You take a deep breath, more for the sake of giving yourself time and cover to rapidly reformat parts of yourself. While you're not going to turn off your brain, your instincts are right - You're letting your emotions rule you to the point of not being able to function, and you need to calm down. So, you divert some of your senses on Super Spy inward to monitor your brain function from afar and ensure that you
will, in the face of overwhelming emotion or opposition, remain reliable and calm (Stalwart). With that in mind, you now focus yourself on creating a new argument. "You're right. Sabrina has done bad things. I can't dispute that - And she doesn't, either. However, she does do good as well - And not just in the personal sense. While her gang…I can't speak as to what they did, isn't the situation worse in other parts of the city? And I don't mean this in the same sense of lesser evils and all that - I mean in that she actively worked to keep gangs like the Predators out." Patty purses her lips, and you can see recognition in her face of the name (
Perceptive). You're making progress.
"She's currently still providing drugs to people who are in need - And not for profit, or anything, just because they need them to function. I live with one of them. He was in the War, and the drugs they gave him there made him an addict - That's not his fault, and Sabrina is helping him and people like him. Without her, who knows where he'd end up? Who knows how many other people are in situations like that - Who she could help?" You carefully monitor her expression. She's chewing on her lip, now - Not as sure of herself, even if that aura of authority still radiates out from her posture (
???). You've got this. "My magic can help heal them, but I'm still working out how to do that - With Sabrina's help, I've been able to try and do it a lot quicker. She knows who these people are, how to reach them, and she can bring them in." You're…sorta-lying here in that you didn't really think about doing it on a larger scale than just Martin, but, honestly, now that you've got it in your head, it's not a bad idea. It's a pretty good one! You quickly add it to your mental list of things to do, which is getting pretty long.
"Now - I'm not saying that she doesn't need to atone for her actions. But isn't the best way to do that working off her debt to society through repairing the harm she's done, rather than simply being thrown into a workhouse or whatever would be done with her? I want to work with you, and your friends, on this, so that we can truly make a difference." Patty's face softens, and she sighs, drifting slowly to the ground. Her posture loosens, and you get the feeling that whatever she was doing to make herself seem more confident and self-assured has stopped (
???). "...You're not wrong. We were arguing about just that, which is part of why I'm out here. I needed some time to…convalesce." She shrugs, crossing her arms as she uses the complicated word to try and keep her authority intact as she admits to internal divisions (
Perceptive). "...I suppose the argument does have merit." It's certainly not enthusiastic, but it is acceptance of your point, in comparison to the mild condescension she was showing before (
???).
You smile excitedly, and she snorts slightly, clearly split between being amused and stern at your behavior. "But that doesn't mean we're just going to let her just walk around freely or anything! We're going to have to keep watch over her as she helps you. And, once she's done helping you, we'll have to talk about what to do then. Besides, you talked about needing help with all of that dreadful business with the projections and all that." You nod, spirits not dampened in the slightest. You're going to work with magical girls and Sabrina! You don't have to fight anyone! Woo! "So! Can we go see Sabrina, now? I really want to get back to work!" She scratches the back of her head. "...Give me some time on that. My fellow members and I were not exactly in concordance, with regards to what should happen, and even though you've made a…compelling argument, some of them might take a little bit of convincing. But - If you come by Snapps tomorrow, we'll be on the rooftop - Hence, the, ah, name of our group, and you can talk to all of us, then." She coughs slightly, clearly a little embarrassed at the simplicity of the name. "Oh, don't fret, by the by - We don't keep your friend there. That wouldn't be secure! We have a spot, but I've been sworn to secrecy regarding its location, unless you're inducted into the Alliance." You nod. You can wait a day! You're sure that magical girls wouldn't mistreat Sabrina while she's in their custody or anything. Patty starts to float again, her posture stiffening as she regains her poise. "It has been a pleasure meeting you, Scarlet. I wish you the best, and will see you tomorrow - Don't be late!" You wave, as your own body relaxes slightly. You're really glad you didn't have to try to paralyze her like you did to Jeremy. With the mystery of Sabrina's location sorta-kinda resolved, you head home, thinking of how best to accomplish your rapidly swelling list of tasks…
(Your list really is swelling! I've been meaning to get around to reorganizing it, so, here's my attempt at that. Feedback is appreciated.)
It is April 6th, 1923. You gain 1 Biomass in 2 days.
Your current goals are to
Improve the Neighborhood
- Help Martin.
- Fight the scourge of addiction with Sabrina and the Alliance's help.
- Shut down Herman's Theater of the Soul.
- Close the Poster Portal. (Time Limit: Ten Years)
Handle Your Personal Obligations/Duties
- Go out publicly as a Magical Girl (Time Limit: 3 Days)
- Show up to work in 19 days for the boxing challenge.
- Meet the Alliance Today at the Rooftop on Snapps!
Your current Available Biomass is 2.
Your Current Assets Are (Bolded words are Biomass/Changeable):
1x Super Spy (Faint Soul (Immutable), False Humanoid, Poison, Disguise, Fast, Tracker)
1x Underground Ghost (Immaterial, Traceless)
1x Tree Of Abundance (Photosynthesis, SEP Field, Perception Filter, Bountiful, Forgotten)
1x Necroshroom (Roots, Saprotrophic, Refresh, Fungal, Hydroponic)
1x Alibi Spy (False Humanoid, Disguise, Trustworthy)
Your Current Resources Are:
N/A
Your Current Immutable Core Keywords Are:
Magical Biohorror, Broadcaster, Immobile, and Idealist
Your Current Core Keywords Are (Bolded words are Biomass):
Cute, Pactmaker, Split, Perceptive, Likeable, Recorder, and Shield.
Your fully explored areas:
Your Street!
(Sub-Areas of Interest: Jeremy's General Groceries, Your Building, Martin's Apartment, Laurel's Boxing, Sabrina's Apartment, Roy's Office, Apartment Buildings, The Street)
The City From On High
(Sub-Areas of Interest: N/A)
You know of the following unexplored areas:
The Underground of Your Street
(Sub-Areas: Basements, The Sewer, Den of Rats, Your Tunnels, Sewer Portal, Secret Armory)
Faith's Home
(Sub-Areas: ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???)
Back-Alley Market
(Sub-Areas: ???, ???, ???, ???)
The Workshops
(Sub-Areas: ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???)
The Caroline Snapps School and Trade Academy
(Sub-Areas: ???, ???, ???, ???, ???)
The Grey Zone
(Sub-Areas: Namreh's Theater of the Soul, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???)
Nesthall District Center (Requires Flight/Unconventional Transit to visit, or the discovery of the way there via ground-based exploration)
(Sub-Areas: Nesthall Train Station, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???)
Explore a newly discovered location or sub-area! Make sure to specify which asset is exploring - This will have an impact on what may or may not be discovered! Feel free to include write-in instructions if you so desire.
Sometimes, you need to play defense - Or simply linger in an area you've been before! This means patrolling that area and finding out what's changed about it, or if it's going to change in the future. This will do any jobs that are in the area as well.
Frederick was such a nice young man, you feel at least a little obligated to visit! Sure, you don't have much money at the best of times, but you're sure you can talk your way into it, to at least watch or something. And maybe you'll even see Frederick again!
Note: Visiting here will unlock a new Location. You can assume this of most 'visit' actions.
You need to deal with the Poster, and there's only one way to find out how - Experimentation. Throw something at the poster and see what happens. Note: This may cause damage to whatever assets you throw at the Poster.
Create an asset and pick as many keywords as you'd like for them, so long as you have the Biomass!
Recyle an asset or parts of an asset. Make sure to specify which asset and/or which keywords. Important Note: This can be done in the same 'turn' in which you create a new asset with the biomass from the old asset!
Add, remove, or change your non-immutable core keywords! This influences your wider self, rather than individual specific assets.
Choose a sub-area of interest in a fully explored location and you may spread your core flesh there with the permission of the inhabitants (if any)! This will have a number of benefits, such as applying Core Keywords to the sub-area in question, if applicable, the passive accumulation of biomass from allies in the sub-area if possible (negating the need for even a patrol action), and other, area-specific bonuses and benefits, both to yourself and to inhabitants. This will be necessary to unlock future Biomass options.
QM's Note: I did say this would be pretty short! Anyways, 12 hours of moratorium and 48 hours for voting, as per normal!