This requires spending 1 FP. If you immediately continue into the research then that FP becomes an Invoke and you get the benefit of 2 prep days for the one difficulty-check day,
Emphasis mine, if you look at the rolls for the chapter following this announcement you can see that we are not getting a free Invoke on the cycle following the prep day per the rules change, we are however getting the prep days.
I'm not asking you to revisit this research, but moving forward it should be incorporated.
I don't think this FP buy makes mathematical sense. Hazou is at 2 FP to start with here, so he should be spending 10 XP and he then then refreshes to 3 and not 4, so I think this XP wasn't spent.
Sure, but you don't choose to go to sleep and then instantaneously lose consciousness (at least, I don't), or have your reawakening dependent on another person choosing to spend a large amount of chakra to recreate you. It's not very like suicide, but it's more similar than sleep.
I do think THing BoC to create rune-specific techniques might have potential in a long-term mixed ninjutsu/runecrafting build, but it's certainly not achievable within a useful timeframe.
We're not even planning to use BoC long-term. We want to Tweak ES into a form that can produce substrate at 50. Since you can only use one Tweak at a time, I don't think this will end up working out.
Sure, but you don't choose to go to sleep and then instantaneously lose consciousness (at least, I don't), or have your reawakening dependent on another person choosing to spend a large amount of chakra to recreate you. It's not very like suicide, but it's more similar than sleep.
So what are our plans for next update, again? Quick sanity check, leave Runecrafting stuff in Dog for Kagome (as a Deadmans Switch), split the group so some of them head to Leaf while we meet with Orochimaru via Shadow Clone?
Here's what I'm cooking.
Set deadman switches, then everyone goes to Rice, Hazou and Mari approach Orochimaru(via SC).
We outline our capabilities and point out that with our defences Leaf will be happy to join us for the rift assault.
If Oro agrees, great! We'll all plan to rejoin Leaf together.If
Oro refuses Leaf involvement, but can't offer a strategically sound reason, he's planning to Yoink the rift, and possibly kill Hazou after the assault. We tell Oro that we'll only work with Leaf. He can join us/Leaf, or he can try solo and we'll make a second strike with Leaf as a contingency if he fails.
If Oro has a strategically compelling reason to exclude Leaf... shoot. We might have to take the risky team-up with him, or we can try to think of a better option. The ball is back in the hive mind's court.
[X] Action Plan: Work Together Or Die Alone.
Wordcount: < 299
Duration: travel time + a few hours.
Optimise all with uplift.
Setup
Attempt to summon Cannai
Prepare various deadman triggers
Give PS notes+substrate to Cannai.
If we don't make regular check-ins(or seem coerced), share it according to your judgement.
Give PS notes+substrate to Kei. She can set another deadman without telling us the details.
All deadman switchs should have a way to disable them after a month or two.
Send a message to Oro
Prefabricate and store 10k units of substrate.
Please treat Gamahebigai as comfortably and respectfully as possible.
Meet with Oro in Rice.
Mari and Hazou('s SCs) meet Oro, everyone else stays a few hours away.
Hazo does the talking.
Attitude/Tone: respectful peer. "we're both her to save the the world, let's get down to business".
Ask for a quick sitrep: what's the condition of Leaf, Akatsuki, and Amity?
Outline our relevant capabilities(Force Dome, Iron Earth, RER2.0, Ninja Radar, Air Leadener, Noburi, Cannai?), invite Oro to do the same.
Ninja Radar will leave an active rune behind, so useing them isn't costless.
Do NOT disclose any temporal runes.
We have the means to secure Leaf's support and to defend Leaf against siege. Let's join up with Leaf and get this done.
If Oro refuses Leaf's help, hear him out.
If he refuses to believe Leaf will work with us, reveal Naruto's secret Orders.
Mari looks out for false/misleading explanations.
If Orochimaru won't be honest or can't convince Hazopilot that excluding Leaf is a strategic necessity: Insist on their help as a condition of Uplift's assistance.
Our BATNA is to let him try solo and hopefully kill Sasori. If he fails, we'll rejoin Leaf and attack.
Default plan: Essieclone/Boss rush, possibly preceded by massive RER2.0 bombardment.
Do we have the stealth capabilities to set up for RER2.0?
I was talking about the choice->instant-loss-of-consciousness of self-dismissal vs the "try to sleep, lie there for a while and then at some point fall asleep without actually noticing" of sleep, not claiming that Snowflake could choose not to dismiss herself - she's only got a 24-hour duration, after all. But citation that SCs can't exist while Prime is asleep? It's not in the rules of the technique. (I can see why it might be a bad idea, since your ability to resist clone shock might be impaired if it hits you while you're asleep, but that's different from it being impossible; SCs popping if Prime loses consciousness would be important data about the mechanics of SC and also for its practical use.)
I was talking about the choice->instant-loss-of-consciousness of self-dismissal vs the "try to sleep, lie there for a while and then at some point fall asleep without actually noticing" of sleep, not claiming that Snowflake could choose not to dismiss herself - she's only got a 24-hour duration, after all. But citation that SCs can't exist while Prime is asleep? It's not in the rules of the technique. (I can see why it might be a bad idea, since your ability to resist clone shock might be impaired if it hits you while you're asleep, but that's different from it being impossible; SCs popping if Prime loses consciousness would be important data about the mechanics of SC and also for its practical use.)
Set deadman switches, then everyone goes to Rice, Hazou and Mari approach Orochimaru(via SC).
We outline our capabilities and point out that with our defences Leaf will be happy to join us for the rift assault.
I'd want the update to end after Orochimaru finishes explaining his plan.
Note: if we wait too long, delaying leaving our current location, spending too long setting up deadman switches, then Orochimaru will either move out on his own, or rightfully point out that we don't have enough time to involve Leaf.
Huh. So it is. Reading comprehension fail on my part - I think because it's a short sentence at the bottom of the list, my brain just skipped over it. Apologies.
That has very interesting implications for how SC functions. The obvious first question is whether it was deliberately included in the technique (e.g. as a safety measure) or if it's actually a necessary part of its operation (which would suggest active interfacing with Prime's brain as a required component of running the technique).
Do we know if other techniques stop running if the user falls unconscious? Like, if Kei casts Cloak of the WInd God and then faints for some reason, does her CotWG immediately dissipate, or does it keep running till its duration runs out?
@eaglejarl@Paperclipped@Velorien , just noticed Noburi doesn't have the "Toughened Mind" aspect on his sheet, which he should have acquired from learning Shadow Clone. Could this be updated, please?
Also, does anyone know when voting closes this cycle?
Do we know if other techniques stop running if the user falls unconscious? Like, if Kei casts Cloak of the WInd God and then faints for some reason, does her CotWG immediately dissipate, or does it keep running till its duration runs out
Summoning and ES both have ongoing chakra costs, though (even if Summoning's is mechanically paid once an hour), so they're not necessarily good general examples.
Summoning and ES both have ongoing chakra costs, though (even if Summoning's is mechanically paid once an hour), so they're not necessarily good general examples.
I thought I remembered something about the upkeep cost actually being continuous and the once-an-hour being an abstraction, but can't find it.
Unrelatedly: while reading the rules of the Summoning Technique, I found this:
There is no inherent limit on how long a summoner may stay in the Summon Realm, though the provision of food and shelter is not typically part of the summon contract and must be negotiated separately. The summoner can return voluntarily, and can be forcibly sent back by the boss summon of the clan (e.g. Pantsā) or by the summon who reverse-summoned them in the first place.
"Soon. And I need to ask a favor: I'll check in with you right before I look at the and I need you to kick me off the Seventh Path thirty minutes later unless you hear from me."
The massive canine cocked his head. "Kick you off the Path?"
"Yes. Force me to shred through the unerpindings of r3al!ty so that I Pahumanth up end kcab on the, if that's okay?"
"...Why would you think I could do that?"
"Kumokōgō said that she could stop a Wayshredder from tRvelnig thr0Vg|-| P4th5..."
"Yes, exactly. I can stop you from doing it, I can't force you to do it."
I can understand that, but I think the conversation works better if Hazoupilot walks in knowing his stance and bargaining position.
And this just covers the cases of Oro happily joining Leaf, or stubbornly insisting on stealing the rift for himself. For anything else unexpected, we'll end the chapter and let the hivemind review the new info and talk it out.
Note: if we wait too long, delaying leaving our current location, spending too long setting up deadman switches, then Orochimaru will either move out on his own, or rightfully point out that we don't have enough time to involve Leaf.
Hazō held tight to his loves, arms stretched wide to encompass them. Ino's golden hair tickled his nose and the scents of both of them filled his mind: peaches and sweet/salty sweat and the unique fragrance held by any human being but these two particular instances calmed his mind and rendered the world right.
They broke apart only after a long time, and sank to the blanket-covered grass. Even then, none of them were willing to stop touching—Akane had her head in Hazō's lap, Hazō had his left hand on her thigh and Ino's left captured in his right. Ino stroked Akane's calf with the same slow, meditative strokes that one might use for a cat. A cat that had climbed up on you while you were sitting on a comfortable velvet-covered couch on a warm night, the room umber and dim as the candles burned low and you had nothing to do save bask in the stillness and the faint rumble of the feline warmth in your lap.
"I've missed you," Hazō said at last.
"Which one of us?" Ino asked, her voice implish and her smile wicked.
"Both of you," he scolded. "And stop trying to get me in trouble."
"Indeed, it is most unyouthful," Akane said, her voice a bit distant as she basked in safety and closeness for the first time in far too long. Her eyes were closed, her face utterly relaxed, her whole body warm and liquid as her loves touched her.
"How have you been?" Ino asked. "Both of you?"
Hazō had too many words and a single mouth was too few to let them out, so instead he looked down at Akane.
The woman in question must have sensed his gaze despite her eyes still being closed, because she shrugged one shoulder.
"Still dead," she said. "So, not that bad."
"You really should get on that, Hazō," Ino scolded.
"I'm working on it! I can open the rift now. We just need to get Akatsuki out of the way and we'll be there in no time. We'll get you back, love. I promise." He stroked her forehead lightly, then rubbed circles on her temple. Her lips curved in a smile and, eyes still closed, she turned her head to press a kiss to his wrist before relaxing again and enjoying his ministrations.
"It's not that bad," Akane repeated. "There's no seasons, so you're never hot or cold. You don't need to eat or sleep, so you don't have to get hungry or tired. There are other people here to talk with so you don't have to be lonely."
"You don't have to get hungry or tired?" Ino asked, one auricomous eyebrow rising.
"It takes time to realize that," Akane said, her brow furrowing slightly in stress as the memories of her current state forced their way back into her mind. Hazō squeezed Ino's hand in reassurance, then reclaimed it so that he could use both thumbs to press heavily and rub down along Akane's hairline, driving the stress back again. Akane moaned in delight.
"I still eat," Akane said, her voice muzzy from relaxation. "You have to either come to believe that you don't have to or forget that you need to. Everyone forgets eventually while some can bring themselves to believe sooner."
"Oh, honey," Ino said. She took Akane's hand and kissed it, then pressed it to her own cheek. "Don't worry, Hazō will get you out."
Akane's eyes drifted open and she smiled up at her two loves, a look of complete trust on her face. "I know. Don't worry, though. It was difficult at first, but I have been speaking to the others and they have helped me. It's not so bad, really. Passing on from here isn't the worst thing. There's no pain, you simply thin out over time and then drift off into nothing."
"So, hey, speaking of things that aren't depressing, my mother invented a new perfume," Ino said, her tone clear that the prior topic was in fact done. "Rose hips, gardenia blossoms, and the oil from a source that I will not mention because it's a proprietary secret. It's very popular."
"I regret that I never tried your perfumes," Akane said, tilting her head back so she could smile at her...girlfriend? Sweetheart? Close friend? Hazō had never been entirely clear on the nature of his girlfriends' relationship except for the fact that it was close and they seemed happy with it.
"You will," Ino said. "As soon as Hazō gets off his duff." She smiled at Hazō in order to take the sting from the teasing, then pressed a kiss to her fingers and touched it to his lips. He caught her hand and kissed it, then rubbed his cheek against it.
"I miss you," he said, directing the words evenly to both of them.
"We miss you too, my most youthful sensei," Akane said, Ino nodding along as both of them smiled at him.
"Sensei?" Hazō asked, slightly alarmed.
Akane chuckled. "And Clan Lord, and sweetheart. I'm sorry, I know it is most unyouthful to tease you, but I couldn't resist."
He gaped at her, then swooped down, yanked her shirt up to her ribs and blew a giant raspberry on her belly. (It was still almost as toned as he remembered, but her flesh was pale from lack of sun.) Akane yelped and struggled but she was laughing too hard to effectively escape.
"I'll save you!" Ino cried, leaning in to blow a big, wet raspberry on the back of Hazō's neck. The man in question yelped just as hard as Akane and involuntarily twitched back. Fortunately, Ino had pulled away immediately after her dastardly deed and thus did not get clocked in the teeth with her beloved's skull.
Hazō growled with mock ferocity and hurled himself across Akane and onto Ino, bowling her backwards so that he could raspberry her thoroughly. She eeped and laughed and raised her hands in defense but Hazō was perfectly happy to raspberry whatever he could reach so her defense was woefully inadequate.
And then Akane tackled him and the three of them went down in a laughing pile of limbs that somehow ended up with them giggling and cuddling close, Akane sandwiched between Ino and Hazō with his left arm under both the women's heads and his right leg and right arm draped over both of them.
"I promise, we'll get you back," Hazō murmured.
"I know," Akane said quietly.
"Hazō," Mari called from somewhere behind them.
Ino glanced up over Hazō's shoulder at where Mari's voice had come from. Her smile was a little sad as she said, "Looks like it's time."
"Not yet," Hazō said. "Not yet. It's too soon. Let's stay here a little longer."
"Sorry love," Ino said. She rolled over, half on top of Akane so that she could press a swift kiss to Akane's forehead and then linger over a a longer, fiercer one on Hazō's lips. After three slow-pulsed heartbeats, she pulled back. "Don't worry," she said, drifting backwards as the mists claimed her.
"Wait!" Hazō called, reaching out too slowly to prevent his blonde love from dissolving away.
"It's all right," Akane said. Her hand, warm as hearth fire in winter, looped around the back of his neck and pulled him down into a fierce kiss as she molded her body into his, pressing every inch of herself against him as though seeking to record the surface of his skin with her own.
"It's all right," she said again when she finally pulled back. "We'll be here again." She smiled at him, then pressed a quick peck to his lips. "And you'll see me again, in the waking world. I trust you."
The mists swept over her as she began to dissolve away from the grip of Hazō's rapidly-waking mind.
"I love you both," three voices whispered in tandem as the final traces of sleep fell from Hazō's eyes.
Author's Note: The word 'auricomous' simply means 'blonde'. Using it feels incredibly pretentious—it's using sesquipedalian words simply for the sake of display, although at least in this case the usage was both germane and apropos. All this in defiance of the fourth rule of good writing: never use a big word where a diminutive one will fit.
On the other hand, it made me laugh so there you go.
Author's Note, part deux: Before Hazō went to bed, he tried summoning Cannai using chakra overdraw plus a chakra overcharge from Noburi. It did not work, although maybe it was close? He's not sure. Could have been wishful thinking.
Vote time! What to do now?
Voting ends on Wednesday,
.
Happy upcoming Thanksgiving to those who are celebrating it!
[X] Action Plan: Desperate Measures
Word Count <399
Intended Duration: ~1 day
Discuss the Orochimaru situation with the team, including Snowflake.
Hazou thinks that it's likely Orochimaru fled Leaf for the same reason we did -- to research in peace.
Hazou doesn't think that Orochimaru is likely to betray us at this point (prior to the Rift Assault)
Still, we should take precautions.
Would approaching the meeting site as SCs have any downsides?
Should we split the team to get into contact with Leaf sooner? Hazou favors taking at least Noburi (for runic preparations) and Yuno with him, and Mari would be the choice to make contact with Leaf but composition is flexible.
Should Mari come with Hazou to detect if Orochimaru is being deceitful?
Hazou thinks it's prudent to prepare deadman switches giving Leaf/TU resources to learn Runecrafting in case Orochimaru decides to eliminate his only runecrafting peer.
Suggest giving one to Kei/Kagome and setting up one in Dog. It's necessary they be sufficiently hardened to resist Orochimaru torturing Hazou into compliance.
Should we consider informing Akatsuki of Orochimaru's attack as another potential dead man's switch?
Our Rift Assault strategies all require extra chakra from Leaf, how likely is it that Orochimaru is attempting this without drawing on them for support?
How likely do you think Orochimaru betraying us is? Both before we assault the Rift and afterwards. Does the assessment change if he doesn't want to involve Leaf?
If Orochimaru is unjustifiably insisting that we don't include Leaf, can we force the issue?
That is, insist on Leaf's involvement as a condition for Team Uplift's participation.
Noburi, can you ask the Toad Sages and Gamabunta if they'd be willing to avenge Jiriaya?
Research
About Project Twilight (Superchillers), loop in Kei and Snow, include Mari too -- she's familiar with the destructive power of runes.
Intent: Asking for harm mitigation, not permission.
Kei, apologies, we're feeling pessimistic about our options. We don't plan to tell anyone or complete research unless things are truly desperate.
Can you brainstorm ways to disguise the effect?
What do you two think Orochimaru's reaction would be to learning that Hazou can make WMDs with runes? Would he get violent?
The word 'auricomous' simply means 'blonde'. Using it feels incredibly pretentious—it's using sesquipedalian words simply for the sake of display, although at least in this case the usage was both germane and apropos.
[X] Action Plan: Work Together Or Die Alone.
Wordcount: <399
Duration: travel time + a few hours.
Optimise all with uplift.
Attempt to summon Cannai
Noburi, ask the Toad Sages and Gamabutna if they're willing to avenge Jiraiya?
Give PS notes+substrate as deadman switches.
Cannai:
If we don't make regular check-ins(or seem coerced), share it according to your judgement.
Kei/Snowflake:
Set another deadman without telling us more details than nessecary.
If helpful, Kei/Snowflake, Tenten and Kagome can detach from the party to more securely control the deadman switch.
Consider warning the Akatsuki about Orochimaru's assault and runic abilities if Oro kills us.
Having a really serious deadman switch makes meeting with Oro much safer.
All deadman switches should have a way to disable them after we're no longer under threat from Oro.
Hazou shouldn't know the exact conditions for disabling Kei/Snowflake's deadman, obviously.
Send a message to Oro
Prefabricate and store 10k units of substrate.
Please treat Gamahebigai as comfortably and respectfully as possible.
Meet with Oro in Rice.
Approach carefully. Mari and Hazou('s SCs) meet Oro, everyone else stays a few hours away.
Hazo does the talking.
Attitude/Tone: respectful peer. "we're both here to save the the world, let's get down to business".
What's the current situation of Leaf, Akatsuki, and yourself?
Outline our relevant capabilities(Force Dome, Iron Earth, RER, RER2.0, Ninja Radar, Air Leadener, Vampiric Dew, Cannai?, Gamabutna?, Sages?), invite Oro to do the same.
Ninja Radar will leave an active rune behind, so using them isn't costless.
Do NOT disclose any temporal runes.
We have the means to secure Leaf's support and to defend Leaf against siege. Let's join up with Leaf and get this done.
If Oro refuses Leaf's help, hear him out.
Mari looks out for false/misleading explanations.
If he won't believe Leaf will work with us, reveal Naruto's secret orders.
If Orochimaru won't be honest or can't convince Hazopilot that excluding Leaf is a strategic necessity: Insist on their help as a condition of Uplift's assistance.
Our BATNA is to let him try solo and hopefully kill Sasori. If he fails, we'll rejoin Leaf and attack.
Default plan: Essieclone/Boss rush, possibly preceded by massive RER2.0 bombardment.
Do we have the stealth capabilities to set up for RER2.0?
To clarify, your intent is to get superchillers partially researched so that we can complete the research quickly if necessary, not to complete the research now, correct?
To clarify, your intent is to get superchillers partially researched so that we can complete the research quickly if necessary, not to complete the research now, correct?
