind and I can puppeteer bodies. I ain't normal. I have powers like you."

"So. So I wasn't seeing that?" Benedict tilts his head.

"No. Hell, probably the only person who could besides, like, another friend I knew." Your mind flashes back to Benjamin. "But I'm not a burden. No one is. I used my powers to help people. Your powers helped us. I just have a bit more control is all."

"I. I know. I. I'm jealous of. Of that. Sometimes a voice. Voice. Tells me that I'm not Benedict. That I'm. I'm something else. That I should be perfect. A master of the flesh, flesh. The art of it."

[UNSTABLE] "So what? You're still Benedict. I'm still Nicole. Even if we're both freaks, it doesn't matter how people see us or what they try to turn us into. It's how we see ourselves."
[UNSTABLE] "Do I care when I'm coated in blood? Do I care that some people are afraid of me? Sometimes, sure, but you can't base your sense of self on how others see you."

"...Then how else would I? I? I don't. I don't know what. I don't know what-"

You interrupt him with a click of your tongue. "You pick yourself up. Piece by piece. That's all you can do. I managed to go from a lonely schizophrenic to a schizo with a lot of friends." You slowly stand up. "All you got to do is try. To push past those thoughts." You offer him a hand. He glances down at it and, with little hesitation, he grabs onto it.

You can't really pull him up because WOW, turns out being half machine makes you weigh a fucking ton. But slowly, you manage to help him to this feet.

Before you even know what's going on, he pulls you into a hug. Granted, a VERY crushing hug that knocks the wind out of you and definitely dislocated something.
>-1 FLESH! 3/4 FLESH LEFT!

"Thank you." He lets go of you. Tears run down both of his eyes. His remaining human one and the LED lens on the robotic half of his face. "For. For talking. For. Not. Judging. You. I."

You simply nod. He nods back. You got the rough gist of what he said.

"...I'll talk to. To. Adam. Later. Later. Head feels. Better."
>+1.5 RAPPORT WITH BENEDICT! 2/8 NOW!

The two of you promptly jump onto the pirate ship. While you manage to roll quite gracefully despite your soaking wet socks and the slick surfaces, Benedict mostly just crashes onto the deck of the ship. He's sprawled on his side with an awkwardly bent leg with his human arm loosely hanging over his back and his blade arm laying by his side.

Lex, in his part, helps him back up before nodding at you. <"You did good, Nicole. You did real good.">
>+0.5 RAPPORT with LEX. 5.5/7 NOW.

You try your best to focus on Lex and Benedict instead of the soaked corpses laying around you on the pirate ship's upper deck. Or the fact that, yes, the headless corpse of the Senior Pirate.
>>
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Or the fact multiple precise cuts of meat have been harvested from the corpses. You put on your NIGHTVISION GOOGLES so you can get a better look of your surroundings. The only things of note here (sans the corpses) is the bridge of the ship. It's a small blocky hut that's level with the deck of the ship. Seeing no where else to investigate, you head over to it and open the door, gesturing at your allies to follow.

The bridge is pretty small and cluttered. Shelves and desks have been slammed together in a bizarre order you can't quite make heads or tails of. Rusted over communication and navigation panels are placed in between the randomly slapped together shelves and desks. It's a shock they managed to pilot this thing at all.

The only other thing of note on the bridge is a small hatch that seems to lead down into the lower sections of the ship. "Benedict, Lex? Check down there for any spare lifeboats or equipment." You point at the hatch with your antlers. "I'll check up here."

Lex flashes a thumbs up before pulling out a flashlight of his. He opens up the hatch with ease and heads down the rope ladder underneath said hatch. Benedict promptly follows after him. Once the two are gone, you start searching through the shelves and desks, trying to see what sort of documents you can find in this weirdly laid out bridge room. Seriously, why IS THERE A SHELF ON THE CEILING?!

[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] It's actually shockingly quick for you. Every time you pass by specific desks or shelves, you would hear a small voiceless whisper in your ear.
[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] It doesn't take long to notice a pattern. It's your WHISPERS OF THE CITY power telling you where you should check.

Soon enough you've collected enough documents to hopefully get a rough idea what's going on here. There's five documents you deemed interesting enough to note down.

SHIP MEMO #1: "The safe limit for travel in the Infinite Sea is 1000 miles away from shore. Any further and we have to call off our mission. It's too risky otherwise."
SHIP MEMO #2: "Remember. W-Company told us we would be pardoned by J and X-Corp if we go on this mission. We managed to sneak the tracking device onto the S.S. FREEDOM. All we need to do is surround them and bring them back to shore. Kill a few for show but keeping them alive for questioning is the important part."
WARNING NOTICE:
"WARNING TO ALL S, T, U, AND V-CORP SHIPS. AN X5 COLOR LEVEL THREAT HAS BEEN LOCATED WITHIN THE INFINITE SEA. DO NOT APPROACH AT ANY COST, ATTEMPT TO STOP ANY SHIPS WHO ARE HEADING IN THE LAST CONFIRMED DIRECTION OF THE X5 COLOR ENTITY."
"ANY SHIPS WHO ATTEMPT TO TRAVEL AFTER IT, UNLESS APPROVED BY FOUR OUT OF SEVEN OF THE FOLLOWING CORPS, SHOULD BE ATTACKED AND BOARDED: P, W, D, X, J, L, R, G."
"WE DO NOT WANT THAT DAMNED SHIP HEADING TO OUR CITY."
EQUIPMENT LIST: "X-CORP SUBMARINE x5 (to surround enemy ship), ENGINE STALLER x2 (to prevent escape once boarded), ICP-ENERGY INJECTORS x10 (for combat use),
>>
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LIFEBOAT x7 (for our crew), Y-CORP TELEPORTER x3 (in case ADMIRAL'S GAME spots us), CYANDIE PILL x5 (in case ADMIRAL'S GAME boards.)"
SCRIBBLED NOTE: "We're not going to be able to convince Abraham to stop. I say we should just kill him. The last time we followed after him, we almost got harvested by the Mermaids and Sirens out there. I brought a flintlock to be safe. He deserves a good death."

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] A "Color" is a specific title given to very dangerous, district spanning threats in the City. Can be applied to humans and anomalies alike. It's best to avoid Colors if you can, you'll likely die if you try fighting one. X5 is the highest rank given to a Color or Anomalous threat.
[PERSON OF INTEREST] Also, the average boat out here moves at 27 miles per hour. You boarded here at 6 AM, woke up at 9 PM, and slept for another hour. 10 PM. 16 hours. We're probably already 432 miles away from shore.

21 hours. 21 hours until you reach the edge of safety. Shit, that's not good.

You quickly hide the papers when you see Lex and Benedict coming back up from wherever the FUCK the hatch in the bridge room lead to. They're carrying a variety of random garbage that, for the most part, doesn't match with the cargo list. You take a quick skim of what they manage to find...

LOOT ACQUIRED
>INFLATABLE LIFEBOAT x3 (Big enough to hold three people comfortably per lifeboat. Small enough to be hidden in your inventory until inflated.)
>NAVY BLUE INJECTOR x2 (Lex takes it, leaving him with 5.)
>CYNADIE PILL x3 (Does massive FLESH damage and does STAT damage to FLESH, TALENT, VIOLENCE, COGNIZANCE, and WILLPOWER on use. Dissolves in water easily.)
>FLINTLOCK PISTOL with 5 EXTRA LEAD SHOTS
>BUSTED Y-CORP TRANSPORTER x2 (Beyond repair. Could be used as spare parts to upgrade BENEDICT or KIARA's stats or to heal them.)
>WATERLOGGED INFINITE SEA MAP (Shows the rough locations of everything within a 1000 mile radius of the City and the edge of safety of the Infinite Sea.)
>E-CLASS RATIONS x4 (Useful for if you need to escape via the lifeboats but otherwise very poor quality rations with dehydrated meat, fruits, and bottles of water.)
>FLARE GUN x3 (Useful for getting the attention of other ships or for dealing massive fire damage to an enemy. DC 18 TALENT check to use to hit an enemy.)
>SHOTGUN SLUG x1

Before you have time to fully look through everything, an ear piercing laugh can be heard from the S.S. FREEDOM. "NICOLE! LEX! BENEDICT! I, CAPTAIN ABRAHAM, COMMAND YOU TO RETURN TO THIS SHIP! IT IS TIME FOR YOUR REWARDS, MY DEAR FRIENDS! DO YOU NOT WANT A MEDAL OF HONOR FOR YOUR GLORIOUS FIGHT-"

You begin to tune it out. You're only shocked you're managing to hear him screech from this distance while a storm is going on. You don't want him to get too suspicious so you gesture at your allies to follow you. After some close calls when trying to get back onto the S.S. FREEDOM, you head over to where you hear Abraham barking his orders from.
>>
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In the middle of the ship, underneath the tall and imposing bridge building of the ship, stands Captain Abraham and his three closest crewmates ( The QUARTERMASTER, FIRST MATE, NAVIGATOR) at a makeshift stage they made out of driftwood. Only a handful of oil lanterns lighting the stage, it casts an eerie glow across the four people on the stage.

Dozens on dozens of sailors and other crewmates on the ship surround the makeshift stage. None of them seem to remotely care about the raging storm pouring above them and soaking them to the bone. Ashley and Adam stand at the edge of the crowd, clearly uncomfortable by whatever's going on here. They seem to relax upon seeing you but that comfort is wasted away when Abraham points a finger at you.

"WHILE OUR CREW MAY HAVE DESTROYED THEIR SUBMARINES, THE DAMNATION OF THOSE BLAMPHEOUS PIRATES ULTIMATELY LIES AT YOUR FEET, NICOLE SMITH. AND FOR YOUR EXCELLENT COMBAT PROWESS, WE MUST GIVE YOU THE GREATEST PRAISE FOR EVERYTHING YOU HAVE DONE FOR US. NAY, PERHAPS MY ULTIMATE MISSION MAY BE COMPLETED WITH YOUR ASSISTANCE!" What little you can see of his eyes fills you with a sense of otherworldly dread. Bright orange irises that seem to dance along with the oil lamps burning around him.

"CREW! DO THEY NOT DESERVE A RALLYING CRY? WHY ARE YOUR LUNGS SO FULL OF AIR? WHY IS THE AIR SO QUIET? SHALL THE ONLY SOUND HEARD IN THIS RAGING STORM BE MY OWN PITIFUL CRIES? NAY, I WILL NOT ACCEPT THAT! CRY OUT, CREW! CRY LIKE THE SIRENS OF YESTER YEAR! CRY FOR THEM! CRY A GLORIOUS CHANT FOR THEM!" He stomps his foot onto the driftwood stage. <"Perhaps if we shout out loud enough, if my leadership is good enough, we can earn some respect from that damnable ship. If only. If only.">

The sheer volume of the rallying cry damn near deafens you. You and your allies immediately have to cover your ears from how fucking loud they're shouting. You and your allies share nervous glances between each other. What sort of fucking ship did you agree to get stuck on?

A crewmate grabs you by the shoulder and drags you over to the stage. You barely have time to fight before you're shoved onto the stage alongside you and your allies. "EVEN THIS LAND LUBBER WITH THE HORNS OF A DEER IS A BETTER CREWMATE THAN HALF OF YOU! SHAMEFUL. IF WE ARE TO REACH OUR ZENITH, OUR ULTIMATE GOAL, YOU MUST FOLLOW HER STANDARD!"

The screaming chorus of "AYE AYEs", "YES, CAPTAIN ABRAHAM", and other hollow and empty victory screeches fills your heart with dread. Fuck, what the hell is he using you for?

"NOW. NICOLE. IT IS TIME FOR YOUR REWARD. PLEASE. PICK YOUR REWARDS FOR YOU AND YOUR CREW. WE ARE OBLIGATED FOR YOUR GLORIOUS SERVICE TODAY!" You doubt he's going to let you go until you finish this twisted award show. Might as well get it over with.

<"Perhaps. Perhaps if she brings good luck to this crew, we won't have to face that damn ship. But who am I fooling?">

CHOOSE ONE REWARD FOR EACH CHARACTER
>>
NICOLE
>FLAMEBREATH SHOTGUN SLUGS x4 and SHOTGUN SLUG x2. "MAY YOUR WEAPON BREATH AS FURIOUSLY AS YOUR SPIRIT!" (FLAMEBREATH deals extra fire damage to enemies and makes your attacks bypass armor.)
>$500 and GOLDEN DOUBLOON x3 "FOR YOUR SERVICE." (Golden Doubloons may be used to unlock unique items in various shops in the City.)

ADAM
>ACTING CAPTAIN HAT. "WHILE YOU MAY NOT BE THE CAPTAIN OF THIS CREW OF HER CREW, AS A BOSS OF YOUR OWN CREW BACK ON LAND, I GIVE THIS TO THEE." (+2 MAX RESTRAINT to Adam.)
>WHALEBONE KNIFE. "Kill." (Replaces his CHEF'S KNIFE. Rolls the same but on hit, Adam has a chance to heal 1 RESTRAINT or FLESH on hit.)

ASHLEY
>BOTTLE OF MERMAID WINE x3. "MAY YOUR SINGING BE AS GRAND AS THOSE MERMAIDS!" (Heals 1 RESTRAINT and boosts CHARM, TALENT, and max RESTRAINT by 1 for a short duration when used.)
>WHALEBONE GUITAR. "A MUSICIAN, EH? HERE." (Ashley doesn't gain any inherent benefit but she does gain +1 RAPPORT with you for your part in earning her this.)

BENEDICT
>EVERSHARP WHETSTONE. "I SAW HOW YOU SLICED THROUGH THOSE ENEMIES. MAY YOUR BLADE BE SHARP ENOUGH TO CLEAVE THROUGH THE SEA!" (Benedict's BLADE ARM now rolls for VIOLENCE+2 in combat and can be used to destroy weak outside of combat.)
>MESSHALL APRON. (Takes up Benedict's ARMOR slot. +1 MAX RESTRAINT and +1 TALENT to him while equipped. He may offer you a reroll of all of your dice once per mission.)

LEX
>HARPOON GAUNTLET. "THOSE SPIKED KNUCKLES AREN'T USEFUL OUT HERE. HAVE THIS." (+1 VIOLENCE, +2 VIOLENCE against sea-based entities or anomalies. Inflicts various states of BLEEDING on hit, draining their FLESH over time.)
>WHALEBONE BODY ARMOR. "GODBLESS YOUR SOUL!" (Can block up to five RESTRAINT and/or FLESH damage inflicted onto Lex before breaking.)

While you're up here, you might as well ask him something. Pick up to three.
>[INVESTIGATED ENEMY SHIP] "You do realize those fucks were trying to stop you, right? What the hell is so important about your mission?" Inform him on the true reason why that ship tried following after him.
>[LEX ALLY] "Bro, this praise is kinda hollow. Why are you trying to put us on this pedestal?" You have to agree with Lex, it does seem really weird.
>[ADAM ALLY] "Why is your crew like that? Why are they cheering so god damn loud?" Adam questions him. It IS weird how his crew is acting. Are they in on whatever plan's going on?
>[BENEDICT ALLY] "You. You. Are just. Trying to convince yourself, huh?" Benedict points out. You gotta agree with him, he's clearly trying too hard here. Try to push past his bravado.
>[ASHLEY ALLY] "We're just here to do a damn job. We're not going to deny the rewards but what's your end game here?" Ashley grits her teeth. With the information you found, help her to pressure him into admitting his true goal to his and your crew.
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] It's best not to rock the boat too much. Just accept your reward and head back to your room.
>You have something else to ask, say, or show to him. (Write in)
>>
>>5958484
I always love the rapport scenes with our companions. This was a really good one with Benedict and Lex. Also I’m getting a bit concerned about the anomaly ship that I’m not sure we are ready to deal with haha…
>$500 and GOLDEN DOUBLOON x3 "FOR YOUR SERVICE." (Golden Doubloons may be used to unlock unique items in various shops in the City.)
Seems like a decent reward.
>WHALEBONE KNIFE. "Kill." (Replaces his CHEF'S KNIFE. Rolls the same but on hit, Adam has a chance to heal 1 RESTRAINT or FLESH on hit.)
Hopefully it’s a decent chance per strike.
>WHALEBONE GUITAR. "A MUSICIAN, EH? HERE." (Ashley doesn't gain any inherent benefit but she does gain +1 RAPPORT with you for your part in earning her this.)
Hard choice, but I feel like with her NUMB trait getting rapport is valuable. The other choice is good too though.
>MESSHALL APRON. (Takes up Benedict's ARMOR slot. +1 MAX RESTRAINT and +1 TALENT to him while equipped. He may offer you a reroll of all of your dice once per mission.)
Restraintrestraintrestraintrestraint
>WHALEBONE BODY ARMOR. "GODBLESS YOUR SOUL!" (Can block up to five RESTRAINT and/or FLESH damage inflicted onto Lex before breaking.)
Two good options but I like Lex with more survivability.
>[BENEDICT ALLY] "You. You. Are just. Trying to convince yourself, huh?" Benedict points out. You gotta agree with him, he's clearly trying too hard here. Try to push past his bravado.
>[ASHLEY ALLY] "We're just here to do a damn job. We're not going to deny the rewards but what's your end game here?" Ashley grits her teeth. With the information you found, help her to pressure him into admitting his true goal to his and your crew.
>[INVESTIGATED ENEMY SHIP] "You do realize those fucks were trying to stop you, right? What the hell is so important about your mission?" Inform him on the true reason why that ship tried following after him.
Start with Benedict hopefully putting him off stride/popping his hype bubble. Then pressure with Ashley and whip out or trump card of info from our investigations. With our success in battle and his respect we can probably push and pressure him with some surety.
>>
>>5958484
>FLAMEBREATH SHOTGUN SLUGS x4 and SHOTGUN SLUG x2. "MAY YOUR WEAPON BREATH AS FURIOUSLY AS YOUR SPIRIT!" (FLAMEBREATH deals extra fire damage to enemies and makes your attacks bypass armor.)
>ACTING CAPTAIN HAT. "WHILE YOU MAY NOT BE THE CAPTAIN OF THIS CREW OF HER CREW, AS A BOSS OF YOUR OWN CREW BACK ON LAND, I GIVE THIS TO THEE." (+2 MAX RESTRAINT to Adam.)
>WHALEBONE GUITAR. "A MUSICIAN, EH? HERE." (Ashley doesn't gain any inherent benefit but she does gain +1 RAPPORT with you for your part in earning her this.)
>MESSHALL APRON. (Takes up Benedict's ARMOR slot. +1 MAX RESTRAINT and +1 TALENT to him while equipped. He may offer you a reroll of all of your dice once per mission.)
>WHALEBONE BODY ARMOR. "GODBLESS YOUR SOUL!" (Can block up to five RESTRAINT and/or FLESH damage inflicted onto Lex before breaking.)

>[BENEDICT ALLY] "You. You. Are just. Trying to convince yourself, huh?" Benedict points out. You gotta agree with him, he's clearly trying too hard here. Try to push past his bravado.
>[ASHLEY ALLY] "We're just here to do a damn job. We're not going to deny the rewards but what's your end game here?" Ashley grits her teeth. With the information you found, help her to pressure him into admitting his true goal to his and your crew.
>[INVESTIGATED ENEMY SHIP] "You do realize those fucks were trying to stop you, right? What the hell is so important about your mission?" Inform him on the true reason why that ship tried following after him.
>>
>>5958484
>$500 and GOLDEN DOUBLOON x3 "FOR YOUR SERVICE." (Golden Doubloons may be used to unlock unique items in various shops in the City.)

>ACTING CAPTAIN HAT. "WHILE YOU MAY NOT BE THE CAPTAIN OF THIS CREW OF HER CREW, AS A BOSS OF YOUR OWN CREW BACK ON LAND, I GIVE THIS TO THEE." (+2 MAX RESTRAINT to Adam.)

>EVERSHARP WHETSTONE. "I SAW HOW YOU SLICED THROUGH THOSE ENEMIES. MAY YOUR BLADE BE SHARP ENOUGH TO CLEAVE THROUGH THE SEA!" (Benedict's BLADE ARM now rolls for VIOLENCE+2 in combat and can be used to destroy weak outside of combat.)

>WHALEBONE GUITAR. "A MUSICIAN, EH? HERE." (Ashley doesn't gain any inherent benefit but she does gain +1 RAPPORT with you for your part in earning her this.)

>WHALEBONE BODY ARMOR. "GODBLESS YOUR SOUL!" (Can block up to five RESTRAINT and/or FLESH damage inflicted onto Lex before breaking.)

>[INVESTIGATED ENEMY SHIP] "You do realize those fucks were trying to stop you, right? What the hell is so important about your mission?" Inform him on the true reason why that ship tried following after him.
>[ADAM ALLY] "Why is your crew like that? Why are they cheering so god damn loud?" Adam questions him. It IS weird how his crew is acting. Are they in on whatever plan's going on?
>[ASHLEY ALLY] "We're just here to do a damn job. We're not going to deny the rewards but what's your end game here?" Ashley grits her teeth. With the information you found, help her to pressure him into admitting his true goal to his and your crew.
>>
>>5958484
>FLAMEBREATH SHOTGUN SLUGS x4 and SHOTGUN SLUG x2. "MAY YOUR WEAPON BREATH AS FURIOUSLY AS YOUR SPIRIT!" (FLAMEBREATH deals extra fire damage to enemies and makes your attacks bypass armor.)
>WHALEBONE KNIFE. "Kill." (Replaces his CHEF'S KNIFE. Rolls the same but on hit, Adam has a chance to heal 1 RESTRAINT or FLESH on hit.)
>BOTTLE OF MERMAID WINE x3. "MAY YOUR SINGING BE AS GRAND AS THOSE MERMAIDS!" (Heals 1 RESTRAINT and boosts CHARM, TALENT, and max RESTRAINT by 1 for a short duration when used.)
>MESSHALL APRON. (Takes up Benedict's ARMOR slot. +1 MAX RESTRAINT and +1 TALENT to him while equipped. He may offer you a reroll of all of your dice once per mission.)
>HARPOON GAUNTLET. "THOSE SPIKED KNUCKLES AREN'T USEFUL OUT HERE. HAVE THIS." (+1 VIOLENCE, +2 VIOLENCE against sea-based entities or anomalies. Inflicts various states of BLEEDING on hit, draining their FLESH over time.)

>[INVESTIGATED ENEMY SHIP] "You do realize those fucks were trying to stop you, right? What the hell is so important about your mission?" Inform him on the true reason why that ship tried following after him.
>[BENEDICT ALLY] "You. You. Are just. Trying to convince yourself, huh?" Benedict points out. You gotta agree with him, he's clearly trying too hard here. Try to push past his bravado.
>[ASHLEY ALLY] "We're just here to do a damn job. We're not going to deny the rewards but what's your end game here?" Ashley grits her teeth. With the information you found, help her to pressure him into admitting his true goal to his and your crew.
>>
>>5958484
>$500 and GOLDEN DOUBLOON x3 "FOR YOUR SERVICE." (Golden Doubloons may be used to unlock unique items in various shops in the City.)
Remember we are BROKE
>ACTING CAPTAIN HAT. "WHILE YOU MAY NOT BE THE CAPTAIN OF THIS CREW OF HER CREW, AS A BOSS OF YOUR OWN CREW BACK ON LAND, I GIVE THIS TO THEE." (+2 MAX RESTRAINT to Adam.)
He needs this he has 3 max restraint
>WHALEBONE GUITAR. "A MUSICIAN, EH? HERE." (Ashley doesn't gain any inherent benefit but she does gain +1 RAPPORT with you for your part in earning her this.)
Show it off back home to the band. Ashton will love this too
>MESSHALL APRON. (Takes up Benedict's ARMOR slot. +1 MAX RESTRAINT and +1 TALENT to him while equipped. He may offer you a reroll of all of your dice once per mission.)
It'll help even if he ever reverts to human
>WHALEBONE BODY ARMOR. "GODBLESS YOUR SOUL!" (Can block up to five RESTRAINT and/or FLESH damage inflicted onto Lex before breaking.)
He still needs his knuckles in the City. He needs to survive NOW

As for captain, backing the order >>5958506 wrote.
BENEDICT into ASHLEY into INVESTIGATED SHIP
>>
>>5958525
Change/edit
>FLAMEBREATH SHOTGUN SLUGS x4 and SHOTGUN SLUG x2. "MAY YOUR WEAPON BREATH AS FURIOUSLY AS YOUR SPIRIT!" (FLAMEBREATH deals extra fire damage to enemies and makes your attacks bypass armor.)
Switch to
>$500 and GOLDEN DOUBLOON x3 "FOR YOUR SERVICE." (Golden Doubloons may be used to unlock unique items in various shops in the City.)
>>
>>5958506
Change/edit
>WHALEBONE KNIFE. "Kill." (Replaces his CHEF'S KNIFE. Rolls the same but on hit, Adam has a chance to heal 1 RESTRAINT or FLESH on hit.)
Switch to
>ACTING CAPTAIN HAT. "WHILE YOU MAY NOT BE THE CAPTAIN OF THIS CREW OF HER CREW, AS A BOSS OF YOUR OWN CREW BACK ON LAND, I GIVE THIS TO THEE." (+2 MAX RESTRAINT to Adam.)
People made a really good point. He needs more max restraint if he has only 3.
>>
>>5958781
Now don't get me wrong I like that he can heal RESTRAINT back with the Whalebone Knife. But reread it
>has a CHANCE
>restraint OR flesh
>on HIT
It's not gonna do him any good if he isn't always hitting and always in the enemy's face. Even if the captain hat is a piece of gear that gives him +2 restraint and not his own innate raised stat, it's still a good buffer against sanity damage events or attacks. Remember what happened with Quentin's reveal and then Nicole exploding a guy. Ashley's STILL reeling from that to the point it's affected almost every interaction Nicole has ever had with her from that point on.
>>
>>5958484
>$500 and GOLDEN DOUBLOON x3 "FOR YOUR SERVICE." (Golden Doubloons may be used to unlock unique items in various shops in the City.)
>ACTING CAPTAIN HAT. "WHILE YOU MAY NOT BE THE CAPTAIN OF THIS CREW OF HER CREW, AS A BOSS OF YOUR OWN CREW BACK ON LAND, I GIVE THIS TO THEE." (+2 MAX RESTRAINT to Adam.)
>WHALEBONE GUITAR. "A MUSICIAN, EH? HERE." (Ashley doesn't gain any inherent benefit but she does gain +1 RAPPORT with you for your part in earning her this.)
>MESSHALL APRON. (Takes up Benedict's ARMOR slot. +1 MAX RESTRAINT and +1 TALENT to him while equipped. He may offer you a reroll of all of your dice once per mission.)
>HARPOON GAUNTLET. "THOSE SPIKED KNUCKLES AREN'T USEFUL OUT HERE. HAVE THIS." (+1 VIOLENCE, +2 VIOLENCE against sea-based entities or anomalies. Inflicts various states of BLEEDING on hit, draining their FLESH over time.)

>[INVESTIGATED ENEMY SHIP] "You do realize those fucks were trying to stop you, right? What the hell is so important about your mission?" Inform him on the true reason why that ship tried following after him.
>[BENEDICT ALLY] "You. You. Are just. Trying to convince yourself, huh?" Benedict points out. You gotta agree with him, he's clearly trying too hard here. Try to push past his bravado.
>[ASHLEY ALLY] "We're just here to do a damn job. We're not going to deny the rewards but what's your end game here?" Ashley grits her teeth. With the information you found, help her to pressure him into admitting his true goal to his and your crew.
>>
>>5958484
>$500 and GOLDEN DOUBLOON x3 "FOR YOUR SERVICE." (Golden Doubloons may be used to unlock unique items in various shops in the City.)
>ACTING CAPTAIN HAT. "WHILE YOU MAY NOT BE THE CAPTAIN OF THIS CREW OF HER CREW, AS A BOSS OF YOUR OWN CREW BACK ON LAND, I GIVE THIS TO THEE." (+2 MAX RESTRAINT to Adam.)
>WHALEBONE GUITAR. "A MUSICIAN, EH? HERE." (Ashley doesn't gain any inherent benefit but she does gain +1 RAPPORT with you for your part in earning her this.)
>MESSHALL APRON. (Takes up Benedict's ARMOR slot. +1 MAX RESTRAINT and +1 TALENT to him while equipped. He may offer you a reroll of all of your dice once per mission.)
>HARPOON GAUNTLET. "THOSE SPIKED KNUCKLES AREN'T USEFUL OUT HERE. HAVE THIS." (+1 VIOLENCE, +2 VIOLENCE against sea-based entities or anomalies. Inflicts various states of BLEEDING on hit, draining their FLESH over time.)

>[INVESTIGATED ENEMY SHIP] "You do realize those fucks were trying to stop you, right? What the hell is so important about your mission?" Inform him on the true reason why that ship tried following after him.
>[ADAM ALLY] "Why is your crew like that? Why are they cheering so god damn loud?" Adam questions him. It IS weird how his crew is acting. Are they in on whatever plan's going on?
>[ASHLEY ALLY] "We're just here to do a damn job. We're not going to deny the rewards but what's your end game here?" Ashley grits her teeth. With the information you found, help her to pressure him into admitting his true goal to his and your crew.
>>
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Might as well get through the awards.

You're immediately handed a small burlap sack. The sheer weight and heft of it already tells you what's inside.
>+$500! TOTAL CASH: $1250
>+3 GOLDEN DUBLOONS!

You raise an eyebrow at the Captain but he's already yelling at the rest of your allies to accept their rewards. You glance around at what they got.

Ashley is holding up a weirdly shaped electric guitar with a off-white body. You almost fooled yourself into thinking it's just wood but the dull white, almost yellowed material reminds you more of bone than anything. Ashley strums a few of the strings (which you note has a really stringy, fibrous look to them. Whale teeth maybe?) and the sound that comes out of it sounds odd in a way you can't quite describe. It's not bad though.

And the giddy smile on the normally aloof, impersonal punk tells you that she doesn't mind it either. She looks up at you with that same giddy smile and nods her head like a god damn bobblehead with how fast she's moving it. <"This guy is a fucking freak but hey. It's worth it because of this. Thanks.">

>+1 RAPPORT WITH ASHLEY!
>RAPPORT CAP BOOSTED, BOOSTING HOW MANY UPGRADES SHE CAN GET! ASHLEY'S RAPPORT 2/7 --> 3/8!

Benedict and Adam's gifts are, in contrast, a lot more boring. The messhall apron draped over the many layers of clothing Benedict is already wearing is a grease soaked apron made out of burlap and cheap plastic. The hat placed onto Adam's head is a very goofy looking captain's hat that looks like it belongs to some sort of cheap sea captain themed costume.

"My apron. Is cool. More than. Other gift." Benedict smugly taunts his friend.
"It's a fucking apron! I got a cool looking hat!" Adam taunts him in return.
"Lame. Not cool." Benedict mutters as he takes his last antipsychotic.
"Fuck off, it's cool! I look cool in it!" Adam tries lying to himself but his amused smirk tells you he's not fooling himself.
"No." Benedict bluntly responses. "But if you. Like. I. Like." The anomalous chef offers a smile to his friend.

>ADAM now has the ACTING CAPTAIN HAT (Takes up one of Adam's two accessory slots. +2 RESTRAINT while equipped, now 5/5)
>BENEDICT now has MESSHALL APRON (Takes up Benedict's armor slot. +1 MAX RESTRAINT, +1 TALENT)

Lex finishes sliding on the bulky suit of off-white, rigid armor underneath his jacket. He knocks on his chest. An audible clinking sound, almost like dice rolling, echoes out with every knock. "Not bad."
>LEX has WHALEBONE ARMOR EQUIPED. (5 charges left. Consumes 1 per RESTRAINT or FLESH damage taken.)

"NOW! CREW! IT IS TODAY THAT I ADMIT THAT WE ARE AT THE ZENITH OF OUR GOAL! TO REACH BEYOND THE SELF IMPOSED RESTRICTION OF THE CITY AND TO EMBRACE THE TRUE SCOPE OF THE INFINITE SEA! NAY-"

"Okay, sorry, I appreciate the gifts!" You yell out. "But we got some questions!"

Captain Abraham damn near snaps his own neck with how quickly he turns to glare at you. Yet with a soft, fatherly smile, he nods. "Speak."
>>
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"You." Benedict steps closer to the captain after managing to finally dry swallow his pill. "You. You. Are just. Trying to convince yourself, huh? It's. It's."

"Obvious." You finish the statement for Benedict. "You're trying way too hard to hype everyone up."
"Cult like, really." Adam chirps in response.
"It's creepy as fuck, man." Lex hisses out.

The crew standing below the stage mutter confused questions to each other. Captain Abraham's three associates tense up at the direction this conversation is going, shaking their heads to signal you to stop.

Captain Abraham narrows his eyes at you and the chef. "CONVINCE MYSELF OF WHAT? NAY. I REJECT THIS IMPLICATION YOU ARE ATTEMPTING TO SLANDER ME WITH! I AM CAPTAIN ABRAHAM! THE ONE AND ONLY CAPTAIN WHO CAN LEAD US TO VICTORY!" He turns back to his crew before shouting with an almost obsessive, religious zeal to his voice. "DOUBT IS THE MIND KILLER! THESE LAND LUBBERS DON'T UNDERSTAND THE RULES OF THE SEA. DO NOT BLAME THEM FOR THEIR IGNORANCE, CREW!"

As if his words were law, any doubt the crew had disappears immediately. A fervent, obsessive chant is about to start but is quickly stopped by Benedict slamming a heavy foot against the stage.

"A good captain. A good. Boss." Benedict's jaw struggles to work, teeth grinding against teeth. "Doesn't. Need to talk. About himself so much. Actions would speak. For him."

Captain Abraham stares blankly at Benedict. There's not a hint of expression on the man's face. The crew below and his associates stay silent as well.

"I. I know what. Like to. Not know self. But I don't. Yell what am I to. Others." Benedict forces out each word with discomfort that could only be matched by someone swallowing glass shards. "Why?"

<"Why indeed? Why am I chasing after that damnable thing? Perhaps it's the only thing I know. This salty rain. The infinite blue sea around us. That's all I can think of.">

"Great men do things that other men can not understand. I do not think lesser of you for your ignorance, Benedict. I simply do what I must for my crew." There's a small crack in his emotional armor now. Ashley decides to butt in before he can try patching it up.

"Fair." Ashley keeps her voice low and calm. "That's fair. You're doing your job. We're just here to do a job too. We're not going to deny the rewards but what's your end game here?"

"I told you already." Captain Abraham's smile widens a bit too much. "Did you not listen to my cries? To the story, the song, I tell my men? You five may not be a part of my crew officially, yes. However, my heartfelt cries are meant as much for you as they are meant for my crew after what you did."

"You're dancing around the issue, old man. Look, I don't really give a shit about whatever baggage you have but if you're doing some shit that could put OUR lives into danger, we have to know. Your crew has to know." Ashley points a callused finger towards the crew.
>>
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"And don't act like you AREN'T doing that." You rub the bridge of your nose. "I know you're chasing after someone. Some ship. And I know it's not just any specific ship." The three high class crewmates around Captain Abraham are making throat cutting gestures, trying to get you to shut the fuck up.

Captain Abraham simply laughs. It's a deep, gravely laugh. "Why. Of course they know. We're chasing after the Admiral's Game. The crew knows. My right hand men know. Is that the issue?" Wait what. You glance back at the crew, who seem oddly confused at why this is an issue to you.

[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] AN X5! THEY'RE NOT SCARED OF AN X5??

"She's listening to those old stories he's spitting out?"
"Feh. It's just some kook shit the Captain talks about."
"I mean hey. He's been a good boss so far. It can't be that bad."
The crew below the stage mutters amongst themselves. They really don't know what's going on.

"That FUCKING PIRATE SHIP WAS TRYING TO STOP YOU!" You pull out the documents and hold them up to the Captain and his three high ranking crewmates. "They were hired SPECIFICALLY to stop you from doing this, Abraham! Is it really worth it? What the hell is so important about your mission?"

Your allies crowd around to read the documents you recovered alongside the Captain and his officials. Your allies and his officials are deeply uncomfortable by what they read in the documents, muttering to each other about what they're actually heading towards. While the crew below is beyond confused at what the hell is going up on the stage.

Captain Abraham simply stares blankly at the documents with a cold, detached expression...
>HIGH ENOUGH CAPTAIN RESPECT! EVENT TRIGGERED!

Before he lets out an exhausted sigh. He turns over to his crew. "I must be honest, crew. We are heading towards a threat far beyond our understanding. Beyond the paradigm the City holds. Beyond the paradigm of rational thought. We are facing something that has destroyed many ships before us and will continue to destroy many more."

The crew, rightfully so, is horrified at the sudden lack of energy and forced hype in the captain's speech. You and your allies are also a bit put off by it. It's cold, distant, everything but his true and honest feelings on the matter stripped away.

"An X5 entity. Land lubbers known as ETF use a simple system. A, B, C, and X. 0 through 5. A and 0 being weakest. X and 5 being strongest." Captain Abraham clears his throat before continuing.

"Letter for containment difficulty, number for how threatening it is. This is something even the companies can not contain. Something even the Head is unwilling to spend resources to stop. Only the brave, foolish, and suicidal can stop it." Captain Abraham drones on. "The Admiral's Game, our hunting target, is such an entity."

"What the fuck? Didn't it take the best ETF Squad in the City to contain the last one?"
"The last one I heard about was during the Antiseptic War!"
"Can we even kill such a thing?"
>>
Doubt, fear, and confusion spreads throughout the crew at this sudden information. Your own allies are rightfully terrified at this and, if not for their own faith in you, they would be losing their minds over it.

"Now, you may ask. Why am I hunting such an entity? Why do I wish to see it bleed? Simple. This is how I wish to die, crew. I do not wish to rot away in that damnable City, I do not wish to be stuck fishing and transporting blood-soaked goods. I wish to die as a MAN." You only now notice there's something hidden under the sleeve of Captain Abraham's jacket. In one smooth motion, a harpoon slides out of his sleeve and into his hand.

"It nearly killed me once already. When I was naught but a greenhorn on the sea. It killed the first, and only prior, crew I was a part of. Ever since, I have heard hundreds of tales of ships being destroyed by it. Thousands, if not tens of thousands, lost to it. Perhaps even hundreds of thousands." Captain Abraham grinds his teeth. "There wasn't even anything left to bury. Only the pieces of driftwood I'm standing on right now. Thousands of good men dead. And for what?"

"Because no one else has the courage to stop that damn beast? This endless, infinite evil that haunts this sea? Nay. I shall not accept that. And I doubt most of you would accept it either. That is why I told you the name of what we were hunting but not it's true nature. Because you too would've been too afraid to stop it."

Captain Abraham points his harpoon to the north. Almost on cue, a lightning bolt strikes the area he's pointing at.

"I wish to see that damn thing bleed. I want it to remember that, I, Captain Abraham..." He smashes the blunt end of the harpoon onto the stage. "will not die a coward. That us humans are more than pawns for it to grind under its heels. I truly apologize for lying to all of you."

The only sound that can be heard is the pitter patter of rain. A violent crack of thunder echoes through the sky as Captain Abraham continues his speech.

"Now! I shall let anyone who wishes to leave this boat disembark at any time before tomorrow evening. I shall not force you to join me in my mission. However! If you stay with me! If you honor my spirit, if you wish to seek glory and riches beyond our understanding, if you wish to be something beyond the corporate drones you were in the City..."

"Cry. Cry out for my final days on this earth. Cry. For Captain Abraham."
<"Perhaps, if I can survive against his assault, he will acknowledge me. To deem me worthy of dying by his own hands. To crush my throat under his infinite hatred.">

A handful of crewmates in the crowd below immediately split from the crowd, more than willing to accept his offer to get the fuck out. The rest of them? A tangible, almost visible air of desperation surrounds the crewmates and his officials. Mad gazes, wide smiles, giddy noises that are half between laughs and cries.

Madness and obsession oozes from their smiles.
>>
A wailing, endless cry pours out from the crew below. His officials are barely able to hide their own sorrow. Their stony expressions fail to conceal the tears running down their cheeks. You hardly have the strength to keep your legs up after seeing this. Your allies? Oh, they're not handling it well either. Even Ashley isn't able to stomach what she's seeing.

>-1 RESTRAINT TO PARTY!

Then, it stops the moment Captain Abraham points his harpoon at you. "I shall not force you to stay either. You heard what my ultimate goal here is. If you wish to leave, you may do so. However." He grips his harpoon so tightly, his palm starts to bleed.

"I will also accept you staying. I wish for you to make your decision now."

"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK DO YOU EXPECT US TO SAY?" Ashley starts blowing up at him. "YOU THINK WE'RE GOING TO THROW OUR LIVES AWAY OVER YOUR SICK FUCKING OBSESSION?!

"That is why I'm-" He barely manages to duck from the baseball bat swung at his head. "-offering you this choice."

Benedict and Adam glance at each other, then you, then Captain Abraham. They have no idea what to say and really, you can't blame them.

Lex shrugs. "I'd trust whatever she picks, frankly. She's carried us this far."

What do you say?
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] "We're leaving. Now." Get your lifeboats out and start fucking sailing out of here. (Your safety will be 100% guaranteed but you'll have to deal with the Handler if Abraham doesn't return from his voyage.)
>[UNSTABLE] Smile at him. Hold your hand out. "I've never failed a job before, have I?" Stay around until the end. You'll see this through. (You'll fully earn the trust of the Captain and the Crew if you pick this. Your reward will also be greatly increased. RISK LEVEL will be bumped to VERY HIGH.)
>"...I need time. Time to think." You're not sure how to respond to the true goal of this mission.. Tell him you're going to sleep on it. You need time to discuss and think with your allies. (You'll push making the decision later and you'll get some time to hopefully bond and train with your allies. Perhaps even find another solution, another path, you can't see right now.)
>"We'll stay." Gesture at your allies for a quick huddle. Tell them you're staying but only so you can try convincing this guy not to fucking kill himself. (It'll be risky if you don't convince him down the line but if you can manage it, you might earn a very useful associate down the line. Heals 1 RESTRAINT to party.)
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] "I wish to see it with my own eyes. That is as far as I will go, captain." Perhaps you can learn something you're not supposed to know through this experience. (You'll very likely to learn a fragment of the true nature of yourself, the City, and anomalies if you pick this path.)
>You know even if he kills this thing, he'll be obliterated by the companies. Try your damn best to convince him that he can't do this. (CHARM DC: ???, your allies will assist. You may add in a write in to alter the DC.)
>Write in.
>>
>>5959602
>>"...I need time. Time to think." You're not sure how to respond to the true goal of this mission.. Tell him you're going to sleep on it. You need time to discuss and think with your allies. (You'll push making the decision later and you'll get some time to hopefully bond and train with your allies. Perhaps even find another solution, another path, you can't see right now.)
>>
>>5959602
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] "I wish to see it with my own eyes. That is as far as I will go, captain." Perhaps you can learn something you're not supposed to know through this experience. (You'll very likely to learn a fragment of the true nature of yourself, the City, and anomalies if you pick this path.)
>>
>>5959636
+1
We are given the opportunity to take time, so we should. This is a heavy enough moment, dire beyond any mission so far, that Nicole having a "deer in headlights" moment is appropriate. Sitting down and discussing the other options presented with all our allies here, maybe going over gear with them? Could ask the Captain more about Admiral's Game to get some idea of how exactly he's an X5. What does he do? How does he fight? Is the ship the anomaly, or the being piloting it? We know nothing but a rank and a name about this thing.
>>
>>5959636
+1
>>
>>5959602
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] "I wish to see it with my own eyes. That is as far as I will go, captain." Perhaps you can learn something you're not supposed to know through this experience. (You'll very likely to learn a fragment of the true nature of yourself, the City, and anomalies if you pick this path.)
The Handler can fight an X5 himself if he so wishes
>>
>>5959602
>>[UNSTABLE] Smile at him. Hold your hand out. "I've never failed a job before, have I?" Stay around until the end. You'll see this through. (You'll fully earn the trust of the Captain and the Crew if you pick this. Your reward will also be greatly increased. RISK LEVEL will be bumped to VERY HIGH.)
>>
>>5959636
+1
I’m not sure what do to, because whew is this dangerous. At the same time there’s some really interesting stuff here. I’m supporting a time out since I think it’ll both give us time and allow us to put ourselves in a better position hopefully
>>
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This is all too fucking much. You raise your hands up and slowly back away from the old man who's probably more insane than you. You know NOTHING about what he's hunting aside from a 'soul piercing horn', 'X5 class entity', and 'blue fog' and-

"I need time. Time to think. I- Yeah, you have fun here." Your legs move on their own but uh oh, asshole, you're trying to run on a water soaked stage with waterlogged clothes and fuck fuCK FUCK!

Lex grabs you by the shoulders and quickly helps you to regain balance. Captain Abraham shakes his head at the pitiful display you showed but for the briefest of moments, as you two stare at each other, a connection is formed. Some sort of link. You can't quite describe it.

"I was once in your shoes when I saw that beast. I don't blame you." He turns his back away from his crew to stare you down. The wailing cries below are silenced immediately as they hear their captain's voice. "Sleep. Think on it. I will tell you everything I know about that wretch. Then you decide how to spend your last day of safety here." He turns back to the crew. That's when the wailing starts again.

"That fucking bastard!" Ashley starts grinding her teeth. "He throws this shit on us, on you, in the last god damn second! And he has the god damn gall to act like- GOD!" She throws her hands up in the air. She's fucking fuming and really, you can't blame her at all.

Lex gestures at the group to follow him. You and your allies do so, making as much distance from the wailing crowd and the zealous barks that Captain Abraham yells out to his crew. The five of you quickly retreat to the hatch leading to the crew quarters.

It's oddly quiet down here now. All of the crowded, cramped beds are empty. Aside from three or four sailors gathering their stuff so they can try leaving this ship by tomorrow morning, there's nobody here. Lex tosses you some spare clothes and with some quick telekinesis work, you swap into a mostly identical outfit to the one you woke up in. Dry, of course, this time around.

You sit down on your cot. Your allies surround you with tense, nervous expressions on their face.

Benedict is the first one to speak up.

[UNSTABLE] For a moment, youwant to rend his throat open and let his bloodwater pour before he DARES speak a single word.

You're not sure why you phrased it like that. Get a hold of yourself.

"I. Feel it. Nearby. I. Think. We're already. Within the ship's range." Benedict rubs his temple with his human arm. "I. can tell. When others like me. Are nearby. The crew is. Already under its. Effects."

[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] You know anomalies passively release A-Energy into the air around them. It's likely he has a very fine tuned sense of ambient A-Energy.

Ashley prods at Benedict with her baseball bat. "Explain. I doubt Nicole knows what you're on about either."

"Yeah, the fuck are you on about?" You ask Benedict. Already under its effects? You feel fine, the others seem fine, right? Right?
>>
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Benedict opens his mouth for a split second before closing it again. This repeats a few times until he's able to spit something out that's barely coherent. "It wants us to find. It. It. Wants someone to challenge. It." And then he goes quiet. You doubt you're getting any more than that out of him.

"Look. If I had to put my say into it?" Adam speaks for the first time in what feels like forever. "I know what it's like to see someone rotting away from an obsession. We have to stop him. I don't care HOW we do it. Killing him in cold blood, convincing him to stop. I don't care."

"Fuck, man, isn't it a bit much to go immediately to trying to gut him alive?" You rub a hand along the back of your neck hand. "And wouldn't that result in everyone else on the ship trying to kill us in return? We all fucking saw what they were doing back there when he told them to cry for him."

"Five against, shit, I counted at least fifty people back there." Lex shakes his head. "Yeah. No go. Any other ideas?"

"Well, here's the ideas I thought of." You clasp your hands together. "We can try convincing him. Find some way to get him to stop this hunt. But if Benedict is right, he's probably too far gone for that. We could try just...riding this through, I suppose. Help him in the hunt. If we survive, we'll probably get a massive paycheck after this."

"No." Ashley chokes out. "I have a fucking family back home. You guys might have nothing but each other but I have a brother, I have a band, I have people who CARE about me back in the City. I'm not throwing my life away for this god damn job. You can't make me."

No one feels like speaking up after that.

"Fuck." Ashley leans back against one of the empty cots. "Sorry. It's-"

"No, no." Lex lets out an exhausted sigh. "I get it. I do."

"If we're already within its range of effect, would it even let us leave?" Adam mutters as he stares at the floor. "Back when Nicole helped me with Benedict with an 'incident', it only took a few minutes from our perspective. But apparently a whole day passed by in the outside. He didn't even fully transform then!"

For a moment, Ashley looks like she's on the verge of killing someone right here and now. "So are you fucking saying we're stuck here anyways? That the FREAK of a Captain and his stupid fucking offer isn't even a choice we have? I don't understand a lick about ETF anomaly ratings but if some random chef can dilate time like that, then we're already FUCKED!"

"No, no. Don't think so." Lex tries his best to comfort Ashley. "Chef guy said it wanted a challenge. If we don't even want to fight it, then we can't challenge it. We're fine."

"Huh." Adam seems completely baffled at the oddly rational statement Lex said. "That actually makes sense. Wait-" It then clicks for him. "FUCK! He's fucking himself over back there! He's motivating his crew! He's basically INVITING that damn thing's attention, isn't he?"

"Fuck." Your group unanimously murmur out a single resigned word.
>>
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"Feh. I'm going to sleep." Ashley gets off the floor. "This shit is going to fry my head if I think about it any more than I have to." She glances over at Lex for a brief moment before shaking her head. "Feh." Before anyone has time to ask her what that's supposed to mean, she disappears into the maze of cots.

You lay down on your own cot while your other allies scatter. Soon, you pass out into a dreamless sleep.

-

>YOUR PARTY DIDN'T GET GREAT REST TONIGHT.
>NO RESTRAINT HEALED, +1 FLESH HEALED

>PARTY HP
NICOLE: 4/4 FLESH, 5/9 RESTRAINT
LEX: 5/6 FLESH, 3/4 RESTRAINT (STILL HAS FIVE CHARGES ON HIS ARMOR.)
ADAM: 5/5 FLESH, 4/5 RESTRAINT
ASHLEY: 5/5 FLESH, 3/4 RESTRAINT
BENEDICT: 8/8 FLESH, 4/5 RESTRAINT

Feh. As you regain consciousness, you feel physically rested but your mind is racing a mile a minute. It doesn't take long for your allies to wake up as well. Their bodies are well rested but their minds are still completely shot.

This is also when you realize that the crew quarters is still empty. Well, with the exception of you and your allies...and a certain Captain. Captain Abraham looks beyond bone tired. In the dim light of the oil lamps, you can make out the dark purple bags under his eyes. He tosses a handful of papers onto the floor, nods, before heading back up the hatch and onto the upper deck of the ship.

You kneel down to pick up the papers while your party tries their best to wake up. You skim through the contents...

ANOMALY REPORT: THE ADMIRAL'S GAME
PENNED BY ZETA-ZERO, PHI-FIVE, AND THIRD PARTY ASSOCIATE FELIX MOROZOV.

That name sounds familiar. Felix Morozov. One of Alexis' relatives, you guess?

THE ANOMALY HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS RESEMBLING A BATTLECRUISER OF SIMILAR MAKE AND MODEL OF A EXECUTIONER CLASS DREADNOUGHT (MADE BY A COLLABERATION OF S, X, AND G-CORP) OF DOUBLE THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF SUCH A MODEL. COATED IN A THICK NAVY BLUE PAINT. MAIN ANOMALOUS QUALITY IS AN INSTALLED BULLHORN AT THE BOW OF THE SHIP. THE SOUND PRODUCED BY THIS HORN DOES EXTREME LEVELS OF ESOTERIC DAMAGE TO THOSE EXPOSED TO IT.
EXPOSURE TO ESOTERIC DAMAGE RESULTS IN SEVERE COGNITIVE, PHYSICAL, AND EMOTIONAL DISTRESS THAT IS REMARKABLY HARD TO HEAL IN THE FIELD. ONLY WAY TO NEGATE THIS HAS BEEN TO DESTROY THE BULLHORN. HOWEVER, THOSE WHO MANAGED TO DAMAGE IT REPORT THAT IT SELF REPAIRS.
THE SHIP SEEMS TO HAVE NO CREW ON BOARD ASIDE FROM ONE ENTITY REFERRED TO AS 'THE ADMIRAL.' ONLY CONSISTENT DESCRIPTOR IS A HUMAN MALE IN HIS LATE 80s WEARING A X-CORP ADMIRAL MILITARY OVERCOAT. HEAVILY ADORNED IN MILITARY MEDALS. UNCERTAIN IF HE OR THE SHIP IS THE ACTUAL ANOMALY. IT IS BELIEVED THIS IS IRRELEVANT GIVEN THE ADMIRAL'S PROPERTIES.
THE ADMIRAL HAS FULL CONTROL OVER EVERY WEAPON INSTALLED ON THE SHIP. THE SHIP HAS BEEN RECORDED BEING ARMED WITH: FIFTEEN 45-CALIBER 12 INCH NAVEL GUNS, TEN 12 POUNDER CANONS, TWO PAIRS OF ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS, FIVE TORPEDO TUBES, AND TWO 18 INCH NAVEL GUNS.
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ALL AFOREMENTIONED WEAPONS SEEMINGLY PRODUCE THEIR OWN AMMO AND DO NOT REQUIRE CREW TO RELOAD.
ALL ATTEMPTS AT CONTAINING THIS ANOMALY HAVE FAILED DUE TO A UNIQUE PROPERTY OF IT. WITHIN A 75 MILE RADIUS OF THE SHIP IS A THICK BLUE FOG THAT DAMPENS ALL ATTEMPTS AT COMMUNICATING INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF IT. MOST SHIPS WHO ENTER THIS FOG DO NOT EXIT.
THOSE THAT DO ARE FOUND HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY FROM THEIR LAST CONFIRMED LOCATION. SAID SHIPS ARE BARELY FUNCTIONAL AND ONLY HAVE ONE SURVIVING CREWMATE. WHEN MORE THAN ONE SHIP APPROACHED IT AT THE SAME TIME, ALL BUT ONE WERE REJECTED FROM BREACHING THE 75 MILE RADIUS.
AS SUCH, A PROPER COORIDANTED ASSAULT TO CAPTURE AND RESTRAIN IT IS IMPOSSIBLE.
ANOMALY HAS BEEN ACTIVE SINCE 2210. FOR FIRST TEN YEARS, IT WAS ONLY REPORTED ATTACKING RANDOM CORPORATE SHIPS. CASUALITIES WERE LOW, RANKED AS A3.
RECENTLY, SHIPS TRAVELING BEYOND A 1000 MILE RADIUS AWAY FROM THE CITY ARE HIGHLY SUSPECTIBLE TO BEING TARGETED AND ATTACKED BY THE ANOMALY. THE HIGHEST CASUALITY AMOUNT RECORDED WAS A FLEET OF 100 S-CORP SHIPS BEING IMMEDIATELY BEING TORN TO SHREDS BY THE ANOMALY'S WEAPONS, RESULTING IN 5000 CONFIRMED CASUALITIES. UPGRADED TO X5 AFTERWARDS."
ONLY RECORED COMMUNICATION FROM THE ANOMALY: "Queen, E4 to C4. Checkmate. I can't wait for our next rematch, Head. Perhaps if someone entertains me enough, I'll leave for a new sea. Until next time."
END OF DOCUMENT.

The. The 1000 mile radius wasn't a limit set by the City? EVERYTHING outside a 1000 mile radius is that anomaly's domain? You look back at your allies. The sheer horror on their faces tells you that they were skimming over the document as well with you.

"Wait, entertain?" Ashley points out the weird wording at the very end of the article. "Those are chess terms. It sees us as just fucking pieces on a chess board?"
"No wonder it's X5 if it owns basically all of the god damn sea." Ashley clicks her tongue. "I ain't a globe head but that's not very far when it comes to how big the ocean actually is."
"It wants. Challengers." Benedict struggles to swallow as he talks. "It leaves. Survivors. To tell its tale."

"Wait. It doesn't say anything about it trying to BRING IN anyone to challenge it." Adam points at the document. "Only that it's very likely for it to attack you.

"It's not doing that. The..." It clicks for you. "The captain is. He's charging right back in for a rematch. Even with this paper, he still wants to charge after it." Fuck, you're stuck on some delusional idiot's suicide run-

"Stupid idea but, uh, the only weird anomalous thing the Admiral has is, like, control over the ship. Yeah?" Lex asks. You skim over the paper again and nod. You don't see anything else about him being anomalously durable or strong on his own.

"What if we just got him off the ship?"

All of your allies stare at him like he's a fucking retard and, hell, even you can't resist the urge to do so.
>>
This thing's a real ALEPH. An honest to god monster
>>
"Like, okay, Nicole has telekinesis and can mess with bodies and shit, yeah? If we can just get close enough, she can try grabbing the Admiral and throw him onto our ship. He can't blow us up without killing himself. Then, well, the ball's in our court!"

[UNSTABLE] WHAT.
[PERSON OF INTEREST] THE.
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] FUCK IS HE ON ABOUT?
[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Actually, we might actually be able to do that with our antlers. Granted, it would be hard, but not impossible.

"I guess I could?" You can't even attempt to hide the hesitation in your voice.

"I rather just leave, thanks." Ashley spits out with obvious venom. "Wouldn't the other companies be able to do something better than that? All offense meant, I doubt we're the first one trying that."

"Just a suggestion." Lex shrugs. Well, it's not like there's a lot of people with anomalous abilities that would actively be going out to sea in search for an anomaly like this. Maybe it's just never been done before.

What do you want to do with your free time? Pick up to four actions and as many free actions as you wish.
>You need to talk to the Captain. Right now. (Write in. Do you wish to try CONVINCING HIM TO STOP (DC 30 (-5 from RESPECT) CHARM, rolling 8d6), JOIN HIS MISSION (+REWARD, +RISK), or something else?)
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Might as well mediate and focus. Try to get a groove going on. (RESTRAINT DC: 18, rolling 5d6. Pass and you'll gain +1 WILLPOWER until you next rest. Failure and you waste valuable time.)
>Even if you plan on leaving later, might as well get some more fish before you do. Bring your whole party fishing. (-5 MEAT BAIT. Your party restores 1 RESTRAINT and gets some nice fish for later.)
>[LEX ALLY] "If nothing else, let's help the crew out." You can agree with this, at least. Help out the crew before you decide to stay or not. (VIOLENCE DC: 35, rolling 10d6 with the help of everyone else. Succeed and your party gains an extra +1 FLESH or VIOLENCE, failure and your party takes some nasty damage. Write in what stat to boost.)
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] LIFEBOATS. LEAVE. NOW. THIS IS BEYOND US. (With the document the Captain gave you, you'd probably be able to convince the Handler you were justified here.)
>[BENEDICT ALLY] "So, you said you could sense it, right? Can you sense anything from me? Anything else nearby?" Try to push the limits of Benedict's ANOMALY detection. See how far it can go. (You might encounter some WEIRD SHIT if you pick this.)
>[ADAM + ASHLEY ALLY] You haven't really had a chance to talk to these two this mission. Take them aside and, well, just talk about everything going on. With everything going on, they probably need it.
>[UNSTABLE] Something in the air feels WEIRD. You hear a voice foreign to you, trying to contact you. Answer it. (??????.)
>You might as well arm your allies. You got WAY too junk in your inventory. (FREE ACTION. Write in what you want to give to your allies.)
>Write in.

INVENTORY: https://pastebin.com/n0MH6M17
>>
I think going all out to pull the fucker off his god ship and onto the Captain's is the only way we can fight him on even footing. If he's on his ship, he can spam his MLG airhorn for max pale damage until everybody dies except one of us to tell the tale. That fucking horn regenerating is the cherry on top of the bullshit sundae. I am certain mere contact allows him full control of his ship, but he shouldn't have remote power over it that easily, if he even does. I don't know if he could simply resummon his ship to himself if he were ever to be on a deserted island or captive in a P Corp facility. If he has remote control, then it won't matter if we burn like 4 of Nicole's 5/9 RESTRAINT to fling him onto the S.S. FREEDOM's deck. That madman could simply decide the game's over, flip the table, and command his ship to open fire and annihilate everybody on board with those guns. The only way anybody will survive to tell the tale is if the anomaly bothers to leave a piece of driftwood for the survivor, and dumps them close enough to any other ship out here. I wonder if the Admiral's Game is himself not immune to his ship's own pale horn?

Admiral's Game... Ocean chess... This is all a game to him, something to entertain him. What sort of man distorted into this monstrosity, and what drove him to that point?
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>>5960523
>Even if you plan on leaving later, might as well get some more fish before you do. Bring your whole party fishing. (-5 MEAT BAIT. Your party restores 1 RESTRAINT and gets some nice fish for later.)
>[BENEDICT ALLY] "So, you said you could sense it, right? Can you sense anything from me? Anything else nearby?" Try to push the limits of Benedict's ANOMALY detection. See how far it can go. (You might encounter some WEIRD SHIT if you pick this.)
>[ADAM + ASHLEY ALLY] You haven't really had a chance to talk to these two this mission. Take them aside and, well, just talk about everything going on. With everything going on, they probably need it.
>[UNSTABLE] Something in the air feels WEIRD. You hear a voice foreign to you, trying to contact you. Answer it. (??????.)
>>
>>5960532
Stacking VIOLENCE, burning all that RESTRAINT on Nicole, popping FOUL TOOTH, then going UNSTABLE all the way on that anomaly is an option? Ashley won't like that at all, but it's something.
>ECM JAMMER. Useful for when you want no witnesses. (Disables all electronics (cameras, phones, etc) for a short duration while active.)
I wonder if this can work on that pale damage blowhorn despite being anomalous? ECM won't do shit if it's non-electronic.
>DIGITAL CAMERA
If we decide to not back out, we can take pictures of him? It'd make for one hell of a souvenir, might also be valuable to the right people in the right high places...
>WATERLOGGED INFINITE SEA MAP (Shows the rough locations of everything within a 1000 mile radius of the City and the edge of safety of the Infinite Sea.)
I don't know if we can use this right now. Our time on this mission and on the ocean is severely limited. It feels like we either back out or go all in, straight shot to the boss or mission abort. There's gotta be interesting stuff out here, but it'll be some serious bad taste if we succeed in convincing the Captain to not go after Admiral's Game, only to detour him to some random place on the ocean for loot or other anomalous encounter... and then Admiral's Game shows up himself whether we want him to or not.
>ANTI-ANOMALY ROUNDS x3
We'll need all 3 of these if we end up facing him
>FLASHBANG x2 (Can be used to temporarily stun and daze a small group of enemies. Anomalies may attempt to make a FLESH check to resist this.)
We could do some stupid combo of TK fling + flashbang stun + containment cube capture to checkmate this fucker without even giving him a chance to fight. It'd sting his pride for sure.
>HARPOON GUN x4 (ATTACK ROLL: VIOLENCE+2, HAS ONE SHOT BEFORE RELOADING BUT HAS INFINITE AMMO. INFLICTS SEVERE BLEEDING AND DEALS EXTRA FLESH DAMAGE TO SEA-BASED ENEMIES.)
The anti-sea property will also be key in the fight with him
>BLESSED CHAINS (When the user is about to go insane, the CHAINS will automatically be consumed to heal 3 RESTRAINT and 1 FLESH.)
This could be what Nicole needs to pull off the powerful TK without 0 RESTRAINT panic
>CYANIDE PILL x6 (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.)
Easily dissolves in water, huh? Could we try forcefeeding one of these to the anomaly if he's stunned or weakened? Overpower him with Lex and Benedict and just make him take his "meds"
>TRANQUILIZER SYRINGE x2 (Can be used to reduce the amount of FLESH and RESTRAINT damage you take by 1 until it wears off or to instantly knock out a human on a successful attack.)
This could also work on him
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>>5960552
What's your take on this situation anon? It's very high stakes, despite us having a completely free and willingly-given opening to back out
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>>5960556
WAIT A FUCKING SECOND
>BOTTLE OF HIGH QUALITY WHISKEY x7 (Who doesn't like a good whiskey? Useful for bartering.)
>CYANIDE PILL x6 (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.)
Could this work on him? Could we simply invite Admiral's Game over to the Captain's ship for drinking, only to fatally poison him?
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>>5960523
>You need to talk to the Captain. Right now. (Write in. Do you wish to try CONVINCING HIM TO STOP (DC 30 (-5 from RESPECT) CHARM, rolling 8d6), JOIN HIS MISSION (+REWARD, +RISK), or something else?)
STOP NOW
>Even if you plan on leaving later, might as well get some more fish before you do. Bring your whole party fishing. (-5 MEAT BAIT. Your party restores 1 RESTRAINT and gets some nice fish for later.)
>[ADAM + ASHLEY ALLY] You haven't really had a chance to talk to these two this mission. Take them aside and, well, just talk about everything going on. With everything going on, they probably need it.
>>
Anons, what if we invite him to literally play chess? And outplay him with our mind-reading. Or feed him cyanide in whiskey.
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>>5960678
Yeah that's what I'm saying. We have options to beat his ass that don't involve fighting him
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>>5960552
>>5960617
These are the only two votes we have, wow. I think talking it through for a while longer here is good. We have options, it's all a matter of figuring it out
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>>5953142
>OPTIONAL OBJECTIVE: RETRIVE AN ANOMALOUS ARTIFACT FROM THE SEA. REWARD: $333, 2 A-ENERGY CAPSULES, Two boxes of high quality and highly sought seafood (useful for appeasing corporate entities and boosting ally RAPPORT)

I put this here as a reminder to people that we need to get an artifact from the sea to get that sweet bonus money and high-quality seafood.
That is why I vote [BENEDICT ALLY].
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>>5961129
Okay fine

>>5960552
+1 just to speed things along
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>>5960617
Wait I missed one action
>[BENEDICT ALLY] "So, you said you could sense it, right? Can you sense anything from me? Anything else nearby?" Try to push the limits of Benedict's ANOMALY detection. See how far it can go. (You might encounter some WEIRD SHIT if you pick this.)
>>
>>5960617
+1
>>
It mostly seems to be FISHING + BENEDICT + ADAM AND ASHLEY, with a tie between telling the captain to stop or answering UNSTABLE. Though I did see some discussion on how to possibly beat the Admiral, sooo.

So, going to leave this follow up vote for 4 hours or until a majority is formed, whichever comes first. What do you want as your fourth action?

>TALK TO THE CAPTAIN. TELL HIM TO STOP. (CHARM DC 30, 8d6.)
>Talk to the Captain. "I think I got another way to 'best' him'. Ever heard of chess?" (RISK SET TO HARD, it's likely you'll earn a personal gift or PARADIGM from the Admiral if you manage to beat him.)
>[UNSTABLE?] "New board. New game. I'll give you the honor of playing white. Please, tell me your move." Respond to the new voice in your head.
>Something else. (Write in.)
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>>5961230
>Talk to the Captain. "I think I got another way to 'best' him'. Ever heard of chess?" (RISK SET TO HARD, it's likely you'll earn a personal gift or PARADIGM from the Admiral if you manage to beat him.)
Let's get interesting
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>>5961230
>Talk to the Captain. "I think I got another way to 'best' him'. Ever heard of chess?" (RISK SET TO HARD, it's likely you'll earn a personal gift or PARADIGM from the Admiral if you manage to beat him.)
>>
>>5961230
>Talk to the Captain. "I think I got another way to 'best' him'. Ever heard of chess?" (RISK SET TO HARD, it's likely you'll earn a personal gift or PARADIGM from the Admiral if you manage to beat him.)
>>
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Noted.
One anon, roll a d100 for me. Why? Well, look at the table below and you'll see why. Rather not slow things too down with a subvote in a subvote in a subvote in a subvote.

1-15: "It seeks to find what it lost so long ago, without pause." ("It doesn't look like any abnormality I've ever seen..." "Shut it up. It's giving me a headache.")
16-35: "Look for them. Look towards the seven moons and sing along to their blissful songs..." ("Ah, I feel something sick, something primal... my skin, it's bursting..!")
36-54: "Their smiling faces are so familiar yet endlessly sorrowful." ("Say it with a straight face-" "I love my job. I love the City.")
55-68: "We weren't the first." ("I never really thought on it but why WERE the pyramids made?" "My guess? They weren't.")
69-88: "Kyukyukyu. Your past tastes so funny. Just who are you?" ("Who am I?" "You're me! And I'm you! One big happy family.")
89-100: "Praise Her tears, for they shall wash away the unholy things of this world." ("Some stains are too dark to shift away.")

Regardless of what you get, writing.
>>
Rolled 39 (1d100)

>>5961302
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>>5960512
Actually, I'd say maybe low WAW. The Pianist was high WAW, and he killed hundreds of thousands in seconds.
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"I actually don't think your idea is that bad, Lex." You stuff the document away in your inventory. Ashley looks like she's about to blow a gasket. "Lemme clarify. I don't plan on fighting that damn thing. I think we can outsmart it, though. Let's just play a game of chess with it."

All of your allies are staring at you with equal measures confusion and amusement.

"Excuse me, what?" Ashley fails to hold back her laugh. "You plan on beating THAT thing. In chess?"

You shrug as your response. Ashley throws her hands up with a snide smile but she isn't trying to kill you, so you take that as her approving of the plan. The others offer hesitant murmurs but they seem to trust you enough to follow through.

>NEW OBJECTIVE: CHECKMATE THE ADMIRAL.

"We'll tell the Captain about this later. Let's enjoy what free time we have until then." You climb up the ladder connected to the hatch between the crew quarters and the outside world. Once you're at the top, you push the hatch open-

The Captain is standing right by the hatch. The salty sea air blowing in the air moves his grey beard ever so gently. His wild orange eyes stare down at you as a wicked smile crosses his face. "That's not a bad idea, Nicole."

"WERE YOU FUCKING LISTENING IN THIS WHOLE TIME?!" Ashley yells from the bottom of the ladder.
"Yes. We'll discuss more about your plan later. Perhaps we can see a monster cry tonight. Now, do what you will." The Captain steps aside to let your group pass. Once you're on the deck, he tosses something into your arms.

It's a patchwork bodysuit made out of a dark fabric that covers from the neck below, thin enough to be worn underneath your clothes. The right sleeve has a bulky, rusted gauntlet made out of metal and plastic that's painted to mimic human skin attached to it. It then suddenly clicks that you're looking at a fucked up combination of your COMBAT BODYSUIT and MECHANICAL ARMSLEEVE.

"Best we could do on short notice." The Captain walks away after delivering this to you.
>COMBAT PROSTHETIC BODYSUIT ACQUIRED! (Only takes up your ARMOR slot. +1 MAX FLESH, +1 VIOLENCE, You add an additional +2d8 to your attack roll when making a melee/unarmed attack. Thrice per mission, it may block 1 FLESH damage taken.)

You squint at what you're given. It's worse than the original pieces of equipment but you suppose you're glad you have it at all. You gesture at your allies to wait as you head back below to change into it. With some swift telekinesis work, you equip the bodysuit and rejoin your allies remarkably quick. Probably only took you five minutes to do so.

>NICOLE FLESH IS NOW 5/5, VIOLENCE IS NOW 4.
>ARMOR SLOT TAKEN. ONE ACCESSORY SLOT AVAILABLE.

After making sure the gauntlet works properly enough for you to use it for everyday tasks, you clap your hands before addressing your allies. "Let's fish. To get our minds off things."

"Fuck it. I got nothing else better to do." Adam shrugs.
"FISH!" Benedict yells out with childlike glee. "FISHING!"
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"PFT. Wow, thought that dude was obsessed with, I dunno, cooking and shit." Ashley fails to hold back her smile as she watches Benedict freak out over fishing.
"Yeah, he had fun with it when we offered him to join us when he was having one of his episodes." Lex also fails to hide his own smile. "Let's go fishing, then."

Adam glances between you, Lex, and Benedict. <"Huh. They were willing to hang out with him? Even at his lowest? That's..."> "Don't know what else to say but, uh, thank you. Both of you."

"It was no problem-" "SHUT. UP. SHUT UP FISH NOW!" Benedict promptly grabs you by the wrist and begins to drag you over to the stern of the ship. By the time you even try to struggle, you're already at the same spot you were fishing at yesterday. You telekinetically toss a fishing rod and a handful of bait to him.

Almost immediately, he lets go of you and sits down, enthralled by the prospect of being able to fish. It would be cute if you didn't feel like you were being dragged by a gorilla moments ago. Your other allies take a solid ten minutes to catch up and by the end, they're sweating and panting.

"Woo. Fuck, okay, uh. Fishing. Yeah." Lex mutters, holding his hand out. Oh right. You quickly toss some fishing rods and bait over to your other allies before finding a seat at the stern of the ship. Your allies proceed to join you and before long, the five of you are fishing.

Well. All you can do is wait. Might as well strike up some conversation. You turn to look over at Adam and Ashley. Adam is staring into the deep, deep abyss of the sea with an intense focus in his eyes. Ashley is the exact opposite, clearly bored out of her fucking gourd not even five minutes into fishing.

"So. How's everything hanging with you two?"

"You know, I thought being out at sea would bring some sort of inspiration, you know?" Ashley gestures towards the endless stretches of pale blue sea. "And even if I want to strangle that Captain guy, I appreciate the new guitar but I dunno. Feels like I'm just sticking a thumb up my ass. I guess helping some of the crew with moving stuff around kept my mind off of it until now."

"I can relate to that." Adam leans against the nearby railing. "Though for me it's moreso the fact I don't really know what I'm doing in general, really? Look. A week ago, I was just some random general manager of a fast food joint. Now?"

Adam makes a vague gesture towards everything and everyone nearby. "I'm here. I mean I prefer that Lex guy over those two lovey dovey fucks back at the casino."

"Eh. They were cute." Ashley shrugs. "Even if that rich bitch annoyed me and that pharmacist guy is probably pussy whipped by her."

"CAN YOU NOT TALK ABOUT THAT? IT'S FISHING TIME!" "FISH! TIME!" Lex and Benedict yell at the three of you.

"You do realize yelling is just going to scare the fucking fish, you retards!" Ashley yells back.
"That's not how any of this works." Adam overdramatically sighs. "And you yelled too, you know?"
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"Feh. Not like I plan on catching much." As if out of spite, Ashley's fishing rod nearly falls overboard from something violently tugging on it.

[ATLETHIC PHYSIQUE] Instinct immediately kicks in. You don't think she actually knew how to fish before inviting her but you could've been fooled otherwise. With a single strong pull, she reels in a massive fish about the size of your thigh and throws it onto the deck of the ship.
[STEADY HANDS + HARD WORKER] Adam is more methodical in his fishing technique. With patience and quick, deft movements, he manages to reel in fish after fish like he's a god damn master fisher.

After handing the sudden rush of fish being lured to their rods, Adam is the first one to speak up. "I think this is the first time since Benedict's incident that I had a moment to, well, think. Maybe I'm getting superstitious but you're a good luck charm, Nicole."

"Ehhhh?" You make a conflicted noise in the back of your throat.
"Ehhhh?" Ashley joins you in your confusion. "She's useful, sure, but I wouldn't say a good luck charm. Though I guess she can scare all the bad luck away."

"It's been like a week already, I told you that-" You try to defend yourself but Ashley shushes you.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. And I'm glad you've been doing better." Ashley lets out a small sigh. "I dunno. Just reminded me too much of...me. I guess."

"Huh?" Adam tilts his head to the side. "I'm sorry but you two could not be any more different. Mind clarifying?"

"Fuck, I dunno. Shit was real bad with me and my family a couple years back. I know what it's like to be in a bad headspace. Kinda why I don't judge him too much." She nods her head towards Benedict's direction. "Better now, course, but it sorta fucks me how one bad day could've turned me into that. You know?"

"Well," You rub the back of your neck. "It wasn't just one bad day."
"Yeah." Adam sighs. "Yeah, it was a lot more than that. But what happened happened."

"Fair. But yeah, aside from having to listen to an old man having a schizophrenic episode about an anomaly? The last few missions have been...nice, actually." Ashley says with obvious hesitation. It's like she doesn't want to admit she's actually enjoying your company. "Dunno. Fuck, man, can't name the last time I talked to anyone besides Patricia and Ried. I guess Nadir sometimes?"

"Hey, I'm glad you don't hate being with me?" You snort. "Uh. Who the fuck is Nadir anyways?"

"Ah. Just my other brother. Besides, uh, Ashton." Ashley awkwardly coughs. "Only two family members I keep in contact with, really. Mom's been out of the picture and Dad...eh."

"At least you still have family. Can't remember the last time I even seen any of my relatives. It's mostly been me and Benedict." Adam begins to wrap up the fish he caught. Lex and Benedict finish up their own fishing and begin to bundle up their fish as well.

All and all, it was a nice time for you and your group.
>+1 RESTRAINT TO ALL ALLIES! +1 EXTRA RESTRAINT TO ADAM FROM HARD WORKER!
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>RESTRAINT OVERFLOW WITH ADAM! HE LOSES 1 LESS RESTRAINT NEXT TIME HE TAKES RESTRAINT DAMAGE!

[DEEP INTUITION] "Something's wrong." Ashley immediately gets up from her fishing spot. "Something's real wrong. Benedict, do you feel it?"

Benedict immediately snaps his gaze north. "A-Energy. Smells like rot, bloat. Foul, foul. It. It. Noticed me. Crew hasn't noticed it yet."

Shit. "Fuck, how dangerous is it?"

Benedict sniffs the air. His posture relaxes a bit. "Low levels. Stay calm." Okay, so it's not the Admiral, you know that at least. "Won't have to fight. If you don't. Don't. Fuck up."

"I'll stay behind then." Lex gestures at you four to go deal with the anomaly. "Nothing I can help with. I'll collect the fish."

You and your other three allies nod. No time to hesitate. You make a mad dash towards the bow of the ship, only slowing down to make sure you don't crash into any of the crew on this tightly packed ship. Soon, once you're at the bow, you see nothing at first. You and Adam glance back at Ashley and Benedict. They seem to be staring at nothing.

"Blink." Benedict commands. You do so-

https://youtu.be/Yjuk2YG9DqM - A PILE OF FORLORN FACES

First thing you notice is that the ship has stopped. Nearby crewmates are staring in the same direction as your other allies. There's something about five miles away from the ship that's slowly drifting closer and closer. It takes a while for it to get close enough for you to see what it is.

You damn near retch when you see what's in front of you now. You could've been tricked into thinking it was a small iceberg in the distance but up close, all you can see is their beady eyes staring up at you. A tangled mass of bloated, sea water filled corpses floats by the front of the ship. The mass is at least 300 feet wide and 200 feet tall so you can't even begin to count how many corpses must be inside of it. They're all dressed in salt encrusted sailor uniforms that are barely holding together.

That's not even the worst part. It's their expressions. They're smiling. Endlessly smiling, toothy grins stare up at you. The mass of corpses reaches their arms out to you. Most have completely rotted over, showing nothing but cracked bone, but what few arms still have flesh attached is dyed a sickly blue hue.

With so little space and with no more coffins, they simply threw them overboard. What would it matter to the corpse?
There wasn't even a moment where we could've screamed. By the time we opened our mouths, the water flowed in like milk and honey.
It's so easy to die out here without anyone even noticing you were gone. One wrong step and the last time you see is your ship leaving you behind.

Their mouths open up but no noise comes out of them. Is it because they're incapable of vocalizing or if it's because that's not what they're doing with their mouths?

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] What point is there to cry out when every ship that passed by them ignored them?
>>
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[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] All they can do is sit there. Waiting. Drowning. Smiling. Drowning. Smiling. Waiting.

Is there anyone who would even cry for us? For our loss?

"They're waiting for an offering." A look of pity crosses Adam's face. "I'm not sure what kind of offering but I doubt they're leaving until they get it."

A crowd of crewmates and sailors surrounds your group, staring down at the anomaly. Their mutters and murmurs only seems to cause the anomaly to stretch its many arms out even more, begging for something. Their smiles grow wider but you can tell how forced they are.

"It won't leave. Until we acknowledge it." Benedict takes a deep, shuddering breath. "I know. What it's like to feel pain. Like you. I am sorry."

One of the corpses looks up at Benedict. The two anomalies stare down at each other. A mutual understanding of what they are. What they feel.

"... ... JOIN?" One of the corpses croaks out.

"No. I am. Sorry. Not. Today."

What do you want to offer towards the mass of smiling corpses? Pick up to three. The more you offer, the greater the reward.
>[ASHLEY ALLY] Ashley looks down at the WHALEBONE GUITAR she got. "Mind helping me make a song for it?" (CHARM DC: 23, rolling 7d6. Pass and the anomaly will be appeased and will accept the song as an offering. Failure and you doubt the corpses will be too pleased.)
>[ADAM ALLY] Adam stares at the corpses below with pity. He clasps his hands together and begins to pray. (Consumes ADAM's RESTRAINT OVERFLOW.)
>[BENEDICT ALLY] Benedict quickly slices at his hand before letting the blood flow out into the water below. "Accept this." (-2 FLESH from BENEDICT)
>[UNSTABLE] Cry for it. Cry into the ocean. Let your tears flow. Let it all flow out. (-2 RESTRAINT FROM NICOLE.)
>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] It's customary to offer the dead one last drink or smoke. (Choose between 3 HIGH CLASS WHISKEY or your MARTLO CIGARETTES if you pick this.)
>You have some old mementos from another anomaly that's passed on. Toss them to the corpse. Perhaps they can take it as a sign to move on. (-PHILLIP and ACTRESS ID CARD, -REGRETFUL NECKLACE.)
>"Cry out for us. Tell us your stories. We shall listen." (All ALLIES must make a DC: 18 RESTRAINT check to avoid taking RESTRAINT damage. Regardless of failure or success, it will count as an offering.)
>Toss a coin into the water. A final payment for their services. (-1 GOLD DOUBLOON. You may offer 2 or 3 coins to boost the quality of your reward at the end.)
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Record some footage of the corpses with MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN ERA, then show them the footage. (WILLPOWER DC: 31, rolling 8d6 with the help of Benedict. Pass and your offering will GREATLY please the corpses, increasing the quality of your final reward. Failure and it's likely there will be some nasty backfire between the PARADIGM and anomaly.)
>Don't offer it anything. Simply stare at the corpses and let them pass by. You don't recognize their faces.
>Write in.
>>
>>5961444
>You have some old mementos from another anomaly that's passed on. Toss them to the corpse. Perhaps they can take it as a sign to move on. (-PHILLIP and ACTRESS ID CARD, -REGRETFUL NECKLACE.)
>[ASHLEY ALLY] Ashley looks down at the WHALEBONE GUITAR she got. "Mind helping me make a song for it?" (CHARM DC: 23, rolling 7d6. Pass and the anomaly will be appeased and will accept the song as an offering. Failure and you doubt the corpses will be too pleased.)
>[ADAM ALLY] Adam stares at the corpses below with pity. He clasps his hands together and begins to pray. (Consumes ADAM's RESTRAINT OVERFLOW.)
MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN ERA is tempting, but only 30% chance of success
we do not recognize the bodies in the water
>>
>>5961444
>[ADAM ALLY] Adam stares at the corpses below with pity. He clasps his hands together and begins to pray. (Consumes ADAM's RESTRAINT OVERFLOW.)
>"Cry out for us. Tell us your stories. We shall listen." (All ALLIES must make a DC: 18 RESTRAINT check to avoid taking RESTRAINT damage. Regardless of failure or success, it will count as an offering.)
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Record some footage of the corpses with MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN ERA, then show them the footage. (WILLPOWER DC: 31, rolling 8d6 with the help of Benedict. Pass and your offering will GREATLY please the corpses, increasing the quality of your final reward. Failure and it's likely there will be some nasty backfire between the PARADIGM and anomaly.)
>>
>>5961444
>>[ASHLEY ALLY] Ashley looks down at the WHALEBONE GUITAR she got. "Mind helping me make a song for it?" (CHARM DC: 23, rolling 7d6. Pass and the anomaly will be appeased and will accept the song as an offering. Failure and you doubt the corpses will be too pleased.)
>[ADAM ALLY] Adam stares at the corpses below with pity. He clasps his hands together and begins to pray. (Consumes ADAM's RESTRAINT OVERFLOW.)
>"Cry out for us. Tell us your stories. We shall listen." (All ALLIES must make a DC: 18 RESTRAINT check to avoid taking RESTRAINT damage. Regardless of failure or success, it will count as an offering.)
>>
>>5961444
>Toss a coin into the water. A final payment for their services. (-1 GOLD DOUBLOON. You may offer 2 or 3 coins to boost the quality of your reward at the end.)
This feels like a good standard. It's what the Captain or other sailors would do for each other if they had any to spare.
>You have some old mementos from another anomaly that's passed on. Toss them to the corpse. Perhaps they can take it as a sign to move on. (-PHILLIP ID CARD, -REGRETFUL NECKLACE.)
But NOT the Actress ID card. I refuse to ditch it. As much as I want to ditch ALL the mementos in one go, I still get the suspicious feeling that we'll come across a Vanni one day in this quest. Phillip's ID card I'm willing to throw, as we already handled his case and resolved him with Gregory. The necklace we can throw because it's weighed with regret and past love, plus it's another item of value like the gold doubloon, and the Vannis are rich enough that a simple necklace doesn't carry as much sentimental impact. But the ID card is proof of the Vanni connection to Gregory and the events of that mission's history, and still has that woman's photo on it. Lilith Vanni might still be alive like Gregory is, and maybe one day this ID card can make it back to them if we meet one if their relatives. So I don't want to discard this to the corpse pile.
>[ASHLEY ALLY] Ashley looks down at the WHALEBONE GUITAR she got. "Mind helping me make a song for it?" (CHARM DC: 23, rolling 7d6. Pass and the anomaly will be appeased and will accept the song as an offering. Failure and you doubt the corpses will be too pleased.)
A solid practice run with the new tunes.

And as a write-in, hopefully free action that doesn't trigger the corpses
>[NEW YOU (KIARA) + DIGITAL CAMERA] Take pictures of the anomaly with your digital camera.
>>
>>5961467
>And as a write-in, hopefully free action that doesn't trigger the corpses
>>[NEW YOU (KIARA) + DIGITAL CAMERA] Take pictures of the anomaly with your digital camera.
I'll allow it, if the other wish to vote for it, they may.
>>
>>5961469
Thank you. I don't wanna burn all 30 or so photos on this one dead body floatsam mass. I do want to take photos of the Admiral too when we get to him. Imagine being in a photo with an X5 anomaly that murdered thousands of people over... however long he's been active. And he's willingly letting his picture be taken. Handler, Kiara, and company higher-ups are gonna FREAK
>>
>>5961444
>[ASHLEY ALLY] Ashley looks down at the WHALEBONE GUITAR she got. "Mind helping me make a song for it?" (CHARM DC: 23, rolling 7d6. Pass and the anomaly will be appeased and will accept the song as an offering. Failure and you doubt the corpses will be too pleased.)
>[ADAM ALLY] Adam stares at the corpses below with pity. He clasps his hands together and begins to pray. (Consumes ADAM's RESTRAINT OVERFLOW.)
>Toss a coin into the water. A final payment for their services. (-1 GOLD DOUBLOON. You may offer 2 or 3 coins to boost the quality of your reward at the end.)
>>
>>5961444
>[ASHLEY ALLY] Ashley looks down at the WHALEBONE GUITAR she got. "Mind helping me make a song for it?" (CHARM DC: 23, rolling 7d6. Pass and the anomaly will be appeased and will accept the song as an offering. Failure and you doubt the corpses will be too pleased.)
>[ADAM ALLY] Adam stares at the corpses below with pity. He clasps his hands together and begins to pray.
>"Cry out for us. Tell us your stories. We shall listen." (All ALLIES must make a DC: 18 RESTRAINT check to avoid taking RESTRAINT damage. Regardless of failure or success, it will count as an offering.)
>[NEW YOU (KIARA) + DIGITAL CAMERA] Take pictures of the anomaly with your digital camera.
>>
>>5961444
Do you want to enter Nicole into the qst tournament?
>>
>>5961444
>[ASHLEY ALLY] Ashley looks down at the WHALEBONE GUITAR she got. "Mind helping me make a song for it?" (CHARM DC: 23, rolling 7d6. Pass and the anomaly will be appeased and will accept the song as an offering. Failure and you doubt the corpses will be too pleased.)
>[ADAM ALLY] Adam stares at the corpses below with pity. He clasps his hands together and begins to pray. (Consumes ADAM's RESTRAINT OVERFLOW.)
>Toss a coin into the water. A final payment for their services. (-1 GOLD DOUBLOON. You may offer 2 or 3 coins to boost the quality of your reward at the end.)
>[NEW YOU (KIARA) + DIGITAL CAMERA] Take pictures of the anomaly with your digital camera.
>>
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ASHLEY: Okw, T2m, gCz, IKB, gCz, GWO, piN
ADAM: Okw, EM0, T2m, gCz, GWO, piN
COIN: IkB, gCz, piN
CRY OUT: EM0, T2m, GWO
OLD MEMENTOS: IkB, OKw
ANOMALOUS ABILITIES: EM0

I'll treat the NEW YOU + DIGITAL CAMERA thing as a free action you do regardless since really, there's no reason NOT to. But we have a tie for the third offering. So I'll ask for a quick follow up vote for that.

Which one do you want to offer?
>COIN. PAY THEM. (-1 GOLDEN DOUBLOON.)
>LISTEN TO THEM. LISTEN TO THEIR SUFFERING. (All allies must make a DC 18 RESTRAINT check.)
>BOTH. (You'll lose the coin and need to make the RESTRAINT checks but you'll gain some useful insight about how anomalies think and a better reward for offering up both.)

>>5961890
To be honest, not particularly? I already had one character from a quest I ran win a qst tournament so I think that's more than enough for me. Even though the handlebar jokes with Nicole's Antlers write themselves.
Rather let some new faces get the spotlight.

>>5961476
It's 2255. So if the report is accurate about how long it's been active (2210), it's been active for at least 45 years.
>>
>>5961986
>BOTH. (You'll lose the coin and need to make the RESTRAINT checks but you'll gain some useful insight about how anomalies think and a better reward for offering up both.)
>>
>>5961986
>LISTEN TO THEM. LISTEN TO THEIR SUFFERING. (All allies must make a DC 18 RESTRAINT check.)

> I already had one character from a quest I ran win a qst tournament so I think that's more than enough for me.
That's a male character though not a female one
>>
>>5961986
>BOTH. (You'll lose the coin and need to make the RESTRAINT checks but you'll gain some useful insight about how anomalies think and a better reward for offering up both.)
The coin feels too right for me to pass up. Nicole's broke and she just got these doubloons, but when in Rome...
>active for at least 45 years.
Impressive
>>
>>5961986
>>BOTH. (You'll lose the coin and need to make the RESTRAINT checks but you'll gain some useful insight about how anomalies think and a better reward for offering up both.)
>>
Rolled 3, 1, 3, 4, 2, 5 = 18 (6d6)

Both it is. I need four anons to roll the following.
>7d6 (CHARM)
>5d6 (BENEDICT)
>5d6 (ADAM)
>4d6 (ASHLEY. LUCKILY NUMB REDUCES HOW MUCH RESTRAINT DAMAGE SHE TAKES.)

And I'll roll 6d6 for Nicole since I rather not force you guys to wait five hours for wait for the fifth anon, you know?

>>5961991
>That's a male character though not a female one
True.
But I checked the thread and it's 5:2, heavily tilted towards the Wo of Men. So again, I'm fine with not adding more to the fire there.
>>
Rolled 6, 3, 2, 5, 6, 4, 2 = 28 (7d6)

>>5962040
>>
Rolled 3, 3, 1, 6, 1 = 14 (5d6)

>>5962040
>>
Rolled 3, 5, 4, 4, 6 = 22 (5d6)

>>5962040
Rolling

>>5962048
Oh no
>>
>>5962040
Nicole matched the DC 18 for restraint check

>>5962043
Ashley song got accepted

>>5962048
Benedict or Adam failed
>>5962054
The other one succeeded

We just need a 4d6 for Ashley's restraint check. DC 18 on a 4d6 means she'll most likely lose this, but it is what it is
>>
Rolled 3, 4, 2, 4 = 13 (4d6)

>>5962040
Think of the art though
>>
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RESULTS
SONG: ACCEPTED
BENEDICT AND ASHLEY: FAILED.
ADAM AND NICOLE: PASSED.
BODIES: UNRECOGNIZED.
BLACK PAWN: A7 TO A5.

Writing.

>>5962063
Hmmm. Schizo girl art. Tempting. Perhaps, perhaps.
>>
>>5962073
Will we play actual chess? I watched enough chess meme videos to know how to win against myself.
>>
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Best not to let the corpses wait too long for their offering. You pull out one of your GOLD DOUBLOONs and with a flick of your thumb, it is sent flying overboard. Such a small thing compared to the corpse flotsam floating right before the S.S. FREEDOM. The coin perfectly lands in one of the many outstretched hands. The hand it landed on clenches firmly around the coin.

A payment for our services. May it be enough to pay to ride on Ol' Charon's ship.

Okay, hopefully that'll keep it distracted for a little bit. In the corner of your eye, you see Ashley pulling out her WHALEBONE GUITAR. She keeps making conflicted, worried gestures between the anomaly, the guitar, you, and Adam. "I think I have an idea. Nicole, Adam. Either of you know how to play a guitar or sing?"

"Not at all. I guess I can try bullshitting with the guitar, though?" You shrug with a hesitant expression.

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Truthfully, you faintly recall a few bird call songs you used back when you had to explore one of the northern districts. Yet that doesn't seem relevant here.

"Huh? Well, actually, I used to do a bit of choir work back when I was working at an N-Corp church. Why?" Adam tries his best to keep his gaze on anything BUT the corpse pile below.

Ashley quickly shoves the WHALEBONE GUITAR into your hand as she pulls out her original guitar. "Okay cool. We're playing a song for it. No lyrics, I don't think that's super important here. Just play from the heart." Okay yeah that's cool WAIT WHAT.

"Uhh. You sure that electric guitars are the best for this?" You constantly swap your gaze between the corpse pile below and the guitar you were given.
"Do you happen to have another instrument hidden up your cooch?" Ashley snaps back. "Just start playing before it turns us inside out."

[PERSON OF INTEREST] Well, when you're out in the Infinite Sea, what other choice do you got?
[UNSTABLE] PLAY FROM THE HEART? OKAY. WE CAN DO JUST THAT.

Adam clear his throat. "Okay. Let's do this."

>28!

It starts off slow. Mostly due to your own inexperience at the instrument forced into your hand. Slow, clumsy chords spill out of the WHALEBONE GUITAR that sound more akin to a cat being skinned alive than anything else. You let out a sigh before letting UNSTABLE take over. No point trying to think when it comes to this.

As Adam begins to sing along to the chords you and Ashley are playing, you're immediately shocked to hear that wow. That man's actually a good singer. It's shaky at first as he tries to reawaken some long dormant training. Soon enough, his normally average sounding voice transforms into a breathy, almost wispy counter tenor more befitting of an angel than a man.

"Non più ignorato. Non più dimenticato. Non più dannato...!" Adam closes his eyes, focusing all of his energy and attention into dragging out high note after high note for as long as possible. "Non più abbandonato! Non più odiato! Il Padre vi perdoni...!"
>>
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And to your pleasant surprise, the chords Ashley is playing on her guitar are actually oddly somber. You suppose it's fitting given the nature of the anomaly but you normally associate electric guitars with...energy. Excitement. Her chords are slow, somber, blending together with Adam's vocals perfectly.

Your own strumming is a bit too frantic to the almost church-like quality the other two are displaying but with some adjustment, you manage to control your strumming to match them. The surrounding sailors (and Benedict) can only watch on with equal measures of shock and appreciation for the song being played.

After what felt like hours (though more realistically ten minutes top), Adam finishes off with an almost ear piercingly high note. The moment he stops singing, you and Ashley finish strumming. Adam proceeds to get onto his knees and clasps his hands together, muttering the same words he was in his singing.

The many smiling faces once on the corpses have vanished completely, replaced with closed eyes and somber frowns. You're almost worried you fucked up somehow but...something about their somber expressions comforts you to look at.

"SO LONG SINCE WE'VE HEARD THAT CALL."
"SO LONG SINCE WE'VE HEARD SONGS FROM THE LAND."
"IF ONLY THAT WAS THE LAST THING WE HEARD."
"BEFORE OUR END."
"IF ONLY."

The corpses murmur and mutter amongst each other. You can't make out anything else besides those five sentences. You pity them, really. Endlessly lost souls doomed to float throughout the sea. This might be the first time in ages anyone has bothered to acknowledge them, let alone offer them something like this.

A weird thought crosses your mind. Most of the anomalies you've seen have been individual entities. A robot with a filming camera, a shadowy figure, an eyeball staring down at you, a mass of arms and legs hiding behind a dressing screen. Yet this thing? So many bodies.

Even if you wanted to try, you couldn't recognize any of their faces. Something wet runs down your face as you stare down at the corpses. There has to be tens of thousands in there at least. Is there anyone still left to remember who they once were?

We only wanted a damn burial. No rest shall come for us now. Only a temporary reprieve.
You too will eventually join us. No matter how hard you try, you will join the pile.
How many bodies will be tied to you when your body fails? When you drown in your own bodily fluids?

You glance at the pirate ship still tied to the S.S. FREEDOM. How many have you killed? How many will you continue to kill? Will your own mountain be smiling?

Will anyone remember you when you die?

"NiCole?" Benedict shakes your shoulder, snapping you out of whatever trance you got yourself into. Fuck, fuck. You best finish this up. As Adam finishes his prayer, you whisper towards the corpses below.

"Cry out for us. Tell us your stories. We shall listen." Your voice threatens to crack as you speak.
>>
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The anomaly is more than willing to obey.

https://youtu.be/ZtEAutNWs4U - INFINITE SORROW

Your mind goes blank the moment the corpses open up their mouths. Visions on top of visions on top of other visions invade every inch of your mind.

A young man clings desperately onto the railing of his ship. The roiling storm raging above has slicked the railing in rain water. At any moment he can slip away. His captain stands before him. The last expression he sees the captain give is a disappointed glare as he watches the young man lose his grip.

An old captain is surrounded by his crew. Rusted harpoons are held in their shaking hands. They had to subside off bugs and rats for months. One of them just licked their lips. The stew will be stringy tonight.

A young woman sits around a pile of her bloodied, broken crewmates. Heavily armed pirates are ready to surround her, gnashing smiles and sadistic glares being thrown her way. All she can do is throw herself overboard. It would be quicker.

A kid, no older than ten, clings onto a piece of driftwood. The freezing cold water he's half submerged is has already sapped most of his strength. He can only look up at the man in a military overcoat staring down at him with a dispassionate smile.

A grizzled sailor lays in a sickcot. Every breath hurts more than the last. The on ship doctor offers him a grim choice. The only treatment he can offer at this point is a shot to the head. The sailor accepts.

Over so many years, the same stories play out over and over again. And they all end the same.
All you can do is smile. Smile through the pain. There's no time left to mourn these days.

Soon, the visions end. And by the looks of it, you weren't the only one who saw them.

>ASHLEY: 13!
>BENEDICT: 14!
>NICOLE: 18!
>ADAM: 22!

[NUMB] Ashley stares down at the pile of corpses in a deep, single minded concentration. Disgust and anger is plainly visible on her face but you can tell it's not directed towards the anomaly "Why? Why can't I cry? Why don't I feel anything? I." She cuts herself off by smashing her hand against the railing of the ship. "FUCK!"
>-1 RESTRAINT TO ASHLEY! 3/4 RESTRAINT LEFT!

Benedict is covering his face with his hands, muttering incoherently to himself. Shuddering, body wracking sobs has robbed him of the ability to do anything but stand there. Mourning.
>-2 RESTRAINT TO BENEDICT! 4/6 RESTRAINT LEFT!

All you and Adam feel after seeing that is pity. A deep, sorrowful pity but the visions slowly wash past the two of you. Like waves slowly sweeping away a sand castle.
>NO RESTRAINT DAMAGE TO YOU TWO!

"...THIS IS." "WHAT WE FEEL." "CONSTANTLY." The corpses cry out. "WE ENVY." "YOU HUMANS." YOU CAN STILL." "FEEL BEYOND THIS."

"Did we bring you a measure of peace?" Adam stares at the corpses below. "Even for a moment?"

"YES."

Suddenly, an arm from the pile of corpses clings onto the railing of the ship. Another hand reaches out with something in its palm.
>>
In its palm is...

PICK TWO
>WATERLOGGED COMPASS. It failed to lead them to safety. Perhaps it can lead you to your own salvation? (Unlocks unique navigation options when exploring the City and passively assists in leading you in the direction of the main or optional MISSION GOAL.)
>WATERLOGGED POCKETWATCH. It failed to save them in time. Perhaps it can offer you a moment to collect your thoughts? (Once per mission, you may activate the pocketwatch to stop time for everyone else but you for ten seconds. Unlocks certain actions otherwise impossible by most other means.)
>DRIFTWOOD IDOL. It offers you protection in your most dire moments. (Thrice per mission, if you or an ally would take 2 or more FLESH/RESTRAINT damage, it is reduced to 1 instead.)
>WATERLOGGED SABRE. Perhaps you can lead your men better than the previous owner. (Whenever your ally gets an upgrade, they gain an additional stat point on top of the upgrade you pick.)

As you take the gift from the anomaly's hand, it lingers there. You take this moment to lean over and with a few quick snaps of your camera, you get some decent quality pictures of the flotsam. In a blink of the eye, it's gone. All you're left with is some pictures and the sorrowful memories left behind by it.
>-5 charges on DIGITAL CAMERA
>+CORPSE FLOTSAM PICTURES x5 (Kiara and any anomaly-based company will get a kick out of seeing this.)

The sailors watching on in awed silence finally snap out of their own trances. They immediately rush back to doing their own jobs, not wanting to dwell on what they saw for too long.

Benedict eventually manages to collect his senses long enough to blubber out a few words. "S-Soon. Admiral. What...do?" You turn to see Lex approaching your group in the distance. You feel like this is the last set of freetime actions you have before you reach the edge of the 1000 mile limit.

What do you want to spend that time on? Pick three.

>[ASHLEY ALLY] "Hey. Mind teaching me how to play better?" Try to get Ashley's mind off what the anomaly showed her with some guitar lessons.
>Best to get your mind off things. Have you and your allies work around the ship, helping out the crew. A busy body stops an idle mind. (Choose VIOLENCE or FLESH. You and your allies gain an additional point in that stat after the mission ends.)
>[ADAM + BENEDICT ALLY] "Hey. You two. Come over here." Pull out MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN ERA. Film them. Maybe some footage of their past can brighten their days.
>Go to the captain and discuss what to do about the ADMIRAL'S GAME. (The captain's advice might help you down the line against the ADMIRAL.)
>You feel DRAINED after all of that. Sleep time. (You heal 2 RESTRAINT, boosting it to 8/9.)
>[LEX ALLY] "Hey, uh, don't know what you four were doing but Nicole. Wanna train?" Take up Lex on his offer. (VIOLENCE DC: 14, rolling 4d6 by yourself. Pass and your training with him might unlock a new physical ability for you. Failure and you just end up hurting yourself.)
>Write in.
>>
>>5962252
>WATERLOGGED POCKETWATCH. It failed to save them in time. Perhaps it can offer you a moment to collect your thoughts? (Once per mission, you may activate the pocketwatch to stop time for everyone else but you for ten seconds. Unlocks certain actions otherwise impossible by most other means.)
>WATERLOGGED SABRE. Perhaps you can lead your men better than the previous owner. (Whenever your ally gets an upgrade, they gain an additional stat point on top of the upgrade you pick.)

>[ADAM + BENEDICT ALLY] "Hey. You two. Come over here." Pull out MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN ERA. Film them. Maybe some footage of their past can brighten their days.
>Go to the captain and discuss what to do about the ADMIRAL'S GAME. (The captain's advice might help you down the line against the ADMIRAL.)
>[LEX ALLY] "Hey, uh, don't know what you four were doing but Nicole. Wanna train?" Take up Lex on his offer. (VIOLENCE DC: 14, rolling 4d6 by yourself. Pass and your training with him might unlock a new physical ability for you. Failure and you just end up hurting yourself.)
>>
>>5962252
>DRIFTWOOD IDOL. It offers you protection in your most dire moments. (Thrice per mission, if you or an ally would take 2 or more FLESH/RESTRAINT damage, it is reduced to 1 instead.)
This is insane. It can tank that cruiser's guns.
>Go to the captain and discuss what to do about the ADMIRAL'S GAME. (The captain's advice might help you down the line against the ADMIRAL.)
>[ADAM + BENEDICT ALLY] "Hey. You two. Come over here." Pull out MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN ERA. Film them. Maybe some footage of their past can brighten their days
>You feel DRAINED after all of that. Sleep time. (You heal 2 RESTRAINT, boosting it to 8/9.)
Prepare for pale damage
>>
>>5962290
You can pick two, bro. Pick another gift alongside the DRIFTWOOD IDOL.
>>
>>5962302
>WATERLOGGED POCKETWATCH. It failed to save them in time. Perhaps it can offer you a moment to collect your thoughts? (Once per mission, you may activate the pocketwatch to stop time for everyone else but you for ten seconds. Unlocks certain actions otherwise impossible by most other means.)
>>
>>5962252
>DRIFTWOOD IDOL. It offers you protection in your most dire moments. (Thrice per mission, if you or an ally would take 2 or more FLESH/RESTRAINT damage, it is reduced to 1 instead.)
Save our friends. Save us all.
>WATERLOGGED POCKETWATCH. It failed to save them in time. Perhaps it can offer you a moment to collect your thoughts? (Once per mission, you may activate the pocketwatch to stop time for everyone else but you for ten seconds. Unlocks certain actions otherwise impossible by most other means.)
This can come in clutch in godlike critical moments
>Go to the captain and discuss what to do about the ADMIRAL'S GAME. (The captain's advice might help you down the line against the ADMIRAL.)
>[ADAM + BENEDICT ALLY] "Hey. You two. Come over here." Pull out MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN ERA. Film them. Maybe some footage of their past can brighten their days
>Best to get your mind off things. Have you and your allies work around the ship, helping out the crew. A busy body stops an idle mind. (Choose VIOLENCE or FLESH. You and your allies gain an additional point in that stat after the mission ends.)
These are all good. I want the restraint heal, but we're here for the PERMANENT STAT UPGRADES so I want this. I choose VIOLENCE
>>
>>5962302
Can we ask to use MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN ERA on the Captain too? He might say no, but I want to try asking anyway
>>
>>5962323
I'd say it'd probably take a DC 25 WILLPOWER check, rolling 8d6 with the help of Benedict. Reason why I didn't add one to using it on Benedict and Adam hat you already have a decent frame of reference on their past. Given you're a part of it.
The Captain respects you enough to let you use it on him, at least.
>>
>>5962361
OK then

>>5962252
Add to my vote in >>5962322
>Request to use MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN ERA on the Captain. What he sees might help him decide against committing suicide by Admiral... or it might embolden him. Who knows?
>>
>>5962252
>WATERLOGGED POCKETWATCH. It failed to save them in time. Perhaps it can offer you a moment to collect your thoughts? (Once per mission, you may activate the pocketwatch to stop time for everyone else but you for ten seconds. Unlocks certain actions otherwise impossible by most other means.)
>DRIFTWOOD IDOL. It offers you protection in your most dire moments. (Thrice per mission, if you or an ally would take 2 or more FLESH/RESTRAINT damage, it is reduced to 1 instead.)

>[ADAM + BENEDICT ALLY] "Hey. You two. Come over here." Pull out MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN ERA. Film them. Maybe some footage of their past can brighten their days.
>Go to the captain and discuss what to do about the ADMIRAL'S GAME. (The captain's advice might help you down the line against the ADMIRAL.)
>[LEX ALLY] "Hey, uh, don't know what you four were doing but Nicole. Wanna train?" Take up Lex on his offer. (VIOLENCE DC: 14, rolling 4d6 by yourself. Pass and your training with him might unlock a new physical ability for you. Failure and you just end up hurting yourself.)
VIOLENCE
>Request to use MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN ERA on the Captain. What he sees might help him decide against committing suicide by Admiral... or it might embolden him. Who knows?
>>
>>5962576
Change/edit
>[LEX ALLY] "Hey, uh, don't know what you four were doing but Nicole. Wanna train?" Take up Lex on his offer. (VIOLENCE DC: 14, rolling 4d6 by yourself. Pass and your training with him might unlock a new physical ability for you. Failure and you just end up hurting yourself.)
Switch to
>Best to get your mind off things. Have you and your allies work around the ship, helping out the crew. A busy body stops an idle mind. (Choose VIOLENCE or FLESH. You and your allies gain an additional point in that stat after the mission ends.)
>>
>>5962252
>WATERLOGGED POCKETWATCH. It failed to save them in time. Perhaps it can offer you a moment to collect your thoughts? (Once per mission, you may activate the pocketwatch to stop time for everyone else but you for ten seconds. Unlocks certain actions otherwise impossible by most other means.)
>DRIFTWOOD IDOL. It offers you protection in your most dire moments. (Thrice per mission, if you or an ally would take 2 or more FLESH/RESTRAINT damage, it is reduced to 1 instead.)

>Go to the captain and discuss what to do about the ADMIRAL'S GAME. (The captain's advice might help you down the line against the ADMIRAL.)
>[ADAM + BENEDICT ALLY] "Hey. You two. Come over here." Pull out MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN ERA. Film them. Maybe some footage of their past can brighten their days
>Best to get your mind off things. Have you and your allies work around the ship, helping out the crew. A busy body stops an idle mind. (Choose VIOLENCE or FLESH. You and your allies gain an additional point in that stat after the mission ends.)
Violence
>>
>>5962252
>WATERLOGGED POCKETWATCH. It failed to save them in time. Perhaps it can offer you a moment to collect your thoughts? (Once per mission, you may activate the pocketwatch to stop time for everyone else but you for ten seconds. Unlocks certain actions otherwise impossible by most other means.)
>DRIFTWOOD IDOL. It offers you protection in your most dire moments. (Thrice per mission, if you or an ally would take 2 or more FLESH/RESTRAINT damage, it is reduced to 1 instead.)

>Go to the captain and discuss what to do about the ADMIRAL'S GAME. (The captain's advice might help you down the line against the ADMIRAL.)
>[ADAM + BENEDICT ALLY] "Hey. You two. Come over here." Pull out MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN ERA. Film them. Maybe some footage of their past can brighten their days
>Best to get your mind off things. Have you and your allies work around the ship, helping out the crew. A busy body stops an idle mind. (Choose VIOLENCE or FLESH. You and your allies gain an additional point in that stat after the mission ends.)
Flesh
>>
>>5962252
>WATERLOGGED POCKETWATCH. It failed to save them in time. Perhaps it can offer you a moment to collect your thoughts? (Once per mission, you may activate the pocketwatch to stop time for everyone else but you for ten seconds. Unlocks certain actions otherwise impossible by most other means.)
>WATERLOGGED SABRE. Perhaps you can lead your men better than the previous owner. (Whenever your ally gets an upgrade, they gain an additional stat point on top of the upgrade you pick.)
>Go to the captain and discuss what to do about the ADMIRAL'S GAME. (The captain's advice might help you down the line against the ADMIRAL.)
>[ADAM + BENEDICT ALLY] "Hey. You two. Come over here." Pull out MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN ERA. Film them. Maybe some footage of their past can brighten their days
>Best to get your mind off things. Have you and your allies work around the ship, helping out the crew. A busy body stops an idle mind. (Choose VIOLENCE or FLESH. You and your allies gain an additional point in that stat after the mission ends.)
Violence
I want the Sabre since that double gain is huge, especially since we will gain right now.
Have been away a bit, caught up in an interesting moment.
>>
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You glance at the two items in your hand. The first is a small wooden idol that's about the size of a car air freshener and, much like one, has a loop of rope tied through a hole at the top so you can hang it up on something. The idol seems to be of a humanoid figure with antlers poking out of its head. Wait, hold on-

On closer examination, a lot of details about the idol looks a LOT like you. Same general frame, the antlers, the eyes being painted pink, all of that. Huh. Out of morbid amusement, you decide to hang the idol around the base of one of your antlers.

As for the other item? A pocketwatch clearly made long before your time sits in your palm. The silver that once made up its case has been tarnished a sickly black. Popping open the case, you notice that the glass display has been shattered, exposing the delicate internals. It keeps on ticking regardless of its severe tarnishing.

You pull on the crown at the top of the pocketwatch. The clattering sound of gears grinding to a halt blares through the air as you do so. Everything around you is washed over in a black and white filter and on closer examination, everything has stopped. Nothing is moving. The ship has grinded to a halt. Your allies are frozen mid step or mid conversation. The crew mates aren't moving an inch either. The water overboard is perfectly still.

You push the crown back into place. As if nothing happened, color returns to your surroundings and everyone starts moving again. Your allies, your crewmates, it's all back to normal. Huh. Useful.

>DRIFTWOOD IDOL + WATERLOGGED POCKETWATCH acquired!

"HEY!" You wave over at Benedict and Adam after you make sure your pocketwatch is carefully put into your pocket. Benedict is giving you a really weird look but Adam simply smiles back at you.

"Yeah? What's up?" Adam places an arm around Benedict's shoulder. <"Please don't talk about the corpse I rather remove that from memory.">
"YOU DID SOMETHING. DIDN'T YOU." Benedict narrows the one human eye he has left on his face. "I FELT. THE AIR CHANGE."

"Yes but I'll tell you about that later." Huh, he noticed you stopped time? Weird. "I need you two to come over with me. Lex, you can go talk to Ashley or somethin'."

Lex raises an eyebrow as he finally manages to approach your group. "Okay, sure. She, uh, what happened to her?" He tosses a few bundles of FISH at you.

"Anomaly. Stuff. Just, uh, yeah." You look down at the bundles of fish. Let's see what you got.

FISH ACQUIRED!
>FISH PILE (MUNDANE) x6 (Can be cooked by Benedict into simple healing items but otherwise, only worth $25 per pile.)
>FISH PILE (COMMON) x4 ($150 per pile. You now have 9 of these.)
>FISH PILE (RARE) x3 (Equivalent to 1 A-ENERGY. You now have 6 piles of this.)
>FISH PILE (VERY RARE) x2 (Equivalent to 3 A-ENERGY. Most shops will KILL to get some of this.)
>FISH PILE (SPECIAL) x2 (Equivalent to 1 C-EXTRACT, which unlocks very exclusive items in various shops.)
>YOU HAVE ONE MEAT BAIT LEFT.
>>
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After you put away the fish piles, you turn your attention back to Benedict and Adam. You pull out that old filming camera you got. "Just stand there." The two are confused at what you're doing, given they're unaware of the nature of the PARADIGM in your hand. You turn it on and start recording. The footage is hazy and frankly incomprehensible but it's not your first time using it. You start fiddling with every button you can, letting your impulses tell you how to adjust and alter the footage.

Soon, something comprehensible appears. On the screen, a young teenager and a man in his mid 20s are standing in front of an empty building. They're currently talking to another man in a suit and tie with a pin of a beating heart hanging on his breastpocket. An F-Corp rep?

You step over to Adam and Benedict with the PARADIGM in hand. You hold it up to them so they can get a closer look. Adam's face softens upon seeing what the footage is. "Ah. I remember this. Not sure how you're getting this but I've learnt not to ask questions. This is when we first got the restaurant."

A glint of recognizance flashes through Benedict's eye. For a moment, his yellowish-green hair turns back to the brown hue it used to be before the yellowish-green returns. "I. You paid a. Lot to get it."

"It was worth it. Sure, things were hard after I had to get a loan from G-Corp but it was worth it." Adam wistfully remarks.

The footage soon shifts to something even further in the past. A young kid and a teenage boy are wandering around one of the many backstreets of the City. Dingy, rotten streets and condemned buildings surround them as far as the eye can see. The young kid is sobbing his eyes out as he clings desperately onto the teenager's leg.

You notice both of them are coated in blood. Mostly the teenager. A chef knife is held in his left hand, dripping with blood.

Adam's face twists with a flurry of emotions. Anger. Sadness. Gratitude? "I had to do what I had to do, okay? Those pieces of shit didn't deserve him." <"His parents were only worthy of feeding the backstreet mutts.">

Benedict only smiles upon seeing this footage. "I remember that." He speaks with an odd clarity to his voice. For a moment, you swear the metal half of his face recedes ever so slightly. "I don't blame you, really. You did what you had to." <"I made a promise that day. If only I could remember it.">

Adam is shocked at Benedict actually saying something without stuttering it out. "Huh. I didn't expect- Look, I know you don't but-"

"Have to break. Eggs." The lucidity vanishes almost immediately but for a brief moment, you swear you got through to Benedict. "Have to. Break. A few EGsS. You know?"

Soon, the footage shifts one last time to the two of them sitting around at their old restaurant, clearly drunk. They ramble on and on about something that makes no sense to you but, looking up at Adam and Benedict, smug smirks spread across their faces upon seeing this.
>>
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"Again, I told you. Cassidy was the hotter of the two girls in that show." Adam chirps out. "Her cowboy outfit, her lasso skills, she clearly deserved to win the main character's attention."
"WRONG. D-D-DIPSHIT. It Ww-wAs. CaTHErine." Benedict grinds his teeth between every word. "A W-W-WOMAN sHOULD BE MODest. DAINTY. PERFECT! NoT Some HALF ASSED MAN!"

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Terrifying Tales of Wandering Wastes was a 2240 animated show created by R, A, and T-Corp. It was the first showed that starred Vanessa Vanni as a voice actress-
[UNSTABLE] OH MY FUCKING GOD THESE TWO ARE PATHETIC.

Ashley stops talking to Lex about something and looks over in Benedict's direction. She glances down at her punk outfit before glaring daggers at Benedict. "FUCK YOU!"

"NoT. My TyPE." Benedict forces a smile across his face. Before Ashley can rush over at him to bash his head in with a bat, you step in between the two with your hands raised up.

"HEY SO HOW ABOUT WE TRY HELPING THE CREW YEAH." You start gesturing at your allies to follow you. After some muttering and glares shared between various members of your party, they decide to join you. Benedict and Adam follow you with wide, stupid smiles as they chatter to each other.
>BENEDICT HEALS 1 RESTRAINT! 5/6 LEFT!
>ADAM NEGATES THE NEXT SOURCE OF RESTRAINT DAMAGE HE TAKES!

You put your camera away after seeing this. Good. A nice change of pace after the mindfuck that was the flotsam. As for helping out the crew, it's going to suck that you're going to have to help the old fashioned way. As easy as it would be to use your telekinesis, you DO want your frame to not be stuck as 'stick thin, wiry girl'. Especially in your line of work. Time to get WORKING.

Lex and Ashley rush over to a handful of crewmates who are struggling to move things out of and into cargo storage.
Adam splits from the group to help resolve a nasty brawl that two grizzled sailors are having with each other.

You and Benedict, however? The two of you approach a trio of sailors who are desperately trying to reel in something they harpooned. The hunk of rope all three of them are clinging onto is starting to fray. Fuck, the hell are they trying to catch. Benedict is the first one to approach them with a jerky, sloppy wave.

"WHAT APPEARS. TO. ISSUE?"

The youngest sailor narrows his eyes at the fucked up chef. "Trying to get a last meal before we see that god damn Admiral. Saw a real big, juicy shark."
The middle sailor hisses at the younger sailor. "SHUT UP! KEEP. FUCKING. PULLING!"
The oldest sailor looks like he's about to give up any second now. "It's not worth it. Clearly from the Wastes. Too strong for us."

"WE SHALL. HELP. COME OVER. NICOLE." Benedict wraps his hand around the rope. Welp. You don't really got a choice. You wrap your hand around and brace your legs before you start pulling with the sailors and Benedict. Your hands are already starting to burn from the struggle but you cling on for deer (heh) life.
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Your antlers begin to crackle with red and purple energy as you strain your muscles. Soon enough, the five of you manage to yank whatever is down there overboard, though you mostly give credit to Benedict for the work.

A gnarled hunk of scales in the faint shape of a shark is now flopping around overboard, clearly not impeded much by the massive harpoon sticking out of you. On instinct, you immediately ram your antlers into the shark. Like a hot knife through butter, they rip right into the shark's sides, coating your antlers in thick red blood.

Benedict slices the shark's head off right after this. "NEXT TASK, NICOLE." He immediately rushes over to another set of sailors who are trying to lower an escape boat into the water. You charge after him, not allowing yourself to rest after what you just did. Though you do feel good when you hear the three sailors yelling out their thanks to you.

The next few hours are fucking grueling. You and your allies run back and forth across every single inch of this ship, assisting the sailors in whatever way you can. Reeling in catches, carrying heavy boxes and cargo to various parts of the ship, breaking up small fights between sailors, you name it and you had to do it. You're hardly given a moment to rest because by the time you finish carrying one box, another group of sailors is trying their best to reel something in or something else has to be done.

Soon, it's late in the afternoon and your party is laying on the deck of the ship, sweating out after everything that had to be done. The only one still standing is Benedict but given his nature as a partial machine anomaly thing, that makes sense. But it will be worth it later.

>-2 FLESH TO YOU, ASHLEY, AND ADAM, -1 to BENEDICT AND LEX.
>ONE CHARGE CONSUMED ON LEX'S WHALEBONE ARMOR. 4 LEFT.
>ADAM FLESH: 3/5. YOUR FLESH: 3/5. ASHLEY FLESH: 3/5. BENEDICT FLESH: 7/8. LEX FLESH: 4/6.
>You and your group will earn +2 to your VIOLENCE STAT upon mission end.

Captain Abraham soon approaches your group with a small smile across his face. "Good job out there."

You look up at the captain and with a lot of effort, you stumble back up to your feet. "Good timing, actually. I needed to talk to you about, well, that damnable ship thing whatever the fuck." You spit out a random word jumble. "Can we?"

Captain Abraham glances to the front of the ship. You check to see why and...huh. There's a storm brewing over there but, last time you checked, lightning normally isn't blue and purple. Only a few miles behind the storm is a thick, blue fog. "We have to make this quick then. I will tell you all I know about that damnable thing."

Ashley, Lex, and Adam force themselves up and immediately fucking panic when they see the blue fog in the distance. Benedict merely stares blankly towards the fog, raising his blade arm. Ready for a fight.

"You can not waver when you see that beast. You must not show him fear, for he will crush your soul under his sole if you do."
>>
The ship immediately picks up speed upon him saying this. In the corner of your eyes, you can see the remaining crew all preparing for their entrance past the 1000 mile limit.

"You must not treat him as a God either. For he is a prideful sinner who does not deserve to be seen as one."

A wicked smile crosses Abraham's face as the S.S. FREEDOM charges even faster in the direction of the storm. Your allies are immediately thrown back to the floor while you desperately cling onto Captain Abraham, who stands firmly in place despite the ship's incredible speed.

"You must see him as what he is. A demon. He demands to be entertained, for you to squirm under his HEEL! BUT NO! WE SHALL SHOW HIM THAT THE ONLY ONE WHO SHALL SQUIRM TONIGHT IS HIM! EVEN IF IT IS ONLY IN A GAME OF CHESS! WE SHALL SHOW HIM THAT WE ARE NOT A PAWN! NAY, WE ARE THE KNIGHTS! THE ROOKS! THE BISHOPS! THE KINGS! THE QUEENS!"

Soon enough, the ship passes into the raging storm. Lightning bolts strike all around the ship. A few of them nearly strike at the ship itself but as if Captain Abraham wills it (despite not even being at the helm), the ship avoids it in time.

"SO LET'S GIVE HIM SOMETHING TO REMEMBER US BY! DO NOT LET HIM FORGET YOUR NAME! CARVE YOURSELF INTO HIS MEMORY! FOR HIS MIND IS WEAK! FRAGILE!"

The ship plunges RIGHT into the blue fog right as he says this. Everything is surrounded in this thick blue haze. You can't even see the Captain you are clinging to.

"I HAVE ONLY SEEN THIS BEAST WAVER ONCE! HE DEMANDS TO BE SEEN AS INVICIBLE BUT I HAVE SEEN HIM BLEED WITH MY OWN EYES! HE CAN BE KILLED! HE MUST BE REMINDED OF THIS!"

"HE THINKS HE'S IMPORTANT! BEYOND US! BUT I KNOW WHAT HE IS! HE'S JUST ANOTHER GOD DAMN SUIT!"

https://youtu.be/xgnMXcZ7OE8 - THE ADMIRAL'S SHIP

What you see before you is something you can not easily describe in words. The ship you're standing on feels like it's nothing more than a pile of driftwood as you stand before an imposing tower of navy blue painted metal. The report was wrong, it's not 1000 feet long. It stretches on far, FAR past that. For miles on miles, the X-Corp Dreadnought stretches on as far as the eye can see. On the front of the ship is a massive foghorn covered in dents and scratches. The pale blue horn, ready to tear your soul apart.

All over the hull of the ship are military grade navel weapons aimed right at your ship, which looks pitifully small compared to the sheer size of the Admiral's Ship. At the very front of the ship, right by the foghorn, you see him. The Admiral, staring down upon you with a genial smile. You have to strain to see him due to how high up the ship is so you can't get a good glimpse of him. He reaches over, presumably to pull at the horn...

But he stops. He steps over to the edge of the ship and stares down at you. Your body locks up in place as you feel him staring right through you.

"Nicole Smith. What an interesting piece you are."
>>
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A voice that crackles with the same raw power of crackling thunder echoes through the fog filled air. Your legs buckle under the voice and you're almost sent kneeling from sheer instance but you hold your ground. Your other allies? They're already kneeling, unable to fight back against the voice booming from the ship.

"I overheard your plan. I do apologize, but when I hear my name, I must listen. A fair sport that befits our power, wouldn't you say, Nicole?" Suddenly, something begins to fall from the towering Dreadnought. It immediately crashes into the bow of your ship like a god damn meteorite. The ship twists and nearly breaks from the sheer impact but it holds together. Just for now.

You, the Captain, and your allies immediately rush to the impact site.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1SbYeD1ZyM - THE ADMIRAL

The crew has already surrounded whatever just landed at the front of the ship, harpoons and daggers raised up at him in a mock display. Moreso for their own pride than any actual plan to attack. Everything within a ten foot radius of the impact sight has been shattered or cracked. The boards making up the deck of the ship, the metal railings, it was like a bomb went off. And standing at that impact sight is a man. At least something that's in the shape of a man.

An ancient looking man stands before you. He towers FAR above everyone else around you, even Lex, at a firm eight feet tall at minimum. Probably at least ten feet if you're being honest with yourself. His skin is beyond wrinkly and weathered, looking more like a well tanned leather than any other kind of skin. His hair, both on his head and beard, are encrusted in a thick layer of sea salt that has dyed his normally jet black hair bright white.

His admiral coat, which has a black and white checker pattern all over it, is covered in every single possible naval and military medal recognizable to the average person. In his hand, he's carrying the barrel of a large anti aircraft cannon like it's nothing more than a service pistol to him. That's not what scares you the most, however.

It's his eyes. A bright blue glow pours out of them. When he stares at you, you feel your whole body locking up. No matter what you do, you can't even move a single finger or toe. Then, the glowing stops, showing a pair of whitened irises. Your body immediately unfreezes after this.

Captain Abraham holds a harpoon towards the Admiral's neck. The Admiral hardly seems to acknowledge this obvious threat. His gaze focuses on you and Benedict, as if everyone else around you means nothing to him. "Very, very interesting. I wouldn't have thought someone like me would ever dare approach my ship."

Lex tries to step closer to the Admiral but, as if a forcefield is around the Admiral, his body freezes up the moment he's within ten feet of the man.
Adam and Ashley back away with their hands raised up, CLEARLY unwilling to approach the Admiral unless they have to.
>>
"I suppose that's why I'm humoring you. Before we play our game, how about we chat, you two?"

"W-whY?" Benedict's teeth clatter with every syllable he forces out.

"It's more fun that way. Consider it a blessing from me." He holds his hand out to you. "The others don't particularly hold my interest. I've seen their song and dance before."

What to do with the Admiral? Pick up to three actions.
>[UNSTABLE] SLAP HIS HAND AWAY FROM YOU. HE DOESN'T FUCKING DESERVE A HANDSHAKE. (RESTRAINT DC: 24, rolling 6d6 by yourself. Succeed and you'll overpower whatever aura he has for long enough to do it, earning a fragment of respect from the Admiral. This may prove useful later. Failure will deal SEVERE RESTRAINT damage.)
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] "You want to play a game, correct? How about we negotiate a reward if I win?" Try to negotiate something out of him. You WERE told you needed an anomalous artifact at least. (Write in up to three things you want from the Admiral alongside the optional objective artifact. Depending on what you ask, you may need to make a CHARM check.)
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] "Wait, what do you mean 'someone like you'?" While Benedict is partially an anomaly, he's still mostly human. Does he mean he sees both as you as anomalies or...? Is there something coded in what he meant there?
>[NEW YOU (KIARA) + SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] You have to take a picture of this motherfucker. (WILLPOWER DC: 20, rolling 6d6 by yourself. Succeed and you'll manage to get some pictures of the man himself, which will be VERY valuable back in the City. Failure might result in the camera being 'dealt with' by the Admiral.)
>Offer him a gift. After all, he didn't immediately kill you, and you rather not piss him off, thanks! (Choose 4 HIGH CLASS WHISKEY, 2 A-ENERGY, 1 C-EXCTRACT, a FISH PILE (SPECIAL), or multiple of the above. Depending on what you give him, you'll earn more of his respect and a greater reward.)
>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] The Admiral's eye notices the X-CORP medal in your possession. "How interesting." He mutters. Tell him a tale about your experience with them. A creature like him might offer some valuable information.
>Let's just start the match. You rather not bore him. (SKIPS to the CHESS GAME against the Admiral.)
>"Give me one moment." Patch up your allies real quick, just in case. (FREE ACTION. Pick whether to lose a CLEANER MEDKIT to fully heal two allies of your choice, heal every ally by 1 FLESH, or to spend two CLEANER MEDKITS to heal everyone in your party to full FLESH.)
>WRITE IN.

Would've posted yesterday but a family birthday party dragged out WAY longer than I thought and I fell asleep before remembering that I had to update. Will update your INVENTORY tomorrow.
Also, I didn't do the PARADIGM thing with the captain since most people didn't vote for it. It'll be an option later.
Sorry if the update was long. Just had to write a lot.
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>>5963892
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] "Wait, what do you mean 'someone like you'?" While Benedict is partially an anomaly, he's still mostly human. Does he mean he sees both as you as anomalies or...? Is there something coded in what he meant there?
>[NEW YOU (KIARA) + SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] You have to take a picture of this motherfucker. (WILLPOWER DC: 20, rolling 6d6 by yourself. Succeed and you'll manage to get some pictures of the man himself, which will be VERY valuable back in the City. Failure might result in the camera being 'dealt with' by the Admiral.)
>Offer him a gift. After all, he didn't immediately kill you, and you rather not piss him off, thanks! (Whiskey)
>>
>>5963892
Ooh, interesting. We’re getting quite a lot of good things so far from this mission so I’m less interested in gifting him shit to get a reward (though I think it’s a great option so I’m not against it) so I’m gonna try to challenge him somewhat in these choices since that seems to be a weaker point of his.
>[UNSTABLE] SLAP HIS HAND AWAY FROM YOU. HE DOESN'T FUCKING DESERVE A HANDSHAKE. (RESTRAINT DC: 24, rolling 6d6 by yourself. Succeed and you'll overpower whatever aura he has for long enough to do it, earning a fragment of respect from the Admiral. This may prove useful later. Failure will deal SEVERE RESTRAINT damage.)
A bit risky but the respect.
>[NEW YOU (KIARA) + SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] You have to take a picture of this motherfucker. (WILLPOWER DC: 20, rolling 6d6 by yourself. Succeed and you'll manage to get some pictures of the man himself, which will be VERY valuable back in the City. Failure might result in the camera being 'dealt with' by the Admiral.)
Kiara would never forgive us if we didn’t :^
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] "You want to play a game, correct? How about we negotiate a reward if I win?" Try to negotiate something out of him. You WERE told you needed an anomalous artifact at least. (Write in up to three things you want from the Admiral alongside the optional objective artifact. Depending on what you ask, you may need to make a CHARM check.)
1. All your knowledge of the glows.
2. What is up with me and Benedict and our nature/abilities.
3. The artifact: give us something like your bell.
Probably asking too much but let’s try.
>"Give me one moment." Patch up your allies real quick, just in case. (FREE ACTION. Pick whether to lose a CLEANER MEDKIT to fully heal two allies of your choice, heal every ally by 1 FLESH, or to spend two CLEANER MEDKITS to heal everyone in your party to full FLESH.)
One cleaner kit to heal everyone 1 flesh. That puts everyone only one below full which should be okay hopefully.
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>>5963918
+1
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>>5963918
Fuck it +1 let's fucking go lads
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>>5963892
>[UNSTABLE] SLAP HIS HAND AWAY FROM YOU. HE DOESN'T FUCKING DESERVE A HANDSHAKE. (RESTRAINT DC: 24, rolling 6d6 by yourself. Succeed and you'll overpower whatever aura he has for long enough to do it, earning a fragment of respect from the Admiral. This may prove useful later. Failure will deal SEVERE RESTRAINT damage.)
>[NEW YOU (KIARA) + SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] You have to take a picture of this motherfucker. (WILLPOWER DC: 20, rolling 6d6 by yourself. Succeed and you'll manage to get some pictures of the man himself, which will be VERY valuable back in the City. Failure might result in the camera being 'dealt with' by the Admiral.)
>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] The Admiral's eye notices the X-CORP medal in your possession. "How interesting." He mutters. Tell him a tale about your experience with them. A creature like him might offer some valuable information.
>"Give me one moment." Patch up your allies real quick, just in case. (FREE ACTION. Pick whether to lose a CLEANER MEDKIT to fully heal two allies of your choice, heal every ally by 1 FLESH, or to spend two CLEANER MEDKITS to heal everyone in your party to full FLESH.)
1 FLESH each
>>
>>5963918
+1
>>
Aight. UNSTABLE + NEW YOU KIARA + PERSON OF INTEREST + 1 FLESH TO EVERYONE wins out. I need three anons to roll the following.

>6d6 (RESTRAINT SLAP)
>6d6 (WILLPOWER CAMERA)
>6d6 (CHARM TO GET GLOWIE KNOWLEDGE. DC 19, ADAM IS ASSISTING YOU)

The other two things you ask seem reasonable enough (What's with me and Benedict is essentially ANOMALOUS ABILITIES and the artifact is the artifact.), but the glowie one will take some prodding.

You can reroll 2d6 on both the RESTRAINT and WILLPOWER check thanks to your talisman. If you use both, you can't use the talisman rerolls for the rest of the mission. You only need one, you save one for later.
>>
Rolled 5, 6, 2, 6, 3, 4 = 26 (6d6)

>>5964752
>>
Rolled 4, 5, 4, 5, 2, 6 = 26 (6d6)

>>5964752
Camera
>>
Rolled 2, 4, 5, 1, 5, 5 = 22 (6d6)

>>5964752
Holy shit guys. Nice rolls! Let’s hope I don’t fuck it up
>>
>>5964760
>>5964765
>>5964769
All successes. Writing.
>>
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[UNSTABLE] Your blood is BOILING. He's just holding his hand out, expecting a handshake, despite the objective fact that this man can and will kill everyone on here for his own sick amusement if wants to.
[UNSTABLE] Let's teach him a FUCKING LESSON.

Your hand shakes yet it does not move at first. The Admiral's smile widens upon seeing you struggle to move even a single inch closer to him. "I wouldn't bother if I was you."

"Nicole, it's not worth it." Lex hisses between clenched teeth. "I want to hit him as much as the next guy but it's just not worth it."

"Listen to your friend. It may be the only smart thing he has ever said. Be a good girl and shake my-"

>26!

You make sure you're using the arm covered by the prosthetic sleeve. Once you confirmed you're not going to instantly shatter your hand in case he's anomalously tough, you slam the palm of your hand down onto the Admiral's wrist. You immediately regret doing so. His hand doesn't budge a single inch as your hand slams down on it. It's like smashing your hand directly against a stone wall.

His smirk widens for a brief moment before he adopts a stony, emotionless expression. "Impressive. You almost made me flinch." He puts his hand into one of the many pockets on his coat. "Let's cut to the point then. We both have places to be, do we not?" <"This will be fun.">

You raise an eyebrow. Okay, if this dude is an anomaly, how the hell were you able to read his mind right now? Every other anomaly has been a complete deadzone to you and, hell, Benedict's mind was scrambled nonsense.

You'll worry about that later. "Alright. You want to play a game, correct? How about we negotiate a reward if I win. Besides me and my allies being able to leave here alive."

"Of course. I would not be opposed towards that. All games need a reward and, to be quite frank, the only reward I need is beating you. Go on then." His genial smile returns, though there's an obvious malice dripping out of his gaze and smirk. "Tell me."

"One. I want an artifact. Something anomalous. Something that I can give to my boss later. Maybe a ship bell from your ship?"

The Admiral holds up his left hand and raises one of his fingers. "Accepted. That is one out of three."

"Two. What is up with me and Benedict? Our natures? Our abilities? Tell us everything you know. You clearly seem more interested in us than the others."

The Admiral nods. "Of course I am. The others are humans. Weak. Pathetic. Pawns on a board. They would shatter like glass if I touched them." He raises up another finger. "I am more than willing to tell another one like me that secret. Two out of three." The sailors standing around the Admiral immediately turn their gazes over at you and Benedict.

"They're anomalies?"
"These fuckers are buddy buddy with him, aren't they?"
"Will we have to kill them too?"
The crew begins to mutter with thinly veiled spite and fear.
>>
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Motherfucker is trying to turn them against you, huh-

"SILENCE!" Captain Abraham barks out. "DO NOT LET HIM SULLY YOUR MIND! HOLD YOUR GOD DAMN TONGUES!" And then, everyone is silent again. The Admiral watches this display with thinly veiled amusement.

"Last one. What do you know about the men in silver? The ones who glow in the dark? Tell me that."

The Admiral's smirk disappears in a flash. "Denied. I am unwilling to spill secrets on a group I share mutual interests with. Some information is too important to be shared, even to you." Wait, mutual interests?

"These motherfuckers are hunting me down. If your mutual interests involve hunting down entities just like you, then you're a god damn paradox." You grit your teeth as you try your best to keep your emotions under control.

"If you are unable to protect yourself from them, then that is not my problem." The Admiral stares down at you with a spiteful, conceited sneer. "I believe that is enough. It is time for the game to start."

Adam finally snaps out of the fear induced trance the anomaly has inspired. He takes slow and hesitant steps towards the Admiral until he's only ten feet away from it. "Listen. My friend." He jabs a finger at Benedict. "Was turned into an anomaly by those sons of bitches. He wasn't supposed to be like this. They're trying to make people like you."

The Admiral's eyes widen a bit on hearing this news. "Very, very interesting. Tell me more."

"I-I don't know what their plan is but if I had to make a guess? They're trying to figure out how things like YOU are made. So they can kill them easier. You killed god knows how many people but how many of them KNEW how you worked?"

"You want a number? One million, two hundred eighty six thousand, six hundred sixty two." He casually responses, like he was describing what the weather was like.. "Only a few hundred knew my true nature. Even fewer were left alive to tell my tale."

"Then you know as well as I do that when it comes to business like this, they rather have an out in case you get too out of control, Admiral. They're trying to play you like a god damn fiddle!"

>22!

A rush of anger, amusement, and disappointment rushes across the Admiral's face before it stabilizes into a single stony frown. "I see how it is now." He takes a moment to crack his neck in a single fluid motion before turning his attention back to you. "So be it. I will tell you what I know. Three out of three." He raises up his hand and snaps his fingers.

In a flash of purple and black lightning, a chess board appears between you and the Admiral. Shit, okay, the game's already starting. You raise up your digital camera and, with a deep breath, you try to take a picture.

>26!

The camera damn near implodes when you tried to snap a picture but the bomber jacket snugly clinging to your torso seems to keep the camera stable enough for JUST long enough for you to take a few pictures.
>>
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You immediately put your camera into your pocket once that is said and done.

>-5 CHARGES ON DIGITAL CAMERA. 20 LEFT.
>ADMIRAL PHOTOGRAPH x5 (Physical proof that you encountered this entity and survived. Kiara will KILL to get these from you and other companies will offer HEAVY bribes to get them.)

"Cute. Now, here are the rules of our game. Best of four. Every time one of us loses a piece, we take damage depending on its value. Pawns, a minor scratch. Bishops and knights, something like a solid punch to the chest. A rook? Comparable to a stab wound." He picks up his Black Queen. "This? Lose these? A bone is broken." He puts his piece down.

"If you lose your king, you don't take any. You just lose the round. That is painful enough as is. Now, to make things fair between us?" The Admiral jabs a finger towards your four other allies. "The pain you take is split randomly between you and your allies. Otherwise, you would not even be able to HOPE to out endure me."

"You sick fuck." Ashley grinds her teeth. "Do you get off to this?" She immediately raises up her baseball bat and points the end of it towards the Admiral.

"There is a certain satisfaction to winning I receive, I admit. It is crass to imply it is like that, however, child." The Admiral snorts with thinly veiled contempt in his voice. "Now. You win if you can somehow damage me enough for me to be incapable of playing or you win three matches. I win if you and your allies are unable to move or I win three matches. If we both win two matches, we'll resolve it the old fashioned way." He cracks his knuckles. It's obvious what he wants the tiebreaker to be.

."Anything else before we start?"

You pull out your CLEANER MEDKIT. "Let me and my allies patch up. No point agreeing to that if we're already hurt."

The Admiral nods, gesturing at you to do so. You quickly patch up some minor wounds on yourself before throwing the medkit over to your allies. They rush to split the healing supplies amongst themselves.

>-1 CLEANER MEDKIT!
>+1 FLESH TO PARTY!

"As for you, Captain?" He glances up at Captain Abraham, who's been deathly quiet this whole time. "If she wins, I shall allow you to die by my own hand."

Captain Abraham turns his attention back to the Admiral with a wicked smile. "So be it. You will know what my blood tastes like, Admiral, and you will not be able to forget it. For I, Captain Abraham, will make sure I leave a scar you can never heal on your very soul."

"So be it. I will see to it that your blood soaks into my coat. Oh, speaking about that." The Admiral snaps his fingers. "These checkered jackets disgusted me. Begone."

>-CHECKERED JACKETS FROM YOU, LEX, AND ASHLEY! YOU, LEX, AND ASHLEY NO LONGER GAIN A BOOST TO INTIMIDIATIONS.
>CHECKERED FABRIC STRAPS x6 IN YOUR INVENTORY, CHECKERED FABRIC STRAP ADDED TO LEX + ASHLEY'S INVENTORY. (Only worth as mementos from a mission long since completed.)
>>
>>5964921
Thanks, those checkered jackets sure outstayed their welcome. I kinda like Quentin still keeping his until he loses it along with his current body, whenever that happens.
>>
Wow, spiteful, but you're not going to complain about it. Lex and Ashley hardly cared about the jackets themselves and merely shrug at what happened...until the dread of realizing he can destroy and summon things with the snap of his fingers sets in.

MATCH 1 STARTS!
ADMIRAL: 0. NICOLE: 0.

PARTY HP
NICOLE: 4/5 FLESH, 6/9 RESTRAINT
LEX: 5/6 FLESH, 4/4 RESTRAINT
ADAM: 4/5 FLESH, 5/5 RESTRAINT
BENEDICT: 8/8 FLESH, 5/6 RESTRAINT
ASHLEY: 4/5 FLESH, 3/4 RESTRAINT

"This time, you play as WHITE. So you move first. Consider it my one and only concession to you this match." The Admiral flashes a smile. Okay, fuck. You actually aren't much of an expert in chess and given you're fighting against a god damn X5 Anomaly who seems obsessed with it? Hrm.

Your allies and the Captain quickly surround you, watching your every move, while the Crew of the S.S. FREEDOM surrounds the Admiral, watching what he does.

What's your strategy? Pick one.
>[UNSTABLE] PLAY AGGRESSIVELY. THROW YOUR PIECES AWAY WILLY NILLY. YOUR GOAL IS TO BEAT HIM AT ANY COST. (-1 FLESH AND RESTRAINT TO YOU AND YOUR PARTY. YOU AUTOMATICALLY WIN THE MATCH.)
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] You can read his mind! Try to keep up your best poker face as you read how he's trying to play. (WILLPOWER DC: 39, rolling 11d6 with your allies helping as distractions. Pass and you should win without anyone getting hurt while getting some nasty licks on the Admiral himself. Failure and you can imagine your punishment will be SEVERE if he catches you cheating.)
>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] "What is it about chess that interests you so much?" Try to distract him while you play the game. "What, were you a chess obsessed military man before turning into this?" (CHARM DC: 24 (-4 from ADMIRAL RESPECT), rolling 6d6 with Adam's help. You won't gain any bonuses on winning but you'll get an interesting insight into the Admiral's mind. Failure just results in a lose and some minor damage to your party.)
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Play defensively. Figure out how he works. (COGNIZANCE DC: 18, rolling 5d6 by yourself. On success, while your allies might take some damage, you should be able to get a read on the Admiral's playstyle, lowering all skill check DCs for the rest of your matches.. Failure and your failed defensive plays will really hurt your allies.)
>Write in.

And what non-game actions do you wish to do? Pick as many as you want..
>Slip a CYANIDE PILL into a bottle of whiskey and hand it to the Admiral. "Here. Have this." (-1 HIGH CLASS WHISKEY, -1 CYANIDE PILL. Hopefully it does something to him.)
>Ask the Admiral some questions about himself. Can't hurt to shoot the shit, right? (Write in up to three questions to ask him.)
>Best to give your allies some healing items so they can hopefully out-endure the Admiral. (Write in what consumables and healing items you want to give your allies.)
>Take a stat booster to help your odds. (WRITE IN which one.)
>Write in.

INVENTORY: https://pastebin.com/n0MH6M17
>>
>>5964949
>[UNSTABLE] PLAY AGGRESSIVELY. THROW YOUR PIECES AWAY WILLY NILLY. YOUR GOAL IS TO BEAT HIM AT ANY COST. (-1 FLESH AND RESTRAINT TO YOU AND YOUR PARTY. YOU AUTOMATICALLY WIN THE MATCH.)

>Slip a CYANIDE PILL into a bottle of whiskey and hand it to the Admiral. "Here. Have this." (-1 HIGH CLASS WHISKEY, -1 CYANIDE PILL. Hopefully it does something to him.)
>>
>>5964999
You really want to unzip the cyanide mickey turn 1 round 1? And not leave it to later if we need to really fuck with him at a crucial point?
>>
>>5964949
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Play defensively. Figure out how he works. (COGNIZANCE DC: 18, rolling 5d6 by yourself. On success, while your allies might take some damage, you should be able to get a read on the Admiral's playstyle, lowering all skill check DCs for the rest of your matches.. Failure and your failed defensive plays will really hurt your allies.)
PEP PILL + LET'S GO BEN
Lowering DCs for the rest of the game is too good for me to pass up. Sure he can try to change his playstyle to fuck with us back as if this is poker, but if he's anomalous then he'll be set in his ways a good deal. It'll be hard for him to go against his nature for too long without his own anomalousness pushing back just as much. That's something we can indirectly use against him. That's what I think
>Ask the Admiral some questions about himself. Can't hurt to shoot the shit, right? (Write in up to three questions to ask him.)
"What district were you from, before you became like this?"
"What was the City like back in your day?"
"I know an old lady who used to fight in the Antiseptic War. Got anything interesting you can tell me about that time?"
>>
>>5964949
Both defensive play and mind reading have a 50% chance of success (charm only has 27%). We have a lot of willpower boosters, but our one cognizance booster is very efficient here and reduces future DCs.
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Play defensively. Figure out how he works. (COGNIZANCE DC: 18, rolling 5d6 by yourself. On success, while your allies might take some damage, you should be able to get a read on the Admiral's playstyle, lowering all skill check DCs for the rest of your matches.. Failure and your failed defensive plays will really hurt your allies.)
Take a pep pill to raise the success chance to 84%
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>>5965100
Reread PEP PILL+
>add 4 to the final tally
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>>5965121
Yes?
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>>5965223
Nothing. I'm just pointing it out. Is it really a boost up to 84%? With just a +4 to the end? You're saying the mind read option is 50% success, but 14/30 allowable thanks to the PEP PILL+ giving a +4 to the end result is more of a 50% than an 84%. Am I missing something?
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>>5965232
18 on 5d6 is already 50%. Pep pill reduses DC to 14, which shifts the cance if success to 84%. I use anydice.com to check these things.
The boost is this big because a sum of multiple dice follows a normal distribution, and if the original DC was close to the mean (and it in fact was at the mean) then a small change shifts the probability a lot. It's easier to understand if you look at a graph of normal distribution.
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>>5965239
I see. We better thank Benjamin for the PEP PILL+ if we have to use them. He gave us 3 of the things, and they apply to RESTRAINT and WILLPOWER checks too. Very powerful little things
>>
>>5965232
>14/30
Not exactly, 5d6 rolls 5-30, not 1-30, and the sum is heavily biased towards the mean.
>>
>>5965100
+1
This looks like a good opening with a decent chance. Also save the whiskey for after we win a round or two so he’s already hurt (and put at least two cyanide pills in that shit haha). Or maybe it’s not even necessary depending on how this is good. Also + the questions look decent above.

For something like this lowering Dc’s is really good.
>>
>>5964949
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Play defensively. Figure out how he works. (COGNIZANCE DC: 18, rolling 5d6 by yourself. On success, while your allies might take some damage, you should be able to get a read on the Admiral's playstyle, lowering all skill check DCs for the rest of your matches.. Failure and your failed defensive plays will really hurt your allies.)

>Ask the Admiral some questions about himself. Can't hurt to shoot the shit, right? (Write in up to three questions to ask him.)
Ask about the military, the city's past and the history of corpos
>>
>>5965100
+1
>>
Playing defensive seems to be the goal. One anon, roll 2d6. Another, roll 3d6. I'll include the questions because there's no real harm in asking them.
>>
Rolled 6, 6 = 12 (2d6)

>>5965786
>>
Rolled 5, 2, 6 = 13 (3d6)

>>5965786
Here we go.
>>
>>5965795
>>5965796
>25/30
Wow, you didn't even need the pep pill, what the fuck? Eh, you voted to consume it to be safe rthan sorry,, so -1 PEP PILL+ it is.
Massive success. Writing. Also, happy easter everyone.
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>>5965805
I don't regret it. We could just as easily have failed and needed it to bail us out by 4. Nicole needs that PEP in this dire situation
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>>5965805
Better to be safe than sorry. But man we’ve been rolling crazy so far.

Hopefully the massive success will give us a boost.

Happy Easter Handler, thanks for the fun quest.
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>>5965898
You say the rolls here say otherwise >>5956553
Though those rolls were RIGGED at the time
>>
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No need to rush in. Your goal is to just read his playstyle. Pawn to E4. He moves a Pawn to E5. You move a knight to F3. He moves a knight to F6. You follow up by moving a Bishop to C4. An 'Italian Game'. You felt it was fitting given Benedict and Adam are watching nearby. The Admiral scoffs upon seeing the gambit you're playing.

"I'm playing with a beginner, huh? So be it." He moves one of his bishops right in front of your own. That's where your knowledge on openings ends. You're going off gut instinct on this point. You immediately move your king into hiding. He moves a knight to F6. You move a knight to F3. His eyes widen a bit as he moves to...hide his king away as well.

Staring at your board, the two of you basically have a completely mirrored board state on both sides. You move a pawn. He moves the same pawn on his side of the board. Is he fucking with you? Before you decide to play any other moves, you quickly take a PEP PILL and swallow it dry. It hurts to do so but you rather not push your luck by asking him for a drink.

"So. What district were you born in?"

The Admiral looks up from the board. Something about that question seems to really bother him because for a while, all he does is stare at you with a blank, almost creepy smile. Just as quickly as the weird smile appeared, it's immediately replaced by a frown.

"District? That's after my time. The 'City', the 'Districts'. I used to live in COUNTIRES. Italy. The United States. Korea. None of those ring a bell to you, do they?"

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Those are ancient sounding names to you. Last you heard, those countries stopped being a thing ever since the 1930s. The Year is 2255 right now, so...
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] He has to be 335 years old at minimum if he was old enough to remember living in them.

"Vaguely. Mostly in contexts like the name of the move I played or from old history books."

"It's a shame. I suppose my last home before I moved out to this sea was what you would call 'District 24'. It was the closest to MY world." The Admiral shakes his head. "Before I remembered who I was. What we used to be. When I realized everything in that City was a cheap imitation of what once was."

The pill kicks in. You move a bishop to G5. He moves one to G4. Knight D5. Knight D4. In the next two moves, the two of you capture each other's knights. Him with a pawn, you with your own knight. Immediately, you feel a punch hitting you RIGHT in the chest. He barely flinches when his own knight was captured.

"I will admit. Your City has most of the details down pat. I respect the twenty six CEOs who own as much power as presidents and warlords back in the day. Not to mention the Head. They have already won. I envy, adore, yet feel nothing but hatred towards them"

"I beg your pardon?" You wheeze, still trying to recover from the punch you received. You begin to pick up your pace. pieces moving across the chess between both sides of the board.
>>
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Pieces clatter against the board until one of your rooks was eventually captured by a bishop of his. A violent CRACK comes from your right. Turning around, you see that Benedict's armblade has a two inch hole punched right through it. A vicious black oil begins leaking out of his armblade.

>-1 FLESH TO BENEDICT!

The Admiral continues to speak with nary a care for what's going on. "Their power is wasted away. Filtered through miles of red tape. Everything forced through a corporate lens. That's not what REAL POWER used to represent. Real power, you see, is when you show someone you are superior to them."

"To dominate an enemy. Crushing defeats. Heroic failures. Successful suicides. Triumph over them. Now? It's about holding that power. Stagnating. Rotting away, no longer needing to FIGHT to hold that power." The Admiral flinches as you manage to capture his queen with one of your rooks. The pinky finger on his left hand is bent in a very awkward angle now. "That is why I like this game."

"Men are born for games. Nothing else. Every child knows that play is nobler than work." He turns the favor by capturing your rook with his king. A massive wound rips open on your forearm, seemingly bypassing your combat suit.
>-1 FLESH TO YOU!

"And this game is the closest to war. War is the ultimate game because war is at last a forcing of the unity of existence. War is God, Nicole. That is why I am here. I am to remind them of what TRUE POWER once meant in this world."

"That is why I do not call the City my home. It is nothing but a farce."

You move your queen into position, putting him in check. More moves fly by until eventually, you capture another one of his rooks that was trying to approach your king. He grunts in pain as a shallow stab wound manifests on his chest.

Pieces keep moving and while you had to lose another Rook, it luckily targeted Lex. A CLINK of metal hitting his chestplate is heard. Something about his armor is able to block it? Interesting.
>3 CHARGES LEFT ON LEX'S WHALEBONE ARMOR!

Soon, you manage to put him into check. No matter where he tries moving, he would still be in check. Checkmate. You smirk at him. You had to lose your knights and one of your bishops, so you can see some nasty bruises forming on Adam and Ashley's bodies, but they're surface level for now. Looking back at the Admiral?

Two shallow stab wounds in his chest, a broken pinky finger, and several small bruises that barely seem to be affecting him. He barely seems to care about the wounds inflicted onto him, instead smiling at you. "Good game." With a snap of the fingers, the board resets.

You have a solid reading on how he plays. He's more focused on capturing as many of your high valued pieces as possible, which left him exposed to you using them as traps so you can move your pieces into position. He wants to HURT you more than actually winning.
>>
"So, there was no City back when you were around. Huh. When did the companies first pop up, then?"

"Indeed. The first companies rose up sometime around 1995. Small groups of people trying to understand the world left behind after the Smog Wars. The companies YOU know of? Somewhere in the 2130s. I left sometime around 2195. After I realized that the last major war was finally finished, I had no interest in staying in that land."

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] The Antiseptic War happened around 2193. That's the only war he could be talking about.
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] You have no idea what the Smog Wars are If it was BEFORE 1995, it must've been an ancient set of wars.

"Wait." One of the sailors interrupts the conversation you're having. "No, no, most of the history books we have about world history end at 2130."

"I wonder why."

"Speaking about war-" You feel hesitant to ask this but, hey, why not? "I know an old lady who used to fight in the Antiseptic War. Got anything interesting you can tell me about that time?"

"That is when people still knew how to fight." The Admiral picks up one of his white Pawns. "The Companies removed their masks of humanity. It had to. To stop the war from removing all 3.1 billion people that lived back then. Everything humanity loves for, all the hope and tenderness they pretend to have. It had to. For one second."

"W-wait, 3.1 billion?" Ashley mutters out the number like she can't believe what she's hearing. "There's...2.4 billion living in the City now, right?"
"2.6, 2.5, somewhere like that." Adam grips tightly onto the railing behind him. "That's a difference of a half a billion."

"To do the deed. That's when they saw it. As the corporations strangles and mercilessly beat your friends to death, the sweetest and most hope inspiring members of society, you can see the fear and POWER in the companies. What REAL power meant."

"There were 3.1 billion before the war. There was 2.2 billion after the war was done. Nine hundred million people. Wiped out over six and a half years. They had to spray the whole City in a blanket of aerosolized antiseptic to disinfect the corpse filled streets." The Admiral coos out this information in a sing-song tone. As if he brings back fond memories to him.

"I saw it with my own eyes. Those Z-Company planes flying over the emptied Nests, Backstreets, and battlefields. Spraying that icy cold liquid over us. It was almost like watching a set of icy birds giving relief and peace to both friend and foe. There was nothing left but bones after. THAT, you see, is what I respect about the companies. If only they would just remove that mask more often."

No one dares to speak after that information is presented. Lex and Benedict are leaning overboard, purging their stomachs of everything inside. Adam and Ashley are standing in stunned silence.
>-1 RESTRAINT to all allies but ASHLEY!

The only ones smiling is the Admiral and the Captain.
>>
Fuck. There's no doubt that you're going to encounter anomalies based on that if THAT many people died during it. You already knew faint details about it so you're not TOTALLY thrown for a loop but the sheer SCALE of it is...hard to swallow.

"It'll be good to kill a monster who fought during those wars." The Captain cackles to himself.

"If only it was that simple, Captain." The Admiral smirks.

MATCH 2! NICOLE: 1. ADMIRAL: 0
NICOLE: 3/5 FLESH, 6/9 RESTRAINT
LEX: 5/6 FLESH, 3/4 RESTRAINT
ADAM: 4/5 FLESH, 4/5 RESTRAINT
BENEDICT: 7/8 FLESH, 4/6 RESTRAINT
ASHLEY: 4/5 FLESH, 3/4 RESTRAINT

"This time, losing will hurt more. I hope you accept that."

What's your next move?
>[UNSTABLE] LET'S HURT HIM MORE THAN HE HURTS US. (VIOLENCE DC: 12, rolling 4d6. Succeed and while 4 FLESH and RESTRAINT damage will be randomly split amount you and your allies, you'll be able to deal some massive damage to the Admiral as well on top of winning, pushing him closer towards the edge of death.)
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Play ultra defensive and use your high value pieces to lure him into a trap. (COGNIZANCE DC: 16, rolling 5d6. Pass and you'll be able to win with only minor injuries inflicted on your group. Failure and the match ends in a tie, resulting in wasted time and some nasty damage.)
>"Isn't it boring living out here? Where you just ambush random ships? How much honor and triumph is there in that?" Get into his mind. Mess with him. (CHARM DC: 19, rolling 6d6 with Lex + Ashley's help. Pass and you'll spread a seed of doubt into his mind, potentially unlocking the ability to get a better deal from him. Failure and you imagine he'll mess with your RESTRAINT heavily as punishment.)
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Read his mind. (WILLPOWER DC: 35, rolling 11d6 with your allies. Same success and failure as last time.)
>WRITE IN.

And your non-game moves? Pick as many as you wish.
>Slip TWO CYANIDE PILLS into a bottle of whiskey and hand it to the Admiral. "Here. Have this." (-1 HIGH CLASS WHISKEY, -2 CYANIDE PILLS. Should hopefully muddle his cognizance and ability to play the game.)
>Ask the Admiral some more questions. If he's as old as he says he is, there's so much untapped potential in this man. (Write in up to four questions.)
>[X-CORP MEDAL] Your mind briefly remembers the training courses you went through. "I tried some training courses that tried to emulate it. Maybe you could teach me what it truly means to fight in a war." (CHARM DC: 18, rolling 4d6 by yourself. You imagine he'll be able to teach you a COMBAT BOON if you convince him on a success. Failure and he'll be insulted by the idea of teaching you, causing him to deal more damage to you regardless of failure or success this game.)
>Best to give your allies some healing items so they can hopefully out-endure the Admiral. (Write in what consumables and healing items you want to give your allies.)
>Take a stat booster to help your odds. (WRITE IN which one.)
>Write in.
>>
Do we want to go the seed of doubt into slight redemption? Or go 'fuck this guy' and all in on getting him dead? Or do we want to go full safe and just win to leave home alive? We have a lot of ways we can play this out.
>>
>>5966012
I believe we should murder this piece shit admiral. Because he murders so many innocent people, he literally goes around wrecking random innocent or non-innocent ships for laughs. I seriously doubt that the large majority of sailors are bad or horrible individuals.
>>
>>5966007
>[UNSTABLE] LET'S HURT HIM MORE THAN HE HURTS US. (VIOLENCE DC: 12, rolling 4d6. Succeed and while 4 FLESH and RESTRAINT damage will be randomly split amount you and your allies, you'll be able to deal some massive damage to the Admiral as well on top of winning, pushing him closer towards the edge of death.)

>[X-CORP MEDAL] Your mind briefly remembers the training courses you went through. "I tried some training courses that tried to emulate it. Maybe you could teach me what it truly means to fight in a war." (CHARM DC: 18, rolling 4d6 by yourself. You imagine he'll be able to teach you a COMBAT BOON if you convince him on a success. Failure and he'll be insulted by the idea of teaching you, causing him to deal more damage to you regardless of failure or success this game.)

>Best to give your allies some healing items so they can hopefully out-endure the Admiral. (Write in what consumables and healing items you want to give your allies.)
Use one TRAUMA KIT to heal ourself and our team
>>
>>5966038
>>5966019
then I will +1 this; we should cyanide drink him next round to help us further him to get killed by us
>4 FLESH and RESTRAINT damage will be randomly split amount you and your allies
This bothers me a bit if RNG wills all the 4 FLESH damage to land on Adam or Ashley (both at 4/5) or Nicole (3/5). Or if all the 4 RESTRAINT damage goes on literally any ally but Nicole. I doubt it'll happen, but it's still risky. Then again, if somebody does go insane, we have some supplies to stop that. Not to mention nearby sailor could simply jump on them and restrain the ally. I trust the Captain to yell that order out if needed, and the sailor crew would not hesitate to save the Cleaners literally putting their lives on the line to save them all.
>SUAVENESS: 1 (temporary CHARM. Can spend a point to add 1d6 to a CHARM roll.)
The 4d6 for DC 18 might seem like a tall order, but don't we still have this banked from way way back when?
>>
>>5966007
>[UNSTABLE] LET'S HURT HIM MORE THAN HE HURTS US. (VIOLENCE DC: 12, rolling 4d6. Succeed and while 4 FLESH and RESTRAINT damage will be randomly split amount you and your allies, you'll be able to deal some massive damage to the Admiral as well on top of winning, pushing him closer towards the edge of death.)
I’m on board to kill the fucker desu. I do want the info on the glows first though.
>Ask the Admiral some more questions. If he's as old as he says he is, there's so much untapped potential in this man. (Write in up to four questions.)
1. Are there others like him, from his time still around?
2. What is his name/was known by.
3. Is there any remnants of the old work mold in the City.
4. Does he have family?
>Best to give your allies some healing items so they can hopefully out-endure the Admiral. (Write in what consumables and healing items you want to give your allies.)
Trauma kit +1 flesh to everyone.
Can we prep a bottle of Joyful (we still have this right?) for anyone that hits 2 or lower restraint?
>>5966038
My only issue is this seems way to risky if you’re doing unstable, since the cha check is unlikely to succeed and we’re already taking lots of damage with unstable.
>>
>>5966007
add to my vote in >>5966115
>Ask the Admiral some more questions. If he's as old as he says he is, there's so much untapped potential in this man. (Write in up to four questions.)
"So how far does this sea go? It shouldn't be an infinite one if the planet we're on has limits."
"Why stick to 1000 miles from the City shore? Is the Head deterring you, or is it something else?"
"How tied to you is that ship of yours? Enough you can summon it wherever you are, or do you need to be touching it to do anything with it?"
(Pull out INFINITE SEA MAP) "Got anything cool you could point out on this that the map doesn't have?"
>>
>>5966123
I like the Joyvel (not Joyful, thankfully) bottle prep in case low RESTRAINT. For panic or sanity loss, we have BLESSED CHAINS and a few other things to handle that.
>way to risky if you’re doing unstable
I'm only backing it because we still have a free 1d6 from temporary SUAVENESS that might turn the tables
>>
>>5966125
I think we should ask his name as one of the questions since I feel knowing that could open up some doors. The rest of my questions I’m fine leaving.

On the cha, we do have a point of Suave left but that’s still only a 5d6. Not great odds. But I’m more willing to go for it. Just gonna be gnarly if we fuck it up which is why I’m hesitant.

Also the sea map made me think of something. If we kill him, we have a day or two to fucking loot his ship and if he points us to interesting spots on the map to do that as well and just make a shit ton. Since no one expects him to die and won’t interfere. We could really make away with a hilarious amount of loot if we play this well.
>>
>>5966140
I doubt we can ask all the questions, but it'd be nice since this guy will not be standing from this chess table again when we're done.
>>
>>5966007
I wrote a whole damn analysis post and lost it because of mistyped captcha.
Anyway,
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Read his mind
>>
>>5966202
+1
Ya know what, I'll switch to this from Unstable. Keeping the healing vote and questions though.
>>
>>5966007
>"Isn't it boring living out here? Where you just ambush random ships? How much honor and triumph is there in that?" Get into his mind. Mess with him. (CHARM DC: 19, rolling 6d6 with Lex + Ashley's help. Pass and you'll spread a seed of doubt into his mind, potentially unlocking the ability to get a better deal from him. Failure and you imagine he'll mess with your RESTRAINT heavily as punishment.)

>Best to give your allies some healing items so they can hopefully out-endure the Admiral. (Write in what consumables and healing items you want to give your allies.)
Trauma Kit
>>
>>5966202
Give me the rundown, I'm interested
>>
>>5966007
>>[UNSTABLE] LET'S HURT HIM MORE THAN HE HURTS US. (VIOLENCE DC: 12, rolling 4d6. Succeed and while 4 FLESH and RESTRAINT damage will be randomly split amount you and your allies, you'll be able to deal some massive damage to the Admiral as well on top of winning, pushing him closer towards the edge of death.)
>Slip TWO CYANIDE PILLS into a bottle of whiskey and hand it to the Admiral. "Here. Have this." (-1 HIGH CLASS WHISKEY, -2 CYANIDE PILLS. Should hopefully muddle his cognizance and ability to play the game.)
KILL KILL KILL
>>
>>5966387
The post was about success chance percentages. Mindread had 75%, or 92 with pep pill
>>
>>5966038
Change/edit
>[UNSTABLE] LET'S HURT HIM MORE THAN HE HURTS US. (VIOLENCE DC: 12, rolling 4d6. Succeed and while 4 FLESH and RESTRAINT damage will be randomly split amount you and your allies, you'll be able to deal some massive damage to the Admiral as well on top of winning, pushing him closer towards the edge of death.)
Switch to
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Read his mind. (WILLPOWER DC: 35, rolling 11d6 with your allies. Same success and failure as last time.)
>>
MIND READING seems to be winning out here, with "use trauma kit to heal everyone for one flesh". I'll include MOST of the questions, so let's try our luck out with the 11d6 check. The other choices didn't really get enough votes to warrant being added as well.

I need three anons to roll the following
>4d6 (first third of 11d6)
>4d6 (second third of 4d6)
>3d6 (last third)
>>
Rolled 2, 5, 1, 1 = 9 (4d6)

>>5966951
>>
Rolled 2, 5, 1, 2 = 10 (4d6)

>>5966951
Oh no

>>5966962
You fuckers, I knew this would go wrong... so much for this guy's stats >>5966805
>>
Rolled 4, 4, 3 = 11 (3d6)

>>5966951
>>5967026
Fear not, anon, we have a ton if Willpower boosts. That too was a factor in my choice
>>
>>5967033
Though it seems the only boost we can spend retroactively is talisman. I say we use it.
>>
>>5966962
>>5967026
>>5967033
Well, time to get rerolling since you're off by 5. Roll another 2d6. We'll replace two 1s with it.
>>
Rolled 2, 4 = 6 (2d6)

>>5967040
Finger's crossed
>>
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>>5967046
Off...by one.
2+5+2+4+2+5+1+2+4+4+3 = 34

That's just bad luck. Sorry, mates.

The Admiral caught you.

Writing.
>>
>>5967049
Well damn. Unlucky. Gonna have to bust out the cyanide after this.

…kind of funny thinking about it, getting caught cheating so we have to solve the problem by cheating even more.
>>
>>5967056
>Failure and you can imagine your punishment will be SEVERE if he catches you cheating
We're doomed. I thought we had more WILLPOWER boosters than just that talisman, what the fuck was that you retarded nigger? >>5967033 the fault lies with YOU, faggot. Now we're suffering needless consequences because of your own incompetence in risk. I knew we should have stuck to the UNSTABLE option
>>
>>5967127
Blame this nigger for switching >>5966817
>>
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>>5967127
>>5967134
Okay brothers, calm down. It's less that you didn't HAVE any Willpower Boosters and the fact you just.
Didn't vote to consume any. Or the BROWN VIAL. So the only one that could retroactively applied was the Talisman.
Because look, if I just LET you constantly consume consumables whenever you end up not rolling high, you would NEVER lose a check. I can count the number of times you managed to fail a check on one hand this thread.

Chill out. You don't want to fail next time? Check your INVENTORY and use a consumable next time. You're only getting punished, not killed.
>>
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Okay. Simple. You just have to cheat. All you have to do is to not get caught. Your eyes quickly glance over at your allies. Ashley is the first one who gets the clue and, with her muttering orders to your allies, they prepare to move into action on your command.

You pull out one of your old TRAUMA KITS to wrap up the wound on your arm before tossing it over to your allies. They quickly patch themselves up as well.
>+1 FLESH TO EVERYONE!

"Enough. Let's play." The Admiral snaps his fingers. The two of you begin to move your pieces and, glancing through his mind, you already got a solid idea what he plans to play. Each movement, you counter with just the right move. Whenever you think he's starting to get onto you, one of your allies would leap in with a question to distract him.

"Do you have any family?" Ashley steps up towards the table. "I mean, you mostly look human. You said you lived in the City. Did you settle down with anyone?"

"Used to. Back in 1885. Born to a family back in London. None of them exist anymore. I am all that's left. Never settled with a human. It's beneath me.." You're not sure how much of his backstory is something he experienced or if it's simply what he believes as an anomaly.

You move a knight into position to capture one of his rooks. Thanks to keeping a solid bead on his mind, you keep your pieces positioned just perfectly to make sure he can't capture any. One of his middle fingers snaps in half upon you capturing it. "Feh. Lucky."

"Are there others like you, from your time still around?" Adam asks with a bit too much glee in his tone. "I, well, it would be nice to know if someone from Italy was still around."

"A few. I once saw a blue blooded Demon. Said he was from the land of the Rising Sun." He tries to move one of his bishops into position to check your king but alas, you knew he planned on doing this. You capture it with one of your knights. "There's a power to being around as long as me. A few of my kind still exist."

"What's your name?" Lex quickly spits out another question.

This causes the Admiral some pause. He simply grunts in annoyance, as if the question (or moreso the fact he can't find an answer to it) annoys the hell out of him. "The Admiral. It's always been the Admiral." <"That is all my name is. That's all it will ever be.">

You nod at your allies to keep asking questions. To distract him from what you're doing.

"ANY? REMNANTS? OF THE OLD WORLD? IN NEW ONE?" Benedict chatters out.

"Y-Company. Used to be a transport company back in 1921. Still is, just with a different way of transporting it." The Admiral grunts as you manage to avoid letting him capture anything so far aside from a few pawns, which frankly don't matter. "The rest is new. Divorced from the world I cared about."

"Why stick to 1000 miles from the City shore? Is the Head deterring you?" Ashley asks with thinly veiled suspicion in her voice.
>>
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You move ever closer to checkmating him as your allies keep badgering him with questions. The Admiral is slowly getting annoyed at the constant chattering but he grits his teeth for now.

"It's more fun that way. I would wipe your City off the map if I wanted to. But without any pieces to play with, what's the point?" He tries to capture your queen. But alas, you planned this, so you make sure to position it in such a way where he would expose his defenses if he tried to. "Though, I rather not force too much attention from the City onto me. I am only one man versus a City far, far larger than the largest country I lived in. It's a pragmatic choice."

You have him backed into a corner and it's clear he's not enjoying the idea of losing 2-0.

Lex butts in with another question as you begin to move your pieces to go in for the ultimate kill. ""So how far does this sea go? It shouldn't be an infinite one if the planet we're on has limits."

"It's just a nickname since there's hardly anything around. It stretches on for ten thousand miles until you eventually hit the...Wastes" The Admiral's voice begins to trail off. <"Nicole. Are you listening?">

>34!

You flinch. That's enough for him to instantly spring into action, grabbing onto your antlers. He's staring down at you with a smirk that has no joy to it. It's hardly what you would call a smile. His teeth are barred like a wild chimpanzee's. "I gotcha. You son of a bitch. I can appreciate a good cheat. I'm not going to deny that you almost got me there."

His grip is like iron. No matter how much you try moving your head, his hands refuse to budge.

"GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF HER!" Lex rushes in and throws a punch right at the Admiral's face. His spiked brass knuckles bounce right off of the Admiral, barely leaving a small scratch and a few sparks of anomalous energy crackling on his face. The Admiral scoffs at the poor attempt.

Ashley raises up her baseball bat and smashes it right onto the Admiral's head. Again, it bounces off without leaving so much as a bruise on him. She stumbles back, raising her baseball bat up in case he moves to attack her.

Benedict and Adam, seeing that the other two attacks didn't do jack shit to him, wisely decide to not bother and to make as much distance from the Admiral as possible. The only one standing at the table is you, the Admiral, and the Captain. Captain Abraham is looking away from what's going on, not wanting to see what happens next.

"Did we get everything out of our systems, gentlemen? Excellent. Now. Nicole. I'm counting this match as a win to me since you unfairly cheated. In my infinite kindness, I shall let you choose how I punish you." His grip tightens around your antlers.

"One. I snap these off. Right here. Right now. They'll grow back."
"Two. You owe me a favor. That is all."
"Three, you offer me something worthy enough for me to 'forget' this slight."
>>
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"W-what?" You choke out. Your antlers are throbbing in pain under the sheer, ruthless grip of the Admiral.

"See. This isn't the only game I play. There's a far, far larger game than anyone here can understand. It is when chaos becomes not something you fear, but simply another piece on the board, that you have achieved true control." His grip tightens. "If you accept the second, no one gets harmed. You just owe me a favor. A favor to do something for the Greatest Game in the City."

You have no fucking idea what he's talking about. The Greatest Game? What?

"Tick tock. Make your choice. We have a game to finish."

What's your choice? Either way, you lost this match. You may not use a consumable on any of these skill checks UNLESS it's an Adrenaline Implant charge for the TALENT check or your last TALISMAN charge for the WILLPOWER check.

>"Rip them off." Grit your teeth. (Thanks to your idol, you only take 1 FLESH and 1 RESTRAINT damage while two random allies take 1 FLESH and 1 RESTRAINT. Consumes all DRIFTWOOD IDOL charges this mission.)
>"I accept your favor." (You are marked with A PIECE IN THE GREAT GAME. You are now under obligated to fulfill a favor for the Admiral at a later date. You imagine even if you kill him, you'll still be bound to fulfill whatever this request is.)
>[ADMIRAL RESPECT + BOOSTED PUPPETEER] "Is it not your fault that your mind is so weak, I could read you like a book?" With some mind magics, try convincing him that it's HIS fault for losing to begin with. (-2 RESTRAINT, choose an additional cost of -1 FLESH, -1 RESTRAINT, or +4 to the DC. WILLPOWER DC: 17, rolling 6d6 by yourself. Succeed and you'll be able to convince him to let you go AND grant you an extra anomalous trinket. Failure and you burning your own mind will amuse him enough to let you go anyways.)
>[UNSTABLE] FUCK IT. WE'RE DONE PLAYING NICE HERE. LOAD UP YOUR REVOLVER WITH AN ANTI ABNO ROUND AND FIRE INTO HIS FACE! (TALENT DC: 35, rolling 10d6. Succeed and your display will impress him enough for him to him to let go and to earn more of his respect. Failure and, well, you imagine he'll take something besides your antlers as retribution.)
>"..." You reach into your pocket and hold up a bribe to him. He looks at them, nods, and lets go. (-2 C-EXTRACT, -2 A-ENERGY, -$500, -2 GOLD DOUBLOON.)

Regardless of what you pick, the game continues...

MATCH 3! ADMIRAL: 1. NICOLE: 1.
NICOLE: 4/5 FLESH, 6/9 RESTRAINT
LEX: 6/6 FLESH, 3/4 RESTRAINT
ADAM: 5/5 FLESH, 4/5 RESTRAINT
BENEDICT: 8/8 FLESH, 4/6 RESTRAINT
ASHLEY: 5/5 FLESH, 3/4 RESTRAINT
>-1 TRAUMA KIT FROM HEALING PARTY. YOU HAVE 2 TRAUMA KITS LEFT, NO CLEANER MEDKITS.

"Try to cheat again and I'll make sure the punishment is worse. No more talking for this match. We'll save that for when I can trust that you can play fairly and honestly again."

Best to cut to the point then. You decide to....
>>
>>5967135
From now on I will always vote to use things we have to boost the numbers the moment I feel we won't make it. I didn't need this lesson nor would I need to have it, if it weren't those meddling kids pushing the vote to failure. I wasn't even one of the idiots who went with the mind read, but alas. I have no choice but to accept it and move on
>I can count the number of times you managed to fail a check on one hand this thread.
What? I thought we failed at least several times this thread. I must be conditioned to failure so much that the fact we're winning or getting anywhere good fails to register to me.

>>5967189
Can give him the bribe loot, then reclaim our bribe loot after he dies?
>>
>>5967194
>ID shifted again
That's right, this is truly a Q_Q moment
>>
>[UNSTABLE] HE. MUST. PAY. (-1 RESTRAINT AND FLESH TO YOU AND YOUR ALLIES. VIOLENCE DC: 14, rolling 4d6. SUCCEED AND THE WOUNDS YOU'VE INFLICTED TO HIM OVER THE LAST FEW GAMES WILL START TO ADD UP. HE MIGHT JUST DIE NEXT MATCH IF YOU PLAY CORRECTLY.)
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Play ultra defensive and use your high value pieces to lure him into a trap. (COGNIZANCE DC: 18, rolling 5d6. Pass and you'll be able to win with only minor injuries inflicted on your group. Failure and the match ends in a tie, resulting in wasted time and some nasty damage.)
>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] "You've seen every gambit, every opening. Cities and Countries rising and falling. You've seen Companies rise and fall. Why do you still play? What holds you to this world?" (CONNECTIONS DC: 24, rolling 7d6. On success, you know you'll win the match and you'll gain something special, but that's all you can gleam. Failure and you'll win the match still, but at a HEAVY cost. You're unsure what cost, however.)
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] He's seen every single move if he's been around as long as he had. Let the City whisper to you to try finding a way to shock him. (-1 RESTRAINT, WILLPOWER DC: 29, rolling 8d6 with the help of Benedict. Succeed and you'll find a way to outsmart and surprise the Admiral in a way that will actually shock him, earning you more of his respect and possibly earning a favor from HIM instead.)

And your non-game moves? Pick as many as you wish.
>[UNSTABLE] FUCK IT. EITHER WE MESS HIM UP IN ONE SHOT OR HE'LL GET FED UP BY OUR CONSTANT TRICKERY. GO ALL IN. WHISKEY TIME. (-1 HIGH CLASS WHISKEY, -5 CYANDIE PILLS. LET HIM BURN IN HELL.)
>[X-CORP MEDAL + X-CORP FAVOR] "Heh. Great game this. War that. It's all talk, isn't it? You're old news, old man." Get under his skin. Talk about your history with X-Corp. (-1 X-CORP FAVOR, CHARM DC: 20, rolling 7d6 by yourself. The implication of him being a fraud will enrage him enough to grant you a COMBAT BOON and an anomalous trinket out of spite. Failure and you...aren't sure, really.)
>More healing. Must. Keep. Pushing. At any. Cost. (Write in what consumables and healing items you want to give your allies.)
>Take a stat booster to help your odds. (WRITE IN which one and for what checks.)
>Write in.
>>
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>>5967194
>Can give him the bribe loot, then reclaim our bribe loot after he dies?
If you can manage to kill him. You did still do some decent damage to him before he caught you out on cheating.
If you don't manage to kill him, that bribe is good as gone.
>What? I thought we failed at least several times this thread. I must be conditioned to failure so much that the fact we're winning or getting anywhere good fails to register to me.
Again, could be miscounting myself but I swear you've succeeded way more than you failed. Oh well. Eventually luck plays out that you lose sometimes.

You can't win EVERY check. I just don't want people yelling at each other over something that, statistically, HAS to happen eventually.

Anywho. Going to update the inventory pastebin.
>>
>>5963887
>HIS MIND IS WEAK! FRAGILE!
>HE DEMANDS TO BE SEEN AS INVICIBLE BUT I HAVE SEEN HIM BLEED WITH MY OWN EYES! HE CAN BE KILLED! HE MUST BE REMINDED OF THIS!
With this in mind, my vote is:

>>5967189
>[ADMIRAL RESPECT + BOOSTED PUPPETEER] "Is it not your fault that your mind is so weak, I could read you like a book?" With some mind magics, try convincing him that it's HIS fault for losing to begin with. (-2 RESTRAINT, choose an additional cost of -1 FLESH, -1 RESTRAINT, or +4 to the DC. WILLPOWER DC: 17, rolling 6d6 by yourself. Succeed and you'll be able to convince him to let you go AND grant you an extra anomalous trinket. Failure and you burning your own mind will amuse him enough to let you go anyways.)
Blow the last Talisman charge for this mission and get extra 2 rerolls in case we get 1s or 2s
>>5967197
>[UNSTABLE] HE. MUST. PAY. (-1 RESTRAINT AND FLESH TO YOU AND YOUR ALLIES. VIOLENCE DC: 14, rolling 4d6. SUCCEED AND THE WOUNDS YOU'VE INFLICTED TO HIM OVER THE LAST FEW GAMES WILL START TO ADD UP. HE MIGHT JUST DIE NEXT MATCH IF YOU PLAY CORRECTLY.)
Pop 1 FOUL TOOTH charge (2 remaining) for the +1 FLESH, VIOLENCE, and TALENT at the cost of boosted UNSTABLE freakout frequency
>[UNSTABLE] FUCK IT. EITHER WE MESS HIM UP IN ONE SHOT OR HE'LL GET FED UP BY OUR CONSTANT TRICKERY. GO ALL IN. WHISKEY TIME. (-1 HIGH CLASS WHISKEY, -5 CYANIDE PILLS. LET HIM BURN IN HELL.)
We can always get more cyanide later, if we loot another glowie or two or get Benjamin's help. It is a worthy price to spend these consumables to help put this fucker away
And
>More healing. Must. Keep. Pushing. At any. Cost. (Write in what consumables and healing items you want to give your allies.)
Temporarily give them the Joyvel bottle in case any of them hits 1 RESTRAINT, and 1 LALILU in case one of them does go insane. If they never get to either point to use these, we can always get those back from them once the danger has passed for good. This is simply me wanting to take a precaution since I'm going all in on DOUBLE UNSTABLE. I would go TRIPLE UNSTABLE but the options to get more of his respect won't matter once he's dead on the ground before us.

This has been one hell of an intense mission, no matter the outcome
>>
>>5967189
>"Rip them off." Grit your teeth. (Thanks to your idol, you only take 1 FLESH and 1 RESTRAINT damage while two random allies take 1 FLESH and 1 RESTRAINT. Consumes all DRIFTWOOD IDOL charges this mission.)
It's just a horn

>>5967197
>[UNSTABLE] HE. MUST. PAY. (-1 RESTRAINT AND FLESH TO YOU AND YOUR ALLIES. VIOLENCE DC: 14, rolling 4d6. SUCCEED AND THE WOUNDS YOU'VE INFLICTED TO HIM OVER THE LAST FEW GAMES WILL START TO ADD UP. HE MIGHT JUST DIE NEXT MATCH IF YOU PLAY CORRECTLY.)

>[UNSTABLE] FUCK IT. EITHER WE MESS HIM UP IN ONE SHOT OR HE'LL GET FED UP BY OUR CONSTANT TRICKERY. GO ALL IN. WHISKEY TIME. (-1 HIGH CLASS WHISKEY, -5 CYANDIE PILLS. LET HIM BURN IN HELL.)
>[X-CORP MEDAL + X-CORP FAVOR] "Heh. Great game this. War that. It's all talk, isn't it? You're old news, old man." Get under his skin. Talk about your history with X-Corp. (-1 X-CORP FAVOR, CHARM DC: 20, rolling 7d6 by yourself. The implication of him being a fraud will enrage him enough to grant you a COMBAT BOON and an anomalous trinket out of spite. Failure and you...aren't sure, really.)
>More healing. Must. Keep. Pushing. At any. Cost. (Write in what consumables and healing items you want to give your allies.)
BROWN VIAL
>>
>>5967261
Fuck my id changed
>>
>>5967127
Pipe the fuck down. With that roll we would've lost no matter what option we chose. The mindread had the highest chance of success even without any boosters.
>>5967189
>[ADMIRAL RESPECT + BOOSTED PUPPETEER] "Is it not your fault that your mind is so weak, I could read you like a book?" With some mind magics, try convincing him that it's HIS fault for losing to begin with. (-2 RESTRAINT, choose an additional cost of -1 FLESH, -1 RESTRAINT, or +4 to the DC. WILLPOWER DC: 17, rolling 6d6 by yourself. Succeed and you'll be able to convince him to let you go AND grant you an extra anomalous trinket. Failure and you burning your own mind will amuse him enough to let you go anyways.)
Pay with flesh and restraint.
>>5967197
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] He's seen every single move if he's been around as long as he had. Let the City whisper to you to try finding a way to shock him. (-1 RESTRAINT, WILLPOWER DC: 29, rolling 8d6 with the help of Benedict. Succeed and you'll find a way to outsmart and surprise the Admiral in a way that will actually shock him, earning you more of his respect and possibly earning a favor from HIM instead.)
>Take a stat booster to help your odds. (WRITE IN which one and for what checks.)
Sinnloschen + Lalilu pill on City whispers
>>
>>5967237
+1
>>
>>5967189
>[ADMIRAL RESPECT + BOOSTED PUPPETEER] "Is it not your fault that your mind is so weak, I could read you like a book?" With some mind magics, try convincing him that it's HIS fault for losing to begin with. (-2 RESTRAINT, choose an additional cost of -1 FLESH, -1 RESTRAINT, or +4 to the DC. WILLPOWER DC: 17, rolling 6d6 by yourself. Succeed and you'll be able to convince him to let you go AND grant you an extra anomalous trinket. Failure and you burning your own mind will amuse him enough to let you go anyways.)
TAKE THE +4 USE PEP PILL+

>>5967197
>[UNSTABLE] HE. MUST. PAY. (-1 RESTRAINT AND FLESH TO YOU AND YOUR ALLIES. VIOLENCE DC: 14, rolling 4d6. SUCCEED AND THE WOUNDS YOU'VE INFLICTED TO HIM OVER THE LAST FEW GAMES WILL START TO ADD UP. HE MIGHT JUST DIE NEXT MATCH IF YOU PLAY CORRECTLY.)
FOUL TOOTH

>[UNSTABLE] FUCK IT. EITHER WE MESS HIM UP IN ONE SHOT OR HE'LL GET FED UP BY OUR CONSTANT TRICKERY. GO ALL IN. WHISKEY TIME. (-1 HIGH CLASS WHISKEY, -5 CYANDIE PILLS. LET HIM BURN IN HELL.)
>[X-CORP MEDAL + X-CORP FAVOR] "Heh. Great game this. War that. It's all talk, isn't it? You're old news, old man." Get under his skin. Talk about your history with X-Corp. (-1 X-CORP FAVOR, CHARM DC: 20, rolling 7d6 by yourself. The implication of him being a fraud will enrage him enough to grant you a COMBAT BOON and an anomalous trinket out of spite. Failure and you...aren't sure, really.)
USE SUAVENESS
>More healing. Must. Keep. Pushing. At any. Cost. (Write in what consumables and healing items you want to give your allies.)
LALILU

KILL KILL KILL NO MERCY
>>
>>5967189
>>5967197
Fuck it changing my vote from >>5967237 to backing >>5967653 because that guy is going more ALL OUT than I am

>>5967528
Thanks for that +1 to me though. I like that other guy's because he's going SUAVENESS and the X Corp option too. PEP PILL+ on the respect/puppeteer combo is good, but I dunno if we should also blow last Talisman charge for this mission there. We might have another related check next round
>>
>>5967168
>His spiked brass knuckles bounce right off of the Admiral, barely leaving a small scratch and a few sparks of anomalous energy crackling on his face. The Admiral scoffs at the poor attempt.

>>5958484
>HARPOON GAUNTLET. "THOSE SPIKED KNUCKLES AREN'T USEFUL OUT HERE. HAVE THIS." (+1 VIOLENCE, +2 VIOLENCE against sea-based entities or anomalies. Inflicts various states of BLEEDING on hit, draining their FLESH over time.)

>>5958546
>>5958796
>>5958930
You harpoon gauntlet voters had a point all along. Whalebone armor helped out a bit already, plus it exposed small info about the Admiral's power
>A CLINK of metal hitting his chestplate is heard. Something about his armor is able to block it? Interesting.
It blocks FLESH and/or RESTRAINT damage. So is Admiral using Black Damage?
>>
>>5967528
Change
>>5967653
+1
>>
So, ADMIRAL RESPECT + BOOSTED PUPPETEER, with the price of 2 RESTRAINT and 1 FLESH plus both UNSSTABLE options (overdosing him on CYANDIE DIE DIE), and taking 1 FLESH and RESTRAINT damage across the party.

Due to the FOUL TOOTH, you'll only take 1 FLESH damage from the UNSTABLE OPTION

[UNSTABLE] GET IT? CYANDIE? NOT CYANIDE? FUCK YOU I'M HILARIOUS.

You're also pushing your luck with the X-CORP MEDAL and FAVOR. Consuming the Pep Pill on the WILLPOWER DC and the FOUL TOOTH on the VIOLENCE check and your SAUVENESS on the CHARM check.

I need three anons to roll the following.

>6d6 (DC: 13, due to PEP PILL)
>5d6 (DC: 14, due to taking FOUL TOOTH)
>8d6 (DC: 20, due to SAUVENESS)

Take back what is yours. Dehumanize yourself and face to bloodshed.
>>
Rolled 5, 4, 3, 4, 6, 1 = 23 (6d6)

>>5967945
>>
>>5967949
Now that I know the roll succeeded I will remind everyone that we couldn't actually use a pep pill on it, as per >>5967189
>>
>>5967951
Feh, just woke up like twenty minutes ago. I'm a retard. I apologize. The DC was 17. You passed it, no harm no foul.
You keep the pep pill, at least!
>>
Rolled 3, 1, 5, 5, 1 = 15 (5d6)

>>5967945
BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD
>>
Rolled 3, 4, 1, 2, 5, 2, 4, 2 = 23 (8d6)

>>5967945
>>
>>5967960
>passed by 1
I was right to consume 1 FOUL TOOTH charge for this with how close it was. That surprisingly cute harvester girl deserves some more money later, for her item saving our lives literally the day we bought it from her. Sorry Ashley, but we need UNSTABLE to help murder this bastard. No meds today.

>>5967963
Nice, we scored that COMBAT BOON and anomalous trinket from him before we kill him. I imagine a permanent perk from an X5 anomaly would be very good. Hopefully well worth spending an X CORP FAVOR for, leaving us with 2 more remaining.

We're doing it. We're making a comeback.
>>
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SUCCESS
SUCCESS
SUCCESS

RESOURCES CONSUMED: 1 CHARGE ON FOUL TOOTH, 1 X-CORP FAVOR, SAUVENESS.
TEMPORARY RESOURCE LOSS: A LALILU PILL AND YOUR JOYVEL BOTTLE, IN CASE YOUR ALLIES NEED IT
WRITING STATUS: NOW.

K-CORP UNIT #021: WARNING - INCREDIBLY HIGH LEVELS OF A-ENERGY DETECTED PAST THE 1000 MILE THRESHOLD OF "THE ADMIRAL'S GAME."
K-CORP UNIT #021: WARNING - THREE ANOMALIES DETECTED PAST THE THRESHOLD.
K-CORP UNIT #023: THIS DOES NOT MATCH CURRENT DATA. THERE WAS ONLY ONE ANOMALY TRAVELING ON THE SHIP THAT WENT PAST THE BORDER, AS PER THE ANONYMOUS TIP FROM THAT WELL DRESSED MAN.
K-CORP UNIT #021: THERE SHOULD ONLY BE TWO ANOMALIES DETECTED OUT THERE? INTERESTING. PREMISSION TO ENGAGE?
K-CORP UNIT #023: NEGATIVE. THERE IS ALREADY A CONFIRMED X5 AND B3 ENTITY, THE ADMIRAL AND CHEF. DO NOT ENGAGE. RETURN BACK TO HQ. RECENT ENGAGEMENTS WITH J-CORP ARE MORE IMPORTANT.
K-CORP UNIT #021: COPIED. RETREATING.
>>
>>5967977
A glowie? Or is that some other well-dressed man? Handler would never do this. So Benedict is classified B3, and he's definitely lower-mid tier in power level
>>
Wow this was a wild series of events and rolls. Hopefully we killed the fucker and we can loot him for everything he has. Going all in is the Chad move for sure.
>>
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Your antlers are beginning to crack underneath his steely grip. Trickles of crimson and magenta blood pour out of your horns and down your forehead. If you don't do something, he'll snap them off.

Your brain begins to fry under the strain of activating BOOSTED PUPPETEER but it's the only out you think you have here. You stare down at the Admiral with a snarl forcing itself across your mouth. Your other allies are watching with bated breath except for Ashley, who watches on with dread. <"Fuck, fuck, I shouldn't have gone on this mission.">

"Is it not your fault that your mind is so weak, I could read you like a book?" You stare down at the Admiral. A bright blue glow is flickering in the corner of his eyes as he watches you struggle. "You're a fucking coward. Having to ride that fancy boat. Having to wear that fancy overcoat. Yet your mind is like a god damn book."

"I would watch your tongue, missy." His grip tightens around your antlers. You nearly bite your tongue off as you clench your teeth. Every inch of your antlers is burning like a red hot iron is being shoved into them. "It's your fault for being caught in the first place."

"Why would I watch my tongue when all I see is an old fuck who's stuck in the past? It's 2255, you son of a bitch. You're 370 years old. Yet you got tricked by a bitch who's only 20. Maybe 22! Fuck if I remember!" You slam your hands onto the table. "You're supposed to be better than me. Stronger in every sense. Yet your mind is that of a feeble old MAN! YOU LOST! YOU'RE MAD THAT YOU LOST! YOU'RE MAD THAT I WOULD'VE WON THIS GAME OTHERWISE!"

>23! SUCCESS!

You're nearly sent falling to the floor with how harshly he shoved you. Your allies spring into action and quickly catch you before you crack your skull open. Would've been a horrid way to die, frankly! The chair you were sitting on is righted back into place and you're promptly placed back down on it.

"Fuck." Adam dabs at the blood leaking out of your cracked antlers and the raw skin around the base of your antlers with a handkerchief. "You okay?"

"Fine." You mutter. Your head is spinning from what you had to do to get this thing. No, not even a man. Not an anomaly. This thing in the shape of a man. Your head is throbbing in agony.
>-2 RESTRAINT! -1 FLESH!

"She wasn't wrong." The Admiral hisses under his breath. It's like admitting that was physically painful to him. Hell, you swear you saw a gash opening across the side of his face just by saying that. "Fine. I'll forgive this transgression.
You'll even get a small trinket. Just don't let me catch you doing that again."


<"It'll be worth it. Once she's bleeding on the ground. Once her eyes lose those vile pink lights."> And then, you can't hear anything from his mind. Seems like trying to mindread him is going to be a lot harder now. So be it.

You pull out the FOUL TOOTH out of your pocket and with a decisive motion-

You drink the foul ichor.
>>
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>+1 FLESH!
>UNSTABLE TRIGGERS!

[UNSTABLE RESOLVE] Your hands grip violently onto the table between you and the Admiral. You feel like your teeth are about to shatter from how wide and forced your smile is. "You're not killing me this easily, Admiral. You will have to try harder to rip my heart out and to eat the venison off my bones."

The Admiral flashes his own toothy, forced smile. "So be it. Perhaps the chef will be able to turn you into something fitting of my refined palate. Now. Let's start."

Seems like you're playing white this time. He's mocking you. Giving you the first move.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7y-4aUF3k4 - LET ME TAKE THE WHEEL, NICOLE.

[UNSTABLE] Something in your mind snaps in half. You swear, in the far distance, you hear a warning klaxon.
[UNSTABLE] The sound of a P-Company A-Energy detector having a complete mental breakdown. An electric crackling that floods the blue fog filled air.
[UNSTABLE] You smile. Excellent. The others seem to notice it as well.

"W-what the fuck is that sound?" Adam quickly hides behind Benedict.
"I. DON'T KNOW." Benedict mutters, trying his best to protect Benedict with his body. "IT. SOUNDS FAMILIAR. IN A DIFFERENT TIME. IN A DIFFERENT PLACE. IN MY FUTURE, I RECOGNIZE THAT SOUND."
Ashley and Lex can only watch on to what's going on in silent, dreading horror.

You hold out a bottle of whiskey towards the Admiral. He takes it from your hands and, in one swift gulp, empties the whole thing down his gullet. Stupid motherfucker. Your smile widens. He didn't notice you poisoned it.
>-5 CYANIDE PILLS, -1 WHISKEY

The game starts. Both of you are moving your pieces on pure, guttural instinct. You're not even bothering to look at the board. You know your body and mind can do it without you consciously processing it. White Pawn to E4. Black Pawn to C5. White Knight to F3. Black Pawn to D6. White Bishop to B5. Already in check.

He moves a bishop to block. You capture his Bishop. He captures your Bishop not soon after. You're sent reeling from the punch aimed squarely to your face. Blood dribbles out of your mouth. You damn near bit your tongue off from that. Meanwhile, a nasty bruise forms on his own face.

More pieces fly between you. Neither of you are really playing chess anymore. You're only using the rules of it to hurt the other player. Chess boxing but combined into one game anomalously enforced by the will of the Admiral.

[UNSTABLE] ONLY THE KING PIECE MATTERS. ALL OTHERS ARE WORTHLESS.

The game bends to the mutual malice the two of you shares. Every lost pawn opens another wound. Every lost bishop and knight cracks another bone. Every lost rook felt like an organ was forcefully ripped out of your body. The only sound you hear is blood rushing through your ears and screaming. So much screaming.

[UNSTABLE] YOUR ALLIES ARE CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE. SO BE IT.
[UNSTABLE RESOLVE] A MISSION OVERSEEN BY US, NO MATTER THE CONDITIONS, MUST BE COMPLETED.
>>
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[UNSTABLE RESOLVE] WE CANNOT, AND SHOULD NOT, FAIL OUR MISSION.
[UNSTABLE RESOLVE] EVEN IF.
[UNSTABLE RESOLVE] IT MEANS THAT THERE MUST BE BLOOD.

"Finally." All you can see now is the Admiral sitting across from you and the game the two of you are playing. Nothing else matters. "You're finally playing the Great Game. It's been so long since I've played with someone on my level."

Your smile keeps on widening. The Admiral is covered head to toe in bright pink wounds. Ripped open by your force of will. His right hand is barely able to move the pieces he's moving. You're not doing much better yourself. You had to stop moving your left hand all together since it's nothing but a mangled mess of keratin, blood, and loose skin.

[UNSTABLE RESOLVE] You shake the mangled mess of your left hand. Just as quickly as it turned into a mess of keratin and loose skin, it returns back to a normal human hand.

"Heh. Great game this. War that. It's all talk, isn't it? You're old news, old man."

"Hm?" The Admiral's smile wavers a bit. The prideful anomaly snarls at what you just said. "At least I don't need to drug myself up just to win a fight. It is beneath me."

"So? In war, you use every advantage you can. Sticking to your dogmatic beliefs that have bene outdated for centuries just shows me how powerless you truly are." You move one of your few pawns to capture one of his remaining pawns. "I worked with X-Company. I trained under them. The training they put their men and women through nearly killed me and, fuck, the amount of bodies I saw back in their medbays. But I survived." You jab a broken finger at him.

"You? You would've just been another worthless suit. Sitting on your ass. Doing JACK SHIT while REAL MEN fought to survive."

The Admiral snarls, leaning forward to stare you down with that horrid blue light leaking out of his eyes. "You know nothing. I fought in every single war that happened. All three World Wars. The Smog Wars. The Antiseptic War. I saw Man create the first nuclear device. You know NOTHING of what I've seen and done."

"Worthless names. Worthless medals. If that was true, you would've noticed the cyanide I slipped into your whiskey."

The Admiral's eyes widen. "You wh-" Before he can react, the five pills worth of cyanide he swallowed finally hit him. While a normal human would've dropped dead by now, the only immediate reaction you see is a bloody spittle leaking out of the corner of his mouth. "So you did. Heh." His movements are more sluggish as he keeps trying his best to play the game.

>CHARM CHECK: PASS!

"You think you won? I can't die. I won't die. No matter how many bullets or how much poison you put into me, I'll come back. There must. Always be." He has to stop for a moment to hack up a hunk of bloodied flesh. "An Admiral. I am. That Admiral."

The Admiral grinds his teeth as he reaches into his pocket. He slams something onto the table.
>>
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"You keep these. You got a good one. On me. And I will teach you a lesson. Once the game is done."

>VIOLENCE CHECK: PASS!

The game soon wraps up as you manage to put him into checkmate with your last three remaining pawns and your queen. Surrounded. The fog of war surrounding your vision leaves you. You can now see and hear the raging storm above you. You turn your glance over to your allies.

They are patching themselves up and trying to keep some measure of sanity from the damage they took in the crossfire. An awe-struck smile rests on Lex's face. Ashley is giggling to herself, as if she just heard the funniest joke known to man. Adam is forcing Benedict to swallow some pills. Benedict is thrashing around and would be screeching if, again, his mouth wasn't covered by Adam's hand.

All over their bodies, you can see wounds forcefully ripped across their body, except for Lex. The whalebone chestplate he's wearing is nearly about to shatter. Only that from the sea may protect you from the Admiral.

>-1 FLESH AND RESTRAINT TO YOU AND ALL ALLIES BUT LEX! LEX'S ARMOR HAS 1 CHARGE LEFT!
>-1 LALILU PILL TO RESANE BENEDICT! HE IS NOW AT 3/6!

The crew of the S.S. FREEDOM is in equal parts awe and sheer, mortal terror. They raise their harpoons in a vain attempt to intimidate and scare you and the Admiral. A sparkle of sheer awe twinkles in Abraham's eyes. "Beautiful." He mutters under his breath. "This is beautiful."

Looking down at the ground, you see what has horrified them. A solid twenty foot radius around you and the Admiral has been completely burnt to a crisp. Looking further down, your legs and feet are oozing a black ichor not too dissimilar from the FOUL TOOTH fluid you drank from the many wounds torn into them. Reaching up to touch your horns, they definitely grew two inches.

You turn back to the Admiral. All over his body, you can see the wounds you inflicted on him from your latest match. Stab and slash wounds cover every inch of his torso in a latticework pattern. The fingers on both of his hands are shattered and bent in awkward, horrible angles. When he flashes his smile, you can see that several teeth are now missing. His breathing is ragged, heavy, yet excited.

It's been so long since I've been challenged in any way.
Man strives to dominate. To achieve greatness at any cost. But once at the top, there's nowhere to go but down.
After centuries of total domination. After centuries of commanding my ship with perfect precision.
Sometimes. Sometimes, losing would've felt better than winning. For total dominance and total power brought me no satisfaction. Only boredom.
And I wept, seeing as I thought I had no more worlds to conquer. But no. A new piece stands before me. Refusing to back down.

"Game's not finished." The board resets. He sounds happy as he struggles to speak. "It's been a good match. So far. I almost wish it didn't have to end."

[UNSTABLE] "If only."
>>
ANOMALOUS TRINKETS ACQUIRED!
>FRACTURED IRIDESCENT KING (A glass-like king chess piece barely held together by its own force of will. Twice per mission, an ally may be granted temporary access to one of your powers with a reduced cost or for free, depending on the power.)
>THE ADMIRAL'S MEDAL (One of his many medals. The mere sight of it emboldens your mind. At any time, you may reroll two RESTRAINT dice when making a RESTRAINT check. Only activates once per individual check.)

MATCH 4! ADMIRAL: 1. NICOLE: 2.

NICOLE: 3/5 FLESH, 3/9 RESTRAINT
LEX: 6/6 FLESH, 3/4 RESTRAINT
ADAM: 4/5 FLESH, 3/5 RESTRAINT
BENEDICT: 7/8 FLESH, 3/6 RESTRAINT
ASHLEY: 4/5 FLESH, 2/4 RESTRAINT

How do you want to end this?
>[UNSTABLE] Deny him the pleasure of losing. Throw the match. (-1 FLESH TO PARTY, -JOYVEL DOSES. VIOLENCE DC: 14, rolling 5d6. Succeed and denying him from the ultimate challenge will shatter his morale, causing him to give up. Abraham will pay you more for making the monster cry. Failure and the Admiral will see through your obvious throwing, resulting in him asking for another game.)
>[ADMIRAL RESPECT] "Good game." Play to the best of your ability. He deserves that much. Focus your mind and play to the end. (RESTRAINT + WILLPOWER DC: 33, rolling 9d6. Succeed and the sheer joy of being bested for once will make him offer you five choices when picking your combat boon and will heal your party's RESTRAINT by 2. Failure and...you don't know.)
>[UNSTABLE RESOLVE] He said he can't die, huh? Let's test that. Push in for the final kill. (-2 FLESH and RESTRAINT, +2 RANDOM CRIPPLING INJURIES, -1 MAX FLESH AND RESTRAINT UNTIL YOU REST. The tales of someone being able to slay, if only temporarily, a X5 entity will grant you a powerful edge in future missions. You feel like you'll still get your rewards before he fully dies.)
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] We already won. Just play defensively, win, and leave. (COGNIZANCE DC: 18, rolling 5d6. Succeed and you'll protect your allies from taking more damage and you win the match. Failure and you imagine he wants to 'resolve' the resulting tie with a final fight.)

Do you want to do anything before you finish this match? Choose as many as you want.
>Hold out your hand to the Admiral. "It was a pleasure." Before both of you are pushed to your ultimate limit, offer him this much.
>[UNSTABLE RESOLVE] You glance over at your allies. "I'm sorry." That's all you can say. (+Random CRIPPLING INJURY to you. +1 RESTRAINT and FLESH to your allies.)
>"I showed you. That I could win fairly. Answer my questions." (Write in up to three questions to ask him. He will answer them as truthfully as he can.)
>Hold out your cigarettes to the Admiral. "Want some?" (-MARTLO CIGARETTES, you'll gain some RESTRAINT regeneration and some respect from both ADMIRAL and CAPTAIN.)
>Use a consumable to push yourself over the edge. (Write in. Something to patch you up? To boost a skill check success rate? Both?)
>Write in.
>>
And now for the clincher. How do we end this?
>>
>>5968148
Man, kino updates. I’ve really enjoyed everything with the Admiral. I’m so torn too, on one hand I want to kill him to death, on the other man is the respect cool too.
Fuck it.
>[ADMIRAL RESPECT] "Good game." Play to the best of your ability. He deserves that much. Focus your mind and play to the end. (RESTRAINT + WILLPOWER DC: 33, rolling 9d6. Succeed and the sheer joy of being bested for once will make him offer you five choices when picking your combat boon and will heal your party's RESTRAINT by 2. Failure and...you don't know.)
We got a Pep pill ready for use since it wasn’t used the turn before.
>Hold out your hand to the Admiral. "It was a pleasure." Before both of you are pushed to your ultimate limit, offer him this much.
This quest has a lot of based old monsters. I’m a sucker for them.
>"I showed you. That I could win fairly. Answer my questions." (Write in up to three questions to ask him. He will answer them as truthfully as he can.)
1. Glowies those bitches.
2. What is up with you, me Benedict.
3. Any contacts you know to connect us with?
Can I switch out the first two questions if they’re already being answered as part of the deal to:
1. Tell us about the Head.
2. Tell us secrets of X corporation and K corporation for leverage.
>Hold out your cigarettes to the Admiral. "Want some?" (-MARTLO CIGARETTES, you'll gain some RESTRAINT regeneration and some respect from both ADMIRAL and CAPTAIN.)
>Use a consumable to push yourself over the edge.
P E P P I L L
>Write in: ask his permission and use the MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN ERA and film him.
This is the payoff for the respect options hopefully. And the respect options in general being cool.

Tho I will admit breaking or killing this fucker is tempting.
>>
>>5968148
>[UNSTABLE RESOLVE] He said he can't die, huh? Let's test that. Push in for the final kill. (-2 FLESH and RESTRAINT, +2 RANDOM CRIPPLING INJURIES, -1 MAX FLESH AND RESTRAINT UNTIL YOU REST. The tales of someone being able to slay, if only temporarily, a X5 entity will grant you a powerful edge in future missions. You feel like you'll still get your rewards before he fully dies.)
>Hold out your cigarettes to the Admiral. "Want some?" (-MARTLO CIGARETTES, you'll gain some RESTRAINT regeneration and some respect from both ADMIRAL and CAPTAIN.)
>Use a consumable to push yourself over the edge. (Write in. Something to patch you up? To boost a skill check success rate? Both?)
TRAUMA KIT
>>
>>5968148
>[UNSTABLE RESOLVE] He said he can't die, huh? Let's test that. Push in for the final kill. (-2 FLESH and RESTRAINT, +2 RANDOM CRIPPLING INJURIES, -1 MAX FLESH AND RESTRAINT UNTIL YOU REST. The tales of someone being able to slay, if only temporarily, a X5 entity will grant you a powerful edge in future missions. You feel like you'll still get your rewards before he fully dies.)
I want him... dead.

As for non-ender options
>Use a consumable to push yourself over the edge. (Write in. Something to patch you up? To boost a skill check success rate? Both?)
TRAUMA KIT, then have the allies pass the JOYVEL because I don't want Nicole to die or go insane from the -2 FLESH/RESTRAINT and the -1 max to both
>"I showed you. That I could win fairly. Answer my questions." (Write in up to three questions to ask him. He will answer them as truthfully as he can.)
The questions >>5968265 said
>Hold out your cigarettes to the Admiral. "Want some?" (-MARTLO CIGARETTES, you'll gain some RESTRAINT regeneration and some respect from both ADMIRAL and CAPTAIN.)
One final smoke for the dead man, one non-final smoke for the formerly-to-be-dead man, and one victory smoke for the deer girl
>Hold out your hand to the Admiral. "It was a pleasure." Before both of you are pushed to your ultimate limit, offer him this much.
>>
>>5968148
FUCK UHHHHHH DO THE MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN ERA OPTION TOO AS >>5968265 SAID
Before the bastard dies I want to "cash in" that respect one last time this way
If this is incompatible with the UNSTABLE RESOLVE kill option, then disregard it
>>
>>5968340
+1
add >Write in: ask his permission and use the MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN ERA and film him.
>>
>>5968340
>>5968343
+1
FINISH THE JOB
>>
Wait, Ashley’s restraint is super low. If the unstable action means our Allie’s won’t be hit it’s fine, but we should probably hit her with a restraint recover to be sure. Like the cigarettes or depending on how much joyvul we have left maybe a dose from there.
>>
>>5968574
Good call, +1 this bit. We still have full 3 doses of Joyvel left since it went unused before. The LALILU pill saved Benedict from panic, so that's already Handler's reward saving us in the same mission we got it
>>
>>5968574
+1
>>
Alright, so UNSTABLE RESOLVE + MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN ERA + GIVE HIM SOME SMOKES + HAND SHAKE wins out. Oh, and using up a trauma kit and some joyvel to not die stone dead.

I need three anons to roll the following.
>6d6 (WILLPOWER CHECK. DETERMINES THE QUALITY AND AMOUNT OF FOOTAGE YOU GET.)
>1d12 (first half of CRIPPLING INJURIES)
>1d12 (second half of CRIPPLING INJURIES.)

MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN ERA FOOTAGE TABLE:
6-12: Dogshit quality, low amount of footage.
13-17: Moderate quality, moderate amount of footage.
18-24: High quality, high amount of footage.
25-35: Incredible quality, high amount of footage.
36: ?????? (Statistically very improbable. Would be SHOCKED if you got this.)

CRIPPLING INJURIES TABLE:
1: CRACKED JAW (-1 CHARM, -1 CONNECTIONS. HARD TO TALK.)
2: SOUL FRACTURE (-2 MAX RESTRAINT, +1 WILLPOWER.)
3: INFECTED WOUND (-1 COGNIZANCE, -1 TALENT, CAN PROGRESS INTO A WORSE CONDITION.)
4: SEETHING MIGRAINE (You occasionally take 1 RESTRAINT damage at random.)
5: COUGHING BLOOD (You occasionally take 1 FLESH damage at random.)
6: ABDOMINAL CUT (-1 MAX FLESH)
7: CONCUSSION (-2 COGNIZANCE)
8: SECOND DEGREE BURN (WHENEVER YOU TAKE FLESH DAMAGE, YOU HAVE A CHANCE OF TAKING AN ADDITIONAL FLESH DAMAGE)
9: FRACTURED HAND (-2 VIOLENCE, -1 TALENT, CAN'T USE SHOTGUNS OR OTHER TWO HANDED WEAPONS.)
10: TORN LIGMENT (-1 TALENT, -1 MAX FLESH, DCs that involve running and climbing are increased by +4.)
11: FRACTURED ANTLERS (-2 WILLPOWER, USING YOUR ABILITIES COSTS 1 MORE RESTRAINT.)
12: YOU GOT LUCKY. YOU ONLY GET A GNARLY SCAR (+1 TO ALL VIOLENCE CHECKS WHEN IMTIDIATING SOMEONE. DOESN'T NEED TO BE HEALED.)

You won't die from whatever you roll, even if you get unlucky. Shit will just SUCK for you.
[UNSTABLE] BUT IT WILL BE WORTH IT.
>>
Rolled 6, 2, 3, 3, 6, 6 = 26 (6d6)

>>5968816
Here we go!
>>
Rolled 5 (1d12)

>>5968816
>>
Rolled 7 (1d12)

>>5968816
We need to acquire our team's imprints for The New You
>>
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QUALITY: INCREDIBLE
INJURIES: CONCUSSION AND COUGHING BLOOD.
WRITING STATUS: NOW. MAY TAKE A WHILE, IT'S GONNA BE A BIG ONE.

>>5968833
Oh, you'll get those soon. Just a heads up, Benedict's imprint is probably not going to be like any of his current BOONS due to one being "I literally already manifested part of my PARADIGM" and the other being "I am machine and metal". Not something easily transferred.

Anywho. Time to enter my writing cage. Been a good thread so far. I must thank everyone who's stuck around to read my quest. Not ending the thread yet, we still got a bit, just felt like saying it.
>>
>>5968835
As a black scottish cyclops once said
https://wiki.teamfortress.com/w/images/8/8f/Demoman_goodjob02.wav
>>
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>>5968835
It is a very fun quest bro. I don't participate much, just lurk but that may change. This show down has been excellent and the chaaracters are fun since we are getting to know them better.

Strong work.
>>
>>5968835
>QUALITY: INCREDIBLE
That's this entire quest
>>
>>5968835
No, thank you for the thread. You’ve been a great qm writing a really fun quest. I’m lucky I saw someone rec it. It’s been a blast.
>>
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Every breath hurts more than the last. Your body is sprawled on the chess table, chest pressing hard against it. But you got to keep going. With more effort than it should take to get up, you force yourself up right. You stare right at the Admiral with a twisted sneer.

[UNSTABLE] "I'm going to kill you. I'm going to rip your heart out. I'll finish the job that this damnable captain forced me into." You crack your shoulders a few times for extra emphasis.

"You will fail." The Admiral laughs at your threat. "But I appreciate the bravado."

The Captain smiles. "Excellent. That's why I brought you along, you know? To be my harpoon. To spear this horrible beast." He firmly plants his hands on your shoulders. "Kill him. I want to see that monster cry."

[UNSTABLE] You're too lost in the tasty, delicious spiral of bloodlust to even process what he's saying. You just keep staring at the captain. You nearly reach over to start the game alr-

CRACK!

You turn your head around to see Abraham stumbling away from you. He's covering his bleeding nose with one hand while using his harpoon as a makeshift cane with his other hand. Lex is standing by you now. His mouth twists into a hateful sneer.

[BLOODLUST] "Don't fucking touch her. Stay the fuck back and don't even DARE approach this table. Okay?" Lex snarls, barely holding himself from trying to rip Abraham to shreds.

This is because several of the Captain's harpooners have surrounded him. The Captain lowers his hand to show a bloody smile before gesturing at his harpooners to back down. "Bravado! I knew a fellow leader would have such a loyal right hand man! Unlike the coward I once called my First Mate!"

"Feh. This is boring me. Get to the POINT." The Admiral snarls with barely veiled annoyance at his game being interrupted. "The only one who interests me here is her, that chef, and you, Abraham. The rest of the babble wastes all of our time."

Lex grinds his teeth at the comment but knowing that he can't really DO anything towards a man who completely ate the last punch he threw, he heads back over to your other allies.

"Actually." You pull out two things from your inventory and place them down onto the table. MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN ERA and a pack of cigarettes. The Admiral glances down at them before looking at you with a confused expression. "I want to do something real quick. Before we spill our blood for everyone to see."

You pull out one of the cigarettes from the pack and with your improved telekinesis, you light it up with your mind in an instant. "Want one?" You hold it out to the Admiral while tossing another mind-lit cigarette towards the Captain. "At least one of us is dying tonight. Might as well enjoy one last smoke."

The Captain and Admiral stare at each other, then their cigarettes, then you. All three of you crack wicked smiles.

"Aye."
"Aye."
"AYE!"

The three of you take a long, solid drag of nicotine in mutual silence.
>>
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You quickly burn through three of them by the time the two older men are half way through theirs.
>-MALTRO CIGARETTES!
>+RESTRAINT REGENERATION ON YOU! +1 RESTRAINT HEALED, 4/9!

"Not my preferred brand but it'll do. The whiskey was good, poison aside." The Admiral wipes away at the bright red blood still leaking out of his mouth. "Feh."

Ashley snaps out of her laughing fit once she realizes how you lit those cigarettes. "OH THAT'S FUCKING CHEATING!"
Lex merely shrugs. "Eh. What's the point of powers if you can't use them?"
Adam is smoking from his own pack of cheap, non-mind healing cigarettes as he watches over the still recovering Benedict. "This is what you two care about? I guess all of our brains got scrambled."

You turn on the PARADIGM camera and point it towards the Admiral.
>WILLPOWER CHECK: 26!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2KbscDqnMo - A WORLD LONG BEFORE YOUR TIME

The footage being shown on the camera's screen immediately brings a smile to the Admiral. The sepia-washed footage is of a busy city street that you have never seen in your life before. The people walking around have outfits that are beyond bewildering to you. The men wear overly fancy frocked coats or tailcoats with waistcoats underneath, tall top hats, and bowties. The women, meanwhile, wear overly flowery dresses with stupidly long skirts alongside some remarkably silly looking hats.

The streets and buildings are made out of brick, cobble, and honest to god wood. Not that cheap faux stuff that most wooden items these days are made out of. The only vehicles you see throughout the streets are some horse drawn carriages and carts.

The sailors, Abraham, and even your allies move in to watch the footage with the Admiral.

"What...is this?" Lex can't even begin to process what he's seeing.

"London. 1900. I would've been 15 at that time." The Admiral wistfully sighs...before his eyes widen. He points towards the screen.

Checking to see what got his attention, you see a young man in an overcoat two sizes too big for him walking down the streets alongside an older man with a long, flowing beard.

"It's been so long since I've seen my father's face. So long, I completely forgot about it." The Admiral, once a horrifying anomaly, is talking just like any other old man now.

"Son, if you keep up that gigglemug, I'm not quite sure you're ever going to find a woman for you." The older man wags his finger at the young Admiral.

"Father, father, need I remind you of the many tales this gal sneaker has been a part of?" The young Admiral smirks. "It is beneath you to assume so little of me."

"Ah. When I was so foolish and innocent." The Admiral shakes his head. "So long since I've been like that. It was so many years ago."

The footage immediately changes. A man in his early 20s stands at the front of a large wooden ship with an old flintlock pistol in hand, charging right towards another ship.
>>
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He immediately leaps onto the enemy ship and, with a single shot, manages to land a solid shot on the enemy captain. The ship immediately surrenders right after.

The footage changes again.

An Admiral in his early 30s stand in the middle of a trench with a dozen other soldiers. They're all wearing the same bulky military tunic and steel helmet, each armed with a long rifle with a bayonet on it. Most of them are too scared to hop into activate combat.

Except for the Admiral. He immediately leaps out of the trench with a burning zeal in his eyes, screeching at the top of his lungs as he charges into No Man's Land.

"Ah. The War to End All Wars. That's what we called it." The Admiral's voice drips with obvious contempt. "If only they knew how foolish we were."

The footage changes again.

The Admiral, now in his 60s, stands before in a foreign land you can't even begin to wrap your head around. The architecture is similar to T-Corp's but you know that T-Corp doesn't border any oceans. In the far distance, you see something blooming. A mushroom shaped cloud? The Admiral stands there as a blast wave begins to approach him. Smirking as it finally hits him. He barely moves from the force of the blast wave.

"Humanity's knack for destruction is the only thing I still admire about it. I believe K-Corp still produces those, in fact."

The footage changes again.

There's barely anything visible on the screen. A thick, dark smog surrounds everything but the Admiral. A wide, wicked smirk crosses the man- No. He's not a man anymore. The bright glow from his eyes tells you whatever humanity was in the Admiral has long since vanished.

There's nothing left but ruins around him and the sound of slick, wet meat moving through the fog. In the Admiral's hand is a double barrel shotgun oozing more smoke into the smog filled air. For a moment, something with way too many arms jumped out of him, raising its many tendrils up to smash him into the dirt.

BANG! With one swift motion, the beast explodes. You have no idea what that thing was but even a mere glimpse is enough to make everyone else watching it queasy.

"The Smog War. 1986. Such a grand, grand time to be alive." The Admiral drools at seeing the footage. "That's when my world died. That's when YOUR world was born. Remember that, kids."

The camera shuts off.

"Ah. It's so good to relive those old, ancient memories." The Admiral snaps his fingers and before your eyes is a small, ancient syringe. He picks it up, jabs it right into his arm, and draws a dark royal purple fluid. He repeats this three more times before tossing the syringes towards your side of the table.

"You've been a grand piece of entertainment, Nicole. Keep these."

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] That's not C-Extract. That's not A-Energy. That's ICP-Energy. Not even P-Company knows how to consistently produce it.
>>
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[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Only thing you know about it it's normally only produced when an anomaly is about to 'demanifest' or 'die'.

>+3 ICP SYRINGES (A rare form of anomalous energy. May be injected to boost all stats by 2 for a short period, to permanently upgrade a power you have, or to induce an anomalous ability in someone. Companies will do ANYTHING to get this from you. Has INCREDIBLY potent side effects if used.)

"...Before we start. Two things Tell us about the Head."

The Admiral clicks his tongue. "I can only delay this match for so long. But you caught my interest. The Head is an organization that was first put into power in 2005. They went by a different name but even I forgot what it was."

"They are organized with preserving all known knowledge, technology, and any other important human concept and with governing what remains of humanity. That is all they care about. Holding onto infinite amounts of power and knowledge without actually doing anything with it. The only time they act personally is when a Taboo of great importance is shattered."

"Currently, there are 5852 people working directly with the Head and not through a company they associate with. There are 30 higher ups, 26 from the Alphabet Companies and 4 from outside governments, tasked with approving of new companies, laws, and Singularities. They currently have 3000 known singularities that can break most known laws of reality. Only people like me can compare to their Singularities."

"And what are the secrets of X and K-Corp?"

"K-Corp? Their singularity allows them to 'remove' anything. Even on a conceptual level. A crack in security? Gone. Your lungs? Weren't born with them. Stains on a street? Never there. It costs quite a penny in terms of resources but it is absolute in its effectiveness. And to a very limited extent, they can 'remove' the non-existence of something to manifest it into reality. There have been three known records of this in their lifespan."

"X-Corp? Their singularity is more of my speed. An infinite feedback loop of violence. They are able to perfectly recycle spent ammo, dead personnel, destroyed vehicles, exploded bombs, whatever you can think of. They transform useless trash into more fuel for their military."

"More guns, more ammo, more personnel if need be. Their singularity is hidden underneath their HQ. It recycles anything put into it into more fuel for the war effort. Hell, it produces more than it consumes as long as it was used to spill blood in a battle. Second best source of energy besides, well, anomalies."

"Simply put? You can't win against X-Corp in a war. As long as they can recycle the wastes of war into their singularity, winning against them is like trying to fight against Death himself. Only way to win against them is to deny them of recovering their fuel sources. Or if I'm involved."

No one dares speak as the Admiral casually leaks the details of two Singularities.
>>
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"It's best not to spill these secrets to anyone. Lest you wish to be obliterated."

Everyone, including you, nods with a mutual understanding. You're already on thin ice with K-Corp and you really rather not ruin your relationship with X-Corp either.

You grab a pawn on the board. The Admiral smirks. You smirk back. You hold your hand out. He firmly grabs it. The two of you shake hands.

"It was a pleasure."

"I could say the same."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrNDEi0MIKo - WARNING! WARNING!

Pieces fly faster than anyone can keep track of. Every single pawn, every single bishop, every single knight. Your hands are moving automatically. So are his. Your shoulder implodes as one of your knights is captured. You quickly pull out a TRAUMA KIT and begin to patch up your body on the fly as the game continues.

Cracks begin to form across the Admiral's body as he loses his own pieces. Bright, neon magenta light oozes out of the cracks.

[UNSTABLE RESOLVE] MOTHERFUCKER IS STILL SMILING. YOU SMILE BACK. NEITHER OF YOU IS GIVING UP UNTIL THE OTHER DROPS DEAD.

Neither of you two are using recognizable chess strategy as pieces are being destroyed by both sides. Your left hand is severed as your rook is captured. You're too far in to give up now.

[UNSTABLE RESOLVE] WE WON'T DIE. YOU PICK YOUR HAND UP AND STUFF IT BACK ONTO THE STUMP. IT FUSES BACK.

Blood oozes from your mouth as you try your best to corner his king. He moves his queen to capture one of your bishops, which was out of position. You feel your skull crack wide open. Your head is SEETHING but you WON'T STOP. CAN'T STOP. PATCH UP. PLAY MORE PIECES. CORNER HIM. KILL HIM.

Screaming. There's so much screaming. But it's not of fear. They're cheering you on.

"KILL THAT SON OF A BITCH!" LEX BELLOWS.
"YOU'RE NOT FUCKING DYING TODAY! KEEP! MOVING!" ASHLEY BARKS OUT A COMMAND.
"RIP. AND. TEAR! RIP. AND. TEAR!" BENEDICT BEEPS OUT WITH HIS ROBOTIC VOICE.
"DISTRUGGERE LA SUA ANIMA!" ADAM POUNDS ON THE TABLE.

[UNSTABLE RESOLVE] SOMETHING IMPLODES INSIDE YOUR STOMACH. YOU VOMIT UP MORE BLOOD ONTO THE BOARD. BUT YOU WON'T DIE. NOT YET.
[UNSTABLE RESOLVE] YOU. ARE. NICOLE. SMITH. YOU. ARE. NICOLE. SMITH.

Click. Clack.

Checkmate. Your board remains of two pawns, a queen, your king, and a single bishop. The Admiral's board is empty except for his King.

You look up at him. The Admiral refuses to die even despite the latticework of scratches and stab wounds coating his whole body. His hands are mangled hunks of bone and loose skin. You can see his exposed ribcage and skull. Most of his teeth have shattered. Yet he stands.

[DEEP INTUITION] Ashley immediately tenses up and raises her baseball bat up, ready to strike. She knows something you don't.

He raises up his hand. "You failed to kill me. Now, may you hear the pale horn of death-"

[DEEP INTUITION] Ashley immediately rushes over to the table and smashes at his arm with her baseball bat.
>>
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Due to his heavily injured state, this actually knocks his hand back to the table. "NOPE!"

"Feh. You're not the ones who. Who. Matter." Blood oozes out of his mouth with every word. He begins to raise his hand again.

Lex rushes right in and grabs onto his hand, pinning it to the ground under his weight.
Adam immediately rushes in to stab his chef's blade right into the Admiral's hand, keeping the hand pinned there.

"No. Matter. I will. Win." <"This is. A test. To see if. They-">

Benedict raises up his armblade and stabs it right into the Admiral's exposed gut. Abraham reels back his harpoon right after Benedict's attack and with one last throw, he tosses his harpoon right where the Admiral's heart would be.

Something warm and wet is crushed by the harpoon. The sound of ripping flesh overshadows the pouring rain above.

And then there's silence. Your allies back away from the Admiral. The Admiral's body is, to put it bluntly, mangled beyond recognizance. The only part of him not coated in blood and gore are his eyes. His pale white irises. He's still breathing, ever so shallowly. Despite all of that, he's alive?

"I see. The confusion. On your face. That's what it means to be. A powerful anomaly. You can't truly. Kill one." He hacks up his actual lung. "I will bleed out soon. But you can't. Kill a perspective as grand as mine. That is what we anomalies are. Perspectives. Ideas. Weaker ideas can be. Snuffed. Forgotten. I am. Beyond that."

"We have been around as long as humanity. We will be what's left of humanity. Once we're gone. We're the subconscious urges. Of thought. Of cognizance. Of belief. While humans can become anomalies. Anomalies need not humanity to exist. We are. Everlasting, Nicole."

He slumps over onto the table. Every breath he takes hurts more than the last. You're right there with him, it feels like your own lung has been punctured. "I will. Disappear. For who long? Who knows. I will return. I. Must thank you for. Besting me."

[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] That means you will always be at risk of death. Even if you were to fully become an anomaly, you would only represent your own perspectives. You are but one person.
[PERSON OF INTEREST] He represents Power. You can not remove Power, Control, over this world.

The Admiral pulls out a single letter and places it onto the table with a shaking, barely functional arm. "Read this when you can. It contains your. Rewards. Good game. Lad." And then, he stops moving.

>CHECKMATED THE ADMIRAL!

And with that, you pass out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-p2I10htVg - ASHLEY'S MELODY

When you wake up, you're still on the deck of the ship. Turning your head ever to the side, you can still see the Admiral's Ship looming in front of the S.S. FREEDOM. Everything hurts. You are in a pain that is beyond indescribable. Every inch, from your head to your toes, feels like it's on fire.
>>
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Yet you're still alive.

Tilting your head to the side, you can see four people trying their best to patch you up. Lex, Benedict, Adam, and Abraham. In the distance, you can faintly hear Ashley strumming her guitar over the blood rushing in your ears.

Someone forces some pills into your mouth and forces you to swallow them as the others continue to patch you up with your trauma kit.

>-JOYVEL DOSES
>-TRAUMA KIT
>FLESH 1/4 --> FLESH 4/4.
>RESTRAINT 2/8 --> 6/8! +3 FROM JOYVEL, +1 FROM CIGARETTE REGEN

"Don't move." Lex chides you when he sees you moving your head. "Fuck, I think I saw your bones back there. Almost like they melted off-"

You vomit blood all over your bomber jacket. Lex hisses through clenched teeth. "Uh. Benedict, you said 'ingredients' only did that if something's punctured, yeah?"

"THAT OR A MALIGN CANCER. KEEP PATCHING UP."

You lose consciousness again.

...

As you finally wake up for a second time, you find yourself being propped up by Lex and Ashley. You're still standing by the table you fought the Admiral at. His body still lays there but you swear, for a moment, one of his hands twitched.

"Hey. You okay, dweeb?" Ashley whispers to you. "I. Uh, look, I'm not good with this emotional shit. Funny, considering I'm a musician."
"If you don't want to talk, that's fine." Lex whispers as well.

Benedict and Adam approach the two of you, still wiping blood off both of their blades. "WE DID THE BEST WE COULD BUT THERE ARE STILL SOME. FRACTURES INSIDE." Benedict chirps out.

You definitely feel a fracture in your god damn head. And in your chest. Ow. Everything hurts.
>CRIPPLING INJURIES: CONCUSSION AND COUGHING BLOOD OBTAINED!

"We can try patching those up but it'll probably empty out the last trauma kit you have." Adam cleans his chef's blade with a practiced ease. "Do you?"

Well?
>YES. (-4 CHARGES ON YOUR LAST TRAUMA KIT, LEAVING ONLY ONE CHARGE.)
>HEAL ONE WITH TRAUMA KIT, TRY HEALING OTHER WITH UVX (-2 CHARGES ON YOUR LAST TRAUMA KIT, -UVX. WRITE IN WHICH INJURY TO HEAL FIRST.)
>NO.

You turn your head back towards the Admiral. There's at least a dozen harpoons jabbed into his corpse. Your mouth twists into a snarl and before you have time to think, you're already rushing over to his corpse.

[UNSTABLE] FUCKING FAGGOTS, ALL OF THEM! DESCRATING THE CORPSE OF AN ANOMALY YOU FOUGHT, AS IF THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO INFLICT A WOUND ON HIM.
[UNSTABLE] YOU RIP OUT THE HARPOONS WITH YOUR BARE HANDS. YOU CLENCH YOUR TEETH AS YOU FEEL THE PALMS OF YOUR HANDS RIP FROM THE-

By the time you rip the last one out, Lex has already restrained you and dragged you away from the corpse. "Okay, look, calm down. We'll deal with that later."

...

It's quiet outside. So quiet. There's no fog, no thunder. If it wasn't for the corpse(?) of the Admiral and his ship looming above you, you wouldn't even know you were in an anomaly's domain.

Well. What do you want to do before you start heading back to shore, Nicole?
>>
Pick four free time actions. You got a few days before you head back to shore.
>[BENEDICT ALLY] "So." You look towards Benedict. "What do you believe in?" Try to dwell and process the information about your natures as partial anomalies with him. (Might help him manifest more of his PARADIGM.)
>[LEX ALLY] "Hey, I don't expect you to work but mind watching me while I help the crew?" Lex asks. You nod. Might as well. (You'll get to choose four options fof your COMBAT BOON granted by the Admiral instead of three thanks to observing Lex.)
>[ADAM ALLY] "Say, if you don't mind. I would like to research your anatomy. Might be able to help down the line." Go along with it. Your body still needs patching up. (Adam might be able to learn some surgical skills from patching you up.)
>[ASHLEY ALLY] You notice Ashley is heading over to the front of the ship. Join up with her. Listen to her music. Talk to her. (You'll get some time to hopefully clear the air between you, her, and UNSTABLE.)
>[INFINITE SEA MAP] "Hey, Abraham. Let's go visit some places!" (There's a LOT of stuff on the map. Various merchant ship locations, anomaly sightings, etc etc. WRITE IN up to two things to search for out here.)
>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] You're not getting another chance like this. You have to explore the Admiral's ship. You just gotta. (You'll get to roll 6d100 to determine what loot, information, or other forbidden trinkets you get from it. You may write in what you specifically want to find to alter your odds a bit.)
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Take some time to practice your abilities. Your body is total dogshit right now but your mind's mostly fine. (Choose a power to train: TELEKINESIS, PUPPETEERING, MIND READ, WHISPERS OF THE CITY. You'll get a minor upgrade to it.)
>[UNSTABLE RESOLVE] You feel like the Admiral is still watching you. Pour out a drink for him. Leave a tribute. (-1 HIGH CLASS WHISKEY, write in up to three items to offer to his body. Due to your high RESPECT with him, you imagine he'll offer something great.)
>...Just rest. Lay around. Talk to your allies. Drink. It's tradition to go to drink with your allies. (+1 RESTRAINT to your whole party, you get some time to unwind, decompress, and learn more about them.)
>Write in.

woo. Haven't written updates THIS long in a while. Won't be a regular thing. Anywho, the information the Admiral has on the spooks, choosing the combat boon, and getting the imprints of your allies onto NEW YOU will happen/be revealed in the following updates.
It's just that this update is so long as is, it would bloat it to 10 or 12 posts if I kept going. Gotta stop somewhere.

>>5968944
>>5968865
>>5968946
>>5968973
Thanks for the kind words, lads.
>>
>>5969033
>YES. (-4 CHARGES ON YOUR LAST TRAUMA KIT, LEAVING ONLY ONE CHARGE.)
>>5969040
>[ADAM ALLY] "Say, if you don't mind. I would like to research your anatomy. Might be able to help down the line." Go along with it. Your body still needs patching up. (Adam might be able to learn some surgical skills from patching you up.)
>[ASHLEY ALLY] You notice Ashley is heading over to the front of the ship. Join up with her. Listen to her music. Talk to her. (You'll get some time to hopefully clear the air between you, her, and UNSTABLE.)
>[INFINITE SEA MAP] "Hey, Abraham. Let's go visit some places!" (There's a LOT of stuff on the map. Various merchant ship locations, anomaly sightings, etc etc. WRITE IN up to two things to search for out here.)
An island with rare flora we can give to Benjamin as drug ingredients
And some kind of equipment cache
>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] You're not getting another chance like this. You have to explore the Admiral's ship. You just gotta. (You'll get to roll 6d100 to determine what loot, information, or other forbidden trinkets you get from it. You may write in what you specifically want to find to alter your odds a bit.)
Don't forget to take pictures. Kiara will distort from envy.
>>
>>5969040
Damn nice series of updates. Admiral was cool, and "killing" him was amazing.
>[ASHLEY ALLY] You notice Ashley is heading over to the front of the ship. Join up with her. Listen to her music. Talk to her. (You'll get some time to hopefully clear the air between you, her, and UNSTABLE.)
>[INFINITE SEA MAP] "Hey, Abraham. Let's go visit some places!" (There's a LOT of stuff on the map. Various merchant ship locations, anomaly sightings, etc etc. WRITE IN up to two things to search for out here.)
Island with flora for D R U G S
Pirate booty (X marks the spot)
>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] You're not getting another chance like this. You have to explore the Admiral's ship. You just gotta. (You'll get to roll 6d100 to determine what loot, information, or other forbidden trinkets you get from it. You may write in what you specifically want to find to alter your odds a bit.)
I want some of his trophies that he's taken over the years. Maybe a spare coat if we could find it. C-extract and maybe an artifact or two. Some info on the City, maybe anomalies as well. Take loads of pics.
>...Just rest. Lay around. Talk to your allies. Drink. It's tradition to go to drink with your allies. (+1 RESTRAINT to your whole party, you get some time to unwind, decompress, and learn more about them.)
I love hanging with the group, get some R&R.

Okay, this just came to me, Handler is this a possible option?
>Write in.: [Unstable Resolve] After looting his ship blow it to kingdom come with him on it as his funeral. The fucker thinks he can't die, but let's try our best.
>>
>>5969085
>Okay, this just came to me, Handler is this a possible option?
It's a pretty big military grade ship and you have...
Two frag grenades and two pipe bombs.
I'd say at most, you can probably punch a decent sized hole in its hull or completely destroy the horn he tried obliterating your soul with.

However. You do still have the enemy ship that Abraham wanted to keep as a trophy. So I'll offer you a compromise.

NEW OPTION UNLOCKED:
>[UNSTABLE RESOLVE + FOCUSED TELEKINESIS] RAM A FUCKING BOAT INTO HIS BOAT WITH YOUR MIND (FREE ACTION, -2 RESTRAINT, can optionally spend your two pipe bombs and frag grenade to make it more explosive. It'll be COOL AS HELL.)

Also, there's a voting option you missed here: >>5969033
>>
>>5969085
Alright, thanks Handler.
>YES. (-4 CHARGES ON YOUR LAST TRAUMA KIT, LEAVING ONLY ONE CHARGE.)
>[UNSTABLE RESOLVE + FOCUSED TELEKINESIS] RAM A FUCKING BOAT INTO HIS BOAT WITH YOUR MIND (FREE ACTION, -2 RESTRAINT, can optionally spend your two pipe bombs and frag grenade to make it more explosive. It'll be COOL AS HELL.)
Add both pipe bombs and frag grenade!
Do I have to swap out one of the four prior choices for this?
if so swapping
>[ASHLEY ALLY] You notice Ashley is heading over to the front of the ship. Join up with her. Listen to her music. Talk to her. (You'll get some time to hopefully clear the air between you, her, and UNSTABLE.)
>>
>>5969099
>FREE ACTION
Nyo. You can keep it alongside your Ashley choice.
It's an optional addition to a choice that realistically only takes you a few minutes to do.
Anywho, time to update inventory pastebins and pass the fuck out.
>>
>>5969102
Alright got it. Thanks for all the hard work. Rest well!
>>
>>5969085
>>5969099
+1 to all of these
loot his ship BEFORE we blow it up of course
make sure we use the remaining photos on the camera wisely, and don't take unnecessary ones
AND PLEASE
Let's take a Group Photo too, with the Admiral's dead body plainly visible alongside Nicole and the 4 allies and Captain Abraham

I hope the fled sailors get to find out about this entire event and what happened after they ditched us. The looks on their faces when they find out WE WON
>>
>>5969102
>>5969040
A big meaty update like this... it takes me back to HELP WANTED! days. I hope for your own health that you don't do so many of them, despite how delicious they are for us players
>>
>>5969085
>>5969099
>>5969135
+1
>>5968835
Great Quest QM. This is the only quest I truly invest in. :D
>>
>>5969033
>YES. (-4 CHARGES ON YOUR LAST TRAUMA KIT, LEAVING ONLY ONE CHARGE.)

>>5969040
>[ADAM ALLY] "Say, if you don't mind. I would like to research your anatomy. Might be able to help down the line." Go along with it. Your body still needs patching up. (Adam might be able to learn some surgical skills from patching you up.)
>[ASHLEY ALLY] You notice Ashley is heading over to the front of the ship. Join up with her. Listen to her music. Talk to her. (You'll get some time to hopefully clear the air between you, her, and UNSTABLE.)
>[INFINITE SEA MAP] "Hey, Abraham. Let's go visit some places!" (There's a LOT of stuff on the map. Various merchant ship locations, anomaly sightings, etc etc. WRITE IN up to two things to search for out here.)
Merchants and Shipwrecks
>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] You're not getting another chance like this. You have to explore the Admiral's ship. You just gotta. (You'll get to roll 6d100 to determine what loot, information, or other forbidden trinkets you get from it. You may write in what you specifically want to find to alter your odds a bit.)
>>
Question QM.

Does the city have something like a Trauma Team from cyberpunk?

https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/5893937/
No.5923125

"Besides-" BZZT. "-wo? Only Ashley and Gregory are in any real risk. Your other allies are 'safe' for now, assum-" BZZT. "-ot hire them. Who knows what weird shit they would se-" BZZT. "-hen on a mission?"

We need to ask Ashley about have she being stalked by a silver agent or by dangerous individuals or groups who want to hurt her back in her district?

https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2023/5796950/
No.5809894

The three of you slide into the back room where the hole in the wall was. Only then does Lex uncover Benjamin's mouth. "Y-you have psychic powers?!" He starts running circles around you. He scans you from head to toe, as if he doesn't believe that YOU could have those powers. Lex just grabs the levitating flask and pulls it back down to a nearby shelf.

"Yep. And if you come with us, I might be able to teach you how to use my magic powers." You try your best to make spooky sounding noises while waving your fingers around. "So, how about it? You wanna get out of here?"

"Hell yeah! If I get to learn cool powers, screw these chumps!" That seems like that was the right answer. "Oh, right! Name's Benjamin Aaron!"
>Benjamin Aaron has decided to follow your group for now!

Question Anon: Should we inject Benjamin with an ICP syringe in order to give him anomalies power?
>>
>>5969562
Good call on the Ashley bit. And I completely forgot anomalous powers was the thing that got Benjamin on our side at the start. I think sitting down with him and Max, explaining everything we know now about anomalies and about Nicole, then leaving it up to them is the best way. Maybe seeing how Benedict turned out after the mission with him could help. I want Benjamin to be absolutely sure if he wants this or not. Same with Max being there because the two are a diehard couple, and Ben becoming kinda like Nicole could be a detriment to them getting married or family issues or whatever else. They need to be fully informed of the consequences
>>
>>5969033
>YES. (-4 CHARGES ON YOUR LAST TRAUMA KIT, LEAVING ONLY ONE CHARGE.)
Consumables are meant to be consumed

>>5969040
>[ADAM ALLY] "Say, if you don't mind. I would like to research your anatomy. Might be able to help down the line." Go along with it. Your body still needs patching up. (Adam might be able to learn some surgical skills from patching you up.)
>[ASHLEY ALLY] You notice Ashley is heading over to the front of the ship. Join up with her. Listen to her music. Talk to her. (You'll get some time to hopefully clear the air between you, her, and UNSTABLE.)
>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] You're not getting another chance like this. You have to explore the Admiral's ship. You just gotta. (You'll get to roll 6d100 to determine what loot, information, or other forbidden trinkets you get from it. You may write in what you specifically want to find to alter your odds a bit.)
>[UNSTABLE RESOLVE] You feel like the Admiral is still watching you. Pour out a drink for him. Leave a tribute. (-1 HIGH CLASS WHISKEY, write in up to three items to offer to his body. Due to your high RESPECT with him, you imagine he'll offer something great.)
>>
>>5969040
>HEAL ONE WITH TRAUMA KIT, TRY HEALING OTHER WITH UVX (-2 CHARGES ON YOUR LAST TRAUMA KIT, -UVX. WRITE IN WHICH INJURY TO HEAL FIRST.)

Concussion.
[UNSTABLE RESOLVE] You feel like the Admiral is still watching you. Pour out a drink for him. Leave a tribute. (-1 HIGH CLASS WHISKEY, write in up to three items to offer to his body. Due to your high RESPECT with him, you imagine he'll offer something great.)

Our flintlock since we saw him using one in the past, a pack of smokes, and a letter saying it was fun, we should do it again some day.
A worthy opponent.

>[ADAM ALLY] "Say, if you don't mind. I would like to research your anatomy. Might be able to help down the line." Go along with it. Your body still needs patching up. (Adam might be able to learn some surgical skills from patching you up.)

>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] You're not getting another chance like this. You have to explore the Admiral's ship. You just gotta. (You'll get to roll 6d100 to determine what loot, information, or other forbidden trinkets you get from it. You may write in what you specifically want to find to alter your odds a bit.)

>[LEX ALLY] "Hey, I don't expect you to work but mind watching me while I help the crew?" Lex asks. You nod. Might as well. (You'll get to choose four options fof your COMBAT BOON granted by the Admiral instead of three thanks to observing Lex.)
>>
If a lot of people want to do the respect admiral thing I wonder if we could combine that and the boat destruction. Give him a Viking funeral of some sort. Especially since both are Unstable
>>
>>5969831
That would be kind of cool. He is going to come back anyway so I don't think he would be pissed about us doing that. Issue is how fuck off huge his ship is. Maybe if we explored it we could find the fuel store or something and blow it up? The powder stores?
>>
ADAM: 8Jr, LWN, EM0, qyJ
ASHLEY: 8Jr, YsV, IkB, 8u5, LWN, EM0
INFINITE SEA MAP: 8Jr, YsV, IkB, 8u5, LWN (With the majority going with 'island with drugs + some sort of shipwreck, equipment, or other cache")
SCHOLAR OF THE CITY: YsV, IkB, 8u5, LWN, EM0, qyJ (With three writing in for "Find some trinkets, a coat, some C-Extract, and info.)
REST: YsV, IkB, 8u5
UNSTABLE RESOLVE (FORMA DE RESPECT): EM0
UNSTABLE RESOLVE (FORMA DE BOMB): YsV, IkB, 8u5
LEX: qyJ

>>5969562
>Does the city have something like a Trauma Team from cyberpunk?
As in a massive corporation that provides medical services? Yeah. Z-Corp is the main producer of most medical grade equipment and supplies. They're probably responsible for the trauma kits that you had to burn through to not die.
It's probably more shocking if they didn't have something like the Trauma Team under their banner.

>>5969136
oh fucking trust me this was a one time occurrence. most updates will stick to the 2-3 or the 4-5 range. I normally closed votes earlier but I sorta had to stare at a wall for the last few hours to regain my morale.
Well that and tax work. I love the City I live in, bros. (I fucking hate it actually.)

So, seems like Adam + Ashley + Infinite Sea + Scholar wins

>>5969831
>>5969840
You know what, funny you mentioned that. Before I ask you to vomit up some dice for INFINITE SEA and SCHOLAR OF THE CITY, let's do a quick vote.

While you're searching the ship, do you want to try finding a fuel or powder store to blow it up?
>[UNSTABLE (RESOLVE)] LOOK. IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. (-1d100 from your cache table rolls but you'll find something to blow the ship from the inside out once you're done, soothing the minds of your allies after everything that happened.)
>[UNSTABLE (NORMAL)] I THINK JUST RAMMING A FUCKOFF SHIP INTO HIS SHIP IS FUNNIER. (Refer to >>5969093.)
>Why not both of the above? (You'll lose all of your explosives, 1d100 from your cache table and spend 2 RESTRAINT BUT the crew and Abraham will probably spread some good [if vague] tales about you through District 19-21 [S, T, and U-Corp's districts]. This may help down the line if you ever work down there.)
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] This is retarded. Don't do either of the above, stick to exploring the ship. (Your resolve for exploring the ship will nudge the odds on the roll table to be more favorable to what you're looking for.)
>>
>>5969846
>[UNSTABLE (RESOLVE)] LOOK. IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. (-1d100 from your cache table rolls but you'll find something to blow the ship from the inside out once you're done, soothing the minds of your allies after everything that happened.)
KABOOM
>>
>>5969846
>Why not both of the above? (You'll lose all of your explosives, 1d100 from your cache table and spend 2 RESTRAINT BUT the crew and Abraham will probably spread some good [if vague] tales about you through District 19-21 [S, T, and U-Corp's districts]. This may help down the line if you ever work down there.)

I like big blasts and I cannot lie. Also we have the restraint (6/8) for it and I like giving the old bastard a personal touch.
>>
>>5969868
+1
Let's not forget ALL of these no-name sailors AND the Captain AND all our allies here heard the Admiral spill the K Corp and X Corp Singularities, plus crucial info on the Head and pre-City history. They're in for a rough time when we get back to land
>>
>>5969846
>[UNSTABLE (NORMAL)] I THINK JUST RAMMING A FUCKOFF SHIP INTO HIS SHIP IS FUNNIER. (Refer to >>5969093 #.)
>>
Two votes for both, one for just exploding the ship, one for ramming a ship into the ship...
Eh. To speed things up, I think it's fair to say that balances out to three votes for both.

I need one anon to roll a 2d100 and one to roll a 3d100. Here's your LOOTING THE ADMIRAL'S SHIP table.

LOOTING THE ADMIRAL'S SHIP
1-23: INFORMATION (You doubt anything about a singularity but you'll get some lore about a Company, the City in general, or the various non-corporate factions he was interested in
24-47: ARTIFACT (Could be anomalous, could be not, it'll be super neat at least.)
48-65: ANOMALOUS (Definitely some sort of anomalous thing. Could be A or C-Energy, could be an anomalous trinket, could be a minor anomaly or oddity, who knows!)
66-80: PERSONAL BELONGING (Something from the Admiral himself. His overcoat, his favorite types of indulgences, old history books, something befitting of someone nearly 400 years old.)
81-99: WEAPONRY/EQUIPMENT (It's a warship. The only reason it isn't higher is because you're focusing on finding other stuff.)
100: ??? (???. If you luck out and get this, you'll get something real special.)
>>
Rolled 49, 32, 86 = 167 (3d100)

>>5969957
I got dis.
>>
Rolled 6, 57 = 63 (2d100)

>>5969957
>>
File: whatarearbitersreally.png (201 KB, 600x598)
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RESULTS:
INFORMATION, ARTIFACT, ANOMALOUS x2, WEAPONRY/EQUIPMENT.
Coolio. Entering my writing cage.
>>
>>5969957
>>5969969
The 100 means "you BECOME the new captain of the ship now"?
>>
Well I’m satisfied with the rolls. Not as great as possible but still a good spread of what I wanted. The only real bummer (besides the 100 obviously) is missing the Admiral’s personal affects.
>>
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"Please, use it, everything fucking burns." You realize that you're only getting $1323 for all of this. This job so isn't worth it. But where else can you work in the City? Shit, probably costs over $59.5k to get a 1 Month Nest Permit...

[UNSTABLE] I HATE THE CITY WE LIVE IN.

"Excellent." Adam offers his best smile to you. It's clear he's been running himself raggedy trying to patch you up over the last few hours. "Say, if you don't mind. I would like to research your anatomy. Might be able to help down the line."

Ashley has to cover her mouth to hold back a laugh. "Holy shit, are you trying to HIT on her?"

"Huh?" Adam doesn't seem to realize what was so wrong about what he just said. Then it clicks for him. "No, no! It's just that her internals are very interesting and I want to see-"

"Is that what District 6 folks call it?" A creeping tone of suspicion invades every word that Lex says. "I mean. She is cute but-"

"ORGANS, PEOPLE. HER HEART, LUNGS, LIVER, NERVES." Benedict barks out, raising his blade arm. "YOU ARE. SAVAGES."

"Look, look, it's fine." You raise your left hand. You rather not think about how mere hours ago, it was severed before being immediately fused back to your body. "Sure. Just, uh, don't be weird about it and we'll be fine."

Adam sputters out some embarrassed half-words before completely giving up. He gestures at you to follow him.

"I'll be right back! Keep yourselves busy!" You wave at Lex and Ashley, who do the same back, as you follow after him and Benedict.

The three of you arrive back in the mostly empty Crew Barracks. You lay down on your cot as Adam and Benedict prepare for their latest operation. "You know, your body was BEYOND fucked up." Adam mutters as he applies a potent localized anesthesia onto your chest and stomach. Your chest immediately loses all feeling. Which is good since otherwise, Benedict slicing right through your stomach with his arm blade would FUCKING HURT.

"How so?" You mutter, trying your best not to look down. "Like, anomalously fucked up or?"

"Yeah. Organs were where they should be but there was a lot of navy blue gunk inside you." Adam reaches into the opening in your chest. He grimaces. "Still is. I thought it was from that weird tooth but most of that fluid leaked out through some sores on your legs."

"INDEED. IT IS VERY PROBABLE THAT THE ADMIRAL'S CHESS GAME DID IT TO YOU." Benedict nods approvingly before he starts patching up whatever damaged organs you still have. "HM. METAL INSIDE YOU. NOT GOOD."

"Like you're one to talk. Probably just one of my implants."
"FAIR."

"Yep. You have two of them, right?" Adam asks with a bit of worry in his voice. You nod. Adam sighs in relief as he returns back to patching you up. After rearranging your guts, okay wow poor mental phrasing, the two of them stitch you back together Fixing up your head was far less invasive, only requiring some strong painkillers from the kit to soothe.

>-4 TRAUMA KIT CHARGES! CRIPPING INJURIES HEALED!
>>
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"It's not my first time having to do something like this, actually." Adam whistles as he cleans his chef's blade with his handkerchief. "Hell, I was basically Bene's doctor for the longest time. Mostly minor stuff like scratches, though!"

"YOUR WORK WAS. AMATEUR. BUT VERY APPRECIATED AT. THE TIME." Benedict stutters out. He stares at the blood still oozing from his blade with an odd fascination twinkling in his eyes. Adam immediately wipes at the blood with his own handkerchief, snapping Benedict out of his haze.

"Thank god the trauma kits are super user friendly." You hiss under your breath.

"It was...nice getting some practice in, even if it wasn't in the best circumstances. I suppose it's nice to have a backup plan in case everything falls through, you know?"

[OVERCORRECTION] A nervous energy bounces throughout every word Adam says. "I mean, considering the restaurant and going on missions like this and Benedict and-"
[OVERCORRECTION] "Hard not to worry these days. Especially after hearing about singularities and apparently Benedict is a concept made manifest and seeing you fighting an anomaly and-" His breathing is getting hectic, shallow. "-holy shit am I going to die when I go back to the City-"

"I just want to make sure I can help people, you know? Is it wrong to feel that way?" Adam stares at you with pleading eyes.

However, you're not the one to answer first.

"IT Is Not Wrong." Benedict's throat makes an odd mechanical clicking sound. "HOWEVER. I. She TolD mE. SOMETHING THAt Fits here. All you have to Do is keeP trying. W-Worrying yOURSElf Sick about how to. Feel. wiLl only hurt you."

You nod at what Benedict said, though you can't hide your shock at him speaking up like this. "Yeah. Take one step at a time, Adam. You did good. I feel a lot better. That's all that matters."

Adam lets out a pained, shuddering breath before quickly nodding. "Okay. I'm glad. Just feels like if I don't have something I can do, I'll go insane." He straightens his posture and firmly clears his throat. "Thanks, though. That cleared my mind a bit."

>+0.5 RAPPORT with ADAM! HE'LL GAIN AN UPGRADE NEXT TIME YOU HIRE HIM!

ADAM BOON ACQUIRED!
>[PRACTICING SURGEON] Really, the line between butchery and surgery is razor thin. Twice per mission, if an ally is in a CRITICAL STATE or has a CRIPPLING INJURY, Adam may heal them without consuming any resources.

"You should probably meet up with the others. I'll stay behind with Benedict." As you prepare to get up and leave, Adam clears his throat again. "And, uh, after this mission? I'll probably have to ask for you to pay me. First two times were only free as a favor for, uh, Benedict."

>Adam now costs $75 to hire!

You shrug. "I really don't blame you after what I dragged you through these last few days." And you rather not argue with the guy who just patched you up for (mostly) free-

[UNSTABLE] BORING.

You lose consciousness for a split second. Suddenly, you're standing in front of Lex and Ashley.
>>
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Huh?

[UNSTABLE] IT SAVES TIME.

"So." Lex leads you over to a long, LONG stretch of rope tied to the front of the S.S. FREEDOM. It stretches all the way up to the top of the Admiral's Ship. "I hope you can climb."

"Should we really be forcing someone who just went through surgery-" Ashley is about to complain but then she realizes who she's talking to. "Eh. Just don't look down. I heard that fucks you up." Your two allies immediately start climbing up the rope. After regaining your senses, you climb right after them yet by the time you wrap your hands around the rope, you're already at the deck of the Admiral's Ship.

Your two allies are equally confused. Seems like they were also seemingly teleported up to the deck.

"I'm not even going to question it." Ashley mutters to herself.
"Saves time, I guess?" Lex nervously laughs. "Yeah. Saves time. Ha."

YOU HAVE BESTED ME. I WELCOME YOU TO TAKE WHAT YOU WILL.

[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Even after killing him, his presence lingers. He welcomed you onto this ship like a respected guest. Best not to linger too long.

https://youtu.be/mtE_3nOl6eI - AN EMPTY SHIP

The deck of the ship is enormous to put it very bluntly. All around you is an endless stretch of bronze, steel, and wood. Right in front of your group is a towering mass consisting of a nearly uncountable amount of anti-air and ship weaponry that stretches up miles into the sky. On the very top of this mass is a small circular building. A watchtower or crow's nest, you think?

You take a few pictures of the ship because, well, you want some memento of this moment.
>-4 CHARGES ON DIGITAL CAMERA.
>+ADMIRAL SHIP PHOTOGRAPH x4 (More proof that you encountered the Admiral and survived.)

"I'll go search that thing." Lex points to the watchtower. "You two do whatever in the meantime." Lex proceeds to start his trek over to the watchtower. In the blink of the eye, he's already gone. You and Ashley glance at each other.

[DEEP INTUITION] "Okay, it's clear that the Admiral's listening to us. So, Admiral, show us where you store most of your supplies."

And on cue, your vision blurs into a mess of colors and sounds. Once you regain your senses, the two of you find yourself in a dark and barely lit section of what you assume to this dreadnought's cargo area. Piles on piles of boxes from time periods long before your time surround you. The only light is, as expected, various oil and gas lamps hanging on the rusted steel walls.

"Knew it. Guess he wasn't wrong about 'not dying'. Hell, maybe that was his plan. Trying to get us to believe he wouldn't die so he could linger that way." Ashley paces around the dimly lit cargo area. "Feedback loop. Does that sound reasonable?"

[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] "I can sometimes hear weird snippets of their thoughts and get a general idea on what they represent but most of the anomalies I encountered either fucked off after I encountered them or demanifested completely. This is new. Even to me"
>>
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"Though, not the first time an anomaly has teleported me around."

"Noted." Ashley stops by one of the many crates in the cargo room. The two of you begin to scavenge through the various crates in mutual silence. Neither of you really wants to address the elephant in the room. It doesn't take long to find a lot of really neat trinkets through the crates however.

Lex gets shunted into the cargo room with a dazed, confused expression upon arrival. "Fuck, okay, thanks Admiral." He places a heavy book onto the ground and proceeds to lean against one of the many boxes in the cargo room.

The three of you pile together your loot to see what you found on the Admiral's ship...

LOOT ACQUIRED!
>S-CORP LEDGER (A commercial ledger filled to the brim with various classified transactions between S-Corp, L-Corp, P-Corp, and R-Corp. Will take some time to read through, you'll read it over on the way back to the City.)
>PULSATING GEAR (From some sort of machinery you don't recognize. Feels oddly lonely. Seems to spin randomly before stopping. You'll figure out a pattern soon.)
>C-EXTRACT? x3 (Very useful as a bribe and shop resource in the City. Compared to the cherry red of normal C-Extract, it's a dark crimson red. More natural, maybe?)
>RED ROTARY PHONE (Made out of a burnt and tarnished red metal. Old blood stains coat the rotary dial. Scratched onto the side is "ЗBOHИTE, КOГДA BAM HУЖHA ПOMOЩЬ. TPEБУETCЯ OTBETИTЬ TOЛЬКO HA ДBA ЗBOHКA." Has two uses, may be used to call for help regardless of time or place.)
>P-CORP ENERGY COUNTER (Coated in salt and constantly ticking. Once you're in a less anomalously statured area, it gives you a forewarning if something anomalous is nearby or approaching you.)
>VICTORIAN HANDBELL ("I don't fucking know where I got this." Lex tells you. An odd, electric buzz surrounds it. This is what you will give to the Handler for the artifact reward.)
>STRIP OF THE ADMIRAL'S OVERCOAT. ("All I know is that 'this is all I can offer' was whispered into my ear." Lex nervously hisses. A memento?)

As you look over everything that you got from the Admiral's ship, Ashley pulls out her guitar and begins to strum seemingly random notes. You were about to leave to search for something to blow up but...it's probably best to address the elephant in the room.

"So-"

"Look. I know what you're going to say and I really, REALLY don't want to dwell on it. I feel like it's best if we don't, okay?" Ashley bites back with a shocking amount of venom. She realizes she went too far and reels it back almost immediately. "Look. The last few hours have been REAL tough and I just saw you enter a god damn maniac state before nearly dying-

"She's just trying to clear the air. To apologize for that happening, you know?" Lex may be book dumb but he's already piecing together what's going on here. "That shit rattled me too-"

"Oh! That shit just 'rattled' you, huh?" Ashley drops her guitar.
>>
"Do you know how much I fucking worry that she might just pop me like a balloon whenever she drags me on a mission? I tried to give the benefit of the doubt! Maybe last time was a fluke! She was FINE last time!" Ashley's voice raises and raises in pitch. A smile completely unfitting for her spreads across her face. "But no! Look, I'm glad she's safe. I'm glad we're alive. But I am not being paid enough to risk my soul, mind, and body for what?"

"What did we actually achieve today? We 'killed' some ancient anomaly who's probably just going to appear again in a few weeks and I nearly saw HER turn into some weird fucked up anomaly and for what? FOR WHAT, LEX? Some fucking cash that's barely worth the effort?"

Ashley starts to break into a stress induced giggle fit. "And then happens after I head back home after risking my life for her? My brother tries to kill her again? Some fucking glowie hunts me or my brother or my friends or my family because I so happen to work for her?"

"I-I really don't hate you, Nicole. But why? Why are you LIKE this? Please, tell me, why? I can't keep doing this."

"L-Look, she's trying her best, really! She's a cool girl-" Lex tries his best to defend you.

"OH SHUT UP! YOU'RE JUST THINKING WITH YOUR DICK, LEX!" Ashley snarls before taking a moment to collect herself with a shaky, wispy sigh.

"I. Look. I really just need an explanation. Why? Why do you throw yourself into dangerous shit like this all the time? Why am I constantly dragged into your bullshit? And why do I just follow along with it? Why do I still go on these stupid fucking missions with you? Even when I know I shouldn't?"

"I-I just don't get it."

...

Pick as many options as you feel like saying to her.

>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] "Every district I've been to sucks in a unique way. Every company I learn about has some fucked up secret. I'm doing what little I can to improve the world through the means achievable to me."
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] "You think I like having spooks hunting me down? You think I WANT everyone I remotely talk to is put on a glowie blacklist? It fucking sucks for me too, Ashley!"
>[UNSTABLE RESOLVE] "I'm Nicole Smith. This is just how I've always been. I think it's easier if I showed you." Let UNSTABLE talk to her for a bit.
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] "You think I enjoy losing my god damn mind every time I use my powers? News flash, it sucks for me too! But I can't afford to not use them. It's the only way I can protect the people I care about!"
>"I'm sorry. I know that doesn't absolve me of anything but I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you or make you feel like this, you know?"
>"These missions are the only job I have. I really don't have an option here. I just hope and pray my boss doesn't send me on a suicide mission."
>"I can't force you to work with me, Ashley. I doubt you work just for the money either. Like it or not, you care about me. And I care about you."
>You have something else to say. (Write in.)
>Write in.
>>
>>5970145
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] "You think I like having spooks hunting me down? You think I WANT everyone I remotely talk to is put on a glowie blacklist? It fucking sucks for me too, Ashley!"
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] "You think I enjoy losing my god damn mind every time I use my powers? News flash, it sucks for me too! But I can't afford to not use them. It's the only way I can protect the people I care about!"
>"I'm sorry. I know that doesn't absolve me of anything but I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you or make you feel like this, you know?"
>"These missions are the only job I have. I really don't have an option here. I just hope and pray my boss doesn't send me on a suicide mission."
>"I can't force you to work with me, Ashley. I doubt you work just for the money either. Like it or not, you care about me. And I care about you."
>>
>>5970179
+1
Like it or not, the glowies mean the struggle is real.
Why do you not want to do UNSTABLE RESOLVE here, anon? Not a good place for it?
>>
>>5970194
I don't think a person scared of our unstability will be mollified by showing even more of it.
>>
>>5970145
>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] "Every district I've been to sucks in a unique way. Every company I learn about has some fucked up secret. I'm doing what little I can to improve the world through the means achievable to me."
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] "You think I like having spooks hunting me down? You think I WANT everyone I remotely talk to is put on a glowie blacklist? It fucking sucks for me too, Ashley!"
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] "You think I enjoy losing my god damn mind every time I use my powers? News flash, it sucks for me too! But I can't afford to not use them. It's the only way I can protect the people I care about!"
>"I'm sorry. I know that doesn't absolve me of anything but I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you or make you feel like this, you know?"
>"I can't force you to work with me, Ashley. I doubt you work just for the money either. Like it or not, you care about me. And I care about you."
Question Anon: If we somehow get the option to work a safe and comfortable high-paying but bored job and a nest permit, will you take it?
>>
>>5970202
Do we even want to stop being cleaner?
>>
>>5970196
Best saved to max rapport or after some seriously amazing occasion then.

>>5970212
If corpos gave an offer Nicole couldn't refuse, could Nicole refuse it? She's not Admin. She isn't needlessly self-sacrificing. Everything we did we did because it was the best way through while benefiting... though all inning with UNSTABLE ruins that delusion. We could have simply played safe every step of the way against Admiral, minimized all damage to allies, and not gotten all this loot or respect. But we did not. Look at past missions too.
>>
>>5970217
>"These missions are the only job I have. I really don't have an option here. I just hope and pray my boss doesn't send me on a suicide mission."

Yeah, this is why I don’t put this option in my vote.
>>
>>5970145
Changing vote from >>5970194 to backing >>5970202
>>
>>5970132
>Adam and Benedict saw us nekkid to the organs
How lewd

>>5970145
>>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] "Every district I've been to sucks in a unique way. Every company I learn about has some fucked up secret. I'm doing what little I can to improve the world through the means achievable to me."
>>[PERSON OF INTEREST] "You think I like having spooks hunting me down? You think I WANT everyone I remotely talk to is put on a glowie blacklist? It fucking sucks for me too, Ashley!"
>>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] "You think I enjoy losing my god damn mind every time I use my powers? News flash, it sucks for me too! But I can't afford to not use them. It's the only way I can protect the people I care about!"
>>
>>5970202
+1

This looks good, and yeah I do think Nicole enjoys the missions to some extent and if offered something boring and safe would probably go crazy.
>>
Question Anon: Do any of you have a theory on why we can read admiral and Benedict thought despite both being anomalies?
>>
>>5970298
We took a mindread upgrade in the past.
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>>5970301
Then why don’t we detect the creepy lady's many arm anomalies thought despite getting an upgrade?

https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/5893937/
No.5913845
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>>5970298
There’s a couple things that might allow it.
1. Both Benedict and the Admiral were originally human. That might allow a connection that doesn’t exist, since not all anomalies were human.
2. It could be Nicole feels a special connection to them in the situations she’s in.
3. We did get the antlers which might allow us to “tune in” as it were when before we couldn’t.
Those are off the top of my head as guessed why.
>>
>>5970145
>>5970179
I will support this. Maybe add in we are going to do everything in our power to make sure our friends make it back. Even if it hurts us, even if we die in the process.

>>5970298
>>5970328
Number 1 is probably right. The other anomalies just manifested, Concepts forming out of the pure Ether of human subconsciousness. The Admiral and Benny are humans who had the "Concept" latch on or embodied it to such a degree, they manifested it themselves, with in themselves.
>>
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PERSON OF INTEREST: ALL
ANOMALOUS ABILITIES: ALL
I'M SORRY: ALL but LWN
CAN'T FORCE YOU: ALL but LWN
ONLY JOB I HAVE: 4rc, qyJ
SCHOLAR OF THE CITY: 8u5, IkB, YsV, LWN

Pretty solid majority in PERSON OF INTEREST + ANOMALOUS ABILITIES + SORRY + CAN'T FORCE + SCHOLAR, all of them have over half of the voters picking for them.

Cutting off vote, writing.
>>
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"I'm sorry." That's the first thing that comes out of your mouth and by the looks of it, Ashley is going to maul you for the half assed apology. "I know that doesn't absolve me of anything but I'm sorry. Do you think I enjoy making people around me worry? To feel like this?"

"I get that, I really do." Ashley is clearly trying to force herself to stay calm and level headed. For your own sake if nothing else. "It's just every single time I work with you, some fucking psychic death spiral bullshit happens and I get hit in the crossfires."

"Oh! Inane psychic bullshit!" Your eye twitches for a brief moment. "You think I enjoy losing my god damn mind every time I use my powers? News flash, it sucks for me too! But every single mission I've been on, I needed them to survive." You step right up to Ashley with a snarl growing on your face.

"Ace Strikers, I used puppeteering and telekinesis to win the fights we were in! Casino, I used my mind reading to get valuable information! Today, puppeteering and mind reading and telekinesis all helped in keeping up ALIVE! I'm fucking sorry that I sometimes go a bit crazy but AT LEAST WE'RE FUCKING ALIVE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT IT, ASHLEY!"

Before she even has time to say anything else, you keep on going. "AND FUCK! YOU THINK I LIKE HAVING SPOOKS HUNTING ME DOWN? YOU THINK I WANT EVERYONE I REMOTELY TALK TO IS PUT ON A GLOWIE BLACKLIST? IT FUCKING SUCKS FOR ME TOO, ASHLEY!"

[UNSTABLE] Something is running down your face. Wet and warm. You feel a burning, seething heat in your antlers. Your head is FUCKING THROBBING.

"It's a catch god damn twenty two! I don't use my powers, we die. If I do use them, glowies hunt after me and everyone I fucking care about! What else CAN I do? I-I'm fucking sorry that I am the way I am but I'm just trying my best, okay?" You choke out as you try, in sheer futility, to keep yourself under control.

The two of you just stand there in silence, staring down at each other. Lex tries his best to say something but anything that comes out of his mouth comes out as a confused, hesitant murmur.

"Fuck." Ashley hisses through clenched teeth. "I. Yeah, yeah, I get that. I. Can I be honest with you?" All you can do is nod while trying your best to choke back a sob. Ashley sits back down, leaning against one of the many cargo crates.

"I'm just scared. I can't really name the last time I ever felt like this. Sure, I get worried about whether my next performance is going to be good but it's nothing like this."

"A-again, I'm trying, Ashley, I really-"

"I know. It's just...that whole thing about anomalies and concepts and after hearing about Benedict, I just wonder. What if I ended up like you two? What if I end up as some barely holding together psychic mess or, god forbid, an anomaly?"

"What?" Lex makes a noise half between a laugh and a grunt. "Ash, bud, not to insult Bene or Nicky but they're outliers. You're not going to end up like them."

"No. I could've." Ashley chuckles to herself.
>>
"2250, 2249, fuck if I know. Was still going to high school. All I cared about was some stupid fucking band and whatever weird trend Patricia told me I should follow through." Ashley taps her fingers on the floor. "I didn't know who I was back then. And that really fucking got to me. Like, who 'is' Ashley? You know?"

"And one night, it got bad. Real bad. Was stuck in my room because, I know this makes me sound crazy, this...this fucking voice kept badgering me. Couldn't tell if it was a man or woman." Ashley's voice begins to crack as she recalls this story. "Kept fucking whispering shit I couldn't understand and, I dunno, like it was pushing me to something."

"T-then, after that, I dunno. I just...tried to suppress all of this emotional shit. Because if I let my guard down for a MOMENT, I- I don't know what I would've done. That's why you scare me so much, Nicole. Maybe I would've turned out like you."

[UNSTABLE] We. We've heard that voice before.
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Once when we first started as a Cleaner, once while mediating, and once when we messed with Phillip's ritual circle.
[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Did Benedict hear that voice? Did the Admiral hear that voice? Before turning into what they were?

Lex leans against one of the walls of the cargo room. "You didn't. That's the thing, though. I understand freaking out when Nicole has one of her episodes but constantly worrying about when she's going to 'pop' or if you're going to 'pop' instead of actually addressing the root issue is retarded."

"She scares me too sometimes when she does weird shit, I relate with ya there, but you can't just keep all of your stress and personal shit bottled up either. Otherwise, shit like this happens. We're lucky it only blew up AFTER everything was done but imagine if you two started ripping into each other in the middle of a mission! That would fuck us over WAY more than any episode SHE has."

You try to say something but Lex stops you with a sharp tsk. Ashley looks embarrassed more than anything as Lex keeps on talking.

"Fuck. Just TRY to talk to each other more often. You gotta be able to handle this shit like adults instead of yelling at each other."

You take a moment to find the right words, before turning back to Ashley. "If you want to stop going with me on these missions, this is your time to leave. But you know what I think?" You stand back up, trying your best to regain your balance. "The fact you're even telling me about all of this tells me you don't see this as just a job. Like it or not, you care about me. And I care about you. And you know what people who care about each other should do?"

"Instead of worrying about if I'm going to explode, you help me. Instead of letting your own thoughts fester, I help you. We're friends, aren't we? I do these missions so I can help my friends! Every district and company I've interacted with sucks! I want to do SOMETHING to help the world, even a tiny bit. Even if that's just helping a friend out."
>>
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"Fuck. Yeah, yeah, I guess you're right." Ashley forces herself to stand back up. "Everything's just been happening so fast, I guess I never really had a time to properly register and process everything. You know, keep pushing forward so I don't die and all of that."

"I get that." Lex nods. "At least you two managed to clear the air. Just, fuck, talk to each other more. Try to understand why the other person acts the way they do. Unless you two want to have another woman moment like this down the line."

"FUCK YOU."
"Fuck you!" The two of you hiss at Lex...before breaking out into a shared laughing fit. Even Lex cracks a smirk.

"Yeah. Shit, I can't really blame you for why you do this shit. I guess I just assumed you were a crazy schizo." Ashley rubs the back of her neck with a sheepish smile. "Guess all it took was just talking to you to actually understand, you know?"

"Yeah. Funny how that works. And I guess I understand why you're so worried about me being a schizo." You shrug. "...Wanna see something blow up?"

"YES."
"FUCK YES." Lex and Ashley yell at the same time. Immediately on cue, the three of you are shunted over to what appears to be the engine room of the Admiral's Ship. Ah. Funny. You promptly plant your pipe bombs and frag grenades by the engine of the ship before starting a 30 minute timer on the pipe bomb-

OH GOD YOU'RE GETTING WARPED AGAIN.

By the time the three of you regain your senses, you're already back on the S.S. FREEDOM. Lex and Ashley have to take a moment to purge their stomachs due to the sheer nausea of being teleported all over the place. You notice that you three have teleported right next to the Admiral's corpse. Hm. "Hey, Lex, Ashley. Mind getting the other two real quick?"

It takes a moment for them to recover but once they purge their stomachs, Lex flashes a thumbs up and rushes over to get Adam and Benedict. He returns with the two goons...and Abraham? Abraham simply flashes a small smile before holding out a small package to you. Oh! Pay day. You hand him over the Victorian Bell and, after he checks it over, he nods and hands you another package.

"For the services provided for killing that foul beast, I must give you this." He hands over some small envelopes to your other allies. When they open their own envelopes, each of them has $350 in them. "I know she has paid you already but consider this a treat from me." Shame that you can't use THAT money but to be frank, your allies deserve it.

You check through your packages.

>MISSON COMPLETED!
>OPTIONAL OBJECTIVE: COMPLETED! CHECKMATED THE ADMIRAL: COMPLETED!
>REWARDS: $1888, +2 VIOLENCE and +1 MAX FLESH PERMANENTLY TO YOU AND ALL ALLIES, 4 A-ENERGY CAPSULES, 3 BOXES OF HIGH QUALITY SEAFOOD (If used on a corporate entity or representative, counts as using a CORPORATE FAVOR. If used on an ally, +1 RAPPORT)

Kickass! You gesture at your four allies and the Captain to follow you as you stand by the Admiral's corpse. You gotta take a picture of this.
>>
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You quickly snap some pictures of your group around the dead body. Seven pictures, one for all six of you to have a memento and one for Kiara.

>-7 CHARGES ON DIGITAL CAMERA! 9 LEFT!
>+7 ADMIRAL CORPSE PHOTOS!

You hand five of the pictures to your allies + Abraham and oh right you set some explosives in the ship that are going to explode soon.

Using your telekinesis and, you begin to carry the Admiral's body all the way over to the enemy pirate ship the S.S. FREEDOM has been dragging around this whole time.

You lay the corpse flat on the deck of the pirate ship before heading back to the front of the ship where your allies are currently at. You take a deep breath and, focusing through your antlers, you start pushing the enemy pirate ship with your mind. It hurts to move this much at once but it's going to be SO fucking cool.

>-2 RESTRAINT!
>+1 FROM CIGARETTE REGEN! 5/9 LEFT! CIGARETTE REGEN WEARS OFF!

Your allies, Abraham, and the various sailors around the ship watch on in confusion and awe at the disabled pirate ship moving on its own. And with one last shove, you ram the pirate ship right into the Admiral's Ship. Right on cue, the explosives you placed in the engine room activate. The sound of the ship's hull being torn apart by the pirate ship is immediately drowned out by the massive explosion that erupts from the middle of the ship.

>-2 PIPE BOMBS, -2 FRAG GRENADES

A cloud almost like the mushroom cloud you saw on MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN ERA looms over the massive crater in the middle of the ship. The Admiral's Ship begins to list to the left as the combination of a ship being rammed into it and a massive explosion going off is clearly too much for it. You, your allies, and the crew of the S.S. FREEDOM stand there as the Admiral's Ship slowly begins to sink.

It takes a few hours, as if some force of will is trying to keep it standing up right but whatever anomalous force of will was lingering from the Admiral's Corpse gives up completely. The dreadnought slowly begins to sink underneath the waves after another hour, leaving nothing behind except for a single piece of the ship floating above the surface.

The ship's horn, the one he nearly killed you with, floating like a piece of driftwood. Clinging onto it is a strip of the Admiral's Overcoat. Perhaps he's able to recover from that. Perhaps. That doesn't matter, though.

The zealous and excited cheers of Abraham, your allies, and the crew is all that matters.
>The Crew and Abraham will spread the story of what you did, with some details altered of course, throughout District 19-21. You'll unlock certain interactions when exploring through those districts.

Once the cheering dies down, you pull out your INFINITE SEA MAP. You hold it up to Abraham before pointing at a specific few locations that hold your interest. "May we visit these on our way back?"

Abraham silently nods.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNl68vvveKI - TRIP BACK HOME
>>
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It's been four hours since you've started sailing back home. Most of your allies are trying to wind down after everything that's happened and, frankly, you're too tired to talk to most of them. You really only plan on reading the information on the SILVER AGENTS and the ledger you have.

You're interrupted by Captain Abraham appearing right behind you and tapping you on the back. He points at something and only now do you realize what he's pointing at. You arrived at the island you asked him to bring you too. It's a really small island that's probably only three miles across. A wide array of bizarre looking, colorful plants are plastered all around the sandy island. Every single color you've seen in your life is here. Grey flowers, silver berry bushes, bright magenta weeds, you name it.

You nod to the Captain as you grab a nearby harpoon and throw it towards the Island. Once the rope is taut and properly tied to the railing of the ship, you climb down it and onto the island.

It doesn't take too long to wander around the Island. There's really nothing much to describe aside from the various plants in every shade of color and the wet sand clinging to the soles of your shoes with every step. Except for two things of note. One, you hear an odd whispering in your ear and a weird tingling throughout your whole body.

Two, there's an old shipping crate lodged in the northmost section of the island. There's a symbol of a bright green globe plastered on the side of it. Seems like G-Corp must've lost this somehow. Before you really have time to dwell on what's going on, you hear Abraham yelling out to you from the ship.

"AYE, LASS! BE HASTY! THAT MICRO ISLAND IS A TRICKY DEVIL! IT ONLY STAYS ABOVE THE OCEAN SURFACE FOR TWO HOURS!"

Shit, guess you don't got a lot of time to grab everything here. You grab your lockpick set and with some deft motions, you open the shipping crate's lock. Peering inside, you see...a lot of locked boxes. You doubt you have time to open all of them, carry them back, AND bring back some plants for Benjamin. Time to start thinking on what you're willing to spend time to grab-

The whispering picks back up. I GRANT YOU MY BOON. TAKE IT. And suddenly, something clicks in your head. As if some sort of knowledge or technique is forcefully installed into your head. It takes a moment to regain your focus. Hm.

CHOOSE YOUR BOON FROM THE ADMIRAL!
>[COMPLETE FOCUS] In the face of danger, you'll give them a toothy grin and a wild guffaw! You lose 1 less RESTRAINT from all sources aside from using your powers and when rolling WILLPOWER or RESTRAINT to resist an anomaly's influence, you roll d8s instead of d6s.
>[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND] With a single command, your allies will do their best to help you achieve a goal. When your allies assist you in a check, you gain an additional +1d3 to the roll per ally assisting you. and in combat, your allies roll an additional +2d8 when attacking.
>>
>[RELENTLESS PURSUIT] No obstacle is able to stop you once you're deadset on something. No matter the state of your body or mind. For every 3 points of damage between your RESTRAINT and FLESH totals, you gain +1d6 to all checks. (e.g if your FLESH is 3/6 and your RESTRAINT is 6/9, you gain +2d6)

Choose three plants to bring back home.
>RUSTED SILVER BERRIES x5. Something about them smells like INDUSTRY and PROGRESS! (When eaten raw, grants +2d4 to any CHARM or CONNECTION roll made when interacting with Q-Corp or a Drone. Drugs made with it as an ingredient will boost CONNECTIONS, CHARM, and TALENT.)
>SINFUL ROSE x5. You recognize this in some old N-Corp literature. The bright blue roses feel weird to look at. (Useless to you raw. Drugs made with it gain will grant RESTRAINT regeneration.)
>TOBACCO? LEAF x4. You're pretty sure tobacco isn't supposed to have spikes on it...? (When smoked raw, grants a +3d8 boost to your next WILLPOWER roll at the cost of 1 RESTRAINT. Drugs made with it are vastly more potent but will cost RESTRAINT when used.)
>DULL GREY BLOSSOM x4. What is there to say about it? (Useless raw. Drugs made with it will have weakened effects but will have a greatly extended duration.)
>MINT GREEN CHERRIES x5. Your hands feel weird and tingly when you pick them. (Eating them will heal 1 RESTRAINT and FLESH at the cost of temporarily reducing COGNIZANCE and TALENT by 1. Drugs made with it will help negate or heal STAT/HEALTH damage.)
>BLEEDING WEED x5. Smells like rot. (Useless raw. Drugs made with it will boost VIOLENCE or offer FLESH regeneration.)
>Another plant catches your eye... (Write in. Describe what kind of plant you're looking for.)

Choose three boxes to steal from the cargo container. You won't know what's inside most of them until you open them.
>FREEZING COLD BOX. A symbol of an icicle twisted into an I is stamped on it. (Has three items. May include cryo grenades, extreme weather equipment, useful chemicals for Benjamin, and other ice or winter related equipment.)
>SQUIRMING BOX. A symbol of a Q is stamped on it. (Holds two items. May have useful biological implants, integrated tools, or pheromones to use on yourself or Quentin.)
>MEDICAL BOX. A red cross is stamped onto it. Smells like disinfectant. (Has three items. May contain variety of random drugs, healing supplies, or surgical equipment.)
>MYSTERY BOX. It tempts you! (Has eight random items. You have NO idea what could be inside this thing. Could have trash, could have something highly valuable.)
>SEAFARER'S BOX. This isn't locked but it's heavy. (+FISH BUNDLE (RARE) x3, +HARPOON GAUNTLET, +3 BOTTLES OF MERMAID WINE, +WHALEBONE BODY ARMOR.)
>BLOODSTAINED BOX. Smells of gunpower and blood. (Has four items. Will contain various ammo bundles, explosives, combat trinkets, and other useful combat equipment.)

This will be the last vote before you arrive back home. You'll finally get the INFORMATION on the spooks and from the ledger next update.
>>
>>5970705
>[RELENTLESS PURSUIT] No obstacle is able to stop you once you're deadset on something. No matter the state of your body or mind. For every 3 points of damage between your RESTRAINT and FLESH totals, you gain +1d6 to all checks. (e.g if your FLESH is 3/6 and your RESTRAINT is 6/9, you gain +2d6)
We are going to do an anomalies hunting mission, we are definitely going to get hurt a lot.

>RUSTED SILVER BERRIES x5. Something about them smells like INDUSTRY and PROGRESS! (When eaten raw, grants +2d4 to any CHARM or CONNECTION roll made when interacting with Q-Corp or a Drone. Drugs made with it as an ingredient will boost CONNECTIONS, CHARM, and TALENT.)
We don't have a CONNECTIONS and CHARM drug, so this is needed if we fail a CONNECTIONS or CHARM roll in the future.
>SINFUL ROSE x5. You recognize this in some old N-Corp literature. The bright blue roses feel weird to look at. (Useless to you raw. Drugs made with it gain will grant RESTRAINT regeneration.)
RESTRAINT regeneration is useful.
>BLEEDING WEED x5. Smells like rot. (Useless raw. Drugs made with it will boost VIOLENCE or offer FLESH regeneration.)
Our stats VIOLENCE are 4

>FREEZING COLD BOX. A symbol of an icicle twisted into an I is stamped on it. (Has three items. May include cryo grenades, extreme weather equipment, useful chemicals for Benjamin, and other ice or winter related equipment.)
This will come in handy in the future.
>MEDICAL BOX. A red cross is stamped onto it. Smells like disinfectant. (Has three items. May contain variety of random drugs, healing supplies, or surgical equipment.)
Our medical supplies are running low.
>BLOODSTAINED BOX. Smells of gunpower and blood. (Has four items. Will contain various ammo bundles, explosives, combat trinkets, and other useful combat equipment.)
We are going to do an anomalies hunting mission, so this is required.
>>
Mission setup ideas:
>[ANOMALOUS] "We got reports of a certain anomaly that's been terrorizing District 14. Some sort of big crash test dummy thing called APEX PREDATOR? Whatever it is, it's been killing a lot of people. Recontain or weaken it enough for the ETF to get." REWARD: $1345, improved favor with P-Corp, 5 A-Energy packets for recovering a high valued anomaly for P-Corp. RISK LEVEL: HIGH. Regardless of who you pick, Benjamin and Max will offer you intel to help you on this mission.

Team setup ideas:
BENJAMIN, MAX, FRANK, WENDY

Should we bring NAOMI on mission too for her Boons?
>>
>>5970705
Good updates. I'm enjoying the aftermath of this mission.
>[RELENTLESS PURSUIT] No obstacle is able to stop you once you're deadset on something. No matter the state of your body or mind. For every 3 points of damage between your RESTRAINT and FLESH totals, you gain +1d6 to all checks. (e.g if your FLESH is 3/6 and your RESTRAINT is 6/9, you gain +2d6)
Great berserker trait and will be a good buff when we need it.
>RUSTED SILVER BERRIES x5. Something about them smells like INDUSTRY and PROGRESS! (When eaten raw, grants +2d4 to any CHARM or CONNECTION roll made when interacting with Q-Corp or a Drone. Drugs made with it as an ingredient will boost CONNECTIONS, CHARM, and TALENT.)
>SINFUL ROSE x5. You recognize this in some old N-Corp literature. The bright blue roses feel weird to look at. (Useless to you raw. Drugs made with it gain will grant RESTRAINT regeneration.)
>MINT GREEN CHERRIES x5. Your hands feel weird and tingly when you pick them. (Eating them will heal 1 RESTRAINT and FLESH at the cost of temporarily reducing COGNIZANCE and TALENT by 1. Drugs made with it will help negate or heal STAT/HEALTH damage.)
Break glass in case of emergency healing.
>FREEZING COLD BOX. A symbol of an icicle twisted into an I is stamped on it. (Has three items. May include cryo grenades, extreme weather equipment, useful chemicals for Benjamin, and other ice or winter related equipment.)
Looks useful.
>MYSTERY BOX. It tempts you! (Has eight random items. You have NO idea what could be inside this thing. Could have trash, could have something highly valuable.)
...Ok, 8 items is a decent chance for something good. Also just MYSTERY
>MEDICAL BOX. A red cross is stamped onto it. Smells like disinfectant. (Has three items. May contain variety of random drugs, healing supplies, or surgical equipment.)
Medical supplies would be great to have. We are running low.
>>
>>5970704
>[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND] With a single command, your allies will do their best to help you achieve a goal. When your allies assist you in a check, you gain an additional +1d3 to the roll per ally assisting you. and in combat, your allies roll an additional +2d8 when attacking.

>RUSTED SILVER BERRIES x5. Something about them smells like INDUSTRY and PROGRESS! (When eaten raw, grants +2d4 to any CHARM or CONNECTION roll made when interacting with Q-Corp or a Drone. Drugs made with it as an ingredient will boost CONNECTIONS, CHARM, and TALENT.)

>SINFUL ROSE x5. You recognize this in some old N-Corp literature. The bright blue roses feel weird to look at. (Useless to you raw. Drugs made with it gain will grant RESTRAINT regeneration.)

>BLEEDING WEED x5. Smells like rot. (Useless raw. Drugs made with it will boost VIOLENCE or offer FLESH regeneration.)

>MYSTERY BOX. It tempts you! (Has eight random items. You have NO idea what could be inside this thing. Could have trash, could have something highly valuable.)

>MEDICAL BOX. A red cross is stamped onto it. Smells like disinfectant. (Has three items. May contain variety of random drugs, healing supplies, or surgical equipment.)

>SQUIRMING BOX. A symbol of a Q is stamped on it. (Holds two items. May have useful biological implants, integrated tools, or pheromones to use on yourself or Quentin.)
>>
>>5970704
>>[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND] With a single command, your allies will do their best to help you achieve a goal. When your allies assist you in a check, you gain an additional +1d3 to the roll per ally assisting you. and in combat, your allies roll an additional +2d8 when attacking.

>>5970705
>RUSTED SILVER BERRIES x5. Something about them smells like INDUSTRY and PROGRESS! (When eaten raw, grants +2d4 to any CHARM or CONNECTION roll made when interacting with Q-Corp or a Drone. Drugs made with it as an ingredient will boost CONNECTIONS, CHARM, and TALENT.)
>SINFUL ROSE x5. You recognize this in some old N-Corp literature. The bright blue roses feel weird to look at. (Useless to you raw. Drugs made with it gain will grant RESTRAINT regeneration.)
>BLEEDING WEED x5. Smells like rot. (Useless raw. Drugs made with it will boost VIOLENCE or offer FLESH regeneration.)

>FREEZING COLD BOX. A symbol of an icicle twisted into an I is stamped on it. (Has three items. May include cryo grenades, extreme weather equipment, useful chemicals for Benjamin, and other ice or winter related equipment.)
>SEAFARER'S BOX. This isn't locked but it's heavy. (+FISH BUNDLE (RARE) x3, +HARPOON GAUNTLET, +3 BOTTLES OF MERMAID WINE, +WHALEBONE BODY ARMOR.)
>BLOODSTAINED BOX. Smells of gunpower and blood. (Has four items. Will contain various ammo bundles, explosives, combat trinkets, and other useful combat equipment.)
>>
>>5970704
>>5970705
>[RELENTLESS PURSUIT] No obstacle is able to stop you once you're deadset on something. No matter the state of your body or mind. For every 3 points of damage between your RESTRAINT and FLESH totals, you gain +1d6 to all checks. (e.g if your FLESH is 3/6 and your RESTRAINT is 6/9, you gain +2d6)
This applies to escaping too, which fits our deer girl here

>SINFUL ROSE x5. You recognize this in some old N-Corp literature. The bright blue roses feel weird to look at. (Useless to you raw. Drugs made with it gain will grant RESTRAINT regeneration.)
More RESTRAINT regen! Also, blue? Is this a Gloom or Pride rose then?
>MINT GREEN CHERRIES x5. Your hands feel weird and tingly when you pick them. (Eating them will heal 1 RESTRAINT and FLESH at the cost of temporarily reducing COGNIZANCE and TALENT by 1. Drugs made with it will help negate or heal STAT/HEALTH damage.)
TALENT drop sucks because our Nicole is a gun girl, but the life-saving power is important
>RUSTED SILVER BERRIES x5. Something about them smells like INDUSTRY and PROGRESS! (When eaten raw, grants +2d4 to any CHARM or CONNECTION roll made when interacting with Q-Corp or a Drone. Drugs made with it as an ingredient will boost CONNECTIONS, CHARM, and TALENT.)
I bet our bro Quentin will love these. I'm partial to BLEEDING WEED too, but this is a tough last choice

>MYSTERY BOX. It tempts you! (Has eight random items. You have NO idea what could be inside this thing. Could have trash, could have something highly valuable.)
WHAT'S IN THE FUCKING BOX?!?!?!
>MEDICAL BOX. A red cross is stamped onto it. Smells like disinfectant. (Has three items. May contain variety of random drugs, healing supplies, or surgical equipment.)
We burned a lot on Admiral, and for good reason. Every HP consumable has been well worth it, but they won't help us KILL faster
>FREEZING COLD BOX. A symbol of an icicle twisted into an I is stamped on it. (Has three items. May include cryo grenades, extreme weather equipment, useful chemicals for Benjamin, and other ice or winter related equipment.)
Nicole currently lives in a very cold area of G Corp District, but has no relation or connection to I Corp. We hard passed on going for their abandoned wing district suicide mission treasure hunt, as TV MAN and Gregory told us. Never met a rep at that restaurant either. If we have to flee to another District, Nicole's used enough to the cold that a move to I Corp District could be decent. For now, this icebox is a great cooler for all that fish
>>
>>5970691
>Casino, I used my mind reading to get valuable information! Today, puppeteering and mind reading and telekinesis all helped in keeping us ALIVE!
Please tell me the silvers didn't get that. Please.
>>
>>5970704
Damn, Lex is significantly deeper than he seemed.
>[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND] With a single command, your allies will do their best to help you achieve a goal. When your allies assist you in a check, you gain an additional +1d3 to the roll per ally assisting you. and in combat, your allies roll an additional +2d8 when attacking.
2d8 per ally is insane
>RUSTED SILVER BERRIES x5. Something about them smells like INDUSTRY and PROGRESS! (When eaten raw, grants +2d4 to any CHARM or CONNECTION roll made when interacting with Q-Corp or a Drone. Drugs made with it as an ingredient will boost CONNECTIONS, CHARM, and TALENT.)
We need more Charm boosters
>SINFUL ROSE x5. You recognize this in some old N-Corp literature. The bright blue roses feel weird to look at. (Useless to you raw. Drugs made with it gain will grant RESTRAINT regeneration.)
>MINT GREEN CHERRIES x5. Your hands feel weird and tingly when you pick them. (Eating them will heal 1 RESTRAINT and FLESH at the cost of temporarily reducing COGNIZANCE and TALENT by 1. Drugs made with it will help negate or heal STAT/HEALTH damage.)

>SQUIRMING BOX. A symbol of a Q is stamped on it. (Holds two items. May have useful biological implants, integrated tools, or pheromones to use on yourself or Quentin.)
>MEDICAL BOX. A red cross is stamped onto it. Smells like disinfectant. (Has three items. May contain variety of random drugs, healing supplies, or surgical equipment.)
>MYSTERY BOX. It tempts you! (Has eight random items. You have NO idea what could be inside this thing. Could have trash, could have something highly valuable.)
>>
>>5970759 #
Change/edit
>[RELENTLESS PURSUIT]
Switch to
>[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND]

>BLEEDING WEED
Switch to
>MINT GREEN CHERRIES
I just realized we got our VIOLENCE 4 upgrade to 6.

>BLOODSTAINED BOX.
Switch to
>MYSTERY BOX.
>>
>>5971004
We were on the Admiral's boat, +1000 miles from the city with just our allies around. We are probably safe as we could reasonably be, as far as they are concerned. But who knows, they might have a bullshit Singularity that lets them spy on someone no mater where they are.
>>
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>>5971004
>>5971196
Look, to clear any doubts, they did not hear you. If they had perfect knowledge on you, your developing abilities, where you are, and what you were saying at all times? They probably would've done something to you LONG before your career as a Cleaner even started.
That also implies you're somehow a big enough threat to be constantly observed 24/7, seven days a week, 365 days a year. If you were that much of a threat, you probably would've been stuck in a containment cell or something.
>>
>>5971204
Look OP, I stay noided. I've seen footage on MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN ERA. Everybody's knowin where ya think you're goin ain't goin nowhere
>>
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[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND] As you clear your throat, you notice that your voice sounds slightly different now. It's barely noticeable but as you mutter out some words, there's a slight reverb? Echo? applied to them. Like two different takes of the words you're being said played over each other with a quarter second delay. Doesn't sound half bad or even that off-putting but it's just THERE now.

>+CAPTAIN'S COMMAND BOON!

Whatever, you'll dwell on it later. "Feh." You mutter to yourself. It's just barely noticeable and you're already starting to tune it out but it's there. You clear your throat for a moment. "Testing." And it's not there anymore. Or you already tuned out hearing it in your own voice.

You kneel in front of the many locked boxes. Time to start picking some locks. The one that draws your attention first is the MYSTERY BOX. It's a very non-descript looking metal shipping crate with a simple "?" spray painted on the side.

[UNSTABLE] WHAT'S IN THE BOX? WHAT'S IN THE FUCKING BOX? NICKY, C'MON, WE GOTTA CHECK IT!

With all of your previous experience in picking open locks on the door of abandoned buildings and the high quality lockpicking equipment you have, you force the lock open pretty easily. And, uh. The first thing you're hit with is the smell of something rotting inside.

[UNSTABLE] OH. oh.

MYSTERY BOX TRASH DISCARDED!
>ROTTEN CORPSE (That's just a body of a dead man with horns growing all over his body. No way you're touching that.)
>BROKEN SYRINGES x4 (Worthless trash.)

MYSTERY BOX LOOT OBTAINED!
>VICTORY GIN x2 (A bottle with a foul smelling, colorless liquid. A hand making a peace sign is stamped on the side of the bottle. Heals 1 RESTRAINT but has a 50% chance to reduce a random non-RESTRAINT stat by 1 for a short duration.)
>EXPIRED SINSUL ALPHA x3 (Three navy blue pills crumbling inside of a plastic bag. While active, boosts FLESH, VIOLENCE, and TALENT by 1 and reduces COGNIZANCE, WILLPOWER, and CHARM by 1.)
>LUCK INVERTER. A small boxy device produced by L-Corp with various buttons and gizmos on it. (Consumed on use, inverts all of the dice a target of your choice rolled. i.e if someone rolls d6s, 1 <--> 6, 2 <--> 5, 3 <--> 4)
>HOLY OIL x3 (A bright white fluid blessed by five N-Corp Cardinals. When applied to a weapon or piece of ammo, the next attack made inflicts ESOTERIC DAMAGE. ESOTERIC DAMAGE bypasses most forms of protection and deals hard to heal STAT damage to a target.)
>EMP GRENADE x2 (When used on a mechanical anomaly, android, or cyborg, you roll an extra 4d6 dice when attacking it and deal automatic FLESH damage to them. Targets multiple enemies. Disables nearby electronics and implants for a short duration.)
>REFINED ZANAL x2 (When consumed, +1 to all stats and you roll d8s for the next two rolls you make. Wears off after your second roll. No downside.)

Examining the corpse in further detail, the only thing you can make out besides the mass of horns growing all throughout his body is his odd uniform.
>>
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The fabric is darker, darker, yet even darker than anything you've seen. A vantablack suit with veins and trails of teal running throughout the sleeves and seams of the suit covers what little of his body isn't completely mutated. Ripping off a piece of fabric only results in it crumbling into black powder moments after being separated from the suit.

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] You've heard rumors of something called "Parfaite" branded fabric used by very important corporate officials, mostly B-Company, but aside from that you have no idea what it does.

You don't really have time to dwell on the mutated corpse. Second box time. Your attention is drawn to a bright white icebox that looks like it would be used to store important organs or chemicals that need to be kept in cold storage. Cracking it open...

FREEZING COLD BOX LOOT!
>ANAMALA ACID SUPPLY (Needs to be kept in cold storage, explodes at room temperature. When given to Benjamin, he unlocks the ability to create potent explosives and lethal gasses at the cost of 2 charges of his boon.)
>FUR LINED UNIFORMS x6 (Produced in collaboration with I and C-Company. Contains a bulky fur jacket, gloves, thermal pants, boots, and winter googles. Reduces all FLESH damage taken from extreme cold by 1 [can reduce to 0]. Wearable over most armors.)
>ICY BLOOD VIAL x3 (When used on Quentin, massively extends the lifespan of the body he inhabits. When used on anything else, deals lingering FLESH and RESTRAINT damage from the freezing cold.)

And the last box is the bulky red and white MEDICAL BOX. Cracking it open, you find...
MEDICAL BOX LOOT!
>GAUZE ROLLS x4 (Consumed on use. Can heal one FLESH, temporarily negate a crippling injury, or to heal a CRIPPLING INJURY if used with UVX.)
>"UVX MODEL #222" x2 (A experimental X-Corp ointment altered due to recent training data from a 'N.S.', meant for topical application. Applies FLESH regeneration and boosts max FLESH by 1 while active. Still has side effects when used.)
>AUTOSTIMPAK x2 (Automatically consumes when you take a CRIPPLING INJURY or fall below half FLESH. Negates a CRIPPLING INJURY or heals FLESH until you're at half FLESH.)

As you check over all of the loot, you feel something wet soaking into your shoes. Ah shit, the water level is already rising. You quickly pick up the icebox with ease (due to your notably improving physique) while dragging the other crates out with your telekinesis. You make a mad dash back to the ship, using your telekinesis to quickly pick some plants from the island and storing them in one of the boxes.

>+SINFUL ROSES, RUSTED SILVER BERRIES, MINTY GREEN CHERRIES!

You manage to get back to the ship with all of your loot right as the island sinks back underneath the waves. You would question how the plants manage to survive being submerged in salt water but then you remember that's not remotely the weirdest thing you saw out here.

You toss your FISH BUNDLES into the icebox as you finally get a moment to sit down and read...
>>
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You crack open the old envelope that the Admiral gave you. It contains a single yellowed sheet of paper with curvy, fluid cursive written all over it. Let's see.

"The Silver Agents are a group consisting of various highly trained government agents who were tasked with keeping up a veil of normalcy throughout the City. They were originally the highest ranking agents of a previous B-Company. However, Old B (as I will refer to it) was forcefully removed from its position in 2095 and was replaced by what is now referred to as 'The Eye' due to a conflict with the Head."
"From my personal knowledge, Old B was tasked with a project referred to as 'City Zeitgeist Adjustment'. The details on this are, sadly, unknown even to me. All I know is that they constantly asked me for old relics I had to be used for this project. The older, the better."
"That and they partnered with T-Company in order to speed up the progress of the project. After Old B disbanded, the Silver Agents were only left with their Singularity. Their Singularity, which I know was used in their project, allowed for the complete distortion and erasure of personally identifying details of whoever was affected by it.'
"Essentially, people affected by the Singularity no longer exist in any known public records (even the Head's) and are nearly impossible to recognize. In addition, they may focus to even obscure the sounds they make. Their singularity's effects are weakened whenever physical evidence of their presence is recorded and stored after their Singularity affects a target, like photographs and documents about them and their activities"
"With your information about them seeking out anomalies, I believe I can gleam one new detail about them. If they seek to create and understand anomalies, perhaps they wish to gain access to the concepts that make up anomalies. The yoke of the subconscious."

It's not a lot but it's certainly useful information to know. The yoke of the subconscious, huh? Given that their singularity alters perception and they seem involved with keeping normalcy...

[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Perhaps they wish to fundamentally alter how people perceive things in their favor.
[PERSON OF INTEREST] Altering the way people see and think to their own benefits. Removing people who oppose them, companies who would have any way to stop them.
[UNSTABLE] COMPLETE AND TOTAL DOMINATION OF THOUGHT. NO WONDER WHY HE HAD MUTUAL INTERESTS WITH THEM. THE ADMIRAL'S WHOLE DEAL WAS POWER AND CONTROL.
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] And if the Head is tasked with preserving knowledge and concepts? No wonder why the Silvers loathe them. They stand in the way of their goal.

You quickly hide the letter away before opening the old ledger. It's going to take a few days but it's not like you have anything else to do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZT5VEfm9y4 - HOME

After three days at sea, you finally see a fucking port.
>>
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Most of your time was spent reading through the ledger, sleeping, and doing menial tasks on the ship while your allies did their own things to pass the time. There would be some friendly chatter here or there but ultimately, all of you just wanted off the fucking boat already. A week stuck out sea sounds fun until you realize you still have to work for basically free during the whole thing.

You managed to some very interesting passages from the the ledger, at least.
"TO P-CORP FACILITY ALPHA-1 ADMINISTRATOR LIORA VOLK, FROM R-CORP HQ: We refuse to agree to your proposal. The last few men we shipped over to your facility have disappeared. We know that you believe your 'Last Shot' abnormality could be useful but we refuse to humor you anymore. Do not contact us again."
"NOTICE FROM S-CORP: Due to recent interference from an unknown organization, we are hampered in our ability to construct new L, R, and P-Corp's containment facilities. Please wait patently as we try to deal with the unknown third party. We will try to hire Cleaners to resolve it."
"TO P-CORP, FROM L-CORP: We know what your fucking Singularity is, you son of a bitch. We're going to fucking kill you. We're going to rip your REFINEMENT machines out for everyone to see. We're going to break into your facility and fucking kill you. See you in three days, bud!"

The moment your ship docks at port, your allies fucking BOOK it off the ship before you even have time to say goodbye. Can't blame them, really. You were starting to lose your mind too.

>You are now by yourself.
>DELICIOUS MEAL wears off. Healed off MAX FLESH and RESTRAINT REDUCTION. FLESH IS NOW 5/5, RESTRAINT IS 5/9.

Suddenly, your phone starts buzzing like hell. Oh right! You finally got signal. You skim through it and, huh, wow. You got some text messages from a LOT of your allies (sans the ones you were working with on the boat journey). All of them essentially consist of them worrying about your condition and why you went radio silent, which you quickly send some reply texts to show you didn't get got.

The moment you finish with that, a certain Handler begins to call you. You quickly answer the call and, huh, the voice on the other end sounds weird. He's clearly sloppy drunk given how he's slurring his words.

"Take as long as you want before, uh, you want another mission. Heard from, fuckin' Abraham whatever. Wild shit. Thanks for artifact. Do whatever the fuck you want, mannnn." Annnnd you immediately get hung up on. Hm. This is. Unusual. Normally you're immediately thrown back into the mission loop but you got as long as you want to unwind, prepare, and explore to your heart's content.

[UNSTABLE] I. DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, NICOLE. WE NORMALLY DON'T GET THIS MUCH TIME TO RUMINATE.
[PERSON OF INTEREST] The Silver Agents probably don't know where we can, so we can do whatever we want right now.
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Shit! We can explore the whole City if we want to! The world is our oyster now!
>>
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What to do? You're probably going back to your apartment to store the three crates you brought back home, at least.

Pick four regular actions and any number of free actions you want.
>Try to get intel from the X-Corp guards stationed back at your apartment. See what you missed the last week or so.
>[MOVIE TICKETS] Hey, we got a day off. Why not bring Kiara and Maruyama out to watch the movie Gregory made about your mission together? (-2 MOVIE TICKETS, +1 RAPPORT to Kiara and Maruyama, you get to pick out two upgrades for both of them, and you get to catch up with them.)
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] Heeyyy, how about we go fuck with the Silver Agents? We do got a location of one of their bases. Head over there and ruin their plans.
>You have a few allies you haven't talked to in a while. Why not hang out with them? (Choose three of the following allies to interact with: CLOVER, CASEY, QUENTIN, FRANK, MAX, BENJAMIN, MARUYAMA. You'll get a chance to catch up with them and learn more about them. In the cases of Quentin, Benjamin, or Maruyama, you also get to pick an upgrade for them even if you don't hire them for your next mission due to their high RAPPORT.)
>So, S-Corp is being meddled by an unknown group? Sounds like glowie shit. Since you're already in S-Corp's district, scout around and see if you can get a whiff on what the glowies are doing.
>Fuck it, you need some YOU time. Wander around S-Corp's district and fucking splurge on some good food, drink, and entertainment for yourself. (-$600, leaving you with $2538. Fully heals RESTRAINT and +1 MAX RESTRAINT until the end of next mission, leaving you at 10/10)
>Time to start shopping time! (Choose between NEAL'S REAL DEALS, WEIRD ANOMALOUS STORE, LILY'S BONES AND BLADES, W-Corp, or J-Corp's catalogs. You may spend multiple actions to visit/use multiple of these.)
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Take some time to fiddle around with your PARADIGMS. Figure out how they work better so you can use them more optimally in the field. (You'll get some nice insight into how all of your PARADIGMs tick and you'll get to improve your with all of them.)
>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] The City is our oyster, we got a day off! Let's go visit a district. (Choose a District from 1-26 you want to visit. You'll get some valuable intel on its culture, the company that rules in, and useful information if you ever go to that district on a mission.)
>Call a contact you have. (FREE ACTION. Write in. Ms. Anjaro to learn about the Wastes? Ms. Wiltshire about the History of the City? The D, W, or J-Corp Rep? Alex to cache in some favors? Someone else?)
>Call Sukane to get some more SET UP TIME actions with his T-Corp connections. (FREE ACTION, -$450 per extra action. Write in how many actions to buy, if any.)
>[UNSTABLE] Call back the Handler. "Listen I have been stuck out at sea for nothing to do and I fucking NEED to do something, PLEASE GOD!" (Skips to MISSION SELECTION, can still be picked with other actions.)
>Write in.
>>
>>5971878
>>[MOVIE TICKETS] Hey, we got a day off. Why not bring Kiara and Maruyama out to watch the movie Gregory made about your mission together? (-2 MOVIE TICKETS, +1 RAPPORT to Kiara and Maruyama, you get to pick out two upgrades for both of them, and you get to catch up with them.)
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Take some time to fiddle around with your PARADIGMS. Figure out how they work better so you can use them more optimally in the field. (You'll get some nice insight into how all of your PARADIGMs tick and you'll get to improve your with all of them.)
>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] The City is our oyster, we got a day off! Let's go visit a district. (Choose a District from 1-26 you want to visit. You'll get some valuable intel on its culture, the company that rules in, and useful information if you ever go to that district on a mission.)
L Corp seems pretty interesting, since they seem to be declaring all out war on P-Corp
>>
Oh, right, didn't really have a place to naturally fit this in the update so here you go, you got some funny imprints of your allies on your NEW YOU PARADIGM.

NEW YOU (ASHLEY + LEX + ADAM + BENEDICT) FORMS REVEALED!
>NEW YOU (ASHLEY) (+1 WILLPOWER, grants the user ADVANCED INTUITION)
>NEW YOU (LEX) (+1 VIOLENCE, grants the user WOLF IN DEER'S CLOTHING)
>NEW YOU (ADAM) (+1 TALENT, grants the user STEADY HANDS)
>NEW YOU (BENEDICT) (+1 MAX FLESH, grants the user PERFECTIONIST)

BOON DETAILS:

[ADVANCED INTUITION] You just KNOW when shit's going to happen, even when you shouldn't. You occasionally get glimpses of the future, offering you information you SHOULD not be able to know.
[WOLF IN DEER'S CLOTHING] People don't notice that you're WAY tougher than a normal person until it's too late. Twice per mission, you may reroll all TALENT, VIOLENCE, OR FLESH dice that rolled a 3 or lower.
[STEADY HANDS] Years of experience and muscle memory from another person are implanted into your subconsciousness. Thrice per mission, you may add half of your RESTRAINT dice to any TALENT roll you make.
[PERFECTIONIST] You won't fail. You can't fail. You're perfect. Once per check, you may spend 2 RESTRAINT to fully reroll all dice you rolled.

I'll update your MAIN CHARACTER sheet with the details of these and the ones you got for Kiara, Alexis, and Naomi + updating your inventory with all of the shit you got tomorrow. Stayed up too late.

>>5971883
You're missing one action, you can pick four actions with this vote.
>>
>>5971878
>Try to get intel from the X-Corp guards stationed back at your apartment. See what you missed the last week or so.
>So, S-Corp is being meddled by an unknown group? Sounds like glowie shit. Since you're already in S-Corp's district, scout around and see if you can get a whiff on what the glowies are doing.
>Fuck it, you need some YOU time. Wander around S-Corp's district and fucking splurge on some good food, drink, and entertainment for yourself. (-$600, leaving you with $2538. Fully heals RESTRAINT and +1 MAX RESTRAINT until the end of next mission, leaving you at 10/10)
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Take some time to fiddle around with your PARADIGMS. Figure out how they work better so you can use them more optimally in the field. (You'll get some nice insight into how all of your PARADIGMs tick and you'll get to improve your with all of them.)
>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] The City is our oyster, we got a day off! Let's go visit a district. (Choose a District from 1-26 you want to visit. You'll get some valuable intel on its culture, the company that rules in, and useful information if you ever go to that district on a mission.)
L-Corp
>Call a contact you have. (FREE ACTION. Write in. Ms. Anjaro to learn about the Wastes? Ms. Wiltshire about the History of the City? The D, W, or J-Corp Rep? Alex to cache in some favors? Someone else?)
Tell Alex that the silver agent is planning something in their district:

"Divert their attention and resources from our operation involving a Type 4 occurring in their section. Any method allowed."
"Record and transmit any confidential plans that might hamper our operations back to HQ."

https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/5893937/
No.5932897

>Call Sukane to get some more SET UP TIME actions with his T-Corp connections. (FREE ACTION, -$450 per extra action. Write in how many actions to buy, if any.)
One action

>>5971883
We should give the movie tickets to Max and Benjamin so they can go watch the movie together for a date.
>>
>>5971878
>[MOVIE TICKETS] Hey, we got a day off. Why not bring Kiara and Maruyama out to watch the movie Gregory made about your mission together? (-2 MOVIE TICKETS, +1 RAPPORT to Kiara and Maruyama, you get to pick out two upgrades for both of them, and you get to catch up with them.)
We also can show Kiara the photos and witness the process of distortion from up close.
>So, S-Corp is being meddled by an unknown group? Sounds like glowie shit. Since you're already in S-Corp's district, scout around and see if you can get a whiff on what the glowies are doing.
>Try to get intel from the X-Corp guards stationed back at your apartment. See what you missed the last week or so
>Fuck it, you need some YOU time. Wander around S-Corp's district and fucking splurge on some good food, drink, and entertainment for yourself. (-$600, leaving you with $2538. Fully heals RESTRAINT and +1 MAX RESTRAINT until the end of next mission, leaving you at 10/10)
>Call that chick from the anomaly-hating corp and brag. Try to get a free dinner out of her
>>
>>5971878
>Fuck it, you need some YOU time. Wander around S-Corp's district and fucking splurge on some good food, drink, and entertainment for yourself. (-$600, leaving you with $2538. Fully heals RESTRAINT and +1 MAX RESTRAINT until the end of next mission, leaving you at 10/10)
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Take some time to fiddle around with your PARADIGMS. Figure out how they work better so you can use them more optimally in the field. (You'll get some nice insight into how all of your PARADIGMs tick and you'll get to improve your with all of them.)
>Time to start shopping time! (Choose between NEAL'S REAL DEALS, WEIRD ANOMALOUS STORE, LILY'S BONES AND BLADES, W-Corp, or J-Corp's catalogs. You may spend multiple actions to visit/use multiple of these.)
ANOMALOUS STORE
>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] The City is our oyster, we got a day off! Let's go visit a district. (Choose a District from 1-26 you want to visit. You'll get some valuable intel on its culture, the company that rules in, and useful information if you ever go to that district on a mission.)
L
>Call Sukane to get some more SET UP TIME actions with his T-Corp connections. (FREE ACTION, -$450 per extra action. Write in how many actions to buy, if any.)
1
>>
>>5971878
>Call Sukane to get some more SET UP TIME actions with his T-Corp connections. (FREE ACTION, -$450 per extra action. Write in how many actions to buy, if any.)
1

Then
>Call a contact you have. (FREE ACTION. Write in. Ms. Anjaro to learn about the Wastes? Ms. Wiltshire about the History of the City? The D, W, or J-Corp Rep? Alex to cache in some favors? Someone else?)
Do what >>5971891 said about Alex and X Corp
>So, S-Corp is being meddled by an unknown group? Sounds like glowie shit. Since you're already in S-Corp's district, scout around and see if you can get a whiff on what the glowies are doing.
Action 1
>Fuck it, you need some YOU time. Wander around S-Corp's district and fucking splurge on some good food, drink, and entertainment for yourself. (-$600, leaving you with $2538. Fully heals RESTRAINT and +1 MAX RESTRAINT until the end of next mission, leaving you at 10/10)
Action 2
>[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] The City is our oyster, we got a day off! Let's go visit a district. (Choose a District from 1-26 you want to visit. You'll get some valuable intel on its culture, the company that rules in, and useful information if you ever go to that district on a mission.)
Action 3
>[MOVIE TICKETS] Hey, we got a day off. Why not bring Kiara and Maruyama out to watch the movie Gregory made about your mission together? (-2 MOVIE TICKETS, +1 RAPPORT to Kiara and Maruyama, you get to pick out two upgrades for both of them, and you get to catch up with them.)
Action 4, plus unzip photos after the movie for maximum effect on Kiara as >>5971902 said

Let's just leave the X Corp protection chat to tomorrow man...
>>
>>5971945
Whoops forgot the 5th bought with Sukane
>Try to get intel from the X-Corp guards stationed back at your apartment. See what you missed the last week or so.
Action 5
>>
>>5971945
I also forgot to put in the district for the SCHOLAR option, so mine is District 12 or L Corp
>>
>>5971945
+1
This seems to have enough of what I want in it. Especially Kiara, I want to mind break that robot with our pics. (Also she and Nicole have cute interactions)
>>
>>5971891
Change/edit
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Take some time to fiddle around with your PARADIGMS. Figure out how they work better so you can use them more optimally in the field. (You'll get some nice insight into how all of your PARADIGMs tick and you'll get to improve your with all of them.)
Switch to
>[MOVIE TICKETS] Hey, we got a day off. Why not bring Kiara and Maruyama out to watch the movie Gregory made about your mission together? (-2 MOVIE TICKETS, +1 RAPPORT to Kiara and Maruyama, you get to pick out two upgrades for both of them, and you get to catch up with them.)
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>>5971945
+1
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[UNSTABLE] AND LOOK IF WE DON'T DO A MISSION SOON WE'LL FIND OUT THAT THE MOON ISN'T REAL AND
[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] I'm going to gag her, boss. Give me a moment.
[UNSTABLE] YOU FUCKING NIGGER-

"Shut up already, god damn." You rub the side of your head while your voices bicker amongst each other. The many S-District passersbys are starting to stare at you. Oh wait yeah, you're muttering to random voices in your head. No shit.

[PERSON OF INTEREST] So, we should investigate around this section of S-Corp's district. S-Corp is being meddled by an unknown group? Sounds like glowie shit.
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] After that, we should go check out L-Corp! Kiara knows of a movie theater in one of their sub-districts-

You stop mid step as you're about to board the train back home. You're immediately shoved into the train by some passing S-Corp residents, nearly knocking the many boxes you got from the cargo container out of your hand. After you find a seat on the train cab, you take a moment to process what you just heard.

"How do you know about what she knows again?" You ask the voice in your head.

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY?] Did you know that O-Corp is the only company who legally owns cows? Totally legit!!!
[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Boss. You've been wearing the PARADIGM for how long again?

You look down at the bright orange bomber jacket you've been wearing for, fuck, over a week straight? Somehow it feels weird NOT to be wearing it. It's not like you're being compelled to, you think? Hard to really put into words. You doubt it's a potent enough artifact to corrode your mind through exposure.

You'll worry about it later. It's been helping you this whole time, hasn't it?

Once you arrive back into the frosty cold clutches of District 7, you make a mad fucking dash to your apartment to get these boxes (mostly the icebox with the fish and highly unstable acid) somewhere safe. It doesn't take too long since you know this section of District 7 like the back of your hand. You LIVE here, after all.

Screeching to a halt outside of your apartment building, you take a look around. Most of the poorly disguised X-Corp guards have vastly improved their disguises since you've been gone. If it wasn't for the fact you could read their minds, their bulky winter jackets and dead expressions would make you convinced they were G-Corp residents.

One of them lightens up a bit when they see you. "Ah, that one has antlers and has a crazy look in her eye. Not like the fake one." Eh? The fuck does that mean?

"Hey, uh, put these in my apartment. You probably got the key, right?" You hand over the three crates you brought back. Several other guards quickly move into action to grab them and transport inside. "Cool, thanks." You do want to ask them about some intel but you'll save that after the movies and the S+L-Corp exploration. Right before you prepare for your next mission.

Before you leave, a guard places a hand on your shoulder. "Hey, Nicole. Listen."
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"Be very careful if you're going into District 10 or 11. J and K-Corp. Those fuckers are on the edge of WAR, you know." Wait what, how the fuck-

[PERSON OF INTEREST] The J-Corp pigs must've ratted themselves out as the ones who gassed the Ace Strikers. K-Corp was hunting YOU down for it but now? Yeah.

"Ah." You say with a totally dead inside expression. "H-how close?"

"Nothing like a Corporate War but tensions there are high. It'll die down within the next four days but just be careful." So, the next three missions you take then? Noted. You nod your head before making your way back to the train station. You doubt that's the actual intel they have to tell you, which again, you'll ask them once you're about ready to fall asleep.

You pull out your phone to make some quick calls right as you arrive back at the train station. First off, Sukane.

He picks up almost immediately. "Hour amount?" The sounds of keyboard keys clicking can be heard in the background. "Hurry. Large amount of time being transferred lately."

"Ten hours, transport reasons." That should be enough to account for traveling from G Corp, to S-Corp, to L-Corp, and back. You're hung up on almost immediately and in the blink of the eye, you feel like something has changed. Looking up at the sky, it's barely morning time now. You swore you came back around 4 PM but checking your phone, it's 6 AM.

>-$450! $2998 LEFT!

[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Oddly seamless. If you didn't know it was 4 PM before, you would've think you just had a poor sense of time.

You're not going to look a gifted house in the mouth. Soon enough, you're back in District 19 in the blink of the eye. S-ZETA-9, to be exact. Your only real plan is to investigate what they've been doing. You slowly disappear into the crowds of crowds of same-faced S-Corp residents. The shoddily constructed buildings and streets all throughout the District feel oddly imposing to walk around in. As if one wrong step and everything would shatter.

"Suppose the cobbler doesn't make shoes for his kids." You mutter to yourself.
"Indeed." A random S-Corp citizen nods in approval. "Doesn't pay as much as building for the corps. Rent's cheap, at least. Until some brightly dressed men started making a ruckus down here."

You stop dead in your tracks. "Where did you last see them?"

The S-Corp citizen points northeast from here. "Small coffee shop. D-Corp owned."
"Thank you." You offer your best smile as you make a beeline towards the location he told you about.

You eventually find a lull in the constant crowd of same-faced S-Corpers to find yourself in front of a coffee shop. Almost reminds you of one of the shops you saw back in that 'Victorian' footage. The quaint little shop is made mostly out of bright red bricks and, if it wasn't for a chalk drawing of a redheaded woman saying "YUMYUM COFFEE!" above the front entrance, you would've never thought it was an actual business.

Then you see it. A glint of silver.
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One man, one woman, and one Drone in bright silver outfits are sitting around at one of the patio tables outside of the coffee shop. You could tell one is a Drone since unlike the other two, his 'face' doesn't have any static covering his already blank face.

You immediately rush to hide behind something to eavesdrop on them.

"Shouldn't be talking about this in public. Liable for information to leak." The Woman in Silver hisses through clenched teeth.
"UNNECESSARY WORRY." The Drone in Silver shakes his head. "POINT IS. WE NEEDED TO SHIFT S-CORP'S FOCUS INTO CONSTRUCTING BASES FOR US."
"Indeed. Besides, after the restaurant incident, I prefer if we had our OWN facilities to contain abnormalities. Who's bright idea was it to put on in a FUCKING FAST FOOD JOINT AGAIN?" The Man in Silver jabs a finger at the Woman in Silver.
"It was a low priority target! Not my fault that someone figured out what we were doing! I thought it would go smoothly!"
"Well, *%@*!)%NR@*," Pure static comes out of his voice when he tries speaking her name. "Now we lost an asset and we have several citizens who now know about us. Happy?"
"It was more important to focus on X-Corp! If they caught a whiff on us trying to make abnormalities, they would hunt us down like pigs! That's why we sent one to redact their paperwork! Or at least to get captured and distract them!"
"HALF OF THE 'CONCEPTS' YOU DREDGE FROM THE ZETA-CORP RUINS ARE FUCKING WORTHLESS, YOU BAFFOONS. PERFECTIONISM? SOME RANDOM CAT WHO CARES ABOUT COOKIES AND MILK? FOCUS ON CONCEPTS THAT ACTUALLY MATTER! AT LEAST MANIFEST ONE BASED ON ONE OF THE COMPANIES!"
"News flash, it's hard to do it without U-Corp's singularity! Do you suggest we start hunting them down?"
"YES. IF NOTHING ELSE, EXTRACTING THEIR PARADIGMS WOULD BE USEFUL FOR FIGURING OUT HOW TO MANIFEST PROPER ANOMALIES- WAIT."

You feel two pairs of eyes and a blank face staring in your direction.

"IS SOMEONE WATCHING US?"

You immediately activate your CAMO IMPLANT out of panic before disappearing into the crowded streets. Three pairs of footsteps rush after you but you're already long gone by the time they tried to see who was listening to them. You don't stop running until you're back on a train heading all the way over to L-Corp.

Just then, your CAMO IMPLANT runs out. Eh, no harm no foul, you'll regain a charge when you fall asleep tonight. You quickly pull out your phone and-

[UNSTABLE] THIS IS MORE IMPORTANT.

You dial in Wendy's phone number. As soon as she picks up, you shoot your shot. "Hey, how about a free dinner?"

"FUCK OFF." And you get hung up on. Huh. Welp, time to call someone actually important. It doesn't take long for Alex to pick up. He mutters something incoherently, must've woken him up earlier.

"Heads up. Glowing ones are messing around in your district. Anomaly manifesting there soon. They're trying to steal your plans."

"Copied." He immediately wakes up.
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"Will mobilize. Already brutalizing the asset we have. Reviewing footage from last week, thank you." He immediately hangs up. Good. That information is transferred, at least. You'll probably hear more about it once you talk to the X-Corp guys back at your apartment block.

As you dial up Kiara, you take a moment to look outside the train's window. It's only been a few minutes but thanks to a combination of T-Company tomfuckery and the trains being good- Wait, both are ran by the same company. No wonder! Regardless. The outside is something you haven't quite seen in a while. L-GAMMA-6, the closest section of its District from the section of S-Corp's district you were in.

Perfectly white skyscrapers rise up from the equally perfectly white streets. It's blinding to look at, really, and you have to squint pretty hard to make any discernable shapes. It's not white from snow or anything, the whole place is just blanketed in white paint, white metal, white stone and...something you can't quite put your tongue on. It's as if the buildings themselves were glowing. Iridescent, fickle illusions of light that somehow manage to exist in your reality in spite of their non-physical nature.

You feel at peace staring at it.

You're interrupted when your call with Kiara finally connects and-

"HOLY SHIT NICKY WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN???" Kiara screeches over the other line like an excited schoolgirl. "It's been so long, how it's been??? You okay? Did you see anything cool? Huh? Huh? Where are you? Huh? Maruyama's fun and all but he's sooo boring, he doesn't want to see any of the anomalies I took pictures of-"

"Woah, woah, calm down, Kiara. I would say take some deep breaths but, well, you know." You chuckle to yourself before collecting your thoughts enough to respond. "Yeah. Just handled a mission out at the sea. Took a lot of pictures I think you'll like."

"Huh? You took pictures? How? Of what? When? Tell me tell me tell me!!!"

"Well, first, lemme tell you where I'm at. I'm heading to L-Corp's district. Gamma-6. For some reason, I know that you know there's a good movie theater here?"

"Oh! I knew you were at L-Corp's district for some reason! Wild, isn't it?"
"hey let me talk to her" You can barely hear Maruyama trying to get the phone from Kiara's hand as Kiara keeps rapidly muttering nonsensical words to you.

"Hey." He eventually manages to wrangle the phone from her. "Long time no see, huh?" He sounds as exhausted and bored as he normally does but there's a hint of warmth in his words. "How's it been?"

"Good, good. You know that Avalon thing we did a week and a half ago or whatever? I'm bringing you two alone to watch the movie. L-Corp. Gamma-6. You two available?"

"Oh! Yeah, yeah, sure. You got me at a good time, it's my day off actually. We'll be over there in...eh. Ten minutes? Got an old T-Corp Train ticket. Costs a FORTUNE but you can travel to anywhere a train can access in thirty seconds or less with it."
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Maruyama yammers on with an excitement you haven't quite heard from him before. "Cheaper than Y-Corp teleportation at least."

For some reason you feel an odd sense of dread from the train ticket he described. Hm. "Well! See you over there, then!"

"See ya-"
"SEE YOU NICOLE LOVE YOU BYE BYE." And you get hung up on.

You hope she just meant that in the platonic sense because you do NOT swing that way.

You eventually arrive at the station and, lo and behold, more fucking white. You step out of the train and take a look at your surroundings. Aside from the mostly white architecture, you notice that there's a lot of candles and light bulbs hanging around the place. The candles are the only main splash of color throughout the station.

Yellow, black, green, blue, purple, pink, indigo, red, maroon, jasper, and hundreds of other colored candles your brain ran out of space to remember the names of every color they're in.

You hand your train ticket over to the brightly dressed man behind the booth so he knows you're actually allowed to be here. He offers you a smile before holding something out to you. It's a bright pink candle lit with a purple flame. "Just like your eyes, miss. It's proof that you're allowed here. Once it burns out, you have to leave."

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Their candles are one of their main selling points. The wick is impossible to put out when lit and most of their candles last for 8 hours exactly.
[PERSON OF INTEREST] Isn't that a safety concern?
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Apparently not! From what Kiara remembers, the lit flame doesn't produce any heat. Only light. That and the wax doesn't burn you.
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] You doubt that the people who live here have to do this ritual but it's a common custom for visitors.

You nod as you grab onto the pink candle before heading out of the station and onto the streets of L-Corp's district.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeYl069xeDg - L-COMPANY

The streets are quiet. Beyond quiet, it's almost like silence itself has overwritten any other sound nearby. Even as the brightly dressed men and women with candle wax medals pinned to the chest walk around you, you don't even hear their footsteps. Yet you can't help but to relax and smile upon seeing it.

A small kid with blonde hair walks through the streets, holding the hand of his mother. As he turns his head to look around, he spots you. He immediately rushes up to you with a pair of beady blue eyes.

"De...er." He points a small, stubby finger at you. "Pretty. Touch?" He opens his tiny hand out. You kneel down in front of him, almost by instinct. You nod. Immediately, he wraps his tiny little hand around your antler.

"Cold. Brrr." The kid shivers but despite this, he's smiling. His mother rushes over with a glow of panicked embarrassment in every motion she makes.

"S-sorry, miss. Uh, haven't told him about augmented people like you. Sorry, sorry." The young mother mutters a slew of apologies at you.
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>>5973138
Wendy would totally treat us to a dinner if we mentioned that we offed an X5 and have pictures.
Btw, did we forget to imprint the jacket on our team?
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"Hey, hey, it's fine!" You slowly get back up. "No harm no foul, right?"

"Y-yeah. S-sorry, again. We're not supposed to interact with outsiders like that, Thomas." The young mother whispers to her kid before glancing up at you. "W-what brings you here?"
"Pretty deer." Thomas is staring up at you with fascination. He can't be any older than three, maybe four. Cute.

"Just here to see a movie with some friends. Maybe check out the District. Nothing much, really?" You don't want to say that you chose this place because of a stolen corporate document, of course. "Is there anything I should know?"

"Oh! Not really, no. You got the candle, so you're fine!" The young mother nods with a faint smile. "Just be wary of some of the older people here. They don't particularly like outsiders."

"May I ask why?" You raise an eyebrow.

"Mmh, couldn't quite say. I don't really keep up with City history." The young mother grabs onto Thomas' hand. "Have a good day, miss!" And soon, the two disappear into the crowds of similarly dressed men and women. Something about this place faintly reminds you of N-Corp's district. Though with N-Corp, it was more grey, black, white and gold. This is white with faint bits of colors.

As you're about ready to try finding the movie theater here, you feel someone tapping you on the shoulder. Your PARADIGM immediately shifts into a stiff, boring business suit. Someone immediately taps on it to return it to the bomber jacket form.

Turning around, you see Maruyama and Kiara standing right behind you.

Maruyama looks about the same as he always does. A very generic looking Japanese man with a two piece purple business suit, black dress shoes, beige hat, and a briefcase in hand. The only thing different is a small purple highlight in his hair.
Kiara's bright orange bomber jacket and black turtleneck sweater are the same as they always are but she's been dolling herself up. A few cheap rings, one on both ring fingers, and some fresher looking latex-faux skin covering her arms + legs + face.

Both of them are holding a candle. Kiara's is bright orange while Maruyama's is dull violet.

"Never much cared for this place, to be quite honest." Maruyama clicks his tongue as he scans his environment. "Too quiet. Too bright. Worked here once, felt like I was going insane."

"I think it's quite neat, really." Kiara chides Maruyama with a small slap to his back. "We spent a T-Corp ticket to get here. Might as well enjoy ourselves, like Nicole plans on doing."

Wait, you did plan on splurging on yourself but how does Kiara know that?

"What's with the highlight?" You point at Maruyama's head. The neon red blush that sprouts on his face tells you all you need to know. "Oh. Kiara, you didn't."

"Maybe~!" Kiara coos. "C'mon! Movie time! I know exactly where a good one is around here." You shrug, might as well. The two of you begin to walk down the neon white streets of L-District. You hand the two the movie tickets so, you know, they can get in.
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You ready up the personal one that Georgy gave you so you could actually WATCH it as well.

>MOVIE TICKETS
>+1 RAPPORT TO MARUYAMA AND KIARA!

Might as well take this time to chit chat with them and to see how much they've changed over the last week.

CHOOSE TWO UPGRADES FOR EACH CHARACTER!
MARUYAMA
>There's a glint in his eyes. A glint of hope? Determination? "Have you ever felt like you haven't tapped into your potential, Nicole?" (LATENT SPARK. +1 to three random stats, no immediate bonus will be acquired. Will awaken into a potentially very powerful BOON later.)
>A pin of a clock rests gently on Maruyama's chest. "Hate to admit but Gregory put in a good word for me." (T-CORP CONNECTIONS. +1 CHARM, +1 CONNECTIONS, +1 RESTRAINT, +1 TALENT. Due to your association with Maruyama, Sukane's services will be discontinued and you'll unlock unique options when interacting in T-Company's district. Maruyama will also bring T-Corp items when you hire him on a mission.)
>"It's hard sometimes. But every day, I try a little bit harder." You notice how something in his mood has changed. A spirit he clearly hasn't felt in a while. (STEADFAST RESOLVE. +1 WILLPOWER, +1 RESTRAINT. Maruyama's FLESH and RESTRAINT passively increases over the course of a mission, allowing him to push through otherwise impossible situations. His FLESH and RESTRAINT resets once a mission is completed.)
>"Don't really need new tricks." (OLD DOG, OLD TRICKS. +1 TO ALL STATS, NO OTHER BONUSES.)
>On closer examination, the new suit that Maruyama is wearing has a fabric that's oddly familiar to you. "Turns out, my office has been getting a LOT more money lately. Does it show?" (NOUVEAU RICHE, +3 CONNECTIONS. Maruyama's new Nouveau Fabric suit will has a small chance of completely negating attacks. Maruyama's new wealth and your connection to him will vastly improve your favorite with the richest and most powerful families in the City.)

KIARA
>"Fun fact! Got a small processing upgrade!" Kiara taps at the corner of her eyes. "Really powerful stuff, actually." (ANALYZER MODEL UPDATE. +2 COGNIZANCE, Kiara's knowledge on the City has vastly improved, granting her obscure and forbidden knowledge that will help you during missions.)
>Kiara lifts up her arm and opens a port on the side of her chest. A yellowish-green fluid rushes through a plastic tube inside her. "Updated what I'm powered with. Neat, huh?" (BACKUP POWER SOURCE. +1 WILLPOWER, +1 RESTRAINT, +1 FLESH. Once per mission, whenever Kiara would enter a CRITICAL state, she instead reduces her MAX FLESH by 2 for the rest of the mission and heals to full FLESH.)
>Something about Kiara looks different. More human. Her latex skin looks more convincing, there's less of an electronic buzz in her throat. "Hehe. Watch this." (MIMICRY MODULE. +1 CHARM, +1 CONNECTIONS. Kiara may temporarily copy the voice and appearance of other people. This can be used to trick and confuse people in combat or to unlock unique dialogue options during missions.)
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>For a split moment, you swear that Kiara was glowing red hot. "Whoops! Overclock modules are kinda finnicky, huh?" (ANDROID OVERCLOCK. Twice per mission, Kiara may overclock her systems to boost all of her stats by 2, at the cost of rapidly dealing FLESH and RESTRAINT damage to herself.)
>Kiara spins one of the many guns she borrowed from you during the X-Corp mission with a cocky smirk. "Turns out, X-Corp offered me a useful upgrade. Call me Kalamity Kiara, thank you!" (COMBAT MODULE. +1 VIOLENCE, TALENT, FLESH. Kiara now has a chance to negate up to 2 FLESH damage taken in combat. Kiara will also offer useful tactical advice while you're in a fight or a threat, human or otherwise, approaches.)

And what do you want to talk to them about? Choose four. You WILL show Kiara the pictures regardless of what you pick.
>Show Maruyama the old ledger you found. "Can you make any sense of it?" You only skimmed a small fraction of it. He might understand the business nonsense more than you.
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] You feel like you can guess what's happening with you and Kiara. "How long has this been happening for you?" Try to understand how NEW YOU works better.
>No need to do any heavy discussion. Just talk to them about random bullshit that comes to mind. (You may write in a specific topic to discuss.)
>"How the hell did you bribe him to do THAT?" You jab a thumb at the highlight in Maruyama's hair. You gotta hear that story.
>"Wait, you lived here? Spill the details." Try to get as much information out of Maruyama about L-Corp as you can.
>"So, when did you two started hanging out?" You're curious at to how it started. They only worked for one mission together, right?
>[UNSTABLE] HEY. LET ME TALK TO THEM FOR A MOMENT. FUTURE PROOFING, YOU KNOW?
>"So, lemme tell you a story about I've been doing last week." Ramble on about your experiences last mission with them. You want to hear their thoughts on it.
>Might as well ask them as many questions as you can. No point holding back. (Write in up to four questions to ask them.)
>Write in.

Apologies for the delay. Got swamped with family matters.

>>5973157
Nope. You actually got them in >>5971887. I just sorta forgot to properly add them into the update. The details of your NEW YOU forms are recorded on your MAIN CHARACTER SHEET here: ttps://pastebin.com/3y638TfK
You'll get Maruyama's after this whole Movie Theater + Upgrade + Chatting section.
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>>5973181
Wow, meaty fucking update. I’m really happy to see Kiara and Maruyama again. Top 3 of my fav companions.

Also damn we got those Glowies good. Knowing one of their goals (besides control) is huge. Makes sense why they watch Nicole too.
So here we go.
Maruyama:
>There's a glint in his eyes. A glint of hope? Determination? "Have you ever felt like you haven't tapped into your potential, Nicole?" (LATENT SPARK. +1 to three random stats, no immediate bonus will be acquired. Will awaken into a potentially very powerful BOON later.)
Potential man. Also just narratively I like this.
>"It's hard sometimes. But every day, I try a little bit harder." You notice how something in his mood has changed. A spirit he clearly hasn't felt in a while. (STEADFAST RESOLVE. +1 WILLPOWER, +1 RESTRAINT. Maruyama's FLESH and RESTRAINT passively increases over the course of a mission, allowing him to push through otherwise impossible situations. His FLESH and RESTRAINT resets once a mission is completed.)
This was a harder choice, but I like Alexis for her connections and Maruyama has some great willpower that I think upgrading it works.
Kiara:
>"Fun fact! Got a small processing upgrade!" Kiara taps at the corner of her eyes. "Really powerful stuff, actually." (ANALYZER MODEL UPDATE. +2 COGNIZANCE, Kiara's knowledge on the City has vastly improved, granting her obscure and forbidden knowledge that will help you during missions.)
Just a great upgrade.
>Something about Kiara looks different. More human. Her latex skin looks more convincing, there's less of an electronic buzz in her throat. "Hehe. Watch this." (MIMICRY MODULE. +1 CHARM, +1 CONNECTIONS. Kiara may temporarily copy the voice and appearance of other people. This can be used to trick and confuse people in combat or to unlock unique dialogue options during missions.)
Great utility.

TALKING:
>Show Maruyama the old ledger you found. "Can you make any sense of it?" You only skimmed a small fraction of it. He might understand the business nonsense more than you.
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] You feel like you can guess what's happening with you and Kiara. "How long has this been happening for you?" Try to understand how NEW YOU works better.
These two seem nice, and I’m interested in NEW YOU especially.
>"Wait, you lived here? Spill the details." Try to get as much information out of Maruyama about L-Corp as you can.
>"So, when did you two started hanging out?" You're curious at to how it started. They only worked for one mission together, right?
I’m less curious about the highlight and more curious about what it represents. Also want more Maruyama info to open him up.

Anyway, thanks for the update was a great one. Lots to choose from too. Also I guess we canonically know Nicole is straight now, which is nice.
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>>5973157
Wait for her to hear the news in a day or so thanks to Kiara hopefully spreading it as far and wide as possible
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>>5973180
MARUYAMA
>There's a glint in his eyes. A glint of hope? Determination? "Have you ever felt like you haven't tapped into your potential, Nicole?" (LATENT SPARK. +1 to three random stats, no immediate bonus will be acquired. Will awaken into a potentially very powerful BOON later.)
I want this mystery box BAD
>"It's hard sometimes. But every day, I try a little bit harder." You notice how something in his mood has changed. A spirit he clearly hasn't felt in a while. (STEADFAST RESOLVE. +1 WILLPOWER, +1 RESTRAINT. Maruyama's FLESH and RESTRAINT passively increases over the course of a mission, allowing him to push through otherwise impossible situations. His FLESH and RESTRAINT resets once a mission is completed.)
My man has 2 RESTRAINT and 1 WILLPOWER? Around Nicole? That's no good at all. Let's fix that!

KIARA
Damn this one is much harder. TALENT and WILLPOWER are her two highest stats at 5, but that also applies to Nicole. Kiara's our only Android ally too. She's no combat android, but she'll need to have decent survival potential as a fellow City explorer and reporter girl
>Kiara lifts up her arm and opens a port on the side of her chest. A yellowish-green fluid rushes through a plastic tube inside her. "Updated what I'm powered with. Neat, huh?" (BACKUP POWER SOURCE. +1 WILLPOWER, +1 RESTRAINT, +1 FLESH. Once per mission, whenever Kiara would enter a CRITICAL state, she instead reduces her MAX FLESH by 2 for the rest of the mission and heals to full FLESH.)
I want this anti-CRIT survival upgrade
>For a split moment, you swear that Kiara was glowing red hot. "Whoops! Overclock modules are kinda finnicky, huh?" (ANDROID OVERCLOCK. Twice per mission, Kiara may overclock her systems to boost all of her stats by 2, at the cost of rapidly dealing FLESH and RESTRAINT damage to herself.)
Fuck it, give her Orgia Mode too. Nobody will see it coming.

TALK
>Show Maruyama the old ledger you found. "Can you make any sense of it?" You only skimmed a small fraction of it. He might understand the business nonsense more than you.
We are in L-Corp district right now, so it makes sense. Plus I trust Maruyama.
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] You feel like you can guess what's happening with you and Kiara. "How long has this been happening for you?" Try to understand how NEW YOU works better.
Let's avoid Nicole getting perma-corrupted by this PARADIGM, okay?
>"So, lemme tell you a story about I've been doing last week." Ramble on about your experiences last mission with them. You want to hear their thoughts on it.
Ease their worries
>[UNSTABLE] HEY. LET ME TALK TO THEM FOR A MOMENT. FUTURE PROOFING, YOU KNOW?
And doing the right thing
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>>5973288
>we got those Glowies good. Knowing one of their goals (besides control) is huge
Don't forget all that shit Admiral told us. Combined with all of that, and maybe a surprise raid at their G Corp base and snapping all the photos and evidence looting will be worth it. But that's after we empty out our camera of these photos so we have room for more
>Potential man
He sure has some Suncliff flavor after his wife left him
>Maruyama has some great willpower
Haha... yeah...
>great upgrade
I remember her getting a bit jelly about Nicole having NVGs in that dark maze in the hell training course. That would boost her to 6 COGNIZANCE, putting her 1 above Nicole, Benjamin, Gregory, and Naomi. Certainly powerful in the right situations
>Great utility.
MIMICRY MODULE would put her CONNECTIONS to 3, making all her stats 3 minimum. That's nice and all, but I don't really think I like that much for her
>more Maruyama info to open him up
Same, but I want to go for the UNSTABLE reveal instead. Kiara can help back us up because she was there with Nicole and Alexis and Naomi at the end of the X Corp mission, see >>5948308 >>5948311. This is for Maruyama's benefit here, I guess? Still interesting the way UNSTABLE said that
>canonically know Nicole is straight now
We already got hints of that from the X Corp mission:
>the porno mags, well...the girls aren't ugly, you guess??? Clearly meant for the male soldiers, not you.
With her design being based on that girl from Fear and Hunger, it doesn't surprise me Kiara swings both ways
>>
>>5973346
>MIMICRY MODULE would put her CONNECTIONS to 3, making all her stats 3 minimum. That's nice and all, but I don't really think I like that much for her
I’m more doing it for the mimicry options it unlocks. Basically while stat wise it’s not a huge buff, I think her being able to pretend to be other people can come in handy.

Also yeah lol, forgot how bad Maruyama was in restrain and willpower.
Also you make a good point with Unstable.

>>5973288
So swap
>"Wait, you lived here? Spill the details." Try to get as much information out of Maruyama about L-Corp as you can.
To
>[UNSTABLE] HEY. LET ME TALK TO THEM FOR A MOMENT. FUTURE PROOFING, YOU KNOW?
>>
>>5973181
>There's a glint in his eyes. A glint of hope? Determination? "Have you ever felt like you haven't tapped into your potential, Nicole?" (LATENT SPARK. +1 to three random stats, no immediate bonus will be acquired. Will awaken into a potentially very powerful BOON later.)
>"It's hard sometimes. But every day, I try a little bit harder." You notice how something in his mood has changed. A spirit he clearly hasn't felt in a while. (STEADFAST RESOLVE. +1 WILLPOWER, +1 RESTRAINT. Maruyama's FLESH and RESTRAINT passively increases over the course of a mission, allowing him to push through otherwise impossible situations. His FLESH and RESTRAINT resets once a mission is completed.)

>"Fun fact! Got a small processing upgrade!" Kiara taps at the corner of her eyes. "Really powerful stuff, actually." (ANALYZER MODEL UPDATE. +2 COGNIZANCE, Kiara's knowledge on the City has vastly improved, granting her obscure and forbidden knowledge that will help you during missions.)
>Something about Kiara looks different. More human. Her latex skin looks more convincing, there's less of an electronic buzz in her throat. "Hehe. Watch this." (MIMICRY MODULE. +1 CHARM, +1 CONNECTIONS. Kiara may temporarily copy the voice and appearance of other people. This can be used to trick and confuse people in combat or to unlock unique dialogue options during missions.)

>Show Maruyama the old ledger you found. "Can you make any sense of it?" You only skimmed a small fraction of it. He might understand the business nonsense more than you.
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] You feel like you can guess what's happening with you and Kiara. "How long has this been happening for you?" Try to understand how NEW YOU works better.
>[UNSTABLE] HEY. LET ME TALK TO THEM FOR A MOMENT. FUTURE PROOFING, YOU KNOW?
>"So, lemme tell you a story about I've been doing last week." Ramble on about your experiences last mission with them. You want to hear their thoughts on it.
>>
>>5973180
>>There's a glint in his eyes. A glint of hope? Determination? "Have you ever felt like you haven't tapped into your potential, Nicole?" (LATENT SPARK. +1 to three random stats, no immediate bonus will be acquired. Will awaken into a potentially very powerful BOON later.)

>"Fun fact! Got a small processing upgrade!" Kiara taps at the corner of her eyes. "Really powerful stuff, actually." (ANALYZER MODEL UPDATE. +2 COGNIZANCE, Kiara's knowledge on the City has vastly improved, granting her obscure and forbidden knowledge that will help you during missions.)

>Show Maruyama the old ledger you found. "Can you make any sense of it?" You only skimmed a small fraction of it. He might understand the business nonsense more than you.

>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] You feel like you can guess what's happening with you and Kiara. "How long has this been happening for you?" Try to understand how NEW YOU works better.

>"So, lemme tell you a story about I've been doing last week." Ramble on about your experiences last mission with them. You want to hear their thoughts on it.

>[UNSTABLE] HEY. LET ME TALK TO THEM FOR A MOMENT. FUTURE PROOFING, YOU KNOW?
>>
>>5973180
>There's a glint in his eyes. A glint of hope? Determination? "Have you ever felt like you haven't tapped into your potential, Nicole?" (LATENT SPARK. +1 to three random stats, no immediate bonus will be acquired. Will awaken into a potentially very powerful BOON later.)
>On closer examination, the new suit that Maruyama is wearing has a fabric that's oddly familiar to you. "Turns out, my office has been getting a LOT more money lately. Does it show?" (NOUVEAU RICHE, +3 CONNECTIONS. Maruyama's new Nouveau Fabric suit will has a small chance of completely negating attacks. Maruyama's new wealth and your connection to him will vastly improve your favorite with the richest and most powerful families in the City.)
>"Fun fact! Got a small processing upgrade!" Kiara taps at the corner of her eyes. "Really powerful stuff, actually." (ANALYZER MODEL UPDATE. +2 COGNIZANCE, Kiara's knowledge on the City has vastly improved, granting her obscure and forbidden knowledge that will help you during missions.)
>Kiara spins one of the many guns she borrowed from you during the X-Corp mission with a cocky smirk. "Turns out, X-Corp offered me a useful upgrade. Call me Kalamity Kiara, thank you!" (COMBAT MODULE. +1 VIOLENCE, TALENT, FLESH. Kiara now has a chance to negate up to 2 FLESH damage taken in combat. Kiara will also offer useful tactical advice while you're in a fight or a threat, human or otherwise, approaches.)
Given that we're going to take her on anomaly missions, combat upgrades are useful

>>5973181
>Show Maruyama the old ledger you found. "Can you make any sense of it?" You only skimmed a small fraction of it. He might understand the business nonsense more than you.
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] You feel like you can guess what's happening with you and Kiara. "How long has this been happening for you?" Try to understand how NEW YOU works better.
>"So, when did you two started hanging out?" You're curious at to how it started. They only worked for one mission together, right?
>"How the hell did you bribe him to do THAT?" You jab a thumb at the highlight in Maruyama's hair. You gotta hear that story.
>>
>>5973180
>>5973462
And I should not post at like 2am my time. Did not see it was two per character. So adding these:

>"It's hard sometimes. But every day, I try a little bit harder." You notice how something in his mood has changed. A spirit he clearly hasn't felt in a while. (STEADFAST RESOLVE. +1 WILLPOWER, +1 RESTRAINT. Maruyama's FLESH and RESTRAINT passively increases over the course of a mission, allowing him to push through otherwise impossible situations. His FLESH and RESTRAINT resets once a mission is completed.)

>Kiara spins one of the many guns she borrowed from you during the X-Corp mission with a cocky smirk. "Turns out, X-Corp offered me a useful upgrade. Call me Kalamity Kiara, thank you!" (COMBAT MODULE. +1 VIOLENCE, TALENT, FLESH. Kiara now has a chance to negate up to 2 FLESH damage taken in combat. Kiara will also offer useful tactical advice while you're in a fight or a threat, human or otherwise, approaches.)
>>
>>5973180
>There's a glint in his eyes. A glint of hope? Determination? "Have you ever felt like you haven't tapped into your potential, Nicole?" (LATENT SPARK. +1 to three random stats, no immediate bonus will be acquired. Will awaken into a potentially very powerful BOON later.)
>On closer examination, the new suit that Maruyama is wearing has a fabric that's oddly familiar to you. "Turns out, my office has been getting a LOT more money lately. Does it show?" (NOUVEAU RICHE, +3 CONNECTIONS. Maruyama's new Nouveau Fabric suit will has a small chance of completely negating attacks. Maruyama's new wealth and your connection to him will vastly improve your favorite with the richest and most powerful families in the City.)

>"Fun fact! Got a small processing upgrade!" Kiara taps at the corner of her eyes. "Really powerful stuff, actually." (ANALYZER MODEL UPDATE. +2 COGNIZANCE, Kiara's knowledge on the City has vastly improved, granting her obscure and forbidden knowledge that will help you during missions.)
>Something about Kiara looks different. More human. Her latex skin looks more convincing, there's less of an electronic buzz in her throat. "Hehe. Watch this." (MIMICRY MODULE. +1 CHARM, +1 CONNECTIONS. Kiara may temporarily copy the voice and appearance of other people. This can be used to trick and confuse people in combat or to unlock unique dialogue options during missions.)

>>5973181
>Show Maruyama the old ledger you found. "Can you make any sense of it?" You only skimmed a small fraction of it. He might understand the business nonsense more than you.
>"Wait, you lived here? Spill the details." Try to get as much information out of Maruyama about L-Corp as you can.
>"So, when did you two started hanging out?" You're curious at to how it started. They only worked for one mission together, right?
>[UNSTABLE] HEY. LET ME TALK TO THEM FOR A MOMENT. FUTURE PROOFING, YOU KNOW?
>>
>>5973180
>There's a glint in his eyes. A glint of hope? Determination? "Have you ever felt like you haven't tapped into your potential, Nicole?" (LATENT SPARK. +1 to three random stats, no immediate bonus will be acquired. Will awaken into a potentially very powerful BOON later.)
>On closer examination, the new suit that Maruyama is wearing has a fabric that's oddly familiar to you. "Turns out, my office has been getting a LOT more money lately. Does it show?" (NOUVEAU RICHE, +3 CONNECTIONS. Maruyama's new Nouveau Fabric suit will has a small chance of completely negating attacks. Maruyama's new wealth and your connection to him will vastly improve your favorite with the richest and most powerful families in the City.)

>On closer examination, the new suit that Maruyama is wearing has a fabric that's oddly familiar to you. "Turns out, my office has been getting a LOT more money lately. Does it show?" (NOUVEAU RICHE, +3 CONNECTIONS. Maruyama's new Nouveau Fabric suit will has a small chance of completely negating attacks. Maruyama's new wealth and your connection to him will vastly improve your favorite with the richest and most powerful families in the City.)

>"Fun fact! Got a small processing upgrade!" Kiara taps at the corner of her eyes. "Really powerful stuff, actually." (ANALYZER MODEL UPDATE. +2 COGNIZANCE, Kiara's knowledge on the City has vastly improved, granting her obscure and forbidden knowledge that will help you during missions.)
>Something about Kiara looks different. More human. Her latex skin looks more convincing, there's less of an electronic buzz in her throat. "Hehe. Watch this." (MIMICRY MODULE. +1 CHARM, +1 CONNECTIONS. Kiara may temporarily copy the voice and appearance of other people. This can be used to trick and confuse people in combat or to unlock unique dialogue options during missions.)

>Show Maruyama the old ledger you found. "Can you make any sense of it?" You only skimmed a small fraction of it. He might understand the business nonsense more than you.
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] You feel like you can guess what's happening with you and Kiara. "How long has this been happening for you?" Try to understand how NEW YOU works better.
>"So, when did you two started hanging out?" You're curious at to how it started. They only worked for one mission together, right?
>"So, lemme tell you a story about I've been doing last week." Ramble on about your experiences last mission with them. You want to hear their thoughts on it.
>>
>>5973376
Change/edit
>"So, lemme tell you a story about I've been doing last week." Ramble on about your experiences last mission with them. You want to hear their thoughts on it.
Switch to
>"So, when did you two started hanging out?" You're curious at to how it started. They only worked for one mission together, right?
>>
MARUYAMA UPGRADES
LATENT SPARK: ALL
NOUVEAU RICH: tVt, bYh, LWN
STEADFAST RESOLVE: qyJ, 45J, IkB, YsV

KIARA UPGRADES
ANALYZER MODEL UPDATE: YsV, 45J, gyJ, tVt, bYh, LWN
MIMICRY: YsV, 45J, bYH, LWN
BACKUP POWER SOURCE: IkB
COMBAT MODULE: qyJ, tVt
OVERCLOCK: IkB

DISCUSSIONS
[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES]: YsV, IkB, 45J, qyJ, tVt, LWN
LEDGER: YsV, IkB, 45J, qyJ, tVt, bYH, LWN
MARUYAMA L-CORP: IkB, bYH
HANGING OUT?: YsV, 45J, tVt, bYH, LWN
[UNSTABLE]: YsV, IkB, 45J, qyJ, bYH
LAST MISSION STORY: IkB, qyJ, LWN
HIGHLIGHT: tvt

WINNING RESULTS:
ANOMALOUS ABILITIES + LEDGER + HANGING OUT? + UNSTABLE
LATENT SPARK + STEADFAST RESOLVE
ANALYZER MODEL + MIMICRY
WRITING.

>>5973596
Hey, no harm no foul. As long as it's clarified before I close a vote, I don't mind.
>>
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That glimmer you now see in Maruyama's eyes is hard to describe but the best way to describe it is 'drive'. A flicker of motivation. Desire. He glances over at you with a hesitant yet resolute smile. "Have you ever felt like you haven't tapped into your potent-" He interrupts him with a self deprecating laugh. "Ah. Nevermind. Must sound silly, huh?"
>+LATENT SPARK! +1 TALENT, CONNECTIONS, AND COGNIZANCE!

"I don't think it does." You simply respond with a gentle smile. "It's never too late to start. You're, what, in your 30s?"

"Daido, cut that shit out!" Kiara jabs into his sides with her elbow. "You gotta lighten up! I told you, it's no fun being a sour wuss!"

"Fine, fine! Stop that, that shit hurts!" Maruyama hisses, rubbing at his now sore side. "38, to be exact."

[UNSTABLE] "Father Above." You instinctually laugh out loud. "You sure your balls aren't shriveling up in there? Do we need to get you a cane, old man?"

"Shut up!" Maruyama can't help but to laugh along at the jab. "With all due seriousness, I can't quite place a finger on it but I've been trying. Never felt the urge TO try before." He looks up at the blindingly bright sky above the white wasteland of a district you're in. "It's hard sometimes. But every day, I try a little bit harder. Maybe I'm just worried I'll be left behind otherwise."
>+STEADFAST RESOLVE. +1 WILLPOWER and RESTRAINT!

Maruyama shakes his head before turning his attention back to you. "Apologies. My mind's just been in a different place lately these days."

"Hey, no harm! We're your pals! Right, Nicky?" Kiara wraps her arms around you and Maruyama. You can't help but to realize that the latex faux-skin of her arms is oddly warm now. Almost like a human is touching you instead of a robot. It feels nice- OKAY NO.

"Suppose we are." You and Maruyama respond at the same time before sharing a small laugh.
"Jinx." "Jinx indeed."

"Excellent!" Kiara unwraps her arms from both of you. Once she turns to you, you damn near jump out of your skin when you see your own face staring back at you. Well, it's not exactly like your own face. It's more like an android built to look like you. The greyish latex faux-skin and cheap steel that makes up her body break the illusion somewhat but at a distance or in low light conditions, she would look just like you.

She's even mimicking the antlers but, with one poke with your hand, you can tell they're made out of plastic instead of actual bone. Her normally blue LED eyes are even pink, just like your own eyes.

"What the fuck?" You can't even attempt to hide your shock.

"What's the matter?" Your own voice comes out of her mouth. It sounds like a damn near perfect match. "Don't like what you see in the mirror?" In an instant, she shifts back to her normal appearance. "New module. Freaked the fuck out of Maru too!"
>+MIMICRY MODULE! +1 CHARM AND CONNECTIONS!

"Please never do that again holy fuck." The uncanny valley of her trying her best to copy your appearance hits you HARD.
>>
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"Yeah, you get used to it." Maruyama lets out an almost deflated sounding laugh. As if he's had to deal with that many times by now.

"And!!! You can't beat me with that fuckin' Nightvision, Nicky! I see all!" Her blue LED eyes glow almost as bright as the streets you're walking through. "I got an update! I know all! I see all!"
"She got a discount Regional Analyzer module from some shitty defective Facility Assistant. Don't pay her much mind."
>+ANALYZER MODEL UPDATE. +2 COGNIZANCE!

"Wait, hold on. How do you know that? When the hell did YOU two started hanging out?" You're pretty damn curious, given how they only met each other once during a random mission.

The two glance at each other before shrugging in unison.

"I started bothering him because you went radio silent for a week. I heard he ran a Cleaner Office so I wanted to see what that was like." Kiara chirps in her usual upbeat cadence.
"She started bothering me and I didn't have the heart to say no." Maruyama shakes his head, as if disappointed at himself. "We've been chatting on and off ever seen."

"She's actually been helping out with spreading awareness of my Office, actually. I was only working with about a dozen or so Cleaners but now? 28 under my supervisor!" Maruyama's eyes sparkle for a moment."
"That's the benefits you get when the press help you out~!" Kiara coos with thinly veiled pride in her voice.

The three of you pass by what seems to be a small candle shop. You flinch a bit when you hear something shattering from inside the shop. Two older men are staring down at a man laying on the ground, next to a leaking bottle of A-Energy. The three of you quickly leave before it gets violent.

"Really? I just didn't expect that, really. You two didn't really seem to gel all that well beforehand."

"To be fair, the whole thing with that abandoned district brought back some bad memories." Maruyama tries his best to laugh but it comes out with little mirth or joy. <"I'll find you, Yuriko. I'll fucking find you and I'll...I'll..."> "I'm better now. That I don't have to think about it."

He still hasn't gotten over her, huh? You decide it's best to swerve the conversation to something else. You hand him over the ledger you found. "Can you make any sense of it?"

Maruyama and Kiara stare down at the highly classified ledger you seemingly manifested out of thin air before looking back at you.
"Where the fuck-" Maruyama is beyond confused at how you got this.
"Did you get this?" Kiara is equally confused yet excited at the pile of corporate info.

"Long story!" You pull out the many, MANY pictures you took over the course of the last mission and hand them over to Kiara. The moment her LED eyes scan over the contents of the photos, her system starts to overload.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Kiara's voice picks up in volume so quickly and with such fervent intensity, most of her words are barely legible underneath the static coming out of her voice box.
>>
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"Th, tha, the, tha, t-tha, the, th, th, tha, THAT, TH, THE, HH, THAT MAN! HIM! HE! THE MAN HIMSELF!!!!!" Steam erupts from various gaps all across her steel chassis. "YOU-YOU MET THE ADMIRAL??? IN THE FLESH???" Before you have time to even attempt to answer her question, she's busy flipping through the many photos you took with an obsessive zeal. That's going to keep her busy for a while.

The three of you keep wandering the streets, your two allies busy analyzing and/or obsessing over the items you gave them, while you check up on L-Corp's district.

Most of the people you pass by dress the exact same, even if they're Androids or Drones. Long white shirts, white slacks, and boots for the men. Long flowing white dresses and high heels for the older women while the younger ones wear concealing shirts and long skirts alongside simple, tidy white shoes.

The only specks of color besides the various skin colors on the humans, metallic bodies of the androids, and off-colored skin of the Drones is wax seals attached to their chests. Each of the seals you see are in different colors but you notice a trend almost immediately.

Those with a brighter wax color seem to have more high class and 'fancy' looking versions of the standard outfits everyone else is wearing. Those with a duller wax color, like brown or black or crimson, seem to have pretty rugged and almost dirty-looking clothing.

[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] A fascination with bright, warm colors. Like the rays of bright light coming from the sun.
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Considering they're not attacking you or even paying much attention to you, you doubt it's a class system. Most Districts with a class system rigorously enforce it. It may be similar to a religious or spiritual belief system.
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Though, you doubt it's like N-Corp. N-Corp cares more about blind faith than anything as united and uniform as this.

Most of the shops you pass by seem pretty much like any other normal shop you would see in the City. Shopkeepers handing out their wares to their customers, restaurants taking people's orders...the one thing you do notice is how there doesn't seem to be any security systems in their buildings or armed guards waiting in case something happens.

Though you realize how they're keeping this peace when you pass by another store. A dully dressed man with a black seal on his chest is being searched by a brightly dressed man and woman. Soon, they found what they were looking for. A watch that the man was trying to steal.

The brightly dressed man man pulls out a revolver.

BANG!

Red blood immediately splatters across a nearby shelf. Your two allies are too busy obsessing over what you gave them to notice.

"Such a dull, unclean heart. He had his one warning from the Light." The brightly dressed woman venomously spits out.
"Such a vile, filthy heart. Bringing his corruption from the rest of the City inside our lovely District." The brightly dressed man nods.
>>
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The brightly dressed man begins to drag the now headless corpse outside of the shop.

>-1 RESTRAINT TO YOU! 4/9 RESTRAINT LEFT!

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] A complete distain towards those who break their rules. Regardless of how petty the crime or how worthless the offense. That is how they keep their order.
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] All it might've took was one or two offenses by P-Company to cause L-Corp to hate them.
[UNSTABLE] WAIT, SHOULDN'T THEY BE DEAD THEN? IF THEY GET INTO FIGHTS WITH OTHER COMPANIES OVER NOTHING?
[PERSON OF INTEREST] Perhaps. But they seem to punish those who slighted them first. They seemed more reactive than proactive. P-Corp had to do something to them first.

Hm. Food for thought.

"I'll be honest, this is dense. Even for me." Maruyama interrupts your thought as the three of you eventually arrive at the movie theater. "I'll try to explain the best I can, though."

The movie theater, aside from having some specks of color besides white in the form of the movie posters, is pretty damn small. Probably an independent one. Barely any cars are parked outside, you count about five total, though there's a modest amount of foot traffic heading in and out of the theater. Probably no more than 100 people inside.

"It's a whole lot of legal jargon and, to be quite frank, bullshit. Most corporate papers are like that. Most of it is just R and P-Company trying to arrange a partnership over protecting their facilities or S plus L-Corp arguing over the price of lightbulbs or something." Maruyama flips over to one specific page. "Though one caught my eye."

"Apparently L, P, and S-Corp were working on a project a few years back. Apparently U-Corp and R-Corp were signed on as potential investors but U-Corp backed out. A lot of it is redacted but they talk a lot about "PARADIGM REFRACTION", whatever that means."" Maruyama closes the ledger.

"The thing that rubs me the wrong way is L-Corp talking a lot about the 'blossoming potential within the perspectives of humanity' or whatever. Apparently P and S-Corp felt the same and they backed out. Now L-Corp's pissy."

Maruyama shakes his head while chuckling to himself. "Their fault for trying to step into P-Corp's market with the whole 'oh we'll produce energy too!!!' despite P-Corp already having that market." He keeps his tone low to make sure no one overhears him. <"Rather not get killed here. I know what the people here do when they get pissy.">

[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Ah. That was probably P-Corp's main offense with L-Corp. Why is L-Corp interested in PARADIGMs, though?

"Anyways. Mind if I keep this?"
>"Sure." (-LEDGER, Maruyama will call you every day to offer you some more information from the Ledger.)
>"Maybe later. I'll keep it for now." (You might be able to get some more perspectives on it from Alexis, Max, or Gregory.)

Before you can even answer him, Kiara begins dragging the two of you inside of the theater. Welp! Movie time!
>>
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[UNSTABLE] GIMME A MOMENT.

You let UNSTABLE do her thing as Kiara begins to ramble at you. You immediately lose consciousness for what feels like the briefest of moments before you regain it.

Maruyama is staring at you with...pity. No, not pity, understanding. Kiara seems to be whispering something into his ear. Maruyama rubs the back of his neck with a tense yet empathetic expression on his face. "I didn't know it was like that. Not the first time I met someone like that, though."

"Huh?"

"Stress does a lot to people back at T-Corp. Once saw a man who couldn't keep up with deadlines and eventually he just, well, collapsed." A glint of some deeper understanding can be seen in Maruyama's eye. <"Maybe I felt something like that but...different. More positive.">

"We even have a term back at T-Corp about it. Karoshi. Not a happy thing to experience." Maruyama pats you on the back. "Hey. You helped me before. I'll help you. Let's just enjoy the time we have before what she said happens."

"Yeah!" Kiara chirps with a smile. "Let's just enjoy a movie, okay?"

>MARUYAMA will lose 1 less RESTRAINT when you act out thanks to UNSTABLE!
>The spark inside MARUYAMA glows a bit brighter! (+???% PROGRESS TOWARDS ??? GAINED!)

You turn your attention back to the Theater, not trying to dwell on what UNSTABLE might've told them. You and your allies hand over your tickets to the ticket taker and he ushers you three forward. The actual inside of the theater is, well, small. Aside from a concession stand and some screens playing movie posters, there's not a lot to take note of here.

The three of you begin to get your various junk foods and soda but, fuck it, you got money to burn. You slam down $600 onto the table before looking up at the brightly dressed concession employee. "Get us the best experience we can."

The young employee violently shakes her head up and down before rushing over to a EMPLOYEES ONLY section. She comes back with a man in a grey suit and tie who stares at the pile of money and nods before ushering you three to follow him.

You're taken into a small private screening room with only about ten or so seats inside it and the big screen. There's no one else in the dimly lit room. You glance back at the grey suited man who simply mutters one sentence.

"For special guests. Recognized tickets. Recognized amount of money. Welcome to Krakatoa Exclusive Screening. Food will be brought shortly." He mutters with a thick, clearly not local accent. Him and the concession employee disappear. Your two allies glance over at you before mutually shrugging with giddy, stupid smiles on their faces.

"FUCK."
"YEAH."
"BROS!" The three of you will NOT look a gifted horse in the mouth over V.I.P. TREATMENT.

It doesn't take long for some high quality food to be brought out. Some ancient soda brands from before the City existed, some damn high quality pizzas, popcorn made from exclusive O-Corp Corn (100% REAL CORN!!!), actual booze, you name it!
>>
The three of you find some comfortable seats inside of the small private theater before digging in. Holy shit, you don't think you actually had REAL popcorn before. Most of it is that cheap, plastic tasting stuff with butter that tastes like wet and nothing else.

Your allies are clearly enjoying it given how much they're devouring their own meals with gusto. The movie hasn't even started but you're already having the time of your life.

>FULLY HEALED RESTRAINT! +1 MAX RESTRAINT UNTIL END OF NEXT MISSION! 10/10 RESTRAINT!

"So, Kiara." You finish chewing down on another slice of Margherita pizza. "How long has this been happening for you?"

[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] Whatever could you mean, Nicol-

"..." Kiara stares at you. You stare at her. "Look, I'll be honest. Ever since you've been wearing that, I had a, well, how best to describe it? A 'sense' of you. Like I could faintly feel what you were feeling and thinking but not much else."

"Wait-" You look down at your bomber jacket. "You're saying this thing is linked to your mind somehow?"

"Essentially? It's just a guess but it's like, I dunno, a tiny part of me is removed and placed in there. Just subtle enough for me not to notice until recently. And it got replaced by something else. You."

"How did I manifest for, uh, you?"

"Violent urges."
"Violent urges." Maruyama nods in agreement, even though he's clearly half listening to the schizophrenic sounding conversation going on.

"Huh." You stare down at your Coca Cola glass with a tense expression. "Do you have any ideas on how I could try improving my use with it?"

"Well, if it connects the two of us in a mental sense...what if we tried synchronizing better? Sharing our thoughts more. Our beliefs. We're already SEEKERS, no? What's the harm? Or maybe we can try expanding it further? Your reach? All up to you, of course."

What do you do?
>RECONNECT. (WILLPOWER DC: 30, rolling 8d6+1d3 with Kiara's help. Only your TALISMAN can alter this skill check's rolls. If you pass, your SYNCHRONIZATION with Kiara will unlock a more powerful version of NEW YOU (KIARA) and the potential to unlock more powerful versions of other NEW YOU forms down the line. Failure and who knows what happens?)
>REGULATE. (COGNIZANCE DC: 24, rolling 8d6+1d3 with Kiara's help. If you pass, you'll unlock the ability to wear two forms of NEW YOU at the same time, though at the cost of weakening the effects of both. Failure and you just burn your brain for 2 RESTRAINT in the struggle.)
>REPRESS. (You won't gain any extra benefits or extra abilities from NEW YOU but you'll be able to switch between its form three times per mission instead of once.)
>REMOVE. Just enjoy the movie. You don't need to worry about PARADIGM nonsense. (A clearer mind couldn't hurt. Might offer you a fresh perspective.)
>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] REASSIGN. You don't know what spark inside Maruyama is but you're curious if the PARADIGM could affect it somehow. (+???)
>>
>>5974275
>REGULATE. (COGNIZANCE DC: 24, rolling 8d6+1d3 with Kiara's help. If you pass, you'll unlock the ability to wear two forms of NEW YOU at the same time, though at the cost of weakening the effects of both. Failure and you just burn your brain for 2 RESTRAINT in the struggle.)
90% success instead of 54% for reconnect. And I don't want to fuck with Maruyama's spark, the man needs it
>>
>>5974275
>REMOVE. Just enjoy the movie. You don't need to worry about PARADIGM nonsense. (A clearer mind couldn't hurt. Might offer you a fresh perspective.)
>>
>>5974275
>REGULATE. (COGNIZANCE DC: 24, rolling 8d6+1d3 with Kiara's help. If you pass, you'll unlock the ability to wear two forms of NEW YOU at the same time, though at the cost of weakening the effects of both. Failure and you just burn your brain for 2 RESTRAINT in the struggle.)
>>
>>5974275
>REMOVE. Just enjoy the movie. You don't need to worry about PARADIGM nonsense. (A clearer mind couldn't hurt. Might offer you a fresh perspective.)
We seriously need to take this suit off or swap it to different allies more often
>>
>>5974301
>>5974305
>>5974325
Guys we have the mini vote here too >>5974261
Do we give the ledger to Maruyama, or keep it to show it to other connected people we know?

>>5974275
Adding to my vote in >>5974356
>"Maybe later. I'll keep it for now." (You might be able to get some more perspectives on it from Alexis, Max, or Gregory.)
We might be able to get more from the others. Especially Gregory
>>
>>5974325
Add
>"Maybe later. I'll keep it for now." (You might be able to get some more perspectives on it from Alexis, Max, or Gregory.)
>>
>>5974261
>"Sure." (-LEDGER, Maruyama will call you every day to offer you some more information from the Ledger.)
>>
>>5974261
>"Sure." (-LEDGER, Maruyama will call you every day to offer you some more information from the Ledger.)

>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] REASSIGN. You don't know what spark inside Maruyama is but you're curious if the PARADIGM could affect it somehow. (+???)
>>
>>5974275
Good updates, enjoyed seeing Kiara freak out and Maruyama seems better than before.
>"Sure." (-LEDGER, Maruyama will call you every day to offer you some more information from the Ledger.)
I want to keep hearing from him.
>RECONNECT. (WILLPOWER DC: 30, rolling 8d6+1d3 with Kiara's help. Only your TALISMAN can alter this skill check's rolls. If you pass, your SYNCHRONIZATION with Kiara will unlock a more powerful version of NEW YOU (KIARA) and the potential to unlock more powerful versions of other NEW YOU forms down the line. Failure and who knows what happens?)
Use talisman.
Anyway, I’m doing this one since it seems to be the most interesting option.
>>
>>5974261
>>"Maybe later. I'll keep it for now." (You might be able to get some more perspectives on it from Alexis, Max, or Gregory.)

>>5974275
>REMOVE. Just enjoy the movie. You don't need to worry about PARADIGM nonsense. (A clearer mind couldn't hurt. Might offer you a fresh perspective.)
>>
>>5974325
Change/edit
>REGULATE. (COGNIZANCE DC: 24, rolling 8d6+1d3 with Kiara's help. If you pass, you'll unlock the ability to wear two forms of NEW YOU at the same time, though at the cost of weakening the effects of both. Failure and you just burn your brain for 2 RESTRAINT in the struggle.)
Switch to
>REMOVE. Just enjoy the movie. You don't need to worry about PARADIGM nonsense. (A clearer mind couldn't hurt. Might offer you a fresh perspective.)
>>
>>5974381
>>5974393
>>5974426
Why do you want to let’s Maruyama keep the book? Won’t it be better to give the book to Alexis, Max, and Gregory so we can gather more valuable information about Corp.
>>
>>5974887
Murayama just scanned the thing and got us that much info. And the fewer people who know this thing exists, the better. I trust Greg about as far as we can throw him, which with telekinesis I guess, is probably pretty far. Doubt our other Allies are going to sell us out... but it doesn't mean they can't be pumped for info.
>>
LEDGER QUESTION
KEEP: NZW, W92, bYH
GIVE: wMx, qyJ, YsV

PARADIGM QUESTION
REGULATE: wMx,
REMOVE: 45J, NZW, bYh, LWN
REASSIGN: qyJ
RECONNECT: YsV

Seems like there's a tie between giving Maruyama the ledger and not. I'll wait three hours for a tiebreaker but if I don't get any, I'll default to KEEP. I think that's fair. Apologies for leaving the voting open longer than usual, was distracted by other things
>>
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[PERSON OF INTEREST] Nicole, look. I don't trust where Kiara is going with wanting us to expose ourselves even more to a PARADIGM already corroding us.
[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Not corroding. But you are correct that your similar mindsets might be seeping together a bit too much.
[UNSTABLE] WE ARE YOU. YOU ARE US. NOTHING WILL EVER CHANGE US ON A FUNDAMENTAL LEVEL. FOR BETTER AND WORSE.
[SCHOLAR OF THE CITY] ...

You unzip the bomber jacket.

>-1 TALENT! DOWNGRADE TO SEEKER OF THE CITY!

[SEEKER OF THE CITY] Your head feels lighter. As if someone else's knowledge was forcefully drained from you.

"I'll be honest. I do like you, Kiara, and this PARADIGM is very useful. But I didn't come out here to melt my brain with this thing. This thing is simply a means of an end to me. What matters more to me right now is just hanging out with you two." You drape NEW YOU over one of the empty seats in the private theater room. "Maybe another time. Maybe not."

"Sometimes just being ME for a while wouldn't hurt. Let's watch a movie together. That's all that matters to me right now." You turn your gaze up at the projection screen.

There's obvious disappointment in Kiara's gaze but she can't help but smile anyways. "Can't blame me for trying, you know? It felt nice having human thoughts, impulses, for a while. To know something that I know isn't just a preprogrammed response."

"Hey, some humans think that they're preprogrammed meat machines. Guess we're not different." You snidely remark. "I think those people are pretentious faggots but still."
Maruyama finally starts paying attention to the conversation going on. "Yeah, only twelve year olds worry about 'do robots dream of electric sheep' or 'are my thoughts my own?'."

"We actually do!" Kiara is trying her damn best to hide back her ever growing smirk. "I think electric sheep are better than your lame, boring sheep." <"Thinking about it, I do remember hearing about E-Corp trying to actually MAKE electric sheep for some reason?>

"Oh hell, not this again." Maruyama chuckles under his breath.
"Actually shut up holy fuck." You shake your head, absolutely failing to hide your own smile. "You know that nonsense is just a metaphor, right?"

"Metawho?" Kiara chirps out.

"Now you see what I dealt with the last week." Every word Maruyama says is laced with sentimentality. "Absolute inane nonsense like this."

Your conversation is interrupted by the projector turning in and the oh-so-familiar beeping countdown of a movie ready to start. 6, 5, 4...

"About the ledger, I'll keep it for now. I want to stew on it a little, you know?" You don't necessary distrust Maruyama but a fresh look at it couldn't hurt.
Maruyama simply shrugs. "You found it. If anything else, you probably know how to hide that paperwork. Do what you will."

The movie then starts and the three of you are immediately hit with disappointment when you see the actual movie itself.

Holy fucking shit this is beyond pretentious.
>>
The actual plot of the movie before you is nearly incoherent. You do recognize some of the footage you recorded of Avalon and of THE LAST WITNESS/Phillip but it's mostly just incoherent arthouse slop. Scenes randomly cut off, start, then cut off again. Dialogue is barely coherent and is laced with nonsensical metaphors and comparisons. You don't even know who the FUCK the main character is supposed to be.

You glance back at your two allies to see how they're reacting.

The sheer, unyielding disappointment on Kiara's face is best compared to a small child being told she couldn't go to an amusement park.
Maruyama is giggling to himself at the sheer absurdity of the film he's watching. "I haven't seen something this bad since I still went to film festivals."

You and Kiara can't help but to stare at him. He absolutely does NOT seem like the type to do that from your limited conversations with him. Maruyama simply offers a shrug when he sees you two staring at him.

"I was a stupid kid back then. Hey, I had dreams before becoming an Officer Director, you know?" <"That and it was fun to film stuff with my friends and...her.">

The three of you proceed to watch the trainwreck of a movie before you, enjoying the plentiful food and drinks provided to you. The quality of the film itself hardly mattered to you, really. This was moreso just an excuse to hang out with some pals you didn't get to hang out with too much.

The hope fades from your eyes when two hours have passed and the movie still hasn't ended. Then another hour passes by. At this point, the three of you are about ready to leave right here and now since it's clearly just padding at this point but Kiara has to beg both of you to keep watching it.

So be it. More thinly veiled plotlines from Gregory's own life, some incoherent slop, some more random footage from your group that's clearly of a vastly poorly quality than his own footage, repeat and repeat. You swear the main character changed fifty times over the course of the movie.

You feel something glowing and vibrating in your INVENTORY. You pull out MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN ERA and place it on top of one of the chairs.

Soon, after FOUR FUCKING HOURS OF SLOP, the credits begin to roll. That's when you see something weird. Sure, you + Kiara + Maruyama are credited but the first credit of the movie wasn't the production company. It wasn't the cast, nor the directors.

"In Loving Memory of Phillip Smith. Couldn't have made it without him. I'm sorry. 2141-2175."

80 years too late. But it is the first step towards those old memories being remembered.

The camcorder glows for the briefest of moments before returning back to a dormant state. You put it back on your inventory.
>NEW MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN ERA ABILITY UNLOCKED! (At any time, you may make a WILLPOWER check to pull an item recorded from the past into the real world.)

[UNSTABLE] "That movie fucking sucked. I think I want to kill myself in front of Gregory."
>>
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"Agreed." Maruyama nods.
"Please don't do that you're so cool and cute hahaha." Kiara pats you on the shoulder. "Okay but seriously. Don't."

You snort. "Hey, it was a jest. But seriously, that sucked ass." The three of you finish the meals graciously provided and, oh shit. You glance at the candles the three of you brought and they already melted a decent amount. Best to get going.

>-$600. $2088 LEFT.

Huh, you swore you had $2998 last you checked. You must've miscounted. A slip of paper in your pocket simply reads "PHANTOM $330. ACCIDENTLY TRANSPORTED MONEY FROM FIVE YEARS IN FUTURE TO WALLET. RECTIFIED. I APOLOGIZE - SUKANE"

The three of you head out of the theater (though you make sure to grab NEW YOU) and without further ado, the three begin to start your trek back to the train station. It's already getting pretty late and you assume by the time you get back home, you're probably going to fall asleep. It is what it is.

"Sure. It sucked. But I had fun." Maruyama shrugs. His walking is a bit unstable, the complimentary sake given hasn't made him drunk but it's messing with his movements a bit. That's not what catches your eye. For a split second, you thought you saw him holding something.

A pocketwatch? A katana? A rose? A beating heart? It was only manifested for half a second, maybe not even that. You doubt Maruyama would know, even if you asked him about it.

"Same." You reach in your pocket for a smoke before realizing, oh yeah, you already smoked all of your good ones a week ago. Maruyama holds out a pack of cigarettes he has towards you and Kiara. Both of you take a cigarette from it and, with some FOCUSED TELEKINESIS, you light them up. "Huh. That's what she meant by your antlers being 'conduits' of her."

"Yeah."
"Again."
"Long story." You and Kiara mutter.

The three of you share a smoke on your walk throughout L-Corp's district. You did learn a few important things here, mainly that you have to act on your damn best behavior if you ever go here. Apparently two offenses is enough to get you shot in broad daylight without anyone even caring.

[SEEKER OF THE CITY] Your knowledge is a bit fuzzy given the lack of SCHOLAR helping you out but purity is ultimately what matters to them, it seems. If you 'act' with 'pure' intentions, that seems to be 'fine' by them.
[SEEKER OF THE CITY] Could be a Singularity thing if they're able to detect that. Though their definition is a mystery to you since you murdered god knows how many people in your job and no one has stopped you.
[UNSTABLE] YOU DIDN'T KILL ANYONE THEY CARED ABOUT. THEY ARE SELFISH, NICOLE. But who isn't?

Soon, the three of you end up at the train station right as most of your candles are melted into nothing but wax. "Well, I best be heading home. It was nice catching up with you two."

"Same. I wouldn't mind joining on another mission of yours. Call me up when you can."
"See ya around, Nicky!" Kiara waves as she boards a train with Maruyama.
>>
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And soon, both disappear onto a train.
>KIARA AND MARUYAMA HAVE LEFT YOUR PARTY!

And soon, you board your own train, heading back to a cold and frigid home. It's the only home you've known. Now with a clear head, you wonder why you even live there. You suppose you were born there but there's no real attachment to it otherwise. It's simply a place you return to after a mission.

You stare out of the train's window. Moments of human connection are really the only thing keeping you pushing forward. If you were still alone by now, you probably would've snapped. Maybe that's why you try your best to appease your allies. To help them. To bond with them.

Without them, all you would be is Nicole Smith and to be frank, that's all you know about yourself. Nicole Smith. A freak who talks to herself. Everything else is secondary, fractured, as if you're staring into a foggy mirror that's infinitely deep yet infinitely shallow. You have a faint glimmer of who you truly are, after your talk with UNSTABLE, but you've tried not to dwell on it for too long.

[UNSTABLE] AGAIN, NICOLE. NOTHING COULD'VE CHANGED WHAT WE ENDED UP BEING. WE WERE NEVER GOING TO BE PERFECT.
[UNSTABLE] YOU CAN TRY HIDING WHO YOU ARE UNDERNEATH PERSONAS AND VIOLENCE. YOU COULD TRY BEING A NEW YOU. BUT THAT DOESN'T CHANGE WHO YOU REALLY ARE.

"I know, I know damnit. I still want to be something different, you know?" You mutter to yourself.

[UNSTABLE] I UNDERSTAND. I CAN'T NAME A SINGLE PERSON WHO IS ONE HUNDRED PERCENT SATISIFED WITH THEMSELF
[UNSTABLE RESOLVE] BUT WE MANAGED TO OVERCOME SO MUCH ALREADY. ALL WE CAN DO IS TO CONTINUE. TO BECOME A BLINDING STAR OF THE CITY.
[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] To be unstoppable. To be able to protect the people we care about.
[PERSON OF INTEREST] Unable to be watched. Unable to be hunted.
[SEEKER OF THE CITY] To know all. To have the Companies bend to your whim. You already know three Singularities, even if only vaguely.
[UNSTABLE RESOLVE] YOU WERE NEVER ONE PERSON. NEVER TRULY ALONE. EVEN BY YOURSELF, YOU AT LEAST HAVE US.

You simply nod to yourself as you step off the train. You're back at District 7. Your legs move automatically back to your apartment block. The X-Corp guards, still disguised as G-Corp residents, are wandering around the nearby blocks. You step up to the guard standing by the stairs. He glances up at you and hands you a slip of paper before ushering you inside. You make a beeline to your own apartment so you can read it in peace.

Well, first, a quick shower. You haven't had a proper shower ever since you boarded that ship (aside from using salt water which barely helps) and the candle's nice scent only helped so much. You spend the next few hours just scrubbing all of the foul shit that's been coating your body over the last week. God, it feels good to be CLEAN for once.

You wrap a towel around yourself after you're done before laying on your cheap, shitty bed, propping your feet up on the edge of the bed. Report time.
>>
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"CORPORATE WAR BETWEEN J AND K-CORP MAY HAPPEN ANY MOMENT NOW. IT WILL DIE DOWN SOON, THOUGH BEWARE OF HEADING TO THEIR DISTRICTS."
"A FAKE NICOLE SMITH TRIED TO INTERACT WITH US. LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE YOU BUT WITHOUT ANTLERS. UNKNOWN WHO SHE IS. A 'VINCENT CRUZ', A DARK SKINNED CLEANER, FOLLOWED HER. WE HAVE LOST VISUAL CONTACT WITH HER BUT DO MAKE SURE TO TRY CLEARING UP ANY MISUNDERSTANDINGS YOU ENCOUNTER."
"X-CORP HAS RECEIVED YOUR STATUS REPORT ON THE ONES WHO GLOW. WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. DO FEEL FREE TO ASK US FOR ASSISTANCE IF NEED BE."
"M-COMPANY HAS BEEN LOOKING FOR OUTSIDE HELP FOR 'INFLUENCE' AND 'INSPIRATION'. NO OTHER INFORMATION HAS BEEN GATHERED. IF YOU HAVE ANYONE MUSICALLY INCLINCED, REFER THEM TO THIS PHONE NUMBER: 2-222-195-2190-4421."
"A LARGE INCREASE OF ANOMALY REPORTS HAS BEEN NOTED. NORMALLY, ONLY 20 OR SO CONFIRMED ANOMALY CAPTURES HAPPEN IN EACH DISTRICT PER MONTH. NOW, IT IS 75. WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR ANY SIGNS OF SPATIAL-TEMPORAL DISTORTIONS."
"W-COMPANY HAS BEEN SEARCHING FOR THE SUPPOSED KILLER OF AN ENTITY BY THE NAME OF 'THE ADMIRAL'S GAME' TO OFFER THEM A JOB. I DOUBT IT'S A CORPORATE POSITION. LIKELY TRYING TO USE YOU TO KILL ANOTHER ENTITY THEY HAD PROBLEMS WITH."
"ASHTON MILLER HAS GIVEN UP HUNTING YOU AFTER YOU DISAPPEARED FOR A WEEK AND SEEING US GUARDING YOUR APARTMENT. WHILE HE MAY STILL ATTACK YOU IF YOU ENCOUNTER HIM, WE HAVE TRACKED DOWN THE DISTRICTS HE ROAMS IN: 1, 3, 5, 9, 11, 13, 14, 22, 26."
"THERE ARE RUMORS OF A CORPORATE LEAK OF OUR OWN AND K-CORP'S SINGULARITY. WE DO NOT HAVE CONFIRMATION ON THIS BUT WE WILL HUNT DOWN ANYONE WHO SPEAKS OF EITHER SINGULARITY. DO INFORM US IF YOU HEAR ANYONE SPEAKING ABOUT THEM."
"THE MEETING BETWEEN THE 26 ALPHABET COMPANIES AND THE HEAD WILL HAPPEN FIVE DAYS FROM NOW. BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL ON WHAT YOU DO DURING THE DAY OF THE MEETING."

That's all of the information on the report. You toss it to the side before laying your head on the pillow before immediately passing out. All that's left for you is sweet, sweet oblivion. The last thing you notice is NEW YOU, which is hanging on your desk, shifting.

>NEW YOU (MARUYAMA) UNLOCKED! (+1 TO A STAT OF YOUR CHOICE WHEN EQUIPPED, GRANTS 'NOBODY IN PARTICULAR')
[NOBODY IN PARTICULAR] No one notices you and no one will EVER notice you. Most people have a hard time recognizing who you are after you're done interacting with them and will be far more willing to spit out information to you. You also roll an extra +3d6 during stealth checks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGkh1W5cbH4 - G-CORP STORM

When you next wake up, you find that it's fucking icy cold in here, even as you try to wrap yourself in as much of your bed's cover as possible. Must be another snowstorm. You doubt you could survive spending another day smashing your head against your wall doing nothing if this is something you have to deal with.

You pull out your phone and dial the Handler's number.
>>
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He quickly answers. "Huh. You already want to go back to work? I told you that you could lounge around as long as you want."

"I think I'd kill myself if I had nothing to keep me busy. This is as much for me as it is for you. You got a job?"

"Shit, of course I do. I was just ready to offload some of them to other Cleaners. Oh, and about the P-Company thing? They don't know jack shit about anyone creating anomalies. They don't MIND it, given you know, they produce fucking power with them. But it has been straining their ability to keep up the quality of their facilities. I think you know who might be trying to overwhelm them with too many anomalies."

"That's all I know on that front. Will try getting back to you with more news. For now, haven't gotten any stock from W-Corp or J-Corp, so it's just the missions for now." You don't mind that, you already got enough equipment.

CHOOSE YOUR MISSION!
>[ANOMALOUS] "You remember that P-Company facility I mentioned before? They're STILL whining about not having enough employees. They're desperate, all you gotta do is work a few hours with them and you'll make BANK!" REWARD: $1888, improved relations with P-Company, the experience will help improve your and your allies stats and abilities. RISK: VERY HIGH
>[ANOMALOUS] "We got reports of a certain anomaly that's been terrorizing District 14. Some sort of big crash test dummy thing called APEX PREDATOR? Whatever it is, it's been killing a lot of people. Recontain or weaken it enough for the ETF to get." REWARD: $1448, improved favor with P-Corp, 6 A-Energy packets for recovering a high valued anomaly for P-Corp. RISK LEVEL: HIGH. Regardless of who you pick, Benjamin and Max will offer you intel to help you on this mission.
>[ANOMALOUS?] "Those tunnels over District 10 are still there. No, we don't know how or where they go. We keep hearing rumors about something being down there. Investigate it, please. You're apparently able to find actual glowies, maybe you can figure this out." REWARD: $1333. That's it. RISK LEVEL: MEDIUM
>"This normally isn't something I'd hire a Cleaner to do but hey, you do what you gotta do. A highly respected member of the Vanni family has disappeared and no one knows where the FUCK she went. Last we know, she was exploring an abandoned subsection in District 23. Find out what happened to her." REWARD: $1000, improved relations with the Vanni, Huxley, and Krakatoa families, +1 to CONNECTIONS to you and any allies you bring along. RISK LEVEL: MODERATE
>"I-Company has been struggling to find resources to operate their Singularity. No, I don't know what it is, but they've been badgering me to help out or they'll cut me off. I know of a part of their District that might still have some resources. Explore and recover any and all resources you can find." REWARD: $950, +FAVOR WITH I-COMPANY, I-Company will provide you with a free apartment in their District if you ever need a place to hide out at. RISK LEVE: MEDIUM.
>>
>"This is a simple mission. J-Company is trying to hunt down a Syndicate leader but they're being stretched thin by, you know, the thing with K-Corp. This leader has been a multi-district pain in the next. Hunt them down for them. Doesn't matter if you kill or capture them." REWARD: $1200, vastly improved relations with J, R, and X-Corp, you'll be given far more lenience when interacting with those three companies. RISK LEVEL: HIGH.
>"You better keep your head on fucking straight if you pick this. You are to escort a N-Company representative and keep him safe until he arrives at his location. Kill anyone who tries to touch him." REWARDS: $855, vastly improved relations with N-Company, various minor holy relics and N-Company items, you'll learn some valuable information about N-Company and the people they interact with. RISK LEVEL: HIGH.
>[BONUS MISSION] "T-Company has been a real pain in my ass so far. I've been constantly trying to negotiate a deal with them but they refuse to give me some Unseasoned Hours. Try to negotiate a deal between then and me." REWARD: $1111, the Handler will respect you and own you another favor, you'll gain improved relations with T-Company. RISK LEVEL: CHALLENGING.

WHO TO HIRE? CHOOSE AS MANY AS YOU WANT AND CAN AFFORD. CURRENT MONEY: $2088
>[UPG] LEX. Your easily pleased anomalously empowered muscle who has a bloodlust you need to sate. ($90)
>[UPG] ALEXIS. A supplier of equipment and connections. Somewhat flaky and liable to draw attention. (Will ask for a 14% cut of the reward money.)
>[UPG] QUENTIN. Incredibly loyal ally who has a hard time staying dead. Poor stats and tends to freak others out. (Free if brought alone. Max, Naomi, Frank, Clover, Casey and Wendy will cost $35 more to hire.)
>[UPG] BENJAMIN. Fully licensed as a pharmacist and is Open Minded to the supernatural. Delusional, credulous, and naive. ($45)
>MARUYAMA. Resilient mindset and has a way with negotiations and blending in with crowds. Has a latent spark waiting to bloom. Emotionally and physically spent. ($85 to hire.)
>KIARA. Fellow explorer of the City with a vast amount of knowledge. Artificial physiology lacks the same limits as flesh and bone. Can mimic other people. Prone to making rash decisions. (Free if you pick a mission tagged [ANOMALOUS]. $90 otherwise.)
>ADAM. A long career of working as a chef has instilled amazing levels of accuracy and technical precision. Practicing surgeon. Hard worker. Tends to overcorrect when situations get dicey. ($85 to hire.)
>MAX, an Aristocrat. High in demand with the Companies and has extensive access to corporate assets. Held in contempt by other Cleaners, very sheltered. ($160 if hired without Benjamin, $80 otherwise.)
>[UPG] ASHLEY. Living on the streets has instilled a powerful intuition. Has an athletic frame, with all of its benefits that brings. Desensitized and numb to violence and bloodshed. ($85)
>>
>NAOMI. Well versed in all military matters and a great commander. Has old glowie habits she's trying to break out of. Has a knack for analyzing the quirks and potential of people around her. Old age and scars have ruined her body. ($180)
>FRANK. His main job as an ETF agent grants incredible combat and non-combat experience and far higher base stats. Has access to resources you could never hope to get by yourself. Incredibly blunt and crass, liable to piss other people off (including you). ($275)
>CLOVER. A casino manager who larps as a cowboy, has the sharpshooting skills to back it up. Unshakeable morale and has a resolute will that's hard to break. VERY stubborn. ($200)
>CASEY. Optimistic spirit lightens the mood of everyone she interacts with, very experienced at convincing people. Emotional. ($100)
>[UPG] BENEDICT. A chef that's partially transformed into an anomaly. Unique half-machine, half human anatomy grants immense strength and physical resistances, has anomalous powers and abilities. Fractured mind that requires careful observation, UNSTABLE. (+$444 if you hire him. You get more money hiring him as you raise Adam and his own RAPPORT.)
>WENDY. A W-Company rep who seems to share the same wavelength as you, will mesh well with you and will follow your commands for the most part. Feared in the corporate world. Fucking LOATHES anomalies and will take any chance she can to rip them to shreds. UNSTABLE. ($222 or +$333 if you spend a W-CORP favor while hiring her.)
>NO ONE. YOU'RE GOING ALONE.

WHAT FORM OF NEW YOU DO YOU WISH TO WEAR FOR YOUR MISSION?
>KIARA (+1 TALENT, upgrades SEEKER to SCHOLAR)
>ALEXIS (+1 CONNECTIONS, unlocks CORPORATE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT)
>NAOMI (+1 MAX RESTRAINT, unlocks TACTICAL EXPERIENCE)
>ASHLEY (+1 WILLPOWER, grants the user ADVANCED INTUITION)
>LEX (+1 VIOLENCE, grants the user WOLF IN DEER'S CLOTHING)
>ADAM (+1 TALENT, grants the user STEADY HANDS)
>BENEDICT (+1 MAX FLESH, grants the user PERFECTIONIST)
>MARUYAMA (+1 TO A STAT OF YOUR CHOICE WHEN EQUIPPED, WRITE IN WHAT STAT IF YOU PICK THIS, GRANTS 'NOBODY IN PARTICULAR')
>NONE. ONLY YOU.

https://pastebin.com/3y638TfK (MAIN CHARACTER SHEET AND INFORMATION ON ALL OF THOSE BOONS)
https://pastebin.com/8gdVZBPe (MOSTLY UPDATED ALLIES PASTEBIN)

Sorry for the delayed updates. Been busy lately. Will try to make them quicker from here on out.
>>
>>5975336
>you're so cool and cute
Kiara is a good character
>PHANTOM $330
Thanks for fixing your math mistake QM
>A pocketwatch? A katana? A rose? A beating heart?
Our jap business bro manifesting EGO one day, so proud of him. His wife was a bitch all along, like Dora to Harry
>your antlers being 'conduits' of her
Still a curious detail how UNSTABLE seems tied to Nicole's distortion into an anomaly as well as her own mental condition she was born with, but is not linked to ANOMALOUS ABILITIES inner voice in any way

>>5975337
>you were born there
Nicole was always a G District girl then.
>Maybe that's why you try your best to appease your allies. To help them. To bond with them.
Because all of us anons of 4chan are lonely and suffering on some level, for us to be gathered here for this long. There's no other way.
We're still playing Nicole differently from how we played Admin in HELP WANTED!, and I want to keep voting that way. Nicole's no heroine, no messiah, no self-sacrificing paragon of altruism. She's shown no mercy and taken no prisoners multiple times.
>NOTHING COULD'VE CHANGED WHAT WE ENDED UP BEING.
>NEVER ONE PERSON. NEVER TRULY ALONE
Same thing from the UNSTABLE hug scene. Nicole was just a girl born with problems in the shitty City that humanity exists in.

>>5975339
>VINCENT CRUZ
The missing protag option we still haven't met
>ANYONE MUSICALLY INCLINCED, REFER THEM
Ashley, but I'm not sure how good this M-Corp proposal is for her
>USE YOU TO KILL ANOTHER ENTITY
Sorry Wendy, Nicole's taking it easy
>1, 3, 5, 9, 11, 13, 14, 22, 26
A, C, E, I, K, M, N, V, Z
>CORPORATE LEAK
Uh... yeah...

>MEETING BETWEEN THE 26 ALPHABET COMPANIES AND THE HEAD WILL HAPPEN FIVE DAYS FROM NOW
Shall we pack bags and prepare to move districts? I was wondering if assaulting the glowie base in G District is worth it to do on that day
>>
I'll wait to vote for when I get home, but the missions I have my eyes on are
>Vanni
Preferably bring Max, Benjamin, and maybe Casey or Frank? This is to resolve the Vanni plot hook from before, plus the Huxley bits.
>Apex Predator
To help Benjamin GET REVENGE. It's in District 14, which means Ashton could show up to gank us. I'm hesitant on this for that reason
>Tunnels
I want the funny tunnel snake job! Maybe Clover could be useful here, Kiara too?
>I Corp
Upside, FREE APARTMENT
Downside, Ashton threat
Nicole can endure the cold, she's becoming a deer and she's born in G Corp district
>>
>>5975341
>[ANOMALOUS?] "Those tunnels over District 10 are still there. No, we don't know how or where they go. We keep hearing rumors about something being down there. Investigate it, please. You're apparently able to find actual glowies, maybe you can figure this out." REWARD: $1333. That's it. RISK LEVEL: MEDIUM
Jew tunnel time

>>5975341
>[UPG] ALEXIS. A supplier of equipment and connections. Somewhat flaky and liable to draw attention. (Will ask for a 14% cut of the reward money.)
>[UPG] BENJAMIN. Fully licensed as a pharmacist and is Open Minded to the supernatural. Delusional, credulous, and naive. ($45)
>KIARA. Fellow explorer of the City with a vast amount of knowledge. Artificial physiology lacks the same limits as flesh and bone. Can mimic other people. Prone to making rash decisions. (Free if you pick a mission tagged [ANOMALOUS]. $90 otherwise.)
>WENDY. A W-Company rep who seems to share the same wavelength as you, will mesh well with you and will follow your commands for the most part. Feared in the corporate world. Fucking LOATHES anomalies and will take any chance she can to rip them to shreds. UNSTABLE. ($222 or +$333 if you spend a W-CORP favor while hiring her.)
>>
>>5975367
Forgot this
>ASHLEY (+1 WILLPOWER, grants the user ADVANCED INTUITION)
>>
>>5975340
>"This normally isn't something I'd hire a Cleaner to do but hey, you do what you gotta do. A highly respected member of the Vanni family has disappeared and no one knows where the FUCK she went. Last we know, she was exploring an abandoned subsection in District 23. Find out what happened to her." REWARD: $1000, improved relations with the Vanni, Huxley, and Krakatoa families, +1 to CONNECTIONS to you and any allies you bring along. RISK LEVEL: MODERATE
A break from combat (hopefully)

>[UPG] ALEXIS. A supplier of equipment and connections. Somewhat flaky and liable to draw attention. (Will ask for a 14% cut of the reward money.)
>[UPG] BENJAMIN. Fully licensed as a pharmacist and is Open Minded to the supernatural. Delusional, credulous, and naive. ($45)
>MAX, an Aristocrat. High in demand with the Companies and has extensive access to corporate assets. Held in contempt by other Cleaners, very sheltered. ($160 if hired without Benjamin, $80 otherwise.)
>CASEY. Optimistic spirit lightens the mood of everyone she interacts with, very experienced at convincing people. Emotional. ($100)

>ADAM (+1 TALENT, grants the user STEADY HANDS)
>Refer Ashley to M-Corp
>>
>>5975371
+1
I want those jew tunnels mission after this
>>
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>>5975341

>>5975367
>>5975368

Sure, I can toss my support behind this. And if there is something fucky down there, Benny will be free right?

Maybe a quick trip to get some better firearms. Shitty Saturday night specials and a shot guns can only get you so far, even with psychic powers.

>>5975342
>LEX (+1 VIOLENCE, grants the user WOLF IN DEER'S CLOTHING)

More violence will probably be useful, given this isn't the most combat oriented group.

>>5975357
>Spoiler

This place has been there for me when I was so happy I could be sick and when I had a pistol in my desk drawer in case I ever worked up the courage to do it. So yeah we are here forever.
>>
>>5975367
>>5975368
>>5975415
Don't get me wrong, I do want the jew tunnels mission, just not with that crew. My idea was
>Quentin
>Clover
>Kiara
But >>5975371 already wrote out what I was thinking for the Vanni mission, so I'm +1ing that here.
>that spoiler
You are not alone
>>
>>5975371
+1
>>
>>5975341
>"I-Company has been struggling to find resources to operate their Singularity. No, I don't know what it is, but they've been badgering me to help out or they'll cut me off. I know of a part of their District that might still have some resources. Explore and recover any and all resources you can find." REWARD: $950, +FAVOR WITH I-COMPANY, I-Company will provide you with a free apartment in their District if you ever need a place to hide out at. RISK LEVE: MEDIUM.
An apartment! We can be a landlord.

>[UPG] QUENTIN. Incredibly loyal ally who has a hard time staying dead. Poor stats and tends to freak others out. (Free if brought alone. Max, Naomi, Frank, Clover, Casey and Wendy will cost $35 more to hire.)
>[UPG] BENJAMIN. Fully licensed as a pharmacist and is Open Minded to the supernatural. Delusional, credulous, and naive. ($45)
>CLOVER. A casino manager who larps as a cowboy, has the sharpshooting skills to back it up. Unshakeable morale and has a resolute will that's hard to break. VERY stubborn. ($200)
>CASEY. Optimistic spirit lightens the mood of everyone she interacts with, very experienced at convincing people. Emotional. ($100)

>ADAM (+1 TALENT, grants the user STEADY HANDS)
>>
"A FAKE NICOLE SMITH TRIED TO INTERACT WITH US. LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE YOU BUT WITHOUT ANTLERS. UNKNOWN WHO SHE IS. A 'VINCENT CRUZ', A DARK SKINNED CLEANER, FOLLOWED HER. WE HAVE LOST VISUAL CONTACT WITH HER BUT DO MAKE SURE TO TRY CLEARING UP ANY MISUNDERSTANDINGS YOU ENCOUNTER."

"Sorry." You clear your throat. Woo, your head feels a bit sore. "So. Do you know anything about the 521 Association? I heard one of my friends talk about it. Something about it being an assassination office?"

"Never heard of it." Kori shrugs. She seems to be telling the truth.
"Ah. I have, actually. It was supposedly set up somewhere in District 24 by six very particular individuals from around the City. Two dudes and four girls," Neil takes a moment to light up a cigarette. Kori covers her mouth as he does so. "They mostly do contracts to kill specific targets without leaving any evidence behind. You'll disappear underneath the waves of the City."

"There's not much else to say beyond, obviously, all of them are up to their gills with cybernetics and implants. I can give you some rough descriptions of the ones I've heard about."

"Please do."

"Alright. One of them kinda looks like you, actually. Oddly so. Pink eyes, reddish-orange hair, feminine looking, short?" Huh, you have a doppelganger out there? "Another is a dark skinned man with a fucked up looking left eye. The last one I know of is a muscular man with a lotta tattoos and scars."

You didn't get much information out of this but that third description is ringing some alarm bells.

>"Alright. One of them kinda looks like you, actually. Oddly so. Pink eyes, reddish-orange hair, feminine looking, short?" Huh, you have a doppelganger out there?

No.5887087
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/5850165/
>>
>>5975648
The glow-niggers are sending someone to kill us and replace us. I repeat the glow-niggers are trying to replace us. Someone with a shit ton of cybernetics maybe anomalous powers.
>>
>>5975648
>Another is a dark skinned man with a fucked up looking left eye
>A 'VINCENT CRUZ', A DARK SKINNED CLEANER
>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.
Her backup in the 521? A rival? And is Ashton one of them then, judging by the "tattoos and scars"?

Should we call the Handler about our impostor?
>>
>>5975815
Definitely. And tell all our allies and friends too.
>>
>>5975648
Great work, anon.
>>
>>5975648
"Now onto more personal news. Nicole will soon be mentioned by a certain director as a 'research consultant' for his latest film. You have caught the eyes of the Aristocrats of the City, for better and worse." You roll your eyes. Of course he would mention you. "Most don't like scum like us straying past our allotted place on the Chain of Being."

"You should already be wary on associating with the Krakatoas but watch out for the Vannis, Huxleys, and Mauses." They're quite known for loathing anyone associated with your new benefactor." You recognize that first name but the others ring no bells. Noted, though.

No.5882840

"OH MY FUCKING GOD, YES!" Maruyama slams his hands on the table. A manic grin crosses his face, to equal parts amusement and horror to Kiara and Gregory. "Just last week, I had some motherfuckers who nearly made me rip my hair out."

"Oooo. Spill the beans. Maybe I know them." Kiara pulls out her notepad.

"Bennett god damn Huxley. Look, I respect my ETF agents. I know they deal with a lot worse shit than us Cleaners. But all he did when he came into my office was try hitting on Charlotte before jabbering about rabbits or something." Huh, Huxley? That was one of the rich families that TV MAN told you about.

Gregory raises an eyebrow, "A Huxley? As an agent?" <"I know they're a violent type but that seems beneath them.">

Maruyama keeps rambling without responding to Gregory, "He was nothing compared to this T-Corp representative. Izanata something." He quickly slams down two shots of whiskey in a row. "She kept asking me to get rid of some shitty bar somewhere. UMG something. Told her no and ever since then, my train keeps running late by a solid four minutes and I know it has something to do with her."

Kiara snorts, "Yeah. Sounds like T-Corp."

"And uh...fuck, what was his name?" He snaps his fingers. "Vincent Cruz? Dude's a prick when he tried joining our group. Didn't help nothing that he was associated with some crime lord named Ashton? I told him to fuck off. Supposedly he had some other Office lined up, the 521 Association or something. Some sort of assassination Office."

Your body shivers upon hearing the name "Ashton". You recall hearing that name in a file back in that old gangboss' lair. Something about easily killing some trained killers. If he's working for an assassination office...hm. Doesn't bode well.

No.5885275
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/5850165/
>>
>>5975371
+1
This looks decent.
>>
Question anon: How should we deal with Ashton? Maybe convince or fight him to stop trying to kill us and recruit him? Killing him is out of the question because our friend Ashley will definitely not be happy with us killing her brother.
>>
>>5976001
Kill him and Ashley
>>
>>5976003
Now that's thinking like a City person

>>5976001
Kill the glowies or force them to permanently call Ashton off from going after Nicole
>>
>>5976001
Avoid him till he gives up
>>
>>5948307
Alexis squints at you before giving you a half-hearted shrug. "You've proven yourself to be a valuable asset and someone who, despite her eccentrics, has been shockingly competent. Once was a fluke. Twice is a coincidence. Three times is a pattern." <"Certainly better than that shitty ETF pair I had to deal with. Benny and Fronk or something?">

Fronk = Frank
Benny = Bennett Huxley

Alexis
Banes: [INVOLVED] You're not sure who or what will recognize her but she seems she has a lot of fingers in a lot of pies. Expect a lot more attention to be drawn to your group with her around.

Alexis shows a strong dislike for Benny (Bennett Huxley). Benny may strongly dislike Alexis too.
>>
>>5976001
Hold Ashley hostage
>>
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Closing the vote.

MISSION:
TUNNEL TIME: LWN, gyJ
VANNI HUNTING: wMx, IkB, 45J, YsV
I-CORP: 2t+

ALLIES
ALEXIS: LWN, gyJ, wMx, IkB, 45J, YsV
BENJAMIN: ALL
MAX: wMx, IkB, 45J, YsV
CASEY: wMx, IkB, 45J, YsV, 25+
KIARA: LWN, qyJ
CLOVER: 2t+
QUENTIN: 2t+
WENDY: LWN, qyJ

NEW YOU FORM
ASHLEY: LWN
ADAM: wMx, IkB, 45J, YsV, 2t+
LEX: qyJ

WINNING VOTES:
VANNI HUNTING
ALEXIS + BENJAMIN + MAX + CASEY
ADAM COAT

Writing. Let's hope my computer doesn't implode during writing. Had it happen a few times and by god, I backup shit like crazy because of it.
Been enjoying the discussion I've been seeing as well. Won't comment on it but I enjoy it.

>>5975415
>And if there is something fucky down there, Benny will be free right?
Kiara is the one who's free during anomalous missions, Benjamin is just happy to be here so he's the cheapest ally you have that isn't literally free or you're bribed into bringing along.
>spoiler
We may be here forever but we might as well enjoy the ride
>>
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"Valentina Vanni has gone missing. Granddaughter of Lilith Vanni. Big fucking names, last I checked. Lilith is a major A and M-Company executive while Valentina is supposedly aiming to be one for L and V-Company." Your blood goes COLD upon hearing those names, especially the second one. "I mean, of course she would, two Vs in her name? Alphabet Companies care about the first letters in your first and last name for some reason."

"The thing is we have no fucking idea where she is now! Complete fucking radio silence from her for the last week and a half. Considering someone as powerful as her would at least have some body guards or augments, we don't think she's dead but the fact we haven't heard anything is, uh, yeah! Not fucking good!"

"Wait, week and a half. Casino, Military Base, week on the ship..." By the sounds of it, she disappeared within a pretty close time frame to you working with Gregory back at Avalon. "Where did your client last see her at? I need a location, you know. Do you have any clues as to what could've happened?"

The sound of shuffling paper is heard over the line followed by a lighter clicking to light. The Handler takes in a deep inhale of what you assume is a cigarette before sighing. "We only confirmed that no anomalous phenomenon was detected in the area we last saw her in, W-PHI-5. So it should be easy enough to recover her."

[SEEKER OF THE CITY] Some lingering knowledge from Kiara is still in the back of your head. Isn't that a mining section of W-Corp?

"Wait, why the fuck did she go to some mining subsection?" You rub one of your antlers, trying to soothe a headache that's building up in your head.

"That's the thing, we don't have a single clue. She has no association with W-Company and it's not like L or V-Corp care about Moonstones, so your goal is to find her and get that information out of her. That and to hopefully bring her back alive. A few people still live in Abgrund, a town near the last confirmed location she was in."

"Mind if I ask one more question? Has anyone been sent to try finding her?" You might as well know, in case you have to encounter them."

"Well, you might encounter a Krakatoa, Huxley, and Vanni out there. Try to work with them if you encounter them but be careful." The Handler tries his best to hide his obvious contempt for them but as he continues to speak, the contempt oozes out more and more. "I don't know what those FUCKING COCKSUCKERS will try doing to you if they see you. Like how they fucking treated ME when I asked for ONE GOD DAMN FUCKING DINNER WITH THEIR FAMILIES!"

He immediately switches his tone on a dime. "Do whatever it takes to find out what happens. Good luck."
>OBJECTIVE OBTAINED: FIND VALENTINA VANNI.

Before he hangs up, you decide it should be prudent to tell him about...her. "Apparently there's a doppelganger of me. If you encounter another girl who looks like me, call my phone number to make sure it's me. Okay?"
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"Sure, whatever." The Handler laughs off the warning before hanging up.

Suppose you couldn't expect much given how you aren't super knowledgeable about her either. Time to make a few phone calls. You hop out of bed and rush to the bathroom to take another hot shower before all of the hot water is frozen rock solid. You were too late, so the water was beyond ice cold, but fuck it. No time to complain. At least you SHOWER.

After hopping out and trying to dry yourself and dress yourself at the same time with telekinesis, you start dialing up some of your allies. First up, Ashley. The moment she picks up, you can already hear her mumbling to herself about 'not another god damn week long mission".

"Look, I really can't miss practice today, can we do this some other time-"

"Not actually hiring you!" You try your best to comfort her. "I actually got an offer. M-Company is apparently looking for some musicians. Maybe your band would like it? 2-222-195-2190-4421. That's the number."

The line goes silent for a moment and you thought she hung up on you but you're shocked to hear a giddy, girlish squeak coming out of Ashley. "How the f-fuck did you get that number? They only send those things out in Volcadera Bluff Monthly and, shit, I can't afford those mags. H-how?"

"What, is it that important?"

"I-I, look, no time to explain. Thank you. T-this, fuck, I." She sounds like she's on the verge of tears. "I'll call you later. I gotta tell the others about this." The line abruptly hangs up. Well, at least you brightened up her day a bit.

Next up, Benjamin and Max. You just call one of their numbers at random, if you know anything about those two they're probably together. Doing unspeakable things. Ugh.

Max is the one to pick up this time. You thank the Gods of the City that they're not in the middle of something personal. You can make out a buncha chattering and silverware clinking over the line alongside some classical sounding music. Almost reminds you of the music playing back at Sugar Mountain. "Hm? Who's this? I don't recognize the number."

"I-" You try to answer but you're immediately interrupted by a smug cackle.

"C'mon, I know who you are. Long time no see, Nolnol." You make a guttural, visceral hiss of disgust at that nickname. "PFFT! C'mon! Lighten up. What's the deal? Huh? Huh? C'mon."
"wait are you talking to Nicole?" You barely hear Benjamin's voice in the background.

"Well, I'm hiring you two on a mission. To find Valentina Vanni."

"Oh." Max's normally smugly upbeat, boyish voice immediately drops a dozen octaves upon hearing that name. "To kill her? Yeah. I'm more than fine with doing that. Right up my alley." Huh, does she have some sort of bad blood with her?

"No, no, to find out what happened to her. She's gone missing. Poof. Vanished. Apparently because she was going into some sort of W-Company mine."

"Huh? Disappeared? No wonder why she hasn't been around lately." Max clicks her tongue. "Anything else?"
>>
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"That's all I know. Apparently a Huxley, Krakatoa, and another Vanni are also searching for her and we might encounter them."

"Fuuucckk, okay, yeah. That's not good. Not good at all. Our families aren't on the best of terms so, uh, yeah." Her voice grows distant and muffled. "Hey, Benny, we're going to finish this and we're going to meet Nicole."

"See you. We'll meet up soon." Max hastily whispers into the phone.
"Take your time." You end the call.

You next dial up Alexis as you start putting on your uniform. A bulky pink coat with a thick hood (antler holes included), rugged blue jeans, thick steel-toed boots, and some leather gloves. If you're going into a mine, might as well be protected. You have to hold your phone pretty far away from your ears (which are oddly more sensitive now) as the call connects.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT B-COMPANY WON'T LET ME IN?! I SPENT THREE DAMN MONTHS TRYING TO ORGANIZE A MEETING WITH THEIR CEO AND-" She only now notices that she's getting a call from you. She mutters under her breath as you hear the sound of some sliding doors opening. "Hello, Nicole. What seems to be the mission today?" She tries her best to hide the fact she was screaming at the top of her lungs earlier.

"Uh, you okay there? I kinda overheard your little episode there."

"Please tell me what the mission is about." Alexis chirps out with the same robotic soulless tone that you hear in dead inside F-Corp fast food employees. You decide to give her a short rundown of the mission. "Hm!" This immediately picks up her mood. "Okay, okay, I can absolutely work with this." It's clear she's already brewing a plan on how to get into contact with these powerful families. "Perfect timing, Nicole. I know my investments in you would work out."

"I'm bringing along three other allies. One of them is Benjamin, the other two you haven't met. Bring your usual equipment."

"Of course, of course!" Alexis coos with a sickly sweet tone. It's clear she's barely listening to you after you mentioned the rich families. "See you!" The call then ends.

Lastly, Casey. You haven't hired her before so this will be new. The moment you dial her number, an annoying jingle from Beetleburger blares over the line. It's just the word "MEAT" repeated over and over again as bitcrunched retro game music plays. It takes a solid minute for Casey to even say anything as the music plays.

"Oh! Hey! Casey Smith, HR of Clover Suite! We are clearly unavailable for any additional reservations, we ran out two days ago. However, you may leave an advanced reservation with Clover Guan himself to-"

You interrupt the saleswoman speech she's giving with a simple cough. "Nicole here. Hiring you on a mission. Got $100. You in?"

"Oh! You're Clover's friend! Yes, yes, yes! I'll be there soon!" "Wait you don't even know where I want you to meet at-" The call disconnects. You don't understand a single lick about how this girl thinks. Oh well. You take a moment to put NEW YOU on...
>>
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This time, it simply turns into a bright red collared shirt. Easy enough to slip on underneath your coat, though it clings a bit too tightly around your chest. Once it's on snugly, you can feel a click in your head.

[STEADY HANDS] Muscle memory from another person floods your body immediately. It takes a moment to get used to it but as quickly as it overwhelms you, it feels like it's a natural part of you.

>+1 TALENT! STEADY HANDS BOON obtained while NEW YOU (ADAM) is EQUIPPED!

No need to stay here any longer than you need to, you got a mission to do. You grab the ANAMALA ACID so you can give it to Benjamin. You step outside of your apartment to start your long, long trek over to the train station out of here. Not even the X-Corp guards are standing outside and really, you can't blame them. The storm outside is the worst you've seen in ages.

Everything around you is blanketed in a thick white fog of snow and the harsh, intense winds are doing their best to knock you over. For the briefest of moments, you thought you saw a glint of something pink in the storm but your mind is preoccupied with getting to some shelter. Every step takes some effort but while most people would've been completely knocked over by now, you're actually handling this just fine.

After a solid thirty minutes of storming through the winter storm, you manage to arrive at the train station. It's completely abandoned aside from one android girl at the ticket booth, staring blankly at the empty waiting area. You don't even detect anything on her with MIND READ and, on closer examination, she seems to have powered herself off. She's mostly there for appearances.

You sit at one of the many empty seats and wait. You grab an abandoned catalog on one of the many empty seats and start skimming through it. Hm. CyberPonk, Supreme Ape Ruler, Humans - We Rule!...buncha weird TV shows being made these days. ASSISTANCE NEEDED? That's a lame fucking name, sounds like a teenager made that.

You're snapped out of your bored magazine reading when a train finally arrives. Four people step out of it and shortly after, the train immediately disappears to somewhere else.

Benjamin waves you with a bit too much enthusiasm. His messy brown hair is still in a messy bird nest style. The grey waistcoat and red bowtie he has on is rather unfitting for this mission he at least bothered with putting on some forest green jeans, thick boots, and leather gloves make up for that.
Holding onto one of his hands is the beanpole herself, Max. Aside from her tuxedo and dress pants being purple instead of grey, her outfit's mostly the same as last time. She's muttering to herself while combing through her messy greyish-blue hair (which matches her eyes.)
Alexis is wearing the same stark white business suit she always does with the only addition she added being some thick boots, a face mask, and some sort of grease on her blonde hair. She holds up a thick briefcase with a thumbs up
As for Casey...well.
>>
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You're still not sure how she found you since you didn't tell her the location in time. She looks exactly the same as when you last saw her. Yellow dress shirt (with a loosely tied black and yellow tie), brown slacks and shoes, and off-yellow hair (reminiscent of the color of beeswax) tied into a simple ponytail. Her eyes, the same color as her hair, still have no light behind them.

The thing that creeps you out the most? You don't detect a single thing on her when you mindread her. Complete fucking deadzone up there. You're not even sure HOW, the only things you failed to mindread so far were anomalies.

"Hello!" Casey chirps out. "I am here to help! So are your other friends and pals! We will be a great team!"
"Yeah we don't know how she found us." Benjamin laughs with a thinly veiled FEAR in his words. "She just chased after us and now she's here now."

Casey, Benjamin, and Max suddenly notice your Antlers. Max tries her back to hold back her laughter while Casey and Benjamin stare at them in awe.

"Waow! Cute!" Casey and Benjamin chirp out.

>Casey, Alexis, Benjamin, and Max have joined the party!
>-$225! $1863 LEFT!
>YOUR MISSION REWARD IS NOW $860!
>Max has brought some personal supplies! Will be recorded below.

You slide over the ANAMALA ACID over to Benjamin, who picks it up with a nod.
>Benjamin may now create explosives, at the cost of two out of four charges of his LICENSED PHARAMCIST boon.

"Well, we got some time to burn. Everyone, come over here. I got some supplies to give you." Alexis pops over her briefcase. The others, including you, crowd around her as you prepare to see what she brought. But first...

CHOOSE ONE CHARACTER UPGRADE FOR BENJAMIN AND ALEXIS!

ALEXIS:
>On the surface nothing has changed. The confident smirk she's wearing, the electric buzz around her, and a glint in her eye tells you otherwise. (PRAGMATIC MINDSET. +2 RESTRAINT, +2 WILLPOWER, Alexis will heal 1 RESTRAINT when doing actions that benefit your group regardless of how morally questionable or gruesome they are and will have a small chance to negate any RESTRAINT damage your party takes, regardless of the amount dealt)
>With every moment she makes, you can hear the telltale 'click-clack' of her robotic prosthetics. Even her eyes are glowing with an off-blue glow to them. "What? You need augments to survive in the corporate world." (CLASS 5 AUGMENTS. +1 FLESH, RESTRAINT, VIOLENCE, TALENT, and COGNIZANCE. Alexis has a 50% chance of negating any FLESH or RESTRAINT damage she takes by 1. Due to her new eyes, she also has low light vision and other improved senses.)
>She glances down at an odd walkie talkie before looking back up at you. "I got some new friends. In case we ever need to call them." (CORPORATE ELITE. +2 CONNECTIONS, +1 CHARM, +1 COGNIZANCE. While Alexis in your party, her friends on the other side will offer passive assistance during the mission, offering you valuable advice and warning you if any danger is approaching.)
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BENJAMIN
>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, +1 RESTRAINT. Benjamin will slowly awaken an anomalous power over the course of the mission. You'll get a future vote to decide what it is.]
>The sparkle in his eyes is completely foreign to you. A delusional, hopeful glimmer that seems ready to push through anything. [BLIND OPTIMISM. +1 RESTRAINT, CHARM, and TALENT. Benjamin passively recovers RESTRAINT and instantly recovers from INSANITY/0 RESTRAINT once per mission. In addition, Benjamin grants all allies a +2d8 bonus to resist mind altering effects while in the party.)
>As Benjamin cracks his shoulders, you notice there's an odd glow in his veins. As if his blood has changed colors completely. "I've been testing out some new chems on myself. Hopefully they'll help." (SELF EXPERIMENTATION. +1 FLESH, TALENT, AND VIOLENCE. Benjamin passively recovers FLESH damage and CRIPPLING INJURIES. Whenever a stat altering drug is used on him, he gains an additional stat in all points the drug raises and he ignores any penalties from the drug.)

CHOOSE ONE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT FOR EACH ALLY!

ALEXIS
>Tranquilizer Gun. Useful when you need to be sneaky. (ATTACK ROLL: TALENT+RESTRAINT+1. Attacks deal with it do no damage but the enemy will need to make a hard FLESH check to avoid being knocked out. Comes with three syringes.)
>T-Company Temporal Rewinder x2. Very useful in very dire situations. (Consumed on use. Rerolls ALL 1 and 2s rolled by you or allies and ALL 5s and 6s rolled by enemies.)
>E-Corp Explorer Drone. Very useful for exploring tight, cramped conditions. (Has two charges. Can be used to scout most buildings and can squeeze through most gaps. Can self denotate on command.)
>Bribe Money. It's Bribe Money. (Has enough money for three uses. You may use it to unlock certain skill checks when dealing with people across the City.)

NICOLE
>A-Energy Crystal. (A rare byproduct of P-Company's REFINEMENT process. Has three charges. You may spend a charge to use 1 less RESTRAINT when using an anomalous ability.)
>G-Company Climbing Bundle. (Has a variety of useful climbing and exploration tools such as rope, flashlights, oxygen tanks, and various other minor goodies.)
>Antler Guards. "Look, those things are an obvious weakpoint. Let's cover them." Gnarly metal casts made to cover your Antlers. (Can consume 2 CRIPPLING INJURIES inflicted on you before shattering completely.)
>Shotgun Slugs x5, Pistol Rounds x6, Revolver Bullets x3, Anti-Anomaly Rounds x2. More ammo for your guns, simply.

MAX
>SMOKE BOMBS. Allows for quick disengagement. Comes in a pack of four. (Can be used to reduce an enemy's VIOLENCE by 2 or to grant a +2d6 bonus when attempting to escape an enemy.)
>Slick Shades. Glasses enhanced with AR that grant the wearer an invaluable advantage. (+1 COGNIZANCE while equipped, grants Max the ability to see in the dark.)
(1/2)
>>
>Hologram Projector. Useful for distracting and confusing other people. (Comes with three charges. Allows the user to spend a charge to display hyper detailed illusions of whatever they desire. Can be used to disorient and trick people in a variety of situations)
>Bribe Money. It's Bribe Money. (Has enough money for three uses. You may use it to unlock certain skill checks when dealing with people across the City.)

CASEY
>Perry the Cockroach plushie! WOW! FANTASTIC! YOU WILL LOVE THIS BUG YOU WILL HOLD THIS BUG YOU WILL KISS THIS BUG (+2 MAX RESTRAINT to Casey.)
>BONECUTTER FOR WOMEN flower engravings, high anf effisient power motor, SOUPER CUTE!!! cuts through bones steel robots yes yes (ATTACK ROLL: VIOLENCE+3, allows her the ability to cut through fences, break open doors, and anything else made out of weak metal. Rolls an additional 2d8 when attacking androids or robotic anomalies.)
>MBF Model 129. Feed feed feed it, it shoot shot shot 88 sideways times it loves you :) (ATTACK ROLL: TALENT+2, has infinite ammo. Can track the scent of a person if given the right item. You may pet it as well.)
>MRJ Injector. one jab for a specil alley to get a little closer to THE MOON OVER HEAVEN. Tastes beetler than potato chips for heads (more puwer) :D (Has three charges. May permanently boost yours or an ally's stat by 1. Has a chance of bug-related side effects.)

BENJAMIN
>Trauma Kit and Gauze Roll x3. You know what these do. (Trauma Kit: Has 5 charges. Heals 1 FLESH with 1 charge. Heals a crippling injury with 2 charges. Can heal near lethal damage with 3 charges. Gauze Roll: Consumed on use. Can heal one FLESH or temporarily negate a crippling injury.)
>Hypospray. A specialized medical device that automatically generates chems. (Comes with three charges that regenerate over time. Spend a charge to heal 1 FLESH or RESTRAINT, add +1d10 to non-CONNECTIONS, non-health stat rolls, or purge a status effect)
>Z-Company Elite Labcoat. (+1 CHARM and COGNIZANCE while equipped. Benjamin produces 1d5 whenever he's asked to produce a drug for you.)
>K-Corp Gas Grenades and Specialized Gas Mask x5. Very potent shit, please be careful with them. (Gas Grenades deal stat damage to ALL stats upon exposure. Specialized Gas Masks work just like normal gas masks but they also grant those wearing them +1d8 to FLESH SKILL CHECKS.)

MAX EQUIPMENT ACQUIRED! (Don't vote for.)
>NEUTRALIZING GAS GRENADE x4 (Made by K-Corp. When used, automatically cleans the air, dispelling any toxic gasses or any other air-borne toxins.)
>HIGH GRADE PICKAXE. (Can be used to break through stone and rock, opening up pathways otherwise inaccessible.)
>IMPLANT DETECTOR. "I know what kind of implants my family and their rivals has." (Will tick when someone with implants approaches or is close by. May assist in finding Valentina.)
>>
What do you want to do with your free time before the next train arrives? Pick three.
>B-Company, huh? Admiral said that the Spooks were associated with an old B-Corp. Might be prudent to pull at this thread. "Hey, why WERE you trying to contact B-Corp, Alexis?"
>Hey, might as well start cooking some drugs. 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.)
>"So, Max, tell me everything you know about the rich families we'll have to deal with." Any information about them will be useful this mission."
>"Uh, Casey? Mind if I talk to you real quick" Try to understand why you can't read a single fucking thing in Casey's mind by talking with her.
>Take a moment to warn them about your doppelganger. Ask if ANY of them have seen someone who's looked like you before.
>[UNSTABLE] MIGHT AS WELL GET IT OUT OF THE WAY. ALEXIS KNOWS BUT BENJAMIN, MAX, AND CASEY DO NOT. SPEAK TO THEM.
>Check up on an ally. (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. (Ask them something else? Give them items you don't need? Do something else completely.)

The update was only THIS big because there was just a lot of upgrade and equipment junk to go through.
>>
>>5976314
>Lilith is a major A and M-Company executive
So she's still alive. Guess we could personally return her ID card if we ever run into her at the end of this mission
>first letters in your first and last name
Alliteration has appeal
>no anomalous phenomenon detected
I'm glad this is not an anomalous mission for once. I've been itching for something "ordinary"
>mining subsection
Nicole and Benjamin must be a lot more valuable here compared to Alexis and Max then. Better rev up that aerial drone and the UV flashlight and the NVGs.

I went back and caught this just now
>"UVX MODEL #222" x2 (A experimental X-Corp ointment altered due to recent training data from a 'N.S.'
>recent training data from a 'N.S.'
Nicole has actual good impact on the setting with her work. Nice

>>5976316
>giddy, girlish squeak
One more step towards BESTIES status
>chattering and silverware
They're even having breakfast together. When the fuck are they getting married?
>Nolnol
Is that a drug name? Did Benjamin suggest that?

>>5976318
>Krakatoa
On the bright side, we're sure to have a powerful guest ally when we encounter them in the field. Nicole still has 3 KRAKATOA FAVOR banked from Gregory
>B-COMPANY WON'T LET ME IN
I wonder what's that about. Should we tell Alexis about the dead B-Corp man in the box we found? The one growing lots of horns and who injected some weird shit. Presumably ICP Energy because "veins and trails of teal" mentioned
>Clover Suite
Seems Clover's taking a page out of Mettaton's book and running a hotel now. Hope he makes it

>>5976319
>clings a bit too tightly around your chest
That's kinda hot
>[STEADY HANDS]
Wonder what Adam got in exchange during this. Could it be different than what Kiara got? If Adam got PERSON OF INTEREST, then that might be very spicy with how the silver agents have been harassing him lately
>glint of something pink in the storm
SUS
>CyberPonk, Supreme Ape Ruler, Humans - We Rule!
Sorry QM, I haven't read any of those quests. Not quite my cup of tea
>ASSISTANCE NEEDED? That's a lame fucking name, sounds like a teenager made that
Tell that to the guy the "show creator" was ripping off, who was also ripping off somebody else, who was ALSO ripping off some S-Corp video game designer and gambling addict. :^)
>Holding onto one of his hands
That's HOT

>>5976329
>don't detect a single thing on her when you mindread her
Maybe she's not even human? This implies that somehow, drones (meat-puppet piloting centipedes) and androids (literal robot people) are more "human" than Casey when it comes to the anomalous mind read. Disturbing.
>thinly veiled FEAR
It's OK Ben, she's here to sell us a good mission success
>>
Now for my votes

>>5976329
>CLASS 5 AUGMENTS
I really really want CORPORATE ELITE for that sweet 9 CONNECTIONS, but girl you have only 2 FLESH and RESTRAINT. How are you going to stay alive and sane working with Nicole?! You dodged the obstacle course on the military base mission, so now you won't be maximum corpo. You need to get this upgrade to exist at all next to our protag. Sucks to be you
PRAGMATIC MINDSET is cool, but it sucks for the way we've built Alexis up in this quest

>>5976330
>BLIND OPTIMISM
2 FLESH still sucks, but I ain't into making him mad science freako in this quest. No SELF EXPERIMENTATION, even though the +1 FLESH and passive recovery and the drug buffs are all amazing, with how naturally drug-heavy we are in this quest setting. I can't imagine all that self-experimenting would do his future child with Max any favors.
I don't want to get ANOMALOUS POTENTIAL. I know that we even befriended and recruited Benjamin all the way on our first mission thanks to him wanting to get anomalous powers like Nicole does, but he and Max don't know a thing about the glownigs. They don't know the shit Nicole's been through because of them. Benjamin (and I think Max too?) know about what happened to Benedict already, but not the deeper truths behind it. I want to give him 1 of our 3 ICP SYRINGES, but ONLY after we do the UNSTABLE talk reveal to him and Max and ONLY after we tell both of them what's happened so far. I want Ben and Max to be fully informed of what the fuck Ben is in for going into this, and see if Ben does decide on it or not. I don't want to make that choice for him. It wouldn't be right of Nicole to do that in-character either. This would have to be after this Vanni mission, since we're short on pre-mission time

EQUIPMENT
>T-Company Temporal Rewinder x2
I really REALLY want this to fuck over the 1s and 2s we roll. The explorer drone would be great for the jew tunnels mission later, but oh well.
>Antler Guards
I want this because the antlers are an incredibly obvious anomaly weakpoint by design. Every single one of the Nicole equip options here are great, so this is a painful choice for me. Thanks QM.
>SMOKE BOMBS
Max is clearly a trick character in her stat layout and traits. This plays more into that. Rest are kinda meh

>>5976331
>MBF Model 129
Let's face it, this bee isn't one for close range combat. Look at her stats. No fucking weapons either. At least the Hivehand uses her 4 TALENT stat and has INFINITE AMMO. We could simply run interference on a target and keep them away, while Casey stings them to death
>Z-Company Elite Labcoat.
I want my boy to have the SICK DRIP, simple as
>>
>>5976332
Action 1
>Take a moment to warn them about your doppelganger. Ask if ANY of them have seen someone who's looked like you before.
First fucking thing we do, because they need to know. Also connect the dots like anon did in >>5975648. Max's new IMPLANT DETECTOR can also reveal where the doppleganger is if that bitch is nearby.

FREE ACTION
>Write In (Thank them for texting you this past week. You didn't mean to go radio silent, but you were on an extended mission so you had no working phone connection.)
Sounds pretty sensible to do if they really cared that much

Action 2
>Hey, might as well start cooking some drugs. 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.)
Let's get a bit creative, but not TOO creative yet
>Somtoin Alpha + Rusted Silver Berries.
The former boosts CHARM and WILLPOWER at the cost of tripping out, and the latter boosts CHARM and TALENT and CONNECTIONS if you make a drug with them. We have no weapon that scales with WILLPOWER+TALENT. The paper knife paradigm is WILLPOWER+2, and FEDKILLER shottie is WILLPOWER+VIOLENCE+1. Even so, having CHARM and CONNECTIONS up can be a powerful thing. With the new labcoat drip, Ben rolls 1d5 when making a drug. Even if we don't get the 5, having a berry or two left over is good due to the raw effect helping when interacting with Q Corp or Drones.

Action 3
>Check up on an ally. (For every action you spent on this choice, you choose one ally to talk to. Write in up to two questions to ask them.)
Instead of 2 questions for 1 ally, I want 1 question for 2 allies. That OK?

CASEY
>How has Clover been since the casino job? We heard something about a Clover Suite on the phone.
MAX
>How have her and Ben been since the casino job? It's been at least a week or so since then.
Keep things simple and straight pre-mission. We haven't seen all of these guys in a while, seeing as at least a week without any living word being "a while" with how lethal the Cleaner work can get.
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>>5976380
>Instead of 2 questions for 1 ally, I want 1 question for 2 allies. That OK?
Sure. That's A-OKAY.
>>
>>5976329
>She glances down at an odd walkie talkie before looking back up at you. "I got some new friends. In case we ever need to call them." (CORPORATE ELITE. +2 CONNECTIONS, +1 CHARM, +1 COGNIZANCE. While Alexis in your party, her friends on the other side will offer passive assistance during the mission, offering you valuable advice and warning you if any danger is approaching.)

>>5976330
>The sparkle in his eyes is completely foreign to you. A delusional, hopeful glimmer that seems ready to push through anything. [BLIND OPTIMISM. +1 RESTRAINT, CHARM, and TALENT. Benjamin passively recovers RESTRAINT and instantly recovers from INSANITY/0 RESTRAINT once per mission. In addition, Benjamin grants all allies a +2d8 bonus to resist mind altering effects while in the party.)

>T-Company Temporal Rewinder x2. Very useful in very dire situations. (Consumed on use. Rerolls ALL 1 and 2s rolled by you or allies and ALL 5s and 6s rolled by enemies.)
>Antler Guards. "Look, those things are an obvious weakpoint. Let's cover them." Gnarly metal casts made to cover your Antlers. (Can consume 2 CRIPPLING INJURIES inflicted on you before shattering completely.)

>>5976331
>Bribe Money. It's Bribe Money. (Has enough money for three uses. You may use it to unlock certain skill checks when dealing with people across the City.)
>BONECUTTER FOR WOMEN flower engravings, high anf effisient power motor, SOUPER CUTE!!! cuts through bones steel robots yes yes (ATTACK ROLL: VIOLENCE+3, allows her the ability to cut through fences, break open doors, and anything else made out of weak metal. Rolls an additional 2d8 when attacking androids or robotic anomalies.)
>Hypospray. A specialized medical device that automatically generates chems. (Comes with three charges that regenerate over time. Spend a charge to heal 1 FLESH or RESTRAINT, add +1d10 to non-CONNECTIONS, non-health stat rolls, or purge a status effect)

>>5976332
>"So, Max, tell me everything you know about the rich families we'll have to deal with." Any information about them will be useful this mission."
>"Uh, Casey? Mind if I talk to you real quick" Try to understand why you can't read a single fucking thing in Casey's mind by talking with her.
>Hey, might as well start cooking some drugs. 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.)
PEP PILLS
>>
>>5976359
>>5976380
+1
>>
>>5976329
>She glances down at an odd walkie talkie before looking back up at you. "I got some new friends. In case we ever need to call them." (CORPORATE ELITE. +2 CONNECTIONS, +1 CHARM, +1 COGNIZANCE. While Alexis in your party, her friends on the other side will offer passive assistance during the mission, offering you valuable advice and warning you if any danger is approaching.)
With how many allies we have we can specialize them
>>5976330
>As Benjamin cracks his shoulders, you notice there's an odd glow in his veins. As if his blood has changed colors completely. "I've been testing out some new chems on myself. Hopefully they'll help." (SELF EXPERIMENTATION. +1 FLESH, TALENT, AND VIOLENCE. Benjamin passively recovers FLESH damage and CRIPPLING INJURIES. Whenever a stat altering drug is used on him, he gains an additional stat in all points the drug raises and he ignores any penalties from the drug.)
>E-Corp Explorer Drone. Very useful for exploring tight, cramped conditions. (Has two charges. Can be used to scout most buildings and can squeeze through most gaps. Can self denotate on command.)
>G-Company Climbing Bundle. (Has a variety of useful climbing and exploration tools such as rope, flashlights, oxygen tanks, and various other minor goodies.)
>Hologram Projector. Useful for distracting and confusing other people. (Comes with three charges. Allows the user to spend a charge to display hyper detailed illusions of whatever they desire. Can be used to disorient and trick people in a variety of situations)
>MBF Model 129. Feed feed feed it, it shoot shot shot 88 sideways times it loves you :) (ATTACK ROLL: TALENT+2, has infinite ammo. Can track the scent of a person if given the right item. You may pet it as well.)

>B-Company, huh? Admiral said that the Spooks were associated with an old B-Corp. Might be prudent to pull at this thread. "Hey, why WERE you trying to contact B-Corp, Alexis?"
>"So, Max, tell me everything you know about the rich families we'll have to deal with." Any information about them will be useful this mission."
>Take a moment to warn them about your doppelganger. Ask if ANY of them have seen someone who's looked like you before.
>>
>>5976593
Change
>>5976332
>She glances down at an odd walkie talkie before looking back up at you. "I got some new friends. In case we ever need to call them." (CORPORATE ELITE. +2 CONNECTIONS, +1 CHARM, +1 COGNIZANCE. While Alexis in your party, her friends on the other side will offer passive assistance during the mission, offering you valuable advice and warning you if any danger is approaching.)
>The sparkle in his eyes is completely foreign to you. A delusional, hopeful glimmer that seems ready to push through anything. [BLIND OPTIMISM. +1 RESTRAINT, CHARM, and TALENT. Benjamin passively recovers RESTRAINT and instantly recovers from INSANITY/0 RESTRAINT once per mission. In addition, Benjamin grants all allies a +2d8 bonus to resist mind altering effects while in the party.)

>T-Company Temporal Rewinder x2.
>G-Company Climbing Bundle.
>Hologram Projector.
>MBF Model 129.
>Z-Company Elite Labcoat.

>Hey, might as well start cooking some drugs. 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 + Rusted Silver Berries.
>"So, Max, tell me everything you know about the rich families we'll have to deal with." Any information about them will be useful this mission."
>Take a moment to warn them about your doppelganger. Ask if ANY of them have seen someone who's looked like you before.

>Write In (Thank them for texting you this past week. You didn't mean to go radio silent, but you were on an extended mission so you had no working phone connection.)
>>
>>5976330
>With every moment she makes, you can hear the telltale 'click-clack' of her robotic prosthetics. Even her eyes are glowing with an off-blue glow to them. "What? You need augments to survive in the corporate world." (CLASS 5 AUGMENTS. +1 FLESH, RESTRAINT, VIOLENCE, TALENT, and COGNIZANCE. Alexis has a 50% chance of negating any FLESH or RESTRAINT damage she takes by 1. Due to her new eyes, she also has low light vision and other improved senses.)
>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, +1 RESTRAINT. Benjamin will slowly awaken an anomalous power over the course of the mission. You'll get a future vote to decide what it is.]

>E-Corp Explorer Drone. Very useful for exploring tight, cramped conditions. (Has two charges. Can be used to scout most buildings and can squeeze through most gaps. Can self denotate on command.)
>G-Company Climbing Bundle. (Has a variety of useful climbing and exploration tools such as rope, flashlights, oxygen tanks, and various other minor goodies.)
>Slick Shades. Glasses enhanced with AR that grant the wearer an invaluable advantage. (+1 COGNIZANCE while equipped, grants Max the ability to see in the dark.)
>MBF Model 129. Feed feed feed it, it shoot shot shot 88 sideways times it loves you :) (ATTACK ROLL: TALENT+2, has infinite ammo. Can track the scent of a person if given the right item. You may pet it as well.)
>Z-Company Elite Labcoat. (+1 CHARM and COGNIZANCE while equipped. Benjamin produces 1d5 whenever he's asked to produce a drug for you.)

>>5976332
>Take a moment to warn them about your doppelganger. Ask if ANY of them have seen someone who's looked like you before.
>"So, Max, tell me everything you know about the rich families we'll have to deal with." Any information about them will be useful this mission."
>Hey, might as well start cooking some drugs. 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 + Rusted Silver Berries.
>>
>>5976609
You missed naming the Alexis handout item for Benedict
>>
>>5976762
>Trauma Kit and Gauze Roll x3. You know what these do. (Trauma Kit: Has 5 charges. Heals 1 FLESH with 1 charge. Heals a crippling injury with 2 charges. Can heal near lethal damage with 3 charges. Gauze Roll: Consumed on use. Can heal one FLESH or temporarily negate a crippling injury.)
>>
>>5976329
>She glances down at an odd walkie talkie before looking back up at you. "I got some new friends. In case we ever need to call them." (CORPORATE ELITE. +2 CONNECTIONS, +1 CHARM, +1 COGNIZANCE. While Alexis in your party, her friends on the other side will offer passive assistance during the mission, offering you valuable advice and warning you if any danger is approaching.)

>>5976330
>The sparkle in his eyes is completely foreign to you. A delusional, hopeful glimmer that seems ready to push through anything. [BLIND OPTIMISM. +1 RESTRAINT, CHARM, and TALENT. Benjamin passively recovers RESTRAINT and instantly recovers from INSANITY/0 RESTRAINT once per mission. In addition, Benjamin grants all allies a +2d8 bonus to resist mind altering effects while in the party.)

>E-Corp Explorer Drone. Very useful for exploring tight, cramped conditions. (Has two charges. Can be used to scout most buildings and can squeeze through most gaps. Can self denotate on command.)
>Antler Guards. "Look, those things are an obvious weakpoint. Let's cover them." Gnarly metal casts made to cover your Antlers. (Can consume 2 CRIPPLING INJURIES inflicted on you before shattering completely.)

>>5976331
>Bribe Money. It's Bribe Money. (Has enough money for three uses. You may use it to unlock certain skill checks when dealing with people across the City.)
>MBF Model 129. Feed feed feed it, it shoot shot shot 88 sideways times it loves you :) (ATTACK ROLL: TALENT+2, has infinite ammo. Can track the scent of a person if given the right item. You may pet it as well.)
>Hypospray. A specialized medical device that automatically generates chems. (Comes with three charges that regenerate over time. Spend a charge to heal 1 FLESH or RESTRAINT, add +1d10 to non-CONNECTIONS, non-health stat rolls, or purge a status effect)

>>5976332
>"So, Max, tell me everything you know about the rich families we'll have to deal with." Any information about them will be useful this mission."
>"Uh, Casey? Mind if I talk to you real quick" Try to understand why you can't read a single fucking thing in Casey's mind by talking with her.
>Take a moment to warn them about your doppelganger. Ask if ANY of them have seen someone who's looked like you before.
>>
Question anon: how much do you want to bet that Casey has an extremely fuck-up backstory?
>>
>>5976875
I wouldn't bet against it for sure.
>>
>>5976875
To us it is fucked up, but to "drones" like Casey it is not
>>
Rolled 1, 1 = 2 (2d2)

ALEXIS UPGRADES
CORPORATE ELITE: EM0, 45J, wMx, bYH
CLASS 5 AUGMENTS: IkB, Slf

BENJAMIN UPGRADE:
SELF EXPERIMENTATION: wMx
BLIND OPTIMSM: EM0, 45J, Slf, bYH, IkB

ALEXIS EQUIPMENT
T-CORP: IkB, EM0, 45J
EXPLORER DRONE: Slf, bYH, wMx

NICOLE EQUIPMENT
ANTLER GUARDS: IkB, EM0, bYH
G-CORP CLIMBING BUNDLE: 45J, Slf, wMx

MAX EQUIPMENT
HOLOGRAM: wMx, 45J
SMOKE BOMBS: IkB
BRIBE MONEY: EM0, bYH
SHADES: Slf

CASEY EQUIPMENT
MBF: IkB, wMx, 45J, Slf, bYH
BONECUTTER: EM0

BENJAMIN EQUIPMENT
ELITE COAT: Slf, IkB, 45J
TRAUMA KIT + GAUZE: wMx
HYPOSPRAY: bYH, EM0

FREE TIME
MAX FAMILY INFO: EM0, wMx, 45J, Slf, bYH
CASEY PRODDING: EM0, bYH
DRUGS: IkB, EM0, 45J, Slf (with the majority be leaning towards mixing Somtoin Alpha + Rusted Silver Berries)
B-CORP?: wMx
DOPPLEGANGER: IkB, wMx, 45J, Slf, bYH
CHECK UP ON ALLY: IkB
And I see no reason to skip the free action one since it's pretty short and doesn't cost any resources, so that's added in as well.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

So, with the things that aren't in a tie, we got
UPGRADES: CORPORATE ELITE + BLIND OPTIMISM
EQUIPMENT: MBF, ELITE COAT
FREE TIME: DRUGS, MAX INFO, WARN ABOUT DOPPELGANGER

I'll resolve the Nicole and Alexis one with a dice roll to not slow things down too much.
NICOLE (first 1d2): 1 = GUARDS, 2 = G-CORP
ALEXIS (second 1d2) 1 = T-CORP, 2 = EXPLORER

But Max is a bit more interesting. I'll leave that up to a tiebreaker. Which one do you want to pick for her?
>BRIBE MONEY (May be useful if you encounter the corporate families. Rich people know cents, not sense.)
>HOLOGRAM PROJECTOR (Might be useful for avoiding them to begin with or for scaring off anyone who might be following you)

In addition, one anon, roll 1d5 for the DRUGS.

>>5976897
Drone? Huh? She has a face. Drones don't have faces. That's City Lore 101. You're silly. Very silly. Silly little bee.
>>
Rolled 2 (1d5)

>>5976948
I will cast the dice
My vote:
>BRIBE MONEY
The power of "I'm going to pay you $100 to fuck off"
>She has a face. Drones don't have faces. That's City Lore 101. You're silly. Very silly. Silly little bee.
My metaknowledge tells me she is a MANAGER, HELP! drone transplanted to this City. Less a centipede and more a different insectoid "human" type. She has no mindread because she is part of a hivemind, presumably. But this is all up to Nicole to learn and discover
>>
>>5976958
Aight, I'll treat that as you changing your vote from Smoke Bombs to BRIBE MONEY. Closing vote, writing.
>>
>>5977022
Yeah no problem. Smoke bombs wasn't going to win anyway as the later votes got posted, so I don't mind changing it to speed things up
>>
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BORK!

What the actual fuck was that?

The first thing Alexis pulls out of her briefcase is an oddly MOIST snubnose revolver that squirms in her hand as she holds it. Alexis, rightfully so, immediately tosses it over at Casey to get it out of her fucking hands ASAP. Casey catches it with ease.

"I have no idea how that got into my briefcase but it's yours now...?" Her sentence trails, obviously expecting to hear Casey's name.

"Casey Smith, at your service!" Casey's posture immediately straightens as she salutes Alexis. The revolver stops squirming once its in Casey's grasp.
>+MBF Model 129 to CASEY!

"Noted." Alexis wipes her hand on her briefcase before tossing over a bundle of something to Max and Benjamin before immediately rushing over to you to shove something onto your antlers. They're cold and weird to wear and you can't really see what she just put on you. You take a split moment to SIGHTJACK her to see...

Two large metal casts equipped on your antlers. Your vision returns back to your normal perspective a moment after. "Those are an obvious weakpoint so I got them for you."
>+ANTLER GUARDS!

Benjamin unwraps the bundle, only to immediately realize that there's only cash inside. The thing that was wrapped around the case is a long, flowing white labcoat with veins of teal running throughout the seams of the
seams of the coat. A patch of a snake wrapping around a staff is sewn onto the coat's breastpocket. His eyes literally and visibly glimmer upon seeing it.

You're not saying that metaphorically, his eyes are glimmering. You're not even sure HOW, maybe an implant? Doesn't seem anomalous, at least.
>+BLIND OPTIMISM, +1 RESTRAINT, CHARM, and TALENT to BENJAMIN!

"Oh wow! I wasn't due to get this for another three years." Benjamin quickly puts on the lab coat. "This is, like, for someone four ranks above my position as a junior researcher!"
"Aw, don't sell yourself so short." Max pockets the bribe money. "You would've gotten in two months tops, dork."
>+BRIBE MONEY and Z-CORP ELITE LABCOAT

Alexis finishes up by pulling out two pairs of wristwatches made out of an odd, crystalline material. She checks their dials before nodding and putting them into her pockets, swapping them out for an equally odd and ominous looking walkie talkie.
>+T-COMPANY TEMPORARL REWINDER x2!
>+CORPORATE ELITE ON ALEXIS! +2 CONNECTIONS, +1 CHARM, AND +1 COGNIZANCE TO ALEXIS!

"Testing. Over." Alexis whispers into the blood stained, rusted and clearly decades old walkie talkie.
"COPIED. OVER." A voice you can't quite describe crackles over it. "H-ALPHA-2 STATION #592-Z CONNECTED. OVER."
"Good. Connection clear. Testing complete, over."
"CONNECTION CLEAR. TESTING COMPLETE. WILL REFER INFORMATION LATER, OVER." The Voice on the Radio crackles and hisses with every syllable. Then, it's silent.

Well! Not gonna question that! You clap your hands to get the attention of your allies. "So, first things first, thank you for checking up on me. That was nice."
>>
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"Frankly I thought you were dead." Alexis shrugs. "Glad to see my asset is still kicking."
"I only did it because this dork missed ya." Max elbows Benjamin in the shoulder.
Benjamin flashes his biggest puppy dog eyes at you. "I really did, you know."
Casey is staring into blank space, as if she didn't even hear your statement.

"Also, there's apparently a doppelganger of me? Have you ever seen someone like me? But without, uh, these things?" You gesture at your antlers.

Casey snaps her gaze over to you. "Oh! Yeah, I wonder how you got those. I saw you yesterday at the casino and I was like, waow, nice Nicole lady, you know, but apparently you got Antlers???"

"I was out with some other friends yesterday. In L-Corp's district. That couldn't have been me." You try your best to hide the fear oozing out of your voice.

"Oh! Really?" Casey's smile wavers a bit. "Huh. She was a really nice lady. Had three friends. Tall tan guy with a weird eye, a boy who looks like him-" She points at Benjamin. "A big girl with a really cool jacket and big abs and really long black hair and, uh..."

Her smile immediately changes into a snarling frown. "A horrible mess of implants and muscles. Icky! He looked horrible! Ruined the meat!"

"D-did they say their names or anything else?" You try to pry what little information you can out of Casey.

"Oh! They did say this weird number! 521 something? Weird! Oh well!" Casey immediately turns his attention back to her revolver. Yeah that's all you're going to get out of Casey. Your other allies are equal parts confused and worried at this information bomb dropped.

"W-well then!" You turn over to Benjamin. You hand him over a pile of RUSTED SILVER BERRIES. "U-uh, make some SOMTOIN ALPHA with this as an added ingredient, please?"

[DELUSIONAL] "Sure, totally! I, uh, probably forgot I visited the casino, right? Yeah!" Benjamin tries his best to comfort himself as he begins to work on producing some chems. "That makes sense."

Max lowers her shades, exposing her greyish-blue eyes, to cover her face with her hand. "So there's a doppelganger of you and Benjamin, huh." Max shakes her head before reequipping her shades. "Well! I guess you just gotta kill yourself! Simple answer, right?" She plants a hand your shoulder with a shaky smile. <"I am going to kill the son of a bitch who even THINKS he can look like MY Benjamin.">

"S-sure! B-but about more mission important stuff." You pull her hand off your shoulder. "We're dealing with corporate families, right? Vannis, Huxleys, and Krakatoas. What do you know about them?"

Max plops down on one of the many empty seats at the train station. You sit down alongside her and, shortly after, Alexis joins up with you with curiosity glimmering in her eyes. "So. Huxleys. They're cold blooded capitalists who only believe in one unifying principle."

"Violence. They do NOT care about anything else besides money and violence. A bug-like mindset. Pure survival instinct."
>>
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Something clicks in Alexis' head. <"Only cares about money and viol- Oh god damnit."> "Fuck. I already know one of those. Bennett. Him and that weird friend of his would just beat the shit out of each other with batons like it was nothing more than a handshake."

"Yep! Sounds like one!" Max says with a bit too much cheer. "So, guess you're going to have to earn their respect that way."

"Vannis? Well, they're fashionistas and trend seekers. If it can get them into the spotlight, no matter the cost, they'll do it. A lot of them go to A, C, or M-Corp for that reason. They like brand new, weird stuff they haven't seen before."

[SEEKER OF THE CITY] Maybe she was trying to get some Moonstones for some clothing line? But that doesn't make sense if she's working with L-Corp? They had a very uniform fashion sense.

"And Krakatoas? We hold grudges. That's probably our weakest aspect, haha." Max lets out an exhausted sigh that was clearly being held in for years. "A lot of my uncles and aunts and siblings also care about the past WAY too much. Expect a lot of my family to be very set in their ways. You, uh, probably already knew about that. With...you know."

"Yeah." You don't want to dredge up what happened in Avalon with her, especially since you mostly only know each other through Benjamin. Not really the right time or place for it. Before you have time to pry more into her about the families, a train FINALLY arrives at the station. The five of you quickly patch up your things and head onto the train before it leaves you behind.

Benjamin tosses you two small half-grey-half-crimson pills and some leftover rusted berries. You nod at him as you pocket them.
>-2 RUSTED SILVER BERRIES
>+SOMTOIN ZETA x2 (A potent psychoactive that reformats your soul. +3 CHARM, +1 WILLPOWER, +1 TALENT and CONNECTIONS temporarily on use. Radically alters how the voices in your head act while active, altering future voting options for better and worse.)

Once aboard, the train's doors slam shut as you begin your long, long trip to District 23. You sink into the shoddy, barely held together cushion of the seat you're sitting on. Casey and Alexis sit next to you while Benjamin and Max sit next to each other.

Your snowbound home disappears into the distance, leaving you with only the track you're riding on and for as far as you can see, the track you're on is built over a massive chasm. You never really took this route before so this is brand new to you. There's nothing but pure, endless darkness in the gap of the earth looming underneath your train.

Casey stares into the abyss with an odd smile on her face. "People keep saying it stares back, right? I wanna see it stare back. I wanna talk to it." She giggles, talking to nobody in particular. "I wonder. Does it like staring back?"

Alexis, rightfully so, scoots away from the weird yellow haired lady. "Guess I should've expected a lot of your associates to be like this."
>>
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[UNSTABLE] "look i didn't expect this either the fuck you want from me." You whisper at Alexis
"fair enough." Alexis whispers back.

The next few hours are interlaced with Benjamin and Max chattering to each other about inane shit while Casey keeps staring out of the train window. You and Alexis entertain each other by checking through your equipment to make sure everything is how it should be.

Another hour later, totaling up to four, your train finally arrives at the outskirts of W-PHI-5. Looking outside the window, you're right outside of a small town in the middle of a massive mountain range. You've never quite seen mountains like these before, most of your exploration is in urban settings like abandoned buildings, sewage systems, abandoned facilities, that one building in...

Your mind evades you there. Hm.

The town itself is tiny, really. Probably only has ten or so buildings made out of shoddy scrap metal, faux wood, and low grade plastic scattered around the place. It's clear this place used to be something bigger but it's fallen to disrepair over the ages.

A rusted metal sign with a "W" wrapped in barbed wire carved at the bottom stands at the front of the town.

ABGRUND
POP: 23
MINE STILL ACTIVE. NO ENTRY WITHOUT AUTHORIZED PERMISSION

The thing that captures your attention, aside from the fact this shitty town still has a train station running in and out of it, is a crowd of about fifteen people all standing outside the front of the town.

The five of you step outside of the train to get a better look at what's going on here. Considering this town apparently only has 23 people, FIFTEEN people being here must be something important. It doesn't take long for your group to approach the crowd.

A group consisting of two men and one woman stands before a crowd of five old, grizzled miners and seven random citizens of this long forgotten town. It's clear that there's some sort of standoff going on down here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMGqXyFhCYk - THE THREE FAMILIES.

[PERSON OF INTEREST] You shouldn't be here.
[UNSTABLE] On a primal, subconscious level, you know who these three are are. And you're SCARED of them.

The beeping of Max's implant detector radar is going a mile a minute as you approach them. A warning siren. They're not just any members of a rich family. All of your allies immediately back up upon seeing them.

[CORPORATE INSIDER] "Fuck. Those are Alphabet Company Administrators." Alexis clenches her teeth as sweat begins to drip down her face. "Only five ranks below the CEOS of the Alphabet Companies themselves."
[CORPORATE V.I.P] "W-wait, that's my dad." Max begins to shake with such intense and overwhelming fear, you swear she was going to shatter into pieces at any second now. <"FUCK, FUCK, WHY NOW WHY NOW NOT WITH THEM NOT WITH THEM-">

Casey begins to drool upon hearing how important they are. "Ah...the truest examples of productivity!"
>>
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"I never thought I would meet someone like them in my life!"

"WE DIDN'T LET A SINGLE FUCKING VANNI IN HERE!" A bearded man with a missing left eye barks towards the three Administrators. "YOU ALREADY TOOK SO MUCH FROM THIS GOD DAMNED TOWN! WHAT GIVES YOU THE FUCKING RIGHT TO IMPLY WE DID ANYTHING TO YOUR PRECIOUS GIRL!"

The one to the left is a short, well groomed woman with a long, flowing purple ponytail. She's wearing a dark violet purple uniform with pink accented lines and flowers draping over a yellow, high collared coat. She narrows her violet eyes towards the crowd with a sneer.
The one in the middle is a man of average build and stature with remarkably pale skin. He's wearing a loosely-buttoned grey-blue dress shirt, striped jacket, slacks and dress shoes. His short grey blue hair and eyes already tells you who this is Roland Krakatoa, son of Gregory Krakatoa.
The one to the right is a wide-shouldered, tall man with long blonde hair who looks ready to fight at a moment's notice. His clothes consists of a bulky brown overcoat with shoddy metal plating attached to them, drab brown pants tucked into his jet black combat boots, thick leather gloves, and...a plastic rabbit mask?

The well-groomed woman is the first to speak up. "Don't bother lying to us. We already know she disappeared around this area."
Roland clicks his tongue with an annoyed sneer on his face. "We don't have time to waste, talking to people like you. Let us into the mines and you'll be left alone." His eyes begin to glow a greyish-blue hue. "We won't take no for an answer."
The bunny masked man is dead silent, only snarling and clenching his fists. Ready to brawl in case something happens. <"Do what comes natural. That's all I need to do. This mask protects me. Keeps my SOUL intact.">

Max promptly hides behind Benjamin to make sure Roland can't see her. Benjamin is clearly already freaking out because, well, obvious reasons. Alexis and Casey are the only ones keeping their cool right now but for vastly different reasons.

"Look, they're distracted." Alexis points out. "We should sneak into town and investigate from there. We don't need to talk to them."
"Oh, oh, but wouldn't it be smarter to connect with them? We all have the same goal, yes? To find a Vanni?" Casey chirps out.
[DELUSIONAL] "It wouldn't hurt to meet my in laws, right?" Benjamin tries his best to smile. "I AM a corporate worker, after all."
[SHELTERED] "Look, you don't understand. I don't know a lot but I know what my family and their associates are like. I agree with Alexis. We should go. Now. Please, please, please." Max pleads with you.

Seems like it's split perfectly between talking to them and trying to sneak past them. Shit. What to do, what to do? You doubt you'll have much time to stick around and think on it before they notice you anyways. There's pros and cons to both paths laid before you. Though you can think of a few paths of your own.

Well. Time to make a move.
>>
How do you want to handle this situation?
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] We are NOT fucking with them right now. Try to sneak past them while they're distracted. (You autopass but your allies need to make separate DC: 11 TALENT checks. If two or more allies pass, you sneak past them without anyone realizing you were ever hear. For every ally that fails, the DCs the others have to pass raises by 2.)
>Best not to sneak around with tensions already so high. Go over to them and introduce yourself. Break the ice, as it were, between your group, the miners, and the Administrators. (You'll get a chance to learn some more information about them and find out how to better interaction with them but you won't get any inherent bonuses from a good first impression.)
>[UNSTABLE] I LIKE THE CUT OF THE BUNNY ONE'S GIB. STEP UP TO HIM AND TELL HIM ABOUT OUR ACCOPLIMISHMENTS. (VIOLENCE DC: 17 (-3 from CASEY'S BOON), rolling 6d6 by yourself. Pass and you'll earn the BUNNY MASKED MAN'S favor and you'll scare the other Administrators and townfolks enough for them to give you some very valuable information from everyone here. Failure and you'll scare them, sure, but very much not in a good way.)
>[MAX ALLY] "Wait, he's your dad, right? Let's just tell him why we're here. Pretend like you're our boss." (You'll get the full backing of Roland Krakatoa and the miners will back off for now, though you're not fully sure of the consequences on this one.)
>[ALEXIS + CASEY ALLY] "Look, it's time to be corporate suck ups!" Head up to the corporate Administrators and do everything in your power to make a good first impression with them. (CONNECTIONS DC: 38 (-3 from CASEY'S BOON), rolling 10d6+3d3. Succeed and you should be able to make a decent first impression with the three of them, potentially helping you down the line, at the cost of annoying the town folks. Failure and you'll get some VERY unwanted attention from everyone involved.)
>[BENJAMIN ALLY] "Wait, you work with Z-Company, right? Just tell theme we're here to patch up the sick or something so we can pass through." (-2 charges on Benjamin's LICENSED PHARAMICST boon. You'll earn the favor of the townfolks and be granted passage without upsetting the corporate administrators too much. You'll get some leftover healing items as well.)
>Use a consumable on you or your allies. (FREE ACTION. Write in which one.)
>Corporate entities, huh? Let's crack open a favor. (FREE ACTION. Write in what FAVOR to spend to push your weight around. You'll get various bonuses depending on what FAVOR(s) you spend.)
>Write in.

https://pastebin.com/n0MH6M17 - MAIN CHARACTER SHEET
https://pastebin.com/n0MH6M17 - INVENTORY
https://pastebin.com/8gdVZBPe - ALLIES

INVENTORY and ALLIES updated. I say this thread has two updates left, the update after this one and the update after that, before I take a short break. Thanks for playing and thanks for sticking around for the ride.
>>
>>5977289
>>[PERSON OF INTEREST] We are NOT fucking with them right now. Try to sneak past them while they're distracted. (You autopass but your allies need to make separate DC: 11 TALENT checks. If two or more allies pass, you sneak past them without anyone realizing you were ever hear. For every ally that fails, the DCs the others have to pass raises by 2.)
>>
>>5977289
>>[BENJAMIN ALLY] "Wait, you work with Z-Company, right? Just tell theme we're here to patch up the sick or something so we can pass through." (-2 charges on Benjamin's LICENSED PHARAMICST boon. You'll earn the favor of the townfolks and be granted passage without upsetting the corporate administrators too much. You'll get some leftover healing items as well.)
Why not spend the charges, that's why we have them. Don't turn into people who finish the game with 99 elixirs.
>>
>>5977289
>[BENJAMIN ALLY] "Wait, you work with Z-Company, right? Just tell theme we're here to patch up the sick or something so we can pass through." (-2 charges on Benjamin's LICENSED PHARAMICST boon. You'll earn the favor of the townfolks and be granted passage without upsetting the corporate administrators too much. You'll get some leftover healing items as well.)

>>5958476
Lex, in his part, helps him back up before nodding at you. <"You did good, Nicole. You did real good.">
>+0.5 RAPPORT with LEX. 5.5/7 NOW.

QM, you forgot to update the Lex rapport level from 5/7 to 5.5/7
>>
>>5977287
"WE DIDN'T LET A SINGLE FUCKING VANNI IN HERE!" A bearded man with a missing left eye barks towards the three Administrators. "YOU ALREADY TOOK SO MUCH FROM THIS GOD DAMNED TOWN! WHAT GIVES YOU THE FUCKING RIGHT TO IMPLY WE DID ANYTHING TO YOUR PRECIOUS GIRL!"

Maybe rogue individuals or groups among town people decide to secretly kidnap Valentina Vanni for revenge or whatever reason. Or Valentina Vanni explores around and accidentally traps herself in the mines.
>>
>>5977255
>veins of teal running throughout the seams
ICP Energy? Z Corp uses that in their elite gear? Or is this a similar teal or pale substance?
>SIGHTJACK
We should totally use this more often, I keep forgetting we have it
>H-ALPHA-2
Wonder if she'll like our H-Corp business card we looted?

>>5977257
>Tall tan guy with a weird eye
Vincent Cruz, the missing protag option
>boy who looks like him
Fuck, there's a fourth one
>big guy with a really cool jacket and big abs and really long black hair
>horrible mess of implants and muscles
Ashton
>521 something?
Yup, it's them. They are onto us. There's no way we can take on Ashton head on and live.
>Max mindread
I fucking love these two dorks
>They do NOT care about anything else besides money and violence
I'm glad we got VIOLENCE up in last mission. Thanks Captain!

>>5977259
>that weird friend of his
Frank? That one hardass ETF guy?
>fashionistas and trend seekers
Our new drug for charmmaxxing could help us here
>brand new, weird stuff
Our Nicole is just the thing!
>Not really the right time or place for it.
No telling Max about the Gregory mission until we get higher rapport
>SOMTOIN ZETA
I look forward to using this beauty

>>5977286
>that one building in...
>Your mind evades you there
???????????????
>five ranks below the CEOS of the Alphabet Companies themselves.
OH FUCK
>that's my dad
OH NO
BEN, HIDE! YOU CAN'T LET YOUR FUTURE FATHER-IN-LAW HATE YOU (THIS EARLY)!!!!

>>5977287
>Do what comes natural
An avid Krinkels follower
>Keeps my SOUL intact
Very very interesting phrase
>>
>>5977493
>>5977449
Do we really want Benjamin's future father-in-law to meet him this way? With Max right here too?
>>
>>5977522
Nah, we hide Max and don't tell her dad anything
>>
>>5977289
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] We are NOT fucking with them right now. Try to sneak past them while they're distracted. (You autopass but your allies need to make separate DC: 11 TALENT checks. If two or more allies pass, you sneak past them without anyone realizing you were ever hear. For every ally that fails, the DCs the others have to pass raises by 2.)
>>
>>5977493
Change
>>5977289
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] We are NOT fucking with them right now. Try to sneak past them while they're distracted. (You autopass but your allies need to make separate DC: 11 TALENT checks. If two or more allies pass, you sneak past them without anyone realizing you were ever hear. For every ally that fails, the DCs the others have to pass raises by 2.)
>>
>>5977289
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] We are NOT fucking with them right now. Try to sneak past them while they're distracted. (You autopass but your allies need to make separate DC: 11 TALENT checks. If two or more allies pass, you sneak past them without anyone realizing you were ever hear. For every ally that fails, the DCs the others have to pass raises by 2.)
>>
Question Anon: Should we step in to stop a potential fight if townspeople and administrators get very violent with each other?
>>
>>5977568
No. Not our problem. Too much fallout here if we get involved overtly. We go in, find Vanni, get out
>>
>>5977595
We should help the townsfolk too. We can get exploration equipment and other mining town stuff from townsfolk since they are mining towns. Equipment can help us a lot if we choose the tunnel mission after we are done with this mission.
>>
>>5977679
i imagine it won't escalate so soon after we got here. This is just a standoff, and we're doing the sensible thing by not interfering. We can help out after the corpo trio are gone, but let's not forget what we were told by Handler.
>Well, you might encounter a Krakatoa, Huxley, and Vanni out there. Try to work with them if you encounter them but be careful.
If we're going to encounter them anyway, I don't think that counts as railroading or invalidating our PERSON OF INTEREST option vote. We're simply going to be introducing to them on the mission proper, and not here in the middle of them and the townsfolk in a tense confrontation. The environment will be calmer and less charged than this, so it gives us more of an advantage in manipulating the corpo mindset across from us. It could also cause a "when did YOU get here? I never saw you guys show up" moment that might unsettle the corporate celebs, or at least get them to show a bit more wary respect. That's later meta planning on my part as a player though, because in the story itself I imagine Nicole's reasoning is more what I said and what the option presents.
>We are NOT fucking with them right now
Implying we are going to have to deal with them as Handler said, just not NOW and not like THIS
>>
>>5977289
>>[UNSTABLE] I LIKE THE CUT OF THE BUNNY ONE'S GIB. STEP UP TO HIM AND TELL HIM ABOUT OUR ACCOPLIMISHMENTS. (VIOLENCE DC: 17 (-3 from CASEY'S BOON), rolling 6d6 by yourself. Pass and you'll earn the BUNNY MASKED MAN'S favor and you'll scare the other Administrators and townfolks enough for them to give you some very valuable information from everyone here. Failure and you'll scare them, sure, but very much not in a good way.)

That sounds like the most amusing option.
>>
PERSON OF INTEREST: Slf, 45J/scN, bYH, IkB
BENJAMIN ALLY: wMx
UNSTABLE: qyJ

Pretty solid vote here. I need four anons to roll the following
>3d6 (Alexis)
>4d6 (Benjamin)
>3d6 (Max)
>4d6 (Casey)

Label which character you're rolling for

>>5977493
>QM, you forgot to update the Lex rapport level from 5/7 to 5.5/7
Ah, fair enough, will update that after this update.
>>
Rolled 6, 1, 5 = 12 (3d6)

>>5977859
>>
Rolled 3, 3, 6, 5 = 17 (4d6)

>>5977859
>>
Rolled 3, 6, 5, 3 = 17 (4d6)

>>5977859
Ben
>>
>>5977873
Uh... Benjamin
>>
>>5977875
>>5977876
>posts Ben seconds before me
>rolls exactly same as me
Haha... then Casey it is
>>
Rolled 6, 5, 4 = 15 (3d6)

>>5977859
I suppose Alexis.
>>
>MAX: 12
>CASEY AND BEN: 17
>ALEXIS: 15
All passed. Writing.
>>
>>5977897
Max passes on DC because she's spooked, and because this is her dad she's sneaking by, and he naturally has like 20 something years of experience dealing with Max. Of course it would be a close call for her
>>
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[PERSON OF INTEREST] Tensions are high, two of your allies have personal connections to one of the bosses, and god knows who Alexis is involved with.
[PERSON OF INTEREST] The risk of something bad happening is too high. We should address this issue LATER. At a better time.
[UNSTABLE] LAME.

"Max, turn off your detector for now. So it doesn't attract any attention." You whisper towards the beanpole gremlin. She quickly takes the hint and does so. Welp! Time to make a beeline past these fucking goobers! You take a quick moment to SIGHTJACK one of the many miners to get a decent idea on how you should path it.

The three corporates are staring at the crowd specifically, nowhere else, given the nasty glares you're getting second hand exposure to you. As long as you stay AWAY from the crowd, they might not notice. Though, you only had five seconds to check since you weren't going to spend any mind over this.

You go first, deciding that the casual stroll method would work out well. Don't act suspicious and no one will notice you. You slowly stride past the crowd and corpos with a wide enough gap to make sure none of them notice you in the corner of their eye. You pass by with no issue.

Benjamin and Casey follow the same path you did, casually strolling as if there was nothing out of the ordinary going on. All three of you were quiet enough for no one to really pay attention to you as you walked past them.

Alexis is obviously a bit more hesitant but she manages to keep her cool alongside the others. She keeps her head low and the distance between her and the crowd wide enough that no one will pay attention to her.

Max?

Max is fucking spooked, there's no other way to say this. She's walking a little bit too fast, she keeps glancing around way too nervously, she's not hiding her face at all. She's clearly stressing herself over what could happen if someone spots her.

Roland's eyes break away from the crowd for a moment, narrowing his eyes in Max's direction. <"Wait, that outfit's familiar. Couldn't be, right?">
Benjamin simply gives Max a thumbs up and a smile, trying to encourage her. <"C'mon, you can do this.">

Max manages to steel her nerves long enough to stop acting so god damn suspicious and to go with the flow. This is enough to snap Roland's attention back to one of the many miners getting up in his face. <"Feh. This is more important.">

Once you and your allies manage to get past the crowd mostly unnoticed, the five of you make a god damn beeline away from the crowd to get some distance from them.

>SUCCESSFULLY SNUCK PAST THE CROWD!

"Hey, hey, it's going to be fine." Benjamin tries his best to comfort Max. "He didn't see me, didn't even see you. Right?"
"Y-yeah! Yeah, yeah, uh, yeah." Despite his best efforts, Max is too busy muttering to herself to really hear what Benjamin is actually saying. Alexis watches on with pity but Casey?

"Wait. Here." Casey pulls something out of her pocket.
>>
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It's a small, light purple taffy cube. Max stares at it with obvious confusion but she plucks it out of Casey's hand and pops it into her mouth. After a few moments of chewing on it, she's calmed down a lot all of a sudden. "Mmh."

"The hell did you give her?" Alexis glances at the now calm and not at all panicking Max.
"Lavender taffy! In trying times, it always cheers me up! Reminds me of home!" The saccharine smile on Casey's face could light up a damn billboard.

[GULLIBLE] "Wait, you stuck that flower into taffy? Isn't that dangerous? Last I checked, that stuff was poisonous..." Benjamin adjusts his glasses. "A-are you trying to kill us?"
[SHELTERED] "WAIT WHAT." Panic spreads across Max's face. "AIE AIE AIE-"
"Lavenders isn't fucking poisonous. Besides, it's probably just flavoring extract." Alexis sighs with obvious annoyance.

The two dorks calm down after Alexis tells them what should've been obvious.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5gSJUKaPdQ - ABGRUND

Now that you're further into the town, you take a moment to see what buildings are still standing in this small and barely operational town. The five of you stand in the middle of the center of town to get the best view of your surroundings.

There's four main buildings around the center of town.
-A small apartment complex that reminds you of a bloc building you faintly recall seeing in N-Company's district. With how compact and small it is, you doubt there's more than fifteen apartments in there. An old lady with a massive scar across her eye stands guard in front of it.
-A general store that's CAKED in more rust than you've seen in your whole life. The sheet metal and metal rods that make up the store are about to shatter any moment now. "MONSTEROUSLY LOW DISCOUNT AT DEVIN WOO'S MONSTEROUS EMPERIOUM" is scribbled on a sign planted in front of the store.
-The biggest building you see nearby is a massive saloon about triple the size of the other buildings. While the others are one story, MAYBE two stories for the apartment complex, this saloon is at least four stories high and is the most obviously well taken care part of the town. A few people, even some outsiders like you, consistently go in and out of the saloon.
-In stark contrast, the last building of note you see is a tiny building about the size of a mobile home. With the three roughly carved stone pillars attached to it, maybe it's the mayor's office?

The only other thing that catches your attention is something in the far distance, probably a solid mile walk away. A large, ramshackle wooden building built right above a gaping hole in the ground that's fenced off completely. Three armed guards stand by it and you can just BARELY make out "NO AUTHORIZED ENTRANCE. DANGEROUS CONDITIONS" written on a sign near the fence with some quick sightjacking.

That's probably the mines. You glance back at the crowd to see that the corpos and miners are about to disperse for now. Best to move before they see you.
>>
Which part of town do you want to investigate first?
>"Wait, that's a saloon?" Alexis perks up upon seeing the massive building. "Loose lips. Loose information. It'd be prudent to interview some of them." Follow Alexis to the saloon.
>"Mmh. Capitalism! C'mon, we gotta shop!" Casey whines at you like a poor puppy. "Maybe that Vanni person bought from there! C'mon, c'mon!" Follow Casey to the general store. If nothing else, some extra mining equipment wouldn't go amiss.
>"Deja vu." Benjamin shivers upon seeing the apartment building. "Maybe we can get some more information on the people who live her? Maybe get some clues if any foul play happened?" Follow Benjamin to the apartment.
>"I think we should interview whoever is running this place. He would know a lot about the operations going on here, right?" Max points out. It sounds logically to you. Follow her to the Mayor's Building.
>[SEEKER OF THE CITY] The MINES call you. Lead your allies over there. Try to get some information out of the guards. They had to know if anyone has entered or not and, at worst, you can inform them about a possible intruder.
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] It might be better to cover more ground at once. Split your group into two. (FREE ACTION. You may send two people to one location and three people to another location. Write in how you want to split the party and where to send them to.)
>Write in. (Ask your allies some questions? Give them some equipment or supplies you don't need? Use a consumable? Something else?)

Small adjustment, this is the last update I'll make in this thread. Once we get a solid majority on this, I'll lock the thread and archive it. Updating the ally pastebin to adjust Lex's rapport.
>>
>>5978026
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] It might be better to cover more ground at once. Split your group into two. (FREE ACTION. You may send two people to one location and three people to another location. Write in how you want to split the party and where to send them to.)
Nicole, Benjamin, and Casey to the General Store
Max and Alexis to the Mayor's Building

These mining town folks have never had good fish before, I'll bet. W District must be far away from the center of the City if it's anything like ProjectMoon's City map. This means it'll be bordering the Wastes outside, and there's low chances of any good stream or fish-containing body of water around. I wonder if we can use some of the ones we got from the Admiral mission (still fresh!) and get some good tips from the store owner about what he knows about this Vanni shitshow.
As for Max and Alexis, they should be fine confronting the Mayor. We have the BRIBE MONEY on our side if the Mayor won't bend easily. Let's not use up too much of it though, as I assume we'll need some for those mining pit guards. I don't have any ideas as to what to give them that could be any useful here with the Mayor. If anybody has ideas I'm all ears

The mine itself is THE final area, I expect. Unlike what we did back in Gregory's mission in A District, we can't just spend all the day exploring literally everything for a clean sweep. I think if we flounder about too long, the corpos will find Valentina Vanni before we do, or she'll be dead by the time anybody finds her. Both of those might as well be mission failure, and Nicole has NOT failed a single fucking mission yet. I don't plan on it happening now either.
>>
>>5978041
+1
>>
>>5978026
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] It might be better to cover more ground at once. Split your group into two. (FREE ACTION. You may send two people to one location and three people to another location. Write in how you want to split the party and where to send them to.)
Nicole and Casey to the saloon
Alexis, Ben and Max to the mayor's
>>
>>5978186
Why saloon? And why Ben to mayor's with Alexis/Max
>>
>>5978026
>>"Deja vu." Benjamin shivers upon seeing the apartment building. "Maybe we can get some more information on the people who live her? Maybe get some clues if any foul play happened?" Follow Benjamin to the apartment
>>
>>5978041
+1

Interesting. The saloon is tempting too, but the mayor should have higher quality info. Also I want some mining equipment cause chances are we will have to go there and it seems like a valuable thing to have in our kit in general. Thank god we don’t seem to have a carry limit so far.
>>
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Seems like we have an idea on how to investigate, closing thread. I'm taking a short break, I'll bake the new thread sometime during Saturday.
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/5944282/
Thread has been archived. Thank you for playing. Still shocked that we managed to get over 800 posts but here we are.



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