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Blasphemaster posted:We should maybe clarify to Sami that we'll probably end up going Full Reverse Hogwarts. Bunch of vanilla-rear end grown adults who come to relax and forget about the supernatural on their days off from being deliberately trained professional killers for the Dark One. The staff are Replicants instead of ghosts and poo poo. There will ABSOLUTELY be booze and drugs on the menu next to the Unicorn Brisket and such. Stroll out your room in your spa gear, pick up a list of targets to look over as you trip balls and get a massage. People with Kiwi slices and such on their eyes arguing amicably about who has the all time best way they died. McSpanky posted:Charlotte ate Gorelax's unicorn steak and loved it, and didn't mention anything about it being an exception to her usual diet. And sure, Japanese sounds good as anything. As long as it isn't one of those creepy places where you eat off a naked lady. Blasphemaster posted:I may have confused that with the religious near-vampire thing. But yeah, high quality sushi made in front of you and so forth. You ring up Charlotte, to invite her out to dinner. Business and pleasure, right?  CHARLOTTE: Josei? Goodness it's been ages. How are you? JOSEI: It hasn't been that long... anyway, you're free this evening, right? I was wanting to talk about business, and maybe have dinner at the same time. CHARLOTTE: Color me intrigued. Where are you thinking? JOSEI: There's this nice Japanese place on 29th Street called Tayuunaga-Charlotte lets out a bright peal of laughter over the line. CHARLOTTE: That's actually one of my favorite places in the city! We're on then! Just make sure you reserve a spot... they're usually busy on weekends. JOSEI: Alright, sounds good. Meet you there? CHARLOTTE: Could you actually pick me up? Getting parking in that area is dreadful. JOSEI: Sure. Uh... 7PM good? CHARLOTTE: Make it 7:30 and we've got a deal. JOSEI: Works for me. See you then.You check the time. It's still a while until your meetup with Charlotte. You decide to go visit Kiara, you've got her guitar to drop off, at least. A part of you wonders why it can't just go to her 'hammerspace' or whatever it was that she called it. Maybe because she had it pulled out, she had to consciously put it back? Who knows. You look up the address that Sami gave you. It looks like Kiara is being exorcised at a Catholic hospital, which surprises you. There must be some kind of secret agreement between the church and the hospital that allows for that kind of stuff to happen? You park in the lot and head towards the front door with Kiara's guitar. The place is in the worse part of town, and you realize something. It's right next to the morgue that-  NICK: W-what t-the, H-HEY! A-rear end in a top hat!You slowly turn, and see Nick standing next door, in the middle of a smoke break. He still has a lit cigarette between his lips as he walks determinedly towards you. He looks a bit pissed, and you don't blame him, since the last time you saw him you had broken his nose and stolen his clothes and wallet. Character Sheets & Inventory USD ACCOUNT BALANCE: $374,911 SM ACCOUNT BALANCE: Ω1.55
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Apr 27, 2024 04:18
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Show him our finest of apologies, prepare monetary recompense if necessary.
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Apr 27, 2024 04:27
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Didn't Nick steal our wallet and watch when we died the first time? Pay him back for his stolen clothes and cash, but don't be a milquetoast about it. We're squared up now, buddy.
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Apr 27, 2024 04:35
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Fistfull of cash, apology, gotta go, see ya next time I die. "You try being levelheaded when you get run through by a save scumming Mary Sue Munchkin Replicant. It sucks, man."
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Apr 27, 2024 04:35
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JessAlias posted:
'i know you are but what am I?'
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Apr 27, 2024 05:25
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Outrail posted:'i know you are but what am I?' Blasphemaster posted:Fistfull of cash, apology, gotta go, see ya next time I die. "You try being levelheaded when you get run through by a save scumming Mary Sue Munchkin Replicant. It sucks, man." McSpanky posted:Didn't Nick steal our wallet and watch when we died the first time? Pay him back for his stolen clothes and cash, but don't be a milquetoast about it. We're squared up now, buddy. BraveLittleToaster posted:Show him our finest of apologies, prepare monetary recompense if necessary. You give him a nod and a smile, not feeling much anxiety about this confrontation. Yeah, it kind of sucked that you socked him in the face and stole his clothes and wallet. Then again, when you died the first time, he stole YOUR wallet and watch. For a moment you consider saying something like "I know you are but what am I," but manage to restrain yourself. JOSEI: Hey bud! How's it hanging? NICK: W-what the f-gently caress? How can you act l-like we're b-buddies? You assaulted m-me!You shrug. JOSEI: You try being levelheaded when you get run through by a save scumming Mary Sue Munchkin Replicant. It sucks, man.There's a pause as this statement seems to register in Nick's mind. NICK: What the hell is a m-munchkin replicant? JOSEI: Dirk Eveready? The Mary Sue ninja guy who just straight up murdered me a few days ago? You get told how people die when they revive in the morgue, right? NICK: ...n-not usually.You shrug again, and spread your hands. JOSEI: Well, there ya go. Anyway, like... here.You reach into your pocket and peel out a few 100 dollar bills. JOSEI: This should cover it, okay? You can buy a whole new wardrobe if you go to the right place. NICK: You still f-loving punched me and left me naked at work! JOSEI: And you stole my rolex when I died the first time. Tough poo poo, buddy.The morgue worker's mouth opens and closes a bit like a fish out of water as he tries to process your response. You shove the wad of cash at him, and he finally takes it after a moment, seeming somewhat calmer. You're glad he seems mollified, at least. You actually did feel bad for doing that to him, but seriously, it's not like you beat the poo poo out of him. He appeared out of nowhere when you were naked and feeling vulnerable. You have lost $300. NICK: F-fine, but, d-don't do it again. JOSEI: I'm not gonna make a habit of dying, Nick. Trust me on that one.With that, you turn and head into the hospital. The lobby area is clean, though very obviously old and in need of renovation. It looks like it came right out of the 1970s with its orange-y brown carpet and lots of wood paneling. You walk up to the front desk and after a moment's thought, roll up your sleeve and show Sami's brand. You half expect the receptionist to just stare in confusion, but instead she nods and tells you to take the elevator to the fifth floor. You obey, and when you reach the fifth floor, there's a man in priest's vestments standing there waiting for you. Strangely, his hair is grey, yet he looks relatively young and vigorous. He absently smooths the white stole hanging around his neck and then gives you a nod before introducing himself.  PRIEST: Hello there, I am Father Silas, one of the exorcists at this facility. I take it you're here to visit Ms. Everglade? JOSEI: Yeah... I'm here to see Kiara. The priest gets a pensive, thoughtful look, and folds his hands a moment as he regards you.  FATHER SILAS: She is not fully well yet. If you speak to her, she will likely engage in deception thanks to the fell force that is possessing her. JOSEI: I get it, but I still want to see her, uh, Father. I actually wanted to return a belonging? Even if she can't use it right now. FATHER SILAS: ...may I see it?You pause, considering if showing her Mortis, Kiara's guitar, is something you really want to do. He's a priest, right? They're good guys. So it's probably fine? Character Sheets & Inventory USD ACCOUNT BALANCE: $374,611 SM ACCOUNT BALANCE: Ω1.55
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Apr 27, 2024 15:18
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Uh no, do not show the Catholic priest the necromantic guitar. It's personal.
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Apr 27, 2024 16:29
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Wow, I thought Kiara was in a delicate stage of recovery, not still actually possessed. "Oh, I didn't realize Thomas was still in there. Can you just hold her things until she's herself again? Let me know and I'll come visit her then." Outrail posted:Uh no, do not show the Catholic priest the necromantic guitar. It's personal. This isn't the Spanish Inquisition, he probably wants to make sure we aren't giving Show him the guitar if we don't end up leaving. McSpanky fucked around with this message at 18:13 on Apr 27, 2024 |
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Apr 27, 2024 18:10
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McSpanky posted:Wow, I thought Kiara was in a delicate stage of recovery, not still actually possessed.
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Apr 27, 2024 18:20
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McSpanky posted:Wow, I thought Kiara was in a delicate stage of recovery, not still actually possessed. Without necessarily PROGRESSING in the story, let's ask Sami for some clarification on Kiara's condition, and whether we should return her guitar to her. This is a reasonable thing for Josei to ask her before leaving.  SAMI: Posession is not binary. You do not flip a switch from being fully possessed, or fully in control of your body... unless something traumatic happens such as dying, where something else takes up residence by smashing a window before you manage to open the front door and let yourself in. SAMI: Earlier Thomas was fully in control of Kiara's body, and she was locked out in the cold. With a few exorcisms, Kiara is given a foothold. There will be good days and bad days. Sometimes Kiara will have more control, sometimes Thomas will. SAMI: Regarding returning the guitar - frankly, it wouldn't make a difference if Thomas has it or not. He has progressed beyond using music as a focus for his dark magic. But I think it would give Kiara some comfort to know she has it back.EDIT: Regarding showing the priest the guitar, we now have two votes for showing him the guitar, so... I'll just roll with that. Josei wouldn't have thought to ask Sami about the opinion of the Catholic church on magic guitars, unfortunately. JessAlias fucked around with this message at 18:34 on Apr 27, 2024 |
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Apr 27, 2024 18:26
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McSpanky posted:Wow, I thought Kiara was in a delicate stage of recovery, not still actually possessed. BraveLittleToaster posted:Seconded. INSIGHT ROLL: 1 +3 PERK BONUS (LUCK, ODIN) = 4 VS DC 12. CRITICAL FAILURE. With a wide, trusting smile, you reach into your bag of holding, and hand Father Silas the guitar. His eyes widen as he examines it, and he begins to frown. FATHER SILAS: This thing is laced with foul, necromantic magics. Have you ever had it properly inspected by a priest before? JOSEI: Uh... No? FATHER SILAS: No time like the present then. I will take it for safekeeping, and the Church will ensure it is properly sanctified. Please wait here for a moment, I will have to place it within our profane artifact storage area.Your jaw drops, as your mind races. You weren't expecting to get her guitar confiscated.
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Apr 27, 2024 18:34
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 Who could have possibly seen that coming. No. Just no. Give it back and I'll take it away. If he tries to take it away progress to violence, the audacity.
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Apr 27, 2024 18:36
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Hell no, goodbye.
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Apr 27, 2024 19:10
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Hold up. I need to get a refund on this if it's as messed up as you say. I appreciate the offer, and I may well need the help once this is resolved, but we're dealing with a piece of the puzzle and if this goes then we don't get to the bottom of this. Trust me.
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Apr 27, 2024 20:24
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"Hey, waitaminute! Kiara's had that thing since forever. She'd kill me if this messed it up somehow, I'll hang onto that until Thomas is good and banished and then she can make the call." Go, go gadget diplomacy!
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Apr 27, 2024 21:12
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McSpanky posted:"Hey, waitaminute! Kiara's had that thing since forever. She'd kill me if this messed it up somehow, I'll hang onto that until Thomas is good and banished and then she can make the call." AJ_Impy posted:Hold up. I need to get a refund on this if it's as messed up as you say. I appreciate the offer, and I may well need the help once this is resolved, but we're dealing with a piece of the puzzle and if this goes then we don't get to the bottom of this. Trust me. Blasphemaster posted:
Outrail posted:
You decide to try to convince him to give it back. If he refuses... well, there will be consequences, that's for sure. JOSEI: Whoa, hey, hold on. Kiara's had that thing forever, she'd kill me if I let it get messed up. If it's cursed or something, I need it to figure out if it was involved with what happened to her. Can you please give it back?DIPLOMACY ROLL: 10 +5 PERK BONUS (LUCK, DIPLOMACY) = 15 VS DC 12. SUCCESS! Father Silas hesitates, then nods slightly. FATHER SILAS: Very well... however, I would ask that you contact me when you are done examining it. The Church might be able to help purify it so that it cannot harm anyone further.He hands it back, and you notice his hand twitch slightly when you take it from him. It's obvious that he isn't happy with leaving it in your hands, but tough poo poo. It's not his call to make. You shove Mortis back into your Bag of Holding. You decide to move past that whole unfortunate incident. JOSEI: Can I see Kiara now? Is she in a good state to be visited?Father Silas pauses, and nods slightly. FATHER SILAS: Yes... just be aware, she may attempt to trick you or decieve you into letting her leave. Be on your guard.The man of the cloth gestures for you to follow him. You do so, and he leads you down a long hallway of bland pale blue and white walls. After a moment, he stops at a room numbered 507. You realize that every single door is heavily reinforced, and has multiple locks on the outside along with a deadbolt. You feel a bit uncomfortable. He knocks on the door. FATHER SILAS: Ms. Everglade? KIARA: gently caress off, priest!He sighs, and takes the crucifix from around his neck. The priest mutters something quietly in Latin, and the crucifix begins to glow slightly. After a moment, he abruptly opens the door and rushes in. You follow behind him, and find Father Silas has her arms pinned down, and she's shouting angrily, eyes narrowed and angry. KIARA: I'M GOING TO loving KILL YOU!! FATHER SILAS: IN NOMINE PATRIS ET FILII ET SPIRITUS SANCTI-She moves as if she's going to bite his nose, and Father Silas narrowly avoids her teeth. Then she notices you, and the horrified expression on your face. Kiara (?) pauses, distracted, and the priest finishes intoning the... prayer? Spell? Whatever it is, there's a flash of light. You shield your face, and as your eyes adjust, you notice Kiara is laying flat on her back, looking dazed. Father Silas stands up, fixing his clothes, and looks down at Kiara. FATHER SILAS: Are you alright, my child? KIARA: Guh.Kiara's eyes slowly refocus, and she looks up at you. She blinks, then speaks in a tired voice. KIARA: You loving rear end in a top hat... I can't believe you told Thomas we're getting married.You can't help but grin a bit, as the priest raises his eyebrows. JOSEI: I was just loving with him. It wasn't serious, I mean, really. Could you ever imagine us getting engaged? Ha!You laugh a bit, shaking your head incredulously at the thought. Kiara looks away, not seeming to find it as funny. KIARA: Yeah... really stupid. Haha.You reach down and help her up off the floor. She seems very shaky and exhausted. You glance at the priest. JOSEI: Can we have some privacy, please?Father Silas stares at you like you're insane. FATHER SILAS: I am not leaving you alone in here. She could relapse at any minute, and attack you.You have to restrain the urge to snap at him. This guy just tried to steal Kiara's guitar, for crying out loud. And she looks weak as a kitten. You have half a mind to just throw him out of the room. Character Sheets & Inventory USD ACCOUNT BALANCE: $374,611 SM ACCOUNT BALANCE: Ω1.55
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Apr 27, 2024 22:25
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Yeah maybe trust the expert here and don't kick him out.
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Apr 27, 2024 22:47
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Trust the expert, Josei, don't kick the fellow out.
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Apr 27, 2024 22:50
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On the other hand, maybe throwing out the guy who can banish Thomas with a prayer isn't the best move. He can stay, as long as everything we say is under that, what is, priest-client confidentiality thing.
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Apr 27, 2024 23:20
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McSpanky posted:On the other hand, maybe throwing out the guy who can banish Thomas with a prayer isn't the best move. He can stay, as long as everything we say is under that, what is, priest-client confidentiality thing. BraveLittleToaster posted:Trust the expert, Josei, don't kick the fellow out. Outrail posted:Yeah maybe trust the expert here and don't kick him out. You glare at Father Silas, and he looks back at you calmly. Kiara, meanwhile, flops onto the bed. JOSEI: Can I at least have a chair or something so I'm not just awkwardly looming over Kiara?Kiara seems to have faded out a bit. She doesn't really react as Father Silas pulls up a chair from against the wall for you to sit on. He then stations himself by the door and folds his arms as you turn your attention to the woman. You feel a bit bemused, he didn't even want to leave the room to get a chair for himself. JOSEI: Hey- Kiara? A lot of stuff happened while you were uh, getting treated here.Kiara refocuses, staring up at you. KIARA: Yeah? JOSEI: Things went pretty well in the sim. We managed to kill Dirk. KIARA: Oh. That's nice.She sounds a bit flat, and you can't figure out why. Maybe she's not really interested in talking about bounty hunting things... or at least, not in murdering a guy. Even if he deserved it. JOSEI: Uh... we rescued a bunch of people too? We're going to build some kind of... bounty hunter Underworld resort thing. I'm working on getting funding.That gets a bit more interest, and she sits up from her horizontal position on the bed. KIARA: Oh, huh? Like at the farmhouse? JOSEI: Yeah! I'm gathering up different people to get support. I was talking to Gorelax earlier and he's going to join as a chef, and Sami's already put a million dollars in.You grin a bit, feeling heartened by her reaction. INSIGHT ROLL: 1 +3 PERK BONUS (LUCK, ODIN) = 4 VS DC 10. CRITICAL FAILURE. JOSEI: I'm actually gonna be meeting up with Charlotte this evening to talk it over with her. I was figuring she might want to invest in the whole thing too, and maybe, you know, work as an onsite doctor?For some reason, this seems to suck all the excitement out of the conversation, and Kiara lays back down, making a dismissive gesture with one hand. She rolls on her side, staring at the wall. KIARA: Have fun with that. She's not going to care.INSIGHT ROLL: 2 +3 PERK BONUS (LUCK, ODIN) = 5 VS DC 8. FAILURE. You look at her for a long moment, puzzled by her reaction. She was all interested at first... but now it's like she doesn't give a poo poo. You scratch your head, feeling nothing but confusion. JOSEI: Kiara, that's not very nice. Charlotte's a good person, you just have to - KIARA: She's a loving whore. You'll just do anything she wants, won't you? JOSEI: What-She sits up again, and turns to face you. Kiara looks furious now, her pupils contracted to pinpricks. KIARA: But you're an expert on that, aren't you? You LOVE using people, you bastard. You'll stick a girl on like a condom, then roll her up and throw her away when you're done.You redden a bit, starting to feel angry. JOSEI: What the hell? That's out of line, Kiara!She sneers at you. KIARA: Is there any line you won't cross, you parasite? I know how people like you work- you don't care who you trample over, or how many lives you ruin!You feel a sick lurch in your stomach. Before you can respond, Father Silas interrupts. FATHER SILAS: That's enough.Kiara stiffens, and then flops back onto the bed, rolling over on her side again. Father Thomas takes you by the arm and firmly escorts you out. You try to jerk your arm away from the priest, but his grip is strong. When you're out of the room, he releases you. You back off a few steps, giving him an angry glare. JOSEI: The hell are you doing, man? FATHER SILAS: Trying to protect you from deception. JOSEI: Deception? What the gently caress are you talking about? FATHER SILAS: The unclean spirit that is attempting to control Kiara is taking advantage of her distress to seize control. It's sowing chaos and emotional distress to feed off of it.He folds his arms. FATHER SILAS: I'm glad I was there to intervene, or else it might have tried to directly attack you, possibly to use you as a puppet to escape.You feel the blood drain from your face as you realize that Thomas had really been possessing Kiara right then and there. You recall how vicious her words had been towards you, though. There was real vitriol. JOSEI: So it was all just... an act? Made up? FATHER SILAS: For that, I cannot say. There were... intense feelings, there, that he was stoking.The priest regards you for a long moment. FATHER SILAS: Are you two in a relationship?You snort. JOSEI: No, why? FATHER SILAS: Have you considered that she might have feelings for you?You blink, and are rocked back on your feet a moment. You turn this over in your head, considering. INSIGHT ROLL: 1 +3 PERK BONUS (LUCK, ODIN) = 4 VS DC 6. CRITICAL FAILURE. Then you shake your head. JOSEI: That doesn't make sense... we're not really compatible. Also you're kinda out of line. What, do you always do relationship counseling?You roll your eyes.  ATHENA: Truly, if you were any denser, Josei, your head would become a black hole. FATHER SILAS: ...yes? That is one of the functions a priest can often perform to support the community?You give him a flat look, and he relents after a moment. FATHER SILAS: In... any event, I think she needs some rest. Would you like me to contact you directly when she's better? JOSEI: Yeah. That'd be great, I guess.You share your phone number, and leave. You can't wait to get to your meetup with Charlotte, this afternoon took an awful turn. *** Later that evening, you drive up to Charlotte's address. She lives in a very stately town house in the expensive part of town, unsurprisingly. It's located in a place that was once the neighborhood of a very rich and influential family with strange and fascinating moneymaking secrets, some of which might involve embezzling and slavery and other shady poo poo. Several of them moved to another country, from what you heard. They had actually offered a few jobs in the past, but you never accepted them. Now that they left, the area was taken over by various yuppies who moved in and bought their properties, to revitalize the place. Charlotte fits in very well in this new economic order. You head up and knock on her door. She opens up almost immediately, smiling warmly. It's difficult not to stare, she looks stunning as usual in an elegant silk blouse and skirt. She greets you and lets you inside, ushering you inwards with a wave of one hand. CHARLOTTE: Hello there! I'm just finishing freshening up, go ahead and take a seat.She leads you to a comfortable couch, and you sit down on it. She heads back upstairs, and you look around her place curiously while you wait. Charlotte's living room is very minimalist in style, almost completely devoid of clutter. There are decorations, but they are placed with the utmost of precision, with everything carefully considered and arranged for best aesthetic impact. Everything is also in either a neutral color palette or black and white. There's no colors anywhere; no artworks or living plants. Instead, Charlotte has carefully placed décor to create a perfectly harmonious atmosphere without straying too far from her specific sense of style. You get up and peek into the kitchen, and notice it has a different decor. There are herbs growing in a windowbox, and hanging up on the ceiling is a rack of peppers and dried herbs. There's also a few jars of preserved foods here and there, but again, nothing out of place or messily strewn about. As you enter the living room, you notice her she left her purse on a nearby chair, and his phone is peeking out of it. She must have JUST finished using it, and didn't lock it. You could easily grab it and look through her stuff like a nosy bastard, if you wanted to. Other than that, you notice that she also seems to have a small study or home office on the first floor, and the door is wide open. You could poke around in there as well, if you want. > We have an opportunity to snoop. Looking at the phone has a little bit of risk, while just wandering around and looking at her study has slim to none, it's not like it's her secret batcave. Or we can just sit primly and do nothing like a boring person. Character Sheets & Inventory USD ACCOUNT BALANCE: $374,611 SM ACCOUNT BALANCE: Ω1.55
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Apr 27, 2024 23:37
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Look around her study, why not?
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Apr 27, 2024 23:46
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Oh my god, those critical failures  We're trying to be a better person these days, no spying
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Apr 27, 2024 23:57
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Stay here but eyes open.
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Apr 28, 2024 00:05
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