Godcard
- Thread starter Birdsie
- Start date
- Original
ThatGuyWithIdeas
Treize died for our sins
- Location
- Romania
[X] Interaction: Pyldret
[X] Locate Sustenance
[X] Locate Sustenance
- Location
- Peterborough, NH, USA
[X] Interaction: Pyldret
[X] Locate Sustenance
I, frankly, don't trust Olympus, so getting advice from someone who actually knows what's going on, or should at least have some more clues than Zane does, seems like a no-brainer.
I expect, even outside of Invocations being restricted, Zane won't be doing well on training unless he's got food in him, so not much point in doing anything else until we do this.
Side note, I think Elsa's heels might be an illusion. She volunteered the soldiers being real without a qualm, but very pointedly ignored the question when Zane asked how she was driving with heels.
Now, that might have just been the narcissistic power games that seem to make up 90% of her personality, but that's a large enough chunk of her screentime that it doesn't really mean anything, and could well have her lean into it to bluff people. Plus, Zane explicitly points out that she can make illusions, despite having spent less than an hour with her and not having engaged her in combat.
You might be thinking 'Wouldn't Zane have noticed something was up? Dude's been a fighter his whole life.' and that's the thing, he did. He very noticeably thought it was weird. He even commented on it. If they'd interacted more strenuously than Mangler's Power Saver mode being tossed at him, he might have figured it out entirely.
As for why she'd do that, a) so she could 'wear' high heels without wearing high heels, and b) because it makes it a lot harder to aim for the vitals if they're 2-4 inches off from where they're supposed to be. Great for throwing off a fighter or assassin.
[X] Locate Sustenance
I, frankly, don't trust Olympus, so getting advice from someone who actually knows what's going on, or should at least have some more clues than Zane does, seems like a no-brainer.
I expect, even outside of Invocations being restricted, Zane won't be doing well on training unless he's got food in him, so not much point in doing anything else until we do this.
Side note, I think Elsa's heels might be an illusion. She volunteered the soldiers being real without a qualm, but very pointedly ignored the question when Zane asked how she was driving with heels.
Now, that might have just been the narcissistic power games that seem to make up 90% of her personality, but that's a large enough chunk of her screentime that it doesn't really mean anything, and could well have her lean into it to bluff people. Plus, Zane explicitly points out that she can make illusions, despite having spent less than an hour with her and not having engaged her in combat.
You might be thinking 'Wouldn't Zane have noticed something was up? Dude's been a fighter his whole life.' and that's the thing, he did. He very noticeably thought it was weird. He even commented on it. If they'd interacted more strenuously than Mangler's Power Saver mode being tossed at him, he might have figured it out entirely.
As for why she'd do that, a) so she could 'wear' high heels without wearing high heels, and b) because it makes it a lot harder to aim for the vitals if they're 2-4 inches off from where they're supposed to be. Great for throwing off a fighter or assassin.
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Chapter 33 - Until We Die
Birdsie
Sharp Talons Cleave The Worthy
- Location
- Poland
Until We Die
"When you've hit rock bottom, sometimes the proper response is to break out a jackhammer and embark on a journey to the center of the earth."
- Orm Embar
---
As much as he wanted to speak with Pyldret throughout the morning, it seemed like the Dragon Champion was largely indisposed.
It was ironic, or perhaps appropriate that Zane mostly communed with the Lotus Maiden and her agents during moments of great stress, combat, and near-death especially. It left him stranded right now, though, as he was sitting alone in a cell, banging his head against a wall, and considering what he should do next.
There wasn't much that he could think of, aside from simply playing along with the games of his new employers.
He sought guidance, but there was fabulously little that his patron could grant, aside from a general and vague sensation of reassurance, as if he should keep going. It did very little to provide the encouragement he wished for, but it was the best he'd get.
It's all rather likely that Pyldret's cutting his way across Heaven and Hell to get to me right now.
After his failed morning prayer, he decided to look for something to eat - for himself. The Mangler looked positively adamant to remain lying in his corner and not be bothered ever again, glaring at Zane whenever the boy moved or looked in its general direction.
A brief exploration of the hallway outside didn't yield much information of interest. Most of the doors were locked, and behind the unlocked ones, there wasn't much except scant rooms of barren concrete and no furniture. There weren't many staff members on this floor, he noticed - a few doctors going around with clipboards. He attempted to stop one of them to ask for directions to the kitchen, but he was zealously ignored in favor of their papers. After the third time a bald man with thick glasses ignored him, Zane was almost tempted to grab his pencil and shove it down his eye socket, but he stopped himself.
"Asset 192-A, Zane Li Black," a man's deep baritone behind him spoke, "Are you looking for something to eat?"
"I am." He turned around to face his interlocutor.
It was one of those agents from earlier yesterday - definitely one of the platoon that had been on the rooftop because Zane remembered the number and letter on his shoulder patch. He was a man with sunken eyes and a thick beard, dressed in a suit that resembled nothing short of white riot gear with a gray underlayer, but with the helmet removed and clipped to the belt instead. He didn't have a rifle with him, but there was a handgun tightly holstered to his right thigh, enough to act as a reminder.
"I was told you might," he replied, turning. "Come. I'll lead you there."
He led Zane down the stairs and into a medium-sized room with drab lighting and a few picnic-style tables. It was definitely much smaller than the Midwood cafeteria, and far more... barren, lifeless. It was a place completely devoid of color or activity.
"No one else eats here?"
"Most of us eat dry rations, the cafeteria is here as a sort of HR code thing," said the man, stepping forward and pointing over at the counter. "There should be at least one cook in there. If there's no one, you can make yourself something from the fridge. Don't report anything."
"Um?" Zane looked over at him. "What do you mean?"
"It's non-procedural for there to be cooks or rats in the kitchen. If you see any, pretend you didn't, for your own good." At that, Zane stared at him in utter confusion. It didn't sound much like a threat, at least from the tone of voice. It sounded like the man was making casual conversation. "I know you're new, so I'll give you some advice - you're a valuable asset, but there are people in charge of this facility who are more or less of equal importance to you. It's a cutthroat fucking company. I'm a grunt. If I tried to report shit, they'd probably make me disappear. You're too important for that, but that doesn't mean they can't make your life hell. Be careful. Watch your back."
"Alright." Zane blinked, looking over at the kitchen and stepping in its direction with the soldier's leave. "Thanks for the advice."
"Don't mention it. I have to go back. You can find your way back up?"
"Yeah. Uh, hey, one last thing..." The soldier stopped when Zane called out, half-turning to hear his question. "Isn't it kind of weird that you guys are, uh, leaving me alone? I mean, I could escape something."
"You're not a prisoner, last I checked," the soldier replied. "Did someone mention you aren't allowed to go out?"
"I think Elsa implied it pretty heavily."
"Ah. She did?" Zane nodded, making the soldier pause to think for a moment. After a couple of seconds, he said, with an accompanying shrug, "Then don't. Not worth the risk. If you've signed a contract, they can make it tough on you no matter where you are. Just stay here."
"Alright. Thanks, again."
The man nodded and then promptly left.
After that, Zane wandered into the kitchen only to find it completely empty. The entire floor was rather dirty, clearly not having been scrubbed for the last couple of weeks, and that was sufficient to make Zane decisively make the judgment that this company was fucking weird. It wasn't weird in the sense of having odd, contradictory, or strange protocol, but in the uncanny valley, there's something-major-going-on-and-it's-wrong-on-an-existential-level kind of weird.
There were scientists going around who seemed to ignore his every question, middle management from hell that'd cut your throat for reporting HR violations, and an implication was treated like a legitimate command.
He started making himself food when, finally, at last, a few motes of light shone in his awareness. He blinked, only to realize some part of his mind was now elsewhere, speaking across realms through an invisible tether.
"Apologies," Pyldret, or at least his mental echo, said with a chuckle. He didn't appear in the form of a man, but a dragon, with eyes and scales of every color on the rainbow and seven wings on its back. He looked down at Zane with kindness in his eyes. "I am quite occupied, my squire. There are many entities who stand in the name of balance, and I have to either cajole, coerce or cut them down in order to make progress towards you. It'll be some time, from your perspective - at least - before I can reach your world. I am, however, making steady progress alongside my armies. Anyhow, I believe you wanted some guidance from me?"
"I signed a contract," Zane said, smearing a slice of bread with butter. "With Olympus."
"Ah, yes. I have some ongoing awareness of your actions. Fear not - had the contract been binding on an absolute level, or had I found it an unacceptable choice, I would have stopped you personally, no matter the cost. Given the circumstances, I believe you picked the best option."
He considered the bread in his hand. "Are you devoting much power to speak with me... uh, master? Master Pyldret?" He tested the right honorific to address his patron with, and found the moniker of Master Pyldret to be most fitting. From his expression, the Dragon Champion seemed to like it as well.
"Almost none," said Pyldret. "I am, however, devoting a considerable amount of my attention. It slows my progress. Don't worry too much about it."
"I had one more question. About my new powers."
"I am a dragon, my knight. I am the beast of armageddon, the weapon that channels the elements into wrath. And now, so are you, Zane. Although you aren't a dragon bodily, nor truly in spirit, you're able to channel some of my abilities through our link. At the very least, right now, you should be capable of flying and breathing various elements."
"Like..." He stopped, realizing something. "Like fire breath?"
"And water breath, or earth breath, or light breath. It's one of the powers of a dragon to give their breath a physical form. All elements are unbarred to you, at least with sufficient practice. Don't fear to try it. Although maybe not too overtly."
"Right."
"Aside from that, you should also be able to reinforce your own physical form. I suspect you're already much stronger than before?"
"And faster, more agile. Look at this." As if to demonstrate, Zane tossed a slice of bread across the room like a frisbee. It stalled and then landed perfectly on top of the lower part of a sandwich, waiting on the opposite counter.
"Err." Pyldret didn't know what to say. "Impressive, yes."
"Thank you for the advice, master. And for answering. I really almost lost hope this morning - I thought you left me hanging."
The Dragon Champion seemed contrite, from his expression. "I shall do my best to maintain a better contact with you from now on. I owe you this much, at least. You showed me the aspects of humanity that I like to see the most - a resolve to keep going, not out of pride, but out of a desire to best evil when it shows itself."
He nodded. There wasn't much that he could say to that without sounding like a dumb anime protagonist.
"I shall depart now, Zane." His patron's form shifted into an endless blur of colors, in the other place. "Contact me again if there is something bugging you."
"I will. Thank you, Master Pyldret."
And so, their conversation concluded. Zane bit down on his sandwich.
---
After his meal, Zane was promptly located by a smiling Elsa - dressed in a modest business suit, this time - who told him to shower and change, having brought him some of his own clothes. Apparently, he'd be meeting "the Boss" later in the day. She also took the Mangler with her as she left.
Is there anything you'd like to do before the meeting? Select up to two actions.
[ ] Interact: Elsa - Attempt to converse with her before she leaves to handle her own business. She's superior of yours and, from the general vibe of things, she'll probably be your immediate superior for the future. It'd be smart to establish some kind of mutual understanding or find out how her powers work.
[ ] Interact: Mangler - Maybe you can slot in a single action of attempting to communicate with the Mangler before Elsa takes him away? The ultimate utility of such an action is doubtful, however...
[ ] Interact: Helpful Soldier - Maybe try and find that guy who helped you out earlier? He seemed gruff, but at least he was honest, and he did give you some helpful advice. Maybe he can fill you in about how the company works?
[ ] Inquire About New York - Attempt to locate data about what's going on outside, how the government reacted to the Mangler, and what's going on with your friends right now. It might be more difficult than you think - when you ask Elsa for your phone, she only smiles enigmatically.
[ ] Write-in.
No training actions are permitted - a bad idea to get sweaty before a major career-altering meeting...
"When you've hit rock bottom, sometimes the proper response is to break out a jackhammer and embark on a journey to the center of the earth."
- Orm Embar
---
As much as he wanted to speak with Pyldret throughout the morning, it seemed like the Dragon Champion was largely indisposed.
It was ironic, or perhaps appropriate that Zane mostly communed with the Lotus Maiden and her agents during moments of great stress, combat, and near-death especially. It left him stranded right now, though, as he was sitting alone in a cell, banging his head against a wall, and considering what he should do next.
There wasn't much that he could think of, aside from simply playing along with the games of his new employers.
He sought guidance, but there was fabulously little that his patron could grant, aside from a general and vague sensation of reassurance, as if he should keep going. It did very little to provide the encouragement he wished for, but it was the best he'd get.
It's all rather likely that Pyldret's cutting his way across Heaven and Hell to get to me right now.
After his failed morning prayer, he decided to look for something to eat - for himself. The Mangler looked positively adamant to remain lying in his corner and not be bothered ever again, glaring at Zane whenever the boy moved or looked in its general direction.
A brief exploration of the hallway outside didn't yield much information of interest. Most of the doors were locked, and behind the unlocked ones, there wasn't much except scant rooms of barren concrete and no furniture. There weren't many staff members on this floor, he noticed - a few doctors going around with clipboards. He attempted to stop one of them to ask for directions to the kitchen, but he was zealously ignored in favor of their papers. After the third time a bald man with thick glasses ignored him, Zane was almost tempted to grab his pencil and shove it down his eye socket, but he stopped himself.
"Asset 192-A, Zane Li Black," a man's deep baritone behind him spoke, "Are you looking for something to eat?"
"I am." He turned around to face his interlocutor.
It was one of those agents from earlier yesterday - definitely one of the platoon that had been on the rooftop because Zane remembered the number and letter on his shoulder patch. He was a man with sunken eyes and a thick beard, dressed in a suit that resembled nothing short of white riot gear with a gray underlayer, but with the helmet removed and clipped to the belt instead. He didn't have a rifle with him, but there was a handgun tightly holstered to his right thigh, enough to act as a reminder.
"I was told you might," he replied, turning. "Come. I'll lead you there."
He led Zane down the stairs and into a medium-sized room with drab lighting and a few picnic-style tables. It was definitely much smaller than the Midwood cafeteria, and far more... barren, lifeless. It was a place completely devoid of color or activity.
"No one else eats here?"
"Most of us eat dry rations, the cafeteria is here as a sort of HR code thing," said the man, stepping forward and pointing over at the counter. "There should be at least one cook in there. If there's no one, you can make yourself something from the fridge. Don't report anything."
"Um?" Zane looked over at him. "What do you mean?"
"It's non-procedural for there to be cooks or rats in the kitchen. If you see any, pretend you didn't, for your own good." At that, Zane stared at him in utter confusion. It didn't sound much like a threat, at least from the tone of voice. It sounded like the man was making casual conversation. "I know you're new, so I'll give you some advice - you're a valuable asset, but there are people in charge of this facility who are more or less of equal importance to you. It's a cutthroat fucking company. I'm a grunt. If I tried to report shit, they'd probably make me disappear. You're too important for that, but that doesn't mean they can't make your life hell. Be careful. Watch your back."
"Alright." Zane blinked, looking over at the kitchen and stepping in its direction with the soldier's leave. "Thanks for the advice."
"Don't mention it. I have to go back. You can find your way back up?"
"Yeah. Uh, hey, one last thing..." The soldier stopped when Zane called out, half-turning to hear his question. "Isn't it kind of weird that you guys are, uh, leaving me alone? I mean, I could escape something."
"You're not a prisoner, last I checked," the soldier replied. "Did someone mention you aren't allowed to go out?"
"I think Elsa implied it pretty heavily."
"Ah. She did?" Zane nodded, making the soldier pause to think for a moment. After a couple of seconds, he said, with an accompanying shrug, "Then don't. Not worth the risk. If you've signed a contract, they can make it tough on you no matter where you are. Just stay here."
"Alright. Thanks, again."
The man nodded and then promptly left.
After that, Zane wandered into the kitchen only to find it completely empty. The entire floor was rather dirty, clearly not having been scrubbed for the last couple of weeks, and that was sufficient to make Zane decisively make the judgment that this company was fucking weird. It wasn't weird in the sense of having odd, contradictory, or strange protocol, but in the uncanny valley, there's something-major-going-on-and-it's-wrong-on-an-existential-level kind of weird.
There were scientists going around who seemed to ignore his every question, middle management from hell that'd cut your throat for reporting HR violations, and an implication was treated like a legitimate command.
He started making himself food when, finally, at last, a few motes of light shone in his awareness. He blinked, only to realize some part of his mind was now elsewhere, speaking across realms through an invisible tether.
"Apologies," Pyldret, or at least his mental echo, said with a chuckle. He didn't appear in the form of a man, but a dragon, with eyes and scales of every color on the rainbow and seven wings on its back. He looked down at Zane with kindness in his eyes. "I am quite occupied, my squire. There are many entities who stand in the name of balance, and I have to either cajole, coerce or cut them down in order to make progress towards you. It'll be some time, from your perspective - at least - before I can reach your world. I am, however, making steady progress alongside my armies. Anyhow, I believe you wanted some guidance from me?"
"I signed a contract," Zane said, smearing a slice of bread with butter. "With Olympus."
"Ah, yes. I have some ongoing awareness of your actions. Fear not - had the contract been binding on an absolute level, or had I found it an unacceptable choice, I would have stopped you personally, no matter the cost. Given the circumstances, I believe you picked the best option."
He considered the bread in his hand. "Are you devoting much power to speak with me... uh, master? Master Pyldret?" He tested the right honorific to address his patron with, and found the moniker of Master Pyldret to be most fitting. From his expression, the Dragon Champion seemed to like it as well.
"Almost none," said Pyldret. "I am, however, devoting a considerable amount of my attention. It slows my progress. Don't worry too much about it."
"I had one more question. About my new powers."
"I am a dragon, my knight. I am the beast of armageddon, the weapon that channels the elements into wrath. And now, so are you, Zane. Although you aren't a dragon bodily, nor truly in spirit, you're able to channel some of my abilities through our link. At the very least, right now, you should be capable of flying and breathing various elements."
"Like..." He stopped, realizing something. "Like fire breath?"
"And water breath, or earth breath, or light breath. It's one of the powers of a dragon to give their breath a physical form. All elements are unbarred to you, at least with sufficient practice. Don't fear to try it. Although maybe not too overtly."
"Right."
"Aside from that, you should also be able to reinforce your own physical form. I suspect you're already much stronger than before?"
"And faster, more agile. Look at this." As if to demonstrate, Zane tossed a slice of bread across the room like a frisbee. It stalled and then landed perfectly on top of the lower part of a sandwich, waiting on the opposite counter.
"Err." Pyldret didn't know what to say. "Impressive, yes."
"Thank you for the advice, master. And for answering. I really almost lost hope this morning - I thought you left me hanging."
The Dragon Champion seemed contrite, from his expression. "I shall do my best to maintain a better contact with you from now on. I owe you this much, at least. You showed me the aspects of humanity that I like to see the most - a resolve to keep going, not out of pride, but out of a desire to best evil when it shows itself."
He nodded. There wasn't much that he could say to that without sounding like a dumb anime protagonist.
"I shall depart now, Zane." His patron's form shifted into an endless blur of colors, in the other place. "Contact me again if there is something bugging you."
"I will. Thank you, Master Pyldret."
And so, their conversation concluded. Zane bit down on his sandwich.
---
After his meal, Zane was promptly located by a smiling Elsa - dressed in a modest business suit, this time - who told him to shower and change, having brought him some of his own clothes. Apparently, he'd be meeting "the Boss" later in the day. She also took the Mangler with her as she left.
Is there anything you'd like to do before the meeting? Select up to two actions.
[ ] Interact: Elsa - Attempt to converse with her before she leaves to handle her own business. She's superior of yours and, from the general vibe of things, she'll probably be your immediate superior for the future. It'd be smart to establish some kind of mutual understanding or find out how her powers work.
[ ] Interact: Mangler - Maybe you can slot in a single action of attempting to communicate with the Mangler before Elsa takes him away? The ultimate utility of such an action is doubtful, however...
[ ] Interact: Helpful Soldier - Maybe try and find that guy who helped you out earlier? He seemed gruff, but at least he was honest, and he did give you some helpful advice. Maybe he can fill you in about how the company works?
[ ] Inquire About New York - Attempt to locate data about what's going on outside, how the government reacted to the Mangler, and what's going on with your friends right now. It might be more difficult than you think - when you ask Elsa for your phone, she only smiles enigmatically.
[ ] Write-in.
No training actions are permitted - a bad idea to get sweaty before a major career-altering meeting...
- Location
- 1
[X] Write-in - Aspiring Knight Meditation
it's meditation; It's not going to make you sweaty unless something goes wrong. If there isn't enough time for it, oh well.
I'm not quite clear on whether Elsa, like, came over, stood around for a while in which Zane may or may not have conversed with her, then left, or walked over, did the things described, and then left without waiting further in a way that suggests she's probably busy; in other words, whether conversation would likely be welcome. In the presence of this uncertainty...
[X] Interact: Helpful Soldier
might warn Zane of some pitfall he'd otherwise walk into or something. the Mangler is the Mangler and I think inquiring about new york might read as a plan to escape or something, despite how unwise that is till Pyldret comes.
As far as my thoughts on the interaction Zane had with Pyldret... it confirms some things, reveals some things, and mostly fits my preconceptions. Though, something of an aside: aside from the power-explaining part which may turn out quite important, I honestly think the Vague Sense of Reassurance is... enough, I guess- like, I wouldn't think much less of Pyldret even if that was all he sent and he wasn't notably busy, and I'd consider the interact well-spent just for that. 'You are generally on an ok track' is a simple signal and really doesn't need elaboration, and that's what I was mostly in support of the interact for- not 'what exactly should I do', just a general 'Zane didn't even read the contract so let's pick a different way of seeing if this was alright'. a Vague Sense of Unease on the other hand is something that Should be accompanied with words, as is a Vague Sense of Anger- If you're telling your squire to keep on going you need no more information but if you want them to do something else you should say what. (and that Zane couldn't infer from 'Reassurance' to 'This Is Fine' reflects slightly badly on him but it's not really a surprising level of bad or outside of the range of things I'd expect from Zane, it's more like it reflects badly on him because it's something I personally can see room for improvement on than because it's new bad information about his competence.)
it's meditation; It's not going to make you sweaty unless something goes wrong. If there isn't enough time for it, oh well.
I'm not quite clear on whether Elsa, like, came over, stood around for a while in which Zane may or may not have conversed with her, then left, or walked over, did the things described, and then left without waiting further in a way that suggests she's probably busy; in other words, whether conversation would likely be welcome. In the presence of this uncertainty...
[X] Interact: Helpful Soldier
might warn Zane of some pitfall he'd otherwise walk into or something. the Mangler is the Mangler and I think inquiring about new york might read as a plan to escape or something, despite how unwise that is till Pyldret comes.
As far as my thoughts on the interaction Zane had with Pyldret... it confirms some things, reveals some things, and mostly fits my preconceptions. Though, something of an aside: aside from the power-explaining part which may turn out quite important, I honestly think the Vague Sense of Reassurance is... enough, I guess- like, I wouldn't think much less of Pyldret even if that was all he sent and he wasn't notably busy, and I'd consider the interact well-spent just for that. 'You are generally on an ok track' is a simple signal and really doesn't need elaboration, and that's what I was mostly in support of the interact for- not 'what exactly should I do', just a general 'Zane didn't even read the contract so let's pick a different way of seeing if this was alright'. a Vague Sense of Unease on the other hand is something that Should be accompanied with words, as is a Vague Sense of Anger- If you're telling your squire to keep on going you need no more information but if you want them to do something else you should say what. (and that Zane couldn't infer from 'Reassurance' to 'This Is Fine' reflects slightly badly on him but it's not really a surprising level of bad or outside of the range of things I'd expect from Zane, it's more like it reflects badly on him because it's something I personally can see room for improvement on than because it's new bad information about his competence.)
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Birdsie
Sharp Talons Cleave The Worthy
- Location
- Poland
Can't be done right now.
- Location
- Abu Dhabi or Manila depending on the time of year
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Interact: Helpful Soldier - Maybe try and find that guy who helped you out earlier? He seemed gruff, but at least he was honest, and he did give you some helpful advice. Maybe he can fill you in about how the company works?
[X] Inquire About New York - Attempt to locate data about what's going on outside, how the government reacted to the Mangler, and what's going on with your friends right now. It might be more difficult than you think - when you ask Elsa for your phone, she only smiles enigmatically.
[X] Inquire About New York - Attempt to locate data about what's going on outside, how the government reacted to the Mangler, and what's going on with your friends right now. It might be more difficult than you think - when you ask Elsa for your phone, she only smiles enigmatically.
ThatGuyWithIdeas
Treize died for our sins
- Location
- Romania
[X] Interact: Helpful Soldier - Maybe try and find that guy who helped you out earlier? He seemed gruff, but at least he was honest, and he did give you some helpful advice. Maybe he can fill you in about how the company works?
[X] Inquire About New York - Attempt to locate data about what's going on outside, how the government reacted to the Mangler, and what's going on with your friends right now. It might be more difficult than you think - when you ask Elsa for your phone, she only smiles enigmatically.
[X] Inquire About New York - Attempt to locate data about what's going on outside, how the government reacted to the Mangler, and what's going on with your friends right now. It might be more difficult than you think - when you ask Elsa for your phone, she only smiles enigmatically.
- Location
- Poland
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Interact: Helpful Soldier - Maybe try and find that guy who helped you out earlier? He seemed gruff, but at least he was honest, and he did give you some helpful advice. Maybe he can fill you in about how the company works?
[X] Interact: Elsa - Attempt to converse with her before she leaves to handle her own business. She's superior of yours and, from the general vibe of things, she'll probably be your immediate superior for the future. It'd be smart to establish some kind of mutual understanding or find out how her powers work.
Not curious about New York, mostly because we can't leave yet.
Best to get socials done here, get whatever little networking we can get done.
This really feels like a corpo, now. And good connections are everything there.
[X] Interact: Elsa - Attempt to converse with her before she leaves to handle her own business. She's superior of yours and, from the general vibe of things, she'll probably be your immediate superior for the future. It'd be smart to establish some kind of mutual understanding or find out how her powers work.
Not curious about New York, mostly because we can't leave yet.
Best to get socials done here, get whatever little networking we can get done.
This really feels like a corpo, now. And good connections are everything there.
- Location
- 1
[X] Interact: Helpful Soldier - Maybe try and find that guy who helped you out earlier? He seemed gruff, but at least he was honest, and he did give you some helpful advice. Maybe he can fill you in about how the company works?
[X] Interact: Elsa - Attempt to converse with her before she leaves to handle her own business. She's superior of yours and, from the general vibe of things, she'll probably be your immediate superior for the future. It'd be smart to establish some kind of mutual understanding or find out how her powers work.
Seems like a passable combination of actions('specially with AKM not an option), hopefully the Elsa option isn't a trap where she'll just think worse of Zane for it or something despite the information on that context being slightly unclear. it also avoids the options I think are even worse so there's that. If anyone has a good write-in I'll switch, though.maybe we should scavenge the floor for Godcards
[X] Interact: Elsa - Attempt to converse with her before she leaves to handle her own business. She's superior of yours and, from the general vibe of things, she'll probably be your immediate superior for the future. It'd be smart to establish some kind of mutual understanding or find out how her powers work.
Seems like a passable combination of actions('specially with AKM not an option), hopefully the Elsa option isn't a trap where she'll just think worse of Zane for it or something despite the information on that context being slightly unclear. it also avoids the options I think are even worse so there's that. If anyone has a good write-in I'll switch, though.
Chapter 34 - Company Man
Birdsie
Sharp Talons Cleave The Worthy
- Location
- Poland
Company Man
As they stepped up onto the third floor, Zane couldn't help but note how different it was from the floors below.
All of the halls had been painted a soothing off-white shade and varnished, had a regular pattern of symmetrical ceramic floor tiles, perfectly non-flickering and luminous ceiling lamps, and more than its fair share of people walking through and chatting.
There were these small pseudo-resting spots, like a couch in the middle of the hall with a water cooler, a small oak table, and a vending machine on the sides of it. All of them had some variation, sometimes a potted fern or something to pretty it up.
However, Elsa simply walked forward, leading Zane on without giving him a moment's breath to admire anything for its simple ability to stand out.
"Uh, so…" He stopped to think. Zane didn't want to ask a stupid question, because he noticed a pattern where Elsa had a tendency to disappear with no explanation whenever he asked something that she didn't feel like answering. "Can I ask who's this boss you keep mentioning? He must be a pretty big deal if he's talking to me."
She looked at him for a moment, holding back wry amusement, and then popped with laughter. It was the bitchy kind of laughter where she threw her head back as far as it'd bend, closed her eyes as tightly as possible to feign aristocratic pleasantry, and sort of fanned her mouth as if concealing the gesture in spite of the inherent futility of such an action. At the end of her laughter, she reached over and ruffled his hair so fast that he couldn't react without his Knight Arm deployed, making him sneer.
"You're so precious, Zane," she cooed. "So, so precious. I'll need to remember that one. Go in there and have fun."
She flippantly waved at a door and walked over to speak with someone in the hall, seemingly a casual acquaintance.
After watching her with a deep-set frown for a moment, he sighed resignedly and went through the door, where he found a small kind of entryway with a receptionist's desk. Behind it, tapping away at a keyboard, was a petite, smiling woman, humming a song he didn't recognize to herself.
She noticed him as he approached closer.
"Oh, hello there, good sir! I believe you must be Mr. Black?"
"Yes."
She pressed a button on her landline. "Mr. Edwards, Mr. Black is here to see you."
"Step right in!" came a shout.
He looked over in the direction of the other door - an office door, made from some kind of varnished dark wood with shutters on the upper glass part, on the right wall of the room they were in.
He stepped inside the office without further ado and looked around immediately, finding it to be completely full of stuff as if someone had decided to use it as a storage room for weird shit. All kinds of confusing bric-a-brac; a small bottled airplane, a few paintings that looked to his untrained and fairly skeptical eye like decently faithful Da Vinci recreations, and there was, for some reason, a painted white-and-red rocket sitting in a flower pot on the windowsill.
And behind the desk, there was a man with a thick mustache, somewhere in his late forties, with graying sideburns and an unbuttoned, navy blue suit with no tie. He looked almost… Texan? Or such was Zane's first impression. He looked as if he should be wearing a cowboy hat, even though he wasn't. At least, not currently.
"Ah, you must be…" Mr. Edwards looked down at a paper resting within a small folder on his lap, sniffled a little, "Zane Li Black? Have a seat."
He did, not seeing a reason to disobey.
"Do you need anything? Water? Coffee? Charlotte!"
"I- uh, I don't-"
It was too late to dismiss the man's kindness. His overly-polite secretary had already peeked her head in with a modest smile. "Sir, yes, sir, Mr. Edwards?"
"Bring this boy a coffee, a strong one. He's about to become one of my hardest-working employees," the man said. After a second of thought, he reconsidered, "Make it a double. And bring me some mint-flavor chewing gum, I have this disgusting taste of burnt bacon in my mouth, I desperately need to get rid of it."
"Yes, sir. I'm on it!" She disappeared.
As Zane was about to tell the man a coffee wasn't necessary - he wasn't much of a caffeine person - the man, however, ducked suddenly under his desk and smacked his lips. Zane could hear some shuffling as drawers were opened and closed. "This fucking office. I don't know where anything is in this damn place, it's like someone cursed it to make me unable to find anything." He resurfaced with a sour expression, shooting Zane a kind of clueless, funny look. "I don't use it often."
"Ah."
"Yes. One moment, boy." He went down below again and started looking for something. A few moments later, he seemed to find it. "A-ha! Here we are."
As he resurfaced, it was with a bunch of stuff in hand. An ID card with Zane's face and name on it, an entire loop of keys, a plastic item about the size and shape of a car key fob, and a few Godcards that had been securely placed in separate, large ziplock bags. He slid all of the items over to Zane, saying, "I am issuing this stuff to you. Although, don't touch the Black Cards, that's not for you. I'll tell you what they're for, later. And where's Charlotte? Why isn't she back with the coffee and gum already? Goddamn it."
He picked up the items, one by one, stuffing them in his pockets in a way that felt mostly random - but he hesitated with the Black Cards. "The... uh, Black Cards?"
"Ah, yes - you'll be responsible for delivering those. I'll send you the details later. We have a VSS in place over the entire city that lets us know when it's best to put them in, like, your dog's ass or something so you'll find it and it's all creepy and mysterious. There's boxes that go with them, and instruction manuals - you'll need to go down to Distribution to find those; we don't handwrite the notes, we sorta copy and paste 'em because it's a waste with this much turnover. Hmm. I suppose Elise will fill you in on it later, she's a good girl, and your immediate superior at any rate."
This wasn't quite what he'd expected when he came into this room.
"Wait. Elise?"
---
As it had turned out from the follow-up conversation, Elsa's real name was Elise Auclair, and her Godcard was none other than Loki, which rendered the events of the last few days supremely clear in Zane's mind. She also used her Godcard to keep her appearance changed at all times, and didn't like anyone knowing about this.
"How do I know where to deliver these?" He looked up, four boxes with Black Cards in his arms. "Elsa?"
"VSS takes care of that," said 'Elise,' or Elsa, as he was still calling her - better not let her know that he knew, for now. "It's rather simple, you will see. I took the liberty of installing it on your phone."
"I- uh. You took my phone."
She smirked; a wry, self-satisfied expression full of smugness. After a moment of jostling his right leg, he felt a pressure he'd thought wasn't there before, but actually had been there all along. Zane gritted his teeth.
"Come, now, Black. We have quite a few of these Cards to deliver. It's fortunate that my power makes it easier."
"Don't I need some kind of company training to deliver this stuff?" he groaned.
"That's why I'm here. I'll be your chaperone to make sure you don't embarrass us with dazzling incompetence," she said, half-turning before they could enter her car. "Once the company knows you can be trusted with relatively simple jobs and handling the smallest of affairs, you'll be permitted to handle more... difficult tasks."
He frowned at her explanation, unhappy with his erstwhile posting, even as he got into the vehicle.
---
A lot of the following days were spent at work for Olympus Corporation, delivering cards, doing casual book-learning of company SOP, and sometimes acting as an intermediary or field agent - in a very limited capacity, and never with Cardbearers he'd interacted with. He didn't know much about what happened to his friends either, as he was prevented and forbidden from attempting to call them. It was a part of company protocol to use a mask or facial concealment when interacting with people, and the masks were enchanted to render the wearer's identity quintessentially unrecognizable.
Zane was able to gather some information from context clues - simply looking around the city as they drove or walked into various places, overhearing conversations, or asking the helpful soldier from before, who'd never bothered introducing himself and replied to questions about his name with a stiff grunt.
It seemed like the Mangler's Second Attack, as it was starting to be known, had caused a lot of upset and turmoil.
It was the biggest terrorist attack in known history, the number of dead increasing every day as new bodies were discovered. It was economically devastating and led many people to leave New York on a more permanent basis, and forced the US government to put its thumb down.
Apparently, the Police Faction and its members went semi-public with information about the perpetrators, and the government was now attempting to study the 'source of the disturbance.' There was an unconfirmed rumor of a paranormal task force in the works, but apparently, a few members of Congress were strongly against it.
As far as Zane's work for Olympus went, there wasn't much time to practice his magical abilities, and he'd been asked a lot of questions about them in the interim - their origin and their full capacity, likely because Olympus intended to find a way to reverse-engineer and monetize them. However, at the same time, something told him if that were possible, they'd have already done so instead of keeping him around to do their dirty work. He was more valuable as a source of new product than as dumb muscle, and even he was smart enough to figure that out. Naturally, he never asked Elsa about it.
As mid-December approached, however, Zane received something resembling a rank-up: a new personal office on the second floor, with actual human amenities and a separate - if very small - bathroom. He also received limited access to the outside world, letting him request items for delivery. It was maybe a quarter of a step up from being a prisoner and indentured worker, but he supposed it was still a little better. At one point, Elsa hinted that if he kept up the good streak and proved his loyalty, he'd be allowed to see or at least speak with his friends soon enough.
During all this time, Zane had a few opportunities to interact with his new co-workers. Pick a total of 2.
[ ] Speak with Elsa I - She was Zane's handler and immediate superior, so it only made sense to chat in between operations or when they ran into each other. It's much to ask for any kind of strong or true bond, but propinquity tends to melt away most kinds of hostility... over time.
[ ] Speak with Elsa II - Presently unavailable. Elsa doesn't trust you enough - it makes more than chit-chat to form a bond of any kind with someone as untrusting as her.
[ ] Speak with Helpful Soldier I - Maybe you'll be able to find out his name and how he even started working for Olympus? So far, he's been maybe the only person in Olympus to approach Zane with good survival advice and demand nothing in exchange.
[ ] Speak with Helpful Soldier II - Attempt to deepen bond.
[ ] Speak with Charlotte I - Mr. Edwards' personal secretary seemed nice enough, if a little too polite; she kept getting Zane coffees that he didn't ask for, though.
[ ] Speak with Charlotte II - Attempt to deepen bond; maybe if you can get the secretary in your pocket, you'll learn something more about the boss-man himself?
[ ] Keep to Yourself - Forgo a Social action. Can be taken as many times as you want.
In his second turn of operations, Zane received some lee-way in the kind of tasks that he'd prefer to pursue. Select up to 5.
[ ] On-World Operations I - Mostly simple operations; delivering Godcards or packages across New York, disrupting a few 'undesirable' military operations with the help of other operators in a non-lethal fashion, and similar...
[ ] On-World Operations II - More complicated operations, as a solo agent often with little to no back-up; largely involves investigating into disturbances and disrupting undesirable forms of activity.
[ ] On-World Operations III - A full-on brand 'Agent of Olympus,' you are now trusted with operations that include full and deadly combat with almost-peer level opponents, often with tactical support. Also includes operations outside of New York City, such as thaumaturgical investigations or recovery missions in other countries.
[ ] On-World Operations IV - Special Mission: There is a phase-one Black Card user outside of New York that needs to be tracked down. Sign up for the recovery team.
[ ] Martial Tutoring I - Although he is mostly prized for his magical abilities, Zane does have a rather splendid level of knowledge in the area of combat and martial arts, one bordering the supernatural: train the local PMC in close-quarters combat in order to make yourself more useful to the company and earn their trust.
[ ] Martial Tutoring II - A more extensive and advanced, weekly lesson plan that includes lots of students with both basic and advanced potential. Lets you learn a bit as well.
[ ] Martial Tutoring III - Become one of several teachers in a specialized training program for high-value operators. Also lets you train quite a lot on your own as a side effect.
[ ] Martial Tutoring IV - Special Mission: After showing extreme promise, a few people of import would now like to chart their own, personal training plan with you.
[ ] Research I - After a few basic check-ups, Olympus has deemed that your power, the Knight Arm, is external and cannot be really copied with you as its basis. However, that doesn't mean its 'essential blueprint' cannot be researched, and parts of it reverse-engineered for their foundational principles, to form a product of its own...
[ ] Research II - A more extensive line of tests on the Knight Arms and their foundational principles. Although it's unlikely Olympus has found anything, your complete willingness to go through these experiments, as well as proposing them and aiding in them elevates you greatly in terms of employee worth and company trust.
[ ] Research III - At this level of research, it's possible to glean basic thaumic logic for a few Invocations which can then be inverted into ordinary spells, adding a few new combat options to Olympus' repertoire. You have the company's undying regard and a good amount of trust and leeway.
[ ] Research IV - Special Mission: A full off-world research division is assigned to the new, 'Project Armamentarium,' and is expected to show the promise of creating Common-Rank Knight Arms in as little as a few months. You get the impression that the Maiden and Pyldret neither approve nor disapprove of this.
[ ] Management Training I - Although you're not even a step forward in making it to middle management, showing promise and skill in the related areas would surely elevate you in the minds of your superiors - it's a good pick in general!
[ ] Off-World Operations I - You aren't trusted or skilled enough yet to become an off-world operator of any kind, but you are permitted to read a few after-action reports to better prepare for the task in the future (and to learn what the hell it is in the first place.)
As they stepped up onto the third floor, Zane couldn't help but note how different it was from the floors below.
All of the halls had been painted a soothing off-white shade and varnished, had a regular pattern of symmetrical ceramic floor tiles, perfectly non-flickering and luminous ceiling lamps, and more than its fair share of people walking through and chatting.
There were these small pseudo-resting spots, like a couch in the middle of the hall with a water cooler, a small oak table, and a vending machine on the sides of it. All of them had some variation, sometimes a potted fern or something to pretty it up.
However, Elsa simply walked forward, leading Zane on without giving him a moment's breath to admire anything for its simple ability to stand out.
"Uh, so…" He stopped to think. Zane didn't want to ask a stupid question, because he noticed a pattern where Elsa had a tendency to disappear with no explanation whenever he asked something that she didn't feel like answering. "Can I ask who's this boss you keep mentioning? He must be a pretty big deal if he's talking to me."
She looked at him for a moment, holding back wry amusement, and then popped with laughter. It was the bitchy kind of laughter where she threw her head back as far as it'd bend, closed her eyes as tightly as possible to feign aristocratic pleasantry, and sort of fanned her mouth as if concealing the gesture in spite of the inherent futility of such an action. At the end of her laughter, she reached over and ruffled his hair so fast that he couldn't react without his Knight Arm deployed, making him sneer.
"You're so precious, Zane," she cooed. "So, so precious. I'll need to remember that one. Go in there and have fun."
She flippantly waved at a door and walked over to speak with someone in the hall, seemingly a casual acquaintance.
After watching her with a deep-set frown for a moment, he sighed resignedly and went through the door, where he found a small kind of entryway with a receptionist's desk. Behind it, tapping away at a keyboard, was a petite, smiling woman, humming a song he didn't recognize to herself.
She noticed him as he approached closer.
"Oh, hello there, good sir! I believe you must be Mr. Black?"
"Yes."
She pressed a button on her landline. "Mr. Edwards, Mr. Black is here to see you."
"Step right in!" came a shout.
He looked over in the direction of the other door - an office door, made from some kind of varnished dark wood with shutters on the upper glass part, on the right wall of the room they were in.
He stepped inside the office without further ado and looked around immediately, finding it to be completely full of stuff as if someone had decided to use it as a storage room for weird shit. All kinds of confusing bric-a-brac; a small bottled airplane, a few paintings that looked to his untrained and fairly skeptical eye like decently faithful Da Vinci recreations, and there was, for some reason, a painted white-and-red rocket sitting in a flower pot on the windowsill.
And behind the desk, there was a man with a thick mustache, somewhere in his late forties, with graying sideburns and an unbuttoned, navy blue suit with no tie. He looked almost… Texan? Or such was Zane's first impression. He looked as if he should be wearing a cowboy hat, even though he wasn't. At least, not currently.
"Ah, you must be…" Mr. Edwards looked down at a paper resting within a small folder on his lap, sniffled a little, "Zane Li Black? Have a seat."
He did, not seeing a reason to disobey.
"Do you need anything? Water? Coffee? Charlotte!"
"I- uh, I don't-"
It was too late to dismiss the man's kindness. His overly-polite secretary had already peeked her head in with a modest smile. "Sir, yes, sir, Mr. Edwards?"
"Bring this boy a coffee, a strong one. He's about to become one of my hardest-working employees," the man said. After a second of thought, he reconsidered, "Make it a double. And bring me some mint-flavor chewing gum, I have this disgusting taste of burnt bacon in my mouth, I desperately need to get rid of it."
"Yes, sir. I'm on it!" She disappeared.
As Zane was about to tell the man a coffee wasn't necessary - he wasn't much of a caffeine person - the man, however, ducked suddenly under his desk and smacked his lips. Zane could hear some shuffling as drawers were opened and closed. "This fucking office. I don't know where anything is in this damn place, it's like someone cursed it to make me unable to find anything." He resurfaced with a sour expression, shooting Zane a kind of clueless, funny look. "I don't use it often."
"Ah."
"Yes. One moment, boy." He went down below again and started looking for something. A few moments later, he seemed to find it. "A-ha! Here we are."
As he resurfaced, it was with a bunch of stuff in hand. An ID card with Zane's face and name on it, an entire loop of keys, a plastic item about the size and shape of a car key fob, and a few Godcards that had been securely placed in separate, large ziplock bags. He slid all of the items over to Zane, saying, "I am issuing this stuff to you. Although, don't touch the Black Cards, that's not for you. I'll tell you what they're for, later. And where's Charlotte? Why isn't she back with the coffee and gum already? Goddamn it."
He picked up the items, one by one, stuffing them in his pockets in a way that felt mostly random - but he hesitated with the Black Cards. "The... uh, Black Cards?"
"Ah, yes - you'll be responsible for delivering those. I'll send you the details later. We have a VSS in place over the entire city that lets us know when it's best to put them in, like, your dog's ass or something so you'll find it and it's all creepy and mysterious. There's boxes that go with them, and instruction manuals - you'll need to go down to Distribution to find those; we don't handwrite the notes, we sorta copy and paste 'em because it's a waste with this much turnover. Hmm. I suppose Elise will fill you in on it later, she's a good girl, and your immediate superior at any rate."
This wasn't quite what he'd expected when he came into this room.
"Wait. Elise?"
---
As it had turned out from the follow-up conversation, Elsa's real name was Elise Auclair, and her Godcard was none other than Loki, which rendered the events of the last few days supremely clear in Zane's mind. She also used her Godcard to keep her appearance changed at all times, and didn't like anyone knowing about this.
"How do I know where to deliver these?" He looked up, four boxes with Black Cards in his arms. "Elsa?"
"VSS takes care of that," said 'Elise,' or Elsa, as he was still calling her - better not let her know that he knew, for now. "It's rather simple, you will see. I took the liberty of installing it on your phone."
"I- uh. You took my phone."
She smirked; a wry, self-satisfied expression full of smugness. After a moment of jostling his right leg, he felt a pressure he'd thought wasn't there before, but actually had been there all along. Zane gritted his teeth.
"Come, now, Black. We have quite a few of these Cards to deliver. It's fortunate that my power makes it easier."
"Don't I need some kind of company training to deliver this stuff?" he groaned.
"That's why I'm here. I'll be your chaperone to make sure you don't embarrass us with dazzling incompetence," she said, half-turning before they could enter her car. "Once the company knows you can be trusted with relatively simple jobs and handling the smallest of affairs, you'll be permitted to handle more... difficult tasks."
He frowned at her explanation, unhappy with his erstwhile posting, even as he got into the vehicle.
---
A lot of the following days were spent at work for Olympus Corporation, delivering cards, doing casual book-learning of company SOP, and sometimes acting as an intermediary or field agent - in a very limited capacity, and never with Cardbearers he'd interacted with. He didn't know much about what happened to his friends either, as he was prevented and forbidden from attempting to call them. It was a part of company protocol to use a mask or facial concealment when interacting with people, and the masks were enchanted to render the wearer's identity quintessentially unrecognizable.
Zane was able to gather some information from context clues - simply looking around the city as they drove or walked into various places, overhearing conversations, or asking the helpful soldier from before, who'd never bothered introducing himself and replied to questions about his name with a stiff grunt.
It seemed like the Mangler's Second Attack, as it was starting to be known, had caused a lot of upset and turmoil.
It was the biggest terrorist attack in known history, the number of dead increasing every day as new bodies were discovered. It was economically devastating and led many people to leave New York on a more permanent basis, and forced the US government to put its thumb down.
Apparently, the Police Faction and its members went semi-public with information about the perpetrators, and the government was now attempting to study the 'source of the disturbance.' There was an unconfirmed rumor of a paranormal task force in the works, but apparently, a few members of Congress were strongly against it.
As far as Zane's work for Olympus went, there wasn't much time to practice his magical abilities, and he'd been asked a lot of questions about them in the interim - their origin and their full capacity, likely because Olympus intended to find a way to reverse-engineer and monetize them. However, at the same time, something told him if that were possible, they'd have already done so instead of keeping him around to do their dirty work. He was more valuable as a source of new product than as dumb muscle, and even he was smart enough to figure that out. Naturally, he never asked Elsa about it.
As mid-December approached, however, Zane received something resembling a rank-up: a new personal office on the second floor, with actual human amenities and a separate - if very small - bathroom. He also received limited access to the outside world, letting him request items for delivery. It was maybe a quarter of a step up from being a prisoner and indentured worker, but he supposed it was still a little better. At one point, Elsa hinted that if he kept up the good streak and proved his loyalty, he'd be allowed to see or at least speak with his friends soon enough.
During all this time, Zane had a few opportunities to interact with his new co-workers. Pick a total of 2.
[ ] Speak with Elsa I - She was Zane's handler and immediate superior, so it only made sense to chat in between operations or when they ran into each other. It's much to ask for any kind of strong or true bond, but propinquity tends to melt away most kinds of hostility... over time.
[ ] Speak with Helpful Soldier I - Maybe you'll be able to find out his name and how he even started working for Olympus? So far, he's been maybe the only person in Olympus to approach Zane with good survival advice and demand nothing in exchange.
[ ] Speak with Helpful Soldier II - Attempt to deepen bond.
[ ] Speak with Charlotte I - Mr. Edwards' personal secretary seemed nice enough, if a little too polite; she kept getting Zane coffees that he didn't ask for, though.
[ ] Speak with Charlotte II - Attempt to deepen bond; maybe if you can get the secretary in your pocket, you'll learn something more about the boss-man himself?
[ ] Keep to Yourself - Forgo a Social action. Can be taken as many times as you want.
In his second turn of operations, Zane received some lee-way in the kind of tasks that he'd prefer to pursue. Select up to 5.
[ ] On-World Operations I - Mostly simple operations; delivering Godcards or packages across New York, disrupting a few 'undesirable' military operations with the help of other operators in a non-lethal fashion, and similar...
[ ] On-World Operations II - More complicated operations, as a solo agent often with little to no back-up; largely involves investigating into disturbances and disrupting undesirable forms of activity.
[ ] On-World Operations III - A full-on brand 'Agent of Olympus,' you are now trusted with operations that include full and deadly combat with almost-peer level opponents, often with tactical support. Also includes operations outside of New York City, such as thaumaturgical investigations or recovery missions in other countries.
[ ] On-World Operations IV - Special Mission: There is a phase-one Black Card user outside of New York that needs to be tracked down. Sign up for the recovery team.
[ ] Martial Tutoring I - Although he is mostly prized for his magical abilities, Zane does have a rather splendid level of knowledge in the area of combat and martial arts, one bordering the supernatural: train the local PMC in close-quarters combat in order to make yourself more useful to the company and earn their trust.
[ ] Martial Tutoring II - A more extensive and advanced, weekly lesson plan that includes lots of students with both basic and advanced potential. Lets you learn a bit as well.
[ ] Martial Tutoring III - Become one of several teachers in a specialized training program for high-value operators. Also lets you train quite a lot on your own as a side effect.
[ ] Martial Tutoring IV - Special Mission: After showing extreme promise, a few people of import would now like to chart their own, personal training plan with you.
[ ] Research I - After a few basic check-ups, Olympus has deemed that your power, the Knight Arm, is external and cannot be really copied with you as its basis. However, that doesn't mean its 'essential blueprint' cannot be researched, and parts of it reverse-engineered for their foundational principles, to form a product of its own...
[ ] Research II - A more extensive line of tests on the Knight Arms and their foundational principles. Although it's unlikely Olympus has found anything, your complete willingness to go through these experiments, as well as proposing them and aiding in them elevates you greatly in terms of employee worth and company trust.
[ ] Research III - At this level of research, it's possible to glean basic thaumic logic for a few Invocations which can then be inverted into ordinary spells, adding a few new combat options to Olympus' repertoire. You have the company's undying regard and a good amount of trust and leeway.
[ ] Research IV - Special Mission: A full off-world research division is assigned to the new, 'Project Armamentarium,' and is expected to show the promise of creating Common-Rank Knight Arms in as little as a few months. You get the impression that the Maiden and Pyldret neither approve nor disapprove of this.
[ ] Management Training I - Although you're not even a step forward in making it to middle management, showing promise and skill in the related areas would surely elevate you in the minds of your superiors - it's a good pick in general!
[ ] Off-World Operations I - You aren't trusted or skilled enough yet to become an off-world operator of any kind, but you are permitted to read a few after-action reports to better prepare for the task in the future (and to learn what the hell it is in the first place.)
Aabcehmu
Confusion as a Natural State of Being
- Location
- Aurora, CO
- Pronouns
- Any/All
[X] Plan Secret Strangling
-[X] Speak with Helpful Soldier I
-[X] Speak with Charlotte I
-[X] Martial Tutoring I
-[X] Martial Tutoring II
-[X] Martial Tutoring III
-[X] Martial Tutoring IV
-[X] Management Training I
Just some basic gaining connections and embedding ourselves a bit deeper in Olympus, as well as having the opportunity to scope out some of their agents' combat abilities as well as maybe the opportunity to shape the way they fight in a way that will be helpful when Pyldret gets here. I'm definitely open to change, though.
-[X] Speak with Helpful Soldier I
-[X] Speak with Charlotte I
-[X] Martial Tutoring I
-[X] Martial Tutoring II
-[X] Martial Tutoring III
-[X] Martial Tutoring IV
-[X] Management Training I
Just some basic gaining connections and embedding ourselves a bit deeper in Olympus, as well as having the opportunity to scope out some of their agents' combat abilities as well as maybe the opportunity to shape the way they fight in a way that will be helpful when Pyldret gets here. I'm definitely open to change, though.
- Location
- Poland
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Aabcemu
I agree with the plan, and I think it's a pretty good way to be fast-tracked into local head of security.
Was going to suggest socialing Elsa, but decided against- with a (potential, of course) promotion, she'll no longer be our minder (I think), so it's not that important.
Still, perhaps worth it dropping Charlotte for Elsa? Good to have a trickster boss not against us.
I agree with the plan, and I think it's a pretty good way to be fast-tracked into local head of security.
Was going to suggest socialing Elsa, but decided against- with a (potential, of course) promotion, she'll no longer be our minder (I think), so it's not that important.
Still, perhaps worth it dropping Charlotte for Elsa? Good to have a trickster boss not against us.
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Aabcehmu
Confusion as a Natural State of Being
- Location
- Aurora, CO
- Pronouns
- Any/All
I'm a little hesitant to socialize Elsa since I feel like hers is the most likely to have asymmetric information flow. The Helpful Soldier just seems like kind of dude to me, so I'm not super worried about Zane leaking anything too relevant to him, and with Charlotte there's a lot we can potentially learn from her interactions even if Zane does let some of his own thoughts slip.
Chapter 35 - Olympian Brawler
Birdsie
Sharp Talons Cleave The Worthy
- Location
- Poland
Olympian Brawler
"Here's your coffee, sir," said Charlotte, picking up the steaming mug from a silvery tray and laying it down in front of him.
Almost on instinct, Zane felt his nose wrinkle up. He didn't want any coffee as he didn't particularly enjoy the beverage, but Charlotte didn't seem to comprehend that Mr. Edwards' command wasn't supposed to be a daily thing that she had to repeat.
However, drinking it seemed to make her considerably happier - so he acquiesced, took a sip, and commented on the brew's taste and its overwhelming bitterness - requesting more sugar next time - prompting Charlotte to leave with a thoughtful expression. After watching her back for a moment to ensure she wouldn't return, he returned to looking through his documents and moved the coffee cup to the side of the table. Across from him, Elsa was handling a few things of her own. She was dressed in a far more practical office outfit, with a miniskirt and dress shirt, as well as thick glasses.
He needed to chart a lesson plan for the next week. It wasn't like teaching martial arts and practical self-defense was that complex though; it was maybe one part theory to six parts practice, where practice involves repeating katas of punches, kicks, holds, and similar maneuvers. A few spars now and then, too... Huh, there was an odd paper there.
"Hmmm. What's this?"
"There was a request a few days ago," Elsa, or Elise, said, looking through her papers. She glanced up at him, a wry smile quirking her lips as soon as he met her eyes. "A daughter of one of the... let's call it... company owners has been observing your career record and decided she'd like to learn from you. A spoiled little thing, isn't she?"
"Can I refuse?"
"Yes, but I wouldn't recommend it," replied Elsa. She poked his nose with her pen. "It'd curb your career advancement."
"I brought sugar!" Charlotte said, dumping half a kilogram into his cup, almost making it spill. A few specks of dark liquid now freckled their documents.
"Goddamn it," Elsa said, stepping back.
"Would you like some coffee as well, Ms. Elise?"
"Goddamn it!"
"Whoops, I forgot you don't like that name! Sorry!"
Judging by Elsa's next reply, Zane wondered if maybe his presence was influencing her personality: "Come here, I will pummel you!"
He continued reading and picked up the coffee mug, its contents almost white from the rapidly dissolving saccharose powder that had been dumped within. He sniffed the steam coming off, and then, gently, touched his lips to its edge and took in the tiniest sip. He swallowed.
"Hm. Kind of good."
---
Apparently, the heiress of Olympus was a wilful thing indeed - she'd requested to be taught Karate because of personal interest as a child, but was now more interested in developing a wider umbrella of combat experience in order to make herself useful to the company as an adult. All he'd been told was her appearance, how to deal with her in conversation, and that he wasn't allowed to know or ask her for her name. A bunch of other security garbage - there'd be a team of soldiers posted outside, ready to step in and shoot him if he tried anything funny, and so on.
After putting on his fighting uniform, he stepped into the training room and blocked a punch delivered at superhuman speed with his forearm, frowning. It strained him a little given he wasn't using his Knight Arm, but she was nowhere near Spike's level.
The girl in front of him was grinning crazily, wearing an appropriate outfit for heavy work-outs. She wasn't quite what he'd expected - dark hair and eyes, looking fairly normal all things considered. He would've assumed that she was a normal person if not for the clearly superhuman physical characteristics.
She disengaged, stepping out of reach.
"Hello. I assume you are my student?" he asked.
"Yep. Sorry about that, I wanted to see if you were as good as they say."
"I guess I am. I suggest doing a few stretches to warm up first, and then we can talk about what you know already and what you need to learn to proceed. It's not wise to practice extreme martial arts without letting your body adjust to the exertion. It can-"
"I'm all warmed up!" She launched into a flurry of blows, and he started blocking them and evading, stepping back. She was fast, but not faster than him; strong, but hardly even half as strong as he was. A single punch delivered to her stomach would likely cause her permanent harm. He'd need to hold back. It wasn't like he couldn't afford to - her footwork was an atrocious thing, barely resembling a combative stance. Her fighting style resembled that of a superhuman used to simply dominating opposition with sheer and reckless might. She fought more like a tree than an animal, constantly rooted in one spot... Might as well start with that, he supposed.
Zane stepped into her fighting range, closer and closer until she didn't even have proper space to punch, and she didn't have time to adjust. She flinched and closed her eyes when they were centimeters away, as he moved even closer, forcing her to stumble back. Not having time to recover, she fell down on her ass.
"Ow. Shit."
He didn't even have to push her. As the girl looked up and glared at him, Zane smirked.
"Lesson one: footwork. Get up and keep moving. Always keep yourself at the edge of my striking range, unless you intend to move in for the attack. And always keep moving, never stand in one spot, or I'll be able to do that, or even push you."
"It seems you aren't a pushover after all, huh. Alright, let's do that again," she said.
---
Select a reward for hard work - pick one.
[ ] Outside Contact - Allows you to contact a single person of your choice and have a conversation with them, pass on information, or simply speak about this and that. Done over the phone/face-time. Select a person (write-in.)
[ ] Personal Godcard - Request a personal Godcard to be issued to you - something that'd make sense and empower you. Olympus-issue Black Cards work a little different, advancing far better and faster than normal ones; even at your compatibility, it'd be a considerable boon.
[ ] Career Advancement - Makes the higher-ups consider you for a more robust/elite role within the organization, maybe as a minor duty manager or squad leader, or something else within those spheres. Alternatively, continue with your current work, but with more benefits. Available because of Management Training.
Achievement Unlocked: Punch The Mountain
- Become a trusted employee of Olympus Corporation.
*Receive a flat +20 bonus to defeating all supernatural foes when activating Brawler of Midwood.
*Receive a flat +40 bonus to defeating opponents vastly more powerful than you when activating Brawler of Midwood. Can stack with the above.
"Here's your coffee, sir," said Charlotte, picking up the steaming mug from a silvery tray and laying it down in front of him.
Almost on instinct, Zane felt his nose wrinkle up. He didn't want any coffee as he didn't particularly enjoy the beverage, but Charlotte didn't seem to comprehend that Mr. Edwards' command wasn't supposed to be a daily thing that she had to repeat.
However, drinking it seemed to make her considerably happier - so he acquiesced, took a sip, and commented on the brew's taste and its overwhelming bitterness - requesting more sugar next time - prompting Charlotte to leave with a thoughtful expression. After watching her back for a moment to ensure she wouldn't return, he returned to looking through his documents and moved the coffee cup to the side of the table. Across from him, Elsa was handling a few things of her own. She was dressed in a far more practical office outfit, with a miniskirt and dress shirt, as well as thick glasses.
He needed to chart a lesson plan for the next week. It wasn't like teaching martial arts and practical self-defense was that complex though; it was maybe one part theory to six parts practice, where practice involves repeating katas of punches, kicks, holds, and similar maneuvers. A few spars now and then, too... Huh, there was an odd paper there.
"Hmmm. What's this?"
"There was a request a few days ago," Elsa, or Elise, said, looking through her papers. She glanced up at him, a wry smile quirking her lips as soon as he met her eyes. "A daughter of one of the... let's call it... company owners has been observing your career record and decided she'd like to learn from you. A spoiled little thing, isn't she?"
"Can I refuse?"
"Yes, but I wouldn't recommend it," replied Elsa. She poked his nose with her pen. "It'd curb your career advancement."
"I brought sugar!" Charlotte said, dumping half a kilogram into his cup, almost making it spill. A few specks of dark liquid now freckled their documents.
"Goddamn it," Elsa said, stepping back.
"Would you like some coffee as well, Ms. Elise?"
"Goddamn it!"
"Whoops, I forgot you don't like that name! Sorry!"
Judging by Elsa's next reply, Zane wondered if maybe his presence was influencing her personality: "Come here, I will pummel you!"
He continued reading and picked up the coffee mug, its contents almost white from the rapidly dissolving saccharose powder that had been dumped within. He sniffed the steam coming off, and then, gently, touched his lips to its edge and took in the tiniest sip. He swallowed.
"Hm. Kind of good."
---
Apparently, the heiress of Olympus was a wilful thing indeed - she'd requested to be taught Karate because of personal interest as a child, but was now more interested in developing a wider umbrella of combat experience in order to make herself useful to the company as an adult. All he'd been told was her appearance, how to deal with her in conversation, and that he wasn't allowed to know or ask her for her name. A bunch of other security garbage - there'd be a team of soldiers posted outside, ready to step in and shoot him if he tried anything funny, and so on.
After putting on his fighting uniform, he stepped into the training room and blocked a punch delivered at superhuman speed with his forearm, frowning. It strained him a little given he wasn't using his Knight Arm, but she was nowhere near Spike's level.
The girl in front of him was grinning crazily, wearing an appropriate outfit for heavy work-outs. She wasn't quite what he'd expected - dark hair and eyes, looking fairly normal all things considered. He would've assumed that she was a normal person if not for the clearly superhuman physical characteristics.
She disengaged, stepping out of reach.
"Hello. I assume you are my student?" he asked.
"Yep. Sorry about that, I wanted to see if you were as good as they say."
"I guess I am. I suggest doing a few stretches to warm up first, and then we can talk about what you know already and what you need to learn to proceed. It's not wise to practice extreme martial arts without letting your body adjust to the exertion. It can-"
"I'm all warmed up!" She launched into a flurry of blows, and he started blocking them and evading, stepping back. She was fast, but not faster than him; strong, but hardly even half as strong as he was. A single punch delivered to her stomach would likely cause her permanent harm. He'd need to hold back. It wasn't like he couldn't afford to - her footwork was an atrocious thing, barely resembling a combative stance. Her fighting style resembled that of a superhuman used to simply dominating opposition with sheer and reckless might. She fought more like a tree than an animal, constantly rooted in one spot... Might as well start with that, he supposed.
Zane stepped into her fighting range, closer and closer until she didn't even have proper space to punch, and she didn't have time to adjust. She flinched and closed her eyes when they were centimeters away, as he moved even closer, forcing her to stumble back. Not having time to recover, she fell down on her ass.
"Ow. Shit."
He didn't even have to push her. As the girl looked up and glared at him, Zane smirked.
"Lesson one: footwork. Get up and keep moving. Always keep yourself at the edge of my striking range, unless you intend to move in for the attack. And always keep moving, never stand in one spot, or I'll be able to do that, or even push you."
"It seems you aren't a pushover after all, huh. Alright, let's do that again," she said.
---
Select a reward for hard work - pick one.
[ ] Outside Contact - Allows you to contact a single person of your choice and have a conversation with them, pass on information, or simply speak about this and that. Done over the phone/face-time. Select a person (write-in.)
[ ] Personal Godcard - Request a personal Godcard to be issued to you - something that'd make sense and empower you. Olympus-issue Black Cards work a little different, advancing far better and faster than normal ones; even at your compatibility, it'd be a considerable boon.
[ ] Career Advancement - Makes the higher-ups consider you for a more robust/elite role within the organization, maybe as a minor duty manager or squad leader, or something else within those spheres. Alternatively, continue with your current work, but with more benefits. Available because of Management Training.
Achievement Unlocked: Punch The Mountain
- Become a trusted employee of Olympus Corporation.
*Receive a flat +20 bonus to defeating all supernatural foes when activating Brawler of Midwood.
*Receive a flat +40 bonus to defeating opponents vastly more powerful than you when activating Brawler of Midwood. Can stack with the above.
- Location
- 1
[X] Personal Godcard
if outside contact wins I'm worried that would resurrect the dreaded Crush. Zane is free from that as long as he's literally unable to act on it, which makes it all the more important to keep him from doing so. and more seriously, people don't seem to have strong opinions on what to say. Do we even have any useful information to give, 'Zane's alive' aside? likewise, would they have anything useful to give Us? Invocation-Training time seems to have dropped substantially unless it's just being glossed over, so power growth remains quite important to being strong enough to handle hell. How long has it been since the seed dropped in, anyway? the sooner that's handled the better.
SirLagginton
Shadow Cabal Caerbannog Bun-Bun
- Location
- Arrrghhh
[X] Outside Contact - Uncle Shen