You have suffered many indignities in your life. The first time was being treated like a child by your mother. Granted you were a child at the time, and maybe you were trying to act like a grown-up, but that's hardly relevant.
The second time was being forced into a dress by Nunnally and Euphemia. The third time followed immediately after than when they decided to apply make-up too.
The fourth time was when your father humiliated you in front of the whole Imperial Court, even if now you realize how pathetic it must have looked that he needed to raise his voice against a ten years old boy to assuage his ego.
The fifth time was being soundly beaten by Suzaku.
You gave up trying to remember all the humiliations you suffered while wandering around the war-torn Japan, but at the very least you suffered through them together with Suzaku.
After that it was Milly and her ludicrous ideas. Being forced to go through PE classes. The captain of Clovis' Royal Guards mocking you. The downsides of your position as a Green Sun Prince of Malfeas. Willing disguising yourself as a woman for the sake of gathering intelligence you sorely needed.
And now this. This. Being kidnapped and shot at, ruining all your efforts and making everything you suffered until now pointless, this chance to learn more about the Abyssals tossed into the metaphorical trashcan by those, those-
Fake. Fake clothes. Fake beauty. Fake words. Fake skills. Fake personalities. Fake fake fake fake fake they're nothing but fakes just bubbles shaped like something that matters but empty inside and who do they think they're impressing it's predictable predictable where is the innovation? The reimagining? The unexpected turn of events? You can see what is going to happen next a mile away so banal so boring boring boring boring what are those things even good for if nothing they do matters? Nothing!
Nothing butfood andclay inneed ofapropershaping.
You take out your gun/bare your fangs and point it/lunge at the worthless thing driving the car through that which is not/will be/cannot be.
The male opens his mouth in a soundless shout as a dragon's head made of skinless, screaming heads bites into the female's neck out of nowhere, driving stars born of hate into her flesh that play a melody of madness and contempt on her nerves. Her arms move on their own and sharply turn the wheel sideways: with a screeching of tires the car drives out of the road and crashes into a wall. Mere moments before it happens you open the door and jumps outside, theoretical knowledge about this kind of situation telling you to bend your knees, cover your head and try to fall on your side.
The impact steals all the breath from your lungs despite the fact you're wearing your armor under the illusion of a dress, though you know that without it you could have suffered much worse. You keep rolling for a few meters before finally stopping in a prone position, your side hurting fiercely and the rest of your body sore.
"Boss! Boooss!" Seyrun calls out. "Are you alright?!"
"I will-" You hiss in pain as you stand up, the pain in your side flaring at the movement. "Live!"
Then you spot one of the worthless things, the one you shot, lying nearby on the ground, having seemly jumped out of the car before the crash just like you. The other one is nowhere in sight, which gives you hope it failed to evacuate the car and died in the crash.
And what is better than hope, but certainty?
Besides, you're still hungry.
"...Boss?" Sayrun calls out with an uncertain tone, but you tune him out and aim your gun again.
You fire two times, the worthless thing's cries of pain as nameless horrors and fountains of terrors ravage its body pleasing to your ears, only for the gun to click empty when you press the trigger a third time. Frowning in irritation you put your gun away and walk towards the worthless thing, stopping briefly to pick up a jagged piece of glass that fell from the car. Towering over the worthless thing you spend a couple of seconds observing it again, but all it does is confirming your initial impression.
So without wasting any more time you sit on its chest and stab the glass into the throat, carving out a large piece of food before ripping it out with your bare hands and biting into it.
Instantly a veritable maelstroms of flavors explodes into your mouth, the food melting like hot butter on your tongue. It tastes spicy one moment, then sweet the next one, the two flavours combining wonderfully through a subtle something you cannot identify. Burning with curiosity you carve out another morsel, only for this one to have a completely different taste! It has a fruity texture with a sour aftertaste, which makes you also thirsty. Luckily for you the food also has a creamy inside, each lap tasting like a different liquor as you drink directly from the source.
Your thirst satisfied you resume your meal, removing two small spherical fruits and popping them into your mouth one after the other: cherry and pineapple, superlative.
Someone shout, only for it to turn into a gurgling hiss a moment later. Raising your head in alarm you see a tall man wearing a nice suit, a silver symbol on his forehead, staring at you with slight surprise. The other worthless thing is hanging from the man's bear-like arm, the limb having pierced straight through the chest and tearing out a lot of wet, deliciously smelling stuff.
You hiss and cover your meal with both arms. "Back off! This is mine!" After all the shit you went through in the past hour you're not going to allow the first stranger off the street to steal your food, especially one as good as this!
"Woah, woah! No one here is stealing anything." The man raises both hands, a jovial smile on his lips. "Just surprised, that's all. I wasn't aware you Dragons have such tastes, but I guess I'm not one to talk, uh?" He shrugs his shoulders before grabbing the worthless thing's legs and casually tearing the body apart. "You can have both. The party was short-lived, but fun enough I say." He flickers off both pieces and sprints down the road at high speed.
You stare at the man's retreating form before turning back to the other meal and licking your lips. If he really doesn't want it, who are you to refuse?
But before you can see if the other meal is just as good another car comes to a screeching halt near the crash site, Imaginary stepping out from the driver seat. "Lelouch! Here you are! Get in the car we-" He stops, his eyes widening. "What... are you doing?"
You snort: isn't it obvious? "What does it look like I'm doing? Or do you want to tell me now is not the time?" But even as you say those words you realize that, yes, regrettably now is not the time to savor a good meal. Imaginary was the first to arrive here, the second if you count what was obviously a Lunar (where did he come from anyway?), but it doesn't take your genius to realize the remaining guards are likely to get here soon, to say nothing of the police someone must have surely called. Even if you are the victim and a noble they will surely detain you for the time being, and if they check your identity... No, you cannot allow it.
Snarling in frustration you tear out a last morsel before standing up and marching to Imaginary's car. "Let's go." You tell him after sitting on the passenger seat.
He stares at you for a few more seconds before stepping back into the car and driving it away. For the next minute no one say a word, Imaginary remaining silent while you nibble at the morsel. "In hindsight, considering what we are it is not too strange." The European spy finally speaks up again. "But I am still curious: have you always been a cannibal, or is that from you being a Chosen of Oramus?"
Uh? What is he talking about? A canni-
You freeze up, mind turning blank as you lower your gaze and look, really look at what you're currently eating.
It's a tongue.
Oh Malfeas. You just ate a person.
What the actual fuck.
[] Write-in.
Dexterity+Firearms+Charm:
4 Successes.
Raw Damage:
4 Bashing Damage.
Stunning:
Failure. Failure leaves the victim at -2 dice to all non-reflexive rolls until the tick when the attacker next acts.
Dexterity+Driving:
Failure.
Car Crash:
Dexterity+Firearms+Charm:
1 Success.
Raw Damage:
1 Bashing Damage.
Dexterity+Firearms+Charm:
2 Successes.
Raw Damage:
2 Bashing Damage.
====
It's good to be back
Also, I have an appeal to make to everyone: some of the pictures all of you chose for the other GSP sheets and other omakes don't work anymore, so I would like very much if you could recover them.
[] Stop. Think. You don't know what that was, but it wasn't a person, no matter what it looked like. Or at least that's what you'll tell yourself until you can revisit this properly later, not that what you're saying/thinking is wrong right now though.
Someone shout, only for it to turn into a gurgling hiss a moment later. Raising your head in alarm you see a tall man wearing a nice suit, a silver symbol on his forehead, staring at you with slight surprise. The other worthless thing is hanging from the man's bear-like arm, the limb having pierced straight through the chest and tearing out a lot of wet, deliciously smelling stuff.
[X] Wait, no, humans don't taste like rainbow, so whatever that thing was, it at least wasn't human. You'll need to consult Seyun to make sure of the actual level of personhood those things had, but they are, at best, suspect.
[X] Wait, no, humans don't taste like rainbow, so whatever that thing was, it at least wasn't human. You'll need to consult Seyun to make sure of the actual level of personhood those things had, but they are, at best, suspect.
Well, no matter what our thoughts on this are, our physical reaction clearly has to be:
[X] Throw the remaining tongue out of the window as if it was on fire. "We will never speak of this again." Steadfastly ignore how your chin, hands, and chest are still covered in the remains.
[X] Wait, no, humans don't taste like rainbow, so whatever that thing was, it at least wasn't human. You'll need to consult Seyun to make sure of the actual level of personhood those things had, but they are, at best, suspect.
And now this. This. Being kidnapped and shot at, ruining all your efforts and making everything you suffered until now pointless, this chance to learn more about the Abyssals tossed into the metaphorical trashcan by those, those-
Fake. Fake clothes. Fake beauty. Fake words. Fake skills. Fake personalities. Fake fake fake fake fake they're nothing but fakes just bubbles shaped like something that matters but empty inside and who do they think they're impressing it's predictable predictable where is the innovation? The reimagining? The unexpected turn of events? You can see what is going to happen next a mile away so banal so boring boring boring boring what are those things even good for if nothing they do matters? Nothing!
He stares at you for a few more seconds before stepping back into the car and driving it away. For the next minute no one say a word, Imaginary remaining silent while you nibble at the morsel. "In hindsight, considering what we are it is not too strange." The European spy finally speaks up again. "But I am still curious: have you always been a cannibal, or is that from you being a Chosen of Oramus?"
Uh? What is he talking about? A canni-
You freeze up, mind turning blank as you lower your gaze and look, really look at what you're currently eating.
[X] Wait, no, humans don't taste like rainbow, so whatever that thing was, it at least wasn't human. You'll need to consult Seyun to make sure of the actual level of personhood those things had, but they are, at best, suspect.
Well, that was delightfully horrifying. Like, seriously, it very well catches the otherness of Oramus as a dragon from beyond existence that eats faeries.
[X] Wait, no, humans don't taste like rainbow, so whatever that thing was, it at least wasn't human. You'll need to consult Seyrun to make sure of the actual level of personhood those things had, but they are, at best, suspect. And explain to Imaginary that no, you had not been cannibal until that last moment. And probably are not one even now.
-[X] You eye at the tongue for a moment. Well. Now that you are more clear-headed, maybe just one more bite would give you a better idea about what just happened...
Need to go over the Charm notes in character too. This is the result of taking Impossible Dragon Constitution. EDIT - Changing to meianmaru's variation, because it amuses me.
The Torment of Oramus: When an Infernal with an Oramaic Urge accumulates 10 points of Limit, he suffers the Torment of Oramus. For the duration of the scene, the character experiences a panicked feeling of unbearable confinement and claustrophobia as if he is trapped in a cell too small to hold him, even in a completely open space. The effects of this Torment are identical to the full effects of the Heart of Tears Virtue Flaw (see Exalted, p. 104). In addition, the same feeling imprisons a random positive Intimacy (said Intimacy must be a single being - if no such Intimacies exist this extension has no effect) for one scene.
And as you can see, we have no Limit built up. Lelouch hasn't actually acted against his Urge at any point yet, because his current one matches so well with his own goals, and as such he hasn't accrued any Limit.
Hurrah! One of my favorite-quests-ever has been ressurected! Again!
I'm sensing a pattern here.
But more seriously, great to see this quest running once again, @Alexander89. On the vote, I like the "don't taste like rainbow" vote, but I would like to make one small addition. Inspired by Gnarker's sub-vote-suggestion, just in the completely opposite direction.
[X] Wait, no, humans don't taste like rainbow, so whatever that thing was, it at least wasn't human. You'll need to consult Seyun to make sure of the actual level of personhood those things had, but they are, at best, suspect. And explain to Imaginary that no, you had not been cannibal until that last moment. And probably are not one even now.
-[X] You eye at the tongue for a moment. Well. Now that you are more clear-headed, maybe just one more bite would give you a better idea about what just happened...
Basically, we slurp down the delicious chaos-stuff, and try to make a relevant roll (probably occult + int, boosted by some basic excellency) hopefully benefitting from "equipment bonus" by trying our power with experimentation in mind with the relevant testable object in hand. Which is currently bleeding its delicious crimson chaos-stuff everywhere, so better get it while its still fresh~
Oh, and mention about the relevant facts to Imaginary before he makes his own conclusions.
Hurrah! One of my favorite-quests-ever has been ressurected! Again!
I'm sensing a pattern here.
But more seriously, great to see this quest running once again, @Alexander89. On the vote, I like the "don't taste like rainbow" vote, but I would like to make one small addition. Inspired by Gnarker's sub-vote-suggestion, just in the completely opposite direction.
[X] Wait, no, humans don't taste like rainbow, so whatever that thing was, it at least wasn't human. You'll need to consult Seyun to make sure of the actual level of personhood those things had, but they are, at best, suspect. And explain to Imaginary that no, you had not been cannibal until that last moment. And probably are not one even now.
-[X] You eye at the tongue for a moment. Well. Now that you are more clear-headed, maybe just one more bite would give you a better idea about what just happened...
Basically, we slurp down the delicious chaos-stuff, and try to make a relevant roll (probably occult + int, boosted by some basic excellency) hopefully benefitting from "equipment bonus" by trying our power with experimentation in mind with the relevant testable object in hand. Which is currently bleeding its delicious crimson chaos-stuff everywhere, so better get it while its still fresh~
Oh, and mention about the relevant facts to Imaginary before he makes his own conclusions.
[X] Wait, no, humans don't taste like rainbow, so whatever that thing was, it at least wasn't human. You'll need to consult Seyrun to make sure of the actual level of personhood those things had, but they are, at best, suspect. And explain to Imaginary that no, you had not been cannibal until that last moment. And probably are not one even now.
-[X] You eye at the tongue for a moment. Well. Now that you are more clear-headed, maybe just one more bite would give you a better idea about what just happened...
[X] Wait, no, humans don't taste like rainbow, so whatever that thing was, it at least wasn't human. You'll need to consult Seyrun to make sure of the actual level of personhood those things had, but they are, at best, suspect. And explain to Imaginary that no, you had not been cannibal until that last moment. And probably are not one even now.
-[X] You eye at the tongue for a moment. Well. Now that you are more clear-headed, maybe just one more bite would give you a better idea about what just happened...
[X] Wait, no, humans don't taste like rainbow, so whatever that thing was, it at least wasn't human. You'll need to consult Seyun to make sure of the actual level of personhood those things had, but they are, at best, suspect.
A quite feasible possibility. Also, I'm going for creepy occult-analysis, even if our dear QM would allow us to just "peek at the character sheet" IC. Its more fun this way, well, at least for me, and we can explain it with the gifts of Oramus that have only moments ago manifested being hard to pin down with just the Infernal's internal cheat sheet.
So, I lost track of it between the (temporary) death of the quest and the general time between updates, but is our current disguise still viable/useful? I'm wondering if we should keep it under a "commonly used disguises" category on our char page and limit ourself to like... 3~4 total to keep own the (potential) bloat.
[X] Wait, no, humans don't taste like rainbow, so whatever that thing was, it at least wasn't human. You'll need to consult Seyun to make sure of the actual level of personhood those things had, but they are, at best, suspect.
[X] Wait, no, humans don't taste like rainbow, so whatever that thing was, it at least wasn't human. You'll need to consult Seyrun to make sure of the actual level of personhood those things had, but they are, at best, suspect. And explain to Imaginary that no, you had not been cannibal until that last moment. And probably are not one even now.
-[X] You eye at the tongue for a moment. Well. Now that you are more clear-headed, maybe just one more bite would give you a better idea about what just happened...
[X] Wait, no, humans don't taste like rainbow, so whatever that thing was, it at least wasn't human. You'll need to consult Seyun to make sure of the actual level of personhood those things had, but they are, at best, suspect. And explain to Imaginary that no, you had not been cannibal until that last moment. And probably are not one even now.
-[X] You eye at the tongue for a moment. Well. Now that you are more clear-headed, maybe just one more bite would give you a better idea about what just happened...
Wow, and I just finished my reread this morning too. Talk about that timing.
[X] Wait, no, humans don't taste like rainbow, so whatever that thing was, it at least wasn't human. You'll need to consult Seyun to make sure of the actual level of personhood those things had, but they are, at best, suspect. And explain to Imaginary that no, you had not been cannibal until that last moment. And probably are not one even now.
-[X] You eye at the tongue for a moment. Well. Now that you are more clear-headed, maybe just one more bite would give you a better idea about what just happened...
