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To Rafael (and Raymond) You press the floppy against your shoulder. It's not really much, but it's flat, right? It should help, you tell yourself, clinging to that spare thought like a lifeline. Since when has the room been so dark...? You aren't sure what is happening around you anymore, but you hear Raymond swear loudly, and a gunshot follows just a fraction of a second later. Combat roll (Raymond): 1d10 2 Shooting (Pistol Grunt; attack, base 4): 1d4 2 There is a scrape, as if two people were moving around each other. Suddenly, you hear a sharp scream of pain. You cannot identify the voice. Combat roll (Raymond): 1d10 5 Defense roll (grunt, base 3): 1d10 6 ---- "Rafael. Rafael. Frank? Answer, dammit, answer" you hear in a haze, and you open your eyes to a very concerned and shirtless Raymond crouching in front of you. The cold is still there, but there is a new sensation on your shoulder. You touch the wound and notice the cloth bandage. It seems to be, on further inspection, a long shirt sleeve, hastily wrapped around the wound. It is bloody, but way less than the rest of you. "Rat ran away. Couldn't shoot him, but I've piled the bricks over by the door, barricaded it up. It'll stop him from coming back for a bit, but..." He trails away. "Dammit man, you look horrible" he tells you. "Can you move? I may be able to do a sling here, lemme try..." He brandishes the rest of the shirt as he gently moves you a bit away from the wall, sliding it through the back of your neck and to the front again before tying it on a makeshift knot and sliding your arm inside it, to your weak complaints of pain. Autopiloting Raymond for a little bit on request, so this part of the story moves too. Getting up will be a combat roll... well, doing anything in this state will, really. But still hearing ideas. Shellception fucked around with this message at 14:45 on Jul 30, 2023 |
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Jul 29, 2023 23:57
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Mags Mags dives over to the torch, loosens the wrap at the top and reties it with the knife bound inside, turning it into a makeshift spear. Ok, let's do this!
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Jul 30, 2023 02:03
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Margaret 1 gum Tina's attempt at diplomacy with an eldritch horror stupifies Margaret. Wha? This state doesn't last long, however, as a thick shadowy mass breaks their protection and blasts Tina away from her. Tina, who is now laying down, clearly hurt and... not moving... What? What's happening? Is she dead? Am I dead? What is this thing? Am I dreaming? Is she ok? Where are we? Is she dead? Oh my loving god, is she dead!? Margaret rushes to Tina's side. She needs to make sure that Tina is ok. That this is just a drat nightmare. She must be ok. She has to be. It cannot end like this. It just can't. Swat away incoming tendrils: 1d10 4 Greta reaches Tina's body. Why so much blood!? She wants to caress her face and limp arms, whisper that everything's ok, yell at her for being so dumb, yell that she loves her, find a way to stop the bleeding, get her to safety, all at the same time. Greta's vocal cords don't seem to work. Neither does her telepathic link. Her whole body is forcing her to stop the bleeding. Yes, you dolt! Find the source and plug it! Bloody hell, stop it!: 1d10 10
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Jul 30, 2023 03:47
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To Margaret You don't care about anything or anyone else in the world as you dash madly to where Tina has fallen, swatting the tendrils away with your bare hands. If you were looking, you'd notice the black, oozing scratches on your arms and legs from where they reached you, but you haven't got the time right now. You kneel by her and gently put her head on your knees. You quickly push the labcoat out of the way and desperately press with your hands through her blouse onto the large gash on her chest, trying to pry it closed. You'd really not have guessed that this would happen like so just fifteen minutes ago, and yet, there you are. Perception (internal): 1d4 3 You aren't sure blood should look like this, either. It's black. And it oozes everywhere, covering your hands and arms too as you try to stop it from coming out. But that, also, feels wrong. Why? What even? Because it's not coming out. It's coming IN. You reel for a second, but that seems to have been a simple thought, no telepathy involved. Tina hasn't shown any reaction still, but something is happening. She is shining. No, YOU are shining. A bright white light bathes you both, and quickly expands to cover the whole place. For a split second, you see a bright flash, and there is the room of before - you both are lying in a dusty floor for some reason, and there are some other people around, and things are happening, but you're back home, and the monster is gone, and... It lasts for less than your mind can comprehend, and suddenly you are back onto the pit. But the light seems to stick. It sticks to your skin and to hers, making you both shine. You don't really care about all of that. Your attention is fully onto Tina. Greta? You'd have skipped a beat if you still had a heart. You see her shake her head, probably through sheer force of habit, and get up into a sitting position. She looks a bit dazed as she inspects herself. You do, too. The black stuff is gone, your skin and clothes shine with a white light, and suddenly the creature feels a little, just a little bit less scary as it backs away from you both. Did you do this? That's awesome. She gets up and stands by your side, holding your hand tightly. You aren't really sure what's real in this hellscape, but for the first time, you do feel the faintest feel of physical pressure. Tina smiles. Let's do it. Combat roll (Tina, base 5): 1d10 7 Stop rolling combat critics, everyone! Or don't, that was good. She passed a combat check, too. Shellception fucked around with this message at 15:14 on Jul 30, 2023 |
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Jul 30, 2023 10:31
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To Mags Despite everything going on around you, despite the unintelligible horror threatening to destroy reality in front of your eyes, you can't supress a wide smile as you wield the makeshift spear onto your hands, a surge of power running through you. You know you can do this. And things will be all right afterwards. They always are, right? Why should this be any different? You turn back to the others just in time to see the tendrils threatening to devour them both, and your smile freezes a little. Then a bright flash of light blinds you, and for a split fraction of a second, the monster is just gone. To Faust You haven't still had time to react when a white light engulfes the whole room. It feels strangely comforting and warm. A bit like a loving embrace, and you could really, really do with one of those as of the last hour. You don't know what it is, but you know it's a good thing, and you can't help but lose yourself on it for a bit, letting your mind calm itself down, clearing your thoughts. You can't say how long it lasted, but when you open your eyes again, the monster seems to have pulled back from you both, and is scrambing to get back out of the circle, the tendrils dashing madly around the crack. Combat critical from the underworld waving both of Faust and Pearl's combat rolls; you each get an extra free turn! Shellception fucked around with this message at 11:10 on Jul 30, 2023 |
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Jul 30, 2023 10:49
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Margaret 1 gum A library-sized weight has lifted from Margaret's shoulders. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Her wobbly legs and feet are quickly soothed by such marvelous miracle and she stands up straight. Tina posted:Let's do it. Let's! Returne from whence ye came!: 1d10 7
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Jul 30, 2023 14:57
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To Margaret You raise your hand and see it shine in the dark. You let a smile out as you point it towards the monster, the light around you being projected outwards from it. But it's not alone - the small pressure on your hand feels a bit more tight now, and you see a red swirl form around your projectile, which hits the monster straight in the middle. Tina combat roll (base 5): 1d10 5 It seems to react less than before, but it definitely recoils from the combined attack. Defending (base 3): 1d10 5 You both tense up, waiting for a retaliation attack... that does not come. To Faust, Mags, Pearl, and Margaret You all hear a voice in your heads. You cannot pinpoint the exact source, but it resounds intensely, as if someone just yelled in your ear. WHAT DO YOU WANT? WHAT DO YOU WISH FOR? Shellception fucked around with this message at 22:58 on Aug 1, 2023 |
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Jul 31, 2023 22:21
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Margaret 1 gum pre:Tina the ancient recipe hidden in this library
a nice bath
a hundred pinwheels
my own bakery Tina sleep
to be a kid again
a sandwich this big recognition
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Aug 1, 2023 02:38
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Faust 5 points For all of us to get out of here safely No more sacrifices No more rituals No more wishes For this to be the end of the ritual Arm hurts, everything hurts, this ritual need to stop needs to stop needs to stop
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Aug 1, 2023 08:19
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Mags CLEAR YOUR HEADS! Mags does her best to follow her own advice, but she just can't help thinking about The Staypuft Marshmallow Man. She tries not to laugh, given the situation. She figures now's the time for a hail mary, and throws the spear into the circle.
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Aug 1, 2023 15:17
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Pearl 2 gums Just think about nothing while images of her in her home curled up with a good book flash in her mind. I want nothing
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Aug 1, 2023 17:48
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To Margaret A sudden silence follows your wishing. You realize something is missing, and look at Tina questioningly. Did she not wish for anything? She looks back at you and smiles - a warm smile, even in those life-or-death circumstances. Or at least, death-and-more-death. Then she lets go of your hand, pulls back a bit, and then dashes forward, projecting her hands out towards the being in the shadows. Cannot negotiate with demons. They always stand to win. Time seems to stand still for a second as a blood red spear forms from her extended arms, hitting the being straight on. It recoils, apparently caught unaware. Tina combat roll (base 5): 1d10 8 Defense roll (base 3): 1d10 7 She retreats back to your side, still eyeballing the beast. I wish to live.
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Aug 1, 2023 23:07
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To Mags (and Faust and Pearl) You don't stop to think, images of old baseball games playing on your mind as you see your companions shut up and look pensative. You take aim at the beast and hurl the knife inside the circle with all your might. Throwing the spear (combat roll): 1d10 7 Defense roll (base 3): 1d10 3 It definitely connects, and you see it panic and retreat inside the circle for the first time. A trail of light follows the hurled spear, and you all can see it shining inside the circle like a small white ember. To Faust Adrenaline having worn off a bit, you are barely able to realize what's going on through the haze of pain, but you see the trail of the thrown knife into the circle, and realize the horror has folded on inside - the gap is still open, but there is a window of opportunity any of you can take to finally close it. To Margaret (part 2) You don't know how or why, but as you watch Tina fight, you realize a shining white knife has suddenly appeared by your feet. You instinctively pick it up - it's really cold, and it gives you a strangely reassuring sensation on your hand.
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Aug 1, 2023 23:16
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Faust 5 points Faust takes this opportunity to finish the circle and begins reciting the strongest banishing ritual he can think of.
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Aug 2, 2023 16:06
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Rafael Points: 1 "Raymond... where is your shirt?" Rafael gasps, as he tries to pull himself up and gather up a gun, and make sure he still has his money and illicit not-cake. Get up and gather my poo poo: 1d10 4 Looking around and seeing there is probably no going out the door at this point he turns to Raymond "Guess we go back into the tunnel then? I am probably going to need some help getting through that hole..."
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Aug 2, 2023 17:14
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Margaret 1 gum Ah, haha, yes, can't negotiate with them, yeah. Ahem. Then there's only one thing left to do. Margaret wields the knife with her teeth and rushes against the shaken entity. RIP AND TEAR: 1d10 1
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Aug 2, 2023 19:13
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To Margaret You charge towards the beast with all your might. It's now or never - you have endured enough today. All of you have. Images of the day cross by your mind like a movie - the books you read, the promise, the stairs, Tina, the Zone, the portals. The magic. The circle. Your run seems to become impossibly longer and longer as your memories slip onto a different track, and now it's your whole life crossing in front of your eyes. You run, but the monster doesn't seem to be there any longer. You don't feel anything. Greta! You turn your head and see Tina running towards you, calling your name, a terrified look on her face. It's the last thing you see before the darkness swallows you both whole. Combat roll (base 5): 1d10 1 ... two critfails, not one. Sorry bud, no savaging this.
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Aug 2, 2023 21:48
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To Faust You try to ignore the stabbing pain on your side and concentrate on your chant. You have done this before. You know how to do it. You have done this. You can... You try to divert your attention from the darkness. It has started spiralling wildly inside the circle, like a caged beast. It dawns on you that you no longer see the knife glowing, either. You ignore all that. It's now or never. Neither you nor the circle can't hold for much longer. With a theatrical flourish, executed with your left hand, you finish the chant and point your finger straight at the being. Non-combat (occultism): 1d10 6 Pass thanks to the speciality.
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Aug 2, 2023 22:05
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To Mags, Pearl and Faust Light. It seems to come from a point inside the circle, and it quickly expands to fill the whole room, blinding you all in a bright flash. It dissipates as quickly as it started, and a very dusty room, barely illuminated by nine candles, extends before your eyes. The smoke is gone. The beast is gone. The nightmare has ended. Inside the circle, two figures lay side by side, both of them covered in dust and blood. If any of you got close, you'd probably notice they are holding hands. To Faust You are still breathing heavily, out of the little amount of breath you can draw, but a wave of euphoria washes all over you. You did it. You loving did it. Your train of thought is interrupted by an unexpected noise. It sounds like a very faint cough, and it's coming from the circle. To Pearl Your fascination with the circle seems to have waned away, thanfully, but you do notice the lying figures and your heart suddenly feels very heavy as you remember the dancer inside the circle. Are they... You step inside the circle for the first time. Nothing happens. You don't stop to think, tho - you are pretty sure you noticed the slightest shadow of breathing. Collective perception (Faust, Pearl and Mags): 3d4 7 (2, 1, 4) Shellception fucked around with this message at 22:44 on Aug 2, 2023 |
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Aug 2, 2023 22:29
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Faust 5 points He's definitely about to pass out. Holy poo poo, this hurts. "...Mags? ...Pearl? I... think someone's... there... hurt... ...first aid...?" That's about when he passes out.
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Aug 3, 2023 09:55
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Time for endgame. I don't think anyone has nothing left to say before, but by all means feel free to make a closing post if you feel like it! To Rafael Getting out of the hole is harder and more painful than you'd expect it'd be, and you can only pray the unconscious grunt will not wake up before you do. It doesn't help that Raymond seems glued to that assault rifle and only willing to use one hand to help you out, letting you squirm alone otherwise. "Dammit, Raymond" you mumble weakly, but he doesn't seem to care at all. You rest against the cold stone wall of the tunnel as he slides out too. He puts an arm under your shoulders to support you, the other still holding tight to the rifle. Does he even know how to fire that thing?? That's the last thing you see before a light blinds you, and a stern voice compels you both to stay put in the name of the police. Well, no. The last thing you see before giving up and passing out is Raymond pushing you to the ground and pointing his rifle straight at them. "Dammit, Raymond!" Then, darkness. --- It's four days later, and also late at night. You retreat back from your computer screen for a bit and wipe your eyes with the only functional arm you have right now, the other having been immovilized onto a cast until the wound closes up. It hurts. But it also means you get to stay home and don't need to listen to Agnes for the foreseeable future. Silver linings! You take another whiff of a cigarette containing a small portion of the brick. You're hardly a connaisseur, but you'd swear it makes the pain feel lessened. It's nothing short of a miracle, really. Or many small ones. You didn't get shoot down, for once. By either party. And neither did they found the stash down your pants - they were apparently too concerned with putting some blood back inside you to even remove your clothes. That's a couple months of rent solved, even if some of the bills were a bit soggy. You go back onto your task. There is a surprising amount of content to sort through in those disks. Most of them is crap, but you did find the diaries - they reflect the quite interesting descent onto madness of a librarian. It could have been you, you reflect as you slam another one in - getting a reader to work was trivial once you were no longer dealing with the archaic library systems. That place has something that makes you go nuts, doesn't it? It's not just Agnes, though she certainly doesn't help. You could probably write a novel about this, you reflect, after another couple of whiffs. It could be good. Or at least funny. Yeah. You definitely should do it. drat, you really should find a reliable not-cake dealer. poo poo is good. You open a text processor and set up to work.
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Aug 5, 2023 17:54
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To Mags You are still hearing Faust's call for help when he suddenly goes pale white and crumbles over the table. You rush to his side, but he doesn't react, and light slapping seems to do nothing. There doesn't seem to be any blood, but you don't dare move him - he was complaining of broken bones earlier, right? You take a split decision and, before you realize it, you've climbed back outside and are signalling to Agnes to call for help, while wiping out your own phone. --- It has been a long week - of course, police had to get involved, and a lot of explanations were given, only some of which make sense. How do you suddenly explain 120 year old people coming back to life? You'd just shake your head if you hadn't seen it. But anyway, that's not your problem anymore. You helped, and probably those women will be better off like so, and a lot of sciencey folks will give sciencey explanations or something, you don't care. Well, some of them freaky people at the library were nice, you could probably grab a coffee sometime. You tighten the last belt on your security harness and listen to the instructor starting to describe how to do a simple security knot and how to eficiently place footholds for vertical wall climbing. Signing up for this course was an impulse decision, but you've definitely learned a lot about the cliffs, you have a great memory, and are itching for adventure - there definitely have to be more secrets to be found there, and you are all up to the challenge!
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Aug 7, 2023 22:28
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To Raymond Dammit. You had it all under control. You got the rifle, knocked off one of the grunts, had the other pinned down, and that Rafael fool just... had to get himself shot. You can't very well leave him to bleed out there, even if you feel like it wouldn't be exactly unfair. Besides, all the awesome bandage work you did would go to waste. He can barely stand, you notice as he struggles out of the hole. You sigh to yourself as you put your arm under Rafael's and help him stand upright. What a dumbass. You are suddenly blinded by a light and a call to stop. Your instincts and your training kick into action: you push Rafael aside with a fast movement and grab your assault rifle. They will NOT get you alive. You point it at the police and see them raising their own puny weapons at you, feeling a kick of adrenaline coursing through your veins. A hero. A martyr. You ready yourself, and then your eye wanders over to the incongrous figure by their side, and suddenly everything you believed on just crumbles away on a second. You instinctively drop your weapon to the ground, drowning on a sea of questions, but only one seems to want to come out of your lips right now. "... aunt Margaret????" --- It's perfect, really. Well, yeah, you do have a citation for that thing with the guards at all, but you don't care. It'll sort itself out. The important part is that you've finally found someone who understands you! You don't know how she managed to survive, or why she doesn't look a day older than she was when she was kidnapped by the government and interned onto an experimentation camp (she herself told you this!) but you are sure both of you, working together side by side, can get to the bottom of the library conspiracy. She is so smart, and she has already given you several top secret leads she researched while still interned, and now it's your turn. You need to infiltrate the secret underground library facilities, this time for real - none of that deposit nonsense. You have bribed Rafael to tell you everything, and he has given you several helpful pointers as to how to get inside the top secret facilities. You obviously have known he was a plant all the time, but he was useful to keep around, and look, it even paid off! Of course, it won't be that easy, given you've been banned from there for life, but you won't let that discourage you. You put on your ski mask and ready yourself as you approach the building, looking for the best angle of attack.
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Aug 7, 2023 22:59
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To Pearl As the circle finally calms down, you feel a sensation like a rubber band holding you down finally snapped - a release of tension you hadn't noticed was there, but that turned out to have been gnashing at you all the time. You quickly kneel by the two fallen figures, trying to remember something from your first aid classes. You don't want to move them, but you do notice with relief that they seem to be breathing, both of them. The younger girl is covered in blood splotches, probably from earlier, but her wound is no longer open; the other woman seems to be unscathed. You try to think on what to do, but before you can decide, you hear a siren getting closer and see Mags head down, followed by a couple paramedics. --- It's your first day at your new work. You weren't really sure you wanted to work here after all of that happened. Seriously, otherworldly horror summoning in a library? You even called your cousin to chew her out, but soon afterwards, you received an apologetic call from Agnes. She had seen your CV and, somehow, there was a temporary opening in the Library staff - it seems the young man that interviewed you (what was his name again?) had left on medical leave for a couple months, leaving the whole place understaffed. You turn on your computer and idly toy with the rubber stamp carousel while the first few patrons start filling the library. You hope the librarian guy is actually alright - according to the town newspaper, he got involved on a drug trade shootout. At work. At least that issue was very much not supernatural, and had already been fixed, the contraband tunnel's entrances quickly filled with concrete to avoid any more problems. You take a sip off the second coffee of your day and wonder what else this library will throw your way, but after surviving an otherwordly horror attack, you're absolutely sure you are up for it. Maybe you should call, uh... Fronk? Just to make sure he is ok, of course. He was nice and friendly, and you could do actually with some friends in this new town, after all, couldn't you?
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Aug 8, 2023 23:14
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To Faust You are lying down in a hospital bed, waiting for whatever tests they wanted to perform on you to be done. You were hoping for a quick discharge, but they wanted to make sure your lungs were alright, which apparently takes time. Two very broken ribs, a cracked one, all on the shape of the table's leg. They don't hurt right now, but you suspect that's the painkillers fault. And all in all, you reflect, it could have been worse. The hospital sucks, but the room is silent, and you have a pile of occult books and a brand new notebook Agnes brought you, together with some stern words about playing with unknown forces in the library and an absolute metric ton of oatmeal cookies. There are way less cookies in the pile and way more circles in the notebook right now. It worked, a still very dazed part of your brain insists. You did it. It's all real. Mom did come visit you, of course. And Mary and Ben, who wanted to play nurse with your drop, and little Miriam who was very dissapointed she wasn't allowed to hug her big bro, and Annie who just happily walked all over your legs while babbling some nonsense or another, and Tom, who called you a nerd loser and then proceeded to sort through your books with an avid look on his eyes. Teens. And then there was Carl, who came by himself a bit later - well, not by himself, he was with a boy you'd never seen before, and he asked you to please not tell mom just yet, and you were very disappointed you couldn't hug your little bro. You need to prepare. Next time, you will do it right. You were not expecting the last visit of the day. Way after visiting hours ended, a nurse came in, accompanied by a dazed looking Tina, dressed in a hospital gown just like yours. You do want to ask so many questions at this point: what happened, are you ok, is the other lady ok, why did you do that, that was awesome, are you out of your mind, tell me everything and do you want to grab a coffee sometime or maybe now. Something does come out of your mouth, but you aren't sure what. "You do know this young lady, right? She was with you?" the nurse asks, and you nod. "She seems to suffer from memory loss. We don't know who she is. We thought maybe talking with someone else might help" --- It is now way late at night. You have talked way more than you thought was possible, recounting every single detail you remember from the story. She seems stunned at first, dead silent later, but you can feel her listening intently. You can't really blame her either - learning you are suddenly 116 years old would stun anyone, and it is probably a bureaucratic nightmare, too. "He is dead, then" she mutters at some point. You do not ask, but you wonder. She doesn't seem sad, at least? When you mention your own wound, she does get up and grab a pillow from the other, empty bed. You instinctively flinch a bit when she approaches you, but you just feel a couple cold hands moving you slightly enough to slide the pillow under your side, letting the broken ribs rest over it. You do babble something thankful in response, and then shyly suggest meeting up, maybe, sometime, like, outside? I mean, you did strategically left the most embarrasing parts of the story out, so she should be fine, right...? She goes red in the face. Then she starts talking. Then you do, in turn, go even more red in the face. Oops. --- It's almost a month later, and a lot of things have happened. Paperwork for the missing women got, somehow, sorted - you aren't sure how, but they did. And then you did manage to meet up with Tina again, both of you at a cafe; it was definitely not what you had in mind at first, but it was quite nice, in a strange way. And now you have an apartment. Small and way up on an old building, but free rent, all for yourself, just keep it nice and maintained, she said. And it's quite close to home, too! She didn't want to go back there, she said. Too many bad memories. Someone had lived there way until the early 2000s, though, so it wasn't that bad - it was really dusty and pretty much an old man's house, and it required several days of cleanup by a lot of hands (you specifically barred anyone under 13 from "helping") to get back into a livable state, but it is perfectly OK now. It is still very much old-fashioned, and you sometimes find a surprise strange book or knicknack fallen behind a cabinet. But it is yours. Your home. You carefully get up from the sofa - it still hurts, and it will for a while, but it is getting better - and call for Mephi, showing the leash around. A happy bark breaks the absolute silence as he quickly runs to your side, wagging his tail so happily you'd fear it's going to fall off. You can't help but smile. Things are looking great. As you close the door, you idly wonder if drawing magic circles on the bathroom floor would be ok? Shellception fucked around with this message at 12:44 on Aug 10, 2023 |
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Aug 10, 2023 09:08
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To Margaret Traumatic memory loss, they said. You mumble to yourself as you check on the eclairs baking on your oven, next to the chocolate chip and blueberry cookies. Now you just need to redo the last batch of meringue, they came out a bit too toasted, and then... The last three or four days are a complete blur in your mind; you aren't even sure how you landed yourself at the hospital, and no one seems to be helping either. You woke up on a cold room, and the person next to you just wouldn't stop sobbing, and it was just horrible, and then they did the most rutinary and uninterested checkup on you ("what's your name? What day is it today? No, wrong") before calling you to the other bed's side and asking you if you knew the crying girl. The eclairs are looking just right, brown and puffy. Perfect! You load a syringe with cold cream and start stuffing them, keeping an eye on the boiling glaze cover slowly bubbling in the fire. And you had never seen that girl before in your life, and you did tell them as much, trying to look as stern and severe as you could, but there was this strange feeling in the mouth of your stomach you didn't mention - it felt like happy butterflies, and you know you just stared at the girl looking confused and she just looked back at you looking as confused, but she stopped crying, and you couldn't help but think she looked so cute, and then the nurse helped you back to your bed while your red angry thoughts just dissolved into a very confused pink mist. You poke the cookies tentatively with a stick. They are a bit undercooked, you decide, they could do with a couple more minutes. You were left go pretty quickly, all things said; they did say your memory was a bit damaged, but it posed no danger, so you were better home, and they still wouldn't tell you what the hell happened. In other circumstances you would have complained a storm, but this time your mind is elsewhere. You did return to the hospital a couple days later - just out of curiosity, of course. They did tell you some things then, none of which made sense, and you started wondering if it was just your memory that was affected. You did find out the mystery girl was called Christina, and she didn't seem to have a home to go back to, at least not one she wasn't literally terrified of going back to - the nurse did whisper a bit at that point, but she mentioned suspicions of domestic abuse, and you felt your heart break a little. Well, your apartment really wasn't too big, and it could stand to be a bit more clean, but you do have a big comfy sofa, and you can put up with a stranger living there for a couple days. Just until she gets back on her feet, of course. Wouldn't want to support any leech living off your pocket, would you? You take the cookies out and let them cool under the window, decorated paper pinwheels lazily spinning on it, their sticks all pinned on empty pots. For some reason, those have always calmed your nerves. There are a lot of pinwheels now. You might have to grab something to eat on the way, you reflect as you look at your cooling pastries with a ping of pride on your heart. Some sweets for a guest, that's just common courtesy, right? --- You can't sleep. You look up to the ceiling in the semi darkness of your own room, and notice the tiny red garden spider lazily weaving a net. How did it get there, you wonder. It was going good. You picked her up on your car, you stopped at a pretty good family restaurant on the way. Had a nice dinner, a talk - kept things professional, of course, you wouldn't want to look weird. It was going all nice and good. You didn't even make it past the lobby of your apartment complex. You walked onto the dark hallway, and she followed you, and suddenly there was this corner right there, right by the old janitors' cupboard, the one where the light hasn't worked for years and no one knows why, and you didn't fight it any more, the darkness hiding your own interiorized shame as you both let go of yourselves, fusing on a very close, very warm kiss, then another, your hands exploring her body by themselves as if you'd done this a thousand times before. And you felt like you were 16 again, a stream of emotions running through your head, and suddenly you felt in a real hurry to go upstairs, and at the same time like you really really needed to look up something on your phone, and... You sigh softly and turn your head towards the small body lying fully asleep next to you. You extend your finger and distractedly run it through the scar on her back. She does not move. Hey, at least she liked your eclairs. You feel like a lot of thoughts are fighting for your attention. You push them back. You don't want to think right now. Things will be all right, you tell yourself. They always are. Shellception fucked around with this message at 12:03 on Aug 10, 2023 |
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Aug 10, 2023 12:00
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And... that's pretty much it. Apologies for the slow rolling credits, I'm not at home so those got written between travels. All in all I'm relatively happy at how this turned out, but there definitely needed to be more action for this system to work properly - the story clearly dragged at times, and a couple players got stuck on "door left or right" trains that, while a choice, didn't feel like too much of an interesting one. Map was definitely too empty in general, and there were virtually no threats, which feels bad for a combat based game. I also feel it'd have benefitted for players to have a goal they wanted to work towards, mostly so they wouldn't hang around not knowing where to go or what to do. Apologies to anyone who felt like there wasn't much to do - will look into fixing that if I mod something again. Thanks to you all for playing! (and for reading, if anyone even did read)
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Aug 10, 2023 14:49
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 The key thing is to split me off from the main group asap, always works. I would say the only criticism I have of this system is that it could use some kind of regen. You have your 7 pieces of gum, and then we pretty well all lost them at a normal rate, but then the game went on for a long time after that. It's pretty limiting. Otherwise it was fun and cool
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Aug 10, 2023 14:53
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Game was great, I got everything I wished for with Faust - that is to say, one super awkward asking-out-Tina and a stack of oatmeal cookies.
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Aug 10, 2023 18:04
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Thanks a lot for the game, Shell! I had fun, even if Tina didn't at the end. 😢
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Aug 10, 2023 18:42
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