This is not strictly true: all the strengths of your Drives are reduced by a value equal to your current Stress. You also generate 1 less Will each night for each point of Stress you have. This means that each point of Stress makes it much likelier for you to gain further Stress.
In real terms, rather than mechanical ones:
Being under stress makes it harder for you to care about things, which in turn makes it easier for other people to push you around. It also means you get worse sleep, which further reduces your ability to motivate yourself. Being under stress thus generates further problems, and can quickly spiral into a breakdown if there isn't any opportunity to relax, decompress, and process.
Edit: I'm reworking my mechanics explanations to be friendlier and more accessible, which is why they have not yet appeared in the thread. Watch this space.
[X] Trust her. (Take 1 Stress: Eli is currently at 3/5 Stress.)
We've gotta get on top of this, though. See if Thistle and our sisters can help us. Edit: Especially because at 4 Stress we'll be in no shape to help ourselves.
On the one hand, sacred prostitution is an idea that that interests me ever since Jacqueline Carey introduced me to it, and the chatter I'm seeing about this quest is a worthy recommendation. On the other hand, I really should not commit to reading 50,000 words when I have an exam in less than three days. So consider this me putting a pin in this quest for the moment.
I just joined, like most, so I'm unsure of how often we get stress. Just saying though? Going 1 point away from Trauma is just asking Murphy and the QM to fuck us. While fortune favours the bold... I ain't bold.
[X] Trust her. (Take 1 Stress: Eli is currently at 3/5 Stress.)
Aside from the other reasons it's the better option, blowing up the relationship due to the Stress Explosion will probably be more interesting than blowing it up by failing the trustfall.
I just joined, like most, so I'm unsure of how often we get stress. Just saying though? Going 1 point away from Trauma is just asking Murphy and the QM to fuck us. While fortune favours the bold... I ain't bold.
It's rare to acquire normally, but for every point you have it's harder to clear and easier to gain. You should be concerned about taking even one stress.
PS: Voting locks in 1 hour.
Adhoc vote count started by Evenstar on May 11, 2018 at 6:33 PM, finished with 49 posts and 15 votes.
[X] Trust her. (Take 1 Stress: Eli is currently at 3/5 Stress.)
"... would you really have taken me in?", you ask.
"Of course I would have, Eli. You're my Sunflower, I could hardly turn you away -"
"- okay. Um, can you - can you keep talking, say anything, I just - I need to hear your voice -"
"I love you more than anything in the world and I want you to be happy and I know you can get through this, Eli, you're strong and kind and graceful and beautiful and always a surprise, always something - clear and calm and lovely and sweet, you're like - running water in the wood, unfouled by bracken, you - quench me, like steel - like falling into the sea - like, like - I'm not a poet Eli, I don't know how to do this, I hope this is enough, I hope you - understand, even a little bit, just somewhat how much I care about you -"
Your breath steadies a little, and you rub your cheek against your knee. "... Okay. Okay, I'll believe you. But can you - not give me orders, love, I've taken too many today, nobody trusts me not even I trust me -"
"Shhhhhhhhhhhhh, it's okay. Um. - that wasn't an order to shush I just wanted to make a calming noise was it bad -"
"It wasn't. I really like your voice, Thistle, it's - light and yet dusky, like - like something - fuzzy? And dark, and warm, and soft..."
"...I never really liked it, it's too quiet, I want to be able to - speak over a crowd, laugh like I mean it, shout someone down. Sing."
"... could you try and sing for me? Just a little? I - it's okay if it's bad, I just - your voice is so beautiful already, it would be - soothing -"
"- I'm really no good at it, Eli, I've tried before -"
"... for me?"
"I - okay." She clears her throat with a little cough. "I - don't actually know any songs - well, maybe one but it's no good for this -"
"- sing it to me anyway, okay? I - I like learning new things about you."
"... it's kind of dark, I don't want to stress you..."
"Dark is good. Dark is - right, for right now. Is it beautiful?"
"... I think so."
"Then please, sing to me." You hug your knees closer to your chest.
"... alright, if you insist. But no laughing, and if I hurt you even a little bit I want you to stop me, okay? Promise?"
You make a sad noise in the back of your throat. "I promise."
"- okay. Um, I don't remember all the words, I might be - mixing up a couple - but. But I think it goes..."
She hums a few notes experimentally, then breathes out heavily. "- I've never sung for anyone before."
"... I'll be your first?"
"... you will be."
"I'm - listening."
"- yeah." She takes a breath, and then -
"If I'm with -" she breaks off, works her jaw. "No, that's from a different song... what was it - " You can hear her drumming her fingers on the desk.
You close your eyes, and wait.
...Thistle sings. Hesitantly at first, not quite in time, but with each line her voice gets steadier, more melodious. You can't quite make out the words: you don't care, but Thistle - stops.
"Sorry, let me - from the beginning - I know you couldn't hear that, I could barely hear it -"
"It's okay, I liked it..."
"It should be better for you, you deserve better -"
You shake your head, just slightly. "I want you, Thistle, not someone else. Not even if they're better at singing."
"- okay." She clears her throat again, and you hear a footstep. "... I'm totally posing really sillily, I'm glad you're not here to witness this."
You smile, and uncurl just a little. "It's okay. I love your voice, I love you. You can do this, love."
"- yeah. If it's for you, I can do this. With volume and everything, nobody's here to overhear, it'll be alright -"
"What's the song called?"
"It's - I forget the title. Marionette...? Something like that. It's about - not having any control, about losing things to time... I, uh - it's sort of appropriate, yeah."
"And it's really the only song you know?"
"- well enough to be willing to try to sing it, yeah."
"Then - go ahead."
She - hesitates, then -
Oh. Oh, you can hear her this time. Her voice is clear and cool, a high alto, and she sings -
"Mystery of mystery, life without a body,
desires and personae, overlap just so endlessly,
color and effigy, if it were given now would it be -
azure and burgundy, wrapped into a heart?
Endlessly, so endlessly, where is it that's found me?
Fleetingly, so fleetingly, I close my eyes and find
Directionless words that I once believed in,
cast away and lost, forever beyond sky."
Her voice is still - shaky, untrained, but it's unmistakably hers and that's all that matters. She lapses into silence for a moment, and you open your mouth to speak -
"Aaaaaaaaaaah, it's for me...
My very own...
My only soul..."
And then she hums. Where her voice quavers and wobbles uncertainly, her humming is easy, confident, and clear, filling the air with long, slow, gentle notes even through your phone's tinny speaker.
You love her.
Her hum cuts off with a drawn breath -
"In this fleeting world past control,
A coffin kept for us all,
Still, we dolls play on -
Destiny is destiny, resisted only briefly,
Welcomes and departures repeated on endlessly,
And this place I strove to find, here at the end of time,
Is nothing but the end of all things...
Suffering is suffering, flowing in our teardrops,
Body against body, deep in that one moment,
When I felt the fear of losing eternity,
Left watching my memories flowing away."
Her last syllable hangs in the air, and then that sighing note -
"Aaaah, this sea of tears...
The world is gone...
Beyond this blur…"
And then her humming rolls through you.
Your head sways in time, slowly back and forth to the comforting sound of her voice, her love. The next verse catches you by surprise, even though you're expecting it.
"Even though I won't be the one
string-bound forever to your hand,
don't leave me, don't leave me behind -
Departing is departing, there is no forgiveness,
Expressions and emotions, scattered in disarray,
Meanings and definings, all of them will be overthrown,
The past and future, bound in cornerstone…
Reflections and devotions, that is all that remains,
Progress and decay, go on as they have evermore,
Even if I worship these few fleeting days with you,
The smile I loved tomorrow will already be gone."
You blink back tears, and wait for that sigh -
"Aaaah, unfathomed deep...
Unhealing…
My suffering…
Aaaah, hidden away...
Invisible...
My rejoicing…
Aaaah, it's for me...
My very own...
My only soul..."
She hums, you don't know for how long: then, gently, her voice fades away.
You take a breath you didn't know you were holding.
"- was it good?"
"Yes."
"Did it help? It didn't - hurt you, right, you sound choked -"
"No, no this is - good, I needed this, I - thank you for caring, Thistle."
"I love you."
"I love you too, Eli. Did you want to - talk, at all?"
"- I don't think I need to, not anymore. I'm yours?"
"You're mine, Sunflower."
"And you're mine, Thistle." You lay your head back on the pillow, and sigh. "I'm sorry for being so high-maintenance."
"- because you got sexually assaulted by a succubus?"
"... because I didn't - manage it properly, look after myself, I knew her kiss was bad and I went off alone anyway..."
"I forgive you."
"- can you do that?"
"Can too. Forgive you."
"... okay, Thistle. I - I trust you."
"... I trust you too, Elisandra."
"Really mine forever?"
"- forever? um -"
You bite the inside of your cheek, hard. Thistle... waffles, that cool, clear hum spilling from her throat again, infuriatingly beautiful -
"Yeah. Forever. I - don't ask me to marry you or anything, but - you'll always be someone special to me, Eli."
"Forever?"
"Forever."
You take a long breath. "Really?"
"- is it that hard to believe, 'flower, I took the time to give you an honest answer - "
"- no, it's just - It feels so good I feel like it can't possibly be true, there has to be a catch -"
"The catch is that you're stuck with me, love. No going back from forever, you know?"
"...no. No, there's not..."
You rub your neck, and something crackles and splits under your palm: jerking your hand away, you look down and see black flakes of burnt skin covering your hand. Strangely, it doesn't hurt.
"- okay, now I'm definitely dreaming."
"What happened, Eli? What's going on?"
"Liath's Kiss just came off my neck!"
"- what, really? Take a photo, show me -"
"No, I don't want you to see me with it on me -"
"Well at least take a photo so you can get a decent look at it yourself, and then call me back, okay?"
"Yeah, okay - see you really soon okay?"
"Yeah, call back just as soon as you can -"
... The Kiss is completely gone. You glance down disbelievingly at the fragments that fell onto your bedsheets, just in time to watch them evaporate.
You call Thistle back.
"Yeah, it's completely gone - I guess the Goddess must approve -"
"- or you could have just not noticed it healing in the night -"
"No, I saw it - evaporate - "
"...thank the Goddess for me then, I guess."
"I will."
"- also, it's five AM. Did you maybe want to get some sleep, I - do you really still not want me to come -"
"- stay at your job, Thistle. I'm - actually fine now, I wasn't before, but - you really do need to job."
"...yeah. Can I... come by tomorrow, I can adjust my shift a little to get a bit of time with you before I have to go to work, is that alright?"
"Please."
"I will, I promise. Now - get some sleep for me, okay? You've got to be exhausted, and - I'll do my best not to worry."
"... Okay. Goodnight, Thistle."
"... Goodnight, Elisandra. I - I treasure you. Please be safe."
"I'll try my best for you, Thistle."
"- yeah, that was about as much as I expected to get. Now - goodnight."
"- night."
You hesitate.
"- I'll hang up on you if you make me, Eli!"
You giggle. "No, I won't do thaaaat. - Goodnight. For real this time."
"Sleep well."
Reluctantly, you hang up.
You don't remember falling asleep.
-----
When you wake up in the morning, Thistle's sent you the full lyrics to the song she sang for you. Apparently its title is "Artificial Children." And - oh, she's asleep, she says she was wiped - and she also says to expect her to drop by at around 8 PM on - Friday? Oh, you guess it is still technically the same day she talked to you...
Rubbing sleep from your eyes, you get up to face the day.
-----
Today is Thursday. First Quarter is in two days, on Saturday.
You suffered minor injuries in a BDSM scene, and the Goddess restored you.
The Goddess bestowed her favor upon you, and consigned Liath's Kiss to the Void where it belongs.
Thistle's dedicated help allowed you to clear 1 Stress.
Thistle voluntarily took one of your Stress points upon herself.
You regenerated 3 Will and cleared 1 Stress overnight.
You had 2 Will at the end of yesterday.
After all overnight adjustments, you currently have 1/5 Stress and 5/10 Will.
The following Drives are active this morning:
Compassion, Power, Respect, Companionship, Duty.
((Pick as many options as you like.))
[ ] Go find one of your Sisters... (Write in a name.)
[ ] And talk about the situation with Liath.
[ ] And talk about the situation with Portia.
[ ] And talk about the situation with Rose.
[ ] And talk about the situation with Shannon.
[ ] And trade news about this year's clientele.
[ ] And see if you can help her with anything.
[ ] And just hang out.
[ ] Attend to your Priestess' duties.
[ ] Practice your violin.
[ ] Get groceries from town.
[ ] Make sure the shrines are well-attended.
[ ] Offer prayer to the goddess.
[ ] Trade Duties with one of your Sisters.
[ ] Prepare for the First Quarter rite day after tomorrow. (2 days left.)
[ ] It's never too early to start planning for the next new moon rite. (24 days left.)
[ ] Commission the local artist who can make a proper pendant for Thistle.
[ ] Plot an annoyingly elaborate favour to get back at Ishaza in your game of oneupmanship.
[ ] Get Kumi in on it too.
[ ] And Thistle.
[ ] Meditate and consider what's important to you.
[ ] Make an offering of thanks to the Goddess.
[ ] Poke around the temple grounds a bit.
[ ] Stop in at the Supplicants' Hall.
[ ] And go see someone in particular. (Specify.)
[ ] And try to find the supplicants you haven't met yet.
[ ] Arrange a date with your other kind of client for this evening. (Escort a lucky lady at a formal event. 90% chance of no sex.)
[ ] Specifically ask if Tori wants another date.
[ ] Write-in!
Elisandra and Thistle's progress on their relationship in this update counted as a Prayer To The Goddess action, which I then proceeded to roll a 92 on. Power of Love!
The song lyrics in this chapter are from a preexisting song, Artificial Children by IOSYS.
Said song is in Japanese: the lyrics in this chapter are a loose-on-meaning-but-close-on-meter translation thereof, done personally, though with the aid of other translators' interpretations.
[X] Go find Tasha
-[X] And talk about the situation with Liath.
-[X] And talk about the situation with Rose
[X] Attend to your Priestess' duties.
-[X] Prepare for the First Quarter rite day after tomorrow. (2 days left.)
-[X] Practice your violin.
[X] Make an offering of thanks to the Goddess.
[X] Stop in at the Supplicants' Hall.
-[X] And try to find the supplicants you haven't met yet.
Ok the kiss is gone, which is very good so probably in a day we wont be banned from seeing Liath and we will be able to go to the dance for Thistle's and Eli's date and Thistle singing was cute and is convincing me that Eli retiring is really for the best.
A quick note for those who aren't accustomed to how my choose-any-option votes work:
1: Each option is voted for independently.
2: Options with at least 1/2 of voters voting for them are included in the plan.
3: Options with at least 1/4 of voters voting for them may or may not be included in the plan at my whim.
4: Options with less than 1/4 of voters voting for them will not be part of the plan.
5: My muse is fickle, and may derail from the plan after enough butterfly effect has occurred. I try my best to minimize this and return to things that didn't get covered naturally.
[X] Go find Tasha
-[X] And talk about the situation with Liath.
-[X] And talk about the situation with Rose
[X] Attend to your Priestess' duties.
-[X] Prepare for the First Quarter rite day after tomorrow. (2 days left.)
-[X] Practice your violin.
[X] Make an offering of thanks to the Goddess.
[X] Stop in at the Supplicants' Hall.
-[X] And try to find the supplicants you haven't met yet.
[X] Go find Tasha
-[X] And talk about the situation with Liath.
-[X] And talk about the situation with Rose
[X] Attend to your Priestess' duties.
-[X] Prepare for the First Quarter rite day after tomorrow. (2 days left.)
-[X] Practice your violin.
[X] Make an offering of thanks to the Goddess.
[X] Stop in at the Supplicants' Hall.
-[X] And try to find the supplicants you haven't met yet.
I was and am still somewhat hesitant about doing the first quarter rite in 2 days, but the removal of the Kiss and the significant reduction of Stress have me at a point where I'm not going to rail too hard against it.
[X] Go find one of your Sisters... (Tasha)
-[X] And see if you can help her with anything.
-[X] And just hang out.I
[X] Go find one of your Sisters... (Cheri)
-[X] And see if you can help her with anything.
-[X] And just hang out.
[X] Go find one of your Sisters... (Aya)
-[X] And see if you can help her with anything.
-[X] And just hang out.I
[X] Go find one of your Sisters... (Ishaza)
-[X] And see if you can help her with anything.
-[X] And just hang out.
[X] Go find one of your Sisters... (Kumi)
-[X] And see if you can help her with anything.
-[X] And just hang out.
[X] Attend to your Priestess' duties.
-[X] Practice your violin.
-[X] Make sure the shrines are well-attended.
-[X] Trade Duties with one of your Sisters.
[X] Commission the local artist who can make a proper pendant for Thistle.
[X] Go find Tasha
-[X] And talk about the situation with Liath.
-[X] And talk about the situation with Rose
[X] Attend to your Priestess' duties.
-[X] Prepare for the First Quarter rite dayafter tomorrow. (2 days left.)
-[X] Practice your violin.
-[X] Make sure the shrines are well-attended.
-[X] Offer prayer to the goddess.
[X] Meditate and consider what's important to you.
[X] Make an offering of thanks to the Goddess.
[X] Go find Tasha
-[X] And talk about the situation with Liath.
-[X] And talk about the situation with Rose
[X] Attend to your Priestess' duties.
-[X] Prepare for the First Quarter rite dayafter tomorrow. (2 days left.)
-[X] Practice your violin.
-[X] Make sure the shrines are well-attended.
-[X] Offer prayer to the goddess.
[X] Plot an annoyingly elaborate favour to get back at Ishaza in your game of oneupmanship.
-[X] Get Kumi in on it too.
-[X] And Thistle.
[X] Make an offering of thanks to the Goddess.
[X] Go find Tasha
-[X] And talk about the situation with Liath.
-[X] And talk about the situation with Rose
[X] Attend to your Priestess' duties.
-[X] Prepare for the First Quarter rite day after tomorrow. (2 days left.)
-[X] Practice your violin.
[X] Make an offering of thanks to the Goddess.
[X] Stop in at the Supplicants' Hall.
-[X] And try to find the supplicants you haven't met yet.
This quest is pretty nice. I still have some catching up on updates to do, but as an initial vote-
[X] Attend to your Priestess' duties.
-[X] Practice your violin.
-[X] Get groceries from town.
-[X] Prepare for the First Quarter rite day after tomorrow. (2 days left.)
-[X] It's never too early to start planning for the next new moon rite. (24 days left.)
[X] Commission the local artist who can make a proper pendant for Thistle.
[X] Plot an annoyingly elaborate favour to get back at Ishaza in your game of oneupmanship.
-[X] Get Kumi in on it too.
-[X] And Thistle.
I have no preferences on any other actions for now, but would prefer to prepare for rites, while doing some amount of "Elisandra-only" actions if possible like getting pendant made alone while getting groceries, or doing a violin solo.
I like Ishaza so far and would like to see more of her, which might counterbalance alone scenes we spend getting Thistle's pendant.
We definitely need to thank the Goddess properly for her favor. Aside from that, let's continue to take it as easy as possible.
[X] Attend to your Priestess' duties.
[X] Make sure the shrines are well-attended.
[X] Offer prayer to the goddess.
[X] Commission the local artist who can make a proper pendant for Thistle.
(...considering our relationship with Thistle was how we earned Her favor in the first place.)
[X] Meditate and consider what's important to you.
[X] Make an offering of thanks to the Goddess.
At 11 total votes, any option with six or more votes is planned.
Any option with three or more votes may be planned.
Options with two or less votes are not planned.
Auto-tallying is a little less useful here than I'd hoped. I guess this is why most other quests don't use this voting method. Oh well, I'm already used to hand tallying...
(Voting is still open.)
Adhoc vote count started by Evenstar on May 12, 2018 at 12:19 PM, finished with 16 posts and 11 votes.
[X] Go find Tasha
-[X] And talk about the situation with Liath.
-[X] And talk about the situation with Rose
[X] Attend to your Priestess' duties.
-[X] Prepare for the First Quarter rite day after tomorrow. (2 days left.)
-[X] Practice your violin.
[X] Make an offering of thanks to the Goddess.
[X] Stop in at the Supplicants' Hall.
-[X] And try to find the supplicants you haven't met yet.
[X] Go find Tasha
-[X] And talk about the situation with Liath.
-[X] And talk about the situation with Rose
[X] Attend to your Priestess' duties.
-[X] Prepare for the First Quarter rite day after tomorrow. (2 days left.)
-[X] Practice your violin.
-[X] Make sure the shrines are well-attended.
-[x] Offer prayer to the goddess.
[x] Meditate and consider what's important to you.
[X] Make an offering of thanks to the Goddess.
[X] Go find one of your Sisters... (Tasha)
-[X] And see if you can help her with anything.
-[X] And just hang out.I
[X] Go find one of your Sisters... (Cheri)
-[X] And see if you can help her with anything.
-[X] And just hang out.
[X] Go find one of your Sisters... (Aya)
-[X] And see if you can help her with anything.
-[X] And just hang out.I
[X] Go find one of your Sisters... (Ishaza)
-[X] And see if you can help her with anything.
-[X] And just hang out.
[X] Go find one of your Sisters... (Kumi)
-[X] And see if you can help her with anything.
-[X] And just hang out.
[X] Attend to your Priestess' duties.
-[X] Practice your violin.
-[X] Make sure the shrines are well-attended.
-[X] Trade Duties with one of your Sisters.
[X] Commission the local artist who can make a proper pendant for Thistle.
[X] Make an offering of thanks to the Goddess.
[X] Attend to your Priestess' duties.
-[X] Practice your violin.
-[X] Make sure the shrines are well-attended.
-[x] Offer prayer to the goddess.
[x] Meditate and consider what's important to you.
[X] Make an offering of thanks to the Goddess.
[X] Stop in at the Supplicants' Hall.
[x] And try to find the supplicants you haven't met yet.
[X] Attend to your Priestess' duties.
-[X] Practice your violin.
-[X] Get groceries from town.
-[X] Prepare for the First Quarter rite day after tomorrow. (2 days left.)
-[X] It's never too early to start planning for the next new moon rite. (24 days left.)
[X] Commission the local artist who can make a proper pendant for Thistle.
[X] Plot an annoyingly elaborate favour to get back at Ishaza in your game of oneupmanship.
-[X] Get Kumi in on it too.
-[X] And Thistle.
[X] Commission the local artist who can make a proper pendant for Thistle.
[x] Meditate and consider what's important to you.
[X] Make an offering of thanks to the Goddess.
[x] Meditate and consider what's important to you.
[X] Make an offering of thanks to the Goddess.
[X] Attend to your Priestess' duties.
-[X] Prepare for the First Quarter rite day after tomorrow. (2 days left.)
-[X] Practice your violin.
[X] Plot an annoyingly elaborate favour to get back at Ishaza in your game of oneupmanship.
-[X] Get Kumi in on it too.
-[X] And Thistle.
