This was a fantastic chapter and well worth the wait. I love how supportive all of Joe's workshop crew is and I'm also glad that there wasn't too much delay before getting into the core of the chapter.
And what a core it is. This therapy session is an improvement on the previous one you wrote which is impressive because that was already very good. Seeing Joe process everything he's been going through with family things was really good and it just goes to show how much a good therapist and a good social support system can help with mental health. Overall your depiction of mental health issues in this story has been top notch and one of the pillars that makes this story what it is for me.
Like several others I'm really glad Joe will be bringing others with him to Somer's Rock. Personally I expect, Fleet, Survey and Aisha. I could maybe see Tetra but Tetra is maybe too revealing. I don't expect the duplicates or Matrix to be included but I suppose I'll find out.
I do admit that I was getting a bit anxious that Joe wouldn't get into any of the Cape stuff this session. The subtext and I know, you know were well handled but I did really want to see Joe discuss that side of his life and then things were interrupted by Item Construction A+++
As usual you knocked the description of Item Construction A+++ out of the park. I definitely get the sense that you care a lot about Fate as a setting and while I'm not into Fate myself I do get the sense you gave it a good showing from other reactions in this thread. The way Joe used the power at the end of the chapter to make that Tie clip was really good it tied the ability into the rest of the chapter masterfully.
I also appreciate that getting a 600 pointer while with Dr. Campbell was what tipped the balance into talking about the Cape side of things. As much as I might have been looking forward to it I understand that it's a really big step for Joe especially with the implications that come with telling people about these things.
The second half of the therapy session was just as good as the first. Though I have to say Dr. Campbell is a very impressive person to be able to stay relatively calm through all of that. Especially with an explicit mention of the Simurgh. I know she's almost a joke for a lot of us in the Worm fandom what with the common pre-Ward idea that she would somehow be friendly if only Eidolon wasn't controlling her but in universe the Endbringers are a really really big deal and you've always done a good job of conveying that.
As I already said the exploration of the noble phantasm at the end of the chapter did a really good job of tying the relative mundanity of a therapy session to the absurdity that is Joe's life now. I'm looking forward to seeing how the Noble Phantasm will be used in the future.
I'm glad that the elemental tendrils basically went away. If nothing else it substantially reduces the risk that other people will be using Dust against Joe. I expect it's also a weight off of Joe's mind. Now he just needs to subtly conjure a storm and wash away the I field.
I am a bit apprehensive about leaving something made with SSS in the hands of someone who doesn't know the risks but I expect Joe has reason to believe it will be safe.
I look forward to future therapy sessions and it's good that they'll be happening more frequently.
And at the very end we get a teaser to the start of Fleet's adventures in Shardspace. That's something else I'm definitely looking forward to.
On another note, the Reference doc has been updated.
And now to my standard rolls analysis.
Roll 1, Alchemy (200) Missed a 1/6 chance of Mixing Mixtures
Roll 2, Magic (300) 1/5 chance of Synchronicity Event.
Roll 3, Knowledge (400) Lots of possibilities missed here. In total 6/19 clusters would have hit. Personally the one I would have liked to see was Star Trek Skills. We would have gotten four of the six remaining skills which would have had a very high chance of getting us Engineering.
Roll 4, Magitech (500) Missed a 1/8 chance of rolling Technomancy and getting Mage: The Awakening Magic
Roll 5, Crafting (600 - 600) Item Construction A+++ This is, as I'm sure anyone who read the chapter gathered, a very big deal. Across the board enhancements to Joe's body and magic along with dramatic increases in crafting time in certain situations and entire new frontiers opened in terms of what he can make.
Roll 6, Vehicles (100) There was a 1/6 chance of getting Titan Engineering which is a rather minor Giant Robot power at this point. Titanfall's Titans aren't that impressive compared to Joe's current abilities. That said it would also be one more unique 100 point perk crossed off the list.
Roll 7, Time (200) Not even close to getting anything the Time constellation is now 600 points or bust.
Roll 8, Size (300) If this came just one roll later we would have had a two thirds chance between Kerbals and Armmaster's power but with only three hundred points we had no chance.
Roll 9, Vehicles (400) Same as previous. Aside from the single 100 point perk in Titan Engineering Vehicles is all 600 point perks.
@LordRoustabout I notice that there were only 9 rolls in a 20k chapter. I assume that was because of editing passes, will you be following the previous rule and adding an additional 100CP between chapters?
