Magical Girl Flesh Horror~!
- Thread starter TheMaskedReader
- Start date
- Original
- Location
- The Frozen North
- Pronouns
- He/Him
It'd probably also be helpful to have the Architect do some structural improvements to our building at some point. Like making it more secure to prevent unwanted entry, and perhaps a bit more livable for any additional future guest.
- Location
- Minnesota
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Something I've been wondering about is that our core has the immobile keyword. Does that mean that it's not moveable, or unable to move itself? If just unable to move itself, I was thinking we could potentially carve out a sub basement and have an asset drag our core into that for some added security.
- Location
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Well, you could just use the tunnels you've already carved out and the Spread Yourself Biomass action
In terms of forcibly moving your core - No, unfortunately not. It is stuck pretty firmly in place.
JayTar
Idea briefcase
Well, if we can't move our core then I agree that our next project with the Architect should be renovating our building.
First secure the entrance to the basement. Enough security there would be really helpful in any situation like Jeremy. Just a securely locked door should be enough to deter casual investigation, let alone something more solid.
For the rest of the building we will need to keep things tricky. Renovate the place without changing it's external appearance to keep a veneer of dilapidation.
First secure the entrance to the basement. Enough security there would be really helpful in any situation like Jeremy. Just a securely locked door should be enough to deter casual investigation, let alone something more solid.
For the rest of the building we will need to keep things tricky. Renovate the place without changing it's external appearance to keep a veneer of dilapidation.
Well, you could just use the tunnels you've already carved out and the Spread Yourself Biomass action
Well, this is why we want to finish exploring the sewers in the first place.
Gotta remember to add back explosive growth to our core before doing so, that way it won't cost us permanent biomass.
- Location
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Pronouns
- She/Her
You've explored the Sewers! Only place left is the Secret Armory.
Oops, meant underground, with the ghost exploring this part this turn too.
We should be able to spread next turn, yes?
- Location
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Pronouns
- She/Her
If your goal is to spread into the tunnels, than yep!
Act One - Part Eleven: Rooftop Rendezvous
- Location
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Your night is spent in a furor of rapid workings, fueled by your excitement. You yank the song out of Alibi Spy and quickly harmonize it with Super Spy, ensuring that people will be able to tell that your intentions are good (Trustworthy). Then, after collecting the biomass Alibi Spy gathered, you start weaving it together with your Necroshroom, stripping it down and reabsorbing it into yourself. You take the snakeskin and deftly weave it into Super Spy's abdomen, beneath the faux-clothes you wear, allowing yourself to regenerate by discarding your skin (Refresh). After that, you let the biomass flux a bit, as you throw together a side project.
You've been getting a bit worried about secrecy, as your bulk swells and your biomass reserves increase. So, you decide it's time to start building some secret doors to conceal your lair! And, also, yourself. So, you get to work fashioning the perfect instrument to do that, A round, circular body, will enable it to hold all sorts of tools and materials that you need it to, as you sing the magical qualities you wish it to have into its being. Stone itself will act as clay for your new creation (Stone Shaper). Its eight limbs taper off into points, perfect for both high-precision work and for quickly swapping between various attachments that you'll store inside of its round central mass (High Precision and Artificer). Then, you add on a sensory segment of tentacles and eyes to ensure it won't cause any mess or collapses in the tunnels, perfect for analyzing structural integrity (Engineer).
With that done, you return to Super Spy. You rub your tentacles together, eagerly plotting how best to transform yourself into a vessel perfectly identifiable as a Magical Girl - Something that shows the essence of it. You decide to go with simple aesthetic signifiers - You pull the cloth of your regular outfit into yourself, and replace it with a flowing dress of skin, thin and light to look like pink cloth. It melds into you at key points, to give the illusion of folds and creases. A mask of chitinous bone flows over your face, delightfully rigid and thick. All detachable and regrowable, of course, with only mild tearing of the various connective tissues necessary to do so. A few of your eyes wander over your new form, and bob appreciatively. Your form is prepared for acrobatics and combat, while also being visually distinct from your non-costumed self (Magical Girl). Then, you frown and look critically at the form. There's something missing…Ah, yes! You know! You peel open the layers of skin and flesh, into the core of Super Spy, and whisper a breathy hum into it, coming from your very core. A core of hope and understanding, which you share with it, and which you will share from it to others. You will automatically seek to understand the emotions of others, and will have greater emotional awareness (Empathetic).
With that done, you start putting the new form of Super Spy through its paces, even as your various other assets begin to go about their business. Alibi Spy begins to go through the daily routine with little issue, acting as cheerfully as ever, though you do notice a few odd looks from your friends. Might have to rework the disguise a bit, now that you've removed the little boost of magic that you'd given it - It's probably enough to fool people off the street, but your friends might notice something's off. Or, you think, you could just explain it! They'd probably understand. (Gain 2 Biomass)
Down below, you crawl around, regularly reaching into your abdomen to grab new tools as your Secret Architect chisels and carves out new doors and entryways into your tunnels. The Sewer one is easy enough, and you model it off of the Sewer Portal's door, to make it fit in! (Stone Shaper, High Precision, Engineer) Of course, you also wedge it shut from the inside - Wouldn't do to have some poor sanitation worker stumble into your tunnels, would it? They might get hurt! Anyways, after that, you start to carve a truly wonderful entrance from your basement into the tunnels. That'll take up the rest of the day, you think, since you want it to be a really fitting door, especially if you expand into the tunnels. It'll have to meld with your bulk and the walls, which is a real challenge, but you're nothing if not a perfectionist!
Finally, an hour or two before your business, your Underground Ghost is exploring the little hidden room you found, beneath Roy's office. It seems to be exactly what it appears - A hidden stash of guns and ammunition, neatly prepared and lined up on racks and shelves. The wall between it and the main basement seems to be pretty thin - A hammer or something could probably smash it down, which you imagine must be intentional. A ladder leads upwards, and you pop through it to check it out - Yep! That's Roy's office, alright! You duck back down and start to evaluate the guns. You don't really have a frame of reference here, but you think it's a decent amount, and they seem well-maintained. Roy must spend a fair amount of time down here to do that, you think, given that they're in the basement and all. Other than them, there's also a cot set up, which seems to be well-used, with blankets and pillows. Is that where Roy sleeps? Another thing to ask him, when you're ready to do that, you suppose! After that, you check the clock in Roy's office and realize that you need to get going with Super Spy, if you want to make it to the meeting spot before evening arrives! (You've fully explored the Underground of Your Street! Congratulations!)
As you continue to have your other assets go through the motions of your actions, your focus sharpens in on Super Spy as you leap and jump across the rooftops towards where you believe you'll be meeting the Alliance. You come to the edge of the current buildings, and see what must undoubtedly be your destination - An oasis within the city, of greenery and gates. Wide-open commons intersperse between tall buildings of a distinctly more planned and modern architectural style than the ones you're used to. Gaggles of youths wander around, chattering to each other. You spot a wide variety of ages, though the younger cohorts seem to be led either by older teenagers or adults wearing badges. (Discovered the Campus!)
You turn your attention from the ground to the rooftops, and spot a familiar shape, hovering slightly (Perceptive) - That must be where they are! The distance is too wide for you to leap without specific modifications to that effect, so you shed your magical girl form for a moment and head down the stairs of the residential building you're atop of, making your way into the campus from the ground. Then, you weave between buildings, looking for the one you spotted Patty atop of. It's easy enough to slip inside, behind one of the small groups entering, presumably heading to some class or another, then to slip up the stairs, shifting back into your magical girl form as you do so (Fast, Disguise, Magical Girl).
When you get up there, things seem to be…contentious, as you peer through the propped-open door. One girl, who looks rather sickly and pale, is yelling at Patty. "I thought you were on my side! We're not just - We're not going to let her go! I was fine with handing her over to the Guard, even if that's not what I wanted, but just, letting her go to this, this random person you met?" Patty is standing resolute, floating mid-air. "The points she made were good, as I've explained to you. We have to think about more than just us, here, Laurie." Another young woman leans against the side of the building, frowning, even as lights float around her. "She's right, Patty. I wasn't in favor of, ah…the extreme option, don't get me wrong, but just…" She makes a flicking gesture with her hand. "Throwing her loose? That's not a solution, either. I don't trust this girl - She was friends with her? How do we know she's not lying?" Two more girls are standing off to the side. One of them in a red-hot metal mask and gloves, seems to not be paying attention, and the other, wrapped in bandages, is nervously watching the argument, needles and thread swarming around her agitatedly. You think now's the best time to make your entrance, before things escalate any further, or anyone notices you (Empathetic).
You step out from the door, deciding to thud against it slightly to make your approach obvious, and all of them turn to look at you as you confidently stride forward. You feel like the very striking image of an ideal magical girl (Magical Girl, Stalwart, Trustworthy). "I extend my greetings to the Rooftop Alliance of Magical Girls! I am Magical Girl Scarlet Genesis, and I am here to offer my aid to you in your quest to rid the world of evildoers and heal the damage wreaked upon the district!" You strike a confident pose, and smile. They all seem a bit stunned, which you think means you've made the right impression.
The girl in the metal mask seems to recover first, and rushes over to you. "Ohwow- You're, like, wow-" She looks at Patty, seemingly starstruck. "I thought you were kidding! But, like, you met an actual magical girl? That's so badass." Patty grimaces slightly. "Mary, we're all actual magical girls." The girl you assume is Mary lets out a sigh. "You know what I mean! We're, like, and she's, you know!" She raises a hand in your general direction, and you can feel the heat emanating off of her red-hot gloves. You really wonder what sort of magic lets those things not melt off her…or stops her from burning herself. Maybe something to experiment with!
Laurie and the lit-up one seem far less enthusiastic. Laurie's got her lips pressed into a thin line, and the lit-up one has fully stood up, seeming to take an almost defensive demeanor. "You told her where we were meeting, Patty?" The flashy one speaks, seeming irritated. Patty nods. "It was the best decision. Not only is she, as you can see, a possibly quite powerful ally, but she has a vested interest in the outcome of our decision. She deserved to be here, Sylvia." Patty crosses her arms, making it clear that she won't be questioned on her decision, and Sylvia huffs, turning away. "Look - I'm not about to trust some random person you invited in off the street with everything about myself. I'll talk to you when you decide to apologize, Patty - Or, if she wants to actually introduce herself-" She flicks her fingers at you, light springing free of her fingertips as if it were water. "As a normal person, since you just told her my real name. But until then, I'm out of here." She storms off into the stairwell. You think about trying to stop her, but…you're pretty sure that'd just end poorly (Empathetic). Patty shakes her head, frowning, while Laurie glares at Patty, even if it's a lot less heated than the look that Sylvia seemed to be giving her, beneath the light (Perceptive). Mary looks after Sylvia, seeming confused, and the quiet one in the back hunches in on herself. You wait for someone else to speak, sensing that if you, the outsider to the group, disrupt the tension in the air, it will go poorly for you (Empathetic).
"...I'm not pleased either, Patty. I get what you meant, but, like…you needed to ask us. Alright?" Laurie speaks up next, and Patty sighs. "Alright, I understand, I understand. I will do that - next time. But the ship's already sailed." She gestures to you. "Scarlet. I've conveyed your points as best I can." Laurie turns to you, her glare becoming fiercer. "And I've countered them. I'm not letting the woman who killed my brother walk away. She deserves whatever's going to happen to her, in the hands of the Guard or whoever winds up taking her. We can do what needs to be done, and help the people she's hurt, without her. If you want to help with that, that's fine. But I'm not going to let her go for the sake of convenience or some kind of, some kind of community service instead of the punishment she actually deserves!" She starts for the stairs, clearly not intending to listen to you, but this time, you do step in front of her. "Wait - Laurie, right?" She pauses, her face hostile. If you make any actual argument here, she'll just lash out at you. You've just got to follow your heart, here. (Empathetic) "I'm sorry about your brother." Her face twists a little bit, and the silence stretches for a second, before she sighs, letting the hostility seep out. "...Thank you. Look - We can talk about other things, and I want to work with you. I want to help this district. But…it can't happen like this. Not with her." You step aside and she quietly leaves, catching Patty giving you an approving nod. There's a crack there, you think, if you're willing to exploit it.
"Well, I mean, it's three to two, right?" Mary speaks up. "Now that, uh, the extreme option is definitely off the table-" She nods to Patty. "And you're arguing for her, and I'm definitely going to side with the professional magical girl!" You detect in her tone the same way you were feeling yesterday, when you met Patty. You don't think you should correct her misunderstanding, though - It'd only put strain on your first impression, and, well, you do plan on doing this as your career, right? (Empathetic). You glance over at the quiet girl, who finally speaks up. "...I'm not in favor of letting her go. So, it's not a majority" Mary whirls around. "What? Kari, why? Like, it makes total sense, and Scarlet here promised that she'd keep an eye on her, right?" You nod, doing your best to show your intent, but the thread and needles keep swirling around her, and you can't really get a read on her due to the bandages. "...It's too dangerous. And, I, uh, I-" She seems to be losing her nerve in the face of the pressure. "I, just, she's, I-She's just too dangerous, alright? It's too dangerous for us." Kari starts to rush away, following the departing members, and Mary rushes after her, attention completely off of you.
When they're gone, it's just you and Patty. You glance up at her, and she looks down at you. "...That went worse than I hoped it would." She sighs. "...Sylvia was always going to be difficult about this. And Laurie's...well, you know why." You nod, looking down. You…probably need to talk with Sabrina about the origins of this whole situation, once you manage to get her released. "Didn't expect Kari to take a side, though. She mostly just follows along with Mary." Patty purses her lips, then shakes her head. "You'll…probably have to talk with them. I doubt they'll listen to me talking about you. I do hope that this hasn't put you off of working with us, though - They're…good people, really. This is just a very touchy subject." You nod, appreciative of her efforts. "Don't worry, Patty! I'm sure we'll be able to sort this all out. We've…just got to be clear and honest with each other, right? And willing to work together!" She smiles. "That's a good attitude to have. Anyways, uh…Sylvia likes to hang out in the school's theater -" She points at one of the buildings across the campus. (Discovered the School Theater!) "Laurie…is probably going to call in sick to avoid having to talk to me. She lives over by the Market…" She points towards a section of the district outside of the Campus that you recognize. "And Kari's probably also going to not be here - I know she's been doing a work-study over at the death-speakers in Faith's Home ever since she got her powers, so that's your best bet of finding her. Or, you could find Mary - Whenever Kari's not at work or school, she's with her. She'll probably be patrolling the Workshops over the next few days, working off her excitement or frustration or however she's feeling." Patty shrugs. "She's got some friends over there who dropped out of Snapps, so she likes to keep an eye out for them."
You nod. "Alright, Patty. And…thank you for speaking up for me!" You offer a salute to her, and she laughs. "At ease! I'm not a real naval officer." There's a slight hint of wistfulness in her voice, though. She appreciated that show of respect. (Empathetic, Perceptive) "Alright, well, thanks for coming. I suppose, since nobody else is going to do it…" She claps her hands together, and says in an authoritative tone. "I declare this meeting of the Rooftop Alliance closed." She starts to head down the stairs, her costume seeming to fade away as she dips to touch the ground. Beneath the uniform is merely a young woman in her late teens, unremarkable - Too unremarkable, in fact. Is this part of her magic? She slips away into the bunches of students - Or perhaps, you simply think she does. (Perceptive) Regardless, you start the walk home, thinking to yourself. It's a difficult situation, for sure, and you're probably going to have to tailor your approach for each girl. You could even try to approach it sneakily, with different assets trying to convince them to change their minds. Or, you could just do it openly, and simply split yourself a bit - Not like you couldn't make two of the same asset, after all. Your priority has to be freeing Sabrina as soon as possible, though, and you think that unless you get all of them onboard, it'll take far longer than you'd like. And another thing, too…where are they keeping Sabrina? Who has her? You need to find that out, as well. When you return home, it's with a head full of ideas, and a burning desire to prepare for tomorrow.
QM's Note: This also took longer than I wanted it to, but, well, here's hoping it'll help me get back on track to more consistent updates, eh? Please point out any errors! 24 hours of moratorium, 48 hours for voting!
You've been getting a bit worried about secrecy, as your bulk swells and your biomass reserves increase. So, you decide it's time to start building some secret doors to conceal your lair! And, also, yourself. So, you get to work fashioning the perfect instrument to do that, A round, circular body, will enable it to hold all sorts of tools and materials that you need it to, as you sing the magical qualities you wish it to have into its being. Stone itself will act as clay for your new creation (Stone Shaper). Its eight limbs taper off into points, perfect for both high-precision work and for quickly swapping between various attachments that you'll store inside of its round central mass (High Precision and Artificer). Then, you add on a sensory segment of tentacles and eyes to ensure it won't cause any mess or collapses in the tunnels, perfect for analyzing structural integrity (Engineer).
With that done, you return to Super Spy. You rub your tentacles together, eagerly plotting how best to transform yourself into a vessel perfectly identifiable as a Magical Girl - Something that shows the essence of it. You decide to go with simple aesthetic signifiers - You pull the cloth of your regular outfit into yourself, and replace it with a flowing dress of skin, thin and light to look like pink cloth. It melds into you at key points, to give the illusion of folds and creases. A mask of chitinous bone flows over your face, delightfully rigid and thick. All detachable and regrowable, of course, with only mild tearing of the various connective tissues necessary to do so. A few of your eyes wander over your new form, and bob appreciatively. Your form is prepared for acrobatics and combat, while also being visually distinct from your non-costumed self (Magical Girl). Then, you frown and look critically at the form. There's something missing…Ah, yes! You know! You peel open the layers of skin and flesh, into the core of Super Spy, and whisper a breathy hum into it, coming from your very core. A core of hope and understanding, which you share with it, and which you will share from it to others. You will automatically seek to understand the emotions of others, and will have greater emotional awareness (Empathetic).
With that done, you start putting the new form of Super Spy through its paces, even as your various other assets begin to go about their business. Alibi Spy begins to go through the daily routine with little issue, acting as cheerfully as ever, though you do notice a few odd looks from your friends. Might have to rework the disguise a bit, now that you've removed the little boost of magic that you'd given it - It's probably enough to fool people off the street, but your friends might notice something's off. Or, you think, you could just explain it! They'd probably understand. (Gain 2 Biomass)
Down below, you crawl around, regularly reaching into your abdomen to grab new tools as your Secret Architect chisels and carves out new doors and entryways into your tunnels. The Sewer one is easy enough, and you model it off of the Sewer Portal's door, to make it fit in! (Stone Shaper, High Precision, Engineer) Of course, you also wedge it shut from the inside - Wouldn't do to have some poor sanitation worker stumble into your tunnels, would it? They might get hurt! Anyways, after that, you start to carve a truly wonderful entrance from your basement into the tunnels. That'll take up the rest of the day, you think, since you want it to be a really fitting door, especially if you expand into the tunnels. It'll have to meld with your bulk and the walls, which is a real challenge, but you're nothing if not a perfectionist!
Finally, an hour or two before your business, your Underground Ghost is exploring the little hidden room you found, beneath Roy's office. It seems to be exactly what it appears - A hidden stash of guns and ammunition, neatly prepared and lined up on racks and shelves. The wall between it and the main basement seems to be pretty thin - A hammer or something could probably smash it down, which you imagine must be intentional. A ladder leads upwards, and you pop through it to check it out - Yep! That's Roy's office, alright! You duck back down and start to evaluate the guns. You don't really have a frame of reference here, but you think it's a decent amount, and they seem well-maintained. Roy must spend a fair amount of time down here to do that, you think, given that they're in the basement and all. Other than them, there's also a cot set up, which seems to be well-used, with blankets and pillows. Is that where Roy sleeps? Another thing to ask him, when you're ready to do that, you suppose! After that, you check the clock in Roy's office and realize that you need to get going with Super Spy, if you want to make it to the meeting spot before evening arrives! (You've fully explored the Underground of Your Street! Congratulations!)
As you continue to have your other assets go through the motions of your actions, your focus sharpens in on Super Spy as you leap and jump across the rooftops towards where you believe you'll be meeting the Alliance. You come to the edge of the current buildings, and see what must undoubtedly be your destination - An oasis within the city, of greenery and gates. Wide-open commons intersperse between tall buildings of a distinctly more planned and modern architectural style than the ones you're used to. Gaggles of youths wander around, chattering to each other. You spot a wide variety of ages, though the younger cohorts seem to be led either by older teenagers or adults wearing badges. (Discovered the Campus!)
You turn your attention from the ground to the rooftops, and spot a familiar shape, hovering slightly (Perceptive) - That must be where they are! The distance is too wide for you to leap without specific modifications to that effect, so you shed your magical girl form for a moment and head down the stairs of the residential building you're atop of, making your way into the campus from the ground. Then, you weave between buildings, looking for the one you spotted Patty atop of. It's easy enough to slip inside, behind one of the small groups entering, presumably heading to some class or another, then to slip up the stairs, shifting back into your magical girl form as you do so (Fast, Disguise, Magical Girl).
When you get up there, things seem to be…contentious, as you peer through the propped-open door. One girl, who looks rather sickly and pale, is yelling at Patty. "I thought you were on my side! We're not just - We're not going to let her go! I was fine with handing her over to the Guard, even if that's not what I wanted, but just, letting her go to this, this random person you met?" Patty is standing resolute, floating mid-air. "The points she made were good, as I've explained to you. We have to think about more than just us, here, Laurie." Another young woman leans against the side of the building, frowning, even as lights float around her. "She's right, Patty. I wasn't in favor of, ah…the extreme option, don't get me wrong, but just…" She makes a flicking gesture with her hand. "Throwing her loose? That's not a solution, either. I don't trust this girl - She was friends with her? How do we know she's not lying?" Two more girls are standing off to the side. One of them in a red-hot metal mask and gloves, seems to not be paying attention, and the other, wrapped in bandages, is nervously watching the argument, needles and thread swarming around her agitatedly. You think now's the best time to make your entrance, before things escalate any further, or anyone notices you (Empathetic).
You step out from the door, deciding to thud against it slightly to make your approach obvious, and all of them turn to look at you as you confidently stride forward. You feel like the very striking image of an ideal magical girl (Magical Girl, Stalwart, Trustworthy). "I extend my greetings to the Rooftop Alliance of Magical Girls! I am Magical Girl Scarlet Genesis, and I am here to offer my aid to you in your quest to rid the world of evildoers and heal the damage wreaked upon the district!" You strike a confident pose, and smile. They all seem a bit stunned, which you think means you've made the right impression.
The girl in the metal mask seems to recover first, and rushes over to you. "Ohwow- You're, like, wow-" She looks at Patty, seemingly starstruck. "I thought you were kidding! But, like, you met an actual magical girl? That's so badass." Patty grimaces slightly. "Mary, we're all actual magical girls." The girl you assume is Mary lets out a sigh. "You know what I mean! We're, like, and she's, you know!" She raises a hand in your general direction, and you can feel the heat emanating off of her red-hot gloves. You really wonder what sort of magic lets those things not melt off her…or stops her from burning herself. Maybe something to experiment with!
Laurie and the lit-up one seem far less enthusiastic. Laurie's got her lips pressed into a thin line, and the lit-up one has fully stood up, seeming to take an almost defensive demeanor. "You told her where we were meeting, Patty?" The flashy one speaks, seeming irritated. Patty nods. "It was the best decision. Not only is she, as you can see, a possibly quite powerful ally, but she has a vested interest in the outcome of our decision. She deserved to be here, Sylvia." Patty crosses her arms, making it clear that she won't be questioned on her decision, and Sylvia huffs, turning away. "Look - I'm not about to trust some random person you invited in off the street with everything about myself. I'll talk to you when you decide to apologize, Patty - Or, if she wants to actually introduce herself-" She flicks her fingers at you, light springing free of her fingertips as if it were water. "As a normal person, since you just told her my real name. But until then, I'm out of here." She storms off into the stairwell. You think about trying to stop her, but…you're pretty sure that'd just end poorly (Empathetic). Patty shakes her head, frowning, while Laurie glares at Patty, even if it's a lot less heated than the look that Sylvia seemed to be giving her, beneath the light (Perceptive). Mary looks after Sylvia, seeming confused, and the quiet one in the back hunches in on herself. You wait for someone else to speak, sensing that if you, the outsider to the group, disrupt the tension in the air, it will go poorly for you (Empathetic).
"...I'm not pleased either, Patty. I get what you meant, but, like…you needed to ask us. Alright?" Laurie speaks up next, and Patty sighs. "Alright, I understand, I understand. I will do that - next time. But the ship's already sailed." She gestures to you. "Scarlet. I've conveyed your points as best I can." Laurie turns to you, her glare becoming fiercer. "And I've countered them. I'm not letting the woman who killed my brother walk away. She deserves whatever's going to happen to her, in the hands of the Guard or whoever winds up taking her. We can do what needs to be done, and help the people she's hurt, without her. If you want to help with that, that's fine. But I'm not going to let her go for the sake of convenience or some kind of, some kind of community service instead of the punishment she actually deserves!" She starts for the stairs, clearly not intending to listen to you, but this time, you do step in front of her. "Wait - Laurie, right?" She pauses, her face hostile. If you make any actual argument here, she'll just lash out at you. You've just got to follow your heart, here. (Empathetic) "I'm sorry about your brother." Her face twists a little bit, and the silence stretches for a second, before she sighs, letting the hostility seep out. "...Thank you. Look - We can talk about other things, and I want to work with you. I want to help this district. But…it can't happen like this. Not with her." You step aside and she quietly leaves, catching Patty giving you an approving nod. There's a crack there, you think, if you're willing to exploit it.
"Well, I mean, it's three to two, right?" Mary speaks up. "Now that, uh, the extreme option is definitely off the table-" She nods to Patty. "And you're arguing for her, and I'm definitely going to side with the professional magical girl!" You detect in her tone the same way you were feeling yesterday, when you met Patty. You don't think you should correct her misunderstanding, though - It'd only put strain on your first impression, and, well, you do plan on doing this as your career, right? (Empathetic). You glance over at the quiet girl, who finally speaks up. "...I'm not in favor of letting her go. So, it's not a majority" Mary whirls around. "What? Kari, why? Like, it makes total sense, and Scarlet here promised that she'd keep an eye on her, right?" You nod, doing your best to show your intent, but the thread and needles keep swirling around her, and you can't really get a read on her due to the bandages. "...It's too dangerous. And, I, uh, I-" She seems to be losing her nerve in the face of the pressure. "I, just, she's, I-She's just too dangerous, alright? It's too dangerous for us." Kari starts to rush away, following the departing members, and Mary rushes after her, attention completely off of you.
When they're gone, it's just you and Patty. You glance up at her, and she looks down at you. "...That went worse than I hoped it would." She sighs. "...Sylvia was always going to be difficult about this. And Laurie's...well, you know why." You nod, looking down. You…probably need to talk with Sabrina about the origins of this whole situation, once you manage to get her released. "Didn't expect Kari to take a side, though. She mostly just follows along with Mary." Patty purses her lips, then shakes her head. "You'll…probably have to talk with them. I doubt they'll listen to me talking about you. I do hope that this hasn't put you off of working with us, though - They're…good people, really. This is just a very touchy subject." You nod, appreciative of her efforts. "Don't worry, Patty! I'm sure we'll be able to sort this all out. We've…just got to be clear and honest with each other, right? And willing to work together!" She smiles. "That's a good attitude to have. Anyways, uh…Sylvia likes to hang out in the school's theater -" She points at one of the buildings across the campus. (Discovered the School Theater!) "Laurie…is probably going to call in sick to avoid having to talk to me. She lives over by the Market…" She points towards a section of the district outside of the Campus that you recognize. "And Kari's probably also going to not be here - I know she's been doing a work-study over at the death-speakers in Faith's Home ever since she got her powers, so that's your best bet of finding her. Or, you could find Mary - Whenever Kari's not at work or school, she's with her. She'll probably be patrolling the Workshops over the next few days, working off her excitement or frustration or however she's feeling." Patty shrugs. "She's got some friends over there who dropped out of Snapps, so she likes to keep an eye out for them."
You nod. "Alright, Patty. And…thank you for speaking up for me!" You offer a salute to her, and she laughs. "At ease! I'm not a real naval officer." There's a slight hint of wistfulness in her voice, though. She appreciated that show of respect. (Empathetic, Perceptive) "Alright, well, thanks for coming. I suppose, since nobody else is going to do it…" She claps her hands together, and says in an authoritative tone. "I declare this meeting of the Rooftop Alliance closed." She starts to head down the stairs, her costume seeming to fade away as she dips to touch the ground. Beneath the uniform is merely a young woman in her late teens, unremarkable - Too unremarkable, in fact. Is this part of her magic? She slips away into the bunches of students - Or perhaps, you simply think she does. (Perceptive) Regardless, you start the walk home, thinking to yourself. It's a difficult situation, for sure, and you're probably going to have to tailor your approach for each girl. You could even try to approach it sneakily, with different assets trying to convince them to change their minds. Or, you could just do it openly, and simply split yourself a bit - Not like you couldn't make two of the same asset, after all. Your priority has to be freeing Sabrina as soon as possible, though, and you think that unless you get all of them onboard, it'll take far longer than you'd like. And another thing, too…where are they keeping Sabrina? Who has her? You need to find that out, as well. When you return home, it's with a head full of ideas, and a burning desire to prepare for tomorrow.
It is April 7th, 1923. You gain 1 Biomass in 1 day.
Your current goals are to
Improve the NeighborhoodYour current goals are to
- 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)
- Convince them to let Sabrina go
- Convince Laurie, in the Back-Alley Market.
- Convince Sylvia, in the School Theater.
- Convince Kari, in Faith's Home or the Workshops.
- Show up to work in 18 days for the boxing challenge.
Your current Available Biomass is 2.
Your Current Assets Are (Bolded words are Biomass/Changeable):
1x Super Spy (Faint Soul (Immutable), False Humanoid, Poison, Refresh, Disguise, Fast, Stalwart, Trustworthy, Empathetic, Magical Girl)
1x Underground Ghost (Immaterial, Traceless)
1x Tree Of Abundance (Photosynthesis, SEP Field, Perception Filter, Bountiful, Forgotten)
1x Alibi Spy (False Humanoid, Disguise)
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)
The Underground of Your Street
(Sub-Areas: The Sewer, Den of Rats, Your Tunnels, Sewer Portal, Secret Armory)
You know of the following unexplored areas:
Faith's Home
(Sub-Areas: ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???)
Back-Alley Market
(Sub-Areas: ???, ???, ???, ???)
The Workshops
(Sub-Areas: ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???)
The Caroline Snapps School and Trade Academy
(Sub-Areas: Campus, School Theater, ???, ???, ???)
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, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???)
Your Current Assets Are (Bolded words are Biomass/Changeable):
1x Super Spy (Faint Soul (Immutable), False Humanoid, Poison, Refresh, Disguise, Fast, Stalwart, Trustworthy, Empathetic, Magical Girl)
1x Underground Ghost (Immaterial, Traceless)
1x Tree Of Abundance (Photosynthesis, SEP Field, Perception Filter, Bountiful, Forgotten)
1x Alibi Spy (False Humanoid, Disguise)
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)
The Underground of Your Street
(Sub-Areas: The Sewer, Den of Rats, Your Tunnels, Sewer Portal, Secret Armory)
You know of the following unexplored areas:
Faith's Home
(Sub-Areas: ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???)
Back-Alley Market
(Sub-Areas: ???, ???, ???, ???)
The Workshops
(Sub-Areas: ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???)
The Caroline Snapps School and Trade Academy
(Sub-Areas: Campus, School Theater, ???, ???, ???)
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, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???)
Asset Situations
Explore [Sub-Area] with [Asset]
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.
Patrol [Fully Explored Area] with [Asset]
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.
Visit Carl's Parlor of Dice and Cards
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.
Note: Visiting here will unlock a new Location. You can assume this of most 'visit' actions.
Deal With The Poster
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.
Biomass Options
Create an Asset.
Create an asset and pick as many keywords as you'd like for them, so long as you have the Biomass!
Recycle An Asset
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!
Modify Yourself
Add, remove, or change your non-immutable core keywords! This influences your wider self, rather than individual specific assets.
Spread Yourself
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: This also took longer than I wanted it to, but, well, here's hoping it'll help me get back on track to more consistent updates, eh? Please point out any errors! 24 hours of moratorium, 48 hours for voting!
Maybe adding empathetic to Alibi Spy and recycle Underground Ghost to make a Alibi Spy clone with also empathetic so we can approach the three of them in one day?
Recycling a couple of the less socially useful keywords from Super Spy to give the other two spies Magical Girl could be useful if we feel like the oomph we had with it this turn is needed.
Recycling a couple of the less socially useful keywords from Super Spy to give the other two spies Magical Girl could be useful if we feel like the oomph we had with it this turn is needed.
JayTar
Idea briefcase
I like the bio-horror interpretations of various keywords. Very neat.
We can probably recycle the Secret Architect (though it doesn't show up under our current assets?) for 4 biomass. That should give us enough to work with this turn.
(I also notice that "Go out publicly as a Magical Girl (Time Limit: 3 Days)" from last turn has disappeared off of our goals list? Did this meeting count?)
Perhaps we can re-purpose the underground ghost to go find where they are keeping Sabrina? While we do want to talk them into letting Sabrina go, it's probably going to take a few days. Talking with her should reassure her (and make sure she doesn't try anything desperate to escape) and could help us get more context about the ongoing situation too (like what does Sabrina know about the kid who died).
Anyway we have three Magical Girls to convince. This is going to take some thinking.
Complex social challenges that you can't just brute force your way though are one of my favorite things in quests. So I am really enjoying this plot line. Working on an analysis and breakdown, but will probably put it in another post.
We can probably recycle the Secret Architect (though it doesn't show up under our current assets?) for 4 biomass. That should give us enough to work with this turn.
(I also notice that "Go out publicly as a Magical Girl (Time Limit: 3 Days)" from last turn has disappeared off of our goals list? Did this meeting count?)
Perhaps we can re-purpose the underground ghost to go find where they are keeping Sabrina? While we do want to talk them into letting Sabrina go, it's probably going to take a few days. Talking with her should reassure her (and make sure she doesn't try anything desperate to escape) and could help us get more context about the ongoing situation too (like what does Sabrina know about the kid who died).
Anyway we have three Magical Girls to convince. This is going to take some thinking.
Complex social challenges that you can't just brute force your way though are one of my favorite things in quests. So I am really enjoying this plot line. Working on an analysis and breakdown, but will probably put it in another post.
Iris-Iven-Ibis
Interested-Idiot-Immortal
- Location
- You know
We quite literally can't move our core you know I've been thinking perhaps we should make a some kind of unit that can attach to one of the magical girl rooftop alliance members and find where our friend is
JayTar
Idea briefcase
Alright, here is my analysis on convincing the rooftop alliance so far.
Laurie:
Laurie is the one who's brother died, so her position is going to have a lot of emotional weight behind it. Her primary objection is just that she just has far too much negative emotions regarding Sabrina to accept her not being punished.
She is not a magical girl, but is the one that somehow turned the others into into magical girls which is interesting. The process involved hearing a wish of theirs and then giving them a keepsake of her mother's. One thing I noticed is that at the end of her interlude:
Perhaps with some healing keywords we could help her? It would both demonstrate our claimed healing abilities, and help get some goodwill from her.
It might also help to arrange a conversation between her and Sabrina in order to humanize Sabrina to her. Though it would definitely be something very fraught that we should discuss with Sabrina before we try.
We could also share some of the ways that Sabrina has helped us. Try to chip away at the image of Sabrina that she has built up.
We should try to figure more out about her brothers personal situation and just how much culpability Sabrina had in his death. If he was one of Sabrina's lieutenants then Sabrina should have known him well. It might actually serve as a point of connection between them to cool her feelings regarding Sabrina.
(Or you know, maybe it wasn't an overdose and was really an assassination by a rival gang or something. Sabrina's gang wasn't taken down that long ago was it? If he had a stash (like the person that asked Laurie was looking for) why had he already resorted to riskier new supplies?)
Sylvia:
We don't know a ton about her. Her objections include that she doesn't trust us, and in a round about way invites us to come introduce our self "Like a normal person". That gives us a pretty clear path forwards. We talk to her with an asset that has maybe a couple of social keywords in a more normal situation. Maybe let her peak just a little bit behind the curtain (we aren't really that normal of a person) to build trust.
Kari:
Her objection is that it's "too dangerous". I guess she is worried about retaliation on Sabrina's part? Proving our self to be trustworthy and competent to her should help alleviate that, to add more substance to our promise that Sabrina won't? We could also demonstrate our ability to make Pacts if it would help? Getting a conversation between her and Sabrina could also help. Convince her that Sabrina isn't dangerous due to lack of intent.
She also has some sort of connection to/desire to be one these "death-speakers", so learning more about what they are could give us more insight into her.
I would also speculate that maybe she has some sort of connection to however they are keeping Sabrina contained? Especially if it is connected to her civilian identity it would explain why she specifically is worried about retaliation.
Mary:
Not objecting. Seems to be close with Kari so we might be able to get insight into her from her. Also seems to be the one most enamored with the whole "magical girl" thing.
Convincing them all may take more then a single turn. Partly because Laurie is probably going to need more then a single conversation, and also because I'm not sure we have enough biomass to approach all three with enough keywords on each. The timeline Patty gave for Mary patrolling was "the next few days" so it's probably okay if we take more then a single day, but all the same we should try to move quickly. Two approaches per turn maybe?
Laurie:
Laurie is the one who's brother died, so her position is going to have a lot of emotional weight behind it. Her primary objection is just that she just has far too much negative emotions regarding Sabrina to accept her not being punished.
She is not a magical girl, but is the one that somehow turned the others into into magical girls which is interesting. The process involved hearing a wish of theirs and then giving them a keepsake of her mother's. One thing I noticed is that at the end of her interlude:
She was noted to be feeling sick, weak and frail. And then in this update:
She was also noted to be sickly and pale. So turning her friends into magical girls hurt her or cost her somehow.
Perhaps with some healing keywords we could help her? It would both demonstrate our claimed healing abilities, and help get some goodwill from her.
It might also help to arrange a conversation between her and Sabrina in order to humanize Sabrina to her. Though it would definitely be something very fraught that we should discuss with Sabrina before we try.
We could also share some of the ways that Sabrina has helped us. Try to chip away at the image of Sabrina that she has built up.
We should try to figure more out about her brothers personal situation and just how much culpability Sabrina had in his death. If he was one of Sabrina's lieutenants then Sabrina should have known him well. It might actually serve as a point of connection between them to cool her feelings regarding Sabrina.
(Or you know, maybe it wasn't an overdose and was really an assassination by a rival gang or something. Sabrina's gang wasn't taken down that long ago was it? If he had a stash (like the person that asked Laurie was looking for) why had he already resorted to riskier new supplies?)
Sylvia:
We don't know a ton about her. Her objections include that she doesn't trust us, and in a round about way invites us to come introduce our self "Like a normal person". That gives us a pretty clear path forwards. We talk to her with an asset that has maybe a couple of social keywords in a more normal situation. Maybe let her peak just a little bit behind the curtain (we aren't really that normal of a person) to build trust.
Kari:
Her objection is that it's "too dangerous". I guess she is worried about retaliation on Sabrina's part? Proving our self to be trustworthy and competent to her should help alleviate that, to add more substance to our promise that Sabrina won't? We could also demonstrate our ability to make Pacts if it would help? Getting a conversation between her and Sabrina could also help. Convince her that Sabrina isn't dangerous due to lack of intent.
She also has some sort of connection to/desire to be one these "death-speakers", so learning more about what they are could give us more insight into her.
I would also speculate that maybe she has some sort of connection to however they are keeping Sabrina contained? Especially if it is connected to her civilian identity it would explain why she specifically is worried about retaliation.
Mary:
Not objecting. Seems to be close with Kari so we might be able to get insight into her from her. Also seems to be the one most enamored with the whole "magical girl" thing.
Convincing them all may take more then a single turn. Partly because Laurie is probably going to need more then a single conversation, and also because I'm not sure we have enough biomass to approach all three with enough keywords on each. The timeline Patty gave for Mary patrolling was "the next few days" so it's probably okay if we take more then a single day, but all the same we should try to move quickly. Two approaches per turn maybe?
- Location
- Poland
- Pronouns
- He/Him
... Any real limit of how many keywords fit into our core?
If we send 2 or more vessels to do missions, would be efficient to move things like Stalwart to our core.
If we send 2 or more vessels to do missions, would be efficient to move things like Stalwart to our core.
Iris-Iven-Ibis
Interested-Idiot-Immortal
- Location
- You know
Unless the author tells us we don't know so I'm going to assume there isn't a limit and we can use this to ramp up forever speaking of that ramp might be a good keyword ramp as in like magic the gathering rolling down like a ball rolling down a hill kind of ramp gaining more and more speed and resources longer something goes on
- Location
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Yeah, I'm not going to cap you or anything. Keep ramping up! Just know that I've got escalation in mind and am planning accordingly from the QM side.
- Location
- Minnesota
- Pronouns
- She/Her
This was a great update! A lot to think on. I really loved the description of the changes to super spy! Very neat.
I'm a bit concerned about talking to all three girls in one day? If they happen to compare notes, then they might realize that the conversations happened simultaneously. This… could put us in a tight spot? This might just be solvable by making sure that the meetings are staggered throughout the day so that it seems like there's a reasonable travel time between them?
I think JayTar's analysis is good. I didn't put two and two together with Laurie looking sickly! That's definitely a good catch.
I think we should definitely start to expand into the underground this turn; to our tunnels at least.
I'm a bit concerned about talking to all three girls in one day? If they happen to compare notes, then they might realize that the conversations happened simultaneously. This… could put us in a tight spot? This might just be solvable by making sure that the meetings are staggered throughout the day so that it seems like there's a reasonable travel time between them?
I think JayTar's analysis is good. I didn't put two and two together with Laurie looking sickly! That's definitely a good catch.
I think we should definitely start to expand into the underground this turn; to our tunnels at least.
First step:
One day, Scarlet will casually explain how some of her features work, then wonder why her interlocutor fainted partway through.
*Is it me or does the her skin moves?*
I'm totally voting to explain, by the way, would be fun!
Which I absolutely do want to!
Meanwhile, Alibi spy is scratching her eyes on her arm with her tentacles.
Proposition: Wait for him in the armory by giving the form used intangible, then ask there, no way he'll react badly to someone in his secret space!
Honest question: how many tentacles did we deploy?
Pffffff. Girl, we didn't even act once as a magical girl previously, we have barely lived longer than you have been a magical girl, we just cheat like there's no tomorrow.
B-b-b-but, we used our real name?
Part of the problem is that the guards punishment is very likely to be disproportionate, other part is that community service is punishment, not all of forms of punishment have to be tortures or imprisonment.
Not sure who to go see first, one is the one with the most personal stakes in this and we really should convince her and not have her friends take the decision, but the other has a problem we can explain easily if with some interesting reaction probable from her (what do you mean, *I'm a one week old flesh monster*????)
On the other hand: 4k words update.
We did present ourself very visibly as a magical girl to a group.
Yes, and I fully intend to do it this very turn, it doesn't costs us anything as long as we reapply the correct word, and it unlocks options, which is always good.
Good analysis, I think we should approach miss *peak behind the curtain* first, to give her time to comes to term with it, maybe take Martin with us too when we go show her? He did tell he trusted us, and I want to repay this, plus he can offer the point of view of someone who just lived for days next to us and didn't suffer from any horrible fate, we even helped him.
You did imply some capacity for us to go global, good to see a confirmation, also good to see you have plans, jumping on such a big change without them could end badly.
On the other tentacle we can use that with telling to Sylvia about us to allow her to see that we can indeed make more bodies.
Current idea is to use alibi spy and super-spy to go see two girls (Probably Silvia and Laurie), spread ourself in the tunnels, don't patrol this turn, and see what we can do from the architect's biomass to both increase alibi spies abilities for this turn, and maybe remake the beginning of a necroshroom.
@TheMaskedReader, can we go see Sylvia and show her our core in the same turn, and what word gave us free spreading when put on our core? I remember it was either Explosive Growth or Exponential Growth but not which one.
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- Location
- Minnesota
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Heres the relevant section on the carious core keywords.
I agree with this.
I'm also wondering if we could make an asset/expand into the rat warrens to make a sort of symbiotic connection with them? If we put a little rider organism on each rat which can make them more situationally aware, better able to hunt/scavenge, etc it might be a good source of biomass.
Edit:
Why would we want this?
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Thanks. Exponential it is!
I'm pretty sure we discussed ways to make the rat more intelligent as soon as we found them, add that to the pile!
When it come to expanding there, the Qm said we'd have to ask the rats for permission first.
I would want to dedicate the turn we do it to mostly that though, so maybe after our current discussions?
Or we can use the excess biomass we'll have this turn after making both our conversations assets to make the symbiotes.
Hmm, decisions, decisions....
Edit:
She wants transparency, we could also meet her with a completely transparent asset, but something tells me she might not appreciate that one.
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- Location
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Pronouns
- She/Her
This counted! You appeared publicly, in front of a group, as a magical girl.
You could ask her, and she may or may not come? That's the best I can give you. Depends on keywords, tactics, etc.
Well, that's what I wanted to check, if we had the time if we managed to convince her, so thanks, now to find the arguments, maybe tell her we want to show Martin to her and use the occasion to also show ourself to both of them?
It is dangerous still, if she reacts badly we're in for a world of hurt, but it's also a very strong card to show her if it works as far as gaining trust and being transparent goes.
I'm probably going to propose one plan with it and one without, so that voters can decide if they want to take the risk.
The bare minimum is still to explain at least some of our nature to her, but how much?
Anyone has ideas?
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