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Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
I just binged the story, and I do have to say that I adore it wholeheartedly. Granted, binging it wasn't the best for me because of how long it is but details.....

You take as much time as you need to recover, Ice. A major prevailing theme of your story after all is self care :).

An amusing thing for me about the Pinchface segment is the circumstances for how Fuzzy was called in.

Kenji: Jayvon, can I borrow Fuzzy for a project?

Jayvon: Sure, you've done me a solid, we'll make it up later.

*one video of Fuzzy stabbing a toxic fire spirt later*

Jayvon: uhhhhh.

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Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
Oh my god, the brick being pulled out for this is so delicious.

My curiousity is whether or not the spirits are also affected by it.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
Poor Sasha. She's been dodging this for a while now with avoidance, but all that means is a huge mountain to crush her sense of identity since it's now everywhere.

I have a paranoia bit about Fuzzy now honestly, because the dust was expelled in her bathroom and she's completely absent from the morning after. This doesn't feel right for Fuzzy.... and Puppy seems to be in two places at once.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009

Ice Phisherman posted:

Aw crap, I need to fix that. Puppy being in two places at once is not supposed to happen. Thanks for catching that.

The funny thing is that I read that as some sort of Dog interaction because Fuzzy's section has Dog capitalized.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
The part with Fuzzy attempting to lie just broke me. Too adorable. Huge bonding with Jayvon here since you don't get this deep without engendering stronger emotions about the person in question.

This is again another face-desk moment regarding Julian. Fuzzy shouldn't be finding this stuff out from Jayvon, this secret of theirs is way too big for him to be this hands-off regarding it. Literally everyone and everything involved here is at risk.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
Well it's clear to see why Fuzzy is just jammed, that kind of workload is just murder. Kind of a theme of the original three, they all used their entry into Blake Island to bite off way more than they can chew. Fuzzy supporting her family, Julie her entire community, and Kenji being pulled out of his depths in his political shenanigans.

It seems to be a reasonably positive impact for Tek at least, Fuzzy is providing him good and honest work.

Given that she hasn't killed a deer yet today, Fuzzy should see if she can spend some time with Sasha. Her schedule already got messed up today, but she can get some positive effect out of it at least. If they can talk in person, they may be able to arrange a schedule that works out better.

Fuzzy legitimately needs help with the hunting though. I just don't have any idea who could be pulled into it. Start a hunting club....? It's not like the idle rich really cares about the corpses other than trophies. Yeah, that's playing with an inferno though.

I had a terrible idea in that Fuzzy and Julie could see if any of the women could move to Touristville. Unfortunately, the logistics of that are just awful (Tek driving over some addict-prostitutes.... hey dad, meet my new friends!) and Touristville doesn't exactly have a lot of work for their own population already.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009

Ice Phisherman posted:

Sasha just took a pill that made her pass out in order to deal with her anxiety. Technically she can wake up, but she'll probably feel like she has cotton between the ears. If Fuzzy figures this out, she could try and sleep, visit Sasha and get some night hunting done. So we'll see what happens.

Mainly the suggestion is stemming from what Fuzzy and Julie know. They knows Fuzzy doesn't have death on her right now and don't know that Sasha did that.

However, that won't look good because they don't know that the danger from the Sasha suicide prediction has passed as far as those direct circumstances goes.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
I can't help but feel that a hellhound leather jacket is just going to get Fuzzy MORE attention. "Oh, this thing? Yeah, I went deep into Pullayup to take it down".

That's even aside from the danger of hunting one in the first place.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
Since Sasha is a jack of all trades in addition to having lower magic than the others, it'd be easier for her to recover the magic loss at least. The implications of QoL-ware vs essence is one of those weird esoteric yet sensible questions I like arising out of Shadowrun.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
Shows how sheltered Sasha has been that talking to pretty much any of her friends is a rough reality check each time.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
I wonder how Kenji and Fuzzy are going to be caught up properly.

I also wonder with all this timeskipping if a week is going to have passed or something when they're out.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
Oh dear, this part is going to get dangerous.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
Defined by even the bad choices in life. If you don't know and acknowledge the bad choices exist, you get lost and may find yourself on the road to bad choices again.

Oh, dream logic and its symbolism. She marked the path now, so she should have more context to know when she's down the road of bad choices.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
The problem I see with Oracle mentoring the group is similar to the problem with Julie seeing the future in the first place.

You got the kids already unified and competent enough in being able to perform a magic ritual together. Umm ok, that's already a decent amount of attention. Now they have Oracle as their mentor spirit, when Oracle rarely does that..... what? I think it's hilarious and sort of want it to happen on that basis.... but yeah that's also trouble.

It's at least good that Oracle is here to tell the kids that this future isn't going to happen exactly like this though. Gives more flex to their planning since it felt like Mother Bear and Julian were treating the park as an absolute truth. I hope they know now that people who weren't there previously can now show up and the event will still happen.

I'd trade Denny Park for a boon yeah. It's honestly only causing harm in it's current state to everyone. As for the boon itself.... I'd ask for guidance on best avoiding corp attention/backlash? There's currently a laser sight on Fuzzy with the toxic spirit incident, and the kids being too forewarned in dealing with Denny Park is also going to attract attention I feel.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
Seems like Sasha isn't going to get to rest anytime soon.

Seems like Kenji just directed a great spirit's attention to the Leblanc mess, that could be.... interesting.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
I don't have PMs unfortunately. Odd solution, can I give you an email link to give the discord link to? I have a burner that I use to avoid spam on main accounts, and I can delete the discord link out of the email once I used it and the email out of here once I get it.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
This is definitely running along the same lines as Joyce's crisis. A personality collapse of sorts because of learning the ugly truth behind the organization that they've been indoctrinated on. Only the problem is stronger here because Sasha is still currently living in the area where her organization has strong influences.

Oof.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
This corporate culture has a particularly horrifying aspect I like. The fact that the fruits of their 'betters' are constantly hanging above the wage-slaves, technically within reach but perpetually denied to them.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
Kenji's treading a dangerous line here. He's basically showing off all his competence in earshot of the inevitable Aztechnology listeners.

Granted, this field trip was always going to be dangerous. They're 4 powerful awakened all in one group walking into a lion's den. If I remember correctly, the kids are magic 6/5/5 currently? Is that kind of thing visible, if say, an Aztech looks at them in the astral? Or are they just going to show as 'powerful'.

That was a huge chunk of writing, good to read. I like how being deliberately boring is being used as a social positioning move.

Being brusque is its own kind of move, good ole Fuzzy protecting the herd.... by coming in straight from left field to just completely throw any social planning out the window.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
Speaking of huge messes, you mischievous writer you dropping this huge mess on our feet. This is a really good Aztechnology trap, cause it's extremely difficult to say no. Hell, saying no is if anything going to attract more attention I feel. There's hooks in literally every option here, it's just whether or not it's straight up negative attention by refusing or the creation of expectations by accepting.

I feel like the option with accepting the "gift basket" to be the best balance. A shopping spree I feel is going to put way too many expectations, and it's much easier for Aztechnology to slip in "something extra" into a shopping spree. But refusing is slapping their hands, which I feel is only going to piss them off. Plus they don't exactly have infinite money, either. There's going to be hook or attention in every option, but I think accepting the gift basket graciously will have the easiest to manage time of it.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
Honestly, good for Oli there. While her friends didn't mean to, they did hurt her. Need to learn how to stand up for herself somewhere. And Julie et al do need to make it up to her.

Hopefully she learns something from the experience.

It's good that Julie consulted with Mrs. Liu. With all the things she's trying to do all at once, having someone to just handle the details (and know that they'll be handled well) on something is good.

Utter decadence, as long as you're willing to turn a blind eye to all else. Subtlety is definitely not highly rated on this top floor.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
So Kenji decides to tank the potential essence damage because he's already going to cut into his essence with the bioware. Or if that's not a factor, he's just protecting his friends.

Funny thing is though even if the essence damage is a factor, he's basically following Dog to the hilt, so would that cancel...?

Trust Aztechnology to make an ice cream shop disgusting.

There's honestly no winning here, Aztechnology is way out of scope. I see Dragonslayer's lesson, of the dragon that is on their hoard. Respect Kenji's sacrifice here and back off.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
He's in teacher mode with his students after a particularly harsh lesson. Him getting a bit sidetracked and talking about various applications and interactions with magic and the world is entirely appropriate.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
From what I see, Marco really does need to try to reconnect with the group. It's obvious from the discussions about his mentor that he needs people that don't have a pre-existing opinion on his problems. Devin meant well, but he also wants to push the importance of Christianity. So when Marco has a legitimate complaint that his current Theurgist mentor is an rear end in a top hat, Devin is busy making excuses for the guy's behaviour. Marco got an immense amount of catharsis from Julie simply saying that he sounds like a prick. His feelings on this got validated rather than ignored or papered over.

The complete social isolation doesn't help, either.

Julie honestly needs to take the first step. Marco is suffering, and he clearly needs help. I'd say, if they can manage to clean up something in their stupidly busy schedules, she needs to invite Marco + friends that can make it to a little event in her place. Just a chance to chill with friends essentially.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
Great update. I loved the scene with Jimmy going over Julie's apartment. HIs disbelief and inability to understand that yes, she does own the place, does a lot to sell the inherent poverty of a regular person. It seems that honestly Touristville residents are personally better off in quite a few ways than regular people. Though maybe that's not the right conclusion since this is Julie's place, and Touristville was giving her the place to encourage her to stick around.

The conversation with Mrs. Liu is excellent. Her finding out about Julie angering Aztechnology was fantastic. If Mrs. Liu was a less composed person, that'd be a perfect facepalm moment.

One thing I'll note is that Julie REALLY needs to tell people about Rita. She's getting bogged down with all the huge problems that are coming and setting up the new business and all. And it's clear that she forgot (either intentionally or otherwise) that Rita is coming in the way she's planning her apartment to be used for the dentistry and not accounting for Rita in the new space she'd need.

Rita cannot arrive unplanned for into Touristville. That'd be a disaster for Rita, Julie, Touristville, and everyone involved. She needs to tell her friends at a minimum, and probably Devin. Mrs. Liu too because she's taking a more direct involvement with Julie. Julian really shouldn't be blindsided by this either, but should probably be given a little space to breathe first.

All of that is a very difficult conversation, and I understand that probably meant she was putting it off. Or that she doesn't quite understand how dangerous this move is. But she's now responsible for too much to let this just bomb in.

As for the question on the new community.... I need time to think about it. But I wanted to get my current thoughts out first.

Keldulas fucked around with this message at 01:00 on Nov 13, 2020

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
Side note, is the CPS rep very bribed because both Mrs. Liu and Kenji were independently bribing them :P?

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
On a side note, can Julie talk to Devin or someone about Rita? Currently she has told no one that Rita is coming, and that's just another disaster on the horizon. Her life is exciting enough, she really doesn't need more problems.

And yeah, it can be a disaster even still, but she needs to at least prepare a little for Rita's coming.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
Those are some truly awful people of the Gated community.

The Moat King is especially pitiful because it's obvious he's not even remotely happy. Everything about him screams of an overwhelming trauma. But it makes him act in such an overwhelmingly paranoid fashion that also screams of his own self-importance.

Martha is hilarious in being such an awful person that she can't even coherently finish being an awful person before losing her temper and sabotaging her own attempt to get people in trouble.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
I like the names Ace or Art myself. Ace because it's a play on his conversation with Shar, and Art because he's stained glass art.

The fact that they're also both vaguely names also amuses me.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
I appreciate how despite all the jockeying back and forth between Mrs. Liu and Julian, the thing that is actually the deciding point was completely accidental. Firebringered! Julian being forced to help when he's already stretched thin isn't going to go well.

Good to see more incidental evidence of the problems Touristville is facing. Fuzzy's bubble is also now expanding to include the unpleasantness of the city. Going from Blake Island to Touristville isn't exactly much exposure....

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
I find it funny how Fuzzy actually watching the vid really does sell the teenager thing really well. You don't rave that much about a movie unless you were actually engrossed in it.

It's also normal that Kenji and Julie weren't talking about it as much considering that it's completely normal to have a friend just go complete overdrive talking in this kind of situation :D. Fuzzy, the perfect cover.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
Aircraft. She just acted out from a feeling of being overly confined. Flying is both extreme and soaring through the air is a big bout of freedom.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
I get the feeling that Fuzzy is going to be all over social media again. Patty's going to post 'how does this work?' and 'save the good ones for us' with that picture of her and Marco. Since she's otherwise a ghost on social media except for killing a toxic fire spirit, people are going to be hungry for status updates. People get weird about celebrities, and for better or worse she's one right now.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
Poor Julian. He's working out here yes, but it still means he's fairly off the grid and just gets to relatively chill. Yeah he has the cleansing ritual to do, but this task is probably quite pleasant in comparison to basically everything else that's been going on.

Then he's going to come back to Fuzzy in the middle of another social media storm and Mother Bear pushing forward a busy-box to occupy the corp students due to the corporations freaking out over Lone Star.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
Then you have the problem of having to ship across borders constantly. A stopping point that's open to fuckery.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
Man this vacation really doesn't get to last long. It was obviously helpful for all involved, but reality intrudes basically immediately.

Apparently Kenji first win on the Etiquette roll is when it really matters. Good on him.

We got Julie with some insane high-rolling on the cleansing and Kenji with some bad luck intruding. Seems legit.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
Why yes there are 4 elves we know of in Touristville right now.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
It's funny because Ice literally warned us about this. He said that without effort put into Rita she would absolutely fall back into bad habits.

Julie never visited Rita literally once after the initial invitation.

Now, Julie also had a lot of poo poo of her own to sort, but we seem to keep supporting the fact that Julie takes on way too much on her plate to the point that she can't possibly pay proper attention to everything. Unfortunately we have the combination of inviting Rita and neglect that puts Rita squarely on our doorstep, especially since Fuzzy won't let this just stand.

So on the list of 'poo poo that'll get Fuzzy killed', this just moved to the top.

Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
Poor Mother Bear is simply not getting a break from deeply morally upsetting news and facts. Can’t even particularly blame Kenji for this one either, since it is relevant information he’s offering and all.

His statement reads like a glitch honestly, where he gave pertinent information, but the information is deeply upsetting to everyone else, I love it.

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Keldulas
Mar 18, 2009
"This was a bribe." The moment the cognitive dissonance just utterly collapses. We see the paranoia of things being too good to be true, the build-up where it's not believable. They're no longer thugs scheming some evil plans, they suddenly and violently morph into.... regular people who don't want to be kicked out of their homes. Denial still exists after, but it's obviously weak even to Idah.

This was definitely an uncomfortable read, definitely at the opening. However, we could use some discomfort at times. Talking to the runner and hearing them talk about 'assassinating animals' was a great bit of needed levity to break up the frankly negative toxic soup we traveled through with Idah. I also appreciate the thought that the runner feels like they were only really talking because they also had to process what just happened. A chip addict saying the experience felt as good as what they feel when chipped.... is something else.

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