Vote closed
- Location
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Magical Girl Flesh Horror~!
- Thread starter TheMaskedReader
- Start date
- Original
Act One - First Emergency Part One: Herman's Theater of the Soul!
- Location
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Pronouns
- She/Her
You ruminated a bit on schedules and normalization yesterday and realized you didn't want to do that, so now, you're going to shake things up. Tunneler is recalled and recycled, Super Spy is smoothed out, and Scout's extra bodies are re-absorbed. It's time to get experimental. You've got a lot of biomass to mess with, and you intend to use it! First things first, you prepare yourself to spread. While you've restricted yourself thus far, you don't have to - You can just set pieces of yourself to self-replication and you'll grow yourself extremely quickly. And if you set those new parts of yourself to growing, as well…well, it doesn't really 'increase' your amount of Biomass in of itself, more just spreads out your biomass over an area…but that can increase your biomass income, you know? Plenty of little things you can do to aid yourself, there. Anyways - With that procedure firmly set up, you can safely say that now, you can spread yourself to as many places as you want for free (Exponential Growth), increase the effect of any passive gains within those areas (Bountiful), and rapidly reshape yourself within those areas even during time-limited Emergencies (Explosive Growth). Frankly, you're almost running out of space in here, with all this growth and stored internal biomass - You're not ashamed to admit that the flesh walls have gotten pretty thick! However, that does mean you're going to scoop some out so you can slim down again. And you can think of a few good ways to do that.
First things first, you create another tree - Nothing fancy, just pure green flesh that can photosynthesize. Limbs you can crawl around on, for the best exposure to rain and sunlight. You hang flaps of skin to collect water and anything else useful floating through the air to feed that process. You will gain about 1 Biomass every two weeks (Photosynthesis), in your opinion. Then, you look firmly at yourself. You are a tree. And there's nothing unusual about that. You sing that to it, and reality shivers, slightly. Yes, that's it. You keep singing that, weaving normalcy - The green is simply leaves, aren't they? The legs - Roots! The skin - Fronds! Clearly, it is. And if it isn't? Well, that's not your problem, is it? You sing a song of normalcy and disinterest, and slowly, it begins to assume a character not unlike that of a businessman hurriedly walking past a homeless man, eyes firmly averted in such a way that he thinks it is plausible that he merely does not see his outstretched hand. You pause. That was an odd thought to come into your head. Perhaps it was drawn from the environment, instead. Interesting. Regardless, you sing onwards, and the tree hunches and shies, tilting yourself to always be slightly out of focus or hidden. Enough to be plausible. Enough to be mistaken. And where that is not sufficient - Well, you set a mouth within it to sing a subtle song. "Not your problem, is it? Someone else will handle it…You're used to it…just part of the scenery…" With that, you can firmly say that it will look like a tree to anyone who sees you from afar (Perception Filter) and will try to convince anyone who sees you up close that it's not their problem (SEP Field).
Then, you repeat what you did with the Scout - You peel away a part of yourself until it vanishes. But then, you keep going. What will happen then, you think? You peel and peel and peel, sanding away infinitesimally small portions of yourself. You think, for a second, that you have destroyed a part of yourself - In a way that you didn't even think was possible. Then, you try to move. And you do. You simply pass through (Immaterial), too not-there to be bothered by the petty attempts of flesh and dirt to stop you. You become aware that you are not seeing from this - You are sensing by mere virtue of your presence, a sphere of your influence extended from your assets. Eyes help you see…but you don't need them, you realize. You think this piece of yourself is not physical, any longer - It is a small part of your soul (Immaterial), that you have shaved off and sent off on its own. That's…interesting. And you can't sense it (Traceless). You can feel the Scout, could feel the not-feeling of your imperceptible self, but you can't feel this. But…you have an idea, now. Maybe you could see yourself like that…if you tried to.
Super Spy is moved into the center of your being, and you set to work on the task at hand. Your living wood is gently peeled back, so that the eyes can be accessed directly, not just on the face, but on the entire body. You try and alter them to see the soul-you, but it doesn't work. Maybe it's because you're trying to solve a problem of the soul with flesh? Let's try starting with the soul, instead. You shave off a small piece, using the same process as you did to create the Ghost-You, and then press it into an eye. You inhabit it. It works! But not for seeing. It is as if you had inserted a piece of your core into Super Spy - A feeling you very much dislike, and remedy as soon as possible. You were meant to be whole, and anything that goes against that is unnatural to your mind. But it is a step in the right direction. You have to see the soul - So, why not start with the larger one, rather than the smaller one? You focus inwards, humming a song of peace and contemplation. You try to see your soul, closing out all outside stimuli. Even your song ceases, for a brief, fateful moment.
And then a new song takes its place. It is something you can only categorize as a song of you. And you realize that it is the song of your soul. You've been focused on the wrong element, for yourself, at least - You won't see a soul…you'll hear its song. Satisfied, you add some more ears to Super Spy, ones that are attuned to listen properly, and allow yourself to luxuriate in your own soul-sound for a moment, before closing them off. You'll be able to hear the souls of people you meet...or hear any soul-stuff that's split off from them (Soul Senses). After that, you add a few more tools to Super Spy, so that you can mess about with soulstuff when you're out and about - Just in case! A few hidden digits for peeling, that you can spike out as you need to. A little storage hole in its chest, for recovery. Heck, why not just add a whole toolset? You've got the time and bone for it. By the time you're done, you've got a whole kit fit for peeling off soulstuff, examining magical items, and demystifying necro-mechanisms (Artificer).
With that, you think you've fulfilled your creative desires, for now - It's time to move onto testing! As you start to mess around with Super Spy's new toolkits, your more passive and scouting-oriented assets zoom off to perform minor test-run tasks. The Scout flits up to the rooftops, following the sight of smoke to try and discover where the storied factory districts, possibly the heart of the USCA, lie within the city. The Tree of Abundance crawls its way up to the roof, to luxuriate in the sunlight and soak in the humidity (Time for Passive Biomass Gain cut in half). And the ghost sinks into the ground, to explore the Sewer…and maybe the basements if you have time.
As they're traveling, you're struck by an idea - You can go on that scouting expedition to the Theater of the Soul, as well! Super Spy stands and rushes upstairs towards Sabrina…even as your ghost arrives first, at its destination. The Sewer is…well, you're not sure what you expected. They're brick, mixed with concrete foundation. The tunnels are tight, and a layer of water flows along them, cloudy, but low, at the moment. The pipes are traversable, you'd say, by someone flexible…but you wouldn't want to try to force an adult human down there, at least, not without some form of safety equipment or magical protection. For you, of course, that's no issue, but it does place something of a cap on what size of asset you can squeeze down there…and make you question how the city maintains it. Perhaps magic?
However, you have found what you think is an entrance…maybe. You'd need to explore it further to check it out truly, but you peeked inside briefly, and it seems to be some kind of inactive portal? You got interrupted, though, for reasons that will become clear later. (You discovered the Sewer Portal! Mysterious!)
Meanwhile, at the same time, Scout is flying overhead, towards the pillars of smoke being emitted in the distance…A flight which runs up against a barrier of biology. You are forced to turn around, because if you go any further, you'll be out of your broadcasting range. (You've figured out your broadcasting range! It's currently about the size of two Districts…which is pretty large, but not as large as the city itself.) The largest concentration of smoke seems to be across the city, quite far away from the more urban residential area you find yourself in. Hm…how do humans get to the factories, then? You swoop down, searching, searching, and find a spot where humans are congregating in preparation for what seems to be transit. Large steel machines flow forth, like a stream of bullets from a gun, starting and stopping with a tortuous screech, pulling in and pulling out with regularity. On the sign dangling in front of the building, a monument of glass and steel and brick, a name hangs proudly, a spotless statue below it lifting a bar of steel, words emblazoned upon it. The name of the District you live in.
(You've found the Nesthall Train Station, which is in the Nesthall District Center! You sense something powerful nearby…but can't figure out what it is before your interruption.)
Further exploration is, unfortunately, interrupted, as we return once more to the past…as Super Spy knocks on Sabrina's door. She answers it, narrowing her eyes until she sees it's you. "Scarlet? What is it?" You smile. "We're going to Herman's!" She flicks her tongue out. "...Alright. Not like I had anything else to do today anyways." You surreptitiously open your inner ear, allowing yourself a brief listen to Sabrina's soul (Soul Senses). Her soul's sound is quiet, but not in a subdued way - It is a content sort of quiet, like a cat purring, or a snake bathing on a rock. But there is a note of tension in it - Like the cat is about to flee into the night, or the snake is about to snap into motion from a predator. You can see that quiet song in her motions, now. Of contentment, and the knowledge that she will have to flee from it. Interesting.
It's a walk, one that Sabrina leads you on, through the district. You go past the noises you've heard, and past ones you haven't, into a place filled with activity and sounds. People walk around in groups, laughing and yelling as they stroll from building to building. You can hear them, from within extravagantly decorated buildings - Whirs and clacks, dice rolling and cards flipping. Yells and shouts of delight, excitement, and desperation. "Welcome to the Grey Zone, Scarlet. Where anything goes, so long as you keep it behind closed doors. Tourist central." Sabrina says this with a tone of disgust…tinged with slight regret. "We're gonna be sticking to the less shady end of it, up here, but down there-" She points. "Down there is where the nastier stuff is. Don't go down there alone." You nod, fully intending to go down there at some point. You won't be alone, you'll have yourself! Possibly several of yourself, depending on how far you go. "And up here are your more entertainment-focused things. Casinos…and theaters. Most just show moving pictures, but Herman's…Well…" She points to the largest building on the block, three stories high, two banners loudly advertising Namreh's Theater of the Soul. "He's the biggest moneymaker in the Grey Zone, kept from dominance only by the fact that everyone else hates his guts. He's a real piece of shit. You'll see what I mean. Uh…you may want to…act a bit like, a, uh…tough, for this. You know, like a…thug. It'll help." She sidles towards it, trying to act casual and intimidating, and you imitate her. You subtly shift small pieces of yourself to fit in more - Fake shoes become slightly more scuffed, a slouch becomes slightly more pronounced, and mild film on the teeth will help sell you as being thuggish if you're reading Sabrina's intent right (Disguise). Sabrina hisses slightly as she stares up at the building. "He's expanded since the last time I bothered to come by. This'll…ugh. Let's just get this over with, so you know not to come back here."
She walks up to the line and doesn't bother getting to the back, simply stepping in front of the man at the front before he can walk up to the ticket booth. He seems like he's about to yell at her, but a glare from her seems to shut him up, with only mild grumbling. "Mario." She stares at the man in the ticket booth. "Two tickets for me and my friend." The man in the ticket booth stares at her. "Maybe you should stop cuttin', then. Got a lotta payin' customers here. 'Sides, aren't you banned? Got your likeness up on my wall back here, and I could call the Guard, if I wanted to. Get your snake ass in a lotta trouble." She hisses, then pauses. "...I'm here to see Herman-" "Namreh." Mario interrupts. "Herman. One of my…mage friends-" She jerks a finger at you. "-Is maybe interested in your…program. I'm here to show her why that's a bad idea. I'm sure Herman told you to let anyone like that in so he can talk to them, right?" You flash slightly elongated fingernails, Mario hesitates, and Sabrina strikes. "Just let us in. We'll go up to see the big man right away. You know I'm not here to try and steal a free show." He sneers, then turns a lever twice to dispense two tickets inside the booth, begrudgingly passing them to you. "Fine. He's on the third floor. But you cause any trouble, I'm calling the Guard." He motions to a device inside the booth. To your eyes (Artificer), it appears to be more of an emergency button than any kind of direct line. If he does call the Guard, they won't know the specific nature of the issue until they show up. A potential vulnerability…for later. This is just a scouting expedition, after all.
You step towards the door, and Sabrina grabs your arm. "Kid - Lean on me. Trust me. This is gonna be rough for a first-timer." You nod, and allow her to keep holding your arm as you step through the door inside…
And then the interruption occurs.
You see, you remember now that Sabrina had told you that any mage can hear whatever souls are inside the machine screaming. But you'd forgotten that you'd just given yourself a sensory organ designed to hear souls that might interact with that…poorly. (Soul Senses) It is a…horrifying experience, as you step inside Herman's Theater of the Soul. It is like stepping from the eye of the hurricane into the whirling winds, sanding away at you - An unbearable pressure of terror, sorrow, and rage expressed through sheer noise, blasted directly into your sensitive inner ears. You immediately collapse into Sabrina's arms, and all of your assets briefly lose control of their movement, disoriented by the sudden burst of overwhelming sensory input. Sabrina holds you tightly as you frantically try to close your inner ears as fast as possible, stuffing them with flesh. The noise quickly turns down to a bearable level as you do so, but the echo remains in your head, even as the muffled roar continues outside.
You take a second to essentially reboot your assets, picking Swarm up from where it fell off the ground to begin flying home and maneuvering the ghost back to your core. This is clearly going to require your full focus unless you want to risk an accident. With the immediate physical concerns dealt with, your emotional side reasserts itself, and your face contorts in horror. Sabrina looks down at you with mild pity. "...You got it pretty bad, huh. I figured. You seem like an empathetic person, and they always have it worse with this sort of thing." You don't speak not trusting yourself to speak in a human cadence just yet. People walk around you, in the gaudily decorated lobby interior - A travesty, considering the sounds of human suffering you are now hearing from this place. You want to shake them and scream at them - How can they not hear it? How can they bear it? Can't they feel the suffering at the heart of this place? Eventually, you nod, slowly, and Sabrina eases you over to a small grouping of chairs, presumably set out for guests to relax. "...Take however long you need. I…honestly didn't think you'd have this bad of a reaction. It was…painful, sure, for me, but nowhere near how bad you seem to be taking it."
You sit there, breathing, for a moment, and then look to Sabrina. "Alright. Alright. I can keep going. I've got to keep going. This place…it needs to be…" She sighs. "...I told you, kid. Not anything we can do." You shake your head. "...There will be. Soon." You stand. "Now, we've got some scouting to do, before I burn this place to the ground."
QM's Note: We're trying out a slightly different style for additions and when they trigger instead of the Creation Reports! Tell me if you like it or not! Anyways, normal 12 hour moratorium and 48 hour voting period.
First things first, you create another tree - Nothing fancy, just pure green flesh that can photosynthesize. Limbs you can crawl around on, for the best exposure to rain and sunlight. You hang flaps of skin to collect water and anything else useful floating through the air to feed that process. You will gain about 1 Biomass every two weeks (Photosynthesis), in your opinion. Then, you look firmly at yourself. You are a tree. And there's nothing unusual about that. You sing that to it, and reality shivers, slightly. Yes, that's it. You keep singing that, weaving normalcy - The green is simply leaves, aren't they? The legs - Roots! The skin - Fronds! Clearly, it is. And if it isn't? Well, that's not your problem, is it? You sing a song of normalcy and disinterest, and slowly, it begins to assume a character not unlike that of a businessman hurriedly walking past a homeless man, eyes firmly averted in such a way that he thinks it is plausible that he merely does not see his outstretched hand. You pause. That was an odd thought to come into your head. Perhaps it was drawn from the environment, instead. Interesting. Regardless, you sing onwards, and the tree hunches and shies, tilting yourself to always be slightly out of focus or hidden. Enough to be plausible. Enough to be mistaken. And where that is not sufficient - Well, you set a mouth within it to sing a subtle song. "Not your problem, is it? Someone else will handle it…You're used to it…just part of the scenery…" With that, you can firmly say that it will look like a tree to anyone who sees you from afar (Perception Filter) and will try to convince anyone who sees you up close that it's not their problem (SEP Field).
Then, you repeat what you did with the Scout - You peel away a part of yourself until it vanishes. But then, you keep going. What will happen then, you think? You peel and peel and peel, sanding away infinitesimally small portions of yourself. You think, for a second, that you have destroyed a part of yourself - In a way that you didn't even think was possible. Then, you try to move. And you do. You simply pass through (Immaterial), too not-there to be bothered by the petty attempts of flesh and dirt to stop you. You become aware that you are not seeing from this - You are sensing by mere virtue of your presence, a sphere of your influence extended from your assets. Eyes help you see…but you don't need them, you realize. You think this piece of yourself is not physical, any longer - It is a small part of your soul (Immaterial), that you have shaved off and sent off on its own. That's…interesting. And you can't sense it (Traceless). You can feel the Scout, could feel the not-feeling of your imperceptible self, but you can't feel this. But…you have an idea, now. Maybe you could see yourself like that…if you tried to.
Super Spy is moved into the center of your being, and you set to work on the task at hand. Your living wood is gently peeled back, so that the eyes can be accessed directly, not just on the face, but on the entire body. You try and alter them to see the soul-you, but it doesn't work. Maybe it's because you're trying to solve a problem of the soul with flesh? Let's try starting with the soul, instead. You shave off a small piece, using the same process as you did to create the Ghost-You, and then press it into an eye. You inhabit it. It works! But not for seeing. It is as if you had inserted a piece of your core into Super Spy - A feeling you very much dislike, and remedy as soon as possible. You were meant to be whole, and anything that goes against that is unnatural to your mind. But it is a step in the right direction. You have to see the soul - So, why not start with the larger one, rather than the smaller one? You focus inwards, humming a song of peace and contemplation. You try to see your soul, closing out all outside stimuli. Even your song ceases, for a brief, fateful moment.
And then a new song takes its place. It is something you can only categorize as a song of you. And you realize that it is the song of your soul. You've been focused on the wrong element, for yourself, at least - You won't see a soul…you'll hear its song. Satisfied, you add some more ears to Super Spy, ones that are attuned to listen properly, and allow yourself to luxuriate in your own soul-sound for a moment, before closing them off. You'll be able to hear the souls of people you meet...or hear any soul-stuff that's split off from them (Soul Senses). After that, you add a few more tools to Super Spy, so that you can mess about with soulstuff when you're out and about - Just in case! A few hidden digits for peeling, that you can spike out as you need to. A little storage hole in its chest, for recovery. Heck, why not just add a whole toolset? You've got the time and bone for it. By the time you're done, you've got a whole kit fit for peeling off soulstuff, examining magical items, and demystifying necro-mechanisms (Artificer).
With that, you think you've fulfilled your creative desires, for now - It's time to move onto testing! As you start to mess around with Super Spy's new toolkits, your more passive and scouting-oriented assets zoom off to perform minor test-run tasks. The Scout flits up to the rooftops, following the sight of smoke to try and discover where the storied factory districts, possibly the heart of the USCA, lie within the city. The Tree of Abundance crawls its way up to the roof, to luxuriate in the sunlight and soak in the humidity (Time for Passive Biomass Gain cut in half). And the ghost sinks into the ground, to explore the Sewer…and maybe the basements if you have time.
As they're traveling, you're struck by an idea - You can go on that scouting expedition to the Theater of the Soul, as well! Super Spy stands and rushes upstairs towards Sabrina…even as your ghost arrives first, at its destination. The Sewer is…well, you're not sure what you expected. They're brick, mixed with concrete foundation. The tunnels are tight, and a layer of water flows along them, cloudy, but low, at the moment. The pipes are traversable, you'd say, by someone flexible…but you wouldn't want to try to force an adult human down there, at least, not without some form of safety equipment or magical protection. For you, of course, that's no issue, but it does place something of a cap on what size of asset you can squeeze down there…and make you question how the city maintains it. Perhaps magic?
However, you have found what you think is an entrance…maybe. You'd need to explore it further to check it out truly, but you peeked inside briefly, and it seems to be some kind of inactive portal? You got interrupted, though, for reasons that will become clear later. (You discovered the Sewer Portal! Mysterious!)
Meanwhile, at the same time, Scout is flying overhead, towards the pillars of smoke being emitted in the distance…A flight which runs up against a barrier of biology. You are forced to turn around, because if you go any further, you'll be out of your broadcasting range. (You've figured out your broadcasting range! It's currently about the size of two Districts…which is pretty large, but not as large as the city itself.) The largest concentration of smoke seems to be across the city, quite far away from the more urban residential area you find yourself in. Hm…how do humans get to the factories, then? You swoop down, searching, searching, and find a spot where humans are congregating in preparation for what seems to be transit. Large steel machines flow forth, like a stream of bullets from a gun, starting and stopping with a tortuous screech, pulling in and pulling out with regularity. On the sign dangling in front of the building, a monument of glass and steel and brick, a name hangs proudly, a spotless statue below it lifting a bar of steel, words emblazoned upon it. The name of the District you live in.
Nesthall District
"Orion Nesthall - Founder of the United Steel Corporation of Aleria, Memorialized In Service to the City He Built."
"Orion Nesthall - Founder of the United Steel Corporation of Aleria, Memorialized In Service to the City He Built."
(You've found the Nesthall Train Station, which is in the Nesthall District Center! You sense something powerful nearby…but can't figure out what it is before your interruption.)
Further exploration is, unfortunately, interrupted, as we return once more to the past…as Super Spy knocks on Sabrina's door. She answers it, narrowing her eyes until she sees it's you. "Scarlet? What is it?" You smile. "We're going to Herman's!" She flicks her tongue out. "...Alright. Not like I had anything else to do today anyways." You surreptitiously open your inner ear, allowing yourself a brief listen to Sabrina's soul (Soul Senses). Her soul's sound is quiet, but not in a subdued way - It is a content sort of quiet, like a cat purring, or a snake bathing on a rock. But there is a note of tension in it - Like the cat is about to flee into the night, or the snake is about to snap into motion from a predator. You can see that quiet song in her motions, now. Of contentment, and the knowledge that she will have to flee from it. Interesting.
It's a walk, one that Sabrina leads you on, through the district. You go past the noises you've heard, and past ones you haven't, into a place filled with activity and sounds. People walk around in groups, laughing and yelling as they stroll from building to building. You can hear them, from within extravagantly decorated buildings - Whirs and clacks, dice rolling and cards flipping. Yells and shouts of delight, excitement, and desperation. "Welcome to the Grey Zone, Scarlet. Where anything goes, so long as you keep it behind closed doors. Tourist central." Sabrina says this with a tone of disgust…tinged with slight regret. "We're gonna be sticking to the less shady end of it, up here, but down there-" She points. "Down there is where the nastier stuff is. Don't go down there alone." You nod, fully intending to go down there at some point. You won't be alone, you'll have yourself! Possibly several of yourself, depending on how far you go. "And up here are your more entertainment-focused things. Casinos…and theaters. Most just show moving pictures, but Herman's…Well…" She points to the largest building on the block, three stories high, two banners loudly advertising Namreh's Theater of the Soul. "He's the biggest moneymaker in the Grey Zone, kept from dominance only by the fact that everyone else hates his guts. He's a real piece of shit. You'll see what I mean. Uh…you may want to…act a bit like, a, uh…tough, for this. You know, like a…thug. It'll help." She sidles towards it, trying to act casual and intimidating, and you imitate her. You subtly shift small pieces of yourself to fit in more - Fake shoes become slightly more scuffed, a slouch becomes slightly more pronounced, and mild film on the teeth will help sell you as being thuggish if you're reading Sabrina's intent right (Disguise). Sabrina hisses slightly as she stares up at the building. "He's expanded since the last time I bothered to come by. This'll…ugh. Let's just get this over with, so you know not to come back here."
She walks up to the line and doesn't bother getting to the back, simply stepping in front of the man at the front before he can walk up to the ticket booth. He seems like he's about to yell at her, but a glare from her seems to shut him up, with only mild grumbling. "Mario." She stares at the man in the ticket booth. "Two tickets for me and my friend." The man in the ticket booth stares at her. "Maybe you should stop cuttin', then. Got a lotta payin' customers here. 'Sides, aren't you banned? Got your likeness up on my wall back here, and I could call the Guard, if I wanted to. Get your snake ass in a lotta trouble." She hisses, then pauses. "...I'm here to see Herman-" "Namreh." Mario interrupts. "Herman. One of my…mage friends-" She jerks a finger at you. "-Is maybe interested in your…program. I'm here to show her why that's a bad idea. I'm sure Herman told you to let anyone like that in so he can talk to them, right?" You flash slightly elongated fingernails, Mario hesitates, and Sabrina strikes. "Just let us in. We'll go up to see the big man right away. You know I'm not here to try and steal a free show." He sneers, then turns a lever twice to dispense two tickets inside the booth, begrudgingly passing them to you. "Fine. He's on the third floor. But you cause any trouble, I'm calling the Guard." He motions to a device inside the booth. To your eyes (Artificer), it appears to be more of an emergency button than any kind of direct line. If he does call the Guard, they won't know the specific nature of the issue until they show up. A potential vulnerability…for later. This is just a scouting expedition, after all.
You step towards the door, and Sabrina grabs your arm. "Kid - Lean on me. Trust me. This is gonna be rough for a first-timer." You nod, and allow her to keep holding your arm as you step through the door inside…
And then the interruption occurs.
You see, you remember now that Sabrina had told you that any mage can hear whatever souls are inside the machine screaming. But you'd forgotten that you'd just given yourself a sensory organ designed to hear souls that might interact with that…poorly. (Soul Senses) It is a…horrifying experience, as you step inside Herman's Theater of the Soul. It is like stepping from the eye of the hurricane into the whirling winds, sanding away at you - An unbearable pressure of terror, sorrow, and rage expressed through sheer noise, blasted directly into your sensitive inner ears. You immediately collapse into Sabrina's arms, and all of your assets briefly lose control of their movement, disoriented by the sudden burst of overwhelming sensory input. Sabrina holds you tightly as you frantically try to close your inner ears as fast as possible, stuffing them with flesh. The noise quickly turns down to a bearable level as you do so, but the echo remains in your head, even as the muffled roar continues outside.
You take a second to essentially reboot your assets, picking Swarm up from where it fell off the ground to begin flying home and maneuvering the ghost back to your core. This is clearly going to require your full focus unless you want to risk an accident. With the immediate physical concerns dealt with, your emotional side reasserts itself, and your face contorts in horror. Sabrina looks down at you with mild pity. "...You got it pretty bad, huh. I figured. You seem like an empathetic person, and they always have it worse with this sort of thing." You don't speak not trusting yourself to speak in a human cadence just yet. People walk around you, in the gaudily decorated lobby interior - A travesty, considering the sounds of human suffering you are now hearing from this place. You want to shake them and scream at them - How can they not hear it? How can they bear it? Can't they feel the suffering at the heart of this place? Eventually, you nod, slowly, and Sabrina eases you over to a small grouping of chairs, presumably set out for guests to relax. "...Take however long you need. I…honestly didn't think you'd have this bad of a reaction. It was…painful, sure, for me, but nowhere near how bad you seem to be taking it."
You sit there, breathing, for a moment, and then look to Sabrina. "Alright. Alright. I can keep going. I've got to keep going. This place…it needs to be…" She sighs. "...I told you, kid. Not anything we can do." You shake your head. "...There will be. Soon." You stand. "Now, we've got some scouting to do, before I burn this place to the ground."
(Welcome to the "Emergency" - Scouting Herman's Theater of the Soul! This isn't an Emergency because it's necessarily dangerous, but because you've only got one chance at getting as much intelligence on Herman's Theater as possible, and a limited amount of time to do it. If you spend too long looking around, the employees and Herman may get suspicious - And if you rush straight to Herman, you'll get no intelligence! Choose wisely! This can be a multi-turn Emergency, if you so choose.)
You are in an EMERGENCY.
You don't have time to change keywords!
Your Current Assets Are:
1x Super Spy (Soul Senses, Artificer, False Humanoid, Shield, Poison, Disguise)
1x Sabrina "Slick" Johnson (Snakewoman, Mage, Rebellious, Blunt, Unyielding, ???, ???, ???)
Your current Core Keywords are:
Cute, Pactmaker, Perceptive, and Likeable
Employees are currently not suspicious.
Herman is expecting you patiently.
You are in an EMERGENCY.
You don't have time to change keywords!
Your Current Assets Are:
1x Super Spy (Soul Senses, Artificer, False Humanoid, Shield, Poison, Disguise)
1x Sabrina "Slick" Johnson (Snakewoman, Mage, Rebellious, Blunt, Unyielding, ???, ???, ???)
Your current Core Keywords are:
Cute, Pactmaker, Perceptive, and Likeable
Employees are currently not suspicious.
Herman is expecting you patiently.
Explore the Theater of Heart-Pounding Adventure!
The Theater labeled as being "Heart-Pounding Adventure" has the sound of gunfire and explosions emanating from within. Your Soul Senses can feel that the overwhelming yells of terror is coming from within this Theater.
Explore the Theater of Bone-Chilling Terror!
This Theater is labeled as being "Bone-Chilling Terror!", and you can hear screams and wails leaking from within. Your Soul Senses can feel that the song of sorrow is coming overwhelmingly from this theater.
Explore the Theater of Tear-Jerking Drama!
This Theater is labeled as being "Tear-Jerking Drama", and you can hear the sounds of a physical fight coming from within, along with smashing furniture. In here, you feel the soul that screams rage through your Soul Senses.
Distract Employees
Maybe the heat's getting too much - Maybe you need to find your way into an area that's being guarded. Either way, you'll need to distract the employees of Herman's Theater of the Soul, somehow. Write-ins will make this action more effective!
Sneak Into Employee-Only Areas
There are a few doors prominently labeled as "For Employees Only" scattered around the building. Some of them might be break rooms or they might be vital equipment for the Theater - You can't be sure until you've taken a look inside. They don't seem to lock them, out of a hopefully misplaced sense of invulnerability, but if you're not careful, you could get seen entering or exiting. This may require multiple actions to fully complete!
Look For Alternate Entrances and Exits
You need a way in and out that isn't through the front. This place definitely has some - You doubt that they have employees or prospective…soul sellers (?) enter and exit through the front, after all. This action may be more effective after exploring other areas thoroughly.
Listen to the Souls
You've got these ears, you might as well use them. Even if it hurts. You can sense words being spoken within the hurricane of emotions swirling through the Theater, even if it's a struggle...but you can't quite make them out. This may stand out, though, unless you find a private area to do it in.
Go Visit Herman
No sense in putting it off - The big man himself awaits. And he's got a lot to answer for. You may wind up doing something unwise…or maybe that's what you want to do.
Leave the Theater
Just walk out! You're not meeting this guy! Real winners don't deal with soul-renting evil-doers! You've got enough intelligence to be satisfied, so, you're just leaving. This may cause Herman to take offense…or maybe that's what you want to do.
QM's Note: We're trying out a slightly different style for additions and when they trigger instead of the Creation Reports! Tell me if you like it or not! Anyways, normal 12 hour moratorium and 48 hour voting period.
Vote closed
- Location
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Act One - Emergency Part Two: A Brief Visit To The Dressing Room
- Location
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Sabrina's still tilting her head at your dramatic pronouncement when you've decided what to do next. "Sabrina?" "Uh, yes?" She snaps back into the present when you speak firmly. "We're going to visit the lavatory so that I can recover from my small episode." She seems to pick up that you've got some kind of plan, and nods. "Right, uh, this way…I think." She steps towards a set of doors on the side wall, helpfully labeled "PUBLIC DRESSING ROOMS", with three doors - One marked "MEN", "WOMEN", and a third marked "ALTERNATIVE", presumably for…abhumans? The disabled? Families? You're not sure, and you don't take the time to think about it as you step into the women's dressing room. You glance around inside, making sure it's empty, then whisper to Sabrina. "Buy me some time." She nods, and firmly sets herself at the door, glaring at anyone who comes near, tongue flickering in and out menacingly. (To note: Sabrina is essentially giving you her action since your plan is performing 'two' at once. I'll allow that sort of thing in Emergency situations, to be clear, but don't count on it in normal situations…and this will definitely draw some attention.)
With your surroundings secured, you take the time to conduct a brief physical examination of the dressing room. While you've seen lavatories before, inside the apartments of your building, this is your first time examining a public dressing room. It's, frankly, a bit extravagant. A marble washstand takes up the center of the back wall, a mirror hanging with golden framing above it, and several clearly expensive wooden tables and padded couches surrounding it make the opinion of the designer clear - This is not merely a lavatory, but a zone for people to be able to take a break from the theater. Perhaps this is why the theater's atrium was rather sparse (Perceptive)…More frequent or discerning visitors would know that they can utilize these spaces, while single-time or lower-class visitors would likely be encouraged to hurry into the theaters. Another small thing in order to make the space less welcoming to some, and more welcoming to others.
Anyways, in terms of exits and entrances, there are, unfortunately, no windows - The lighting comes from lighting fixtures shaped like lamps hanging along the wall. Another display of wealth - The electricity bills this place must run…Well, that wasn't your primary thought, anyways. Disgorging a tentacle from within Super Spy, you reach down into the pipes until your thought is confirmed - This place does have a connection to the sewer. Unfortunately, anything coming up will need to be pretty small, or else they'd get caught in the pipes, (Artificer) and your mechanical inclinations are pretty sure that any sort of clog in the system would get noticed by the staff if they put this much effort into decorating the place. Plus, if you want to get in unnoticed, it'll probably have to be out of business hours, too. Still, if you want to seed the place with small infiltrators beforehand to make your business easier, and have the biomass to spare on such a risky long-term excursion, it'd be an option. (You've discovered a keyword of Herman's: Modern Amenities!)
With that done, you busy yourself with cleaning up the small messes of water that have gotten splashed around, and ensuring that your disguise isn't stained. After that…It's time to focus (Soul Senses). You slowly open your ears, trying to focus on singular snatches of the screaming you're hearing. As you do, you start to realize - There are different levels of it, so to speak. The wind, the rain, and the thunder, if you want to keep to your hurricane metaphor. The terror is the thunder - Intermittent piping yells, preceding large shocks and bursts of emotion being conveyed to you. The screams of rage are the wind, constantly whipping away on you, trying to wear away at you. And, of course, that means the song of sorrow is the rain - No less present, but more of a slow wearing down, spreading cold and weeping sorrow. (Perceptive) These metaphors…They're the best way your brain can interpret them. It's telling you things about these people. The terror-filled person, they're reacting to something - Specific things, that are causing them terror, followed by periods of calm, and then terror again. The rage is constant and burning - A fresh reaction, a fresh wound, but one that isn't going away. And the sorrow…It's more distant, but at the same time, deeper - An old scar or an old shame.
Initial insight gained, you open your ears further - And receive a full blast of the words they're yelling.
"Nobody's coming!"
"How could you do this to me?!"
"I didn't want to do it, you have to believe me…"
"Please! Please, help me! Please, any god, anyone!"
"You've ruined me! You've ruined everything!"
"I had to do it, I didn't want things to turn out like this…I just wanted…"
"KILL HIM, YOU LILYLIVERED-! AHHHHH!"
"I'll kill you! You think I won't! I'll do it! I'll do it! I'll really do it!"
"I'll kill you, please…if you don't stop…Don't make me kill you, please…"
As if they can tell someone's listening, their words intensify, swarming in closer and closer with almost malicious intent - You shut off your senses before you can be overwhelmed…(Perceptive). But that definitely gave you a lot. All three of them…they're working themselves up to something, but not in response to anything you did, though you paying attention triggered the escalation. They're cycling through behavior. They're not talking to anyone, and certainly not each other - You're not even sure if they're capable of talking, instead of just spewing out words. (Soul Senses) No wonder anyone with magical senses is getting a screaming storm whenever they come in here, whatever these things are under is triggered off of attention. (Artificer) Which, considering what you were told about the machine, makes sense. It's triggering responses from the souls due to stimuli - Which, given the theater format…means that the shows must work off the same principle, and what you're getting is probably bleeding over from the atmosphere of the machine suffusing the theater itself. If you come here in off-hours, when the machine is off, you won't have to worry about getting blowback from the souls for any kind of magic. However, while you're here on-hours, any kind of magical senses will get blasted as soon as the souls detect their 'attention'. (Discovered a Keyword of Herman's: Soul Cycle! Discovered a Keyword of Herman's: Attention-Seeking!)
You swipe away the blood leaking from your ears after listening to the souls for too long, and calmly wash up. Then, you step outside, to find Sabrina hissing at a clearly frightened employee in a suit. (Unyielding) (???). "Look, ma'am, You-you can't just block off a dressing room, other people need to-" You interject yourself. (Cute) (Likeable) "Hiiii! I'm soooo sorry, my friend here was just worried about me because I had a bit of a fall when I came into the theater!" Your sudden interruption sends both Sabrina and the employee a step backwards, which you capitalize on ruthlessly. (Perceptive) (False Humanoid) In this, your slightly more doll-like characteristics work in your favor - You can see the employee assessing you, and you know that you look slightly stiffer than your average human, which works for you in this case. "I'm Scarlet, by the way! It's so nice to meet you, I'm soooo, soooo sorry about the trouble - This is my first time here! My friend is taking me to meet Mister Namreh-" You use his fake name, remembering Mario's reaction outside, but you hope name-dropping his boss will help make him back down. "-Because we're going to be conducting some kind of deal? I've heard he's the man to work for in this town! You must know, right?" Still off-guard from the sudden change in tone, the employee stutters a bit, glancing over his shoulder. "I-Uh-I-Yes? Mister Namreh is an excellent employer, in my opinion." The opportunity to respond gave him some time to regain his footing, so you try to wrap things up...by introducing the stick to your carrot. "Anyways, I'm sooo sorry again, I hope you can forgive us? My friend here is just really protective of me." He frowns at the reminder, then glances over your shoulder at Sabrina, and sighs, accepting defeat if it means he doesn't have to face down against your 'protective friend' again. "Mmm. Just…please head to your meeting with Mister Namreh with all due haste. Please." He returns to what you assume he was doing, standing behind one of the small stands set up to offer food to guests.
You turn around to look at Sabrina, who is staring down at you with clear astonishment. "...Kid, that was almost scary." You smile. "When I'm properly motivated, I can do a lot!" She nods, flicking her tongue out. "Yeah, I can believe that."
QM's Note: Normal 12 hour moratorium and 48 hour voting period! BTW - In the future for ease of processing, please specify specific actions and assets, in addition to any write-ins. An example has been provided.
[] Plan Real Winners Quit
-[] Leave The Theater with Super Spy and Sabrina
--[] Wave goodbye to Mario as you go.
With your surroundings secured, you take the time to conduct a brief physical examination of the dressing room. While you've seen lavatories before, inside the apartments of your building, this is your first time examining a public dressing room. It's, frankly, a bit extravagant. A marble washstand takes up the center of the back wall, a mirror hanging with golden framing above it, and several clearly expensive wooden tables and padded couches surrounding it make the opinion of the designer clear - This is not merely a lavatory, but a zone for people to be able to take a break from the theater. Perhaps this is why the theater's atrium was rather sparse (Perceptive)…More frequent or discerning visitors would know that they can utilize these spaces, while single-time or lower-class visitors would likely be encouraged to hurry into the theaters. Another small thing in order to make the space less welcoming to some, and more welcoming to others.
Anyways, in terms of exits and entrances, there are, unfortunately, no windows - The lighting comes from lighting fixtures shaped like lamps hanging along the wall. Another display of wealth - The electricity bills this place must run…Well, that wasn't your primary thought, anyways. Disgorging a tentacle from within Super Spy, you reach down into the pipes until your thought is confirmed - This place does have a connection to the sewer. Unfortunately, anything coming up will need to be pretty small, or else they'd get caught in the pipes, (Artificer) and your mechanical inclinations are pretty sure that any sort of clog in the system would get noticed by the staff if they put this much effort into decorating the place. Plus, if you want to get in unnoticed, it'll probably have to be out of business hours, too. Still, if you want to seed the place with small infiltrators beforehand to make your business easier, and have the biomass to spare on such a risky long-term excursion, it'd be an option. (You've discovered a keyword of Herman's: Modern Amenities!)
With that done, you busy yourself with cleaning up the small messes of water that have gotten splashed around, and ensuring that your disguise isn't stained. After that…It's time to focus (Soul Senses). You slowly open your ears, trying to focus on singular snatches of the screaming you're hearing. As you do, you start to realize - There are different levels of it, so to speak. The wind, the rain, and the thunder, if you want to keep to your hurricane metaphor. The terror is the thunder - Intermittent piping yells, preceding large shocks and bursts of emotion being conveyed to you. The screams of rage are the wind, constantly whipping away on you, trying to wear away at you. And, of course, that means the song of sorrow is the rain - No less present, but more of a slow wearing down, spreading cold and weeping sorrow. (Perceptive) These metaphors…They're the best way your brain can interpret them. It's telling you things about these people. The terror-filled person, they're reacting to something - Specific things, that are causing them terror, followed by periods of calm, and then terror again. The rage is constant and burning - A fresh reaction, a fresh wound, but one that isn't going away. And the sorrow…It's more distant, but at the same time, deeper - An old scar or an old shame.
Initial insight gained, you open your ears further - And receive a full blast of the words they're yelling.
"Nobody's coming!"
"How could you do this to me?!"
"I didn't want to do it, you have to believe me…"
"Please! Please, help me! Please, any god, anyone!"
"You've ruined me! You've ruined everything!"
"I had to do it, I didn't want things to turn out like this…I just wanted…"
"KILL HIM, YOU LILYLIVERED-! AHHHHH!"
"I'll kill you! You think I won't! I'll do it! I'll do it! I'll really do it!"
"I'll kill you, please…if you don't stop…Don't make me kill you, please…"
As if they can tell someone's listening, their words intensify, swarming in closer and closer with almost malicious intent - You shut off your senses before you can be overwhelmed…(Perceptive). But that definitely gave you a lot. All three of them…they're working themselves up to something, but not in response to anything you did, though you paying attention triggered the escalation. They're cycling through behavior. They're not talking to anyone, and certainly not each other - You're not even sure if they're capable of talking, instead of just spewing out words. (Soul Senses) No wonder anyone with magical senses is getting a screaming storm whenever they come in here, whatever these things are under is triggered off of attention. (Artificer) Which, considering what you were told about the machine, makes sense. It's triggering responses from the souls due to stimuli - Which, given the theater format…means that the shows must work off the same principle, and what you're getting is probably bleeding over from the atmosphere of the machine suffusing the theater itself. If you come here in off-hours, when the machine is off, you won't have to worry about getting blowback from the souls for any kind of magic. However, while you're here on-hours, any kind of magical senses will get blasted as soon as the souls detect their 'attention'. (Discovered a Keyword of Herman's: Soul Cycle! Discovered a Keyword of Herman's: Attention-Seeking!)
You swipe away the blood leaking from your ears after listening to the souls for too long, and calmly wash up. Then, you step outside, to find Sabrina hissing at a clearly frightened employee in a suit. (Unyielding) (???). "Look, ma'am, You-you can't just block off a dressing room, other people need to-" You interject yourself. (Cute) (Likeable) "Hiiii! I'm soooo sorry, my friend here was just worried about me because I had a bit of a fall when I came into the theater!" Your sudden interruption sends both Sabrina and the employee a step backwards, which you capitalize on ruthlessly. (Perceptive) (False Humanoid) In this, your slightly more doll-like characteristics work in your favor - You can see the employee assessing you, and you know that you look slightly stiffer than your average human, which works for you in this case. "I'm Scarlet, by the way! It's so nice to meet you, I'm soooo, soooo sorry about the trouble - This is my first time here! My friend is taking me to meet Mister Namreh-" You use his fake name, remembering Mario's reaction outside, but you hope name-dropping his boss will help make him back down. "-Because we're going to be conducting some kind of deal? I've heard he's the man to work for in this town! You must know, right?" Still off-guard from the sudden change in tone, the employee stutters a bit, glancing over his shoulder. "I-Uh-I-Yes? Mister Namreh is an excellent employer, in my opinion." The opportunity to respond gave him some time to regain his footing, so you try to wrap things up...by introducing the stick to your carrot. "Anyways, I'm sooo sorry again, I hope you can forgive us? My friend here is just really protective of me." He frowns at the reminder, then glances over your shoulder at Sabrina, and sighs, accepting defeat if it means he doesn't have to face down against your 'protective friend' again. "Mmm. Just…please head to your meeting with Mister Namreh with all due haste. Please." He returns to what you assume he was doing, standing behind one of the small stands set up to offer food to guests.
You turn around to look at Sabrina, who is staring down at you with clear astonishment. "...Kid, that was almost scary." You smile. "When I'm properly motivated, I can do a lot!" She nods, flicking her tongue out. "Yeah, I can believe that."
You are in an EMERGENCY.
You have time to change one Core keyword! Changeable keywords are highlighted!
Your Current Assets Are:
1x Super Spy (Soul Senses, Artificer, False Humanoid, Shield, Poison, Disguise)
1x Sabrina "Slick" Johnson (Snakewoman, Mage, Rebellious, Blunt, Unyielding, ???, ???, ???)
Your current Core Keywords are:
Cute, Pactmaker, Perceptive, Likeable, Bountiful, Exponential Growth, and Explosive Growth
Employees are currently moderately suspicious of you.
Herman is expecting you.
You've discovered the following keywords of Namreh's Theater of the Soul: Attention-Seeking, Soul Cycle, Modern Amenities.
You have time to change one Core keyword! Changeable keywords are highlighted!
Your Current Assets Are:
1x Super Spy (Soul Senses, Artificer, False Humanoid, Shield, Poison, Disguise)
1x Sabrina "Slick" Johnson (Snakewoman, Mage, Rebellious, Blunt, Unyielding, ???, ???, ???)
Your current Core Keywords are:
Cute, Pactmaker, Perceptive, Likeable, Bountiful, Exponential Growth, and Explosive Growth
Employees are currently moderately suspicious of you.
Herman is expecting you.
You've discovered the following keywords of Namreh's Theater of the Soul: Attention-Seeking, Soul Cycle, Modern Amenities.
Explore the Theater of Heart-Pounding Adventure!
The Theater labeled as being "Heart-Pounding Adventure" has the sound of gunfire and explosions emanating from within. Your Soul Senses can feel that the overwhelming yells of terror is coming from within this Theater.
Explore the Theater of Bone-Chilling Terror!
This Theater is labeled as being "Bone-Chilling Terror!", and you can hear screams and wails leaking from within. Your Soul Senses can feel that the song of sorrow is coming overwhelmingly from this theater.
Explore the Theater of Tear-Jerking Drama!
This Theater is labeled as being "Tear-Jerking Drama", and you can hear the sounds of a physical fight coming from within, along with smashing furniture. In here, you feel the soul that screams rage through your Soul Senses.
Distract Employees
Maybe the heat's getting too much - Maybe you need to find your way into an area that's being guarded. Either way, you'll need to distract the employees of Herman's Theater of the Soul, somehow. Write-ins will make this action more effective!
Sneak Into Employee-Only Areas
There are a few doors prominently labeled as "For Employees Only" scattered around the building. Some of them might be break rooms or they might be vital equipment for the Theater - You can't be sure until you've taken a look inside. They don't seem to lock them, out of a hopefully misplaced sense of invulnerability, but if you're not careful, you could get seen entering or exiting. This may require multiple actions to fully complete!
Look For Alternate Entrances and Exits
You need a way in and out that isn't through the front. This place definitely has some - You doubt that they have employees or prospective…soul sellers (?) enter and exit through the front, after all. This action may be more effective after exploring other areas thoroughly.
Go Visit Herman
No sense in putting it off - The big man himself awaits. And he's got a lot to answer for. You may wind up doing something unwise…or maybe that's what you want to do.
Leave the Theater
Just walk out! You're not meeting this guy! Real winners don't deal with soul-renting evil-doers! You've got enough intelligence to be satisfied, so, you're just leaving. This may cause Herman to take offense…or maybe that's what you want to do.
QM's Note: Normal 12 hour moratorium and 48 hour voting period! BTW - In the future for ease of processing, please specify specific actions and assets, in addition to any write-ins. An example has been provided.
[] Plan Real Winners Quit
-[] Leave The Theater with Super Spy and Sabrina
--[] Wave goodbye to Mario as you go.
Last edited:
Vote closed
- Location
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Act One - Emergency Part Three: Please, Enjoy The Show!
- Location
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Pronouns
- She/Her
You've been subtly shifting your focus, devoting more of your core to brainpower, shutting down some of the flesh producers to do so. Specifically, you do so to devote more sheer neural processing power to analyzing your situation. You focus on perceiving more and processing more. Eyes peek out and transmit data back to you, data you can use to best tailor your responses and your strategy - Dominated, of course, still, by your primary brain's decisions. This decision, of course, is to go to the second floor, in order to look as if you're heading to the meeting…but actually, to look into the theater up there. As you ascend, you see the sign hung above it - the Theater of Tear-Jerking Drama. You look over to Sabrina, and gesture for her to follow you in.
You step into a velvet-covered room, which seems to be the lobby for the theater, and Sabrina leans down to whisper into your ear. "Hey - Kid, I just wanna warn you…this is a weird sorta show. Not just the, uh…content. The, you know…machine. It'll be weird." You nod. "Don't worry about me - While you're in there, though, check around for anything we could use! Entrances, exits, vents, infrastructure, all that sorta stuff, OK?" She nods, and both of you enter the theater…
Well, it's certainly weird! That's your first impression at least. The velvet continues into the theater proper, covering the floors and chairs and the massive curtain currently drawn over the center stage, all surrounded by walls inset with false gilt colonnades and a ceiling painted gold. Something about it eats at a half-lost memory of your DONOR, and you're struck with the sudden insight that this place is attempting to convey the feeling of somewhere grander and far less... conflicting. A yearning for what you do not know blossoms inside of you, along with a bizarre need for salt.
Putting that out of mind, you brave your way forward with Sabrina in tow, looking for seats in the theater. You seem to be in luck on that score at least, seems like a showing had just finished...or just begun? A small crowd slowly makes their way out, teary-eyed and shocked and in one disturbing case absolutely thrilled by what they had just seen. Those who remain are an even stranger sort, including those who seem too deadened to even move and those who seemed to have missed part of the show and were wondering with their seat mates how it all started.
You sat down in the back, the perfect place to scan the room for other exits, just as the curtain rises over the stage. Once again, your DONOR's memories stir in the addled mass you call your mind as you gaze upon the iridescent screen, vibrant in every color except for the ones that you have names for, and a small part of you, buried deep and primal, screams that this is wrong. (Soul Senses) Then the projector starts, and it gets so much worse.
Two voices begin a soft tandem scream, while those in the audience shush one another as the stage lights go down. Your vision narrows, your eyes funneled in by the colors surrounding you. It slowly centers on a tired-looking woman wearing a satisfied smile, clutching a rose in her hands as she walks home, uncaring for the blood left dripping in her wake. It coats the velvet floor, soaking into the carpet until they cannot even be distinguished from each other. Her gaze focuses so long upon the vibrant petals that you barely even notice when it becomes your gaze and only with your extra focus, Perceptive little creature that you are, do you recognize you can no longer see the theater. The palms of your hands begin to hurt.
Step by step you walk the long way home, gradually growing used to the thorns. After hours, or perhaps days, though the clock outside insists it's been mere minutes, you turn towards your humble apartment. It isn't much, but it's yours - it's hers. This is hers as well you marvel as you squeeze the stem of the rose harder, passion pouring freely as you slowly make your way to the bedroom door.
There are sounds on the other side that you do not recognize, but that you know all too well.
The rose falls upon the floor as you let out a soft gasp, and the sounds abruptly stop.
You throw yourself back into the kitchen as the door slowly opens, and you are face to face with her - and someone who you do not know.
She is the sun, the storm, the dawn, the dusk, all of the secret moments in between in which you whisper just after waking the three words that once sustained you and now turn to poison in your heart.
You freeze in place as you feel yourself bleed, the thorns of the fallen rose trampled upon heedless and unseen. Your heart misses a beat as your heart stands beside you, a flat expression free of remorse or contrition upon her face. You do not know whether you feel contrition or sorrow or shame or fear as you look into the kitchen and see she who awaits you there. You raise your hands, but forget yourself, and drop your sheet.
Red takes over your vision as you force yourself to look at them - as she looks at you without a hint of care. There is only thing you can think of. Red floods your vision, blood flows higher and higher, the scream crescendoes!
They see you raise the knife.
You raise your hands to block the blow, but cannot prevent the sweet crimson flow.
You stumble out the door and back onto the road, uncaring for the blood left dripping in your wake.
The curtain drops - Or does it raise? You aren't quite sure. You stumble outside, coughing, as your eyes keep seeing blood all around you (Soul Senses), seeping from the floor and ceiling and into your hair and hands and why won't the scream stop seeping into your wood, you feel it staining your flesh and rotting your wood away, and there is a sudden hot sensation on your flesh as your Shield activates, and your ears shut themselves away.
And you breathe. In. And out. In. And out. (Spy) You have a mission. You're going to complete the mission. You just need a second. (You've discovered some of ???'s keywords! Murderer. Hateful. Soul-Screamer.)
Sabrina is waiting out there, for you - As if she's been there for quite some time. She looks at you, with worried eyes, tongue flickering out. "...You alright, kid?" You shake your head, and lean against the plush, bloody wall. Sabrina leans down beside you, flicking her tongue in and out in concern. "...I didn't find anything, just so you know. The theater's…don't think they could risk an exit in there. Someone might get hurt." You nod, and just take your time breathing. The simple biological function calms you, as you feel your body's insides stretching and contracting.
Take your time.
QM's Note: Normal 12 hour moratorium and 48 hour voting period! Also, massive thanks to @grimely for writing the theater sequence (and for all their hard work as my editor - Without them, MGFH wouldn't be possible)!
You step into a velvet-covered room, which seems to be the lobby for the theater, and Sabrina leans down to whisper into your ear. "Hey - Kid, I just wanna warn you…this is a weird sorta show. Not just the, uh…content. The, you know…machine. It'll be weird." You nod. "Don't worry about me - While you're in there, though, check around for anything we could use! Entrances, exits, vents, infrastructure, all that sorta stuff, OK?" She nods, and both of you enter the theater…
Well, it's certainly weird! That's your first impression at least. The velvet continues into the theater proper, covering the floors and chairs and the massive curtain currently drawn over the center stage, all surrounded by walls inset with false gilt colonnades and a ceiling painted gold. Something about it eats at a half-lost memory of your DONOR, and you're struck with the sudden insight that this place is attempting to convey the feeling of somewhere grander and far less... conflicting. A yearning for what you do not know blossoms inside of you, along with a bizarre need for salt.
Putting that out of mind, you brave your way forward with Sabrina in tow, looking for seats in the theater. You seem to be in luck on that score at least, seems like a showing had just finished...or just begun? A small crowd slowly makes their way out, teary-eyed and shocked and in one disturbing case absolutely thrilled by what they had just seen. Those who remain are an even stranger sort, including those who seem too deadened to even move and those who seemed to have missed part of the show and were wondering with their seat mates how it all started.
You sat down in the back, the perfect place to scan the room for other exits, just as the curtain rises over the stage. Once again, your DONOR's memories stir in the addled mass you call your mind as you gaze upon the iridescent screen, vibrant in every color except for the ones that you have names for, and a small part of you, buried deep and primal, screams that this is wrong. (Soul Senses) Then the projector starts, and it gets so much worse.
Two voices begin a soft tandem scream, while those in the audience shush one another as the stage lights go down. Your vision narrows, your eyes funneled in by the colors surrounding you. It slowly centers on a tired-looking woman wearing a satisfied smile, clutching a rose in her hands as she walks home, uncaring for the blood left dripping in her wake. It coats the velvet floor, soaking into the carpet until they cannot even be distinguished from each other. Her gaze focuses so long upon the vibrant petals that you barely even notice when it becomes your gaze and only with your extra focus, Perceptive little creature that you are, do you recognize you can no longer see the theater. The palms of your hands begin to hurt.
Step by step you walk the long way home, gradually growing used to the thorns. After hours, or perhaps days, though the clock outside insists it's been mere minutes, you turn towards your humble apartment. It isn't much, but it's yours - it's hers. This is hers as well you marvel as you squeeze the stem of the rose harder, passion pouring freely as you slowly make your way to the bedroom door.
There are sounds on the other side that you do not recognize, but that you know all too well.
The rose falls upon the floor as you let out a soft gasp, and the sounds abruptly stop.
You throw yourself back into the kitchen as the door slowly opens, and you are face to face with her - and someone who you do not know.
She is the sun, the storm, the dawn, the dusk, all of the secret moments in between in which you whisper just after waking the three words that once sustained you and now turn to poison in your heart.
You freeze in place as you feel yourself bleed, the thorns of the fallen rose trampled upon heedless and unseen. Your heart misses a beat as your heart stands beside you, a flat expression free of remorse or contrition upon her face. You do not know whether you feel contrition or sorrow or shame or fear as you look into the kitchen and see she who awaits you there. You raise your hands, but forget yourself, and drop your sheet.
Red takes over your vision as you force yourself to look at them - as she looks at you without a hint of care. There is only thing you can think of. Red floods your vision, blood flows higher and higher, the scream crescendoes!
They see you raise the knife.
You raise your hands to block the blow, but cannot prevent the sweet crimson flow.
You stumble out the door and back onto the road, uncaring for the blood left dripping in your wake.
The curtain drops - Or does it raise? You aren't quite sure. You stumble outside, coughing, as your eyes keep seeing blood all around you (Soul Senses), seeping from the floor and ceiling and into your hair and hands and why won't the scream stop seeping into your wood, you feel it staining your flesh and rotting your wood away, and there is a sudden hot sensation on your flesh as your Shield activates, and your ears shut themselves away.
And you breathe. In. And out. In. And out. (Spy) You have a mission. You're going to complete the mission. You just need a second. (You've discovered some of ???'s keywords! Murderer. Hateful. Soul-Screamer.)
Sabrina is waiting out there, for you - As if she's been there for quite some time. She looks at you, with worried eyes, tongue flickering out. "...You alright, kid?" You shake your head, and lean against the plush, bloody wall. Sabrina leans down beside you, flicking her tongue in and out in concern. "...I didn't find anything, just so you know. The theater's…don't think they could risk an exit in there. Someone might get hurt." You nod, and just take your time breathing. The simple biological function calms you, as you feel your body's insides stretching and contracting.
Take your time.
You are in an EMERGENCY.
You don't have time to change a keyword! Changeable keywords are highlighted!
Your Current Assets Are:
1x Super Spy (Soul Senses, Artificer, False Humanoid, Shield, Poison, Disguise)
1x Sabrina "Slick" Johnson (Snakewoman, Mage, Rebellious, Blunt, Unyielding, ???, ???, ???)
Your current Core Keywords are:
Cute, Pactmaker, Perceptive, Likeable, Spy, Explosive Growth, and Bountiful.
Employees are currently highly suspicious of you.
Herman is wondering where you are.
You've discovered the following keywords of Namreh's Theater of the Soul: Attention-Seeking, Soul Cycle, Modern Amenities.
You don't have time to change a keyword! Changeable keywords are highlighted!
Your Current Assets Are:
1x Super Spy (Soul Senses, Artificer, False Humanoid, Shield, Poison, Disguise)
1x Sabrina "Slick" Johnson (Snakewoman, Mage, Rebellious, Blunt, Unyielding, ???, ???, ???)
Your current Core Keywords are:
Cute, Pactmaker, Perceptive, Likeable, Spy, Explosive Growth, and Bountiful.
Employees are currently highly suspicious of you.
Herman is wondering where you are.
You've discovered the following keywords of Namreh's Theater of the Soul: Attention-Seeking, Soul Cycle, Modern Amenities.
Explore the Theater of Heart-Pounding Adventure!
The Theater labeled as being "Heart-Pounding Adventure" has the sound of gunfire and explosions emanating from within. Your Soul Senses can feel that the overwhelming yells of terror is coming from within this Theater.
Explore the Theater of Bone-Chilling Terror!
This Theater is labeled as being "Bone-Chilling Terror!", and you can hear screams and wails leaking from within. Your Soul Senses can feel that the song of sorrow is coming overwhelmingly from this theater.
Explore the Theater of Tear-Jerking Drama! (Not Available)
You don't want to go in there again.
Distract Employees
Maybe the heat's getting too much - Maybe you need to find your way into an area that's being guarded. Either way, you'll need to distract the employees of Herman's Theater of the Soul, somehow. Write-ins will make this action more effective!
Sneak Into Employee-Only Areas
There are a few doors prominently labeled as "For Employees Only" scattered around the building. Some of them might be break rooms or they might be vital equipment for the Theater - You can't be sure until you've taken a look inside. They don't seem to lock them, out of a hopefully misplaced sense of invulnerability, but if you're not careful, you could get seen entering or exiting. This may require multiple actions to fully complete!
Look For Alternate Entrances and Exits
You need a way in and out that isn't through the front. This place definitely has some - You doubt that they have employees or prospective…soul sellers (?) enter and exit through the front, after all. This action may be more effective after exploring other areas thoroughly.
Go Visit Herman
No sense in putting it off - The big man himself awaits. And he's got a lot to answer for. You may wind up doing something unwise…or maybe that's what you want to do.
Leave the Theater
Just walk out! You're not meeting this guy! Real winners don't deal with soul-renting evil-doers! You've got enough intelligence to be satisfied, so, you're just leaving. This may cause Herman to take offense…or maybe that's what you want to do.
QM's Note: Normal 12 hour moratorium and 48 hour voting period! Also, massive thanks to @grimely for writing the theater sequence (and for all their hard work as my editor - Without them, MGFH wouldn't be possible)!
Vote closed
- Location
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Act One - Emergency Part Four: No, Scarlet, I Expect You To Die
- Location
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Pronouns
- She/Her
You stand up, having calmed yourself down and formulated another brilliant plan. Hopefully, this one works out better than the last one. You lean in towards Sabrina. "Alright, Sabrina - Here's the plan." She listens attentively, tongue flickering in and out. "Herman'll be suspicious if I go in there all…adversarially, right? So, I'm going to pretend to be what you said - Desperate and needing a job. You back me up, alright? Do whatever you think works to make it fit." She nods, slowly. "Gotcha. I'll be my usual charming self." She chuckles, and you smile. "Now - Let's go meet Herman."
You step out of the theater and are greeted by the smiling face of a man who (Perceptive) does not like you very much. "Hiiiii! We're so glad you've been enjoying our theater, Miss Scarlet. In fact - Mister Namreh would like to meet you upstairs to discuss your enjoyment of the theater, if you'd be so kind!" You guess the jig is up, after that display downstairs, and your…moment here. "We were just on our way to him, in fact…" You try and make a play to have the chance to check out a few other things along the way, and his smile only grows more authoritative. "Don't worry, miss - As Mister Namreh's personal assistant, I'd be happy to escort you to him." You notice several employees loitering around the corridor, not performing any jobs, who were not there when you went in. The message is clear. "Lead the way, then, sir." He leads you and Sabrina to follow him through a door and up a stairwell, doors outside of your essential path firmly closed or coincidentally blocked from view by the wide shoulders of your escort.
Eventually, you reach the third floor - Or rather a small hallway on the third floor, and hear…something odd, that you didn't hear on the other floors. (Perceptive) It's hard to make out, but it sounds…mechanical. (Artificer) Probably the machine that runs the theaters. Good to know, at least. (...A fairly obvious Keyword of Herman's, but one you've noticed nonetheless: Soul-Projection Machine.) Herman's office stands tall, with a quite large double door with his name emblazoned on it in gold lettering guarding the entrance. To the side, you see a desk, where the Personal Assistant must sit. He swings the door open for you, smiling and ushering you through, but not stepping in himself.
Behind the desk sits…well, you assume it must be Herman. He's a tall, thin man, almost willowy, sitting behind a thick wooden desk and barely even paying attention to the door. He sports a pair of thick glasses, with numerous flippable lenses that can be swapped up or down for (Artificer) it seems like any number of purposes, ranging from mundane magnification to more esoteric rune-inscribed lenses that you can't work out the function of. His office is as luxuriously decorated as the rest of the theater, but (Perceptive/Spy) your instincts make several notes that, in comparison to the more ostentatious theater below, Herman's office is much more understated…and, your eyes whisper, probably far more expensive. You doubt there's a single piece of furniture here that doesn't have at least one prominently displayed maker's mark on it - None of which you recognize, of course, given your lack of wider knowledge on the world of carpentry and craftsmanship, but it's clear Herman wouldn't display them without the expectation of recognition. The room is lit entirely artificially, with no windows, which could lend it a somewhat cozy feeling…if you didn't have such a negative opinion of Herman.
Sabrina enters behind you, and the Personal Assistant shuts the door, staying outside. Herman finally deigns to turn his attention to you, setting down the (Artificer)...clockwork toy cube of some kind? That actually looks quite interesting - You'd love to get your hands on it. "Well! It's always a pleasure to have guests, though I prefer when they don't steal a show. People work hard for those, you know!" He smiles at you, and you (Spy) refrain from flinching. You're getting in character. "I'm sorry, Mister Namreh-" He waves his hand. "Please, call me Herman." (Spy/Perceptive) Alert! This is not lining up with prior behavior. He's on his guard - All of his employees are very clear to call him Namreh…unless that's just in public? No - This is a trap or some kind of power play. He's at least partially onto you.
You need to throw the blame, if you want this to work as planned - But luckily, you have a convenient and handy scapegoat. "Alright, Mister Herman. I'm really sorry about all the trouble we've been causing, but Sabrina was just really adamant about trying to talk me out of my decision…but I need the money, or else I'll be evicted…" Sabrina picks up your cue and goes on the attack. "Yeah - She's making one of the worst mistakes of her life, trying to sell her soul to you, you rat." He chuckles, more amused than offended at her. "Selling her soul? Hardly! She's leasing it out - Not even the whole soul, really?" He leans in…(Cute/Likeable/Perceptive) and you think he's buying it. "Allow me to clear up whatever misconceptions my old friend here has been telling you." You blink. (Perceptive) He's not telling the truth…but he's not lying, either. This is…huh. You'll need to ask Sabrina about that, later. She seems distinctly uncomfortable at the moment.
"Now, the first misconception you might have is that anyone here isn't here willingly. Everyone here, including our lovely experience donors, are here entirely voluntarily! In fact, most of our experience donors are on work-release from workhouse sentences, providing an opportunity for prosperity to an underserviced and grateful population! Do you know how hard it is to find a job in the city with a criminal record, after all?" (Perceptive) You run his words through a filter in your head with Sabrina's voice. 'He means he's in cahoots with the Guard and exploits people forced into the workhouses who have no other options.' You recall the Theater you saw. It probably also brings in more viewers. Experiencing that sort of thing, without legal consequences for the actions…is definitely something that some people might like.
"See, far too many people are stuck in the old mode of thinking about souls - Positively archaic, really, which contributes to the stigma against the exploration of their possibility! The idea of them as the sum of the being has been proven incorrect, not just by psycheologists in Aleria, but by psycheology research institutions in Runval and the rest of the Old World. What's really true is that the soul is one part of a whole - The whole that is you. Certainly, an important part, one that stores your identity…but not one that is capable of change." He gestures to Sabrina. "I'm sure our friend here has told you some horror story about screaming ghouls we lock away after we steal their souls for our evil magic, mm? Well - That's simply not true. You're still sapient after your soul is removed - It's the brain in your head that keeps you alive and changing! Your soul being temporarily removed simply strips you of your inherent self-belief, not your intelligence or morals, and it can be returned easily as the snap of my fingers as soon as you decide you're uncomfortable with the situation - Which most of our employees decide they aren't!" He snaps them, demonstratively.
(Artificer) This is actually valuable insight. While he's explaining it…pretty poorly, you're able to piece it together a bit. What he's saying is that the soul is…a snapshot, of sorts - Of formative memories, beliefs about the self, and identity. Hence, why it enables magic. However, it can't change itself, on its own - It requires an organic component of some kind, typically a brain, to perform self-alteration. This…actually explains a lot about yourself. Because you have such ease of control over your biological processes, you're able to make changes to the fabric of what you assume to be your soul incredibly easily - Far beyond what a human could accomplish without significant time and effort, you assume. Reprogramming your brain is as easy as one-two-three to you - Hence, so is reprogramming your soulstuff.
(Spy) Refocus! He's still going on about the specifics of the process, which you briefly mentally review and discard as being unimportant. You can definitely see why he has a hard time making friends in the business, though. He's not very good at convincing people of things, and has a trend of going off on tangents. You interject. "Uh…thank you, but, uh, I'm not…really…" He blinks, and chuckles. "Of course, of course! No need to get bogged down in the details. Now - I want you to pitch your memory to me. Our theater doesn't bare your entire soul, after all, merely…curated pieces!" You…are not going to pitch a real thing that happened. (Spy) Luckily, you can come up with things on the fly, based in enough reality to be believable.
"Well, sir, I was once the victim of a home invasion by a burglar, and I used magic to shimmy down from the second floor and…" You start to spin a tale, as Herman fidgets with his glasses, peering at you and listening attentively. "...And then, I-" He bursts out laughing, which is…completely inappropriate for the part of the story you were at. You pause, confused. (Artificer/Perceptive) One of the rune-lenses is down. He saw something. Oh no.
He points at Sabrina, and doubles over, nearly breathless with laughter. She seems as confused as you are, even as he catches his breath. "Oh - Oh, Sabrina! You have either been played for a fool or you're fucked!" He points at you. "That's a very, very convincing simulacra, I won't lie, whoever it is behind that, you did good work, I couldn't even tell! But you walked into the domain of Orion City's pre-eminent Psycheologist, and you sent a soulless puppet?" He shakes his head in mock dismay, and you remember your foray into the realm of the Conglomerate of Infinite Disdain, and how you were able to escape because your true self wasn't there. You…don't think Super Spy has a soul in of itself, rather than just…being a receiver for your soul. Uh oh.
"Now, I don't know which of my rivals you're working for, or been conned into working for to get this thing into my operation, Sabrina, but if you're interested in leaving here, you'll tell me soon." His smile sharpens. "I'll dispose of the simulacra before you have to answer, don't worry." He reaches under his desk - Either for a weapon or a button of some kind to summon security, you can't tell, but you have to act fast. Sabrina's ready to follow your lead.
QM's Note: Normal 12 hour moratorium and 48 hour voting period! Bit weird to have a 'boss fight' of a 'boss fight', but think of it as being the 'boss' of the 'dungeon', so to speak. Also, I promise the name of the update's just a funny reference, you have a solid chance here. This is definitely going to be a vote where write-ins under actions will help you, though.
You step out of the theater and are greeted by the smiling face of a man who (Perceptive) does not like you very much. "Hiiiii! We're so glad you've been enjoying our theater, Miss Scarlet. In fact - Mister Namreh would like to meet you upstairs to discuss your enjoyment of the theater, if you'd be so kind!" You guess the jig is up, after that display downstairs, and your…moment here. "We were just on our way to him, in fact…" You try and make a play to have the chance to check out a few other things along the way, and his smile only grows more authoritative. "Don't worry, miss - As Mister Namreh's personal assistant, I'd be happy to escort you to him." You notice several employees loitering around the corridor, not performing any jobs, who were not there when you went in. The message is clear. "Lead the way, then, sir." He leads you and Sabrina to follow him through a door and up a stairwell, doors outside of your essential path firmly closed or coincidentally blocked from view by the wide shoulders of your escort.
Eventually, you reach the third floor - Or rather a small hallway on the third floor, and hear…something odd, that you didn't hear on the other floors. (Perceptive) It's hard to make out, but it sounds…mechanical. (Artificer) Probably the machine that runs the theaters. Good to know, at least. (...A fairly obvious Keyword of Herman's, but one you've noticed nonetheless: Soul-Projection Machine.) Herman's office stands tall, with a quite large double door with his name emblazoned on it in gold lettering guarding the entrance. To the side, you see a desk, where the Personal Assistant must sit. He swings the door open for you, smiling and ushering you through, but not stepping in himself.
Behind the desk sits…well, you assume it must be Herman. He's a tall, thin man, almost willowy, sitting behind a thick wooden desk and barely even paying attention to the door. He sports a pair of thick glasses, with numerous flippable lenses that can be swapped up or down for (Artificer) it seems like any number of purposes, ranging from mundane magnification to more esoteric rune-inscribed lenses that you can't work out the function of. His office is as luxuriously decorated as the rest of the theater, but (Perceptive/Spy) your instincts make several notes that, in comparison to the more ostentatious theater below, Herman's office is much more understated…and, your eyes whisper, probably far more expensive. You doubt there's a single piece of furniture here that doesn't have at least one prominently displayed maker's mark on it - None of which you recognize, of course, given your lack of wider knowledge on the world of carpentry and craftsmanship, but it's clear Herman wouldn't display them without the expectation of recognition. The room is lit entirely artificially, with no windows, which could lend it a somewhat cozy feeling…if you didn't have such a negative opinion of Herman.
Sabrina enters behind you, and the Personal Assistant shuts the door, staying outside. Herman finally deigns to turn his attention to you, setting down the (Artificer)...clockwork toy cube of some kind? That actually looks quite interesting - You'd love to get your hands on it. "Well! It's always a pleasure to have guests, though I prefer when they don't steal a show. People work hard for those, you know!" He smiles at you, and you (Spy) refrain from flinching. You're getting in character. "I'm sorry, Mister Namreh-" He waves his hand. "Please, call me Herman." (Spy/Perceptive) Alert! This is not lining up with prior behavior. He's on his guard - All of his employees are very clear to call him Namreh…unless that's just in public? No - This is a trap or some kind of power play. He's at least partially onto you.
You need to throw the blame, if you want this to work as planned - But luckily, you have a convenient and handy scapegoat. "Alright, Mister Herman. I'm really sorry about all the trouble we've been causing, but Sabrina was just really adamant about trying to talk me out of my decision…but I need the money, or else I'll be evicted…" Sabrina picks up your cue and goes on the attack. "Yeah - She's making one of the worst mistakes of her life, trying to sell her soul to you, you rat." He chuckles, more amused than offended at her. "Selling her soul? Hardly! She's leasing it out - Not even the whole soul, really?" He leans in…(Cute/Likeable/Perceptive) and you think he's buying it. "Allow me to clear up whatever misconceptions my old friend here has been telling you." You blink. (Perceptive) He's not telling the truth…but he's not lying, either. This is…huh. You'll need to ask Sabrina about that, later. She seems distinctly uncomfortable at the moment.
"Now, the first misconception you might have is that anyone here isn't here willingly. Everyone here, including our lovely experience donors, are here entirely voluntarily! In fact, most of our experience donors are on work-release from workhouse sentences, providing an opportunity for prosperity to an underserviced and grateful population! Do you know how hard it is to find a job in the city with a criminal record, after all?" (Perceptive) You run his words through a filter in your head with Sabrina's voice. 'He means he's in cahoots with the Guard and exploits people forced into the workhouses who have no other options.' You recall the Theater you saw. It probably also brings in more viewers. Experiencing that sort of thing, without legal consequences for the actions…is definitely something that some people might like.
"See, far too many people are stuck in the old mode of thinking about souls - Positively archaic, really, which contributes to the stigma against the exploration of their possibility! The idea of them as the sum of the being has been proven incorrect, not just by psycheologists in Aleria, but by psycheology research institutions in Runval and the rest of the Old World. What's really true is that the soul is one part of a whole - The whole that is you. Certainly, an important part, one that stores your identity…but not one that is capable of change." He gestures to Sabrina. "I'm sure our friend here has told you some horror story about screaming ghouls we lock away after we steal their souls for our evil magic, mm? Well - That's simply not true. You're still sapient after your soul is removed - It's the brain in your head that keeps you alive and changing! Your soul being temporarily removed simply strips you of your inherent self-belief, not your intelligence or morals, and it can be returned easily as the snap of my fingers as soon as you decide you're uncomfortable with the situation - Which most of our employees decide they aren't!" He snaps them, demonstratively.
(Artificer) This is actually valuable insight. While he's explaining it…pretty poorly, you're able to piece it together a bit. What he's saying is that the soul is…a snapshot, of sorts - Of formative memories, beliefs about the self, and identity. Hence, why it enables magic. However, it can't change itself, on its own - It requires an organic component of some kind, typically a brain, to perform self-alteration. This…actually explains a lot about yourself. Because you have such ease of control over your biological processes, you're able to make changes to the fabric of what you assume to be your soul incredibly easily - Far beyond what a human could accomplish without significant time and effort, you assume. Reprogramming your brain is as easy as one-two-three to you - Hence, so is reprogramming your soulstuff.
(Spy) Refocus! He's still going on about the specifics of the process, which you briefly mentally review and discard as being unimportant. You can definitely see why he has a hard time making friends in the business, though. He's not very good at convincing people of things, and has a trend of going off on tangents. You interject. "Uh…thank you, but, uh, I'm not…really…" He blinks, and chuckles. "Of course, of course! No need to get bogged down in the details. Now - I want you to pitch your memory to me. Our theater doesn't bare your entire soul, after all, merely…curated pieces!" You…are not going to pitch a real thing that happened. (Spy) Luckily, you can come up with things on the fly, based in enough reality to be believable.
"Well, sir, I was once the victim of a home invasion by a burglar, and I used magic to shimmy down from the second floor and…" You start to spin a tale, as Herman fidgets with his glasses, peering at you and listening attentively. "...And then, I-" He bursts out laughing, which is…completely inappropriate for the part of the story you were at. You pause, confused. (Artificer/Perceptive) One of the rune-lenses is down. He saw something. Oh no.
He points at Sabrina, and doubles over, nearly breathless with laughter. She seems as confused as you are, even as he catches his breath. "Oh - Oh, Sabrina! You have either been played for a fool or you're fucked!" He points at you. "That's a very, very convincing simulacra, I won't lie, whoever it is behind that, you did good work, I couldn't even tell! But you walked into the domain of Orion City's pre-eminent Psycheologist, and you sent a soulless puppet?" He shakes his head in mock dismay, and you remember your foray into the realm of the Conglomerate of Infinite Disdain, and how you were able to escape because your true self wasn't there. You…don't think Super Spy has a soul in of itself, rather than just…being a receiver for your soul. Uh oh.
"Now, I don't know which of my rivals you're working for, or been conned into working for to get this thing into my operation, Sabrina, but if you're interested in leaving here, you'll tell me soon." His smile sharpens. "I'll dispose of the simulacra before you have to answer, don't worry." He reaches under his desk - Either for a weapon or a button of some kind to summon security, you can't tell, but you have to act fast. Sabrina's ready to follow your lead.
You are in an EMERGENCY.
You have time to change one Asset Keyword! Changeable keywords are highlighted!
Your Current Assets Are:
1x Super Spy (Soul Senses, Artificer, False Humanoid, Shield, Poison, Disguise)
1x Sabrina "Slick" Johnson (Snakewoman, Mage, Rebellious, Blunt, Unyielding, ???, ???, ???)
Your current Core Keywords are:
Cute, Pactmaker, Perceptive, Likeable, Spy, Explosive Growth, and Bountiful.
Employees are currently on alert.
Herman is preparing to do something bad.
You've discovered the following keywords of Namreh's Theater of the Soul: Attention-Seeking, Soul Cycle, Modern Amenities, Soul-Projection Machine.
You have time to change one Asset Keyword! Changeable keywords are highlighted!
Your Current Assets Are:
1x Super Spy (Soul Senses, Artificer, False Humanoid, Shield, Poison, Disguise)
1x Sabrina "Slick" Johnson (Snakewoman, Mage, Rebellious, Blunt, Unyielding, ???, ???, ???)
Your current Core Keywords are:
Cute, Pactmaker, Perceptive, Likeable, Spy, Explosive Growth, and Bountiful.
Employees are currently on alert.
Herman is preparing to do something bad.
You've discovered the following keywords of Namreh's Theater of the Soul: Attention-Seeking, Soul Cycle, Modern Amenities, Soul-Projection Machine.
Fight!
He clearly doesn't expect you to be able to fight his clear evil intent to hurt your friend - An assumption you're more than happy to prove wrong, especially with Sabrina by your side. If you stop him from summoning guards or drawing a weapon, you can extract a lot more information out of him…or, you could wind up getting bogged down in a fight until the Guard show up.
Flight!
Run. You bet you can move far faster than this asshole can react, and with Sabrina by your side, you can probably blow past any defenses he's got set up before anyone serious can arrive. But...that'll probably wind up getting your name on some lists. Or, worse, Sabrina's name! Alternatively, Sabrina could try to escape while you take another option to cover for her.
Freeze!
Play dead when he shoots you or calls his guards in or whatever. You can…probably pull it off. Unless they burn you. But if Sabrina's able to escape, then she might be able to save you. Or, you could just accept that Super Spy might die or be imprisoned for the foreseeable future - It'd be a fair amount of biomass and resources lost, but by no means an unacceptable one.
Fawn!
You can talk your way out of this! Right? Or, if you're playing dead or running or fighting, Sabrina can try to pretend to betray you to get on Herman's good side so that she can get out.
QM's Note: Normal 12 hour moratorium and 48 hour voting period! Bit weird to have a 'boss fight' of a 'boss fight', but think of it as being the 'boss' of the 'dungeon', so to speak. Also, I promise the name of the update's just a funny reference, you have a solid chance here. This is definitely going to be a vote where write-ins under actions will help you, though.
Vote closed
- Location
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Act One - Emergency Part Five: All Good Things Must Come To An End
- Location
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Pronouns
- She/Her
You have only a second, as Sabrina tenses and prepares to leap into action on your behalf. You shove something intangible through the link to Super Spy, opening it wider then you ever have, before. It's replicating your initial process of opening your soul senses, but purposefully getting it wrong, to force a part of yourself to bond into it. It feels wrong. You are making yourself less whole - Less yourself. Something of you is just gone, now - Permanently tied down to Super Spy. (Super Spy gains the Immutable Keyword: Faint Soul). This will…probably have consequences, later, but for now (Spy) the mission comes first.
"Wait! Wait, please, I-" You sniffle, and he pauses in his motion. Sabrina, caught halfway inbetween moving to stand and her mouth open, hastily shuts it and waits for your cue. "I, it's, I-, this always happens! I promise, I have a soul, just look again! It's just that…I have a strange condition where…part of my soul is just…gone…and I don't know why - It's part of why I came here!" You're trying to appeal to his inherent sense of superiority. "I'm sorry for lying to you!" He frowns, and pulls the runed lens back down, squinting at you. Whatever he seems to find…intrigues him. "Well, now, Miss Scarlet! Why didn't you open with that? All this unpleasantness could have been avoided - I truly thought you were, ah, a simulacra, not a person…" He smiles tensely, pulling his hand back out from under the desk. "I-" You sniffle again, glancing fearfully at him. "Well, I was scared, and I've heard so many bad things about you, and, and-" He waves his hands, as if trying to physically dispel your worries. You think you have him hooked. "And you were just threatening me, like you were trying to, to, kill me or something!" He winces. You press harder. "I-Sabrina, I don't feel, I don't feel safe, can we, go, please?" You start to cry, forcing liquid out from your eyes.
Sabrina, recognizing her cue, leaps up from her seat and stands between you and Herman, offering you her arm. (Perceptive) Behind her, Herman grimaces, clearly not pleased. But he's not making any hostile moves. "...I truly do apologize, Miss Scarlet. Before you go - Ah, know that…if you ever would like any help with your…truly unique condition, I would be happy to welcome you back to my Theater at any time. My employees will know to escort you to me, if you ever choose to return. I would be more then happy to help you, free of charge, for the sake of advancing the field, and, ah, helping you and anyone else potentially like you!" The last part seems like an afterthought to him, and you don't respond, simply burying your head in Sabrina's shoulders as she starts to escort you out. Herman watches you go, lens still down, but he doesn't make any move to stop you. Neither does anyone else, as you exit the building, but you don't drop the act until you're a ways away. Well, to be clearer, Sabrina causes you to do so.
"Uh…Kid, you alright? That was…fucked, I mean, I knew Herman was an asshole, but, to just act so casually-I thought we were gonna have to try and make a run for it!" You let up, and glance around, still holding onto her arm. "...I can't say the thought didn't cross my mind. But he bought it." She nods. "Frankly, kid, I bought it. If your whole…well, you-know-what plans don't work out, you've got a hell of a career on the stage." She thinks about it for a second. "Probably could run that jerk outta business, given your particular, uh, talents. Hah! There's a thought. Scarlet's theater of the flesh, eh? I bet it'd be a real hit." She chuckles, clearly trying to calm herself down…and maybe trying to calm you down. You're pretty calm, yourself - It's not like anything of yourself was really…at stake, so to speak, but it's not like she can read your mind to determine your emotional state. (Soul Sense) That tension you felt earlier is definitely at the forefront. Even though she's safe, she expects to have to run at any moment.
"...Sabrina, I wanted to ask…you and Herman clearly know each other. Can I ask what's up with that?" She hesitates for a minute... (Cute) (Likeable) (Perceptive) but relents in the face of your pleading face. "...I guess you prolly woulda figured this out soon enough, anyways. Not like Ma's subtle about it. I…used to do some stuff that…wasn't exactly on the legal side. Specifically, uh, dealing with the field of unapproved synthesis and distribution of drugs. And Herman was one of my buyers. The drugs I could synthesize with my venom apparently worked really well for…something he was doing, I don't know any of the details. I…look, as soon as I figured out his whole deal, I stopped selling to him, but I still did it. And I regret it. Who knows what that guy did with it? Probably used it to trick people into working with him or some shit." She rubs the back of her head, tongue flickering in and out. "And, uh, I guess if I'm coming clean, I wasn't exactly working alone. Had a whole thing worked out. Was a good racket, too! Kept the harder stuff - the tainted stuff out of the neighborhood, didn't sell anything besides cigarettes and alcohol to the teens who came to me, and if they joined up, I kept them outta harms way. Some folks use 'em as cannon fodder, since they get lighter sentences in the workhouses, probation stuff - Not me. Didn't do that." She's searching your eyes as she talks, the words spilling out of her. "...I…look, I didn't necessarily think it was good, but I…it was good money. And I was doing a service for the community, in a way that nobody else was. I mean, when I was a teen, the Predators ran this place, and they were a fuckin' piece of work and a half-" You tilt your head. "Why'd you stop, then?"
She grimaces. "...Guard raided our place, and the gang went to ground till the heat dies down. If it ever does. Most of the people I trusted, the actual core of the gang, my old friends, got swept up. It's why I'm living with Ma, now. They know where I used to sleep, had a guy watching it to try and grab me when I went back there." Huh. You didn't notice it before, but in this atmosphere, she's calling her mother Ma, instead of mother. Interesting. And…this does put her willingness to fight for you in a new context...even if it's somewhat overshadowed. "...Gah, what am I saying? You're aiming to become a magical girl, and I'm some street scum who just admitted to dealing drugs. I've really fucked this up, haven't I?" You're back at the street, now, and she glances around. "Look, I, uh, I gotta go. Alright? Stay safe. If, uh, if you don't wanna see me again, I get it. Just…don't turn me in, alright? Please." She rushes off into the night, leaving you standing there. With…complex feelings. (Two of Sabrina's hidden keywords have been revealed! Drug Dealer and Gang Leader!)
How are you (Magical Girl Scarlet Genesis~!) feeling, after Sabrina's revelation? Feel free to write as much or as little as you want.
[] Write-In.
Also, for completing an Emergency - We'll have another small intermission! The District doesn't stay the same forever, and someone new's about to hit the scene. And she's…
[] …swaying to the rhythm of her heart.
[] …late to class!
[] …smoking in an alleyway.
QM's Note: 12 hour moratorium, 48 hour vote. This one's a write-in because it's a complex topic with many possible feelings that Scarlet could have, and I want to give y'all the chance to characterize her relationship with Sabrina and current emotional state a bit! Her being fine is valid, as is her feeling angry and/or betrayed. Feel free to get as complicated or as simple as you like, I'll run with it. Anything blatantly out-of-character will get veto'd, of course. ("I'm so angry at Sabrina, I'll go kill her, and her mother too.", as the most blatant example I can think of.)
Also, I will clarify - Unlike last time, the choice of intermission will determine which person pops up! Each one is drawing on a somewhat...different set of influences from the others. After the intermission, normal turns will resume!
"Wait! Wait, please, I-" You sniffle, and he pauses in his motion. Sabrina, caught halfway inbetween moving to stand and her mouth open, hastily shuts it and waits for your cue. "I, it's, I-, this always happens! I promise, I have a soul, just look again! It's just that…I have a strange condition where…part of my soul is just…gone…and I don't know why - It's part of why I came here!" You're trying to appeal to his inherent sense of superiority. "I'm sorry for lying to you!" He frowns, and pulls the runed lens back down, squinting at you. Whatever he seems to find…intrigues him. "Well, now, Miss Scarlet! Why didn't you open with that? All this unpleasantness could have been avoided - I truly thought you were, ah, a simulacra, not a person…" He smiles tensely, pulling his hand back out from under the desk. "I-" You sniffle again, glancing fearfully at him. "Well, I was scared, and I've heard so many bad things about you, and, and-" He waves his hands, as if trying to physically dispel your worries. You think you have him hooked. "And you were just threatening me, like you were trying to, to, kill me or something!" He winces. You press harder. "I-Sabrina, I don't feel, I don't feel safe, can we, go, please?" You start to cry, forcing liquid out from your eyes.
Sabrina, recognizing her cue, leaps up from her seat and stands between you and Herman, offering you her arm. (Perceptive) Behind her, Herman grimaces, clearly not pleased. But he's not making any hostile moves. "...I truly do apologize, Miss Scarlet. Before you go - Ah, know that…if you ever would like any help with your…truly unique condition, I would be happy to welcome you back to my Theater at any time. My employees will know to escort you to me, if you ever choose to return. I would be more then happy to help you, free of charge, for the sake of advancing the field, and, ah, helping you and anyone else potentially like you!" The last part seems like an afterthought to him, and you don't respond, simply burying your head in Sabrina's shoulders as she starts to escort you out. Herman watches you go, lens still down, but he doesn't make any move to stop you. Neither does anyone else, as you exit the building, but you don't drop the act until you're a ways away. Well, to be clearer, Sabrina causes you to do so.
"Uh…Kid, you alright? That was…fucked, I mean, I knew Herman was an asshole, but, to just act so casually-I thought we were gonna have to try and make a run for it!" You let up, and glance around, still holding onto her arm. "...I can't say the thought didn't cross my mind. But he bought it." She nods. "Frankly, kid, I bought it. If your whole…well, you-know-what plans don't work out, you've got a hell of a career on the stage." She thinks about it for a second. "Probably could run that jerk outta business, given your particular, uh, talents. Hah! There's a thought. Scarlet's theater of the flesh, eh? I bet it'd be a real hit." She chuckles, clearly trying to calm herself down…and maybe trying to calm you down. You're pretty calm, yourself - It's not like anything of yourself was really…at stake, so to speak, but it's not like she can read your mind to determine your emotional state. (Soul Sense) That tension you felt earlier is definitely at the forefront. Even though she's safe, she expects to have to run at any moment.
"...Sabrina, I wanted to ask…you and Herman clearly know each other. Can I ask what's up with that?" She hesitates for a minute... (Cute) (Likeable) (Perceptive) but relents in the face of your pleading face. "...I guess you prolly woulda figured this out soon enough, anyways. Not like Ma's subtle about it. I…used to do some stuff that…wasn't exactly on the legal side. Specifically, uh, dealing with the field of unapproved synthesis and distribution of drugs. And Herman was one of my buyers. The drugs I could synthesize with my venom apparently worked really well for…something he was doing, I don't know any of the details. I…look, as soon as I figured out his whole deal, I stopped selling to him, but I still did it. And I regret it. Who knows what that guy did with it? Probably used it to trick people into working with him or some shit." She rubs the back of her head, tongue flickering in and out. "And, uh, I guess if I'm coming clean, I wasn't exactly working alone. Had a whole thing worked out. Was a good racket, too! Kept the harder stuff - the tainted stuff out of the neighborhood, didn't sell anything besides cigarettes and alcohol to the teens who came to me, and if they joined up, I kept them outta harms way. Some folks use 'em as cannon fodder, since they get lighter sentences in the workhouses, probation stuff - Not me. Didn't do that." She's searching your eyes as she talks, the words spilling out of her. "...I…look, I didn't necessarily think it was good, but I…it was good money. And I was doing a service for the community, in a way that nobody else was. I mean, when I was a teen, the Predators ran this place, and they were a fuckin' piece of work and a half-" You tilt your head. "Why'd you stop, then?"
She grimaces. "...Guard raided our place, and the gang went to ground till the heat dies down. If it ever does. Most of the people I trusted, the actual core of the gang, my old friends, got swept up. It's why I'm living with Ma, now. They know where I used to sleep, had a guy watching it to try and grab me when I went back there." Huh. You didn't notice it before, but in this atmosphere, she's calling her mother Ma, instead of mother. Interesting. And…this does put her willingness to fight for you in a new context...even if it's somewhat overshadowed. "...Gah, what am I saying? You're aiming to become a magical girl, and I'm some street scum who just admitted to dealing drugs. I've really fucked this up, haven't I?" You're back at the street, now, and she glances around. "Look, I, uh, I gotta go. Alright? Stay safe. If, uh, if you don't wanna see me again, I get it. Just…don't turn me in, alright? Please." She rushes off into the night, leaving you standing there. With…complex feelings. (Two of Sabrina's hidden keywords have been revealed! Drug Dealer and Gang Leader!)
How are you (Magical Girl Scarlet Genesis~!) feeling, after Sabrina's revelation? Feel free to write as much or as little as you want.
[] Write-In.
Also, for completing an Emergency - We'll have another small intermission! The District doesn't stay the same forever, and someone new's about to hit the scene. And she's…
[] …swaying to the rhythm of her heart.
[] …late to class!
[] …smoking in an alleyway.
QM's Note: 12 hour moratorium, 48 hour vote. This one's a write-in because it's a complex topic with many possible feelings that Scarlet could have, and I want to give y'all the chance to characterize her relationship with Sabrina and current emotional state a bit! Her being fine is valid, as is her feeling angry and/or betrayed. Feel free to get as complicated or as simple as you like, I'll run with it. Anything blatantly out-of-character will get veto'd, of course. ("I'm so angry at Sabrina, I'll go kill her, and her mother too.", as the most blatant example I can think of.)
Also, I will clarify - Unlike last time, the choice of intermission will determine which person pops up! Each one is drawing on a somewhat...different set of influences from the others. After the intermission, normal turns will resume!