I don't think we can justify retreat. We were the ones screaming at Light to get her on board with killing those things and telling her off for cowardice. We were the proponents of Sin fighting. To run away now is to be little more than a hypocrite.
There's a difference between not fighting the Sins and fighting them in a smart way. We're not running away because we're not fighting Sins anymore, we're fighting them so we can get backup so we can fight them with a higher chance of success and with less chance of needlessly getting ourselves hurt or killed.
That is exactly what Light was saying she was doing, isn't it? How well did our character respond to that?
We don't plan on fighting the Sin as we are now, ignorant and green. If it gets involved, or if it powers the Sin-Eaten more than we can reasonable expect to handle, we'll cut our losses and back off, it's in the choice. But we can't run at the mere sight of them.
She said she didn't want to go after them at all since she could get her wish without doing so and they are far stronger than their victims. While she might fight them, it sounded like that wouldn't happen unless she had no other choice. It was the minions she was about a cautious approach to.
No, that is NOT exactly what Light was saying. She wants to fight as little as possible, get her wish, and let the world burn around her. There is a difference between fighting as little as possible and ensuring you have a good advantage before getting into fights. Remember, if we die, we won't be able to save anyone.
She was talking about doing the 'smart thing'. Which is what I see you talking about. It leads to avoidance all the same.
We have not scouted a Sin in two weeks despite ample opportunities and giving others shit for not being resolute enough.
I mean, I don't want to die, surely, but we are arguing for others to take a huge risk and put their lives on the line. It does not leave us a lot of wiggle room when it comes to taking risks ourselves.
Vote results:
[X] Stay and fight. You can handle a few Sin-Eaten; let the Sin watch how you destroy its agents.
-[X] You take front, Shadows covers your rear.
-[X] Fight defensively, make sure you always have room to retreat, and run the hell away if the Sin comes any closer.
-[X] Take the opportunity to study the Sin as well. What drives IT? - 3 votes
FIGHT 2: SHADOWS AND CHAMPION VS 4 LUST SIN-EATEN.
ROUND 1
Jen and Shadows at Position 1. LSE at Position 3.
Jen Hexes LSE1. (1 Minor Action)
Jen incurs 2 Support Overcharge to take a bonus action.
Jen uses Amplify Magic on LSE1. (1 Minor Action)
Jen throws her axe at LSE2. Rolls a 16. LSE2 is hit.
3 damage to LSE2.
Jen 18/18 0/0/2.
LSE1 8/8 Hx, AM.
LSE2 5/8.
Shadows Hexes LSE3. (1 Minor Action).
Shadows casts magic at LSE2. Rolls a 10. LSE2 is hit.
2 damage to LSE2.
Shadows 18/18 0/0/0
LSE2 3/8.
LSE3 8/8. Hx.
LSE1 moves in 1 position. LSE1 at Position 2.
LSE1 casts magic at Jen. Rolls 10. Jen defends, rolls 14, rerolls 6, gets 4, 18 total. Incurs 1 Defense Overcharge. No damage.
Jen incurs 1 Heart Overcharge.
Jen 18/18 2/0/2
LSE2 moves in 1 position. LSE2 at Position 2.
LSE2 casts magic at Jen. Rolls 7. Jen defends, rolls 12, rerolls 6, gets 3, 15 total. Incurs 1 Defense Overcharge.
Jen incurs 1 Magic Overcharge.
Jen 18/18 2/0/3
LSE3 moves in 1 position. LSE3 at Position 2.
LSE3 casts magic at Shadows. Rolls 10. Shadows defends, rolls 12. No damage.
Shadows incurs 11 Heart Overcharge.
Shadows 18/18 1/0/0
LSE4 moves in 1 position. LSE4 at Position 2.
LSE4 casts magic at Shadows. Rolls 6. Shadows defends, rolls 12. No damage.
Shadows incurs 1 Heart Overcharge.
Shadows 18/18 2/0/0
END ROUND 1
LSE1 takes 2 damage from Amplified Magic + Hex.
LSE3 takes 1 damage from Hex.
"We'll stand and fight," you say. "Let's move back a little to give us some room, though. Make 'em come to us."
Shadows nods, and the two of you shift over to a wide, flat roof that's ideal for your purposes; space to fight, you can see the enemy coming, and you can get the hell out of dodge if the need arises. You make sure you're stood ahead of Shadows, your axe materialised and held across your shoulders in a casual ready pose. You don't have long to wait; before more than a minute passes, you can feel the Sin-Eaten approach your location.
They come into view, five figures leaping gracefully from roof to roof, moving like gymnasts as they tumble and spin through the air, flowing over and around obstacles and each other. As they get nearer, though, that grace seems to fall apart; you can see them more clearly, and four of them are the hideous collection of mismatched parts that Shadows described. Skin tones changing abruptly from one part to the next, arms and legs of different lengths and thicknesses, odd eyes and misaligned ears, all of them are disturbing to look at.
All, that is, but the figure leading the group. She's tall and elegant and, frankly, the most attractive person you've ever seen in person. She's totally naked save for a pendant around her neck, but otherwise looks like an ordinary human. Her eyes aren't glazed with lust the same way the other four's are, and, as she comes to a stop on the rooftop opposite you, she doesn't do anything more than rest a hand on her cocked hip and give you both an assessing once-over. The other four, no longer moving, start... well, there's four of them, and it's disgusting. You grimace and pay attention to the naked woman stood in front of the writhing pile, instead.
"Greetings, Chosen," she says, in a voice you'd expect to come from someone lounging on a piano and singing in a smoky bar. "Princess Midnight Shadows, Radiant Dawn Champion, you are in the domain of my master. Have you come to join us?"
She cocks her hips to the other side, making parts of her sway distractingly. You shake your head, and point your axe at her, a little perturbed that she's capable of even this much coherent speech.
"No. We're here to clear out some of your master's victims," you spit, teeth bared. "And then it'll be the Sins' turn."
She raises one delicate eyebrow and looks unimpressed. "Victims, you say? I can't say I've met any of those, my dears.
You gesture at the four Sin-Eaten behind her, and she gives you a sultry smile.
"Oh, no, they aren't victims," she purrs. "We all volunteered, you see. They're just new."
"Y-you're lying!" Shadows shouts, her voice shaky. "I- All the Sin-Eaten we've fought were destroyed by the Eikons!"
"I've had mine for eight weeks now, and I feel better than ever," the woman says. "I suppose the weak might have problems, but who cares about them? Come, join us, Princess. You can have him, you know. All it would need is you taking up the Eikon, and he'd kneel at your feet and beg you to let him-"
Shadows goes white, and her fists clench around her sceptre so tight you can hear the fabric of her gloves creak with the strain. "Shut up."
The woman shrugs, unconcerned, and turns to you. "How about you, my Lady Radiant? Surely there's someone in your heart- or in your..." her gaze moves down your body to linger suggestively at your crotch, and you flush angrily.
"How about I cut your fucking head off, and we see how talkative you are then?" you snarl.
"Oh, not my fucking head, dear. I need that, you see," she says, that infuriating smirk still on her head. "Well, if you want to brawl instead of something more interesting, I'll leave you the fresh meat. I'm a lover, not a fighter."
She bows mockingly, and you grind your teeth together. "You're just going to run away?"
"Of course," she says, straightening up and turning away from you. "You know where to find us if you change your minds, of course. And if you come to try and kill the master who's given me a new lease on life, well, then we'll have to fight, I suppose. Ta ta!"
She blows a kiss over her shoulder, winks at you, and then jumps away so fast you can barely see her move. Your attention's pulled from her departing form, however, when the ramshackle Sin-Eaten she's left behind untangle themselves from each other and turn to stare at you and Shadows in unison. Identical, unnaturally wide smile spread across four mismatched faces, and the world around you shifts and warps as they drag you into their Circle, cutting off your chance to chase the woman, even if you could see where she'd gone.
The blue, cloudless sky is replaced with a thousand layers of diaphanous silk in a multitude of colours, and the grey concrete roof changes into a thick, plush carpet. The air fills with sweet perfume, incense and the smell of sex, something you're all too intimately familiar with after yesterday's cleaning session at the gym. Thick, velvet pillows are scattered across the now-dimly lit space, and the four Sin-Eaten across from you and Shadows spread out, preparing to attack.
"Fuck this," you mutter, and stare at the lead Sin-Eaten. Flames flicker around it, and then, with a focus of will, start to eat into its body.
You throw your axe overhand as Shadows gestures, and the blade slashes into a second Sin-Eaten at the same time as Shadows' nebulous, shadowy tendril stabs into the same target. A third Sin-Eaten starts twitching and stumbling, but you can't see the source of its distress; you assume Shadows has done something to it.
Your enemies respond by charging forwards, flinging loose, wavering lances of an oily energy at you and Shadows, which wash over your armour without hurting you. Waves of nausea and disorientation wash over you with every strike, though, and you can feel that familiar pressure starting to build in your skull. Thin veils of shadow protect Shadows from harm, slipping into existence and away again just in time to absorb the attacks, but she too looks like she's suffering from the onslaught.
You leap forwards once the first volley is done, a jet of flame erupting from the soles of your black-lacquered boots to propel you faster and further. Your axe reappears in your hands just in time for you to swing it in a brutal arc, the blade passing straight through the neck of the Sin-Eaten you blast past, dropping them to the floor without their head. You catch sight of another tendril of shadow slipping past you to slap a second Sin-Eaten head over heels, and then you're too busy fending off the grasping hands of yet another enemy to pay more attention.
The Sin-Eaten screams and moans and smiles insanely as it burns under your curse and tries to pry at your armour, and your nostrils fill with the smell of burning hair and overcooked pork as you shove it clear of you. It shudders and stumbles and nearly collides with the only other remaining foe, who is busy throwing more of those oily bolts towards Shadows.
You charge past the burning Sin-Eaten, shoulder-checking it out of your way, and sweep the legs out from under the other Sin-Eaten with your axe, bringing the weapon around and over your head and down again before your enemy hits the ground, cleaving it in half. Shadows' final attack is more to put the last Sin-Eaten out of its misery than because it's needed, a tenebrous lance that strikes it in the heart.
With a second to think, you start to feel a little panicked. Did you just kill that Sin-Eaten? You cut its head off, but they've always been fine after fights before...
The Circle fades from around you, leaving you one the rooftop with four scantily-clad people lying, insensate, on the floor, a stinking headache, and a throbbing pressure inside your skull. Shadows steps up next to you and slips her hand into yours. You're too distracted to protest, and if this is one of her clingy things, at least it isn't a hug.
Leliel guides you to the Sin Eikons again, and you use your axe to tease them out of their hiding spots – most of them are worn as necklaces, by these Sin-Eaten. Two go to Leliel, and two to Adriel, while you and Shadows look at the prone, defeated Sin-Eaten and think.
Was the woman telling the truth? Can the Sin-Eaten get better if they're left for long enough as Sin-Eaten? Did they all volunteer? Was she just trying to fuck with your heads and throw you off? You can feel the Sin at the edge of your mind, still, just there, and it hasn't reacted to anything that's happened so far as you can tell. Does it care that you just took out four of its agents? Can it care? Did you cost it a significant chunk of power?
Too much to think about, right now, especially with your hands still shaking from the adrenaline of the short, brutal fight.
"Ice cream?" Shadows whispers hopefully.
1. Do you go get ice cream with Shadows?
[] Yes, in costume.
[] Yes, out of costume.
[] No.
2. The pressure in your head is nightmarish and building like a bomb. How does it go off?
[] An extreme display of affection.
- [] To who?
[] An unnerving unnatural effect around you.
Of course they'd get lieutenants, why would things ever be easy? On the other hand, an extra step between Sin-Eaten and the Sins themselves means there is someone to actually talk to, and possibly research or interrogate.
A very concerning development. The non-hostility of the Lust Officer is particularly jarring, as is the implication of us possibly committing murder when it comes to Sin Eaten. There is a lot we don't know about... but shouldn't Leliel have known at least some of it? Is it one of the 'you didn't ask' things?
I wonder how many of the Sin Chosen there would be. Seven, to oppose the seven Chosen? Not being mindless abominations, they might start bringing the war to our own home turf. So far it was us who decided when and where to fight, but that might not last.
[x] Yes, out of costume.
Give the girl her ice cream. She earned it.
[x] An extreme display of affection.
- [x] Ostin
He is going to be very confused and think we are trying to make a fool out of him somehow.
Perfect.
Edit: Jesus, Shadows is quite a sleeping berserker. It's always the quiet ones, eh? We can make her a juggernaut just by befriending her.
Vote results:
[X] Yes, out of costume. - 6 votes.
[X] An extreme display of affection. – 6 votes.
- [X] Ostin. - 3 votes.
- [X] Shadows. - 3 votes.
Rolled; got a 1, Ostin chosen.
D6 roll results: 5,1. This is going to be extremely awkward for Jen and Ostin.
Part 19
Sunday, Week 1
Shadows is still holding your hand as you think over the idea of going to get ice cream. It's a hot, dry day, and it's been a long couple of weeks, so you could really do with a treat, come to think of it. You can probably spare enough money to buy one scoop.
"Sure, why not?" you say. "Let's get these guys somewhere safe, and then we can go get something."
Shadows' mouth quirks up at the corners in a nervous smile, and she shuffles forwards to try and move the supine bodies arrayed in front of you. It's made a challenge by her fingers being wrapped around your own, and you try to disentangle yourself from her for a few moments before she realises what's happened, and then she goes bright red and yanks her hand away from you as though it's been burned.
"So-sorry!" she squeaks, holding the guilty hand behind her back. "I, um, it was-"
"Don't worry about it," you say, hoisting an unconscious person onto each shoulder. "I know about the whole, uh, clingy thing, remember? It's not a problem."
Her shoulders slump as she relaxes, and the smile finds its way back onto her face. "We were pretty good in that, um, that fight, right?" she says, lifting her own pair of senseless Sin-Eaten. "Like, you went whapow and schwish! And totally wrecked those guys, and I, like, was all whoooooo-" she waggles her hands "- and shooting shadow magic and kerblam! It was good! I didn't even get, like, hurt or anything."
You both traverse the rooftops, barely noticing your burdens, towards the nearest hospital. You can tell where it is from the fact that there's ambulances screaming back and forth from it in a constant stream, leaving a trail of red-and-blue lights for you to follow. You drop the Sin-Eaten at the entrance, under the terrified gazes of a pair of heavily armed police, and back away from the half-raised guns carefully.
"We, um, found them like this," Shadows says. "They need, like, medical assistance."
You nod in agreement, and the cops look at each other, then at you, and finally decide it's not worth the trouble of trying to pick a fight. You and Shadows leap away as soon as you can, quickly moving out of sight of the hospital and back towards the shopping district.
"So, like, um, where do you wanna go for ice cream?" Shadows asks, looking hopeful but also... resigned? Like she's expecting you to change your mind any second.
"I dunno, really," you say. "Never really been out to get any before. Not that I'd remember the place for, anyway."
"Oh, then, um, I know a great place!" Shadow says. "We can go, um, like this, too, if... if you want."
Well, you could. But it's time to start extending some trust to the other Chosen, the ones that you like, anyway. You're going to be risking your lives together in the near future, and, for all that Shadows can be irritating and awkward, she doesn't seem like she's a bad person.
"We can change back," you finally say. "And go out looking normal, if you prefer."
Shadows blinks a couple of times, stunned, and misses her next jump. You save her from a long fall with a last-minute grab at the neck of her costume, and haul her one-handed back to the rooftops with you.
"That- that'd be great!"
She beams at you with the intensity of a spotlight, and you turn away and roll your shoulders self-consciously. It's not that big a deal, surely. You know she and Angel know each others' identities, and she probably knows Light's too. Shadows hums cheerfully to herself as you travel the rest of the way, before the pair of you drop into an abandoned alley and transform back into your normal forms.
Shadows looks... even odder than she does in her costume. Her frizzy ginger hair is pulled back in two braids, and a pair of oversized, thick-rimmed glasses with bright pink frames are over her eyes. She's wearing a black t-shirt with a strange, green blocky... penis monster? on it, with a pastel blue overshirt that's unbuttoned over the top of it. Her legs are covered in striped, green and purple tights under a pastel orange knee-length skirt. The less said about the gaudy boots, the better. She's got a backpack over one shoulder, and you can see the edges of what seem to be comic books poking out of the half-open zipper.
It's hideous, it clashes, and it really doesn't surprise you in the slightest. You feel, for one of the few times in your life, like you're better-dressed than someone, with a pair of only-slightly-ripped blue denim shorts, second-hand running shoes, and a comfortable sleeveless t-shirt with 'I'm Not Angry, This Is Just My Face' written on it that was a birthday gift from Emily last year. You also don't understand how she isn't overheating to death in that get-up, but people are weird.
"Hey," you say, giving her a little wave. "I'm Jennifer."
She's staring at your legs in something between awe and jealousy. You clear your throat, and her head jerks up, her face bright red again. "Oh, um, right! I'm Connie," she says. "So, like, this way?"
You gesture for her to lead on and fall into step next to her, reminded once again that she's actually taller than you. It's not just the boots, either. The two of you emerge from the alley onto the main street of this part of the shopping district, and it's one of the first places you've been today that has a normal number of people in it. The crowds are on edge, sure, you can tell that at a glance, and more people are visibly armed than you've ever seen before, but people are there, which is a significant improvement. The other big change is the posters that are up everywhere; they're all about another protest that's scheduled for tonight, outside city hall again. Seems like the escalating crime and violence isn't something people are happy to sit down and just put up with.
"Um, so, like, it's really good to finally meet you like this!" Connie says, glancing sideways at you.
"Same," you say, smiling a little. "It's kinda strange, seeing you as, you know, an actual person instead of the costume."
"Oh my god, like, I totally know what you mean! The first time, like, I met the others like this, it was so weird!" She talks more with her hands now than she did as Shadows, waving them about in wide expressive gestures. "And I like totally made an idiot of myself and then I had to go off and die in a corner of shame."
You... can certainly imagine that. "Well, it should be pretty simple with just the two of us, right? I doubt you could, uh, be that bad this time."
"I hope so," she murmurs, looking down at the ground. "But yeah, like, this ice cream place is so good, you'll love it. Um. I don't come out with friends very much, so it's nice to have someone with me!"
"You not have many friends at school?"
She looks glum. "No. Um. Or, you know, like, anywhere else?"
You nudge her with your shoulder, gently, trying to be comforting. "Well, we get on alright, right? And you and, uh, our mutual friend seem to be pretty friendly."
"We, um, don't have much to talk about? She's, like, she'd be much better with you. She likes the gym and stuff, and, um, I don't? I like cake and comics and anime," she says.
"Hey, my best friend loves books and tea, and I can't get her to come to the gym if I try. You don't have to have that much in common to be friends, you know?" You shrug. "You just have to hang out."
"So, um, like, does that mean we- we're friends?" she asks, her voice small and vulnerable.
"I mean, sure? I don't know you too well yet, but we're-" you gesture vaguely "- on the same side, you know? That means a lot."
She beams, and you feel guilty again. This girl – grating though she can be – seems earnest and nice.
"Oh, um, look, we're here!"
You've ended up in front of a small ice cream shop – always a profitable business in the heat of the Nevada sun – and Connie wastes no time in pushing open the door and scurrying inside, to the comfortingly chill embrace of the air conditioning. The shop has four small tables, a short counter which advertises fifty-two flavours, and a couple of people waiting in line to be served. You don't have to wait long, and you shell out for a reasonably-priced scoop of rocky road ice cream. Connie gets three scoops of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, which proceeds to almost immediately start to drip onto her fingers. You move to one of the tables under the air conditioning unit and enjoy the cold air as you carefully eat your ice cream, savouring the rich flavour and sweetness of the rare treat.
"So you, uh, definitely don't go to the same school as me," you finally say, halfway through your food. "I think I'd have recognised you from around, at least."
Connie looks up, her face smeared with ice cream, and nods. "Yeah, I, um, don't think so? I go to Concordia East."
"I'm at Central," you say, looking at your food with curious eyes. Huh. It's got brownies in it, as well as the usual marshmallow and nuts. Delicious. "Bit of a bus trip, but it's worth it for the opportunities, you know?"
Connie nods and licks her lips. "Dad wouldn't, um, let me go there. Said it was too far away."
"Cool. So, uh, you like comics, right?" you say, and she nods. "What's your favourite?"
Connie gives this serious thought as she eats some more of her ice cream, getting more spread over her face. Someone needs to teach this girl what a napkin is for.
"Oh, um, like, it's so hard to choose! There's so many great ones, like, you have no idea! The library, like, stocks a bunch, too, so I get to, like, read loads!" she says. "But, um, and it's- it's sort of like super silly, but I love Sailor Moon?"
"That's the one about, uh, I think I saw an episode of some cartoon of it once? Sparkly magical girls?" you say, fairly lost.
"Yes! That's it, it's sooo good, and like, they're all so pretty and amazing and there's, like, cool fights and magic and it's, like, just great," Connie gushes, smiling broadly. "And all of them are, like, cool and strong and, like, um, the opposite of me..."
She looks down at her ice cream as she finishes, trailing off weakly. Connie has self-confidence issues. Who would have guessed? You. You would have guessed, because she's made it patently obvious at pretty much every turn.
"We kicked ass earlier," you say. "And you were part of it. Don't put yourself down so much."
She shrugs meekly and returns to her ice cream, and you do the same, finishing the single scoop in what feels like far too little time. You stare at the counter for a few moments, wrestling with the urge to go buy some more and beating it back with the knowledge that you just don't have the money for it. You turn to the window to distract yourself, and catch sight of someone. Ostin.
Now that you see him, you realise that you need to go to him. Now.
"Hey, Connie, I've just got to go talk to a friend a second, okay?"
You stand and rush out of the shop before she can reply, following your lanky friend as he moves towards – surprise surprise – a video game store. You catch up to him before he enters, and, without thinking anything of it but that it's the only right thing to do, you pop up right in front of him with a broad smile.
"Ostin!" you say, and he looks surprised for all of a moment before a smile finds its way onto his face.
"Jen! Fancy seeing-"
You don't let him finish; you can't wait any longer. You grab him by the shoulders and push him backwards until he bumps against a wall, then jump up and wrap your arms and legs around him so you don't lose your grip. Your lips meet his even as his arms flail uselessly, and you hold the kiss for what feels like a content eternity.
And then reality rushes back into your head. What the fuck are you doing? You break away from him with a gasp, letting go and toppling over onto your back even as all the blood rushes to your face and confused disgust roils in your stomach. Ostin looks just as confused, staring down at you flabbergasted.
"What-"
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry-"
"Jen, what the fuck?"
"I don't know what- I don't- why?"
You both babble at each other, talking over each other for a good minute in a spew of panicked, confused questions, until Ostin seems to make his mind up. He straightens himself up, scrubs his lips ostentatiously with his arm, and smiles shakily at you.
"Okay, practical joke gone wrong?" he says, in the tone of a man grasping for a slippery rope in the middle of a raging storm after having just been thrown overboard. Into a sea full of ravenous sharks. By a rabid bear. At night.
"Y-yeah. Uh. Whoops?" you say, staring gratefully up at him. "I- look, I seriously have no idea why the fuck I did that, Oz."
"Yeah, you and me both, buddy," he says, and reaches down to give you a hand up. You rub at your backside, sore from the drop, and Ostin pointedly looks away. "Emily can never know about this," he adds.
You cover your face. "We would die before she shut up about it," you say.
He nods, and you stand there awkwardly for a few moments.
"I'm- I'm gonna- I'll just go," you say.
"Yeah, ah, I'll see you at school tomorrow, Jen," he says, not looking you in the eye. "Get better?"
"I- uh, I will."
You back away, feeling more awkward than ever, and stiffly walk back to the ice cream shop. Connie looks up at you in surprise – surprise that you came back? - and then smiles at you, obviously relieved.
You sit down in your chair, and let your head drop onto the table.
"Please kill me," you groan.
Monday morning, you wake up to a text from Angel. She wants to meet in the afternoon, and she wants to go hunting for a Sin.
[] Go. It's about time you started to deal with these things.
[] Go. You need to talk her out of acting so soon.
[] Don't go.
[] Write in.
[X] Go, but convince her it's probably a bad idea to just go the two of us. They might be stronger than we think. Get Miz and Shadows to come along with us.
[x] Go. You need to talk her out of acting so soon.
-[x]You need to tell her about the Sin Chosen, or whatever that girl was.
Having a worthy adversary who is a step above the chaff, yet a step below the downright suicidal bossfight, may help here. This information was a game changer. Who knows, perhaps capturing these would finally let us weaken the Sins, or learn about their weakness before we commit to the fight.
"Okay, practical joke gone wrong?" he says, in the tone of a man grasping for a slippery rope in the middle of a raging storm after having just been thrown overboard. Into a sea full of ravenous sharks. By a rabid bear. At night.
@Nevill: The dice roll was to select the random result on the chart for Major Heart Distortions (inappropriately extreme displays of affection). 51 was 'Slam them against the wall and kiss them'; also in the list are things like 'stalk your target' and 'make a fervent, genuine offer of marriage'.
The Fury options for that level of Fallout (how you get rid of your Overcharge; when it hits 10 on any stat, Bad Things Happen) are stuff like 'do your best to totally humiliate someone', 'set something large on fire' and 'take something valuable from someone and try to destroy it'. Magic has things like 'animals surround you and engage in silent worship', 'gravity doubles around you' and 'someone gets a phone call from a dead person'.
The next level of Fallout up is Changes. They start to inflict physical changes to you; these are temporary at the 6 Overcharge level, but at 8 Overcharge they're permanent, and include things like 'eyes appear and disappear on random parts of your body; they'd be quite beautiful if they were in the right place', 'every now and then your reflection will drag you through a mirror and deposit you in a random part of the city' and 'every now and then it looks and feels like furious faces are pressing against you skin from the inside'.
You don't want to go up to 6 or 8 point Changes if you can help it, but they're much better than suffering the 10 point Burst. You also can't take multiple lower Fallout effects to reduce a high level of Overcharge, you have to take the highest one possible. Which is fun.
[X] Go. It's about time you started to deal with these things.
-[X] Inform her about the Sin Chosen. You need a strategy to deal with those as well before you can even GET to the Sin.
[X] Go. It's about time you started to deal with these things.
-[X] Inform her about the Sin Chosen. You need a strategy to deal with those as well before you can even GET to the Sin.
It looks like we mean the same thing when we are talking the reasoning, as in 'try to account for the latest developments', but the core parts of the vote are diametrically opposed. I intended my vote to count as 'don't jump the gun yet, try the miniboss first'. Is your take on this different?
In other news... so that's what the Overcharge mechanics means! Looks like tons of !!FUN!!
When does one incur an overcharge cost, though? I don't remember us getting any Fury points... is it because our stat is naturally that high in the first place?
So, these are the two halves to a very important game mechanic.
Overcharge is a sort of magical radiation you collect when certain things happen. It is recorded against your three magical stats - Heart, Fury and Magic, and you have a separate Overcharge track for each of these stats.
- If you roll a 6 on any dice used in a magical challenge - that is, any time you're using the stats Heart, Fury or Magic - you incur 1 Overcharge on the stat you're rolling with. You've seen this in combat before already.
- If you use certain abilities, they automatically give you a certain amount of Overcharge.
- Certain enemy abilities can inflict Overcharge. The Lust Sin-Eaten had such an ability, which is why you took Overcharge every time they attack you.
Fallout is how you get rid of Overcharge. It is always negative, and it always sucks for the person suffering from Fallout. There are five levels of it:
- Minor Distortions are at 2 Overcharge. These are small, almost possible to explain phenomena. Sudden thunderclaps, the irresistible urge to hold hands, or the desire to strike someone without warning are examples.
- Major Distortions are at 4 Overcharge. These are significant, definitely not explicable phenomena. Animals surrounding you in silent worship, shoving someone against the wall and kissing them, and burning down something large are examples.
- Temporary Changes are at 6 Overcharge. These are physical or magical changes to the magical girl's body, and they are blatantly and completely unnatural. These include things like 'eyes appear and disappear on random parts of your body; they'd be quite beautiful if they were in the right place', 'every now and then your reflection will drag you through a mirror and deposit you in a random part of the city' and 'every now and then it looks and feels like furious faces are pressing against you skin from the inside'. These only last a couple of hours.
- Permanent Changes are at 8 Overcharge. These are the same as Temporary Changes, but do not fade after time has passed.
- Bursts occur instantly at 10 Overcharge. These are really, really bad news. Magical Bursts (title drop!) wipe out a minimum of one city block. Fury Bursts turn you into a frothing berserker until you spend all your Rage. Heart Bursts create new enemies that seek out a random relationship of yours and attempt to murder them, then try to murder you.
As you can see, it's a pretty brutal set of mechanics, especially if you aren't managing your Overcharge properly. You want to incur Fallout as frequently as you can to reduce the chances of hitting 10 Overcharge. This is made more difficult by the fact that you have to take the harshest Fallout possible for your Overcharge levels; no taking 4 Minor Distortions to get rid of 8 Overcharge, it's a Permanent Change or nothing.
Thee reason you haven't got any Fury Overcharge so far is sheer luck.
It looks like we mean the same thing when we are talking the reasoning, as in 'try to account for the latest developments', but the core parts of the vote are diametrically opposed. I intended my vote to count as 'don't jump the gun yet, try the miniboss first'. Is your take on this different?
In other news... so that's what the Overcharge mechanics means! Looks like tons of !!FUN!!
When does one incur an overcharge cost, though? I don't remember us getting any Fury points... is it because our stat is naturally that high in the first place?
- Minor Distortions are at 2 Overcharge. These are small, almost possible to explain phenomena. Sudden thunderclaps, the irresistible urge to hold hands, or the desire to strike someone without warning are examples.
- Major Distortions are at 4 Overcharge. These are significant, definitely not explicable phenomena. Animals surrounding you in silent worship, shoving someone against the wall and kissing them, and burning down something large are examples.
Overcharge is a sort of magical radiation you collect when certain things happen. It is recorded against your three magical stats - Heart, Fury and Magic, and you have a separate Overcharge track for each of these stats.
Is this something characters are conscious of? Do they notice something is off as combat goes on, and can avoiding it be a valid part of our tactical encounters? As in 'if Fury Overcharge hits four you begin feeling weird, swap positions with another frontliner'.
Another complication to fighting the Sins, then. It's impossible to do so without incurring massive Overcharge costs, and that will likely wipe out the city anyway.
Edit: what happens if we have, say, 5 Fury and 6 Heart Overcharge. Do we need to have two Fallouts separate Fallouts, or does it... mix?
Vote results:
[X] Go. It's about time you started to deal with these things. - 2 votes.
[X] Go. You need to talk her out of acting so soon. - 2 votes.
- [X] Inform her about the 'Sin Chosen'. - 3 votes.
Seems pretty unanimous on the 'go' front, so I'll reflect the split vote in your actions; you want to deal with these things, but you're worried you don't have enough information to act right now. Vote at the end should let you clarify exactly how you want to proceed forward.
Episode 3: The Offensive Part 1 Monday, Week 2
You don't sleep well that night. You're woken sever times by the sound of distant violence; gunshots, breaking glass, and screams ring out in the chill night air from time to time, and it's hard to get any rest with all of that going on. You spend most of the night awake, sat up in bed, ready to pull out your axe and start removing heads if anyone tries anything with your home.
Luckily – or perhaps not, for your shattered nerves – nothing happens in your house. You sit on the sofa with a fuzzy head and bleary eyes to eat your breakfast, and the television is tuned to the news again. Last night was even worse than the previous ones, and the protest outside City Hall turned ugly. The city centre got wrecked, with shops looted and set on fire, dozens of people seriously injured, and three police killed in trying to quell the riot.
Across the bottom of the screen, the ticker tape display constantly reads '9PM CURFEW IN EFFECT AS OF TODAY. ANY PERSONS OUTSIDE AFTER THIS TIME WITHOUT DOCUMENTATION WILL BE ARRESTED AND DETAINED'. The same message is on your phone as a text from a withheld number, and when you go to wait at the bus stop you find that the electronic sign that usually displays bus times flashes the same message every thirty seconds or so.
It's deeply unsettling, that the city's reached this point in what feels like the blink of an eye. You know, intellectually, that it's taken at least two months for it to get this bad, but it feels like it's been less than a week since it all started, really. The bus driver looks nervous and shaken behind the wheel, and you can see a pistol in his lap and a shotgun propped up next to his enclosed seat as you flash him your bus pass.
The streets are busy, today, as despite everything, life goes on. There are at least six burned out buildings on the route, and there's broken glass and destroyed public property everywhere – lamp posts snapped in two, benches smashed to pieces, and trash cans overturned and thrown through windows. It's nightmarish, and it makes you shrink a little in your seat with every new sign of devastation.
You get a text from Angel at that point, asking for you to meet up with her after school, and you don't hesitate to agree. Maybe you and her can come up with a decent plan to deal with some of this. Take out some of the Sin-Eaten, maybe even a Sin, slow this down, maybe even stop it.
The school is in one piece, you think, as you depart from the bus and trudge towards your destination. Getting closer, you can see that some of the beautiful windows have been smashed, and there's scorch marks on the left side of the building. It's still open, with students pouring in from all directions, but it's taken some injuries from the weekend of violence.
The students look much the same; there's plenty of limps and arms in slings, and many of the other kids are maintaining a bubble of space around them, as much as they can, only allowing their friends close. You run into Emily at your locker, and she looks awful – she's got a black eye and a split lip, and she looks like she's on the edge of tears.
"Fuck, Ems, what happened?" you say, stepping close and pulling her into a hug.
She leans on you and sniffles, and wraps her arms around you in turn. "I- I got mugged," she whispers. "They- they just- just came up next to me and- and hit me in the face."
You squeeze her closer, and she takes refuge in the comfort of your arms for the brief few minutes you have before class.
"You want me to skip with you? We can go to your place and, you know, talk and shit," you offer, but she shakes her head.
"No. I- this isn't going to stop me going to school, Jen," she says. "It sucks and I'm- I'm really scared, but I'm- school's safe. And it's nice being around you and Ostin and everyone to take my mind off it."
You sigh, but it's her decision. You both collect your books and walk to the classroom, getting there just in time before the bell rings, and you hurry to your seats. The teacher looks just as battered and worn down as the rest of you, and there are eight empty seats. Mister Rodriguez looks solemn as he addresses the class.
"I regret to inform you all," he begins. "That we have suffered losses over the weekend. Mister Vasquez and Miss Takeda were murdered."
There's an intake of breath from most of the students. Jimmy and Rin weren't the most popular kids, but everyone knew them. You did a project with Jimmy just a month ago, and now he's just... gone. You clench your fists under the desk, feeling your short nails dig into the palms of your hands.
"I will let you know when the arrangements have been made, so that you can arrange to attend... whatever services their families wish to hold." Mister Rodriguez draws in a shuddering breath. "Miss Schmidt, Miss Kelley, and Mister Clarke are all in hospital with serious injuries. Some of the rest of you-" his gaze pans over the class, taking in the various injuries of his students "-have been hurt too. The- the school wants to hire additional counsellors to help, but-" he clears his throat awkwardly. "-no-one is available at the moment. Please feel free to come and talk to me if you have any- any issues."
There's a moment of silence as everyone processes the information, before the teacher continues.
"Finally, all after school clubs have been cancelled. Until the current situation is resolved, you are all to be off school property within half an hour of the end of school," he says. "The buses have been adjusted to account for this."
There's a low rumble of complaint, but no-one speaks out too loudly, shocked by the news and the suddenness of the losses. Mister Rodriguez gives you all five minutes to compose yourselves, and then the lesson begins. The day crawls by in a miserable, grey-stained smear of lessons and whispered conversation, and you spend lunch angrily eating your sandwiches and comforting your best friend with promises of bloody vengeance against her attackers. She appreciates the sentiment, if not, perhaps, the actual actions described, but Emily's always hidden a surprisingly vindictive streak under her meek exterior, and you're fairly certain she'd enjoy it if you brought her back a bouquet of severed arms.
Or maybe you're getting a little wound up about how helpless you are over the whole situation, and you're projecting. One or the other.
It seems like it takes forever for the day to end, and you make a point of accompanying Emily home, not letting her out of your sight until she's locked her front door behind her. You spend the whole bus ride and walk glaring at everyone who dares to come near, and actually resort to growling at one particularly over-eager young man who tries to sit too close. You're pretty sure you're overreacting, but your friend has been hurt, and you weren't there. The least you can do is protect her now.
Finally, you are free of school, and don't have to worry about Emily being jumped in a dark alley again. Just about her house being burned down, or her door being kicked in and everyone shot, or any number of other terrible things. You try to turn your mind away from the gruesome images of her dead or worse, but you can't stop flickering back to them at ever distracted moment as you jump from rooftop to rooftop towards the meeting place with Angel.
She's in her usual position, perched on the corner of the roof like a particularly extravagant gargoyle, and she gives you a grim nod as you approach. Her expression looks fit to match your own, and there's none of the usual cocky arrogance you've come to expect of her.
"Hey," she says. "We're just waiting on Shadows. War council."
You nod back, and start pacing to and fro on the roof, spinning your axe through complicated patterns as you go, trying to work off some of your nervous energy or at least to use it in a vaguely productive manner. "We ran into something new, yesterday," you say, still spinning your axe. "A Sin-Eaten that seemed fully aware and intelligent."
"Fuck me, really?" Angel says, sounding resigned. She materialises her sword and stands opposite you, raising it in challenge, and you accept the offer. Blades clash and part in what looks like a slow, graceful dance to you, but which would be a set of blurs and sparks to any mortal. "That's just what we need."
"Yeah, I guess she was a Sin Chosen? She was quicker than the others, and she seemed to command them." You use your axe as a pole vault as you backflip out of the way of a wide swing, not even noticing the effort.
"What kind was it?" Angel's sword, despite being almost as long as your axe and looking like it must be much heavier, moves like a quicksilver snake as it probes at your defences.
"Lust," you say, using your superior reach to fend off the assault. "Dunno if we want to leave that one 'til later."
Angel shrugs and flourishes her sword, wings flaring and snapping as she uses them to turn faster and at impossible angles. Your impromptu spar is interrupted by the arrival of Shadows, who looks delighted to have been invited to the meeting and is watching you both with rapt fascination.
"Yo, Princess," Angel says, raising a hand in greeting.
"Hi guys," she says. "So, like, um, is this a fighty thing or? 'Cause, like, I'm, um, not very good at the-" she gestures with her sceptre, miming a strike "-whacky smacky stuff."
"Nah," Angel says, spinning her sword around to plant it tip first on the roof, resting her hands casually on the crossbar. "Wanted to talk about what we're gonna do about all this-" she waves a hand out at the city "-shit."
"We need to slow it down, if we can't stop it," you say, laying your axe across your shoulders. "Take out as many Sin-Eaten as we can, figure out how we're gonna kill a Sin."
"Um, well, like, I know some stuff? Me and Light and- and Hannah, we mapped it all out the first couple of weeks? We, um, we didn't find out- find out that much about the Sins, but we, um, know where they're probably, like, going to be?" Shadows says, looking nervous.
"Can't hurt," you say. "Anything is better than what I have right now."
You look to Angel, who nods her agreement.
"Right, um, well, Lust in in the red light district," Shadows says. "Which, I mean, like, duh, right?"
You both nod at that.
"Envy is in the suburbs somewhere. Um, Wrath- Wrath is in the sports district, near the stadium?" Shadows stutters and stammers, but she keeps going. "The, um, in the city centre, in the business district, that's Greed. Shopping district has Gluttony. Pride is, um, we think it's in the industrial district? Seems, um, out of place?"
"Concordia was founded on the strength of its manufacturing capacity," you say softly. "It grew up around the industrial district, back at the start. Makes sense there'd be, I dunno, some civic pride about it?"
"That's what Light said," Shadows agrees. "Um. Oh! Sloth. We, um, don't know if it really exists? I- um, I've fought a Sloth Sin-Eaten before, but it was, um, like, kinda... weird?"
"Best guess, Princess," Angel says. "I knew most of that, but a little confirmation's nice."
"Yeah, um, tourist area? The others sorta, like, are around where their sin is, like, prevalent? So tourist might fit."
You put it together in your head, mapping out the Sins to their districts. "That covers most of the city, realistically," you finally say. "Anywhere we know they aren't?"
"They, um, they have to have people, is what I understand?" Shadows says. "So, like, on the outskirts they're probably, um, not as, like, powerful?"
"Yeah, but the fuckers don't move out that way," Angel grumbles. "If we wanna kill 'em, we gotta go to the bastards."
"I- I can't- I can't go up against Wrath again," Shadows whispers. "Not after- after what I – I saw it do."
"I figure we find this Sloth," Angel says. "And we cut it into little fucking pieces."
What's the plan?
[] Scout out a Sin.
- [] Which?
[] Hunt Sin-Eaten.
- [] Which?
[] Hunt Sin Chosen.
- [] Which? You'll need to find them, first.
[] Enough talk, let's hunt a Sin!
- [] Which?
